Google is looking to start a venture capital arm according to the Wall Street Journal. Google is known for business innovation, but this new venture concept will formally make Google the largest tech venture firm. Google has gone way beyond the search. They are currently investing in energy. They created ANDROID, the open source co-op for mobile phones. Google is always up to something.
Chrysler is looking to make some major changes. The Wall Street Journal reports that Chrysler is currently scrambling to cut costs by forming alliances with companies across the globe. In India, they are in talks with Tata to build Jeeps. The struggling car maker is also in talks with Fiat about a possible factory lease deal. All this is in addition to down-sizing their workforce. In the U.S. Chrysler sales have fallen by 22% so far this year.
There is some good news for the company. Chrysler, GM and Nissan were ranked as some of the most visible auto makers online. Internet…
Former Google employees created a new search engine that they claim is the largest search engine in the world. It searches three times more pages than Google and doesn’t use the Google Page rank algorithm. Cuil, pronounce “cool” is an old Irish word for knowledge. Cuil does not track user information like Google does and the user interface is really clean. I tried it and I like it. Give it a go and see what you think.
Choosing a name is difficult to do. You could set your baby up difficult life if you are not careful. The same is true for brands. The Nintendo Wii is an example of an odd name that some how works. Wii, Phonetically, it sounds like “we” and the console was meant to played by the whole family. It sounds a little funny, but it works.
The same can not be said for the acid reflux medication, Aciphex. Aciphex is Phonetically similar to Ass Effects. Watch this ad with your eyes closed and listen. It was funny at first but it bothers…
The Grand Old Party has created a parody of Facebook called BarackBook to make certain points against Senator Obama. The Obama campaign has taken advantage of digital media like no other political campaing in history. They have used the internet to their advantage and done it rather well, especially in raising funds. But, digital technolgy works both ways. Obama has had trouble with internet rumors. Around 11% of Americans polled, believe that he is Muslim. The opposition is using the net to their advantage as well. They are using a Facebook-like interface to highlight Obama’s relationships with shady “friends” like Bill…
As a digital strategist, I’m not a huge fan of many of the flash intro pages that are out there. You know, the kind where the music just starts to play automatically. These intros usually lead to a logo or an “enter” sign. What do they mean, by ENTER? I thought I was already in. If you want to see what a good into looks like, check Team One. They use their intro to brand themselves without being too “in your face.” Team One does a good job of keeping my attention, while telling me part of their brand story…
Global citizenship is not a novel concept. Every time there is a war, we hear a call for unity. Musicians come together to make tribute songs and donate the proceeds to charity. We are the world, indeed. Today I received an e-mail about a design competition. Adbusters is asking designers to create a world flag, free of words. The imagery should portray unity. I can’t help but be skeptical about the design of a global flag that unites global citizens. I want to believe.
Last year we worked on a “Brand America” project, where the goal was to improve the image of…
Honda is planning to air a live ad that features 19 sky divers in mid air. The divers will spell out Honda using only their bodies. The ad is set to air at 8:10 PM in the UK according to Brand Republic. Five teaser ads asking people to visit www.difficultisworthdoing.com were created to build up the hype for the live ad, which is part of a bigger campaign created by Wieden & Kennedy. The main event, an ad called jump will air on June 1st. Honda is known for creating award winning communication in this region. Remember “Grrr” and “Cog“.
