Advertising Age - Complete Feed

Must Weep TV: Bringing Ma, Pa and Biological Child Together

ldobrow@adage.com(Larry Dobrow) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:34:16 -0500

Come tomorrow afternoon, many of us will congregate with family members we haven't seen in a full 12 months. We'll banter about the weather, feign interest in meandering anecdotes and quietly critique every aspect of each other's being. Come nightfall, we'll embrace warmly and promise to re-adjourn 365 days hence, then set about covering the freshly picked emotional scabs with ointment. But for the next few hours at least, we're all about bringing families together. In that blithely unaware spirit, I heartily recommend ABC's new celebration of unity and forgiveness, "Find My Family".

Association of National Advertisers Join Protest of Nielsen's Metric Switch

bsteinberg@adage.com(Brian Steinberg) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:33:49 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The battle for local-media measurement has intensified in the last 24 hours, with the Association of National Advertisers now lobbing a protest against Nielsen's recent decision to incorporate DVR users into its official estimates of how many people watch programming on local TV stations. Just a week ago, the media committee of the American Association of Advertising Agencies sent a blistering letter to Nielsen protesting the switch.

'Jon & Kate Plus 8' Airs Final Episode

jrash@cmithun.com(John Rash) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:37:11 -0500

Jon and Kate Gosselin, whose public lives have made them more hucksters than Huxtables for most viewers, had their last-ever episode of "Jon and Kate Plus 8" on TLC Monday night. The series finale delivered a 2.0/5 rating and share in the ad-centric adult 18-49 demographic, which tied it, fittingly, with WWE wrestling on USA as the second highest-rated show on cable (as usual, ESPN's "Monday Night Football" was first with a 4.8/13).

Can James Finkelstein and Lachlan Murdoch Save Nielsen's Trade Titles?

mlearmonth@adage.com(Michael Learmonth) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:29:06 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The Nielsen Company's beleaguered trade publishing unit, including Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter and Adweek, are on the block again. Can a private equity group including the publisher of The Hill newspaper and News Corp. scion Lachlan Murdoch save it?

ABC's Problem Child: Adam Lambert

bsteinberg@adage.com(Brian Steinberg) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:08:23 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- ABC has received a number of complaints about the performance by recent "American Idol" Adam Lambert during its broadcast of the "American Music Awards" Sunday night.

Hulu's Massive Traffic Bump? Thank ABC, New TV Season

mlearmonth@adage.com(Michael Learmonth) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:06:08 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Fueled by the fall TV season and the addition of ABC shows to its library, traffic to the video site backed by NBC, ABC and Fox spiked nearly 47% in October from the prior month, the biggest single-month percentage gain of the past year.

Why Murdoch Can Afford to Leave Google for Bing

nives@adage.com(Nat Ives) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:36:16 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- News Corp.'s talk about listing its sites exclusively on Microsoft's Bing sounds unpromising in several ways, but all of Rupert Murdoch's recent agitation and exploration are at least pushing one fact back to the fore: Web traffic only gets publishers so far in their quest for digital ad dollars. After a certain point, actually, traffic may not even matter.

Calculating the Tim Armstrong Premium as AOL Goes Public

mlearmonth@adage.com(Michael Learmonth) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:14:46 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Tim Armstrong has a nice analogy for how the ad business works. Think of it, he says, as marketers driving around the neighborhood in trucks laden with cash, just looking for the right lawn to dump it on.

Microsoft's Bing Gets 'Stickier,' Grabs More Local Dollars

mlearmonth@adage.com(Michael Learmonth) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:00:21 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Bing has a long way to go to catch Google, but six months after the site's launch, the numbers show it's heading in the right direction. The question is: Will its gains last once the ubiquitous, $100 million TV and web advertising stops?

8 Lessons From the Creativity and Technology Conference

kpatel@adage.com(Kunur Patel) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500

LONDON (AdAge.com) -- Some 300 attendees gathered at the Saatchi Gallery last week for Ad Age sibling Creativity's technology conference, Creativity and Technology, were treated to musings on bleeding-edge digital communication from Europe's top talent in advertising, technology and design. Here are a eight takeaways from the CaT technology conference if you missed it.

Megabrands Index

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Megabrands Top 200 Brands ranked by measured U.S. media spending. Top 200 Megabrands By measured media spending in 2007

Marketing Services Agency Rankings Index

Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Rankings of Marketing Services agencies, including top Direct Marketing, Sales Promotion and Interactive agencies.

Media Agency Rankings Index

Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Media Specialist Cos. Rankings of the largest media buying and planning companies; latest edition: 2008. Top media specialist cos. in 2007

Updates to Ad Age's Annual 2008

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:57:10 -0500

An index to updates made to Ad Age's Annual 2008 (Dec. 31).

