This post first appeared on the Oxstein Labs blog.

Isaiah, the new Old Spice pitch man, makes the men laugh and the ladies swoon.  His commercials generated so much heat that television could not contain him.  Now Isaiah and Old Spice are social media darlings spreading viral smiles across the globe.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Isaiah is now in the pantheon of commercial celebrities like the “What’s the Beef?” Wendy’s Lady and the Burger King King who most recently showed up on chat roulette giving away coupons in a smart social media play. While Isaiah is at his peak, and after the World Cup domination of Twitter has ended, Old Spice rolled out this campaign that everybody’s talking about.

In a brilliant PR move,  Isaiah has spent the last couple of days responding directly to bloggers, journalists, celebrities and random Twitter followers through well crafted, funny and sensual You Tube videos.  He even asked a woman to marry a man who requested that Isaiah deliver the proposal for him. The “Isaiah Talks to You” social media marketing campaign hits high notes few have seen.

The Old Spice You Tube channel is bursting at the seams with entertaining videos that you can’t help sharing with others.Though you won’t have enough time to watch them all at least check out the Alyssa Milano response above (which will surely get Isaiah a date) and the Justine Bateman response.

Rick Bakas gives a good overview of why this social media marketing campaign is so effective with some points that are worth repeating. The big takeaway for anyone interested in beefing up their social media marketing is to connect with influencers who care about your product or service.

Isaiah’s first videos responded to bloggers and journalists that had written about the Old Spice commercials.  They have huge audiences, and like all people, they like to hear their own name.  If Isaiah responded to you in a You Tube video how many people would you tell?

The main ingredients of the Old Spice social media marketing campaign come together to show how online and offline branding can work amazingly well together with good strategy.  What we can all learn from this, besides the fact that sex still sells (especially when the bare chested man speaks directly to the ladies by name), is that social media marketing has hit the mainstream.

Major corporations are building relationships with their audiences in more and more creative ways.  Social media has moved the needle to being a very powerful tool that any brand can use to generate awareness, interest and more sales.  So who is your Isaiah and when are you rolling out your next campaign?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

There are great articles all over the web about the amazing new features of the iPhone 4.  There are also almost as many articles about the problems the iPhone 4  has.

But what’s more interesting from a psychological perspective is how each new iPhone release ups the fanatic interest of more and more people.  Last week the online reservation system for the phones crashed within hours of going up because 600,000 orders hit it so fast.  Then huge crowds turned out worldwide to buy them today, the day of the launch.

More than a need to have the new cool toy, people are clamoring for easier ways to communicate and connect.  With each new iPhone release consumers are compelled to have a better device with upgraded apps and features that help them to be social in better and faster ways.

Beyond this, the sense of community between iPhone users to share tips, geek out on technology and have fun is a reflection of types of people attracted to the Apple tribe. Apple understands the experience economy and Apple lovers love the products because they always deliver better experiences.

Last night in Boulder people began lining up outside the Apple Store at 4pm.  By 5:30 Matt Emmi, an Apple customer, had set up a huge Samsung screen that campers would use to play video games and their kids would use to watch movies like Wall-E.  Others were already sharing iPads, playing board games and going on food runs for strangers next to them in line. This set the context of a community sharing an event.

Here a ‘shot in the dark video’ of the scene with about 100 people at 11pm last night:

Click here to view the embedded video.

By 6am the crowd grew to over 500 people:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And then at 7am over 1,000 faithful Apple addicts were rewarded as the ‘Black Curtain Hiding Awesomeness” (as some labeled it) fell and the doors were opened. This video of how Apple launched iPhone 4 today, including the ceremonial reception of Michael Sitarzewski and Dave Taylor, the first customers in line, reflects how Apple understands the experience economy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When I launched this blog it was an extension of my unrealistic interest in  wiping the power of manipulative people off of the face of the Earth.  (Hey, everyone needs a super power, right?)

