Mobile’s Exorbitant Fee Structure Inhibits Innovation

DigitalNext

You want to know why it’s hard to list 10 mobile success stories? Because it’s too expensive for a guy in a dorm room to innovate, writes Craig Daitch.

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To Get Teen Attention, JCPenney Becomes Player in Game World

Traffic to gaming sites goes up in the summer as kids have more free time. Meanwhile, JCPenney launches a gaming-heavy back-to-school campaign. Coincidence? We think not.

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Behind Nike’s Lawsuit Lies a Branding Story

Battle With EMS Is Latest Controversy Surrounding Google’s Search-Term Bidding Policy

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — There’s a fight brewing over the lightweight, wicking apparel technology known as Dri-Fit — but the battle is about search marketing and the right to bid on trademarked terms.

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The Pitfalls of Megabranding Consumers Don’t Necessarily Want More Choice

Al Ries on Marketing

The rampant proliferation of flavor variations has a downside. Consumers are getting confused. A number of research studies have shown that the more choices a consumer has, the more likely that consumer will be unhappy with the choice he or she does make. (The only people who are getting excited about the proliferation of product flavors and variations are the VPs in charge of slotting fees.)

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Succession Rumors Circle P&G, Unilever

CEOs Patrick Cescau and A.G. Lafley Show Signs of Stepping Down

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) — Speculation is mounting that the chieftains of two of the world’s biggest advertisers, Procter & Gamble Co. and Unilever, are laying plans to step down. Neither company will confirm or deny the chatter, and both have pointed to strong succession plans in place.

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How to Bridge the Digital Gap and Keep Ahead Brand-Building Principles Have Changed, but It’s Now Easier Than Ever to Understand Consumers

CMO Strategy

In writing my book “BrandDigital,” it was fascinating for me to see the knowledge gaps between those who did and didn’t know how to make sense of the latest digital branding opportunities.

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Creativity Weekly Top 5

HBO Serves Up ‘True Blood’; Guinness Turns on the Lights; Life Lessons From a Film Festival and Other Work Watch the Videos In this week’s episode of Creativity’s Top 5, HBO serves up bloody intrigue for a new series; ESPN takes its promos live and unscripted; Guinness lights up an ordinary office building to look like a fresh pint; a Czech film fest passes on a life lesson; and Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett reunite for a BBC Olympics spot based on a storied Chinese tale. FULL ARTICLE

Captivate Elevator News Network Adds Blogs, Expands Digital Ad Strategy A 3 Minute Ad Age Video Report NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Those elevator screens your can’t avoid on your trek to and from the office are about to start following you back to your desk. Gannett’s Captivate system, which reaches about 2.6 million riders daily, has launched seven blogs and is revamping its website to work in tandem with its elevator screens. The goal of the project is to make the elevator network capable of interacting with its viewers. FULL ARTICLE

‘Black Copy’ Blog Says It All in One Post Put This on Your Reading List Today The Big Tent Edye Deloch-Hughes’ must-read post on her blog, Black Copy, describes her first attempts to get into the business way back in the, uh, early ’80s — you know, after the first storm following the civil-rights movement and the first New York City Commission on Human Rights investigation fizzled away and was forgotten by all those people who promised to do better. FULL ARTICLE

Is It a Good Time to Buy Holding Co. Stock?

Diversification Is Helping Ad Groups Weather Economic Turmoil

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Even as ad cutbacks roil TV networks and newspaper publishers, the recession has yet to make a serious dent in the performance of the multinational conglomerates responsible for creating and placing the lion’s share of advertising.

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‘Mad Men’ as Fashion Muse AMC Hit Has Brought Back the Skinny Tie, Slim Suits and Pearls — and Inspired a Michael Kors Line

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — “Mad Men” has conjured up nostalgia, hostility and more than a few Emmy nominations. And now the slick world of Sterling Cooper is inspiring fashionistas everywhere.

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Prius Prices Outrun Inventory

Consumers Clamor for Fuel-Efficient Cars; Used Models of Red-Hot Hybrid Command Top Dollar

DETROIT (AdAge.com) — In June, a used 2008 Prius with almost 8,000 miles on the odometer sold for nearly $1,300 more than a new one. There aren’t enough of the world’s first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrids to go around.

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PSAs That Actually Work and Don’t Beat You Over the Head Campbell-Ewald Delivers a Simple, Non-Syrupy Message About Being a Good Dad

Garfield’s Ad Review

From Campbell-Ewald comes a pro bono campaign that defines parental responsibility down, to the simple act of spending time with the kids. The sponsor is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The 30-second PSAs are adorable.

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On the Set of the New ‘Food Detectives’ With Ted Allen

A 3 Minute Ad Age Video Report

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Ted Allen, whose roles on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and “Top Chef” have made him a world-famous foodie, launched his latest show on the Food Network last week, “Food Detectives.” Ad Age media reporter Andrew Hampp went on the Screen Gems Studios set to interview Mr. Allen as he taped an upcoming episode. The Food Network and Popular Science magazine have teamed for the first time to do the science-based program.

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Students Rank Social Responsibility Survey Finds Green Has Grown in Importance of Brand Choice at Colleges

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — This September, some 13.6 million college students with $237 billion in spending power will be making their way across campuses in the U.S., according to Alloy Media & Marketing. But marketers shouldn’t expect to see any of that green unless they are willing to show some themselves.

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Election Year Rains Millions on Media Outlets

And With Less Than 100 Days to go Until November, There’s Billions More to Be Spent

Campaign Trail

While there are less than 100 days left to the election, there are still billions of dollars to be spent on ads. With the countdown to Election 2008 upon us, here is your viewing guide to all things political advertising — from what we have seen to what we expect will keep us talking.

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Advertising 5.0: Who Will You Be? As Upheavals Continue, Many Could Be in for a Rude Awakening

Small Agency Diary

What will the world of advertising look like for small agencies in five years? More important, what will your agency look like in five years? My crystal ball says many of us are in for a rude awakening.

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