I sit in a grove of grape nut trees, wondering if Jesse James ever wandered these hills.

The moon peeks over the east to say Hello. The sun has not yet said goodnight.

There’s not a cloud in the sky. Popcorn snuggled an annoying piece between my teeth.

The bells are ringing. Someone just got married. Will this one be forever or for a little while?

Then again, isn’t that the way life goes? Forever and for a little while.

Some live long, and some don’t. The world doesn’t have to make sense. It just makes scents.

Making scents of the world is easier and more fun.
Persimmon sprouts, rosemary, and lemon, with a dash of cinnamon.
A sprig of garlic, a slice of onion, radish, and a dash of newt’s hair.

Scents make perfect sense.
It can curl up our noses, turning us away from the stench. Or it can give us memories of a happy, safe time.

What does your product smell like?

I know I asked a question that can be hard to answer. But play with me. I’m not looking for the rational. I want the irrational. The unexpected. The weird.

What does your product smell like?

Don’t think about it. Just answer the question.

If you don’t know, crack open a beer, pour a glass of wine, or a sniff of scotch. Whatever your poison, sit with your own thoughts and answer the question.

What does your product smell like?
First thought. Write it down.
Keep going.
Write down every answer you come to.
Don’t think.
Don’t stop.
Keep writing.
It’s getting weird. I know.
Keep writing. Don’t think. Write
Don’t have anything. Take another drink.

I don’t want to know the rational smell.

The rational smell is unimportant. Smell, just like the other senses, is unique to each of us.

What does your product smell like?

Have you got an answer?
Great. Keep going. Answer it again. Take another drink.
And again.

Don’t stop now. You’re on a roll.

What does your product smell like?

The ability for you to tap into your creativity is thwarted by years of conditioning. Years of conformity.

It’s difficult for your advertising to work in a conforming world.
Unless you advertise the cheapest prices.

Advertising has to disrupt.
Not to everyone. Just to enough.

Your product has to smell like something.
It has to taste like something.

Yes. I said TASTE.

What can a nonedible product taste like?

Asking you silly questions like the tastes and smells of products opens the real question.

How does your product make customers FEEL?

Your products are a combination of the TASTE, SMELL, TOUCH, SOUND, SIGHT.

Those combinations create feelings.

Isn’t that what we want our customers to do? To feel?

Telling customers how to feel is like lecturing about Calculus.
They won’t understand.

You can’t tell them HOW to feel.
Advertising has to take a customer by the hand and MAKE them feel.
Show. Don’t tell.

Your advertising can be humorous. It can be exciting. It can even be informative. But until you can describe the five senses of your product and bring customers on a journey, you haven’t discovered the potential of your message.

There’s nothing more important than the message.

Now take a drink. Discover. Wander. Play.
And tell me how your product smells.

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