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Feb28
Product Placement Exceeds Commercial Time
Rich Ottum February 28, 2006
Know More: Advertising
Marketing Blurb has already alerted readers that product placement is huge. But how products.jpgbig is huge these days? Well according to Media Daily News, “nearly 11 percent of all programming minutes now include some sort of brand reference, and some shows now have more minutes of product placement time than they do TV commercial time.” Read that again slowly. In certain instances, product placements receive more air time than actual commercials! Specifically, the CBS show King of Queens has an average of 18 minutes and 13 seconds of branded content per hour equivalent vs. only 16 minutes and 49 seconds of commercial time. But wait, this gets better (or worse depending on your point of view.) The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, on NBC, has an average of 33 minutes and 51 seconds of branded content per hour vs. only 16 minutes and 32 seconds of commercial time. Some many ponder whether product placement is out of control. Of course, Marketing Blurb knows better—Martha Stewart is out of control.
Posted at 6:45 PM | Permalink | Comments
Feb28
Word of Mouth on Steroids
Rich Ottum February 28, 2006
Buzz is hot. Marketers have always understood the power of word-of-mouth, but it has only been recently, that WOM marketing has achieved the status of a discipline. And while this discipline is still young, WOM pundits are evangelizing business to... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:16 PM | Permalink | Comments
Heed Boomer Credos
Rich Ottum February 28, 2006
Marketing Blurb always cautions that demographic and psychographic profiling are never as effective as behavioral analysis. In other words, marketers cannot assume all Gen Y consumers are similar. Instead, marketers must observe actual human behavior for clues to appropriate marketing... Continue Reading
Posted at 5:56 PM | Permalink | Comments
March Madness Free Online
Rich Ottum February 28, 2006
It’s that time of year again, when countless workplaces across the nation are gearing up for college basketball March Madness. Workers who never even follow the game will reluctantly pitch dollars into the office betting pool, while fanatics will trade... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments
Mars CocoaVia Chocolate
Rich Ottum February 28, 2006
Marketing Blurb loves chocolate more than the next pundit. Fortunately, recent health studies have confirmed what chocolate-lovers already know, that chocolate is good for you. Chocolate and coffee help build strong bodies 8 ways. (If you recognize that advertising slogan... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:56 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb27
Do Real Men Drive Chick Cars?
Rich Ottum February 27, 2006
Marketing Blurb has already explained that women buy more cars (and trucks) than men. So don’t believe automobile manufacturers that car designs must be gender-specific. But if you do decide to convene a focus group of real men, they will... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments
TiVo Ponders Free Boxes
Rich Ottum February 27, 2006
Marketing Blurb cannot find much programming on television worth watching, so the idea that we might actually record something is ludicrous. However, when teaching marketing to adult learners, we discovered that many folks would rather sell their spouse into slavery... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:59 AM | Permalink | Comments
Elevator Advertising Reach Tops The Wall Street Journal
Rich Ottum February 27, 2006
Marketing Blurb does not frequent many high rise office buildings. (Our clients prefer back alleys.) But if we did, we would have noticed that elevator advertising is on the rise. In fact, media network Captivate (clever name, huh?) which places... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:38 AM | Permalink | Comments
Microsoft Tops Free Media Metrics
Rich Ottum February 27, 2006
Regardless of the results, advertising, promotion and public relations are always a hassle. So you might as well garner all the free media mentions you can. In 2005, for example, Microsoft emerged as the leader with 53 billion free impressions from... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:18 AM | Permalink | Comments
Mobizzo Mobile Storefront
Rich Ottum February 27, 2006
Cell phones are annoying enough as it is, but since you must have one, you might as well install mindless celebrity screensavers and pop tune ring tones. But if you really want to go crazy, get ready to sign up... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:03 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb25
Save H&R Block Contest
Rich Ottum February 25, 2006
Okay, you don’t need Marketing Blurb to tell you the well-publicized news that H&R screwed up their own corporate tax return to the tune of $ 32 million. We will leave that story and the fallout to financial pundits. Instead,... Continue Reading
Posted at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments
Good Help is Easy to Find
Rich Ottum February 25, 2006
Retail shopping is a pain. For example, you can’t even walk into an appliance or electronics store to buy a television any more. Televisions no longer exist. You are expected to know whether you want high-definition, plasma, LCD, projection, tube,... Continue Reading
Posted at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments
Dress Like Nicky Hilton
Rich Ottum February 25, 2006
