Kevin Maney, USA Today's technology writer, claims now is the time to launch a web-based business. "A savvy entrepreneur can get to proof-of-concept with a consumer Internet idea on less than $500,000 of capital," says Dave Whorton, a venture capitalist at TPG Ventures. "Five years ago, it required 15 times more capital and three times more time. Experimentation can happen faster and at lower cost." If VC money is …
Celebrating Creative Genius
The Newest Industry points to Google's logo de jour. The logo commemorates Frank Lloyd Wright's birthday in 1867. And while Wright had nothing to do with advertising, the man was truly a creative's creative. …
Social Networks On Slippery Slope
Molly Wood, a CNET editor, has published a piece claiming social networking doesn't work. I've gotten a lot of invitations to Friendster over the years, which, to be honest, I ignored. I always just assumed I didn't have time for that tomfoolery. Plus, I already had a boyfriend, and I already had friends. I know that all sounds horribly snobby, but there it is. But then, along came Orkut. Suddenly, because I was …
Soul Patch For Sale (No, Not On eBay)
Columbus, OH ad agency, Young Issac, was written up in the print edition of Adweek recently. The source of their newfound fame is a viral effort directed not to unsuspecting and callous consumers, but to those jaded plebes who work in the ad biz, or hope to one day soon. Get creative with the click of a mouse! Our Online Megastore is a true feat of technological amazement. Creativity is just minutes away. Buy a …
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The Great Meritocracy
USA Today is running an article on the power of the Harvard University brand. Here's what I find interesting. According to research from the University of Pennsylvania, the percentage of top executives at Fortune 100 companies who were Ivy League undergrads dropped from 14% to 10% from 1980 to 2001. I wonder how many Ivy Leaguers we have in the ad ranks. One thing I've always enjoyed about this profession is the fact …
Some Items Simply Sell Themselves
Plan On It
Nike brand planner, Russell Davies, has some choice words for those considering a career as a planner. 3. You Need An Enthusiasm For Brands And Communications And Advertising And That. Yes, lots of your friends think brands suck and are manipulative and are ruining the world. If you think that, then a) you're mostly wrong and b) you probably shouldn't be a planner. If you think they're just trivial in the larger …
Grow Your Own
In what appears to be a pop culture-like brand hijacking, a Japanese firm has launched Campbell's Seed. The seeds come in a tin that looks exactly the same as the red-and-white Campbell's can except the word "soup" is replaced by "seeds". Inside is a choice of seeds to grow miniature tomatoes, miniature pumpkins or green peas. The company has sold 25,000 of the cans since they went on the market in Japan at the end …
