Advertising Age - Rance Crain

We Can't Move Forward if Cautious Marketers Stand in Way of Innovation

The marketing mantra has always been to give the customer what he or she wants, but that approach pretty much precludes giving consumers things they don't know they want or haven't thought of. And are marketers sometimes "held captive by their customers" -- proclaiming they don't want an improvement or new technology because it would be too disruptive to their normal behavior?

With U.S. Consumers Tapped Out, Other Markets Must Float Our Economy

So how do we wean ourselves away from outmoded economic models? One answer for the economy in general is to move away from reliance on consumer and housing and toward business investment and exports. Let other nations take up the slack.

Verizon Wouldn't Have Dared Challenge the Cingular Brand

Would Verizon have picked a fight with AT&T if Cingular was still the main brand?

At 90, Direct-Marketing Legend Wunderman Looks Forward to 'Personal Advertising' Future

Lester Wunderman, the founder of Wunderman Ricotta & Klein in 1958, is responsible for such seminal direct-marketing innovations as the 1-800 toll-free number for ordering merchandise, the magazine-subscription card and the first custom-rewards program. But what got him elected to the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame is how he fundamentally changed the nature of the business.

The Real Scoop on Ad Age in the 'Mad Men' Era

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Ad Age Editor in Chief Rance Crain offers a glimpse into what our news organization was really like during the "Mad Men" era.

If Ad Industry Doesn't Have Debate on Ethics, It's Doomed to Repeat Its Mistakes

It's high time for the ad industry to formalize the process of ethical debate and discussion -- to bring up issues that many people in the business would rather not talk about.

Dan Edelman Reflects on the Birth of a Public-Relations Giant

"Poor people, poor PR" was Dan Edelman's reason for hiring the best and smartest people. Today, Dan's company ranks as the biggest independently owned PR firm in the world, with offices in 51 countries around the globe and about 3,300 employees.

Why Agencies -- and the Media -- Are Reluctant to Bet It All on Value-Compensation Systems

Value-based compensation in the agency world has about as much chance of catching on as it does in the media world. The media, I've discovered, are equally reluctant to bet the farm on pay-for-results schemes.

Pennsylvania Shows Democrats Can Learn From Domino's

Has Domino's given Democrats a playbook to skirt disaster in the midterm elections? It seems to have worked in Pennsylvania.

BP's 'Beyond Petroleum' Slogan Becoming Toxic

I said it once and I'll say it again: British Petroleum should get off its high horse and concentrate on being a better oil company.

Stressed-Out, Skeptical Clients Need Trusting Agency Relationships

Why stressed-out and skeptical clients need trusting advertising agency relationships in today's changing landscape.

Consumer Mistrust of Politics Spills Over to Brands

With all that's going on, you could easily build a case that these are not the best of times for brand building -- and they're the perfect storm for brand teardowns.

80 Years Later, Ad Age Still Lighting the Way

What do I like most about my favorite publication's 80th birthday? It's that we've renewed our ties with young people through the academic community.

Geier's 'Survive to Thrive' Offers Look at Culture That Built IPG

Philip H. Geier Jr. has had to deal with some pretty tough characters in his years as chairman-CEO of Interpublic Group of Cos.

Why Delta Is No Longer in the Airlines Business

I'm very much afraid the government has created a dangerous precedent by bailing out the "too big to fail" banks, insurance firms and auto companies.

Newspapers Ought to Embrace the Pay-Per-Inquiry Ad Model

If newspapers had faith in their medium, they'd embrace pay-per-inquiry advertising.

U.S. Appears Hypocritical in Demanding Visa for Reporter

The editor of our German-language newspaper, AutomobilWoche, was denied entry into the U.S. to cover the North American International Auto Show in Detroit because he didn't have a visa.

Dubai's Media Censorship Fuels 'Double Standard' It Denounces

Hiding behind "politically correct" financial terms that have the effect of denying reality won't help bring the changes Dubai Chamber of Commerce President Obaid Humaid Al Tayer thinks are so necessary.

Inconspicuous Consumption Will Motivate Consumers in Next Decade

If it's true, as the Wall Street Journal reports, that the new consumer is "embarrassed by flashy shows of wealth," then it's marketing's job to encourage inconspicuous consumption.

Welcome to the 21st Century. Now, Let's Fix the Mess

How could so many things go wrong in one decade?

Even at Age 90, the Irrepressible Stan Cohen Covers All the Bases

Stan Cohen -- my first boss and my best boss -- celebrated his 90th birthday recently amid a gala get-together of his many friends and business associates.

Marketers Go for Squeeze Play, but the Basic Rules Still Count

It doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's how you play the game. Baloney, say major marketers who are apparently tired of paying hefty sponsorship fees no matter if their teams win or lose.

Advertising Is Alive and Well in Chicago -- and at U of Illinois

The University of Illinois advertising department celebrated its 50th anniversary last month by hosting a daylong symposium on both the challenges and opportunities facing ad students at the school.

Advice to B-to-B Publishers: Don't Lose Personal Sales Touch

Instead of providing access to their responsive and involved audiences, B-to-B publishers now find themselves being paid on a per-lead basis.

Don't Just Sit There, Innovate Your Way Out of the Downturn

The way out of the recession is not to wait for an uptick. The way out is to create our own uptick. Here are a few examples of what we're doing at Crain Communications.

Marketing Must Take Its Share of Blame for the Economic Crisis

Why are so many of our major industries in trouble, beyond the current economic meltdown? Al Ries and I recently wondered why marketing wasn't being blamed for its share of the problem.

FDA Cheerios Challenge Shows Rise of Third World Mentality

Barack Obama won the election based on his promise of meaningful change, yet his own regulatory agencies are stuck in the Dark Ages. And we'll continue to spend billions on drugs that promise more than they deliver, are based on often shoddy research and have unknown side effects that could be worse than what they're supposed to cure. I fear that this resistance to change has infiltrated our whole society. Everywhere you look you see a relentless rallying around the status quo.

Parade's Walter Anderson Reveals the Secret of His Success

Walter Anderson just retired as chairman-CEO of Parade Publications, and he's already accepted a new job.

Deceitful Financial Infomercial Tars Entire Advertising Industry

The good news is that cable TV shows like "Mad Men" have raised the profile of ad agencies among the general public. The bad news is that such programs have made ad agencies easier to blame for some of the sins of the world.

E-Trade's Utton on Relevance, Ad Intuition and Talking Babies

E-Trade has booked thousands of new accounts since it began running its talking-baby TV commercials, starting with the 2008 Super Bowl. But back then, the baby spots had a whole different tenor than they do now.