In fact, your connections are not created equal. Linguists (of all people) found that your Twitter contacts have diminishing value. Hence, your spouse is your most important contact, followed by your best friend, your boss, etc…and some will never be used at all.

So what? This theory puts the brakes on how internal communications could propagate inside any social media network. The limits of Twitter’s value will be disappointing for marketers and investors at a time when Twitter is attempting to reveal a business model. Add the technical problems Twitter has been overwrought with in the last several months, and you have a recipe for a constipated brand.

Source: BusinessWeek

Christine Babick is a blogger at www.beneaththebrand.com. A marketing strategist and linguist, she specializes in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing.

Here is one of the first ads rolled out this week during the NFL opening night. The ad stars Comedian, Jerry Seinfeld and Microsoft Corp. Chairman, Bill Gates.

Crispin is known for their unconventional creative strategies, where viral marketing and the buzz surrounding their innovative concepts propel their campaigns into the limelight.

This is the first of what I’m expecting to be several teaser ads aimed at peeking the interest of both loyal MAC and PC users.

I’ve already spotted another ad directing viewers to the “The Mojave Experiment” Web site, where you can watch hidden video of consumers product testing the new Microsoft operating system.

The catch: “Windows Mojave” turns out to be a code name for the same ol’ Vista OS.

Crispin gets to the bottom of what people think of Windows Vista, when they don’t know it’s Windows Vista.

Classic Crispin.

Kelliann McDonald is a dynamic Marketing & PR Professional and head of  K. Melanie Marketing Consultants. You can read more about Kelliann and the escapades of  K. Melanie Marketing Consultants at http://blog.kmelanie.com.

The TV commercial shows a couple driving down an ominous road dodging all kinds of hazards. Things look grim for them until… the passenger gets an e-mail that informs her that her paycheck has been deposited. Now the storm clouds break. The road is clear. Cue the choir of angels! Life is great now thanks to those wonderful folks who brought you payroll checks.

I gotta say I love getting paid as much as the next guy. But I’m feeling these guys may be taking credit for something they didn’t really do. Do I still get a paycheck if I remain on the couch watching campaign coverage until November? Will I get paid just for driving around hairpin curves during a storm? According to their tagline, the reason America works is because they’re working for America. And to think all this time I though America works because of capitalism and the free-enterprise system.

Don’t get me wrong. Payroll people are cool. And maybe they should get a day named after them. Maybe. I might even be persuaded to give them a week if they would double my paychecks each month. But to let them take credit for delivering the salary that I worked for is kind of like Al Gore taking credit for inventing the Internet. That just ain’t right.

His name is Bob Thacker and he’s the guy who tirelessly worked to transform Target from a little known discount store in Minnesota, to the much loved retailer it is today.

Now he’s working just as hard for OfficeMax and, given how smart a client he is, I have no doubt he’ll do just what he set out to do.

Why’s Bob a dream client? Because he understands that:

• Thinking big is the only way to get big
• Marketing builds over time
• Stories define a brand
• Surprise and delight are essential
• No Risk = No Reward

Bob has gotten off to a pretty great start for OfficeMax. So far he’s unleashed Elf Yourself, the World’s Largest Rubber Band Ball and now Penny Pranks. Check them out if you haven’t already, and also check out a really great article on Bob here.

Micheal Phelps is on the Corn Flakes box.

Not the Wheaties box.

Wheaties, the Breakfast of Champions, was outbid by Kellogg’s for one of the most popular people in the world.  But don’t you worry about Wheaties, the competing cereal signed gymnast Nastia Liukin and decathlete Brian Clay.

Do you believe that Micheal Phelps is sensing animosity from the health food crowd because he signed on with Kellogg’s to promote Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes, questioned a recent Trendhunter article.

In a recent Adage article, an insert read, “”As an official sponsor of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, it is only fitting that Kellogg Company feature a world-class athlete like Michael Phelps on its iconic boxes of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereals,” Kellogg spokeswoman Suzanne Norwitz said in an e-mail.

She declined to comment about how the deal was crafted and what role Mr. Phelps might play in the company’s overall health-and-wellness initiatives.”

Other historical Olympic news in cereal: Carly Patterson, Bruce Jenner and Mary Lou Retton appeared on Wheaties boxes, and believe it or not Phelps did too after the 2004 Olympics.

What do you think? Wheaties or Corn Flakes?  Did he make the right choice?

Source: Trendhunter and AdAge

Amy is a blogger at Talent Zoo’s website: www.beneaththebrand.com. She currently works in nonprofits and is back at grad school. She really enjoys researching creative marketing, public relations and advertising ideas and techniques and is always on the search for cool ads!

Get yours today from Potpourri

Compliments of Gizmodo

This spot from Tide first aired during the Super Bowl in 2008. I came across it again the other day and couldn’t help but laugh. Laundry detergent and stain removers are a low interest category but Tide uses a humor in a situation many folks can relate to. First impressions are very important and who wants a stain on their shirt in an interview. The video directs you to a site where you can share your embarrassing stain story. 

Personally, I’d wear a black suit. Hides any stains much better. I’m off to buy a stain pen.

Undoubtedly, the presidential campaign of Senator Obama has been a historic one. Besides the obvious, he has taken the Howard Dean political internet marketing model to the next level. These efforts include generating millions through small online donations and reaching a new generation of voters through social media. The recent buzz about his release of his VP choice via text message especially garnered my attention. I thought, “I want to be one of the people to receive the text.” Unfortunately, I am having one of those If-I-knew-then-what-I-know-now moments. Ever since I received the initial text, I have received no less than 10 e-mails and texts from the campaign in the last 7 days. Can we say o-v-e-r-k-i-l-l? Sure it’s an admirable feat to connect with voters in this medium but an organization can easily overstay its welcome. There are still 60 days until Election Day. At this pace I will receive at least 65 e-mails/texts from Team Obama!!! Have you heard of Spam, junk mail, or just plain clingy? Wise words to follow: Cool it Obama.

Quantas Ginn is an experienced marketing and advertising professional seeking work in the Chicagoland area. He has worked on the client side in addition to serving as an Account Executive for Florida’s largest advertising agency. His expertise includes branding, multi-platform campaigns, CRM, and market research.

In 1904, the entrepreneur-immigrant who was also a prescient marketer, Oscar F. Mayer, began branding his company’s meats to capitalize on their popularity. His was one of the first companies to volunteer for testing product purity in the US.

The first Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was created in 1936. The mobiles have been touring the US for more than 70 years. At the steering wheel are the enthusiastic “Hotdoggers,” who act as goodwill ambassadors helping to organize promos and even pitch TV, radio and print media. Added to this, a well known jingle, written in 1963, as well as a famous 1976 commercial, has had generations humming.

Here’s a brand that practiced “authentic,” “consumer engagement,” and “viral” before they became modern concepts.

For a virtual tour: wienermobile or cruise back in time

Christine Babick is a blogger at www.beneaththebrand.com. A marketing strategist and linguist, she specializes in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing.