Woo Hoo WaMu Ads Still Playing

clipped from www.wamu.com Play it again, WaMu. Whether you've seen them on TV or just want to catch what you've been missing, here's where you'll soon be able to watch all of our current TV commercials. You may just get a new outlook on banking. WaMu Free Checking™ "Hair" TV Spot

Remarkably, yesterday I saw a TV ad for WaMu. Given its current situation as a failed bank taken over by JP Morgan Chase (the new ownership is clearly shown on the WaMu home page), it seems like a huge waste of money to keep playing the old WaMu ads.

Don't play it again, WaMu.

Another Stadium's Swan Song

clipped from newyork.mets.mlb.com August 15, 1965 The Beatles play at Shea

Shea Stadium, home of the Amazin' Mets, is about to close forever. The team is already selling the old stadium seats on its Web site. Nostalgia marketing really works.

Browsing the "final season at Shea Stadium" page, I came across some historical milestones, including the Beatles concert. I bought a $15 ticket to that show from a friend but given my tender age, my parents wouldn't let me go--it meant more than an hour on the subway each way and they also knew that the Beatles were drawing hysterical mobs. In short, the concert was no place for a young girl.

Now if only I'd saved that ticket, which was intact and in perfect condition! But I was so disappointed, I threw the ticket away. Who knew it would be a collectors' item in just a few years?

Farewell to House That Ruth Built

clipped from newyork.yankees.mlb.com

Watching last night's emotional farewell to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx brought back many childhood memories of going there with my father and sisters. We never saw a World Series game in person, but we did see many Yankee greats play--Maris and Mantle and other legends of this once mighty baseball team.

Mounting the stairs to the subway station as the final inning drew to a close, we'd peer over and see the last out(s) from the platform and then slip into a subway car and be gone before the crowds surged out of the stadium. Babe Ruth would (should) be angry that the house he built is being torn down.

Farewell to an era. I doubt the new stadium will inspire the strong feelings that this grand old stadium has inspired over its 85 years.

Keeping Up with Social Media

clipped from www.socialmediatoday.com

This blog has some fascinating posts about social media (blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). One recent article talked about some of the big corporate rumors of the past and lessons to be learned in using social media today.

Pepsi Battles False Rumors

clipped from www.pepsi.com FALSE RUMOR ALERT: PATRIOTIC CANS You've received an erroneous email about a "patriotic can" that Pepsi allegedly produced with an edited version of America's Pledge of Allegiance. The truth is, Pepsi never produced such a can. In fact, this is a hoax that has been circulating on the Internet for more than six years. A patriotic package used in 2001 by Dr Pepper (which is not a part of PepsiCo) was inappropriately linked to Pepsi. Thanks for giving us the chance to clarify the situation and please feel free to share this message with anyone else who may have received the erroneous email. Details of the hoax can be found at http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/undergod.asp.

Pepsi's home page has a link (bottom left) to a "False Rumor Alert" correction, shown here. The rumor has been floating around the Web for years, yet it's a big enough deal for Pepsi to battle with e-mails and a home-page link to debunking info at Snopes.

Ignoring false rumors doesn't work. Companies have to jump in with corrections and lather, rinse, repeat as necessary.

Refuting Rumors Online

clipped from www.scjohnson.com SC Johnson Products, Ziploc® and Saran™, Do NOT Contain BPA Consumers Can Continue To Use SC Johnson Air Fresheners with Confidence SC Johnson Response to Internet Rumor about Glade® PlugIns®

Rumors can spread so quickly online that companies must take immediate action to refute them as soon as they appear. Of course, rumors may still float around days or even years later.

S.C. Johnson refutes rumors with links right on its home page. Get the company's side of the story with just a click--a very smart marketing idea to engage and inform stakeholders.

Lessons from Lux Radio Theatre

clipped from www.unilever.co.uk clipped from en.wikipedia.org Lux Radio Theater, one of the genuine classic radio anthology series (NBC Blue Network (1934-1935); CBS (1935-1954); NBC (1954-1955)) adapted first Broadway stage works, and then (especially) films to hour-long live radio presentations. It quickly became the most popular dramatic anthology series on radio, running more than twenty years.

The Lux Radio Theatre brought Hollywood shine to Lever Brothers’ Lux soap. Originally broadcast from New York City, the weekly radio program took on new life after Danny Danker, a JWT executive, suggested moving it to Hollywood and hiring well-known stars to perform high-quality shows based on hit movies of the day. Hosted by the legendary Cecil B. DeMille, the program was a big-budget extravaganza complete with full orchestra and sound effects.

Lux lives on as a Unilever soap brand, and the old radio shows are still available in podcasts and downloads. Lux Radio Theatre was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1989.

Here’s what I admire about Lux Radio Theatre as a marketing vehicle:

- Brand loyalty. Every show explicitly thanked listeners for their loyalty, which permitted Lux to continue sponsoring quality radio entertainment week after week.
- Brand benefits. Scripted live commercials mentioned specific brand benefits, such as “mild for your hands” and “good for your complexion.”
- Celebrity association. Headliners linked Lux with the most famous actors of the time: Clark Gable, Barbara Stanwyck, Lionel Barrymore, Joan Crawford, and on and on.
- Publicity. Paying up to $20,000 to stage a high-quality weekly radio program was newsworthy during the Depression and WWII. Lux was truly deluxe.

The Sizzle of Staycation

clipped from www.competeinc.com THE STAYCATION BOOM: DESTINATION TOURISM AT HOME

This summer's marketing buzzword is "staycation," found in everything from backyard furniture ads to state tourism websites. Just Google the word and you get more than 556,000 hits (and nearly 18,000 hits for images). Lots of people are vacationing close to home, as this research suggests. But what's new about that?

More Mag than Log (Remember Magalogs?)

clipped from www.costco.com

In one of my early textbooks, I mentioned magalogs, catalogs that included magazine-style editorial content to draw readers through the pages. Lands' End did some of that, as did other retailers and catalog merchants.

The Costco Connection is more mag than log--in fact, an editorial in the September issue notes that it's a general interest magazine, not a catalog, but it does have ads (minus prices, because buyers negotiate up till the last minute for the best bargains).

Every month I read about the featured books (mystery fan that I am). This month's issue has a great cover story; another article asks and answers tough questions about Costco going green all over. If you haven't seen this magazine, it's worth taking a minute to click and browse.

WOMMA vs Stealth Marketing

clipped from www.womma.org The WOMMA Ethics Assessment Tool (also known as the "Ethics 20 Questions") helps marketers identify and eliminate unethical word of mouth marketing tactics before they are implemented. This document is a first draft of questions marketers should ask before initiating a word of mouth campaign. It is designed for easy implementation in the beginning phases of a campaign and is intended to help determine whether or not a proposed effort adheres to the standards set by the WOMMA Ethics Code. The tool is simple to use: Provide a copy of the 20 Questions to staff and agencies, along with a copy of the WOMMA Ethics Code. Ask the questions when discussing any new campaign (and ask agencies and their subcontractors to provide written answers). Stop any program that raises concerns.

The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) suggests that marketers answer 20 questions to be sure their w-o-m marketing activities are ethical. The purpose is to keep businesses aware of ethical issues, give them a tool to determine whether their activities will be above board, and prevent sneaky stealth marketing that gives w-o-m a bad rap.