Leonard Lopate show on WNYC:
“In Deluxe, Newsweek writer Dana Thomas tells the stories behind the world’s most famous luxury labels: how they came to be, why consumers love them, and where they fit in today’s global economy.
Purchase Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster at amazon.com.
Weigh in: Have luxury goods lost their
That Barton Fink Feeling: Authors As Brands
NY Times: “The Ludlum Conundrum: A Dead novelist Provides New Thrills”
“Robert Ludlum died six years ago, but that has done nothing to slow the release of books published under the name of the actor-turned-novelist who specialized in thrillers built on a foundation of paranoia.
Since his death in 2001, 12 books with
“Latest Trend: Trading Down”
Barrons: “Latest Trend: Trading Down” (no free online version): quoting a survey by WSL Strategic Retail as to whether consumers had stopped buying their usual brands in 14 cateogires becuase the price was too high:
“A full 45% of those surveyed said they gave up on thier favorite cosmetic because of price inflation. And 42%
New Trademark Law Blog: Beauty Marks
Friend and former Westchester, now Seattle resident Jessica Stone Levy has begun a new blog “Beauty Marks” featuring ‘miscellaneous thoughts about trademarks and branding.”
Re-positioning Iraq
WaPo: “The Pentagon Gets A Lesson From Madison Avenue“:
“In the advertising world, brand identity is everything. Volvo means safety. Colgate means clean. IPod means cool. But since the U.S. military invaded Iraq in 2003, its “show of force” brand has proved to have limited appeal to Iraqi consumers, according to a recent
Harry Potter and the Product Placement
You have to wonder how much Scholastic Books had to pay to get the White House to make Voldemort president for a few hours on Saturday.
Medico Cigarette Holders
Ten Greatest Alcohol Icons
Modern Drunkard Magazine: “Ten Greatest Alcohol Icons” (depicted here, The Hamm’s Bear).
A Very Comprehensive To-Do List For Brand Protection
A very long list of things to do for brand protection on the Internet, written by Erik Heels. This is a very comprehensive list – and as I read it, I think of the inhouse departments that feel that they don’t have the resources for the ‘gotta haves,’ let along the ‘nice to haves.’
Static v Dynamic Branding
Johnson Banks: “All Change” (On ‘dynamic’ that is to say multiple brand identities):
“The age of the static brand is coming to an end. Organisations, companies, institutions, even charities are realizing that having identity schemes that ‘flex’ and adapt to circumstances are more appropriate in the multi-channel, multi-lingual world that brands now inhabit.”