I wear size 14 shoes.  Extrapolate what you want from that… but for me, it means a few things.

1. I have big feet. And they’re flat feet, so I learned to be very picky about my footwear. Bad shoes often cause quite a bit of pain.

2. I hate shoe shopping – while I was growing up (and into my feet), I could begin most shoe searches by walking into a store and asking: “Do you carry size 14?” As often as not, the answer was no, and I moved on.

So it was weird that I bought new tennis shoes last week. I love my current everyday shoes, but I had to admit that one day they will die. What made me admit this? A sale.

I was heading out for some groceries, and noticed the nearby shoe store was having some sort of ridiculous sale. From experience, I knew they had a decent selection in my size (luckily, it seems that stores have become better about that over the years). So, I stopped and tried on a few pairs, and eventually walked out with one.

The loud sale signs were responsible for at least one sale that wouldn’t have happened otherwise – and provide a great lesson on incentives. If it’s applicable to your business and your site, I can’t stress the importance of building in that flexibility. While it may require a bit more of an investment on the front end, being able to go into an already well-designed “sale mode” is a great way to increase traffic, sales, and exposure, to put out a general call-to-action and move merchandise – on your terms and timetable, and for whatever reason.

In the case of the shoe store, the sales clerk told me that their business had been hurting due to weather. “Snowpocalypse” has hit my area hard. Most people just wanted to stay in, unless they have to go out for work or necessities. I can’t remember the official reason for the sale, and I doubt that there was one – but the unofficial one was that they just needed business. The employees went out, put up some signs and painted up some windows, and lo and behold – people came in, shoes walked out. I hope they continue to do good business – I’d rather not have to start over on the whole shoe store thing.

Successful authors have to have great public instincts – or a fair share of luck. In fact, they’re almost always in the business of marketing a product that a potential consumer isn’t looking for, or at least, that a potential customer doesn’t know that they want.

In the case of Sean Williams, I did know that I liked science fiction, but how was I to know that I would like him? I really couldn’t find out for myself, short of picking up a book and reading it – yet this is where his blog came to shine. Because I liked his blog’s voice, and his musical recommendations, I was willing to give him chance – which is all one can really ask for. In me, he gained another reader, customer, and fan. Perhaps he wasn’t as successful with someone else who happened on his blog, or even took a chance and picked up a book – but either way, those are sales that would not have happened if he relied solely on a publisher’s marketing or the book sitting on a shelf in a store.

Writers find themselves in a rough world – (without delving into the ugliness of the publishing industry,) they have hundreds and thousands of competitors, and products that are rarely prominent in advertising and the general public’s eye. (Personally, almost all new authors that I check out are referred to me by friends. I’m luckier than most in that many of my friends are writers themselves, or somehow connected to the publishing industry.)

As such, some of the most successful writers have become widely known by branching out into the fringes of their territory, and even maximizing their visibility on internet searches in related fields. By chance, I found Williams through my curiosity about ambient music. 

Perhaps one of the most visible examples of this phenomenon is John Scalzi – another favorite author, that I’m proud to also call a friend. His “Whatever” blog (http://whatever.scalzi.com) is a finely-tuned public relations and visibility machine. On it, he features everything from mentions of Stargate Universe (for which he’s a creative consultant), links to his AMC column (that usually deals with science fiction on screen), interesting music videos, pictures of his cat, chronicles of his precociously awesome daughter’s latest exploits, discussions of fellow authors’ works, and trends in science fiction and publishing.

Right there, he’s potentially gotten the attention of Stargate fans (as well as fans of almost every science fiction movie or show), as well as music lovers, cat lovers, doting parents, and general science fiction readers. That’s a large cross-section. In fact, his blog has been so successful that it spawned a book of its own: Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded. He’s also generally visible, personable, and intelligent – in the public eye not only through his blogs and fiction, but also making appearances at conventions, and constantly building a network of potential readers and fans. While Scalzi is a brilliant writer (with the sales and awards to prove it), I’d have to say that no small part of his success is due to brilliant “marketing” outside of the standard demographic.

I’m currently reading The Blood Debt by Sean Williams. He’s a science fiction and fantasy writer from Australia, and I do like my science fiction and Australians. Oddly enough, I had the pleasure to take “Contemporary Australian Literature” while earning my English degree. Anyway, I was reading my book on a bus ride home, listening to some Biosphere on my iPod, and I realized something...
 
Williams is now a favorite author of mine, and one many friends and acquaintances had recommended – but those recommendations seemed to go in one ear and out the other. What made me stop to finally pick up a book and give him a chance was music. 
 
He loves his ambient music. I was looking to expand my musical horizons in that direction, and where did Google point me? To his blog – where I came to appreciate both his blog, personality and his musical tastes – Biosphere was among his favorites. So then, I figured I’d probably enjoy his fiction. A happy coincidence.
 
Or was it? Perhaps Google took into account my love of science fiction as I scanned my musical horizons. (In fact, it almost assuredly did.) Either way, it worked out. It’s an interesting story of accidental search engine optimization, yet purposeful publicity. While I can’t speak to Williams’ computer and internet knowledge, I can say that he has great public instincts.

