According to Seth Stevenson of Slate, there are only 12 kinds of ads.
Anyone care to comment?
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Intel Ad - You Deside
A post at Gawker - Intel Ad: Stupid? Or Stupid And Racist?
Apparently it was posted at Gizmodo and solicited quite a few comments of potential racist and sexist overtones.
Your take?
Apparently it was posted at Gizmodo and solicited quite a few comments of potential racist and sexist overtones.
Your take?
Friday, July 27, 2007
AdWeek Interview of MadMen Creator
The AdWeek interview of Matthew Weiner, executive producer and creator of Mad Men.
Some interesting quotes from the interview.
"I found that, with the exception of very few people, most of the guys who had the job that my hero has in the show are dead. They were very hard-living people."
"...I think that advertising people like to see themselves as darkly glamorous people."
"I've tried to keep the reality that the good ideas are the ones the client likes."
Some interesting quotes from the interview.
"I found that, with the exception of very few people, most of the guys who had the job that my hero has in the show are dead. They were very hard-living people."
"...I think that advertising people like to see themselves as darkly glamorous people."
"I've tried to keep the reality that the good ideas are the ones the client likes."
Friday, July 13, 2007
DSW making SLC comeback
Ad agency returning to city under new name
By Paul Beebe The Salt Lake Tribune
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6229143
Article Last Updated: 06/25/2007 11:41:07 PM MDT
What still remains of arguably the most successful ad agency ever to come out of Salt Lake City is gearing up for a return next month.
Dahlin Smith White, which created the famous "Intel inside" campaign that made consumers familiar with Intel Pentium processor chips, will open a small office in Salt Lake, employing 10 to 15 people.
Its return, however, will be under a different name - Euro RSCG DRTV. And it will be a satellite office of a Portland, Ore., unit of Euro RSCG Worldwide, the flagship ad agency network of Paris-based Havas.
"There is a lot of [history] and people here that they have connections with, and the talent in Salt Lake is pretty decent. It's a way to tap into some known strong people," said Aaron Raymond, director of digital strategy for the Salt Lake office.
Dahlin Smith White, which came to be known as DSW, was established in 1986 by John Dahlin, Darrell Smith and Jon White. The agency landed the Intel advertising account in 1990 and kept it for most of the decade, producing expensive commercials that aired on national television.
"They made people know who Intel was, and what a microprocessor was, and why it was important. It was brilliant," said Eric White, vice president of creative services at the Rare Method agency in Salt Lake City.
At its height, DSW had more than $300 million in annual billings and300 employees. Other high-tech clients included network software company Novell; Alcatel, which develops telecommunications equipment; and Ask Jeeves, the search engine firm.
"They were a very good agency, especially in the high-technology arena, which was where they focused, primarily. I think they had a very good reputation nationally, and internationally, for that matter," said Dave Neubold, president of Salt Lake ad agency Richter7.
In 1996, Euro RSCG bought DSW. A few years later, DSW's Intel business was moved to another Euro RSCG agency in New York, leaving the Salt Lake office without its biggest account.
In 2003, Euro RSCG closed down the Salt Lake office. DSW operations were moved to Portland the next year, said Craig Aramaki, president of Euro RSCG Portland. Aramaki said several employees in Salt Lake have worked remotely for the Portland office for a few years.
The new Salt Lake office will support the Portland office, which provides general advertising services and creates infomercials for clients such as Netflix, the U.S. Postal Service and Internet telephone company Vonage, he said.
By Paul Beebe The Salt Lake Tribune
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6229143
Article Last Updated: 06/25/2007 11:41:07 PM MDT
What still remains of arguably the most successful ad agency ever to come out of Salt Lake City is gearing up for a return next month.
Dahlin Smith White, which created the famous "Intel inside" campaign that made consumers familiar with Intel Pentium processor chips, will open a small office in Salt Lake, employing 10 to 15 people.
Its return, however, will be under a different name - Euro RSCG DRTV. And it will be a satellite office of a Portland, Ore., unit of Euro RSCG Worldwide, the flagship ad agency network of Paris-based Havas.
"There is a lot of [history] and people here that they have connections with, and the talent in Salt Lake is pretty decent. It's a way to tap into some known strong people," said Aaron Raymond, director of digital strategy for the Salt Lake office.
Dahlin Smith White, which came to be known as DSW, was established in 1986 by John Dahlin, Darrell Smith and Jon White. The agency landed the Intel advertising account in 1990 and kept it for most of the decade, producing expensive commercials that aired on national television.
"They made people know who Intel was, and what a microprocessor was, and why it was important. It was brilliant," said Eric White, vice president of creative services at the Rare Method agency in Salt Lake City.
At its height, DSW had more than $300 million in annual billings and300 employees. Other high-tech clients included network software company Novell; Alcatel, which develops telecommunications equipment; and Ask Jeeves, the search engine firm.
"They were a very good agency, especially in the high-technology arena, which was where they focused, primarily. I think they had a very good reputation nationally, and internationally, for that matter," said Dave Neubold, president of Salt Lake ad agency Richter7.
In 1996, Euro RSCG bought DSW. A few years later, DSW's Intel business was moved to another Euro RSCG agency in New York, leaving the Salt Lake office without its biggest account.
In 2003, Euro RSCG closed down the Salt Lake office. DSW operations were moved to Portland the next year, said Craig Aramaki, president of Euro RSCG Portland. Aramaki said several employees in Salt Lake have worked remotely for the Portland office for a few years.
The new Salt Lake office will support the Portland office, which provides general advertising services and creates infomercials for clients such as Netflix, the U.S. Postal Service and Internet telephone company Vonage, he said.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Mentos Ice gives men’s nipples a purpose
OK, this is STRANGE!
