I’m sure their intentions were good. I was just asked by a company we work with to help them select their logo and website via an online survey. They obviously didn’t know what we do around here. Their message started like this: We are asking your thoughts and feedback on our new logo and website. [...]
How one college builds trust by educating prospects
Consumers today are better informed about the products or services they’re purchasing than at any other time in history. But it’s not because of marketers. In addition to researching on Google, peer-to-peer review sites like Angie’s List and Yelp have quickly become the most effective way for consumers to learn about business products and services. [...]
Hey Abercrombie, take your apology and suck it.
Oh, Abercrombie. You continue to steal the headlines with your chiseled shirtless teenagers gracing the cover of your shopping bags, scandalous advertisements, and beautiful hand-selected employees. And thanks to Business Insider for bringing CEO Mike Jefferies’ 2006 comments back to life, Abercrombie is once again in our headlines. In case you missed it, in 2006 Jeffries made [...]
Role Reversal: Perceptions of Men and Women in Advertising
Check out this eye-opening video put together by a Women and Gender Studies class at the University of Saskatchewan by Sarah Zelinski, Kayla Hatzel and Dylan Lambi-Raine. They wanted to show how ridiculous media portrays gender roles and stereotypes in advertising through presenting gender roll reversals. As depicted in the video, our parents went through their [...]
Holy Shift: Creepy George will “Fix your transmission”
Oh, this ad for Arlen Transmission is so bad in so many ways – but like a car accident, I can’t take my eyes off it. It’s got the tackiness and female objectification of the Beacon Plumbing’s ‘fix my pipes’ lady: . . . with a little touch of the classic Vern Fonk “Shipoopi” – [...]
Nonprofits must differentiate or die
It’s not a fear tactic deployed by marketing agencies to scare the bejesus out of nonprofits. It is, in fact, a hard truth about the nature of the nonprofit sector. Dissimilar, indistinctive and alike will get you killed in any fiercely competitive, over-saturated market – let alone the nonprofit sector. In today’s market, nonprofits (and [...]
Dove Real Beauty Sketches: Responsible Marketing, I think.
If you haven’t already seen this “Dove Real Beauty Sketches” clip that everyone is posting on Facebook, take a gander: Dove once again pulls through in this touching video about how women view themselves in such poor light compared to how others see them. It is sad how women are especially critical of every mole, [...]
Announcing the 2013 Master Recycler Composter (MRC) volunteer training!
You probably know Outsource Marketing has been awarded a Best Workplace for Waste Prevention and Recycling for six years straight, right? Now you do. Did you also know that 60 percent of what goes to Cedar Hills Regional Landfill could be recycled? The King County Solid Waste Division is looking for outgoing individuals who want to [...]
I just “shipped my pants” watching Kmart’s new ad
When was the last time you shopped at Kmart? No, seriously. When was the last time you even considered shopping at Kmart? Don’t laugh. I’m being serious. Would you consider shopping at Kmart after watching this ad? For years, Kmart has been at the wrong end of too many jokes. But this is different. In [...]
Does sex sell cause-related marketing?
Do you remember this ad? It’s part of PETA’s anti-fur campaign. Though the use of nude celebrities may arouse cynicism, the use of provocative imagery and ardent copy make for a bold message. Ad copy: “Animals killed for their fur are electrocuted, drowned, beaten and often skinned alive. Be comfortable in your own skin, and [...]
My Top 10 Advertainment List
Advertainment refers to the integration of advertising into entertainment media. This practice was first used in Hollywood, when agencies began providing studio executives with lists of products available for “on-screen” use in motion pictures. Nowadays, you can’t escape product placement or integration. It’s everywhere. Ever see the show “Seinfeld”and watch Jerry open his cupboard only [...]
Go Green on St. Patrick’s Day: Drink Organic Beer
When you think of St. Patty’s Day, you probably think of drinking the traditional Guinness and eating corned beef and cabbage all while you’re celebrating with your BFFs in an Irish bar. Always a good time, right? Well, maybe I sound like a buzz-kill here but St. Patrick’s Day is also a great reminder to [...]
