Article Link: http://www.jackmyers.com/commentary/Jaffer-Ali/44816567.html

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the
mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all
science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can
no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as
good as dead: his eyes are closed. — Albert Einstein

This article was inspired by Dr. Robert Fuller of Bradley
University. He is a professor of Religious Studies and my
son sent me a link to his brilliant lecture which was
taped and made available online:
http://admissions.bradley.edu/clients/bradleyedu/btvplayer/index.php?videoid=14&btv=off

Some may find it odd that I could gain marketing inspira-
tion from a religious scholar, but as I listened and
watched Dr. Fuller, I could not help but think that the
major problem today with marketing in general and with
online marketing in particular, is the conspicuous absence
of the essential and vital capacity to wonder.

Our sense of wonder has been crushed under the weight of
false promises promulgated by technological clay idols of
our own design. In fact, I contend that the failure of
these algorithmically precise yet dispassionate media
models is in direct correlation to our estrangement from
that special sense of awe.

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So, what is wonder? Perhaps it’s easier to describe through
what Jung called circumambulation… or talking around the
subject. Wonder involves the unexpected, those inexplicable,
spontaneous feelings that inspire our thoughts and actions.
And isn’t that what good advertising and marketing is all
about?

Wonder invites possibilities. This is in stark contrast
to algorithmic limitations. In fact, if your marketing
campaign does not evoke a sense of wonder, you should
immediately go back to the drawing board. Why? Two reasons:
1) Because wonder gives new meaning to the world around us,
and 2) It’s our job! If we decide that what we do is indeed
a sacred journey, then not only will we be enriched through
wonderment, we will enrich all around us.

That’s because wonder connects us. We live in a fragmented
world and wonder draws us into something greater than
ourselves and unites us. Great marketing sustains this
sense of wonder by reaching and touching something inside
of us. It is an emotional connection, a transcendent state
through which soul is injected into the process.

We have become so enamored of numbers that we have closed
ourselves to the possibilities and potential in what we
do. Wonder emanates from within. But the growing noise in
our heads has all but drowned out the wondrous feelings
our hearts beg to express.

It is not our possession of knowledge that threatens our
sense of wonder. It is our abandonment of wonder and
mystery as essential, that is destroying it. You have to
remain open to the possibilities in order to experience
wonder. And you need to experience those possibilities
before you can articulate them.

It’s a damn shame that our online industry has ceased to
wonder, because we could all use a healthy dose of what
could be. That being said, I find it interesting and
utterly appropriate that the antidote to what ails us
would come from a professor of religious studies.

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Reawakening our sense of wonder is really the task at hand.
If you can do this, from the inside out, you will transform
your life. This inside-out transformation will manifest in
your business model… in your advertising campaign… and
most of all, in your relationships with others and the
world around you.

Carl Jung said, “The self is our life’s goal, for it is the
most complete expression of that fateful combination we
call individuality.” Once we experience wonder for our-
selves, we then can then transcend our individuality and
speak to others in a shared language of the heart.

If we believe that life is a sacred journey, then wonder
is our roadmap to a great life. It’s also the blueprint
for true marketing. If you are heading up an advertising
or marketing campaign, please heed this simple advice
from one of Dr. Fuller’s heroes:

If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he
needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share
it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery
of the world we live in. — Rachel Carson

————————————————————

About Jaffer Ali Jaffer Ali is CEO of Vidsense, the Web’s
largest video advertising network. With more than 80,000
advertiser-friendly video clips licensed from major film
and TV studios, the Vidsense network of more than 50,000
safe-for-work partner websites delivers millions of
qualified visitors directly to advertiser websites on a
pure Pay-Per-View (PPV) basis.

————————————————————

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.”
-Proverbs 23:7

Have you ever watched cats chase string? It’s amazing how
much time and energy they’ll invest chasing a string that
is offered and then withdrawn. Even if they never catch
it, they still love to chase it. But cats aren’t the only
ones who chase string.

I participate in several online discussion groups and do
a fair amount of writing. Add this to my responsibilities
as the CEO of Vidsense and my duties as a husband and
father (three boys ages 20, 18 and 16), and you might ask:
Where do I find the time?

