by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director of Atomic Tango LLC So you finally found that gadget you’ve been dreaming about — you know, the one with the 60″ screen, built-in WiFi, and ability to make a perfect crème brulee at the touch of a button. Better yet, you found it advertised at just [...]
Tags:business·deals·discounts·marketing·pricing·rebates·strategy
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
You’ve all seen the standard romantic comedy: the lead character pines for a fantasy ideal — a millionaire, supermodel, quarterback, cheerleader, prince or princess — but in the end, our hopeless romantic finds true love with a best friend, worst enemy, nerd, prostitute, maid or bodyguard. Delusions dispelled, the true lovers lock lips and live [...]
Tags:Boxster·branding·business·marketing·Neiman Marcus·Porsche·positioning·pricing·recession·Saks·Saks Fifth Avenue·Starbucks·strategy
Customer: Do you have “I Just Called To Say I Love You”? Barry: Yes. Customer: Can I have it? Barry: No. Customer: Why not? Barry: Because it’s tacky sentimental crap that’s why. Do we look like a store that would sell that song? Do you even know your daughter, there’s no way she likes that [...]
Tags:Amazon·business·Chris Anderson·Comcast·content·Daily Candy·High Fidelity·iTunes·Jamati·Long Tail·marketing·media·music industry·Netflix·strategy·Wired
Plus: Why “Price” isn’t Just a Number on a Sticker by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC Tough times like these separate the plucky from the certifiably pluckless. Plucky companies see economic turmoil as a ripe opportunity to crush weaker competitors. The pluckless see a shrinking economy and resort to shrinkage [...]
Tags:advertising·Apple·branding·business·competition·marketing·pricing·recession·Southwest Airlines·Starbucks·strategy·value·Web 2.0
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC As an L.A. based interactive-media guy for the past 14 years, I’m expected to blog about sexy new developments online or in Hollywood, but today I’ve decided to write about Mervyns department store. And, yes, that’s the only time you’ll ever see the words [...]
Tags:bankruptcy·branding·business·economy·fashion·Forever 21·Mervyns·positioning·recession·retail·strategy·Target
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC So I’m reading this book that recommends naming your company after yourself to make your brand “authentic.” Hmm… Freddy Nager Productions? Uh, no — sounds like a nightmare on Elm Street. My personal name issues aside, here’s my advice to all other entrepreneurs: If [...]
Tags:Authenticity·branding·Britney Spears·business·Charles Shaw·Disney·Ford·marketing·Martha Stewart·naming·Nicole Scherzinger·strategy·Trump
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC The stock market these days is looking about as appetizing as a plate of warmed-over head cheese. At the same time, the real estate market is making the head cheese look good. So as a result, many businesses are cutting their expenses, particularly in [...]
Tags:BCG Matrix·Boston Consulting Group·business·Coca-Cola·Converse·GM·Hummer·marketing·MBA·Nike·recession·strategy
Last week I hit the Digital Media Summit in the coolly atmospheric Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. There I enjoyed several speakers providing intelligent and informed insights into the industry, including Zango’s York Baur, Quarterlife’s Mashall Herskovitz, and my MBA classmate Jake Zim of Safran Digital Group. But many of the other speakers were so intently spinning [...]
Tags:bud.TV·Budweiser·business·CBS·Comcast·consumer justice online·consumers·customer service·Digital Media Summit·focus groups·Forrester Research·Groundswell·Jake Zim·Jericho·market research·marketing·media·Neiman Marcus·Pareto Principle·Quarterlife·Red Bull·research·strategy·Wired
"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 & Fusion Director of the L.A.-based creative strategy agency Atomic Tango, and marketing instructor at UCLA Extension, the University of Wales, and Antioch University L.A.
