Colgate and GlaxoSmithKline fight for "nurdle" rights†

Wall Street Journal, July 30, 2010 — Can an icon become so ubiquitous in an industry that it cannot be trademarked? Colgate-Palmolive, maker of Colgate toothpaste, certainly thinks so. Colgate asserts that the "nurdle"--the curved squirt of toothpaste found on toothpaste packages--is one such case, and has sought a judge to validate it.

The move was made in anticipation of a potential lawsuit from rival GlaxoSmithKline (maker of Aquafresh) over alleged trademark infringement in Colgate packaging.

comScore Reports on How Women Shape the Internet

Mashable, July 29, 2010 — comScore's whitepaper says that women spend more time on social networking websites than men, among other findings. View the original whitepaper here.

Using Product Placement to Fund Reality TV†

Fall in Love, Plug the Island

Wall Street Journal, July 29, 2010 — Hotels and tourist destinations in exotic settings are coming to a television set near you. Tourist boards and hotel management have seen increased interest after being "plugged" on popular reality TV shows, from Survivor to The Bachelor. From the television production side, more exciting settings attracts viewers and keeps the show interesting.

BP Confirms CEO Exit, Record Loss

Brandchannel.com, July 27, 2010 — BP confirmed that Robert Dudley is taking over as CEO on Oct. 1. As expected, Tony Hayward will exit and assume a new post with BP's joint venture in Russia, TNK-BP. The oil giant also reported a $17.2 billion quarterly loss due to the oil spill, the biggest in British corporate history.

Bringing It All Back Home

Even TV execs aren't too myopic to see the changes wrought by social media

MediaPost Publications, July 27, 2010 — Interesting look at the positive impact that social media is having on TV.

The Man Your Man Could Smell Like vs. The Most Interesting Man in the World

Fast Company, July 26, 2010 — While the debate over the effectiveness of the Old Spice Guy continues, Fast Company takes a look at another popular viral campaign: Don Equis' Most Interesting Man in the World.

Using Facebook as a platform for Ford's latest "auto show"

Mashable, July 26, 2010 — Today, Ford reveals details on its newest Explorer model to the world--via Facebook. The company has been releasing short videos at various time intervals on its Facebook page that feature background on the development of the car, live talks with company leaders, and more. This Mashable article interviews the digital marketers behind it all.

Behind the Laughter: The Making of Coca-Cola's Happiness Machine

Mashable, July 23, 2010 — An interview exploring the development of Coca-cola's "Happiness Machine" viral video, from conception to promotion.

Despite Enormous Popularity, Old Spice Guy Not Helping Sales

Yahoo! News, July 22, 2010 — The Old Spice campaign is definitely generating a lot of buzz, but that isn't turning into sales. This is a common marketing effectiveness challenge - to understand what truly drives purchase among your target audience.

The future of facial recognition software

Blog Maverick, July 22, 2010 — The business community may be abuzz over "check-in" applications like Foursquare and Gowalla, but Mark Cuban is already thinking about what's next. His blog post from this past Sunday suggests that adding facial recognition software would be one possible direction: for example, facial recognition software could greet a customer in a store and offer customized promotions.

Meanwhile, billboard advertising has evolved from the static to the digital. Some feature "augmented reality," like this one from Forever 21 in Times Square. A recent digital billboard in Tokyo has also drawn attention because of its use of facial recognition, although its technology scans for gender and age group and not individuals.

If the concept of commercial use of... continue reading