PIB Index page

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

PIB Index page

20 Hit Products From Japan

normandym@netvigator.com(Normandy Madden) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:24:58 -0500

TOKYO (AdAge.com) -- Every year in late November, Dentsu's Center for Consumer Studies releases a study about hit products in Japan, detailing the most popular and most talked about products and services in the world's second largest economy. This year's report is based on an internet survey carried out among 1,000 men and women nationwide aged between 20 and 69.

Beiersdorf Gives Makeover to Chinese Hair Care Brand

nmadden@adage.com(Normandy Madden) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:37:07 -0500

Beiersdorf has launched a major campaign promoting Slek Night Repair as part of the German personal care giant's efforts to position Slek as a premium hair care brand, a segment that has been dominated by foreign brands such as Rejoice, Pantene and Lux.

A Pair of Advertising Pros Win Peparami's Crowdsourcing Contest

ehall@adage.com(Emma Hall) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:13:49 -0500

LONDON (AdAge.com)-- Unilever's meat snack brand Peperami has announced the results of its crowdsourcing experiment, awarding a $15,000 prize to two professional advertising creatives with 50 years' experience between them.

Pop-Up Retail Goes Mainstream in the U.K.

ehall@adage.com(Emma Hall) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:37:22 -0500

LONDON (AdAge.com) -- Temporary pop-up shops have become a permanent fixture in the U.K. No longer an underground phenomenon, these one-off marketing tactics designed to get instant buzz have graduated to the mainstream, with Unilever, Cadbury and Britain's biggest entertainment retailer, HMV, all setting up shop for the holiday season.

In Latin America, DDB Goes Bernbach One Better and Installs Creative Trios

valentinavescovi@gmail.com(Valentina Vescovi) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:25:14 -0500

Bill Bernbach might have introduced the creative duo, but the Latin American arm of the DDB network has evolved that idea for the future by rolling out a new creative cell to all of its agencies.

SMG Names Monica Gadsby CEO-Multicultural/Latin America

lwentz@adage.com(Laurel Wentz) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:16:50 -0500

In one of the first top jobs to combine both Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market, Monica Gadsby will run Starcom MediaVest Group's Latin American network in addition to her current job heading SMG's multicultural operations in the U.S.

YouTube Gets Univision, but Not Telenovelas

mlearmonth@adage.com(Michael Learmonth) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:42:54 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Once, Univision was the most pirated network on YouTube. Now, the leading U.S. Spanish-language broadcaster is going into business with Google's behemoth video site, but that's where things get complicated.

JCPenney Hires Patricia Romero to Lead Multicultural Marketing

lwentz@adage.com(Laurel Wentz) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:31:10 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Patricia Romero, former head of multicultural marketing at Hyundai Motor America, will be JCPenney's new director of multicultural marketing starting Nov. 16.

Enter: Multicultural Agency of the Year

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Ad Age is now welcoming submissions for Multicultural Agency of the Year.

P&G Adapts Its Web Fashion Show for Hispanic Women

lwentz@adage.com(Laurel Wentz) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In October Procter & Gamble debuted "De Moda," a U.S. Hispanic version of "The Thread," both designed to showcase about half a dozen P&G brands over 26 episodes for "De Moda" and more for "The Thread," which started a year earlier.

Unabashed Price Slash Seems Just What WWE and Its Fans Needed

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:32:00 -0500

Value has been a key focus for Exec VP-Marketing Michelle Wilson and WWE, which managed to boost ticket sales 29% during the third quarter by cutting pricing, a result most leagues envy thanks to a tactic most have tried to avoid.

In His Nike Work, Dan Wieden Is the Prototypical CCO

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:19:01 -0500

The corporation is good at many things, but culture has never been one of them. The time has come to put this right. What better way than to open the C-suite to a senior manager who contents with culture full-time? The question: Where to find people who've served the corporation as unofficial, prototypical CCOs? It wasn't long before I stumbled upon Dan Wieden's magnificent work for Nike, highlighted in this edited book excerpt.

Can You Predict Successful Innovation? You Bet You Can

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:09:14 -0500

Popular opinion suggests that great innovation results from a mysterious combination of forces that make it appear to fall from the sky. However, based on a 30-year analysis of 300 product categories covering 225 countries, it becomes clear this perception is false: Tomorrow's winning innovation can actually be predicted.

Women's Hidden Holiday-Shopping Secrets Revealed

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:51:45 -0500

In past years, predicting post-Thanksgiving holiday-shopping results seemed like a game of rock, paper, scissors. Retailers are desperate for a profitable Black Friday. Of course, they remain at the mercy of those whose wallets matter most: women, the power shoppers who always make or break the holiday. To detect women's hidden holiday-shopping secrets, marketing consultancy Just Ask a Woman fielded a survey of 2,000 women to expose some half truths of Christmas 2009. Here's what we found.