Much like Bill Nye’s eco-friendly house, authority can be self-sustaining. The more Nye appears opposite television journalists, the more likely he is to be sought out for such appearances in the future.

Using myself as an example, I’ve always respected Nye. I avidly watched Bill Nye the Science Guy and The Eyes of Nye. I consider him to be a scientific authority, and am more likely to watch or look for him in the future. I’ve had good experiences with him in the past, and I’m more inclined to judge him positively – even in the face of stiff competition or a less-than-stellar performance. In that respect, authority can help create brand loyalty.

Similarly, authority can both create and utilize a network. Bill Nye’s shows and online presence have created a network of followers – but also a network of potential resources. For instance, I probably know more about science fiction than Nye, as it’s been both a social and academic concentration of mine. If he asked – whether me personally or his network generally – I’d be glad to step forward as a resource, thereby supplementing and expanding his authority. To flip that around, he also makes it a point to cater to his network – so the relationship is mutually beneficial. Among other things, his website has many resources for educators and students, who make up a large portion of his audience.

To break the fourth wall, I’m helping to supplement and expand his authority and network right now, as I write about him. And no, he didn’t even have to ask, nor does he know me. However, I both like him and think about him enough to use him as an example of authority in this blog entry. So, check him out and learn from him – hopefully, you’ll find him as entertaining and enlightening as I have, both as a role model and an educator.

And so how did Bill Nye become The Science Guy? Well, (whether consciously or unconsciously,) he focused on his competitive advantages. Bill is obviously intelligent and scientifically literate – at Cornell, he studied mechanical engineering, and went on to work at Boeing. Many also find him entertaining – he started out in entertainment with the Seattle sketch show Almost Live!, where he earned his name and obviously had some success. He then went on to do Bill Nye the Science Guy and become the Science Guy we know and love today.

Now, there are obviously lots of intelligent scientists in the world – many who are probably sharper than Nye (no offense, Bill). And, there are probably quite a few comedians out there who are widely considered to be more entertaining. Yet, how many scientist-comedians are there? …And how many of those earned the title, rather than giving it to themselves? Not many.

In Nye, you have a funny guy who’s smart, and a smart guy who’s funny. And he wears a bowtie! A brilliant bit of branding, as the bowtie is at once anachronistic and distinctive. Most people would recognize Nye after having seen him only once.

And so, if you’re a television journalist looking for an authority, or just a curious person looking to expand your knowledge, who do you go to?  Scientific Person, who is qualified; Funny Guy, who isn’t; or Bill Nye, who’s qualified, personable, recognizable and entertaining?

He used his scientific knowledge and his ability to entertain to place himself on a national stage – from there, his passion, abilities, and uniqueness earned him a following and a social network that continues to pay dividends. He carved out a niche, and seems to have maintained a monopoly in his field. And he remains engaged – whether through appearances in the media, his blog and his website, or Facebook and Twitter – and continues to highlight and stand by his competitive advantages and his persona: The Science Guy brand, if you will.

The Rachel Maddow show recently called on Bill Nye (yes, the Science Guy) to provide commentary on climate change, and I was delighted. (For the record, I don’t normally watch The Rachel Maddow Show, but a friend and fellow Nye fan pointed me to it.) As I watched him talk about the recent blizzards on the East Coast – sporting his signature bowtie – I realized something: a childhood television mentor of mine had become an Authority. He’s made the rounds, actually – also appearing with Anderson Cooper, Campbell Brown, and Larry King.

Even while Nye is disarmingly goofy, he’s really lived up to his title – he is The Science Guy. Not only did he help my generation become scientifically literate, but my parents’ generation watched him do it. He’s obviously comfortable in a lab coat, and speaks on scientific topics with ease, passion, and confidence.

Bill Nye is not only a great instructor, but a great entertainer – and a large contributor to my fascination with science and discovery. And after seeing his appearance, I just had to check up on him. He lives and breathes his role: in addition to providing a scientist’s voice in the media, he continues to provide educational resources, and even actively maintains an eco-friendly house – using the science he advocates.

When it comes to almost anything Science, Nye has established himself as an authority. Being able to speak as an authority is a great place to be, whether you’re looking to spread scientific literacy or sell breakfast cereal. Check Bill Nye out online at www.billnye.com

Perhaps no product has better encapsulated the Olympic spirit than Wheaties, the “Breakfast of Champions.” Its advertising has been so effective that the phrase “better eat your Wheaties” has become a common phrase in popular culture. At the watercooler, I heard my old officemate, Daryl, telling us to do just this, time and time again.

He seemed to take his own advice, as he was a much better softball player than I ever could be. Even the Wheaties tagline, “Breakfast of Champions,” is also the title of a Kurt Vonnegut book. (I love Vonnegut – I figure, if Vonnegut’s mentioned you in his brilliantly off-kilter fiction, you know you’ve made a mark.)

