Brands

According to The New York Times, gasoline prices surpassed $3.50 a gallon nationwide for the first time and oil jumped to a record high on Monday. Given the intense price pressure on consumers, it's interesting to note this article in Ad Age about consumers buying gas on brand preference, not price. Karen Wildman, brand and communications manager of the Shell brand at Shell Oil Co., said the industry hasn't done a …

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I love the copy in this new spot from DIRECTV. Here's the cable exec's babble: Problem: People everywhere are hooking up their new flatscreens to DIRECTV and they are blown away by the picture and all the amazing HD channels. Solution: We go viral. We get on the net and we blog it out. Ta da! We are up 800% among suburban tweens. Who just saved Q3? This campaign is directed by satirist Christopher Guest. Speaking …

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A microbrewer, like a small scale wine producer, creates passion around its product and, by extension, its brand. By forgoing the mass market, the microbrand actually can have a meaningful dialogue with its base (something big brands desperately want right now). Here's an example of the kind of "talk" that perfectly presents a brand's value proposition. Rogue Nation Beer Manifesto est. May 1996 I. We hold that beer …

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According to Adweek, Ford management has asked its 750,000-person network of employees, retirees and dealers to talk to friends and family about the quality and features of Ford vehicles. The new marketing initiatve created by JWT/Wunderman, known as Drive One is also supported online, in print and on TV. "The whole idea behind this campaign is not fancy ads. It's talking to the customer, who talks to a friend," said …

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According to The Hollywood Reporter and Ad Age, "Gossip Girl," despite lackluster ratings, is still the flagship program of The CW and a program worth pimping (and I use that word intentionally). "We wanted to create a provocative campaign that stands out from the competition and reminds viewers of some of the 'OMG' moments that have made Gossip Girl one of the most buzzed-about new shows on television," the CW …

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I snapped this pic this morning at my local Starbucks. I need to go back and study it, because now I realize that the smudged chalkboard look and feel is a neat way to say "LOCAL," even though a chain with thousands of stores can hardly claim to be a local institution. At any rate, I'm wondering if this POS really is chalked. Take a look next time you're at Starbucks and I'll do the same. …

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Community? Check. Dialogue? Check. Expert advice? Check. Personalization and customization? Check. In a move that combines the power of two well known consumer brands, and benefits from the latest interactive thinking, dove.msn.com, debuts today. The new digital channel is the re-launch of Dove.com, providing what Unilever describes as "a unified worldwide digital presence designed to be a trusted source for …

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Sarah Lacy, the BusinessWeek writer who caused a melee at South By last month, turns her attention from Facebook to Yelp for the moment. Yelp's real Web 2.0 bragging right is its business model. Unlike many companies in its peer group, Yelp provides a compelling advertising platform. People go there intending to make a transaction—say, find a Thai restaurant in New York or an accountant in San Francisco. And it's …

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