July 6, 2010

The three I’s — Innovators, Imitators and Idiots.

The good marketing plan is the one that finds the Innovator in a business. No matter what kind of a business model one follows, it must have the BUZZ of an Innovator. Internet and social media will spread the news fast., that’s all.

You don’t need to pain a new Mona Lisa to become the next innovator — be creative, do the research and plan it out well.

Today I went to the Obon Festival (the celebration of dolls) at a neighborhood Japanese community. Drums, music, beautiful Japanese kimonos, bonsai exhibition, origami, a bowl of good udon;  we had a blest.

I love the rainbow of cultures you find in Los Angeles. I love that now I can watch TV5 (the French channel) and I enjoy calling my mom in Hungary on Skype. or sending birthday cards to my seventy-some-year-old aunts and uncles on the Internet.

Now we have better and faster communications channels to use and a deeper understanding of our differences by new laws and rules that direct us towards more tolerance and respect to each other. We have more chance to see and more chance to learn about it.

But psychologically we lag behind the technological innovation we are facing. There is no peace in our minds till we are in balance with our reality. Now we have no time for anything — so we have to create time again to look back and to check ahead.

Evolution is slow and careful.

In business: don’t be afraid to stick to your heritage, to your values, to your “style”.

Good, carefully planned marketing should provide you with that.