How do we fix Craigslist?

I love Craigslist, I simply can’t resist browsing its endless supply of used goods, job offers, and everyones favorite “Rants and Raves.” I’ve bought a number of things from the Craigslist community, including this very computer I’m using now.

Yet everytime I try and sell something, my InBox is flooded with scammers. I typically receive 10 “scammy” e-mails a day for EACH item I post. They typically read like this:

Thanks for the sales….I am an agent that buy goods for my client throughout the global… Your item really march the descibtion of my client and is ready to buy and make the payment immediately but i will like you to re-assure me that the item is in good condition as you said on ebay.I will arrange for the pickup myself through a private shipping company so do not bother yourself about shipment.I am buying the item at the rate of any price,because i am so interested in it ……Your payment will made via CHECK so get back to me asap with your payment information immediately you received this email is that clear?

Below is the information i will need in making the payment;

1. Your full name and address not a P.O Box Address
2. Your phone number(mobile and land line)
3. I will need the essat time that i can talk to you on phone okay
Get back to me asap

THANKS

jimmy

I can’t believe that people fall for this stuff, it’s so bad that Oprah dedicated an entire show to these type of scams. So Craigslists brand equity lies solely in the hands of its passionate consumers, it’s up to us to “clean house”… but how?

The Social Net

Social networking continues to change the fabric of society, not only in this country, but around the world.

Recently, a 50-something named Emily joined Facebook and had some interesting experiences inserting her life into the world of the unknown.  She also happens to be a journalist.  This is a fascinating story, one that I hope you’ll read.

Here’s the FULL ARTICLE

WebTV

Joost is coming, are you ready?

More importantly, is your computer?

Dead Guy

This is hilarious…  Well kinda, all but the dead guy part.

Dead guy found watchign TV for over a year.

As Jaffee mentioned, “No doubt his statistics have been included in viewership numbers, sell-sheets, and engagement reports.”

Refugee

I’m a refugee, a prisoner if you will of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Weather has held my flight until the morning, my travel plans are delayed, but I’m not upset.

The military cot I’m pictured on here is moderately comfortable, but thats not the point… This is a marketing blog, after all.

The fact that this cot is even available is amazing to me. Imagine, a company caring about the comfort and basic needs of its consumer

This my friends, is business at its finest. Call it marketing, PR, or risk management, either way they’ve provided me with what I actually need instead of what I want… Which is key.

The decision to put these cots out probably wasn’t the result of a strategy session, cost/benefit analysis, or any other C-suite nonsense. It was done because their consumers needed it, regardless of the price, and they delivered without a regard for return on investment.

I don’t know that other airports don’t do this, but this is my first encounter with this sort of travel treatment, and after a couple days of bad customer service experiences this is a welcome change.

What if all companies acted this way?  What if the millions spent on superbowl advertising was redirected to give customers something they need (better customer service), instead of something they want (entertaining commercials).

Either way, O’Hare got this one right…

Thanks Chicago.

The Lech Effect

Johnny Lechners a god amongst men. His 13 year stint in college has every post grad scratching their heads wondering “why didn’t I think of that?”

But I’m concerned… More Floggs (fake bloggs) and falsified videos are popping up every day. Big companies are tricking consumers with fake content (Read: Microsoft, Sony, etc.). Is this story actually true?

I hope so. For you Johnny L fans out there, check this video out and decide for yourself:

Trend Spotting, Global Collaboratives

Care about trends? Love global collaboratives? then you better spend some time at psfk.com

I’m a marketer so I’m obsessed with trends, styles, brands, etc. I know that the web is an ideal place for me to aggregate and digest the information I need about the trends that matter. If you find yourself searching to understand your market, you better attempt to atleast keep tabs on what’s happening in their world.

Put psfk in your bookmarks, visit often.

www.psfk.com

TOTD

Thought of the day (Courtesy of Sally Hogshead):

You can be comfortable, or outstanding, but not both.

Less than 10

I’d guess that less than 10 percent of the grocery stores I shop at have adequate bathrooms.

These stores must aggregate hundreds if not thousands of consumers a day, surely a good portion of them need to use the bathroom. There’s probably some pretty solid rationale for this, like “bathrooms waste water is expensive, plus the instalation, ADA requirements, so on and so forth.” I’d agree, surely those arguments are good enough to let you sleep at night.

