Air Canada Fliers Buy the Extras†

Nearly Half Accept Higher Fare to Get Meal or Choice Seat

Wall Street Journal, March 29, 2007 — Many Canadian air travelers are "willingly" paying more than the lowest fare amid an unprecedented travel boom, Air Canada's chief executive said. Speaking to an industry conference, Montie Brewer said 48% of all passengers who flew on Air Canada in the fourth quarter last year bought one of the higher-priced tickets even though a lower-priced one was available.

Do TV Ads Work Better Online?

eMarketer, March 29, 2007 — TV spots shown during Web programs click better with viewers than the same 30-second ads on TV, according to a new study by Millward Brown. Web spots increased the viewer attention rate by 53%, awareness by 52%, consideration by 27% and favorability by 26%. Prompted recall of brand advertising was four times higher for Web viewers.

MTV to pimp "Ride" online

Reuters, March 29, 2007 — MTV Networks said Wednesday it will launch a virtual world next week for "Pimp My Ride" to complement its online "Laguna Beach" and "Virtual Hills" offerings. The "Ride" world will be patterned after Van Nuys, Calif., a hotbed for car culture, and it will let users customize cars, participate in races and join car clubs, among other features.

Remember to Forget, Borrow, and Learn

That's the formula for innovation offered by the Tuck School's Dr. Vijay Govindarajan, a world authority on the subject

BusinessWeek, March 29, 2007 — My good friend Dr. Vijay Govindarajan is a professor at Dartmouth's Tuck School and a world authority on strategic innovation. He is also one of the best executive educators and business-school professors in the world. He and I recently spoke about innovation in older businesses. Edited excerpts of our conversation follow:

Seeing if Banks Are Any Nicer†

We Find Out if Service is Truly a Top Priority; Free Coffee and Couches

Wall Street Journal, March 29, 2007 — n recent times, several big banks have been claiming that they've rediscovered customer service. In New York City, at least, this is showing up in trivial ways, such as a notable absence of bulletproof glass and greeters saying hello to customers as they walk into local branches. Some are even installing couches and TVs and playing pop music to encourage people to linger and perhaps pick up the pamphlets about banking services that they leave scattered around.

Spotting the Next Hoodie†

Fashion Increasingly Relies On Trends From the Streets; Spying Raccoon Hats in SoHo

Wall Street Journal, March 29, 2007 — Standing near a cluster of bars at the corner of Red River and East 6th streets in Austin, Texas, earlier this month, Helen Job grew anxious about denim. She had spent four days in the hip college town, trying to determine whether a new look was catching on.

UK Stodgy? Not Online!

By many measures, Britain has become Europe's leading Internet economy

eMarketer, March 28, 2007 — The UK Internet benefits from a virtuous cycle of strong consumer purchasing power and cheap connectivity. According to the just-published UK Online report from eMarketer, as telecom competition drives down prices, ever-growing numbers of Brits are upgrading to broadband speeds.

A Way to Fight Big Rivals: Play Up Style and Service†

Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2007 — When Samsung went searching for a U.S. retail partner to showcase one of its two specially made 80-inch, $150,000 plasma TVs, it didn't tap any of the big national names like Best Buy Co. or Circuit City Stores Inc. Instead, it picked a family business with a single suburban Chicago store: Abt Electronics.

Are Marketers Dying on Second Life?†

Brandweek, March 27, 2007 — Thanks in large part to media hype, marketers continue to rush to the virtual world of Second Life despite increasing evidence they don’t really know what to do when they get there. Last week Coldwell Banker hung out a shingle on the site as “the first national real estate company to sell homes within the community.” The real estate firm is in good company.

How Women Look at Video Online... Is Different

eMarketer, March 27, 2007 — Online video is a business that has been years in the making. Thanks to the proliferation of broadband and the popularity of the YouTubes of the world, it is now what analysts at Piper Jaffray call "the new killer app of the Web." But the app is not as killer for females as it is for males.

Netflix vs. Naysayers†

CEO Hastings Keeps Growth Strong; Plans for Future After Death of DVDs

Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2007 — In the decade since Netflix Inc. began renting DVDs online, CEO Reed Hastings has faced down a murderers' row of rivals. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Blockbuster Inc. have all piled into the market with services that mail DVDs to consumers who've ordered them over the Web. But Wal-Mart threw in the towel in 2005 after two years, while Amazon has so far limited its service to the United Kingdom and Germany.

Patagonia: Blueprint for green business

The story of how Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard took his passion for the outdoors and turned it into an amazing business.

FORTUNE, March 27, 2007 — "There is no business to be done on a dead planet." These words, a quotation from the legendary Sierra Club executive director David Brower, are the first thing you see when you walk into Patagonia headquarters in Ventura, Calif., and really, you can't miss them, given that they're etched into the front door.

