My Little Soap Box... @kimberlycrunden - Tumblr Blog

It will be us that must teach his legacy!

Yes that is Will Farrell with my phone taking our picture!! It was nuts #willfarrell #ronburgundyschoolofcommunication #ronburgundy #notwjatimeantwheniaskedforapicturewithhim

#ronburgundyschoolofcommunication #notwjatimeantwheniaskedforapicturewithhim #willfarrell #ronburgundy

Story Telling One Mannequin at a Time

Well the holiday season is here and with it comes crowds, ice-skating, screaming kids, and shopping...lots and lots of shopping! Just this past week I was in New York City visiting family and was pleasantly surprised as I walked around the city and found something, apart from the usual tourist attractions, that caught my eye. Store after store had these amazingly intricate window displays. Now it used to be that store windows were decorated with the latest gadgets and fairly creepy mannequins adorning the current fashion trends. Windows were used to give shoppers and pedestrians a sneak peak of what was inside with the hope of incentivizing the majority to come in. Often around the holidays, there would be some decorations to grab attention and maybe some fake snow sprayed onto the glass if the store decided to get really creative. So imagine my surprise as I noticed how insanely ornate store windows had become.

Each and every store is trying to tell a story. Whether it’s life at the beach, a snow vacation done right, or a Japanese moon boot fashion craze, no two store fronts were the same. At Hollister on 5th avenue, the windows were complemented by a fountain that made it seem as if the LED screens of waves were crashing into the water right at your feet. Not far away was Uniqlo, which used every available inch, including the shaft elevators, to tell their story of being young and fashion forward. It was amazing to watch the mannequins travel 3 stories up and down every time someone called for the elevator. How innovative! Next, was an entire store wrapped like a present, complete with a red bow. Just imagine the sheer beauty of walking down 5th Avenue in Manhattan and seeing the amazing stories popping out at every corner. Last but not least was Anthropolgie near Rockefeller Plaza. Their window display was so intricate and ornate, it should have been in a museum. Complete with a cotton mill, life-sized matryoshka dolls, and animals made out of paper, it was amazingly simple in design and beautifully executed. It told the story of a cold winter that would be complete with quality clothes and beautiful accessories, which could be found only at Anthropolgie. Now if that doesn’t make you want to shop, what will?

**Uniqlo Elevator Store Windows**

**Hollister's Waterfront Store Window**

**Anthropologie's Winter Wonderland Store Window**

**Life-sized Matryoshkas**

As we enter a new world of marketing were advertisements often get lost in the shuffle, it’s important to remember how much of an impact a high-quality design can have. It was truly a delight watching all the windows and deciphering their stories. And I’ll have to admit, the Matryoshka was probably what got me in the door at Anthropologie and I didn’t even feel sorry as I swiped my credit card.

**H&M Robocop Christmas Store Window**

It's Time to Do a Gut Check

Well here we are coming down to the end of our semester. Can you believe it? We have less than a month left of class time and so much to do before we can finally say goodbye to ourfirst semester of graduate school. As the reality sets in I’m focused on what’s ahead. It’s been a fast, whirlwind of assignments, group projects, and lectures; but I haven’t forgotten why I’m here. My eye is on the ball and sometimes I just need to remind myself to focus on what’s really important, what will help me achieve my goal of working in the industry and making a difference.

But that’s where lately things have gotten sticky. Honestly, I’m reevaluating everything I thought I had figured out a few months ago and it’s absolutely terrifying. I’m aligning my interests, my experience, and my skills to get the most out of this graduate program and realizing that there are so many more opportunities that I hadn’t even considered just a few months ago. Whether it’s working for an advertising agency or for a non-profit, maybe it’s starting my own company or partnering with people who share my drive to make things better. The options right now seem endless but the time to narrow it down seems so limited.

Where do I see myself? Where can I make a difference? How can I get there? This is my gut check. The time in my life where I can look in the mirror and say “Hey, you can decide where you’ll be and what you’ll be doing. Don’t back down, show the world you are ready to change it”. I think this “gut check” period is something that so many people in my cohort can relate to but what’s important is that we use it to really propel ourselves forward.

There is a quote I read the other day, “If you have a dream, wake up and work for it or let it remain a dream”. I couldn’t agree more. If you want to work in this industry, you should be networking and building your resume, look for projects or make your own. Now is the time that we should be challenging ourselves. If you don’t know how to do something, don’t shy away from it, find someone who does know how and learn from them. Take risks…fail or succeed…repeat. Don’t be scared of the unknown, embrace it. What we will all see if we do a gut check is that we are far better than we were just 3 months ago, and what the future holds for those who dare to work for it, is far greater than anything we can imagine today.

