EDWARD S. SUCHERMAN & ASSOCIATES LTD.

So, what is happening to our nation?

In Washington, the DNC is meeting and members who are up for re-election are afraid. The Dems have already lost their super-majority in the senate. Here in Illinois, a guy who put a knife to his girl friend’s throat and threatened his ex-wife won the Democratic primary for Lt. Governor. His money won him the primary, but he has no such plan to actually be elected – or to govern if he does. Things in Illinois just have to change!

In Nashville, almost 400 people are paying approx. $500 per plate at the first Tea Party convention to hear Sarah Palin speak (she gets $100,000). In the past couple of days, the stock market has dropped about 250 points and is barely above 10,000. Today, the unemployment rate dropped to 9.7%. Last week, the numbers came out and the economy grew by 5.7% in the last quarter. Haitians are still suffering terribly – it is estimated that the earthquake has killed some 210,000.

Is there a single thread to all this? Perhaps it can be found in the new book, Flip the Funnel, by Joseph Jaffe, an e-mail marketing guru. (More on this later.)

Let us analyze. While the relentless cable news channels – right, left, and center – are pounding pulsating emotions into our heads, the truth is that the nation is continuing to vote for change. Much as I hate their views, this is what the Tea Party is all about. Though it is a Republican sponsored phenomenon, it is not really a Republican movement. It is a movement for change, away from both traditional parties. The Dems are disillusioned, too. They cannot get passionate about a super-gutless super-majority that could not agree on anything. Out with the incumbents! In with change!

The economy is also changing for the better. Much as conservatives hate to admit it, the banks have become stable and we have not fallen into a worldwide depression. And Obama seems very aware of the excess spending he has had to do to accomplish this. He is already moving to fix this latest problem, something Bush never did. No, we will not become another Zimbabwe. As always, the American public is not as dumb as Washington insiders believe. Most Americans know full well that Republicans have blocked Obama’s efforts at every turn. The Republicans cannot dodge their own guilt in the matter – they caused the problem and they are stopping it from being solved. Have you noticed that they are great at putting out a single message, but awful at governing?

So, Americans are voting out the incumbents in both parties. Since there are more Democrats in office, they stand to lose the most. But both parties deserve it.

We marketers are businessmen. We can already see the year forming ahead of us. The economy will grow, but the unemployment rate’s improvement will be painfully slow. Slowly but surely, things are getting better. What’s more, everyone clearly sees the problems now. China and India have grown at our expense, especially China. Our manufacturing sector has been lost to them because they cheat. And their products are destroying us – wallboard in construction, poison in infant formula and dog foods, faulty mechanical parts in Toyota cars, and on and on. (You didn’t hear that the defective parts are from China? You will.) Chinese products are lowering our standard of living and eliminating our manufacturing base. (We need to make American manufacturing companies tax-free. Do it and watch the investments pour in!)

And the oil-rich countries are our blood enemies. We are hooked on their oil and they are our rich and ruthless drug (oil) dealers. We have no choice but to hand them our wealth…until we replace oil, which will happen quickly, if the Republicans don’t block this, too.

It has all become so obvious. American consumers are rebelling. At last!

Meanwhile, Wall Street bonuses are so ridiculous that they have offended, in fact enraged, citizens across our nation. When the economy improves, the market goes down. When bad things happen to our country, stocks go up. I know they are betting on the future…but tell me the truth. Don’t you smell a rat? Or do you still trust the billionaires who work on Wall Street?

Haiti has shown us first hand what a terrible government does in a natural disaster – nothing. Just like ours did after Katrina. It also showed the goodness of Americans.

Back to the single thread: the American people are mad as hell, and they’re not going to take this anymore. This gives me great comfort – never bet against Americans, once they have woken up. Change is in the air. It’s good for us, good for our government, good for our economy, and good for our country.

Marketers: 2010 is going to be a hard year, but a good one. It is an excellent opportunity to regain the trust of your customers, gain market share, and re-build your brand. Instead of pouring money and effort into the wide part of the sales funnel and have it trickle down to sales – mass marketing with little concern for the consumer – start with the small end. That is, start with your customers, pour money and effort into serving their needs, turn them into champions for your company, and grow your business that way. With the Internet, word-of-mouth can instantly reach thousands of people. Flip the funnel, for satisfaction, growth, and profit.

Do you have the guts to do it? If so, I think you can spend a lot less and make a lot more.

IMPORTANT: DEAR READERS, I HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMED WITH SPAM COMMENTS — 1996 THIS MORNING.  I CANNOT ANSWER THESE AND STILL CREATE NEW BLOG ENTRIES.  SO, PLEASE CONTACT ME VIA MY WEB SITE AT WWW.EDSUCHERMAN.COM.  OTHERWISE, I WILL NOT BE ANSWERING YOUR COMMENTS.

THE MARKETING MACHINE

Ed Sucherman

edsucherman@gmail.com

www.edsucherman.com

Tags: Emotions, The Marketing Machine //