From AdFreak, AdWeek's Blog --
Yeah, that’s a guy catching a frisbee with his nipples, which are several inches long—a side effect, apparently, of Mentos Ice gum, which keeps you (and your nipples) “cool and icy fresh,” according to the brand’s advertising. That’s not all. The commercial suggests other benefits to having freakishly long nipples. You become more adroit with a turntable. You press elevator buttons more easily. You have a peg on which to hang your sunglasses when you go shirtless. And despite what common sense would tell you, the ladies actually dig dudes with long nipples. Not sure how we missed this spot when it broke in Australia last fall. It ended up being the country’s most complained-about ad of 2006, but despite the uproar, was never pulled off the air. See an outdoor execution from the same campaign here.
From AdFreak, AdWeek's Blog --
Yeah, that’s a guy catching a frisbee with his nipples, which are several inches long—a side effect, apparently, of Mentos Ice gum, which keeps you (and your nipples) “cool and icy fresh,” according to the brand’s advertising. That’s not all. The commercial suggests other benefits to having freakishly long nipples. You become more adroit with a turntable. You press elevator buttons more easily. You have a peg on which to hang your sunglasses when you go shirtless. And despite what common sense would tell you, the ladies actually dig dudes with long nipples. Not sure how we missed this spot when it broke in Australia last fall. It ended up being the country’s most complained-about ad of 2006, but despite the uproar, was never pulled off the air. See an outdoor execution from the same campaign here.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Now THAT'S some PR
From the BrandWeek newsletter ---
SOMETIMES, SIMPLER IS BETTER: Got word today that Crumpler, makers of messenger, laptop and photo bags, has scheduled its second annual Beer for Bags promotion in New York City. The idea is simple and genius at once: The company barters certain models of its bags in exchange for certain brands and quantities of beer. For example, one case of Coopers and four Fosters Oil Cans can be traded for a Barney Rustle Messenger bag (retail $95). Other similar offers can be found at the Crumpler Web site, but the best part is, when the promo’s all done, the store staff invites customers in for a party, and they drink the beer! We believe more companies should do this, in our humble opinion. (Homer Simpson voice: “Mmmmmm; Beer!”)
SOMETIMES, SIMPLER IS BETTER: Got word today that Crumpler, makers of messenger, laptop and photo bags, has scheduled its second annual Beer for Bags promotion in New York City. The idea is simple and genius at once: The company barters certain models of its bags in exchange for certain brands and quantities of beer. For example, one case of Coopers and four Fosters Oil Cans can be traded for a Barney Rustle Messenger bag (retail $95). Other similar offers can be found at the Crumpler Web site, but the best part is, when the promo’s all done, the store staff invites customers in for a party, and they drink the beer! We believe more companies should do this, in our humble opinion. (Homer Simpson voice: “Mmmmmm; Beer!”)
What's In a Name -- Part II
Guess there's something to be said for assuring that people know what business the company is in by the corporate name.
------------
Dikwear not accused of being overly subtle
http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2007/06/dikwear_not_acc.html
Are you the sort of person who needs underwear yet hates nuance? Then you’ll love Dikwear. According to the Web site, Dikwear is a “high-end men’s undergarment that will make a statement about you—uncompromising, unrivaled, and the ultimate in sophistication.” That sophistication is evident both in the site’s photography and its choice of marketing copy (“Go ahead, show a little dik!”). With all that and an “ingenious name,” how can you go wrong? Via Short Takes.
------------
Dikwear not accused of being overly subtle
http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2007/06/dikwear_not_acc.html
Are you the sort of person who needs underwear yet hates nuance? Then you’ll love Dikwear. According to the Web site, Dikwear is a “high-end men’s undergarment that will make a statement about you—uncompromising, unrivaled, and the ultimate in sophistication.” That sophistication is evident both in the site’s photography and its choice of marketing copy (“Go ahead, show a little dik!”). With all that and an “ingenious name,” how can you go wrong? Via Short Takes.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
There's No More Reassuring Voice In Retirement Planning Than Dennis Hopper
Assume everyone knows that The Onion is a fictional news source.
Personally thought this one was funny take on celebrity advertising.
Personally thought this one was funny take on celebrity advertising.
----------------
There's No More Reassuring Voice In Retirement Planning Than Dennis Hopper
By Diane Rohde
May 30, 2007 Issue 43•22
There's no denying it anymore: I'm getting to that point in my life where I should start thinking seriously about my retirement. I'll be living on a fixed income, so careful management of my assets will be crucial. That's why Dennis Hopper's television spots for Ameriprise Financial are so reassuring. Retirement planning means a lot of decision making, and thank God I have the soothing presence of that amyl nitrate–huffing, obscenity-screaming, psychosexual lunatic from Blue Velvet to guide me through it.
I don't think I'm alone in saying that when I first saw Frank Booth dry hump, humiliate, and otherwise violently sexually assault Isabella Rossellini while calling her Mommy, I couldn't help but think stability, tranquility, and, most of all, security. The authoritative, crazed wheeze of this boozing, womanizing, rage-driven actor is a guiding light in the unpredictable, confusing world of investing.
That's why I know I can trust Ameriprise. I'm sure that Dennis Hopper wouldn't represent a company that was anything other than a rock of respectability. When I hear him in those commercials, it's the familiar voice of a coke- dealing, LSD-fueled hippie cowboy biker putting me at ease.
full article --
http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/theres_no_more_reassuring_voice
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
80's Hair Band Trivia
16,180. Either scary or impressive. Not sure which.
http://zone.msn.com/en/celebtrivia/hairbands_default.htm?GT1=9951
http://zone.msn.com/en/celebtrivia/hairbands_default.htm?GT1=9951
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The High Price of Creating Free Ads
By LOUISE STORY
Published: May 26, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/26/business/26content.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&oref=slogin
From an advertiser’s perspective, it sounds so easy: invite the public to create commercials for your brand, hold a contest to pick the best one and sit back while average Americans do the creative work.
But look at the videos H. J. Heinz is getting on YouTube.
In one of them, a teenage boy rubs ketchup over his face like acne cream, then puts pickles on his eyes. One contestant chugs ketchup straight from the bottle, while another brushes his teeth, washes his hair and shaves his face with Heinz’s product. Often the ketchup looks more like blood than a condiment.
