The Shifting Burden of Quality Control: From Gatekeepers to Consumers

Published on December 2nd, 2009 Leave a Comment

“Use the Macy’s accessory wall, thoughtfully.”….Tim Gunn
Spoken like a true Sage, Tim Gunn instructed the designers of Project Runway to carefully consider the resources available to them as they embellish their creations.  I believe there’s a powerful marketing lesson in Tim’s words.   Open access to resources cannot turn into a “free for all”.  We must [...]

My Ears Can No Longer Hear What You Have To Say

Published on July 5th, 2009 1 Comment

Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, I have perfect hearing! I wear hearing aids that amplify high frequency sounds and mute ‘dissonant’ sounds so that I can fully participate in life’s conversations. The hearing aids technically correct my hearing; but frankly, I hear better without them. Why? Because I ‘listen’ [...]

Symbiotic Relationships

Published on May 10th, 2009 1 Comment

Every Monday morning, I enter the classroom at Northwestern University and I try to impart knowledge on some of the brightest young minds regarding the state of media. But, my task is far from easy! What do the students need to understand in this fluid media economy? The textbooks aren’t much help: something that was [...]

Who drew the line, anyway?

Published on March 16th, 2009 1 Comment

Not too long ago, marketing pundits debated the value of “above the line” vs. “below the line” marketing services offerings. Who drew the line, anyway? What started as a cost accounting term unfortunately became bad nomenclature for powerful marketing assets that needed to work in tandem to drive holistic solutions. We eventually [...]

Lessons learned from the Euro

Published on January 27th, 2009 1 Comment

What could the story of the Euro possibly have to do with advertising and integrated marketing solutions? I believe that the industry needs its own version of the Euro! We need to let go of our fixation with “proprietary branding/channel valuation processes” and create a common measure for determining the value of what [...]

Mac AND PC: the paradox of creative and analytical talent.

Published on January 7th, 2009 2 Comments

The Apple campaign that differentiates the “Mac” guy vs. the “PC” guy is a brilliant execution of competitive attribute advertising. You clearly get a sense of “who” should relate to each brand of personal computer. Right???? But then how can we explain my recent behavior? In one week, I [...]

Welcome to the revolution.

Published on January 2nd, 2009 1 Comment

The year 2008 will clearly go down in history as one of the most profound moments of our time.  We reached “The Tipping Point” on so many levels:  we watched business sectors and financial markets face near ruin  from greed, mismanagement and old ways of working that simply don’t work, anymore.  Who would have thought [...]