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Tom Cruise, a Digital Prophet?
I started my advertising career on the traditional side, crafting print, TV and radio campaigns. But then the Internet happened, and I was intrigued by how this new medium could impact the world of marketing. People thought it was a fad and wouldn’t last (no, they really said that). Here we are 15+ years…
Viral Marketing Lessons From #AlexFromTarget
#AlexfromTarget. We’ve probably all heard of Alex LaBeouf by now. He’s the teenaged Target employee, and newly crowned king of the internet, whose silken hair and 32 inch chest sent tween girls reeling when this photo was tweeted on Sunday. (Click the link if you want to feel really old.)…
Communications Rx When Ebola Hits Home
As the CDC, World Health Organization and hospitals from Atlanta to Dallas scramble to deal with Ebola, fear has infected middle America. That means people with colds or seasonal allergies are nervously asking the family doc, ‘Do you think it’s Ebola?” And that presents a communication challenge for urgent care…
The Truth About Millennials
As a millennial, I sometimes feel like a zoo animal. An exotic, mildly dangerous, feared yet coveted zoo animal. (See AdWeek’s latest field notes.) Of course, given my cohort’s $200 billion spending power, marketers’ interest makes sense. Nearly every brand needs to figure out how to relate to millennials if…
Ads I’m Loving This Week
At CTP, we’re kind of obsessed with emotions. Of course, we love the hard stuff: numbers, results and tangibles. But our passion is feelings. Maybe that’s why I feel the need to share advertising that makes me have a rush of them. Here are three ads I’m loving this week….
4 Ways Brands Stand For Something More Than Themselves
Don’t get me wrong, I love HBO’s Last Week Tonight. It’s smart, witty and blessedly moderate. Still, I’m not in complete agreement with Sunday’s episode. In light of several tactless 9/11 tweets and DiGiorno’s #WhyIStayed debacle, John Oliver suggested that companies refrain from participating in controversial, emotionally charged or otherwise…
Why Marketers Are Excited About the iPhone 6
It’s official. Apple’s new iphone 6 is BIG. So big that cargo pants may be making a comeback soon. But while the new design is taller, thinner and more badass than ever, the most remarkable upgrade has nothing to do with appearance. At least, not where marketers are concerned. We’re…
CVS Proves Brands Are People, Too
It’s official: no more cigs at CVS. As of yesterday, the retailer ridded 7,700 pharmacies of its remaining tobacco stash and renamed itself CVS Health. Anti-smoking shoppers breathed a sigh of relief. And smoke-free air. We all know that this was a big move for CVS. And not a cheap…
The Scent of Emotion
At CTP, we believe that tapping into the human spirit forms lasting connections between brands and their audiences. Emotions are an essential driver of brand loyalty. So how do brands create that human emotion? It’s a process that we’re constantly examining. In our most recent exploration, we saw how human…
Why Taylor Swift Is a PR goddess
Yesterday, Taylor Swift delighted fans with the surprise release of her latest single and music video, Shake it Off. She announced the video and details about 1989, her 5th album, during a 30-minute livestream on Yahoo Screen. I watched the video and livestream highlights, and came to the conclusion that…
