Ten Things Every Marketer Should be Thankful For - Uwe Hook

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1.Groupon's IPO:We've wasted too much time, writing about Groupon's problems, challenges, opportunities and internal machinations. I'm as guilty as anyone. The IPO filing moved the conversation from pundits to the market. As it should be.

2.Google+:Since we don't have to focus on Groupon anymore, Google+ gave marketers more fodder to discuss the problems, challengesand opportunities of Google's innovative social layer. The combination of SEO and a huge user base makes it likely Google+ will be a success. It's not the new Facebook, but it's a new Google.

3.Zombies cling to life:Just a few deaths of 2011: The Web, micro site, print, display ads, television (a golden oldie) and radio. I'm glad to see all these zombies looking pretty much alive. Some of them need some drastic procedures to move them back to a real healthy existence, others need a good rehab to reset their mission and vision. Still, they are alive, nobody died and no need to write more obituaries.

4.Josh Williams, Gowalla:It's good to see a CEO pivot in the right way. He knew he lost the "check-in war" and changed the vision of his company from "I was here" to "I wish you were here." Check-ins were always kind of stupid: marketing opportunities are limited (Since most people use location-based apps as personal branding tools, the opportunity for businesses to conquest seems minimal), and the user base was even more limited. Foursquare cornered that small opportunity and we'll see if they can get traction outside of the geek crowd. Gowalla's mission change to craft the narrative of your life is fascinating. I wish them well.

5.Content Marketing:Let's be honest here: We didn't feel needed anymore. People just blocked us out. Banner blindness, DVR, apathy, ignoring our messages. Content marketing gave us an opportunity to go back to our roots of communicating with our customers and prospects without selling. Instead of being the parrot-on-the-shoulder-crazy-colored-blazer-wearing pitchman, we can deliver now messages that make our buyers more intelligent. Beautiful.

6.Steve Jobs:Simplicity and purpose. A powerful vision for all of us.

7.The GOP primary:Some of the candidates remind us of marketing lessons we should never forget:

a. Rick Perry: Never overpromise and under-deliver. Always under-promise and over-deliver.

b. Herman Cain: Always be prepared for everything. You lose all credibility when you don't know the basics of your profession.

c. Mitt Romney: It's not good enough to look and act the part. You need substance.

d. Rick Santorum: Brand Awareness is important.

e. Jon Huntsman: If there's no demand for your product, you need to create demand.

f. Newt Gingrich: Lies only get you so far. And they will always come back to haunt you.

8.John Wanamaker:"Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half." We all thought this would change with the digital revolution. Not so fast, friends. Clearly, we still haven't figured it out and John Wanamaker's quote will be around for many decades to come. Maybe not, since some claim 90% of advertising is wasted.

9.Mark Zuckerberg: The inventor of the Zuckerberg dance: Introducing new features, protest dances by a minority of users combined with flaming threats of an even smaller minority to leave for good, Mark and his team dance the apology tango, retreating slightly with a waltz and the users go back to do the Facebook Polka. Thanks, Mark, for keeping us all in motion.

10.All the people that dedicate their lives to help people in real need. You have my deepest thanks. You do work that really matter.

Last but not least, thank you to everybody who reads my posts. I feel humbled and quite lucky to have the privilege. Thanks for being here, for making a difference and changing the world.

Thank you.

Uwe Hook is the CEO and Co-Founder of BatesHook, Inc. (www.bateshook.com) and a veteran of the advertising and marketing industry with the goal of building connections between people and brands. Uwe can be reached at uwe@bateshook.com.

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