I'm talking about Moe, Larry and Curly.
Sure, attend all the marketing conferences you want. Follow all the blogs. Study all the books. Consume all the CDs.
You won't learn a tenth of what you'll learn by watching any one of The Stooges' shorts.
To save you time, I've boiled their innumerable brand-building insights down to three key lessons:
Make great products. The boys always innovated and never imitated! Want to make a great cupcake? Add pillow feathers. A great microbrew? Add a whole box of alum. A great soup? Add a live oyster.
Keep a laser-focus on your goals. The boys understood the paramount importance of attention to detail and keeping "on task." Which of their competitors would have spent as much time fixing a leaking pipe? Pitching a tent? Eating an artichoke?
Utilize short, snappy content. As content marketers, The Stooges were ahead of their time. They drew millions of fans by keeping their messages brief and on point. And they built a loyal following by perfecting a consistently edgy—and authentic—tone. While you don't want merely to copy the boys, it will help if you break rocks over your head, mistake a skunk for your hat, and rip out clumps of your own hair.
