Brands Need Face-To-Face Connection

MediaPost Publications, November 5, 2009 — We live in the most hyper-connected time in the country's history; and yet we exist in a constant state of disconnection. While Apple, BlackBerry, Twitter, Facebook, LimeWire, Match.com, Fresh Direct, and Amazon are well-designed, convenient, and address specific needs — and for the most part work well — they are also responsible for the undeniable erosion in the kind of personal interactions we used to take for granted during the course of a regular day

Facing Disaster, Trustmark Launched a Renaissance

Setting tradition aside, the 95-year-old insurance company looked to Apple and American Girl as a guide to its future

BusinessWeek, November 4, 2009 — On a sunny day in June 2006, David McDonough, chief executive of Trustmark Insurance, was roaming Chicago's Navy Pier, talking to strangers. "We needed to understand what made people tick," says McDonough of the exercise, which was part of a two-day workshop designed to get his executive team to look beyond actuarial tables and stimulate thinking about the company's future.

Kodak Shoots For YouTube Consumer Connection

MediaPost Publications, November 3, 2009 — Many consumers may still think of Kodak as mainly an enabler of still images. But the company is becoming deeply involved in the Web's most popular site for moving pictures: YouTube.

Kodak has launched a branded YouTube channel, ForMom, featuring user-generated testimonials from real moms on topics ranging from parenting and cooking to health, beauty and exercise.

Turner Entertainment Sees the Broadcast Networks as Its Fattest Target

New York Times, November 2, 2009 — If there is a fault line between the big but shrinking broadcast networks and the small but growing cable networks, it would run right through Steve Koonin’s office in Atlanta.

Mr. Koonin, the president of Turner Entertainment Networks, has been orchestrating the TNT cable channel’s growth for almost a decade, from a unit best-known for “Law and Order” reruns to a financial powerhouse for the parent company, Time Warner.

Got Relevance?

MediaPost Publications, October 30, 2009 — One of the most daunting challenges companies face now is how to market themselves.

Think of it: There are many businesses with the same or similar offerings. Customers can purchase goods or services from anywhere in the world, thanks to the Internet. With rapid commoditization, effectively marketing a business is more challenging than ever. It takes more than a marketing plan, strategy and tactics, positioning and differentiation to successfully market now. But what?

P&G Considers Booting Some Brands†

Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2009 — Facing mounting pressure to boost sliding sales and recalibrate his company, P&G CEO Robert McDonald is stepping up the hunt for acquisition and divestiture candidates, people close to the company said.

Timex Pulls Out Stops For ING NYC Marathon

MediaPost Publications, October 28, 2009 — Timex has been quietly winding up programs to move the brand away from an "old reliable" sort of brand equity toward a more athletic positioning, using its Iron Man sub-brand to reach younger consumers.

The company is in its second year as official timing partner of the ING New York City Marathon

8 Guaranteed Ways To Kill Your Brand

MediaPost Publications, October 27, 2009 — Throughout the recession, many marketers have relied on so-called "recession-survival" lessons to drive their strategies. Unfortunately, these aren't always lessons as much as they are myths. We thought we would help dispel some of them and share a few tips to spur positive momentum

No Einstein in Your Crib? Get a Refund

New York Times, October 24, 2009 — Parent alert: the Walt Disney Company is now offering refunds for all those “Baby Einstein” videos that did not make children into geniuses.

Mattel Hopes Barbie Facelift Will Show Up Younger Rivals†

Wall Street Journal, October 21, 2009 — his was supposed to be the year that Barbie finally regained her tiara as the queen of the toy aisles. After many false starts, Mattel Inc. thought it had found a way to make the iconic fashion doll once more a must-have for girls of all ages — and to boost the company's flagging revenues as well. It is spending millions of dollars to promote its new "Fashionista" Barbies, even hiring a choreographer-to-the-stars to create a dance called "The Barbie" for a video that had its premiere on the "Today Show" and was posted on YouTube.