Dave Pollard has a fascinating essay up about Americans and our sycophantic ways. It's mostly about how we're duped by our political leaders, but he ventures into the business realm, as well. First, he quotes best selling author, Peter Block: “Leadership” is a well-developed misconception. The dominant belief is that the task of leadership is to set a vision, enroll others in it and hold people accountable through …
Doo-Woppers Triumph
USA TODAY: A judge has ordered PepsiCo Inc. and its advertising company to pay $250,000 to the 1950s doo-wop band The Flamingos for using their recording, "I Only Have Eyes For You" in a commercial without permission. A federal judge in Chicago on Friday upheld an arbitrator's decision in favor of the two surviving members of The Flamingos, Terry Johnson and Tommy Hunt, and the estates of the deceased members. A …
Our Food Is Fresh. Bobby Flay Is Spoiled.
NYT: The specialty grocer Trader Joe's is coming to Manhattan in a few months, but will not be advertising its opening. Instead, the company that has inspired cult loyalty by offering low prices on fresh produce, packaged and frozen foods will stick to its bare-bones marketing approach: sending direct-mail flyers to residents in the neighborhood. (In this case, the first Trader Joe's in New York City will open on …
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That’s Interesting But Where’s Our Product?
In the current issue of Business Week, the magazine explores the firing of William Perez by Phil Knight at Nike, in an article titled, "Inside the Coup at Nike." AdPulp readers may be particularly interested in the following paragraph. Perez, who came from a consumer-product marketing background, says he sometimes wondered if Nike's famously creative, irreverent advertising was actually conveying relevant messages …
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Indy Racing To Get Its Ass Kissed
It comes as no surprise that a business full of clowns would add one more to its big top. Scratch that. What you are about to read is shocking! Bassist Gene Simmons is a marketing genius. He turned the 1970s hair band Kiss into an almost $1 billion enterprise by licensing the band's name and looks to everything from credit cards to a Kiss-opoly board game. Coming soon: a Kiss Babies cartoon, Kiss Broadway plays, a …
A Fresh Dose Of Attitude
Dillon Snyder has attitude--the kind it takes to get a great job in this business. I am a copywriter, which means, once you edit out all the fluff, I fill in the blanks. Simply put, blanks are what separate brands from the smiling faces of the general public. Using words, big ideas, strong concepts, green ink, and on occasion a bar napkin or two I fill in these blanks. Once filled, brands and people are united and …
Power Is Nothing Without Control…Look For The Video In March
International Herald Tribune: Want to catch the new film starring John Malkovich and Naomi Campbell? You will have to log on to the Internet. And perhaps "film" isn't quite the right word: The American actor and the British model star in a 10-minute video commissioned by Pirelli, the Italian tire maker, which plans to post it in March on a specially created Web site, where it will become the feature presentation in a …
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WSJ To Humanize
NYT: Move over, People magazine. The Wall Street Journal is invading your turf. Yes, the business newspaper in the gray flannel suit is emphasizing its human side. Starting today, The Journal is expanding its coverage of people and running a comprehensive index of all the people who are mentioned significantly in that day's newspaper. "People like to read about people," said Paul E. Steiger, managing editor of The …
