Advertising Age articles from April 2009

Advertising Age archives from April 2009

A cheaper agency pricing model.
April 6, 2009... Byline: EMMA HALL "Better. faster. cheaper.'' It sounds like a line for cut-price detergent, but in fact it's the no-nonsense mission statement of London Advertising, one of a new breed of British agencies determined to find a way of...

Don't damage your brand for short-term gains in a recession.
April 6, 2009... Byline: Al Ries Marketing is a long-term proposition. A company can get in trouble if it changes its marketing strategy to cope with a short-term problem. Years ago, Packard was the premier luxury car, not Cadillac. The 1915...

Catch up with our blogs.(Brief article)
April 6, 2009... As seen on AdAge.com/ globalnews Mishra: digital can move masses In a market like India, it is easy to assume that something as "evolved'' and technology-dependent as digital marketing can be used successfully only to target and...

Wondering what to do? We asked the experts; There's no right answer, but basically don't cut advertising; rethink it.
April 6, 2009... Byline: MARISSA MILEY Now's the time to go big. Or small. Dominate social media. Or stick to what's tried and true. In these stormy times, how are you supposed to discern what is right for your brand? There is no one silver bullet, as you...

Recession resources: Where to turn for help as you strive to capitalize on these tough times.
April 6, 2009... Byline: MARISSA MILEY "It's not all doom and gloom,'' said James Russo, VP-marketing at Nielsen Co., before a forlorn-looking audience at the Advertising Research Foundation's Re:Think 2009 convention. He was referring to the recession, of...

Deal or no deal? Cheap prices can maim your brand; Give shoppers a bargain, but don't make your promotion permanent.
April 6, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF Google searches for the term "coupons'' last month for the first time surpassed those for "Britney Spears.'' That simple fact drives home what a lot of package-goods marketers already know: What consumers want now is...

OUR JOB: HELPING YOU GET THROUGH THE RECESSION.
April 6, 2009... At some point in the not-too-distant future, we're going to have to shake off the sad and sometimes scary events of the past nine months and start seeing and seizing on the opportunities provided by a new-look economy. That's not to...

Bargains abound in media abandoned by weak sectors.
April 6, 2009... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG Need to get a client on local Denver media with just two days' notice? Normally it wouldn't be easy. But Mary Price and her team at Richards Group did it with nary a hitch, a testament to the (let's be nice) intense...

HOW TOYOTA'S CONFRONTING LOW CONSUMER CONFIDENCE; Bob Carter goes back to basics: product value, customer experience.(Toyota Motor Corp.)(Interview)
April 6, 2009... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY As the head of Toyota Motor Sales USA's volume Toyota Division, Bob Carter is facing the same headwinds as the rest of the industry in today's turbulent economy. Although Mr. Carter enjoyed Toyota's seemingly endless...

PREVIOUS COVERAGE OF THE RECESSION STORY.(Brief article)
April 6, 2009... Why CMOs Are Gaining Ground in the Recession The recession has, perhaps surprisingly, elevated the Chief Marketing Officer's standing. adage.com/cmostrategy/article?article_id=135145 How the Recession Is Changing Consumer Spending...

Study: Cutting spending hurts brands long term; Following boom/bust cycle flirts with danger.(Survey)
April 6, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF Household and personal care might once have seemed recession-resistant, but last year U.S.-based personal-care marketers actually cut ad spending faster than the general market. That could be potentially damaging for...

Tone-deaf ads.(Brief article)
April 6, 2009... The recession is all about striking the right note in your marketing, but some marketers are way off the mark. Here are three that caught our attention. Million-penny stimulus package: Cici's Pizza The restaurant chain's stimulus...

WHISKER REBELLION LEADS TO GROWTH IN GROOMING SALES; Norelco cashing in on "recession beards' while razors lose their edge.
April 6, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF Some guys express their anger about the recession by tussling with London bobbies outside the G20 meeting. Some guys protest more silentlyby letting their beards grow. Hence the "recession beard,'' a theory propounded...

