Preneur Marketing - The Blog of Entrepreneur Pete Williams

Recently, the ‘internet marketing’ community was buzz with a huge hoax masterminded by Frank Kern - I won’t go into it in this post, but you can read about it over at - Don Fleece, Traffic Mysteries, Confessions and Reality or on the Frank Kern Shenanigans Facebook Group

Anyway… it got me thinking about a huge hoax that began as a practical joke by late-night radio raconteur Jean Shepherd in the mid-1950s. Shepherd was highly annoyed at the way that the bestseller lists were being compiled at the time.

Unlike today, these lists at the time were not determined only on sales figures, but also on requests for new books at bookstores.

Shepherd urged his listeners to enter bookstores across the USA, and ask for a book that did not exist. He fabricated an author, Frederick R. Ewing, concocted a title, ‘I, Libertine’, and outlined a basic plot for his listeners to use on skeptical or confused bookstore clerks.

Shepherd eventually proved his point, as the ‘fictional book’ became a best seller. (see the play on words I used there - not only was it a ‘fiction book’, but the book itself was fictional by nature - I really should be a comedian)

“It all started when I got into a discussion one day about people who pretend to know everything,” Shepherd wrote later in the Voice. “We thought it would be a good gag to undermine their faith by creating a demand for something that didn’t even exist. We dreamed up the name and the author on the spot.”

I recently came across an interview where the crazy tale is recounted in Jean Shepherd’s own words on Long John Nebel’s radio show from 1968 - it’s well worth a listen; as it has nothing to do with marketing, yet everything to do with marketing.

Download the interview here (MP3)

So I have decided to take a leaf out of Andy Beal’s book (Note: This is a metaphorical book, not one you can touch and feel, so don’t go wasting your time scowering Amazon - It ain’t there) and start a sporadic series of posts that cover links to random websites that have occupied my time this week.

Not all sites in the posts will be focused on business building, internet marketing or nike shoes - but the majority will… And if I do throw in an out-of-place URL, it will only be ’cause it was really super awesome.

Now I know I am going to be “pissing in my own pot” with my next statement… but it’s important for your success.

Before you go off and visit any of these sites ask yourself this question: “Is visiting this site going to get me closer to my goal? “

Because if you are anything like me the answer may very well be a big fat NO, and your time is better spent taking action on an outstanding project.

This thinking really came back to me whilst reading (actually listening to the audiobook) ‘Getting Things Done’ where the underlying premise is ‘What’s the next physical ACTION you can take to help you reach the goal of any project”

Stay tunned because I will be posting a full grade-school style book review on GTD in a few days…

Anyway, I am guessing that if you are still reading you want to see what links I have in store for you today… Well here goes:

The Gruen Transfer The Gruen Transfer (TGT) is an Australian TV show about advertising, how it works, and how it works on us. Hosted by the inimitable Wil Anderson, TGT will decode and defuse the commercial messages that swirl through our lives, with the help of a panel of ad industry experts.