Design Based on Trends, Not What's Trendy

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:22:11 -0500

Design thinking translates rigorous trend research into meaningful experiences that lead markets and foster brand loyalty instead of merely following the cult of now.

JetBlue and JWT Parting Ways

rparekh@adage.com(Rupal Parekh) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:08:30 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- JetBlue Airways and its creative agency, WPP-owned JWT, are splitting up, despite a four-year run marked by the airline doubling its footprint to some 60 markets and earning a dedicated terminal at New York's JFK airport.

Reckitt Benckiser Consolidates Media Buying with Havas, Publicis Shops

mbush@adage.com(Michael Bush) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:24:52 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Reckitt Benckiser has consolidated its $1.3 billion global traditional and digital media account for its 17 Powerbrands, which include products such as Lysol, Woolite and Calgon, with Havas' and Publicis' media groups, the marketer said in a statement. Both had previously worked with the packaged goods giant. Shops from Omnicom and WPP also pitched the business.

Pizza Hut Review Down to Martin and Gotham

rparekh@adage.com(Rupal Parekh) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:54:06 -0500

The creative review for Pizza Hut's $200 million account is down to a shootout between two Interpublic Group shops, Richmond, Va.-based Martin Agency and Gotham, New York, according to executives familiar with the matter.

Bloomberg Seeks Agency for Global Branding

nives@adage.com(Nat Ives) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:18:48 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- As it gets ready to officially take ownership of BusinessWeek magazine, Bloomberg is looking for help with global branding and advertising across its portfolio of media properties.

Farfar Co-founder Nicke Bergstrom Joins Mother, New York

adiaz@creativity-online.com(Ann-Christine Diaz) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:48:04 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- And another Swede enters the building. Nicke Bergstrom, one of the co-founders and creative director of the much decorated Swedish digital agency Farfar, has found a new home at Mother, New York.

JUST A NIGHT ON THE TOWN

Mon, 26 Nov 2001 00:00:00 -0500

Bubbalu's, a Tejano bar, is built bad-ass: windowless, cinderblock walls, poor lighting. Beach-turquoise blue walls, dogs playing poker on the men's room wall, a Bubbalu's banner lording over the dance floor featuring a beach bum hammocking near some spen...

10 Signs It's Time to Leave Your Job

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:55:17 -0500

It's the end of the year. The job market is tight because of the depressed economy; still, it's a good time to evaluate your current situation and set your goals for 2010. But how can you tell it's time to begin a job search? By watching for the 10 tell-tale signs.

Tobaccowala, Mainwaring Host Executives in Residence Program at University of Oregon

jrooney@adage.com(Jennifer Rooney) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:54:14 -0500

Rishad Tobaccowala and Simon Mainwaring are featured guests of this year's Executives in Residence program at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, Nov. 18-20.

Do You Have What It Takes to Dodge Layoffs?

jrooney@adage.com(Jennifer Rooney) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:23:35 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Industry layoffs are rampant; colleagues are dropping like flies. Still, some stand the test of time and circumstance. Who are these people, and what skills and qualities are keeping them in the mix? Donald Minnick, a clinical psychologist and organization consultant, set out to answer that question in his new book, "Survive Downsizing: How to Keep Your Job and Become Indispensable to Your Company."

Give Employees Facebook Time

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:11:05 -0500

Banning social media is simply a bad idea. Many agencies report partnering with marketing clients to develop social-media strategies, only to discover that clients themselves are unable to access key sites from their work computer. Marketers are at a clear disadvantage when they don't have first-hand usage insight and experience with social-media channels.

Ad Age's Guide to Marketing Recruiters

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500

It's been a tough year for the ad industry, but according to nearly two dozen recruiters interviewed by Ad Age, things are looking up. Below is an extensive list of recruiting firms we've compiled. We plan to update it in the weeks and months to come, so send suggestions to nzmuda@adage.com.

World Series Marketing Winners and Losers

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:33:11 -0500

The World Series has ended, the players and sport now go dormant for the winter, but brands begin brainstorming 2010 and future plans. Here is a quick snapshot of who increased their marketability over the past two weeks and who took a hit.

The Word 'Direct' Is Dragging Down Response-Based Marketing

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Sometimes a brand identity can become so trashed it's virtually unsalvageable. This is clearly the case with the name "direct marketing."

Number Two No Longer Taboo for Marketers

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:57:22 -0400

It's official: The popularization of poop is a solid movement. And marketers smell an opportunity.

Do 'Teach' and 'Advertising' Belong in the Same Sentence?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Liberal-arts degrees are not only more interesting and personally rewarding in their own right, they are also more supportive of a career in advertising over the long run.

