WHAT NOW, AMERICAN MARKETERS? TRUE GRIT!
We may officially be out of the Great Recession, but it is downright depressing out there! Our nation’s unemployment rate is officially 10.2%, but we all know better. If you include those who have stopped looking for work, that number becomes 17.5%. Add in part time workers and people earning half or less than they used to earn, and I am guessing the real rate is about 25%. This makes me angry at our government, our business leaders (though we certainly have not seen much leadership from them), the Chinese and Indians and others with slave labor-level, low-cost labor markets…and heartbroken for my fellow Americans, the hardest working, most dedicated, talented, innovative people in the world, people who can do their jobs better than anyone else on earth, and who are out of work.
Here in Chicago, the city has just lost two enormous conventions and an estimated $54 million that they brought to the city. Why? Because the unions at McCormack Place were simply too greedy. The shows cost much more to hold here than in Orlando. I am in favor of the unions, as they prevent employer abuses against employees and allow the middle class to thrive, with good, solid jobs. But obviously, unions can also go too far.
Then I read that MacDonald’s, the most sophisticated and successful fast food organization in the universe, is busy preparing for the RECOVERY. They are building 1,000 new restaurants in the USA in 2010. What do they know that we don’t?
Well, history, for one thing. In the last recession, it took over two years for employment to reach pre-recession levels. It could take longer this time. But the important thing to understand is that, slow as it seems to all of us, things are getting better. We are a vibrant economy and a brilliant populace – our best universities are still the best in the world – and our economic system allows us to start new businesses, even if our last ones failed. In fact, it encourages it.
A couple of articles ago, I wrote that the American economy was not built by tax lawyers, CFO’s, stockbrokers, and financial advisors. When unregulated, that group just brought the entire world’s economy to the brink of destruction. The people who created our great businesses were inventors and entrepreneurs — fearless and inspiring motivators. Man, could we use a few more of them right now.
But as always, it seems that if you want anything done right, you need to do it yourself. Rather than look around for courage and leadership, I believe we need to look inside ourselves. Each of us.
In the past eight years, I am ashamed to say that our long, grueling, bloody wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been fought not by our entire country, but by 150-200,000 soldiers and their families. These few (compared to nearly 350 million in all) have returned to the Middle East in tour after tour. The rest of us have complained, but not done any fighting, or dying.
Just after Pearl Harbor, Winston Churchill spoke before Congress about the gall and audacity of the Japanese military, who were betting that the American and British publics were timid and afraid of their armed forces and would simply give up. “What kind of a people do they think we are?” Churchill shouted. Over the next four years, the Japanese and Germans would find out.
It’s time for us to stand up and be counted again, to take risks, to start new businesses. Boomers: let those HR departments and companies who would not even glance at our resumes because we were too old, compete with us. We have come back from recessions many times before, and MacDonald’s knows that we will come back again.
And here, in the home of the brave, marketing needs to lead the way. Marketing drives sales; sales drive revenues; revenues drive business growth; and business growth drives employment. It all starts with marketing and marketing starts with courageous leaders, tough and smart fighters, not spoiled and fearful rich-kids-gown-up and greedy number crunchers run amuck.
For the last couple of years, the American middle class has been relegated to the role of the victim, the punching bag of Wall Street, CFOs, greedy executives, China, India, and the world’s oil rich nations. Does anyone really think we are going to remain victims forever? We did not just create the best army the world has ever known – we created the world’s greatest economy and the world’s best inventors, entrepreneurs, and marketers. None of these came from a weak people, but from a middle class that was and is tough as nails.
To those who have taken full advantage of us and kicked Americans when we have been down, I say: Come on – hop back into the ring with the American people, if you dare. Because now, you have awakened the sleeping economic giant. Let the recovery begin with marketing in the home of the free and the brave.
Ed Sucherman
THE MARKETING MACHINE
edsucherman@gmail.com
www.edsucherman.com
This brings me to an idea:…
I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
And you et an account on Twitter?
I must say I really like your writing style it is so much better than most blogs I read.
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also.
Just wondering if you have blogs on any other niche as i really like this blog?
Do you make your living online? I work online also but havn’t got enough to live off it yet was just wondering if you do and what its like.
Rabbit Cages — No, marketing is my only niche.
KonKurrencer — No, I make my living on all forms of marketing, not just e-marketing. However, if you are betting on just one medium, you have made the right bet! I suggest you profile your customers, then purchase traditional mailing lists that match their profile, then complement your web site with small direct mail catalogs. Everything you do, in print, broadcast, or online, should have the goal of driving your customers to your web site. Good luck!
Ed Sucherman
I really like your writing style, its not generic and extremly long and tedious like a lot of blog posts I read, you get to the point and I really enjoy reading your articles! Oh, and merry Christmas!
Good article Thank you so much
very good information you write it very clean. I’m very lucky to get this information from
you.
Great job! THANK YOU!
Thanks for good news!
Really nice and impressive blog i found today.
thank you
Was an interesting article, thank you..
Great article Thank
you so much!
This was a Good wordpress post, I will be sure to bookmark this in my Clipmarks account. Have a awesome evening.
This a really great read by the author looking forward to come back more really soon.
Hello good write up on WHAT NOW, AMERICAN MARKETERS? TRUE GRIT! | EDWARD S. SUCHERMAN & ASSOCIATES LTD. , where is your rss feed so I can join for your website? Paul at true protein discount code
Hey there super writing on WHAT NOW, AMERICAN MARKETERS? TRUE GRIT! | EDWARD S. SUCHERMAN & ASSOCIATES LTD. ketixvagjetixv.
Greetings everybody, This webpage is great and so is how the matter was expanded. I like some of the feedback as effectively though I would like all of us preserve it on subject so as add worth to the subject. It will likely be additionally encouraging to the writer if all of us could share it (for a few of us who use bookmarking companies equivalent to a digg, twitter,..).
Greet post this will help me.
What a great web log. I spend hours on the net reading blogs, about tons of various subjects. I have to first of all give praise to whoever created your theme and second of all to you for writing what i can only describe as an fabulous article. I honestly believe there is a skill to writing articles that only very few posses and honestly you got it. The combining of demonstrative and upper-class content is by all odds super rare with the astronomic amount of blogs on the cyberspace.
It is really a great and useful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
You made some decent points there. I looked on the internet for the subject and found most individuals will approve with your site. http://unlockiphone3.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/unlock-iphone-3gs/
Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive learn something like this before. So good to seek out anyone with some authentic thoughts on this subject. realy thanks for starting this up. this website is something that is wanted on the net, somebody with a bit originality. helpful job for bringing something new to the web!
I am continually browsing online for tips that can assist me. Thx!
Fully perceive what your stance in this matter. Though I would disagree on among the finer particulars, I feel you probably did an awesome job explaining it. Certain beats having to research it on my own. Thanks. Anyway, in my language, there aren’t much good source like this.
you may have a great weblog right here! would you like to make some invite posts on my blog?
WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..more wait .. …
Dude, please tell me that youre heading to create far more. I notice you havent written another blog for a while (Im just catching up myself). Your blog is just also important to be missed. Youve got so substantially to say, such knowledge about this subject it would be a shame to see this blog disappear. The internet needs you, man!