Thanks to Krispy Kreme, I can't even get fresh in the Gas Station anymore.

I am a Marketers dream.

I love to be marketed to and appreciate a great marketing experience more than most people.

As far as I am concerned, companies need and should be rewarded for taking the time to go the extra step and create a story around their products...because stories are what I connect to.

Thing about stories are that you need to decide if you are going to work in the fiction or the non-fiction world.

What I mean is once you develop your story (feel free to substitute the word "story" for "competitive advantage" if you wish) are you going to live it or just pretend to do so.

Stories can change over time but if you have a story and drop it all together I promise you that people will notice it.

I started thinking about this last night when I was in the gas station and I noticed something different from Krispy Kreme. A lot has been written and analyzed about the downfall of Krispy Kreme so I am going to skip that angle (if you are not sure what I am talking about read this post by Andy Sernovitz) and talk just for a second about Krispy Kreme promise (story) of HOT AND FRESH. Sure we can all agree they abandoned their story of "Hot" a long time ago but I was surprised to see last night that in the fancy Krispy Kreme showcase that used to be a home for delicious "fresh" donuts was now a home for piles of individually wrapped donuts (not even on racks) with something on the packaging I never expected to see on a Krispy Kreme donut.

There was a best before date sticker stating that this product will be good for 8 days!

So basically after long abandoning the "hot" in their "hot and fresh" promise they are now walking away from the "fresh" part as well reducing their brand to just another packaged baked good available in a gas station...while keeping the premium price...and to be honest, if I am buying baked goods in a gas station I would rather pick up a Hostess Fruit Pie because as far as I can remember, Fruit Pie the Magician has never not kept HIS promises to me.

Social Media isn't that different than Hip Hop.

Disclaimer: This post has been rolling around in my head for more than a month now and after reading if you feel let down because you figured after all that thinking it should have been better I need to explain that I have an enormous amount of pressure regarding this post because I told my friend Julia L. (who is a Hip Hop know it all) I was writing it and she spooked me by saying that I was all wrong. I am not sure I hit my points very well but hopefully I will make her proud with my viewpoint :)

Social Media is one of my passions. I talk about it a lot and love to gather other peoples opinions on where it is going and how they use SM. One of the most interesting recent conversations I had about this was with my friend Howard Greenstein and his viewpoint that companies need Social Media translators and tour guides. There is no way I could do his idea any real justice here so I urge you to find him and let him explain it to you...and while I totally agree with Howard, in my head I formed a different way of looking at it that doesn't quite explain it as well but it seems to make sense to me. <--- this is called setting expectations.

I think Social Media is not that different than Hip Hop.

Ya see when I say Social Media most people immediately think of FaceBook...and when I say Hip Hop most people think of Rappers.

To people not living or working in the Social Media space they assume that the entire Social Media experience revolves around Facebook because FB has the most broad reach but in fact Social Media is a movement...you could even go as far as to say it is a culture because it is many different things to many people. Social Media is a tool, and people have to remember it is a powerful one that allows you to speak, listen, learn, teach and engage people you could never reach 15 years ago. There are great ways to use SM and poor ways and there are some really good people doing some really interesting things.

So how does this fit into Hip Hop?

Well following the same logic...to people not living or working in the Hip Hop space they assume that the entire Hip Hop experience revolves around Rap Music because that has the most broad reach but in fact Hip Hop is a movement...and a culture because it is many different things to many people. Hip Hop is about the Music (MC's and DJ's) but it is also about the people and the art and of course the dancing. Hip Hop (the culture) is more than any one of the aspects that make the whole.

I could go on and one about how both were started by young people looking for a way to communicate and spread messages...and how both have introduced a lot of noise into the world but if you cut through it there is some real gold there...and don't get me started on the egos and feuds.

Like Social Media, there is more to Hip Hop than meets the eye.

So what does it all mean?

Social Media + Retro Marketing = me on the Hopkinson Report!

I had the absolute honor of being a guest on the super amazing Wired Magazine marketing blog "The Hopkinson Report" (named after its super amazing host Jim Hopkinson) and I would love you all to check it out.

http://thehopkinsonreport.com/2009/01/28/episode-41-saul-colt-freshbooks-interview/

I discuss a bunch of topics like:

* How Freshbooks was born out of frustration that many freelancers face
* Why we take our customers — even non-paying ones — to free dinners
* What just might happen if you get stood up on a blind date
* My title, and what happens when the “Head of Magic” heads to Las Vegas
* Why I have a Love-Hate relationship with Zappos.com
* The iPhone promotion that differentiated them from every other company
* My CEO’s blog post “The 7 Ways I’ve Almost Killed Freshbooks“
* How the FreshBooks iPhone app helps on-the-go freelancers keep better records

If is all riveting stuff and if you listen real close you can tell that I needed to blow my nose throughout the whole interview!


