There is an art to successful marketing on an intuitive level. At this stage of my career, I find interactive, dynamic, heartfelt business relationships allow me to operate using all of my senses, will, knowledge and intuition. By aligning with a project, person or organisation, and feeling good about the cause, I am able to open up to the subtle communication flow utilising my creative cache and knowledge based archives to enhance the marketing endeavour. This cache is often accessed via dream or semi-conscious contemplative states where I allow my mind to roam freely to work on and ‘feel out’ an idea. Opening up in this semi-conscious state to negative causes, products or people is destructive to my own process. I may assess a situation in this state, but I will not dive in to my subconscious reservoir to creatively work for someone with bad intent. I desire to work with gracious people, causes, and organisations so as to enhance our experience together in a positive manner.

I keep a pad of paper by my bed, initially this was used to record dreams, but I am now fairly good at recall the next morning so I use the pad for intuitive suggestion. I often get PR, marketing, and tag line ideas right before I go to sleep at night and sometimes in the wee hours of the morning. I love to solve problems and create/forumlate ideas at this time utilising a vast resource of experience combined with continual research, verifiable insight and an alchemical artistic bent.

My knowledge based archives involve over twenty-five years in the management/marketing realms as well as a BA (Honours) in Business/Organisational Sociology and Art from the University of California at Davis. I used to downplay my education in favour of my work experience; however, I have repeatedly seen the same avoidable mistakes made by associates without the benefit of a business degree, so now I do not. Intensive study of a subject definitely provides insights not always gained by experience. Some associates, who have accomplishments in one area, naturally assume that they will be successful doing their own management and marketing. I find that often this is not the case. They initially disregard years of study involved in a top notch business education but are horrified if a novice or amateur in their field of endeavour attempts to do their job without qualification. I usually give them the benefit of the doubt because in general they are fairly good (and sometimes excellent) at promoting themselves but at the same time have witnessed the same mistakes too many times. So now I support a ‘yes DIY is good and part of the process, but it may not make the impact you ultimately need, and may cause unwelcome mistakes’ stance. ‘Let’s work together’ is a better motto for me.

From a marketing perspective, over the years I have found that it is the close interaction, the gracious and egalitarian communication with fellow employees, clients, subordinates and teammates that has given me some of my best information, creative ideas, and successful campaigns. A marketing ‘idea’ often comes from the creative melting pot of those people involved in a project who are eager to help and thus the genesis of an idea or even its successful implementation, is often ‘owned’ by many. Thankfully, I learned the value of teamwork early on, partially at the irritated prompting of one of my employees who was full of useful ideas but had never been rewarded for her past contributions. When I started that particular job, she was considered one of the most difficult people to supervise due to her negative outlook. This was due to a lack of acknowledgement for her valuable input and thus her knowledge and support made me highly successful in that particular corporation. She could have subverted my progress at any time, a fact that was abundantly clear. I flourished in this position, not only in budgetary matters, but in promoting my numerous departmental goals and strategies, as well as achieving advanced education and continual raises from the company.

Successful marketing of a person, product, organisation, or cause is also dependent upon the type of product or service offered. For some levels of corporate sales, a hard sell is an accepted method, utilising an intricate dance and set of non-verbal rules. For other types of products, a hard sell would be inappropriate and actually damaging as hard selling services that deal with emotions, psychological services and human resources could be viewed as somewhat hypocritical considering the nature of products catering to employee goodwill. Often getting through the door for an appointment is dependent upon developing a rapport with a PA or another gate-keeper. Gaining appointments with Directors of large companies, some companies famous for their positive employee development, may be entirely through approaching a PA with a ‘soft sell’, because after all, these are some of the people who may be actually utilising or benefitting from this particular type of product. There is a very sublime and subtle aspect of marketing that involves respecting relationships, corporate culture, standing by one’s word and being in integrity.

One of the most difficult aspects of explaining the use of intuition in business is that often an idea comes as a gut feeling – something that has welled up out of a subconscious reservoir where information has been digested, combined and collated entirely without realisation of a process occurring. I scan news, journals, industry blogs or sources, and social networking sites on a regular basis to keep up to date with my areas of interest or work. This information when combined with the information provided by a client and past experience becomes archived, ready to be mixed together – almost like a recipe – when the right question is asked. My grandfather used this method to make a very successful foray into the stock market with very little initial investment. He was also notoriously intuitive, had very little school education but much know-how in different industries. He told me it was a combination of all these factors that insured his achievement, an achievement that had his stock broker (and others) following his lead in buying a number of stocks.

Intuitive Marketing takes finesse and the ability to open up and interact with a variety of communication and information paths, including internal ones. For me, it also demands involvement with people of integrity, who realise that good will is also part of a successful and strong business foundation.

We all exist in the forest together and similar to the aspen trees in the picture at the top, are connected sometimes on an invisible level. A successful marketing campaign often relies on gracious, supportive teamwork and a pooling of resources.

Video shot for the Simon Townshend Secret Weapon Tour, this one from the lovely location of Portmeirion Village. Below, ‘Forever And A Day’ from the CD ‘Looking Out Looking In’. All footage filmed by String.

On the Road
Simon Townshend, Phil Spalding, Greg Pringle and Tony Lowe

Backstage at Ropetackle
Tony Lowe, Greg Pringle, Roger Daltrey, Simon Townshend, Phil Spalding

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‘The Shadow Knows’ or ‘I can’t see Phil’
Simon Townshend’s album launch Eel Pie Club, Twickenham

Sun Eye

Watercolour pencil, Ink on paper

Flaming Heart of May – 2010

Watercolour Pencil, Ink on Paper

‘As a child I grew up watching and participating in an innovative math teaching program developed by my father, Professor Emeritus Robert W. Stringall Ph.D. Due to his success we were popular, and as a result I easily worked through algebra-geometry-trigonometry-calculus classes with the highest marks. Dad’s teaching abilities were well known in certain circles and he was respected to the point of adulation. I travelled back to California to interview him about his program and the phenomena surrounding it.’

See article for the transcript of the remainder of the interview. (I did not edit his language so excuse non PC words or phrases.)