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Advertising Age, October 26, 2009 — At a time when earned media is so highly sought after by marketers due to its (relative) low cost and the credibility with consumers, brands that rely on it are faced with the growing challenge of finding news outlets for their messages.
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.
Advertising Age, August 11, 2009 — "I love her, she's clean," says Juan Román Riquelme while kissing a soccer ball in a viral video Buenos Aires' digital agency Brandigital made for Adidas. In it, he "hace jueguito" (plays with the ball to show his skills), while being shot at with paintballs.
Advertising Age, May 11, 2009 — Like any smart company facing the threat of having to pay out the most costly environmental lawsuit in history — $27 billion — and contending with a "60 Minutes" report on the case that won't aid its argument in any way, Chevron has gone on a public-relations offensive. But the twist in its strategy is that it enlisted a former CNN reporter to rebut the news magazine's report by creating a near identical report that lays out the oil giant's side of the story.
New York Times, May 11, 2009 — What did Chevron do when it learned that “60 Minutes” was preparing a potentially damaging report about oil company contamination of the Amazon rain forest in Ecuador? It hired a former journalist to produce a mirror image of the report, from the corporation’s point of view.
Advertising Age, April 20, 2009 — Just how much damage two hooligans can do with a video camera is still unknown. But when the dust finally settles on Domino's Boogergate, it seems likely the pizza chain will be given credit for an effective, if somewhat sluggish, response. And the resulting public-relations crisis can be a valuable learning experience for marketers of every stripe.
"This is obviously a horrible story and every marketer's nightmare," said Rob Weisberg, VP-multimedia marketing at Domino's. "It's amazing to me that somebody in this day and age would think, 'Hey, I can do that and get away with it.'"
Time, January 21, 2009 — As Barack Obama's phenomenally poised, incredibly adorable daughters smiled and waved for the cameras at the Inauguration, J. Crew got a spot on the world's biggest showroom floor. The preppy, upscale retailer was quite happy to spread the word on Tuesday that Malia Obama, 10, and her sister Sasha, 7 (or Radiance and Rosebud in Secret Service parlance), were decked out in J. Crew's children's line, called Crewcuts, for the big event. Malia wore a deep periwinkle blue coat to her dad's swearing-in, while Sasha went for an orange-and-pink combo. Fashionistas raved about the color schemes. "We are honored to be part of such a momentous occasion in both history and fashion," said Jenna Lyons, J. Crew's creative director.
Advertising Age, March 10, 2008 — Want to get away? Southwest Airlines is probably asking itself that after experiencing one of the most embarrassing moments in its history.
The airline had a major PR crisis on its hands last week when the Federal Aviation Administration issued it a $10.2 million fine, saying the carrier misled the agency about the inspection of planes for fuselage cracks. The airline, which has recorded 35 consecutive years of profitability, said the problem boiled down to a computer error and at no time was passenger safety compromised.
Choosing not to take the advice of its popular ads, the company dealt with the problem head on by speaking with the media; issuing a statement on its site; addressing the issue on its corporate blog; and letting CEO Gary Kelly, who... continue reading
Brandweek, December 31, 2007 — The two-minute video offers a primer on identity theft. As grainy B-roll footage shows a man getting into a car at a dealership, a smooth-talking narrator notes that car dealerships are one area where identity thieves “apply their trade.”
New York Times, September 17, 2007 — One Laptop Per Child, an ambitious project to bring computing to the developing world’s children, has considerable momentum. Years of work by engineers and scientists have paid off in a pioneering low-cost machine that is light, rugged and surprisingly versatile. The early reviews have been glowing, and mass production is set to start next month.
Orders, however, are slow. “I have to some degree underestimated the difference between shaking the hand of a head of state and having a check written,” said Nicholas Negroponte, chairman of the nonprofit project. “And yes, it has been a disappointment.”
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