A Winter of Discontent

Eight weeks ago, I burned my brother. I kissed him on the forehead and set him on fire. His body blazed within a metal cauldron, 2000 degrees of heat that reduced him to grey ash that I carried in a black Banana Republic duffel bag with me to India. And in the amber glow of Varanasi twilight, on an open boat with a priest and a stranger, I set him free on the Ganges. His passing and the grief that ensued in my family brought several things into focus—family, culture, and one completely unexpected surprise. more...


Internet Marketing Explained Click Here Now To Learn How To Have An Online Business of your Own!
Originally Posted on 8/5/2005 12:19:19 AM
Content source: http://www.brutalclarity.com/index.php/weblog/my_winter_of_discontent/

The Search for Love: A Marketer's Perspective (Part 1)

As a marketer, I’m always fascinated by the promotional aspect of things. My search for love and the perfect partner gets me thinking about the anthropological implications of self-promotion, marketing, and truth in advertising. It also allows me to search through my own cultural biases, and explore how being Indian—a core part of my identity—has affected my perceptions. In thinking through these themes, I’ve realized that some of the hardest marketing in the world happens at that individual level—when emotions are heightended to the point where brand perception—in this case, of you—literally depends on every action. Finally, I relate all this back to brand marketing—and how corporations can benefit from the lessons that Internet dating within an ecosystem has taught me. A five-part article, in five days. Part 1 of 5. more...


Internet Marketing Explained Click Here Now To Learn How To Have An Online Business of your Own!
Originally Posted on 8/4/2005 11:16:16 PM
Content source: http://www.brutalclarity.com/index.php/weblog/the_search_for_love_a_marketers_perspective_part_1/

Things Every Agency Person Should Know - Episode I

As someone who has worked his entire professional life in an agency environment, I’ve had my healthy share of daily annoyances to deal with. I’ve decided to intermittently share some of the random things I’ve learned, starting with this, the first episode of “Things Every Agency Person Should Know.” It’s meant to be a random smattering of ideas that you might identify with. Use the comments link to add your own thoughts.This episode will deal with finding information, mishaps in pitches, gift ideas, and competitive intelligence. more...


Internet Marketing Explained Click Here Now To Learn How To Have An Online Business of your Own!
Originally Posted on 8/4/2005 8:40:08 PM
Content source: http://www.brutalclarity.com/index.php/weblog/things_every_agency_person_should_know_episode_i/

Brandweek's Guerilla Marketer of The Year: A Pornstar

I was living in San Francisco when the state of California decided to recall Governer Gray Davis. I was also there when 160+ candidates came out of the woodwork and started running for Governer. But, as Brandweek recently recognized, noone benefitted more (unless, of course, Arnie’s considered a benefit) than adult film actress Mary Carey and KickAss Pictures. more...


Internet Marketing Explained Click Here Now To Learn How To Have An Online Business of your Own!
Originally Posted on 8/4/2005 6:29:06 PM
Content source: http://www.brutalclarity.com/index.php/weblog/brandweeks_guerilla_marketer_of_the_year_a_pornstar/

Customers Don't Like Tears in Their Tacos

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Internet Marketing Explained Click Here Now To Learn How To Have An Online Business of your Own!
Originally Posted on 8/4/2005 4:16:04 PM
Content source: http://www.brutalclarity.com/index.php/weblog/jose_the_taco_guy/

Wireless Providers: What's Your MHz?

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Internet Marketing Explained Click Here Now To Learn How To Have An Online Business of your Own!
Originally Posted on 8/4/2005 12:21:02 PM
Content source: http://www.brutalclarity.com/index.php/weblog/wireless_provider_marketing_whats_your_mhz/

Cultural Context in Loyalty Initiatives (Part 1)

Some brands are cultural phenomenona. They serve not just as the counduit to a product or service, but fulfill a deeper, greater need that customers have, one that satisfies a more intangible yearning. In the book Trading Up: The New American Luxury, Neil Fiske and Micheal Silverstein conducted a survey of “New Luxury” buying habits, and categorized those intagibles into:Taking Care Of Me: Goods that make them feel better about themselves immediately.Connecting: Things that make them feel more attractive, connected, and foster a sense of belonging.Questing: Experiences that make the consumer feel like they�?Tre venturing out, and pushing personal boundaries.Individual Style: Goods and services that provide self-expression and signaling.Loyalty initiatives by companies that provide these intangibles can’t afford to follow the traditional mold of rewards, points and unrelated merchandise.  It’s vital that they focus on extending the overall brand experience into their loyalty services and benefits. I call this moving from Transactional Loyalty to Relationship-based Loyalty. more...


Internet Marketing Explained Click Here Now To Learn How To Have An Online Business of your Own!
Originally Posted on 8/4/2005 11:06:59 AM
Content source: http://www.brutalclarity.com/index.php/weblog/creating_cultural_context_in_loyalty_initiatives/

Rated R, by Parental Permission

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Internet Marketing Explained Click Here Now To Learn How To Have An Online Business of your Own!
Originally Posted on 8/4/2005 7:36:51 AM
Content source: http://www.brutalclarity.com/index.php/weblog/rated_r/

Hollywood Product Placements Done Right.

Steven Spielberg's The Terminal is a modern case study in brand development and product placement for consumer companies. From United Airlines to Burger King, major product and service brands have bartered promotional dollars for a place in film history. This isn't a new trend. Companies have been working deals with Hollywood for ages -- here's a short exploration of what works, and what doesn't. more...


Internet Marketing Explained Click Here Now To Learn How To Have An Online Business of your Own!
Originally Posted on 8/4/2005 5:22:49 AM
Content source: http://www.brutalclarity.com/index.php/weblog/hollywood_product_placements_done_right/

Google Suggest

New Tool: Google Suggest Very cool.  "As you type, Google will offer suggestions." The only catch: I cannot figure out the order of the suggestions, as it does not appear to be sorted alphabetically or by the total number of... more...


Internet Marketing Explained Click Here Now To Learn How To Have An Online Business of your Own!
Originally Posted on 8/4/2005 2:36:46 AM
Content source: http://www.marketingblog.com/archives/2004/12/google_suggest.html