tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95407002012-01-11T07:37:17.451-08:00Research-free opinions on media, communications, culture and how they might all fit together. Occasional riffs on the inane, such as Broadway musicals and Martha Stewart. Many theories and plenty of intuitive thinking. Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.comBlogger1641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1163868444780169442006-11-18T08:32:00.000-08:002006-11-18T08:47:24.806-08:00

It always boosts the ego to be called prescient, so it was nice to see Danny over at AdPulp recall my comments about L.L. Bean's last agency review. It seems that after just 14 months, following a review that was an exercise in futility, they've dropped relentlessly bland JWT as their agency of record.Of course, the biggest culprit in the whole maroon was Pile & Company who, I'm quite sure, has

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1156473092891994812006-08-24T19:25:00.000-07:002006-08-24T19:31:32.926-07:00

My blogging has dropped of the edge of the earth as of late. I do, however, have good cause. As some may know, I've recently moved to Short Hills, New Jersey. My wife has a job that is based in Manhattan and getting on a plane every week was becoming old. Even tougher now without the hair gel and the lotions. Anyway, Kent Elliott and Kyle Maurer are still based in Kalamazoo and leading Black Lab

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1152739665881516812006-07-12T13:50:00.000-07:002006-07-12T14:27:46.383-07:00

So here I am, sitting at the Grand Rapids Airport waiting for my hopelessly delayed flight. They have decent Herman Miller furniture and Wi-Fi so it's not all bad. When I go to sit down at an empty table, however, I notice a fairly substantial digital camera on it. There is nobody else sitting at the table. The people at the next table don't know anything about the camera. As I ask about it, the

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1151546293504334502006-06-28T18:36:00.000-07:002006-07-02T17:40:11.283-07:00

Irene Done over at Not Billable points us to some, yes, expert advice from Steve Strauss in USA Today. When a newspaper has a guy like this wasting ink and trees, it really makes the hue and cry about the veracity of blogs questionable. No, I'm not about to defend commission-based media billing (and before Mr. Strauss says, "Gotcha, you're an agency guy," let me note that our agency doesn't use

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1150826054095006782006-06-20T10:42:00.000-07:002006-06-22T08:35:43.770-07:00

Ad Age points out that the average tenure of a Chief Marketing Officer continues to shrink. What I'd like to know is if the amount of years that a CEO hangs on to a job has experienced a similar decline. Somehow, I doubt it. I think it's more proof that even the smartest marketing people can't help lousy products. Customers simply know too much — you can't expect them to keep buying something

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1150740344415690132006-06-19T10:58:00.000-07:002006-06-19T11:08:48.433-07:00

Wow. Turns out there are still some people in this business with courage. I don't know if it's right. But I sure love 'em for trying. Wake up and be happy.

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1149695564513047572006-06-07T08:13:00.000-07:002006-06-07T08:52:44.533-07:00

Especially if you're a service company. Here's a good example. I spent a couple of weeks in Italy recently. Our flight plans included layovers in Amsterdam. (Schiphol Airport is always an interesting experience in itself. Apparently, somebody mixed up the plans for an airport with some blueprints for a shopping mall. I've actually heard that people in The Netherlands go to Schiphol just to shop.

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1148399599607612152006-05-23T08:53:00.000-07:002006-05-23T09:22:10.806-07:00

One of my favorite kernels of information is the list of most emailed articles at nytimes.com. I'm not about to claim that analyzing the tendencies of the typical Times reader is like getting research straight from Peoria, but this list offers interesting insights nonetheless, especially when it's reviewed on a regular basis. In fact, I think it can help marketers remind themselves that their

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1147462438718589252006-05-12T12:04:00.000-07:002006-05-12T12:33:58.843-07:00

It looks like domestic crap beer makers are once again touting the repositioning of their brands. Gosh, there's nothing I like quite as much as a good old beer brand reposition. For the big brewers, this is an annual event. It's a wonder there isn't a trade show to go along with it. I'd love to see some numbers on the repositions. I'll bet the success rate is about 1-in-5000. There is some rich

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1146246747553416522006-04-28T10:18:00.000-07:002006-05-03T11:15:30.590-07:00

Interesting post by the bloggers' blogger Jeff Jarvis on his Buzz Machine about a certain Tom Dutson of Maine, who recently used his blog to call out the problems created by that state's tourism ad campaign.Seems the guy has now been sued by the ad agency behind the campaign. Feel free to judge the quality of this shop by its site. I'd share my honest opinions here except, damn, I might wind up

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1146195547285360252006-04-27T19:54:00.000-07:002006-04-27T20:55:58.953-07:00

Recently, I've been listening to a podcast from Swarthmore College called War News Radio. No matter what you think about the war, it's worth listening to this intelligent bit of podcasting – well-produced and, most of the time, offering more insight into life in Iraq than any network news, superbly coiffed correspondent can accomplish in ninety seconds. Check it out in the iTunes podcast

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1145459379870923592006-04-19T07:46:00.000-07:002006-04-19T08:09:39.886-07:00

The BBC "> dissects the crumbling Tom Cruise image. Amazingly, they still tout him as one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. I'm not buying it. I don't think men ever really cared for the dude, and now I think he's managed to turn off his female fans. Going bonkers over a woman seventeen years younger never really helps with the fairer sex. Saying that women should not use drugs to treat

