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Not interested in Blow? Try Meth instead.

By on February 28, 2008 in corporate responsibility, responsible or not?, socially responsible, videos, word of mouth

The response to my post regarding Blow Energy Drink yesterday was a hearty two thumbs down. So, I can only imagine what you might think of Meth Coffee. From their homepage: Dear Agent, I am dispatching to you a sample of smooth and highly seismological coffee bean substance. Try this new flammable specimen, but distribute [...]

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Update: Lipitor ads featuring Jarvik stunt double pulled

By on February 27, 2008 in message responsible, responsible or not?

In Lipitor Pitchman Jarvik Rows Into the Sunset, The Wall Street Journal reports that after pressure from Congress, Pfizer is yanking their ads featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik rowing on a pristine lake, when in fact, a stunt double was used. Here’s my post from February 8th, Advertising stunt double lands Pfizer in the congressional crosshairs.

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Responsible or not? Blow Energy Drink Mix

By on February 27, 2008 in corporate responsibility, responsible or not?, socially responsible, videos, word of mouth

Energy drink marketing is kinda like soda pop marketing — on steroids. And taurine. And caffeine. All at once. Energy drinks are mostly geared toward thrill-seeking youth looking for a coffee alternative…a legal high. The packaging is aggressive–even dangerous–with monsters, aliens, skateboards, crocodiles, rattlesnakes and other creatures meant to make the customer feel just a [...]

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Twitter me this: Is it time to tweet?

By on February 26, 2008 in social networking

You’ve surely heard of Twitter by now . . . the “service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?” The premise is a head-scratcher for most. I constantly hear “I don’t get it,” or “I’m too busy,” [...]

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Green & authenticity make a good marriage

By on February 25, 2008 in environmentally responsible, socially responsible

Lewis Green and I had a great talk last week. Lewis is the Chief Communications Officer & Founder of L&G Business Solutions, and author of the book Lead With Your Heart. Our chat had no agenda. We connected online a few months ago after we noticed we seemed to be singing from the same hymnal. [...]

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Responsible or not? PETA’s campaign against KFC

By on February 22, 2008 in corporate responsibility, responsible or not?, socially responsible, videos, word of mouth

It really doesn’t matter how you feel about PETA, you have to admire their marketing chutzpah. I heard their ad was banned from the Super Bowl, but couldn’t find it on YouTube. A visit to Gino Cosme’s Bridging the Gap blog revealed all. Here’s the banned ad (viewer discretion advised): Clearly, this was meant to [...]

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Hey, what’s with the halo and horns?

By on February 21, 2008 in about this blog

You probably noticed the dramatic difference in the Responsible Marketing Blog identity and wondered, what’s with the halo and horns? Well, the more research and writing I’ve done on Responsible Marketing, the more I appreciate the marketer’s conundrum: Responsible Marketing, on the surface, seems like an unachievable, almost Utopian goal. If you are getting great [...]

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Toy safety and timing

By on February 20, 2008 in corporate responsibility, environmentally responsible, socially responsible

As the father of two preschoolers under age five, I’ve been frustrated with the toy industry’s failure to aggressively address lead, PVC and phthalates in toys. Needless to say, I was happy to see that both Wal-Mart and Toys R’ Us announced new guidelines for manufacturers last week. In a letter to customers, Toys R’ [...]

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The Star Wars franchise: Too much of a good thing?

By on February 19, 2008 in branding, commercialization, videos

I saw Star Wars Episode IV thirteen times in the theaters. Thirteen. In my defense, I was 11 years old in 1977. I know. I know. This raises a lot of questions, so I’ll answer them now. Yes, I’ve seen all the movies. No, I don’t know the names of most of the characters nor [...]

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Advice from George and Abe on President’s Day

By on February 18, 2008 in corporate responsibility

“Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.” George Washington First President of the United States Born February 22, 1731 “When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.” Abraham Lincoln 16th President of the United States Born February 11, 1809

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Afraid of being different?

