In response to the rise of the application economy, Wired is running a sensational piece about the web being dead. Yawn... But Wired is not alone in this. Pete Blackshaw, one of the most trusted voices in the marcom space, is asking, "Do brand websites still matter?" Behind his rhetorical question is the idea that the social web and mobile apps are gaining prominence, while brand sites wither on the digital …
The Smart Swarm Teaches Us About Nature’s Crowdsourcers
These days, it's hard to avoid talk of "the wisdom of the crowds" or how to engage mass amounts of people with marketing. So can we predict the behavior of humans by studying nature? Peter Miller says yes in The Smart Swarm: How Understanding Flocks, Schools, and Colonies Can Make Us Better at Communicating, Decision Making, and Getting Things Done. Miller is a editor for National Geographic, and it shows in his …
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Pamela Gorman Is Gunning For A House Seat
Pamela Gorman is "Arizona's conservative choice for Congress," a fact she makes perfectly clear in the following commercial. I disagree with just about everything Gorman stands for, except for one thing. That one thing is the need to speak persuasively to one's best prospects. I don't know why candidates on the right have an easier time with this concept, but they do. Candidates on the left cloak their true feelings …
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Nordstrom.com Clicking Video, Mobile And Social Boxes
Seattle-based retailer, Nordstrom, which operates 193 stores in 28 states, is investing in its online store. Seattle Times reports that Nordstrom's new site--three years in the making--promises easier navigation, bigger photos and a prominent place where people can express their thoughts about the latest trends. Executive Vice President Jamie Nordstrom, who oversees the company's direct division, believes the …
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Feeding Fearless Gobblers And Largemouth Yuppies Alike
Seattle Fish Company of New Mexico--with the help of 3 Advertising in Albuquerque--has issued a buying guide for its restaurant customers. The guide clearly identifies the various types of customers a restaurant might serve and their seafood preferences. There's some great copy here. For instance: ENLIGHTENED EPICUREAN The Enlightened Epicurean can be found in environmentally conscious grocery stores and …
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Principals With Principles
Hall of Fame Copywriter, Ed McCabe, is kindly answering questions about the ad industry, sent to The Times by fans of AMC's hit show, Mad Men. Question: What product or service are you most happy with being able to help and, conversely, which one are you sorry you helped? I do not mean which campaign are you happy about, but the product or service itself. -- Posted by Tim W. Answer: A very good question(s). I …
I’d Like To See Stations Reject Ads On The Basis That They Suck
Washington Post reports that MSNBC rejected the following political ad for violating its advertising policy by attacking an individual business directly. MoveOn executive director Justin Ruben said the rejection was "the height of hypocrisy" and accused MSNBC and its corporate parent, General Electric Co., of trying to protect Target from consumer anger. Minneapolis-based Target stirred the hornet's nest by giving …
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Fade In: The Ace Hotel
Ace Hotel in New York City is the setting for three short films, thanks to a deal put together by Massify -- a social media Web site where filmmakers, actors, crew members and editors showcase their work and coordinate new projects -- and Killer Films. Killer Films, Ace Hotel, and Massify from Massify on Vimeo. According to The New York Times, while the three films are marketing tools for the hotel, Massify wants to …