Be Creative Or Be Invisible: Branding In The Digital Era

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In the days before digital, marketers were relatively comfortable with the delineation between response and awareness. Awareness was required for consideration which led to preference, then conversion. And it was clear what channels did what. Justifying that big creative idea and big budget to build awareness was a challenge and its benefits not always immediately measurable. It was an investment for marketers with vision and patience, and CEOs who “get it”. 

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Right Or Wrong? Well, Yes And No

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Rolling Stone’s cover featuring the “rock-style” portrait of Dzhokar Tsarnaev has filled the web with controversy and heated opinions on both sides. As an ad guy, a lot of people have asked me my thoughts on the cover. And the truth is, I’m conflicted. Clearly, no one who has committed such atrocities should be celebrated or glorified in any way. Boston is my home town, and I had many family members and friends who were way too close to the blast. 

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How To Get Rich Quick

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For years, this is how companies built value: They identified a need in a market, sized the opportunity, developed a viable solution for that need, ran the numbers and defined potential. Establishing value was a market-driven process, pure and simple. Investors calculated their ROI based on the market opportunity and an ability to scale, then gauged risk factors and plunked down the bucks. Then along came the promise of technology and the internet.

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The End Of Togetherness?

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My Mom is a stickler for manners. A big part of manners for her are the social graces. A firm handshake. Looking people in the eyes. Acknowledging others, saying hello, and basically being socially engaged and present with our fellow human beings. Anything else was simply rude and not to be tolerated. Old school? Maybe, but it shouldn’t be. The rules of social engagement are certainly changing. 

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Seeking Like-Minded for Long-Term Relationship

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Let’s face it, some relationships are better than others. For agencies, clients with whom you build a committed relationships based on mutual trust and respect invariably get your best work. Mutual trust is defined as a shared belief that you can depend on each other to achieve a common purpose. Clients with whom that kind of trust is established are our partners in creativity, our co-conspirators in innovation.

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What's Old Is New... Again

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I find this just a little mystifying. I read a LinkedIn post today about “an exciting new form of marketing called “engagement”. And that this new form of marketing relied on this new idea of “story telling”. I guess I missed the announcement, but when did all this become new again? Call me crazy, but as long as I’ve been in the business, all communications were created to engage their audience.

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Saving The Whales, In A Manner Of Speaking

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It’s been quite a run. The digital revolution has transformed the advertising business in the last 15 years beyond anything we imagined. Yet in some ways, the transformation brought with it a dangerous downside. But things are looking up. The digital explosion had everyone living only for the moment deeming a commitment to concept, creative finesse and long-term brand development a questionable 

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Black Friday Rumble

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I’m still sick to my stomach and it’s not all the turkey. It’s Black Friday. The whole thing has always freaked me out and this year was no different.

First, a few numbers:
•     Store visits on the Friday after Thanksgiving rose 3.5 percent from last year, to more than 307
       million visits. Yet retail sales decreased 1.8 percent. – ShopperTrak.
•     Retail sales online this year topped...

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Don't Lie To Me

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Well, Obama gets another four years. No big surprise there. Though I can’t even conclusively tell you whether this is a bad thing or a good thing. Still haven’t muddled through all the lies, half-truths and misrepresentations served up by both sides. And frankly, I lost my motivation to figure out who was the bigger “manipulator of the truth”. Too much work.

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What CMOs Can Learn From The NFL Referee Labor Dispute

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You all remember this call, Seahawks vs Packers. Ruled brilliantly as incomplete and a touchdown at the same time. Crazy. It was the iconic image of the epic fail of NFL’s replacement referees. While we don’t know why (but can easily imagine) this dispute couldn’t have been resolved prior to the season, we do know that...

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I Am Officially A Prisoner

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And my jail is Apple. And my jailer is Steve Jobs, may he rest in peace. Now, to be clear, I am an Apple disciple. I’ve had an Apple since my first, a IIc eons ago. I have an iPhone (5 on preorder), iPad2, and few Macbook Pros. And we’re all happily living in iCloud. So I’m believer. The beauty is everything works pretty seamlessly together, convergence is happening, and it’s all going the way it’s supposed to. 

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