What's on the Minds of Senior Marketers?

ANA Marketing Maestros, March 27, 2007 — A survey that the ANA released found the top concerns on the minds of senior marketing executives are "integrated marketing communications" and "marketing accountability". The ANA asked over 100 senior marketers to select from a comprehensive list of subjects to rank their top three issues that directly impact their marketing decisions and plans.

"A McKinsey Of Pop Culture?"

Steve Stoute is making hot sellers out of cold brands by turning execs on to "the tanning of America"

BusinessWeek, March 26, 2007 — Several months into his new job as vice-president of U.S. marketing and advertising for General Motors (GM ), Mike Jackson came to the conclusion that the automaker was just not cool enough. Young, urban trendsetters on the East and West Coasts were not paying attention to GM's cars.

Alpha Moms leap to top of trendsetters

USA Today, March 26, 2007 — There may be moments in Constance Van Flandern's day when she's got a BlackBerry in one hand and one of her two kids in the other. That is her Alpha Mom moment. She ought to know: She created the label to describe moms such as herself. The graphic designer from Eugene, Ore., and millions of mothers like her, are becoming a marketing phenomenon.

Bridging the Great Divide in Marketing Thinking†

How CMOs and Agencies Are Bringing Together Business-School Basics With Creative Dream Schemes

Advertising Age, March 26, 2007 — It's a divide and a dilemma as old as modern marketing: How do chief marketing officers get the classically trained marketing executives at clients to communicate effectively with the creative types at agencies? Everyone understands the best campaigns result from a meshing of the minds. But often there is a disconnect between advertisers' left-brained thinkers and the right-brained specialists they hire.

Fuzzy Critters With High Prices Offer Lesson in New Concepts

New York Times, March 26, 2007 — IF the face of e-commerce 1.0 was the Pets.com sock puppet, will the new face of e-commerce be a Webkinz? The cuddly stuffed animals, which are in exceedingly high demand among the elementary school set, have also gained notice among Internet executives for their ability to bridge the online and offline worlds. And although no one expects others to replicate the breakaway success of Webkinz in, say, the automotive industry, analysts said there are many lessons to be learned from these plush toys.

Internet Video Gives Rise To Infomercial Resurgence†

Adweek, March 26, 2007 — NEW YORK In the 1950s and 1960s, DuPont produced dozens of product films, such as police showing the effectiveness of bulletproof vests, and showed them to clients and small audiences at trade shows. Fast-forward 50 years: DuPont has unearthed that archival footage to form the basis of Science Stories, a series of two-and-a-half minute videos explaining the DuPont products that make possible such things as fire-retardant clothing and shatterproof glass.

True Confessions: Real-People Ads Let It All Hang Out†

Adweek, March 26, 2007 — A TV commercial for Commit Stop Smoking Lozenges, "Babies Aren't Easy," finds 36-year-old Lisa navigating Los Angeles traffic while dealing with her screaming baby in her car's backseat. "Ava, come on, please, baby," implores Lisa, a Burbank, Calif., resident. Now on day 30 of quitting cigarettes, the on-edge mother—who smoked a pack a day for 15 years and has allowed Commit to shoot her withdrawal—admits she's having a hard time; on top of not smoking, the baby is really sick and she has so much to do.

McDonald's next generation Marketing chief Mary Dillon has introduced the once-conventional fast-fo

Chicago Tribune, March 25, 2007 — In a little more than 18 months, Mary Dillon, athlete, marathoner and the mother of four children, has taken the world's largest hamburger chain to venues its founder Ray Kroc could not have imagined. While Dillon, 45, who was named executive vice president and global chief marketing officer of McDonald's Corp. in September 2005, hasn't yet run a guerrilla marketing campaign, she has introduced the button-down company to YouTube, Webisodes (short Web-based episodes), cell-phone text messaging in Japan and podcasts, all places where its young adult and "forever young" customers now are found.

Products let consumers send their own messages

We're all about us.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 25, 2007 — We like to chronicle our lives on blogs, set our cell phones to ring with our favorite songs and pull our Kleenex from a box we designed. That's right. A trend that started only with high-end luxury items has trickled down to everyday products. We can personalize all sorts of things, including tissues, sneakers, ketchup and candy.

The Mall Goes Green

Chicago's Green Exchange will be the first shopping center in the U.S. for environmentally responsible and socially conscious businesses

BusinessWeek, March 22, 2007 — Marilyn Jones was a green-business pioneer. Since 1973, the owner and president of Chicago-based Consolidated Printing has been using soy-based inks and recycled paper in her sheet-fed and digital-printing business. And while she admits that in the beginning it wasn't easy being green, Jones says the past three or four years have brought tremendous attention and attracted numerous fellow practitioners to green and socially responsible business.