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1145457880621888542006-04-19T07:21:00.000-07:002006-04-19T07:44:40.653-07:00

In the early days of television, programming costs were underwritten by a show sponsor. The one that most people probably know, thanks to Quiz Show, is "Twenty-One" with its Geritol sponsorship. (Incidentally, whatever happened to Geritol? If it's still available, I think I might start taking it.)We all know that history often repeats itself. For a number of years, it's been clear that

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1144244090084066242006-04-05T06:34:00.000-07:002006-04-05T10:40:50.126-07:00

Technology certainly is a demanding dance partner, isn't it? The New York Times has launched a redesigned web site and, with a few reservations, I think it's quite winning. Over at ">slate.com, Jack Shafer has his take on the new look – it's similar to mine. The only question: is it too good?Shafer actually says that, on the strength of the new site, he is now canceling his subscription to the

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1143491116667225292006-03-27T11:14:00.000-08:002006-03-27T12:28:54.626-08:00

Countless hours have been passed at media and wireless companies by smart people trying to gauge the payoff on mobile content. If you're the CEO of a media or a wireless company, you can't afford to let your outfit sit on the sidelines while everyone else is taking a run at gathering up ears and eyeballs. Better to make sure you're in the game than to stay out, lose later and be summarily axed

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1142521115281824212006-03-16T06:34:00.000-08:002006-03-16T06:58:35.310-08:00

Once again, it's time for contract talks between the actors union and the ad industry. This is one time when I'm definitely going to side with my industry.Back in 2000, the SAG/AFTRA strike created a few headaches for every agency, including mine. Everyone wants A-1 talent in their commercials. But on the positive side? People realized that Vancouver, New Zealand and Argentina are awfully nice

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1141789464299728682006-03-07T18:45:00.000-08:002006-03-07T19:44:24.423-08:00

I'm usually not one to get hung up on semantics, but one of the marketing terms I've long disliked is CONSUMERS. Sure, I have tossed the term around like my favorite football in all kinds of meetings. I've dutifully read dull research that referred to something hopelessly broad like CONSUMERS 18-35 — and then nodded off. Sometimes, I even mentioned a powerful CONSUMER brand. I was weak. Yes,

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1141138145998325042006-02-28T06:08:00.000-08:002006-02-28T07:30:16.873-08:00

This entry is a bit of a winding path, but bear with me on it. The story is about my relationship with Gillette. The company recently launched the Fusion, their latest advance in the quest for the perfect shave. Whenever I think I don't care for my job, I consider the poor research people squired away at the razor giant headquarters, staring at the tiny piece of plastic and sharp metal that is a

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1140553824833618412006-02-21T12:20:00.000-08:002006-02-21T12:30:24.856-08:00

I love advertising, but I completely agree with Jeff Jarvis from Buzz Machine on this one. There is no ad campaign clever enough to overcome the forces currently working against print media. Now it seems newspapers and magazines have fallen into the same trap as so many others. Rather than tackle their challenges with new thinking and ideas, they're going to tell people that they really don't

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1140144237674457602006-02-16T18:29:00.000-08:002006-02-16T18:43:57.693-08:00

In case you've missed it, curling has become the talk of this winter's Olympic Games. Since it's my favorite sport, I'm understandably thrilled about it. I also think something interesting is happening here from a marketing perspective. None of the efforts to create buzz for the sport were directed by a single entity — it's been the many tentacles of the game's organizations, players and media

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1139330211610642172006-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:002006-02-07T08:36:51.680-08:00

While I usually take the findings of the Center for Media Research with a grain of salt — the vaguely arrogant moniker and the logo that hints at the Parthenon set off alarm bells for me — I will, like most people, cite one of their studies when it matches with my thinking. Humans are funny that way, aren't we? We're usually enamored of anything that seems to validate our own genius.Anyway, the

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1138762172349507962006-01-31T18:46:00.000-08:002006-01-31T18:49:32.366-08:00

No, I'm not taking sides in the political debate here. But, my word, when will we elect a president with the chutzpah to reinvent this tired format? The whole routine is ridiculous. Stand and clap, don't stand and clap, stand and clap some more. Do they really think any voter is taking any of this seriously? It's just another reason why it's so difficult to truly engage Americans in the political

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1138649101678472052006-01-30T10:53:00.000-08:002006-01-30T11:25:01.720-08:00

The National Hockey League didn't just evolve their brand this year. They performed radical surgery on it. This season, hockey is exciting again after spending the nineties in a downward death spiral. Before last year's strike, sitting through a game meant watching a bunch of rather large men hug each other for a couple hours. While on skates. Not surprisingly, fewer and fewer people were finding

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1137793706687053162006-01-20T13:31:00.000-08:002006-01-20T13:48:28.990-08:00

Jeff Jarvis over at Buzz Machine reveals that the Ricky Gervais podcast has now surpassed three million downloads. I've listened to all of them — it's amazing that a few guys chatting can be so damn entertaining. Tough to pull off and not recommended for most podcasters. Format aside, I think it's a good example of the potential of podcasting. Clearly, this show makes a ton of sense for the

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1137789811862010632006-01-20T12:34:00.000-08:002006-01-20T12:43:31.880-08:00

Back in early December, I decided to start saving all the direct mail solicitations I receive from American Express. My empirical research indicates that I have now received three fingers worth of their pleas. Amazingly, I already have two American Express cards — one for personal and one for company expenses. The demand for accountability in Web 2.0 communications is high. Why do the junk

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1137558042881945572006-01-17T20:17:00.000-08:002006-01-17T20:20:42.883-08:00

I usually try to keep a strict focus on communications issues on this blog. But my word, why is Janet Jackson trying to emulate the career of Kirstie Alley?