Freshbooks.com interview - Saul Colt, the “Head of Magic” uses social media and retro marketing to build a loyal following. from Jim Hopkinson on Vimeo.

What are you passionate about..and are you any good at it?

I am not sure why I am stuck on this employment kick but I seem to be having far too many conversations about people looking for work or getting laid off so job searching and helping people search for jobs seems to be on my mind constantly.

When ever I enter in these conversations I always ask that magical question "What are you passionate about?"

This question is obvious to me since every time I have been in a hiring position I look for one main characteristic in any candidate...and that is passion.

Passion is the one thing you cant teach people, and yet it is the most important thing to have.

Without passion for what you do I don't think you can be successful in the long term. Passion will get you to think harder and hustle more. Passion and Pride (the ultimate combination) will force you to make any situation work no mater how frustrating and this (again) is something you can't teach.

The other part of my qualifying question is the "are you any good at it?" part and I am always amazed at how many people assume their skills are still as sharp as they were in the past.

Uninspiring jobs can make you lazy and when you get lazy your skills get rusty. If you are considering making a job change, or even bigger a career change one thing to do is make sure the skills you think you have are still in fact there.

I considered using this part of the blog post to explain how I went to batting cage yesterday to see if I still had the skills that I had in my youth and somehow tie it all into this post/thought but it doesn't really apply except to say that I checked to see if I still had the skills that my mind was assuring me that I had and in this case I did.

...and I really only wanted to use this example as a reason to post this video...because it was the actual inspiration for most of this post :)

Keeping my skill sharp. from saulcolt on Vimeo.

Some POWerfull advice and the art of Surprise!

Every now and then I will write about my Dad on this here blog. I love my Dad and am lucky because he has imparted a lot of interesting wisdom on me.

One of the two best things he told me that "Jealousy is a wasted emotion and you shouldn't spend your life comparing yourself to others"

Makes perfect sense and it is something I have taken to heart and is really the way I live my life. I am however not 100% free of jealousy because I am a little jealous of my friend Andy Nulman. I could go on and on about his career or his famous friends but the thing I really admire about him are his ideas.

His most recent gem is a brilliant way to promote his new book, POW! Right Between the Eyes: Profiting from the Power of Surprise, that is coming out in a few months.

Ya see he is giving away 200 free copies to anyone with a blog that asks for one!

Knowing Andy as I do I know there is more to this than he is letting on so I encourage anyone who is interested to jump on this offer!

Click here to read the deal right from Andy

I would be all over this myself but was fortunate to read an advanced digital copy. The book is so inspiring and my favorite chapter was the one I wrote all about me. That chapter isn't in the real book but since my copy was digital I took some liberties :)

...and in case you were wondering what the second piece of advice my Dad gave me, it was that cereal is delicious!

Will Ideas be Currency in a Recession?

Many months back I was talking to Mike McDerment (FreshBooks CEO and all around nice guy) and he asked me the “Where do you see yourself in 5 years” question. My answer was simple and has been the same for a while.

“I want to be the world’s best Word of Mouth Marketer in the world (second world is for emphasis) and to be so rich people will call me eccentric instead of crazy!”

Now we had this conversation before the world fell apart and slipped in to an economic downturn but I still have every intention of meeting my goals and getting through this, but to do so, especially in this economy, I and others are going to have to start thinking differently. A great example of this was waiting for me when I got home tonight.

You see about a month and a bit a go I tweeted about my excitement of a very rare shoe that Nike was releasing exclusively for “Black Friday”. I love these shoes and continued to gush about them in several tweets including one asking for anyone to send me a pair as a Chanukah present.

Well about a week ago I got a phone call from a cool company asking if I would write them a social media plan and how much would it cost. I never know what to charge for these things and don’t do it often (even though I really enjoy doing this) because I just don’t have the free time. I gave them a bit of a high price and their answer really surprised me because instead of haggling me down they said (dramatic pause) “How about I send you a size 12 pair of Black Friday’s and we call it even?”