Heinz has said it will pick five of the entries and show them on television, though it has not committed itself to a channel or a time slot. One winner will get $57,000. But so far it’s safe to say that none of the entries have quite the resonance of, say, the classic Carly Simon “Anticipation” ad where the ketchup creeps oh so slowly out of the bottle.
Consumer brand companies have been busy introducing campaigns like Heinz’s that rely on user-generated content, an approach that combines the populist appeal of reality television with the old-fashioned gimmick of a sweepstakes to select a new advertising jingle. Pepsi, Jeep, Dove and Sprint have all staged promotions of this sort, as has Doritos, which proudly publicized in February that the consumers who made one of its Super Bowl ad did so on a $12 budget.
But these companies have found that inviting consumers to create their advertising is often more stressful, costly and time-consuming than just rolling up their sleeves and doing the work themselves. Many entries are mediocre, if not downright bad, and sifting through them requires full-time attention. And even the most well-known brands often spend millions of dollars upfront to get the word out to consumers.
Some people, meanwhile, have been using the contests as an opportunity to scrawl digital graffiti on the sponsor and its brand. Rejected Heinz submissions have been showing up on YouTube anyway, and visitors to Heinz’s page on the site have written that the ketchup maker is clearly looking for “cheap labor” and that Heinz is “lazy” to ask consumers to do its marketing work.
“That’s kind of a popular misnomer that, somehow, it’s cheaper to do this,” said David Ciesinski, vice president for Heinz Ketchup. “On the contrary, it’s at least as expensive, if not more.”
Heinz has hired an outside promotions firm to watch all the videos and forward questionable ones to Heinz employees in its Pittsburgh headquarters. So far, they have rejected more than 370 submissions (at least 320 remain posted on YouTube). The gross-out factor is not among their screening criteria — rather, most of the failed entries were longer than the 30-second time limit, entirely irrelevant to the contest or included songs protected by copyright. Some of the videos displayed brands other than Heinz (a big no-no) or were rejected because “they wouldn’t be appropriate to show mom,” Mr. Ciesinski said.
Heinz hopes to show more than five of them, if there are enough that convey a positive, appealing message about Heinz ketchup, he said. But advertising executives who have seen some of the entries say that Heinz may be hard pressed to find any that it is proud to run on television in September.
“These are just so bad,” said Linda Kaplan Thaler, chief executive of the Kaplan Thaler Group, an advertising agency in New York that is not involved with Heinz’s contest.
One of the most viewed Heinz videos — seen, at last count, more than 12,800 times — ends with a close-up of a mouth with crooked, yellowed teeth. When Ms. Kaplan Thaler saw it, she wondered, “Were his teeth the result of, maybe, too much Heinz?”
Scott Goodson, chief executive of StrawberryFrog, an advertising agency based in New York, said the shortcomings of contest entries — not just those for Heinz — refuted predictions that user-generated content might siphon work away from agencies. “This Heinz campaign, much like the same ones done by Doritos, Converse and Dodge, only goes to show how hard it is to do great advertising,” he said.
In a traditional ad campaign, a client like Heinz will meet with its advertising agencies to come up with a central idea, often a tagline like MasterCard’s “Priceless.” The creative departments then design the ads while the media planners figure out where they should run. Except for the occasional focus group, consumers are largely on the receiving end.
In campaigns that solicit work from the public, the model appears to be quite different — consumers, after all, create the ads. But, in reality, ad agencies and brand marketers are still doing much of the legwork. Heinz and Doritos spent months planning their user-generated contests, hiring lawyers to vet them and designing advertisements to promote them. Then they assigned employees to wade through entries.
“These contests have nothing to do with cost savings,” said Jared Dougherty, a spokesman for Frito-Lay, the division of PepsiCo that owns the Doritos brand.
While the winners of the Doritos contest may have spent only $12, Doritos spent about $1.3 million on advertising in October, according to estimates from Nielsen Monitor-Plus. And that was when it was promoting the contest, which invited people to create a 30-second commercial that would run during the Super Bowl. Doritos received 1,020 videos and awarded prizes of $10,000 to five finalists.
And then Doritos, a unit of the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo, spent more than $8 million on advertising in February when it showed the top five commercials, more than any month in the last two years, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
Other companies are also spending handsomely to present user-generated content to the public. Last Tuesday, KFC put on a commercial during “American Idol” that consisted entirely of clips about KFC that consumers had posted on the Internet — even without a contest. Heinz, too, says that customers have been making videos starring its bottle long before its contest and posting them on sites like YouTube.
Heinz has run ads for its contest during “American Idol” and other television shows (as well as in large newspapers like The New York Times), but it has gone a step further: it has converted all the labels on its bottles and ketchup packets into ads for the contest. This was a major initiative that involved everything from building new industrial printing plates to timing the shipment of bottles so they would appear on shelves at the beginning of May, said Mr. Ciesinski of Heinz.
And for all of Heinz’s effort, the interests of many of the contestants lie far outside its own. Steve Sass, 48, who taped two Heinz commercials, is running for president as a write-in candidate. Ed Barry, 34, writes sketches about a character named Vinny and is trying to get his work noticed. Some contestants say in interviews that they prefer mustard or mayonnaise.
Michelle Cale, a 39-year-old Web designer in Morgantown, W.Va., has a more traditional motive. “It is a substantial sum of money, which, of course, caught my eye,” she said.
In one of Ms. Cale’s two Heinz videos, after dropping her children at school, she spends the day playing with a bottle of ketchup at the park. As she plays with the bottle on the playground as if it were a child, she proclaims, “you mean so much to me.” Then she pours ketchup on a juicy hamburger to eat it.
Then there is Dan Burke, who brushed his teeth and shaved with ketchup, and said he hoped the vulgarity would help his video stand out. A 20-year-old college student in Centerville, Ohio, Mr. Burke wants to win and to use the prize money to attend a two-year training program in wrestling.
He described his strategy: “I just thought to myself, ‘What is the single strangest thing I can do with ketchup?’ ”
Published: May 26, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/26/business/26content.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&oref=slogin
From an advertiser’s perspective, it sounds so easy: invite the public to create commercials for your brand, hold a contest to pick the best one and sit back while average Americans do the creative work.
