The Post-Advertising Era 1.6. The Birth Of A Post-Advertising Era "Big Idea."

So here we are. Nobody is talking about the body count in the Gulf Coast catastrophe.

The Washington Post is saying, " The breaking of the Bush spell opens the way for leaders of both parties to declare their independence from the recent past. It gives forces outside the White House the opportunity to shape a more appropriate national agenda -- for competence and innovation in rebuilding the Katrina region and for new approaches to the problems created over the past 4 1/2 years. "

VOLUME
FIFTY-THREE
WEDNESDAY
SEPTEMBER, 14 2005

Then other headlines tells us that a major shift is about to occur on Wall Street. The retirement of nearly 76 million baby boomers. Economists have known this is coming. Wall Street has known that it's coming. This huge shift -- one that will fuel what will likely be the biggest economic change our nation has ever seen -- will create sheer and utter chaos as millions of investors pull TRILLIONS out of the stock market in preparation for retirement.

These 76 million Americans -- the largest single generation that was ever born -- are bound to move the tide of the market from high flying "growth" stocks to solid, dividend producing low-risk money earners.

I think your Post-Advertising rant has as much relevance as Post Toasties. -Name withheld

Personally, I prefer Cap'n Crunch, but to each his own.-HW

What happens when you put these two converging trends in the same petrie dish and apply the catalyst of a Post-Advertising Perspective?

Well from where I sit, I'm seeing big changes coming from the corridors of power as more and more corporate governance decision makers realize that:

A.) the endless wellspring of equity capital that has fueled the spectacular rise of Wall Street may suddenly be on the wane. And in effect these "Growth Stocks will be dumped by the millions each and every day.

And B.) If the pulse of enterprise is taken by the valuation of its shares in the marketplace, that value will become more about what it does than what it says.

For my money that says that a company that associates itself with good works will have a higher value perception as a "Long Term Player" than one who does not.. And the outflow of equity capital from the volatile growth stock arena will be seeking the safety of bonds, real estate and dividend- generating, "Long-term Players."

The Post-Advrtising perspective will then be to position these Long-term Players as companies that serve their communities rather than exploit them.

Brands like Nike and Coca-Cola that have a reputation of exploiting their workers or their global markets will find themselves being devalued. Companies like Starbucks and Target Brands that have built a reputation over time as corporate "Benefactors" will find their shares valued by the content of their social works as well as their earnings over time.

Last week we talked about taking a more active role in providing an opportunity for companies to step up to the plate and start building this "social infrastructure" through their involvement with those issues that mean something to the American people.

Within the past week we have created the"Step Up America Program." Generated from the concept of a reality-based television show we created and presented to CBS a few months back, we engaged Emmy Award Winning Producer John Feist ("Survivor", "Restaurant", "The Big Race" and "Meet Mr. Mom") to help Kevin Hand and I bring this idea to life.

Between them, American business spent $386,301,369.68 worth of advertising EACH DAY in 2004. The "Step Up America Program is asking America's corporate Community to "Give Us This Day" to help rebuild the destroyed cities and communities of the Gulf Coast.

Last week we asked our readers to help join our efforts and as a result StepUpAmerica.org is now beaming out this message to potential corporate sponsors around the world.

Dozens and dozens of you responded to our request for help and are currently going to your respective companies and organizations to enlist their support of this program. This week, we again made contact with Sandy Varo at CBS to request their donation of one hour of prime time each week to show America what can happen when the strength and resources of her corporate citizens can be applied to the task of rebuilding millions of shattered lives.

We will be reaching out to the other networks as well, in the days ahead as the network buying season draws to a close.

If we are successful, $7,442,307 a week will be spent on the efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast. If we are successful, hundreds upon hundreds of America's most famous companies will have the opportunity to spend what they would have spent on one day of advertising to make a lifetime of difference to those who must try to rebuild their lives brick by brick.

Each week we will be reporting on our progress in this ambitions efforts to turn a Post Advertising "Big Idea" into a reality for millions of American's. We still need all the help we can get. If you would like to bring the "Step Up America Program" to the attention of your company's marketing department, click here and we will send you our proposal..

GAS WAR... an idea that WILL work

This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. It 's worth your consideration.

Join the resistance!!!! I hear we are going to hit close to $ 4.00 a gallon by the end of summer and it might go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united action. Phillip Hollsworth, offered this good idea: This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May!

The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them. BUT, whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read on and join with us!

By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $2.79 for regular unleaded in my town. Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that, BUYERS control the market place, not sellers.

With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. How?

Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas. But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.

Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, don't whimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

I sent this note to 30 people. If each of us send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000).and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers.

If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all You have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all. (If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people.... Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician. But a mathematician worked this out for me.. so trust me on this one.) How long would all that take?

If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!!

I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you! Acting together we can make a difference. If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. PLEASE HOLD OUT UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK.

Stay tuned.