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First and foremost, Beck is an entertainer. His skills as a stand-up comedian have come in handy… but only because they have been harnessed to a man who clearly is sincere and driven by beliefs that millions hold in common with him.

He is what I would call a poli-entertainer. He clearly has a political element, but he understands that entertaining and being likeable are critical components of the message.

Glenn Beck is a marketer rather than a self-promoter. He doesn’t really talk about himself; he talks about the product and always insists that the product is larger than himself personally.

What is the product?

The product is the re-establishment and renewal of what the American people want and many of them believe they are. Glenn Beck voices and showcases this product better than anyone else.

Fact is, the event at the Lincoln Memorial was masterfully conducted and showed a generosity and respectfulness of spirit (i.e., the many references to Martin Luther King, Jr., often in the same breath with Abraham Lincoln and cheered by the huge crowd). This must have really rankled those who wanted to depict the gathering as a group of crypto-racists and bitter paranoids.

Given Glenn Beck’s performance and his presence across all media, this is probably just the beginning.

Stay tuned.

Loser:

Barnes & Noble has just announced that one of its largest and most legendary stores (Lincoln Center, New York City) is slated to close.

This is only the latest in bad news for the company which has tried desperately to survive in a new kind of book-buying era.

I think what we’re seeing is sampling gone wild. Traditionally, sampling is one of the best ways to initiate sale… Sampling for video and music now seems to be generating sales, but does this work for books-- at least with respect to the big-box bookstore model?

I don’t think so.

Basically, the large chain store loses both ways. If the customer browses the book and doesn’t like it, no sale is made. If the customer browses the book and likes it, two things are likely to happen 1) he/she stays in the store reading the book for free and never purchases or 2) leaves the store with the book in mind and buys it for less online. Sure, there are impulse buys, but impulse buys do not a bookstore business model make. Whatever happens, the bookstore becomes a costly showcase for products that will be purchased elsewhere.

Basically, the Barnes & Noble idea has fallen victim to its own success. To be a powerhouse in the industry, B&N had to offer huge stores that cost them huge overhead. But the advent and proliferation of Internet book buying has now caught up with them. The consumer uses them as a sampling base but because their giant, faceless business model has not built customer loyalty; the consumer simply, and without a pang of conscience, goes somewhere else to buy the book or downloads it to his or her Kindle or hand-held device.

Bottom line: B&N is scrambling to make money from the shift to e-books and online buying, but the outlook is grim. One B&N in Manhattan is stocking its shelves with toys, not books, to bring in customers. But this isn’t really being true to their brand and it screams of desperation –something a company or personal brand never wants to do.

One interesting note: The independent bookstores that have survived the B&N onslaught may very well be in the best position. Not only do they offer highly-trained staff who genuinely help their customers have the best reading experience possible, but also they engender loyalty for the long term and this should see many of them through.

And remember, things are always easier when you keep marketing and branding in mind.

TODAY’S TANTILLO TAKEAWAY –
Even if your brand is facing challenges, remember your fundamentals.

John Tantillo is an AMA member and president of the Marketing Department of America, a New York-based marketing firm.
http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv/

The opinions expressed in this post are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the American Marketing Association.