Anyone who has ever gone through a rebranding process will tell you that it is easy to get lost in the reams and reams of data produced.  Your brand attributes; your brand personality; your brand promise – all valuable information, but your eyes can easily go buggy as you try to interpret and draw conclusions.

Last week, pioneer marketer, JWT, introduced the world’s first “brand visualization tool.”  This website allows users to explore and compare the characteristics and personalities of over 3,000 brands across the world.  Users are also able to create their own “Brand Toy” characters, share them through their social networks and even resin-print their Toy in 3-D….

We’ve known for some time about how quickly news – true or false – can spread via social networks, RSS feeds, and push notifications to mobile devices. Even ten years ago, people would be glued to television sets to get the latest news (think 9/11 or even Hurricane Katrina) as the fastest and latest updates on a crisis or event. Nowadays, Twitter is proving to become an even more instantaneous source of information…and it’s easier and easier to publish content and push it out across the world in almost real time.

I was watching the news on Sunday night after returning from out of town, just zoning out on the couch. The anchors interrupted their story to tell …

Stop and take a moment to think about how often non-profits and charities are asking for money. Through direct mail, or Sally Struthers-like television advertising, the public is blasted with these same types of requests.

Recently, JWT Mexico came up with a campaign that is truly unique entitled, “Your Coin Saves Lives.” This pro-bono project for the Mexican Red Cross focused on raising funds for natural disasters, such as floods, mud slides, drought and hurricanes, that always demand huge amounts of the institution’s resources.

The concept centered on “Toy Claw Machines” that contain hundreds of dolls waiting to be rescued by the people. As part of the campaign, actual …

I was showering the other day and staring directly at my bottle of body wash that looked like this:

I got to thinking, “Wow, this is just soap. Aside from the color and scent, it’s literally the same as almost any other soap on the shelf. I could be washing myself with the girliest, frutiest-smelling soap in the world, and it would not make a difference in its efforts to cleanse me.” What is interesting is that either the market demands, or marketers presume, that there are gender lines along traditionally gender-neutral items. Yes, it probably does make sense to market car batteries and motor oil to men, at least …

2. Some places have Mug Clubs. Hama Matsu has a Chopstick Club.
A few Thursday nights ago, with curiosity in our minds and rumblings in our bellies, my boyfriend and I set out on foot in search of a new local restaurant to make our own. Our feet took us north a bit, to the Andersonville strip of restaurants and shops on Clark, where we found a little gem called Hama Matsu.

Delighted first that they were BYOB, and second that they served the elusive and delicious Japanese specialty okonomiyaki, we scurried in and took our seats. We were quickly greeted by the restaurant’s owner Jun, who was both gracious and informative. He told …

I recently moved to a new area of the city. I think it’s technically called Sheridan Park, but I’ve also been accused of living in both Ravenswood and Uptown. I have no idea where I actually live. But I do know one thing: I love it. I’m now within walking distance of a billion great local businesses which I plan to frequent! I want to talk to you today about two in particular (in two seperate blogs) which have already turned me into a regular.

Part 1. City Provisions
City Provisions is a market / caterer / delicatessen in my new ‘hood. They have a solid brand — they totally get …

This is my very first blog post on P2P Ideology, and I thought there are really only two things worth mentioning today on the day after St. Patrick’s Day.  Two major events take place on March 18th: Shamrocks Shakes disappear from McDonald’s until the next St. Patty’s Day season, and PMG’s own, Colin Bayer celebrates his birthday!

I have to say both are welcomed occasions. If you remember a week ago, Colin and I met our demise with the one and only Shamrock Shake, so I’d say it’s for the best that they disappear for a while. And, who doesn’t love a birthday celebration?

Here is a picture of McDonald’s advertising I saw last Saturday while the Chicago River was being dyed …

Would you agree that spoof shows like Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show are often more spot-on about the news than the actual news (or media) itself? Sure, they’re skewed, but they’ve usually got a point!

This weekend  Saturday Night Live really stuck it to High Fructose Corn Syrup when they parodied this commercial, put out by the Corn Refiners Association. Watch them both for a good — yet poignant — laugh!

We’ve talked before about 3D projection technology, OOH’s newest video-driven execution, and now the children’s iconic toy, Hot Wheels, is taking that technology to a new level.

Last night, Hot Wheels lit up Sydney’s Customs House in a three-and-a-half minute, spine-tingling show.  The battle between several Hot Wheels was splashed on the pillars and walls of this building and created a fantasy world that makes the heads of children spin.  The spectacle was made possible thanks to 3D projection mapping adding dimension as the toys cracked through the stone work.

watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6GcighIL9w0#at=31

“Every Hot Wheels owner has imagined themselves racing through a fantasy Hot Wheels track,” said Amanda Allegos, Hot Wheels Australia …