Colle + McVoy in Minneapolis is expert at cultivating interest among the trade press. I know this because Jen Stack and her team send me amazing packages on a routine basis to help convince me. Now, let's look at one that was not sent to me. The following press release, to support Cub Cadet PRO Z commercial riding mowers, was sent to influential consumer and trade media in the home and garden …
Portland’s Direct Response Agencies Are In The Money
Portland is known the ad world over for Wieden+Kennedy and Nike. But there is another Portland lurking beneath the Swoosh. It's mostly a tangled world of small shops fighting for table scraps and relevance beyond Oregon. Mostly, I say, because there's yet another unheralded Portland agency world that is thriving. Three of Portland's five largest agencies are direct response marketers. At the top of this list is …
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Data Informs Strategy And Creative (Don’t Fight It)
The bean counters truly are in charge of OgilvyAmp, the new WPP unit dedicated to data-driven decision-making. Todd Cullen, who joined Ogilvy & Mather last year in the new post of global chief data officer, will lead OgilvyAmp. He said the goal is "using data to inspire creative work or creative thinking." According to The New York Times, 300 employees of Ogilvy & Mather are being devoted to OgilvyAmp, …
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Wherever Your Journey To Extraordinary Takes You, Holiday Inn Is There
Holiday Inn's new all-digital campaign, "Journey to Extraordinary," seeks to tell captivating stories that bring the customer journey into focus. Before you say, "Oh great, another customer testimonial," consider that customers prefer to hear from one another, and that the brand's job in "building community" today is all about enabling these interactions. Okay, let's meet social entrepreneur Majora Carter, a …
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Fresh, Tempting Sunbeam — The Bread You Need For Energy
Advertising is alive. As such, the industry evolves, sometimes as dizzying speeds. If you doubt me, please take a look at the following exhibit, a series of Sunbeam Bread TV spots from 50+ years ago. The announcer says, "Buy energy-packed Sunbeam bread" with such enthusiasm, how could our grandmothers have put up any resistance? I mean seriously, this bread is just loaded with product benefits. …
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One Brand, Multiple Markets: Century Link Turns In Rough Mix
My favorite NFL team plays home games at Century Link Field. The communications technology company also has a large presence in Omaha, my hometown. Therefore, I want to like Century Link, but a print ad like this subtracts several points from the "brand love" scorecard. Worse than the say-nothing-to-no-one use of stock photography here, are phrases like "visionary cloud infrastructure" and "hosted IT …
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Whether Perpetrated By Bots or By Babies, Click Fraud Is A Crime
Digital advertising will account for 22.7% of all worldwide ad investments this year, or about $117.60 billion -- up 13% compared with 2012, according to estimates from eMarketer and Starcom MediaVest Group. I'm not certain this is a good thing. Unless, brands and their agency partners clearly know what they're doing with all that money. Post by AdPulp. I posted this new Adobe commercial from …
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Postagram And Hyatt Hotels Team Up For A Consumer-Generated DM Campaign
The buzzword "consumer generated media" has gone away, as buzzwords will. But the facts remain. When brands help people do cool things, it can be a powerful approach to earning good will. According to Adweek, something as simple as a brand-provided post card (and the postage to send it) can make a difference. Through Aug. 15, Hyatt Hotels is encouraging guests to personalize up to two complimentary …
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Email Wins Again
In a world where relationship marketing is the be all and end all, email wins again. A new study conducted by Lyris and recapped by Marketing Profs, lays out the argument for email (click for infographic). I'm surprised to see email rank higher than personal referrals. What does that say about the state of our friendships today? Maybe nothing. Another interesting data point in the graph is how far down …
Push Gets Pushy, Talks Smack About Pull
Direct marketers get little respect from brand marketers, which is a shame. Everyone has something to give! Now, I see that social media marketers get little respect from direct marketers, which is also a shame. Where's the love? Direct marketing pro, Debra Ellis, writing in Target Marketing opens her can of whoop ass with a wicked snap (emphasis added). Every good direct marketer knows the top company …
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