The Ministry of Common Sense is (almost) here : Jan 2021
Author Martin Lindstrom and the decoy family featured in his book “Brandwashed,”which documents guerrilla marketing tactics, discuss the stealthy and invasive ways companies manipulate consumers and their purchasing habits 00
Read MoreRemember the first time you encountered miniature M&M bags at the supermarket? You know, the baby bags that held only 30? Bet you liked them. How about when the mini Toblerone, Snickers and Bounty bars appeared? You might have been able to justify purchasing these small sizes by telling yourself they were convenient. In fact, […]
Read MoreWe’ve all been there: impulse buying. How often do you go to the supermarket for milk and bread and come out with a cartload of groceries? The supermarket’s aisles are filled with everyday necessities and tempting luxuries that are irresistible to even the most disciplined shoppers. The full-to-overflowing shelves inspire product purchases. By the time […]
Read MoreGoing international with your brand can be like starting from scratch. Successful national brands establish their image over time, an image that relates to their local market. It’s impossible to introduce the locally successful brand to the international market without reassessing the brand’s platform. If a brand achieves an ostensibly uniform identity all over the […]
Read MoreWhat’s the role of retailing in the Internet marketing future? For many manufacturers, retailers are the only link to their lifeline, the consumer. But in the face of Internet e-tailing possibilities, many manufacturers have spent sleepless nights searching for a way to reconcile their bricks-and-mortar retailing connection with customers vis-`-vis the direct sales potential offered […]
Read MoreFinally Nike has done what many observers expected the company to do last year. Nike Retail Services, Inc. introduced Nike iD, an interactive site that allows visitors, professional athletes and everyday consumers to design and order customized shoes. And, almost at the same time that Nike offered this new service, Levi’s deleted its customized service […]
Read MoreProduct placement: a concept familiar to us from the movies. In one story, James Bond will be driving a Lotus. In the next, he might be behind the wheel of a BMW. In “Back to the Future 2,” Pepsi logos were ubiquitous. Theoretically, the Internet, too, could be one big product placement opportunity. In reality, […]
Read MoreJust when most people would have sworn that offline toys were dead, Pokemon appeared on the toy scene with paper-based toy cards – and, within a few weeks, almost killed online toy sales. Most toy products went the other way: LEGO introduced LEGO Mindstorms, Disney offered Disney Blast, Mattel went for CD-Barbies. These companies went […]
Read MoreBrandwashed from the womb. Hear why Madison Avenue Ad Agencies are rethinking their tactics. Listen to Martin on The Leonard Lopate Show – WNYC 00
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