Old Facebook was charming. It was simple. It did a job nothing else had done. I liked the odd tidbit updates from friends and colleagues, the new form of autobiography, the passionate grouping of wing nuts and dilettantes alike. Mostly, I liked that it was, in its own words, “a social utility.” It was helpful, and it performed. Then along came Microsoft with a huge infusion of cash and, it seems, clunky PC-world inefficiency and “more is better” ideology. So now we have the “New Facebook.” A fix without a problem. A mousetrap with no rodent. And, I would suggest, a business model without a business.

I must admit, I really did not want to like the new Microsoft campaign. I found the initial “Shoe Circus” spot to be silly and irrelevant — an effort that came off as simply trying “too hard” to be funny and awkwardly hip. Then came the joyfully odd bit of suburban “connection” in the latest spot for Microsoft. I love it, have watched it numerous times, and have forwarded it to many people. I have been converted to a Microsoft marketer, if no longer a customer.

 

Don’t we as Americans try to protect children from ads for products that are inappropriate or dangerous for their ages, such as alcohol and cigarettes?  Haven’t there been lawsuits against the big beer and cigarette companies about this?  What right has the Army to market to our little kids?  Of course the Army says it’s just testing out marketing strategies, not really recruiting.

By developing an application, brands have the opportunity to strengthen their relevance in the daily lives of consumers.

 

Luxury retailers are finally feeling the pinch. So, how is Prada responding? Under pressure, the company has decided to go public.

 

The public has come to expect instant communication, especially in times of crisis or potential disaster. While some companies are using blogs, Facebook and even Twitter to distribute information, a simple e-mail from Carnival Cruise Lines in advance of Hurricane Gustav would have calmed some nerves, provided reassurance, and established trust with the company. Instead, there was silence.