There’s been an interesting debate on the strategy internet as of late about what the difference is between a planner and a strategist. Given the indecision in the industry today, I thought I’d go ahead and find an answer that works for all of us. That answer is simple: It literally does not matter what you're called. They’re just words. Go do your job. By the way, this is also why account handlers and creatives …
A Laptop, An Electric Vehicle, A Beer, and A Sandwich Walk Into A Bar…
The Super Bowl is this coming Sunday. Before the gridiron contest commences, we have a parade of brands competing to be heard. In order to earn attention, many of the brands in question have invested $10M or more in media placements, production, and ideas. Dell, for instance, will be showcasing its redesigned XPS personal computer on Sunday. https://youtu.be/0Criw6ObLZ8 Dell's new work challenges the …
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Ad Chatter Season 2, Episode 2: A Look at Three Super Bowl LV Ads
This coming Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. Ahead of the big game and the annual advertising event, Dan Goldgeier and I discuss COVID's impact on the game and the ads. We also preview three Super Bowl ads from three food and beverage brands. You can also listen to this 21-minute episode, and all episodes of Ad Chatter on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, …
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How to Make Better Strategic Decisions: Stop Thinking So Much
Data-driven. We see this phrase absolutely everywhere in the marketing world today. On agency websites, on job descriptions, in people’s bios, on LinkedIn, and on resumes. I’ve got a problem with that. There's a concerted push to making sure everything is data-driven. But it’s not fully understood how narrow that statement really is. Making sure something is ‘data-driven’, is actually the best way to ensure you’re …
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In Gen E’s Idyllic Future, Drivers Will “Emit Optimism, Not Exhaust”
There's Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z. Now, General Motors is proposing another new generation—one based not on age, but on a personal preference for electricity over gasoline. GM calls this new generation, Gen E and posits that this generation is plugged into something the rest of us are not. https://youtu.be/nJf5Woythmk The commercial itself is plugged in to something that many of us are not. Let me ask you a …
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More Joy, More Smiling, More Laughter
The joy of sports and competition. The joy of friends and teammates. The joy of Sundays. The joy of beer. It's all here in this new Super Bowl LV spot from Michelob Ultra, care of Wieden + Kennedy New York. https://youtu.be/6nzZW8BN-WY The 60-second spot, called “Happy,” features sports superstars Serena Williams, Anthony Davis, Peyton Manning, Brooks Koepka, Jimmy Butler, and Alex Morgan enjoying time off the …
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Know What’s Up in ’21: Read Wunderman Thompson’s New Future 100 Report
As a marketer, are you feeling cautiously optimistic about 2021? Can 2021 be a hopeful year of economic rebound and societal healing? Wunderman Thompson Intelligence, the agency’s futures think tank and innovation unit, believes so. Their findings are presented in the agency's annual Future 100 report, which helps lift the lid on trends that will shape the coming 12 months. Mel Edwards, Global CEO, Wunderman …
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Find Yourself A City To Plug In
"Did I forget to mention - Forget to mention Memphis Home of Elvis and the ancient Greeks Do I smell - I smell home cooking It's only the river - it's only the river" -David Byrne One of the biggest barriers to buying an electric vehicle is the idea that there are not enough charging points. The new Chevrolet Bolt EV overcomes this objection because it doesn't require a special charging station. In this new …
Protect Your Digital Assets and Communications Infrastructure
Cyber thieves are lurking. Cyber thieves are stealing. Facts. The big question is how are you responding to, and preventing this imminent threat? Digital fraud is a problem businesses have been facing since the advent of e-commerce in the 1990s, and its threat only increases with each passing year. Experian found that losses from fraudulent identities increased from 51% in 2017 to 57% in 2019. According to …
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Will Marketers Stop Funding Media Garbage Masquerading As News?
Faux News agreed to pay millions of dollars to the family of Seth Rich, the Democratic National Committee staff member who was murdered in Washington, D.C. in 2016. As part of the legal settlement, the details of the case were kept quiet until after the election and the resounding defeat of Don Trump. Ben Smith, media columnist at The New York Times has more: Why did Fox care about keeping the Rich settlement …
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