How Stuff Works, the "not yet profitable" web property owned by investor Carl Icahn and others, will be acquired by Discovery Communications for $250 million. The deal highlights how established media companies increasingly are expanding on the Web through targeted acquisitions instead of building their own sites, a strategy that largely has failed. "We're way behind in new media and digital," says Chief Executive …
Nike’s Investing In Experiential. Big Time.
“We’re not in the business of keeping the media companies alive, we’re in the business of connecting with consumers.” - Trevor Edwards, Nike’s corporate vice president for global brand and category management This is a great time to be in the marketing services business. The inverse is also true—it's not such a great time to be in the TV commericals-making business. Nike spent just 33 percent of its $678 million …
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Nice Lurk
It's time for yet another entry in the "If you're thinking it, someone's already doing it" category. I had this idea a while ago that I could conduct the operation of this blog from a coffeeshop around the corner from Wieden's Northwest Portland compound. It would be like a modern day sit in, minus the politics. I'd blog as I always do everyday, but I'd also remind our readers that I was in fact lurking. Well, …
Portrait of a Dream Client (Too Bad She’s Fictional)
Mad Men's Rachel Menken, as portrayed by Maggie Siff, exudes confidence, intelligence, taste and other attributes one might like to find in a business partner. This is how Siff describes her character to her alumnae magazine: "Rachel is intelligent and thoughtful, very direct — a truth-teller — and also very in touch with her sexuality. She is a powerful, attractive woman who is articulate in defending her right to …
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Caption It #23
[via McChronicles] …
Targeted Placement In Toronto
In what seems like an obvious move, The Toronto Star is planning a revamped approach to selling newspaper advertising, including a switch to modular ads and sectional pricing, starting Jan. 1, 2008. Sectional advertising means ads will run in sections selected by advertisers and a separate rate card will be developed for each section tied to readership and demographics. Fred Forster, president and chief pioneer of …
Virgin Gets Endorsement From Some Of The Bloatosphere’s Finest
Click To Play Lauging Squid points out that a group of high profile geek bloggers are starring in the latest spot from Virgin American. Xeni Jardin, Cory Doctorow, David Pescovitz, and Mark Frauenfelder of Boing Boing; Pete Rojas of Engadget; Alex Albrecht and Kevin Rose of Diggnation all appear, or I should say their cartoon self appears. …
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Straight Talk For A Crooked Time
Catharine P. Taylor points out that Boston-based Modernista had a hand in creating BusinessWeek's new print edition, which debuts tomorrow. That's pretty cool, but I like it anytime an agency breaks out of the ad box. The news got me to click over to the agency's website and I found their mission statement prominently displayed. We believe advertising is more an art than science and that truly great creative work is …