Volvo Goes Beyond Safety

To increase sales, Volvo's new brand strategy aims to convince drivers that its cars aren't just about safety. Will they respond?

BusinessWeek, March 22, 2007 — Volvo Cars is hoping to have a new brand strategy, or at least a new idea for one, by late April, when it names a new global advertising agency to handle the company's image worldwide. As it plows through the process, though, it's difficult for outsiders to understand why a brand so singularly identified with safety and trust should need a new strategy.

Google Tests Cost-Per-Action Ads

MediaPost Publications, March 21, 2007 — SEARCH GIANT GOOGLE HAS LAUNCHED another limited beta of pay-per-action advertising--a model that allows advertisers to pay for a specific consumer activity, like signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.

Hospitals Build A Better 'Healing Environment'†

Outdated Facilities Redesign Patient Areas To Lift Quality Of Care

Wall Street Journal, March 21, 2007 — At Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill., the neonatal intensive-care unit's open-plan nursery is being transformed into a series of private "pods," with glass walls that allow staff to observe infants, but privacy curtains and reclining chairs for moms to be alone with their babies. The aim: to sharply reduce noise, harsh lighting, and other environmental stresses that can spike blood pressure, interfere with breathing and heart rate, and worsen sleep for newborns.

That Pottery Barn Look Isn't So Unique Anymore†

Wall Street Journal, March 21, 2007 — When Williams-Sonoma Inc. bought Pottery Barn from Gap Inc. in 1986, the chain was one of a kind in the fragmented home-furnishings field. Soon the "Pottery Barn Look" had become a decorating style all its own. The casual, modern leather club chairs and slipcovered sofas it offered became so ubiquitous that it even won an appearance on the television show "Friends."

How P&G, Kimberly-Clark, and Marriott Are Getting Back to Basics in Customer Experience

Marketing Profs, March 20, 2007 — There's no use longing for the return of the good old days. The new world of electronic information and global competition is here to stay. Customers will no longer simply gravitate to the brands, products, services, and organizations their parents trusted. Instead, they will continue to experiment, change, talk back, and exercise their newfound freedom of choice in ways that make life for organizational leaders increasingly challenging.

Lessons in motivating the staff†

Financial Times, March 20, 2007 — JC Penney is one of the grand names of US retailing, tracing its history back to 1902 when James Cash Penney opened its first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming. But as the 20th century was winding down, it looked a little as if JC Penney might go the same way. In 1999, together with other retailing stalwarts, its stores were facing the rising challenge of Wal-Mart and Target, the mass discounters.

Metamucil's New Motto: Be Beautiful on the Inside†

Wall Street Journal, March 20, 2007 — Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Yet it isn't usually associated with Metamucil, a fiber supplement intended to relieve constipation. Procter & Gamble wants to change that. New TV ads for the company's Metamucil fiber supplement starting today carry the tagline "Beautify Your Inside" and resemble spots selling cosmetics. One shows women applying mascara, styling their hair and putting on lipstick. The first glimpse of Metamucil, in new, bright packaging, is its reflection in the mirror of a powder compact.

Online Ad Spend Growth Is Historic

These are flush times for online marketers.

eMarketer, March 20, 2007 — Internet ad spending grew by a third from 2005 to 2006, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers (IAB/PwC). Online ad spending revenues totaled $16.8 billion in 2006, up from $12.5 billion in 2005.

Recall Sheds Light on Pet-Food Industry's Little Secret†

Consumers See That Premium, Private-Label Products Can Come From Same Place

Advertising Age, March 20, 2007 — The massive national pet-food recall stemming from deaths of at least 10 pets is also letting consumers in on one of the industry's well-guarded secrets — that some of most premium pet-food brands in the U.S. use the same manufacturer that processes dozens of low-price private-label products.

A Small Drop In Bud's Barrel

BusinessWeek, March 19, 2007 — What is happening with Anheuser-Busch (BUD ), proprietor of Budweiser and other iconic Middle American beer, mirrors much of what's up with big marketing and media right now. There's the pursuit of the elusive 25-year-old Everyman. There's the struggle to recalibrate how the brewer sells big brands in stupendous volumes amid the vicissitudes of an uncooperative and fractionalized market.

All the World’s a Story

New York Times, March 19, 2007 — Journalism has always been a product of networks. A reporter receives an assignment, begins calling “sources” — people he or she knows or can find. More calls follow and, with luck and a deadline looming, the reporter will gain enough mastery of the topic to sit down at a keyboard and tell the world a story.

