The Language of Vision
Take in enough intoxicating substances, or go on a spiritual quest without food or water, and anyone can have a vision. But what makes a true visionary is being able to communicate your vision t to your followers clearly, with relevance, passion and commitment. What makes a good a corporate vision statement? ...
Riddle Me This: The Puzzle of Promotions Via Social Networks
Social nets still pose some confounding riddles for advertisers who want to use them to convey messages about brands or promotions. ...
Communicating Leadership Through Corporate Branding
Corporate branding is not only the embedded notion that comprises the company's purpose, mission and values. And perhaps more importantly, it is how leaders use communications to breathe life into every contact with their employees and their consumers. Click here to read why the management team needs the vision and enthusiasm of the CEO in order to really hear, comprehend and care about the corporate message....
Brandanimation: Debunking The Myth of Self Regulation
Erik Hauser says the notion that an online community will self-regulate is absolute hogwash. It's a myth that gets debunked everyday. Sure, if a community member continues to ramble or talk nonsense someone will eventually say something, but by the time eventually rolls around the valued members of the community have unsubscribed. Click here to learn the truth about self regulation....
Fred Segal Beauty Asks Shoppers to Go on a Blogging Spree
(Direct) Fred Segal Beauty is urging consumers to go beyond skin deep with a new online promotion....
Gillette Goes Social in Razor Video Promo
(Promo) Gillette is challenging college football fans to get their 'game face' on in a new promotion to push its Fusion Power razor....
When a Good Brand Goes Bad, Don't Blame Globalization
When Mattel faced a crisis with toys tainted with lead paint last month, it said, "blame China." But now it appears to have a new scapegoat. ...
Brand-up: How to Give Your Goods an Upscale Appeal
Can you turn Wal-Mart into Nordstrom, or Waffle House into Morton's of Chicago? Things like that don't happen overnight. But if you want to move your brand up-market, you better delight the customer. Chief Marketer spoke with Carol Davies, a partner with New York based marketing consultancy Fletcher Knight, about how to "brand-up" consumer goods to give them an upscale appeal....
The iPology Heard Round the Apple
Steve Jobs has ticked off public relations guru Len Stein. The Apple chairman lowered the price of the iPhone $200, right after he bought one for his son, and issues an "iPology" to those who shelled out top dollar just eight weeks earlier. Click here for Stein's thoughts....
Buy.com's 2.0 Makeover
(Direct) Any company that's been in e-commerce nearly 10 years has a pretty decent claim on being thought of as a pioneer. But Buy.com, which started selling tech goods and consumer electronics through a Web-only store back in 1998, isn't content to sit around and tell stories about the old days....
What's In A Name? For Macy's, Perhaps Less Than They Think
This September, retail chain Macy’s will debut several television commercials featuring a variety of notables, including domestic diva Martha Stewart; real estate developer Donald Trump; rap impresario Russell Simmons; chef Emeril Lagasse; and Jessica Simpson, who perennially defines the question “Why are we still paying attention to this woman?”...
Social Marketing May Fall Short in Targeting Brand Advocates
Social marketing may not be a magic bullet when it comes to targeting online brand advocates, according to a new report from JupiterResearch....
The Battle of the Red Cross
It's a simple symbol, just a red cross. But the battle between the Johnson & Johnson conglomerate and the non-profit American National Red Cross is heating up. Click here for CoreBrand brand director Jonathan Paisner's two cents on who should be allowed to use the universally known symbol....
McBrainwashing? Not So McFast…
There's a reason nine out of 10 kids know who Ronald McDonald is, and why they'd even eat carrots (yuck!) from a McDonald's wrapper. But is McBrainwashing a bad thing for future generations, or something more marketers need to do with their brands? ...
Swag Party: The Influence of Conference Premiums
The first time I attended a conference as a reporter covering the direct marketing industry, I was amazed at the amount of loot to be had....
Harry Potter and the Magic Brand
The latest Harry Potter flick proved to be box office magic, raking in over $330 million in the first four days of release. Not bad for something that is a "fading phenomenon" among kids aged 7 to 12, according to one consultant. Robert Passikoff of Brand Keys, however, says that sort of thinking is for unbelieving muggles. Click here to read why he feels the brand resonates with children and adults alike. ...
Caller ID: Telecom's Brand Lessons
Chances are you've heard about the iPhone, a newfangled device that has gotten a little bit of media attention, to say the least. It's the latest revolution in the telecom world, which contains many interesting lessons for all marketers. For a brief look at telecommunications' past and what may come in the future, read on....
Provoking Engagement: How an Old, Old Brand Learned New Blogging Tricks
While Britannica may be an old-school name, it's ahead of the game in the blogosphere, says marketing consultant Tom Chandler. The brand is engaging blog readers, and staying clear of hype and corporatespeak. Read on for more of Chandler's thoughts on the Britannica Blog....
Whole Foods’ Founder in Blog Flap
Perhaps we might ask Whole Fools, er Foods, founder John Mackey, who is surely feeling the heat ratchet up, likely soon to be legal, as a torrent of news and angry editorials rain down on his parade in literally dozens of pages of Google News citations....
Alli: Not A Magic Pill
In order for Alli to work, consumers must be willing to do some serious heavy lifting with diet and exercise. But if a consumer is truly committed to losing weight the old-fashioned way, will they want or need to take a pill? Why not just go to Weight Watchers?...
Book Worms: DC Comics Uses Social Networking to Promote New Series for Teen Girls
(Promo) Feeling like an outcast in high school is a sad, but true reality for many young girls. DC Comics is playing into that awkward feeling with the debut this month of "The Plain Janes," the first graphic novel in a series created just for teens. ...
Sprightly Venture: Soda Maker Launches Mobile Social Community for Teens
(Promo) This month, the Coca-Cola Co. plans to launch a social community for teens via mobile phones for its Sprite brand....
Winning in Today's Media Ecology
One can argue about the precise date media ecology finally arrived in its full-blown complexity – usually without an appointment – in the reception areas of major corporations like P&G and General Motors and Coca Cola and at advertising agencies like Omnicom, Interpublic, and JWT. Or you can debate upon which convoluted continuum the old media environment migrated. ...
BrandAnimation: Old World Order
I’ve really enjoyed the American Idol age of advertising, but I’m convinced you will be seeing a lot less of it soon. The rush to allow customers to create everything will trend down, and in many respects, the old world order will re-assert itself....
American Blogstand: Boston.com Turns News into Music in Video Blog Pilot Test
A pilot program where news was turned into song became the second most popular video feature on Boston.com last month....
