Marketing and all things related

Marketing Blurb is suspicious of Disney. Even though Eisner has stepped down, we still have this nagging feeling that the entertainment empire cares more about itself than its audience. So we prefer to keep Disney at arms length. We’ll call them when we need them. And speaking of calling Disney, their Internet group is launching a new wireless phone service called Disney Mobile. The service will use GPS-enabled cell phones, allowing parents to track the whereabouts of children carrying the phones. The service also allows parents to set limits on cell phone use by children—blocking certain number or limiting calls during school hours, for example. "This is very much about putting control in the hands of the parents," said Steve Wadsworth, president of the Walt Disney Internet Group. The New York Times has more (free registration required.) While these services may sound appealing, Marketing Blurb remains suspicious this is merely a Trojan horse to whisper into childrens' ears about Disney products. Expect Mickey to call Junior with a pitch to nag parents about Disney products. Don’t call us, Mickey—we’ll call you.

You will probably not be surprised to learn that Microsoft is considered the most powerful brand in the world. The title is conferred by brand consultancy Millward Brown. Every year, Millward Brown conducts a study to calculate the potential market... Continue Reading

Back in January, we told you about the Dove Real Beauty campaign, where Unilever decided to use ordinary women, not models to promote their product line. The technique has pros and cons, but even before the jury is in, McDonald’s... Continue Reading

Every now and then, a creative director will conceive a concept so inane and inept it is definitely worth repeating—even when normal people understand the stunt is illegal. Microsoft wants you to forget they decided to launch the new version of... Continue Reading

If you are lucky, you have already forgotten the flap over a line of clothing from a U.K. fashion retailer named French Connection. Their clothing was once distinguished by a bold FCUK logo, which seems really funny for almost five minutes. Well,... Continue Reading

Now you might think that Wal-Mart already has a disproportionate share of the nation’s wallets, and you would be wrong, naturally. Wal-Mart wants more wallet real estate. So the retail monolith just applied to the FDIC for status as a... Continue Reading

Chances are your lips chapped sometime this past winter. But they can chap at any time actually, and when they do, you need lip balm. And in the world of lip balm there is Blistex, and there is ah, what’s... Continue Reading

You already know that Marketing Blurb is not keen on soft drinks. But we’re always eager to follow the industry, especially when The Wall Street Journal announces (paid subscription required) that Coca Cola is launching a new advertising campaign and... Continue Reading

You already know about so-called laddie magazines like Maxim. These publications are a terrific way to target a specific demographic. On the minus side, when you reach those readers, they do not spend as much money as their sisters. So... Continue Reading

Now you might think that consumers would not likely confuse The Beatles and their music with Apple Computer iTunes, but you would be wrong, naturally. The Beatles claimed the Apple brand name in 1968 for their record label, Apple Corps... Continue Reading

We couldn’t help but reminisce about the King tonight, when we heard on the national news that Graceland was designated a National Historic Landmark. This elevates Presley’s modest home to the same stature as the White House, Mount Vernon and... Continue Reading

Marketing Blurb has this love hate relationship with ink jet printers. We used to have this simple HP model that did the job. You asked it to print, and it printed. It would not scan or fax or make coffee,... Continue Reading

Marketing Blurb deserves a vacation. We could use a cruise with a beautiful, passionate Italian. And if we could take that cruise, we would book MSC Cruises and take along Sophia Loren. Yes, Sophia is probably old enough to be... Continue Reading

Few products have changed the landscape of media as quickly as the Apple iPod. But the ubiquitous jukebox is suitable for more than music. Increasing, university professors are recording lectures as podcasts and making them available to or mandatory for... Continue Reading

Marketing Blurb does not cover body advertising. Selling advertising space on breasts, buttocks, and foreheads is old news. But The Wall Street Journal (paid subscription required) delighted us today with an article about selling naming rights for babies. This is... Continue Reading

Hilton acquired Doubletree Hotels back in 1999, and national advertising for Doubletree chain disappeared. Marketing Blurb hasn’t stayed at a Doubletree Hotel for who knows when. But this much we do know. When we used to stay at Doubletree Hotels,... Continue Reading

Marketing Blurb loves hotel rooms. We need them to escape whenever we travel. We are not even especially fussy about hotel rooms, as long as they include a bottle cap opener, and are reasonably quiet. Traditionally, hotel chains advertise about... Continue Reading

Those who follow business-to-business advertising know that IBM has a long-running campaign titled On Demand which features the company’s ability to solve problems and provide complex solutions continuously. Clever commercials under this umbrella campaign included a series of Help Desk... Continue Reading

Marketing Blurb does not read Maxim magazine. Maxim is one of dozens of so-called laddie books, dubbed such by the British press, where many of these publications originated. But Marketing Blurb does follow magazine circulation and advertising trends. Well, it... Continue Reading

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