Plugging Iced Coffee not Jihad

Advertising Age is reporting that, due to a scarf worn in a Dunkin' Donuts ad that "looked like a keffiyeh, a traditional headdress worn by Arab men that some associate with jihad", Rachael Ray's online ad has been killed. The issue was brought-up and pushed along by bloggers.

Dunkin' Donuts Kills Rachael Ray Ad

Hungry and Foolish

"Stay hungry. Stay foolish." - Steve Jobs - Cofounder and CEO of Apple Inc.

Nickel and Dime You to Death

This post has almost nothing to do with online marketing or ad agencies, but it does speak to how little things can add up.

Remember the movie Office Space? The main characters figured out that they could funnel off all the little hundredths of a cent that the bank didn't really do anything with and they figured that no one would notice. Well, I won't spoil the ending of the movie just in case you've been under a rock for the last 10 years, but I just came across this news story that made me think about Office Space.

Oh, the title of this post? My dad liked to use the line about being nickel-ed and dime-ed to death when teaching me about how little expenses can add up or how, from a sales perspective, if you keep giving little bits and bits on price, you'll end up with nothing.

Man Allegedly Bilks E-trade, Schwab of $50, 000 by Collecting Lots of Free 'Micro-Deposits'

300th Post

Yes, it is true, this is the 300th post on Adomatica. I don't have anything snarky or profound to share with you at this time. I plan to continue what I've done for most of the previous 299 posts. As always, please continue to send me news, gossip, complaints etc. I started this blog as a simple creative outlet for myself without any notion of growing any type of audience, so I guess that makes me enjoy the comments, feedback and suggestions even more.

Thanks for reading.

Adlucent Named a Best Place to Work

The Austin Business Journal's Best Places to Work 2008 winners have been released and Adlucent, who I work for as Director of Operations, has made the list.

Here's the full winners list:

Accountability Resources
Adlucent
agileTCP
Alamo Title Company
AlterPoint, Inc.
Armbrust & Brown, L.L.P.
Ascentium Corporation
Austin Regional Clinic
Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Brigham Exploration Company
BuildASign.com
Capital Certified Development Corporation
Commercial Texas
Community Impact Newspaper
CompassLearning
DMX, Inc.
DPR Construction, Inc.
Dresser Wayne
Express Information Systems
Giordani, Schurig, Beckett & Tackett, L.L.P.
Goodwill Industries of Central Texas
Heart Hospital of Austin
Hilton Austin
Hoovers, Inc.
IE Discovery, Inc.
Inquisite
JOSCO Products
LandAmerica Austin Title
LifeSize Communications
Maxwell Locke & Ritter, L.L.P.
McQueary Henry Bowles Troy, L.L.P.
NetQoS
Optaros
Padgett, Stratemann & Co., L.L.P.
ProfitFuel, Inc.
Richard P. Slaughter Associates, Inc.
Rogers-O'Brien Construction Company
Sente Mortgage
Silicon Laboratories
SpawGlass Contractors, Inc.
Springbox
St. David's HealthCare
State Farm Insurance
Sweet Leaf Tea
Texas Medical Liability Trust
The Steam Team
Transwestern
Vintage IT Services
Watkins Insurance Group
Wells Fargo Bank

Another New Owner for Springbox

The folks at Springbox have either got to feel like the belle of the ball or a red-headed step-child.

1. Springbox is bought by Enliven
2. Makos becomes part of Springbox
3. Springbox parent Enliven bought by Dallas-based DG FastChannel

The Puppet Agency

This site's videos are too funny:

The Puppet Agency

Thanks to Moses Chang for pointing it out to me.

GSD&M Loves that Chicken ?

Agency Spy is reporting that GSD&M (funny that no one calls them Idea City like they want us to) is working up something in pursuit of the Popeye's Chicken account.

GSD&M Is Up To No Good

Whole Food's CEO Back to Blogging

Whole Food's CEO, John Mackey, started blogging again and "can’t tell you how good it feels".

Back To Blogging

You'll recall that Mackey was caught posting to forums etc under fake names and was recently cleared of all wrong-doing.