I actually don’t remember the last time I saw a Wheaties commercial. I’m positive they still air – but the thing is, they almost don’t need to. Wheaties has been a pervasive national icon since the 1930s, with the same distinctive orange box, with a well-known and great athlete on it. Wheaties has been so successful at branding that the product is synonymous with athletic achievement and success.

The best thing, though, about a cereal being so deeply rooted in popular culture and so strongly associated with athletics, is that people assume it must be healthy – possibly the best cereal on the market for well-being. How different are Wheaties from Corn Flakes, really? And yet, if I were to ask anyone on the street, 99% of them would want to choose Wheaties over Corn Flakes as the healthier cereal, even though they’d probably never compared the nutrition panels on the boxes. 

For the record, Wheaties does have a higher vitamin and mineral content than Corn Flakes – but how great is it that most people don’t even have to compare the boxes to reach this conclusion? That’s smart branding. Wheaties actively sought out its sports affiliation, and has reaped the rewards of that for almost 80 years.

The modern Olympic Games have been running since 1896. They rapidly gained popularity, and nations around the world were quick to throw their hats in the ring – even though supporting a team or even hosting the games can come at a substantial cost.

Symbols have power – and demonstrable real-world value. The 2008 Beijing Games were a seen as an opportunity for China to demonstrate that it was now a first-world power, with a newly revamped and clean city, and a chance to refute its negative human rights record. While many would say that China failed, there’s no denying that this was a focus and priority – especially considering an investment in the tens of billions.

Amidst the Cold War came the “Miracle on Ice,” as the American hockey team defeated the Russians in the 1980 games. Germany showcased its technological development with the first televised games in 1936. South Africa had been banned from participating from 1964 until 1992 due to apartheid – in 1976, this led to 28 countries boycotting the Summer Games because the Olympic committee didn’t refuse New Zealand, whose rugby union had toured South Africa that year.

Through it all, the Olympic rings are internationally recognizable and respected – while also wielding financial and political power. There’s a zealous desire to be associated with them. The 2002 Games were hosted in Salt Lake City because members of the International Olympic Committee had been bribed to vote for it.  NBC spent $5.7 billion for broadcast rights from 2000 to 2012. (They’re expected to lose $200 million this year – but bad business doesn’t undercut the perceived and potential value of the investment.)

Individual athletes and their countries gain standing for their success, as can an impressive host city. The Olympics are an international stage, with worldwide exposure and associative power – hence this mad scramble for athletes, cities, countries, and companies to associate themselves with a brand that represents peace, diplomacy, prosperity, and greatness.

And while China and NBC may have dropped the ball, there are plenty of success stories as others have attached themselves to the Olympic brand...

I’m really excited for the Olympics this year - in a way I haven’t been in quite awhile. Thinking about it, I believe that’s largely due to Stephen Colbert. For those unaware, he’s sponsoring the U.S. Speedskating team. The team found itself in dire straits when its sponsor pulled out a few months back, and Stephen decided to pick up the slack, with a call for help to his viewers.

I’m an avid watcher of the Colbert Report, and have long been a fan of Stephen. He’s a brilliant comedian, with a sharp wit and a keen sense of humor. And even though his satirical persona may poke fun at commercialism and patriotism, he’s shown his true self to be a devoted patriot and capitalist.

He’s taken his show to Iraq to entertain the troops, he raised awareness for the space program by campaigning to name a space station module for himself (while he technically won NASA’s public contest through write-in votes, the agency instead gave him the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, or COLBERT), and even ran for President of the United States (with Doritos as his sponsor).

Anyway, I haven’t sat down to watch the Winter Games in years, and seeing those men and women perform stirs something. The Olympics are a forum where the best athletes from every nation in the world set aside their political differences to compete and perform feats most humans can’t.  The words themselves – “The Olympic Games” – are a connotative force, associated with those qualities of patriotism, greatness, and prosperity. As such, Stephen not only wants to support the U.S. Speedskating team, but likely sees the Olympics as a great opportunity for advertising and branding. For us small businesses, the Olympics can also serve as a great advertising and branding model (guideline, reference, whatever you want to call it) -- I'll discuss this on Wednesday.

Of course you have, it’s that silly video of that cat playing a keyboard. Everyone and their dog has seen that cat, because people like cats – and especially like cats being silly.

Now, imagine if Keyboard Cat was working for you – all of a sudden, you’d have more traffic than you’d know what to do with. Not to mention all the people passing on the video to their family and friends – now you’ve discovered viral marketing, where you make the inherent structure of the internet work for you.

Symphony of Science (which I talked about in my last entry) is an example of great implementation. Symphony also benefits from the fact that their viral videos help accomplish everything they’ve set out to do – the videos serve as advertisement, spread the very information and spirit that their project was established to broadcast, and are entertaining  – and therefore self-replicating and infective, reaching exponentially more people over time.

I found Carl Sagan singing about the Universe on two fronts: my girlfriend is an astronomer and a Sagan fan herself, and just had to show me, even while our friends in the science fiction field were passing around these same catchy and inspiring videos. Even now, we seek to share this with you.