knowing your target audience

As mentioned in the “Destination Unknown” post, I spent the past weekend in Vegas.

They say “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” Well, “they” don’t say that as often as the ad campaign does, but you get the point. My question is, does that apply when you bring your wife and four-year-old daughter with you?

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When you walk down the strip in Vegas, it’s literally very difficult to make it more than 10 yards without someone wanting to give you a small stack of “business cards” for prostitutes. If you’ve never seen them, they look like baseball cards for hookers. They’ve got an action shot on the front and all the vital stats on the back. And, like Topps cards these days, they no longer come with a stale stick of gum (the cards, I mean).

Incidentally, the handing-out-of-the-cards can be an art form unto itself. Though slightly exaggerated (seriously… only slightly), this is a fair depiction of what walking by these people is like…

Anyway, I found it fascinating that as I walked down the strip with my four-year-old daughter on my shoulders, these people still thought that “even though he’s got his daughter with him, I’m sure he’ll be looking for some after he’s put her to bed.” Never mind the fact that since I’m holding her feet with my hands to make sure she doesn’t fall off, I’ve got no way to actually accept their gift.

But, I have to say that some of the older people handing these out (who probably have kids of their own), would pull them back and sometimes put them behind their back when we walked by. Those were the ones who understand marketing.

successful business people

They don’t call, they reach out.

And they sure as hell don’t talk or speak. Not when you can chat.

But, in general, if you can get them to connect, you know you’re probably on to something.

Destination Unknown

Have you ever stopped to consider how many classic pop songs have a bass hook? Can’t say I have.

But while on the plane on the way to Vegas this past weekend, I heard Dale Bozzio with Missing Persons singing Destination Unknown.

All the way from 1982, Destination Unknown was one of several “hits” from Spring Session M (now selling for $60, by the way) – their debut album. What struck me about the song, aside from the fact that it still holds up as a pop song, was that its catchy hook relies entirely on a smooth bass line.

Sure, there are pop songs with bass line hooks, but usually they are reliant upon a guitar or keyboard of some sort.

So, here’s welcoming in a new week and more observations from Vegas to come, with thanks to the late Wes Wehmiller (bassist) and Missing Persons.