Has it become unethical to market tanning?
The evidence is becoming undeniable – tanning can kill you. How can we justify continuing to market the service?
Unhealthy Advertising
Yale University wins today’s award for discovering the obvious: Cinnamon Toast Crunch is marketed (heavily) to kids.
Geek Squad: Best Buy’s Jiffy Lube
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
They have been called the “Peep Squad”.
Allegedly, certain members of the Geek Squad organization have been caught pilfering private customer information during home service calls. (A simple Google search will yield a myriad of specific examples; I will not indulge them here.)
Certainly, the label is not fair. The Geek Squad [...]
The light from Beacon has just been doused
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
Marketing’s holy grail is a just a bit further out of reach.
The online social networking site Facebook recently announced that its users may now turn off the company’s new “Beacon” activity tracking tool.
For marketers, Beacon really was just a little slice of heaven. The tool allowed Facebook advertising sales staff to [...]
The snake oil salesman is not dead: “Smiling Bob” sells millions of pills
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
E ! n ! z ! y ! t ! e does not work.
So says the Centers for Science in the Public Interest (CPSI) and just about every reputable physician. (The CPSI even filed suit with the FTC for deceptive advertising).
[Why do I write the product name this way? If [...]
Branding diamonds with a Canadian touch
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
Diamonds have a tarnished reputation.
Highlighted in the 2006 Academy Award winning movie “Blood Diamond”, the international diamond market is plagued with accusations of slave labor, corruption, bribery, murder, and violence. Once diamonds hit the international market, their availability and price are rigorously controlled by diamond cartels in Tel Aviv and Belgium. [...]
Stem cell technology gets some PR help from Vadnais Heights-Based BioE
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
It’s tough to be a stem cell these days.
On one hand, you hold out the promise of treatments and cures for some of medicine’s most vexing conditions: Alzheimer’s, Cystic Fibrosis, Spinal Cord Injuries, to name just a few.
On the other hand, you are a lightning rod for religious groups and bioethicists, many [...]
The new world of good-for-you sin foods: Enviga, Adora, and CocoaVia
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Principal, Ecra Creative Group
Apparently, you can have your cake and eat it to.
That is, if you believe the advertising claims stemming from this newest sub-segment of the food industry. And like any promotional message, each one does contain a nugget of truth. Let’s take a look a few newcomers.
Enviga
Coca-Cola’s green tea beverage [...]
BzzAgents: A questionable new twist on old-fashioned word-of-mouth
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Principal, Ecra Creative Group
Consider yourself warned.
If you are of the persuasion that advertising professionals will do just about anything to get you to buy their product, then reading further will not help correct your impression.
Just when you thought it was safe to trust the untainted opinion of a friend or associate regarding a new [...]
About
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
Phone: 651.209.2778
Principal and co-founder of Ecra Creative Group, a Minneapolis, MN based creative services firm specializing in brand development, reputation process management, naming/trademark, and product launches to drive measurable business results.
