Duncan J. Watts, a professor of sociology at Columbia University, along with collaborators Matthew Salganik and Peter Dodd are conducting a Web-based experiment in predictability and consumer preference (for music) at MusicLab.Columbia.edu. On Sunday, conclusions from their data was spread far and wide via the New York Times Magazine. Recent research suggests that reliable hit prediction is impossible no matter how …
Here Comes KateModern
Miles Beckett, Greg Goodfried and Mesh Flinders are far from household names, but they're interweb creation--Bree, a.k.a. LoneyGirl15--is another matter entirely. Now the the creative team is trading on their LonelyGirl15 success. They've signed a deal with the social networking site Bebo.com to create a second interactive drama--KateModern--told in short, seemingly homemade video clips. According to Los Angeles …
Kmart Makes Howard Happy
The Wall Street Journal's (paid sub. req.) lead says it all, "Goodbye, Wal-Mart. Hello, Kmart." Just months after the punishing loss of the Arkansas-based retail behemoth, and the sordid affairs that led to it, Howard Draft's agency is back in business. Kmart, a unit of Sears Holdings, chose the Interpublic Group agency because of the shop's skills in "analytics" and "customer insights," says Maureen McGuire, chief …
Fast Food Farce
Jeff Kay's West Virginia Surf Report is offering an interesting photo essay that depicts food marketers as fabricators. In his left column he shows the advertised image, in his right column he shows the real thing. …
Comedy Central In The House
I don't know why I'm just now seeing this brilliant Coca-Cola Zero campaign for the first time, but I am. Apparently, Crispin Porter & Bogusky invited a mix of actors and real lawyers to this "rigged up conference room." The lawyer in the video above is real. …
The Old Fear Barrier
Jessi Hempel, Innovation editor at BusinessWeek, looks at a McKinsey report concerning adoption (or lack thereof) of Web 2.0 technologies among gloabal corporations. Following the study, Jacques Bughin, who's a director in McKinsey's Brussels office interviewed a number of the respondents. "The reason why blogs and wikis, in particular, aren't well used is that companies are still afraid," he posits. Another barrier …
Chuckin’ The Chucks
The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.) takes a look at several agencies that have recently walked away from fickle but lucrative accounts. Here's a quick view of one high profile move. Last week, Sausalito, Calif., independent Butler Shine Stern & Partners parted ways with Nike's Converse, a client of about three years' standing. Winning the Converse account in 2004 was an important win for the agency, says Butler …
Positioning Deconstructed
Jackie Huba opens her latest blog post with a provocative declaration. Positioning is a marketing facade that paints a picture idealized by the marketer, not necessarily the customer. She then points to OwenBloggers.com, a group of MBA students and alumni from Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management who provide a view of the Owen brand not available from the school itself. The Owen bloggers are brand …