When Clarity Is Magnified, Your Pitch Is Amplified
"Ours is a culture based on excess, on overproduction; the result is a steady loss of sharpness in our sensory experience… What is important now is to recover our senses." -Susan Sontag
The diminishing of democracy is having another historical moment in the present, and it’s not limited to politics. The rot infects us at a more personal level because it’s built into the media we view and the social media tools we use.
Let’s hear more on the topic from Adrienne LaFrance, executive editor of The Atlantic:
The new technocrats are ostentatious in their use of language that appeals to Enlightenment values—reason, progress, freedom—but in fact they are leading an antidemocratic, illiberal movement. Many of them profess unconditional support for free speech, but are vindictive toward those who say things that do not flatter them. They tend to hold eccentric beliefs: that technological progress of any kind is unreservedly and inherently good; that you should always build it, simply because you can; that frictionless information flow is the highest value regardless of the information’s quality; that privacy is an archaic concept; that we should welcome the day when machine intelligence surpasses our own. And above all, that their power should be unconstrained. The systems they’ve built or are building—to rewire communications, remake human social networks, insinuate artificial intelligence into daily life, and more—impose these beliefs on the population, which is neither consulted nor, usually, meaningfully informed. All this, and they still attempt to perpetuate the absurd myth that they are the swashbuckling underdogs.
There are all sorts of personal empowerment reasons to step back from the platforms. I think we can place ‘starving the digital beast to save ourselves’ near the top of the list.
GOP Nomination Framed Up, Not Sewn Up
Let’s talk about how the mainstream media shapes the story and manufactures consent.
Two small states have ‘voted’ in the 2024 primary elections for President. Don Trump currently leads the delegate count. He has 33 to Nikki Haley’s 17. It takes 1,215 delegates to secure the Republican party nomination.
Based on the numbers, it’s a contest. Based on the nonstop gibberish from the political class, it’s already been decided in Trump’s favor. But factually speaking, it’s far from over. Super Tuesday is in March and when the votes are tallied on that night, the nation will have a much better view of Haley’s chances to upset the orange man.
Adpulp.com Is Now In Its 20th Year
When Adpulp.com was founded in October 2004, I was living in Chicago and looking for work as a copywriter. I did not imagine at the time that the site would have the power to hold my interest for two decades. Even now it continues to call to me: David, please, come write, edit, publish, and promote me.
Here are two original articles recently published on Adpulp that I think you might enjoy:
In business terms, you might call Adpulp a loss leader. It’s where I give my thinking and my labor away for free. Maybe that’s dumb, but given how many doors (to new opportunities) the site continues to open for me, I think I’ll stick with it. Adpulp is also the right place to promote my Ad Legends series and workshop.
When Clarity Is Magnified, Your Pitch Is Amplified
“Companies hire people to solve specific problems. You need to be clear and compelling on the problems you can solve.” -Jen Morris, Executive Coach
Sounds good. I'm uniquely prepared to help you, your company, or your campaign do the following things:
Refine or develop new customer acquisition and retention plans
Craft a new customer-centric communications plan
Adjust the brand’s voice or ‘look and feel’ so it better connects with customers
Translate complex topics or product offerings and make them easy to understand
Inform and entertain people on the way to persuading them to believe and buy
Develop new ideas and find ways to test and learn from them
I’ve done the above and more for famous brands like Coors, HP, Oracle, and Columbia Sportswear. I’ve done the same for family businesses, good causes*, and candidates for public office. If you have any questions at all about how the things I do applies to your situation, just ask and we can book a discovery call.
*I started my career at American Rivers in Washington, DC. Ever since, I’ve marveled at the power of well-crafted communications to move people to care about things that matter.
Lagniappe
Susan Sontag on the Need to Recover Our Senses. [via davidburn.com]
Are you hungry for America’s best food? Take a look at the 2024 James Beard Award nominations to find chefs and restaurants in your region.
My alma mater is looking at what roles it played in settler colonialism, slavery, abolition, migration, and mass incarceration. This is the heavy lifting we need to do throughout our society.
Krause’s Cafe is an outstanding and authentic German beer hall in downtown New Braunfels, Texas. On a recent visit, we enjoyed the atmosphere, beer, and food immensely.
Currently, my ebook, Ad Brains: Conversations with Advertising's Icons, Rebels, and Rulers has two ratings on Amazon. When it gets five ratings or more, Amazon will promote the book.
Thanks for being here now,
When you or a friend is ready to run for office, grow a business, or spark a social change movement, please let me know. I’d like to help. If you’d prefer to chat about coffee, wine, painting, fishing, or the last book you read, that’s cool too.