Surviving the media meltdown: Media Guy readers have their say; How are you rethinking your role in the media economy? Join the conversation at AdAge.com.(Column)
April 6, 2009... In a recent column titled "Topic A in Rapidly Shrinking Medialand: What's Your Plan B?'' I asked for reader feedback, but I wasn't quite prepared for the flash flood of responses. I'd written about how, due to the seismic shifts in the media...

Cannes: Yes, you can still live it up; No 10 grand to blow? Read on for tips to enjoy the festival on the cheap.(Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival)
April 6, 2009... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ This year, much of the lavish hospitality and laissez-faire attitude toward expense accounts that made the Cannes Lions festival so much fun will be gonealong with a couple of the biggest agency parties. So here are Ad...

Cover story: More mags are selling once-sacred real estate.(Magazine )(Cover story)
April 6, 2009... Magazine publishers are showing new eagerness to let their covers be extra creative for advertisers lately. That's good news for marketers trying to make an impact in print, but it's also causing concern among those patrolling the...

Agencies, advertisers scale back TV-upfront activities; Most plan roadshows across country to meet with smaller groups.
April 6, 2009... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ One of the spring rituals for Hispanic agencies and marketers has long been a trip to New York in mid-May for the Hispanic TV upfront and a packed week of parties and presentations to herald new programs and start...

Mexico: Sabritas cash promotion.(Sabritas S.A. de C.V.)(Brief article)
April 6, 2009... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ Seeking a promotion that would appeal to recession-hit consumers, PepsiCo's Mexican subsidiary Sabritas decided to simply stuff cash into Doritos, Tostitos, Ruffles and other snack packaging. It was a hit. During...

GM has only itself to blame for government intervention.(General Motors Corp)
April 6, 2009... In this very space in April of 2005, we wrote an open letter to General Motors Corp. CEO Rick Wagoner, applauding his decision to assume day-to-day control of GM's American operations and having the marketing leadership report to him directly....

Give consumers reasons to stick with your brand; Universal McCann study finds categories vulnerable to switching.(Survey)
April 6, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BUSH A recent temperature check of consumers' thoughts on the economy and their spending habits reveals that most believe the economy will continue to slide and that personal technology is a necessity most will not give up...

MARKETING IN A RECESSION.(Brief article)
April 6, 2009... "What Only the CEO Can Do'' A.G. Lafley, Harvard Business Review, coming in May 2009 "Marketing in Turbulent Times'' Marketing Science Institute, msi.org/publications/index.cfm?id=191 (up to $31.50 each) McKinsey Quarterly,...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Dentsu Tec Inc.)(Meredith Corp.)(Travel Ad Network)
April 6, 2009... Dentsu America hired Vincent Legg as chief operating officer. He has spent the last 12 years climbing the ranks of various agencies in the Havas group, most recently serving as senior VP-director of operations at Euro RSCG Worldwide. Dentsu...

Marketers increased media spending just 2.5% in '08; Struggling automakers led deep reductions in the fourth quarter.(Report)(Statistical data)
April 6, 2009... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ Marketers increased their spending on Hispanic media a modest 2.5% in 2008 but cut spending 5.7% in the fourth quarter as the recession deepened, according to a ranking of the top 100 Hispanic marketers compiled with...

More smart spots for tough times.(Leo Burnett Company Inc.)(Allstate Insurance Co.)(AT&T Inc.)(BBDO Worldwide Inc.)(Stop and Shop Supermarket Co.)(Brief article)
April 6, 2009... Allstate, the first marketer to use the R word in this cycle, takes an even bigger risk in its current work from Leo Burnett, Chicago, which aims to reassure consumers by touching on the company's founding during the Depression. A new...

