115: On Paris, a must-attend marketing workshop, women futurists, talent behind bars, and how to newsletter
Bonjour de Paris...
In this international edition of The World's Best Newsletter:
1. On Paris
2. Newsletter how-to
3. Is the answer to marketing's talent problem behind bars?
4. Why Aren't There More Women Futurists?
5. A must-attend messaging workshop for marketers/entrepreneurs in Boston
6. What do 6k winning marketing campaigns have in common?
7. Quote of the week
Let's do it.
1. On Paris
I love Paris. I write to you from a hotel balcony overlooking the louvre and a very scary carnival ride that has been flinging humans through the air all week, even in the rain. Fascinating.
But, I really really do love Parisian life, and highly recommend the book, "How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are" which came about the way the best ideas usually do -- "We had the idea at the end of a party, in the kitchen, over a glass of red wine" (per the authors' interview in Vogue.)
On beauty “The Parisienne retains her little imperfections, cherishes them even (the gap in her smile or her slightly crooked tooth, her prominent eyebrows or strong nose): these are the signs of a certain strength of character and allow her to feel beautiful without being perfect.”
On attitude “The Parisienne already knows what she must think: the opposite of what you think, no matter what.”
On aging “Anticipate, prepare for the future, but never totally correct.”
On being naked “It should always be meaningful.”
On what characterizes the Parisian: "A lot of effort to make it look like we haven't made any at all. The ability to set the stage for yourself, to create a story out of the little things in life. Take small things seriously and serious things lightly."
C'est si bon.
2. Newsletter how-to
This very newsletter got a shoutout (thanks Kerry and Ann!) on the MarketingProfs Marketing Smarts podcast, which I really enjoy in general, but especially when insightful nuggets like this are shared:
Email is a special place, and it should be a different experience.
Listen to the 30min episode here all about newsletters featuring Ann Handley and Kerry O'Shea Gorgone (who also hosts a great podcast I was on recently all about people's hobbies, interests, and weird collections: "Punch Out").
3. Is the answer to marketing's talent problem behind bars?
Woah, this piece from Katie Deighton of The Drum is fascinating.
She reports in depth on a network connecting brands with the creative minds of prisoners.
“I've seen inmates bleed the dye off Skittles and paint with it. I’ve seen them make picture frames out of potato chip bags. There's so much creativity behind prison walls."
(Free registration required to read.)
In it, she also quotes one of my favorite Bill Bernbach sayings:
“What they say is true – a principle really isn’t a principle until it costs you something.”
4. Why Aren't There More Women Futurists?
And... what does that mean for where we're going? These are questions asked by - and hypothesized in - a 2015 piece from The Atlantic I came across recently.
[Amy Zalman, the CEO of the World Future Society] says futurism has actually fought to present itself in a certain way. When the field was founded in the 1960s, it came with a reputation that still lingers a bit today, she says.
"Like magicians, crystal ball gazers, sort of flakey, that’s the reputation that followed the WFS for awhile. Because the field itself had to struggle to be taken seriously, that put more pressure on folks to demonstrate that they were scientific. And it was coded masculine.”
While futurism includes not simply the future of gadgets, the field found itself pushing away some of the perceived “softer” elements of foresight: social change, family structures, cultural impacts—in favor of mathematical modeling and technology.
Read the full piece.
5. A must-attend messaging workshop for marketers/entrepreneurs in Boston
I'm plugging my colleague's new workshop, not because she asked me to (she didn't) but because I have been privy to Kim Donlan's sharp insight and perspective on a daily basis since we began sharing an office space earlier this year. There are three flavors:
Scalable messaging - For a cohesive brand
Customer-centric Strategy - “Get’ their point of view
Advanced Personal Branding - Be you own Superhero
Learn more, here. I would sign up if it seems helpful to you, as it will sell out.
I hope to see some of you there! (You probably need it. Trust me.)
6. What do 6k winning marketing campaigns have in common?
Bravery, per AdAge.
"In study of 6,000 campaigns, those that skimped on courage performed considerably less-well than those that swung for the fences."
Winning campaigns were also found to be:
Targeted at only 2 objectives
Based on research
Long-term (no plateau effect was found)
Differentiated
Live on multiple channels
H/T to Hally Pinaud, who coined the current "fearless marketer" trend with the team at Marketo a couple of years ago.
7. Quote of the week
"Last year I asked the spirits that guide me to ask the ones I have lost in this life if there is anything painful about the place we go after we die. The answer was, “Only that you don’t know that we are still there."
Poet Andrea/Andrew Gibby is one of my favorites. They posted this quote on IG yesterday at the passing of their partner's dog. It's featured at the end of the post, but stayed with me. Who among us hasn't experienced loss? I love this way of looking at it.
I know that's a somber way to end this week's newsletter... blame the emotionally heavy Parisian vibe I'm currently in.
Until next time,
Katie
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