Webster’s defines propaganda as ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring and institution, cause or person.

By stigmatizing the word propaganda we are further able to distance ourselves from the idea that it affects us or that we affect it. It’s a two way street that relies heavily on audience participation. The creator has to be able to tap into reader emotions.

First you gotta crack a few eggs.

So stop thinking of propaganda as evil and start thinking of it as a tool. Like all tools it can be used for good or evil. All successful propaganda taps into common themes or narratives based on shared experiences. One of companies I love the most, Apple, produces brilliant and beautiful propaganda. It does this with phenomenal testimonials, design, artwork, photography and copy.

In an effort to be everything to everyone and to profit we can sometimes do things that can harm our companies. This is especially true on the web because it’s a newer medium. Your bottom line is positively affected when you create good user experiences.

Your company’s identity is deeply entwined in how, why and what type of customers you’ll attract. For some reason we understand these things suck when we experience them, but we sometimes inflict them on our customers anyway.

5 ways you waste customers' time & money

1.The haphazard sales pitch: I just want a customer which means I have to appeal to everyone.

The alternative: Instead of trying to reach just anybody, aim to reach somebody.

Hi there,

I’m your potential client. I’m in your target demographic. I’m what they call a “quality of life” customer. That means that I’m not afraid to pay a little bit more for something as long as I feel that it enriches my life in some way.

I spend a lot of time on the internet. I’m a pretty savvy and very cynical customer. I’m more likely to Google you to see if you can back up your claim than I am to ask you. I’d rather contact you by email than talk to you over the phone. So, let's talk small business to small business.

Here are 5 ways you lose me:

1. Hello, My name is Unimpressed.
Are you serious?

When you meet someone on the street, do you automatically start up a sales spiel which includes talking about yourself in 3rd person? How about telling me you’re a “team”, when you’re a sole proprietor?

After visiting Texas, which will henceforth be known as "The visit of which we dare not speak," or TVOWWDDNS, it's come to my attention that yes, I'm a mortal. With more than a few run-ins with my own mortality there from a drive-by shooting, witness to a violent fist fight, and finally my mother's fiance's partner (he's a police officer) being killed in the line of duty. I wondered if perhaps, someone, somewhere was trying to tell me something.

Last year, I had a few health scares, only to be informed that I was very high in the running for crossing the threshold of type 2 Diabetes. I come from two communities (ethnically) that put me at a pretty high risk, couple that with sitting at a computer sedentary for 12-16 hours a day and it's a recipe for delicious delicious insulin resistance. On Jan. 15th, I started to feel strange, not the normal me.

On Wednesday, Joga scratched his cornea (he wears contacts, it's happened twice) and had to wear an eye-patch for about 4 days until the visible redness went away, though his eye is still irritated. Not one to not work, unless it's serious, I worked on Friday.

Well August, you've really done your number on us. With the really awesome success, we've had some lows to rival that. We're experiencing family illness, equipment failures, and both of us being sick with Summer flus. With all of that in mind, you might be asking yourself what could you possibly throw in the mix to make it more chaotic... Work Work Play is now considering creating a second location in Texas and moving between Dallas and Portland. We will begin the first stages of this move in October.

Thanks,
Seven