I said yes without hesitation even though the value of the shoes are probably 1/3 of what I would have made in cash but I appreciated the fact that they took the time to do their homework on me and it got me thinking about ideas and if it can truly be used as commerce in a downturn.

Normally my answer would always be “take the cash” because with cash I can just go buy whatever I want but this opportunity excited me because it showed that this company thinks differently and will appreciate my plan cause I am a bit wacky and so are they, plus it changed the dynamic of the relationship from a simple job to something else.

So, assuming you are not out of work and have an income, would you do side project for goods instead of cash?

Is this a new reality?

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments area!

...oh ya...and here are what the shoes look like...and yes that is real pony hair

Hope: Shepard Fairey and Barack Obama

The Porn Industry is Recession proof... Be like the Porn Industry! (two blog posts in one)

The economy is on everyone's mind. People are getting laid off in record numbers and the the news is dominated by stories of the downturn....heck even Larry Flint is asking for a bailout!

Ok, I know that the Larry Flint thing is just for publicity (and it is brilliant beyond words) but it did get me thinking about if there is such a think as a recession proof business.

Without thinking too hard I have to say the answer is probably yes and the answer is the going to bring a smile to Larry's face cause it is the porn industry.


The adult industry was the first to profit from the Internet this is a fact (that I am pulling out of my head but it seems to be accurate)

I read recently that Adult DVD sales are actually decreasing as more people are spending less on just about everything. Playboy recently announced that it will stop DVD distribution and close its Los Angeles office, Hef announced that he is cutting back to only three girlfriends so it is obvious that everyone is being effected by all of this. However, adult video-on-demand (VOD) has become the growth engine of the porn biz as studios now realize that the future of the adult industry is online. VOD-related traffic and sales, while in the early stages, are increasing steadily.

You can say what you want, and feel however you feel about the porn industry but an indisputable fact is that the porn biz is one of the most pragmatic industries in the world and if there’s a way to make money, these folks will find it...and when they do, history has shown that they have opened doors for technologies to be applied in broader adoption by other businesses. Banner Ads, PPC, the battle between VHS and Beta are classic examples or Myths (depending who you speak to or what articles you read).

As long as the Adult Film industry keeps finding new ways to deliver their content and essentially giving their customer what they want, when they want it I see them being just fine.

Sure they will see a little hit to their bottom (line) but so will all companies...so in an effort to make this blog post more commercially acceptable so it can be read all over the interwebs I am now going to give you a few little pointers on how to make your company a little safer in this downturn economy...and you will notice that none of the tips are "Take your clothes off and get a web cam"

I admit these tips don't really fit in to all the talk above about VOD because the advice I am about to give you is something McDonalds has been doing for a long time. Yep I telling you ask your customers if they "Would like fries with that order". One of the best things to do in tough times is to try to generate more revenue from the people who are already using you and love you. You just have to be cool about it and not too pushy.

So here ya go:

Become Your Customer’s Customer

This is so simple but you will be amazed at how many people don't think of it. Whenever possible take advantage of the products and services offered by your clients. Chances are you are already buying things (paper, water, desks, anything really) from strangers that you could be getting from friends. Take a second a make a list of all these items and make some people happy with your next orders, because showing support of their business will help build more trust in the relationship and make people love and appreciate you more.

Grace Them With Your Presence

A recession is no time to hide. Be as visible as possible among your customer base. Being face to face is the same or better than being top of mind. If you are able to swing it, go make a visit to some cool customers and say hi...and nothing says hi like donuts!

Open All Lines of Communication

Being in constant contact with your customers will show them that you are thinking of them and actually care for the well-being of their business. Call, email and send birthday cards if you can. Connect to your customers through social networking tools as well. Establishing a strong online presence will benefit your business from all angles.

Organize A Customer Dinner

Sure budgets are tight but if you can, why not treat a select group of your customers to a fun dinner to show your appreciation for their business. Doing so will create a warm feeling for you in the tummy's of your customers as well provide you with a very valuable forum for feedback as well as a platform for networking and generating new business.

Hang on to Customers at All Costs

The price of generating new business can be costly and is not always guaranteed. If a customer is having trouble affording your product or service try working with them to make it affordable. This isn't always possible but will go a long way to help build customer loyalty and will certainly pay off in the long run.

These are just a few tips...What do you think?

Feel free to add more in the comments if you have any others and I hope this was helpful in some way!