According to Foreign Policy, "an American business with a global footprint, one that prides itself on supporting freedom of speech in America, recently became an arm of Chinese censorship." Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, tweeted his way into a shitstorm—by supporting democracy. Morey has since deleted the Tweet proclaiming to “stand with Hong Kong,” which prompted a massive assault …
Sports Illustrated Not Going to the Bloggers
Meredith Corporation unloaded Sports Illustrated for a mere $110 million last May. Marketing and brand development company Authentic Brands Group was the buyer. Authentic Brands, which owns licensing rights to companies like Juicy Couture and celebrities like Muhammad Ali, has zero experience running a media company. Given their need for help, the new owner of this classic title inked a deal with Maven in …
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Comscore Charged with Fraud by SEC
Do you trust your data? Do you trust your data provider? Do you trust that someone on your team will parse the data that you do trust into common sense insights that can be acted upon? People say data is more valuable than gold. People also say all that glitters is not gold. I once got in trouble for saying "Comscore absolutely does not fucking matter" in a fancy meeting where I was the youngest person by …
Boots on the Ground: Timberland To Help Plant 50 Million Trees
Brand purpose has plenty of detractors inside the ad industry. For example, Simon White, chief strategy officer at FCB West argues: "When brands advertise their favorite social cause, instead of meeting consumers’ goals, the advertising becomes irrelevant, ineffective and annoying." White adds, "When it comes to advertising, don’t start with your why, start with theirs." It's practical advice and it sounds good …
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Today’s Clumsy Rookie Is Tomorrow’s Skilled Worker
Labor Day weekend is almost here. Carhartt, America’s premium workwear brand since 1889, will close all retail stores, the corporate office, and U.S. manufacturing and distribution facilities on Labor Day to honor its employees and pay tribute to the country’s hardest working people. Tony Ambroza, Chief Brand Officer at Carhartt, said, “We are committed to serving the workforce and being a champion for the skilled …
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Find A Great Writer Or Team of Writers To Move Your Audience
Writers need champions like Andy Greenway, executive creative director at Dentsu Singapore. He's a person who believes deeply in the power of writing to change the course of a business and the world for the better. "Great writing is the foundation of progress," he posits. Greenway also argues that "A great creative agency is built on the back of its superior writing ability. Writing that makes a difference. A …
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Open Up Twelve Or More Ounces of Yee-Haw
People love sparkling water. Sparkling water is a thing. Therefore, the sparkling water market is getting crowded. Mexican-made Topo Chico (now owned by Coca-Cola) is dominant throughout Texas, but in Austin, there are five local choices and La Croix ain't on the menu, much less Perrier. Big Swig Sparkling Water, Rambler Sparkling Water, Richard’s Sparkling Rainwater, Sway Water and Waterloo Sparkling Water …
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Put Some Serious Stock In Slack
Are you on Slack? Over 10 million people log on to the messaging App every day. People in all sorts of industries are deciding if it's a helpful tool or a nagging reminder (that there are unread messages waiting for you to act on). The answers to these questions will vary depending on how your organization chooses to use Slack. Generally speaking, I believe email is for work and Slack is for talking about work …
