Author Archives: Michael Robertson

“Selling” is no longer cool. So what is the role of advertising?

Oct03
2011

Al Hampel, a well known, New York based creative director in the 1980s, laid out a set of rules for creating effective advertising.  Kind of a ten commandments of “do’s” and “don’ts” he expected his creative department to follow.  At …
Continue »

Comments: post a comment
Author: Michael Robertson
Category: Advertising, Branding, Interactive, Marketing, Media, Point of Sale
Tagged: , ,

Where Are All The Mad Men Going?

Aug16
2011

A lot is being written lately about the exodus of senior creative talent from agencies. Highly- paid, award-winning creative directors who have made it to the top of the agency heap are walking away from their corner offices and annual, …
Continue »

Comments: (1)
Author: Michael Robertson
Category: Marketing
Tagged:

Are award shows a waste of time and money?

Jun26
2011

There are many awards shows in the world of advertising. Oh, sorry, it’s not “advertising” anymore,it’s . . . well it’s just whatever. There’s the One Show, the Clios, the D&AD, the Andy Awards, The Addys. The list goes on …
Continue »

Comments: (1)
Author: Michael Robertson
Category: Marketing
Tagged: ,

Food Emporium

May02
2011

The Food Emporium is a high quality supermarket chain operating primarily in Manhattan.  Over the years, it has built its reputation on catering to the sophisticated and demanding tastes of New York City shoppers.  To introduce the store’s new online …
Continue »

Comments: (1)
Author: Michael Robertson
Category: Branding
Tagged: ,

Is it time Geico
killed the gecko?

Dec14
2010

I can hear the boos already.  What?  Kill the Gecko?  We love the Gecko!  Sure the Gecko is cute and green and has that charming English accent.  Without a doubt, he has been an excellent branding device for Geico Insurance.   …
Continue »

Comments: (1)
Author: Michael Robertson
Category: Branding
Tagged: , , , ,

Thomas J. Lipton – the Man and the Brand

Nov29
2010

If you’re a tea drinker, you probably associate the name “Lipton’s” with boxes of inexpensive tea bags and the slogan, “The Brisk Tea”.  But a hundred years ago, the name “Lipton’s” stood for a lot more.  “Lipton’s” was the biggest …
Continue »

Comments: post a comment
Author: Michael Robertson
Category: Branding
Tagged: , ,

Asking for Approval.

Nov17
2010

The Gap introduces a new logo.  A firestorm of criticism breaks out.  They kill it and go back to the old one.  Tropicana institutes a major packaging redesign.  The reviews are terrible.  Six months later the old packaging is back …
Continue »

Comments: (1)
Author: Michael Robertson
Category: Branding
Tagged: , ,

Is traditional media the real winner in the 2010 elections?

Nov01
2010

At $3 billion and counting, the 2010 elections have set a record for spending by political candidates.  That this happened while millions of Americans are out of work, and the country is still suffering from the financial crisis and the …
Continue »

Comments: (1)
Author: Michael Robertson
Category: Media
Tagged: , , ,

Retargeted Ads: You Can Run But You Can’t Hide

Aug31
2010

As far back as the 1980s, people complained that there were just too many ads. Researchers estimated that the average consumer could be exposed to about 8,000 ad messages per day. There was real concern that so much exposure could …
Continue »

Comments: post a comment
Author: Michael Robertson
Category: Interactive, Marketing
Tagged: , , ,

Paid Pitches: A New Trend in Business?

Aug18
2010

Advertising agencies have always had a love/hate relationship with new business pitches. We all love to win new business. But we hate the process of a pitch. A big (or even a small) pitch can tie up agency personnel for …
Continue »

Comments: (2)
Author: Michael Robertson
Category: Advertising, Marketing
Tagged: , , , , ,