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<title>
<![CDATA[Tully's Letters]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content352.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Every day, from sun-up to sun-down, Tully would scour the media for something important you might have missed. Then he'd write you a letter to let you know why it was worth paying attention and send it along with the clipping. People loved Tully's Letters. You will, too.]]>
</description>
<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[When is branding inappropriate?]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content978.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Normally, I&rsquo;m a fairly harsh critic of the way mainstream American news organizations report the news. I often find that they over-dramatize rather than simply report the facts, and to combine two clich&eacute;s, weekly/daily/hourly beat the proverbial dead horse to a pulp. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Wed, 18 Apr 2007 9:00 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Getting fiber into your fiber....]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content953.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[
More and more clothing manufacturers are taking a 'green' approach to the textiles they use to create their latest fashions... While hemp has been around for a while, and has mostly attracted a more bohemian following among it's supporters, here are a few other garden varieties that are making their way into the wardrobes of America.Bamboo -- as a crop, it is both flood and drought resistant. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Wed, 21 Mar 2007 9:00 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[You heard it here first...]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content957.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[It's no secret that Smith &amp;amp; Jones has been following a consumer segment called Cultural Creatives for a long time (see our UpMarket newletter issue: Peace, Love and Granola Bars).The idea of this emerging consumer segment is finally reaching the mainstream. The March 19 edition of BrandWeek recently published the following:
 
Lifestyles of Health &amp;amp; Sustainability (LOHAS) has created an index of the top socially and environmentally responsible companies, comparing corporate action to consumer perception. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Mon, 19 Mar 2007 5:00 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[And the winner for best coffee is.... McDonald's???]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content894.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[

Consumer Reports recently rated McDonald's Coffee more highly than Starbucks.  In their March issue, the magazine referred to the fast food giant's Premium Roast variety as 'cheapest and best.'  The tasting panel took their coffees black and without cream, milk or sugar. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Thu, 15 Mar 2007 1:00 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Who is Harvey Lewin and why should you care?]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content891.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Well... if you're a successful, upmarket brand like Hermes or New Balance, and you're faced with a marketplace that is flooded with knock-offs of your product, Harvey is the man that should be on your speed dial. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Wed, 14 Mar 2007 3:08 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Is innovation always good for the brand?]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content831.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[So... we've been talking about innovation and how a product or brand needs to be innovative to stay ahead of the curve and not become a commodity... ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Tue, 13 Mar 2007 4:00 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Managing consumer expectations]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content805.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Last year, a Los Angeles resident, Brenda Lifsey, purchased a tub of 'guacamole' which was produced by Kraft Foods.  After tasting the product, she didn't think that the taste of the avocado was truly present (for the uninitiated, guacamole is, for the most part, mashed up avocado). ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Thu, 01 Mar 2007 1:30 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Talk about brand advocacy....]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content804.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[A story on security issues surrounding the MAC OS X operating system was recently published in The Wall Street Journal.  Apparently two 'security experts,' Kevin Finisterre, a 26-year-old Ohioan and his mystery partner, named only as LMH, had announced through several security forums that January would be known as the &quot;Month Of Apple Bugs.&quot;  Their plan was to publish online a new security flaw with the MAC OS X system each day throughout the month. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Wed, 28 Feb 2007 5:00 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Prada takes on Apple Computer]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content740.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Last week we talked about the fact that ignoring or not embracing innovation for your product or brand can bring disastrous results.  Following up on that, LG Electronics, out of Seoul, Korea, just unveiled the Prada Phone. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:30 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[A little innovation goes a long way]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content733.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Columbia Business School's Bruce Greenwald once quipped, &quot;In the long run, everything is a toaster...&quot;  What he was alluding to was the theory that products, such as a toaster, that undergo spectacular innovations eventually end up as commodities.  According to a recent Wall Street Journal article however, ignoring innovation and cutting prices can be fatal. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Thu, 11 Jan 2007 12:00 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[The problem with branding]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content726.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Over the New Year&rsquo;s holiday, I was speaking to an acquaintance about the prospects for the coming year when he began lamenting about &ldquo;the problem with branding.&rdquo; His concern was that a college in a nearby town was celebrating the coming of a Starbucks, slated to open sometime this month on the same block as an independent, local upscale coffee shop.

What was different about this conversation from the typical &ldquo;down with the big bad out of town company coming in to compete with the local player&rdquo; argument? My acquaintance was not putting down Starbucks for their &ldquo;open up next to a successful local competitor&rdquo; citing strategy. 

