November 2013
Will fans continue to ‘walk’ with Kanye West and his rebranded Confederate flag?
Published November 8, 2013
Has Kanye West finally outdone himself? It makes sense that the same man brazen enough to destroy Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the VMAs a few years ago, the same man who has adopted the moniker “Yeezus” — a portmanteau of “Jesus” and his nickname, “Ye” — would also try to rebrand the Confederate flag, and its role as a symbol of slavery, for … Read more »
How ‘nation branding’ works to turn a country’s image around
Published November 7, 2013
There’s a sad truth that stereotypes will probably always persist, especially when it comes to specific countries. Despite all of the many different complexities that make up the population of any given nation, mention France and you’ll still probably think: Eiffel Tower, croissants, berets, and accordion music. For Spain, it might be bullfighters and early dinners. But while some of … Read more »
Broccoli aiming to dethrone kale from its ‘superfood’ perch
Published November 6, 2013
How is it that one of the healthiest foods we can eat—high in vitamin C, iron, folate and every other nutrient you could ever want—is often relegated to the back of the refrigerator or, if it’s cooked, ignored at the corner of dinner plates? Victors & Spoils, a Colorado-based advertising agency, has taken on the pro bono task of rebranding broccoli in an effort to make it more appealing … Read more »
Study: Direct mail part of $90 billion offline marketing industry
Published November 5, 2013
For all the barbs being thrown at the U.S. Postal Service these days — from the Heritage Foundation’s recent death throes declaration “Can The Postal Service Have A Future?” to calls for the agency to privatize — it’s a wonder that the USPS is still delivering mail at all, come rain, sleet, snow or hail (but maybe not on Saturdays). Through it all, one aspect of the … Read more »
President Obama understands real-time marketing. Do you?
Published November 4, 2013
Did you think to add a Halloween element to any of your marketing collateral these last few weeks? If you did, it needed to have been in a way that didn’t seem contrived or forced. Adding in a picture of a pumpkin or a word associated with Halloween wasn’t enough, and it probably didn’t get your brand much additional visibility. President Obama took a dive into real-time marketing … Read more »