Bill Hicks on Marketing: "Go Kill Yourself"

I've seen it before, and unfortunately a lot of people have this opinion (or else a comedian wouldn't be making jokes about it).

And that's all it is, comedians making jokes.  I've worked with multiple companies in a marketing position, and not a single one of them employs less than moral tactics.  And at the end of the day, marketers respond to market trends and demand, because they're interested in one of many things, (such as increased brand awareness, loyalty or sales) and all of them are positive results for the company.  Selling arsenic to a baby (a joke I know, extreme example to prove a point), would not be good for the company.

Back in My Day...

How I don't miss cassette tapes...

If you're one of those people that complain about the way things are today and claim it used to be better in the past, you might want to skip this post and move on.

Actually, no.  You're the kind of person that NEEDS to read this.

We always remember the past as better than it was, and worry that the future will be worse than we expect.  However both are rarely true.

Ever wonder when the best times to publish your content so the maximum target audience receives the message?  Mashable just posted a handy guide outlining the best and worst times for different social media channels.

I noticed that there was no timestamp on the article though...

What happens when a normal person tries to buy FB shares?

With Facebook's IPO coming in the next few days, lots of hype has gone around about investing in the company.  Even though anyone that understands an IPO could tell you the answer to this guy's question right off the bat, it's still an entertaining read!


What happens when a normal person tries to buy FB shares?

Why is everyone so afraid of demo/geo targeting?

Target: acquired.

I don't know if some people are finally clueing in or if the media is looking for something else to scare people with, but demographic and geographic targeting seems to have gotten a little more attention lately it seems.

Either way, people as always, fear some conspiracy of an invasion of privacy for less than good intentions.

Circumventing Google's SEO Tricks; Bad or Good Idea?

If you need to ask this question, you should hire someone to do your on page search engine optimization and really all other forms of online marketing.

Retail e-Commerce has a great article up on doing this and how to avoid being sent into oblivion on Google's search results.  They reference the recent issue that J.C. Penney had with using "black hat SEO techniques".

Hit the jump for both the article and also another describing in depth what happened with J.C. Penney.

New Grad Life has a good article up on their blog about using social media to get a job.  Some great points in there about personal branding and capitalizing on existing networks.

Link is after the break, give it a read!

14 Days of Metallica: Day 14

The final day of the series is reserved my favorite Metallica song of all time.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 13

Nearing the end (and the beginning, of the concert!), Day 13 and the final Day 14 feature two of my favorite Metallica songs.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 12

Much better, Hi-Res version here.

Nothing needs to be said about this.  I know it's a cover, but Metallica took an awesome Irish drinking song, and turned it into an awesome metal Irish drinking song.

Hit the jump for my favorite part.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 11

In what I consider a throwback (at least cinematographically... is that even a word? [EDIT: It IS!]) to the band's first video, One, Day 11 hosts All Nightmare Long.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 10

The first song from the double digits goes to quite possibly my favorite video from the band.  I remember watching the premiere when it was first released in jaw-dropping awe, not able to wait for the rest.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 9

Day 9 is the home of a song that's off an often chastised album; Reload.  I still don't understand why so many people hated this (these, including Load) albums.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 8

Day 8 goes to what turned out to be one of the few love songs from the band; Nothing Else Matters

Betcha didn't know that did you? Hit the jump for the story behind it.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 7

Now that I'm back on schedule, day 7 goes to one of the band's most legendary intros.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 6

Ok, so summer finally arrived in Newfoundland.  I am a bartender, and on sunny days, the deck gets busy.  I worked 38 hours in 3 days and literally did not have time to turn my computer.  Then I had to drive 4 hours to meet with my girlfriend and other singer to record a song (I'll link a video when it is edited and uploaded!).  Now I've finally grabbed a second to myself, at home while my girlfriend is getting ready to watch a movie in bed.

Now, enough apologies... Day 6 (which should have been posted a few days ago) goes to...

14 Days of Metallica: Day 5

Fuel.

ONLY the S&M version.  The original does not exist in my mind anymore.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 4

An amazing metal trilogy spanning almost 20 years, all three Unforgiven make it to the list.

The first reversed the usual style of prior ballads the band had released.  Instead of a soft, melodic verse and heavy chorus, it had the opposite.  Although slower, it definitely had one of the heaviest chord progressions on the Black Album.  It's a story about a child being punished, locked in a windowless room, carving one into the stone wall until he is an old man, once he finally succeeds, he dies.  Favorite lyrics have to be "The old man then prepares, to die regretfully, that old man here is me".

Hit the jump for UN2 and UN3.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 3

Day 3 to a fan favorite, Master of Puppets.

I have 42 different versions of this song, be it studio, live, acoustic, covers or otherwise, I could listen to a different version of this song for an uninterupted 4.5 hours.

14 Days of Metallica: Day 2

Day 2 goes to Enter Sandman.

Hit the jump for some interesting facts about the song.