Posts Tagged ‘ Marketing ’

Facebook Doesn’t Work

May 17, 2012
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Facebook Doesn’t Work

You couldn’t have missed the big announcement from General Motors the other day that it plans to stop advertising on Facebook.  The timing was especially interesting with Facebook’s IPO around the corner, and many advertisers currently debating the effectiveness of the social network on its marketing efforts. The announcement was a déjà vu for me, because it reminded me of an encounter I had with a broadcaster very early in my career while an analyst for Frank Magid.  As we were planning a research study for a new client, I...

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Gone Mobile

May 15, 2012
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Gone Mobile

When we designed and conducted the “Goin’ Mobile” ethnographic study with Arbitron back in 2010, we saw some amazing “stupid human smartphone tricks” that were precursors to major behavioral changes that have become societal in scope. While speaking with a friend the other day who has an iPad but is still using a flip phone, she told me that she has purposely shied away from purchasing an iPhone because she thinks it will ruin her life. That’s an interesting way to think about the smartphone phenomenon.  It is a...

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BlackBerry & The Power Pig

May 11, 2012
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BlackBerry & The Power Pig

Did Samsung hire Randy Michaels?  Or was it BlackBerry?  Somehow the “Smartphone Wars” have devolved into tactical warfare that has “’80s radio” written all over it. After reading a story about how a mysterious black bus pulled up in front of an Apple Store in Sydney, Australia, to stage an apparent “protest,” I couldn’t help but think of those sophomoric Jacorian hijinks that used to be so common in radio. A video below, narrated by a guy named Blunty (who was apparently set up to be there to capture the...

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Turn Facts Into Feelings

May 10, 2012
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Turn Facts Into Feelings

Last weekend turned out to be a very special one for me.  I received a great honor from my alma mater, Michigan State University – an Outstanding Alumni Award from their College of Communications Arts and Sciences. It was truly a memorable occasion that I shared with other amazing honorees, as well as family and friends.  I was aided and abetted by Dr. Ed Cohen, Paul Jacobs, and MSU’s Gary Reid, as well as many of you who wrote recommendations on my behalf. So what do you learn from...

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The Death of Facebook?

May 9, 2012
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The Death of Facebook?

So on Monday, we posted a blog about how Facebook’s IPO could be really big.  Today, Lori Lewis imagines a scenario where Facebook may disappear – or at least wane in importance.  Here’s an interesting viewpoint about how to make the most out of Facebook while the iron is hot.  As always, we welcome your comments. “Here’s Why Google And Facebook Might Completely Disappear In The Next Five Years.” What a headline!  It came from Eric Jackson – a Forbes.com contributor.  You can read his entire article here: To save you...

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Things You Know

May 7, 2012
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Things You Know

The coming Facebook IPO is all you’re going to hear about during the next few weeks whether you watch CNBC or not.  This is the biggest tech offering since Google (no, not Pandora), and all the “experts” will be chiming in about whether you should invest in Mark Zuckerberg’s stock or not. Before I launch into my prediction, let me remind you that I am not a financial prognosticator.  In fact, if my family’s money manager/financial advisor were free to tell you stories about some of my investment ideas, you...

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Hold The Phone

May 4, 2012
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Hold The Phone

While checking out my Twitter feed a couple weeks ago, someone offered up a great Seth Godin line that actually comes from a blog post that’s four years old.  It hasn’t lost an ounce of importance during that time: “The only reason to answer the phone when a customer calls is to make the customer happy.” In this case, Seth was referencing a bad phone experience he had with a leading manufacturer of kitchen products.  But the name of the company and the specifics of Seth’s complaints don’t really matter....

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Hi-Tech, Hi-Touch

April 27, 2012
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Hi-Tech, Hi-Touch

These days, many stations and broadcast companies are grappling with the role of the DJ. Gone are the days when “four and out the door” was acceptable.  In 2012, personalities and hosts need to bring more to the table – social media skills, blogs, video, agency calls, and a host of other duties and touch points that help market their brands. With all the technology available to connect with listeners, sometimes it’s the simplest lines of communication that work the best – in this case, a personal call. Earlier...

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Changing The Fan Belt

April 25, 2012
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Changing The Fan Belt

We have used this space to discuss the Kodak failure to innovate with digital, while instead holding fast to their traditional film business.  A recent New York Times blog asked how a small start-up called Instagram could create a new application for photography, while Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Canon and many others did not.  And that leads to a discussion of disruptive technologies and how companies are profoundly challenged to go in different directions. The blog post quoted Kodak board member, Michael Hawley, who pointed to a cultural problem within big companies:...

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Welcome to Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce

April 23, 2012
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Welcome to Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce

If you’re a Mad Men watcher, one of the new story lines a couple episodes back was the possibility of a new account for the fledgling ad agency, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.  Jaguar was part of the story line as the agency principles wined and dined (and then some) that car company’s account manager. It turns out that the real modern-day Jaguar had no idea this was coming.  In fact, the now-classic Jaguar XKE was at the center of a “strategic conversation” over a dinner on the show when ad guy...

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