October 27, 2009
Weatherman? Hardly, but it was fun.
Posted by Jay
October 20, 2009
INSIDEOUT II Trailer
CarbonCopyPRO Presents INSIDEOUT II – Coming November 19, 2009! Watch the trailer here:
Posted by Jay
October 16, 2009
Growing the Tree.
Personal branding is no longer the celebrity culture embellishment it once was associated as. It’s more than “Foreman Grills” and “Body by Jake” (I have both actually). It has become a fundamental necessity of any successful business. If your company does not articulate its brand message clearly and consistently within its given space, it is certain to die the slow death of irrelevance. However, even the systematic, and clear dissemination of your company brand/message is not enough to distinguish yourself in a given consumer space. Why? Because everybody already does that! Sure, every blue moon a McDonalds will change it’s slogan, Pepsi will change the look of its can (a recent design debauchery if I might add) but overall companies launch with a singular message, and then beat you over the head with it until you buy it or decide you didn’t want it after all. So then what do you need to brand yourself in a distinguishable way?
As an Entrepreneur, consider it this way for a moment:
Joe Entrepreneur is the CEO and President of “Joe Inc.” Joe Inc. has spent many a night in his horrifically loathsome basement for the last 2 years developing a revolutionary new slinky. Let’s just say this slinky can go UP the stairs! Joe is thrilled, both with the slinky and to be out of the basement. He knows the Internet is the most effective and explosive means of getting exposure for his magnum opus, but he’s a little unsure of how to go about publicizing his ingenious feat. This is where the difference between brand Publicity and PR come into play.
Publicity is easy. Anyone can either pay or entice, various media outlets to run a story, throw up a banner, write a review. If any of these are positive (which in the case of a stair-climbing slinky has got to be a given) they will definitely help increase awareness. But does awareness translate into sales? Everyone knows about AOL still, but how many new users does it really have?
Now on the other hand “PR” is about the strategic crafting of the your brand’s STORY. It’s the artistry of how you evaluate, and ultimately compose, the consumer’s interaction with your product. Its interaction with your design, price point, functionality and relevance. Ultimately it is simply storytelling. This is what makes your company, your product, even You, worth discussion.
The acute concentration of these detailed elements is the formation of your branded message. Whether it be the color palette on your blog, the font size, the packaging or the music. Each element is a branch, the roots your product, the growth of the tree, well that’s determined on how well you can water the details with the sweat of innovation.
Be different, be yourself.
Best,
Posted by Jay
October 15, 2009
BRAND NEW Interview with JK and AP
Posted by Jay
October 15, 2009
They Say I’m Extreme
(From Seth Godin’s The BigMoo )
They say I’m extreme.
I say I’m a realist.
They say I demand too much.
I say they accept mediocrity and continuous improvement too readily.
They say, “We can’t handle this much change:”I say, “Your job and career are in jeopardy; what other options do you have?”
They say, “What’s wrong with a ‘good product’?”
I say, “Wal-Mart or China or both are about to eat your lunch. Why can’t you provide instead a fabulous experience?”
They say, “Take a deep breath. Be calm.”
I say, “Tell it to Wal-Mart. Tell it to China. Tell it to India. Tell it to Dell. Tell it to Microsoft.”
They say the Web is a useful tool.
I say the Web changes everything. Now.
They say, “We need an initiative.”
I say, “We need a dream. And dreamers.”
They say great design is “nice”.
I say great design is necessary.
They say, “Effective governance is important.”
I say bold, brash boards that are representative of the market served – more than a token woman or two and an empty seat for the “forthcoming Hispanic” – are an imperative. Now.
They say, “Plan it.”
I say, “Do it”.
They say, “We need more steady, loyal employees.”
I say, “We need more ‘freaks’ who routinely tell those in charge to take a flying leap…before it’s too late.”
They say, “We need Good People.”
I say, “We need Quirky Talent.”
They say, “We like people who, with steely determination, say, ‘I can make it better’.”
