Yet another fine interview with Bryan Eisenberg...
In our Total Picture Radio interview, Bryan Eisenberg, co-founder of Future Now, explains why most online marketing fails to convert traffic to customers, and how companies can use "Persuasion Architecture" to begin achieving success. We discuss how individuals can best use blogs to build their "personal brand" on the Internet.
Hear the whole interview from totalpicture.com.
You've seen Cesar Millan, the infamous 'dog psychology' dude. Cesar works miracles with unruly canines in 24 short minutes on the National Geographic Channel show "The Dog Whisperer".
Now meet Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg, the Cat Whisperers.
The authors of "Waiting for Your Cat to Bark? Persuading Customers When They Ignore Marketing" have set forth an intriguing set of principles which they call Persuasion Architecture. The formula is not for the faint-hearted -- it involves hard work to navigate a complicated matrix of psychological, technical and demographic approaches in order to develop a customer-centric marketing focus. In the process, it requires a business to be willing to relinquish control of information about its product or service; indeed, transparency is key to the entire process. But the authors guarantee results, whether your target clients are individuals or other businesses. Read the entire review over at Wharton School Knowledge @ W.P. Carey.
Have an unruly marketing situation? Will travel.
From USA Today "Product Placement - You Can't Escape It"....
"Marketers are saying, 'We must be more innovative — to zig when others zag,' " says Richard Notarianni, executive creative director of media at ad firm Euro RSCG.
"The industry is desperate to find clever ways to reach people, whether or not it has any legitimate value. ... When someone says, 'Let's put advertising in bathroom stalls,' another says 'That's great. It's a captive audience.' "
More...
No space is too odd. US Airways (LCC) is in talks to sell ads on airsickness bags, spokeswoman Valerie Wunder says. It already makes about $10 million a year from ads on tray tables and napkins, she says.
"The game has become one of finding the next blank space that hasn't been covered," says Yankelovich's Smith.
And more...
"I've never seen things changing as much as they are now," says Rance Crain, editor-in-chief of trade magazine Advertising Age and a 40-plus-year observer of marketing. "Advertisers will not be satisfied until they put their mark on every blade of grass."
And finally...
The more consumers ignore ads, the more ads marketers spew back at them, says Max Kalehoff of marketing research firm Nielsen BuzzMetrics. "It's like a drug addiction. Advertisers just keep buying more and more just to try to achieve prior levels of impact. In other words, they're hooked."
This year, marketers will spend a record $175 billion on ads in major media, such as TV, radio, print, outdoor, movie theaters and the Internet, says ad-buying firm ZenithOptimedia. That's up 5% over 2005. Add direct mail and other direct-response ads, and the total will hit $269 billion.
Advertisers are becoming that loud mouth annoying guy at the bar who's flashing his expensive watch, bragging about his job, and buying every prospective girl a drink. Sorry bud, buying even more drinks, or putting your picture up in a lady's stall isn't gonna increase your chances, you are probably going home alone...again.
$269 billion can buy you alot of stuff, but it can no longer buy you a desirable magnetic personality that people want to buy. It won't buy you a barking cat. If you think it will, then I have a 41,723 blades of grass in my front lawn that I will be happy to whore out to a desperate advertiser.
Buy one blade get one free, captive audience for canines and occasional jack rabbits, 25% more traffic in growing subdivision, this offer won't last long, call now.
The Shop.org Annual Summit is now underway.
Bryan Eisenberg will be presenting "Waiting for your Cat to Bark" on Thursday at 3:15. He will also be at the BazaarVoice booth Thursday at 1pm and again 4:15 signing books and kissing babies.
The folks over at BazaarVoice will be guessing conversion rates at their booth, if they can't guess yours, you get a prize.
Maybe they will get Bryan to get in on the guessing as well. But don't count on getting a prize if he guesses yours. :-)
Thought you had travel far and wide, wait in long lines at Barnes & Noble book signings, or spend 6 figures in consulting fees to have breakfast with the Brothers Eisenberg? Think again... or rather, just pop on over to the Crowne Plaza in Times Square NYC next Thursday @ 7 AM. Bagels are on us (and our good friends at WebSideStory and Responsys too) but seats around the table are limited, so please do register in advance at: http://www.websidestory.com/promotions/eisenberg/register.html
For those of you outside of NYC, I guess I lied (sue me ;) you do have to travel far and wide... unless of course we're coming to a neighborhood nearby.
Our very own warm, fuzzy, and lovable Bryan Eisenberg was recently interviewed on the Twist Image Podcast - Six Pixels of Separation
Mitch Joel interviews Bryan about the book, and Bryan shares some recent insights on current events as well as today's morphing marketing biosphere. The interview is 35 minutes of savory goodness in MP3 format. Find it here.
My thanks to Brian Massey of Hear This who was nice enough to organize a DiviCast (slides plus audio) of my presentation at the Austin, TX American Marketing Association luncheon. Would you like to see the presentation?
Mike Drew just called to let me know that "Waiting For Your Cat To Bark?" debuts on BusinessWeek's monthly Hardcover Business Book list at #7. This list is monthly, as opposed to the others that are weekly, so we've been waiting.
Bryan, Lisa and I are so grateful to everyone who helped us with this book and to all of you wonderful people who bought and read it. You have read it already, right?