Smart spots fot tough times.(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Saatchi & Saatchi)(TGI Friday's Inc.)(Deutsch Advertising)(Kraft Foods Inc.)(Campbell Soup Co.)(Brief article)
April 6, 2009... Procter & Gamble Co.'s Tide linked up with fashion maven Tim Gunn for a campaign from Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, that aims to justify superpremium Tide Total Care as a way to make your wardrobe last longer. With fewer folks going out to...

Motown woes weigh on adworld-but not as much as you'd think; Agencies, media are less reliant on GM, Chrysler spending than in past.(General Motors Corp.)(Chrysler L.L.C.)(Report)
April 6, 2009... Now that the Obama administration has taken the wheel at General Motors and Chrysler, the agency and media worlds are anxiously watching the two marketers, who together poured $3 billion into U.S. advertising last year, careen toward...

FIVE BRANDS DOING IT RIGHT; "Assurance,' aggressive ads and innovation resonate in this climate.(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Hyundai Motor America)(Xbox Live)(Report)
April 6, 2009... Bounty It may reside in a commodity category where private label has been making big gains, yet Bounty has been gaining share throughout the downturn. Parent Procter & Gamble reported in January that Bounty's U.S. value share grew 1.5...

Sears seeks right tone for the times without the deep discounting; Kidvantage and layaway programs differentiate retailer to lure shoppers.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)
April 6, 2009... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA Can't afford that flat-screen TV today? Put it on layaway and pick it up next week. Buying the cheapest clothes you can find, because your kids destroy them in a month? Shop at Sears, and they'll be replaced free. ...

How to handle hiring when everyone else is cutting staff; Use social networks as filter, include current employees in process.(DraftFCB)
April 6, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK Some agencies are actually hiring in this recession, which raises complications of its own: how to wade through the throng of highly qualified applicants, and how to navigate the tricky business of bringing on...

Consumers will relate to ads urging them to spend sensibly.(MTV Networks Inc.)(Six Flags Corp.)(Column)
April 6, 2009... Byline: Rance Crain Momentum is building for my advertising-stimulus plan. The latest (only?) guy to jump on the bandwagon is Bob Pittman, who's had plenty of heavyweight marketing experience at such disparate companies as MTV, Six Flags,...

Opportunity knocks for Avon, Mary Kay; Growing army of the self-employed may lead to higher sales for both.
April 6, 2009... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Avon's callingand a lot more people are answering. As employment falls, the ranks of at-home sales reps are swelling for cosmetics marketers Avon and Mary Kay. In fact, sales are holding up well for the...

Branded repaired potholes will inspire road rage, not sales.(KFC Corp.)(Column)
April 6, 2009... Byline: Bob Garfield This column will be constructed in three parts. The first part will explain why KFC's plan to repair potholes in U.S. cities is a good example of ambient advertising, with a touch of cause marketing thrown in. The...

Recession advertising do's and don'ts.(Brief article)
April 6, 2009... Do change the game Hyundai (and now GM andFord) and Sears have moved beyond traditional marketing messages and instead eliminated key barriers to purchasing with their Assurance and Kidvantage programs, respectively. Don't abandon your...

GOLF GOES FROM BUSINESS ESSENTIAL TO PR HAZARD; Retreat from game of privilege hits courses, equipment sales.
April 6, 2009... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Does it seem like you're doing less business on the golf course these days? Join the club. From the PGA Tour to the weekend hacker, golflike many other sportsis suffering from the effects of a weakened economy....

How your value message can be heard above the din; Link meaning with emotion, not price cuts, and keep it out of slogan.
April 6, 2009... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Consumers don't have to look far these days for a deal; it seems marketers everywhere are pitching discounts, bargains and value. Walmart allows consumers to save money and live better. Microsoft reminds that...

FIVE BRANDS DOING IT WRONG; Lack of unique messaging and brand-oriented ads takes toll.(De Beers Group S.A. doubles its marketing budget)(eBay Inc.'s sales decline)(General Motors Corp.'s sales decline)(Financial report)
April 6, 2009... De Beers Last holiday season, De Beers doubled its U.S. marketing budget in the face of gloomy news reports. The diamond purveyor believedincorrectly, as it turned outthat diamond sales would be robust as consumers looked for gifts with...

