Why Scrooge should’ve been sued for marketing malpractice

Many years ago, I first heard the term: “marketing malpractice” "Email Players" subscriber Gary Bencivenga said it while being interviewed by "Email Players" subscriber & founding father of online marketing Ken McCarthy. And, I got to thinking about it recently while watching my favorite version of the movie “A Christmas Carol.” Specifically, how it applies to Scrooge. He is built up as some kind of smart & shrewd (if not greedy & miserly) business man. But, I think he was more of a business dingbat. And, here are a few reasons why: * Afraid to spend money — As I have heard the great Dan Kennedy teach over and over and over… the wealthiest of his clients never look for ways to save money or get their postage or marketing costs down… they look for ways to spend MORE, to get a clear and hard-to-knock off competitive advantage. But Scrooge? He’s such a tightwad he’d probably eat a dollar and shyt out a penny. * Takes credit for stuff he didn’t do — In the version of the story I was watching (1938 version)… the Ghost of Christmas Present waves his horn at angry people and they stop being angry, and stop wanting to fight. When he does it to a couple guys about to come to blows, the ghost says “We stopped that fight, didn’t we?” And Scrooge, who did absolutely nothing but watch, agrees: “We sure did, didn’t WE!” What a bum. * Makes his employees miserable — Scrooge goes out of his way to be as evil as he can to his employee. Which is just idiotic. As I heard “for real” Mad Man era-advertising genius Walter Bregman once say in an interview (about today’s advertising agencies): “When the penalty for failure outweighs the rewards for success the result is mediocrity.” Anyone who wants mediocre talent working for them is not someone to emulate. They are someone to look at for what NOT to do. * Thinks he can buy loyalty and forgiveness — I may very well have missed it, but in the version of the story I watched, Scrooge never once asks for forgiveness from the people (like Bob Cratchit) he tormented, kept in perpetual “fight or flight” mode… and made completely scared, miserable, and worried 24/7. Instead, he just buys the kids presents, and throws money around. Presumably assuming he can simply buy that forgiveness. Bah humbug. * Is a breathing spreadsheet — Scrooge has zero regard for the intangibles that make a business work, that can’t be tracked, measured, or scaled. Like, for example, his personal brand (which is about as attractive as a rotting fish…), his lack of approachability (even I am approachable by email, but Scrooge is, well, someone people avoid like the Bigfoot with the leprosy…), and his crap reputation as an employer (i.e., why would the best and brightest want to work for him knowing he’s an arsehole who keeps the office cold and pays the bare minimum salary he can get away with). The point? Scrooge is an awful businessman to model or emulate. Here’s another point: Even though everyone feels sorry for Bob Cratchit, I’m not letting him off the hook, either. He clearly didn’t know jack about making himself a valuable job prospect, indispensable and hard to let go, and his neediness shone through like a glowing red nose. It’s what keeps a lot of freelance copywriters broke and desperate, too. Enter today’s “Seasons Emailings” Sale on my Email Client Horde book. If ol’ BC had possessed this book, I suspect he would have had so many places wanting to hire him he could have made a lot more income, and had the pleasure of walking into Scrooge’s office with a mistletoe taped to his arse. So enough about Scrooge. Let’s you and me do some real business: If you want this book, you can have it at a jolly $200.00 discount - i.e., $510 instead of the $710 it normally costs - until midnight EST tonight (12/9), which is but a couple hours away. Details here: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com/client]( Ben Settle This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2023 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA