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New York Times, March 31, 2009 — Walt Disney’s television division became the latest media company to make a distribution deal with YouTube on Monday, saying that it would share short-form content with the world’s largest video Web site.
New York Times, March 30, 2009 — anyone who has dreamed of creating his own glossy color magazine dedicated to a hobby like photography or travel, the high cost and hassle of printing has loomed as a big barrier. Traditional printing companies charge thousands of dollars upfront to fire up a press and produce a few hundred copies of a bound magazine.With a new Web service called MagCloud, Hewlett-Packard hopes to make it easier and cheaper to crank out a magazine than running photocopies at the local copy shop.
Advertising Age, March 30, 2009 — Isn't the entire web social these days?
To an extent, yes. If 2008 was the year everyone — and their grandmas — joined a social network, then 2009 is the year those networks' social graphs spread their tentacles beyond their borders to other sites across the web. Already it's common for many sites, including major news sources and entertainment properties, to have commenting and sharing features. So we admit the social web is a pervasive concept. But there are several interesting newer developments at Twitter and Facebook, as well as in the widget space and the app world.
Calgary Sun, March 30, 2009 — Calgary: It's Close to Banff.
If attracting tourists, workers and investors to Calgary really is the goal, why not call a spade a spade?
You'd avoid wasting piles of cash on a vague slogan, and you'd avoid the storm of controversy brewing at city hall over more pointless spending during an economic slump.
Chicago Tribune, March 30, 2009 — Borrowing from a ship’s berth or a train’s sleeper car, developers are moving beyond budget accommodations and gambling that in tough times travelers looking for a little pampering at lower prices will embrace micro-hotels.
The concept of a hotel room the size of a suburban bathroom has spread across Europe in recent years. And as the U.S. economy deteriorates, interest in the idea has grown, especially in high-priced markets such as New York City, where there are fewer options for budget travelers.
New York Times, March 29, 2009 — ON the TV screen, a 30-ish guy is lounging in bed, talking on the phone, with an older woman curled up near his arm.
“Dude, there is no way your mom is cheating on your dad,” he says.
“That wasn’t Jay, was it?” the woman asks, once the guy has hung up.
“Yeah, that was your son. Don’t worry, he’s not going to find out.”
Freeze frame, and cue the narrator: “You think that’s low? Spirit Airlines fares are even lower.”
Subtle? No. Outrageous? Sure.
But Spirit seems to relish the outrageous.
New York Times, March 29, 2009 — WHEN Facebook signed up its 100 millionth member last August, its employees spread out in two parks in Palo Alto, Calif., for a huge barbecue. Sometime this week, this five-year-old start-up, born in a dorm room at Harvard, expects to register its 200 millionth user.
That staggering growth rate — doubling in size in just eight months — suggests Facebook is rapidly becoming the Web’s dominant social ecosystem and an essential personal and business networking tool in much of the wired world.
Brandweek, March 27, 2009 — In an effort to leverage employees as a marketing medium, Harrah’s has launched an initiative dubbed “Everybody Plays a Part,” which attempts to deliver a more social experience to consumers that visit its casinos.
Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2009 — The slumping economy has begun to squeeze big food makers, forcing them to rethink their pricing strategies.
After a year in which they boosted prices to help offset higher costs for transportation and commodities such as corn, food companies are finding that consumers are increasingly trading down to cheaper "private label," or store-branded, food.
That's making it harder to continue raising prices.
ReadWriteWeb, March 26, 2009 — Gartner released a report today that highlights the different ways that companies are adopting Twitter for business use. Although Twitter was originally intended for communication among individuals, a number of organizations have begun to actively participate on the platform. However, not all companies are using Twitter in the same way. Some are tweeting, some are just listening, and some really savvy companies are doing both.
New York Times, March 26, 2009 — Americans yearn to be young. So it is little wonder that RealAge, which promises to help shave years off your age, has become one of the most popular tests on the Internet.
According to RealAge, more than 27 million people have taken the test, which asks 150 or so questions about lifestyle and family history to assign a “biological age,” how young or old your habits make you. Then, RealAge makes recommendations on how to get “younger,” like taking multivitamins, eating breakfast and flossing your teeth. Nine million of those people have signed up to become RealAge members.
But while RealAge promotes better living through nonmedical solutions, the site makes its money by selling better living through drugs.
Pharmaceutical companies pay... continue reading
Prophet, March 26, 2009 — This 60-minute webinar features Prophet Chairman and CEO, Michael Dunn, presenting concepts from his new book, The Marketing Accountability Imperative.
New York Times, March 25, 2009 — THEY say money is the mother’s milk of politics. In marketing, it is new products, meant to pique the interest of consumers and thereby stimulate demand at stores, restaurants and dealer showrooms.
In tough times, it would seem the flow of new products would be slowed by companies fearing that shoppers have too much on their minds to consider still another cereal, soap or soup.
But as the recession grinds on, Madison Avenue is serving up a steady stream of new packaged foods, cars, drugs (prescription and otherwise), menu items (for both sit-down and fast-food restaurants) and beverages ( alcoholic and otherwise).
eMarketer, March 25, 2009 — In an article in Advertising Age, “Why CMOs Are Gaining Ground in the Recession,” John Quelch, Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, listed the four main marketing challenges chief marketing officers (CMOs) currently face:
* Shifting consumer behavior
* Price positioning
* Stretching marketing dollars
* Embracing digital
The economy is putting the squeeze on every marketing decision, and so, as Mr. Quelch said, financial accountability of marketing is here to stay.
New York Times, March 23, 2009 — The government’s fourth round of assistance to the American International Group this month was a play for time — for languishing markets to rebound, for pockets to fill up again and for buyers to emerge for the sturdy insurance companies under A.I.G.’s tattered corporate umbrella.
Only when those insurance companies are sold will there be money to repay American taxpayers.
But after the latest uproar, time does not look like A.I.G.’s friend. The problem now is not a toxic spiral of derivatives like the one that crippled the company last fall, but the damage done to A.I.G.’s brand, first by the financial troubles and then by the recent wave of hearings, subpoenas, late-night television jokes and even a bus tour past executives’ homes.
... continue reading
Wall Street Journal, March 23, 2009 — Ask most people about "branding," and they'll usually start talking about products and services.
But in recent years, companies have begun branding themselves as employers, too, betting that if they can convey to the world why their workplace is appealing and unique, they will have an easier time attracting good workers.
In fact, for many companies, employer branding has become a critical management tool, as the emergence of China, India and Brazil as economic powers and aging work forces in the U.S., European Union and Japan have increased the competition for skilled workers.
Advertising Age, March 23, 2009 — Did Twitter just make Facebook blink? If not, why did Facebook suddenly get so much more Twitter-like?
Indeed, mighty Facebook, steaming toward 120 million worldwide users, pulling away from MySpace and even nudging Google on its axis, started emulating key functions of Twitter earlier in March after a redesign made status updates central and immediate.
Prophet, March 23, 2009 — Michael Dunn blogs about concepts from his latest book, "The Marketing Accountability Imperative," and discusses five tough questions in guiding how best to reduce and reallocate budgets. (Jossey-Bass on Leadership)
eMarketer, March 23, 2009 — It took a while.
Even though tens of millions of users were flocking to social media sites every day, most marketers stayed away. They either didn’t understand how to join the conversations—without sounding like shills—or they were frightened away by the prospect of associating their brands with questionable content.
But things are changing.
Wall Street Journal, March 23, 2009 — An airline loses your bag or cancels your flight because of a mechanical problem. The next time you show up at the airport, an agent personally apologizes and offers a free pass to an airport lounge for your troubles.
Don't laugh. Someday it may happen at U.S. airlines.
New York Times, March 22, 2009 — SPUCK BENNETT’S dealership just outside Ocean City, Md., is cluttered with 65 shiny Harley-Davidson motorcycles, including the chrome Sportster and the sleek V-Rod. Last year, Mr. Bennett, 79, sold 200 bikes, down from 280 the year before. This year, sales have slowed to a crawl.
KenRadio, March 20, 2009 — While debates may rage over exactly how to assess the value of brands, virtually everyone agrees that brands represent real and significant financial value to their owners. Managing a brand therefore requires careful and strategic investment and stewardship. But what are the drivers of brand value? Product quality, customer services, and in particular advertising, are some of drivers most commonly cited and studied. Until now, however, there has been relatively little research into the contribution of public relations to brand value. In a new study by Interbrand analyzed the positioning between a brand’s media prominence, and brand value across the world’s 100 most valuable brands.
Fast Company, March 20, 2009 — You ought to be in pictures. No, really. Companies are increasingly using simple pictures to distill complicated concepts into easily shared, easily remembered nuggets. "Graphic expression and visual thinking are a central part of human cognition," says Neil Cohn, a researcher in cognitive psychology and linguistics at Tufts University. These ideas are spreading from how companies sell what they do — as in UPS's "Whiteboard" ad campaign, featuring its agency's creative director sketching out what brown can do for you — to plotting strategy. For example, Mark Zuckerberg has said that Facebook is based on the "social graph," a visual model of how people interact.
Advertising Age, March 19, 2009 — Watch out, Starbucks, Pepsi and Microsoft: Your brand power is waning.
So concludes CoreBrand's Brand Power Index, which ranks 100 corporate brands in terms of market reputation and awareness. The annual ranking is conducted by surveying 400 corporate executives across 1,200 companies and 49 industries, with financial performance, perception of management and investment potential taken into account.
Prophet, March 19, 2009 — In this economy, budget cuts may well be necessary to survive. In this Aquent-sponsored AMA webcast, Fred Geyer outlines how businesses can use their existing intelligence to address five tough questions and rigorously guide how best to reduce and reallocate their budgets in difficult times. (American Marketing Association webcast)
Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2009 — Finally victorious over longtime archrival Circuit City Stores Inc., Best Buy Co. is now gearing up to fight an even more powerful foe: Wal-Mart.
Leading the challenge will be Brian Dunn, the company's chief operating officer, who takes over for retiring Chief Executive Brad Anderson in June. His new strategy is to head off Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s brutal price competition by giving consumers something the discounter cannot: more interactive stores, where customers can step into the world of a new videogame or see their faces captured by a high-definition video camera, instead of trolling aisles stacked with merchandise.
eMarketer, March 17, 2009 — There are a lot of tough jobs in the current downturn, but high on the list must be chief marketing officer (CMO). A CMO’s job is to keep products moving—even in an economy where practically nothing is moving.
To find out how top marketing officers around the country are dealing with adverse economic conditions, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the American Marketing Association (AMA) conducted the “CMO Survey” in February, a poll of nearly 600 US marketing executives.
Wall Street Journal, March 16, 2009 — Finally victorious over longtime archrival Circuit City Stores Inc., Best Buy Co. is now gearing up to fight an even more powerful foe: Wal-Mart.
Leading the challenge will be Brian Dunn, the company's chief operating officer, who takes over for retiring Chief Executive Brad Anderson in June. His new strategy is to head off Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s brutal price competition by giving consumers something the discounter cannot: more interactive stores, where customers can step into the world of a new videogame or see their faces captured by a high-definition video camera, instead of trolling aisles stacked with merchandise.
ReadWriteWeb, March 16, 2009 — In a recession, budgets are tightened, jobs are cut, and those who remain are expected to do more with less. Given this type of economic reality, it's surprising to hear of an industry reporting an increase in spending on anything, much less on something as new as social media. Yet that's exactly what's occurring. According to a new Forrester Research survey of 145 global interactive marketers in both B2B and B2C companies with more than 250 employees, the use of social media as a marketing tool is on the rise. What's more, Forrester reports that over 50% of marketers said they will be increasing their spending on social media marketing in the coming months.
Advertising Age, March 16, 2009 — Pop quiz: Who has the most popular page on Facebook? Barack Obama. Who's second? Coca-Cola. Yes, sugared water runs second only to the leader of the free world. Who was it again that said people don't want to be friends with brands?
Hub, March 16, 2009 — Nearly six years ago, McDonald’s was vilified in the Fast Food Nation bestseller and in the documentary, Super-Size Me. And, it was held responsible — if not personally — for obesity in this country and globally by nearly every media commentator and activist group.
Today, McDonald’s is enjoying 55 months of global same store sales increases, stock value gains, and positive movement in the Reveries.com survey. What was essential to McDonald’s success was a rededication to its brand’s core values. The big turning point for McDonald’s came with a change in mission. It was no longer about being the best or biggest quick-serve restaurant.
New York Times, March 16, 2009 — FOR years, television viewers, journalists who write about TV and services that compile listings have wondered how to refer to a certain cable network: Sci Fi Channel? Sci-Fi Channel? SciFi Channel? SCI FI Channel?
Soon, to paraphrase Rod Serling — whose vintage series, “The Twilight Zone,” is a mainstay of the Sci Fi Channel — executives will submit for public approval another name, not only of sight and sound but of mind, meant to signal a channel whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead — your next stop, Syfy.