But look at the videos H. J. Heinz is getting on YouTube.
In one of them, a teenage boy rubs ketchup over his face like acne cream, then puts pickles on his eyes. One contestant chugs ketchup straight from the bottle, while another brushes his teeth, washes his hair and shaves his face with Heinz’s product. Often the ketchup looks more like blood than a condiment.
Heinz has said it will pick five of the entries and show them on television, though it has not committed itself to a channel or a time slot. One winner will get $57,000. But so far it’s safe to say that none of the entries have quite the resonance of, say, the classic Carly Simon “Anticipation” ad where the ketchup creeps oh so slowly out of the bottle.
Consumer brand companies have been busy introducing campaigns like Heinz’s that rely on user-generated content, an approach that combines the populist appeal of reality television with the old-fashioned gimmick of a sweepstakes to select a new advertising jingle. Pepsi, Jeep, Dove and Sprint have all staged promotions of this sort, as has Doritos, which proudly publicized in February that the consumers who made one of its Super Bowl ad did so on a $12 budget.
But these companies have found that inviting consumers to create their advertising is often more stressful, costly and time-consuming than just rolling up their sleeves and doing the work themselves. Many entries are mediocre, if not downright bad, and sifting through them requires full-time attention. And even the most well-known brands often spend millions of dollars upfront to get the word out to consumers.
Some people, meanwhile, have been using the contests as an opportunity to scrawl digital graffiti on the sponsor and its brand. Rejected Heinz submissions have been showing up on YouTube anyway, and visitors to Heinz’s page on the site have written that the ketchup maker is clearly looking for “cheap labor” and that Heinz is “lazy” to ask consumers to do its marketing work.
“That’s kind of a popular misnomer that, somehow, it’s cheaper to do this,” said David Ciesinski, vice president for Heinz Ketchup. “On the contrary, it’s at least as expensive, if not more.”
Heinz has hired an outside promotions firm to watch all the videos and forward questionable ones to Heinz employees in its Pittsburgh headquarters. So far, they have rejected more than 370 submissions (at least 320 remain posted on YouTube). The gross-out factor is not among their screening criteria — rather, most of the failed entries were longer than the 30-second time limit, entirely irrelevant to the contest or included songs protected by copyright. Some of the videos displayed brands other than Heinz (a big no-no) or were rejected because “they wouldn’t be appropriate to show mom,” Mr. Ciesinski said.
Heinz hopes to show more than five of them, if there are enough that convey a positive, appealing message about Heinz ketchup, he said. But advertising executives who have seen some of the entries say that Heinz may be hard pressed to find any that it is proud to run on television in September.
“These are just so bad,” said Linda Kaplan Thaler, chief executive of the Kaplan Thaler Group, an advertising agency in New York that is not involved with Heinz’s contest.
One of the most viewed Heinz videos — seen, at last count, more than 12,800 times — ends with a close-up of a mouth with crooked, yellowed teeth. When Ms. Kaplan Thaler saw it, she wondered, “Were his teeth the result of, maybe, too much Heinz?”
Scott Goodson, chief executive of StrawberryFrog, an advertising agency based in New York, said the shortcomings of contest entries — not just those for Heinz — refuted predictions that user-generated content might siphon work away from agencies. “This Heinz campaign, much like the same ones done by Doritos, Converse and Dodge, only goes to show how hard it is to do great advertising,” he said.
In a traditional ad campaign, a client like Heinz will meet with its advertising agencies to come up with a central idea, often a tagline like MasterCard’s “Priceless.” The creative departments then design the ads while the media planners figure out where they should run. Except for the occasional focus group, consumers are largely on the receiving end.
In campaigns that solicit work from the public, the model appears to be quite different — consumers, after all, create the ads. But, in reality, ad agencies and brand marketers are still doing much of the legwork. Heinz and Doritos spent months planning their user-generated contests, hiring lawyers to vet them and designing advertisements to promote them. Then they assigned employees to wade through entries.
“These contests have nothing to do with cost savings,” said Jared Dougherty, a spokesman for Frito-Lay, the division of PepsiCo that owns the Doritos brand.
While the winners of the Doritos contest may have spent only $12, Doritos spent about $1.3 million on advertising in October, according to estimates from Nielsen Monitor-Plus. And that was when it was promoting the contest, which invited people to create a 30-second commercial that would run during the Super Bowl. Doritos received 1,020 videos and awarded prizes of $10,000 to five finalists.
And then Doritos, a unit of the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo, spent more than $8 million on advertising in February when it showed the top five commercials, more than any month in the last two years, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
Other companies are also spending handsomely to present user-generated content to the public. Last Tuesday, KFC put on a commercial during “American Idol” that consisted entirely of clips about KFC that consumers had posted on the Internet — even without a contest. Heinz, too, says that customers have been making videos starring its bottle long before its contest and posting them on sites like YouTube.
Heinz has run ads for its contest during “American Idol” and other television shows (as well as in large newspapers like The New York Times), but it has gone a step further: it has converted all the labels on its bottles and ketchup packets into ads for the contest. This was a major initiative that involved everything from building new industrial printing plates to timing the shipment of bottles so they would appear on shelves at the beginning of May, said Mr. Ciesinski of Heinz.
And for all of Heinz’s effort, the interests of many of the contestants lie far outside its own. Steve Sass, 48, who taped two Heinz commercials, is running for president as a write-in candidate. Ed Barry, 34, writes sketches about a character named Vinny and is trying to get his work noticed. Some contestants say in interviews that they prefer mustard or mayonnaise.
Michelle Cale, a 39-year-old Web designer in Morgantown, W.Va., has a more traditional motive. “It is a substantial sum of money, which, of course, caught my eye,” she said.
In one of Ms. Cale’s two Heinz videos, after dropping her children at school, she spends the day playing with a bottle of ketchup at the park. As she plays with the bottle on the playground as if it were a child, she proclaims, “you mean so much to me.” Then she pours ketchup on a juicy hamburger to eat it.
