Advertising/Media

There’s a privacy bill zooming around the California state legislature (SB 761) ostensibly designed to restrict Web site operators from making malicious changes to site visitors’ computer settings. The bill further prohibits site operators from collecting, storing and transferring information gathered surreptitiously online, such as through cookies, and requires opt-out mechanisms.

Got no problem with the first part, although it’s probably more toothless and feel-good than practical: Offshore miscreants aren’t going to give a damn about the state of California shaking its finger at them, and legitimate businesses walk the line when it comes to installing malwear or preventing software from being uninstalled.

But there are a few casual sentences and phrases in the bill which, due to their vagueness, could potentially be killers of the marketing data industry. more

Anyone who wanted to learn some vital tips for performing well in the annual MCM Awards would’ve found them during Wednesday’s session, “10 Things To Learn From This Year’s Print Catalog Winners,” at the MCM Live Conference in New York City.

Lois Brayfield, president of J. Schmid & Associates; Glenda Shasho Jones, president of Shasho Jones Direct; and Geoff Batrouney, executive vice president of Estee Marketing Group, spearheaded the informative session telling attendees what to do and what not to do.

Here are some of the points the group discussed:

Create authority: When you can tout a “Best In Class” accolade, use it. It certainly makes you an authority. Show real-life examples and provide useful product information like New Pig does in its catalog. Create a strong, differentiated positioning that is owned.

Marketing innovation: There were very few breakout ideas from this year’s print catalog entries. Entry forms were not complete and circulation plans were unremarkable and ordinary. Some entries offered imprecise and “fuzzy” numbers with little documentation regarding circulation strategies. more

I’ll admit it: I love television. Love, love, love it. Dramas, comedies, reality shows, cartoons….love it.

I even like commercials. Of course, I watch a lot less of them these days, thanks to my DVR, which I love, love, love as well.

The ones we do like, however, get watched multiple times. We’ll even rewind the DVR to watch our favorites—the Planet Gym spot has gotten numerous viewings. (Not that it inspired anyone in my house to exercise, but we repeated “I lift things up and put them down” a lot.)

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Apparently two things are inevitable when you cover new marketing technology as much as I do. First, you become attuned to the point at which technical explanations no longer make sense, and you have to look for help in dumbing it down to their least-geeky essence.

And second, you’re almost bound to become something of a shade-tree legal expert, since almost all of these new tech platforms contain the seeds of class-action suits. more

Does the name Elmer Lynn Hauldren ring a bell?

If not, it’s because he didn’t sell bells, but carpeting. Lots of it. He was best known as the Empire Carpet Man, and he passed away at the age of 89 on April 27th, 2011.

If you grew up in the Midwest, this guy was a legend. Take a peek at one of his commercials here.

Unlike so many pitchmen, this guy was the grandfatherly type, who oozed honesty. R.I.P.

As the late deadline for entering the 2011 PRO Awards looms (May 11), it’s an appropriate time to take a look back at last year’s Best Overall winner: “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day.” In addition to exceptional planning and execution, two outside influences helped raise that campaign to the top of the pack among hundreds and hundreds of stellar entries.

For one thing, the economy was a mess. Visits to Walt Disney World had fallen off and the expense of vacationing there, even for a day, was out of reach for many. So Disney offered 1 million people a free day at its parks if they donated some of their time and energy to a charity. more