Tuesday, March 18, 2008

George Carlin - Visionary

"If you nail two things together that have never been nailed together before . . . some shmuck will buy it from you."

George Carlin uttered these words thirty years ago, and the only thing this visionary was missing from that statement, in itself an abbreviated marketing plan, was the question of distribution.

The cyber flea-market that is eBay, folks, I have now realized, is the answer to Carlin's distribution problem. Its the most effective method of distribution since Sam Walton sold his Ben Franklin franchises. It's toast with Elvis' image, its a box of rocks, its baby naming rights. Most recently, it is a cornflake in the shape of the great state of Illinois: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_illinois_corn_flake.

There is no harm in listing the item for sale (although let's hope it was done during one of eBay's free listing promotions) but it is in the buying I find questionable. After all, I don't think there is a corn flake made that doesn't resemble one of the plains states. I mean, come on, people, its CORN. It's in the DNA of a flake!

Or is it Obama-mania?

Either way, add Carlin to legendary names like Ogilvy, Porter, and Godin. Pure genius.

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