So Long Folks....Head over to the NEW Blog.

Well it's been a thrill...I have finally gotten by Business site up and am blogging (Planning to Blog) over there.  So all of you (All 6 of you) that have been following me, please bounce there from now on and subscribe to the new blog.  Hope to see you there and thanks for reading!

- Scott

www.pyburnstudios.com

VIVA LE REVOLUTION!!!....#9

The Beatles - “We all want to change the world”

Recently I have been involved with a few Pro-Bono Business relationships, that hopefully are going to convert at some point to PROFITABLE Business relationships.  But they have really got me thinking about who I am, what kind of business I want to design and run and HOW I want the world to see me: 

HOW I WANT TO BE BRANDED and how I want to Position myself in the Marketplace.  Because you can have all the advertising and marketing in the world but without a solid marketing plan which involves many complex factors you will be dead before you start.  

I have been a student of marketing for a long time. But marketing is kinda like getting people to agree on Pizza Toppings.  Someone will favor Sausage, another person Pepperoni, another Bacon and Anchovy.  Which topping is the best?  That’s kinda like asking which is better Coke or Pepsi.  One cannot say definitively. You cannot control markets anymore than you can control the weather.  That power is in the hands of the CONSUMER. (Marketing not the weather people!) What do people want? It’s like the weather in Chicago, ask them now and ten minutes from now and you will get two totally different answers.  

So what’s a small business man like me to do to compete?  You cannot control consumers or markets, or trends. You cannot re-invent the wheel. However you CAN control your market POSITION and you can also BRAND yourself/your product effectively so to make yourself MORE appealing to consumers and in doing so this places you in a better marketplace position than your competition. And by far the best thing you can do to compete, position, edge out the competition is that you CAN control the QUALITY of the product/service that you produce.  

I hear a lot that people don’t care about quality anymore.  That’s not true.  Go to McDonalds and have a hamburger and then go to Portillo’s and have a hamburger and I GUARANTEE you that you WILL notice the difference in QUALITY.  Some may prefer one over the other, there is no accounting for taste, but Most will be able to tell the difference between a GOOD burger and something that just fills the belly.

But this blog entry is not about STANDARDS of QUALITY, I will save that for a future entry. Today’s blog is about THE REVOLUTION - That to survive in a GLOBAL economy we have to reach down to something that has long been forgotten in this country and toss aside the old methods and some of the NEW methods of marketing to RE-CONNECT on a personal level with the Consumer. 

Ever shop at WAL-MART.  I do, and I fucking hate it.  I feel like a God-Damn Hypocrite.  I mentioned in a previous blog a few documentaries you should check out if you want to know the real story behind Wal-Mart. But there are NO standards of customer service at Wal-Mart.  No one cares.  No one knows shit about the products they are selling.  They are mindless zombies serving our low-cost needs, and we are mindless zombies for shopping there. But who the fuck can pass up 48 double rolls of toilet paper for $6.99...People shop there strictly because it’s CHEAP, but there is NO PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH THE CONSUMER, don’t be fooled, look behind the curtain, don’t drink the corporate commercial Kool-aid.

I am reading this really Great Book called Punk Marketing.  I got it in a trade on Swaptree.com. Check swaptree out, great CONCEPT!  Like ebay for trading...anywho.

NO MARKETING BOOK has yet to speak to me like this one: PUNK MARKETING. Maybe it is a different kind of Kool-aid, but I get tired of drinking Fruit Punch all the time. I want to leave you today with the basic tenants of PUNK MARKETING’s Manifesto.  And if you dig this check out their website, you can get the book here:  http://www.punkmarketing.com/

Til next time my few awesome loyal friends,

Peace and PY is love.

Scott

The PUNK MARKETING MANIFESTO

1.  Avoid Risk and Die

In times of change the greatest risk is to take none at all.

2.  Why Not Ask ‘Why Not?’

Assumptions are just that. Anything you assume is usually a half-truth or generalizations that once served a useful purpose but now hinders truly creative solutions.