Voice-Over Talent

My wife has this worthless ability to almost instantly name the actor doing the voice over of a TV or radio commercial. A commercial for Depends...she'll say "Tom Selleck". A commercial for the latest pill...she'll say "Aiden from Sex and the City". Ok, so in that example she is actually naming a character played by John Corbett, who my dad would only recognize from the show Northern Exposure, but that's not my point. I guess my point is this: Neither one of us ever remembers the product/topic/point of the commercial, but we remember the actor doing the voice over.

That begs the question as to whether or not you want to use a well known actor for commercial voice over work. Austin-based ad firm McGarrah Jessee, founded by two ex-GSD&Mers, did some radio and TV spots for McCoy's Building Supplies and Whataburger a few years ago that had some great voice over work, but did so without the big named (recognizable) talent. I think you can still see/hear many of them at mc-j.com since those folks haven't refreshed their website in over three years. In my opinion, those commercials are more memorable then the recent ones my wife is so quick to outburst on.

Nike Gives Crispin the Sneaker err Boot

AdAge is reporting that after a 13 month relationship, Nike and Crispin are splitsville.

"Just more than a year after widening its roster to include hotshop Crispin Porter & Bogusky, Nike is shifting its running-shoe and Nike-Plus businesses back to lead agency Wieden & Kennedy, a spokesman for the marketer said."

Full AdAge Article

Condolences to my friends at CPB.

Funny Marketing Email Subject Line (IMO)

I just got an email with this as the subject line:

"15 Ways To Nail Your Landing Page"

I know, I Know, I need to get my mind out of the gutter.

Tricky Direct Mail Marketers

Ok, so here's another example of a tricky direct mail piece. Standard envelope with a real stamp and address that is hand-written. That got me to open the piece. Contents were what at first appeared to be a real newspaper clipping (with torn edge) and a hand-written post-it note. Nice job.

Obama Needs an Internet Marketer

"Obama for America, Barack Obama's campaign for President, seeks Interactive Marketing managers to work at its Campaign Headquarters in downtown Chicago."

Internet Advertising Manager Needed - Obama for America

Social network Plaxo to be acquired by Comcast

"A Letter from the CEO and Founders

Dear Plaxo member,

We are excited to announce some of the biggest news in the history of Plaxo. Plaxo has signed a definitive agreement** to be acquired by Comcast, the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services. We've got at least a few months to go before the acquisition is completed, but we wanted to send you this note to let you know what's coming up and how it affects you and your account..."

Need $1124 (for Cancer Research)

My fund-raising and marathon training continues....not much training left, but I still need $1124 to hit my goal.
Click here for more info.

CAN-SPAM Update Shouldn't be Issue (for most)

From a recent MarketingProfs email:

"Since 2003, the CAN-SPAM Act has regulated various aspects of email marketing campaigns. And now -- after a three-year period of consideration -- the Federal Trade Commission has announced four new rule provisions you should know about.

Following are the four topics that these new provisions address:

1. An email recipient cannot be required to pay a fee, provide information other than his or her email address and opt-out preferences, or take any steps other than sending a reply email message or visiting a single Internet Web page to opt out of receiving future email from a sender.

2. The definition of "sender" was modified by the FTC to make it easier to determine which of multiple parties advertising in a single email message is responsible for complying with the Act's opt-out requirements.

3. A "sender" of commercial email can include an accurately registered post office box or private mailbox established under United States Postal Service regulations to satisfy the Act's requirement that a commercial email display a "valid physical postal address."

4. A definition of the term "person" was added to clarify that CAN-SPAM's obligations are not limited to "natural persons." "

In my opinion, most ethical email marketers are already doing everything to be in compliance with this update...others not so much.

Agency Spy has a New "Spy"

One of Agency Spy's writers is brunt-out and so they are breaking in a new "spy". The lucky recruit is Matt Van Hoven. Matt's "always open to lending advice, especially on how to get a job." He's "helped two people get jobs in the 1.5 years since" he "graduated."

Wow, Matt, congrats on the new spy gig as well as being an expert job finding advice giver.

(Image of Matt blurred for his safety/protection.)

