advertising

advertising • December 23, 2009

Pepsi Super Bowl Snub Scores PR Points, Changes Marketing Game

In recent years, the Super Bowl has become as much a brand PR vehicle as an advertising showcase. Companies can score big by announcing their participation in the adfest, and if they hit, their commercial will be replayed and discussed by pundits like Barbara Lippert and Donnie Deutsch throughout the post–game news cycle. That’s why it’s ironic that Pepsi’s recent announcement […]

advertising • December 11, 2009

Will Tiger Woods Sink Celebrity Endorsement?

The seemingly endless Tiger Woods scandal, and the well-worn implications for PR and crisis management, have me thinking instead about another aspect of our business – the celebrity endorsement. In this case, the negative fallout is so dramatic – and so unanticipated – that I have to wonder. Could brands become wary of getting into […]

advertising • December 7, 2009

A Dimmer Picture For Broadcast TV

I’m a TV fan, and I’m not ashamed. In fact, my first thought when I heard about the NBC-Comcast deal was of Jack Donaghy. You know, the growly-voiced Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for GE on NBC’s “30 Rock.” I’ve always given GE props for letting Tina Fey and the rest […]

advertising • November 9, 2009

Top Five Agency Lessons From “Mad Men”

I’m a mad fan of “Mad Men.” But I confess it’s not the soap-opera-esque personal life of ad man Don Draper that had me hooked all season. It’s life at Sterling Cooper, the fictional, but true-to-life agency. From the client meetings and internal politicking, to the bon mots of insouciant principal Roger Sterling, “Mad Men” is…well, pitch-perfect. Several episodes (like […]

advertising • October 26, 2009

Ready Or Not, Here Comes SideWiki

Lately I’ve been involved in discussions about companies who don’t want their brands to engage with consumers online. Most PR practitioners agree that there can be legitimate reasons for a business to avoid social media – be they regulatory issues, a narrow or niche positioning, or lack of preparedness. It’s a brand’s choice, after all. Until now, that […]