blog | Ashton.Gustafson

Mar 15 2012

Business, Creativity, Imagination, Leadership, Marketing

Use Your Inside Voice

A big world requires a big voice to be heard.

Just a few short decades ago the world was huge, spread out, and humanity was not fully connected.

A spread out world needs televisions, newspapers, and radios to let the masses know what’s up, what’s down, and what bleach can make Dad’s undershirts the whitest.

In the flip of a switch the world shrank, all humans connected, and billions of neighborhoods (web sites) configured into one zip code – 9021WorldWideWeb.

Ever since that switch was flipped, billions have been migrating this zip code exchanging, questioning, searching, sharing, and learning.

A world that operates as a neighborhood dilutes the efficiency of the mass media mediums.

This is not an argument against marketing. This is plea to redefine marketing. The old definition has simply lost its mojo.

Welcome to the neighborhood. Please use your inside voice. Your whisper will be heard over the others screaming.

…..and a few other rules should you decide to pitch your tent in the hood: Be nice, build lasting relationships, and be yourself.

Tagged Ashton Gustafson, blog, let the music play, ltmp, use your inside voice

Mar 12 2012

3 Comments

Business, Creativity, Focus, Imagination

Inspiration and Shared Air

The word inspiration, literally, means “breathed upon” in Hebrew.

To be breathed on, it would appear that nearness and proximity with those who inspire us is quite important.

In other words, you can’t be breathed on from a distance.

In other words, pursue mentorship with someone who is inspiring and hang tight.

In other words, our music, or lack thereof, will be defined by those who we share air with.

Tagged Ashton Gustafson, blog, inspiration, ltmp, shared air

Mar 09 2012

1 Comment

Business, Creativity, Imagination, Marketing

Nordstrom, Ritz-Carlton, Chick-fil-A, Southwest Airlines all have excelled at predictability. We know what we’re getting into with these brands. And because of their predictability, they will be around for a long long time.

Now enter the new day and age where predictability coupled with unpredictability wins.

Do business with Zappos and you will understand this better. They deliver incredible customer service and offer free shipping both ways (predictable). But more often than not, you will find that FREE SHIPPING = OVERNIGHT SHIPPING (unpredictable). What is their unpredictable success formula? Under promise, over perform, and blow their socks off. To them “wow” is a verb.

Unpredictable goodness leaves us always saying “wow.”

Something very predictable about you and me is that we cannot help but share “wow-like” stories. Something inside us thinks someone has to hear about what we experienced. And when that happens, you get music math.

Predictable and unpredictable is the new yin and yang for all of us no matter the brand, product, or service.

We love revisiting (repeat business) with things that have us wondering “what will they do next?”