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Seth Gray
marketer. musician. geek.

Overwhelmed

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overwhelmed

overwhelmed

Posted by Seth on October 18th, 2008 :: Filed under visual thinking
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Context

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We’re all connected. We have the entire sum of human genius and misery at our fingertips. Given that, I’m constantly befuddled by people who don’t at least try to understand the whole, rather than just the parts. You have to understand the context of a thing to do anything with it. 

So, since this is all about me, let me help you understand my context. Lets go all the way back to my elementary school– an “alternative” school with an integrated curriculum. We weren’t taught discrete subjects in separate classrooms; we were taught how to wonder. How to learn. And we learned nothing in a vacuum– everything was related. For example: when we read a book about the revolutionary war, our art, science and writing projects related to the revolutionary war. That was invaluable preparation for life and business. Few things in our lives are ever truly done in a vacuum, and when presented with something, I always try to understand the “why” or the “so what” or the “what next”.

What next? Understanding without insight is like a guitar without strings: I’ve got this beautiful instrument, but all I can do is admire it. Insight is seeing patterns; connecting seemingly unrelated things, like mahogany and catgut, to create an instrument that can reflect the trials and triumphs of humanity.

So, now you know a little more about me and my story.

Posted by Seth on October 15th, 2008 :: Filed under innovation, marketing, strategy
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El Guapo, a BMW and Authenticity

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Driving home one day, I noticed a shiny white BMW 3 Series with seriously dark tinted windows and a personalized “vanity” license plate. The license plate had attitude. Suave confidence bordering cockiness. I decided the driver was obviously cool. James Dean cool. Then BMW turned right into my neighborhood. “What’s he doing in my neighborhood?” I wondered. I drove the labyrinthine streets behind the Beautiful Bimmer until… until it pulled into the driveway of an infamous resident. As soon as he pulled into that driveway, instantly, all those good thoughts were replaced with bad. The license plate was tacky, the tinted windows were arrogant.    

In this world of ubiquitous connection and instant communication, brand “sizzle” doesn’t work. At least, not unless there’s some real (valuable) substance to back it up. This guy was wrapping himself in gadgets and glamor and greebles. But in spite of (because of?) all the trappings, he– his personal brand– became more aweful to me.
Are you focusing too much on the sizzle– the ads, the website, the tradeshow booth? What if you spent some of those resources on raising a Kobe-grade steak of a product or service?

 

 

 

 

Posted by Seth on October 14th, 2008 :: Filed under branding, marketing
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Assumptions

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I’ve been in Texas for a little over a year, and I’ve been frustrated by lack of options in talk radio. You have a choice: conservative or ultra-conservative. I kept looking for public radio station. I looked all over the am dial. First mistake: assuming that because 820 WOSU was am, so would the Texas version. Wrong. Texas Public Radio is 89.1 fm. Dang.

What things do you take for granted? Customers? Features? Perceived benefit? What would happen if you assumed nothing?
Posted by Seth on October 12th, 2008 :: Filed under marketing, strategy, stupidity
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