Staples vs. Office Depot: Who Goes to the Head of the Class?†

Optimedia's Antony Young Compares the Retailers' Back-to-School-Season Media Strategies

Advertising Age, August 26, 2009 — Back to school but not back to normal.

The retail industry is expected to record its first drop in back-to-school sales in 10 years, with the National Retail Federation estimating an 8% decline in year-over-year sales. Less money in consumers' pockets and reduced school budgets are hurting a category that is already having a difficult year. At Staples and Office Depot, the No. 1 and No. 2 brands, respectively, in the specialist office-supply sector, the marketing departments are sharpening their 2B pencils to compete for a share of a smaller market and keep general retailers such as Walmart and Target from stealing their lunchboxes.

Guess Which Medium Is as Effective as Ever: TV†

Despite All That Ails the Toob, Marketers Can Still Reach the Audience They Are Looking for -- Even Web-Obsessed Youth

Advertising Age, February 23, 2009 — The drumbeat of doom for TV advertising has sounded for more than a decade — DVRs, channel surfing, fragmentation, clutter, the flight to digital media ... Jay Leno moving to prime time. Now the recession has even TV's most reliable moneybags of yore, such as Procter & Gamble and General Motors, yanking big wads of cash off the table.

Yet a funny thing is emerging from the smoldering ruins of what may be the ugliest quarter TV has ever encountered financially: a growing body of evidence which suggests not only that TV advertising still works, but that it may be working better than ever.

Navigating Recession With CRM, Direct, Online†

Q&A: American Airlines' Roger Frizzell on Staying Steady in a Tough Economy

Advertising Age, December 1, 2008 — Roger Frizzell knows why you fly. He also knows you're frustrated by it. Not long after joining American Airlines as VP-corporate communications and advertising in late 2003 — a period of time he describes as the beginning of American's "turnaround plan" from its near bankruptcy earlier that year — he and his team came up with the "We know why you fly" campaign. In an interview with Advertising Age, Mr. Frizzell describes his outlook for the airline with a phrase every marketing executive seems to be using with great frequency: cautiously optimistic.

General Mills, Kraft Launch Word of Mouth Networks†

Brandweek, October 5, 2008 — Recognizing that a consumer's two cents are well worth their dollars, General Mills and Kraft have both launched new word-of-mouth networks.

For General Mills, it is "Pssst . . . ," an online network that gives members the scoop on the latest product news and offerings. The site, pssst.generalmills.com, currently has 100,000 members after a quiet launch last month.

Pssst uses an initial survey to help gauge product preferences. Once registered, users can voice their opinions via blog posts, share online coupon offers and recipes, and test new sample kits via the mail.

Kraft, meanwhile, kicked off Kraftfirsttaste.com last week, which lets consumers share the newest coupon and sampling offers, but also includes features such as a member spotlight, product... continue reading

"The Marketing Mix"

Novel ideas for generating new business

Prophet, September 1, 2008 — Focuses on lessons learned from from the resurging bank branch network

Macy's National Approach: Go Local†

Marketing Shifts to Web, Radio and Newspapers, Away From Television

Wall Street Journal, May 21, 2008 — When Macy's decided a couple of years ago to build a national brand, it boosted its spending on television advertising. But as part of a recent move to appeal to local tastes, the retailer will emphasize media such as newspapers, radio and Internet advertising.

Overseeing the new marketing strategy is Peter Sachse, who doubles as Macy's chief marketing officer and chairman of Macy's online division. A 25-year veteran of Federated Department Stores, which last year changed its name to Macy's, he is serving his second stint as CMO. He filled the job from 2003 to 2006 before moving on to run Macys.com, resuming the role about a year ago after his successor left abruptly.