There’s no place for people who knowingly lie, manipulate and take advantage of others. (Except maybe careers as attorneys, politicians or owners of certain multinational corporations.)

Though our DNA is against us when it comes to being easily fooled by manipulators, it doesn’t hurt to try to learn how to have better radar against the tactics of predators.

The pain and cost of being a part of the flock of sheep is high. It is a price the majority of the population pays, but we don’t have to. A little common sense goes a long way.

Seth Godin just wrote a post on manipulation that encapsulates some of the best ways to identify and beat the manipulators. Here’s a sample:

Here are a few general categories of behaviors that manipulators seek out:

* Believing something because you heard someone say it on a news show on cable TV.
* Being a child (or acting like one).
* Buying penny stocks.
* Repeating a mantra heard from a figurehead or leader of a tribe without considering whether it’s true.
* Trying to find a short cut to lose weight, make money or achieve some other long-term goal.
* Ignoring the scientific method and embracing unexamined traditional methods instead.

Read the full article here …it’s short and worth it!

Today I made a knucklehead move.  It’s not a horrible life threatening condition, but it’s annoying when the symptoms flair up.

This morning I was  sitting at Denver International Airport, home to the demonically evil blue horse.

Why was I sitting there?  Because I was attempting to fly on the second busiest air traffic day of the year in America and my flight was delayed.

This was only a knucklehead move because I have the freedom to work from anywhere and could have booked the flight a day earlier before the herds of holiday travelers descended upon the terminal.

The funnier part is that I have this blog titled “Blind Influence” (maybe you’ve heard of it) that shares insights and ideas based on how to not do exactly what I did.

Somehow my kluge of a brain chose the same day the majority of people chose to fly even though my window to fly was wide open.  I could have flown last week if I had chosen to.

It’s just a reminder that even though I swim in information about how our DNA makes us do some dumb things and believe in ‘truths’ that we make up, I’m as susceptible as everyone else to the power of human faulty brain wiring.

Between the holiday crowds and flight delay due to weather I had the opportunity to work from the airport with slow clunky wifi for 3 hours.  Again, it wasn’t the end of the world and complaining about flight delays is SO 20th century; it’s unusual these days to not be delayed.  But next time I’ll be choosing to fly on an off day with a higher chance for a smooth airport adventure.

Since  I can’t upgrade to a better brain model or trade it in for a newer and more improved edition, at least I can learn from my mistakes and make a public declaration on a blog to help me stick to it.

Magical thinking can kill you. Now it’s been proven. After James Arthur Ray, self proclaimed ‘self help expert’ and one of the stars of the book and movie The Secret charged 70 participants $9,933 each to attend a sweat lodge event, two died, 19 went to the hospital and the ‘law of attraction‘ will never be the same.

Somehow I’m guessing that James Arthur Ray didn’t have this or possible jail time and losing his millions on his vision board but somehow it’s in his life anyway. Hmm, how could that happen?  Do things ever happen in your life that aren’t on your vision board?

James Ray’s Twitter bio says “Create Harmonic Wealth in every area of your life: Financial, Relational, Mental, Physical and Spiritual.”  …not this time.

As I wrote awhile back, the biggest secret about The Secret is that the stars of the movie were all proven internet marketing/self help gurus with responsive opt-in lists of well over 100,000 each.

They seeded the marketing campaign for the movie on the internet to well over a million people for a year before it’s DVD release.  Remember that it wasn’t a theatrical release, it was a brilliant online marketing campaign.

The Secret movie and book had a low overhead and a high profit margin mixed with a planned back end of products and services by all of the featured ‘experts’ to offer to all the new people looking to experience “The Secret” in their lives too.

I know a couple of the people who devised the scheme, so this isn’t conjecture.  It was a smart way for them to joint venture their individual successes in order to boost all of their careers by creating a premium brand for self help.

Today they are all multi-millionaires based on how the success of the book and movie allowed them to send their speaking fees, products and course costs through the ceiling.  Self help is a multi-billion dollar industry, and it’s selling false hope at a premium price.

