by Stephen Denny on December 1, 2007
Dear CMO: I remember reading a wonderful vignette about Japanese spice manufacturer Ajinomoto some time back that described how the marketing team increased volume in a flat market. We can all relate to this type of Monday morning meeting, where everyone is trying to be creative but practical in thinking up ways to get their [...]
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by Stephen Denny on November 15, 2007
Dear CMO: In the spirit of the blurry Starbucks photo the other day, behold the latest agri-business breakthrough product: the Easy Open Coconut(tm). This is no mere coconut, the commodity available on South Pacific desert islands from Hollywood to Bali Hai — oh, no — this one promises the elimination of the hassle, danger, and [...]
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by Stephen Denny on August 21, 2007
Dear CMO: Consider this memo more a question than an indictment. I’m not here to spell check other people’s ad copy. But I think it’s worth exploring when your name, logo, product and entire branding gestalt gets wrapped up with a tag line that, you know, doesn’t make grammatical sense. Maybe this is artistic license? [...]
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by Stephen Denny on April 17, 2007
Dear CMO: Do you know the definition of an ignoramus? An ignoramus is someone who doesn’t know something you learned five minutes ago. We like it when we know things others don’t because it makes us feel smart at some ignoramus’s expense. In psychological terms, it’s called “invidious comparison.” You probably didn’t know that. You [...]
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