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1137557641732180032006-01-17T19:51:00.000-08:002006-01-17T20:14:01.790-08:00

Simon Dumenco opines in Ad Age that blogging is just writing. He's not wrong — good blogs are well-written and crap ones are not. I've often told business people who seem afraid of blogs that they're really not that complicated — they're simply applications that allow you to create dynamic, instant publishing Web sites. What Dumenco misses, however, is the conversation that blogs spark. They

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1137094425465434002006-01-12T10:59:00.000-08:002006-01-12T11:33:45.466-08:00

Ad Pulp points us to Coca-Cola's misguided effort to join Web 2.0 through its Coke Zero blog-like device. Naturally, the blogosphere — never a group to miss an opportunity for an online buzzkill — has jumped all over them. What Coca-Cola fails to understand is that a blog is about conversation. They think it's about marketing. Just read the entries — full of Zero lingo created by some

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1137037619343838342006-01-11T19:42:00.000-08:002006-01-11T20:33:43.050-08:00

What if General Motors told the truth? What if they hired Errol Morris and had him film a top executive from the company who can actually talk like a human being? There must be someone. Then Morris could have this executive look into the camera and tell the country, "Yes, we've screwed things up pretty royally. Golly, have we ever. Remember those Chevy Luminas you used to get stuck with at the

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1136666551071709342006-01-07T12:36:00.000-08:002006-01-09T06:57:22.416-08:00

Recently, I stayed at the Amway Grand Plaza hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the lobby, I found this plaque that proudly listed all the, "Prominent people who have stayed in this hotel since opening on September 15, 1981."For some reason, it hit the wrong notes for me. At first, it struck me as defensive – as if they were saying, "We are a very nice hotel. Really, we are. These people prove it

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1136260337041381012006-01-02T19:35:00.000-08:002006-01-02T19:52:17.060-08:00

On the way back from the UK, my wife, daughter and me spent a couple of days in Chicago. We did the tourist thing and took our toddler to the Shedd Aquarium. Damn, that's a lot of fish. Big fish, little fish, in-between fish. Sharks. Frogs. Ugly fish and pretty fish. Amazing to think that all these specimens are inhabiting our planet's waters. As I inched around the place – toddler speed, you

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1136055579700649122005-12-31T10:52:00.000-08:002005-12-31T10:59:39.703-08:00

Influx Insights – via Ad Pulp – points to a new trend towards communal tables in restaraunts. They also mention the work bench approach that some companies in the UK have embraced, including some of that country's leading agencies. Here at Black Lab Five, our office space is basically one large room. Meetings take place at the conference table while other people work on projects. The phones are

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1135703374102592942005-12-27T08:36:00.000-08:002005-12-31T10:51:36.876-08:00

Watch a committee try to ascertain whether the word "innovative" should be replaced by "breakthrough" and advertising can seem pretty damn self-involved. All the inane wordsmithing makes one start to wonder if any piece of language matters anymore. So it was nice to be reminded, while in a pub in the land of the Queen's English, that the right words can really make a difference – innovative and

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1135650699879817802005-12-26T18:13:00.000-08:002005-12-26T18:31:39.906-08:00

I'm spending the holidays with my sister's family outside of London. A bit damp and cold, of course, but completely charming. One thing I've noticed over the course of my visits during the 15-plus years that my sister has lived in the U.K. is how dramatically English food has evolved and improved. Any jokes about it are now wildly off the mark. This afternoon, for instance, I had an incredible

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1134668924608025962005-12-15T09:42:00.000-08:002005-12-15T12:15:56.683-08:00

I realize that large public companies are forced to worry about all kinds of things that can suddenly trip them up. If it's not Sarbanes-Oxley, it's some nut bag claiming they found half a finger in their burger. With the media attention these stories generate, it's easy to understand why so many executives don't sleep well even when their stock is on a nice, steady climb.So with more

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1134598629308983052005-12-14T13:42:00.000-08:002005-12-20T08:28:18.783-08:00

Everyone's favorite geriatric senator from Alaska, Ted Stevens, wants to control what we watch. Kevin Martin, chairman of the FCC, wants to control what we watch. Michael Copps, FCC commisioner and, to prove that I can be a bi-partisan critic, a Democrat, wants to control what we watch. I'm sure this group would be fantastic company at a dinner. The good news is they can't control content. That

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1134420329492266322005-12-12T12:39:00.000-08:002005-12-12T12:52:04.353-08:00

Well, we thought it was kind of cool to keep the show low-tech, but all kinds of people wanted to submit their entry fees online. So you can now pay for your entries in the First Annual PDF awards with PayPal. Still no shrimp wrapped in bacon.

