Sundance Rides Again

So, I find myself heading downtown to the Gateway Terminal at 2:00 a.m. on a Tuesday July 17th to pick up my brother, Sundance. He purchased a bus ticket from Chicago to St. Louis. He gave me fair warning of his plans to visit but never a clear indication of his timeframe. I know it will be fun to see him but I also know enough about him to know that having him around is an all consuming thing. He is a Hurricane Katrina survivor from New Orleans. He has visited Thailand and Asia. He is a teaching professional who makes his base of operations for his tennis business in City Park. He’s been a community leader, organizer and activist for the Mid City neighborhood organization. His wife is a twin and since Katrina (2005) she has made the Chicago suburb of Highland Park her home. He is interested in politics, economics, the dramatic arts and popular culture. All of this is fuel for his tendency to take center stage in an ongoing performance one might expect of an all night talk radio program host (never allowing “dead air” and only occasionally permitting callers to ask a question or offer an observation). Sundance will expound on the offered topic or maneuver back to one of his personal favorites so as not to lose control of the show of which he is the star.

He is convinced that he is an easy house guest who will not be any real imposition. He is used to living in modest surroundings with not too many amenities. Our guest room is sparse but clean. We are “empty nesters” with more space than we need. Still an extra person in our house means modified routines and little accommodations that are not apparent to our guest. He is louder and larger than life in many ways. July and August are the months he likes to go on hiatus from his New Orleans routine of teaching tennis, studying acting at a local community college and interfacing with a variety of characters who have managed to keep moving ahead in spite of the hurricane catastrophe that resulted in a smaller city core.

“Don’t feel like you have to entertain me,” he says a few days into the visit. He’s completely content with a schedule that starts around 11:00 a.m. I am a morning person. So is my wife Lynn. In the week he was with us, I scheduled morning meetings (a job interview, a consulting group meeting, a trip to the bank, a few chores etc.). Lynn is running a deli and coffee shop during the week and that leaves me to occupy Sundance. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday activities included (in no particular order): a trip to the St. Louis Art Museum, hitting a giant bucket of golf balls at the Golfport Recreational Center, Going to AMC Creve Coeur Theater premier of the new Batman movie Dark Knight Rises, hanging out at the Galleria Shopping Mall (with stops at Pandora Jewelry Shop, Build-A-Bear Workshop and St. Louis Bread Company).

A highlight of the first three days was securing Sundance’s return ticket. He is going back to Chicago. (He is not in a hurry to get back to New Orleans.) “Highland Park has everything I might need within walking distance, it just isn’t a place where I can function. I have all the doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs in New Orleans,” he explains. “Nevertheless, I’m not ready to go back.” There are many layers and storylines in and around the world of Sundance. Time shifting from first love Suzie Sanders to TMI (too much information) about relationships in the more recent past. Georgetown, San Francisco, France, the Navy, acting class vignettes, tennis, restaurants and sculpture parks. The talk show continues. At times, it is exhausting to follow. The truth is stranger than fiction. But it isn’t all about Sundance – sometimes it’s about Sundance’s take on the news or sports or global warming. If you want to change the subject you have to barge in with an opening line. He will take it from there and run with it…Who is your favorite president? “Living or all time? Well I think Thomas Jefferson for all time but Bill Clinton if you are talking about modern day…Did you know…”     

Impromptu entertaining on a low budget continues through the weekend but I now know his departure plan begins with a train ticket out of Kirkwood, MO at 12:30 (early afternoon) on Monday. Our activities are of the cheap thrills variety and include a visit to Drace Park, a mini haven for dog walkers with a small playground, gardens, a couple of renovated Civil War era vintage structures and visitor friendly park benches. At Drace Park we happen to connect with our father on his 94^th birthday. The cell phone call from Tampa (placed by our sister from Cleveland who is visiting Dad in Florida). The call is full of distortion and marginally audible. It is hard to hear but pleasant small talk never the less. Dad sounds happy with the celebration at Greg’s house. My sister, Mary Wasmer (with her signature laugh) with a couple of her daughters visiting from Naples, FL and Greg’s family keep the party going on this July 21, the 94^th anniversary of Dad’s birth.