3. Take a Strong Stand

Trying to be all things to everyone on the planet inevitably results in meaning little of interest to just about anybody.

4. Don’t Pander

Customers are important but they are not necessarily right.

5. Give Up Control

Consumers now control brands. Smart marketers recognize this and embrace it rather than fight the powerful truth.

6. Expose Yourself

A relationship of trust between brand and consumer, like that between two people, is built upon honesty.

7.  Make Enemies

 All brands need to position themselves against an alternative.

8. Leave Them Wanting More

Avoid the temptation to reveal all of your assets at once. Or as the masters have said: You don’t teach them everything you know. You teach them everything they know.

9. Out think the Competition

Think smarter than the other dude. Do not be led into temptation by the fast buck and don’t try and outspend them.

10. Don’t Be Seduced By Technology

The media is not the message anymore. The message is the message is the message.

11. Know Who You Are

If you don’t understand what it is that you are good at you might be tempted to try and be something you are not.

12. No More Marketing Bullshit

Get to the point. Express it clearly and simply. Einstein said — we believe he meant marketers: “Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.”

13. Don’t Let Others Set Your Standards

Sorry to tell you this but good no longer means anything while mediocre does more harm than doing nothing.

14. Use the Tools Of The Revolution

Go write your own Manifesto. Remind yourself of its articles whenever you lack resolve.

 

Smile...

Hello again and welcome to the rant.  I don't normally apologize for my posts but the last one was just a little bit angry.  It's been a very angry and frustrating time.  Everyone is out of work. Both my wife and I are currently searching for work and one of my best friends just called and told me that he was laid off as well.

Times are hard, and they will get harder before they get better.  SO MANY companies are going out of business.  And have you been to the unemployment office?  I have.  It looks like a cold war Soviet Bread line.  Long and depressing.  So what does one do when times get hard?  "Hang in there"  "Take one day at a time"  I have heard a lot of that lately.  But it's a bit too much like an 80's afternoon special or old library poster of Garfield to me.  Aside from actually finding work there is only one thing to do. 

Smile, and try to Laugh.  Laughter truly is the best medicine, and it all begins with a smile.  I don't have anything more today so I will leave you with the wisdom of I the Late Great Charlie Chaplin...

Smile though your heart is aching,

Smile even though it's breaking,
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by,

If you smile through your fear and sorrow,
Smile and maybe tomorrow,
You'll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness,
Although a tear may be ever so near,

That's the time,
You must keep on trying,
Smile, what's the use of crying,
You'll find that life is still worth-while,
If you just smile.

UP NEXT: Beavis tries to redirect the blog to it's original intentions....or he re-writes the intentions.  Stay Tuned!

A Pirate Looks at 37...

"Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late
The cannons don't thunder, there's nothin to plunder
Im an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late"

Yeah I think this brave new world of online lightcycles and hipsters with their facebooking and my spacing is for the birds.  You can keep it.  I have a friend that it OBSESSED with marketing. You have to be on Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter, (Twitter?  sounds like what ya used to do with a girl in the back seat of a car!)  Yeah I guess I am a 19th Century guy, as I was most recently called. You know what I have to say to that???

Get off my lawn!! Pull up your pants!!! Ya damn stupid kid.....

Yeah I'm old and I have the grey hair to prove it.  But that doesn't mean I can't learn the lingo and get hip with the technology, it just might take a bit longer.   But ya know, In some instances I really don't care to.  There are only so many hours in the day, and I have no intention spending ALL of the ones I have awake, trying to keep up with technology.  

LIFE IS TOO SHORT.    Sure I plan to do my best to keep up with "Skippy" and his twittering and whatever but I have something "Skippy" doesn't - A LIFE!

LIFE IS A BANQUET, AND SOME POOR SUCKERS ARE STARVING TO DEATH!!!