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1133896965939593952005-12-06T11:07:00.000-08:002005-12-07T10:59:28.126-08:00

Here I am at the end of the year, once again knee deep in an onslaught of crappy award show entries. Rather than continue to complain about them, I'm going to offer an alternative. Call it a positive solution. So it gives me great pleasure to announce the Call for Entries for the First Annual PDF Awards. Finally, a stripped down awards show that matches the tenor of the times. Instead of wasting

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1133190059269148132005-11-28T06:40:00.000-08:002005-11-29T09:41:36.406-08:00

Looks like we've once again kicked off egg nog season with a crazed stampede for $79 TV/DVD combos and $375 laptop computers. (Actual prices and products may vary.) Black Friday has always been a bit manic and demented, but it definitely took a turn for the worse this year. Maybe it was that woman on the floor struggling to reposition her wig. Perhaps it was the man getting kicked in the nads in

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1132532886585826172005-11-20T16:27:00.000-08:002005-11-29T09:43:42.700-08:00

Last week, I walked past the window of a Huntington Bank (OOPS. LET'S GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. IT WAS CHARTER ONE.) branch. There, tucked away in relative anonymity on the glass, was a line that read, "Realistically, you're probably never going to love your bank. But we're working hard on a long, extended like."I'm probably paraphrasing – the actual line might have been crafted better.

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1132260302912538362005-11-17T12:26:00.000-08:002005-11-17T12:45:02.933-08:00

One of our clients is Buday's – a home electronics company that designs and installs fabulous home theaters and multi-room audio, along with lighting and shade controls. They take a very individual, personal approach to every project and are pretty much the complete polar opposite of, say, Best Buy. When they install a home theater or a new audio system, you can actually use the damn thing.

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1132085069629041242005-11-15T12:04:00.000-08:002005-11-15T18:33:19.520-08:00

Driving back from Ann Arbor last evening, I found myself listening to Amy Alexander on NPR complaining – or, more accurately, bitching and moaning – about blogs. As traditional media types have done with alarming frequency these days, her points reveal ignorance and a closed mind. (Here's the link to the place on NPR's site where you can listen to the piece. For some reason, NPR only offers

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1131748509819349672005-11-11T14:26:00.000-08:002005-11-11T14:35:09.836-08:00

The town that our company calls home did something big yesterday. The Kalamazoo School Board revealed that a group of anonymous donors had stepped forward to offer the payment of college tuition at a Michigan university to the city's high school graduates. That's every graduate – not just one class. There are sliding scales and so forth, but if your child went to Kalamazoo schools from

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1131642220536560252005-11-10T08:23:00.000-08:002005-11-10T09:03:43.570-08:00

Well, it's every old school ad-type's most critical time of the year. Award show entry season. Just to be fair, I will say that I believe there are some award shows that remain credible, progressive and ethical. They are: 1)The One Show. 2)Communications Arts Advertising, Design and Interactive Show Annuals. That's it. Two shows that aren't the self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing embarrassments that

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1131421150636064422005-11-07T19:17:00.000-08:002005-11-09T11:19:26.596-08:00

Whole Foods is one of those companies that helped convince me customer dialogue is infinitely more valuable than traditional advertising. Sure, they have the advantage of retail locations, but they've never advertised and have built their brand on millions of relationships. You have to be relentless to make it work – they have been. Now, of course, their CEO is blogging. No surprise. Whole

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1130968270379770462005-11-02T13:45:00.000-08:002005-11-02T13:51:10.380-08:00

Our micro media empire continues to grow. This week, we launched The Snowboard Show, sponsored by Sideways People (one of our clients). Of course, it's in the iTunes Music Store podcast directory – just search "snowboard." It's another interview show that we think will be a great tool for reaching snowboard enthusiasts. Not to mention an ideal environment for any advertiser trying to reach

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1130967809714190022005-11-02T13:42:00.000-08:002005-11-02T14:31:57.296-08:00

Some amazing numbers from "> Jeff Jarvis at Buzz Machine on video and podcast downloads from Apple's iTunes Music Store. One million videos sold in 19 days. Four million podcast subscriptions to shows from National Public Radio. (There seems to be some question about whether it is podcast downloads or subscriptions. I don't know if it really matters – most people will subscribe to download a

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1130434728919122322005-10-27T10:21:00.000-07:002005-10-31T12:07:04.710-08:00

For a lot of beer fans, Bell's Brewery is known for big, robust brews — especially stouts. But wheat beers, including their incredibly popular Oberon, have always been a key part of their portfolio. That led Larry Bell and his brewing team to create a new Wheat Series — Wheat Two Ale, Wheat Four Ale, Wheat Six Ale, Wheat Eight Ale and Wheat Love. Why the numbers? Pick up a six-pack to find out.

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1130161413558901072005-10-24T06:42:00.000-07:002005-10-24T11:21:22.970-07:00

Bradley Johnson, a writer for Advertising Age, takes Ad Age research that actually demonstrates the growth of blog readership and turns it into, "What Blogs Cost American Business." The subhead screams that in 2005, American workers will "waste" 551,000 work years reading blogs. Bradley is terribly quick to make the leap from reading blogs to wasting time on blogs, isn't he? Within the

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1129603042885401602005-10-17T19:33:00.000-07:002005-10-17T19:40:33.303-07:00

Last week, I wrote about my frustrations with the performance of my Brother printer and the lack of customer service provided by the Brother Corporation. In my last missive to the company, I informed them that I would be writing about my issues on this blog. Over the weekend, I received a response from Customer Service. It's remarkable. Brother Customer:If you decide to publicize any comments