A MALL COP TEACHES TINSELTOWN TO MARKET; Five fast and furious lessons Hollywood can learn from three films with surprisingly big box office.
April 13, 2009... Byline: CLAUDE BRODESSER-AKNER Box-office revenue is up almost 15%, while movie admissions are up almost 13% year on year. Conventional wisdom holds that the multiplex has simply become a cheap alternative for recession-frazzled consumers,...

Online shopping goes from solo experience to social interaction; "Fluid Social' technology allows friends to make real-time purchase suggestions via Facebook, IM.
April 13, 2009... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA Online shopping is about to get social. For years retailers have struggled to improve their online experience, but shopping online is still a solo endeavor, devoid of the interaction many consumers seek. Groups of...

Why watch Obama? Here are 13 million reasons; President's e-mail push offers marketers big lessons in engagement.
April 13, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BUSH The election's long over, yet the e-mails keep coming in. Those who signed up to support Barack Obama during last year's campaign are discovering that they've become part of the "permanent campaign,'' the ground troops...

Top-Tier cable networks Set to Take On broadcast; Don't expect a whopping increase compared with '08, but those with ratings traction could see gains.
April 13, 2009... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG There's little reason to smile during these troubled financial times, but certain cable programmers might soon show their pearly whites. It's been a grim parade of ratings and circulation declines and cuts in...

Big idea from a small business: a market-based pricing model.(Teesandtats.com )
April 13, 2009... Byline: Jonah Bloom At 19, Jeremy Parker took $7,000 he'd saved from his bar mitzvah and turned it into a production budget for a film called "One Per Cent,'' about America's wealthiest citizens. "One Per Cent'' won the audience award at...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Bonnier Mountain Group appoints Mike Federle)(Marketing Technology Solutions appoints Rob Rebak)(Barker/DZP appoints John Lu)
April 13, 2009... Mike Federle was named group publisher of the Bonnier Mountain Group. He will head Ski and Skiing magazines and SkiNet.com, as well as Warren Miller Films. Mr. Federle has more than 25 years of sales experience, including a tenure at Time Inc,...

Addressable ads are here; Who's Ready? Canoe Ventures rolls out national, scalable, interactive TV spots.(Time Warner Cable Inc.)(American International Group Inc.)
April 13, 2009... Byline: ANDREW HAMPP Advertisers and agencies have asked for more-relevant TV advertising platforms for years, whether it's addressing two different versions of the same ad to different household-income levels or adding interactive...

MultiPlatform views? Yeah, We Can do that; How MTV's Erik Flannigan juggles screens.(MTV Networks Inc.)
April 13, 2009... Byline: ANDREW HAMPP When erik flannigan began his role as Comedy Central's senior VP-digital media in December 2006, he faced the same conundrum all cable networks were grappling with: how to distribute and monetize his programming in a...

What you say.(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
April 13, 2009... Byline: Ken Wheaton The question: Did the government overstep its bounds by demanding the resignation of GM's Rick Wagoner? When we asked this question, we expected a pretty strong "Yes'' response from a pro-business readership. That...

"Bland' web effort is enough to make you lose your lunch.
April 13, 2009... Byline: Bob Garfield Some years back, we visited an extraordinary business in a city of 11 million people. This was a Chili's franchise, and it was by far the most popular restaurant in town. On Easter Sunday, the line to get inside...

Bloggers be warned: FTC may monitor what you say; Proposed plan would hold web writers liable for false brand discourse.(Federal Trade Commission)(Law overview)
April 13, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BUSH Thinking about letting a big-name blogger test-drive your new hybrid in the hope he'll post a glowing review about it, or maybe sending some beverage products to an influencer, hoping she'll spread the word? You...

