Soapbox or Marketing?

> Is this still a marketing forum, or has it
> changed to a SOAPBOX?????????

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