Every once in a while I bump into something or someone who just speaks the truth or hits the Hallelujah point for me.

This month, that person was Renny Gleeson, the digital marketing guru at Wieden & Kennedy. His parallel of present-day marketing and advertising following into the bumbling footsteps of the music industry struck a life-affirming power chord in me.

You’ll also appreciate his insight on digital being only one shiny element in a dynamic marketing mix, and not a singular answer to budget slash, here: For me, this dude just gets it. And I hear he’s a big proponent and avid user of the F-bomb…double bonus!

A few years ago, at an event at Marylhurst University, I asked Dan Wieden about  the then-emerging social media and interactive marketing push. I was curious  what a company so entrenched as a marketing innovator and cultural bellwether was  doing to foster relationships and communities online with clients and end consumers. He sheepishly dipped his head, smiled and admitted that he and W+K were lagging in that area and said that needed to change. It appears that with Renny there now things have changed and will continue to do so, quite rapidly, I suspect. Thankfully, however, they left the door open a little for the rest of us.

<MOMENT OF GRATUITOUS SELF-PROMOTION TO MAKE A POINT>That little cat nap, in my humble opinion, helped spawn a unique niche in marketing that my colleagues at Babcock & Jenkins and a select few others have been all too glad to fill. I’ll let you read more about what we/I do, but I’ve found that marketers focused on lead generation and helping clients nurture current customers don’t appear nearly as beaten down by the economic downturn. Don’t get me wrong, I still bite my nails on occasion, but I sleep a little easier knowing that I have a hand in  uniting print & Web storytelling with  real-time campaign performance analytics to help clients land customers and cultivate relationships that turn into revenue.

HaaaaHaaaHaaa Crappy economy, nagging backache and  a recent head cold aside, I have laughed a lot recently and thought I’d share. I’m a big fan of the political hair-parter and often, the more snarky the better, but this recent  exchange between Sen. Richard Shelby (Alabama-R), and Lawrence Summers of the National Economic Council was snark-free, apt and beautifully understated. Leading Republicans warned Sunday that the Obama administration’s $800 billion-plus economic stimulus effort will lead to what one called a “financial disaster.” “Everybody on the street in America understands that,” said Sen. Richard Shelby, the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee. “This is not the right road to go. We’ll pay dearly.” But Lawrence Summers, the head of the administration’s National Economic Council, said Republicans have lost their credibility on the issue. “Those who presided over the last eight years — the eight years that brought us to the point where we inherit trillions of dollars of deficit, an economy that’s collapsing more rapidly than at any time in the last 50 years — don’t seem to me in a strong position to lecture about the lessons of history.” Classic!

On an even more somber note, I have had more friends and former colleagues than I have fingers and toes reach out to tell me recently that they’ve become yet another layoff statistic. I am keeping my eyes open for all of you and will publish your names, contact info and desired positions in this blog if you think it would help. Just let me know. Until then, keep your spirits up with these two entries: One from The Onion that might hit pretty close to home. I’m calling it: Office Space 2.0, the Recession Years. Hey Man, You Got A Second So I Can Fire You? Another is a video to laugh about the plight of Jemaine and Bret. If it gets this bad for you, call me.

Meanwhile, Asteroids, Van Halen-style can and will  dull the pain.

Hell Yea! I am lucky enough to have a music-driven workplace and an addiction to http://blip.fm. Here are a few bands that are floating my boat right now that you should check out: Bon Iver — Skinny Love N.A.S.A — Whachadoin The Foals — Olympic Airways The Jam — Move on Up Blitzen Trapper — Furr Bonus Cut: The Kills — Tape Song So….live the lessons in this blog until we meet again. Ponder. Laugh. Jam. Adios! ME, aka, Ev, aka T.C.P.