The Art of the Sale(sman)

Just read (twice) this great article in the June 14-20 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek. It's a profile of Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Writer Devin Leonard portrays Jobs as the ultimate marketer. (Disclaimer time: I'm an Apple Shareholder)

I have no idea as to the value of the free publicity Apple receives compared to what they pay for traditional PR and Marketing. But the ratio has to be top heavy with the former.

When Apple roles out a product, it's a news event, a happening, with bloggers and analysts building up pre-launch "Mo" for days and weeks in advance. BUZZ louder than those horns you hear at the World Cup.

The most recent examples of course, are the new iPhone and the iPad. The new iPhone buzz started when an Apple Engineer "lost" a prototype at a restaurant. Tech Blog Gizmodo got its hands on the device and the free PR machine rolled into action.

At the "official" unveiling, Jobs quipped, "Stop me if you've seen this before." Wow. We should all be so skillful.

As Businessweek writer Leonard points out, "With the media landscape so fragmented, stopping the world in its tracks isn't easy anymore." But he adds that Jobs is the least great pitchman. Until the next great pitchman comes along.

All this gets back to my belief that what's key in communicating your message, is content. Regardless of the pipeline, you have to have a message and product that captures the hearts and minds of your target audience.

My daughter, who like me is an iPad owner, told me that while using it at the airport recently, several people came up to her and asked her about the device. When was the last time anyone came up to you and asked you about the laptop you were working with?

So even though you post on Facebook and Twitter, have videos on YouTube or just pitch to the local morning show keep one thing in mind: You, your message and product/service have to connect with Main Street.

It's a "Buzz" thing. Buzz is good.

Brian Olson
CEO and Founder
Conversation Starters LLC
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