A week went by with chunks of time consumed with conversation sandwiched between retail, movie and eating occasions. We lingered at Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Denny’s, First Watch, St. Louis Bread Company (two separate locations) and watched video of the St. Louis Cardinals capturing the World Series Championship (#11 for the MLB franchise in 2011 – 11 in 11), Atlas Shrugged (the movie) and Andy Griffith with Patricia Neal in Face in the Crowd, a classic B&W film from 1957. Sundance joined Mary Hanson and I on a golf cart docent tour at the Laumeier Sculpture Park. He even tried hard to listen as we pointed out various features of that St. Louis institution (founded in 1976 on the estate of Henry and Matilda Laumeier).  

Before you know it, Sundance and I are enjoying the short wait inside the Kirkwood Train Depot. He boards the Amtrak car with his luggage. The train pulls away. It’s midday but it feels like he is riding into the sunset. I wish him Godspeed!           

SAVE THE DATE - AMA Programs

The American Marketing Association of St. Louis wants to deliver great programming and seeks to promote marketing by connecting, informing, and advancing. What that really means is that we want to be better marketers, learn, network and grow as professionals. Our fiscal year began July 1 and we kicked off the year with our annual golf outing at Creve Coeur Golf Course. We hope you will mark your calendar and plan on joining us at these upcoming events.

The Voice of the Customer - August 16, 2012  Lon Zimmerman's presentation highlights how corporations and other organizations are finding value in hearing the voice of the customer. Included will be examples of ways hearing the voice of the customer has helped improve operations, sharpen marketing activities, and increase customer satisfaction and retention. Also discussed will be various research methodologies being employed.

Kraftig Launch – September 20, 2012 Executives of the William K. Busch Brewing Company want you to know two things: They have no association with Anheuser-Busch InBev, even though their company's namesake and chairman is a great-grandson of A-B founder Adolphus Busch. And they are not setting out to make craft beers. William K. "Billy" Busch and his management team hammered home those points during the unveiling of their brewery's flagship brands, Kräftig Lager and Kräftig Light in November of 2011. Busch wants his brewery, like A-B, to be a major player in the beer market. Kräftig Lager and Kräftig Light (pronounced CREF-tig, it is German for "powerful").

Lessons from the Unconscious for Healthcare – October 18, 2012  Phil Smith, Executive Creative Director of Prairie Dog/TCG with discuss how a growing body of evidence points to the unconscious as a dominant influencer of consumer behavior. Yet most marketing, particularly in healthcare, relies on traditional (conscious) qualitative research. Based on insights from recent leaders in this marketing movement, How Customers Think, Buyology, and The Culture Code, we expose gaps in current practices and illustrate opportunities with work from national brands. Join us as we expose the comical flaws in conventional focus group research and reconsider the truths in modern marketing.

Save the dates and register on line at www.ama-stl.org. August, September and October programs are the third Thurday of each month and scheduled for luncheon format Maggiano’s restaurant on the Boulevard across from the Galleria.  

Dwyer-Malloy showdown results in re-peat champion.

Another Great Golf Outing 

Dwyer-Malloy showdown results in re-peat champion.

Marco Tocco to be caretaker of traveling trophy!

Thanks to all those brave souls who turned out for our golf outing in spite of temperatures in three digits. 30 people showed up at Creve Coeur Golf Course including returning champion Brian Dwyer. Brian successfully defended and technically is winner again after an intense battle not unlike a neck-in-neck at the Masters or the U.S. Open. Mike Malloy challenged the champion, but fell one shot short. All this being said, the committee awarded the traveling trophy to Marco Tocco who participated on a team of alumni from Adamson Advertising Agency (with Dan McGrath, Mark Bretz and Scott Dieckgraefe). 

The bans on fireworks and city ordinances prohibited the return of recent tradition of colored smoke-bombs but there were several stealth water balloon surprises and a few laughs. Creve Coeur Golf Course took care of every detail including lunch in the newly renovated meeting/function room. AMA logos flew on flags placed in all holes and tee-box signage provided by Novachrome honored sponsors: Creatives on Call, Geile Leon Marketing Communications, Sandbox Creative, iDream Solutions and Morgan Studio/East.

I love your work Mother.

My Uncle David and I enjoyed a laugh together after serendipity found us together with Mother Teresa on an elevator in the Pan Am building in midtown Manhattan. David recalled blurting out, “I love your work Mother.” How funny and great is that?

