8/30/07 Scratch and Sniff Marketing

My books for school have arrived just in time to go to class! And not only that, but they were the correct books, and the correct editions, and arrived in sufficient plastic wrap and packing peanuts to be in pretty good condition. (Ya'll, I love online shopping, and I'll buy online for anything that I possibly can, but when you're on a deadline and it's the day before class, you start to get a little worried about just what is going to arrive in your mailbox and when). But it turns out that I worried over nothing, because everything arrived just fine, which totally reaffirms my belief in Internet commerce and capitalism in general.

Well, okay, there is just one little thing. Ze Global Marketing book? 'E smells of fish. Really really REALLY strong fish. Yes, the book is brand new and was still wrapped in factory plastic when it arrived, but I'm telling you that the printing press must have been located in the local fish market and then transported by local fishing boat, and then distributed by Red Lobster, because actually opening the book conjures up very real images of seagulls swooping and fish flopping on decks and that Gordon's Fisherman Guy in his yellow overalls peering through a carton of Marketing textbooks. Did I mention that the smell was kind of strong? And it's not easy to Febreze a book either. The pages get soggy and tend to stick together. Actually reading the book involves propping it up on the edge of the desk and standing as far away as possible until it's time to hold your breath and turn the page.

On the other hand, the cats have very suddenly developed an intense interest in Market Segmentation and Product Positioning. Every time I take the book out, they both come running.