Harvard MBA Torrence Boone Named Lead of Project Da Vinci

WPP names Torrence Boone to lead Project Da Vinci, the global agency start-up

Torrence Boone's LinkedIn Profile

No confirmation yet as to whether or not Torrence wears a coonskin cap to the office or if he saves it for expeditions.

Project Da Vinci's Temporary Logo

Best Ad Agency Award 2008

Ok readers, it's time to let everyone know why working at your agency is so great.

**The Best Ad Agency to Work for Award 2008**

Great benefits, the best office space, cool perks, whatever it is...

Cast your vote by posting a comment and make sure to share why you feel the way you do...also be sure to tell us where you are located.

Vote early and often....We'll crown a winner on Friday June 6th, 2008.

If we get enough comments, we might even crown individual city winners.

Project Da Vinci Renaming Contest

It's been pointed out to me that the folks at WPP/Dell's Project Da Vinci have not yet made the final decision to rename themselves Synachy Worldwide just yet. I see this as a great opportunity for us to give them some better ideas. Come on, is Synachy really the best they could come up with?

Simply comment your idea(s) and we'll crown a winner sometimes next week.

Here are mine:

SynVinci
Dellarchy
Technicolor Love Den

Oh, and Happy Friday!

** Update Thursday 5/22/08 - There is now a poll so you can cast your vote for Project Da Vinci's new name - you should see the poll to the right - Voting closes Thursday 5/29 at 12 noon **

Da Vinci Now Synarchy Worldwide

From AdAge: "The new WPP Group agency designed to handle Dell's marketing-services business is expected to be named Synarchy Worldwide, a reference to a utopian political system coined in the 18th century."

WPP Settles on Name for Dell Shop: Synarchy Worldwidehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

From Wikipedia: "Synarchism (from Greek words meaning "to rule together" or "harmonious rule") is a word that has been used to describe several different political processes in various contexts."

If the new name doesn't pass legal review, "Sector 64" and "Refute" are other names that WPP Properties Young & Rubicam also filed earlier this year with the trademark office.

High Def Austin Event June 5th 2008

"Media professionals are sharpening their production capabilities and moving to high definition. Sony, TM Television and Sparksight are excited to provide a unique forum to eliminate the mystery of high definition and educate the production community with strategies to move to a completely tapeless workflow."

High Definition Austin
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Austin, TX

Top Blog List has Major Flaw

The AdAge Power 150 is a list of the top media, marketing, or advertising blogs based on things like Yahoo in-links, Google page rank, and the list creator's (Todd Andrlik) own opinion.

The major flaw, that I just uncovered, is that no where on the list can Adomatica be found. The "150" list is actually built out to #615, but no matter how I searched for it, no Adomatica.

If a top advertising/marketing blog list falls in the woods without Adomatica, does it even make a noise?

The Digitally Savvy live in Austin

This recently released study by Scarborough Research says that 12 percent of Austinites are "digitally savvy" because they use the Internet to make purchases.

Understanding the Digital Savvy Consumer

I'm not sure I agree with using online shopping habits as an indicator of a person's digital savvy, but I'm all for Austin continuing its becoming more and more known in regards to all things digital.

SXSW 2009 - Getting Closer Everyday

I dare anyone to prove to me that SXSW 2009 is not getting closer as each day passes.
(Of course, that is only true until it happens.)

SXSW Interactive - March 13 - 17, 2009
SXSW Film - March 13 -21, 2009 (conference: March 13 - 17, 2009)
SXSW Music - March 17 - 22, 2009

Treadmill Inspiration

I hate running on the treadmill. I actually have not stepped on one during the past four months of marathon training. (Yes, I'm doing a marathon in less then a month - marathon info here) I've always been a believer in the connection between exercise of the body to brain power:

"When your job asks you to brainstorm on regular basis, even a marketing wunderkind will hit the creative wall once in a while. To keep those mental blocks to a minimum, Dr. Amantha Imber recommends aerobic exercise, citing a study by David Blanchette that concludes a little workout pays big dividends in creativity:

* Group 1 did no exercise prior to their creative task. "Lucky them, some of you might be thinking," says Imber.

* Group 2 participated in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise -- such as walking, biking, swimming and running�before undertaking their creative task.

* Group 3 also took 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, but waited for two hours before digging in to their creative task.