Study: ROI may be measurable in Facebook, MySpace after all.(return on investment)(Survey)
April 13, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF Package-goods brands are still cautious about social media, figuring that the return on investment can't be accurately measured. After all, marketing on Facebook or MySpace might generate a conversation but not...

What it reaped.(Brief article)
April 13, 2009... MySpace marketing ROI for unnamed personal-care brand: Total consumers exposed: 76.9 million Percentage of internet population: 40% Total impressions: 1.1 billion Media outlay: $1 million Offline sales generated from...

Big agencies face challenge from social-media upstarts.
April 13, 2009... Everyone's an expert these daysa social-media expert. Consider the case of Gary Vaynerchuk, the wine-store proprietor who, thanks to any number of social tools, has become a multiplatform vino expert with an influential online video channel and...

As seen on adage.com/ smallagency.
April 13, 2009... Johnson: I want to give out raises I'm here to tell you that it's still possible to make the big bucks in advertising and get a raise during a recession. You'd think the owner of an agency would want to control costs and hold down...

With Virtue, media brand Vice helps marketers tap its genius.
April 13, 2009... Byline: Teressa Iezzi With its recent fashion issue, adorned by a striking Ryan McGinley-shot swine, Vice magazine marks its biggest edition ever. Nice for them, and a rare bit of good news in magazine land. But Vice, chronicler of youth...

MORE BIGWIGS WEIGH IN ON WHAT TO DO IN A DOWNTURN; Ad Age offers experts' advice as part of occasional series.
April 13, 2009... Byline: AD AGE STAFF AD AGE OFFERS EXPERTS' ADVICE AS PART OF OCCASIONAL SERIES now's the time to go big. Or small. Dominate social media. Or stick to what's tried and true. In these stormy times, how are you supposed to discern what...

Do shops need a recession unit? Ogilvy has formed a dedicated practice, but others don't see the point.
April 13, 2009... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN As navigating the recession remains marketers' primary focus, agency networks are debating how overtly they ought to package their slump-related offerings. Is offering recession-battling skills a client-winning...

Fear factor gets Brink's buzz-and a sales boost; Ads play to consumer worries that crime will rise as economy falls.(Brink's Home Security)
April 13, 2009... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Here's an effective ad technique: Prey on fear. It's worked for alarm-system marketer Brink's Home Security, at least, whose sales jumped 10% on the back of a chilling campaign showing families' peaceful lives...

Lever's CMO throws down the social-media gauntlet; Clift chides marketers for not recognizing their brands are not their own.(Unilever Group)
April 13, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF Brands aren't simply brands anymore. They are the center of a maelstrom of social and political dialogue made possible by digital media, said Unilever Chief Marketing Officer Simon Clift, who warned that marketers who do...

Package-goods players warm up slowly to the social-media scene; Kraft, Coca-Cola, P&G dip cautious toe into Twitter and Facebook.(Kraft Foods Inc.)(Procter & Gamble Co.)
April 13, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK Kraft and coca-cola spend millions of dollars to blanket the airwaves with expensive TV ads touting cheese and soda, but when it comes to social media, the marketers and their consumer-package-goods brethren are...

WHAT'LL BE THE BREAKOUT STAR THAT LINKS TV TO NET? From Boxee to Apple TV, slew of new products promise smooth transition and expanded offerings. Here's what to expect.(television)(netrwork)
April 13, 2009... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Remember webtv, the uber-hot, mid-'90s gadget that consisted of a box and a keyboard that hooked into your TV and brought the web right into your living roomall at incredibly slow dial-up-modem speed and a premium...

Why free-ride YouTube is finally winning ad dollars; Google sells ads against 9% of site's streams, but there's a long way to go.(advertising)
April 13, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL LEARMONTH Ford motor co.'s much-heralded social-media campaign to introduce the Ford Fiesta to young people shows just how deeply embedded YouTube has become in the strategies of even the straightest-laced marketers. But it...

