Danny G. and I joined Bill Green of Make The Logo Bigger on Bob Knorpp's BeanCast tonight. One of the hot topics we tossed around is Obama's apparent failure to sell Americans on his health care plan. It's also a topic Ken Wheaton of Ad Age took on last week. ...tackling health-care reform in the U.S. demands something approaching perfection when it comes to messaging and branding. Team Obama didn't come close. It …
Making Entrepreneurialism A Healthy Endeavor
Like everyone else, I've been viewing this health insurance debate through the lens of my own experience. Having moved 7 times to 5 states in 12 years, and having both full-time jobs and freelance ones, I am completely convinced that at the very least, health insurance and employment shouldn't be tied together as they currently are. Over at Please Feed The Animals Greg Thomas looks at the entrepreneur spirit and why …
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Americans (Sick and Well, Rich and Poor) Deserve Better (Pricing, Care and Answers)
The heath care debate is getting nasty. I suppose that happens when there's a lot at stake. I could say something about the fraying of civic life in America, but that would be too obvious (and off point). So, let's address advertising's role in fomenting this civic unrest. Here's a hard-hitting ad from Americans for Prosperity: Dan Neil of the Los Angeles Times doesn't like it. He's sick of the right's distortions, …
A Healthy Debate For TV Stations
Today's Wall Street Journal reports that the back-and-forth debate over health care reform has been a big help to cash-strapped TV stations: Altogether, groups on various sides of the debate have spent an average of about $1 million a day in recent weeks, analysts say. Some ads from conservative groups say Democrats want to bring Canadian-style, government-run health care to the U.S. Supporters of health-care …
Joke of the Day: Obama Is Anti-Business
I don't think of the Chamber of Commerce as a political organization, but I'm clearly out of touch. According to The Wall Street Journal: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said it will spend $100 million in an effort to stem the "rapidly growing influence of government over private-sector activity," in a major new move by the powerful business group to counter the Obama administration's regulatory agenda. Chamber …
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Tonight’s Town Hall With The CEO of Portland
Portland Mayor Sam Adams spoke to 50 members of the local creative community tonight at Wieden + Kennedy. The event was sponsored by Portland Ad Fed, the oldest ad club in the U.S. Adams ran through an economic development slide show that focused on sustainability. The Mayor's plan is to position Portland at the forefront of the emerging green economy. Adams spoke of a cluster strategy. He said Portland is strong in …
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New Looks for Public Works
Rob Walker drew my attention to the Obama administration's recent branding efforts for The Recovery. Portland's Aaron Draplin, who loves early 20th century design (appropriately enough) helped make the DOT logo. …
California, Prophet On A Burning Shore
"Seems so long I felt this way and time sure passin slow My time coming, anyday, don't worry about me, no " - John Perry Barlow Mark Morford is a columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle. In his latest piece, he imagines a glorious "green in every way" future for the Golden State. Pot is, by a huge margin, the single largest cash crop in the state unless you count porn stars and celebrity rehab. It rakes in upwards …
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