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The naming business: unraveling the IKEA product naming mystery.

Now I know why I find my Ikea curtains so attractive.

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Sitting in a corporate pep rally drives a person to think (and to drink). It makes me think about the reasons why I joined my employer, how I should behave at these type of events, and even why I work in the industry I do.
 
For the first question, it always comes back to the belief that technology can change the world, and that being at the center of technological innovation and technological market power is the best way to effect change. I still believe this today, and doubt that belief will ever change. When I think about the technology that is coming is really transforming, and I have believed this for more than 15 years in this business.
 
How I should behave at these type of events is a more complex question. I feel myself having a degree of cynicism that I is somewhat unfaltering. Yet, it is hard not to be cynical when being fed a firehose of corporate “hype”. There is a limit to how many times I can cheer and can whoop and holler. If there were no limit, I would be pretty worried.
 
In the end, I do think my company is the right place for me to be at this point in my career. Just don’t expect me to blindly cheer on for the mere sake of it. I will cheer when warranted, and be a cynic when appropriate.
 
At 8 am this morning I am just tired.

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There She Is, Mrs. America. � – Will they really let me compete in a beauty pageant? By Emily�Yoffe

Laugh out loud funny, and sad as well (as the funniest things usually are). What a brand to carry around — Mrs. America.

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Yahoo! News – Novel Designed for Text Messaging Service

I think I will try this with the next marketing plan I have to write.

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SIN SPIN: PR For X

This is great. If porn wants to continue to gain legitimacy, then it needs good PR. I am so very excited by this and wish Sin Spin all the best.

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War On Pornography

What next?

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Automatic Blood Donation Booth

Yeah, this is something I will have to check out when I visit Japan. Oh yeah.

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Yahoo! News – Study Finds Cough Drugs No Better Than Sugar Syrup

Good marketers ultimately market the feelings their audience will get, not necessarily the product they are selling. Here we see decades of efforts around a product that is essentially useless. But, it makes us all feel so much better to give the stuff to our kids.

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The New York Times > Business > Advertising: Target Aims at Times Square

I really think that Target will go down as one of the great brand success stories of the 20th (and 21st) century. Someone, in a culture that has been overrun by Wal-Mart, they have managed to create the ultimate high image/low price/all cool brand ever. This clearly reflects such a clear strategy and such dedication to the execution.

Try to think about another brand that has accomplished this in such a successful and broad fashion.