By on February 15, 2008 in creativity, videos, word of mouth

We love to push our clients around. I don’t mean physically. We just love to push them out of their comfort zone to get them to try something they simply never would have thought of doing themselves. “That’s just not us.” “I’ve never seen anyone in our category do that.” “Our customers will think we’re [...]

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Southwest Airlines looking for luv in all the right places

By on February 14, 2008 in corporate responsibility, message responsible, roi responsible, socially responsible

You gotta love Southwest Airlines. Known as the “Luv Airline,” Southwest wears their heart on their sleeve, professing their affection for their employees, customers, planes and more on their blog. The blog includes a photo caption contest for Southwest employee dressed as cupid, a series of articles on the “next generation of customer service,” info [...]

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What are you doing to drive word of mouth?

By on February 13, 2008 in books, word of mouth

Each month, the Outsource Marketing Book Club gathers to review a marketing book of interest and chat it out. Our goal is simple: find new ways to help our clients. Everyone knows word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing, and for that reason it’s one of the ingredients of Responsible Marketing. Problem [...]

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The best, worst and most responsible ads of Super Bowl XLII

By on February 12, 2008 in advertainment, creativity, message responsible, polls, simplicity, videos

The Super Bowl was indeed super this year. The ads? Not so much. The general consensus among the black-turtleneck-wearing ad types is it was a down year for Super Bowl advertising. Although my turtleneck is dark gray, I concur. The New York Giants weren’t the only winners. Advertisers saw their ads (good and bad) played [...]

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Advertising stunt double lands Pfizer in the congressional crosshairs

By on February 8, 2008 in message responsible, responsible or not?, videos

I’m not a big fan of celebrity endorsements, mostly because they seldom work. But having the the inventor of the Jarvik artificial heart endorse Pfizer’s cholesterol drug Lipitor does. After all, if it’s good enough for the the guy that invented the artificial heart, it should be good enough for me, right? The New York [...]

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Marketing that makes you call for help

By on February 7, 2008 in hall of shame

My wife sent me an email the other day. It read: Help! We got another solicitation like before…it says to call 1-800-980-xxxx. We need to get off that list. They called over 6 times. I tried the number and you guessed it, I got the “We’re sorry. The number you have called is unavailable from [...]

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It’s a man’s world. You just get to live in it, sweetheart.

By on February 6, 2008 in message responsible, signage

I was leaving a restaurant in Issaquah (about 20 minutes East of Seattle) and this sign caught my eye: After a double take, I realized that, no, I hadn’t gone back to the 1950′s, and, yes, this sign was for real. Oh, the images this conjures… Honey, I’m home! I just got back from my [...]

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SalesGenie Super Bowl advertising: Better or worse?

By on February 5, 2008 in message responsible, multicultural marketing, responsible or not?, videos

Last year, SalesGenie.com was selected by just about everyone with a heartbeat for having the least creative, cheesiest Super Bowl in like, forever. For your review: Yipes. That ad barely belonged on television, let alone the Super Bowl. But SalesGenie wasn’t in it for the branding, they were in it to drive their own sales, [...]

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Responsible Super Bowl ads? You decide.

By on February 4, 2008 in advertainment, message responsible, polls, responsible or not?, socially responsible, strategically responsible

The Super Bowl frenzy is over, but the analysis of the Super Bowl advertising has just begun. Millions are already viewing and voting on their favorites at YouTube Adblitz and MySpace. I’m interested in something a little different. I’ve taken the liberty to list just over twenty of the ads that are currently receiving at [...]

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Are advertisers going too far to break through?

By on February 2, 2008 in responsible or not?, videos

One day to Super Bowl Sunday and I’m wondering: a. Which ad will have us all talking on Monday morning? b. Will Bud dominate? c. Which ads will we remember? d. Who will go too far to break through? e. And will the answer to “c” be because it’s “d?” Don’t get me wrong. Boring [...]

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