I’ve taken close to 1,500 photos this year and dozens of videos. Most of the photos aren’t that great, but the volume ensures that the occasional moment is captured. I was going through some of my pictures and I found a few of John Partilla, President, Time Warner Global Media Group and Senior Vice President, Time Warner. He sits on the VCU Brandcenter board of directors, and they came by for the grand opening of the new building. For being one of the top guys at Time Warner, he was pretty down to earth. He even took some time to play…
About a month ago, Greenpeace protesters dressed in orang-utan costumes got the attention of Unilever execs. Greenpeace claimed that the harvesting of palm oil in Indonesia was destroying the habitat of orang-utans. The producers of palm oil often clear forests to meet the demands of Unilever, who is the biggest purchaser of palm oil. A few weeks later, Unilever got the point. They pledged that by 2015 all the palm oil they use will be from sustainable sources. Waiting until 2015 is not enough for Greepeace, who claim that by that time there will be no forest to preserve. So the story…
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton represent a changing of the guard in presidential politics. Yet, the concept of a black American and a woman running for the highest office in the nation is still novel to some. Look around. This is a historic moment. Regardless of who wins the primaries, politics will be a little bit different from now on. This important moment was made possible in part by the audacity of individuals who personified the change they sought. Mavericks have a natural tendency to stand out from the crowd. But when they inspire others who in turn inspire others,…
Xoddo claims to be the first “the first online ‘design it, build it, buy it’ stuffed toy in history. I don’t really like these weird little toys. You can customize the toy however you want, as long as it’s bright stupid looking. I’m not a kid and maybe I’m biased against bad design, but there are some good things about Xoddo. The name is not one of them. They have a specific target. Kids! They create an online experience, although they could have spent a little more time making it come to life. They have two starting prices. The toys start…
I did a bit of research this semester on the whole concept of digital for my master’s thesis and I’d like to share some insights with you. I am prepared to be 100% wrong here, but I’d like to give my honest opinion. There are countless experts and bloggers with opinions on the digital future and what it means for you. Even industry publications such as Adage or BusinessWeek are talking about the digital change that will come in the not so distant future. The Advertising industry in particular has a sour tone in its messaging, maybe in part to Google…
More than 50 Greenpeace activists staged protests at two Unilever sites in the UK yesterday. Some were dressed as Orang-utans holding a sign that read “Dove Destroyed My Rain Forrest.” The palm oil in many Dove skin care products is linked to deforestation and the destruction of Orang-utan habitats in Indonesia. Greenpeace blames the suppliers of the palm oil, but Unilever is the largest corporate consumer of palm oil in the world. The demonstrators are also urging Dove’s advertising and PR companies to put pressure on the Unilever in the hopes that they can find a sustainable way to extract…
New social sites come and go like fads in the early 90’s. It can be confusing to keep up. Some people jump right into a new site, eager to be one of the first members. Private invite-only launches create a nice buzz in beta. Many people however, wait until a site has passed the test of time, or at least until they understand it. Fortunately, sites like mashable exist to guide people through the social media landscape. Business 2.0 magazine, by Time Warner was a good source of information, but they have closed the publication due to slow ad sales. If…
There has been a lot of talk recently about the Geoweb. In this world, geo-tagging cameras equipped with GPS know exactly where the picture was taken. Microsoft’s Photosynth wowed us with its ability to combine images of geo-tagged photos. All this technology is great, but what about more practical uses for global imaging technology?
Wikimapia is just that. It is a Wikipedia style reference on top of a Google Earth platform. You can search for businesses near your house or find historic sites close by. Your home might even be a historic landmark. I used it to check out London recently and I found…
Rudolf Dassler originally named his company Ruda, combining the first two letters of his first and last name. His brother Adolf Dassler or Adi as he was known, combined the first three letters of his first and last name when he launched his company. The two worked together before deciding to go their separate ways during World War I. Things have changed since then. Today Adidas is telling the story of Adi Dassler in one of their latest campaigns, but Ruda doesn’t exist anymore. The name was changed to Puma in 1948.
Puma is the third largest sportswear maker trailing Nike and…
Google is getting fewer clicks in the US according Internet measuring company ComScore. These results can be misleading because clicks are not an accurate measure of success. Measuring clicks is like measuring the total number of items sold without considering the price. One person could sell 100 items at $2 dollars per piece while another could sell 50 items at $12. What really matters is the quality of clicks. Google is constantly improving targeting methods and they work around the clock to reduce click fraud. Part of the small decrease could be attributed to a reduction in click fraud. Fewer…
CarMax redefined the entire used car category by focusing on the buyer experience, but the buyer experience has come a long way since they started in 1993. More and more people are searching online for their next car. I’ve bought cars on Ebay and Craigslist, but there are many other places to purchase a vehicle online. How can CarMax compete digitally when they don’t even sell cars on the web?
Ann Yauger, Director of carmax.com had to answer that question personally. We had a chance to hear Ann Yauger and Andrew Miller, former Assistant Web Marketing Manager at CarMax explain some of…
I was at the 7-11 yesterday looking for some refreshment and came across Tiger! Gatorade worked out a 5 year 100 million dollar deal with the golf superstar who rejected a Vitamin Water offer of a mere $75M. The sports drink features an image of Tiger Woods in a triumphant pose. I bought the drink because I was thirsty, it was different, and I liked the color green. The Tiger name does have equity but that’s hardly a reason to buy a drink. It was a new Gatorade first and foremost and I am always willing to try their new…
Current (http://current.com) has a core mission to democratize media and bring fresh perspectives and original filmmaker / journalist voices into a global conversation on what is ‘current.’ Launched only in 2005, Current is now a global cable television network with distribution to over 50 million homes. Current TV is created by, for, and with our viewers. Roughly one-third of Current’s on-air broadcast comes directly from our audience; not only does the audience make our short-form, nonfiction video “pods,” they make our commercials, too. We call them Viewer Created Ad Messages (VCAMs).
