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The Anatomy & Danger of Hype
The Boston Globe Idea section has a fascinating piece yesterday called “Attack of the Light Drizzle!” It’s about how weather forecasts – once a function of news reporting have been transformed into a...
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There is no Authenticity Online
My daughters were having a dance party (don’t ask!) the other afternoon. My wife was describing the scene to me over dinner when I asked: “Did you get it on video?” She shook her head and replied, “If...
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7 Reasons Why Corporate Videos Stink
There are few mediums so misunderstood as video creation for corporations or non-profits. Everyone has an opinion – and is willing to share it. That’s why – as a whole – corporate videos are terrible....
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Dispelling 3 Prevailing Myths about Social Media
Social media is not a sacred vocation. There’s an enormous misunderstanding – generally pushed by social media experts – that social media needs to be “authentic” and “genuine.” That this “honesty”...
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Why Do We Love Brands?
Because they reflect who we think we are and/or who we aspire to be. Brands – every brand – gives customers some kind of emotional reaction. That can be good (think Sesame Street) or it can be bad...
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Who Owns & Controls a Brand’s Social Media?
The dust-up over the f-word being accidentally published on a Chrysler’s Twitter account is one of those “here today, gone tomorrow” non-stories. In reality this is about as significant as a politician...
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The Joy of Social Media
It’s easy to get caught up in the minutia of the industry. Communications and marketing pundits have a tendency to dive into the trivial aspects of social media – how we should define influence, how a...
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Is Facebook Dead as a Marketing Channel?
Of course not. Let’s not get crazy here. But believe it or not there seems to be a mounting number of alarmist obituaries about Facebook’s effectiveness as a marketing platform. If there were any...
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Why Brands Should Resist Participating in National Tragedies
Every weekday a popular retailer sends out an 11 a.m. daily deal email to subscribers. Yesterday there was no daily deal. Just a branded message to its subscribers, which said: “For the lives lost at...
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Less Measurement, More Creativity
A few years back I was ensconced in a drab, ill-lit conference room meeting with my client’s brand-new vice president of marketing. He wore his cocksure attitude like a bow-tie and made sure I knew he...
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The Eyes of Lots & Lots of Strangers
They are watching you. And if you install Ghosterly on your browser, “they” will finally have names. Names like KissMetrics, Quantcast, Google Analytics, ChartBeat and MediaMind. These are just some...
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Fear of Storytelling & Other Tales of Brand Failure
The Internet is killing Advertising. Or at least what we would consider traditional advertising. Fewer people believe the claims. More people tune it out. Or just avoid it all together (fast forward...
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Should We Block Big Brother Tactics by Companies?
Gmail reads my emails. … so they can serve me targeted ads. Amazon analyzes my book buying habits. …to serve me up ads via recommendations. Facebook studies my posting habits and likes. …to sell my...
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National Tragedies Are For People, Not Brands
Here’s the definition of a no-win situation. A brand using a national tragedy to engage with fans on social networks. The opportunity to offend is very high. Yesterday, on the 12th anniversary of 9/11,...
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