ARTICLES

ARTICLES

Articles, Columns and Interviews - Features by our staff covering the Advertising and Marketing Industry

ARTICLES

ARTICLES
Articles, Columns and Interviews - Features by our staff covering the Advertising and Marketing Industry

Superliminal Advertising

COLUMN: Sponsored messages worm their way into entertainment and news. Tracking of consumer purchases allows for precise targeting of those messages. Computerized production technology enables marketers or government agencies to control what you see and when you see it. Scott G plays George Orwell by putting these 3 ideas together.

Your Brand Here: The TV Show

G-Man on and off the wallCOLUMN: With the announcement that the Geico Insurance Cavemen are being written into a script for a television series pilot, the issue of branded content again rears its ugly head. Scott G speculates on some of the oddities surrounding this silly side of advertising.

All Data Fox-Checked For Accuracy

COLUMN: The news is no longer the news. Scott G points out that we are in the midst of some bodacious blending: information & invention, data & political agenda, fact & fiction, actuality & publicity, and truth with whatever else comes to mind.

Contextual Counter Branding: Your Pizza is My Pizza – Why Search Engines Want to...

COLUMN: While the subject of contextual branding against other company's trademarks will not be a new issue to some people, and I had been aware of the problem from the past couple of years of litigation between major companies and search portals like Google and Yahoo!, nevertheless I was a bit surprised when my brand was targeted by an upstart competitor.

A Change Would Do You Good

Stephen MonacoCOLUMN: Way too many companies still maintain an antiquated mentality still driven by sales, instead of changing their focus to one that is driven by marketing. Sales driven companies should drop their short-term ways of thinking like a bad habit, and start transitioning their organizations into ones that are "market driven."

Ad Backlash

Scott G pretending to look thoughtfulCOLUMN: Too many ads in too many places appearing way too often. Product placement invading content. Messages triggered by RFID chips. Advertorials. Sponsorships. Hype. Spin. Noise. Scott G isn't the only person who thinks we've gone too far. Some consumers are fighting back.

What Do Creatives Do?

Scott G making a client presentationCOLUMN: When an ad agency gets a new client, a lot of people swing into action. Account managers assess the brand, competition, positioning, and strategy. The media department finds target audiences. And the creatives, well, just what are they DOING back there with that loud music and riotous laughter? Scott G tells all.

Vista Spot an Ow not a Wow

G-Man at the MicCOLUMN: Microsoft once paid the Rolling Stones millions for the use of "Start Me Up" to inject some excitement into their campaign for a new operating system. Scott G tells why MS better buy the rights to a whole bunch of rock, electronic, county and hip hop songs because the launch of their Vista OS is currently dead in the water.

Who’s Behind the Wheel of the Chevy HHR?

Stephen MonacoCOLUMN: Remember back in the day, (like, about six years ago), when there was a clear line of demarcation between content and advertising? Content was the programming that was periodically interrupted by commercials. Commercials were advertisements designed to sell products and services.

Ads Masquerading as Content

COLUMN: Paid placement is a dirty little secret of advertising and public relations. Scott G explores a few of the subversive, sneaky, snaky, snarky, sleazy and very profitable methods of putting your product in front of the public in just the right light.

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