Advertising Age, March 16, 2009 — Sci-Fi Channel, the home of "Battlestar Galactica," "Eureka" and "Ghost Hunters," is offering advertisers more than new programming this year. It's offering up a whole new name.
Brandchannel.com, March 16, 2009 — Every day we are bombarded with numbing news about the economy: bank busts, bailouts and buyouts, rising jobless claims, more home foreclosures, declining consumer confidence, the unfolding “stimulus package” and a national budget in crisis.
BusinessWeek, March 16, 2009 — Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) has completely overhauled its oldest and biggest store brand, a move likely to send shock waves through the ranks of branded grocery manufacturers around the globe.
Wall Street Journal, March 13, 2009 — Until recently, being green was the best way for companies to demonstrate a sense of social responsibility, and for consumers to feel good about their purchases. Healthy food, hybrid cars, energy efficiency — these were the attributes that burnished brands.
But now green is taking a back seat to a new core value — value. Green hasn't gone away, but companies are having to consider their "value" equation to try to serve the millions of consumers who either can't afford premium experiences, or just don't want them anymore.
Advertising Age, March 12, 2009 — Procter & Gamble Co. paired 40 digital media and agency executives with 100 of its North American marketing directors in a contest to sell Tide T-shirts for charity last night as its much-awaited "Digital Hack Night" became a four-hour reality show aired largely in social media.
Chicago Tribune, March 12, 2009 — Sears Tower will change its name to Willis Tower this summer, under the terms of a lease signed by global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings.
Willis Group plans to consolidate five area offices and move nearly 500 associates into Willis Tower, at 233 S. Wacker Drive, initially occupying more than 140,000 square feet on multiple floors.
London-based Willis said that its move to the new space, at $14.50 per square foot, will reduce its real estate costs significantly and that there is no additional cost associated with renaming the building.
"It was part of our negotiations," said Willis spokesman Will Thoretz. "We are actually not having to pay anything for renaming the building."
Wall Street Journal, March 11, 2009 — Walt Disney Co. moved to bolster its online business by introducing a new Web portal it hopes will attract paying subscribers and encourage fan loyalty.
The new venture, called D23, will allow subscribers who pay a roughly $75 annual fee full access to a range of Disney news, online entertainment and other features. Part of the Web site will be available to the public free of charge.
BusinessWeek, March 11, 2009 — This month, General Electric's (GE) health-care division will begin marketing a first-of-its-kind electrocardiograph machine in the U.S. Although packed with the latest technology, the battery-powered device weighs just six pounds, half as much as the smallest ECG machine currently for sale. It will retail for a mere $2,500, an 80% markdown from products with similar capabilities. But what really distinguishes the MAC 800 is its lineage. The machine is basically the same field model that GE Healthcare developed for doctors in India and China in 2008.
As such, the diagnostic tool exemplifies a way of thinking that may be ideally suited to dealing with the widening recession: creating entry-level goods for emerging markets and then quickly and cheaply... continue reading
CMO Strategy by AdAge, March 10, 2009 — Some good news for marketing heads: Chief marketing officers are holding on to their jobs longer. Spencer Stuart's annual survey of CMO tenure at the 100 most advertised brands in the U.S. reveals average time on the job has risen to 28.4 months from 26.8 months in 2007 and 23.2 months in 2006.
By Paul Schrimpf, March 9, 2009 — You may or may not know that the Academy Awards garners a high degree of advertising revenue. It’s easy to overlook when it shares the same month with the Superbowl. In fact, some advertisers consider it the Superbowl for women. And like the celebrity red carpet arrivals, it’s fun to watch which brands “show up”.
The economic downturn was very well evident this year not only in terms of the opening performance, but also in terms of ad campaigns. I personally only recall three that stood out:... continue reading
Advertising Age, March 9, 2009 — In an audacious and quite possibly unprecedented move likely to resonate with recession-weary consumers, Coca-Cola will give away a free sample of its Vault brand to anyone who buys PepsiCo's Mtn Dew.
Fast Company, March 9, 2009 — Lego is one of the world's most creative companies. What kind of office is equal to the task of housing its development staff? Here's a peek inside the company's work space, designed by Bosch & Fjord. It's clever enough, with mildly wacky touches that recall dotcom offices, circa 1999. But there is a strong, overarching design principle at work: Notice how many meeting spaces there are. That's intentional, but it's also a move backed by sociology.