How to Build Better Car Marketing

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:16:07 -0400

I'm not surprised by all the ad accounts going into review in the automotive sector. I predict there will be many more in the next 12 months. Most will blame it on the recession, but I think that's just an excuse. The fact is the business of marketing cars is too often mishandled because most agencies lack a fundamental understanding of how the industry operates.

Even at Age 90, the Irrepressible Stan Cohen Covers All the Bases

rcrain@crain.com(Rance Crain) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Stan Cohen -- my first boss and my best boss -- celebrated his 90th birthday recently amid a gala get-together of his many friends and business associates.

Marketers Go for Squeeze Play, but the Basic Rules Still Count

rcrain@crain.com(Rance Crain) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

It doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's how you play the game. Baloney, say major marketers who are apparently tired of paying hefty sponsorship fees no matter if their teams win or lose.

Advertising Is Alive and Well in Chicago -- and at U of Illinois

rcrain@crain.com(Rance Crain) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The University of Illinois advertising department celebrated its 50th anniversary last month by hosting a daylong symposium on both the challenges and opportunities facing ad students at the school.

Advice to B-to-B Publishers: Don't Lose Personal Sales Touch

rcrain@crain.com(Rance Crain) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Instead of providing access to their responsive and involved audiences, B-to-B publishers now find themselves being paid on a per-lead basis.

Don't Just Sit There, Innovate Your Way Out of the Downturn

rcrain@crain.com(Rance Crain) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The way out of the recession is not to wait for an uptick. The way out is to create our own uptick. Here are a few examples of what we're doing at Crain Communications.

What Will a Successful Media Company Look Like in the Future?

jbloom@adage.com(Jonah Bloom) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Some in media circles seem to be waiting for the return of yesteryear instead of using these turbulent times to make the changes necessary for their media businesses to thrive in the future.

Will.i.am Has Mastered the Art of the Continuous Campaign

jbloom@adage.com(Jonah Bloom) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Will.i.am is my marketer of the year. Most brands are still grappling like first-time makeout artists with the most fundamental shift of the last decade -- from marketer as message-pushing machine to marketer as creators of stuff consumers will actually pull toward them. But the Black Eyed Peas, having mastered that shift, are already showing an understanding of perhaps the second-most important change: from campaign to continuous conversation.

Help Remedies Overhauls OTC, Pushes for Better Health Care

jbloom@adage.com(Jonah Bloom) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Help Remedies could loosely be described as a marketer of over-the-counter drugs (and bandages). But it's also one of those potentially category-changing offerings that tries to solve a problem.

Seven Steps to Help Your Agency Fight Commoditization

jbloom@adage.com(Jonah Bloom) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Based on reader thoughts and some further discussion with industry leaders, here are seven ways to combat commoditization.

Agencies and Media Brands Turning Into Commodities

jbloom@adage.com(Jonah Bloom) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Commoditization may be the biggest threat facing agencies and media companies today -- yet we hear precious little about it, and few can articulate a strategy to combat it.

The TGIF 'Revolution' Is Nothing Without a Marketing Strategy

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:00:10 -0500

Will the skillful use of TGIF -- Twitter, Google, the internet and Facebook -- make you a good marketing manager? I think not. TGIF is only half the story.

Upgraded Extensions May Make 'Basic' Version Look Worse

al@ries.com(Al Ries) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A recent trend in marketing is the downgrading of established brands by upgraded line extensions. Though years of hyperbole have wiped out the meaning of many of the words used in brand names and advertising, there are a number of examples of line extensions that could seriously damage the core brands.

Slowly But Surely, Line Extensions Will Take Your Brand Off Course

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Marketing is like steering a ship. If you don't wait long enough for a marketing effect to run its course, you can draw exactly the wrong conclusion.

GM's Appointment of Lutz Shows No Respect for Marketing

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:05:51 -0400

General Motors' new advertising and marketing czar is Bob Lutz, who until April of this year headed global product development. According to CEO Fritz Henderson: "Bob's responsibilities beyond creative design will include brands, marketing, advertising and communications." Has respect for marketing fallen so low that the most difficult job in the profession (getting GM out of the ditch) can be given to someone with so little experience in marketing?

Advertising Could Do With More of Bernbach's Genius

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:53:15 -0400

"Nobody's Perfect" is the title of Doris Willens' new book on Bill Bernbach and the golden age of advertising. And just to make sure you get the point of the title, the book explores every imperfection she could find in the career of perhaps the most famous person in the history of advertising. Fair enough. Nobody's perfect. But I think she failed to stress the essence of Bernbach's genius which, in my opinion, was his incredible ability to recognize a good idea.