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1129571753959561012005-10-17T10:55:00.000-07:002005-10-18T18:40:56.826-07:00

I enjoy beer and wine. In fact, I enjoy them on a regular basis and believe that, in moderation, they are beverages that are healthy for both the body and spirit. That's why articles like this one on college beer drinking games in The New York Times make me cringe. Inevitably, they spark a knee-jerk reaction to alcohol that does little to address the heart of the problem. It troubles me that

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1129213233886874262005-10-13T06:48:00.000-07:002005-10-13T07:20:33.900-07:00

Over at Adfreak, Deanna Zammit does a nice job of taking apart Marian Salzman's new take on the metrosexual, a man Ms. Salzman now deems the ubersexual. I've always thought that pop culture prognosticators are charlatans. Easy work, isn't it? When Salzman writes that the new male ubersexual is "less Ryan Seacrest and more Bill Clinton" or "less David Beckham and more Bono" it makes me wonder

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1129049157802154632005-10-11T09:31:00.000-07:002005-10-11T09:48:41.463-07:00

I've talked in the past about the steady stream of mail sent to me by American Express, the bulk of it being part of an effort to sell me a card I already have in my wallet. I've long believed that while direct mail can be effective, vast quantities of it are a complete waste of time and money. Far greater quantities than direct marketing pros are ever willing to admit. But blog spam is even more

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1128955223523775972005-10-10T07:27:00.000-07:002005-10-10T07:40:23.533-07:00

When we opened our doors, we bought a basic black and white printer for standard office documents. We chose a Brother HL-1440, recommended to us by the guy at Office Max. It has been the worst piece of technology I have ever owned. Basically, I need one basic thing from this kind of printer — when I press Command-P, it prints the document. I don't really care about speed — I just need

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1128947667699289842005-10-10T05:32:00.000-07:002005-10-10T06:24:12.870-07:00

Damn, that Mother Nature is in a foul mood these days. Not content with her Asian tsunami and Hurrican Katrina handiwork, she sprinkles an earthquake in Pakistan into her heady mix of global misery. Another death toll so large that it's difficult to comprehend. More billions for aid money in the ledger. Further suspicion that nobody has any idea how to figure out the ledger anymore. Meanwhile,

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1128392319031013272005-10-03T18:51:00.000-07:002005-10-03T20:25:18.786-07:00

Michael Betz from Image Stream here in Kalamazoo emailed me this gem. Here it is: Earlier this week, I was flying home from a project in NYC. I was seated next to the CEO of one of the big agencies that buy and sell television time. We were talking about the impact that technology has had on television advertising, TiVo in particular. I said I was sure he didn’t like features like TiVo’s

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1128352741853670152005-10-03T07:39:00.000-07:002005-10-03T08:19:03.713-07:00

Jon Stewart helped bring Advertising Week to a deservedly ignominous close by skewering the magazine industry. (Amazingly, the Magazine Publishers of America paid him $100,000 to for the privilege. Thank you, sir, may I have another?) Leading magazine editors had their egos deflated when Stewart told them, "I didn't say you don't have your place. It's at the children's table."Regular readers

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1127914968568043172005-09-28T06:35:00.000-07:002005-09-28T06:42:48.576-07:00

I've long considered Ad Age a stuffy old trade publication, but its online content is actually quite dynamic and interesting. There are four audio segments about Advertising Week from Scott Donaton that are definitely worth a listen — they're on the right hand side of this page. It's nice to listen to a thoughtful critique of this week-long celebration — as if a celebration is what our business

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1127829930926685422005-09-27T06:51:00.001-07:002005-10-03T20:22:54.046-07:00

Looking at these photos, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. Okay, it's pretty damn funny. The best is the caption, "The second annual Advertising Week kicked off early this morning inside the Nasdaq building in Times Square. The invitation-only event symbolically emphasized the crucial role advertising plays in the national economy." Apparently, advertising is crucial because it has

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1127828417383569012005-09-27T06:29:00.000-07:002005-09-27T06:47:07.843-07:00

Turns out even the New York cops can't stand advertising these days. Looks like Advertising Week (in New York, they never fail to remind us) kicked off with, well, sort of a sprint. This quick dash through Times Square probably had people looking uptown to see if some tourists just had their wallets nicked. The I'm-so-80's creative minds behind this week-long celebration of advertising —

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1127701472184239052005-09-25T18:52:00.000-07:002005-10-03T08:29:47.143-07:00

Fred Bueltmann from New Holland Brewing commented on my post about marketing scarcity and pointed out some holes in my argument for limiting supply to drive demand. And — damn him — he makes an excellent point. I've edited Fred's comments a bit — his full response is with my post. Here's the abridged version:"I think that your analogy is good, but a little bit dangerous. Compare it to your New

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1127487958368043502005-09-23T07:34:00.000-07:002005-09-23T08:14:19.856-07:00

There's a review of a new Robert Parker biography over at Slate — it also features podcast content. (For non-oenophiles, Parker has long been considered the leading wine critic in the world. His reviews have shaped the success or failure of entire vintages.) While the biography sounds like an indictment of both Parker's role and palate — smug, pompous Parker has always been an easy mark — I

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1127162649455766272005-09-19T12:55:00.000-07:002005-10-05T11:28:32.313-07:00

After you've lived in New York once in your life, any trip back to the city creates a bit of emotional conflict. The city seems to taunt me just a bit, as if it's saying, "Didn't have what it takes to stick around, huh?" Then I step back, look at the frantic nature of Manhattan and respond, "I still love you. I just can't be with you anymore." It's that frantic nature, however, that makes New

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1126753708541765052005-09-14T19:18:00.000-07:002005-09-19T12:54:46.153-07:00

The Hurricane Katrina aftermath prompted a great column by Danny G over at Talent Zoo about the problem of advertising and PR that doesn't match reality. (I found it via Ad Pulp .) All politicians, and especially the Bush Administration, have learned that you can't spin absolutely everything. Social Security, maybe. Dead bodies, not so much. Fact is, the bullshit meter of most people has

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1126525321561347502005-09-12T04:17:00.000-07:002005-09-12T04:42:01.573-07:00

Watching the U.S. Open tennis final — even though watching tennis is something I rarely do anymore — was interesting for one reason. It was another opportunity to see Andre Agassi in his role as the grand old man of tennis. (I was probably more appreciative of Agassi after seeing him around the pool at a resort during a summer trip. More than once over a few days, I saw him and Steffi Graf

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1126240829141173902005-09-08T21:18:00.000-07:002005-09-08T21:43:45.133-07:00

One of our clients, the Kalamazoo Brewing Company ,is celebrating 20 years of craft brewing today. Extraordinary. Here are some things to consider. In 1985, there was really no such thing as a craft brewing industry in the United States — one's choices were usually Bud or Miller Lite. Larry Bell started the company with 200 bucks, a stock plan to raise additional money and what was essentially

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1126064937503564092005-09-06T20:19:00.000-07:002005-09-07T19:39:28.246-07:00

I'm suspect I'm like many Americans right now. Embarrassed. When I watch the hopelessly inept response to Hurricane Katrina, I'm embarrassed. I'm embarrassed when I see the President, as corpses bob in flooded New Orleans, congratulate the head of the FEMA for doing, "...a heck of a job." I'm embarrassed when I hear former First Lady Barbara Bush, upon visiting refugees from New Orleans housed in

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1125588893556436982005-09-01T08:28:00.000-07:002005-09-01T08:34:53.563-07:00

I usually don't link our blogs, but I wrote this entry over on our Local 59 Shop Talk blog. Here it is:The situation in New Orleans continues to unravel and it's getting difficult to see how the city will find its footing again. It was, in so many ways, the perfect storm — Mother Nature's fury, an ill-advised location, an underpaid police force rife with corruption, impoverished neighborhoods.

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1125434705871163842005-08-30T13:17:00.000-07:002005-08-30T13:45:05.876-07:00

So Coke doesn't have a CMO anymore. But they do have someone who seems to be sort of in charge of most of the marketing efforts. Perhaps this way, their marketing will be led by someone with responsibility but no power. Or something like that. I'd love to see the internal memo announcing this shuffle. It's an interesting saga down there in Atlanta. Myopic, really. They always talk about

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1125348550626952412005-08-29T13:42:00.000-07:002005-08-29T13:49:10.633-07:00

I usually don't include anything on this blog that's especially personal but I've decided to make an exception here.Two quick things about me — I have a two-year-old daughter and a fairly unhealthy obsession with golf. Along with all the usual parenting stuff that I do — the reading, the encouraging, the diapering — I have spent just the tiniest amount of time marketing the game of golf to my

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1124812941668996792005-08-23T07:22:00.000-07:002005-08-24T09:06:39.070-07:00

Last week, Publicis announced that David Droga, resident boy wonder and worldwide creative director, was leaving. His tenure at Publicis has been, by most measures, a success — a burnished creative reputation, some new business, the requisite awards. This is a guy with the kind of job most creatives once dreamed about — power, independence, gobs of cash, perhaps an assistant hired largely to

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1124719478113261992005-08-22T06:33:00.000-07:002005-08-22T07:04:38.126-07:00

Flip-flops replaced by laceups. Yes, sensible shoes were a poignant reminder this morning that my week of vacation was officially over. (Of course, I could wear flip-flops in our office — dress codes are not really the thing around here. It's just that I'm unable to work while staring at my bare, slightly hairy toes. Feels like business-casual gone wildly awry.)There were some things that struck

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1123775604660624272005-08-11T08:34:00.000-07:002005-08-11T08:53:24.673-07:00

Regular readers of this blog know my opinions on the holding company model for ad agencies. So I was happy to see Wade Sturdivant over at Ad Pulp pile on. Well done. It's timely reading. This week, the New York Times covered the resignation of Bruce Nelson, the grand poohbah on the Bank of America business at Interpublic. He quit after BofA launched a review. Bruce claimed that IPG, a holding

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1123646520236714212005-08-09T20:48:00.000-07:002005-08-10T07:07:21.930-07:00

Over at Ad Pulp, they're covering talk about how blogs have jumped the shark now that they're mentioned in a Dell commercial. People are saying that blogs aren't cool anymore so they're going to start to wither and die. There's been similar talk on the podcast front lately as well. It all just so wildly misses the point. Blogs — and podcasts and vlogs and whatever other new mediums are out

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1123085774563307972005-08-03T09:16:00.001-07:002005-08-04T18:22:41.416-07:00