They are all master marketers who fill rooms of people with cheap tickets, and then pitch back of the room offers (their advanced courses and advanced advanced VIP courses with ever-higher dollar price tags) that promise to be THE answer to your problems.

Note the latest internet marketing technology on their Science of Getting Rich website if you don’t believe me.  They have gotten rich by selling the idea that they have the key to YOUR wealth and happiness though most of their customers have not gotten either wealth or happiness as a result of becoming their customers.

Preying on people’s hopes and fears related to their money, careers, relationships, health and death for profit is nothing new.  It’s the backbone and life blood of politics, religions and mainstream media.

Unfortunately, this time selling self-help snake oil resulted in tragic and preventable deaths.  I doubt that participants paying $9,933 to be a ‘spiritual warrior’ thought this would be what they got out of the seminar.

I have a friend who has spent $6,000 a year and used his two weeks of vacation every year for 7 years going to T. Harv Eker, the master of back of the room sales, seminars on how to get rich.  My friend is currently unemployed, but Harv’s doing just fine thank you.

Is positive thinking and visualizing a better life a bad thing? Of course not, but selling people on the fact that it will magically give them everything they want from God and ‘The Universe’ is a flat out sham.

Unfortunately, millions of people will still not wake up, even after this tragedy.  They’ll continue to part with their money to gamble on the hope that someone will deliver a magic book, CD or event to change their lives.

If you want to change your life, it’s pretty simple.  Do something.  Drop the stories and excuses and just take action.  If you do smart things and have luck you’ll have a better chance of succeeding, but there are no guarantees.  As you know and have experienced yourself, both good and bad things happen to both good and bad people.

There is no magic pill, no magic teacher, no magic course and no magic book (including ‘holy’ books written and edited by powerful men with a vested interest in amassing and controlling followers.)

There are helpful tools, but when push comes to shove you have to keep taking action with good intentions and hope for the best.  If there was a magic formula everyone would use it and we would not be in a worldwide recession.  Focus on what you can control, let go of what you can’t and be thankful you did better in the womb lottery than people born in Rwanda.

If you insist on submissively following a guru then I encourage you to follow the wisdom, um, I mean Duhism, of Bob Tzu, Lao Tzu’s long lost American cousin.  His wisdom is encapsulated in three simple, yet life changing steps: 1. Shut up and stop whining. 2. Get off your butt and do something, and 3. Repeat (as necessary.)

I am not making light of this tragic event.  Far beyond that, I’m hoping that it causes more people stop paying money to these charlatans and start creating their own destinies instead.

The following photos are from QuickSprout.

When did not communicating become an acceptable way to say ‘I’m not interested?”

I first noticed this phenomenon a few years ago from friends applying for jobs.  Whether they applied through Craig’s list or through channels directed by the company it was the same process.  They submitted a resume, cover letter and whatever else was asked for and they never received a reply back.

It’s understandable that if an employer gets 100 resumes there isn’t time to reply to all of them, but some employers don’t even communicate that they have received resumes after requesting them.

Last month I had two potential clients who each solicited me for my services.  I spent at least an hour with each of them and delivered proposals based on the parameters we discussed.  In both cases I received replies to the proposal emails saying, “looks great.  I’ll let you know what our next step is.”

After this neither of them replied to emails or phone calls.  I’m talking about two guys who are each founder/CEO’s of successful companies.  One of them is in the top level of the INC. 500.

What makes people think that being passive/aggressive or disappearing in a professional relationship is acceptable?

Since I do not have the time to add them as clients right now it’s not an issue for my business.  At the same time, as a person who gave time and expertise to them I did expect to to receive a yes or no to the proposals as a common courtesy.  Instead, I’m left assuming that their silence means that they aren’t interested.

I’m a psychologist.  I understand the nature of wanting to avoid conflict or having a hard time saying no to someone.  But if you engage a person’s time for business support and then ask for a proposal which takes further time and work, have the decency to say that you’re not interested or that you decided to take another route.