Busy Signals—Mobile Gains Momentum†

Adweek, March 19, 2007 — Mark Wahlberg, dressed in military fatigues and toting a sniper weapon, is running across a phone screen. After several quick cuts, he's at a table and looking pensively at a computer. Another cut, and he loads a large bullet into a gun and a politician is shot.

Can't Sit Through a :30? How About a Five-Minute Ad?†

Brandweek, March 19, 2007 — Corporate videos aren't most people's idea of must-see TV, but a few brands are betting that consumers will seek them out on the Web. everal companies—including Hitachi, The Home Depot and IBM—are producing brief Internet-based documentaries in order to present their products and capabilities, tinged with touches of humanity. Subtlety is the watchword: In some of the videos making the rounds, the brand is not mentioned until two minutes in.

Clients Try To Manipulate 'Unpredictable' Viral Buzz†

Adweek, March 19, 2007 — When "Dove Evolution" was uploaded to YouTube last October by Ogilvy & Mather in Toronto, it took off like wildfire, drawing over 2.5 million views for Dove and several imitations. It was an instant viral hit that mixed creative firepower and Internet serendipity.

Digital Marketing Leads The Charge†

Adweek, March 19, 2007 — It seems like only yesterday that interactive specialists were being invited to ride along when marketers and their agencies worked on upcoming campaigns. Now, digital marketing is moving from the back of the bus into the driver's seat as more brands place digital components—including online contests, Webisodes and user-generated content—in the lead position of their marketing.

One Tough Customer†

Brandweek, March 19, 2007 — It's a chilly Monday morning in February along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, where José Lopez is about to embark on a fact-finding mission. As svp and chief customer officer at The Home Depot, Lopez spends an average of six days out of every month in the field, walking the floors at the company's vast network of retail stores and putting in valuable face time with employees.

The Nosebleed VIPs†

Teams Give Upper-Deck Fans Courtside Service to Keep Season-Ticket Holders Happy

Wall Street Journal, March 19, 2007 — The New Jersey Nets have plied season-ticket holder Neil Kaplan with offers of autograph sessions for his kids, free tickets and even a chance to meet the team president. On this night, Brad Aikins, a Nets service representative, has stopped by during a game to shoot the breeze.

The Perils of Being First†

With a Brazilian berry called açaí, the Black brothers were ahead of the pack. That often isn't the safest place for entrepreneurs to be.

Wall Street Journal, March 19, 2007 — On July 2001, two young entrepreneurs clad in surfer attire strode into the offices of Juice It Up!'s California headquarters to present top executives with a rather audacious request: prominent display of their new brand on the chain's menus.

Viral's Not For Just Anyone: 50% In Survey Rate It Fad For The Lucky Few

MediaPost Publications, March 19, 2007 — YOU SAY YOU WANT AN Evolution? Viral marketing may be on the lips of a lot of media people, but it's not something just any marketer can pull off. That's the opinion of MediaPost readers based on a survey conducted by Dynamic Logic asking respondents to rate the fad factor for viral on a scale of 1-10 where 1 means it's a fad for the lucky few to 10 meaning it's for the mainstream.

Can You Really Brand a Fish?†

Tactic Increases Product Price by 50%

Advertising Age, March 18, 2007 — A visit to the world's largest fish market, in Tokyo, shows you don't necessarily have to have a better product than your competitor to succeed — you just need to have a better story. Here in Japan, even though certain kinds of fish swim next to each other in the sea, one can sell at prices as much as 50% higher than the other — because of its branding.

In Aisle Three, Couch Potatoes Trying the MP3s

New York Times, March 18, 2007 — FOR its first store in the United States, Samsung, the Korean electronics company, took an unconventional route: it refused to sell anything. Having leased 10,000 feet of astoundingly expensive real estate in Midtown Manhattan, it instead encouraged customers to commune with its products — to check e-mail on Samsung computers, watch reality shows on Samsung flat-screen televisions and make long-distance calls on Samsung cellphones.

J&J Jolts 'Old' Media With $250 Million Ad Spend Shift†

As Rivals Talk, Giant Puts Money Where Its Mouth Is -- Digital Formats

Advertising Age, March 18, 2007 — Staid Johnson & Johnson is proving to be marketing's Elvis Presley: While rivals talk up nontraditional marketing without changing measured-media spending habits much, J&J's adopting the King's refrain: "A little less conversation, a little more action."

On Advertising: Consumers vote for the best slogan

International Herald Tribune, March 18, 2007 — Consumer engagement may be the marketing mantra of our time, but Laurent Florès sees a fundamental problem: Good ideas can be drowned out by a flood of bad ones. Consumer panels, both online and live, have become popular ways for companies to float and road-test new ideas. Online panels are often run like beauty pageants, where consumers vote for ideas that a company is considering.