Pilobolus Strikes Again

A few weeks ago I presented on Pilobolus Dance Theater and since then, I have been nothing short of fascinated by this group. I am literally amazed every time I read a new project they have taken on or watch a show they have performed. Most recently I found out that they partnered with the United States Olympic Committee to promote the 2013 Winter Olympics is Sochi, Russia. Once again, Pilobolus is able to reach a new audience and excite through the power of movement; but what I am most surprised by is the connection that they make to almost any industry. I have seen their work for Ford, Multicentrum, The NFL, and Google, just to name a few, and each time they produce something new and innovative.

With the USOC, they made both an animated shadow video, where the winter games came to life through shadows of human bodies (including using bodies to form snow flakes. I mean how amazing is that?). The video, which is narrated by Queen’s “Pressure”, shows all the silhouettes of the Winter Olympics including the mountains, the fans, and even the medal ceremonies, intertwined with highlights of the real athletes who will compete. They showcased their video by performing live in Times Square in New York to mark 100 days until the Sochi Games.

What is incredible is how the USOC made a connection between promoting the 2013 games and Pilobolus. It had never been done before and probably seemed fairly abstract; using shadow work and contortion to promote the Olympics, but it works and it works, oh so beautifully. I have such respect for the USOC marketers for taking a chance and doing something new.

One key aspect I have taken away from my work on Pilobolus is not to limit myself as a marketer when thinking about a way to communicate my message. Sometimes there are two things that seem relatively abstract and unrelated, but together they can create a beautiful story. Also, never to be afraid to try something new, often the best things in life are the ones we never even considered.

Getting Inspiration from the Most Unlikely Source

**Please watch both videos, this little girl is truly inspiring**

It’s amazing what can inspire you or better yet, who can inspire you.

Part of my morning ritual is watching the Today Show on NBC. I wake up every morning around 7:30 and automatically switch it on. Usually it just plays in the background as I do other mundane morning routines, but something instantly grabbed my attention this morning. One of the stories was about a “Mini Mozart”, an 8-year-old British girl who has already composed 2 symphonies. Amazing, right? The today show did a few minute piece, where they featured footage from last year and showed her in the studio again this year, giving feedback to an opera singer who looked to be about 30 years older than her. Alma Duetscher, who lives with her parents is Surrey, England, writes all her own music, can play both the violin and the piano, and isn't even in middle school.

http://www.today.com/video/today/53449072#53449072

So yes, Alma Duetscher is a remarkably child but you may be asking yourself why I chose to write about her for our creative blog? Well, when she was asked on the Today show “How does all of that (the songs) come to you? How does that happen?”, her response was amazingly similar to any other creative journey and more appropriately, many things we have talked about in class. Alma politely responded, “Well, the funny thing is I try to do beautiful melodies and it usually never comes and my mind just goes blank. But when I’m resting, or even in bed, or skipping with my rope, then melodies stream into my head. For example, a few days ago, when I was in bed, resting in the middle of the night, then I got this beautiful melody….and I got out of bed and wrote it in my pencil in the night.”

So there it was, a version of our morning pages being preached back to me by an 8-year-old creative genius. Honestly, I was just in awe of how well spoken and intelligent this little girl was and despite not having anything to do with advertising, her creative process is so similar to many of ours.

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

So after that interview, I did a bit more research into Alma and found another recent interview she did on the Ellen show. With Ellen she talks about how her first Opera came to her in a dream when she was 7 years old. She woke up and started playing and her father recorded her so she wouldn't forget what she had played. Wouldn't it be amazing if we all had creative breakthroughs like little 8-year-old Alma?

But honestly, I can relate on one level with Alma because when I force myself to think of creative ideas, I’m often left disappointed and empty, as the only real ideas that I come up aren’t really creative at all. My best moments to think and let my ideas come out are when I’m showering, or walking the dog, or sleeping. Despite my morning pages not having produced any groundbreaking ideas as of yet, they still are an intricate part of my creative development. One key take away I have learned thus far is that creativity can never be forced. It’s something you have to let come to you and always, always have fun with it. So thank you little Mozart for inspiring me to keep on dreaming but when great ideas do come up, don't forget to write them down!

