I generally like the no-frills, mostly business approach of LinkedIn. But today's New York Times reports that the site is struggling, and may find a bit of a boost in with the Hollywood crowd: The company bills itself as “the world’s largest and most powerful business network” but is known to most people as the Web site they begrudgingly visit every few months to approve be-my-contact invitations. Could Hollywood’s …
We Sell Guns
Talking about gun control in a commercial context is tough. Like abortion, it's a polarizing topic. Yet, it's one that can't be brushed under the rug--not in a nation of shooters. According to Adfreak, Modernista has erected the nation's largest outdoor board on the Mass Pike near Fenway Park on behalf of its client, Stop Handgun Violence. Since 1995, Stop Handgun Violence has increased public awareness about the …
Advertisers Try To Get Some Face Time
New facial-recognition marketing efforts are cropping up. What might make for a good plot twist in a Sci-fi novel is actually detailed in The Wall Street Journal. Dunkin' Donuts is among the first marketers in the U.S. to begin testing the technologies, at two locations in Buffalo, N.Y. People ordering a coffee in the morning can see ads at the cash register promoting the chain's hash browns or breakfast sandwiches. …
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I Hope You Have A Bigger Toolbox
On c|net, Tim Leberecht describes the need for convergence of marketing disciplines and the opportunity it creates for the people and agencies capable of making this ideal a reality. Brand, user experience design, product design, marketing communications, PR, online advertising, etc.--what we're seeing is an increased convergence of all these creative disciplines. It is not a matter of strategic choice, more a …
When People Ask Why You’re Majoring In Anthropology, You Can Tell Them You’re Working To Improve Market Intelligence
Author, Scott Berkun, spoke to anthropologist, Grant McCracken, for the Harvard Business Review. Here's a small bit of what McCracken offered: Anthropologists specialize in the study of culture, and culture matters in marketing because it supplies the infrastructure for thought and feeling in America. How consumers see the product, the service, or the pitch, these are largely shaped by the culture in their heads. The …
I’m Glad I Deactivated My Facebook Account
Faux News is looking for a more "sophisticated" audience on Facebook, instead of partnering with its sibling socnet, MySpace, according to The New York Times. Facebook is “currently the leading social network” worldwide, said Joel Cheatwood, the senior vice president for development at Fox News. “They also have a user that’s a little older and a little more sophisticated.” MSNBC and MySpace recently worked together …
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Out of Home On Two Wheels
Branded utility is becoming a buzzword, but when the examples are this flawless, I can't help but be impressed. According to Ad Age, Clear Channel Outdoor, which runs several self-service public bicycle rental programs in Europe, has brought the concept to Washington, DC. The initial rollout features a total of 120 bikes at 10 rental sites near downtown Metro stations. Rack locations depend on a number of factors …
The Loyal Treatment
With the news that Enfatico employees had to replace their Macs with Dells for Michael Dell's visit, I was reminded of the time I worked for a Pepsi agency, and in my first week on the job some Jr. AE bitched at me about having a Dr. Pepper. I didn't work on Pepsi at the time, but that didn't matter. Loyalty towards a client's products is serious business. Or is it? That's the subject of my new column on Talent …
