Why Digital Agencies Are Indeed Ready to Lead†

They Understand the Technology, the Speed of Iteration and Analytics

Advertising Age, November 12, 2009 — Over the past 18 months, a great debate has consumed our industry: Are digital agencies poised to sit at the head of the advertising table? Depending on whom you ask and what you read, the answer seems to flip flop — with a majority of people still having reservations and making claims that digital agencies aren't ready to lead.

So why does the debate continue? Does offline or online really matter to an oblivious consumer who's only interested in "no-line" communications? Are we spending too much time focusing on who should lead and not enough asking: What's next?

Define Your Brand's Purpose, Not Just Its Promise

Wal-Mart, Charles Schwab returned to their roots to strike a recession-appropriate message.

Forbes, November 11, 2009 — Every brand makes a promise. But in a marketplace in which consumer confidence is low and budgetary vigilance is high, it's not just making a promise that separates one brand from another, but having a defining purpose.

The Last Campaign: How Experiences Are Becoming the New Advertising†

Red Bull, Virgin America, Uniqlo and Guinness Lead the Way

Advertising Age, November 11, 2009 — Is advertising dying? It's certainly fashionable to say so. Conventional wisdom holds that traditional media's grip on consumers continues to slip as they increasingly turn to the internet and their peers for entertainment and purchasing recommendations.

Comcast Play for NBC Universal Is a Bet on Future of Advertising†

Union Would Allow Experiments in DVR, Addressable Campaigns

Advertising Age, November 9, 2009 — Comcast Corp. is looking to take a 51% stake in NBC Universal, surely a sign of the durability of cable networks, since NBCU owns a bunch of top-tier ones. But there's more going on here: It's also a calculated move to seize the reins in shaping future TV-viewer behavior and a bid to assume the lead in figuring out how to advertise to the new-media consumer.

Flip's Quest in First Major Ad Push: Become a Lifestyle Brand†

Camcorder Maker Tries to 'Verb' Itself -- and Stave Off Smartphone Competition

Advertising Age, November 9, 2009 — Flip, the Cisco-owned maker of pocket-sized camcorders, wants to go mass, and it's hoping its first, multimillion-dollar ad campaign, launched today, will establish it as a lifestyle brand.

Marketer of the Year: Hyundai†

The Carmaker Won Handily in Our Reader Poll, Besting Walmart, McDonald's, Lego and Amazon

Advertising Age, November 9, 2009 — Consider the state of affairs when viewers tuned into the Super Bowl in February: Banks had failed, a stimulus package still hadn't been announced, and unemployment was surging toward 8%, up from 4.8% the year before. Escapism was the order of the day, and most advertisers played right along, with brands like Coke and Pepsi offering saccharine happy-happy joy-joy visions that jarred with the bleak reality.

The TGIF 'Revolution' Is Nothing Without a Marketing Strategy†

Social Media Isn't Enough to Save a Weak Brand

Advertising Age, November 9, 2009 — If you were a first-time visitor from Mars and you happened to drop into a marketing meeting somewhere in the United States, you might assume that marketing people do nothing but talk about "TGIF."

That's Twitter, Google, the internet and Facebook.

There's no question these four revolutionary developments have forever changed the marketing function. Word-of-mouth has now become word of finger.

Transparency and Chemistry Key to CMO Longevity†

Speros, Chow, Judge, Addicks Talk Shop at ANA Roundtable

Advertising Age, November 9, 2009 — Get a bunch of longtime chief marketing officers in a room and you'll hear one thing for certain: lots and lots of questions about staying power. The Association of National Advertisers CMO Roundtable this past weekend was no exception. The group, comprised of Best Buy's Barry Judge, General Mills' Mark Addicks, Con Agra's Joan Chow and Fidelity Investment's Jim Speros, underscored the importance of transparency, relationship building and making sure you're right for the job in the first place.

For Moms, Offline Friends Still Wield Heavy Brand Influence†

Study: Social Media Is Kept, Well, Social, While Marketers' Website Become Important Tool for Product Info

Advertising Age, November 6, 2009 — Technology's influence is widely assumed to have morphed the over-the-fence backyard chat into mommy blogs and Twitter networks. But when moms are seeking product advice, it's not all social-media all the time. A study due out next week from the Parenting Group found that while moms are avid web and social-media users, they still turn to family and friends first, whether by phone, e-mail or in-person, when making decisions about product purchases

CMOs, Regain Control of Your Destiny†

Visionary Leaders Must Take Back and Advance the Dialog Surrounding Marketing

Adweek, November 4, 2009 — Senior marketers, ask yourselves: Is marketing's inability to get the type of traction it seeks within your organization real or self-imposed? In other words, do you actually have control over the perception, power, influence and abilities that marketing can truly bring to the table?