Ok, so there’s not really a box. Blogs replaced those. But that’s a story for another post.

Anyway, as we know, Microsoft is finally fighting back against the Mac/PC ads. I have a suggestion for the folks on the MAC marketing team. Play out the drama in your ads. Dress up PC in some boxing shorts, give him some gloves, some boots with the little tassles on them…and give him some ‘tude.

Then, juxtapose the Mac guy’s calm, un-threatened demeanor against that. Bring the off-screen drama to your 30-second spots. It’d be a case of art imitating life…and a great way to take the sting out of Microsoft’s campaign, IMHO…

This is a follow up to my recent post entitled “A fundamentalist view”. I doubt any of you are strangers to the negative ink Windows Vista has received. It’s not news. However, I doubt many of you have heard of The Mojave Experiment. This is truly a sad, sad case.

This whole “experiment” was a very elementary exercise in human nature. In my recent post, “A Fundamentalist View”, I referenced a fundamentalist as someone who decides “whether they can accept a new piece of information based on how it will affect their prior belief system, not based on whether it is actually true.” In other words, the placebo effect. Tell someone that something is true, they will expect it to be true, and then will be slow to accept any information or evidence that suggests the contrary. It’s science as old as the sugar pill. It’s also very bad marketing. You play with fire when you tell a story that isn’t authentic.

The moral of the story? Produce something that people will enjoy beyond the blind taste test. If you don’t, then consumers- even the fundamentalists- will eventually come to their senses and they will be none too happy with you.

There’s a hot story out of Chicago this morning- Sun-Times star sports columnist Jay Mariotti has abruptly resigned. Editor Michael Cooke had this response: “The reason Mariotti showed up at the Sun-Times 17 years ago was because the paper had the best sports pages in town. That was true then, and it’s true now.”

Possibly, but does it really matter if no one is reading? Plummeting ad revenues signal the fact that fewer and fewer readers look to traditional newspapers to get their news. Consumers vote with their wallets and their attention spans. Fewer readers = less attention = less money.

Mariotti is right. That’s a no-brainer. The only real surprise here is that we’re still having this discussion.

A couple of weeks ago, I met with a student who had just received her Master’s in business administration. She asked if I was worried that the local market seemed to have so many advertising agencies. I said I wasn’t. She expressed surprise. I suppose I can see where she’s coming from. Most would be worried. Threatened, even. I just don’t feel that way.

There’s really nothing new about the idea that competitors raise the likelihood of success for all. Think about it…it’s the idea behind bookstores, hardware stores, music stores, shopping malls, food courts, movie theatres, the MLS system, etc. Imagine if a publisher was angry because Borders placed their book on a shelf next to…(gulp)…another book!

So, long story short, I believe that healthy competition is a very good thing.

It is said that “fundamentalists decide whether they can accept a new piece of information based on how it will affect their prior belief system, not based on whether it is actually true.”

In his book “Small is the New Big”, Seth Godin discusses this in the context of the placebo effect. His point was that if we are pre-conditioned to believe that something is going to work, then the reality of it not working is completely lost on us. If an entrepreneur creates a business plan that hinges on a certain premise, then it becomes so very tempting to reject any advice or evidence that reveal the premise to be flawed.

Business owners often have very strong and ingrained opinions and beliefs about their brands. The strength of those beliefs is proportional to the difficulty in persuading them that they can’t see the forest for the trees.

Ever notice how dog and cat food isn’t really designed for dogs and cats at all? My mother has a cocker spaniel named Chaeli that eats natural venison and hand-chopped carrots every night, and wears a “snood” to protect her dainty ears from dangling in the bowl. The really funny part is that Chaeli would be just as content- if not more so- eating rotten garbage and sucking on dead squirrels.

Now, if dog food were really marketed to dogs, you can forget the omega-fatty acids, chicken gravy, meaty beef chunks, venison, and hand-chopped carrots. It would taste like garbage, dead squirrels, spoiled meat, or, heaven forbid, cat poo.

Fox News ran this story from the Wall Street Journal (read the article here) this morning about Microsoft’s impending ad blitz against Apple. The campaign will feature comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

Everyone loves the Mac/PC ads put out by Apple. The ads have done wonders for Apple’s image. Of course, the point is that the ads are based on fact, history, and consumer experience. These ads play into the story and perception that everyone who has ever used a PC is familiar with. That’s why the ads have worked so well.

In response, Microsoft has hired a new agency who is clearly swinging for the fence. What will be interesting to watch is how they frame the message of the ads. Windows Vista has endured a deluge of bad press and negative experience in the market. I’ve not met anyone that likes it.

Is Microsoft’s new agency hoping that Seinfeld’s celebrity status will overshadow the poor performance of their product? If so, that’s a very un-safe bet. If that’s the case, then short-term results will show improvement, but I’m betting it will come at the sacrifice of long-term brand loyalty. Never make a promise you can’t keep. Consumers are anything but forgiving.

This will be very interesting to watch over the coming months.

We are very excited about this project! For the past couple of months, we’ve been getting to know David Russel and his online donations company, Pledgemail. Based on initial research and the development of his brand strategy, Pledgemail is now re-branding as 10Beyond.com. The name ties back to the company’s mission and core value of encouraging each person to inspire 10 people beyond themselves. Nationally-known speaker and non-profit resource Ted Hart has had very positive and encouraging things to say about the project thus far. 10Beyond.com will be conducting beta-testing of their software new My10 Program for non-profits in September and October. We’re all very much looking forward to launching the new brand in October!

We’ve been thinking about it for months. We’ve interviewed a number of very qualified candidates. We’ve taken our time. And, finally, we’ve made a decision on hiring our newest team member. Mojoloco welcomes Holland Familia to the team!

Holland comes to Mojoloco from the Godwin Group, and is finishing up her Master’s degree at Mississippi College. When she joins the team on August 25th, she will be working with new clients to develop and manage their brands. She’ll also be helping us explore some opportunities in new markets. We’re very excited to have her on board.

Jerry’s Catfish House in Florence, MS, has got to be the town’s most notable landmark. Not because of the name or logo. But because it’s home to some of the best fried catfish in the Jackson Metro area. And…because the building is shaped like an igloo.

For the life of me, I can’t figure out why Jerry’s landed on the idea of an igloo as an association with fried catfish. But it works…

That’s the whole point of a brand association. Associations are shortcuts to the brand promise.

I really must try to figure out how they arrived at the idea of an igloo.