What Does Black Friday Even Mean Anymore?

sdumenco@adage.com(Simon Dumenco) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:51:15 -0500

What does "Black Friday" circa 2009 mean anyway? It's always been a weird marketing construct -- as if consumers ever really cared that the day after Thanksgiving is the chance for retailers to clear the red ink from their ledgers and go into the black (though who knows how realistic that expectation is this year). And while the supposed joy of frenzied bargain-hunting still gets celebrated in the media (shots of bustling mall scenes will surely open local newscasts across the country Friday evening), the darker possibilities, like last year's gruesome Walmart stampede remain an unsettling subtext. ,

Who Can Explain the Billion-Dollar 'Twilight' Economy? This Guy

sdumenco@adage.com(Simon Dumenco) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:01:30 -0500

Hollywood wasn't exactly blindsided by the weekend box office take of Summit Entertainment's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" -- everybody expected it to do big business -- but the numbers are still rather astonishing. For this latest edition of Dumenco's Media People, I've turned to a keen observer of the teen entertainment market to help make sense of the "Twilight" phenomenon and the demographic that powers it: Matthew Rettenmund, founder and editor in chief of Popstar!

Vampires Attack Oprah and Sarah Palin! Run For Your Lives!

sdumenco@adage.com(Simon Dumenco) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:28:35 -0500

What a surreal, epic week in mass media. On Monday, Sarah Palin appeared on "Oprah," then on Thursday Oprah announced she's quitting her talk show. But for all the media buzz about Sarah Palin (and her new book) this week, she's nothing compared to the latest installment of the "Twilight" franchise, "New Moon" (which opened today).

What Do Murdoch's Customers Think About His Pay-Wall Plans and Google-bashing?

sdumenco@adage.com(Simon Dumenco) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:14:07 -0500

What do Rupert Murdoch's customers think of his stated intentions to erect pay walls at his newspapers around the world and possibly even block his publications from being indexed by Google?

Instead of Tweeting About Twitter, Why Not Tweet About Your Smartphone?

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:11:10 -0500

In case you've had your fill of people using Twitter to tweet their thoughts about Twitter itself, how about people using their smartphones to tweet about ... their smartphones? This week's Trendrr chart tracks Twitter buzz surrounding the iPhone, Blackberry, the Palm Pre, Google's Android operating system and Verizon's Droid.

P&G's Production Move Makes Industry a Worse Place

tiezze@creativity-online.com(Teressa Iezzi) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

So P&G is now going to choose with which production companies its agencies can work in the U.S. Sounds great. What happens now?

Lack of Film Standout at Cannes Shows That Creativity Is Evolving

tiezzi@creativity-online.com(Teressa Iezzi) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The fact is, for now, Cannes still matters; awards still matter. Simply, awards are a marketing tool, for individuals and for companies. Especially now that clients are taking more of an interest in what goes on at Cannes, winning a Lion is business.

Dell's Della Debacle an Example of Wrong Way to Target Women

tiezzi@creativity-online.com(Teressa Iezzi) — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Della is worth revisiting for what it represents as a marketing (and social) phenomenon and as an example of what not to do as a brand when you feel you need to speak exclusively to women.

With Virtue, Media Brand Vice Helps Marketers Tap Its Genius

tiezzi@creativity-online.com(Teressa Iezzi) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Vice, chronicler of youth culture, purveyor of the profane, is one of the more unlikely yet most convincing cases of a media brand (a real media brand, and that's an important distinction) turned brand partner.

The Effects of 'Benjamin Button' Will Be Coming to Ads Near You

tiezzi@creativity-online.com(Teressa Iezzi) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Here's what didn't suck about the Oscars: seeing the wizards from Digital Domain accept the visual-effects award for "Benjamin Button." DD's work here provides a glimpse of what's next in feature and commercials image making.

Pass Health-Care Bill for the Dying Children

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:47:20 -0500

If you can count on the Republicans to scare the bejeezus out of you with bombs and vaguely threatening foreigners, you can also count on the Democrats to trot out some cute kids to basically say that if health-care reform isn't passed they will die and, in the process, bankrupt their parents. That's the message at the heart of the winning entry in the Organizing for America Health Reform Video Challenge.

Health-Care-Debate Advertising Runs Risk of Overexposure

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:06:53 -0400

As health-care ad spending nears $100 million and the president makes his rounds on most of the talk shows, is it possible that the American media consumer is on the verge of a health-care overload? Now I know between cable TV, Facebook and a good book (on your Kindle, of course), there are plenty of ways to escape this media onslaught, but it's getting harder to do so and soon may become impossible.

Agency Creative Wants to Teach Congress to Read

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:38:43 -0400

The simple mission is to "convince every member of the House and Senate to sign a "ReadtoVote" pledge, agreeing never to vote on any bill before personally reading and understanding every word of it.