Prophet, March 9, 2009 — Michael Dunn's latest book helps marketing managers and CMOs make better marketing spending decisions and better evaluate the success or failure of these decisions
Advertising Age, March 9, 2009 — For the last several months, social-media pundits have busied themselves debating whether Twitter was the new Facebook. But last week Mark Zuckerberg & Co. hoped to change that dialogue, launching a pair of modifications that had people asking if Facebook was the new Twitter.
New York Times, March 8, 2009 — IS being leader of the Free World while the global economy is melting and the country is at war stressful enough to turn President Obama’s hair gray after just 44 days?
Perhaps, but there may be a much simpler, if more quotidian, explanation. Middle age.
New York Times, March 8, 2009 — MY NEIGHBOR JOE EMBRACED THE ZEITGEIST, or was embraced by it, shortly before Thanksgiving a couple of years ago when he decided to bid adieu to his S.U.V., a two-and-a-half ton specimen that was a pain to park, got only slightly better mileage than a cement mixer and bore a brand name that meant to evoke, through misspelling, a famously resilient tribe of Berber-speaking desert nomads. Joe replaced the car, more or less, with nothing, or rather, with an Idea, which he carried around in his wallet on a plastic card, lawn-green, embedded with a computer chip and prominently imprinted with a playfully mellow looking “Z,” for Zipcar — an upstart company bent on altering the primal bond between Americans and their vehicles.
Harvard Business Review, March 5, 2009 — In lean times, there's nothing more valuable than a great new product idea. Why not invite your customers to share their creativity with your company — and turn the best ideas into actual products! That's what legendary shoe designer John Fluevog has done, with a project he calls open-source footwear.
Fast Company, March 5, 2009 — Marketers are dead certain that consumers always want something fresh and new; meanwhile, consumers often seem to hate big changes—as Pepsi's and Tropicana's disastrous rebrandings just proved. But for some reason, everyone loves throwback branding.
Several brands will be trying the strategy out in the upcoming weeks: General Mills is marketing "vintage" cereal boxes through March 21st at Target; Pepsi and Mountain Dew will be releasing throwback brands in April, at a significant price premium.
Marketing Charts, March 4, 2009 — An overwhelming majority (87%) of US CMOs and marketing managers believe that branding initiatives need to be more flexible today than in the past, and 63% think traditional brand positioning and advertising are losing their effectiveness and are “broken,” according to a survey from the Verse Group and Jupiter Research.
Adweek, March 4, 2009 — The buzz around social media is usually reserved for hot consumer brands, yet IBM has seized an opportunity to use such marketing tools to tout a "dry" technology product to IT professionals.
The tech giant recently launched the second phase of a social marketing push to build awareness and sales among software developers. Unlike the recent social media rage around Skittles, IBM needs to reach just a few hundred thousand potential customers and teach them about a complex product that aids developer collaboration.
CNNMoney.com, March 3, 2009 — It is the buzz of the tech world: Cisco Systems may soon try selling servers, those heavy-duty computers that companies use to run critical back-office applications. The prospect of router giant Cisco's entering the already crowded $55-billion-a-year server market is intriguing (imagine if LeBron James decided to try his hand at football) but also has the potential to disappoint. (Remember Michael Jordan's ill-fated effort to play professional baseball?)
Advertising Age, March 3, 2009 — NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — If food can be comforting, how about packaging? With consumers embracing old-world classics such as casserole, some marketers are trying to get on the bandwagon by trotting out some old-school style. General Mills has given Target a month-long exclusive on retro box designs for some of its best-selling cereals, Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs and Trix.
Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2009 — For years, Skittles has encouraged consumers to "Taste the Rainbow." Now, the candy brand wants people to "Chat the Rainbow."
Mars Snackfood, maker of the chewy, multicolored candies, launched a new homepage at Skittles.com on Thursday that may represent the closest embrace of social media yet by a mainstream marketer. Instead of a typical product site that highlights information about or videos and games related to a product, Skittles.com features content created by consumers — most of it gleaned from other Web sites.
Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2009 — For years, Skittles has encouraged consumers to "Taste the Rainbow." Now, the candy brand wants people to "Chat the Rainbow."
