Holiday greetings from ad agencies are typically boring affairs and they’re easy to toss aside after a quick glance. Public Inc., a full-service social impact agency, decided that another holiday yawn would not do. So they left a mark. At this rate, 2020 is going to develop a complex. There were also good things that […]
The United States of Disarray
Winners and losers—America and its economy are full of them. Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, employing nearly half of the private sector workforce. But many small businesses are struggling to stay afloat. According to the World Economic Forum, geography makes a great deal of difference in the proportion of U.S. small […]
The Amazon Jungle Shows You How To Maneuver Through The World’s Biggest Marketplace
“I tell my clients, if you’re not on Amazon, your product isn’t really online.” — Jason R. Boyce If you’re in charge of a brand, or simply the advertising for a brand, there’s no getting around the need to interact with Amazon on some level. Amazon is far-reaching and opaque. Yet by working it properly, […]
Holiday Joy, Come On Down…
Our neighbors down the street here in Austin already have their holiday lights blazing in full glory each evening. They are violating the “Not before Thanksgiving” rule, but there are worse violations. People all over the nation are also preparing for the holidays inside their homes. According to Shutterfly’s latest commercial, many are preparing to […]
What’s In America’s Shopping Cart? The Red, White, and You
When you watch cable news the narrative on every channel is a deep division between Americans. Yet, between the talking head-filled segments, the nation’s biggest advertisers run their side of the story. Their side of the story is optimistic with a touch of realism. Walmart will never be all we need to get by. But […]
Square and Stripe Tell Powerful Stories of the Small Business Owner’s Struggle
Small business is the backbone of the economy. Small businesses are also a radiating pain point during this devastating economic downturn. According to WBUR in Boston, earlier this summer, MassINC Polling Group surveyed 1,868 small businesses (defined as having fewer than 500 employees). Their findings show that 44% of small businesses lost at least half […]
Wieden+Kennedy Isn’t Used To Vulnerability or Criticism, But Here’s A Chance to Learn
Wieden+Kennedy, the agency with 11 Agency of the Year credits to its name, laid off 11% of its global workforce due to financial impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. W+K has offices in Portland, New York, Amsterdam, Tokyo, London, Shanghai, Delhi, and Sao Paulo. Prominent W+K clients include Airbnb, Coca-Cola, Disney, Facebook, Old Spice, Ford, McDonald’s, […]
Brands Pause to Acknowledge the American Melee and Register Their Sadness
Exceptional brands create culture, but most brands reflect culture. Reflecting the culture since mid-March has been a creative challenge, given that millions of people are stuck at home and fearful for their health and economic well being. To make matters much worse, one week ago today, a Minneapolis cop was caught on video murdering a […]
As A Way To Say “Thanks,” Bud Light Wants To Buy Everyone A Round
Did Someone Say “FREE BEER”? Someone did. The next round of Bud Light’s is on the brewery. The only question is when. Open for Takeout, a new promo from Bud Light, is asking beer drinkers to order takeout from a favorite restaurant or bar, upload the receipt to a web portal, and get $10 toward […]
This Is Etsy’s Moment
Amazon.com is positioned to win right now, but the Seattle-based behemoth isn’t the only winner. For people seeking to buy direct from the maker, Etsy.com is the way to go. Etsy reported first-quarter consolidated gross merchandise sales jumped 32% year-on-year to $1.4 billion. The Brooklyn, N.Y., company is also doing well on Wall Street. Shares […]