Cell Phone Users' Acceptance Of Mobile Ads On The Rise

MediaPost Publications, March 16, 2007 — A NEW STUDY BY HARRIS Interactive finds that getting cell phone users to accept mobile ads might just be a question of matching the right incentive with the right demographic. The study reports that while 90% of all cell phone users are disinterested in receiving mobile ads, that number drops to 64% if an incentive is offered. Of that overall percentage, the study groups' willingness to watch mobile ads is then tempered by its demographic, the type of ad displayed and the incentive offered in exchange for the ad.

Display Ads Still Get the Job Done

Static ads remain an important arrow in the online marketing quiver.

eMarketer, March 16, 2007 — Vonage has brought the high tech of VoIP to the masses, but when it comes to online ads, it still believes in the basics, according to new data from TNS Media Intelligence. The Internet phone company spent over $185 million on display ads in 2006, outspending both rival Verizon Communications and display ad giant Netflix.

Heineken Hopes Branding Will Fly at Airport Bars†

Heineken wants to bring the Starbucks Coffee experience to beer.

Wall Street Journal, March 16, 2007 — A new bar at Hong Kong's international airport serves up as much Heineken NV branding as it does beer. Bar stools reflecting green neon match the Heineken-logo T-shirts for sale. TV screens show Heineken ads and sports events sponsored by the company. While the bar sells other beers as well as wine and spirits, only Heineken-owned brands are available on tap.

Tesco May Change American Idea Of Convenience Stores

MediaPost Publications, March 16, 2007 — WHILE FOOD RETAILERS AREN'T ANY closer to knowing exactly what British supermarket giant Tesco has planned for the U.S. when it begins opening stores here later this year, some observers expect it to hit a sweet spot.

The reinvention of Nelson Peltz

The former takeover titan is now a brand builder - and maybe even the shareholder's new best friend. Fortune's Shawn Tully reports

FORTUNE, March 16, 2007 — In March 2006 power investor Nelson Peltz invited Heinz CEO Bill Johnson to dinner at Morton's Steakhouse in West Palm Beach. After the two men sat down, Peltz stunned Johnson with an in-your-face barrage, announcing that "I'm going on your board!"

Enhanced networking for business travellers

Springwise Newsletter, March 15, 2007 — PairUp makes it easy for business travellers to meet up with existing

and new contacts. People are matched based on the companies they

work for, the industry they're in and the events they attend.

Nivea uses a virus to banish cellulite†

Brand Strategy, March 15, 2007 — Nivea is launching a viral campaign, devised by TBWA\London, aimed at promoting the brand’s product Goodbye Cellulite. It features a 30-strong gospel choir rejoycing in their womanly curves.

Product Placement Begins To Ebb, But Paid Deals Soar

MediaPost Publications, March 15, 2007 — WITH ALL THE TALK ABOUT new digital platforms for video, you might think marketers have forgotten about the tried-and-true product placement. But in a new edition of its annual survey, Stamford, Conn.-based PQ Media says product placement is still a healthy business, growing worldwide at 37% in 2006 to $3.36 billion.

User-generated video for the corporate crowd

Springwise Newsletter, March 15, 2007 — MeatTeam.tv helps companies develop an internal TV network. Like a

corporate version of YouTube, videos can be used to reinforce company

culture or share best practices.

Why a Strong Brand Is a Search Marketer's Best Asset†

Travelocity: Nonbranded Keywords Only Convert 4% of Searchers

Advertising Age, March 15, 2007 — For brand marketers using search, a brand name may be their best asset. That's the finding of a recent Travelocity study, which challenged assumptions around the "portfolio approach" to paid search, a common practice in which marketers buy a wide variety of both brand terms and nonbranded terms — like when an automaker buys its brand terms but also buys "SUV" or "convertible."

Boardroom debate: In an e-world, IT controls the customer experience†

Financial Times, March 14, 2007 — How entwined is your business with your offerings? Does your mission statement read more like a product catalogue? Mono-trick pony outfits in particular tend to focus on their offering rather than the customer experience. I propose that in an on-demand, real-time, Darwinian, agile, Web 2.0, (add your own trendy market-sensitive adjective) world, becoming too closely associated with your offering is a dangerous thing.

Coke And L'Oreal Partner on New Health Beverage†

Brandweek, March 14, 2007 — Coca-Cola and L'Oréal are partnering to create a new health-and-beauty beverage to launch in 2008, sources said. Currently called Lumaé, the nutraceutical drink was trademarked as a tea-based ready-to-drink beverage by Coca-Cola's Beverage Partners Worldwide division.

Is Social Networking Destined To Go Bust?

Michael Hirschorn takes an in-depth look at online social networking and predicts that sites like MySpace will soon go bust.

