All posts for the month April, 2012

Numbers are Hardly Exquisite, Mandarin

In fact, they’re pretty boring. Especially compared to your brand. Which is why I keep wondering why you would be running a 365 Reasons campaign on Facebook for your New York operation, one of the top rated luxury hotels in the city. I have to say — I’m not a fan. Considering your status, I’m assuming you’re [...]

Luxury/Non-Luxury Brand Collaboration, the Right Way

High-end brands are not built for the masses; they are designed for a group of people who can afford a certain lifestyle. It’s the exclusivity of such brands that makes the less fortunate masses yearn for the experiences they offer. These people, who put luxury brands on a pedestal, are a big part of what [...]

Retro Ad of the Week: Fiat, 1923

Fiat advertising has come a long way from the opulent, chauffeur-driven tour around Europe that this ad from 1923 depicts: In 2012, it’s been all about Jennifer Lopez, Charlie Sheen and nerdy latte drinkers who daydream about beautiful Italian women: FUN FACT: Fiat is actually an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, which literally translates [...]

Guess Which One Isn’t an Ad for Target

Has anyone else been having a had a hard time telling JCPenney and Target ads apart lately (hashtags and randomly inserted URLs notwithstanding)? Isn’t JCPenney supposed to be in the process of reinventing itself? Judging from this latest round of ads, it feels like they’ve put that on hold and opted to just copy Target. [...]

Content Marketing is Not Enough, Especially for B2B

Ask yourself this question: Can your brand exist solely from sales to the people on your current content marketing list? If you answered yes, consider that the majority of people on your list are not going to lead to a sale. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Content marketing works, and today, it’s an essential [...]

Fractional Jet Ownership Brands Know How to Play the Sponsorship Game

While watching the 2012 Tavistock Cup on the Golf Channel a few weeks ago, I noticed only a few key sponsors for this charity event. Other than the support from the four ultra-excusive country clubs – Albany, Isleworth, Lake Nona, and Queenwood – a select group of holes were also sponsored by four major luxury brands. These were Audemars [...]

Retro Ad of the Week: Piaget Watches, 1983

While the contrast of the luxurious gold Piaget against a backdrop of tanned skin and rich brown and blue accents works well, did you happen to notice that the watch itself is actually upside down in this ad? Odd. Moreover, while it is not entirely uncommon for luxury goods to have a “spokesperson”, the inset [...]

How to Be a Great Marketing Manager

There is quite a bit of wisdom online for identifying the ways for you, the Marketing Professional to succeed — and excel – at your job. Most of the advice is centered on the social and interpersonal skills needed to achieve success inside the walls of the company that you will be working for. There are sites [...]

Retro Ad of the Week: Marlboro, 1941

“America’s Luxury Cigarette”?  Where’s the cowboy? FUN FACT:  Philip Morris launched the Marlboro brand in 1924 as a woman’s cigarette. After scientists published a major study linking smoking to lung cancer in the 1950s, Philip Morris repositioned Marlboro as a men’s cigarette.  (Source:  Wikipedia)

How DVR Shifts Show Ratings

The day that TiVo gained national attention as Miranda’s new obsession on Sex and The City, TV advertisers began to worry about the implications time shifting TV would have on their TV campaigns. What if viewers fast forward through commercials? What if they watch the commercial after a sale or promotion has ended? Now in a [...]