Mish Mash

No real theme for today's post - other than I'm going to be all over the place. Here are some random things...

Thanks to your input, we added the size 2T to our "I will color outside the lines" baby tee! We also added bright new colors to the "Brainy Beanies"! It's always fun to add things to a product line, waiting to see if people like your ideas.

If you are anywhere between the DC metro area and NYC (this includes Philly) and you know of a Trunk Show or Holiday Showcase - I'd love to know about it. We do really well at these events so I'm looking to schedule a few for the fall. I've got a couple lined up - but am looking for more!

Have you ever felt like your technology is disappointed in having you as an owner? I got a new PDA and I swear it would roll it's eyes if it had any every time I turn it on. I know it can do about 3 million more things than what I use it for and I have guilt.

"We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down." -Kurt Vonnegut

See? I told you it was going to be a mish mash. Do you have any random thoughts you'd like to share? Doesn't have to be related!

Forty Thousand Feet

As I mentioned last week, I am in the middle of reading "Your Marketing Sucks." by Mark Stevens. I'm only on Chapter two, but one of his terms struck me - "... a classic example of a marketing program designed at forty thousand feet", meaning that someone who is way too far from the actual situation (at an altitude of forty thousand feet, to be exact) made the decision without thinking of the end-user. He goes on to say that, "... a seemingly terrific idea turns out to be another form of marketing that sucks, because people don't think it all the way through to the implementation level."

I really like the image that conjures up and it prompts me to think about what I create from forty thousand feet, without knowing it. I have made a lot of adjustments to the product line in the past seven years because I would find things out from my customers. Store owners would tell me that people kept asking what to put the soap rolls in, so I started selling our little soap dishes to stand them up in. It hadn't occurred to me before that, that people would ask for something specifically... I was operating at forty thousand feet.

It's always imperative to think about the end-user. Since it's likely that you won't have direct contact with them, and will therefore miss out on crucial feedback, you have to approach your product (or whatever your creation happens to be) with brand new critical eyes.

What altitude are you at? How do you bring yourself back down to earth?

Drive + Desire

My sister read me the following quote yesterday after I expressed my dismay with the magazines.

We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents. -Eric Hoffer

Do you think that drive can sometimes make you better at something? Or is it - either you have talent or you don't? Take Brittney Spears - the girl doesn't have a speck of talent, but she has (or had) drive and the ability to know what would sell. Maybe that, in itself, is talent. What are your thoughts?

Too much

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I recently sent out press kits for both the Soaps and Baby line, hoping to get some write-ups in the "holiday gift guides" of large consumer magazines. I worked really hard to figure out the right amount of info to send (don't want to overwhelm them), the right person to send it to (they rarely pass it along to someone else) at the right publication (sending it to "Cat Fancy" isn't in my best interest - no offense to "Cat Fancy" readers.. all three of you. Ouch! I'm sorry I'm in a feisty mood.)

This week I'm trying to get in touch with my contacts to confirm that they received the package and see if they had any questions - and to get a gage on whether they might include the products. So, I received an e-mail back from one particular magazine that I've always wanted to get into. Her response was - the soap rolls looked like they had a lot of press already. Too much success? I have many issues with this - and here are a few, in no particular order.

1. It may appear that we have had a lot of press, but that's over 7 years - it's not like it's: Soap Rolls Everywhere You Look. Have any of you seen the soaps in a magazine?
2. If we have had a lot of press, it's because people like the product. I know, CRA-ZY! Who wants to feature a product that people would actually like?
3. She'd be amazed by how many people have never seen nor heard of Soap Rolls, despite my best back-breaking efforts.
4. The fact that we have been in all these magazines should bolster my credibility. It's proof that the company isn't "here today, gone tomorrow"
5. What about all the products I see over and over again in every magazine I look in. Funny, they just happen to have paid advertisements on the page next to the editorial. Coincidence? I think not.

The thing is - I busted my butt - and kissed other's people's - to get all of this press to compensate for my lack of advertiisng funds. And now to be penalized for it... well that is just too much.

I know this is in stark contrast with my usual upbeat self (stop laughing!) - I promise to be back to normal (as normal as I can get) tomorrow. Just needed to rant!

Have you ever been in a situation where you were labelled with having too much success? I realized as I wrote that that it sounds like I'm bathing in Dom Perignon and having someone feed me grapes, which I most certainly am not. I bathe in Cristal.

My Bedside Table

I'm in the middle of reading four books. I never do that because even if they are on two completely different topics, I will inevitably weave both books together in my head. You should have heard the story I came up with when I read "Bridget Jones' Diary" and "Guerilla Trade Show Selling" at the same time. Anyway, here are the four that are on my bedside table. Let me know if you're interested in swapping notes if you've read it or hearing a review if you haven't... or starting our own mini book club!

The Long Tail by Chris Anderson. Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More. Thanks to Cindy for this recommendation!

Your marketing sucks by Mark Stevens. "The hard-nosed guide to implementing ROI marketing." This title did what he wanted it to do - it got my attention.

Too Close to the Falls by Catherine Gildiner. "... a poignant memoir about an intrepid, unforgettable girl and her extraordinary childhood in 1950's small-town America." I read about this book in a magazine - and when I went to buy it, the woman behind the counter said it was hilarious.

BANG! Getting your message heard in a noisy world by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval.

Are you reading anything good?

Crazy about Crazy

Ok, so I'm obsessed with this song, "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. This wasn't one of those songs that grew on me over time... I was hooked the first time I heard it - and I came in halfway. So much so, that I went and bought the CD that day. Now that's consumerism at it's very best.

I was just wondering what makes certain things strike a chord, while others flop. What is it about some products that reel me in and make me an evangelist in their name? I'm pretty picky about the products that I use (and by products, I mean books, music, beauty aids, restaurants, etc.), but when I really like it, I'll tell everyone I know about it. What does it take to make you spread the word about something? Is it something little, or do you have to be bowled over? I know I get a lot of customers through word-of-mouth - so I'm just curious what pushes your buttons!

Sidebar - I've heard "Crazy" is a great video too, and if MTV or VH1 ever played videos, maybe I could judge for myself.

Some Inspiration between Weather and Traffic

Years ago, I swore that I would never step foot into an Ethan Allen furniture showroom again. I had the displeasure of talking to a salesman who was so rude and condescending (He actually said, "It's not that expensive!") that it ruined the entire brand for me. That is, until this morning. I was watching the news when an Ethan Allen commercial came on, which is normally no big deal, but this one opened with the question, "Do we choose our inspiration, or does inspiration choose us?" It followed with a series of interesting visuals that really caught my eye. Damn you, Ethan Allen, for reeling me back in!

Anyway, I thought I'd broach the subject with you and see what the consensus is. Do you choose your inspiration, or does inspiration choose you? For me, it's about 50/50. I purposely go looking for Inspiration in certain places, and then when I least expect it, Inspiration comes knocking on my door - which usually means that Opportunity is right around the corner.

I still won't ever go back into an Ethan Allen showroom, but I might cross them off my list of "Stores to Curse".