Wolverine Asks – Got Milk?
April 30, 2009
In the words of my husband, “shouldn’t it be, ‘Got Adamantium’?” Regardless, it’s a cool ad.
Your thoughts?
Top of the Muffin to You – from Seinfeld to Vitalicious
April 29, 2009
Somehow VitaTops muffin tops from Vitalicious have been on the market without a lot of buzz (at least not in my neck of the woods). Today, I stumbled upon news that a new flavor (banana nut) was introduced. How did I miss this gem?
What a great pop culture tribute that every Seinfeld fan would love to buzz about. I think they’re missing a big opportunity to drive word of mouth on this one. Or am I just looking for any excuse to post a Seinfeld clip (guilty as charged)? What do you think?
Apple’s iPhone – It’s an Instrument, Too!
April 27, 2009
Who knew when Apple released the iPhone to much fanfare that it would be where it is today? Sure, it seemed obvious that it would change the cell phone market. The touch screen is great, and everything with that little Apple logo immediately seems cooler than any other similar product, but who new the term “iPhone app” would permeate our culture to rival Twitter in terms of being buzzworthy?
And who would have thought that the iPhone can also be used as an instrument? But alas, there’s an app for that. It’s like the Swiss Army Knife of telephonic gadgetry!
According to an article from The Register, musician Gary Go has a new stage show the likes of which have never been seen before. He’s heading out on tour with just one instrument — his iPhone. He’ll be performing at Wembley in London in July — just a guy and his iPhone. Whatever happens while Gary Go and his iPhone are on tour, it’s great publicity for Apple.
Your thoughts?
Image: Flickr
New Dollar General Logo – Why Bother?
April 24, 2009
I stopped by the Brand New blog today and learned that Dollar General has a new logo. This one can be added to the why bother category. Unless someone can help me understand. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Based on this post from BrandlandUSA, I think that perhaps Dollar General should have focused on updating other parts of its business before investing in a logo redesign.
Even Homeless Frank Says No to Microsoft
April 22, 2009
The video below is highly politically incorrect, but it shows one more view from consumers about how Microsoft is failing to connect with consumers through its products and reactionary commercials (think of the “I’m a PC” ads released in response to Apple’s popular “Mac Guy vs. PC Guy” commercials).
Apple might not be at the peak of its branding game anymore, but the company did succeed in developing a powerful relationship brand that Microsoft continues to try to compete against. It’s past time for Microsoft to start focusing on changing from within and stop focusing on what Apple is doing.
Don’t believe me? Check out Homeless Frank’s view in the video from Landline TV.
Geoff Rosenbaum of the Principle Group on Branding – Part 1
April 21, 2009
Today, I’m happy to publish the first of a series of posts from Geoff Rosenbaum. Geoff is the Executive Vice President of Principle Group, an international branding company headquartered in the United Kingdom that recently opened a new U.S. office in Tennessee. I can’t wait to read Geoff’s insights! Keep reading to get a taste of what he’s got in store for the KeySplash Creative Conversations community!
What if cattle farmers marked 25% of their cows with an old, twisted branding iron, leaving a garbled symbol that could be interpreted multiple ways? Or didn’t brand some cows at all because the animals were located in a hard-to-reach area?
In a competitive environment, the livestock would be stolen. The farmers’ investment would be lost.
The origin of the term ‘branding’ remains a logical touchstone for understanding the value of focused, steady marketing in today’s business arena. A brand is only as effective as its consistent, quality application, and global companies in particular are keenly aware of the difficulties in achieving and maintaining that consistency.
Most multi-national ventures eventually find themselves confronted with the lack of reliable brand implementation resources in many regions. Materials not available on a global scale, interpretation of guidelines varying widely, unsophisticated local suppliers – these and other factors contribute to the complexity of effectively implementing a worldwide brand.
For large-scale branding endeavors such as international skyline sign installations, worldwide identity conversions and multi-site simultaneous rebranding, these challenges can quickly multiply and transform into gauntlets of terror for normally efficient and capable marketing teams. [Read more]
Kevin Muldoon of Blogging Tips Reviews Google Blogger for Dummies
April 20, 2009
There was a time when I wrote for Kevin Muldoon’s excellent blog about blogging — BloggingTips.com. When my latest book, Google Blogger For Dummies
I’m happy to report that Kevin’s review is positive. In his review post, Kevin wrote:
All in all, ‘Google Blogger For Dummies’ is a well written and well constructed book which goes at a good pace and should help Blogger users with building, expanding and promoting their blog. Recommend.
You can follow the link to read Kevin’s complete review of Google Blogger for Dummies.
Network Solutions Delivers Small Business Success Index
April 16, 2009
This month, I was asked to provide my responses to some questions about the new Small Business Success Index study developed by Network Solutions and the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business.
I’m happy to share the link to the interview here on KeySplash Creative Conversations. You can follow the link to read my thoughts on the SBSI. Following is a snippet from the interview:
Network Solutions: What did the study reveal to you about the success of small businesses in 2008?
Susan Gunelius: I was pleasantly surprised to learn that small businesses are doing better than one might think based on what we hear from the media.
Network Solutions: The study captured six dimensions for measuring success: Capital Access, Marketing and Innovation, Workforce, Customer Service, Computer Technology and Compliance. What do you think are the top priorities for making small businesses more competitive?
Susan Gunelius: Certainly, Capital Access is critical. You know the old saying, “it takes money to make money.” There’s a reason why those old sayings stick around for so long. Also, Customer Service remains a top priority. It generates positive word-of-mouth marketing, which is essential to small businesses and helps to position them against the competition, particularly larger companies with deeper pockets. Together, Marketing and Computer/Technology are also important. We’re in the age of social media, and leveraging technology and marketing via the tools of the social web is a significant differentiator.
Read the rest of the interview here.
My Yahoo! Makes Me Want to Wear Elton John Glasses – No Thank You
April 13, 2009
Just yesterday, I published a post about Yahoo!’s online ad for My Yahoo! that clearly demonstrated the painful “design by committee” process (see the post – My Yahoo Makes Me Want to Wear a Feather Boa – Not!.
Today, I found another example from the same ad campaign. I give you unfortunate ad photo choice #2:
I can say one thing for sure: “The stuff you want, how you want it” for me does not include Elton John glasses. I’m not sure who this ad is supposed to speak to, but it certainly does demonstrate how too many people weighing in on the photo used in an ad can ruin the original concept entirely (at least, I hope that’s what happened).
Your thoughts?
My Yahoo Makes Me Want to Dance with a Feather Boa – Not!
April 12, 2009
I saw this ad on the home page of Yahoo! today, and it struck me as funny.
I know it’s not meant to be funny, but here is what I thought when I saw this ad.
“My Yahoo! The stuff you want, how you want it with a feather boa.”
It reminds me of that joke people often play while reading fortune cookies where you add the phrase “between the sheets” after you read the fortune, but I digress.
My point is that I know how hard it is to choose a photo to go with an ad or marketing piece. I’ve sat through the dozens of meetings while everyone and their brother weighs in on the photos that could be used for the final piece. I know how challenging it is to get the right picture when all the players in a large company want to have their say. However, I can’t connect that frolicking woman with the feather boa with the apparent joy that My Yahoo! brings. It’s a bit too tea party or Ginger Grant for me.
Just goes to show that too many cooks spoil the ad photo decision process.