A senior marketing executive recently shared some thoughts with me about my entry on Roald Dahl and the need to create an audience of enthusiasts. His company — a multinational that's on an extraordinary run right now — defines a product effort that attempts to be all things to all people with a great term. They call it bland leadership. Nice. Quite cutting, isn't it?Whenever we create, we soon

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1122915994312993332005-08-01T10:04:00.000-07:002005-08-01T10:06:34.320-07:00

I try not to use our blog for blatant self-promotion since, of course, I generally favor thinly veiled self-promotion. But following my post about the flaws of the typical agency business model, I want to feature one our less than typical services. We develop and maintain company blogs and blog/podcasts. Sometimes it's part of web site development, but it certainly doesn't have to be that way. A

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1122663808348191762005-07-29T12:03:00.000-07:002005-07-29T12:03:28.350-07:00

Imagine you're pitching an idea for a business to a group of venture capitalists. This is your basic pitch.People ask us to make things. We make a number of different things in the hope that one of these things will be the precise thing they want. If it is, they'll continue to pay us to make things for them. Except that the other things won't be the same. They'll be similar, perhaps, but they

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1122389482929019022005-07-26T06:41:00.000-07:002005-07-29T12:18:44.960-07:00

I've run afoul of the political correctness police a few times myself, so I'm hardly a candidate to become indignant when an ad displays a woman's ample cleavage. (In the interest of being balanced, the link to the ad is over at Adrants, where they have a perspective that's different than mine.)New York's Advertising Week, an event I've already weighed in on, has many worked into a lather with

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1121999286434080412005-07-21T19:18:00.000-07:002005-07-21T19:32:27.086-07:00

With Charlie and the Chocolate Factory released, last week's New Yorker had a piece that sought to explain why author Roald Dahl is revered by children but loathed by adults. To me, it's more proof that the best products rarely have mass appeal. Success lies in reaching or creating an audience of enthusiasts. It's a simple, often forgotten concept that's true of nearly everything from

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1121374802856958422005-07-14T13:17:00.000-07:002005-07-14T14:00:02.863-07:00

I'm not a regular viewer of 60 Minutes, but like any American I have watched it from time to time. One segment from the show has stuck in my head for years. It was back in the early 1990s. I was living in New York, fresh out of college and just starting to make my way into advertising as a copywriter. I was completely enamored with advertising and especially agency creative departments. Getting

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1121204319346882722005-07-12T14:19:00.000-07:002005-07-13T00:14:58.263-07:00

So I hear that L.L. Bean is having an agency review after deciding to part ways with Martin/Williams. With the full understanding that inviting our firm to pitch the account would be about as likely as Dick Cheney joining the Democrats, I decide to send an email to L.L. Bean in the hope it might find its way to a sympathetic individual. This is what the email said:MAYBE YOUR NEXT AD AGENCY ISN'T

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1120657568423671202005-07-06T06:32:00.000-07:002005-07-06T06:46:08.426-07:00

I've always found it interesting how the celebration of our independence has fueled a rich, time-honored tradition of blowing stuff up. Not just on one day, but for days preceding the 4th and for days following the 4th. For a few days, it also becomes perfectly acceptable to allow your toddler to wander around with a crackling, flaming stick among other toddlers with crackling, flaming sticks.

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1119971054326720152005-06-28T07:59:00.000-07:002005-06-28T11:49:30.053-07:00

The new version of ITunes is worth downloading. The biggest change is the podcasting feature. Now instead of messing around with a separate podcasting application, you can subscribe to and manage podcast feeds from within ITunes. There's also a podcast directory in The Music Store. It seems to be a little buggy right now or perhaps it was simply repelled by the thought of The Curling Show. (

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1119838881420643882005-06-26T19:08:00.000-07:002005-06-27T06:37:18.970-07:00

Are these the people who are going to connect your brand with real people in honest, genuine ways? Oh, no, wait, it's these people. Sorry. My mistake. Here's your man. Sometimes this business just makes it so damn easy. Should image makers not be a bit more concerned with, ah, image?

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1119822524171543632005-06-26T14:39:00.000-07:002005-06-26T14:48:44.176-07:00

There's a great article in Sunday's New York Times that covers the transformation of a college town newspaper —  the Lawrence World Journal. Papers who struggle should make this outfit their benchmark. In Lawrence, they've decided that a newspaper reporter should also be able to do a video report online. And a lot more, for that matter. The key thing is they realize that trying to stay within

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1119559662996226302005-06-23T13:39:00.000-07:002005-06-23T13:48:40.340-07:00

One of our goals at Black Lab Five was to create content that we own. Our first media venture will strike many people as just plain odd, but we believe that niche sports are perfect for podcasting. And, as regular readers of this blog know, I'm passionate about a sport that's big in Canada but definitely niche in the United States — curling. I hope you'll listen to our first edition of The

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1119296331402995252005-06-20T12:10:00.000-07:002005-06-20T12:38:51.406-07:00

Recently, I was in a meeting with clients who had invited a few of their important business allies. It was one of those sessions meant to get feedback and share thoughts about advertising and marketing. Generally, I like these meetings, despite the fact that larger groups tend to shoot down promising ideas as quickly as clay pigeons. I do find that I usually learn something even if I have to

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1118766474740192112005-06-14T09:26:00.000-07:002005-06-14T20:33:11.943-07:00

