As I crossed the border into Mexico, I could not help but think about Macro Marketing.  First, let me say I really love coming to Mexico and I have spent nearly two years of my life living in Mexico on and off.  But since I have specialized in marketing, this has been my first trip back.

Never before have I thought about marketing in such a broad sense.  Forget advertising.  Forget social networks.  What is the macro experience you are creating?

The moment I crossed the border into Mexico I experienced uneccessary stress.  Poor directions, rude behavior (that I never encounter further south) and extra expenses and hassles.  Certainly getting back into the US is not always a picnic either.

I applaud Mexico for the commitment to create great, safe highways.  I would also make the experience of entering Mexico one that made people feel welcome and wanted. 

Marketing is as much the product as it is the message.  When you have a big, complex product such as a country, focusing on first impressions seems essential.

I was on the phone today and someone that is in branding and advertising asked me, “Isn’t it too late to get into blogging?  Aren’t there too many already?”

I did not think of it at the time, but let me answer that now.

Yes, there are too many blogs.

There are also too many advertisements, and I would like to see all of those cut out.

There are too many brands of tooth paste, do we really need more than 3?

There are too many new movies every year.  10 good movies a year are all we need.

There are too many brands of just about anything.  Lets all be communist and just have one generic brand.

Blogging is about getting people to get to know you.  People already know too many people and one more will just be overload.  Stay invisible.

There are too many TV stations.  Can we go back to NBC, ABC and CBS?

Why do Burger Kings and McDonalds always exist so close together?  Is that a choice I need?

Books kill trees and we can just read things on the computer, so why are we publishing more and more new books? 

Chipotles is the only necessary mexican restaurant outside of Mexico.

Why don’t we all drive the same car that is a perfect blend of efficiency and safety?  Think about it, if we all drove the same car, you could plan for the impact of accidents (because the cars would be the same size) and make the whole wrecking thing safer.

Why are people starting new businesses?  If people would just stop starting new businesses fewer old ones would fail.

And at this point, Architecture is just obsolete.  How many varieties of building plans already exist that could just be reused?

This list goes on, but I will not.  Yes there are too many of many things.  Should that stop you from trying?

True Story—

My brother in law went back to Mexico some years ago and visited his brothers and sisters. Many of the older kids settled in the surrounding fishing villages about half way between Mazatlan and Puerta Vallarta.

He was visiting one brother and a nephew was coming back from fishing. He’d caught a lot of shrimp. My brother in law, being polite, offered to purchase some shrimp and the nephew agreed to sell him one kilo at an inflated price.

The nephew probably thought it was his lucky day. His uncle, from the US, was dumb enough to overpay for shrimp, and he made a nice buck or two that day.

Years later, that same nephew sent a letter to his uncle and asked him for some help to try to get a visa and come for a visit. The letter went unanswered. $2 worth of shrimp five years earlier probably cost him a chance to realize a major goal in his life.

It is better to go through life assuming people are more sensitive and less stupid than you think. The little favors you do today may be the life changing opportunities of tomorrow.

I look at my stats more than I should. Somehow, even if checks are not coming in every day, I still feel like I am accomplishing something if readership is high.

To the many people that read regularly, I would like to say thanks.

Next, there is someone in Cancun Mexico that reads almost every day. I lived in Mexico when I was younger and enjoyed it a lot. To that person I just want to say gracias and please shoot me an email. I would love to hear about how Buzz Marketing is being used in Mexico. Ingles o Espanol, no me importa.

Hurricane Seth Godin Hits Akron, Ohio

According to Seth Godin, Akron is nearly dead. [If you do not know Seth, trust me, this post is bad for the city]

Stale bread and some sad hotel employees are all it takes to know there is no hope for a city. We might as well have the Red Cross send some money so we can rebuild from scratch.

Did he meet the most innovative people in the area?

Having lived in Washington, California, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas and Guadalajara Mexico, I can honestly say the Akron area is not the most energized place I have ever lived, but it is far from dead. Ohio has many great features and is going through an evolution from manufacturing to technology and from bigger business to smaller business. It is filled with opportunity and people that want to get on board with exciting opportunities.

The most bothersome thing I find about Seth’s post is that right above it you will find him complaining about stereotypes in advertising. If he is going to judge an entire city by one day, we can certainly judge all people of a particular race by one bad experience with one person. It is the same broad, ignorant stereotype.

In fact, I have decided I do not like bald people based on his post. (Until I am bald)

Seth’s posts have the same effect on an image as Alan Greenspan would have on the economy if he said the crash was imminent. I wish Seth would use his influence with as much care.