From: Jim Mortellaro <Jsmortell@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 02:26:28 EST
Fwd Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 12:46:01 -0500
Subject: Re: Firmage's Manuscript - The Word Is 'Marketing'


>Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:21:23 -0500
>From: Wendy Christensen <christensen@catlas.mv.com>
>To: UFO UpDates - Toronto <updates@globalserve.net>
>Subject: Firmage's Manuscript - The Word Is 'Marketing'

>Anyone who has slogged through the 240+ pages of the "short
>version" of Firmages's compendium now knows that "The Word" is
>'Marketing'.

>Firmage did not become a zillionaire by being a dummy. He knows
>what is required to cut through the noise in the marketplace
>(especially the overhyped internet marketplace) and how far one
>needs to go to get attention. Thus, his clever, if somewhat
>overwrought, "pre-launch" announcement of his e-commerce
>website, due to begin operations "sometime next year." Indeed,
>this attention-garnering pre-launch appears to be the entire
>purpose of his current enterprise.

<snip>

>I am not criticizing Firmage's approach; from a marketing
>standpoint it is masterful. But is would be a mistake to take
>this whole "WordIsTruth" phenomenon for more than it is: a
>clever, unusually elaborate (he's rich; he can afford it!)
>pre-launch for a website. Just remember: "The Word is
>Marketing."

>Purrrrrs...
>Wendy Christensen

Dear Wendy, List and Others...

I am a retired marketing genius. Unfortunately, I was unable to
amass the fortune that Mr. Fromage was able to garner and
certainly not at such a young stage in my life.... as did
Fromage!  First off, I am not a young man. It's just my
emotional and intellectual maturity which hides the brain of a
thirteen year old. I was always good at that, hiding my early
teenage-hood.

But I am inclined to agree with the possibilities your post
implied. There is just one caveat, one admonition, this plan may
be too good to be that good. Of course, the key word is "may."

Time will tell. It only took me thirty years to understand how
to deviously market unneeded, unwanted "stuff" to anyone
with a buck two-fifty. And when I finally figured it out, it was
most abhorrent to my personal sensibilities, which by then
had changed into something with a more righteous inclination.

But having been a sly, devious marketer, I would have the very
same reaction as the one you just demonstrated.

Say, you do look familiar! Have we met before, maybe at a
trade show or sumpin? As Dylan once said,

"Say, that's a cute hat, and a smile so hard to resist. But,
what's a sweetheart like you, doin, in a dump like this?"

Dr. Gesundt
I will sell no wine, until it's ready!