Knowing Your Audience Is Half the Battle

As advertisers we spend a lot of time focused on creativity. We want to grab our audience’s attention and keep it by showing them something new, innovative, and memorable. So what happens when you do all of that and you get an overwhelming reaction, but it isn’t the kind you want? When the reaction doesn’t come in terms of consumers buying more, but rather in a backlash of negative publicity, what happens?

Well last month the sneaker company Pearl Izumi experienced just that. They ran a print ad depicting a man dressed in running gear trying to resuscitate his dog. Underneath this rather upsetting image, were two words written in bold, “Run Longer”. Obviously Pearl Izumi was trying to convey the message that their sneakers are durable, perhaps far more than other things in one’s life. However, as a dog owner, and from a societal standpoint where a large majority of the population keep dogs as companions, something about this ad struck a cord. After it ran in Canadian Running Magazine, people took to social media to express their disgust and eventuality of boycotting the brand. “When I saw the ad, I believed they were trying to say the dog was dead. That was horrifying to me,” said Julie Mierau “It’s offensive to me as a dog lover … that the message is these shoes will make you run so hard you’ll kill your dog.”

The reaction of Pearl Izumi’s executives didn’t help either. They apologized but quickly followed up by saying, “Most of us in the office have dogs, we run with our dogs and we were surprised by the reaction”. Undeniably most consumers felt the apology was insincere and the firestorm continued.

So this example begs the question, “How important is it to know your audience?” As Pearl Izumi and so many other brands before them have proven, it’s everything in marketing. You may have the product, the idea, the know-how; but the second you forget who you are marketing to and disengage or worse yet, offend your audience, the consequences can be devastating. Any time you show an animal suffering and use it to try to evoke humor you are automatically taking a huge risk. In the case of Pearl Izumi, the message was quickly forgotten and the negative implication will probably tarnish their brand for quite some time.

As a marketer, I think one of the most important aspects of your job is self-evaluation. Perhaps if one of the executives at Pearl Izumi reflected for a moment on how our dog-loving society would view this ad and how upsetting it could be for those who have lost a pet, this whole catastrophe could have been avoided. But in the meantime, let this be a lesson to the rest of us to actively keep our eyes, ears, and minds open and not to be blinded our idea, so much so that we can’t see the catastrophe train coming head on.

Small Technology means Big Opportunity for Marketers!

Steve Jobs once said “people don’t know what they want until you show it to them”. I couldn’t have agreed more, when this past Wednesday while attending the FutureM conference at the Hynes Convention Center here in Boston, I was introduced to Google Glass and left absolutely amazed.

Google Glass is the future of smart technology. It is essential a high tech pair of glasses without lenses; outfitted with a tiny camera, display, touchpad, battery and a microphone that works with bone conduction technology. During a session at FutureM, appropriately named “Through the Looking Glass”, Ben Grossman and Michael Durwin took us on an exciting exploration of the future of wearable technology. Both presenters were chosen members of a very select group of people dubbed “The Glass Explorers” who had the chance to purchase Google Glass, long before its official launch, at the very low price of $1699.12, plus travel expenses to pick it up at one of Google’s main offices. Obviously, this small investment was all in the name of research.

Let’s start with the basics. Glass is completely voice activated. You simply speak commands such as, “take a picture”, “Glass, how do you say ‘goodbye’ in Chinese”, “take a video”, or “how do I get to Fenway park”. This wearable computer then spits the information back at you on a screen that is about an inch wide from the users point of view, but in reality in no bigger than my pinkie nail. You can drive a car or a plane, as you have complete access to both of your hands while wearing Google Glass. You can snap, share, and interact with anything in front of you, at any given moment, without ever lifting a finger. Glass works flawlessly with Androids but has limited functionality with iPhones. Once you purchase a pair, they are tweaked to fit your face perfectly and come with a protective case and snap-in sunglass frames (it is rumored that there will be prescription frames to fit Glass as well). Similar to Apple’s FaceTime function, Google has “Google Hangout” that can be activated on Glass and lets the user show their friends or family exactly what they are seeing in that moment.

Why this all sounds right out of a science fiction movie, the reality is that Google Glass will probably be available to the public sometime later this year or early 2014. The price is still not confirmed but speculated to be around $1000 a pair and Google will launch a Google Glass app store, just like the Apple App Store.

