There are few things that can simultaneously numb the mind and excite the imagination.  Looking for new office space is one of those things.

Forget about the myriad choices for walls, ceiling, flooring, décor, colors, window treatments, landscaping, floorplan, and all other manner of things you don't realize you care about until someone asks.  And don't sweat the realtor-guy in the trick'd out Excursion who acts as though your questions are silly, unimportant, and a total waste of his time (so much for his commission).  Don't give a passing thought to the time spent poking around empty spaces wondering "what will go here."  And, don't lose sleep over location- Renaissance?  Highland Colony?  Madison/Ridgeland?  Flowood?  Fondren?  Downtown Jackson?

All of this is beside the point.

Because at the end of the day, all of these decisions really aren't business decisions at all.  They aren't about personal taste or preference.  They're marketing decisions.  Oh sure, we filter it all through the lens of affordability and return, but at the end of the day deciding on location, décor, lighting, floorplan, etc….it's all about marketing.

We're a snazzy, nimble, new marketing firm.  So let's not make our nest in the loft above the gray-haired florist's shop, ok?  Well…at least she keeps her shop clean, which is more than I can say for our current landlord and his gaggle of serfs who blow dirt around from one place to another and call it cleaning.  Anyway…

Remember, if it exists to help your business grow, then it is marketing.  If it weighs in on the impression or perception that people have of our firm or our work, then it's marketing.

From this perspective, it's really not a matter of deciding what we like or prefer, but simply a matter of selecting that which is naturally best aligned with our brand.

The old media stalwarts still believe they can control what their viewers see and do. They still believe they can control the flow of content. They are still afraid of new marketing. And, in the same breath, they are still dismissive of it.

They just don't get it.

We recently pitched a campaign to a television network….a campaign that involved a series of 30-second spots, along with user-generated content via YouTube, and a weekly competition and give-away in conjunction with the news broadcast.

The word was that corporate would be leery of losing traffic to YouTube. This fear outweighed the very real possibility that they would generate volumes of traffic to their site from YouTube from a demographic they wouldn't normally attract.

Of course, the same thing happened to the newspaper and print industry a few years ago. Classified job listings used to make up about 40% of newspaper revenues nationwide. That is, until Monster.com came along. Newspaper revenues have never recovered, and likely never will. More recently, they're taking another beating from Craigslist.com. As newspapers struggle to compete with Monster and online classifieds, they're getting hit yet again as ad revenues continue to spiral downward.

Their mistake? Not beating Monster to the punch. Oh well…

The same thing happens to television, only in this case, it's started from within. YouTube is only the latest assault on the industry, preceded by fragmentation into cable, satellite, and broadcast.

The response is typical…"let's build a website and sell ads so we can take advantage of the new media and retain some of our profits before they go elsewhere."

Not good enough…that is simply applying old logic to new trends, and it won't work in the long term.

The question that local networks should be asking is NOT: how can we take advantage of new media?

Instead, the question they should be asking is: how can we adjust our business model to produce media that caters to the new market?

It's a vital distinction, and one that ad guru Seth Godin discusses at length in his book "Meatball Sundaes." Once you get beyond the old thought paradigm, it's so clear to see.

Why don't they get it?

After years of targeted ads featuring hygiene products for women- shampoo, deodorant, skin products, etc.- finally the male side of the market is getting some attention. And we're not talking Old Spice, Brute, or Aque Velva....we're talking Axe.

First to market with a a sultry message for men, Axe's ads grabbed attention. "It's how dirty boys get clean." Yeah, right. Inevitably, a number two soon popped into the picture. Welcome, Tag.

Here's what's interesting. Axe is obviously the first and the original. Tag is clearly a copy-cat. They copied the color of the bottle, the tone and mood of the ads, the attitude, the style of the product names, and even the message. Basically, the team at Tag simply upped the ante on the sexiness. And that's all.

In a great example of "step to the side" tactics, Axe followed up by changing the shape of their packaging, by adding in more curves (what else?). And now, more recently, they've begun to change and alter their color scheme as well...moving away from the blacks to silvers and a more polished look.

Good call. This is what a true original does. Start by being first. When someone copies you, change up your style so that you remain new, fresh, unique, and exciting...always be first, always be true, always be authentic.