Very interesting perspective & food for thought.
Thanks, Michael.

Chris

> Bill:

> What makes this forum interesting is the
> wide array of subjects discussed...

> From software help to marketing. From the
> problems of one particular country to the
> stockmarket. From the political left to the
> policical right. From domestic issues to
> international issues.

> People can allow themselves to jump to the
> left or right (or "take sides") on
> any and all subjects. People can discuss
> them rationally or let their hearts do the
> speaking. And here at sowpub, rational
> discussion seems to be the order of the day.
> There is very little "name
> calling" or personal attacks because it
> is not allowed/tolerated.

> The thing about the Iraq crisis and protests
> and patriotic songs is they are all about
> marketing...

> Marketing to convince the public going into
> Iraq is necessary.

> Marketing to convince the protestors to give
> up time (to protest) and money (to buy and
> paint signs and transport themselves to the
> protest gathering point). And for them to
> believe going into Iraq is not the thing to
> do.

> Marketing to get a song launched and played
> on the radio.

> And those doing this marketing are masters
> of it. The spin doctors - policial left and
> right - are brilliant at it. We can all
> learn from watching them in action - whether
> we agree or disagree with them.

> The thing with the song is, it plays to a
> couple of elements...

> Patriotic. Those who are very patriotic will
> buy it - specially if they are somewhat
> hawkish, though that is not necesary as the
> song NEVER mentions Saddam Hussein.

> Controvery. People buy controversial things
> (songs) because it somehow allows them to be
> a part of the controvery. (Eminem is GOOD at
> this. Same with The Sex Pistols.)

> Rememberance. People who choose to be
> reminded of 9/11 and all it entails. Down in
> Australia a song which went flying up the
> charts was called "I was only 19"
> and was about the Vietnamn War. Old soldiers
> bought it up, even though it brought back
> memories and was detailed in its tragic
> verse.

> If certain radio stations has not banned the
> song, the media might not have even bothered
> writing about it.

> If it had been released last year February
> (just for example) then it might not have
> been noticed and simply faded away.

> Its release shows very well the marketing
> elements of Right Time and Right Product.
> Lessons for all students of marketing.

> Also, these particular subjects are what is
> on the minds of the public. And the public
> is made up of your customers. It's a smart
> thing to know what your customers are
> reading, watching, hearing out of the mass
> media.

> For example... trying to market to anyone
> while rhetoric flies left and right and
> protests are the norm of the day, could be a
> big waste of money unless you have something
> to BURST through their bubble of
> pre-occupation. The song does that. The
> "Open Letter To..." does that -
> burst into your bubble of pre-occupation. At
> a time where "Eat At Joes" does
> not.

> Years ago the French Govt blew up a whole
> bunch of nuclear weapons in the Pacific.
> There was such an outcry - directly at the
> French and French products - that our local
> French restaurant put up a BIG Banner that
> said they opposed the French Nuclear testing
> and so on. While the media talked up how bad
> the French were by blowing up nuclear
> weapons on little islands in the Pacific
> Ocean, the French Restaurant hung its sign.
> It new, it needed to resonate with what
> people were "thinking" due to the
> media. While this all went on, that
> restaurant was the busiest I had ever seen
> it. And it has not been as busy since.

> So this is all about markketing, as I see
> it.

> Michael Ross