But group 1 wasn't so lucky after all. "The researchers found that groups 2 and 3 performed significantly better on the task than the no-exercise group," says Imber. With this in mind, she suggests:

* Going to the gym -- or at least for a brisk walk - ahead of your brainstorming sessions.

* Scheduling lunchtime walking groups to encourage creativity during the afternoon.

* Considering mini-workouts when you're in the middle of extended creative sessions.

The Po!nt: Says Imber, "As well as concluding that aerobic exercise enhances creativity, [researchers] also point out that the positive effects of this activity are somewhat enduring, and certainly last at least up to two hours after completing the exercise."

Source: Article submitted by Amantha Imber.
http://marketingprofs.chtah.com/a/tBIKE2WAJaJZfB7Q-q3BzSljyz8/news17"
Copyright 2000-2008 MarketingProfs LLC

Worst Ad Agency in Austin Award 2008 - "Winner"

So, the ~winners~ of The Worst Ad Agency to Work for in Austin Award 2008 are.....

1st - Tocquigny
2nd - T3
3rd - GSD&M / The Idea City

Worst Agency post and comments

Stay tuned for the evil twin of this award, The Best Ad Agency to Work for in Austin Award 2008!

~~ UPDATE: Best Ad Agency to Work For Award 2008 ~~

Sidenote, at least ValleyWag likes Tocquigny's office space.

"Bomb Threat" Ad Exec Exclusive...coming soon!

So, earlier today I got a couple of emails from someone claiming to be Rosalinda Baez, the ad exec who allegedly claimed to have a bomb in her bag causing JetBlue to have to land the plane a bit early. I figured it was an impostor, so I had her contact me via her LinkedIn profile and low-and-behold it was the real Rosalinda.

The "truth and real story" are expected soon and I also hope to give you all an update as to what Rosalinda has been up to since the incident.

Wednesday's Work Whereabouts #8

Yes, I know it is not Wednesday, but I'm not changing the title just because I posted this a day late.

On (some) Wednesdays I post a few online marketing, advertising, creative jobs.

Your end of the deal:
Job seekers: If you apply to one of my posted jobs, please tell them you heard about the job at Adomatica.com.
Job Posters: If you have any openings you would like for me to post, please send them my way. Also, If someone applies for a job and tells you they heard about it at Adomatica.com, please let me know.

That's a fair deal, right?

Here are today's postings:
Strategic Media Sales - Homeaway - Austin-based company - Job is in NY
Internet Retail Sales - BigShoes.com - Austin, TX

"Leading" Digital Advertising Company Forms

The parent company of Austin-based SpringBox, Enliven has announced a merger with DG Fastchannel which is said to create a "leading digital advertising solutions company."

This Nike Commercial Kicks...

Thanks to Media Bistro's Agency Spy for pointing it out.

Barbie likes French Press Coffee

Amazon is great. They were the first if not one of the first online retailers to add customer reviews. Now it looks like they have gotten Barbie to endorse this French Coffee Press.

GSD&M Actually Wins L.L. Bean Account

Well, it was last June that GSD&M won the John Deere account, so now, ten months later I am happy to post that they have actually landed a new client:

GSD&M Idea City wins L.L. Bean Account

The South Florida Biz Journal is reporting that GSD&M only won the creative portion of the account - GSD&M suits up for L.L. Bean

Either way, I hope the bars on west 6th street are well stocked for the inevitable celebrating that GSD&Mers will partake in this evening.

Bomb Threat Ad Exec Outed?

I just a got a note saying that Rosalinda Baez, the bomb threat ad exec, is no longer at Schematic. Can anyone out there confirm or refute this? Maybe she is with Project Davinci now considering her Dell, Schematic, and Austin ties?

Is LinkedIn SellingOut?

What’s happening at LinkedIn? Is it getting bought? [Update: Or getting funded?]

Best Time/Day to Post to Blog?

Thursday at noon is the best time (to) post and be noticed (according to this guys blog post.

Like BarCamp but for Products

Paul Young, Director of Product Management at NetStreams, just sent me a note in regards to this upcoming product management/marketing event...it's sponsored by Austin Ventures, Pragmatic Marketing, and others.