Thanks again, CJ!

All the best,

Dan
PS I thought about you all last week in the Middle East when I wore the jacket you suggested and helped me get! It was a big hit! Thanks again, CJ!

One of the things that I've always admired about KISS is the effort they took to create a story that was worth re-telling. If you want people to talk about you, then you have to give them a reason. The members of KISS took great pains in the 1970s to keep their identities "secret" while they created elaborate stories about their stage personas. You touched on this in your post, but part of their success was the intreague they created and their ability to get people talking about them.

In order to keep things stirred up they would occasionally leak a picture of one of the band members wearing a bandana around their face like a bad guy from the wild west acting as if the shot was taken paparazzi style. Great marketing because it had people talking about them and thinking about them all the time.

When the band started to lose a little momentum they went "Unmasked" in 1980 and got the whole thing going again. Today, Gene uses all sorts of methods to keep people talking about him and the band. From other television shows to interviews, Gene understands the importance of telling a story that people are willing to re-tell. That's what it takes to create a truly effective word-of-mouth campaign.

Julian Franklin
Julian's Marketing Blog

Branding:
I've done a good job of training agents to up sell the "David HIra" brand. If a client calls wanting a magician most agents will say, "No problem! We certainly can get you a magician or, if this is a really important event, you might want to get David Hira."

Magicians are a dime a dozen but there is only ONE "David Hira". The agents will go on by saying, "Of course, David Hira costs more...but let us tell you why...." So why would an agent do this? Two reasons: 1. They KNOW that I am completely dependable, always well groomed, always well mannered and will always work hard to pass out THEIR business cards to every person to whom I entertain and.. 2: By up selling to me, at a higher price, the agent MAKES MORE MONEY.

The agent and I work more, book more and each make more money while working together to cultivate future business. What agent WOULDN'T work hard to promote me over the other magicians in their databases?

As you know, few entertainers work more than you and I. It's not because of our acts are better or because our web sites or promo materials are slicker. We work more because of our sincere desire to have our clients be successful and have them get all of the credit for a terrific event. That is the biggest difference!