Author Archives: smartketingreflections

The Edge

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Great Kurt Vonnegut quote I read this morning:

“I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you cannot see from the center. Big, undreamed‑of things—the people on the edge see them first.”

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The quote resonated for me since my business credo is: Challenge the status quo, make way for the new. Especially given my area of expertise is marketing which is morphing as a profession thanks to the advent of AI. Technology pundits are weighing in and indicating the consulting business is in a period of transformation. They are predicting AI will be an overriding force in outsourcing marketing replacing all the grunt work (a.k.a. data analytics) and traditional consulting expertise by commoditizing knowledge.

Will marketing consultants become dinosaurs? Conceivably, plus I believe the dinosaurs will be joined by all the corporate marketers who do not adopt to the implementation of marketing AI into their ongoing processes. Am I concerned? Minimally! I have been living on the edge since the conception (1994) of SMARTKETING always banking on my intellectual property – brand marketing experience, creativity, and industry network (a.k.a. Tribe). I am confident, my extensive experience as a food marketer will deliver strategic guidance which is deeper than any qualitative outcome generated by an AI prompt.

Does anyone want to join me on the edge?

Consistency (a.k.a. Habits)

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I decided to take a break from writing/posting this summer. I have returned from my walkabout. I am back!

Today, I decided to post an article about one of my all-time favorite tennis players Rajeev Ram in recognition of his winning the 2025 Cincinnati Open men’s doubles title.

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I first posted about Rajeev back in October, 2022 when he became the oldest first time ATP player ranked number one after he achieved the top spot in the doubles ranking. Rajeev was 38 years old at the time. I thought he was a good example of the virtue resiliency.  

“As long as you are resilient and persistent, things can happen even much later. Everyone is on their own path and maybe it is even a little bit sweeter if it takes a little bit longer.”– Rajeev Ram (American tennis player)

His words of wisdom resonate for me. Since I began my business adventure back in 1994, I have had my fair share of ups and downs and in-betweens. Candidly, business has been a rollercoaster ride. Being resilient has been key.

Recently at age 41 (remember age is just a number), Ram in preparing for the U.S. Open, a tournament he has already won three times, won the prestigious Cincinnati Masters Open men’s doubles title. That bought his career total to 32 ATP titles along with two Olympic silver medals. Impressive! When I thought about his achievements, I realized he has demonstrated the value of another key virtue, consistency. In addition to winning tournaments, I thought about all the hours of discipline (a.k.a. habits) Ram expended in preparation to achieve his goals – training, following a health & wellness regime, enduring the rigors of world travel. Consistency!

“I accumulated small but consistent habits that ultimately led to results that were unimaginable when I started.” – James Clear (author of the #1 bestseller Atomic Habits)

France Agri-tech

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I follow the U.S. “Farm to Table” movement closely and have posted several times about Dan Barber one of the movement’s leading advocates. Recently out of curiosity, I thought I research what is happening with agriculture here in France a food centric society. A brief update.

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The plan: France’s current agricultural transformation is going to be funded as part of the country’s government 2030 Plan; €2.3 billion divided between farmers aid and innovative technology solutions (Agri-tech funding). The long-term plan is to make France a global leader exporting their farming technology worldwide. The plan has met its fair share of opposition given the economic uncertainty there are sufficient funds to support going global. Note: The French have a different method of lobbying when it comes to opposing government policy – farmers protested by dumping manure in front of government buildings.

The adaption of robotics has been driving France’s Agri-tech innovation. It is estimated wine producers are utilizing 250 robots to offset labor shortages (e.g., weeding). Currently three-quarters of regular farmers are using or sharing a robotized tool. Will France drive the global agricultural robot market currently projected at $14billion and lead a “robot to table” movement?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Opinions Welcomed!

Gen Z: Microtrends or Peer Pressure?

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When I share my thoughts regarding the accelerated transformation of societal lifestyles (e.g., fashion, health & beauty, etc.), people frequently ask whether I am spotting a trend or fad? Typically, every generation during its youth feels a burden to keep up with trends; Therefore, I usually reply – peer pressure!

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On a regular basis I read pop culture articles online associated with Gen Z, the current generation born between 1997 and 2012, ages 13 – 28 and how they are managing life. Specifically, the onslaught of noise via social media they receive every time they pick up their phones – microtrends like fast fashion, athleisure, skincare, haircare, rad jargon, etc. In Gen Z research conducted, teenagers and twentysomethings expressed their concern how many trends there were and how overwhelming/stressful it was to try to keep up, thus not feel left out. So, my query today is when a 17-year-old female buys a six-pack of assorted scrunchies from Temu, is she genuinely on trend or just trying to keep up, thus succumbing to peer pressure? My POV: Peer pressure.

 The driving factors behind the different types of peer pressure are highly complex. They can occur at any age, but research indicates the most impressionable age seems to be middle school years. Peer pressure can be either positive or negative. A short list of some driving factors:

  • A Desire for Social Acceptance (a.k.a. Wanting to Fit In)
  • Lack of Self-confidence/Self Esteem
  • Impact On Mental and Physical Health
  • Experimenting with alcohol, drugs, sexual activity, and other risky behaviors.

Opinions Welcomed!

Dan Barber – Trail Blazer

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Last night, I went into the archives of Chef’s Table Netflix and rewatched an old segment featuring Dan Barber, “Farm to Table” visionary. Timely, plus extremely relevant given all the recent buzz about regenerative agriculture.

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I have been following Dan’s achievements for years now. I first posted about Dan back in June 2017 (second paragraph) regarding a TedTalk he conducted How I fell in love with a fish.  He spoke about a fish farm in Spain with a sustainable ecosystem detailing how we need a radically new agribusiness model; create conditions where every community will feed itself. In Netflix’s recent Chef’s Table series, he touched on the science of soil and its importance to the “Farm to Table” movement. To me Dan is a true visionary always ahead of the curve.

