This Little Light Of Mine.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about being bright enough to create happiness.

As marketers, we are all at play in an interconnected, noisy web of marketing channels. The caller is trying to shout their offers high above the din, the showman is trying to outperform the promoters with bedazzled signage, and the communicator is trying to out-tweet the top-trenders. We've strapped on our proverbial cleats and we're all running fast and furious around the speed track. Round and round we go, just trying to jockey for the best possible position, in the shortest amount of time, all to better attract the attention of our target audience. We say, "Look at me, to get something FREE," and "Try us quick, with a single click!"

We are awash with branding. Our roadways are cluttered with signage. Our food is branded and imprinted with logos. The eyeglasses on our face, the watch on our wrist, and all of our clothing, yes, even our underpants, promote someone else's logo. The news is broadcast to us twenty-four hours a day, times five channels. Why? Because with everything we see, hear, and touch, provides a plethora of "white space" inventory where more advertisements might have a chance to capture more eyeballs.

And that's not all.

Among all of this saturation, among all of this noise, marketers must find a way to stand out. We are participating in a no-holds-barred race that has to be run with gusto in our guts. Marketing is a long-distance marathon, that must be run throughout its duration by short-range sprinters. No matter how fast we go, we must try to run faster, sprint harder, and jump longer. Such seems to be the way of the world today. Or is it?

I have an idea.

Consider for a moment what would happen if we jumped off of the spinning treadmill of crazed customer acquisition, lead generation, or new business and focused for ninety days on customer retention? What would happen if a company that spends seventy million dollars a year on advertising to capture new customers spent that money on customer satisfaction? What would happen if a company switched their focus from talking about themselves to focusing on the well-being of others?

I can tell you what might happen. If a company focused on keeping the customers they have, they wouldn't have to continually work to find new ones. If a company spent more on creating happy, smiling, and satisfied customers, they would see a vast increase in referral business. If a company focused less on themselves and more on others, they might become world-famous for being loved... and that sort of goodwill exposure is priceless.

People have already seen your ads, heard your commercials, and looked at your branding. Hey, you are running the race pretty well and you're hitting your numbers every month, but is your company connecting with people and making them happy? Is there something more you could achieve in the world - by doing less advertising? Think today about how you might help your company truly focus on the needs of others. Maybe it's a better way to become a bright spot. Listen, the market is a busy, noisy, oversaturated, and dark place. You, my friend, are a candle. Are you willing to let your brilliance shine?