New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey!**Updated Again**

    I know it's a slow news week, but there's slow and then there's glacial, as the New York Times proves with this follow-up to the story I commented on below.  Although is it still a follow-up if the second story makes no reference to the news lede of the first?  Which in this case, was that the state of New Jersey  paid taxpayer dollars to a "branding consultant" to invent a new state slogan, found the suggestion "We'll Win You Over" somewheat defensive, and opened it up to the public.  I just love it when the inner workings of the spin machinery get opened up to the public. 

     As predicted, the public has weighed in with lots of Soprano jokes as the state whittled 8000 submissions to a final five, including, I kid you not, "New Jersey:  Expect the  Unexpected"  and new Jersey, "The Best Kept Secret." Now, I love the Garden State, and thrilled last night to hear a reference to my home town of West Orange, NJ on the episode from Season 5 I was watching, but I kind of wish they'd hired a different branding consultant, rather than open this whole thing up.  The risk is what New York Magazine's Competition once defined as a "murkyism"  -- a saying that sounds profound, but is really quite empty. My favorite was Mort Sahl's album title, "The Future Lies Ahead."  Readers are invited to submit their favorites, real or imagined.

Posted 11.02.05 When people ask me where I grew up,  I do this thing where I put my hand over my mouth and mumble while I take my hand away, "Nuh Grzy" and everybody laughs.  But except for the brief period in the mid 70s when the state received some reflectled glory from Bruce Springsteen (someone actually said to me, "wow, you're from New Jersey?") the Garden State has never had the right profile.

    Now comes the news that after hiring an expensive branding consultant the state of New Jersey is turning to vox populi.  It was thought the consultant's $260,000 result:  "New Jersey:  We'll Win You Over" was a bit defensive, so acting governor Dick Codey is opening it up to the people. 

    Getting inside people's heads and finding what advertising genius Tony Schwarz calls "the responsive chord" is hard. Some tools of market research are valuable, others can be a crutch for advertisers looking for "proof" that their ideas will work. 

    Branding consultant Tracey Riese says, "New Jersey has confused their slogan with their brand. A great brand stands for something that matters to the customer. A good slogan embodies that. "I love New York" was "magic", in Alan Siegal's words, not because it was a brilliant slogan, but because New York is a great brand that resonates with meaning."

    I wish them well, as a natal New Jerseyan and professional marketer.  But no one will ever be able to top the contribution by the legendary WMCA newsboys, who recorded the anthemic "Raucous in Secaucus" back in the 1970s.  I think I remember most of the words...if you know any I've missed please fill in the gaps...and wish the state of New Jersey well in its search for a slogan.  Stay tuned...

I was raucous in Secaucus on a Saturday night,
Because of you.
I was broken in Hoboken on a Saturday night,
That's your fault too.

Oh in Whippany, Parsippany and Boonton I got sore
I heaved a sigh in Tenafly,
And then came back for more.

I was raucous in Secaucus on a Saturday night,
Because of you.

I was walkin in Weehawken on a Saturday night,
Lonely for you.
Things were looking stark in Cliffside Park on Saturday night,
You made me blue.

I heaved a sigh in Tenafly, again in Carteret,
In Trenton you seemed bent on making me just fume and fret

I was raucous in Secaucus on a Saturday night,
Because of you.

(missing lyric)
I popped my cork in West New York,
I bombed out in Bayonne

I was raucous in Secaucus on a Saturday night,
Because of you.

We did it your way
Because of you
In downtown Rahway
Because of you!

Comments

[James H. Longstreet]

Re: Raucous in Secaucus: I Googled the phrase hoping to fill out my recollection of this anthem. However, I see that the full text is not available. I remember: "I broke my back in Hackensack, and Carteret too. In Trenton you seemed bent on really making me blue." In my recollection, this would replace the portion you've reported: "I heaved a sigh in Tenafly, again in Carteret,
In Trenton you seemed bent on making me just fume and fret." But I'm no expert. As I say, I was looking to you for this information. Doesn't anyone have a copy of the recording?