Category Archives: mass media

And the winner is … Google

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Kirk

In its Super Bowl commercial, Google tells an engaging little story of romance with simplicity and elegance. Appropriately, it uses keywords and search results only. Its logo is onscreen almost the entire time, while it demonstrates several of its features and benefits. It effectively offsets Bing’s recent efforts at malignment. Not only was the spot inexpensive to produce, but it stood out from the sophomoric humor and over-the top production of the majority of the commercials. Erik Sherman, in his negative review of the spot at BNET, misses the point that by airing the spot in the Super Bowl, Google … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, copywriting, interactive marketing, mass media, search engine marketing, social media, strategy | 1 Comment

Advertising’s swimsuit competition: the Super Bowl

Posted on February 5, 2010 by Kirk

Let’s be honest. This week, when we chat online or around the water cooler about the Super Bowl commercials, we will not be judging them based upon which are most effective at doing what they are supposed to be doing, which is actually selling something. Instead, we will talk about which spots we “like,” which spots we find most entertaining. We’re judging style, not substance. In pursuit of being popular during and after the game, advertisers and their agencies push the limits to engage us. And we reward them with a couple of week’s worth of buzz. But how successful … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, event marketing, mass media, roi | Comments Off

Patagonia: They also sell clothes

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Kirk

There are brands and then there are affinity brands. The difference? Community. You don’t just experience an affinity brand. Your identity is enmeshed with it. You are a proud member of the club. “Cult Brands aren’t just companies with products or services to sell,” says BJ Bueno, co-author of The Power of Cult Branding: How 9 Magnetic Brands Turned Customers into Loyal Followers. “To many of their followers, they are a living, breathing surrogate family filled with like-minded individuals.” Few brands exemplify affinity branding as well as Patagonia. Patagonia makes outdoor apparel for climbing, surfing, skiing, and other low-impact sports. … Continue reading →

Posted in brand essence, budgeting, cause marketing, loyalty, mass media, promotion, retail, social media | 13 Comments

Your social-media marketing linchpin: branding

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Kirk

I’m pleased to share the following guest post by Gary Moneysmith. At the time of posting, Gary was the Interactive Strategy Director and social media guru at Conrad | Phillips | Vutech (where I work). Be sure to visit his blog, Social Media @ Work & Play, for more insights. Ever watch your grandmother sort through her (postal) mail? If your granny is anything like mine, she carefully inspects and opens piece after piece. You just want to scream, “Just scan and throw it out — it’s all junk!” Having grown up in the era of bulk postage rates, we’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in art direction & design, brand essence, guest posts, mass media, social media, standards | 1 Comment

12 things to do before the upturn

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Kirk

Sales are flat. Travel is canceled. Your budget has been cut. It’s a good time to do some housekeeping. With an eye toward the eventual upturn, here are 12 tips to get your strategic marketing plan ready: Take the time to retreat with senior leadership and strategize now. Think long-term. Audit your competitors. Talk to your customers. Conduct a satisfaction survey. Review your customer relationship management (CRM) program. Rebuild your database. Ask for email addresses and mobile numbers. You’ll need them soon. Update your brand positioning and message strategies. Review and update your advertising and sales materials. Or at least … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, budgeting, interactive marketing, mass media, research, social media, strategy | Comments Off

Setting social media up for failure: Don’t advertise

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Kirk

I’m pleased to share the following guest post by Gary Moneysmith. At the time of this posting, Gary was the Interactive Strategy Director and social media guru at Conrad | Phillips | Vutech (where I work). Be sure to visit his blog, Social Media @ Work & Play, for more insights. Dear Marketers: You can’t do it all with social media. There, I said it. I know marketing budgets have been slashed and management is clamoring to use those free, newfangled web 2.0 tools. But you can’t turn to social media to save the day. It sucks, I know. Social … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, budgeting, guest posts, mass media, social media | Comments Off