Marketing 2.0

The impact of desktop dining

 

I came across this interesting article from Wharton on the impact of desktop dining on the restaurant industry. It seems that more people are choosing to eat at work or grab takeout meals at grocery stores. As a result, restaurants are feeling the pinch. Good insights from a Cornell faculty member on this trend.

Is Desktop Dining Hurting the Restaurant Industry? - Knowledge@Wharton.

Clickfarm in Thailand busted

Image source: The Verge

Take a look into the dark side of the Internet. There's a thriving industry providing clicks, likes, comments, and other measures of social media popularity. Gaining an audience is difficult. That's why some companies prefer to take a short cut and buy their likes. 

Three men in Thailand reportedly ran a clickfarm with over 300,000 SIM cards and 400 iPhones - The Verge.

Location-based marketing

Image credit: Mobile Industry Review

 

Here's an excellent article on the importance of mobile marketing. With the rise of the Internet, location became much less important to business success. Marketers could reach consumers anywhere on the globe. Now, with the dominance of mobile phones as a primary computing device, we are able to leverage the power of location-specific targeting. 

Why Having a Location-first Marketing Strategy Pays Off - Knowledge@Wharton.

Apple's redesigned stores

 

Here is a transcript and video clips of an interview with Apple's Senior V.P. of Retail, Angela Ahrendts.I like what she's doing with the Apple stores by focusing on educational sessions and a place to meet and network with friends and colleagues. In today's challenging retail world, it's important to provide consumers with a unique experience rather than just a product selection. The Internet is way better at that.

Apple SVP of retail Angela Ahrendts on launch of Today at Apple - CBS This Morning - Norah O'Donnell - CBS News.

Air Canada gets rebranded

Good article here on the rebranding of Air Canada by Winkreative. I love the new look!

How to Redesign an Airline - 99U.

Remembering Lella Vignelli, iconic designer

Apparently, I have been working too hard lately. I just found out from one of my students that Lella Vignelli passed away in December. I've linked to her obit in the NY Times. I teach a first-year seminar in design that features the Vignelli's and their eclectic body of work. I do not think that Lella has received enough credit for the output. By contrast, there were moving tributes to her husband Massimo when he passed in 2014. I am hoping to get up to the RIT campus where the Vignelli Center for Design Studies opened in 2010 and houses much of their archives.

Lella Vignelli, a Designer With a Spare, Elegant Style, Dies at 82 - The New York Times.

McDonald's: Not for hipsters

Here's a great ad from McDonald's U.K that lampoons the self-indulgent and overpriced coffee drinks made popular these days by brands like Starbucks. It's an effective way to position McCafe as a simple alternative if you just want, you know, a cup of hot coffee. 

Design Thinking: Dispelling some common myths

Image: dschool.Stanford

 

Good article here on some of the fallacies associated with design thinking. The big takeaway for me is that organizations should focus more on action than process. 

Rethinking Design Thinking | The Huffington Post.

Super Bowl ads: Mercedes

Peter Fonda makes an appearance promoting the badass Mercedes GT Roadster.

Super Bowl ads: Honda

I love this ad for the CR-V that taps into the high school yearbooks of celebrities. Very creative!