Once as a brand manager I was shown the same storyboard twice, a couple of years apart. The twist? This “new ad concept” was presented for two entirely different product categories at two different companies. Detergent and food. Same agency. (BBDO, if you must know.) I don’t recall the storyboard, but I’m certain it was […]
Marketing song: They call me a megabrand
We’re never far from junior high, it seems, even when we’ve gotten decades away from those squirm-inducing days of yore. We still yearn for popularity. And we so want to be cool. Nowhere does that seem more pronounced than in marketing these days, where the pursuit of acclaim on social media feels both frenzied and, […]
Emotional punch from reframing
In this short video from WATERisLIFE, tweets from the popular hashtag #FirstWorldProblems are used to brilliant effect. As impoverished residents of Haiti recite whiny gripes of the privileged (like you and me), we are shown a mirror, and the view isn’t pretty. Nonetheless, it’s done with gentleness, and its power is real. Happily, the Twitter […]
Outstanding (fun) video on left- and right-brain
I recently came across this marvelous, highly entertaining video about the specializations of the left and right brain. Well worth the nearly 12 minutes. If you don’t have 12 minutes, here’s a quick recap of the critical points for business people: The left brain excels at providing a narrow focus on things that are already […]
CEO scandals: Three types that can harm your brand
The news has been full of CEO misdeeds lately. A quick recent harvest: Best Buy: Company founder Richard Schultze stepped down as chairman because he failed to alert the board of directors about CEO Brian Dunn’s “inappropriate relationship” with a female subordinate. Dunn had resigned in April. Yahoo: CEO Scott Thompson resigned after only four […]