Sixty-eight cents a day.

Here's the situation.

A call-in radio show is discussing the stresses and strains of living in today's economy. The rising cost of living. The difficulty of making ends meet.

A caller calls in and says in a low voice, "I don't know what you're talking about. I live like a king for just sixty-eight cents a day."

The radio announcer says "That's amazing. Astounding. Astonishing! How do you do it? And would you mind speaking up, I can barely hear you?"

The caller says, "Oh, I can't speak up. I'm a goldfish."

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Beyond the high comedy of that joke, there's a point.

And the point is simple.

Nothing is cheap.

In today's world (and this is much of the reason behind its collapse) people/clients are looking for a sixty-eight cent solution. A magical way to establish your brand, unify your workforce, gain new customers, without spending masses of money.

Horsefeathers.

There's no shortcut to marketing success.

No Chinese drywall you can use to cut corners.

If you want to reach people it costs money.

Sure, you can hope against hope for a viral Old Spice-like success.

But the chances of creating something like that are slim.

Let's face it, most viral successes involve some degree of shock, sex, or humor.

Most clients avoid those emotions.

Sure there are ways to break through that are unorthodox.

And good ideas always accelerate marketing goals.

But even so, building brands, influencing customers and prospects, takes time and money.

Anyone who tells you otherwise, that it can be done through social media,
or a wiki, or a blimp, is a charlatan and a fraud.