So as marketers we should be thinking about this upcoming technology and the inevitability that so-called retail space will be very limited on future wearable technology. With display screens as small as a pinkie nail, how we reach our audience will be a real challenge. Also, Google is adamant that nothing affect the users overall experience with Glass, making it difficult to run banner ads or pop-ups. Already companies such as Sherwin Williams and Fidelity have launched Glass specific applications and I’m positive they are not alone. As wearable technology becomes much more common, our expectations of brands will shift. I have a feeling that it won’t be long before you walk into a Macy’s, see a shirt, and say “Glass, I want that shirt”. Glass will then take a picture, find it on the Internet at the best price, charge your credit card and email you a receipt, and ship it directly to your house. As marketers, how do you engage that future consumer? Do you build brand specific apps that become a hassle to open, do you build new platforms, or do you create something entirely novel? Only time will tell where this technology takes us, but for now, I know what I’ll be asking Santa for…a new set of glasses.

**Awestruck as I get to experience Google Glass for the first time**

Google glass explorers!!! Very fascinating! #googleglass #futureglass #feelingamazed

#futureglass #googleglass #feelingamazed

My point of view tonight! 🍂🍁🍃#vermont #inlove #relaxation #imnevergoingtoleave

#imnevergoingtoleave #vermont #relaxation #inlove

Vermont bound!!! 🍂🍁Trying to forget all the work I have to do #columbusday #thisishowweroll #beaglelove #roadtrip

#beaglelove #roadtrip #thisishowweroll #columbusday

Letting Go of Fear and Embracing the Unknown

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” — Mary Lou Cook

Five weeks ago, on the first day of my graduate school journey, I labeled myself as being uncreative and although I'm still not ready to give up that label, I'm making progress.

Thinking back to just a month ago, I had this idea that creativity was a talent you were born with. I was envious of the people who had the creative "gene" and admired how the process seemed easy to them. I had convinced myself that it just wasn't in the cards for me and my skills were suited for a much more analytical job. But then something happened...

This last month, I have been pushed to delve back into my right brain. I've had creative projects and as always, high expectations for myself. This combination has helped me produce material that is far beyond my wildest expectations. I've had to redefine my definition of creativity: is it being different, innovative, shocking, or something else entirely? Just weeks in, this journey has allowed me to captivate, inspire, and awe both myself, and others...who would have thought? The whole experience has been exhilarating.

But then that brings me back to my original thought process of creativity: It's easy for some people. HA...quite the contrary. Perhaps it's easier for some people, due to years of trained experience and practice, but the process is seldomly easy for anyone. Personally, it's down right grueling. When I have a project, I spend hours thinking and deconstructing. I get an idea and then scratch it for another, and another, and another. I start all over again and there is a lot of self-deprecation along the way. Now I'm sure my process is far more dramatic than the norm, but I'm also certain that there are some people who could empathize with the stress and anxiety that comes along with producing something "creative".

And now as I move forward, the stakes are only higher. I’ve proven to myself that I can do this, that I can think out of the box and train my brain to think far beyond where it normally goes, but I’m afraid that I’ll hit a wall, that my creativity will just cease. My confidence still is not fully there. I fear failure and in my mind, it’s only a matter of time until my creative, right brain shrivels up and dies.

This leads me to this week. Along with all my daily course work, I’ve been working on an application for a student workshop at the Martin Agency in January. The application is comprehensive and daunting. It has kept me up at night and I’ve procrastinated in every way to avoid completing it, partly because I was intimidated, partly because I was scared of failing. So now it’s due in days and I’m working on my second draft and I’m no longer intimidated. This is a journey and I committed myself to taking risks and trying new things, whether they work out or not. The Martin Application is no different. It’s a learning experience, an exercise in ability…an exercise in creativity. No one told me to do it and if I wanted to, I could stop right now and enjoy the rest of my long weekend, but what would be the point in that? It order to get somewhere, I have to start somewhere. So here’s to challenges, to curiosity, to creativity!

Perks of having an Italian chef, who is off Monday, for a husband #instacollage #romanchef #luckiestgirlintheworld #mondaybluesaregone #delicious #homemade #pizza

#homemade #mondaybluesaregone #romanchef #instacollage #delicious #luckiestgirlintheworld #pizza

Groundbreaking Publicity in the Heart of History!

Somebody at M&C Saatchi Milano recently had a creative breakthrough. No really, an earth shattering, life altering creative breakthrough and most of Milan fell witness to it.

