What's in a name? If we're talking about the Washington Redskins, the answer is simple—bias and overtly racist thinking are in the name. Same with Squaw Valley, the famous resort near Lake Tahoe. So, Squaw Valley is no more. Palisades Tahoe is the new name. https://youtu.be/iN-cpfqFP7Q High Country News spoke to Darrel Cruz, director of the Tribal Historic Preservation Office at the Washoe Tribe about the …
Introduction to Marketing Effectiveness (A Primer)
"Marketing effectiveness" sounds like a webinar that someone once forced you to attend, or worse, a graduate seminar on the way to a Master in Business Administration. Perhaps, the term would benefit from a rebrand, because it's not a seminar or webinar. Marketing effectiveness is the difference between failure and success. Given its importance, why don't we know all about it? Bob Hoffman, founder of Hoffman Lewis …
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The Word from Dole: We Are Wasting So Much Food
Food is the single largest component that takes up space in U.S. landfills. U.S. residents waste almost 40 million tons of food every year – more than any other country in the world. In fact, the average American family of four discards $1,600 a year in fresh produce. This colossal waste contributes to global warming and does nothing to address the global hunger crisis. The Dole Sunshine Company is bringing …
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Republic of Gilead? Or Republic of Texas? That Is the Question
Elected officials in Texas today are reckless, careless, anti-freedom offenders. They're also largely unchecked by the opposition party. Thankfully, corporations are able to use their power and money to provide a counterbalance of sorts. For instance, starting this week people with no training whatsoever can stroll around the Lone Star State armed, loaded, and ready to fire. But not when they're buying groceries at …
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Now on Spotify: Magically Delicious Sugar-Coated Grooves
General Mills-owned cereal brand Lucky Charms is in the entertainment business. I'm happy to see the packaged goods brand recognize it and act on it. According to The Drum, Lucky the Leprechaun has dropped his debut album, "Magically Delicious," which is now available across all major streaming platforms but promoted exclusively on Spotify. The album includes eight songs. Each song is about a unique Lucky Charm …
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Airbnb Steps Up To Help Afghan Refugees Find A Safe Place to Stay
Airbnb and Airbnb.org will provide temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide. The company's CEO, Brian Chesky, announced the move yesterday on Twitter. The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up. — Brian Chesky (@bchesky) August 24, 2021 Last week, Airbnb.org also gave …
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Visa Updates Its Brand Story and Brand Identity
"Visa has long stood for trust, security, acceptance, and inclusion." Sorry. I pulled that from the press release. Let's start over. How do you relate to the Visa brand? If you're like most people, it's pretty simple. Visa is a credit card that enables instant gratification. But Visa seeks to be more than a mere gateway for transactions (even though that model has worked extremely well for the company for 60 …
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Deloitte Digital Wants to Make ‘Brand’ A C-Suite Priority
How do brand managers convince their peers inside the company that the company they work for competes on brand? How do these same brand managers move the discussion away from brand identity to brand experience and prove that better brand experiences lead to more sales, greater customer satisfaction, and increased valuations? Maggie Windsor Gross, head of strategy, studios at Deloitte Digital, has thought a lot …
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Speed Up, It’s Time for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway
Branded events and pro sports with a limited number of fans in attendance are back. This Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Darlington, South Carolina for The Goodyear 400. It's also NASCAR's Official Throwback Weekend and while this adds a festive nature to the race, the reality of COVID-19 (and the need for widespread vaccinations) continues to determine the need for responsible conduct. Fans will be asked …
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Google and Budweiser Are Optimistic About Good Times Ahead. Are You?
If you watch cable news today, pessimists in front of their bookcases will remind you that the COVID-19 virus is mutating and ruthlessly seeking new ways to harm and kill people. You will also see overt shaming of every sort. Fox News shames "the woke left" for tainting capitalism with its soft hammers. CNN and MSNBC, on the other hand, are busy "investigating" why anyone would dare to leave their homes (and their …
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AdPulp Book Review: Trustworthy Gives Brands A Roadmap To Walk The Talk
There’s a classic trade ad for McGraw-Hill Magazines in which a stern-looking guy in a desk chair says, “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know your company…Now-what was it you wanted to sell me?” (There’s more copy, but you can see it for yourself.) Decades later, we live in a world of self-professed thought leaders and a PR firm that proclaims itself the arbiter of “trust” in its annual surveys, leaving the rest of …
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When It Comes to Cultural Insensitivity, Valpo Ain’t Playin’
The culture war is being won by people who value culture, history, and knowledge. Valparaiso University, a 3,100-student Lutheran school located in northwest Indiana, announced that it is dropping the team name Crusaders, the school mascot, and all logos associated with the term. https://youtu.be/oGHrmYXNHJ0 The decision comes after a decades-long debate that had intensified recently because groups such as the …
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