Social Misfit

Hi. My name is Dan and I’m proud to be a social misfit.

Believe it or not, in a day-and-age when almost all of life’s activities have been reduced to the swipe of a button, I actually enjoy:

• Speaking to another human being on the phone, engaging in real conversation rather than trying to make sense of the latest goofy emoji.
• Holding a newspaper in my hand, letting the ink stain my fingertips as I take in the news of the day. Pro tip: when you’re done reading, you can use the funny pages to wrap gifts.
• Taking the time to relax and read an actual hardcover book.
• Getting to know people on a personal level, including the mail carrier who brings me the good old-fashioned snail mail that offers a respite from the monotony of ever-present social media.

In addition to sharing my enthusiasm for some of life’s forgotten pleasures, I also have some thoughts on some old-school forms of media and advertising:

• Will listening to the radio be the next thing we are encouraged to avoid doing in our cars, joining illegal activities such as texting and driving, and frowned-upon activities such as drinking coffee and talking on the phone?
• I remember a time when the commercials were often the best part of watching television; what will advertisers do to get our attention in an age of streaming media, DVRs, and ad-free television services?
• What was Lady Bird Johnson thinking when she pushed the Highway Beautification Act, a law that made it harder to erect additional billboards along our freeways while increasing the number of those mundane wooden sound barriers that lack any semblance of beauty?

I know I’m not alone in being a social misfit, as evidenced by Marc Maron’s curmudgeon act which can currently be found on Netflix (a bit ironic, isn’t it?). Like his act, wine, and cheese, some things simply get better with age. I’d like to think being a social misfit is one of them.

Being a social misfit allows me to understand how traditional marketing remains relevant in today’s world, and how to apply tried-and-true marketing techniques to new technologies such as blogs and social media.

Are you a social misfit, too? Think I’m off my rocker? Send me an email and let me know (yes, I do have an email address despite my love of taking a stroll to the mailbox).