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  • For All It’s Worth…

    Posted on December 25th, 2009 by Cordell and currently 2 commenting.

    In the well known Christmas Carol, “O Holy night,”  we sing “’Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.”
    Day after day, we devote our talents and energy to helping bring a little of that spirit to our world as we help companies reveal their soul and feel its worth. Its worth measured in something far more valuable than just quarterly profits and market share, it’s measured in friendships. So to our friends near and far, Happy Holidays and here’s to making 2010 the best year of our lives.

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  • Can the Younger Side of Buick Save GM?

    Posted on September 25th, 2009 by Cordell and currently 7 commenting.

    Watching football last weekend, I saw a commercial for the new 2010 Buick LaCrosse. I couldn’t tell you what the commercial said, because I was in shock looking at a car that I found hard to believe was a Buick. All car commercials are basically the same, but, despite the droning ad speak, this car was something new. At least it appeared to be.

    Now, for decades Buick has produced cars that I imagine were designed by a committee of tired, old, white, golfing buddies who never actually worked in the same room at the same time. The cars looked more like adequate results rather than ambitious, intensely focused statements.

    So where did THIS car come from?

    I went for my laptop to Google the car. Was it really as cool as it looked, or was it just a glamor shot Malibu with extra chrome?

    Before I actually clicked on the Buick site, I stumbled across a video on YouTube called 2010 Buick LaCrosse eVent: Younger Side of Design. Now there are three words I never expected in the same statement. “Younger,” “Buick” and “Design.” I watched the video and though it was somewhat predictable, I was surprised to see that the new LaCrosse was designed not by old guys, but by passionate young designers. Not only were they young, they really cared and I sensed they felt they were on a mission. They talked about “creative freedom” and “opportunity for design.” I’m thinking “Wow, where have these guys been? Why is Mr. GM announcer guy talking when they need to make rock stars out of these guys?” I actually believe THESE guys and can connect with people who are passionate about creative freedom. One of the designers said something about simply wanting people to be able to open up their garage everyday and really like their car. I want a new LaCrosse based on that statement alone because it came from a real person. Sincerity speaks volumes.

    Okay, at this point I’m falling in love with Buick. I’m thinking they’ve got something real to build on. They can create an underground movement. They can come out of nowhere and surprise everybody. I’m gettin’ all tingly. Then I clicked onto the corporate website. For cryin’ out loud! Who’s responsible for sterilizing Buick? All the soul, passion, and energy is nowhere to be found. Where is the story? Where is the creative freedom? Where is that youthful design rebellion? Where is the sincerity? Where are the real people? Show me the Genuine and Meaningful in GM.

    Buick can be as much a people and passion story as engineering and design story. GM can offer return policies and guarantees all day long, but as we have preached from mountains all around the globe, people trust people, not corporations and certainly not automobile advertising. Remember “This isn’t your father’s Oldsmobile”? WTF? Did they really think we’d fall for that?

    Buick, you can make a real difference for GM. I know, because I saw it. You don’t need bailouts, you need buy-in.You can be famous for the people who love you, starting with the real people who build the cars. Buick has a chance. It may not last long and it may be their last, but they have a chance.

    May the most passionate win.

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  • Super sizing

    Posted on July 21st, 2009 by Cordell and currently 3 commenting.

    I was reminded of the power of super-sized dreams when I got home last night. As I walked into the house, I noticed Kylie, my nine-year-old daughter, sitting on a blanket in the middle of the backyard, talking to herself. I asked my wife what Kylie doing out there. She told me that our daughter had explained that she was gong outside to pray and she was going to need “lots of space.” When Kylie came in I gave her a big hug and, of course, I asked what she was doing on the blanket in the middle of the yard. She told me she was praying. “What were you praying for?” I asked. At first she didn’t want to tell me. She said it was a secret. But, as big dreams often do, her prayer bubbled to the surface and she shared that she was praying for a pet dragon. That’s right, a pet dragon. Fully expecting her prayer to be answered, Kylie needed lots of space for the dragon to land, explaining the reason she was praying outside. I asked what she would do if she had a pet dragon. She told me the dragon would make popcorn for her. “Yes,” I said. “That would be very cool.”

    During tough economic times, dreams and dreamers can take a beating. Dreams gets pushed aside and we just try to get through the day faster and cheaper. Rather than super-sizing, we can get caught up in “right sizing” and before you know it, we aren’t really dreaming at all. But maybe during tough times is when dreams need to be the biggest. Call me irresponsible or idealistic if you want, but I doubt I’ll ever see any magic in ordinary microwave popcorn again. Not when I can have a dragon in the backyard that will make it for me.

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  • A day at the beach

    Posted on April 17th, 2009 by Cordell and currently 3 commenting.

    Imagine several families traveling together have stumbled upon the beach for the very first time.

    When I say first time, I mean these folks have never seen the ocean before. They didn’t even know it existed and aren’t really even sure what it is. But hey, it’s a beautiful day. The sun is high. The water is warm. The waves are crashing and the people begin splashing, laughing and playing in the great, big, blue wonder they’ve discovered. They are happier than they can remember ever being, until one of children notices something is changing. The water is shrinking. The waves are moving further away and the barren sandy earth they unveil is growing. The child alerts the others. The laughing and playing come to a stop.

    At first, they just watch. With sticks they mark where water reaches and soon they realize the child is right. The ocean is leaving. They’re unsure what to do. They have no idea what’s happening and begin to panic. Many fear they’ve done something to anger the big blue water. They offer sacrifices. They chant and cry and tremble. Some begin finger pointing and fights break out. Some run away while others try digging holes in the sand to save the water. All the while the water keeps receding. The ocean steadily gives way to sand and rock. Fear and anger give way to despair and hopelessness. As the sun sets, all hope is gone that the waves of joy and laughter will ever return. The remaining family members gather together. And with heavy hearts, turn and leave the beach.

    Not far away, high up on a cliff sits a boy who has been watching over the beach. Here at the edge of the earth is his home. He knows the ways of the ocean. He’s puzzled be what he’s seen happen on the beach. Why did those people get so sad and angry? Why did they leave? Don’t they know that when the ocean unveils the sand you can find all sorts of new things? Don’t they know that when the ocean brings the deeper water closer the fishing is better and the prize can be bigger? Don’t they know that when the ocean reveals the jagged rocks there are hidden delicacies to gather? Don’t they know that that water comes back? He pauses for a moment, then shrugs his shoulders and quickly climbs down the cliff from which he’s spotted big fish in the surf. He picks up his spear and heads out into the big blue water, fully expecting to bring home the catch of a lifetime.

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  • Tidbit: The New Co-op Marketing

    Posted on March 3rd, 2009 by Cordell and currently 1 commenting.

    Just a little thought starter for today:

    Remember Co-op marketing? Look back through the ancient scrolls of Advertising and you’ll find “Co-op Marketing.” A good example would be Ore-Ida french fries partnering with Heinz Catchup for a promotion. Make sense?

    But today the co-op is not brand + brand. It’s brand + person.

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