Marketing Blurb is fashion challenged. We often wear our ratty old two-button blue blazer with a yellow pocket silk, and don’t much give a damn about what people think. But ideally, our girlfriend should dress like Nicky Hilton. Fortunately, Nicky... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb24
Get Your Hanes on This
Rich Ottum February 24, 2006
With a brand name like Hanes, you cannot resist the temptation to maximize this play on words—Look who we have our Hanes on now. And so it goes for a Hanes advertising campaign featuring Kevin Bacon and Christina Applegate. The... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:33 PM | Permalink | Comments
New York Comic-Con
Rich Ottum February 24, 2006
This weekend is New York Comic-Con. Marketing Blurb wishes we could attend, but we moved away from NY ages ago. And Mom sold all our comics in a garage sale. (Whoever purchased those back in about 1971 retired early and... Continue Reading
Posted at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments
iTunes Billion Song Countdown
Rich Ottum February 24, 2006
Geez, Marketing Blurb really feels humiliated, because we didn’t even know about the iTunes Music Store Billion Songs Countdown. Okay, so we don’t own an iPod—but can't we just pretend, anyway? Well, if we had been paying attention (and if... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments
Affluent Women to Watch The Oscars
Rich Ottum February 24, 2006
Okay, confession time again for Marketing Blurb. We don’t go to the movies. Now don’t get us wrong—we love movies as much as the next pundit. But we do not like movie theatres and movie theatre patrons. Our conventional 27... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments
Mail Guys versus Phone Guys
Rich Ottum February 24, 2006
Marketing Blurb already warned direct mail marketers to get ready for “do not mail” legislation. Well, the subject is still simmering, and the Direct Marketing Association, DMA, has decided to join a “coalition spearheaded by the Association for Postal Commerce... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb23
Olympic Tin on Madison Avenue
Rich Ottum February 23, 2006
Like sports fans everywhere, Madison Avenue follows the Olympic Games too—looking for that next superstar to hawk cereal, shoes, clothes, cars, and whatever. But according to The New York Times (free registration required,) no US superstars have emerged from the... Continue Reading
Posted at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments
Why Office Productivity is Slumping
Rich Ottum February 23, 2006
Marketing Blurb already told you about Soup Opera, an attempt by Progresso to engage working women during their lunch break. Well, according to our friends at The New York Post (yes we have friends everywhere—but free registration required,) you ain’t... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments
Starbucks to Challenge Dunkin Donuts at Stop & Shop
Rich Ottum February 23, 2006
Marketing Blurb believes the best way to muck up a retail concept is to open a so-called store-within-a-store. Yes, the practice is common, and yes, the practice is dumb. For example, the only way to make a McDonald's less appealing... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments
Single Serve Banana
Rich Ottum February 23, 2006
At least once every day, Marketing Blurb encounters a Press Release, News Headline, or Blog Posting that makes no sense at all. (Okay, maybe we are guilty of publishing a few such items ourselves.) But in any event, I just... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments
KFC Slow Motion Gambit
Rich Ottum February 23, 2006
Now you might think that some people ignore television commercials, or certainly zap them if they record television programming. You would be right, naturally. So if Kentucky Fried Chicken wants you to actually watch the new commercial for their new... Continue Reading
Posted at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments
Feb22
GlaxoSmithKline Public Relations Disaster?
Rich Ottum February 22, 2006
You are probably not surprise to learn that drug manufacturers enjoy a consumer reputation just above tobacco and oil companies. But according to Advertising Age, this is about to change for pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. To win over public opinion, Glaxo... Continue Reading
Posted at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments
J.P. Morgan Chase Plugged in Marketing
Rich Ottum February 22, 2006
Commercial banking is a tough business. First of all, your customers probably don’t like you, and your prospects don’t really care about your me too offers, either. But if you are J. P. Morgan Chase, you are willing chase down... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments
Advertisers Wary of MySpace
Rich Ottum February 22, 2006
Unless you live under a rock, you already know that MySpace is hot social networking site for 20-somethings. Members create profiles, share photos, videos, music, gossip, and make connections. This sounds like a great place for advertisers to reach an... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments
Boomers Age Gracefully but Quickly
Rich Ottum February 22, 2006
If you are looking for a headline to grab attention, here’s one courtesy of Media Audit: Ten Thousand Boomers a Day Turn Fifty. But here is something even more amazing. Of these 51.1 million boomers age 50 and above, half... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb21
Aromatic Packaging Competing for Your Attention
Rich Ottum February 21, 2006