Real life people! Hello!!!??? Get off the computer! Put the mouse down and just walk away!  

I have a family and stuff that I want to do with my spare time that does not involve having my face in front of the computer all the time.  So go ahead and jump on your lightcycle and whizz past me if you want to, I don't care.  There are some things in life that are worth slowing down for. I'm gonna smell the Roses before they are all digitized. And I'm not gonna miss smelling them just so I can speed along at warp speed and try to get ahead.  I work hard and I play hard. But that's just it - I PLAY! Make time to play!  Don't be so obsessed with technology and keeping up with the Skippy's and the Techy's that you don't take some time to have some fun and goof off.  Wake up and smell the maple nut crunch!  Now stop reading this, step away from the twitter and the facebook and the computer and the videa games and the x-cube and just slow down!

And PULL UP YOUR PANTS!!!!  Stupid twittering idiots......... 

Lonely Stranger

"I must be invisible, know one knows me....Take a look, then walk away.  That's alright with me." - Eric Clapton (paraphrased)

This economy SUCKS - period.  Yeah I realize that's not news to anyone, but just incase you have been living under a rock and are unaware of what has been going on, I'll say it again...

THIS ECONOMY SUCKS!   And it's nothing that we haven't been through before.  My grandfather's generation went through it, it was called the DEPRESSION, for those reading this who were born in the 80's and are a little behind the rest of the class.

My Mom and Dad went through it under Carter.  3-4 hour lines for Gas, sky high unemployement, S&H Greenstamps.  They went through bankruptcy because of it.  

And as a family we have been there, lost house, bankruptcy town, etc.  We thought we had most of the hard times behind us,  we have already been through what we thought was the "bottom of the barrel".  

WRONG!!!!!!!!

THERE IS NO BOTTOM OF THE BARREL! - YOU CAN ALWAYS FALL LOWER.

I didn't think so but it is true.  I was having lunch with a friend at Burger King the other day.  I had a coupon, buy one get one Whoppers.  And my friend and I were discussing just that.  My friend felt like "He" had hit the bottom of the barrel.  He said that he felt like he not only hit the bottom of the barrel but that it had been sandblasted and that there was just nothing left.  

He felt tired, and spent, nothing left in him.

I told him I knew exactly how he felt, but I also mentioned that there is no bottom of the barrel.  It is in fact bottomless and just when you think you have hit the bottom of it, you fall even further down.  

Aside note on what has been going on in my life that will help punctuate this a bit - for the last 3 years my wife has WORKING FULL TIME to put me through school.  We have struggled and fought just to maintain the financial aid.  Two  weeks ago she was layed off from her job.  LAST WEEK: I had to drop out of college for the 3rd (and maybe final) time.  I had just aquired a freelance contract and between that and unemployment we thought we would be able to stay the course.  I am only 7 classes away from my degree.  

So After I got home that day from having lunch with my friend, We found out via us mail from the state of illinois that my wife's unemployment benefits were DENIED.  And I do not qualify for unemployment because I have not worked for an employer in the past 18 months.  That is why it is called unemployment INSURANCE.  If the companies you work for don't pay into it or if you do not work, YOU ARE NOT COVERED!

The bottom of my barrel just got a HELL of a lot lower.  So what does all this mean? 

Hellifino.  "Life is short, then you die"  "Life sucks, then you suck it"  "Life's a shit sandwich and sometimes its your turn to take a bite"

Yeah all that and then some.  But what helps me get through times like this is the movies.

Yep - the movies.  All of the answers to lifes questions can be answered in the movies.  In this particular situation I turn to Batman Begins and Rocky Balboa

From Batman Begins Bruce Wayne's father and later Alfred Pennyworth ask Bruce at different times in Bruce's life the following question:

"Why do we fall?"  And the answer is the same both times, "So we can pick ourselves back up again."