Then there is Dan Burke, who brushed his teeth and shaved with ketchup, and said he hoped the vulgarity would help his video stand out. A 20-year-old college student in Centerville, Ohio, Mr. Burke wants to win and to use the prize money to attend a two-year training program in wrestling.
He described his strategy: “I just thought to myself, ‘What is the single strangest thing I can do with ketchup?’ ”
20 Great Employers for New Grads
They're not DSW, but some alternatives.
20 Great Employers for New Grads
Fortune teamed up with Experience Inc. to find companies that offer impressive perks to new hires just out of college - ranging from generous salaries to workplace flexibility, from enviable benefits to serious growth opportunities.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0705/gallery.great_for_new_grads.fortune/index.html
20 Great Employers for New Grads
Fortune teamed up with Experience Inc. to find companies that offer impressive perks to new hires just out of college - ranging from generous salaries to workplace flexibility, from enviable benefits to serious growth opportunities.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0705/gallery.great_for_new_grads.fortune/index.html
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Weiden + Kennedy -- 25th Anniversary
John, Darrel, and Jon know how to throw a party, but gotta admit, the W+K 25th looks fun.
FOUNDERS DAY XXV
http://wkstudio.typepad.com/studio/2007/04/rock_steady_cre.html
FOUNDERS DAY XXV
http://wkstudio.typepad.com/studio/2007/04/rock_steady_cre.html
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
SMB Marcom, DM Consultant
SMB Marcom, DM Consultant
Responsible for strategic concepting, planning, guidance and production of HSB small business direct mail. Must be able to work in a fast-paced transactional work environment. This includes driving strategy and production of catalog projects from initial briefing through blueline review. The position demands an individual that excels at building relationships, delivering materials on time every time, and is extremely detailed-oriented. Strategic planning, multi-tasking, process development/improvement skills and the ability to work with internal clients/external vendors necessary.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
Route projects to internal clients, compile edits and submit revisions to the agency on time through every step of the review process. Achieve 100% accuracy in execution, pricing, configurations and claims. Manage internal and external scheduling of direct mail reviews. Build, maintain, and leverage relationships with an external direct mail agency and internal brand managers, legal, operations, finance and other marcom team members. Review direct mail metrics and make placement and creative recommendations to decrease cost per call and increase HSB small business sales calls. Schedule and attend research sessions as needed. Light travel required for press reviews and research.
Qualifications:
> Thorough knowledge of marketing strategy, tools, concepts and techniques
> Strong written and verbal communication skills.
> Strong organization, planning and presentation skills.
>Detail-oriented. Ability to deal with ambiguity.
> Ability to work cross functionally in order to achieve desired results
> Ability to work with outside vendors and build good business relationships
> Bachelor's degree or equivalent, with a minimum of 4 years of related merchandising, marketing or agency experience.
> Working knowledge of graphic production and printing.
SMB Marcom, Email Producer
SMB Marcom, Email Producer
Work with manager and colleagues to set strategic goals, lifecycle contact strategy, and vision for email marketing. Revolutionize email from a broad reach vehicle to a targeted relevant message to each individual.
Must be able to work with integrate the needs of multiple teams. Translate product marketing and business objectives into creative and transactional e-mails. Direct and project manage external creative agency and in-house product marketing (brand), developers, designers, and copywriters to create and deliver email content. Work will include creating testing/versioning plans, furthering contact strategy, monitoring privacy policy, and pushing for 100% accuracy in all our e-mail programs. Make recommendations on merchandising content based on business unit requirements. Work with metrics team to determine and document key takeaways and best practices for successful merchandising, design and content decisions
Qualifications:
> Strong business/marketing analysis skills are essential.
> Experience branding or merchandising products preferred.
> Knowledge of design, development, and technologies associated with e-commerce web sites.
> Understanding of promotions, marketing principles and concepts.
> Excellent writing & verbal communication skills a must.
> Attention to detail and appreciation for strong project management process, techniques and tools is a must.
Work with manager and colleagues to set strategic goals, lifecycle contact strategy, and vision for email marketing. Revolutionize email from a broad reach vehicle to a targeted relevant message to each individual.
Must be able to work with integrate the needs of multiple teams. Translate product marketing and business objectives into creative and transactional e-mails. Direct and project manage external creative agency and in-house product marketing (brand), developers, designers, and copywriters to create and deliver email content. Work will include creating testing/versioning plans, furthering contact strategy, monitoring privacy policy, and pushing for 100% accuracy in all our e-mail programs. Make recommendations on merchandising content based on business unit requirements. Work with metrics team to determine and document key takeaways and best practices for successful merchandising, design and content decisions
Qualifications:
> Strong business/marketing analysis skills are essential.
> Experience branding or merchandising products preferred.
> Knowledge of design, development, and technologies associated with e-commerce web sites.
> Understanding of promotions, marketing principles and concepts.
> Excellent writing & verbal communication skills a must.
> Attention to detail and appreciation for strong project management process, techniques and tools is a must.
SMB Marcom, Email Database Consultant
SMB Marcom, Email Database Consultant
Here’s a great role in our successful high growth email marcom channel. Apply today. Small and Medium Business is seeking an individual contributor with the technical skills to maneuver within multiple Dell databases. Must have the desire to contribute to an ever evolving strategy in what is our most cutting edge media. Conceptualize and initiate targeted strategies to truly engage customers and promote the desired behaviors.
This role will use a customer driven approach to help acquire new customers, broaden and nurture existing relationships and evolve a sophisticated lifetime customer contact strategy. Key responsibilities include determining relevant profiles and coordinating with producers and agency partners to help customize contacts, messaging, offers, and acquisition strategy for e-mail.
Job responsibilities will include:
Position will manage e-mail lists and determine optimal contact strategy involving contact frequency, segmentation, and targeting. Help identify the best list acquisition strategies for Dell. This role will help drive dynamic content strategy. Be key contact for working email into Dell’s integrated marketing strategy. Utilize Dell’s customer and transactional data to drive complex segmentation and targeting efforts. Be point of contact for data architecture and data feeds to email vendors. Work with product managers to identify strategic I/T projects related to email, define CBA, requirements and test cases for acceptance testing. Candidate should have a working knowledge of SQL, data modeling and marketing databases. Candidate must also effectively communicate and pitch strategic projects to executive management, cross-functional team members and vendors.