Information Week, March 14, 2007 — Hirschorn's thesis is that online trends rapidly go from must-have to has-been. And unless the service or trend in question evolves — like Google or Web browsers — the trend tends to go flat just as quickly as it spiked into the mainstream:

Online Product Searches Begin Offline

Watch. Listen. Read. Click. Shop.

eMarketer, March 14, 2007 — What gets you to look for product information online? According to a BIGresearch survey by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA), it's often not what you see on the Internet, but what you see in other marketing channels.

AT&T Megastore Aims to Make It Fun to Buy a Phone

New York Times, March 13, 2007 — With the opening yesterday of its first megastore, AT&T is trying to do the seemingly impossible: make buying cellular service an almost entertaining experience. The 5,000-square-foot store in the Compaq Center complex in Houston is the first of 11 AT&T Experience stores planned for opening this year with the aim of making shopping for communications equipment less daunting and, perhaps, more fun.

Networks to Advertisers: No Data for You!

Fast Company, March 13, 2007 — Wal-Mart is legendary for providing terabytes of point-of-sale data to marketers like Procter & Gamble and Coca Cola. But when these same marketers want to know how many people watch their commercials, the networks tell them "fuggedaboudit."

Sponsorship branding takes on new name†

Financial Times, March 13, 2007 — Talk of London's Millennium Dome usually includes the phrase "white elephant". Given the controversy surrounding the landmark building, the decision of O2, the UK mobile phone network, to sponsor it seems something of a gamble.

'Millennials' thrive on choice, instant results

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 12, 2007 — "Information on demand, in a very viral fashion, can occupy you for hours. I spend five-plus hours a day on a computer, read countless blogs, and can squander hours on YouTube, Wikipedia, or any number of engrossing sites. I've got a pretty busy and demanding schedule, and I don't sleep much."

Marketers Try Hanging Out at Dry Cleaners†

Amid Media Clutter, A New Ad Wrinkle: Consumers' Closets

Wall Street Journal, March 12, 2007 — A little-known ad company is hanging marketers out to dry. Having found ways to plant ads in such places as table tops in food courts at shopping malls, luggage conveyor belts at airports and restaurant bathrooms, Madison Avenue is now moving into the clothes closet — with ads on cardboard shirt hangers.

Mobile Marketing: Carriers Locked In Content Land Grab†

In fight against churn, wireless companies ink entertainment deals

Brandweek, March 12, 2007 — Wireless carriers are rushing to corral exclusive mobile content in a land grab not seen since the early days of satellite radio. As a result, consumers are being forced to choose—and get walled off from—the content they want.

More Than Magazines†

FINALLY: How 'Maxim', 'InStyle' and even 'Better Homes and Gardens' are branching beyond the print product

Advertising Age, March 12, 2007 — Is it just us, or is the "multi" in multiplatform beginning to sound redundant? After an unfortunately long period that saw publishers clutch their visions of magazines as beloved, essentially tactile periodicals — certainly not anything so gauche as "brands" — it has officially gotten pretty hard to find a title whose only platform is paper.

Taking the Runway on the Road†

Fashion Week Goes on Tour; Tickets Sell for $500 and Up

Wall Street Journal, March 12, 2007 — When supermodel Naomi Campbell strutted down the runway Thursday night in a body-hugging black Zac Posen cocktail dress, the crowd went wild. A 28-year-old fashion student seated in the front row snapped photos on her pink Motorola Razr phone and shrieked, "Oh my god, I am dying!"

Woz There, Done That

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says good technologists are the best marketers

Hub, March 12, 2007 — It was the mid 1970s, and the two Steves actually had met before, in the summer of 1973, while Jobs and Woz (as he's popularly known) both worked at Hewlett-Packard. From the start, Jobs knew he was not nearly the engineer that Woz was. But he believed he could parlay his friend's genius into a big idea.

Airlines social networks connect frequent flyers

Springwise Newsletter, March 8, 2007 — All major airlines use frequent flyer programs to stimulate customer loyalty and generate additional revenues through third-party offerings. However, KLM is the first airline worldwide to create a customer-centric online community. The airline has launched passenger-driven communities that connect people doing business in China and Africa: KLM Club China and KLM Club Africa. A degree of exclusivity is guaranteed, since participation is by invitation only.

Heineken Skypecasts Concert†

Unlike Webcasting, Technology Allows Two-Way Conversation

Advertising Age, March 8, 2007 — Heineken is known for its innovative approach to marketing and like many brands it's active in the area of music. That activity includes sponsorship of music events and venues and it's always looking for new ways to get in touch with its target audience. In recent years, it's worked closely with Qi-ideas to develop online innovation to help break through the clutter. Last September, it took that approach to a new level.

