May 2010

In this week's Adhocracy column, Books, and that beguiling little bird, Simon Houpt write about how the publisher Penguin has developed a strong connection to consumers over the past 75 years.

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BY SHAWNA RICHER
THE GLOBE AND MAIL

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Passengers on a Horizon Air flight from Seattle to Portland this week received something you almost never see these days – free food. Boxes stuffed with pita chips, pretzels and Hershey’s chocolate were passed out by flight attendants, along with a perky announcement that the snacks were courtesy of electronics company Creative Labs. It’s the work of Air Advertainment, a West Palm Beach, Fla., marketer that links brands and advertisers with airlines and passengers. The Seattle-Portland route was chosen for the Creative campaign because passengers are considered tech savvy. How about a Boston-Providence route sponsored by Legal Sea Foods? A Pittsburgh flight sponsored by Primanti Brothers? We have ideas.

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A weekly compendium of interesting items from the world of media, marketing and advertising.


AdWeek, May 25, 2010
Despite their widespread usage and increased value for businesses, people are still nervous about social media platforms. In a Vision Critical survey released this month, nearly half of respondents said social media networks are either “not very” trustworthy” or “not at all” trustworthy, with only 5 per cent feeling they are “completely” trustworthy. Read the AdWeek article

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In this week's Adhocracy column, Heartfelt from the front lines, Simon Houpt writes about companies who are using real employees in advertising in hopes of building authenticity by pursuing an authentic engagement with customers.


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The life of a thirty-something Canadian mother is a hectic one. Each new day brings with it a new set of child-rearing challenges that intermingle, often unexpectedly, with activities, classes, play dates, arguments between siblings, and the "simple" task of getting the family dressed and out the door. There's a saving grace to Mom's day, however -- a tool that she can use to assist her with virtually any trial she may face. This savior -- her great liberator, mentor, and personal assistant -- is digital media.

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BY SHAWNA RICHER
THE GLOBE AND MAIL

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The White House is getting serious about slimming down America’s kids, this week cautioning the food and beverage industry that it’s no longer enough to simply stop hawking some unhealthy foods on Saturday morning TV. President Barack Obama wants in-store promotions of unhealthy food stopped and popular cartoon characters licensed only to healthy fare, as well as junk-food taxes, screening by pediatricians, and even yanking deep fryers from school cafeterias. Pulling ads for sugary snacks from Saturday morning TV hasn’t worked, first lady Michelle Obama said this week. With one in every three kids in the U.S. aged two to 19 considered obese, we would agree.


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In this week's Adhocracy column, Cataloguing consumer behavior and the art, and meaning, of the ad, Simon Houpt writes about the ad industry quarterly magazine Contagious. The mag has carved itself a unique niche and is revered throughout the industry.



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A weekly compendium of interesting items from the world of media, marketing and advertising.


ADWEEK, May 11, 2010
Michael Brito, VP, Social Media at Edelman Digital takes a walk on the negative side in an effort to drive home his point on how brands can go wrong when creating social media strategies for their businesses. Read the ADWEEK article


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BY SIMON HOUPT
THE GLOBE AND MAIL

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Looking for a fight?
You’ve come to the right place. We begin this week’s updates on the streets of Los Angeles, where a guerrilla marketing campaign for Roger Waters’s upcoming The Wall Live tour involved street artists wheat-pasting posters onto random walls. But when one of the posters ended up on a beloved Sunset Drive memorial for the singer Elliott Smith, who died in 2003, an L.A. Weekly blogger screamed of “well-funded vandalism.” Mr. Waters apologized and commentators pointed out to the blogger that the poster was easily removed. No harm done? Check. Publicity bonanza? Check.

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In this week's Adhocracy column, "Online job boards get to work re-inventing themselves" The Globe's advertising and marketing reporter, Simon Houpt, highlights a new Workopolis campaign developed to re-position the company as an HR branding tool. It's the latest re-invention in a market that devastated the newspaper industry's share on the recruitment advertising market less than a decade ago.



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A weekly compendium of interesting items from the world of media, marketing and advertising.


eMarketer, May 4, 2010
Even though more retailers indicate they plan to invest in a Facebook presence, online customer reviews appear to have the greatest impact on consumer purchasing decisions. Read More >