Marketing

Marketing

The flap over the national “do-not-call” registry, and my recent spam filter discovery, got me wondering about how invasive marketing should be.

I was looking for software tools – routine maintenance software – and I thought about Norton. But I get so many unsolicited ads for those guys, I wonder if I should even bother with their product?

Fight back by not fighting back? Don’t respond, better yet, don’t buy?

For my meager dollars, these guys look a lot better. Plus, I don’t get any spam advertising their products.

I’m averaging 200 useless messages in a day and maybe 20 or so, useful messages, like e-mail arranging a reading, or the neighborhood trailer watch e-mail list I’m on.

More on marketing:
Ad Age article about the power of the almighty Wal-Mart. Two things got me thinking, and one I can’t place its source, but some airline was instigating regular “LA to Benton AR Regional Airport” run. Daily, non-stop service. Now, I can’t recall, and I’ve long-since forwarded the book onto other folks to read, but First Contract had a hilarious – to me – scene in its opening pages about a harried computer executive being forced to make a pilgrimage to Wal-Mart World HQ in order to pitch a product. Not being in that retail’s chain meant “no sales.” I took it as a spoof, satire.

Turns out, there’s some truth to that, or so that Ad Age article would indicate.

That’s scary, as here, in Austin, a fight against a proposed Wal-Mart is shaping up nicely.

In the original manuscript for my Astrological Romance Guide, I used a term, “Shopping at Wal-Mart after midnight.” Five, ten years ago? That was favorite time to wile away hours observing humanity. Plus, the place doesn’t have near as many screaming babies at that hour. It was funny. It was great source for humor and an apt description of certain human traits exhibited by various signs.

But it’s not humorous anymore. Nor is it as much fun. It’s okay when there’s a Wal-Mart around that fun to shop at. It’s not okay when that animal starts to flex its retail muscle. The only part that I still find comic, after the crash, after the economic bubble burst, suddenly more folks who laughed at the Benton Monster suddenly started shopping there. Because it is cheaper.

Perosnally, I always liked that there was a preponderance of “Made in USA” stickers on most of the products. Sadly, that’s disappearing. Or maybe, the flag was sewn in a sweatshop in some third-world country?

I wonder if I could outsource my writing to a third-world sweatshop?

“Made in Texas”*

*some parts are assembled in Mexico.

And Terminator won?
The only thing really rather pleasant about that victory, if it’s true, is that California now exceeds Texas in the whacked politics department – by a country mile. At least our Republican eccentricities are all still closeted.

Da Vinci Code
Good book, by Dan Brown.

Fact or fiction? My bet is fiction, loosely based on fact. I was pleased, part way through, to discover that a personal, favorite text, was mentioned in a positive light.

Plus, I have nothing but heart-felt sympathy for the protagonist, in certain places, when he’s faced with particular questions, all about conspiracy theories. I was rather pleased with several of the discussions of planets, symbols, and relevant myths.

I stayed up late reading it, then, when it looked like Bubba Sean was headed over to snare some free computer access time, I picked it up again, realizing that I wouldn’t be getting any time to work myself, so I might as well do something useful.

I’m pleased to find so much of the symbolism[/url rather consistent with terms, expressions, and mythologies that I’ve employed or otherwise referenced in the past.