You know how things that are really old have that smell? Musty. Funky. Old houses. Old shoes. Sometimes old people. The ad business. Today, the Times has news of Advertising Week in New York City. Man, does the ad biz ever look old. And tired. One thing it seems ad people have? No capacity for embarassment. After last year's event was basically a turd, the powers that be have decided to bring

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1118761545609286412005-06-14T07:55:00.000-07:002005-06-14T08:05:45.613-07:00

There's news from Mediapost that Adweek and Agency Finder are teaming up to create an agency search service. I can understand why Adweek is doing it — they need to find new revenue sources. But it sure does raise some questions. When Adweek chooses to run agency profiles, will they make selections based on whether the shop works with their agency search service? Will they write good things

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1118724177234546712005-06-13T21:38:00.000-07:002005-06-13T21:42:57.236-07:00

Actually, I think it's great. As someone prone to rather unsettling outbursts during the untangling of garden hoses, I'm thrilled that people are working on the issues that vex us all.

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1118723385037802222005-06-13T21:22:00.000-07:002005-06-13T21:29:45.036-07:00

One of my loyal readers commented on my podcast entry. He correctly stated that podcasts will serve a variety of purposes — some of it will be populist radio, some will be produced by big media companies. I agree with Dave completely. At Black Lab Five, we're currently developing podcasts for niche sports — we're aiming for well-produced specialized content. But I still don't understand big radio

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1118722882301929222005-06-13T21:01:00.000-07:002005-06-13T21:21:22.306-07:00

I flipped over from watching The Daily Show tonight to our local newscast for a moment. To News 3, Where News Comes First. (Except, apparently, they also have Weather First. Maybe it's News First unless the weather is the news. Whatever the case, I'm confused.)Actually, there are local newscasts far worse than ours here in Kalamazoo. But what struck me tonight was how little the local news

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1118406570966157652005-06-10T05:23:00.000-07:002005-06-10T05:29:30.973-07:00

Steve Jobs is saying the next version of ITunes will have a podcast feed feature. They may also start to offer paid podcasts. Leave it to Apple to figure out how to move podcasting closer to one-click technology. Commercial radio quietly weeps. I also think Jobs is right about "populist" podcasting. Right now, 99% of all podcasts are crap. I don't think people want populist radio. I think they

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1117631992688216652005-06-01T06:03:00.000-07:002005-06-01T06:19:52.710-07:00

Well, the upfront network media buying season is coming to a close. What a racket. The broadcast networks all pitching their wares. The senior media buyers gobbling down meals at Per Se. The junior media planners scarfing down crudite at yet another hot party. So what was the big news this year? Well, ABC, the also-ran of recent years, sold out. Sold it all and closed the books, my friends! So

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1117573958655270632005-05-31T14:01:00.000-07:002005-05-31T14:12:38.666-07:00

When you're running a small company, your enthusiasm can occasionally run a little low. The stretching of resources, the difficulties of pitching bigger business — sometimes one starts to wonder if it's just unrealistic to take on larger competitors. Whenever that happens here, we head over to a local place called Water Street Coffee Joint for inspiration. There are now two locations in

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1116790764201530182005-05-22T12:23:00.000-07:002005-05-22T12:48:44.313-07:00

As the woes of General Motors are reported daily in print and on television, Bob Lutz (with help, of course, from his communications team) continues to offer a refreshingly frank take on things on his Fastlane blog. What I really appreciate is the way that even negative comments — and there are plenty of them — remain published. It shows Bob realizes that being transparent and honest is

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1116472974870076072005-05-18T19:48:00.000-07:002005-05-18T20:46:35.560-07:00

A while back I wrote about print publications — which ones would live and which ones would die. Basically, my theory is that the print publications that are precious to their readers — the ones that people resist putting in the recycling bin — are the ones that will endure. Newsweek seems hell bent on bringing my predictions to fruition even faster than I had scheduled. Meanwhile, one of the

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1115998583026539772005-05-13T08:05:00.000-07:002005-05-13T08:50:18.080-07:00

I loathe adding to the relentless stream of blog entries about blogging and the blogosphere and blog etiquette and so forth. But I do think it's worth reading Steve Rubel over at MicroPersuasion for his take on how many in the business media are saying that blogs are overhyped and will never be adopted by business in any significant way. First, let me say that the naysayers could be right. Blogs

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1115692627897910842005-05-09T18:36:00.000-07:002005-05-09T19:45:37.786-07:00

The Four A's held their annual management conference last week. It was filled with the usual — faces flushed pink by one cocktail too many, hair plugs, and white men. Naturally, the 4A's also made sure they held their conference in a location that would help them achieve a deeper understanding of the typical American consumer. You know, Bermuda. (Not that one would expect anything different

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9540700.post-1115351834113833692005-05-05T20:25:00.000-07:002005-05-06T06:48:59.466-07:00

Mark Cuban, the guy who turned broadcast.com into a personal fortune that basically lets him do whatever the hell he wants, can be awfully annoying. The gaudy home, the smirk, the Jobs-ian devotion to a wardrobe that seems to consist of nothing but jeans and polo shirts. That said, one still has to admire his complete lack of concern about who he pisses off. He has authored a remarkably blunt

Dean Gemmellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00504500878395973292noreply@blogger.com0