Tom Ruwitch
I gotta hand it to President Donald J. Trump. Love him or hate him, El Presidente just did many of us a favor. He shut up the “TikTok-is-the-Next-Big-Marketing-Thing” crowd. (Search for “tiktok marketing next big thing,” and you’ll find them). On Friday, he issued an executive order banning TikTok in the USA, effective next month. …
Read MoreLegend has it that Ernest Hemingway won a bar bet by writing a story that contained just six words. Here’s the story: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” That tiny story reveals a giant truth for marketers: Great stories don’t have to be long stories. In fact, one of the greatest marketing stories I know…
Read MoreWhen I was a kid, I remember my relatives talking about some Great Aunt I’d never met. They called her an “Old Maid.” I had no idea what they were talking about, but I could tell they considered it an insult. Years later, I learned the meaning: A woman who has — gasp! — never…
Read MoreI read a definition of “marketer” yesterday that may be the best I’ve ever seen.It came from Troy Broussard, one of my favorite marketers and a top-notch product developer. He co-created Learnistic, the mobile platform on which I run the Story Power Marketing app. He said a marketer is “a person that creates such a strong…
Read MoreThe other day I was in a Zoom meeting with a group of prospects when… …I realized I had zoned out — completely. I don’t know for how long I had not been listening. I just knew I was staring at the squirrel in the tree outside my office window. Yep, my gray matter had…
Read MoreFor those of you who would like to produce good, business-building content… …with less time-consuming, costly effort… …here’s a story for you. On Wednesday, I was one of the speakers at an online networking event. The guy who organized the event, called me a few weeks in advance, and asked for a presentation topic. Earlier…
Read MoreWhen he was a young college student, my wife’s great-great-grandfather joined the revolution. He and his pals tried to overthrow the German government. The year was 1833, and young Adolph Wislizenus “stormed the castle” with a band of student revolutionaries in Frankfurt. Their plan: Sneak-attack a few arsenals. Capture the soldiers. Take the guns. Arm…
Read MoreI miss movie theater popcorn. A large bucket. Plenty of salt. None of that fake butter. On a good day — especially if my wife grabs a few handfuls from the first bucket — I go for the free refill. Ahhh…such fond pre-pandemic memories. When the movie theaters reopen, I’ll rush back… …not because I…
Read MoreI recently heard this interesting tidbit about Eugene Schwartz, a genius copywriter who penned ads that generated massive sales: He had a secret way to get the scoop on his target market… He would go to the theater to see all the hit movies… …and he would see the blockbusters TWICE. Why? Because if you’re…
Read MoreI recently heard this wild story about Native American warriors. Two tribes face off on the battlefield — maybe the Sioux on one side, the Crow on the other. They shout taunts at each other. Then a brave young warrior from one side gallops forward on his pinto, charging at the enemy… …not to kill…
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