Innovation At Home - Branding and You

Let's face it - innovation is the heart and soul of our economy, our country, and our very lives. How many times, at the bitter end of a failed relationship, have you said "Sure, we got along, but she [or perhaps he] just wasn't innovative enough." I know I have. That's why, in these tough economic times, it's so important to innovate (never say invent) new complex mechanisms for enhancing value producing monetary multipliers.

Specifically, I'm thinking about branding. Branding in new, innovative ways.

Indeed, we all love watching football with new, innovative enhancements like the Chevrolet Player of the Game, Clorox Fan of the Week, and the Toyota 43 yard line. And we all know that some people, in new and innovative ways, are being paid to tell their friends and families how much they love their new cell phone, their cell phone plan, or their hamburger. While clearly an advancement for humankind, is this truly innovative enough?

Here's my idea. Brand your own, personal possessions - even if they are previously branded (retain an attorney). It won't be easy, innovation never is. Who would care, you ask, about some random trade name assigned to the antique hutch given to me by my aunt Gwendolyn?

This is where the faint of heart often fail to see the the need for more innovation. Marketing ... you must in fact market your own personal brand to the larger, more important brands. They must believe you to have a wide range of friends, family and general social contacts. It won't be necessary to actually have them. Once you seal the deal, the beauty of market-driven brand reinforcement will become an unstoppable force for boundless innovation in your future - and you'll get paid!

Say it's Thanksgiving; when cousin Roscoe asks, "Hey, can I get you a beer?" you could just reply in the old, calcified way, "Yes, please." Or you could venture "You bet. The Citigroup Thrill of the Chill fridge has got all the perfectly frosted malt beverages we could ask for." (If you spotted an unrealized branding opportunity - you're on your way to a new, more completely branded tomorrow!)

"Can I use your bathroom?"

"Of course. Make sure to hold down the handle of the Poulaner Weedeater toilet for at least four seconds, though."

See, it's not that hard. And best of all - you're a part of the innovation economy. Remember, it's not about producing things, saving things, knowing things, or recycling things. In these difficult days, it's all about continuing to live in a monetarily enhanced environment while not using your own personal energy.

Now you and I know the media elite will scream bloody murder "It's Orwell on consumer steroids..." - you know who I mean. But aren't these the same folks who whined and moaned about the innovative war in Iraq?

In this unprecedented and challenging era, if we buckle down, if we keep our wits, if we know in our hearts that we can get paid for doing nothing, I think we just might come out all right.



WT "I'm not bitter" Davidson