I was never a Dead Head, though I liked their music when it was focused, and it was more so in their studio work than during their epic live jams. A recent New Yorker feature on Grateful Dead subculture motivated me to haul out some old vinyl (yes, I have a turntable and a few boxes of ‘can’t bear to pitch’ records) and spin up Workingman’s Dead, American Beauty and a few others.
As I listened to – and read – the lyrics, I was surprised to find a number of truisms that provide sage advice for marketing as much as they do for living right. See if you agree.
When push comes to shove, you’re afraid of love.
When Push Comes To Shove – In the Dark
Do yourself a favor for one minute: think of your brand as the personification of a living, breathing human being. People give their business to people they like, so maybe it’s time for branders to lose the ‘corporate speak’, the digital coldness, and embrace the authentic humanity of their brands. There are many brands that leverage that emotional connection by simply speaking and acting like real, live people.
Please don’t dominate the rap Jack, if you got nothing new to say.
New Speedway Boogie – Workingman’s Dead
Wow – like I think I know what Jerry’s saying. Big marketers who spend oodles of money on campaigns that fail to connect in an authentic way with their customers not only lose audience interest, they lose credibility and risk engendering resentment in the marketplace. A genuinely differentiating strategy backed by inspired creative will ensure that you’re saying something new in an engaging way, and that’s what your audience wants to hear.
Look into any eyes you find by you, you can see clear through to another day.
I know it’s been seen before through other eyes on other days.
Box of Rain – American Beauty
Have you heard more clear-eyed advice for looking at your brand through your customers’ and prospects’ eyes? Over the years I’ve gained huge respect for marketers who have developed both a keen understanding of human nature and the ability to decipher the complex mixture of hopes, fears and motivations that influence individuals’ world – and brand – views. Looking empathetically into the hearts and minds of customers and prospects will help you bring your brand’s future into sharper focus.
Nothing’s for certain. It could always go wrong.
High Time – Workingman’s Dead
With the advent of sophisticated digital segmentation, tracking and database-driven marketing strategies, it’s good to keep in mind that, in pursuit of a brand’s ‘good life’, there are many stumbling blocks. Marketers are held accountable for expenditures and ROI like never before, but it’s worth noting that, just like scientific research, political campaigns and sports championships, there’s much that isn’t absolutely certain. And when failure inevitably occurs, there’s much to be learned.
Walk that walk with style and grace,
this ain’t no knock down drag out race.
Let Me Sing Your Blues Away – Wake of the Flood
Do you feel there’s never enough time to plan, create, approve and execute with thoroughness and thoughtfulness these days? Is your inbox often jammed with “I need it now” requests? In an era that glorifies fasttracking and multi-tasking, it helps to remind ourselves that time isn’t always a luxury. When it comes to really thinking through and recommending solutions to the complex issues that impact the success of your brand, it’s a necessity.
