Brand Spanking News: filter by author: smithandjones

Furniture retailer takes shot at vacation travel

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Raymour & Flannigan furniture is advertising Staycations - they want you to...

Gone Fishing

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I went King Salmon Fishing in Alaska. And I have the pictures to prove it.

Waiting in lines

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This morning, I took one of my employees to The Apple Store to purchase the new iPhone 3G. We've been rather swamped lately, he's put in more than his share of extra time and he really wanted one, so I thought this would be a nice thank you.

Branded online travel searches on the rise

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

During my weekend reading, I came across another study about the role search is playing in travel marketing. Again, the results point to the power of brand...

Can a travel search engine inspire me to go?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In a recent article on SearchEngineWatch.com, Elisabeth Osmeloski discusses two new travel search sites that are designed to "inspire" users to go places. The sites, Uptake (formerly Kanga) and TravelMuse, certainly package travel and tourism "information" differently than the current top booking sites. But "inspiration"? Please.

What does your LinkedIn network say about you?

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I was bouncing around my LinkedIn account last night and a funny thought came to mind:What does your number of LinkedIn connections say about you?

Camp Chingachgook vs. your destination

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I dropped off my daughter at summer camp this morning. She's going to be an assistant counselor, working the next nine weeks for $11 per day (typical day = 8am - 10pm. She could make close to $11 an hour as a swimming instructor).

What do toasters have to do with brand loyalty?

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A few years back, we bought a Dualit toaster from Williams Sonoma. It was a great toaster, and looked great on the counter. Stainless steel exterior, one year warranty, the works. Last week, it suddenly stopped working.

Amygdalas and fMRIs and branding, oh my

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In the current issue of UpMarket, Vol. II, Issue 5: Keeping a brand upmarket in a downturn, I discuss the Amygdala and its triggering of the fight or flight response during a recession.

Dead brand illustrates value of branding

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

There's a great article in today's New York Times about the continued brand recall of Altria cast-off Brim...

A memorable fundraising event

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Yesterday afternoon, my wife and I went to the annual fund raising gala for the Arts Center of the Capital Region. It was the best fund raising event I've been to in a very, very long time. What made it so?

Is the air free, or what?

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Yesterday, I was helping my wife in the garden. She needed the wheelbarrow, which needed air in one of its tires (tubeless, separated from the rim, too much for my hand pump to handle - but that's another story).

I removed the tire, threw it in the trunk and headed down to one of the two mini mart / gas stations closest to my house. I drove right past the one that sells air for 50 and went to the one that has free air, but charges 3 more for gas.

It's Memorial Day Weekend

Sat, 24 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I'm taking a three day weekend. I deserve it, and so do you.

What's the future of the American Idol brand?

Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I have a prediction: If David Archuletto wins American Idol tonight, the show will see a huge drop in viewership next year.

What is a brand?

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

For more than twenty years, I've held firm to the position that a brand is what the consumer says it is. So what do they say it is?

Special Sauce

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Last night we didn't want to cook so we went to a new restaurant that just opened down the hill from our house - Brunswick Barbecue & Brew. We took our kids along, two certified vegetarians (see the irony?).

Paddle Me, Please

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Went to the Adirondack Paddlefest in Old Forge this weekend to look for a second sea kayak. The festival is put on each year by Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company, and is one of, if not the largest paddlefest in the Northeast.

Moheb, falafel man and brand strategist

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

There's an Egyptian cafe called Marmora right down the street from my office. It's run by a gentleman named Moheb, who does all the cooking, most of the table waiting and busing. Every time I walk into his restaurant, Mo greets me with a big smile.

Live Richly, Deadbeat

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Last month, I bought a new mattress. It was a super premium mattress, 100% latex with organic cotton cover. It's made by King Koil, a brand I've trusted for 30 years.

Northworst Airlines

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I flew to Memphis this weekend with my family. Unlike most of my trips lately, when flights have been delayed or missed and I had to be "re-routed", not much was memorable about this flight.