Qualifications
-Requires a Bachelor's degree and three-five years database marketing experience
-Experience working with a variety of databases such as SQL Server, Oracle and Teradata
-Knowledge of data modeling concepts and entity relationship diagrams
-Previous experience with CRM and marketing databases a plus
-Must have a strong drive for results and the ability to align internal and external teams towards a common goal
Here’s a great role in our successful high growth email marcom channel. Apply today. Small and Medium Business is seeking an individual contributor with the technical skills to maneuver within multiple Dell databases. Must have the desire to contribute to an ever evolving strategy in what is our most cutting edge media. Conceptualize and initiate targeted strategies to truly engage customers and promote the desired behaviors.
This role will use a customer driven approach to help acquire new customers, broaden and nurture existing relationships and evolve a sophisticated lifetime customer contact strategy. Key responsibilities include determining relevant profiles and coordinating with producers and agency partners to help customize contacts, messaging, offers, and acquisition strategy for e-mail.
Job responsibilities will include:
Position will manage e-mail lists and determine optimal contact strategy involving contact frequency, segmentation, and targeting. Help identify the best list acquisition strategies for Dell. This role will help drive dynamic content strategy. Be key contact for working email into Dell’s integrated marketing strategy. Utilize Dell’s customer and transactional data to drive complex segmentation and targeting efforts. Be point of contact for data architecture and data feeds to email vendors. Work with product managers to identify strategic I/T projects related to email, define CBA, requirements and test cases for acceptance testing. Candidate should have a working knowledge of SQL, data modeling and marketing databases. Candidate must also effectively communicate and pitch strategic projects to executive management, cross-functional team members and vendors.
Qualifications
-Requires a Bachelor's degree and three-five years database marketing experience
-Experience working with a variety of databases such as SQL Server, Oracle and Teradata
-Knowledge of data modeling concepts and entity relationship diagrams
-Previous experience with CRM and marketing databases a plus
-Must have a strong drive for results and the ability to align internal and external teams towards a common goal
SMB Marcom, Email Manager
SMB Marcom, Email Manager
We want to revolutionize email. We're looking for a high-energy individual who is ready to take things to the next level. If you're ready to shake things up, this may be the job for you. This position is responsible for the growth, vision, lifecycle strategy, content, and the entire email program for Dell Small and Medium Business.
Job Responsibilities include:
> Management of the transactional email program and team.
> Set strategic goals, lifecycle contact strategy, and vision for email marketing. Revolutionize email from a broad reach vehicle to a targeted, relevant message to each individual.
> Must be able to work across multiple organizations to translate product marketing and business objectives into creative, transactional and/or relationship developing
e-mail.
> Manager of internal production team.
> Direct and project manage external creative agency and in-house product marketing (brand), developers, designers, and copywriters to create and deliver email content.
> Work will include creating testing/versioning plans, furthering contact strategy, monitoring privacy policy, and targeting 100% accuracy in all our e-mail programs.
> Make recommendations on merchandising content based on business unit requirements.
> Work with metrics team to determine and document learnings and best practices for successful merchandising, design and content decisions.
Qualifications:
Strong business/marketing analysis skills are essential. Strong project management skills necessary · Ability to build and lead cross functional teams · Confidence with public speaking and selling new ideas across levels of management preferred · Experience branding or merchandising products preferred. Knowledge of design, development, and technologies associated with e-commerce web sites. Understanding of promotions and marketing principles and concepts. Excellent writing & verbal communication skills a must. Attention to detail and appreciation for strong project management process, techniques and tools is a must. 3-5 years online experience preferred. · Bachelor’s degree (MBA a plus)
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Online Manager - SMB Solutions and Small Business 360
From our small/mid business team.
Let me know if anyone is interested, or has good candidates.
------------
We have a great opportunity to participate in the development of SMB Solutions and Small Business 360, a new online resource center that is an integral part of SMB 2.0. Please apply online or email me if you are interested.
Req #: 070002P5
Description:
This role will work within the Small Business Ebusiness Team which is responsible for the business and site performance, as well as site merchandising and design, for Small & Medium Business Websites. The role is focused on managing the strategy, growth and content for Small Business 360 and other solutions for SMB Online.
The role will have a high level of interaction with cross-functional segment teams including: product/brand management, legal, corporate communications, and marketing communications. Specific ownership examples for this role include: Creation/maintenance/optimization of content to drive customer acquisition, retention, and development. This includes recommending actions for tools/technology/processes to support the business objectives. The role has accountability for overall financial attainment to quarterly plans. The candidate will be required to make business decisions on own, unguided in a fast paced business environment on day-to-day responsibilities. Specific responsibilities for the person in this role include:
Developing on line content strategy through understanding of site metrics, customer behaviors, and industry best practices and working with cross-functional partners (brand, corporate communications and global e-business) to gain alignment on strategy and tactics to meet weekly, quarterly and yearly site and financial targets.
Qualifications:
The optimal candidate would have some knowledge of business and marketing strategy, concepts tools and techniques, including educational content, eCommerce, direct mail, customer relations, and advertising. Verbal and written communication skills, PC and organizational skills, good presentation and project management skills are highly desired. Experience with eCommerce or b2b communications, promotions, or computing environments is a plus. Candidates should have, but will not be limited to, persons with 5+ years or more experience in online marketing/advertising/sales or related industry.
Let me know if anyone is interested, or has good candidates.
------------
We have a great opportunity to participate in the development of SMB Solutions and Small Business 360, a new online resource center that is an integral part of SMB 2.0. Please apply online or email me if you are interested.
Req #: 070002P5
Description:
This role will work within the Small Business Ebusiness Team which is responsible for the business and site performance, as well as site merchandising and design, for Small & Medium Business Websites. The role is focused on managing the strategy, growth and content for Small Business 360 and other solutions for SMB Online.
