With the news that Enfatico employees had to replace their Macs with Dells for Michael Dell's visit, I was reminded of the time I worked for a Pepsi agency, and in my first week on the job some Jr. AE bitched at me about having a Dr. Pepper. I didn't work on Pepsi at the time, but that didn't matter. Loyalty towards a client's products is serious business. Or is it? That's the subject of my new column on Talent …
Take This Job And Film It
Examples of advertainment or brand-sponsored entertainment are cropping up at a regular interval now. Could it be, brands--consumer and B2B--are ready to embrace this form of content full on? I think yes, especially when you factor in the internet as an affordable distribution channel for the content. Navistar International Corporation, which markets a new long-haul truck, the LoneStar, with a sticker price of …
A Peek Behind Nike’s Product Development Curtain
Ed Cotton of Butler Shine & Stern points to video testimonials from inside Nike's R&D labs. His takeaway is that brands have an opportunity to think like and act like media companies today. As a Content Director working on behalf of brands, I couldn't agree more. …
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It’s Mostly Garbage
I could give you a dozen or more reasons why advertising sucks, but there's no need. There's no need because there's an entire blog dedicated to the topic. "RestrictionsApply" at Why Advertising Sucks spells it out pretty nicely. I blame my dad for making me realize the truth. He once asked me the following: “How is it that you, as an advertising professional, spend so much time, energy, sleepless nights, lost …
Today in Twitterverse: Holland House
Canadian photographer, Kris Krug, is in China for the Olys and Dutch beer. Uhm... God bless Holland. Heineken House rawks. More croquettes, frites, beers and blondes than I know what to do with. ;) This video is the work of Robert Scales, another Vancouverite in China. I'm thinking Krug and Scales might know each other. …
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It’s Not A Diet, It’s A Challenge
Clive Thompson, writing for Wired, explains why losing weight with Weight Watchers is easy, and even fun, to do. Weight Watchers is an RPG. That's "role playing game" for those over 40. …
A Brand’s Message Board Is Also A Consumer Generated Ad (for better or worse)
Pete Blackshaw, author of Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000, wrote a piece for Ad Age about the customer contact form and how stiff it is—an odd thing in a world where conversations with customers are so highly valued. I dare you to find a feedback form that winks even a quasi-friendly smile. And if you find one that allows consumers to truly communicate in their native voices -- …
Battleground States Are Good for Business
In Florida's living rooms, the presidential contest so far has been a landslide -- Barack Obama, 9,785; John McCain, zero. That is the tally of local television commercials broadcast by each candidate in the state. Recent polls in Florida show Sen. McCain holding a small edge in Florida. [via The Wall Street Journal] …
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