  

Uncle David was a strong supporter and friend when I entered the workforce in the early 1980s in New York. He always had so much wisdom and yet he was never overbearing. I cherish every moment I spent with him during that time. He is the star in a long list of memories. When you have people in your life who can make you smile so many years later – you know you have been in the presence of someone very special.
Uncle David is a business development executive. He is one of those guys you want on your team to attract new business and at the same time let your current customers know that you appreciated their patronage. He has a wonderful sense of humor and style that exudes confidence. CBS Television, Seventeen Magazine, Catalina Swimwear, American Film Institute (AFI), Celebrity Tennis Events, Morgan Studio, his own Greatest of the Great project, the NFL Draft, a handful of favorite charities and maybe a hundred other efforts were just a little bit better because David added his brand of energy and fun.David once convinced me to print a short run of Greatest of the Great T-shirts for limited distribution at an NFL alumni golf event in Florida. I was still in college (at the University of Miami). I can’t even recall the golf course now, but it was at that function that I saw Otto Graham lining up a putt. Wow - I saw the legendary Cleveland Brown Quarterback that day. In retrospect, it’s a reminder of how fleeting fame is and how short and precious our lives really are.

David introduced me to some landmark taverns in NYC including P.J. Clarke’s. David had a chemistry and charm that was immediately engaging. It was always fun being around him. He made friends everywhere. He taught me that even in big bad New York City, people are people and if you make an effort they can be interesting, engaging and offer a better understanding of this place we call the planet Earth.

Growing up in Lakewood, Ohio we would get periodic visits from our Uncle David. When he was in town we all knew we were in for a good time. He always arrived at 15106 Edgewater Drive with a flourish - a cigar, a big fur coat, that automatic smile… He had a flair for making the most routine things seem grand.
David was better than anyone at staying connected. We all love him and we all admire him. He was outspoken and defended us as only an adult can over a Whiskey Sour on the screened in porch in Key Biscayne, Florida. He was a bridge from generation to generation. I love that about him. We all have personal memories we’ve shared over the years. They are part of the legend and the folklore of David. Just one example: We heard about when he bought Greg a new suit and treated him to Catch a Rising Star comedy club in NYC.   

David knew more than anyone about the lives of individual offspring of his brothers John, Andrew and Jim (17 at my last count). He had real and genuine insights about each. (What good fortune to have an uncle like that.) And when Mallory and DW were added to the generation there was no doubt – Morgans can do anything! David reminds us that we belong to a pretty exclusive club.  

Uncle David is the only relative that saw my older brother play college football in San Francisco (The one year he attended the University of San Francisco). Another one of many examples of David making the effort and with such pleasure in doing so.

I was a just a teenager when my uncle David married Mary Louise at Spring Lake, NJ. I remember that being a glorious event at a country club. David waited until his early 40s to give up the bachelor life. He was all smiles that day. It was clear he’d found a partner in life. (Some things are worth waiting for I guess.) And when Mallory and D.W. made David a Dad. He was as proud as a Dad can be.

I enjoyed LaSalle Basketball during two separate years at the NIT (National Invitational Tournament) not because I love basketball. It was more because I loved spending time with David Morgan. He was the best fan for which any team could ask. “Did you know the great Tom Gola played for LaSalle? Gola was one of the most talented collegiate athletes in Philadelphia sports history. He came to national attention while playing for the hometown LaSalle University Explorers men's basketball team in 1954 as an All American forward."

David is ageless and timeless. There will never be another one like him. Mother Teresa, please look after my dear uncle. Amen.

Happy Birthday Uncle David – You are truly one of the Greatest of the Great!

David W Morgan 7/6/1928 - 1/2014

Price Sensitive

Brand A, is a mature brand and has a strong following. Brand A customers have a strong preference of that product and are willing to pay for it. The premium they pay for Brand A is part of the value of that brand. If enough loyal customers routinely buy that product, Brand A will be able to continue to invest in those things that create a preference in the first place. Profit is in that equation as long as Brand A can sell well enough to maintain a healthy market share. Consumers are always challenged to consider alternatives. So Brand B enters the market. Brand B is a parity product that aggressively uses price to obtain market share. The gamble here is that enough of the Brand A consumers will consider the lower cost alternative but Brand B cannot maintain the lower price strategy. (Eventually Brand A and Brand B will cost the same.)

