Intelligent Cool

Still here. I really need to update this, add links & comments. Still out of a job, might be close to getting one I don't really want (but may have to take...). I've been very very lazy while unemployed.

It's been a long time. Haven't been in the mood to spend hours in the internet...but today I did come across a very interesting site that lets people rave about brands they love.

It's from Saatchi & Saatchi (shameless plug --hello to my former bosses, now at Saatchi LA!) I'm glad to see a couple of my favorites--Trader Joe's and Jet Blue--are already on the list. Brands that want to inspire this kind of passion should take a lesson from what people say about their "lovemarks." It's usually about defying convention--changing or breaking stereotypical category behavior-- and at the same time, keeping your consumer very happy.

More to come. And glad to see the Michael Jackson scandal is taking everyone's minds off much more important but oh-so-depressing things.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

This posting, from the wonderful adrants, is about the new movie Thirteen, about young teenage girls who experiment with sex & drugs. Though I haven't seen it yet, I've read plenty about it.

Apparently, the reviewer of this movie partially blames the onslaught of marketing which he claims influences these girls to try to fit in by emulating what they see in the media.

I agree that having role models like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera may not be the healthiest thing for pre-teen girls (just wait till Hillary Duff turns...). But I went through pretty much the same thing the Thirteen girls experienced in the late 70's (although I was slightly older at the time--15). We didn't have anything near the media & marketing attention these teens attract (no MTV, etc.) However, there was the same peer pressure, social anxiety (and no Paxil!), etc.

So I'm reluctant to put the blame on media & marketing. Please. Some teens just go through this phase. Excellent parenting that helps build self-esteem might prevent this behavior, but not always. (I can't wait to see this film.)

You're now smart enough to get into MIT. This is unbelievable--and it's all free. Go ahead, learn something!

The marketing of the next president. It's getting interesting. The techniques these candidates use to get their message to the target audience will have a big impact on who gets elected.

A Certain candidate might choose to spend a majority of their distended campaign budget to blanket daytime and primetime network TV with lame spots. Others without all the corporate largess will be more creative, finding unique and less expensive ways to get their ideas across.

When you don't have a lot of money like a certain candidate, grassroots marketing on the internet seems like a logical way to go. I like this approach a lot. Unlike the continual spam I get from this guy. As was once said, the medium is the message.

Just had to comment on this article, a slam on so-called "viral marketing" by some of the big advertisers (Nissan's the culprit on this one). Trying too hard is lame. We're all looking for new ways to reach our target audience, but this is not how you sell an midsize sedan. (Someone who does it right...Mini.)

It's easy and fun to blog! Anyone can do it, including me!

Got a new business pitch coming up? Client, boss, or account exec ask you for some "research" on some arcane topic? For my fellow account planners, here's my favorite links (besides Google!) for Internet Searching & intelligence gathering.

Reference Desk a treasure trove of links on almost every topic imaginable.

Competitive Intelligence Center Speaks for Itself.

Complete Planet. Discover/search over 100,000 "deep web" databases, free!

Bibliomania Need a great literary quote? Need a thesaurus or dictionary? Need to know biographical details on someone famous? It's all here, and much much more.

Direct Search. News, statistics, company info, arts & humanities...links to anything and everything. Great for finding unique or hard to find facts or just sparking your creativity.

Helpful Marketing Links. Thanks, Dr. Stanton, whoever you are.

American FactFinder. When you need US census stats, this is the place to start. Great for individual market or state info, economic & consumer data. Also try Census Scope.


Researcher's Toolbox Client pestering you about some "conjoint analysis study" they want to do? Become the expert fast, at this site. Everything you need to know about (ugh) quantitative research. Plus a good directory of focus group facilities...and lots more.

Advertising World. Shame on you if you haven't bookmarked this one yet.


AdSlogans Links UK based, lots of advertising-related links above and beyond the usual suspects.

Til tomorrow...

My very first posting!
Here's where I'm going to comment on all the cool & useful stuff I come across while I'm researching or just surfing.

First, I'd like to point out some of the most useful websites I've found:
Google okay, that's obvious. But try the Image Search, or Advanced search and refine your search by filetype (ie, .ppt or .pdf).

Planning Above and Beyond All about Account Planning. Loads of stuff. Just keep clicking.

Weblogs.com All blogs, all the time. Updated as the blogs update.

MBA Depot A great site with a daily newsletter you can sign up for. Lots of good industry info plus articles on marketing & advertising and links to other useful sites.

MUCH more to come...