It’s a brand new year and we’re gonna kick things up a notch this year by bringing you 50 Top Marketing Bloggers from around the world. We’ll get tons of great ideas (yes, I do measure ideas by weight) on how to step into the spotlight in 2009. We’re going to have book reviews and book giveaways and all sorts of fun stuff, so if you haven’t signed up on the RSS feed, what are you waiting for?

I love our first guest blogger, Bill Gammell, ’cause he sees the Seinfeld perspective on everything. Take it away Bill…

The Spotlight Loves Those Who Are Full of It.

Jerry on the hit TV show Seinfeld puts a lot of faith in the Black and White cookie. According to him, if we but “look to the cookie” we could solve any racial harmony problems that elude us. I’m not sure about racial harmony, but I do think we can learn a lot about marketing from a certain Black and White cookie (besides being a perfect blend of awesomeness designed especially for our stomachs).

Have you ever had a Joey’s Black and White cookie before? If you have, then you’ve probably noticed that their package boldly claims to have “luv in every bite.” That’s a whole lot of luv!

Joey reminds us that the best place for luv is not on the side as some afterthought. No, the best place for luv is to bake it right into the product itself. Marketing is central to what you do so bake it right in.

That’s why the magic of Disneyland is not something they sell at the bottom of a pile of forgotten souvenirs at a gift shop. Instead, the magic of Disneyland is in interacting with a Disney character or the grounds cleanup crew who spontaneously brake into song (after all, every inch of Disneyland is a stage). Indeed, the magic of Disneyland is clearly manifest in your tightwad father gladly forking over 6 bucks for a Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich. That’s because the magic of Disneyland is baked right in.

Additionally, the luv in Joey’s cookies is not only baked right in, but is in every bite. Not in some bites, not even in most bites, but rather in “every bite.” You need more than small crumbs of luv to win the hearts of your customers. You must go deeper.

For example, if the luv of your company is customer service, then don’t stop at teaching your front line employees. Spread the customer service luv to your secretary, the janitor, the CFO, the database administrator and even your collections department. Every bite must be full of luv. Bake all of your luv in every bite – that’s the secret of Joey’s Black and White cookie. Now, go get yourself some cookies, turn on an episode of Seinfeld and get ready for your close up in the spotlight.
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Bill Gammell is the Marketing Director for a marketing research company in Utah that does work for BestBuy, MasterCard and Bank of America (just to name a few). He loves all things chocolate, his passion for marketing and branding get him up in the morning and Seinfeld is constantly running through his head (not that there is anything wrong with that!). He writes his blog over at http://ubereye.wordpress.com (often times about Seinfeld and marketing).

OK, I gotta admit. I’m excited.

And not just because it’s the 15-Month-and-a-Day Anniversary of this blog (presents happily accepted but not required). We’ve come a long way together since I admitted in my first blog post that I have don’t have a toaster or a microwave (still don’t).

Decided to shake it up in 2009 by bringing you 50 of the world’s Top Marketing Bloggers as Guest Bloggers, many of whom I’ve had the good fortune to “meet” since my book came out. They’ll bring you different perspectives on how to step into the spotlight, how to get noticed, how to get known, how to get your audience’s attention– and how to get ‘em to buy whatever you’re selling.

We’ll be hearing from David Meerman Scott, author of the hugely successful The New Rules of Marketing and PR We’ll hear from Anna Farmery of The Engaging Brand all the way from the UK. Anna’s got one of the top rated marketing blogs worldwide. Check out a recent interview we did together on 12 ways to step into the spotlight in 2009. (Part 1. Part 2.) We’ll hear from Andy Sernovitz, Author of Word of Mouth Marketing from Damn I Wish I’d Thought of That!. And B.L. Ochman of What’s Next Online whom I wrote about on page 81 of my book. And from Andy Nulman of Pow Right Between The Eyes who’s got a great new book coming out soon. And Andy Beal of Marketing Pilgrim, author of Radically Transparent. And David Jones of PR Works. And Mitch Joel of Twist Image. And Toby Bloomberg of Diva Marketing Blog And Gavin Heaton all the way from Australia from Servant of Chaos And Dan Schwabel of Personal Branding Blog And Bill Gammell of Ubereye Marketing who’s got the Seinfeld perspective on marketing. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

You’ll be hearing from Top Marketing & Publicity Bloggers — keep your eye out for our first Guest Marketing Blogger post in just a few days.

First thing you gotta do? Sign up for the RSS feed so you won’t miss a single one! (See What is RSS post on right column of blog under opt-in box).

Don’t touch that dial!