The answer is: I make time because I stopped chasing the
other guy’s string and ceased trying to entice others to
chase mine long ago. You would be surprised at how much
time is saved by living more deliberately. Living
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But living deliberately is not as easy as it sounds at
first. Living deliberately means that we must master our
tools instead of allowing them to enslave us. Living
deliberately in a digital age requires us to DISCONNECT
in a digital sense, in order for us to CONNECT in a
literal sense.

Try this simple exercise: Keep a running tab on the next
ten phone calls you make at random (without an actual
appointment). See how many of the ten actually result in
a connection with your intended party. Want to bet it will
be less than seven out of ten?

We’re using our tools to DISCONNECT. Voice message systems,
email, Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and just about all
other digital intermediaries have not streamlined our
lives, they’ve created more stings for us to chase.
Separating the wheat from the chaff has become a virtually
impossible task; a chore instead of a meaningful endeavor.

Here is a second exercise: Keep a running total today of
the people you speak to or communicate with that comment
on how “busy” they are. Being busy is our national pastime,
yet so few of us actually get anything done! I’ve been
writing for Jack Myers for a few months now. Ever notice
how few readers take the time to comment on any of the
articles posted there? Why is that?

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Comments are so Web 2.0. People are simply too busy to
leave them. And most of those who write for Jack are too
busy to answer them anyway, so why bother? We’re all too
busy chasing string. But it sure seems important when
we’re chasing it! We actually fool ourselves into confus-
ing mindless activity with purposeful, deliberate action.

It takes concentration and/or a good nap to determine the
difference. We have a running theory here at Vidsense.
Eighty percent of everything we do is a waste of time.
Every six months we hunt for time wasters. While the rest
of the world is “busy” saving money, we do something much
more important: we save time by making and taking time
for ourselves. If this last line sounds overly profound,
I suggest you take a nice nap to discover what it means!

I had a discussion along these lines with one of my sons
recently. I told him that if he wanted to be taken
seriously, he had to think serious thoughts. If we are
the sum total of our thoughts and deeds, we must become
more deliberate with our time, the only personal asset
we can control. We must connect with those who also
cherish thought, time and connection. In that spirit,
if you’d like to discuss online video or how to become
more deliberate, give me a call. My direct line is
708-478-4500 ext. 105.

————————————————————

About Jaffer Ali Jaffer Ali is CEO of Vidsense, the Web’s
largest video advertising network. With more than 80,000
advertiser-friendly video clips licensed from major film
and TV studios, the Vidsense network of more than 20,000
safe-for-work partner websites delivers millions of
qualified visitors directly to advertiser websites on a
pure Pay-Per-Click (PPC) basis. Vidsense is to Adsense
what video is to print — a far more engaging and
compelling environment for consumers and advertisers
alike.

————————————————————

Many of my recent articles have dealt with theoretical
concepts and the need to identify the underlying principles
that define our focus of intent. Today I turn to how those
principles — schwerpunkt and cheng/ch’i, for example —
must defer to practical application. To that end, I have
often spoken ill of advertising agencies in general and
of online agencies in particular. So, is it therefore
reasonable to ask: Why did Vidsense hire an agency? Or,
even more to the point: How is that working for us?

As a believer in the Zen Buddhist dictum, the answer is
in the question, let me begin by introducing you to our
agency, the Brothers Einstein. Helmed by Jeff and Mike
Einstein, they represent the very best our industry has
to offer; two engaging personalities who definitely walk
the talk. They are strategic thinkers who bring more than
50 years of marketing experience to bear on our behalf;
architects of ideation intrinsic to our efforts to shape
the unique promise our online business model strives to
achieve.

I believe the bond we have crafted together is a paradigm
for a healthy, productive relationship that transcends the
mundane by embracing the need to constantly challenge each
other. As a result, the first thing we noticed emerging
amongst ourselves–and which we now pursue by design–is
a blurred distinction between where Vidsense begins and
the Brothers Einstein ends.

This requires that our respective egos always take a back
seat to a shared objective. Initially, we had to develop
a communication strategy and accompanying language to
announce our new video model to the world. The interaction
between us was, and is, an amazing amalgam of creative
energy and purposeful execution.

