Archive for November, 2009

Nov
17
Consumer Behavior in a Post-Crisis Economy
by Brandtailers

It’s only Tuesday and it’s already been an interesting week. Depending on what news you listen to or read, the economy might be in store for a “good-but-not-great-and-certainly-cash-not-credit” holiday shopping season. With Black Friday just around the corner, this TED talk by John Gerzema of Young and Rubicam seemed like a timely 16-minute video to show my staff today. So I thought I’d pass it along here. John has a great background in consumer behavior and advertising, along with being co-author of a terrific new book, The Brand Bubble.


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Posted in Automotive Marketing, Brand Management | Brandtailing, Consumer Behavior, Facebook, SEO | Leave a Comment »

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Nov
9
You Must Have Humility to Stand Out
by Brandtailers

superwomanLook at this picture. What does it say to you? To me, it says there’s a woman out there with enough confidence to laugh at herself. That’s humility, and I admire the heck out of her.

I’ve met many people lately who are unwilling to submit to their lack of social media knowledge. They have the “I don’t understand Twitter therefore it is a joke” mentality. How sad. They will be last in the unemployment line in a few years.

Oh, I’m no poster child for humility. I didn’t really get Twitter until about 9 months ago. I thought it was stupid. Now I’m busy playing catch-up. So I speak as an equally flawed human being, which is why I can attest to the fact that businesses must embrace the power of social media whether they really understand it or not.

My message of hope to you is that you are not alone – MOST PEOPLE DO NOT YET UNDERSTAND SOCIAL MEDIA. But you can no longer ignore its marketing power.

These days, with technology changing so quickly, most of us need to trust and rely on others who know more than we do about these new business tools. The sooner we find them, trust them, and let them help us, the sooner we’ll gladly have our picture taken in a Wonder Woman costume. I look forward to it.

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Posted in Automotive Marketing, Brand Management | Brandtailing | Leave a Comment »

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Nov
6
Why Mad Men Would Hate Social Media
by Brandtailers

cartoon
I recently revisited the question of what makes me want to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. The answer for me these days is simple – Social Media, simply because I see it as the new communication icon for truth, trust and transparency. Most of us know that truth sells better than anything else, but unfortunately that’s not what the ad biz has always been known for. I always hoped that, if I stayed in it long enough, truth would win out. And it has.

How well do you think this Winston cigarette commercial using Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble would go over today?

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Yup. It ran. And no one balked (or at least they couldn’t be heard balking). Today’s equivalent of a concept like this wouldn’t even make it past the first focus group. But if it did, and it went all the way to TV or YouTube, the response might just be strong enough to put Winston cigarettes out of business. Ask Domino’s Pizza or United Airlines if they think it’s possible.

So, to those in the advertising industry still wishing the Mad Men days would come back, your time is up. Truth won out after all. And that’s job security for agencies like mine. Take that in your pipe and smoke it.

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Posted in Marketing, Social Media | Leave a Comment »

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One Response to “Why Mad Men Would Hate Social Media”

  1. Paul O'Mahony (Cork) says:
    November 7, 2009 at 10:35 am

    Wonderful. Thank you so much for this. I’m shocked. I use to love the Flintstones as a kid, and watched them as often as possible, but i don’t think that ad ever crossed the Atlantic.

    I also love your point about getting up in the morning to make truth.

    Congrats

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