The role will have a high level of interaction with cross-functional segment teams including: product/brand management, legal, corporate communications, and marketing communications. Specific ownership examples for this role include: Creation/maintenance/optimization of content to drive customer acquisition, retention, and development. This includes recommending actions for tools/technology/processes to support the business objectives. The role has accountability for overall financial attainment to quarterly plans. The candidate will be required to make business decisions on own, unguided in a fast paced business environment on day-to-day responsibilities. Specific responsibilities for the person in this role include:
Developing on line content strategy through understanding of site metrics, customer behaviors, and industry best practices and working with cross-functional partners (brand, corporate communications and global e-business) to gain alignment on strategy and tactics to meet weekly, quarterly and yearly site and financial targets.
Qualifications:
The optimal candidate would have some knowledge of business and marketing strategy, concepts tools and techniques, including educational content, eCommerce, direct mail, customer relations, and advertising. Verbal and written communication skills, PC and organizational skills, good presentation and project management skills are highly desired. Experience with eCommerce or b2b communications, promotions, or computing environments is a plus. Candidates should have, but will not be limited to, persons with 5+ years or more experience in online marketing/advertising/sales or related industry.
Friday, March 16, 2007
The Enlightened Bracketologist
The Enlightened Bracketologist
Interactive brackets reveal the best ad slogan of all time, the greatest film death, and more.
By Mark Reiter and Richard Sandomir
http://www.slate.com/id/2161655/nav/tap1/
Interactive brackets reveal the best ad slogan of all time, the greatest film death, and more.
By Mark Reiter and Richard Sandomir
http://www.slate.com/id/2161655/nav/tap1/
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Roll Call
A quick review of posts since the blogs inception gives us the following names:
John Dahlin
Misty Frost
Carol Guttery
David Lipsey
Brett Murry
Suzy Drage Reighard
Dave Rowe
Jennifer Streiff (aka Harris)
Karen Toal
Steve Winchester
Merri Lee Barton Zaba
A Mysterious Doug -- likely Deardon
Andre the Giant – I’m clueless on this one
Do we have other lurkers out there????? Come on, we know you're out there......
Also, I've got to believe that the above group has a few other email addresses of exDSWites. Let's try to expand the group.
John Dahlin
Misty Frost
Carol Guttery
David Lipsey
Brett Murry
Suzy Drage Reighard
Dave Rowe
Jennifer Streiff (aka Harris)
Karen Toal
Steve Winchester
Merri Lee Barton Zaba
A Mysterious Doug -- likely Deardon
Andre the Giant – I’m clueless on this one
Do we have other lurkers out there????? Come on, we know you're out there......
Also, I've got to believe that the above group has a few other email addresses of exDSWites. Let's try to expand the group.
March Madness
OK, as Cruise Director, it’s my responsibility to ensure participation.
To help facilitate, I’m using March Madness as my catalyst.
Go to -- http://dswites.mayhem.sportsline.com/e -- and set up your brackets.
If prompted for group password, it is dswites
Trash talking is expected and winner gets bragging rights for an entire year.
To help facilitate, I’m using March Madness as my catalyst.
Go to -- http://dswites.mayhem.sportsline.com/e -- and set up your brackets.
If prompted for group password, it is dswites
Trash talking is expected and winner gets bragging rights for an entire year.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
CNN - Gunman kills 5 at Utah mall, police say
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/13/salt.lake.shooting.ap/index.html
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- A historic mall's winding hallways became a shooting gallery for an 18-year-old gunman in a trench coat who fired a shotgun randomly at customers, killing five and wounding four before being killed by police, authorities and witnesses said.
The shooter, whose name was not released, also was armed with a handgun and had several rounds of ammunition, Salt Lake City police Detective Robin Snyder said early Tuesday. No motive has yet been determined, she said.
For hours after Monday evening's rampage at the Trolley Square shopping mall, police searched stores for scared, shocked shoppers and employees who were hunkered down awaiting a safe escort.
Marie Smith, 23, a Bath & Body Works manager, saw the gunman through the store window. She watched as he raised his gun and fired at a young woman approaching him from behind.
"His expression stayed totally calm. He didn't seem upset, or like he was on a rampage," said Smith, who crawled to safety in an employee restroom to hide with others. She said the gunman looked like "an average Joe."
Killed were two 28-year-old women, a 52-year-old man, a 24-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl, Snyder said. Four people were hospitalized -- a man and a woman in critical condition and two men in serious condition, Snyder said.
'A barrage of gunfire'
Matt Lund was visiting his wife, Barbara, manager of the Secret Garden children's clothing store, when he heard the first shots. The couple and three others hid in a storage room for about 40 minutes, isolated but still able to hear the violence.
"We heard them say, 'Police! Drop your weapon!' Then we heard shotgun fire. Then there was a barrage of gunfire," said Lund, 44. "It was hard to believe."
They say officers treated everyone like suspects -- ordering those hiding in storerooms, bathrooms or under stairwells, to lie on the floor with their hands on their heads until police were sure no one posed a threat.
On the way out, Lund said, he saw a woman's body facedown at the entrance to Pottery Barn Kids and a man's body on the floor in the mall's east-west corridor. "There were a lot of blown-out store windows and shotgun shell casings all over the floor," Lund said. "It was quite surreal."
The victims were found throughout the 239,000-square-foot shopping mall.
Outside, streets were blocked as police swarmed the four-block scene. Dozens of people lingered on the sidewalk, many wrapped in blankets, as they talked about what they had seen inside.
Four police in shootout with gunman
The two-story mall, southeast of downtown, is a refurbished trolley barn built in 1908, with a series of winding hallways, brick floors, wrought-iron balconies and about 80 stores, including high-end retailers such as Williams-Sonoma and restaurants such as the Hard Rock Cafe.
Antique store owner Barrett Dodds, 29, said he saw a man in a trench coat exchanging gunfire with a police officer outside a card store. The gunman, he said, was backed into a children's clothing store.
"I saw the shooter go down," said Dodds, who watched from the second floor.
