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Top of Mind Thursday – September 22, 2022: Falling Into Place
Fall in the Northern Hemisphere officially starts this evening. 
If you’ve been to Starbucks or Costco in the last month, you’d have thought the season started a month ago. Not only do we have pumpkin lattes, but Halloween costumers and Xmas decorations abound as well. Trader Joes even has a pumpkin spice flavored non-dairy oat milk (!) on sale.
This year, Fall seems more relevant than ever. Kids are back in school (as opposed to online). Conferences and events are back in person, and the COVID pandemic has been declared officially over, according to President Biden.
All of that is good news (unless, of course, you are one of the people who manages to catch COVID now despite the fact it’s no longer considered to be a pandemic risk!).
But should we be content to let things fall back into place? How much effort should be put into trying to get back to some semblance of “normal”?
What if we look to create a better way of doing things instead? What if we consider not reimplementing some of the old ways of working and use our experience to devise more effective, more relevant habits and practices? What if we put extra focus on providing value to our customers and treating employees and suppliers with respect?
Rosh Hashonah, the Jewish New Year, starts on Sunday evening. You don’t have to be Jewish to consider changing up a little bit of something here and there to help make the world a little better. Now’s a great time to help good things fall into place for all of us.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday – September 15, 2022: A Change in Momentum
A funny thing happened on the way to Russia’s conquest of Ukraine: Things didn’t go at all as planned.
Vladimir Putin didn’t expect Ukraine to give much pushback to his bloody, unprovoked invasion. When the Ukrainians dug in and began to fight back, it was apparent they could hold significant territory and this would not be a quick incursion.
But then, the Russians dug in and attacked power plants, schools, farmland, and innocent civilians. They captured territory in various parts of the country, and seemed to be on their way to becoming entrenched.
However, the tide has turned over the last few weeks. The Ukrainian forces, bolstered by weapons, ammunition, and guidance from the US and other NATO countries, have pushed back and recaptured territory. This week, President Zelenskyy said his forces have taken back over 6000 square kilometers previously held in the Northeastern part of the country. Initiatives are underway in other areas as well, including the Donbas.
How can a small country like Ukraine take on and humiliate a much larger, global power like Russia?
Yes, it helps to have friends in the right places to back you up. But it’s also important to remember that the motivation for both sides in different. For Ukrainians, it’s about losing their independence, their country, their way of life. Many of the Russian soldiers were conscripted or sold a bill of goods about the invasion which they’re not learning wasn’t accurate. Their homes aren’t at risk. Their way of life is out of their control.
Never underestimate the power of the underdog to fight for what they can’t afford to lose.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday – September 8, 2022: A Majestic Loss
This morning, Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest serving monarch, passed away at age 96.
This was not a surprise–the Queen had not been well the last year. Over the last few months, she had missed several important state occasions for the first time in her 70-year reign.
The succession was immediate: Her eldest son Charles automatically became King Charles III upon the Queen’s death. But it’s not at all clear that Charles will be able to maintain anywhere near the influence of his mother.
The world has changed dramatically over the more than 2/3 of a century of Elizabeth’s reign. What was once called the British Empire has shrunk to a fraction of the size and power it wielded in 1952. The Royal Family had its share of scandals and tragedy during that time–from the death of Princess Diana to the accusations of sexual misconduct of Prince Andrew.
Most amazingly, though, was how Elizabeth maintained her stature, dignity, and power in spite of the chaos and division swirling in the world around her. Other world leaders came and went–including 15 different UK prime ministers–but Elizabeth prevailed with honor and quiet elegance.
The monarchy may have outlived its usefulness. But for more than 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II provided a sense of balance and propriety in a messy, power hungry world.
RIP, Elizabeth
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday – September 1, 2022: North of the Border
This week, I’m visiting friends on an island near Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.
So many things in Canada are similar to the US. Canadians really are more friendly and more polite than Americans. In this part of Canada, everyone speaks English (with different spellings and phrasings), but measurements are in kilometers and centigrade, vs. miles and Fahrenheit.
Many of the key issues don’t change when you cross the border: The consequences of climate change, drought, and fire danger. Managing COVID and avoiding infection. Concerns with inflation, the war in Ukraine, and other global issues.
Yet some American issues don’t really exist here. There’s virtually no gun violence on this side of the border. Health care is nationalized, which means no one dies in Canada because they can’t afford a vial of insulin. And the transition of power from one government to the next doesn’t include storming a government building or trying to invalidate the results of fairly held elections.
Is the Canadian system perfect? Definitely not. There is only a fraction of the number of people living on this side of the border, compared to the US, so not everything done here could ever be replicated in the US.
But are there things we can learn from our closest neighbor? Absolutely. The first step to implementing successful change is acknowledging that change is needed. Once that happens, all kinds of possibilities can open up, eh?
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com