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One year ago, I started writing this blog with the intent of sharing marketing and public relations insights with as many people as possible. Since then, Marcom Maven has attracted readers from as close as Long Beach, CA to as far as Peru.
Thanks, readers, for sticking with the maven. Next year, I hope to make things more interesting.
Found this analysis of the candidates' logos on Brand Autopsy. It's from the New York Times...and really fascinating. The knock on Obama's logo as "done by someone inexperienced" is a low blow, though.
December is nearly here, which means it’s time to feel bad once again about not giving … or getting … a Lexus for the holidays. That’s the spirit of those now time-honored ads featuring the spouse who’s told to take a gander at the driveway on Dec. 24, only to be blown away by a luxury car sitting there with a huge-ass red bow.
A gal can dream, can’t she?
Our house was fumigated this weekend (not a nice process, but ‘tis over), so we spent the weekend in West Los Angeles. I suppose there are worse ways of killing time while others were at our home killing bugs.
Yikes! So many medical mishaps in the news…from Dennis Quaid’s twins getting the wrong drugs to Donda West’s plastic surgery ending in tragedy… it’s been a horrible week for health care public relations.
You have to be of a certain age to appreciate this one from boingboing.Remember the old, "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" margarine? Well, here's "Unbelievable this is not butter," a knock-off from Taiwan. Yes, believe it.
I'm not a huge fan of the AT&T "seamless" world campaign. How many people really do live in three places at once?
However , there's a fun companion site where you can plug in three places and make up something a little more exotic (like Layorkas). Now, whether you fork over $17.95 for a t-shirt displaying your new city is another story. I'm guessing not so much...
What did you do this weekend? I spent most of it tweaking … tweaking, editing and re-editing my novel. Ericka, the world’s best writing coach, says it’s almost done – just one or two more complete rewrites to go!
Whew! This thing has taken me nine months to get this far (I believe I’m on draft four, ‘tho who’s counting?). I want to birth this baby, but like any doting parent, it’s too hard to let go. I’m terrified of what other folks will say about my work.
Anyone out there ever write a novel? Is this a typical sentiment? I’d love to know.
I just started reading Hugh MacLeod’s blog gaping void. Most of his writings are about the Microsoft culture, which is funny, but sounds rather bleak. Having persevered through too many soul-crushing corporate cultures, I just don’t see why people – especially creative young people – stay with such companies. (If you want to learn more about MS culture, read Leaving Microsoft to Change the World).
How did you fall into marketing? With me, it had nothing to do with brainy strategic thinking or unbelievable creativity. Nope.
Since we are an iPod nation, I know few people who have actually purchased the Microsoft Zune 2.
However, if you have one of these rare gadgets, check out the beautiful "Zune Originals" program. For a limited time, you can order your Zune 2 from the site and choose an inscribed background based on one of several pieces of art commissioned by Microsoft.
I doubt the lovely designs can mitigate what seems to be an unpopular product. But, hey, it’s a nice – if not desperate -- try.
For more gadget news, check out BoingBoing Gadgets.
I got an iPhone! Yes, Ms. Late Adapter (I was sluggish on the whole cable television, push-button phone, color t.v. thing) got herself the hippest gadget of 07. And I have to say, it's very cool.
I've been monitoring the comments that I get. Most are people wanting to know if I "paid like $1,000 for it before the price went down." (Not a chance.) And then there's "Oh yeah, but the reception is lousy." (It isn't.)
Similarly, when I bought a hybrid car three years ago, I got an onslaught of comments. Mostly, it was, "When do those carpool lane stickers expire? I hear they're going to take them away." ("They" haven't yet, three years later.) And there were those charming drivers in Orange County, CA who flipped me the bird when I took advantage of the faster lane.
Funny, it used to be that moving a notch ahead of the pack was considered a good thing. Now it's viewed with all kinds of skepticism. Maybe I should slide back into Late Adapterhood. Maybe I should stayout of Orange County, CA.
The Brooklyn Brothers is an advertising agency that went out of its way to produce a “green” commercial. No, not a new spot for Prius…they actually made sure that in producing an ad, they left a very small carbon footprint.
If only they had this when I was a teenager. Maybe I wouldn’t have obsessed when I had two pieces of Trident gum for lunch instead of one…
What makes this entry about marcom? Uh, uh, let me think. Sorry, my mind is all fuzzy. Super cool, amazing shoes can do that to a gal.
I found these shoes on a v. amazing site called shopfatal.com. If I were just 20 years younger and had a place to take these amazing puppies out on the town, I'd plunk down the $695 in a heartbeat. If only...
Ah ha, now I remember why this picture is on a marcom site...you see, we marcommers earn the bucks at our trade. And what should we do with these bucks? Purchase some mind-blowing shoes, of course.
If you're a shoe-gal like me, take a look at shopfatal. Yeah, it's a hazard to the wallet, but too cool to overlook.
Hey, want to write really good? (Yes, before anyone comments, am aware that’s not good at all…)
More proof that there’s a blog for everything. There’s one for restaurant design. This entry from Jeffrey Summers is particularly interesting. Summers thinks restaurants should take a sledgehammer to their host stands.