First-lady covers boost sales of African-American mags.(magazines)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
April 13, 2009... Magazines rushed to secure the new first lady for their covers, but it turns out Michelle Obama doesn't produce more than an occasional lift in sales for general-interest titles. New York magazine's March 23 issue, with a cover story about "The...

The last hurrah of Hollywood's Hero Journalist? Journalism as a brand, and journalists as a special breed, get an epitaph in Russell Crowe's latest film.(Viewpoint essay)
April 13, 2009... Byline: Simon Dumenco I have just seen what may end up being a cinematic landmark. It's called "State of Play,'' and it's coming to a theater near you (if you happen to live in the U.S.) Friday, April 17. Sure, in a lot of ways it's just...

Lessons Learned at Comedy Central.(briefs)(Brief article)
April 13, 2009... * As they move online,TV networks don't have to lose money or audience. Since 2006, MTV Networks has nearly tripled its digital revenue while achieving record ratings on-air and online for "The Daily Show,'' "The Colbert Report'' and "South...

Twitter is peaking; get ready to follow the geeks onward.(Brief article)(Column)
April 13, 2009... Byline: Steve Rubel I have been an active Twitter user since January 2007. And it's been remarkable just how much it has changed since, particularly as it went nuclear. However, it's also important to see the big picture. No...

Nationwide revives classic tagline in bid to show its comforting side; Insurer joins ranks of advertisers seeking to soothe amid recession.
April 13, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK Nationwide's on your side againand so are a lot of other marketers these days. With recession-weary consumers apparently less inclined to laugh, Nationwide is trading in its humorous "Life comes at you fast''...

Five new rules for marketing.(Brief article)
April 13, 2009... The flat-earth, digitized world described by Unilever CMO Simon Clift is one in which the marketing norms have changed. Here are Ad Age's "New Rules.'' Feel free to argue or send us additional rules you think you should be added to the list....

Highlights from Advertising Age's Digital Conference.(Conference news)
April 13, 2009... Over two days, more than 40 speakers offered inspiration as well as practical tips at the 2009 Ad Age Digital Conference in New York. We've aggregated videos and slides from several of the speakers, including Union Square Ventures Partner Fred...

MORE ATADAGE.COM.
April 13, 2009... Road to the Upfront: Missed an upfront presentation? Can't make it to the ones Bravo and Oxygen are staging this week? Never fear, Ad Age is here. We've got coverage of all the key upfront presentations online, including demographic data,...

WORK OF THE WEEK.(briefs)(Perfect Fools)(Department of Eagles)(The Zimbabwean newspaper)(Brief article)(Column)
April 13, 2009... CREATIVITY TOP FIVE In this week's episode of Creativity's Top Five, virtual models show off H&M's spring offerings online; no one does it for Department of Eagles like director Patrick Daughters and artist Marcel Dzama; The Zimbabwean...

FOUR TIPS FOR GREEN MARKETERS.(Brief article)
April 20, 2009... 1. Combine environmental with economic sustainability. Consumers define sustainability more broadly than the environmental concerns marketers mainly have tended to focus on, and they care more about social and economic issues such as...

Green-marketing revolution defies economic downturn; Sustainable-product sales rise as eco-friendliness goes mainstream and value players join the trend.
April 20, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF Green marketing is turning out to be surprisingly recession-proof. Datamonitor shows 458 launches so far in 2009 of package-goods products that claim to be sustainable, environmentally friendly or "eco-friendly.'' If...

Five ways to get more people to purchase your product online.(Brief article)
April 20, 2009... * All online and offline ads, even packaging, should promote your website. * Make your site "slippery''; speedy transactions foster loyalty. * Take the sting out of account setup by making the initial order as simple as possible. ...

STATE-PARKS GROUP THRIVES IN RECESSION.(Coca-Cola Bottling Co.)
April 20, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF State budgets, state parks, nonprofit fundraising and media outlays all have taken severe hits from the recession, yet it's proving a boon for a marketing operation that packages all those things together, tied up with a...

