Buzzwords that don’t work anymore.

Feel free to comment and add yours to the list or argue with mine.

1. Convenient
2. Unique
3. Authentic
4. Exciting
5. Quick/Fast
6. Consistent
7. Out-of-the-box
8. Synergy
9. Paradigm shift
10. Value-added
11. Results-oriented (I’ve never met someone who admitted to aiming for NOT achieving results)
12. Proactive (nevermind that the grammar purist in me still doesn’t buy this made up word

You must use a human, accessible voice to talk to people about what you’re trying to accomplish. I’m sure I could make this list into a top 100 (and I just might). Whatever story you’re telling, it comes off as bogus when it’s full of a bunch of trumped-up adjectives.

Honesty and humanity can speak volumes.

Retro Marketing

It’s only a matter of time before the big CPG companies look to resurrect their old classics. And they’re doing it – remember Brim, Salon Selectives, Underroos? There’s a movement underway to bring these brands back to life because of their powerful recall. Kellogg’s has announced that they’re bringing back the “beloved” Hyrdox cookie.

Which makes me really wonder something.

Does recall still make the brand? We marketers have always touted brand recall as a signal of its success. I’m just not sure that does it anymore.

First of all, it’s the quality of the product that ultimately determines whether it has a long or short lifespan. If Brim has a great jingle but tastes like crap, it’s destined for the dustbin. Reason #1 why I don’t think recall is enough.

This all sounds to me like big companies are finally feeling the pinch of traditional, big bucks marketing and rather than spending the time, money, and effort to innovate something truly powerfully great, they’re riding on the coattails of nostalgia in hopes that it will bring them around. (I wonder if Seth agrees with me – I doubt he thinks that Hydrox revisited is a Purple Cow, if a Cow at all).

What do you think? Would the reprise of your favorite Quisp cereal make you rush to the store, or just make you think “hey look, Quisp!” and go on your merry way?

Brilliant Fundraising

Jennifer Leggio should have been on my team all the years I did fundraising for a living. Talk about harnessing the power of social media.

Jennifer has reached out to her network of brilliant minds to auction their brains, services, and other in the name of raising money in the fight against leukemia. She’s running a marathon as part of Team In Training and has an ambitious (but at this point, highly reachable) goal to raise $10,000. As of right now, she’s already raised $3K. Not too shabby.

It just goes to show – and remind me – how powerful it can be to have conversations. I heard about Jennifer’s efforts via Chris Brogan, and now here I am blogging about them. Which means hopefully someone else in turn will find her through me and help her cause.

Now, to check the bidding for some of those brilliant minds…

Dogged Determination

There’s no substitute for dogged determination. I can’t help but continue to gape in amazement at the NASA team and their multi-year quest to get the Phoenix lander to Mars. I mean, come on. It’s NEWS that the thing is going to unbend it’s arm. The arm is going to probe beneath the Martian surface to reach the water ice below and bring back lots of yummy subterranean bits and pieces for scientific analysis. All aimed at figuring out if somewhere, in some age, Mars supported life.

It’s a lesson in patience, timing, perseverance, and faith. Nothing will test your mettle like slinging a big thing into the deep reaches of space, waiting 10 months, and hoping against hope that it goes where you told it to, not to mention landing on a planet light-years away and still working once it gets there.

There are many times when, in the marketing world, you try something and it doesn’t work. (Yes, indeed, we are fallible creatures). Not every strategy is perfect, and despite your best efforts, sometimes you miss the mark. But still, we march on and try, try again to find the thing or combination of many things that will reach that new client or finally crystalize that elusive and compelling message for all to hear. When it happens, it’s a beautiful thing. But by no means does it happen by accident.

Successful communication starts with something super important: people. Without them, there is no dialogue. And to forget that they’re on the other end is a mistake. But if you don’t reach them the first time, don’t stop talking. It’s a noisy world out there, and sometimes it’s a matter of timing before you can be heard just right.

The team at NASA’s JPL was an exuberant bunch of kids in that control room, watching the countdown and jumping up and down when they got the confirmation of Phoenix’s successful landing. They deserve a round of applause, and a good pat on the back for staying the course when there were more questions than answers.

I’m putting a picture of Phoenix on my bulletin board, and every time I stumble, I’ll be all the more determined to make a successful landing.

Hacked! LifeLock’s CEO Gets Unlocked, After All.

Today, the LifeLock CEO was on the Today Show talking about how he got himself hacked by identity thieves – the very thing his company is in business to prevent.

Last week, Drew McLellan commented on his blog about the bravery of the marketing campaign in which Todd Davis boldly displays his own social security number on billboards, TV spots and the like as if daring the identity thieves to come and get him. I agreed! Talk about putting your money (and your credit and your private information) where your mouth is.

So what does this mean for Davis and LifeLock now? Have they lost brand equity because their very own CEO has been victimized?

I don’t think so. Why? Because Davis came out and addressed the issue, point blank. He admitted that many people had attempted to use his information without success. And he insists that the damage would have been far worse had LifeLock not been protecting his identity.

I know that’s probably a little happy-hearted, thinking that just because he talks about it, everything is ok. But the question is, was it really a failure of the company to fulfill its brand promise, or did Davis open the floodgates for people to attack him more vigorously, just like a Double Dog Dare?

Guess I’ll be keeping an eye on LifeLock to see what’s next for them. And I’ll be shredding my documents more carefully, of course.