The Brandcast

Hello All,

Sorry that it’s been a while since my last post.  We have had a few things going on and will start podcasting and blogging very soon. One thing I can mention is that we are working hard on putting together some heavy hitters as upcoming guests to the podast. It should be in the upcoming weeks and will be a must listen. Check back in a few days to get an update on what is new and where we are taking this blog!

I was flipping through channels last night during a commercial break and stopped for a moment on the Disney Channel. Disney is not part of my trifecta of typical programming (HGTV, Food Network, and TLC), but I was drawn in by a spot airing within a Hannah Montana marathon. In the sequence, Disney actors and actresses were speaking to the camera about their love for technology, namely their addiction to cell phones, and of course, texting.

“I need to be in contact with my friends 24/7!”

“In the car, my mom will be talking to me, and she doesn’t know I’m having another conversation with my friends at the same time!”

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Whether you call it dinero, argent, geld, soldi, or cash–everyone understands the common language of money.
And The Home Depot is doing something smart: producing the same commercial spots in English and Spanish–much to the chagrin of lobby groups like English First, who are still pushing for the nomination of English as the United States’ national language at the federal level.

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Starting next week, another free daily publication will grace Boston, MA street corners. This is an ambitious venture, as Boston currently has a plethora of free publications, including one very successful free daily, the Boston Metro. This brand new paper, entitled BostonNOW, is promising to revamp the newspaper industry through giving the content back to the people, so to speak.

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There are only two months left until the May television upfront presentations, and with this comes increasing pressure on TV and Cable networks to innovate, impress and improve ad deliveries. Past performances in this arena have met with success - multimedia platform buys are becoming more popular, and according to recent reports, product placement is at an all time high. However, as the years pass and technology advances, the push to become even more effective compels network executives to campaign harder than ever for ad dollars.

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Some of you may be following Martha Stewart’s latest endeavor. It is a unique mission, one taking place on her home turf. The Guru of Good Things has created a line of high-end furniture that will be sold in Macy’s, and the issue isn’t that she wants to honor the New York town where she currently resides by calling the line “The Katonah Collection.” The issue is in her application to trademark the town name.

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It’s a creepy trend, to say the least: dead celebrities reappearing in television and print commercials to endorse a product that emerged long after their demise. With the sophistication of modern graphics capabilites, it was just a matter of time (no pun intended) until someone tried to buy rights to the likenesses of our favorite deceased icons.

Which makes me wonder: should anyone have ‘rights’ to a likeness?

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The Federal Communications Commission is ready to ask congress for a sweeping and broad expansion of their current regulatory powers over broadcast media, including television and radio programming. They contend that new research indicates a spike in short-term aggression in children exposed to violence.

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An article on couponing in today’s NY Times prompted me to once again think about the still suprisingly prolific use of FSIs. (I know - get a life - that first sentence even frightens me) I am constantly amazed at Brand Managers spending up to 30% of their annual budget against this tactic. I’m constantly amazed at VPs of Sales who say, they know the tactic doesn’t work - but “the trade wants it.” Don’t get me wrong FSIs have their place - in a very limited tactical sense but as a main tactic within an overall plan, they are quite simply - the easy route. Don’t believe me though, believe the consumer:

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This week, Howard Shultz, Starbucks Chairman, sent a strongly worded email to management of the chain cautioning that some of the moves designed to allow the chain to grow and become more efficient were moving the brand further away from it’s core experience and uniqueness.

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