What are these green painted bike paths doing in the middle of Manhattan? Was the land of consumption really starting to care about the state of the planet?

We had arranged to see a number of companies including the leading advertiser industry body to test the water with our environmental marketing solutions. What was the percentage weighting for the environment compared with saving the dollars in a time of unprecedented institutional unrest?

The first day of my meetings corresponded with a 700-point drop on the Dow Jones. Would anyone be interested in greening up their marketing spend in a strategically and balanced way when simply slashing the advertising budget would do the trick?

Continue reading "Greening the internet by the Americans?" »

I know this video has been around on the internet for a while, but I am always amazed that it was created by Microsoft. I have never really thought of Microsoft as a customer centric organisation considering how hard I have always found their operating systems and program interfaces to use.

Anyway, this is the consumer breaking up with the marketer, or probably more correctly it should be the brand, because consumers have relationships with brands. They only have relationships with marketers if they are dating, married or living with them.

Watching it again, I think it is really interesting at how many traditional agencies and their clients are still embracing the broadcasting approach to communications reflected in this video, rather than join the conversation that consumers are already having amongst themselves.

Is it because it is easier to simply keep talking at people rather than stop to listen and respond to what they are saying in a meaningful way? Clearly if marketers continue to talk at their consumers rather than with them, then perhaps the Microsoft view of the relationship between marketers and consumers will come true. Or is it true for some brands already?

I received an email overnight from Euro RSCG on:

Euro RSCG and The National Media Group Discuss
The Importance of Branding: The Cautionary Tale of the Bailout

Considering the global newsworthiness of this topic, Euro RSCG had seized the opportunity to make a valuable and relevant contribution to the discussion.

Many times when we are running agency search and selection projects for clients, unsuccessful agencies will ask for advice on how they can better position themselves with clients?

The answer is by being relevant, interesting and memorable. The Euro RSCG email reproduced below does all of that.

Continue reading "How to position your advertising agency as relevant to the modern world" »