Well, it’s happened enough times now that I have to regard it as a new Thanksgiving tradition — watching the National Dog Show on NBC after the parade ends. I happened upon it one Thanksgiving Day (and now every Thanksgiving Day) and was immediately drawn in. Fascinated even. It took me a while to figure out...Continue reading
Stuck on a creative project, marketing or otherwise? Try some of these tactics… – Remind yourself of your main goal. – Boil your message down to just six words. – What would you do if you had half the current budget? – What would you do if you had an unlimited budget? – What would...
The jet ski has now pulled away from the 2018 Academy Awards ceremony, including the historic race for the Best Director Oscar. And whether you were pulling for Peele or gambling on Guillermo (congrats, señor del Toro) the world of film directing holds some surprising lessons about leadership of all kinds. No ‘More’? When everything is...Continue reading
Cosby_Rivers_Godin_PorterJoan Rivers. Bill Cosby. Seth Godin. Could all three have said the exact same thing at different times? You tell me...Continue reading
Let's stop equating clarity with progress. Let's stop associating perfect order with success. Let's stop clinging to (our illusion of) control and lean more on our people and the process. In short, let's start embracing the mess. - Matthew PorterContinue reading
Ages ago, I served as Creative Director for an international agency. The owner was a bright, young entrepreneur, but he adamantly opposed any further training for his employees because “what if they go somewhere else?” Not long after, for various reasons, the company had to shut its doors and those employees went somewhere else anyway....Continue reading
Right or wrong, the Internet has trained us all to ask “what’s in it for me?” So when engaging people online, marketers must remember it’s not just about their product, but about how their product can solve a need and –BONUS – even offer something that's valuable immediately -- an approach that I have been calling "value-forward."Continue reading
The word “passion” gets used a lot in conversations about purpose, goals, pursuing dreams, etc. To be clear, I think passion is important. Vital, really. But let’s not let the conversation devolve into mushy rah-rah sentimentality. Back up everybody, I’m ’bout to get etymological… Our modern word “passion” derives from the Latin word patī. Literally,...Continue reading
It’s true: I get high on New Year’s Day. Now wait, don’t misunderstand – I don’t get high during New Year’s Day (probably the closest I’ve ever come to substance abuse was eating paste – but hey, that was in college). No, I get high on New Year’s Day itself. Continue reading