Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru I spent most of last night in the emergency room with my youngest son. As anyone raising boys can attest to, it’s dangerous business. This latest trip was the result of little Al’s decision to climb to the top of the jungle gym to see if his Superman cape worked. It didn’t. […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru As serious movie fans are aware, Oscar nominations were announced last week. It seems that the popular film, “Dreamgirls” didn’t received a nomination but two of it’s stars did. If you believe the press, Jennifer Hudson has the Best Supporting Actress statuette locked up. Everyone’s favorite dream girl has officially made it, […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru I have a strict personal policy to always, without exception, accept any breath mint that is offered to me at any time. You never know if the offer is an act of politeness or a not so subtle hint and as a marketing man, I can’t afford to be caught with breath […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru I was supposed to attend the Houston Chatchkis and Collectibles Association’s (HCCA) Annual Meeting where I heard that a promotional product dating back to 100 A.D. would be on display. Unfortunately my new assistant got a little confused and booked me a ticket to the HCCA Compliance Academy in San Francisco. As […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru My wife caught me looking at dirty pictures on my computer yesterday. Literally. Since I get most of my news, weather and sports from the Internet, a dusty monitor can cause quite a problem. Mine had developed such a thick coat of dust, I was sure California was suffering a massive snowstorm […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru I’m not a huge sports fan, unless you count the World Series of Scrabble or the Boggle Cup. Don’t get me wrong, I catch the big events but, as you can probably guess, I am more interested in the marketing opportunities than the actual games. What can I say; I’m a promotional […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru My grandfather’s best friend and business partner is a little person. He doesn’t suffer from dwarfism; he’s just remarkably short and very slight. Even with the lifts and cowboy boots he always wears, Marty is 4’11” and doesn’t weigh more than a buck. He’s 94 years old now and although he’s retired […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru It’s January and you know what that means, it’s “Awards Show” season. You can hardly channel surf without landing smack dab in the middle of an acceptance speech. First up are the Golden Globes, where somebody is likely to get sloshed before their acceptance speech; then the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards where […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru As I nervously prepared for career day at my youngest son’s school, knotting my tie at least a dozen times, I suddenly remembered what my father used to tell himself before an important speech, “Never let em see you sweat.” He’d look in the mirror and repeat those words, over and over […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru My grandmother had a saying, “Poetry in advertising is as dead as a cockroach at a square dance.” She certainly had a way with words, not a fluid or flowery way, but she got her point across. What she meant was, symbolism and metaphors are not the best way to convey your […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru Earlier this year, my brother Phil moved to Namibia to capitalize on that country’s new found fascination with American celebrities. He’s working on a line of his and hers Brangelina bobble heads and, if it’s the success he hopes it will be, he’s going to follow up with Baby Shiloh shoehorns to […]
Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru 2006 was a banner year for branding and I am proud to have had a hand in helping plaster the names of thousands of companies on some of the most unique promotional items to hit trade shows, gift bags and celebrity golf tournament/fashion show/charity dinners this side of the Mississippi. Come to […]
