X-Message-Number: 12109 Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 11:57:35 +0000 From: Kennita Watson <> Subject: Re: Scott Badger/Market Research -- Go, man, go! References: <> > Message #12101 > From: "Scott Badger" <> > Every semester of every year, scores of graduate students in MBA marketing > programs at dozens of universities across the country struggle to come up > with interesting and challenging projects. For practically no money > ... we could contact marketing professors or perhaps the presidents > of the MBA marketing clubs to generate some interest in targeting cryonics > for this purpose... provide them with (1) a plethora of cryonet postings > debating the marketing issue to give them an idea of what ground we've > already covered (I have, in fact, already collected the relevant > postings), (2) the article I wrote on consumer attitudes and familiarity > with cryonics, (3) current marketing literature from the various cryonics > firms. > > If broad consensus were reached that this idea is worth pursuing, I might > be persuaded to volunteer some more of my time to contacting some of the > university marketing departments. The cryonics firms would need to agree > to spend some time consulting with the students, providing them with > parameters regarding budgets, goals, etc. > > I have already mentioned this idea to a couple of the cryonics > firms. I received a polite note of thanks, but little interest > was expressed. Thus I feel the need to offer this idea up to > the members of this list for their kind consideration and commentary. Hi, Scott -- The MBA student idea sounds like a great one to me. At the risk of being flamed by philosophers, planners, naysayers, and skeptics, I say "Consensus be damned -- give it a try!". And another of my credos, without which I would not have accomplished nearly as much as I have, despite the occasional ruffled feather, is "It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission.". Polite notes probably come from the cryonics organizations because they're thinking that they would have to do all the work, and that probably nothing would come of it. But Alcor, CI, ACS, and the rest would be shooting themselves in the foot if MBA students came knocking at their doors asking about marketing cryonics and they turned them away. Find the classes first, then warn the organizations that the students are on their way. If you get students, and Fred and Linda refuse to talk with them, I may start a grass-roots revolt -- I'll certainly be sure to bring it up at the next Alcor meeting. All that said, the MBA instructors and their students may not find the idea as exciting as you and I do. Be prepared for multiple rebuffs. But there are lots of MBA schools out there, and this is a sales job -- lots of noes, but an ever-so-occasional yes that makes it all worthwhile. Oh, and keep in mind you'll have a narrow window of opportunity -- most instructors won't be available until their particular school's fall term starts, and shortly thereafter the projects will be decided, so you'll want a calendar of when to contact whom. So as not to be just another free-advice-giver, I offer to help edit the letter you are going to send out (I have done technical writing for a living), and to pay some of the mailing costs. You may also want to consider a phone call followed up with information sent by fax -- I will note that the fundraising calls I made when running for Secretary of State (CA-Lib.) made *much* more money than the letters. At least call them to warn them that the letters are coming so they don't get immediately round-filed as junk mail. I'll also help cover resulting phone bills. That's enough for now. Stop asking for permission to do something great -- just *do* it! Cheers, Kennita -- Kennita Watson http://i.am/Kennita Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=12109