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Most Clicked AAF SmartBrief Stories


1. 20 questions about ad, marketing trends

AAF SmartBrief | Sep 02, 2008

Advertising writer Stuart Elliott poses 20 questions about the latest happenings and trends in advertising, marketing, media and popular culture. New York Times, The (09/01)


2. Debbie Phelps to endorse Chico's

AAF SmartBrief | Sep 03, 2008

Debbie Phelps, mother of Olympian Michael Phelps, has signed an endorsement deal with apparel marketer Chico's reportedly valued in the low six figures. Ms. Phelps, a middle-school school principal, attracted attention to her Chico's wardrobe as a frequently televised spectator during the Beijing Olympics. Wall Street Journal (free content), The (09/03)


3. Is life imitating art with "Mad Men" marketing ploy?

AAF SmartBrief | Sep 02, 2008

Some very active Twitter users have adopted screen names of Don Draper, Roger Sterling and Peggy Olson -- all characters from the AMC series "Mad Men" -- and are even sending posts in the voices of their fictional alter egos. Twitter shut down several of the accounts reportedly after being contacted by AMC, but the accounts have since been restored. This article speculates whether AMC may actually have set up the screen names as a publicity stunt. New York Times, The (08/31)


4. Carat staffers get preview of reorg via e-mail error

AAF SmartBrief | Sep 04, 2008

An e-mail containing documents detailing an upcoming restructuring that includes employee layoffs was inadvertently sent to the entire staff of media agency Carat, rather than to the list of senior managers for whom it was intended. The documents don't specify how many employees will be laid off in the "right-sizing," but they do include suggestions on how to communicate with departing staffers. Wall Street Journal, The (subscription required) (09/04) Advertising Age (09/03)


5. Digital ROI now greater than TV for Kellogg's Special K

AAF SmartBrief | Sep 05, 2008

Kellogg Company has seen a shift in ROI for its Special K brand over the last 18 months, with the return on its online spending exceeding that of its broadcast TV spots during that time span, according to this article. The marketer said it spent more than $1 billion on ads last year, and in 2008 has allocated an extra $300 million for promotions. Advertising Age (09/04)


6. The rich are different: They read magazines

AAF SmartBrief | Sep 03, 2008

Affluent readers apparently have yet to act on rumors of the death of print, according to research from Ipsos Mendelsohn. Readers who earn more than $250,000 per year report consuming as much print as they did five years ago. Advertising Age (09/02)


7. Seinfeld, Gates star in new Microsoft TV ad

AAF SmartBrief | Sep 05, 2008

Overall, bloggers were none too impressed with a new Microsoft TV spot featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld and company Chairman Bill Gates that debuted Thursday. The 90-second brand-building spot, which tries to make light of "nothing" a la Seinfeld's old series, "makes no sense," according to one blogger. Adweek (09/04)


8. In online advertising, the rich (Google) get richer

AAF SmartBrief | Sep 04, 2008

Online advertising is a bright spot in a down economy, with growth of 20% reported in the U.S. for the second quarter of this year. Marketers are funneling more of these ad dollars into search, and for many, search means Google, which boasts about 70% of the U.S. search advertising market, estimated to reach $10.4 billion this year. The trend in search could have negative consequences for companies like AOL and Yahoo!, which have invested in display ads. Display ads are expected to bring in $5.2 billion in 2008 versus $4.5 billion last year. Wall Street Journal, The (subscription required) (09/04)


9. Can workers become word-of-mouth brand ambassadors?

AAF SmartBrief | Sep 03, 2008

Zappos.com, whose employees often act as unofficial brand ambassadors by touting the virtues of working there, show the potential of building a new model for this type of word-of-mouth marketing, according to Pete Blackshaw, author of the forthcoming book "Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000." "If conversation is the new gold standard, and employees are consistently at the heart of the conversation, we have a big compelling reason -- and tons of upside -- in rethinking the importance of employee advocacy," Blackshaw writes. Advertising Age (09/02)


10. Wall Street Journal debuts new magazine

AAF SmartBrief | Sep 04, 2008

The press got an advance look at The Wall Street Journal's new glossy weekend magazine titled WSJ. The magazine has attracted 51 advertisers -- mostly purveyors of luxury wares -- in the hopes of reaching the Journal's well-heeled readership. New York Times, The (09/03)




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