Cover Controversy

Last week I wrote about the latest non-stop “must-see-TV” red-alert news story that’s been on everyone’s mind at least for the past couple of weeks, from the chronically unemployed welfare recipient all the way up to the President of the United States.

Predictably, my controversial view of that controversial killing of a Florida teenager inspired some passionate responses.

Then, a few days after my post was published, another controversial story took over “the news” and prompted a comment on my blog that actually forms the basis of this week’s post.

Boston native Chris Canzano referred to the Boston Marathon bomber, asking me…

So on that basis of being controversial you would then agree with Rolling Stone for putting a terrorist on the cover of their magazine and making him look like a rock god?

A very interesting question indeed. Thank you, Chris.

I’ll give you my response.

But first a little background…

I lived in Boston and the surrounding area for 17 years, and still have many close friends and family members there with whom I keep in touch on a regular basis.

During my 17 years in Boston, I made a point of going to view the Marathon in person many times, once even choosing as my door-to-door sales territory the race route itself, including an intersection less than a mile away from the finish line.

One of my best friends from my days in Boston told me soon after the bombing that he frequents the bar where one of the blasts occurred, and is very close to several of people who were injured by the terrorist brothers.

And yes, I get a little tinge of homesickness every year on Marathon Monday (held each year on a Massachusetts-only holiday known as Patriot’s Day). That’s an extremely special day for Bostonians, making it extra revolting that the terrorist brothers chose that particular day to launch their cowardly attack.

That’s why it should be no surprise to anyone that I am personally disgusted by the decision of Rolling Stone magazine’s editors/owners/whomever to glamorize the surviving Boston Bomber on their recent cover and in the accompanying story.

I discovered this video on YouTube, where television host Greg Gutfeld expressed my viewpoint well:

However…

Gutfeld, I and many others are clearly not in Rolling Stone’s target market. There is no chance that we will purchase or read the ultra-liberal magazine.

That’s why Rolling Stone’s editors/owners/whomever are right to not care at all what we think.

I’ve heard that for some sick reason, incredible as it sounds, the Boston Bomber is some kind of cult hero and heartthrob among young liberals. Those people happen to be right smack dab in the middle of the magazine’s target market – a fact the magazine’s leadership capitalized on with their recent cover photo and story.

Does Rolling Stone’s leadership care that they glorified and possibly encouraged terrorism?

Do they care that they outraged conservatives?

Do they care that they alienated and infuriated millions of Bostonians?

No, no and no.

Their cover did exactly what a magazine cover is supposed to do: Captured attention, catered to the worldview of the magazine’s core following and, by the way, sold a lot of issues.

And in this day and age, when newspapers and magazines are watching their circulation figures and advertising revenue spiral down into oblivion, editors and publishers are more focused than ever on making bold moves in an attempt to make big things happen.

This brings us to the strategy that all business owners, entrepreneurs and sales professionals need to use for maximum effectiveness:

If you want to people to notice you, you have to be willing to take strong, controversial stands.

As Phil Brakefield commented in response to my post from last week:

Took me awhile to catch on to the power and advisability of taking strong, controversial stands (especially when they fly in the face of big corporate dogma), but doing so is now a HUGE part of my marketing persona and is one of the things folks say they like about me!

Way to go, Phil!

Now what about YOU?

Have you made this a big part of your own marketing efforts? You certainly don’t have to – the overwhelming majority of people (including business leaders) choose not to take any daring, strong positions, and are therefore content to remain among the vast mediocrity of forgettable people (and companies).

It is my sincere wish for you, dear reader, to give this powerful strategy a try. Get to know your target market extremely well, and then take a strong position that will rally your audience to your side and repel those who are not your customers anyway.

You certainly don’t have to wait until you’re desperate and/or your entire industry is on the brink of extinction.

Have you expressed any such strong viewpoints? If so, I’d love to read about it in a comment below (and if you have a good reason why you feel you shouldn’t be controversial, I’d love to read about that, too).