I say, “I love people who, with a certain maniacal gleam in their eye, perhaps even a giggle, say, ‘I can turn the world upside down. Watch me!’”
They say, “Sure, we need change.”
I say we need revolution now.
They say, “Fast follower.”
I say, “Battered and bruised leader.”
They say, “Conglomerate and imitate!”
I say, “Create and innovate!”
They say, “Market share.”
I say, “Market creation.”
They say, “Improve and maintain.”
I say, “Destroy and reimagine.”
They say, “Normal.”
I say, “Weird.”
They say, “Happy balance.”
I say, “Creative tension.”
They say they favor a “team that works and lives in harmony.”
I say, “Give me a raucous brawl among the most creative people imaginable.”
They say, “Peace, brother.”
I say, “Bruise my feelings. Flatten my ego. Save my job.”
They say, “Basic black.”
I say, “Technicolor rules!”
They say, “We need happy customers.”
I say, “Give me pushy, needy, nasty, provocative customers.”
They say, “We seek Harvard M.B.A.s.”
I say, “I seek certificate-free ‘Ph.D.S’ from the School of Hard Knocks.”
They say they want recruits with “spotless records.”
I say, “the spots are what matter most.”
They say, “Integrity is important.”
I say, “Tell the unvarnished truth, all the time…or take a hike.”
They say diversity is a “good thing.”
I say diversity is breath of fresh, creative air – absolutely necessary for economic salvation in perilous times.
They say it’s “daunting.”
I say it’s “a hoot.”
They say, “Zero defects.”
I say, “A day without a screwup or two is a day pissed away.”
They say, “Think about it.”
I say, “Try it.”
They say, “Plan it.”
I say, “Test it.”
They say, “Radical change takes a decade.”
I say, “Radical change takes a minute.”
They say, “Times are changing.”
I say, “Everything has already changed. Tomorrow is the first day of your revolution…or you’re toast.”
They say, “We can’t all be revolutionaries.”
I say, “Why not?”
They say, “We can’t all be a brand.”
I say, “Why not?”
They say this is just a rant.
I say this is just reality.
Posted by Jay
October 6, 2009
TRUST.
It is popular amongst successful entrepreneurs to talk about certain intangibles that make for good business. Intangibles such as leadership, innovation, persistence and follow- through. I say this, because I too speak of these things, both passionately and often. Their importance goes without questioning. Each cannot be given, and consequently must be earned. Each is intrinsically valuable in and of itself, and may stand as a singular example of character.
However, in my opinion, a single gift endures beyond each of these items. It endures because, in my opinion, it’s the single most valuable gift human beings can share, and could stand as it most rare. That gift is Trust.
Trust is a rare bird in an age where celebration of “the self” is most prevalent. Constantly we are pitched, marketed and sold things thought to appease our own wares. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with this. We all deserve to live a life free from suffering. However, I think most would agree that it is more than possible, and more enjoyable, for the comforts we enjoy to exist for mutual benefit.
We can give someone a dollar, but it soon will be spent and migrate to the pocket of another. We can give flowers, but they too will one day wilt. We can give presents, compliments, advice and embrace one another in moments of despair. But to give another the gift of your trust is a commodity for which no darkness, time passed, or circumstance can ever wither. Trust allows us to walk taller, to face our troubles without fear and to triumph in the hour of greatest uncertainty.
Trust requires great bravery, to be vulnerable and humble. Trust is the first step to love. Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It is well known, and spoken of, that time is precious, but I believe trust is more precious than time.
Let us be reminded, the greatest of us to be given is always from within. Remember these things, for it will never be Yesterday.
All my best,
Posted by Jay
October 5, 2009
Hilarious and Creative.
These guys are brilliant. This is funny and creative, something I would want to share. Kudos to these guys for think outside the
Posted by Jay
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Over the last five years, JAY KUBASSEK went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing the internet based business industry with the 2007 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, an internet marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries co-owned by his business partner, Aaron Parkinson; and the successful launch of [...] [Full Bio]