Just when you thought grocery shopping was already complicated enough, you can soon expect another hassle. Aromatic packaging--that is--food packaging enhanced to smell like the product it contains. While the concept has merit, imagine an aisle of smelly packages, and... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments
Hasbro’s Stupid Product Placement
Rich Ottum February 21, 2006
Marketing Blurb loves Hasbro games as much as the next pundit. Hasbro, owner of Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers, is beloved for Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Operation, Rubik’s Cube, Chutes and Ladders and More. But in an effort to win the... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments
Real Men Play Cricket
Rich Ottum February 21, 2006
The past few months have been kind to sports fans and advertisers. First, we all enjoyed the Super Bowl (the game, not the inane commercials.) Next, we’ve seen Olympic glory peppered with advertising from our dying auto industry. And, we... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments
ABC Television Junk Merchandise
Rich Ottum February 21, 2006
Let’s say that you are having a very slow day. So slow, that you decide to buy merchandise which appears on your favorite ABC television show. We’re talking stuff like: “Gabrielle's Yoga Pants, Martha Stewart Signature Couch (as seen in Bree's... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:57 AM | Permalink | Comments
Online Advertising Up 12%
Rich Ottum February 21, 2006
Marketing Blurb is not especially keen on television advertising. Commercials are expensive, and fragmented audiences aren’t watching anyway. But we are encouraged by numerous alternatives, including online advertising. According to Nielsen NetRatings AdRelevance, online display advertising increased 12% in January to... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:36 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb20
Hello Kitty Going Global
Rich Ottum February 20, 2006
Invite a half-dozen marketing pundits for drinks one night, and ask them to name the most powerful international brand. Sure, you’ll hear Coke, Nike, and newcomers Google and Starbucks. But our choice purrs—Hello Kitty, the monster Japanese brand from Sanrio... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments
Branding Dow Chemical
Rich Ottum February 20, 2006
Let’s say you are a brave advertising agency—very brave. Your job, should you be awarded the contract, is to re-brand Dow Chemical. Do not be concerned that the existing brand suffers from some excess baggage like Vietnam-era defoliant Agent Orange,... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments
Disney Dumps Print Catalog and Goes Online
Rich Ottum February 20, 2006
If you are in the business of mailing print catalogs, watch your back. Over the last few years, a number of leading print catalog merchants watched online sales cross the 50% of sales threshold. Others concede that online catalog sales... Continue Reading
Posted at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments
Buzz Marketing Ices Fruitcakes
Rich Ottum February 20, 2006
Let’s say that you are Cold Stone Creamery, an ice-cream maker and franchiser from Scottsdale, Arizona. You realize that world-of-mouth marketing is your strong suit, so how do you crank up the buzz? Well, you might try something novel like... Continue Reading
Posted at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb19
Pimped Honda Promotion
Rich Ottum February 19, 2006
Marketing Blurb did not compete in the Olympic snowboarding competition this year. But if we had executed one of those monster 570s in the Half Pipe, we would have been listening to the Black-eyed Peas from the iPod sewn right... Continue Reading
Posted at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments
Coke and Bottlers Headed for Trouble
Rich Ottum February 19, 2006
You might already know that Marketing Blurb prefers not to shop at Wal-Mart. However, we readily recognize and cannot challenge the fact, that Wal-Mart has the most efficient retail distribution system in the history of the universe. So it should not... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments
McDonald’s Menu and Receipts Go Uptown
Rich Ottum February 19, 2006
Marketing Blurb has a bias. We do not eat at McDonald’s. We also firmly believe that those who do have absolute disregard for their diet and overall health. That said, it seems we may have been too harsh in our... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb18
Mr. Clean Bathroom Explorer
Rich Ottum February 18, 2006
Cleaning your bathroom is a pain. But fortunately, Marketing Blurb can help. No, we don’t actually do bathrooms, but we can point you to the Procter & Gamble Mr. Clean Bathroom Explorer. The BE is an interactive website to showcase... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments
Jeep Rolling with Tony Hawk
Rich Ottum February 18, 2006
Okay, boomers. If you don’t know Tony Hawk, just ask the neighborhood kids--if you can tear them away from the videogames. Tony Hawk is a real life skateboarder, a guy who performs stunts that would kill mere mortals like most... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments
Feb17
Kellogg’s Bad Apple
Rich Ottum February 17, 2006
Gee—without much trouble, we could create an entire blog devoted to the trials and triumphs of Kellogg’s. The company is already in hot milk for advertising indiscretions with children. But the Kellogg’s ad agency, Leo Burnett USA, still can’t get... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments
Digital Product Placement
Rich Ottum February 17, 2006
You already know that product placement is the hot technique to expose your brand inside the story line of popular television and movies. But if you did not cut your product placement deal in time—don’t worry. Now you digitize in... Continue Reading
Posted at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments
PPD to Replace GRPs
Rich Ottum February 17, 2006
Well, it’s time to rewrite the marketing textbooks again—or at least the chapter on Gross Rating Points. GRPs are the age-old measure of mass media penetration, a combination of reach and frequency. As you might expect, GRP is beginning to lose... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments
Unexpected Wows at Wal-Mart
Rich Ottum February 17, 2006
You know the Wal-Mart drill. First you enter a monster parking lot littered with shopping carts askew. Next, you are greeted by a friendly senior citizen. (Fortunately it is the sticky floor that smells bad, not the senior citizen.) Then... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments
Going for the Gold—Brew that is
Rich Ottum February 17, 2006
Forget Olympic Gold and think a tall frosted glass of Miller beer. That’s what NASCAR fans over 18 years old are thinking about right now. Here’s the deal. If Miller-sponsored Kurt Busch takes the checkered flag in his No. 2... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb16
Houston, we have a Pokemon
Rich Ottum February 16, 2006
Pokemon USA is preparing to celebrate its tenth anniversary from March 10 through May 14 at the Houston Space Center. Don’t ask Marketing Blurb why the Space Center is now a promotional venue, but fans of the pocket monster franchise... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:42 PM | Permalink | Comments
Olsen Twins Go Glamorous
Rich Ottum February 16, 2006
Marketing Blurb loves glamour as much as the next pundit. But we’re usually just too busy to pay much attention to the designer fashion scene, until celebrities grab the headlines. This time it is the Olsen twins, who although they... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments
NASCAR Dads Tune in Daytona 500
Rich Ottum February 16, 2006
Politicians loved soccer moms, and then NASCAR dads. Well, advertisers love the NASCAR fans as well. The television audience for the sport has grow 80% over the last 15 years. The Daytona 500 kicks off the season this weekend. Last... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments
Hipster and Elegant Babies Demand More Toys
Rich Ottum February 16, 2006
2003 was not a good year for toymakers. Tickle me Elmo was already passé, Toys R Us and Target could not compete with Wal-Mart, and toy sales actually dropped 4% for the year. But according to the U.S. Market for Infant,... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments
Ad Bunching
Rich Ottum February 16, 2006
Marketing Blurb loves lingo more than rappers love bling. Today we discovered The Wall Street Journal (paid subscription required) coined the term “ad bunching.” The term describes the recent practice by advertisers to cluster or even dominate a given media... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:41 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb15
Teen Sports Mags Pumping Iron
Rich Ottum February 15, 2006
Sure Sports Illustrated is grabbing all the headlines with their annual swimsuit issue, but according to Media Week, specialty independent publishers like SchoolSports and Stack and scoring with editorial targeting male high school athletes in major metro markets.  Advertisers are... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments
Pamela Anderson No Go for the Roses
Rich Ottum February 15, 2006
You already know you can count on Marketing Blurb for news of Pamela Anderson. Last month, we shared Pamela’s well-publicized animal cruelty protest targeting removal of the bust of KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders from the Kentucky state Capitol. And... Continue Reading
Posted at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments
Lexus Offers Branded Cell Phone App
Rich Ottum February 15, 2006
Now you may or may not be in the market for a Lexus these days. But you have certainly noticed that your Lexus-driving buddies have way-cooler cell phones than yours. Sure, you can take grainy pictures with your cell phone... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments
NBC Olympic Medal for Advertising
Rich Ottum February 15, 2006
Marketing Blurb alerted readers last month, that NBC was falling well short of required ad revenue to breakeven on broadcasting the Olympic Games. But the network, ever a contender, decided to go for the gold with a new record for... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments
Tan, Rested, and Ready--Ken Returns for Barbie
Rich Ottum February 15, 2006
It’s been two long years, since Ken and Barbie split. But face it, Ken was a dweeb, and easily booted out the door by Blaine, Barbie’s hip Australian surfer dude. Well, since then, Barbie’s stock has dropped considerably (both with... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb14
Baskin-Robbins Love Potion No. 31
Rich Ottum February 14, 2006
Here’s late breaking news from Promo Magazine we’re sorry we missed. Baskin-Robbins is offering free ice cream! But here’s the catch. You need to show up at one of their stores by today, dressed as cupid. Those who don convincing... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments
Frosted Flakes a Healthy Diet for Kids?
