Category Archives: General

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Have you ever heard of the online video series, Foundation? If you haven’t, it’s an interview series moderated by Kevin Rose, “angel investor and serial entrepreneur” who is probably most known for founding Digg. Kevin is a fascinating guy who interviews fascinating people – primarily other successful entrepreneurs who have made a name for themselvesContinue reading “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words”

Context Matters, Just a Bit Differently Than You Might Have Thought

Interesting findings from a Bravo/Neuro-Insight study that finds the theme of an ad matters more than the product it’s selling. “Marketers get better retention if the category doesn’t match, and the theme does. The study calls these ads “neo-contextual,” and their advantages are considerable. The former will get a 15 percent advantage over an adContinue reading “Context Matters, Just a Bit Differently Than You Might Have Thought”

Online Upfront. Really?

I certainly understand why they’re doing it but I can’t help but grin. For years, many of us have scratched our heads as big media agencies get together with big media companies to trade in TV inventory that continues to rise in price as the audience goes elsewhere (i.e., digital.) It simply doesn’t make anyContinue reading “Online Upfront. Really?”

Old habits…

The New York Times published a really interesting piece yesterday, the overall theme of which was habits, how we form them and how difficult they are once formed to break. Nothing earth-shattering there – anyone who has vowed to get in shape after the new year gets this. But it is a really good reminderContinue reading “Old habits…”

Mark of the Spider-Man Lets Fans Walk a Mile in Parker’s Shoes

Having worked at the agency (McKinney) that created Audi’s Art of the H3ist alternate reality game, I have always had a particular fascination with the genre. There is so much talk these days about engaging consumers in deep interactive experiences but few campaigns can actually deliver on that like a well-executed, entertaining ARG. I planContinue reading “Mark of the Spider-Man Lets Fans Walk a Mile in Parker’s Shoes”

The appeal of TV’s broad reach is irresistible…to some maybe.

I saw two articles yesterday that seemed to be in direct contrast to each other. The first, posted yesterday on CNNMoney (originally published coincidentally in Fortune Magazine) discussed Nike’s aggressive move into the digital space. “Gone is the reliance on top-down campaigns celebrating a single hit — whether a star like Tiger Woods, a signatureContinue reading “The appeal of TV’s broad reach is irresistible…to some maybe.”

Burt’s Bees Launches Gud, Aimed At Gen Y

This is a really interesting move by Burt’s Bees to expand the franchise to a younger consumer who is probably more concerned with how it makes her feel and smell than she is with the product’s all-natural, earth-friendly ingredients. Moves like this always carry some risk but I’d be surprised if there’s any real backlashContinue reading “Burt’s Bees Launches Gud, Aimed At Gen Y”

Wikipedia Appears on Page 1 of Google for 99% of Searches [Study]

If you asked me, I would have said “most of the time” or “almost every time” but 99%. That’s crazy! “Google loves Wikipedia. Everyone knows it, and many aren’t that happy about it, especially when some of their poorly written content outranks higher-quality websites on the same subject. But did you know Wikipedia pages appearContinue reading “Wikipedia Appears on Page 1 of Google for 99% of Searches [Study]”

The Purchase Funnel – a Not-So-New Take on the New Consumer Decision Journey

“If marketing has one goal, it’s to reach consumers at the moments that most influence their decisions.” Yep, pretty simple. Now Granted, this is much easier said than done. For as long as I can remember, marketers have approached this process with the help of a funnel, the purchase (or marketing) funnel to be precise.Continue reading “The Purchase Funnel – a Not-So-New Take on the New Consumer Decision Journey”