Imagine falling into two holes on the same day – both seemingly disconnected – and winding up in the same place when you finally land.

There are many key ingredients to marketing. But the one I like most of all and the one I am talking about now is clever.

Merriam-Webster defines clever as something marked by wit or ingenuity.

So I fall into the first hole upon arrival at work this morning. My old friend and partner in marketing (Neil Egan) put me on to his son’s band – Me, D and the Machine. Before my feet hit the ground I was hooked on the raw cleverness of this band’s sound. Love the music, love the voices, and most of all, love the cleverness.

Then I fall into the second hole. I am halfway through the digital files on the band’s MySpace page when my son calls. “What are you doing?” he asks. “Listening to a young band that I really like?” I reply. “Is it Everyday Chemistry?” he questions. “Huh?” I verbalize. “You know, the Beatles album from the 1980s.”

At this point I am tumbling deep into the rabbit hole, dazed and confused. Then Christian sends me to a web site aptly entitled “The Beatles Never Broke Up“. And with my head still spinning I get to the site just as my feet hit the ground. And there I learn that in an alternate universe the Beatles never broke up.

I love clever.