A couple of items of self-promotion, if you'll allow me the privilege. First, I had the great opportunity to make a repeat appearance on this week's BeanCast, which also featured: Steve Hall of AdRants, Kristi Faulkner of NYC's Womenkind, Jim Hopkinson of The Hopkinson Report, and of course, show host Bob Knorpp. We got into some fun debates, particularly over Scott Montgomery's Ad Age column about time …
Writers And Niche Publishers Welcome Healthy Parasites, The Other Kind Not So Much
Maria Popova of BrainPickings has a bone to pick over the Huffington Post's practice of "over-aggregation." ...when an aggregator like the Huffington Post, a business-model wolf wearing an editorial-authenticity sheep’s skin, takes my (ad-free) content and regurgitates it on its (ad-plastered) site, it lives up to the term “parasite”... The "P" word is also used by Robert Levine, the author of Free Ride: How …
Expensive Electric Vehicle To Get The Content Treatment
According to Ad Age, Ford is investing in lifestyle content to help drive interest in its $39,995-plus electric Focus hatchback, which is about to roll out in 19 selected markets nationwide. Citing research indicating that nearly half of potential American car buyers don't know the difference among a hybrid, a plug-in car or a battery-operated fully electric one, Ford has enlisted SHFT.com, a "new-media …
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Bargain Hunters Like To Find n Save
A consortium of newspapers are offering bargain-hunting shoppers an alternative to Groupon and Living Social. The Find n Save platform is tailored to local audiences, offering digital coupons, daily deals, digital circulars, and other advertising products designed and managed by the local affiliate for maximum impact. Find n Save is available to any local daily newspaper in the United States. By the end …
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Everyone Can Use Public Speaking Help. Even Wanna-Be Presidents.
From Follis Advertising in New York City comes this straight-off-the-news concept for Toastmasters International, the network of local public speaking clubs. It doesn't matter who you are -- public speaking skills can get you far in life. Ironically, Herman Cain's a good public speaker. Most of the time. …
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Have Narrative, Will Travel
Content professionals from the film industry are now being integrated into the core of the creative department at big time shops like BBDO, which signals the rapid maturing of this old-but-new-again marketing form. Andrew McMains of Adweek reports that David Lubars hired Teddy Lynn as the first EVP Director of Content at BBDO, New York. The son of the director of My Cousin Vinny (Jonathan Lynn) and a …
Heard Over Lunch: Spruce Up Your Online Newsroom (Unless You Want To Be Invisible and/or Boring)
PORTLAND—Members and guests of Portland Ad Fed are gathered in the Heritage Room at Bridgeport Brewpub in Northwest Portland to hear from Terri Nopp, a veteran of the Portland branch of Edelman Public Relations and principal of PR startup Online Newsroom. Nopp has witnessed the "dramatic decline of the press" and says there aren't as many reporters to pitch a story to today. Nopp also believes that the reporters …
So, Do You Hate Or Unhate The New Benetton Campaign?
I gotta admit, I don't think about Benetton too much. It was kind of a big deal in my local mall in the mid 80's. But that's about it. So there's nothing like an ad campaign featuring world leaders kissing to get a little buzz. And promote the brand's Unhate Foundation, for whatever that's worth. USA Today has more: "The campaign shows that we need to have courage to not hate others," says Alessandro …
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MINI Is In The Google+ Driver’s Seat
Inspired by the deep and promising potential of Google+ as a platform and its user base of tastemakers, MINI has joined Google+ in the interest of opening new doors for community interaction and engagement. MINI and its social media agency KKLD believe Google+ is remarkably well-suited for the MINI fan base, which is engaging and responsive when challenged in an online setting. I'm not sure what type of …
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How Would You Lure A Person To The U.S. For A Vacation?
New flash: the U.S. as a hip, multicultural place where the "land of awesome possibilities welcomes everyone." Congress created Brand USA in 2010 to work with the travel industry on the first worldwide marketing campaign to promote the United States. DiscoverAmerica.com is one result. According to Ad Age, Brand USA hired JWT to help promote America. Fox News says that funding for the estimated $200 …
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