Perception Is Everything!!

Marketing is all about making something look or sound appealing to get consumers to take interest and make a purchase. As a person, you are constantly marketing yourself at all times whether you know it or not. Outward appearance and communication skills are the main factors of marketing that you use on a daily basis. Think about how many times we've formed opinions about people based on how they dress, how they look, how they talk, or how they write. We are all guilty of it. Oftentimes our judgement is pretty darn good and other times, questionable at best.

Our younger generations are having a problem comprehending the marketing approach. When you are hanging out with a bunch of people with your pants hanging off of your butt showing your underwear, even with a belt on, you chose to violate the standards of decency that are expected of you from society. You can't be upset with the mother who takes her three year old son and walks on the other sidewalk to avoid you. You can't be upset when the police decide to come and shake you down because you look like a gang banger. You can't be upset when the store owner watches your every move from the moment you walk in because YOU put yourself in that position.

Perception is everything and that's how you chose to market yourself. No one cares that you are the valedictorian of your class, youth leader in your church, and a tutor in the after-school program. All they SAW was you hanging out with your clothes hanging off of you and their opinion was thus formed right or wrong. You wouldn't eat a burger that was served in a restaurant filled with roaches nor buy a pair of shoes that were marketed with no soles. Take the time to spice up your personal marketing campaign, it will help you in the long run.

Mister Mello

What Happened to Proper English Language????

Sadly these days, we have so much defiance in the use of proper English and are content to mastering street vocabulary, failing to realize that we become victims to our own words. The language of the streets may very well work on the streets, but we are at a HUGE disadvantage in places like the corporate world, the government, education, and finance. Street language is not understood or tolerated in these arenas so good luck getting ahead.

"Y'all MF hiring?", will never get your application looked at in the employment game. Street slang on the witness stand may be the difference between an acquittal or a conviction regardless of the evidence. Writing words the way that you say them will not impress a college admissions committee. When asked on a loan application, how much you need to borrow, 50 stacks will have the loan officer more confused than an American tourist reading a sign in Chinese.

It's okay to be street smart and street savvy, but let's not forget that the streets don't run anything in this country but the streets. Take some time to get back in touch with the use of proper English and you will see how much further you get ahead and how much more you will be accepted by mainstream America.

Mister Mello

Food for Thought

Tax season has come once again and I continue to shake my head in disbelief at some of the things that I see on a daily basis. The frivolous and unnecessary spending sprees that some of us go on is amazing. In this day in age, cars, brand named clothing, and other luxury goods determine a person's status in our society. Our buying power in itself, if we were our own country, would put us as the 16th largest country in the world. Some of us get large tax returns, and our buying power really is put on display...straight to the stores we go.

With companies salivating for a piece of the African-American dollar, they take to all out advertising and marketing campaigns specifically targeting our communities. We take our money and buy flashy and expensive items that add no real value to change our standard of living or create lasting legacies for our families. Spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on swag, rims, furniture, and vehicles that immediately lose value after purchase at dealer asking price only proves that we cannot hold our money very long. We spend very little money within our own communities and will outsource our hard-earned dollars to businesses that will not even think about reinvesting in our communities.

With buying power that high, it is disturbing to see so many of us have nothing to show for it in the end. Too much of our money is spent on things designed to give the impression that we have status and success that we do not. Buying expensive watches and shoes may look great to others, but then the light bill or rent is due and there is no money to pay it, then what? I see more people heading into a department store to buy a huge television set than I do going to an investment broker's office to setup a retirement portfolio. We can spend money to purchase a nice barbecue pit to decorate a yard that we do not own, but not saving a few thousand dollars to purchase our own land. I saw a piece of property in a rural area today 5.33 acres for a cool $2,500 and the value can appreciate. The barbecue pit, watch, shoes, and used car a whopping $8,750 and loses value sooner rather than later.

Food for thought...