Brian Steinberg of the Wall Street Journal has this to say...
"Waiting for Your Cat to Bark?" will be most instructive to the advertising crowd, of course. It's hard to find a book about marketing that is truly appropriate for anyone but people who practice the stuff. But general readers may find something valuable here too: the latest Madison Avenue methods for getting inside their brains and massaging their decision-making logic. If the Web offers marketers new opportunities, it also allows picky consumers to become -- with a feline cleverness and caution -- ever more finicky.
Read the entire article (subscription required).
Brian references our book in the context of the ad agency BBDO, a poster child for the Madison Ave. glitz and glamour brand marketing philosphy. On the opposite end of the marketing philosophy spectrum you would find the direct marketing philosophy , as represented by the president of the Direct Marketing Association John A. Greco, who also reviewed our book. Seems that all ends of the marketing spectrum see value in Persuasion Architecture.
Waiting For Your Cat to Bark is now a #1 best seller!
Today we hit #1 on the overall book best seller's list on Amazon.com
Wow!
Thanks for the support. Oh and if you don't have a copy or three, what'r you waiting for?
Well we are extremely flattered that he mention both of our books. Here is what he had to say:
Waiting for Your Cat to Bark? : Persuading Customers When They Ignore Marketing
" 'Waiting for Your Cat to Bark' makes in interesting argument that simply tracking marketing measures to a Web site is not actually effective -- it doesn't take into consideration the reasons driving the behavior of consumers. The book conveys an important message: The consumer is in charge and must be engaged on his/her own terms, and merely measuring Website visits isn't enough to make an informed decision." 
Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results
"As the Internet changes the way marketers do business, learning how to optimize Web sites in order to motivate consumers to make a purchase is crucial. 'Call to Action' explains the steps of successful persuasion and is a must read for any marketer, with practical information on how to convert Website traffic into sales and ultimately, profits."
You can read the other books he recommends at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115211863976798531 .html?mod=googlenews_wsj (registration required - sorry).
We are just 3 weeks into our book tour. Jeffrey and I have been splitting most of the cities because of all the bookings. I was the lucky one who went to Minneapolis. Even with a few travel delays and some intersting posturing by the hotel clerk about how "I booked a smoking room," seems so did the 6 or so people before and after me - however they booked on Expedia & Priceline - and they either dealt with the fumes or found their way to the Days Inn; I still had a great time.
I had to head to the NBC affiliate at 5:30am to film a segment, head off to the magnificent James J Jill Business library for an excellent event (more on that one shortly - the podcast should be available soon), and then rush back off to the TV station once more. I don't know why but I figured if this was going to be my first trip to Minneapolis I should go visit the Mall of America. Well my good friend Brian Carroll came by the hotel to pick me up and give me the tour.
One of the first things Brian and I did was head to the Barnes & Noble, his excellent book on B2B lead generation came out the same day as "Waiting for Your Cat To Bark?," and we signed all of our books in the store.
We walked the mall for several hours admiring the architecture and the who's who of stores when we finally caught up with our mutual friend Dan Janal of PRleads fame for dinner. 
I'm looking forward to being home with the family all of next week. I wish everyone a wonderful 4th of July. My next stops are Seattle, Mountain View and back to the east coast and Washington D.C. Hope I run into you soon, don't forget to bark ;-) ?
Waiting for Your Cat to Bark? is now on the New York Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers list.
Bryan, Lisa and I thank all of you for your support.
It’s apropos that my first blog post would be another first for me. For those of you who don’t know me, My name is Michael Drew I am the Eisenberg’s book agent and resident book expert. I apply Persuasion Architecture in all of my book marketing ventures, and will be posting about my adventures in Persuasion Architecture from time to time.
Today Waiting for Your Cat to Bark? hit # 2 on the Wall Street Journal Business list, but, even more remarkably, three of my author clients had books in the Wall Street Journal’s business lists in the top 4, Succeed on Your Own Terms, by Herb Greenberg and Patrick Sweeney at #1, Waiting for Your Cat to Bark? by the Eisenberg’s at #2 and Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by Harv Eker at #4.
Congratulations Herb, Patrick, And of couse kudos to Bryan & Jeffrey
Waiting for Your Cat to Bark is now #2 on the Wall Street Journal's Business Best Sellers list, and #10 on the overall Non-Fiction Best Sellers list .
Not too shabby.
Our humble little tome, "Waiting for your Cat to Bark" is now #4 on the USA Today Money Best Sellers, and #54 on the USA Today Top 150. We just heard news that we will be top 5 in the Wall Street Journal Business best sellers as well. We'll post the link as soon as we get it.
Of course selling the book and making all these best sellers lists is exciting, but the really exciting thing for us in the company is to see folks read and use the advice and examples in the book. We are still hearing great reader success storys from our last best seller Call to Action.
Do you have a copy of the new book yet? We will be waiting to hear your success story next.
Ran across this discussion in the Cr8asite forums
Of course it begins with a succint and positive review of our new book, but the discussion that follows is a fascinating one.
What are your thoughts?
After a great breakfast chat with small business marketer John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing, Bryan Eisenberg and John recorded this podcast where Bryan shared his insights into small businesses and their use of the internet. Not a bad way for Bryan to kick off his share of the book tour.