Hutchison Camp Uses SEO to Call Rick Perry 'Gay'

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:58:19 -0400

Note to politicians: It's hard for people to prove you're behind sleazy brochures stuck under windshields or ads funded by outside groups. It's not so hard to bust your sleazy tactics on your own website. PEOPLE CAN READ YOUR SOURCE CODE!!!

Will a New Harry and Louise Return to Airwaves This Fall?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:00:57 -0400

The parents of modern issue-advocacy advertising, Harry and Louise, could be poised to make yet another comeback in a new campaign promoting a national health-care agenda.

Tipsy Turkey Brought to You by Georgi Vodka

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:32 -0500

Vodka isn't the only thing this Thanksgiving-turkey story is full of.

AOL Kicks Running Man Out Of Bed

mlearmonth@adage.com(Michael Learmonth) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:50:23 -0500

Did AOL -- er, Aol. -- just kick Running Man out of bed? AOL staffers stuffed the ballots at Advertising Week to earn Running Man "icon" status, beating out the likes of Ronald McDonald. But he's gone AWOL in AOL's new branding

Buffalo Soldiers Wings & Things

kwheaton@adage.com(Ken Wheaton) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:50:36 -0500

The Bob Marley family stands to make millions -- but how are they going to do it?

BCS Enters Twitter: Beat Down Like Notre Dame in a Bowl Game

jmullman@adage.com(Jeremy Mullman) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:16:19 -0500

Today's social-media lesson comes courtesy of college football's Bowl Championship Series: If you know your product is universally loathed, Twitter is not the place for you.

Vice Finds Oil in L.A. for Palladium Boots

jbeer@adage.com(Jeff Beer) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:39:03 -0500

Video content site hits black gold with sponsored urban exploration series.

What Do Matt Lauer, Social-Media Experts and My Kid Have in Common?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:21:25 -0500

As a Small Agency Owner, and blogger-about-town for my friends at Ad Age, I thought why not do the lazy thing . . . scratch that . . . original thing . . . scratch that . . . I mean appropriate thing and give some Thanksgiving shout-outs.

We Still Have Plenty For Which to Be Thankful

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:22:59 -0500

With adversity comes perspective and I think we can all agree that this year we received an abundance of perspective for which to be thankful

We're Raising Superheroes, So Can You

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:09:32 -0500

I am starting to think more seriously about how I can engage my growing staff to live the brand of the organization. And, that really is getting me excited.

The Invisible Hand of Agency Culture

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:14:29 -0500

All things being equal, why does a talented person choose to work at one agency over another? Even more important, why do they stay? If you're a small or midsize agency, you've got to be able to answer this question if you want to create an environment that attracts great talent.

What Kind of Agency Are You?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:54:03 -0500

When people ask about our agency, I often struggle with an industry categorization. I'd never use the term "traditional" to describe our operation, yet I don't believe that "digital" is the best descriptor, either. For that matter, do traditional agencies even call themselves "traditional"? Probably not.

Walmart CMO Reflects on the Chaos of 2006

hlevins@adage.com(Hoag Levins) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:12:25 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In the 47-year timeline of Wal-Mart's history, few years can match 2006 for marketing chaos. In January of that year, Julie Roehm, an edgy Chrysler marketing executive, became Wal-Mart's SVP of marketing communications only to be dismissed twelve months later. Wal-Mart named Stephen Quinn the new CMO with a mandate to return the company to its traditional marketing vision. In this program, Mr. Quinn, now riding atop one of the recession's most successful retail operations, reflects on what was learned during those those troubled days of 2006.

Wal-Mart CMO Defends Private-Label Brand Expansion

hlevins@adage.com(Hoag Levins) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:03:56 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Putting a humanitarian spin on his remarks to an ANA audience, Wal-Mart CMO Stephen Quinn defended his company's massive expansion of is private-label brands. Earlier this year, the retail giant sparked a controversy in the food marketing industry when it unveiled a revamped "Great Value" brand line that includes more than 5,000 items in 100 grocery categories. Mr. Quinn said the effort was rooted in the company's desire to help customers who couldn't otherwise afford adequate food for their families.

Marketers as Media Companies: A Disruptive Trend Revisited

hlevins@adage.com(Hoag Levins) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:13:57 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- A growing number of big marketers have circumvented the middleman and launched their own mainstream media and entertainment properties. The revolutionary development has moved them into direct competition for audiences with traditional media companies. But are these projects just novel anomalies, as some suggest, or a powerful trend that will ultimately reshape the media business? Ad Age editor Jonah Bloom addresses the issue in his talk at the ANA annual conference in Phoenix.

