Gifts for Weary Marketers

December 19, 2016 by Elizabeth Williams Leave a Comment

Christmas is less than a week away, which is plenty of time, if you’re a marketer, to pull off a few last-minute SEM miracles. But what are you giving yourself this year?

Here are a few suggestions for some markety things to curl up with while you laze about over the holidays.

Reading

essentialism, bizmarketer — **Essentialism by Greg McKeown** I hate most business books, and the more popular it is, the more I am likely to hate it. Here is an exception. I have read this twice in four months and have festooned whiteboards everywhere with its simple cloud diagram. If getting focused is on your resolution list for next year, pick this up. Here is my gushy review.

Brand Aid by Brad VanAuken This is not a curling-up-with book but it is a terrific desk reference and quite handy if you are trying to help some co-workers understand branding and why any would care. Here is my review, but it’s no substitute for the book itself.

Working

bizmarketer gifts — **You May Not Give a Flying Fu*k, But You Can Get One** I have one of these at work and it’s a fantastic way to amuse yourself on a conference call. It’s a fairly terrible RC helicopter and I spend a lot of time picking it out of plants and from behind filing cabinets, but it is fun and I like it and you will too. You can order one here.

Watching

w1a — **W1A – A Show About Marketing.** And also about PR. This clever series from BBC is about the swirlage that goes on in most large organizations, which have crawled up their own arses a bit too far, in this case the BBC itself. It’s fun and not terribly demanding. Plus you will want a folding bike next Christmas. iTunes has it here.

veep — **Veep – A TV Show About Branding** This is also about politics, gender and narcissism but at the heart of it is a political brand story that should ring true to most marketers. Plus it’s profane and funny and makes you glad you aren’t those characters. You can download it here.

Listening

These are all free podcasts, so the gift here is to yourself and your sanity and maybe your fellow commuters.

heres-the-thing — **Here’s The Thing with Alec Baldwin** When he is not skewering Donald Trump, Alec Baldwin is producing a pretty good podcast for WNYC. He has some gr eat guests, the best of which are the non-actors, and Baldwin turns out to be a pretty good interviewer with a range of interests. This is good commuting company. Subscribe here.

spark — **Spark from CBC Radio** I can never get organized enough to listen to this when it airs, so the podcast comes in pretty handy. Nora Young covers design, work, technology and sort of digital culture. For marketers, this is a great way to understand that you are not the only one wondering where the smart people all went. This is my go-to at the gym. Here is the link

Coping

irish_jam1 — **Jameson Irish Whiskey** Because sometimes all the books, podcasts and toys in the world just won’t make things better.

Happy Christmas, my friends.

About Elizabeth Williams

I'm a veteran (that means old) B2B marketing executive, blogger, speaker, teacher and consultant with a lot on my mind. I mostly speak that mind here at BizMarketer but if you pay me enough, I'll come over and speak to you too.

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