clemans on marketing: confessions and misdemeanors

Nora Jones Never Less Than Best

Greek Theater, Berkeley, Ca. We huddled under blankets at the last concert in Nora Jones' recent tour, The Fall. She was amazing. Her pipes in exceptional form, her songbook crisscrossing musical genres from rock and jazz to country (Patsy Kline's league) with finesse and creativity. Nora reminded me once again that every performance has to be spot on, from start to finish. When it was over, we all roared our appreciation! Nora and her virtuoso bandmates came back on stage again and gave us two more incredibly sublime numbers. 
 

Peace and Cupcakes

I stood in line with all the  other devotees of Sprinkles. The most divine cupcake store in the world, delivering to the Playboy Mansion, placing peace signs on their  confections, and serving the masses. Strategically located on Little Santa Monica, a block off Rodeo Drive, down the street from Kitson and the paparazzi, and you're there. The architecture, all natural ingredients, graphic design system,  color palette. Attention to detail. Simple. Doing one thing very, very well! Try the red velvet cupcakes.

Brains & Beauty.

Many businesses forget that their marketing communications can be successful with both.

It's not about you. It's them.

Unsubscribe from the Narcissist School of Marketing. This is for me too. Less focus on "we", "me" and "I".

The Snowflake Principle of Business.

First, Snowflake (snō'flāk'), The Definition: A flake or crystal of snow. As the air gets colder and humidity increases, the snowflake grows distinctive tree-like branches (dendrites), becoming wondrously complex and different from all others.

Snowflake, The Principle, coined by yours truly:

"Every company or service provider should find, define and promote their "Snowflake", that spectacular, distinctive and unique combination of qualities found nowhere else in the universe. The Snowflake gets carried foward by the "Snowball Effect": Greater and greater understanding and enthusiasm for the Snowflake within the organization leads to greater understanding within the marketplace, which, ultimately leads to, voila, more and better customers."

In today's ultra-competitive business landscape, product quality, competitive pricing and a clearly defined Snowflake help businesses reach higher and stay there.

Here's my Snowflake Hall of Fame:

Oprah Winfrey, Nike, Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market (they throw fish), Harley-Davidson, my neighborhood vegan hangout, the outstanding and delightfully askew (try the dark chocolate nut balls) Cafe Gratitude, my neighborhood cleaners, Hosanna, keeps the creases straight and the service (there's something about Maria) excellent while adding more and more revolving racks to keep up with demand, friend, client, founder of Creativesports.com and force of nature, Lawr Michaels, Benefit Cosmetics (staff remained sparkly even when breaking news during the holidays that there would be no way to get my lashes tinted on the spot), the restaurant at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills (my friend's mother has lunch there every week and I go there whenever I'm in town for the ambience and popovers), San Francisco's very own Cable Car Clothiers. You should have seen how the charming proprietor fawned over my husband while he was buying his first fedora and then a year later, his second.

Goodbye "Me Toos". Hello Snowflakes.

Snow crystal images courtesy of Kenneth LIbbrecht, Professor of Physics and Physics Executive Officer, Caltech and snowcrystals.com.

Think Ping 1.

You can teach technique, but you can't teach experience.