But the quote from Rocky Balboa shakes me to my core:

"Let me tell you something you already know.  The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows.  It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.  You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life.  But it ain't about how hard ya hit.  It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.  How much you can take and keep moving forward.  That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you are worth then go out and get what you're worth.  But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you!  You're better than that!"

That is what it's all about.  I (my family) have been POUNDED this week.  But we are STILL together and we are STILL moving forward.  That's it.  That's all I've got for now.  Thanks for reading.  TTFN.

Scott

PS - Sly if you are reading this - You were my hero in the 80's and you are still my hero now. Thank you. 

Digital Communication or the last argument I will ever have on Facebook

I recently got into an Argument on Facebook over a subject that in fact I really don't care that much about with a person I don't even know.

It started out to be about a discussion that I feel passionately about but rarely discuss with people.  - Religion. 

It was more a God vs. Atheism question, but I’ll use the term “Religion” for the sake of this blog, for the record, I do believe in God, just not organized religion.  A friend of mine said she was an Atheist.  Most of the time people that I have encountered that claim to be Atheists actually believe in God or a so called supreme being but can’t stand Organized religion.  I asked her if this was true.  She said no, she does not believe in a God or any higher power. 

This is where the argument began.  8-10 Facebook posts and rebuttals later and I was ready to strangle a man in Florida that just would not shut up!  He couldn’t let it go.  He had to have the last word.  So I let him.  And in the end out of anger and disgust, I deleted every word I wrote in that post. 

What started out as a simple question to a friend on why she didn’t believe turned into an ugly argument on faith, values, politics and eventually the First Amendment.

I have never been so angry and ashamed in my life.  Now for the one person in Florida who might be thinking “WOOT!”  I am not angry or ashamed because I feel that you were right, because I still disagree with you.  But it really does not matter.  

I was never really angry at him or my friend.  I have more on my plate right now than most people know.  AND I AM FURIOUS ABOUT IT.

But what I am so angry about is no ones business but my own.  

But that does not excuse my behavior on Facebook. I am ashamed that I focused that anger on a stranger, even if our opinions differ.

I don’t know him from Adam, and he has no idea who I am other than a simple disagreement/rant online.  Talk about judging a book by it's cover.  He could be a husband, a father, a brother, a son...the point is I don't know anything about him.  And because of a simple disagreement escalating into a furious online fight, for a short time I HATED HIM.  And anyone who knows me knows, I don't hate anybody.  Not really.  

THIS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH THE INTERNET. 

We're all anonymous. But we’re all connected right?  No we’re not. Not really. You cannot see a person’s face or read their body language or hear the TONE of their voice in a text message, e-mail or post on Facebook.

TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS NOT YELLING.  IT’S JUST TYPING IN ALL CAPS.  IT’S EMPHASISING SOMETHING BOLDLY. But people think you are yelling and angry for some reason.  And I didn't start out angry...but I did get angry.  Or maybe I was channeling the anger I have for other issues towards him.  In any event he is a total stranger and a difference of opinion does not justify the way I felt.

If we were sitting together talking around a table drinking and eating pizza I would have never gotten that angry.  But then I would have probably stuck to my principles and never discussed Religion in the first place.  But it is easy and fun to do thing from behind the safety of a computer screen.  We are all self righteous commentators in the digital realm. 

I was born a generation too late.  I once wrote a report on Communications and mentioned that I felt the internet was actually doing more harm towards social relationships than helping and when I gave the report in class they looked at me like I had lobsters coming out of my ears.

There have actually been studies that suggest that Google is single handedly responsible for the shortening of attention spans in America.  I read about it in an article in Atlantic Monthly.  Not that google is a bad thing, but I can honestly say I have trouble concentrating on reading books because I cannot get the information FAST enough.

We live in a fast food world.  AT&T’s motto used to be “Reach out and Touch Someone” Now, or the last time I checked it is “Your world Delivered.” 

It’s a phone and internet company, not a Domino’s Pizza.  But the internet is making all business’ and people live in a world of instant gratification. 

