3 Out of 4 Statistics Are Fabricated
As a child of the 70s, I can remember my Mom buying me Trident gum, because “four out of five dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum.” The study was conducted in the 1960s by Trident’s parent company. The company used this line in their marketing — religiously and consistently — and it worked. I still find myself reaching for Trident on occasion when in line at the grocery store.
But the problem these days with statistics is that we don’t generally believe them. I have no statistic to back this up, it’s just a gut feeling.
We hear statistics from the government that unemployment is at only 4.1%. We hear pollsters tell us that Candidate A has a 3% lead over Candidate B. The news media says that only 41% of Americans trust the news media.
Statistics are not facts, although we have historically viewed them that way. Today, we are much more skeptical. Today, we ask questions. Who conducted that poll? What company paid for that research? What was the deal with that fifth dentist?
Where did Dave get that statistic that “3 out of 4 statistics are fabricated? Answer: I made that up. #forgiveme
Here are four statistics. Reply back to me which ones are true and which one isn’t. First five with the right answer, win a prize:
- 2017 U.S. car sales will fall to 16.1 million, the lowest since the Great Depression
- U.S. consumers spent $6.59 billion on Cyber Monday, an all-time record
- 6,789 U.S. retail stores have closed in 2017, the most since 2000
- 174 million Americans went shopping on Black Friday, an all-time record
Monday, November 27 – The Second Happiest Place on Earth
Our MMMMM (Monday Morning Madison+Main Meeting) was missing an important voice this week. Our VP of Brand Strategy Kara Forbis was MIA and we were all very jealous. She enjoyed some well deserved R+R this week with her family at Walt Disney World. To make up for her absence, I asked Project Manager Matt Ong to stand on the conference table and give us his best rendition of “It’s A Small World After All.” He politely declined.
However, we were obliged with a lovely visit from our pal and Aflac rep Bobby Kelland and he delighted us with a spread of tasty Einstein Bros. Bagels for breakfast.
Tuesday, November 28 – Hungry Interns Get A Shot
Tuesday saw a whirlwind of new faces at M+M. It’s intern hunting season again at Madison+Main and we have a great applicant pool for the Spring 2018 semester. More than 50 eager young minds are vying for just 5 or 6 internship positions at M+M and we are having a great time meeting the future of the industry. It’s a lot like The Hunger Games around here this time of year, but with more tattoos and less bloodshed.
Who will get our Golden Tickets? We’ll be making our selections soon, so stay tuned. #GoodLuckKids
Wednesday, November 29 – Hangry Dave Gets A Silver Lining
On Wednesday I was feeling a little grumpy. Maybe my moon was in Sagittarius or maybe I was “hangry” because I was on a liquid diet ahead of my “procedure” Thursday. But out of the blue, I got a great little note through LinkedIn from Susie Meador at Keith Fabry.
“So Dave, your name and your newsletter came up this morning during our weekly sales meeting! It was used as a gold standard for how to do it right! Before then I had not seen it, so of course I came upstairs and subscribed immediately, and they were right…you are so funny, and it is a great read! You are good at what you do, sir! I thought you may like to hear that your newsletter is so highly regarded!”
Thanks Susie! I couldn’t have made it through hump day without your kind note.
Thursday, November 30 – It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like…
Sometimes, it’s great to be the boss. I was out of the office on Thursday, but before I left I mentioned ever so subtilely to the Main-iacs that “we” probably should put up our office Christmas decorations before the end of the week. When I returned to the office today, I walked into Bing Crosby‘s wildest winter wonderland dream, minus the snow and a over-caffeinated, tap-dancing Danny Kaye.
They did a great job, the office looks amazing, and we are ready to host our friends, partners, and media pals for the Madison+Main “Tacky Stockings” Holiday Party on Thursday, Dec. 7. Don’t forget to RSVP!
The Calendar!
Madison+Main “Tacky Stockings” Holiday Party
December 7
Mark your calendars for Thursday, December 7, as the Madison+Main-iacs invite you to drop by 101 E. Cary St. for our annual holiday party. We’ll have drinks and a holiday-themed buffet from 6-9pm. RSVP today!
Friday, December 1 – Getting lit with Broadscope!
Several of the Main-iacs are celebrating Richmond’s Grand Illumination tonight with our friends at Broadscope Media. They booked the best seat in the house at the downtown Omni to watch them flip the switch.
“There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
– Mark Twain