The entertainment slated for this Sunday’s Superbowl makes the total sponsorship package for brands a one-two-punch—sports AND entertainment. The plain truth is that, football could use a facelift, and acts like Katy Perry stand ready to deliver. It’s been a tough year for football in the popular culture. The New...
Culture
Gift Ideas
One of the things I love about the holiday season is that we have all agreed that this is the season to be generous. But I’m also welcoming a shift away from the fierce consumerism of years past, toward a kinder, gentler season of giving. In that spirit, I have...
Why The Future of Branding is Not About “Digital”
“Indeed, digital now forms such an inherent part of our lives and our business that treating it as a distinct category or phenomenon often feels somewhat perverse and old-fashioned. Try telling your kids that you have a ‘digital’ TV or ‘digital’ camera. The word itself is becoming quaint.” — Sir...
Ru Paul and New Trends in Entertainment Marketing
This week, I had a lively exchange with Dave Gianatasio over at AdWeek magazine about trends in product integration. When sponsors insert themselves into the context of the culture, it communicates what the brand means in people’s lives. It’s powerful. We’ve built a business advising clients about how to do that well....
One Simple Truth about 21st-Century Love
Dating coaches are a growing industry. It’s a high-tech, high-touch phenomenon spurred by the explosion of online dating. Amy Alkon began her love-advice giving on a street corner in Manhattan. It was an experiment. She set up a table, made a sign, and waited to see what would happen. Remarkably, people...
Cool Campaign: Nature Speaks Up
Nature is coming in loud and clear thanks to Conservation International’s new campaign: Nature Is Speaking. The thrust of the message is that nature is not dependent on humanity; we are dependent on it. A gang of A-list celebrities including: Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Penelope Cruz, and Kevin Spacey, have chimed in...