We don’t just want it now, we want it 15 minute ago.  People break up with people via text messaging and Facebook…well after my little argument today with a total stranger, I’m beginning to think my initial thought was the correct one – it’s a big waste of time.

Digital Communication can be a scary thing.  If I can get into an argument with a stranger about a topic that I rarely even discuss, then what’s next?

Digital Drive By Shootings?   Digital Muggings?   Digital Rape?

Actually we already have that don’t we.  You can get attacked, mugged and raped and you don’t even have to pull your eyes away from the computer screen to experience it all.  We’re not communicating anymore.  We’re just pillaging and raping and not even slowing down to witness the carnage we leave in our wake.  Why should we, it’s only Digital.

What a “World” we live in. Well it’s not my world.  

You can have it.

Next: What is a VCR and How do I program one?

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Direction for the Blog

So I am taking the Blog in a new and different direction. After many conversations and thoughts and input from friends I decided:

“Hey Stupid, (That’s Me.) Make your blog more relevant and less about you!”  Or as my wife likes to remind me of that sometimes, “Hey it’s NOT ALL ABOUT YOU!”

Taking their caring and loving advice to heart, the blog from now on is going to be more about relevant things and less about me showing off and saying, "Hey! Look what I can do!"  

I have a portfolio for that that I carry with me everywhere, not to say that I eventually won’t have one online, but that is another subject for another post.

So -"Tell us Uncle Scott!  What's it all going to be about then?"  

Well, as many of my friends know I have a love-hate relationship with e-mail, blogs and the Internet. Communication has become less about picking up the phone and actually having a conversation and more about texting, blogging, twittering and googling.  Sounds perverse to me, but hey I’m no prude!

The globalization of our economy has dictated how the next generation will communicate and I feel, despite my own personal protests to it, that it will be through Facebook, MySpace, Youtube, Twitter and the like.

The Internet and the effect it has had on our economy have also changed the way we do business. Corporations have becomed obsessed with cutting the fat, reducing overhead and lowering the bottom line.  

Outsourcing and bidding jobs to the lowest bidder in this country is what is destroying our economy.  I blame WALMART, TARGET, BEST BUY and all the other BIG BOX corporations out there that are outsourcing to Third world country's paying wages of pennies per day so that we can enjoy the fruits of their labors.  Don't believe me?  Check out the following Documentaries:

WALMART - The High Cost of Low Price

What would Jesus buy?

Now these documentaries don't necessarily deal with how Graphic Design is becoming commoditized and globalized but they do illustrate how the globalization of our economy is destroying our way of life, the American Dream and how if things do not change the middle class will vanish and we will only be left with the bourgeois and proletarian classes...in other words - The Filthy Rich and the Just Filthy (poor).  Or as I like to say the PO, cause we can't afford the O.R.  

There are plenty of service industries that despite economic turmoil are still charging premium prices for their services.  Need examples?  Lawyers, Doctors, Dentists, Carpenters, etc. Now I am not suggesting that we should all start charging what Lawyers and Doctors charge for Graphic Design Services, but without good Graphic Design, most service industries, with the probable exception of Lawyers and Doctors would be out of business.  Examples: McDonalds, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, etc. 

What’s the point?  Graphic Design Is VALUABLE.  Do not undervalue it or underestimate the value of good Graphic Design.  And therefore DO NOT Commoditize or accept the commoditization of good Graphic Design.

You want me to lower my rate to compete with a 17 year old armed only with a MAC and substandard Design Acumen?  Go ahead, hire him.  Save money and hire him and you’ll probably get someone who doesn’t know the difference between Helvetica and Arial and why you really shouldn’t use either.  

But if you MUST ask him WHY Helvetica is the only choice.  He won’t know.

Save money, Live better?  I don’t think so.  

I’m NOT WAL-MART.   You get what you pay for.

Up Next: Communication in the Digital Age and what is a VCR and how do I program one?