In laypersons’ terms, regenerative agriculture is the conservation practices which nurtures food and farming production systems. It combines a variety of agriculture techniques. One major area of focus is strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil. I first learned about the sustainable agriculture techniques of soil health back in 1997 working with the state of Oregon on a sustainable certification project. The agricultural process farmers utilized was known as tillage and crop rotation. As a result, the soil became more resilient growing season to growing season, nutrient dense, and harbored less pests/pathogens. Back then at the beginning of the “Farm to Table” movement, Dan was publicizing the science of soil. I think it is impressive he is still advocating the value of sustainable soil management nearly two decades later. Dan Barber is a true trail blazer!                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Opinions Welcomed!

OTL (Outside the Lines)

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Stoic wisdom: “You can waste your life by drawing lines or live your life by

crossing them.”

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Today’s query. Why worry about the lines? I suggest living life outside the lines (OTL). Based on experience, OTL is where the real growth begins and transformation takes place. I apologize for posting my favorite Twayla Tharp quote for the third time about venturing out of your comfort zone (a.k.a. OTL):

“The better you know yourself, the more you will know when you are playing to your strengths and when you are sticking your neck out.  Venturing out of your comfort zone may be dangerous, yet you do it anyway because our ability to grow is directly proportional to an ability to entertain the uncomfortable.”

Opinions Welcomed!

Zeitgeist 2025

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Great word: Zeitgeist – the general, moral, and cultural climate that defines an era.

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  1. Big Tech (“tech-industrial complex”)
  2. Gen AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  3. Turbulent Geo-politics (Russia & Ukraine, the Middle East, the Middle East, the etc., etc., etc.)
  4. The Far-Right Surging
  5. Climate Change
  6. Extreme Natural Disasters
  7. Electric Cars
  8.  The Circular Economy & Sustainable Lifestyles
  9. Self-Improvement Industry (Health & Wellness, Personal Development, Spirituality, Relationships, etc.)
  10.  Community
  11.  Social Media Influencers.
  12.  Fast Foods (e.g., McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc.)
  13.  Behemoth Retailers (e.g., Walmart, Amazon, Costco, etc.)
  14.  Sports – arenas, team clothing (e.g., jerseys, hats, etc.), fantasy leagues, gambling, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, etc.
  15.  Athleisure, jeans, sneakers, and flip flops
  16. TMI
  17.  Sound Bites (nanoseconds) – X, Texting/Emojis, YouTube), the Like Button
  18.  Streaming & Binging
  19.  “Over the Top” Show & Tell (Exotic Travel, Weddings)
  20.  Millionaires to Billionaires

Welcome to Zeitgeist!

Clichés & Corporate Buzzwords

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Recently I was searching for an old post when I came upon two classic, forever relevant lists of commonly used clichés and corporate buzzwords. Great stuff!

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  1. Authenticity.
  2. Awesome.
  3. Busy, Crazy.  I’m swamped.
  4. Collaboration.
  5. Disruptive innovation.
  6. Ecosystems.
  7. End of the day.
  8. Fake news.
  9. Start-ups.
  10. Sustainability.
  11. Transparency.
  12. Work/life balance.

OMG!

Cliché (noun): A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought. Do you have any clichés to add to the list?

The Path

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I do not partake in the annual ritual of making New Years resolutions. Why? I am an advocate of recurrent change; thus, people do not have to wait until a new year to implement changes. Instead, I utilize an analysis called corkscrewing to regularly reflect on my path ahead.

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Last week I finished processing my last three medical insurance claims for the year. I will not bore my readership with the details, but 2024 was a medical year, a year where I learned exceedingly about the value of resiliency. Consequently, I took time out to think about 2025 and my path. To get my juices flowing, I went into my wisdom archives and pulled out my two favorite path quotes which I would like to share today:

“Equilibrium, status quo is the precursor for death. Challenge change. Remember that living systems cannot be directed along a linear path. Unforeseen consequences are inevitable” – Fast Company Magazine

“If the path before you is clear, you are probably on someone else’s.” – Carl Jung

Bonne Année!

Influencer Friday?

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Today worldwide, consumerism receives a gigantic dose of steroids! It is Black Friday 2024. There has been a plethora of influencer marketing content online lately detailing whether influence marketing movements are authentic and translate into real-world sales. Makes me wonder the impact influencers will have on today’s retail sales.                                                                                                                                                                                                             

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This past year I have shared my concern generative AI is the elephant in the room in regards to planet earth’s environment. It is used as a marketing tool to influence consumer purchasing behavior thus fueling the overall consumption of material-based products which might not be manufactured by numerous companies within the sustainable guidelines needed for a healthier planet earth. In addition, most of these products are delivered in environmentally unfriendly packaging. AI is one of the tools marketers utilize to crunch consumer data in real time to develop personalized content/messaging via social platforms. By the numbers: According to Retail Media Networks, 86% of U.S. marketers will dedicate a budget to influencer marketing in 2024 an industry estimated by Influencer Marketing Hub to reach $24 billion by year-end. The rationale being consumers have grown wary of conventional corporate advertising (including email) and are increasingly relying on interactions from their social platform connections. They find influencers authentic and persuasive when it comes to making purchasing decisions increasing the consumption of goods and services purchased in the market

In closing, my POV is smart marketers are finding more tools to drive consumption of products. Their latest focus being social media influencers. They understand and are creating a new industry, influence marketing, leveraging all the relevant consumerism buttons via social influencers. More importantly, the flood of consumer goods and material possessions purchased today on Black Friday 2024 will further contribute to the fragile health of our planet.

Opinions Welcomed!