“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.”
Update: Get Action.
James builds crowds and creates amazing customer experiences. Occasionally, he posts sarcasm here.
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The New York Times takes a look inside Pixar’s studios, and it’s even more amazing than you might have thought. My favourite part is how Steve Jobs’ designed the building for spontaneous conversations. Small detail, massive result.
You want to work here.
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Mesmerising short film by Jesse Rosten.
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Press On →
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Things Real People Don’t Say About Advertising
A real treat for anyone who has ever studied advertising or sat through a buzzword-flooded planning meeting. Keep it simple, because most of the time your customers aren’t as complicated as they seem.
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"We did not inherit the world from our parents. We are borrowing it from our children."
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Unknown.
A tour-guide presented me this perspective as he took us through the township of Imizamo Yethu in South Africa. Sadly I did not catch his name, but he was a generous social worker who spent hours of time with the children in his community based on this perspective.
I feel an enormous sense of responsibility whenever I recall these words.
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Perspectives of Poverty →
Fascinating photography project from Duncan McNicholl. Sick of non-profits using pitiful images to extract donations, he visited typical households in rural Africa and took two photos - one “wochena” (dressed to kill), and one “wosachena’ (dressed very poorly). It’s quite discomforting to see how easily someone can be dehumanised.
“NGOs come to the village here to take pictures of people. At church, at the market, on the road, at meetings. Only people who are dressed poorly.”
At The Simunye Project, we’re strongly against using guilt as a fundraising tool, not only because it’s manipulative, but because of this huge potential to misrepresent.
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"If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse."
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Henry Ford.
But if you interpret this as an excuse to ignore your customers, you’re doing it wrong.
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Brilliantly sarcastic campaign from Subaru to launch their 2011 Legacy. Be sure to check out the companion site which is just as beige, and just as awesome.
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Two Marketers Walk Into a Bar
There are two kinds of marketers.
The first kind shows up to work and has her first conversation with her boss. “What do you want me to sell?” she asks. She takes it to her customers and says, “this is what you’re going to buy.”
The second kind shows up to work and has her first conversation with her market. “Who are you? Why are you here? What turns you on?” she asks. She builds a deep, insightful understanding of the market and tells her boss, “this is what we’re going to make.” She takes it to her customers and says, “this is what we created for you.”
Make something meaningful and make the sale.
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The tag on my new (favourite) t-shirt:
“This will be your new favourite t-shirt. If you’re rich, buy one for every day of the week. If you’re not, wash it or just spray with cologne.”
Makes me smile every time I put it on.
