Book Promotion Update

Looks like we're going to end up with more than 2,500 downloads of the PDF when the promotion ends sometime in the wee hours of September 1. 

I've tracked dozens of blogs and websites that mention the promotion, and my StatCounter logs indicate we got a significant amount of sneezing, which helped spread the virus even further.

Now, we lay low for about 6 weeks until we're certain the book has arrived at retail and then send a reminder to buy a copy at selected outlets.

Of course, the final reckoning will be how many we SELL, but the promotion has exceeded everyone's expectations and just proves that some of the crazy ideas we've all been talking about actually work.

The scent of a chicken

Ah, the power of aroma.

Brain scientists know that smell is the most powerful of the senses because it goes straight to the limbic system, the control center of our emotions.

The folks at KFC have launched an amazing promotional campaign, recognizing that the aroma of freshly prepared fried chicken is more than finger-licking' good.

Thanks to MediaPostPublications.com for this. (May require free subscription).

How amazing is JOTT?

Accidentally hit "redial" after Jotting myself. Didn't realize I'd connected.
Got to my hotel and had received a lengthy email detailing the TRAFFIC REPORT that must have been playing on the radio at the time of my dialing error.

The typist was clearly not familiar with our freeway system in LA, and many of the words were spelled phonetically - 405 became four or five - but the amazing thing is they also included the audio, so if I needed to, I could have deciphered what I had recorded.

And all that for $0.00

BigMac Update

They used to be messier.

To celebrate the BM's 40th, I went to my local McDonald's for lunch today and ordered the #1 Extra Value Meal - BigMac, Fries, Coke.

Hmm - the sandwich seems to have changed. Somewhat drier than I had remembered. Could it be less Special Sauce? Or perhaps a leaner patty?

Happy Birthday Big Mac(TM)

The Big Mac turns 40 years old today. (Guess where I'm going for lunch?)

Not really the first triple-decker hamburger sandwich, Bob's Big Boy had a double and triple before Micky D, but certainly one of the most famous food icons of all time.

I think one of the main reasons for its longevity is the catchy "Two all beef patties . . . " jingle.

What do you think? Why has the Big Mac lasted?

And, what lessons could you learn from the history of the Big Mac to help you think differently about what you do?

New Ad Space is Anti-Viral

Look!!
Up in the sky!!
Well, actually on the side of that building . . .

Just when you were finally starting to "get" the whole viral marketing thing, Gene Ely's Media Life posts this update on a 2-year old advertising tactic that's gaining popularity.

New Wine in a New Skin at Chrysler

I love the fact that Chrysler has gone outside the auto industry to name their new CEO.

Robert Nardelli had been the top dog at Home Depot before being canned there a few months back. His recent trouble at the hardware giant notwithstanding, I'm excited for the possibility of new ideas being infused into the sagging auto industry.

Hiring from inside is a good way to boost morale, but it also perpetuates old ideas. The folks at Chrysler are taking a bold step in rolling out a completely new "model."

Free Book Promo Update

Never underestimate the reach of an ideavirus.

On July 27, I sent about 800 emails announcing the promo for my new devotional book due for release in October.

Within 24 hours about 200 people had downloaded a copy.

Then, a friend mentioned it on a service that reaches more than 20,000 readers and the download total jumped to more than 1500 in one day. Most of those came directly from my email and his column.

I thought the thing would die down a bit after that, but now we're getting a steady stream of people coming to the promo site through referral emails. There's a strong contingent in New Zealand that I can trace to what looks to be a school administrator's blog.

It's spreading like a virus - an ideavirus.

Freeing Up Your Mind So You Can Think (Differently)

Once a year, or so, I like to step away from my practice of providing something provocative to ponder and instead introduce you to some sort of new tool or gadget I have found extremely helpful.

This time it's the concept of Life Hacking - Defined by Wikipedia as: any small productivity tool that solves an everyday problem in a clever or non-obvious way.

I've found three such hacks useful in taking care of things I previously thought about more than I needed to. You may have heard of these. If so, skip to the end and read an update on my free book promotion.

Life Hack #1 is the aforementioned Wikipedia. The online free encyclopedia has an ill-deserved reputation because too many people rely on it for what it isn't - a reliable source of factual information. I find it to be great starting point. If I hear a new term on the radio or learn of something I'd like to explore, Wikipedia has already "been there, done that." I have a Wiki widget on my Dashboard and use it frequently.

Life Hack #2 is del.icio.us. (That's a URL, by the way. No dot com, org or net). Most of my consulting assignments involve a good bit of research and del.icio.us allows me to catalog every web page I visit with literally one click of a mouse button. Download a very small application to your Firefox toolbar and you are ready to go. I can access my saved tags from any computer and I've used it to send groups of pertinent URLs to clients for their review.

Life Hack #3 is a fantastic memory enhancer for me, and an effective communication tool for others. With JOTT, I push a speed dial button on my Treo, dictate notes to myself (or anyone else I've previously set-up) and within minutes my voice message is transcribed and emailed to the recipient. It helps me keep track of expenses on the road. I used to have little scraps of paper all over my car from notes I tried to write to myself while whizzing down the freeway. I still have scraps of paper, but there's nothing written on them because the important stuff is already in my IN box.

I am sure there are others. You may have some of your own. The idea is to give your brain more time to do what it was created to do, which is something more than keep bunch of To Do lists up-to-date. If you have one you'd like to share with me, fire it off.

No more 39-cent stamps

When the Post Office raised 1st class postage to 41-cents a few months back, I bought a stack of 2-cent stamps to extend the usefulness of the 39-cent stamps we still had.

I misjudged and ended up with a few sheets of extra 2-cent stamps and when I went in to the PO today to buy a roll of 41's- I was told they no longer sold the 39-cent version.

So, I have a sheet of 2-cent stamps that are pretty much worth less than the sticky on which they're printed. (Granted the page represents only 40-cents in actual cost).

As I grumbled out of the Post Office about "stupid government agencies" that should "operate more like a real business" I realized that the government doesn't exactly hold a corner on the "ridiculous policies" market.

There are plenty of private commercial businesses with their share of inane decisions. Chances are you have a handful of them in your shop.