Putting Cash Test Dummies to Work

Springwise Newsletter, March 8, 2007 — Cherryflava Media in Cape Town, South Africa, is redefining a win-win situation with its latest online venture, Cherrypicka. The site invites customers to register as 'cash test dummies' and purchase new products and services at steep discounts in exchange for submitting reviews.

Surprised? Online Ad Spending Jumps 34%

ANA Marketing Maestros, March 8, 2007 — News from the IAB via MediaPost announces media spending online reached a record $16.8 billion in 2006, an increase of 34%. IAB President Randy Rothenberg said, "The increase underscores marketers' understanding that interactive advertising can engage consumers, build brands and sell products and services."

Built for Speed, but Looking for Love

New York Times, March 7, 2007 — WATCHING a three-and-a-half-pound chicken roast in 14 minutes, time loses all meaning. The skin turns gold and crisp, juices immediately rise to the surface, and the flesh firms before your eyes. It’s dizzying and seductive, like the home makeovers on TV that compress a six-month renovation into a single afternoon.

Kodak Bucks Industry Trend as It Enters Printer Market†

Strategy Calls for Selling Ink Cartridges for Cheap to Change Consumer Habits

Advertising Age, March 7, 2007 — Did you know printer ink is three times more expensive than premium champagne? Kodak plans to help consumers come to that realization this month with an aggressive "Think ink" marketing strategy as it enters the highly competitive inkjet printer and cartridge market.

Brand Marketers, Meet Social Networks: Building Communities Without Jeopardizing Your Brand

Marketing Profs, March 6, 2007 — Consumer-generated reviews. Blogging. MySpace. Viral marketing. There's no doubt about it, Web 2.0 is booming. And it's no wonder. These new technologies let people achieve the promise of the Internet—democratization of content creation and distribution. They put the power of the Web into the hands of individuals.

Reservations About Reserve Haunt Hershey†

Sales Disappoint for Upscale Line; Giant Turns to Price Cuts, Advertising

Advertising Age, March 6, 2007 — Hershey by any other name is still mass market. That's what the confectioner is learning the hard way following its push into premium with Cacao Reserve by Hershey's. Less than six months after the launch, the company is resorting to price discounts it had hoped the upscale category wouldn't demand and shifting strategy to advertise the product it once presumed would sell itself.

'Broken' Ad Model Holds Big Advantages for P&G†

Traditional Media-Buying Practices Boost Giant's Sales

Advertising Age, March 5, 2007 — Procter & Gamble Co. Global Marketing Officer Jim Stengel once famously declared that "today's marketing model is broken." Despite its top executives' frequent public speeches about a broken ad model, P&G remains heavily dependent on that traditional marketing model.

Citizen Bono Brings Africa to Idle Rich

New York Times, March 5, 2007 — If you are a rock star with a touch of the messiah complex, saving the world one song at a time has its limits. Even John Lennon didn’t make much progress on world peace before he died. So Bono, the rare rock star with an ability to make a dent in something besides the pop charts, has met with everyone from Pope John Paul II to President Bush in an effort to achieve debt relief and address poverty and AIDS in the undeveloped world. He is also pushing his agenda one T-shirt at a time with a product line called Red that includes clothing, iPods and credit cards.

Costly Red Campaign Reaps Meager $18 Million†

Bono & Co. Spend up to $100 Million on Marketing, Incur Watchdogs' Wrath

Advertising Age, March 5, 2007 — It's been a year since the first Red T-shirts hit Gap shelves in London, and a parade of celebrity-splashed events has followed: Steven Spielberg smiling down from billboards in San Francisco; Christy Turlington striking a yoga pose in a New Yorker ad; Bono cruising Chicago's Michigan Avenue with Oprah Winfrey, eagerly snapping up Red products; Chris Rock appearing in Motorola TV spots ("Use Red, nobody's dead"); and the Red room at the Grammy Awards.

Customer Service Champs

BW's first-ever ranking of 25 client-pleasing brands included JetBlue, until it got stuck on the runway

BusinessWeek, March 5, 2007 — Bob Emig was flying home from St. Louis on Southwest Airlines this past December when an all-too-familiar travel nightmare began to unfold. After his airplane backed away from the gate, he and his fellow passengers were told the plane would need to be de-iced.

Dove Effort Gives Package-Goods Marketers Lessons for the Future†

Four Points to Learn From 'Real Beauty' Campaign

Advertising Age, March 5, 2007 — "What's changed?" I asked. Shelly Lazarus, the chairman-CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, among the most successful ad-agency leaders of our time, thought for a moment and responded: "Nothing has changed in terms of the insistence that everything begins with a great idea. Everything has changed about how it's expressed and the speed of getting it out."

