Pondering some international travel, I was just thinking… If the holy grail is the “universal ad”, where the graphic / video is re-useable, then: . Can you ever show people? Most specific regions have distinct styles of dress, skin color, appearance… . Can you show buildings, cars? Same statement applies. . Can you show sports? . Can you show social activities, like dancing? . Can you show meals, or food at all? . Can you show product packaging? . Can you show words and language? . Can you show cartoons / graphics? Can you show –anything- that isn’t by its very nature local to somewhere? (Yes, even showing video of the sky is local)<< MORE >>

I love loopholes. They exist to give us all a chance to exercise human compassion, intelligence, and common sense… or not. A recent example: I was in Palo Alto, California, and saw a lawn-care specialist using an electric leaf-blower (a device like a vacuum-cleaner in reverse – blows away dust / grass clippings / leaves – like a wind-powered rake)… which he’d carefully plugged in to a small gas generator, dragged behind him on a small cart. << MORE >>

The Blonde Bombshell sings. (Arguably, so do I, but I’ve been informed by various folks exposed to it that the noise I produce may not technically qualify as “singing”). As a singer, she’s sensitive to background music – far more than I. Which is why I was intrigued when she asked why two vendors would use the same music in their commercials. << MORE >>

In a wonderful example of recursive, fractal, or possibly just derivative blogging, today’s topic comes to me from the Blonde Bombshell, by way of Salon.com, commenting on a Michelle Leder observation (got that?). Acknowledgements aside, the substance can best be captured by Thailand's Krungsri GE Lady Titanium MasterCard, "the only perfume scented Credit Card in Thailand" “Lady Titanium?” << MORE >>

I’ve mused briefly on names before (see http://blog.stupidmarketing.com/2006/05/02/fcuk-you-the-value-of-names.aspx) – but was again pondering the challenge of corporate naming this week. Company names are to marketing what Haiku is to poetry – or possibly worse. Your company name is likely the most-used aspect of your marketing, used in everything from web addresses to coffee mug designs – so it has the potential for massive impact. Why, then, do so many companies have such poor names? << MORE >>

OK, time to admit it: I’m a food fan. I love good food. And “good” doesn’t mean “overpriced” or “requires a suit to eat” – I’ve admittedly been thrilled by private lunches at Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York City, but have arguably been equally happy (or more) dining on a hot dog, fries, and a superlative mocha milkshake at the (original) Peninsula Creamery in downtown Palo Alto. I’m even a regular viewer and fan of the television show, Top Chef. It’s thus disappointing to me when a restaurant I love commits an act of bad marketing<< MORE >>

The Blonde Bombshell (a frequent contributor of content that drives this blog) recently commented on two vendors she’d dealt with in the course of her daily work. Vendor A quoted the lowest prices, and took staff out to lunch – but consistently delivered shoddy work that had to be redone, costing the company. Vendor B quoted higher prices, and while nice enough, didn’t “schmooze” – but they consistently delivered on time, quality work, and even caught (and fixed) mistakes in the specs they were given. Guess which vendor she was raving about, and which she was cursing? Guess which one she went out of her way to talk up to others… and which she went out of her way to warn others about? << MORE >>

I'm bewildered by United Airlines’ latest “marketing via discrimination / scapegoating”, and somewhat disturbed by the fact that I can’t decide if it’s brilliant or hideous marketing. Recently, United Airlines implemented a new policy. Fat people pay more. Seriously. << MORE >>

I confess, I never thought I’d see the day that Sir Mixalot (rapper, best known for prior decade’s R-rated hit song “I like Big Butts”, Spongebob Squarepants (kids cartoon character), and Burger King (marketing icon for the fast-food chain) were combined into a rap-video televison commercial. But lo, that day is upon us. And I love it.<< MORE >>

The Blonde Bombshell (she to whose advice I should probably listen more often) is on a roll. She’s decided that truth is the best marketing – and she’s right! Cited as an example is the following except from an email: "I hate asking people for money. Hate. It. But here I am doing it anyway."<< MORE >>