My head is spinning. Yvon Chouinard's memoir/manifesto, Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman, is the reason. I don't know that I can successfully convey how important this book is. Yet, it's imperative that I try. First, let me say this book is the best "ad" I've ever seen. I've been a hard core fan of Patagonia for 25 years, but this book/ad has deepened my respect for the company. The …
We Can Do Better Than Spam. Can’t We?
Scott Karp of Publishing 2.0 always has thought provoking content to share, which makes him one of the best bloggers I know of. In a recent post, he states that "most online advertising creates NO value for consumers." I'm not sure many other forms of advertising create value for consumers either, but I digress. Consider this: What is the most successful type of online advertising that convinces people to buy …
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Wrong Word
Do you crave intimacy with the brands in your life? Please tell me the answer is "no." Writing in BusinessWeek, Sohrab Vossoughi, founder and President of ZIBA Design claims intimacy is desired. Umpqua had to understand its own culture. What did Umpqua believe in? What was it good at? What did it stand for? What could it stand for? After researching these questions thoroughly, Umpqua found its customers were craving …
Yet Another Facebook Story: Get Thee To An Ikea
USA Today, like many others in the tech press, wonder what Zuck is going to do next. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, asked at the D Conference if he would sell Facebook to Microsoft for $15 billion, said no. "The end goal for us isn't to sell the company or an IPO. The way we evaluate (offers) is how are they going to help us along the way," he said. Maybe Google is one of those companies who can help. "We talk all the …
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Dior Drops Sharon Like A Stone
The New York Times points to the downside of celebrity endorsement. Christian Dior, the French fashion brand, has become the latest global company to learn a hard lesson about the danger of offending Chinese pride. Facing the possibility of a boycott of its products, the luxury company said on Thursday that it had dropped the American actress Sharon Stone from its advertising in China after she suggested last week …
Using That Gold Pencil As A Back Scratcher
Over at Ad Age's The Big Tent Cat Lopez makes the surprisingly honest admission that he has to butter up other people in order to win awards. I've been on a few awards juries, and they've all been great experiences, if not for the advertising itself as much as the lessons I've learned in human behavior. If an agency is on a hot streak and winning awards left and right, they usually get the benefit of the doubt for …
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Wherefore Art Thou, Hill | Holliday?
Hill | Holliday hasn't updated their website since April 11th. I'm certain there are good reasons for it. Most likely the people who have been chosen to update the site are busy solving client problems (like finding Rachel Ray a new scarf). I get it. But, I also get that a blog as agency site isn't the right answer if you can't keep it up to date. I don't mean to pick on Hill | Holliday. They are far from the only …
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