Brand C enters the mix. Brand C is cheaper. It is less expensive to produce and It doesn’t pretend to deserve a premium price. Now consumers will have a lower cost alternative. The good folks who bring you Brands A and Brand B have to evaluate their relative positions. Brand A and Brand B want to continue to battle for the premium price position and Brand C believes a reasonable share of the target customers will accept the compromise. Brand C believes if it can capture 40% of the market they will make an acceptable profit. Brand A and Brand B both believe 50% share is needed to survive and grow. If those assumptions are true someone will have to lose.

Brand A To respond to competition and avoid lowering its price, Brand A decides to increase its advertising to reinforce messages of quality ingredients and superior performance.

Brand B To obtain market share Brand B reduces price during promotional windows and limits advertising to price promotions only - Buy One/Get One, 50% off coupons etc.

Brand C No advertising but aggressive in-store merchandising - end aisle displays and signage.

 Given the price strategies above, who do you think will prevail among these three brands? 

Damn the Torpedoes

Admiral David Glasgow Farragut was the first senior officer of the U.S. Navy at the time of the American Civil War. He was aboard Hartford entering Mobile Bay (Alabama) on August 5th in 1864, leading a fleet of ships when the lead monitor, Tecumseh, was demolished by a mine. Disaster seemed imminent. Farragut gave the orders embodied by the famous words, “Damn the torpedoes.” Full speed ahead! The Battle of Mobile Bay is one of the iconic confrontations of the Civil War at sea. The charge into Mobile Bay may have been the most dramatic moment of the naval portion of the war. The courage and conviction it takes to assume leadership with decisiveness in the face of uncertainty and adversity is remarkable. The battle cry is an inspiration for us all. We need to keep moving ahead. We need to be positive. We need to have faith. We need to believe that we will prevail. 

Keep in mind, no one can have enough information to predict the outcomes of choices we make, no matter how well informed we are. In leadership roles we are adding weight to our decisions, because they can have an impact on those who have placed their confidence in our abilities. We must prepare well and recognize the risk. There will always be times when you must take calculated risks and charge forward. Most of us are fortunate that we do not have to make judgments in the heat of battle. Still, let’s face it; we all deal with upsets, loss and obstacles as we live our lives. Be brave. Be smart. Be confident. In spite of your best efforts you may still find yourself up against considerable odds. 


Damn the torpedoes!

Blue Skies

Blue skies, smiling at me;

Nothing but blue skies do I see.

Blue birds, singing a song;

Nothing but blue birds all day long.

Never saw the sun shining so bright;

Never saw things looking so right.

Noticing the days, hurrying by;

When you’re in love, my how they fly.

Blue Days, all of them gone;

Nothing but Blue Skies from now on.

When I first heard this Frank Sinatra tune I wanted to remember it as a kind of toast. It is such a beautiful thing to wish for someone – blue skies and sunny days. Of course, life doesn’t work that way and true character is built on how we negotiate the squalls and dark clouds of adversity.   

My son Ben will be married later this year. Ben and Allison met in Miami as students at the “U.”  The Coral Gables campus is an especially beautiful place when the sky is blue and the sun is shining. In South Florida, if you spend enough time there, you really grow to love the feeling of being in paradise all the while knowing it cannot last. The Miami football team will win 57 home games in a row. The team will be declared a college football dynasty. Eventually, of course, they will be defeated. The Orange Bowl will be torn down. A spectacular baseball stadium will take its place. Tropical Storms will cause massive flooding, Category five Hurricanes will reach landfall and the Everglades will catch fire. But in spite of it all you will never forget the beauty and color of a casual walk through the Fairchild Tropical Gardens and remember just how fantastic things can be.  

Ben and Allison we love you. We wish you all the best that life has to offer. Still we are also painfully aware of the ebb and flow of things. You will be tested. You will see storms. You will have setbacks. But you will face them together and that will make a world of difference. I think you both understand this concept because I see how you both cherish every moment together. You took the time to preserve in a painting the profoundly mature thought: “Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.” If you know that to be true, nothing can stop you from having a remarkable life together.  

While we cannot promise anything, we can still wish this for you both:

Blue Days, all of them gone;

Nothing but Blue Skies from now on.