Tsufit

Caught a snippet of one of my favorite songs today from one of my favorite movies. I used to walk to school as a kid singing this song (it alternated on my playlist with “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning”–yes, the neighbors stared…) When I saw Julie Andrews perform “I Have Confidence” again tonight, it occurred to me that confidence is the ultimate marketing tool. If you can demonstrate legitimate confidence (even better if you actually feel it, but sometimes a display is enough), you may just get the gig. Wishing you all a confident 2009.

Got an email a few minutes ago saying ” Joe Polish in New York at David Letterman show”. Joe Polish is a very successful marketing maven, so this intrigued me until I noticed that it said “at the David Letterman show” not “on the David Letterman show”. The thing is, the celebrity name-dropping was enough for me to check out the video anyway.

Being interviewed by the lovely Susie Galvez and the bodacious Mary Foley this afternoon at 3pm EST on WLEE Talk Radio in Richmond, VA. Join us!
Tsufit

No it’s not Venice. It’s Amsterdam. Over the past year, there’s been talk of Amsterdam closing down its famous red light district. I heard two talk radio jocks joking about it just the other day. Jock A says “But that’s what Amsterdam is known for. What do they have left? Venice already owns the canal thing.”

It’s true. Apparently Amsterdam has more canals than Venice. I remember staying in on a floating Youth Hostel in my 20’s. But Venice has got the canal city brand all sewn up. Kinda makes you think. It’s not what you got, but how you market what you got. Positioning-wise, it’s a huge advantage to be first. But not always. Check out Carl Perkins’ Blue Suede Shoes… Moral of the story? If you’re not first, you gotta be Elvis.

Did a couple of podcast interviews today–one with the engaging Anna Farmery, (it’ll be broadcast just before Christmas. Looking forward to having her as a guest blogger right here in the new year–no pressure Anna!), and we touched on the issue that a lot of businesses don’t know what they’re really selling. Here’s one that does.

About a year ago, I was one of two sources for an article about entrepreneurs’ 30 second networking introductions. The journalist said that the other expert and I both recommended that you shouldn’t over rehearse, that your bit will lose it’s spark if memorized. Boy did she get that wrong. In fact, I preach entirely the opposite. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. In the car. In the shower. Rehearse.

I’ve often told clients that if I wake them up at 3 am they should be able finish the line I feed them. It’s only when you know something inside out that you can let go and do it naturally. No one would ever tell a ballerina not to “over rehearse”. Once she knows what to do with her feet, she can let go and really dance.

The question is not should you rehearse, (yeah, you should…) but how. It’s not enough to rehearse. You gotta add movement, emotion, bring it to life. Clients sometimes groan when I clap the rhythm of their lines for them or choreograph their speeches or tell them not just to rehearse the lines, but really full out do it.

I love it when stuff I make up actually turns out to be true.

Dennis Broe-Ward, a business strategist out of the UK, insisted I check out a recent Sunday Times article. Thanks Dennis! It’s all about two brainiacs
(the artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a professor of neurology and psychiatry) who got together at Columbia University to discuss how memory works. Cool story. One of the guys (Let’s call him Brainiac 1)worked with actors on a cycle of history plays. Each actor had a role in at least 7 of the plays, tons of roles (both principal and understudies), thousands of lines. Four of the plays happened to get dropped and picked up again a year later. When the actors reviewed the lines, they remembered bupkis. Nada. Zilch. When they did a group line run, not much better. But when they threw the actors on stage, all of a sudden it came back to them. “Nearly word-perfect straightaway“. Add an audience, even better.

Clients tell me, “Tsufit, it’ll be fine on the day!” Oh really? If Jerry Seinfeld rehearses every movement (see his documentary Comedian) so can we. Check out the article if you want the whole science behind this, it’s fascinating, but here’s the bottom line. The body remembers what the brain forgets. The better rehearsed you are (including the movement and emotion), the more spontaneous you’ll be able to be. And now I’ve got the brainiacs onside to prove it.

How do you guys memorize stuff?

I’ve never done it on this blog, but marketing guru, Andy Beal, of Marketing Pilgrim is giving away f.r.e.e. copies of my book, Step Into The Spotlight!
Head on over there and it could be you!
Tsufit

You know those shadow figures on social networking sites, the placeholders for people who haven’t yet, or don’t want to, upload their headshot? It occured to me a few minutes ago, that that’s kinda what some people register as at live networking functions. Grey shadows of people.

Make sure you’re not one of them. Tell a story. Get off the fence. Be provocative. Or even more outrageous, be you!