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We trade roles frequently. At times, the Brothers Einstein
provides the spark while we add practicality to the mix.
Other times, we dream wild ideas secure in our trust of
the Brothers Einstein as the rational safety net to catch
us when we occasionally fall from our creative high wire.
We are so focused on our shared objectives that we
subordinate all else to this powerful and proven team
dynamic.

Isn’t that the way relationships are SUPPOSED to work?
This is what I call “symmetry” and in order for relation-
ships to be symmetrical, they MUST be balanced. Rational
discourse can resolve 99% of all disagreements when
symmetry is present; not just as a buzz word, but as a
guiding principle.

The absolute of the symmetry equation is mutual respect. I
cannot tell you how many times I have heard agencies refer
to their clients as “idiots”, and vice versa. The resulting
communication disconnect renders any meaningful relation-
ship impossible. How many clients dread speaking with their
agencies? And how many agencies avoid confrontations with
their clients? How often is essential creative tension
destroyed before it has the chance to engender a healthy
give and take? How many of us are impervious to the fact
that relationship is a two-way street?

When relationships are right, you do not avoid confront-
ation, you welcome it; indeed demand it. I am on the phone
with the Brothers Einstein several times a day and we
always conclude with renewed energy and purpose. Again,
isn’t this the way it’s SUPPOSED to be? Of course it is.
But in our spreadsheet-driven zeal, authenticity has
taken a back seat to dispassionate expediency. We have
become an industry of communicators who don’t know how to
communicate. We expect less from others because we invest
so little of ourselves. We get less because we give less.
It really is that simple.

But let’s view the relationship cup as being half-full and
explore the role respect plays in shaping our expectations.
I, for one, expect a great deal from relationships. Maybe
that’s why I have fewer than most. But those that I do
have are inspired by a mutual respect that speaks to shared
expectations. If you’re a client whose agency does not
share your expectations, find another agency. If you’re an
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they know. Neither party pushes the envelope, neither holds
the other accountable, and ultimately nobody is satisfied.
If you’re a client who doesn’t see the need for an agency
that challenges the status quo, do not hire the Brothers
Einstein. Actually, the point is moot, because they likely
wouldn’t want to work with you anyway.

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I can name several times when Jeff and Mike Einstein saved
me from myself. Those who know me will tell you there is
often precious little distance from thought to action with
me. That can get pretty dicey at times and I am in debt
to Jeff and Mike for helping me temper my immediacy;
more often than not through disarming humor that helps
me prioritize my time and energy and keep things in
perspective. All it takes to bring me back to earth is
for one of them to proclaim with tongue firmly in cheek:
It’s much worse than I thought!

I have three boys. I have told all three since they were
tots that they could be ANYTHING they want to be. Two are
now in college and each of them has told me at different
times that I expect too much from them. I have a stock
answer: “No, I expect the world. But the more important
question is: What do you expect from yourself?”

My recommendation to any client is to find an agency that
expects more from themselves than is expected of them. I
also suggest that you meet the opportunity at least half
way by expecting as much as you possibly can from yourself.
If you want a strategic partner who truly walks the talk,
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————————————————————

“It is easy to see that a greater self-reliance must
work a revolution in all the offices and relations
of men; in their religion; in their education; in
their pursuits; their modes of living; their
association; in their property; in their speculative
views.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Who can deny that the present economic environment presents
challenges? There are many expositions of the problems but
few tangible suggestions on how to get through the current
down times.

Getting here was easy. Nurtured by the fertile soil of
venture-backed dollars, online publishers, ad networks,
agencies and clients all reaped a bountiful harvest. Life
was good, and we grew complacent. We took our good fortune
for granted and let our fields go fallow.

But as cowboy poet, Waddie Mitchell said, “During tough
times, our attitude is often the key to whether we’ll
thrive or merely survive.”

We are all faced with decisions. There is one entire
category of the online industry, the sector I call “quants”
(for those who tout the latest quantitative analysis), that
operates under what mathematician Schoenfeld coined “the
glorious misconception”. For the quants among us, “glorious
misconception” is the entrenched belief that algorithmic
reduction can trump randomness in human affairs.