On October 1st, people just waking up or rushing to work in the historic center of Milan, Italy, came across something so unexpected that I’m sure most people thought they were still dreaming. In the middle of Via dei Mercanti, near the historic Duomo, emerged a giant submarine. It ripped through the thousand-year-old pavement and trapped the wheels of a tiny smart car that was regrettably parked nearby. Firefighters and first responders rushed to the scene to help the puzzled sailors climb out and to aid the injured. Wait…let’s rewind a minute.

A submarine in the middle of Milan, you’ve got to be kidding, right? One does not need to be a geography expert to realize that there is no ocean or giant body of water near Milan and it’s almost unfathomable that a submarine could accidentally barrel through the streets of such a historic city. So what is really going on?

Well, the whole scene was an epic and amazing ploy to market Europ Assistance Italia, an insurance company. The scene was executed to remind people that life is unpredictable and you need to be ready for whatever is thrown your way, including a submarine accidentally charging through your door. M&C Saatchi orchestrated the whole event as part of its “Protect Your Life” campaign for the insurance company and it was a home run. The video instantly went viral in Italy with over 90,000 youtube hits, and days later it’s still being talked about across the globe. But I’ve got to wonder what the reaction was when one of the creative executives at Saatchi Milan said “You know what, let’s construct a life-size submarine that looks like it accidentally emerged from under the city, in the most densely populated part which is full of tourists, professionals, and students. It will hammer home the idea of life being unexpected and that you have to safeguard against unforeseen events. All we have to do is build the submarine, get some permits, hire some actors, and make it happen. It’s brilliant”. I’m sure the idea was such an outlier that the expressions around the room where dumbfounded or maybe, just maybe…someone nodded in agreement and whispered “why not?”

No matter how Saatchi got there, they accomplished the most brilliant, creative publicity stunt that I’ve seen in a long time and I’m sure it will be making waves for months (no pun intended, well…maybe just a little).

***Franco and I standing very close to where the submarine came up just a few years ago***

House Hunting Gone Viral

Do you remember when people used to book trips through travel agencies? Just the sheer idea is a foreign concept to most people nowadays, due to the growing popularity of travel websites like expedia and orbitz.com. Well the next big industry taking a "do-it-yourself" online approach without the middleman, is real-estate.

Zillow.com, which is an online real estate database, was established more than 8 years ago but didn't start to see real growth until 2011. As the market floods with similar websites, Zillow decided to run its first ever advertising campaign this past summer. It wanted to capitalize on their 103% year-to-year growth it had been trending, and it seems to have worked. Apart from also having President Barack Obama online to answer real estate questions, the response to their "You're not just looking for a house, you're looking for a place for your life to happen" campaign has been nothing short of amazing.

So, what's Zillow's secret? Well the reality is that Zillow was able to make the tedious job of finding a new house, well...easy. In both their 30 second and 1 minute TV ads, they show all the frustrations that go into finding that "perfect" home and how easy it can be on Zillow. With just a click here and a click there, you can find a dream home and have a very happy ending and isn't that the "American Dream"?

Cleverly chosen music tugs at our hearts as we watch a mother search for a new house why her husband is presumed to be away at war. After several unsuccessful attempts, she hits the jackpot as both she and her husband fall in love with a house, all the while miles apart. The real surprise is when she and her daughter go to open the door of the "new" house, only to find her soldier there waiting. *tears* *tissues* Ok Zillow, you got me.

The advertisements are so creatively done that no matter what, I end up in tears. Also, with very few words, Zillow is able to express how easy it is to use their site and how wonderful life can be if you do. The juxtaposition of something so tiresome and draining, like finding a house, compared with such a sweet and beautiful idea of spending the rest of your life making memories there is enough to draw me, and apparently millions more Americans to Zillow.com. It's brilliant marketing at it's best. So, next year (fingers crossed) when I start the house hunt, I know that I'm going to be using Zillow because I won't just be looking for a house, I'll be looking for a place for my life to happen.

Maybe there are some things that Germans aren't good at, what heresy!

Many may not know that there is a very important election happening in Europe tomorrow, September 22nd. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel is a bid against Peer Steinbrück to stay in a position that has granted her the number two spot on the list of the "World's Most Powerful People". In an effort to pull out all stops among voters, both candidates have found inspiration from the back-to-back campaign success of none other than Barack Obama. There are few people who can't recall the slogan "Yes We Can" or the tributes done by will-i-am during the 2008 Obama campaign-and that was the point, wasn't it?

