No more Bing bling
Microsoft has pulled the plug on a little-publicized and little-utilized cash rebate system for its Bing browser.
Blockbuster’s last best hope for survival
By locking Redbox and Netflix out of new movies for 28 days, Blockbuster hopes to drive people into their stores. It is unlikely to work.
What shelf space reduction means for niche brands
The trend towards brand portfolio reduction at retailers means smaller players will need to get creative.
Pfizer fine: $2.3 billion. Result: Who cares?
A blockbuster fine leveled by the Justice Department is unlikely to hurt Pfizer’s blockbuster prescription drug business.
Ever heard of fibromyalgia?
Key Points:
1. Fibromyalgia is an example of drug company marketing at its best: Convincing the medical establishment to pay attention to real suffering.
2. Fibromyalgia is also an example of drug company marketing at its worst: Using emotional tactics to boost prescriptions.
3. Regardless of the final judgment, we cannot ignore the power of giving a vague set of symptoms a legitimate name.
Macy’s fate is not (completely) Macy’s fault
Key Points:
1. Even smart promotional alignments can’t substitute for frustratingly complex fine print.
2. The department store model as a whole is in trouble, but Macy’s management (may be) showing signs of coming around.
3. However, in order to survive, Macy’s needs a complete realignment of its relationship with premium designer brands.
Pixos? Seriously, you are not fooling anyone.
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
They were called Aquadots.
Last Holiday season, cable television networks with my kids’ ear started advertising a new product. The concept seemed pretty simple: The young “artist” used what amounted to an oversized syringe to squirt colored gel dots onto a special “canvas”. Think of a gooey “Light Bright” (remember those?).
Well, [...]
The milk marketing machine
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
The milk mustache is just the beginning.
Behind the endless “got milk?” T-shirts and bumper stickers, and beyond countless celebrities sporting milk mustaches, exists a powerful dairy promotional apparatus. Of course, that’s not much of a surprise – the upper Midwest is the nation’s leading dairy region. But seeing tangible evidence [...]
“From breast implants to flat roof repair”
Author:
Jason Voiovich
Ecra Creative Group
Everything old is new again.
The rough economy blues have spawned the resurgence of a very old idea. Only this time, the classic barter network is back with a new twist. Reincarnated as a way to drive new business, firms such as Pittsburgh’s Green Apple Barter have gained considerable airtime as [...]
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 [...]
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.
