Archive → October, 2008
Are we winning the War on Terror?
Although the War on Terror was born following the destruction of the twin towers, the strategy was conceived by the US neo-cons far earlier. In reaction to the attack, shortly after the twin towers fell the US and its allies declared war on an adjective: terror.
In the midst of the chaos, the declaration of war placated the terrified masses. Our governments and military leaders, trained to tackle conventional enemies, flooded our 24hr news cycle with predictions of unimaginable calamity, soon to be unleashed by Al Qaeda – the greatest threat to western civilisation since the Soviet Union.
The storyline was simple. George Bush suggested: we are the good guys, and they are the bad guys. Osama Bin Laden became the global supervillian, plotting to overthrow the world’s superhero – the US – via suicide bombings and suitcase nukes. Our populations were stripped of civil liberties in preparation for the impending onslaught, and our young men were sent overseas, to fight the terrorists on their own doorstep. Continue reading →
Your brand is valuable
In the past few days, I’ve been thinking about the power of brands . Amongst other things, I listened to Sway’s new album , and have been paused for thought since the following lyrics mentioning the new business model of the brand:
Get with the times. Forget getting signed.
It’s nice but you won’t make money from sales
If ya got hype and ya timing’s right
You can make money from everything else
- "Upload", The Signature LP, Sway
Sway knows that many people don’t and won’t buy music anymore – if they did, he’d be rich already. His financial objectives must be met by other means if he wants to make even a penny from the millions of unrepentant pirates scouring the web for his immaculate verses. Rather than whine about it, Sway intends to profit from the attention ; making money from the type of endorsement deals that have seen 50 Cent sell water for $400m while strolling about in his own line of Reebok pumps.
What is stunning about the success of rappers like Fiddy, Jay-Z and Lil’ Wayne in our politically-correct era, is that they are literally on-record, saying things sure to make a man notorious. That is the subtle trick of the rap entrepreneur. Their words made them controversial ; the media-fuelled controversy made them unforgettable.
ps: Attention of any sort will bring you power. Use the limelight wisely and you will create a following . What you choose to do with that following is up to you. Just remember that once the spotlight is on you, the display of insecurity is not an option.