The Hidden Persuaders

Tonight I played duplicate bridge. As was recently pointed out to me, I need to stay sane and healthy because a lot of people depend on me.

Interesting to see Connect IT talking about 5 ways blogging can help your business. They are writing favourably about a different media. Sort of like radio saying how good TV is. On the other hand, all media work together and have slightly different uses. Blogs do not replace magazines, e-newsletter or e-zines, they augment it.

I read a book recently called The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard. It is a marketing book and I like marketing books. I was interviewed today and the interviewer asked me if I was more of a mentor coach leader than a marketer. I did not know those were opposite leadership styles.

This is one of the original classic marketing books. It was copyrighted in 1957 so it is fairly amusing to read when you see the examples used, like the "cancer scare", "Today's modern housewife", and "for people entering the second half of this century"

Much of what he talks about is still true today, although because the book is so dated, it is difficult to pull out all of the lessons. If you want to read it, read it for fun, not for the marketing lessons.

It seems whenever I read an older book, the writer thinks that the times were changing more then than ever before and even with the current books, that seems to be the tone. Even back then Packard talked about information overload and overload of marketing. I think the bottom line is everyone always think the times they are in is uncertain, changing etc.

To this I say "Change is opportunity". Find the opportunity for you in change.