Today I overheard a clerk telling a customer where their bathroom was “go through the back door, out by the cardboard crusher, go up the stairs, its on your left.” How compelling, this poor girl probably held it till she got home.

My point is this, instead of trashing your consumer by not giving him/her access to a good bathroom you’re telling them you don’t care about their needs. There are obvious marketing implications here. Here’s an obvious opportunity to do something remarkable! How do you do that you ask?

1. Put it in an easily accessible area

2. Keep it clean!

3. Hire a staff member to watch peoples carts while they use the bathroom. This person could review your cart contents and tell you about better deals or evaluate your fruit selection.

4. Substitute the tacky wallpaper for shopping tips, like “The fresh milks in the back of the freezer, not the front.”

These are all ways to differentiate… And in a world as homoginized as grocerie stores, differentiation shouldn’t be that tough.

Obligated

Insert obligatory iPhone blog post here:

Blog entry of the year, 2007 that is.

Seth Godin never ceases to amaze me. I read his blog the minute its posted, usually twice. Here’s a gem he wrote yesterday that I can’t get enough of:

Hard Work

I’m still roaming the MacWorld expo. Currently blogging from the Microsoft “bloggers area.” (Read: they told me to say that)

I’m a brand junkie, these are my Lovemarks.

The word “Lovemarks” has gotten a ton of play lately. So much in fact that the blogosphere is buzzing abouthis theory and the major advertising accounts that have been won/lost because of it. I’ve been thinking quite a bit about what I determine to be my own Lovemarks.

Red Bull hits top of mind. True, I did in fact work for Red Bull but that experience has only pushed me to love the brand and culture even more. Red Bull reminds me everyday that without a great product no measure of marketing will bring you out of the trenches. I’m also constantly reminded from my time with the company that if something’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.

Second is Apple. A bit provoked by my experience at the MacWorld expo today, I’m reminded that Apple’s success comes from listening to their audience and their willingness to reinvent themselves. Steve Jobs and his band of cronies remind me everyday to think different, listen to my audience, and above all not to play the game, but as Roy Lichtenstein once said “instead of playing everyone else’s game, you should invent your own and be the star because no one else knows how to play.” Apple does exactly that year after year.

I’d be remised if I didn’t mention a number of other brands, but I’d like to keep this short. The point is that brands and the stories they tell pervade our everyday life. We in essence become the brands we love. The story’s they tell become your own and more frequently your stories are becoming the brand…

Have you ever considered what your Lovemarks are?

UNMTPNM, right Jaffe? My new blog calling cards…

Sooo this definitely isn’t news, but Moo is offering some pretty cool printing services these days for Flickr users. As I work to push the “new media” initiative, I figure that the only way to convince your audience you believe in something is to use it yourself.

As Joseph Jaffe would say “use new media to prove new media.”

I use these little gems as a calling card for my blog. THESE mini prints could really be used for any purpose.  You need to be a Flickr user and have a few bucks.. But if your interested in something other than the typical business card, or collateral piece this is definitely a fresh option</font>

A //Rogue Marketeer…

(Rogue) Acting independently and using unorthodox methods.  (Marketeer) somebody who advocates or supports a particular type of market.

Marketing… What is it about the idea, practice, or province of marketing that I find so interesting???

Who knows, maybe it’s the idea that legions of money wielding teenyboppers and twenty something’s are swayed every day by marketing mavens working diligently to please some multi million dollar account. Swayed for the wrong reasons, swayed because someone convinced them so, or because some campaign justified their spending… OR maybe it could be.

The styles and life changing perspectives I’ve encountered through new media, urban/city culture, and college has led me to create my own campaign, one that wages war on traditional wisdom. A campaign that encourages people to be independent thinkers, thought leaders, and a person they can be proud of.

Traditional advertising strategies like the 30-second spot and print ads don’t reach our target audiences like they did years ago. There’s never been a more tumultuous and dynamic time to be a marketer. Now, more than ever, account planners, media buyers, and creatives alike are having a harder time justifying their salaries.

This blog, //Rogue Marketeer… is designed to highlight some of the thoughts of a young (24 year old) marketer in this changing industry.

Currently I’m the Marketing and New Media Coordinator at one of the most premier and historic road racing circuits in the world. My goal is to shed some light into this dynamically changing world of marketing through the lens of new media, new marketing, fresh perspectives and above all first hand experience.

Leave a comment or send me a message, above all, do what Ad Age tells us not to do and “join the conversation.”