Draconian Cost Cuts Do Not Build a Stronger Future

hlevins@adage.com(Hoag Levins) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:18:08 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Along with being the world's largest advertising holding company, WPP has built itself into the fourth-largest business research company, trailing only Thomson-Reuters, Bloomberg and Nielsen. One area of market data in which Chief Executive Martin Sorrell has taken a particular interest is that regarding cost cutting by large marketers around the globe. He warned the recent Ad-Tech conference in New York about the long-term results of today's draconian cuts in marketing-service budgets.

Has Procurement Gone Too Far?

hlevins@adage.com(Hoag Levins) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:48:10 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- No other subject has become as much of a hot button in the ad industry as procurement. Marketers' ROI mania and growing use of procurement officers to purchase marketing services has pushed down agencies' operating margins. But has it gone too far? Speaking at the ANA Annual Conference in Phoenix, Ad Age editor Jonah Bloom questions whether the process has lost a sense of balance and is ignoring the crucial need of agencies to invest in the services, technology and talent required to promote brands in this fragmented age.

Budweiser loses share while its siblings grow

Mon, 22 Nov 1999 00:00:00 -0500

Brewer's dilemma: While Anheuser-Busch's superpremium Michelob Light is growing toward record sales, sister brew Budweiser is on the verge of losing its crown as King of Beers in supermarket aisles. the coup in st. louis is almost a fait accompli. With...

Power 150 FAQ

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:16:28 -0400

All Your Questions Answered

About Power 150

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:46:55 -0400

The Power 150 is a ranking of the top English-language media and marketing blogs in the world, as developed by PR executive and blogger, Todd Andrlik. It's really as simple as that, except that the name isn't strictly accurate: It ranks hundreds of blogs written about all types of media and pretty much every imaginable marketing discipline. To get your blog listed, just submit it through our web form.

More Asians in TV Spots? It's About Time

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:01:18 -0500

Have you noticed that there are more Asians in television ads these days than just a few short years ago?

How Black Friday Can Be Brown Friday

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:40:08 -0500

As the largest minority group in the U.S. with a population of more than 50 million and a buying power expected to reach $1.2 trillion in the next year, Hispanic consumers are key to any retailers' plan for success. Whether you've already allocated a small radio buy in L.A. or N.Y. to drive in-store traffic or have even put a few bucks behind a buy on Spanish-language TV, here are five steps you can take now to ensure your Black Friday doesn't stay red.

Video: A Look at The Marcus Graham Project

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:14:20 -0500

Former agency account exec Lincoln Stephens is both an example and an evangelist of the "Boomerang" effect. A year ago Stephens abruptly quit his Chicago agency job, moved back to his hometown of Dallas and, on a shoestring budget, launched a program to recruit, train and motivate talented young African Americans for advertising agency jobs. Execs at The Richards Group, Imaginuity, Tracy Locke and other Dallas organizations volunteered to mentor participants in his first boot camp sessions.

Multicultural Insight: Why McD's Is Lovin' It -- and You Should Too

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:21:44 -0500

McDonald's CMO Neil Golden restored my faith in corporate-kind. In front of an audience of his peers, he made a powerful and pointed presentation in which every single Power Point slide focused sharply on his over-arching premise: "Leading with Ethnic Insights."

I Might Be Mexican, but I Don't Have to Like 'Lopez Tonight'

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:58 -0500

To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, still one of my favorite comedians, George Lopez's comedy doesn't offend me as a "minority"; it offends me as a funny person.

Stephen Colbert: Black Eyed Peas Missed Many 'Advertunities' in Latest Video

cmoran@adage.com(Charlie Moran) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:14:53 -0400

In last night's episode of "The Colbert Report," Stephen examined this year's summer jamz, and in the process took issue with the video for the Black Eyed Peas' latest hit, "I Gotta Feeling." He lamented: "Peas, please! You guys are the masters of the mass-market sell-out. You missed so many advertunities!

Taco Bell Steps Up to the Mic ... Again

cmoran@adage.com(Charlie Moran) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:57:21 -0400

What to say about this Taco Bell "music video" for its song "It's All About The Roosevelts"?

A Taylor-Made Complaint for United Airlines

cmoran@adage.com(Charlie Moran) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:06:24 -0400

Halifax musician Dave Carroll has created a viral hit with a video decrying the behavior of United Airlines and its treatment of his Taylor guitar.

Build Your Band and the Brands Will Come

j_daniel@rockrivermusic.com(Jeff Daniel) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:37:51 -0400

There is no music-branding silver bullet that will skyrocket a developing artist to stardom and riches. Take your time and focus on your own career and we will find you. It's often not the answer these artists want to hear, but it's the truth.

Brands Should Be Wired Into Music Discovery

ko@brandsplusmusic.com(Ko Kawashima) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:53:32 -0400

Music fans care about discovery. Connecting people with what they want and what they don't even know they want yet is the name of the game.

