Being Generic: RadioShack Becomes The Shack

When most people talk about "The Shack," they are probably talking about the controversial book by Paul Young, except in Santa Monica. In Santa Monica, "The Shack" probably means a place to party with wings, burgers, and other things, except basketball. If you mention "The Shaq" within a context even close to sports, social networks, or down-to-earth celebrity, there can be only one.And yet, for the strange oddball "rebranding"...

Seeing The Future: Cellular South

If you want to see a glimpse of things to come, Cellular South might provide a stellar example. Its new integrated sports programming initiative is hyper-local and mobile. "Y'all vs. Us" features original programming around five of the South's biggest high school football rivalries. In addition to television broadcasts of the five biggest rivalry games, the initiative includes a 10-episode television reality series...

Fearing Social Media: Executives

According to a new survey by Minneapolis-based Russell Herder and Ethos Business Law, fear continues to underpin companies considering social media. • 51 percent percent of executives fear it will be detrimental to employee productivity.• 49 percent fear that participation will likely damage company reputation.Among companies that have not considered social media as part of their communication plan, it's much the...

Smelling Fish: The White House

As an award-winning former campaign and political reporter with experience covering the Enron scandal in 2002 turned senior campaign advisor for the Obama campaign, Linda Douglas told Media Bistro that "my intention is that I won't spin … I absolutely vow that I will tell the truth.” Unfortunately, it seems something happened on her way to the White House. As communications director for the administration’s Health Reform...

Exploring Social Media Semantics: Falls

Jason Falls, principal of Social Media Explorer LLC, presented a potential challenge with social media: not everyone who practices it is comfortable with the term. And while many carry similar definitions, few have embraced the same definition. The good news is that it doesn't matter when people listen. The bad news is people don't always listen, which can confuse the professional arena (probably not the personal arena...

Weaving Messages: Real Advertising Works

"The consumer isn't a moron; she is your wife." — David OgilvyIn 1951, David Ogilvy, a principal in the firm that was then called Ogilvy, Benson, and Mather, met Ellerton Jette, president of C.F. Hathaway. Hathaway agreed to pay $3,000 for an advertising campaign provided Jette would not change a single word of copy. The "Man in the Hathaway Shirt" campaign became one of the top 100 advertising campaigns of all time....