CharlieMoger.com

Marketing and advertising advice for owner-operated businesses

Happy Birthday Macintosh

Today marks the Mac’s 25th birthday. It seems an appropriate moment for a clinic on presenting new ideas by Steve Jobs. His annual keynote addresses have made Steve Jobs a superstar; perhaps too big a star for his company’s good. We’ll see how that unfolds.

To commemorate the birthday of his first wave of change in our lives, here’s a video of his first Mac keynote. Listen to how he explains in human terms products we now take for granted. Is this how you speak with your customers? Say what you will about Apple, everyone agrees: they’re cool and make hip products.

Given the current uncertainty about Steve Jobs’ health and how far he’s taken Apple since first unveiling of the Mac, this video takes us to a land long ago and far away.


Never the shrinking violet, here’s one of Jobs introducing the now-legendary 1984 ad. It ran once. That’s all it took.

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Pledges without performance is poseur authenticity

A collection of celebrities pledging to replace their absurdly fancy cars with absurdly expensive hybrids, to stop drinking bottled water, and smile more is aimed to leading viewers to fall in lockstep behind our new president. Yes WE can.

It's inspiring at first. After a few moments, though, I wonder how many will see this and say, "show me." How many of these pledges will live beyond the light and the camera's sight? Call my cynical. Just don't call me that all by myself. 

This poseur authenticity rings hollow because it lacks proof. I believe they mean it. I believe my kids really want to clean their rooms too. I also know the difference between "we can" and "we did." In another six months, will this mark a grand beginning, or culmination of a marketing campaign? Let's check back then and find out. 

In the meantime, collect the pledges you're making in your ads and set to work fulfilling them. Capture proof and feed that back. Like the country song says, "When I said I do I meant I would." 

Saying is easy. Doing is hard. Proving is sweet. 

Ad countdown to a new president: Reagan

Undoubtedly the best piece of political advertising in my life is this: Morning in America. We're a country of people who believe in our ability to pull through. When Reagan shined the light of hope on the red, white, and blue…. The outcome was inevitable. Reagan and Obama can both be called masterful storytellers. Though their politics flow from different directions, they're proof that a story well told wins the hearts of a votes of a nation. 

Ad countdown to a new president: Bush 41

George Bush had lots of people to thank for knocking out Michael Dukakis. Willie Horton is high on that list. This ad so polarized voters, there was no coming back from it. Is it fair? Not entirely. Then again, playing fair hasn't been part of politics for longer than I can remember. And, for at least that long the lines have been drawn: Republicans promise tougher punishment, Democrats promote rehabilitation. When Willie Horton hit headlines, the choice seemed obvious. 

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