Groupon: Stunt or Stupidity?

Like many media-obsessed folks, I was on Twitter during the Super Bowl watching the critique of the ads in real time. Much of what I was seeing came from people in marketing or social media. And the 140-character limit made for necessarily succinct reviews. There was disagreement and some spirited banter. That is, until the Groupon ad ran.

The Roy With The Thorn In His Side

Maybe the best career path to being a college basketball coach is through marketing. Follow me here. If you’re in marketing, you’re at least used to criticism and second guessing. Being the target of blame and derision. Unlike some coaches who shall remain nameless. Like Roy Williams.

How About a Stimulus Plan for Marketing?

U.S. businesses are sitting on unprecedented amounts of capital right now. In many sectors, business has generally come back enough to make a little money. Not enough to hire people again. And certainly not enough to spend some of it on marketing. Perish the thought!

Know When To Fold ‘Em

The sage Kenny Rogers was full of great advice. But none was better than “…know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.” That bit of knowledge is crucial in nearly every aspect of life. Whether you’re gambling with men packing pistols, running a floundering NFL franchise or assembling a marketing plan.

The Gap’s Gaffe Tastes Like New Coke

I suppose there are two ways to look at The Gap’s logo flip-flop. One view is that the company really listened to their customers and the graphic arts community at large and wasn’t too proud to admit they made a mistake. I’ve seen quite a few articles that take this stand. And this could very well be the case. On the other hand I have two words for you: New Coke.

Chevy – Poster Child for Sexism?

What a gorgeous bit is nostalgia from Chevrolet! Or whatever this is trying to be. Especially in tough economic times like these, I like to think about the possible target audiences. Even for a poster, which is not technically advertising.

The Ad Agency Model: What’s Broken?

Don’t get me wrong. Mad Men is great television. And there was a time when that kind of powerful, monolithic agency structure served a purpose as part of a greater business construction. Part of me cannot imagine a world without Madison Avenue and all it embodies. But outside of the super-corporate world, advertising agencies are struggling. Just last week I learned that another iconic Charlotte agency had closed. And it apparently didn’t even make a ripple in the news.

Social Media At Work: Evangelism Or Stealth?

When it comes to social media policy in the workplace, more and more companies are deciding to decide. That is, they are finally facing the fact that they might want a policy that deals with the pervasiveness of social media. Regardless of how you feel about it, companies do need a policy. Employees deserve to know what is expected of them. And the policy might as well be not only to allow social media, but to use it as a positive force within the company.

One Bad Apple

I remember watching Nixon’s “I am not a crook” speech on TV. At the time, my mother told me that he should just admit what he did and everyone would soon forget about it. “It’s when you deny, deny, deny,” she said. “That’s when you really get in trouble.” Nixon, Clinton…Toyota, Apple. Will they ever learn?

Meet The New Boss. Same As The Old Boss.

A while back I had a cynical take on a survey of Facebook users. This survey made it appear as though noble intentions were the most popular reason to “Like” a brand. Subsequent offline conversations suggested that this kind of consumer behavior was not only true but predictable. The reason? All marketing is relationship marketing and always has been. This brand loyalty check-to-cheek dance was just the logical extension of what we’ve seen in advertising for decades.