Are you prepared?(management of financial crises)(Brief article)
April 20, 2009... Richard Levick, president of Levick Strategic Communications, isolates four steps every company should take to prepare for this kind of crisis. 1. Identify your crisis team: investor relations, government relations, public relations,...

Media, rivals aim to stir it up for Google, but to consumers, it's still a beloved brand.(Google Inc.)
April 20, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL LEARMONTH And ABBEY KLAASSEN A little internal test at the Mountain View, Calif., search giant goes like this: You take Google search results, slap them on a Yahoo search page and ask users which results they like better....

Editor's letter; Enjoy our latest guide to navigating the increasingly complex world of ad networks and exchanges.(Editorial)
April 20, 2009... Byline: Abbey Klaassen Want to start a heated discussion in the online advertising space? Ask a group of people to finish this sentence: "Ad networks are [fill in the blank].'' That's because depending on whom you're talking to,...

Industry says goodbye to short days, free services; Economy has many staffers seeing the end of longtime job perks.
April 20, 2009... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH Ad agencies and media companies are looking a lot more like CPA firms these days, thanks to a slew of recession-related changes that mean longer workweeks and fewer perquisites such as access to car services and free...

The real meaning of Ashton Kutcher's 1M Twitter followers; If this dude's at the pinnacle of the Attention Economy, the Attention Economy needs a bailout.
April 20, 2009... Byline: Simon Dumenco As media market-share wars go, this one's epochal. Last week Ashton Kutcherthe former "That '70s Show'' star and "Punk'd'' auteur now mostly known for being married to Demi Moore and doing Nikon commercialsdeclared...

Epiphany keeps "influencer agency' promise with aid of famous friends; Specialty shop services brands using network of behind-the-scenes folks.(Occupation overview)
April 20, 2009... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA The offices of Epiphany, tucked into a corner of Lowe's New York, and its staff of 13 are relatively unassuming. But the celebrities it's connected toMadonna, Beyonce, Jude Law and Will Smithare anything but. The...

Catch up with our blogs.
April 20, 2009... As seen on AdAge.com/gennext Kniess: Focus on strategy not skill Coming from a liberal-arts education at a "typical'' four-year university has made me wonder if we can even compete. After all, there are specialized portfolio schools...

Land Rover taps Twitter as campaign cornerstone.
April 20, 2009... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Land rover last week became the first national brand to execute a national Twitter campaign in a bid to promote its newest models' debuts at the New York Auto Show. While brands as diverse as Southwest Airlines...

What to do when your brand is caught in a social-media firestorm; Maintain your credibility with consumers in a crisis by following these 6 steps.
April 20, 2009... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN Motrin moms. "Dove Onslaught(er).'' Thanks to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, all sorts of new critics and activists are finding their voices amplified online. So what's a marketer to do when an online firestorm...

Why Dr. House gets condolence messages; TV nets look to engage show "superfans' online with extra web content.
April 20, 2009... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG It's a touching online memorial: a video tribute, an obituary, messages posted by co-workers and a link to a Facebook page for the grieving to leave glowing remarks about the deceased. Except the subject isn't dead...

DOES BLEEPING PROFANITY MAKE ANY F-KING SENSE? To nets it's necessary to avoid offense, but rules seem arbitrary to some.(dirty language used to be banned in television programs)
April 20, 2009... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG Viewers watching the debut of NBC's "Southland'' heard one cop tell another to "shut the fuck up'' and another jokingly tell a cop working undercover as a prostitute to "show me your tits.'' While NBC bleeped...

Twitter no substitute for good ol' one-way communication.
April 20, 2009... To quote the great Jim Anchower, "Hola, amigos. It's been a long time since I rapped at ya.'' But I got so sucked up in the carnal delights and mind-blowing pleasure of Twitter that I just couldn't be bothered with old-fashioned print...