Dunge Blog

OK, this is a book review. Prepare to be... astounded. Or not. Normally, I don't care for book reviews. Whether it's a book review from someone highly regarded, or even a close friend or colleague, I prefer to gather the facts for myself, read the book, and come to my own conclusions. Perhaps Mr. Fairman's "Every man is his own historian" guidance from junior year AP History made more of an impression than first thought.  I won't go into lengthy detail, but suffice to say a recent read, recommended by a friend and colleague, made an impression on me.  The Way of the Shepherd  (which I'll refer to as  TWOS  in this article) by Dr. Kevin Leman and William Pentak, made me consider several things, which I wanted to share here. In brief, TWOS  is the fictional story of a soon-to-be MBA graduate who seeks and finds managerial wisdom from a grad school professor who is also a part-time shepherd. The story is told in past-tense narrative, as the former MBA/now rea...

You say you're in marketing and advertising, eh? If you are a recent graduate with your marketing degree in hand, or if you're a tenured brand manager extraordinaire who has been furloughed, please read on. The question you need to answer, no matter the stage of your career is: Beyond your resume and Linked In profile, how can you show that you  know a thing or two about building a brand and telling that brand's story? Everyone in marketing and advertising has seen a creative's portfolio. You know, the one where the creative shows their best work, and the lucky blokes on the other side of the table get to "ooh" and "ahh" over the insightful, witty, clever, and meaningful work enshrined in said portfolio. This article is here to encourage you, dear fellow marketer. Creatives and designers shouldn't be the only ones having all the fun.  For every marketer and advertising type, I highly recommend  you create and keep a portfolio of your wo...

Don't know about y'all, but the self-quarantine has been mostly manageable, from a work-from home perspective. In the big scheme of things, my family is fortunate that we have not been directly affected by the virus. Now, as far making this "working from home" situation manageable on my part, perhaps it's partly due to my introversion, also partly due to a knack for making lemonade out of lemons. I've been adequately productive: a little bit of consulting, a lot of job searching and networking, and some home improvement honey-dos. One of the tricks that I find to help me stay on task and stay sane is to have some solid music to listen to, in order to keep on truckin' and be productive with the time that I have. Here is what I've got on my COVID playlist, organized by "appropriate for today" and "can't wait to play once we're out of this self-quarantine mess." Appropriate for Today Bon Jovi " Raise Your Ha...

So I've heard that our friends in Deutschland are getting a little carried away*, and have chosen to cancel Wiesn 2020, as an offical response to COVID-19. The attached article details the decision:  https://www.dw.com/en/oktoberfest-in-germany-canceled-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak/a-53142998 My takeaway is that this is an over-reaction to the virus, that Oktoberfest can still go on, albeit in a different format. As a marketing strategist who has weathered many seasons of change, I believe Oktoberfest can still happen, and that we, along with our dear, resourceful Germans, will be able to shout a "Prost!" starting in mid-September.  Though a communal tent would cross the line amidst the coronavirus pandemic, here is my proposal, in order to keep the bier flowing and Blaskapelle playing:  Create several mail order versions of "Oktoberfest at Home." What would this look like? Thinking of how Texans consume barbecue, there would be an individual kit,...