IMC tips, ideas and tricks

Banana Marketing

2012-02-07T07:48:00.001-07:00

I never would have thought...

It's a pretty funny way to do it, and it's one of the last places I would think to look for an ad...which makes it the best place for it. Plus, putting the ad on bananas fits the "Chipwrecked" movie's theme of tropical islands. I didn't think of it, but I'm wondering now if they had these same stickers on OTHER types of fruit, too!

This party is MANDATORY!

2012-01-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

I 'm a big fan of best-of lists, especially when they're funny. This one's pretty good, and I'd also like it if there was a best-of-30-Rock list.
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Brand Symbols, Part 1

2012-01-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

The almighty NES controller!

When they originally released the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the United States, it was a smash hit, including my home. Due to parental controls - in those days, that actually meant "parents" - I could only play it for 30 minutes every weekday. Weekends were different, of course, and Saturdays were when the controllers got the most sticky from sweat and food residue.

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Small pet...or huge rat?

2012-01-10T17:13:00.000-07:00

This 3-foot rat looks more like a pet dog than a monster rodent!

I've always heard jokes about giant-rat sightings in New York City, but this is no joke! It was found in the back room of a Foot Locker in the Bronx. My question is: how can Foot Locker turn this around and keep it from turning into a big problem?

A successful viral video

2011-12-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't listened to the radio in a long time; mostly, I've just been listening to books non-stop. Also, I'm not extremely active on Twitter, so I totally missed out on this gem of a music video. It's unique, the song's catchy...and the marketing implications of this video are amazing! Read my full post to view the video, too!
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(P.S. Beware of SCAMS!)

2011-12-07T15:25:00.001-07:00

As disaster clean-up continues around my neighborhood, I've been seeing more news vans than usual. Unfortunately, no one has stopped to talk with me...until yesterday. Below, I've posted the brief video. I know it's a bit vain, but I'm fine with a little of that!
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More charitable giving as marketing material

2011-12-07T14:20:00.001-07:00

My 30-foot-tall tree fell in my front yard on
December 1st, 2011.

Last week, a barrage of unusually strong wind came whipping through the western United States. When it whipped over the eastern mountains of the Wasatch Front, my town was the hardest hit; the gusts were over 100 miles per hour! For those of you keeping track, that's level-two-hurricane-strength winds!
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The best of James Bond, in ONE novel!

2011-11-11T09:21:00.001-07:00

From an article in The Guardian:

In a shocking turn for the debut novel by Q.R. Markham, Assassin of Secrets, the US publisher is recalling all copies and offering refunds to those who have already purchased the book. The UK publisher is taking back all copies of the book before it is released there this week. Why are they doing it?

The answer is simple: plagiarism.
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Making money through "charitable contributions"

2011-11-04T12:51:00.001-06:00

Seth Harwood's Latest
Print Release

Check out this link: http://kck.st/piYHWd. It'll take you to a page where one of my favorite authors, Seth Harwood, is raising money to help fund an independent book release. While it might not be ideal for all situations, it seems to be a viable new way to get some initial funding through, what is essentially, charitable giving. It's actually a genius idea to offer people the chance to be listed as a contributor IN THE BOOK if you send some cash his way.

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Void Your Warranty with STYLE!

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

I just read an article on Wired.com (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/09/iphone-mod-apple-logo/) that mentioned a mod, by iPatch, that will light up the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone. If you check out this picture, it looks pretty cool! They do mention at the end of the article that it will most definitely void your warranty, and that makes me pause and think:

WHY WOULD YOU EVER DO THIS?!

You spend a lot of money to get an iPhone, and it does so many cool things already, why void the warranty just so the back lights up? Plus, it only has limited battery life. This will, of course, drain the battery faster. Is it worth having your phone die in the middle of a conversation? For me, the answer is: NO FREAKIN' WAY!

The Marketing Take-away: Legal is always better!
Why would a company waste their time on making unauthorized mods? Focus on making authorized mods instead. Working with a company, especially one like Apple, is a huge advantage to your business, and provides much more industry clout than being "that company that makes mods." I guarantee that iPatch doesn't have as high of a reputation as they might working WITH Apple.

-MJP

Apple Goes Solar

2011-09-10T05:00:00.000-06:00

Schematic for one of Apple's filed patents.

Apple recently filed for two patents in the area of solar power, and they have three more in the works (http://gigaom.com/cleantech/how-apple-could-revolutionize-solar/). If they get these patents, and even if they don't, what could this mean for Apple devices going forward? All I can say is: WOW!

You already know you can download music DIRECTLY to your iPod, so the only need for the computer is to CHARGE the device and act as a backup for your entire music library. Imagine if your iPod could be powered by the sun; that would mean no more charging via the computer.

So, other than for backing up your database...wait a minute. Look at this: http://www.apple.com/icloud/what-is.html. Well, now that's taken care of, too. It seems to me that Apple just disconnected me from wires, completely. How cool is THAT?!

The Marketing Take-away: Unplugged is a HUGE marketing plus!
iCloud and solar power could put Apple's devices in a league all their own, and this super-huge added value is marketing GOLD! To no longer need a cord at all - to be truly portable - is a strategic advantage that can't currently be matched by anyone.

How Could Customer-focused Marketing Hurt Your Brand?

2011-09-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

Click here to go to a BrandAid from Killian Branding. It brought up interesting downsides to being a customer-focused company. In an age where customer-centric activities are expected of all businesses, claims of being focused on customers' needs change from competitive advantage to liability.