Sorry Rupert, News Content Is Not a Google Killer

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:01:20 -0500

Extra, extra, read all about it! Exclusive news, only in today's edition of Bing. You won't find these stories in Google! Only in Bing! Get your Bing now, hot off the press!

Is the Promise of Viral Success Holding the Ad Industry Back?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:49:28 -0500

Recently Tim Williams, founder of Ignition, in an otherwise spot-on AdAge blog post asked, "How much does it cost to reach a million people on YouTube?" Tim's answer: $0. YouTube ad sales will disagree with Tim and so do I.

JC Penney's 'Doghouse' Returns

aklaassen@adage.com(Abbey Klaassen) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:09:17 -0500

JC Penney's "Beware of the Doghouse" viral video returns for another holiday shopping season. It punishes bad gift givers who can make up with jewelry.

A DigitalNext Challenge: What's Your Favorite Consumer Mobile Application?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:22:01 -0500

I'd like to hear your nominations for the best mobile applications that empower consumers. I'm not talking about quick-hit mobile campaigns. I mean real applications that are of long-term value to consumers and create loyalty by surrounding people with information.

The Coming Darwinism of IPhone Apps

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:40:34 -0500

I'm confident that if Charles Darwin were here today, he'd have something to teach us about apps. Namely, that most around today won't be in the next few years.

How the Media Portrays Millennials

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:31:11 -0500

There's been a lot of discussion about my generation, known as Gen Y or Millennials, over the past several years. As we enter the workforce, we seem to have a polarizing effect and the conversation is sometimes tense. I think it's important for us to be aware of how we're portrayed by the media so we can highlight our positive qualities on the job and disprove the negative stereotypes.

Tap Into the World of Multicultural Marketing and Find New Opportunities

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:34:31 -0500

There are many of us looking for jobs out there, and naturally we are encouraged to exhaust our resources. One of those less obvious resources is tapping into the world of multicultural marketing. Being a minority increases your ability to identify with other markets, in addition to mainstream markets, and this ability can lead to opportunities.

Use What You Know

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:35:34 -0500

What may seem so simple to us may not be for our agencies and clients, and our value-add as employees is how we can leverage skills, such as our knowledge of social-media platforms, in our jobs.

How to Get Others to Go to Bat for Your Personal Brand

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:49:27 -0400

Personal brands don't benefit from brand parity, so you need to manage yours exceptionally. One way to do that is by cultivating personal-brand advocates.

Will the Transparency of Our Lives Damn Us or Legitimize Us?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:43:28 -0400

I feel sorry for everyone entering the workforce who is younger than myself. If I had been able to tweet and stalk people on Facebook in middle school, I'm not sure anyone would want to hire me. I would have left a digital trail wrought with misguided views, ill-informed statements and failed romantic relationships. I'm sure anyone else who has ever grown up would have done the same. So now that hiring managers are Googling as part of the screening process and everyone's life glows hot under the focused lens of their magnifying glass, what are the ramifications?

Going Mobile for Hopenhagen

kegolf@adage.com(Karen Egolf) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:21:53 -0500

Hoping to drive more people to support Hopenhagen, a pro bono mobile campaign from Millennial Media has joined the global effort on climate change.

Jamming for the Hungry

kegolf@adage.com(Karen Egolf) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:57:36 -0500

Going into Thanksgiving, Headroom Digital Audio, a commercial sound and mixing studio in New York, hosted a showcase/jam to help the hungry. The event raised $2,000 for Food Bank for New York City -- the equivalent of 10,000 meals, according to Headroom.

American Cancer Society Builds on Birthday Effort

kegolf@adage.com(Karen Egolf) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:09:15 -0500

The American Cancer Society is continuing its push to become the "official sponsor of birthdays" in a new online campaign launched last week. The effort, a continuation of "Creating a World With More Birthdays," is focused on making the society more personally relevant to women ages 35 to 64.

'Giving Thanks': Helping the Hungry

kegolf@adage.com(Karen Egolf) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:04:53 -0500

In place of its holiday food gifts, Mediaspace Solutions has sent out 430 food-drive starter kits to clients and partners around the country in an effort called "Giving Thanks." The Norwalk, Conn.-based newspaper and online advertising services provider is hoping its bags of packaged goods will encourage people to continue to add to the packages and donate them to local food banks.

Autism Speaks Hosts Chicago Fundraiser

kegolf@adage.com(Karen Egolf) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:34:56 -0500

More than 400 people attended the second annual Autism Speaks Heroes Ball last week hosted by the Chicago chapter of Autism Speaks. The event, which included a live auction as well as a silent auction, recognized local autism heroes and raised funds and awareness for the Chicago area chapter of Autism Speaks.