I don't borrow. I steal.

Yep, I steal from giant corporations all the time.  And you should too.

Ok, as much as I'd like to build up some "street cred" with a bad boy reputation, let me explain what I mean.

Shows open and close so fast and have such limited budgets, that it's difficult for us to try and stay ahead of the marketing and technology curve.  But that doesn't mean we can't benefit from those with the resources.

Watch what the Big Boys do.  Sign up for the Banana Republic email newsletter and see what happens when your birthday rolls around.  See how Amazon.com communicates with you and recommends item after item.  See how Las Vegas hotels take care of their high rollers (their version of the premium ticket buyer).

Let companies with bigger budgets pay for your research.  Learn from what they do well.  And learn from their mistakes.

An example of something I just learned from one of the biggest American marketing machines tomorrow.