He wasn&rsquo;t putting down the college for their insensitivity to the local business owner, either. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Tue, 02 Jan 2007 11:00 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Is a cell phone today's car?]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content703.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[

Once upon a time, the car one drove defined the person behind the wheel.  For a generation gone by, how it was customized said a great deal about the owner, much in the same way as the type of phone one carries today. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Thu, 07 Dec 2006 4:00 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[The Show with Ze Frank: Web content worth your time]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content680.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[A long time friend of mine, Cathy Frank, has a son named Josiah (Ze, as he is affectionately called by family, friends and strangers alike). Ze is rather talented, like his mom, who is an accomplished artist, chef, jeweler and past gallery owner. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:30 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Wake up this Black Friday]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content641.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Black Friday is, for many, the most anticipated shopping day of the year. Select high profile items such as flat screen televisions, digital camcorders and a smattering of diamond jewelry accessories are ear marked by retailers as 'door busters' -- limited quantities of items with a normally high price point that are drastically reduced to lure consumers into the store at the unheard of hour of 5:00 am.&amp;nbsp; While this tactic may work in the short run, it is up to a retailer to define strategies that will continue to draw the spending public to their wares and facilitate brand advocacy.&amp;nbsp; A key component to success is the ability to integrate a bricks and mortar operation with a easy-to-do online shopping experience. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Wed, 22 Nov 2006 9:45 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Thanksgiving goes upmarket]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content639.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[As the day approaches, countless Martha Stewart wannabes are preparing their Thanksgiving menus. For many, the goal is to not only feed the masses gathered around their dinner tables, but to 'wow' them with their culinary talent and deliver an upmarket epicurean experience. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Tue, 21 Nov 2006 8:35 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Sony PS3, Nintendo Wii launch, human behavior takes a dive]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content628.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[This past weekend saw the launch of Sony's Playstation 3, or PS3 as it's more commonly known. Nintendo also launched their newest gaming console, the Wii. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:45 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[McDonald's and KFC making upmarket moves]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content626.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Like other fast food chains, McDonald's and KFC are trying to maintain
their core customer, men between 15 and 35 years old, while pulling in
others who are increasingly seeking alternatives to their offerings.McDonald's Forever Young concept is designed to help draw more customers into their stores and compel them to stay longer.  Restaurant remodeling can include meeting rooms for business purposes or big family parties. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Wed, 15 Nov 2006 2:23 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Direct mail response statistics, compiled by NewPage]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content585.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[I received a direct mailing today from NewPage, a company that wants me to buy better paper for the direct mail campaigns I produce. Inside are a few interesting statistics, which I am sharing here in case you aren't on their mailing list:In stores, scents can increase sales by up to 350%. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Oct 2006 4:00 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Doppelgangers a sign of brand value?]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content586.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[There's a great article in the October 15, 2006 issue of the AMA's Marketing News: Doppelgangers: Monitor parodies to measure brand value. Are consumer parodies of brand messaging damaging to a brand, or are they a sign of a brands strength and desirability? The argument for the latter is pretty impressive. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Sun, 15 Oct 2006 1:00 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Are there brands that can't move upmarket?]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content578.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[I was searching around the Internet today and ran into this story about how Wal-Mart is experimenting with moving its brand upmarket. My first thought was why they would even try. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Tue, 10 Oct 2006 6:30 pm]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[How not to protect the corporate jewels]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content577.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[This morning I went through the pile of articles and papers I've been collecting for the past couple of months. Most of them made it to the circular file, but one I kept was a story from the June 26 issue of The Wall Street Journal detailing Zale Corp.'s failed attempt to go upmarket. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Fri, 06 Oct 2006 9:45 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Is your upmarket brand protected?]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content574.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Great story in yesterday's Sunday New York Times about Harvard University's new publication, 02138 (no link available at the time of this publication). It seems that the venerable upmarket institution sees value in promoting the fact a small number of its many graduates have gone upmarket themselves. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Mon, 02 Oct 2006 8:59 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Follow the money? How about the brains?]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content573.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[If you're paying attention to what we find interesting here at Smith &amp;amp; Jones, you know we spend a lot time following the Cultural Creatives. Here's another group we find fascinating: America's Educated Elite. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Sat, 16 Sep 2006 9:05 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[After a few cyclones and a tsunami?]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content571.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[There's a great story in the International Business section of this morning's New York Times profiling Club Med's recent decision to move aggressively upmarket. They're investing a lot in this venture and admit that it is necessary to remain in business long-term. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Tue, 05 Sep 2006 10:15 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Ah, the changing marketing model]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content491.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Like a lot of other agency people, I've seen a tremendous shift in how
clients think about the big picture marketing model. Whereas, a decade
ago, a simple, tight and effective marketing plan could be created
using good old print, radio, TV, billboards and direct mail, all with
good results, it's clear those days are over for good. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Sun, 27 Aug 2006 10:05 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[Brand manual vs. brand evangelist?]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content357.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[Why do I have to choose one over the other?
OK. Every once in a while I read something that starts out making a lot of sense, then crashes and burns in the summation. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Aug 2006 9:15 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>
<![CDATA[A great research report on blogging]]>
</title>
<link>
<![CDATA[http://www.smithandjones.com/content449.html]]>
</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[The one thing we love more than eye-opening research is free eye-opening research. Nora Barnes of the University of Massachusetts recently reached out to experienced bloggers and asked them what are the keys to successful blogging for marketers. ]]>
</description>
<pubDate>
<![CDATA[Fri, 04 Aug 2006 10:45 am]]>
</pubDate>
</item>

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