Four police officers -- one an off-duty officer from Ogden and three Salt Lake City officers -- were involved in the shootout with the gunman, Snyder said. She provided no other details.
Barb McKeown, 60, of Washington was in another antique shop when two frantic women ran in and reported gunshots.
"Then we heard shot after shot after shot -- loud, loud, loud," said McKeown, saying she heard about 20. She and three other people hid under a staircase until it was safe to leave.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- A historic mall's winding hallways became a shooting gallery for an 18-year-old gunman in a trench coat who fired a shotgun randomly at customers, killing five and wounding four before being killed by police, authorities and witnesses said.
The shooter, whose name was not released, also was armed with a handgun and had several rounds of ammunition, Salt Lake City police Detective Robin Snyder said early Tuesday. No motive has yet been determined, she said.
For hours after Monday evening's rampage at the Trolley Square shopping mall, police searched stores for scared, shocked shoppers and employees who were hunkered down awaiting a safe escort.
Marie Smith, 23, a Bath & Body Works manager, saw the gunman through the store window. She watched as he raised his gun and fired at a young woman approaching him from behind.
"His expression stayed totally calm. He didn't seem upset, or like he was on a rampage," said Smith, who crawled to safety in an employee restroom to hide with others. She said the gunman looked like "an average Joe."
Killed were two 28-year-old women, a 52-year-old man, a 24-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl, Snyder said. Four people were hospitalized -- a man and a woman in critical condition and two men in serious condition, Snyder said.
'A barrage of gunfire'
Matt Lund was visiting his wife, Barbara, manager of the Secret Garden children's clothing store, when he heard the first shots. The couple and three others hid in a storage room for about 40 minutes, isolated but still able to hear the violence.
"We heard them say, 'Police! Drop your weapon!' Then we heard shotgun fire. Then there was a barrage of gunfire," said Lund, 44. "It was hard to believe."
They say officers treated everyone like suspects -- ordering those hiding in storerooms, bathrooms or under stairwells, to lie on the floor with their hands on their heads until police were sure no one posed a threat.
On the way out, Lund said, he saw a woman's body facedown at the entrance to Pottery Barn Kids and a man's body on the floor in the mall's east-west corridor. "There were a lot of blown-out store windows and shotgun shell casings all over the floor," Lund said. "It was quite surreal."
The victims were found throughout the 239,000-square-foot shopping mall.
Outside, streets were blocked as police swarmed the four-block scene. Dozens of people lingered on the sidewalk, many wrapped in blankets, as they talked about what they had seen inside.
Four police in shootout with gunman
The two-story mall, southeast of downtown, is a refurbished trolley barn built in 1908, with a series of winding hallways, brick floors, wrought-iron balconies and about 80 stores, including high-end retailers such as Williams-Sonoma and restaurants such as the Hard Rock Cafe.
Antique store owner Barrett Dodds, 29, said he saw a man in a trench coat exchanging gunfire with a police officer outside a card store. The gunman, he said, was backed into a children's clothing store.
"I saw the shooter go down," said Dodds, who watched from the second floor.
Four police officers -- one an off-duty officer from Ogden and three Salt Lake City officers -- were involved in the shootout with the gunman, Snyder said. She provided no other details.
Barb McKeown, 60, of Washington was in another antique shop when two frantic women ran in and reported gunshots.
"Then we heard shot after shot after shot -- loud, loud, loud," said McKeown, saying she heard about 20. She and three other people hid under a staircase until it was safe to leave.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Buffy Jayne Behunin - Obituary
Buffy Jayne Behunin -- 7/1/1977 ~ 1/21/2007
SANDY- On January 21, 2007, our beautiful daughter, sister, aunt and friend, Buffy Jayne Behunin, whose boundless spirit could not be contained by this world, found the joy she sought so passionately in life in the loving arms of her Father in Heaven. Buffy was born July 1, 1977 to Joe and Marilyn Behunin in Ogden, Utah but had lived and attended school throughout the country. Buffy's life personified grace as she loved and gave of her spirit each day. She was a dreamer and a poet who found beauty in every heart and cherished every opportunity to make you laugh. Buffy could find cause to celebrate every occasion and she would ask that you celebrate her life, her smile and the warmth of her embrace and if you shed a tear let it be in laughter. Buffy is survived by her grandmother, Dezella Carroll; parents, Joe and Marilyn Behunin; her brothers, Ryan, Benjamin and Daniel; her sister-in-law, Melissa; two nieces, Molly and Nyah and countless aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 26, 2007 at 12 noon at the Hidden Oaks Ward Chapel, 11755 S. Highland Dr, Sandy, UT, with a viewing preceding services from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. Arrangements under the direction of Myers Mortuary, Ogden. Interment, Larkin Sunset Gardens. The family suggests memorial donations be made to Best Friends Animal Society, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah 84741 Send condolences to family at www.myers-mortuary.com
SANDY- On January 21, 2007, our beautiful daughter, sister, aunt and friend, Buffy Jayne Behunin, whose boundless spirit could not be contained by this world, found the joy she sought so passionately in life in the loving arms of her Father in Heaven. Buffy was born July 1, 1977 to Joe and Marilyn Behunin in Ogden, Utah but had lived and attended school throughout the country. Buffy's life personified grace as she loved and gave of her spirit each day. She was a dreamer and a poet who found beauty in every heart and cherished every opportunity to make you laugh. Buffy could find cause to celebrate every occasion and she would ask that you celebrate her life, her smile and the warmth of her embrace and if you shed a tear let it be in laughter. Buffy is survived by her grandmother, Dezella Carroll; parents, Joe and Marilyn Behunin; her brothers, Ryan, Benjamin and Daniel; her sister-in-law, Melissa; two nieces, Molly and Nyah and countless aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 26, 2007 at 12 noon at the Hidden Oaks Ward Chapel, 11755 S. Highland Dr, Sandy, UT, with a viewing preceding services from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. Arrangements under the direction of Myers Mortuary, Ogden. Interment, Larkin Sunset Gardens. The family suggests memorial donations be made to Best Friends Animal Society, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah 84741 Send condolences to family at www.myers-mortuary.com
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