Marketing Category

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Occasional Dog Lover… When the economy gets rough, many businesses cut their marketing. Now, as a devoted reader of this blog, you know that’s a big mistake. The best time to launch a full-on marketing offensive is when the competition is crying and cowering like Dick Cheney during a terrorist attack. But, alas, you have no choice. Most of your cash is going to fixed costs, like rent. So a cutting we go — but where? Do you use your handfulRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Forensics Expert… Paige H. got a huge surprise this week. The 20-something Midwesterner had attempted to keep a low profile online: “no MySpace, no Facebook, no blog” — indeed, she’s long had a “distaste for the world of social networking websites.” And yet, thanks to a marketing schemer, she became one of the most popular girls on Facebook… but under the name “Monica Rockle.” I blogged about the “Monica Rockle” charade back in March. A T-shirt marketer had created aRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Frequent Customer… Last week I hit the Digital Media Summit in the coolly atmospheric Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. There I heard speakers so intently spinning facts and sidestepping questions, I thought I was watching a Bush administration press conference… My favorite line came from a Hollywood agent who clearly graduated from the Donald Rumsfeld School of Verbal Contortion. One of his clients is Anhueser-Busch, and when asked why Bud’s Hindenburg-sized venture bud.tv failed, he responded, “Did they really fail or did theyRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who’s Survived And Thrived During Some Serious Down Times… When the economy slows to the speed of a three-toed sloth after one too many hash brownies, the knee-jerk reaction by most marketers is to reduce ad expenditures. For some brands, however, a recession presents sweet juicy opportunities that call for increased spending. Really. And no, I’m not hitting on those brownies myself…Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Donut Junkie… Like many people, I want 01.20.09 — Bush’s last day in office — declared an international holiday. But even with “the End of an Error” in sight, right-wing extremists continue to wreak their corrosive damage, and are now invading the seemingly sheltered world of corporate junk food…Read More

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC & Press Release Connoisseur… It’s amazing the difference between what you learn in school and actual business practices. I once took a class in public relations where we learned how to write a press release. The basic rule: write an actual news story about your company using standard journalistic practices to make it as objective as possible. That way, the news editor can make a few adjustments and print it as is. Then I ventured into the real business world andRead More

Fox TV has a long history of upsetting the status quo. At its launch, it gave the finger to the mainstream networks and introduced edgier shows such as “The Simpsons,” “In Living Color” and “Married With Children.” Sure, this meant smaller overall audiences than its rivals, but it scored with the ever desirable 18-49 demo, whom advertisers love. Now Fox TV is rocking the ad world again…Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Donut Addict; photo by Tony Webster from San Francisco via Wikimedia Commons… I once found myself confronting a tower of gourmet donuts — and a whole lot of do-nothing. It was in the high-tech conference room of a multinational PR agency. The agency rep was telling our mutual client, a European tech startup, that they (the client) needed to do more research until any PR work could begin. The client looked shocked. They had already worked with this PR agency forRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Just Got Turned Off Vodka; image – scan of actual magazine ad by Belvedere Vodka… So I’m thumbing through my favorite geek magazine, Wired, when I’m suddenly confronted by this Belvedere Vodka ad that features a woman applying lipstick in the reflection of a belt buckle. (If any of my female readers have ever executed such a task, please let me know… What? None of you have? Gee, what a surprise!) Not exactly what I expected in Wired amidstRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Husband of Beetle Owner… He sits there before his mic, round and retro, emanating the cuteness that made him an icon in America. On this occasion, he wears formal black, though he’s usually seen in the wild dressed like a jelly bean. Then he speaks… And out comes the voice of an old German man. And he’s saying, “I know vhat ze people vant.” Yeah, right… I usually applaud the work of ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky. For VW, theyRead More