Stand Up

I had lunch today with Jan-Eric Anderson, a good friend of mine at Barkley- the KC agency that has emerged as a leader in the cause marketing movement thanks largely to Mike Swenson, Barkley's EVP, CMO (and KU grad). My visit reminded me of something special that happened last week in the fight against cancer that I thought was worth sharing, and I'm sure the folks at Barkley would agree.

Laura Ziskin, a movie producer and cancer survivor, aggressively launched Stand Up 2 Cancer to help make cancer a national priority, lining up celebrities like Katie Couric and Lance Armstrong as well as partners, including the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Lee Jeans (a Barkley client) among many others. Perhaps most impressive is that Stand Up 2 Cancer has lined up ABC, CBS and NBC to donate airtime to a special one-hour show on September 5th designed to "educate, inspire and entertain."

I think it's amazing what can be accomplished when we come together and leverage our talents and resources for a common cause. Enjoy this PSA.

What happened?

I'll tell you what happened. This week, Scott McClellan's new book "What Happened" was in the news. The former White House press secretary writes openly and with candor about how the Bush administration manipulated the media and public perception about a war that he claims should never have been fought.

McClellan certainly has credibility to make such claims, and judging by the eerily consistent reactions to the book coming from the White House (if I had a dime for every time I've heard "that's not the Scott I knew") his point on the administration's ability to hammer home a message is more than plausible.

But let's analyze this? What could have motivated him to write such a book, and why now? Well, I can think of two possible reasons. George W. Bush is probably one of the most unpopular Presidents with incredibly low approval ratings. In other words, there is an incredibly lucrative market and high demand for an anti-Bush expose- especially one from an insider, and especially now, heading into the election. I'm sure it'll have a short shelf-life, but from a marketing standpoint, McClellan published his book at the peak of public interest, suggesting his motive (or at least his publisher's) was profit.

The other possible reason? Perhaps conscience. In any case, the mouth piece for the administration–who would know better than anyone–is accusing the White House of "spinning" out of control. Maybe McClellan had a change of heart, but I also know that he's capable of spinning a yarn himself. It'll be a fascinating read, but we're left to wonder whether McClellan's story is influenced by the public's demand for such a tale, or–just maybe–it is the truth about "what happened."