Unfortunately, their sheer strength in numbers (no pun
intended) allows the quants to dictate how business is done
online. They are so invested in their own mathematical
voodoo, and so disinclined to narrative, that they’ve
effectively shut down any real dialogue toward what could
and/or should be. As a result, marketing alliances are
fragile and shallow by design, doomed to failure at the
hands of a “glorious misconception” that compromises rather
than satisfies.

And the closer we look, the worse it gets. The ensuing
cause and effect propels us straight backwards. As
mathematical models are pushed ever higher, response rates
retreat ever lower. As response rates decline, so does
revenue per thousand impressions. The more we throw at the
equation, the less we know about what works and the further
we stray from the answer. But shhh, don’t say that too
loudly.

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The entire online ecosystem is convulsing under the weight
of this “glorious misconception”. Each day brings a new
announcement of industry layoffs. But there is a way out.
Emerson pointed the way when he said, “The secret of
fortune is joy in our hands.”

Moving from the 19th century philosopher Emerson to the
20th century military historian, John BoydJack Myers MV
Topics, we see the concept of self-reliance rearing its
head. Boyd believed that alliances were inherently unstable
and compromising and that self-reliance was the key to
strong self-defense capabilities.

Think about this for a minute. Alliances are good when
interests are aligned. But when interests diverge, you
have a problem. Saddam HusseinJack Myers MV Topics was
our cherished friend when he was killing Iranians in his
war. But the alliance went south when he wanted to become
the next Saladin of the Middle East. As I said, alliances
are unstable.

What does self reliance mean for media owners?

First of all, you need to recognize the need to take more
control of your own destiny. Once you do, you must focus
your weight of effort, your schwerpunkt, on ways to
manufacture and utilize your OWN AD INVENTORY. This means
developing proprietary databases and exclusive e-commerce
initiatives that leverage the new opportunities you create
from within.

Being more self reliant does not mean that you stop selling
advertising. Quite the contrary, the more control you exert
over your own domain, the more your own inventory will
increase in value. You’ll finally be able to establish
pricing parameters that have a basis in logic instead of
specious algorithm.

That is exactly what we did with Vidsense. We have an
e-commerce division that generates millions of dollars
in sales utilizing only our own media. If we never sell
another ad, we will manage quite nicely, thank you.
Interestingly enough though, we find the more self-reliant
we become, the more strong alliances we engender.

Despite our fierce sense of independence (or perhaps
because of it), we’ve managed to attract numerous blue-
chip advertisers who share our passion for proven
performance. Household names like Conde Nast, Hot Jobs,
Playtex, Just For Men, Monster.com, all have benefitted
by our strict attention to our own needs first and
foremost. And though advertisers may come and go, our
brand equity in our own product is forever. We made the
decision to become self reliant a long time ago. Emerson
said it best again, “Absolve you to yourself, and you
shall have the suffrage of the world.”

But media owners represent only one side of the coin.
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It starts with a genuine commitment to change; one that
requires outright rejection of the “glorious mis-
conception”. To wit yet another aphorism from Emerson:
“Let us affront and reprimand the smooth mediocrity and
squalid contentment of the times.”

The online explosion has made it possible for virtually
every advertiser and/or marketer to now own their own
media. This is a far cry from merely renting eyeballs on
someone else’s site. It’s a way to control the branding
environment soup to nuts. It’s also the only way to ensure
the quality of your own communication.

Once again, this is not an idle theory. We began as a
strictly e-commerce company. We bought media and lots of
it. But then we resolved to create our own e-zines. We
wanted to own the relationship instead of just renting or
buying a fleeting impression.

Between Vidsense and our e-zines, we now own enough
impressions that we are self reliant from both ends of the
equation. Each side informs and determines what we do with
the other side. Our fate is completely in our own hands.

Yes, self reliance has become our guiding business
principle. Then again, given the alternatives, did we
really have a choice? We rejected the “glorious
misconception” and adopted self reliance long ago when
we realized that all we ever wanted — or needed — was
simple peace of mind. Emerson said it best:

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can
bring you peace but the triumph of principles.”

————————————————————