Rich Ottum February 14, 2006
Gee, cereal is really in the news these days. It seems kids can’t watch television anymore without some advocacy group peering over their shoulders. And the same is true for children’s websites. It seems our friends in the cereal business... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Extravaganza
Rich Ottum February 14, 2006
The famous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition is about to hit the newsstands. But over the years this popular page-turner has morphed into an outrageous franchise. According to The New York Times (free registration required) fans can also view the bikini... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments
Joe Camel Raises a Hoof Anew?
Rich Ottum February 14, 2006
Perhaps you noticed, but Marketing Blurb only discussed Super Bowl advertising before the game. We decided to leave the post-game creative critique to more qualified pundits. In our simple subjective opinion, the advertising was lame at best. But one issue... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments
Celebrity Endorsement Scores
Rich Ottum February 14, 2006
Marketing Blurb has already told you that using celebrity endorsements is a waste of money. But why listen to us, when you can get the scoop from Q Score a company known for measuring the value of celebrities actors, news... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:02 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb13
KISS Me, Stupid!
Rich Ottum February 13, 2006
Remember, readers, we already warned you about Unforgivable, a new fragrance spawned in the passion of P. Diddy Combs. Well, if P.Diddy is not your style, you can still embarrass yourself with a new collection of KISS Cosmetics to be... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments
Reaching the Wrong TV Audience
Rich Ottum February 13, 2006
Marketing Blurb has bad news and worse news. First the bad news--kids are watching more television these days. Now the worse news—kids are watching more television programming intended for adults. According to a report by Magna Global, kids aged 2-11... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments
Searching for a Superior Marketing Solution?
Rich Ottum February 13, 2006
As reported earlier by Marketing Blurb, companies are increasingly turning to online search to effectively reach certain challenging customer demographics like Gen Y. Ideally, this is a dual focused campaign consisting of search engine optimization (SEO) and keyword advertising, often... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments
Czechs Weigh in on Television Advertising
Rich Ottum February 13, 2006
In the interests of international diplomacy, Marketing Blurb believes readers will be interested to learn Czechs believe there is too much adverting on their private (not state-run) television networks. According to a survey by Factum Invenio, 80% of respondents said... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:59 AM | Permalink | Comments
Oprah Winfrey on XM Satellite Radio
Rich Ottum February 13, 2006
Confession time again for Marketing Blurb—we do not watch Oprah Winfrey on television. Nor do we read her magazine, or read other magazine articles about her. And, we certainly do not intend to listen to Oprah on XM Satellite Radio,... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:39 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb12
Kellogg’s Celebrates 100th Anniversary
Rich Ottum February 12, 2006
Okay, folks. You know that Marketing Blurb has called Kellogg’s and other cereal companies on the carpet for advertising to children. But we decided to back off, for awhile anyway, because we just learned that February 19th is the 100th... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments
Marketing to…well, Marketers
Rich Ottum February 12, 2006
Let’s say you have sometime to sell to a fellow marketer. What is the best way to reach a marketer with your, umm, marketing pitch? Well, according to research from Three Deep Marketing and Marketing Sherpa, don’t call marketers on... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb11
Mobile Marketing Madness
Rich Ottum February 11, 2006
You already know that Marketing Blurb is not keen on mobile marketing. We realize mobile marketing is inevitable, we are just not enamored with annoying ring tones and small screens. But to keep our readers informed, we might as well... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments
Tide Goes Deep and Personal
Rich Ottum February 11, 2006
Marketing Blurb likes laundry as much as the next guy (which is not especially much.) Fortunately, however, Procter & Gamble cares deeply about laundry. So much in fact, that along with their advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, P&G executives spent... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments
Feb10
This is Your Brain on Commercials
Rich Ottum February 10, 2006
You knew this had to happen. According to CNet News, researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles's Ahmanson Lovelace Brain Mapping Center and FKF Applied Research decided to scan the brains of those watching Super Bowl commercials to... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments
Glad to Sponsor Mardi Gras
Rich Ottum February 10, 2006
When I was a marketing graduate student, I remember my professor challenging the class to identify the ideal consumer product. We all postulated various real and imaginary ideas, but our professor interrupted with the correct answer. The ideal consumer product... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments
Business Week Confirms Marketing Blurb
Rich Ottum February 10, 2006
Regular readers know that Marketing Blurb is not keen on celebrity endorsements. Business Week feels the same way we do, so you’ll want to read Don't Hide Behind Famous Faces Hitching your brand to a celebrity's star won't help you... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments
General Mills Soup Operas
Rich Ottum February 10, 2006
Just when a working woman decides her world is complicated enough, General Mills decided to add another distraction. GM subsidiary Progresso