Thursday, April 29, 2010
A Porfolio Piece? Not Yet
At first glance, you’d think that writing the annual report for a major investment bank would be a fun project.
But I don’t think whoever wrote the copy for Goldman Sachs’ latest annual report (PDF) is going to include it in their portfolio – at least not for awhile.
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Sunday, March 28, 2010
Send No Money Without Delay
Double negatives. In general, they don’t not confuse readers, so it’s best to never not use positive statements.
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Saturday, February 27, 2010
BS BS
I call BS on BS.
One “BS” refers to Blue Shield. The other? I think you know what I mean.
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Saturday, January 30, 2010
Menu Psychology: A Lyrical Approach
A recent New York Times article points out that “menu engineering” is extremely important to running a successful restaurant.
According to the article, restaurants dealing with the recession are “hoping that some magic combination of prices, adjectives, fonts, type sizes, ink colors and placement on the page can coax diners into spending a little more money.”
I guess that’s no surprise when you consider that the menu is probably the most valuable marketing communication tool for any restaurant—but just what are the best practices for creating a menu? And do those best practices translate to other industries?
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Urgent (Sorta, Kinda)
I know it sounds vague, but it was sorta kinda urgent…
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Sunday, November 29, 2009
Taking Stock
Would you buy shares of company named “Forfeit”?
I did. Well, sort of.
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Saturday, October 31, 2009
SOD Alarm
If you’re sick—or worried about getting sick—you’re probably not all that sensitive to price.
But what if you’re worried about a tree?
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sponsors of Tomorrow
Here’s a challenge: How do you create advertising that positions a huge multi-national micropressor company as the industry’s leader in delivering the essential technologies we all use today?
Oh, and by the way—make sure it’s fun, engaging, and creative while you’re at it.
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Berkshire Hathaway Dividend
Warren Buffett’s company doesn’t pay dividends, so I don’t ever expect to get an actual dividend check from my investment in Berkshire Hathaway.
But the other day, I did secure a pretty decent yield. And all it took was one 15-minute phone call.
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Friday, July 31, 2009
A $200 Million Tip?
Will the Fed raise interest rates anytime soon? Not likely, unless inflation rears its ugly head.
But nobody is expecting much inflation over the next year so. That’s why short-term interest rates are close to zero. And even if inflation does become an issue, we’re lucky—compared to Zimbabwe, that is.
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Sunday, June 28, 2009
A Really Tough Assignment
Some of the most challenging assignments I work on require naming a product or even a company. Most of the stuff I do can be easily changed, but naming something has lasting implications – in some cases, for an entire lifetime.
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Saturday, May 30, 2009
It's National "National Month" Month
I try to keep with marketing campaigns, but believe it or not, I missed a few.
For example, May has come to an end and I didn’t even know it was National Salad Month.
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
It's a Jungle Out There
No, I’m not talking about the economy. Today’s topic is post-impressionism.
You see, my nephew Mitch painted a picture that’s being exhibited in a Montgomery County, Maryland mall. The assignment? Create a work that resembles one of Henri Rousseau’s “jungle paintings.”
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Sunday, March 29, 2009
Happy Birthday
It was my birthday earlier this month, so you know what that means, right?
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Posted by Richard Bloch
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Saturday, February 28, 2009
Sugar Rush
It’s interesting to see how our view of things change over time, and old ads offer a great snapshot of how previous generations saw things.
But what were they thinking?
