Marketing
Super Bowl 2010 commercials lacked pizazz
With an estimated 106.5 million people watching the Super Bowl this year, you’d think the creative teams could come up with better ads than these…. Technorati Tags: NFL, Sports marketing, Super Bowl 2010, TV advertising Related Websites How Long Can Our Bear Market Last? Money Magazine published some interesting numerical... »
McEwan’s language soars
I recently read Ian McEwan’s Man Booker prize-winning novel, Amsterdam. Published in 1998, the novel tells the story of two friends: an editor at a failing newspaper, and a composer who is working on a score that could secure his reputation as a world-renowned musician. The novel is a present day morality tale, where both... »
Thoughts on J.D. Salinger and The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is a masterpiece of modern literature, a coming of age novel that influenced millions of young adults around the world. The death of Salinger at 91 last week has prompted some reflections on the author’s most famous work, and about the author himself. At 17, I read... »
Raptors defeat Lakers
Hedo Turkoglu makes the winning shot in the Toronto Raptors’ thrilling 106-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers (current NBA champions) at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday July 24, 2010. I attended the game and took this picture. Technorati Tags: Hedo Turkoglu, Los Angeles Lakers, Marketing & branding, Sport marketing, Sports marketing, Toronto Raptors ... »
Ally Bank TV ads hit the mark
Casting children in TV commercials is not easy, and the results are often disastrous. Case in point: a Chrysler commercial airing now, featuring an obnoxious kid named Owen, who bounces around inside a minivan. The kid is marvelling at how much space the vehicle has, and his personality is too annoying for words. Why are... »
NASA astronauts on Twitter
The popular microblogging service, Twitter, got a boost in credibility recently when three astronauts from NASA’s Expedition 22 discussed the service from the International Space Station. The astronauts talked about how Twitter is helping them stay in touch, in real time, with colleagues and fans back on earth. Technorati Tags: International Space Station, microblogging service,... »
Is your elevator pitch (essential message) clear and precise?
I’ve been working on a project for a client who needs a better elevator pitch for his business. He found that when he meets with prospective clients, he’s spending too much time talking about the bells and whistles of his new technology instead of the core service that he’s providing. This was a problem. It... »
Avatar lives up to the hype
As of this writing, James Cameron’s fantasy film, Avatar, has grossed $1.6 billion worldwide. It’s the second highest grossing film of all time (behind Titanic), and it’s only been in theatres for a month. The film earned considerable buzz in advance of its official debut in December, but the hype has cranked up to almost... »
Adopting a Google mindset is good for business
I’m reading a book by Jeff Jarvis, What Would Google Do? (HarperCollins, 2009). Jarvis is a writer who publishes a popular blog called Buzz Machine, about news and media trends. Readers may remember Jarvis as the blogger who made headlines a few years ago, when he publicly called out Dell Computers for its poor... »
New E-book, What Matters Now
Seth Godin has assembled a new e-book, What Matters Now, that’s available as a free download. Godin invited 70 thinkers, writers, visionaries and entrepreneurs to share their thoughts about life, work, passion, fulfillment, adventure, and other topics that matter. There are many fascinating ideas to ponder within these pages. I especially enjoyed the passage by... »