Growing? Teach Your Brand Vision, First†

Brandweek, March 5, 2007 — By now most of us have heard about the missive from Starbucks' founder and chairman Howard Schultz delineating his take on the coffee chain's current woes

How Starbucks Strayed†

Case Study: Automatic Espresso Machines, Day-Old Food and Plastic Chairs

Advertising Age, March 5, 2007 — In the wake of the Starbucks "Memo Shot Round the World" from Chairman Howard Shultz on the looming commoditization of its brand, we asked the experts how they would restore the mythical Starbucks Experience.

What's the Biggest Trend or Challenge in Digital Media?†

For These Execs It's All About Video -- How to Make It, Monetize It, Distribute It

Advertising Age, March 5, 2007 — In case there was still any doubt, digital is emerging "as the hub of marketing," and it's changing the ad world at a rapid pace. Advertising Age's Emily Tan asked some of digital's top movers to identify the biggest trends and challenges that lie ahead. Here are excerpts from their e-mail responses.

Why Advertising's Cavemen Are Going Totally Hollyrock†

Wall Street Journal, March 5, 2007 — Is finding a way for marketers to beat commercial-zapping DVRs and helping networks to cure the distressed state of TV comedy so simple that a caveman could do it? ABC's decision last week to greenlight a half-hour pilot program based on Geico's popular cavemen characters highlights the blurring line between advertising and entertainment, as well as the trouble the network has had in launching successful sitcoms.

Why Toyota Is Afraid Of Being Number One

It's overtaking Detroit—with trepidation. Now, the carmaker is relying on ever-savvier PR to avoid the U.S. backlash it dreads

BusinessWeek, March 5, 2007 — Ask consumers why Toyota may soon be the largest automaker in the world, and they will point to the Camry. Or the Prius. Or the rav4. (It's the cars, stupid.) Ask manufacturing geeks, and they'll tell you it's about just-in-time production and a maniacal focus on constant improvement. (It's the engineering, dummy.)

What Starbucks Can Learn From the Movie Palace

New York Times, March 4, 2007 — WI-FI service is quickly becoming the air-conditioning of the Internet age, enticing customers into restaurants and other public spaces in the same way that cold “advertising air” deliberately blasted out the open doors of air-conditioned theaters in the early 20th century to help sell tickets.

Gap Chief Offers Harsh Diagnosis†

Fisher Faults Past Of Poor Leadership, Strategic Missteps

Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2007 — Gap Inc. interim Chief Executive Robert Fisher said it will take time for the retailer to recover from what he diagnosed as bad leadership, misguided efforts to centralize some creative tasks and a vague definition of its target customers.

Microsoft to Move Bulk of Ad Dollars to Digital Channels†

Tells 4A's That Media Mix Will Change By 2010

Advertising Age, March 2, 2007 — It may be dumping hundreds of millions of dollars into an old-school TV campaign for its latest operating system, but Microsoft expects it will move the majority of its ad budget into digital channels within three years.

Start-Ups Seek to Cash In on Web-Video Ads†

Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2007 — Several start-up companies are hoping to cash in on the exploding viewership for online video with systems that can match advertising to video content. Google Inc.'s enormously successfully online-ad system works by identifying key words users are searching for or seeing on Web pages and placing ads alongside them that are targeted to the same words.

Stengel Exhorts 4A's: 'It's Not About Telling and Selling'†

P&G's CMO Ditches Simple Mantra for Dialogue-Driven Communications

Advertising Age, March 2, 2007 — Procter & Gamble's Jim Stengel described a major cultural shift that he believes is turning the world's largest marketer into a starter of conversations and a solver of consumers' problems rather than a one-way communicator. "It's not about telling and selling," said the global marketing officer of the company that once lived by that simple mantra. "It's about bringing a relationship mind-set to everything we do."

Dunkin’ duking it out in supermarkets

Boston Herald, March 1, 2007 — Dunkin’ Donuts coffee will soon join Starbucks in fighting for shelf space with Folgers and Maxwell House at stores nationwide. Dunkin’ Brands Inc. signed a long-term agreement for brand behemoth Procter & Gamble to distribute packaged whole bean and ground Dunkin’ Donuts coffee to U.S. grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores and other retailers within a year.

Into the mind of the consumer

Marketing Week, March 1, 2007 — If you follow the animated sitcom the Simpsons, you are probably familiar with the guide to Homer Simpson's brain. At the front of his cortex - in the region associated with higher mental functions - is an area labelled "TV Time"; a rather smaller one for "Family Time" and, holding pride of place, an area stamped "Your Ad here".

Trouble brewing; Brand management†

Economist, March 1, 2007 — PEPSI and Starbucks share a problem. The second-biggest maker of cola and the world's largest chain of coffee shops are both worried about how customers perceive their brands. Pepsi has always been about experience, says Ron Coughlin, a Pepsi marketing executive.…