X-Message-Number: 12098 Date: Fri, 09 Jul 1999 02:03:15 -0700 From: Jeff Davis <> Subject: Re: Any other opinions re 1-Year Marketing Test? I consider George Smith a good friend, and I am in strong agreement with many of his ideas, particularly his ideas concerning cryonics. On Wed, 7 Jul 1999 12:14:23 -0700, George wrote: >Thus far all postings to cryonet regarding my suggestion we divert research >funding for one year to a professional marketing effort have been opposed to >doing so. > >Is there anyone who has a belief that there might be a value to following >such a suggestion? From a purely mathematical point of view we can easily see the possibility of value. If one year's research money diverted to marketing produces a per annum doubling of available funds, then at the end of year two we break even, and in each subsequent year are able to afford double the previous yearly budget for research, or marketing, or whatever. But this is a rather simplistic analysis, something akin to saying "If it works, it works." Intellectual honesty requires that you add, "And if it doesn't, it doesn't, and then you've wasted a year's time and a year's worth of research funding." It's an old debate. One which pits a high risk possibly-very-high reward investment in marketing against a low risk high reward investment in research. (Marketing advocates would dispute the "high risk" characterization.) I prefer to avoid the debate. In my opinion Saul Kent, Paul Wakfer, Greg Fahey, Yuri Pichugin (--welcome to "the family", Yuri--), et al, are doing what they are good at and should stick with it. And George Smith, yours truly, Scott Badger, Dave Pascal, and any others interested in helping should see what can be done to make something happen in the area of marketing/publicity/promotion/(fundraising?) I kindof like the idea that people should respect the rights of others to make there own choices--do what they choose to do and live their lives as they see fit. Make your suggestions, request the assistance of others, be generous with encouragement, and leave it at that. Last year, at my regular Sunday volleyball game in Golden Gate park, I got to talking about cryonics with a fellow who turned out to be a student in the marketing program at San Francisco State University. He suggested the possibility of doing a marketing study on cryonics as a class project. I was delighted at the idea, and later met with him and the two other students he was teamed up with. I had hoped to present the results of their study to the readers of the cryonet, but alas, they rejected the cryonics marketing challenge. Nevertheless, undaunted, I still like the idea, and this year I'll send out a proposal to the various and sundry marketing departments that I have found at: Homepages of Marketing Departments Worldwide: http://www.bus.ualberta.ca/informs/university.html#marketing suggesting that they consider undertaking a cryonics marketing study as part of their coursework. This will have the dual purpose of publicizing cryonics (among future members of the marketing profession no less) and at the same time perhaps getting us a marketing study/plan on the cheap. I rather savor the thought of shattering the Gordian knot of cryonics marketing using creativity in place of profligate quantities of cash. It seems that I should also contact the pros--professional marketing firms--and see if I can tease a bit of pro bono assistance out of them as well. After all, the challenge is in the realm of the quixotic, the unprecedented, the impossible dream. Perhaps something to stimulate the creative juices after one too many ad campaigns to sell more sugar water or disposable diapers. I'm still working--I continue quite optimistic, actually--on finding one or more celebrity spokespersons for cryonics. And I've made contact with the hemlock society of Oregon. I hope to show them that we in the cryonics community have common cause with them to help relieve human suffering with a courageous message of hope and possibility. There are other bits and pieces, I'll keep you posted on any progress, and, of course, I welcome any assistance. Best, Jeff Davis "Everything's hard till you know how to do it." Ray Charles Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=12098