Business Cards: The Forgotten Powerhouse of Marketing
In our digital age most people forget that a business card is still a significant marketing tool. Why spend money on a business card if you can exchange contact info on your iPhone? Because your business card is tangible. It conveys your brand personality. It may be the first impression your customer sees of your [...]
Marketing lingerie to tweens: Responsible or not?
Au Revoir Fruit of the Loom. Your plain cotton briefs and boring training bras are of the past. Welcome to a new generation of tween and teen undergarments. Sorry, faux pas. I meant to say, lingerie. Yes, lingerie geared towards teens and tweens is on your store shelves. It’s a $1.5 billion a year and [...]
Can “cool” sell the Microsoft Surface?
Does cool sell? Let’s take a closer look. Flashy ad featuring an equally flashy product (with incremental innovations), targeted at 20-somethings. Pretty cool right? If you’re an Apple zealot, then you’re probably familiar with Steve Job’s mantra, ‘cool products demand cool pitches’. Needless to say, the iPod “Jet” ad does not disappoint. Now take a [...]
Green Valentine’s Day: Forget about lingerie, adopt a pig for that special someone in your life.
According to American Greetings Corporation, around a billion Valentine’s cards are sent globally each year. That’s a whole ‘lotta love, and waste, being spread around the world. Don’t forget about boxes of chocolates, lingerie, and expensive jewelry. So what are some alternative more earth-friendly ideas? How about adopting a rescued farm animal? Better yet, why [...]
Recycling: Not Enough
So your office has one of those beautiful shiny blue recycling bins and you give yourself a pat on the back every time you recycle a document you printed, correct? Well, sorry to say that’s not enough. Most offices have recycling bins so, well, you are no longer special. What you need to do now [...]
Volkswagen’s Super Bowl Ad: Get in. Get Racist?
It must be Super Bowl ad season because the critics are a squawkin’. Well, VW’s “Get in. Get Happy.” ad has taken the spotlight. Some are calling this racist and offensive. Although it’s definitely not as memorable as VW Passat’s 2010 “Darth Vader” ad which charmed the hearts of many and generated 56 million views [...]
Add positioning to your menu—and hold the carbs
I wrote this years ago. While my eating habits have changed, my opinion on the subject has not. Enjoy. – – – I miss lunch most days. When I do, I usually end up gnawing on a low-carb Atkins bar—much to the amusement of my colleagues (yes, I’m one of those people). So, when I [...]
15 things we learned in 15 years – the hard way
To commemorate Outsource Marketing’s 15th Anniversary, last fall we decided it might be fun—and a little cathartic—to think about the things we’ve learned since 1997. We’ve learned a lot, but narrowed it to the following list, in no particular order: “Safe” is dangerous. Safe is invisible amid info glut. Safe fails. Creative must be [...]
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Awards for sale: Not a rewarding experience
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The door to door salesman from hell
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Personnel Concepts’ marketing:
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Princeton Premier: Bad marketing or vanity scam?
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Let’s fight vanity scams together
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The new phone books are here! Oh, goody.
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How can business help the poor?
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Don’t ask your customer to make creative decisions for you
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How one college builds trust by educating prospects
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Hey Abercrombie, take your apology and suck it.
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Role Reversal: Perceptions of Men and Women in Advertising
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Holy Shift: Creepy George will “Fix your transmission”
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Nonprofits must differentiate or die
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Dove Real Beauty Sketches: Responsible Marketing, I think.
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Susanna Schick: Are you kidding? Tell us something new. Most brand...
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Amhenz: I think it's pretty brilliant. It's got me to th...
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Grant Tilus: Great parenting for handling this situation. As if...
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Patrick Byers: Bill - Not all salesmen are awful. We know that. W...
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Theresa: Excellent video. We've become desensitized to the...