This is one of those Back to the Future experiences. The headline this week in the Hints from Heloise syndicated column caught my eye and sent me on a fast track down memory lane. It said "Unique Uses for Duct Tape."
How simple is duct tape? Does one really need instructions for use? I suppose millions of readers do because that's who reads Heloise.
Heloise and I first met, years ago, in Texas. We are both Texas born and got together when our respective careers were hitting the fast track, nationally. She had recently taken over the name and work that her mother, the original Heloise, started. She stayed in Texas. I was the journalist from Washington, DC, meeting with Family and Lifestyle Editors at a Texas convention.
When you stop and think a moment, Heloise and every syndicated columnist like her were the first bloggers--before there were web browsers. They had the readers and the ideas to come up with 200 to 300 words every day on a topic that people would look for and share with friends. Today, there are millions of blogs. There are still only a few thousands newspapers plus magazines, such as Good Housekeeping, which still carry a syndicated column. What differentiates Heloise from blogs you never read is she's 100% about customers. It's the flood of mail that feeds the ideas that become the next column. Through blogging on her own website, plus continued achievements at writing, speaking and conducting business, Heloise maintains that famous, high profile.
Today, I am a Duct Tape Marketing Coach--one of the 10 original, authorized coaches on the planet. We bring to millions of businesses with 50 employees or fewer a marketing system that is, well, just like duct tape--simple, effective and affordable. The Ultimate Marketing System comes in a do-it-yourself version or converts to series of road maps for your marketing journey, if you decide to hire an experienced guide to make sure you complete the trip without detours and delays.
No matter where you turn, it's duct tape in the news and all over the marketing landscape.
Let's get back to the Unique Uses for Duct Tape. The Heloise column has comments from the reader that suggests putting duct tape on the luggage as a way to identify it as it rolls around on the baggage claim conveyor belts. Hints like that make great one liners for Jeff Foxworthy who would say, "If you use duct tape for a luggage tag....you just might be a red neck."
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