Jonathan Salem Baskin has been called “a merry iconoclast,” “lucid and cutting,” “groundbreaking” and “the new bad boy of branding” because he looks beyond the gimmicks and hype to uncover what really works when communicating with the marketplace. Baskin is regularly quoted by the news media because he speaks honestly and passionately about today’s latest trends, “providing thinking that goes way beyond what could be found with a Google search,” according to one client. He has three decades of experience marketing some of the world’s biggest brands, having run communications for Limited, Blockbuster and Nissan while later advising such iconic brands as Apple. He’s a columnist for the CMO Strategy section of Advertising Age, has written extensively on technology and brands for InformationWeek and his award-winning blog Dim Bulb earned has earned him the title “chief heretic.” Baskin has also written several books; the first, Branding Only Works on Cattle (2008) earned him positive reviews from media world wide such as Publisher’s Weekly and The Economist; his second book, Bright Lights & Dim Bulbs: The Year in Marketing Buzz, Brilliance & Buffoonery (2010 Edition), has proven to be a resourceful guide for marketers, and his new book, Histories of Social Media, promises to become the same for bloggers and Tweeters everywhere.
TOPICS
The Call For Marketing Realism
The jury is in: conversation isn’t enough and funny isn’t branding. The explosive growth in social media has brought with it a decline in sales, brand value and corporate reputations. Jonathan Salem Baskin thinks it’s time to get real:
- Social media conversations need meaning
- Advertising can be credible
- Your best sales and reputation weapon is truth
Everything you thought you knew about marketing was right after all. It’s time to get real about it again and reaffirm not the “how” to do marketing but rather the commercially relevant “why.” Baskin has the perspective and examples to give your business a renewed sense of what’s possible.
Cutting Through the Chatter of Social Media
Will Facebook manage every online consumer relationship? Does your brand need a Twitter account? Do your customers really want to run your business for you? Jonathan Salem Baskin’s POV is refreshingly different:
- It’s not about technologies and you don’t “have” to do anything
- Purpose and substance are better than engagement and humor
- If you give up your brand to the conversation you’re just giving up
The Elements of Meaning
Jonathan Salem Baskin gives audiences a unique insight into his ongoing research for his new book, and then asks for their thoughts and contributions. His proposition is that “meaning” is the lingua franca of successful communications:
- It’s the unseen driver of the best uses for social media
- It could renew marketing’s use of ads, irrespective of medium
- It’s at the core of real and dependable customer relationships
Contemplating the elements of meaning is a useful way to step back from the latest headlines and popular gimmicks to explore the strategic opportunity for effective communications, and Baskin is a ready guide for seekers of competitive advantage and, specifically, marketing plans that result in sales.
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