VCAMs give producers a unique opportunity to create spec commercials for…
One of Axe’s new TV spots features the usual guy-gets-the-girl shtick, but this time they actually highlight what the product really does. The spot, entitled “crack” illustrates how Axe gets you “from funky to fresh.” While this ad is very Axe and very exaggerated, it does a good job of selling a realistic benefit. A little weird, but it works.
I’d even go as far as saying that this ad is slightly more realistic (at the moment) than the Axe Effect print ads from BBH London, which show Hillary Clinton Endorsing Barack Obama.
Apple doesn’t really brag about the iPhone’s physical design. They let mac fans do the talking. They focus more on the user experience and the things you can do with it. In the latest round of iPhone ads, Apple is promoting the Facebook application. This is the first time apple is promoting a third party app for iPhone. The Facebook application for iPhone was the work of one man. Joe Hewitt built the app during his first month at Facebook. Tech Crunch interviewed him in August, shortly after the launch. He must be so proud of his little app.[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/vKi0NuYgGxA" width="425"…
Facebook is promoting their ability to help you promote. They have placed an ad on the main news feed, touting their social ads and Pay Per Click program. They already have a captive audience watching the feed, so why not. Creating targeted ads on the feed is just as easy as creating a Facebook flyer. The main difference is that people actually pay attention to the news feed. Here’s what Facebook tells you when you click through for more information.
“Instead of creating an advertisement and hoping that it reaches the right customers, you can create a Facebook Social Ad and…
Go Daddy is the largest domain registrar. The company began in 1997, but didn’t become number one until 2005. Network Solutions had the title up until then. Part of their success is due to their advertising. Super Bowl ads to be exact. Call them cheesy, sexy, or any other name you want, they actually work. Go Daddy’s ads aren’t award show material (unless the award is money). These ads are clever because they mix direct marketing with branding, while leveraging the reach of mass media with the ease of interactive buying. Their TV ads are measurable! I’m personally not amused by the…
Ryanair, one of Europe’s leading low-cost carriers, is known for their deals. They make travel affordable for many students abroad. Sometime you can get flights for only $20 or $30. The airline recently got into some hot water with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA banned their latest ads promoting a back to school fare. According to the guardian the ad was banned because “it could cause widespread offence because the image linked teenage girls with sexually provocative behaviour.” Ryanair will not pull the ad, claiming that the ASA is being “absurd” and practicing selective censorship. Have a look at…
Justin Timberlake is back in the Super Bowl spotlight. The last time he made big game headlines was with Janet Jackson and the infamous wardrobe malfunction. This time he is featured in a Pepsi commercial. The NFL has to approve all ads that wish to air during the Super Bowl. It looks like all is forgiven. This ad has been played on the news, Youtube, and on blogs. I’m sure it will be one of the ads that makes it on the much hyped Firebrand list. The criteria for a good Super Bowl ads has changed. It’s about more than…
Circuit City was once the biggest retailer of electronics. So what happened?
Best Buy quietly came into the picture in the 1980’s and began to change the game. In 1989 Best Buy introduced the “grab-and-go” store format, making it quicker for people who knew what they wanted. Then they eliminated sales rep commissions, creating a low pressure sales floor. Best Buy also earned consumer points when they aquired Geek Squad. They also sell private label electronics through the Insignia and Dynex brands. Best Buy made a name for themselves by redefining the consumer experience in the category. They built a better…
While on the road today I noticed a peculiar sign in front of a Burger King. The sign was a direct attack at McDonald’s (which was only a block away). McDonald’s wouldn’t do anything like this. They don’t have any reason to. Burger King on the other hand, has nothing to lose. It’s always interesting to see how competing brands go after the category leader. You can get more creative when you’re number 2. That got me thinking about the strategy behind this act of war.
If Burger King knew that McDonald’s had recently mailed coupons out, they are essentially stealing…
Remember when TIME named you person of the year? Advertising Age also selected you as the agency of the year. You even made several Super Bowl ads. Everyone was blogging about your ads months before the big game. You had more PR than you knew what to do with. It was a great time for you. Then you got cocky. You thought you were in control and you made some silly mistakes. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything out of character. Bad management is to blame. Too many brands jumped on the social media band wagon without an exit…
Search
Recent Comments
Langston Richardson: As much as we admire and marvel at the marketing of far out ideas that Crispin Portner + Bogusky...
Langston Richardson: Don’t worry Steve.. we’re not going to hell for being human and creating systems of...
Langston Richardson: Great observations Rachel. You are correct in your insights on the sub-prime economy that much...
Matthew: I usually don?t post in Blogs but your blog forced me to, amazing work.. beautiful ?
music t shirts: Can’t people just read the tag, write a number down, and then get a free album, LEGALLY?? This...
