Today in my email I received what I'd like to think is the one billionth spam email. In reality, I receive quite a bit of spam each day (averaging about 300/day except for Mondays when I get close to 1000). What baffles me is both the sheer audacity of spammers and the sheer gullibility of Internet users. Maybe I am being naieve, but wouldn't spam just go away if people stopped clicking on such obvious scams? Or at least, wouldn't the spam get more creative in their ploys ultimately turning into, dare I say it, advertising?

But I digress. For this blog alone, I get about 10 or so comment submissions each time I post an entry. These comments are spam asking me if I'd like a male enhancement kit, drug, or suggesting I check out the latest software prices (did you know you can get Microsoft's Vista for only $9.99!!) I am serioulsy dumbfounded when I get these comments/spams...am I really supposed to take them seriously and buy something? Who is so -- sorry to say it -- stupid!?!?!

So, to all you spammers I have two things to say. 1) Please stop sending me your dorky comments to add to this blog. It ain't gonna happen -- ever. But 2) Really, how much do you folks make from doing what you're doing? I just need to know the gullible factor of the world I live in.

Posted by David Kinard at 7:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I had a great debate the other day about whose responsibility it is to market socially responsible products -- or at least that's the watered down version of the issue.

The issue came up when we saw some programming about kids and obesity, kids and clothing choices, and kids and products targeted to them that may be too old for them. As a marketer, I took the stance that companies are only providing what society wants, we don't determine it. Case in point with organic foods...as they've become more popular, companies have started manufacturing more of them. Or the hybrid cars...the technology has existed for decades to offer these cars, but only recently have consumers been willing to pay for them. I said the company is responding to marketplace cues and providing services and solutions to what consumers demand.

The other side of this coin is that companies should only provide those things which are healthy and socially responsible. The argument also goes that today's companies are perpetuating the ills found in society by not creating demand for more healthy areas but by flooding the marketplace with low quality and unhealthy products, all given momentum by campaigns that support this lifestyle.

What do you think? Who has the responsibility here? And no taking the easy route by saying that it is a partnership between companies and consumers!

Posted by David Kinard at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am speaking today with Gary Adams, director of integrated sales and marketing for SAP's consumer products industry unit. Gary is simply one of the best people I've ever spoken to about brands, branding, and brand value.

What is making this program useful to listeners is that Gary is talking from a practical perspective on how to get your brand to work for you. His real-world advice and comments are spot on. What has stuck out the most for me is his comments on how to manage a brand -- especially in a Web 2.0 marketplace. He hit the mark noting that the real challenge in growing our brands is to understand and read the signals of consumer behavior. These insights, he believes, give us the best information as to the strength of our contract with consumers -- which ultimately drives to our brand's value and bottom line.

What I think listeners will enjoy is Gary's comments about the value of automating much of the measuring and data gathering in the marketing effort so that this information -- this consumer insight -- is readily available and we can make quicker decisions. More than once Gary commented on the importance of speed as a factor of success in increasing brand value. Without the ability to quickly adjust brand messaging, and sales and marketing tactics to consumer insight, our companies run the risk of being overtaken by the competition.

Posted by David Kinard at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)