Back in 2008, just as social media was really taking off, Obama capitalized on "getting out the vote" among young adults. Focusing his strategy on social media outlets such as Facebook, youtube, and twitter (yes, it really was Barack tweeting all those messages), he partnered with celebrities to help promote the issues, all the while, going door-to-door to sit down with "average" Americans and talk about how he could help change their future. The social media storm created by his grassroots campaign really was unprecedented. It threw him into the lead against John McCain, even though he had limited political experience. In fact, many have said that his presidency is a direct result of the social media campaign strategy.

Now, taking a cue from across the pond, both German candidates are hoping to have the same results. Just last night, they participated in an American-style debate, but unfortunately it only gained a little over 170,000 tweets; a stark difference from the more than 7 million that Obama and Romney had during a similar event. Maybe the problem is that the Germans haven't really caught on to the twitter craze like Americans or could it be that Merkel and Steinbrück don't really have that "connection" with the youth? Take for example that Merkel doesn't even have a personal twitter, there is just the one the campaign has which posts nothing personal, just generic campaign slogans. Then there is Steinbrück who doesn't actually type any of his tweets, they are just hand written notes which are then photographed and posted to twitter. I think both candidates are missing the point of social media, and more importantly the opportunity to market their platforms and get the vote.

After an historic low turn-out last election and with the unrest in most of the European Union, this election has far greater impact than just in Germany and with such large stakes, it would be wise for both of the candidates to take a page out of Obama's campaign strategy book. However, with the elections just hours away and with most of the German youth uninterested and unengaged there is a fear that the results could leave "Mutti", as the German's like to call Merkel, out in the cold.

**Update, German elects Merkel to a third term, despite not having a twitter account**

Sympathetic or Strategic?

12 years. It has been 12 years since terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in NYC and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. It has been 12 years of suffering for the families who lost loved ones and for those who tragically have never been able to find closure. And yes, for the majority, 12 years seems like a long time. We say we’ll never forget but sometimes we do. For many of us, it is now just a memory, a wound that has turned to a faded scar. Yet, every year on September 11th we, as a nation mourn together. We post pictures of American flags and the twin towers as they once were. We post tributes to the first responders and those who never made it home. The emotions are still very raw and they probably will be for years to come.

However, last Wednesday was different. For the first time, companies used the memorial as a promotional tool. Here are the worst offenders in no particular order: the Marriott Hotel ran a special of free coffee and muffins from 8:45-9:15am, which sadly enough is the approximate time span that the planes hit both the North and South towers.

The L.A. Lakers posted a vintage picture of Kobe Bryant with the hastag #NeverForget, which obviously is not what we mean when we say never forget

And finally, a golf course in Wisconsin offered 9 holes for a meager $9.11. Obviously as time goes on people have lost their sensitivity towards the events.

But wait, alas, the worst is yet to come. Oh AT&T, your platform is better communication at a faster speed…how could you be so callous?

AT&T artfully tweeted a picture of the New York skyline’s “Tribute in Light”, which happens every year to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. The hashtag used to tweet was #NeverForget. Seems innocent enough, right? Except that some unfortunate intern (I mean I’ve got to hope this wasn’t a seasoned professional, right?) in their social media team decided this would be the perfect time to creatively position the Blackberry Z10. As a result, the picture to follow was both tasteless and terribly detrimental to AT&T and Blackberry.

What was posted, is a hand, holding the Blackberry Z10 taking a picture of those two beautiful rays of light. Now that simple hastag #neverforget is questionable…is it about the Z10 or the more than 3,000 lives lost that Tuesday morning? Of course, a firestorm of negativity caused AT&T to delete the tweet after about an hour, but the damage was done. And as if Blackberry wasn’t struggling enough, now they look insensitive and cruel on the most somber day of the year. Comments ranged from “Shame on you AT&T” to “Tasteless” and honestly, I couldn’t agree more, what were you thinking? Sometimes silence is golden.

As marketers, our job is to create and promote a message, a clear message. We are communicators and sure, will we “hit the nail on the head” every time? No, most certainly not, but when we miss, at least try not to upset half the nation by making some cryptic tribute. Come on AT&T, how long have you been in business? Truly, this is marketing 101. So maybe next time, before AT&T wants to pay tribute, or anyone else for that matter, be sincere about it because as Dale Buss from Forbes magazine said, “There is a very THICK line for marketers between relevance and respect” and honestly, AT&T had to long jump in order to cross it, but if that's the case, then maybe their social media intern should try out for the Olympics.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

My Little Soap Box...