by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC Maybe it’s the bacon. Every week, I shoot pool in the same joint. Is it the cheapest pool hall in town? Nah. It’s actually pricey. Is it the service? Not really. The people are friendly, but service isn’t a big factor when renting a [...]
Tags:Amazon·AOL·Apple·bacon·Bing·business·GoodSearch·Google·House of Billiards·iPod·Karen Dillon·loyalty·marketing·Microsoft·pool·Verizon
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Price Pacifist “War, huh, yeah What is it good for Absolutely nothing Uh-huh War, huh, yeah What is it good for Absolutely nothing Say it again, y’all…” – Edwin Starr, “War” Imagine you’re minding your own business, selling lemonade from your friendly neighborhood stand, when [...]
Tags:Apple·business·competition·Dell·differentiation·Intel·marketing·Microsoft·price war·pricing·recession·strategy·Walmart
Recession? What recession? Apple enjoyed a 15% surge in profits for the first quarter of this year and, more sensationally, just sold its one billionth iPhone App. That’s one billion in just nine months! That would be remarkable during boom times, but during the worst economy in 70 years? Well, of course. It makes perfect [...]
Tags:Apple·Apps·candy·chocolate·Hershey's·iPhone·marketing·recession·Seth Godin
My wife just paid off her car two years early, and she’s ecstatic about it. Getting the new car was fun; but shedding that debt felt even better. It’s like getting to eat an entire package of freshly baked Trader Joe’s Snickerdoodle cookies in one sitting and losing all the weight the next day.
Tags:7-Eleven·Apple·Coca-Cola·consumption·Diet Coke·marketing·McDonald's·Morgan Spurlock·Super Size Me·Volkswagen·VW
That strange gushing sound that you’re hearing is hundreds of commercial landlords across the country salivating all at once: finally, someone to take over those vacant Sharper Image spaces! Microsoft is looking to make its image a little sharper by opening its own chain of retail stores…
Tags:Apple·Apple Store·Gateway·Microsoft·PC World·retail·Seinfeld·Sharper Image·Starbucks·Vista·Xbox·Zune
Here’s expensive proof that I should stick to marketing and steer clear of the stock market: I invested in two radio companies. The first, Westwood One (WWON.OB), seemed like a stable cash flow deal. Westwood One produces radio programs for syndication, including broadcasts of NFL games. The way I saw it, demand for pro football [...]
Tags:advertising·Aerosmith·Apple·Bud Light·Clear Channel·focus groups·Google·Goom·investments·iPod·iTunes·KCRW·music industry·NFL·radio·Sirius·stock market·Westwood One·YouTube
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Multimedia Marketer I hear it all the time: “Advertising is a waste of money.” “If you have a great product, you don’t need to advertise.” “Word of mouth is more effective than traditional media.” “It’s impossible to cut through the clutter.” “Most consumers tune out [...]
Tags:advertising·Advertising Age·Apple·Apps·iPhone·MacRumors·television
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC Collaboration: The Fine Art of Hookin’ Up Partnerships, alliances and cross-promotions date back to Eve giving Adam that “come hither” look. I once worked on a cross-promotional website between Nissan and Crayola. Apple and AT&T are now making a killing with the iPhone. You [...]
Tags:advertising·Ann Coulter·Apple·business strategy·marketing·recession·Steve Jobs·Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure·Wal-Mart·Yoplait
Seeing iPhones sold at Wal-Mart is like seeing Wolfgang Puck chowing down at IHOP (not likely) or Rachael Ray pimping Dunkin Donuts (oh yes she did). Has there ever been a bigger mismatch in marketing history? What’s next, an Apple logo on a NASCAR vehicle? Or even worse, an Apple at a — what? What’s [...]
Tags:Apple·AT&T·branding·business·Costco·Dell·distribution·iPhone·marketing·Nike·Target·Wal-Mart
While it’s easy to blame the economy for business struggles, times like these also present a ripe opportunity for struggling businesses to reassess what they’re doing. One classic perspective on reassessing a struggling business — or an entire industry — is “Marketing Myopia” by the late great marketing guru Ted Levitt…
Tags:Apple·Dell·Live Nation·Los Angeles Times·marketing·marketing in a recession·Marketing Myopia·music business·newspapers·record industry·Starbucks·Steve Jobs·Theodore Levitt·Tribune Co
"Common sense is the little man in a gray suit who never makes a mistake at addition, but it's always someone else's money he's adding up."
- Raymond Chandler
Let's hear it for uncommon sense: that inner itch that inspires you to stray from the herd, ditch the training wheels and leap into the fast lane. As we all know, it's the risk takers who get their faces on the cover of Wired magazine and their words on National Public Radio. No one ever remembers who won "honorable mention"...
Cool Rules Pronto celebrates uncommon sense in marketing and media. It's written by Freddy J. Nager, the Founder of the L.A.-based creative strategy agency Atomic Tango LLC, and marketing instructor at UCLA Extension and Robert Kennedy College of Zurich, Switzerland.