Mars Snackfood, maker of the chewy, multicolored candies, launched a new homepage at Skittles.com on Thursday that may represent the closest embrace of social media yet by a mainstream marketer. Instead of a typical product site that highlights information about or videos and games related to a product, Skittles.com features content created by consumers — most of it gleaned from other Web sites.
Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2009 — To cope with slumping sales, toy makers are trying to breathe new life into some old brands.
This year, Zizzle LLC is rolling out a doll called P.J. Sparkles that has a tiara that lights up and a dress that can be transformed into pajamas. But the line isn't new: It was retired by Mattel Inc., its original manufacturer, nearly 20 years ago.
Advertising Age, March 3, 2009 — Twitter sees lucrative opportunities in search, albeit a different kind of search than what Google offers, and, as co-founder Biz Stone told Ad Age recently, "we'll certainly be exploring those."
It's because of the potential it sees in search that the Twitter co-founders walked away from a $500 million offer from Facebook — not just the terms of the deal, said Todd Chaffee, an Institutional Venture Partners general partner and a new Twitter backer.
FORTUNE, March 2, 2009 — The world's most admired companies? In this environment isn't that sort of like the World's Most Trusted Con Men? World's Nicest Pit Bulls? Most Beautiful Slag Heaps? Isn't it just one giant contradiction?
Actually, it isn't. The most admired companies in the world are truly admired still. It shouldn't be surprising: Any company that can perform well and maintain its good name during the worst recession in 75 years is arguably more admirable than the best performer during boom times.
Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2009 — American Express Co., after outclassing its rivals for the past 50 years, is looking uncomfortably like just another credit-card company.
AmEx is reeling from late payments and defaults by customers it aggressively wooed before the U.S. economy tumbled into recession. Its sterling reputation for customer service is under attack from longtime clients. Even cardholders with plenty of money are putting away their plastic, pushing shares of the New York company to a 12-year low.
Hub, March 2, 2009 — Jill Lajdziak says it’s the retail experience that makes the Saturn difference.
Between the time we spoke with Jill Lajdziak and the publication of this interview, General Motors announced plans to close Saturn. Well, here’s another news flash: This doesn’t necessarily mean the end for Saturn. And it certainly does not change the enlightened view Saturn brings to automotive retailing.
Advertising Age, March 2, 2009 — If you want to broaden the appeal of your product, the first thing you should do is figure out if it's a boy or a girl. "The idea is to look at a category and examine what its [gender] orientation is," based on its inherent appeal and the marketing that's traditionally been put behind it, said Matthew Paprocki, president of Los Angeles-based creative boutique Boombang. "All their existing know-how is focused with a different orientation. If you flip that, you appeal to the opposite sex and increase the potential market for your products."
Advertising Age, March 2, 2009 — Burger King chief marketer Russ Klein, the man who brought you "Whopper Virgins" and Facebook's "Whopper Sacrifice," says he's not out to offend people; he wants to forge emotional bonds with consumers based on areas of tension.
Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2009 — In 2007, as it rolled out ambitious plans to break into the U.S. market, British retailer Tesco PLC emphasized the high-quality foods at its Fresh & Easy supermarkets. Fifteen months, 114 stores and a deep recession later, the company has made big changes to its strategy: steep price cuts, aggressive advertising and a new budget brand.
Advertising Age, March 2, 2009 — Ever since the DDB creative revolution in the 1960s, debate has raged about the best kind of messaging for building profitable brands. On the one hand, devotees of the "hard sell," or persuasion-based communications, argue that facts and rational arguments sell products and services best. On the other hand, devotees of the "soft sell" contend that brands that can inspire strong emotional responses in consumers and create true engagement can transform businesses, turning the tables even on bigger competitors. In recent times the tide has begun to turn in favor of emotional engagement, with some high-profile converts at Procter & Gamble, but the argument is far from over.
Advertising Age, March 2, 2009 — Ford Motor Co.'s campaign for its redone 2010 Ford Fusion new hybrid model is aimed at people who aren't in the market to buy a car — at least not today.
Prophet, March 1, 2009 — In this Jossey-Bass sponsored podcast, Michael answers questions and outlines key concepts from his book.
New York Times, March 1, 2009 — ON “Harlem Heights,” a new reality show on BET, the young and hip stars swish Listerine, treat their allergies with Zyrtec, and sweeten their coffee with Splenda.
For those who do not take note of the corporate logos on mouthwash, allergy medicines or artificial sweeteners, all three products are manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, one of the country’s pre-eminent consumer goods companies.