branding

advertising, branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, marketing • October 9, 2009

The Merrill Lynch Bull Charges Back, More Softly This Time

One of many painful sidebars to last year’s Wall Street bloodbath was the swift death of seemingly invincible brands, including former financial powerhouses Lehmann, Bear Stearns, and Merrill Lynch. The human toll was so vast that no one gave much of a thought to the vanquished logos. But, as symbolism, their disappearance rubbed salt into […]

advertising, branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, marketing, leadership, public relations • September 17, 2009

Will Healthcare Damage Brand Obama?

In “Mad Men”‘s season debut, fictional ad man Don Draper quietly advises a colleague, “Limit your exposure.” It’s actually an oblique reference to his associate’s indiscretion (and his own secret past), but I thought of Draper’s advice today in a different context. I’ve finally joined the ranks of those who fear that President Obama may be overexposed. Don’t […]

advertising, branding, Crenshaw Communications • August 7, 2009

When Brands Try To Be Cool

Recently, RadioShack announced that it’s changing its name. Or, more precisely, it wants you to use its nickname. In what’s billed as an informal move, the retailer has launched a campaign inviting us to call it “The Shack.” I can understand wanting to lose the dated “Radio,” which connotes a bygone technology era. And, the chain […]

branding, Crenshaw Communications, public relations • July 31, 2009

Was The Beer Summit A Teachable Moment?

What is it about beer? Former President George Bush was elected partly because he was a guy most Americans could imagine sitting down and having a beer with…ironic, given the fact that he doesn’t touch the stuff. This week, knocking back a cold one became the symbol for a “cooling off” event involving President Obama, […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, marketing, public relations, technology • July 28, 2009

It’s No Contest, The Netflix Prize Is A Winner

Partly because I gave four stars to Woody Allen’s Manhattan, Netflix is recommending the dark and brooding East German indie The Lives of Others. Hmmm. I don’t know about you, but for me, recommendation engines that try to predict our likes and dislikes in books and movies usually miss the mark. I’m talking about the collaborative filtering […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations, social media • June 12, 2009

Twitter: Is Anyone Listening?

During the months I’ve spent reading about and using Twitter, I’ve analogized it to many things, depending on my mood and its usefulness. At various times, I compare it to: a cocktail party; a real-time search engine; email for exhibitionists; a high-school popularity contest; and heroin. Personally, I find it both frustrating and fascinating. But, […]

branding, Crenshaw Communications • May 29, 2009

Does Bing Hit The Mark?

Yesterday at the D: All Things Digital Conference, Microsoft announced that it will launch Bing, a rebuilt search engine that it hopes will help consumers make better decisions, redefine the category, and maybe even give Google a run for its money. Bing is really a rebranding of Microsoft Live Search, with some nifty new features thrown in. It’s gotten some […]

branding, Crenshaw Communications, leadership • May 18, 2009

Can’t Beat ‘Em? Rebrand ‘Em!

Words are important. That’s why it’s not just the swine flu virus that’s gotten a nifty new government-issue name. Washington is in a frenzy of rebranding. The Obama administration has rejected the Bush-era “global war on terror” in favor of the more oblique “overseas contingency operation.” In a particularly awkward phrasing, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano calls acts […]