Unfortunately for many companies, they still tout their love of customers as their main strength. If you think about it, though, who DOESN'T love their customers? Buyers of your products are who keep the doors open; without them, you would have no business. So, of course, you love them to pieces. It's a give!

On what, then, should companies focus their attentions? The article states some interesting statistics that help put it in perspective. For instance, if a company experiences 6% growth each year with it's current customer base, it will double its business in 12 years. That's not bad, but, especially for companies with high growth potential, that could be increased dramatically by focusing efforts on gaining new loyal customers. That's right: NEW customers!

Remember the old adage: it's more expensive to gain a new customer that to cultivate an existing one. Does this new focus mean the adage isn't true anymore? No, of course not! It's still cheaper to keep existing clients. That means that less time and energy has to be spent to keep them happy. Now, what can you do with the extra time? Get NEW customers!

-MJP

The Death of TechCrunch?

2011-09-06T11:25:00.001-06:00

(AKA "Why AOL and Arianna Huffington are anti-social-media idiots!")

This may have changed by the time I post this article, but as of right now, I'm convinced that AOL and Arianna Huffington care more about their own power than in making sound business decisions. They want to oust Michael Arrington and put in an editor-in-chief of their choosing.

It's another bone-headed move by AOL, in a long history of bone-headed moves, to stake a claim on one of its more successful web properties. Huffington, I believe, is weighing in on the matter in order to mark her own territory on what she sees as her potential property at AOL, despite having no direct control over what goes on, currently, at TechCrunch.

See the article here: http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/06/the-end/.

Steve Jobs had nice hair

2011-08-25T05:00:00.007-06:00

This is Steve Jobs in January of 1984 as he introduced the world to the Macintosh computer. In his usual style, he let the images and sounds speak for themselves. Apple events have always been interesting marketing opportunities for the company; their mix of humor and technology have trained more than one generation of geeks what to expect from their computers. Enjoy!

Minor Leauge Player Falls into Marketing Gold!

2011-08-22T05:00:00.001-06:00

Recently, a minor league outfielder facilitated a triple play with his head. His quick reaction and cool execution, despite what must have been a decent headache, could be used to promote the team and help his career. The key will be to market the incident properly.

One Man's Reaction to the Death of WebOS

2011-08-21T17:00:00.001-06:00

This is a funny look at how one historic figure might react to the death of HP's WebOS. Watch to the end; it's pretty funny!

Google+ Gets Verified!

2011-08-21T05:00:00.003-06:00

The Internet is a crazy place, and there are all types of even CRAZIER people using it! Verification on Google+ and other social networks for celebrities and other public figures ensures that when I try to follow my favorite movie star, I can. There's nothing worse than following someone, then finding out that it's actually a 17-year-old kid in Korea.

The Final Space Shuttle Launch

2011-07-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

It's sad to see the shuttle program go away. I never wanted to be an astronaut myself, but always felt like it was a special part of my childhood; my family went quite a few times to the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, and I always learned so much.

The cancellation of the program is a huge marketing blunder for the United States. We have a brand image, and we've been letting it erode. How can people expect to value the country if we shut down one of the few programs that make it stand out in the world, especially considering that it's a PEACE-promoting endeavor; so few are anymore!

Here's the Daily Show's take on the whole thing. Beneath the humor, there's a sense of disappointment at how ridiculous the cancellation is for the country.

The Daily Show - Final Countdown Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Sorry about the J.K. Rowling video!

2011-06-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry to everyone for the J.K. Rowling video post that seems to be covering up the widgets to the right of the video. I can't seen to get it any smaller!

-MJP

A unique brand move for J.K. Rowling

2011-06-24T05:00:00.022-06:00

Whether or not you like Harry Potter, you have to admit that this is an interesting move for the story's creator, J.K. Rowling. She's created a new site for the world of Harry Potter, unveiled the week of June 19th, 2011.

The video reveals that it will be an interactive experience, but it's still REALLY vague as to what exactly will be going on there. Leading up to the announcement, there were speculations as to what would be on www.pottermore.com. It remains to be seen whether or not this brand strategy will pay off for Rowling. In terms of e-book sales, it should be great, at least!

-MJP

Disruptive Innovation vs Incremental Improvement

2011-06-05T05:00:00.001-06:00

This debate in The Economist brings to light an interesting difference between Eastern and Western creative philosophies. Click the title to go to the article.

What the...?

2011-05-06T05:00:00.002-06:00

OK, so my mind was officially blown after reading this article. If you'd like to read it, click on the blog title to go to the BBC website. At first, I couldn't tell what it was a picture of, so if you're still wondering, it's a flat, plastic smartphone!

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"Bright" Idea

2011-04-18T15:30:00.002-06:00

When I saw this picture, it made me smile. So often, a great idea starts with a question. If the brilliant insight works, then you get…"dollar sign"? There's something wrong with this flowchart...

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The Color of Money

2011-04-12T05:00:00.003-06:00

No, I'm not talking about the movie with Tom Cruise and Paul Newman; I'm talking about something green - hence, the "color of money" reference - but also tasty. It's a client I'm working for right now: Kicking Lizard.

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Pictographs, and such...

2011-04-01T05:00:00.002-06:00

At my core, I'm a marketer who likes to see results in simple formats, like graphs and charts. It makes the world more simple to understand. It's amazing what can be understood through visual representations. The most basic of these is the pie chart.