Close the loop.  Don’t disappear and ignore.  It’s not respectable in personal relationships much less professional ones.

Before you watch the video below I want you to have someone read a short poem by Robert Frost to you.  If you read it to yourself it may not have the same effect.  So go ahead, ask whomever is closest to you right now to read this to you:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
And I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Now think of a playing card.

Okay, you can watch the video now.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Did you think of that card or were you influenced to think of that card?

Remember this the next time you or someone you know clings to a belief of ‘knowing’ something.  …especially if that ‘knowing’ is of the religous variety.  Yes, church and spiritual leaders are very good at mind control techniques.  It ain’t just for magicians, marketers, politicians, parents and con artists and never was.

Where there is a concentration of wealth, power, and especially followers, you can usually find a trail of someone or a group of someones selling people on what they want them to believe so that they can get what they want.

If you’re interested in how we are fooled, even by ourselves, and how our brains work check out some of the books on the ‘Book’ page of this site.

Click here to view the embedded video.

‘Tis the season for spring cleaning.  It’s a great time to reassess what matters and to purge the things that hold you back.

Yesterday I killed the auto-renew on 15 domains I own but won’t be using and don’t think will have much value for others to buy.  In the last 2 weeks I sold a treadmill and a shiatsu futon on Craig’s List.  A few months ago I returned the DVR/digital cable box after realizing I hadn’t watched TV in 6 weeks.  This weekend I’ll probably go through clothes and donate the ones I haven’t worn in at least a year.

It’s amazing how liberating it feels to get rid of stuff that’s clogging up life.  I think it even feels better than picking up new bright shiny things that I’ll end up tossing later.

Everything in your life influences you in positive or negative ways – including clutter and what you do with your time.  I invite you to write down what you really want in your life.  Then look around at the stuff, people and circumstances in your life.

If they block, slow down or negatively impact you having the life you want then start purging.

This includes gossipy conversations, complaining friends, people who don’t ‘get’ you,  jobs that suck your soul, cities to live in that don’t feel right for you and  time wasting activities along with exercise equipment that became an expensive coat rack …after paying only 5 EASY payments of $49.99!  If it’s superfluous it goes out of your life.  Set the $*&t free.

The more crap you liberate from your life, the more space you make for all the cool people, stuff and experiences you really want.  So love it or toss it.  You’ll thank me later …if not sooner.

Sexy time.  It’s not always at the same habitual time like breakfast or teeth brushing time, right?  Or is it?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Researchers at the University of Texas did a study in 2007 with 2,000 participants that revealed 237 reasons why people have sex.  (Really, they couldn’t stretch it to 250 to get a good round number?)  But, you won’t find much published information on when people have sex …unless you’re a marketer.

We all know that sex sells and subliminal advertising sells.  Therefore one would expect marketers and advertisers to be all over research on sex, and they are.  If you’d like to know when people have sex it’s very easy to find the answer.  Just open a magazine.

If you choose any magazine randomly and flip through the pages you will notice that most, if not all, of the ads for watches feature prominent watch faces set to 10:10.  Why?  Because statistically most people have sex at 10 pm.

Some of us are morning sex people, and some of us prefer sex earlier or later than 10 pm, but the research in marketing circles says that most of us like our sexy time when we turn the lights out at 10 pm.

The question is, “Does it work?”  Well, I’ve never looked at an ad for a watch and become aroused or felt compelled to buy a watch much less look at the one on my wrist.  But maybe I’m the exception.  What happens to you when you see a big, handsome bold-faced watch set to 10:10?

I bet you didn’t know you could learn so much from a watch ad in a magazine.  When they pay that much attention to try make a watch sexy just imagine what goes into trying to sell you a pair of sexy shoes or a brand new car.

…and after you open a magazine and see this, the answer is “Yes, I am psychic and I’m reading your mind.” (It’s a side effect of studying psychology, influence and persuasion.)