GM CEO says more digital advertising. Chrysler linked to Cerberus, not necessarily Hades

The grilling continues on Capitol Hill. Yesterday it was the U.S. Treasury daddies, today it is the CEOs from the big three automakers. We just got done listening to the Senators from both sides of the aisle grilling the CEOs for flying to the hearing on a private jet. The argument being that if they are going to start restructuring their business and cutting costs that they should start at the top.

At one point the CEOs were asked to raise their hands if they had flown to the hearing on commercial flights, none did. Then they were asked if they would consider selling their jets today and flying back to Detroit on a commercial flight, not one raised his hand. The congressional panel just gave these CEOs a great oppotunity to demonstrate their leadership, and no one stepped up. Not one had the salt of Spartacus. How did they become CEOs?

The star of the hearing is Nydia Velazquez (congresswoman from the 12th district of NY) who just asked Waggoner, the CEO of GM, if they would be running a $3 million dollar (for a 30 second spot) Super Bowl ad next year to which he replied, "No we are not going to do a Super Bowl ad this year ...but we will be moving more of our advertising to digital which is less expensive and more efficient."

After more questions from Velazquez, Chrysler CEO Nardelli confirms that 80% of Chrysler is owned by Cerberus Capital, a company whose members include former Vice President Dan Qualye. As you probably know Cerberus is a figure from Greek Mythology. Specifically, Cerberus is the three headed dog that guarded the gates to Hades and was killed by Herakles (Hercules).

Is this strange to anyone else? Why would you name your company after the guard dog of Hades? Shouldn't an investment firm sound secure, innovative and strong. Not scary. Whoever developed their corporate identity must have been watching too many Keanu Reeves movies, or banging their head against the ceiling too much, or maybe it was just Dan Quayle's idea.


Here is a link to Cerberus Capital's homepage.

Writing an Effective Promotional E-Mail

I just read a great short article on crafting an effective promotional e-mail message on PCmag.com and thought I should share it. The author offers some great, simple steps that anyone can implement when promoting products or services. Some of the tips include: personalize the message, start with a question and don't use large images.

Make certain that you are maximizing the effectiveness of your e-mails. Don't Spam. For rules on what constitutes SPAM read the CAN-SPAM act. This is the FCC regulation that defines what is and is not SPAM in the U.S.

Click here to read the article on PCMag.com.

Why is this food so fast?

I was talking with one of my advertising classes the other day about the nature of advertising to children, specifically food products. While there are regulatory bodies in place (The FCC, FDA etc.) there remains a significant gray area in regards to most standards. Ultimately leaving the decision of what is ethical messaging up to the advertising agency and/or producer of the product.

We specifically addressed the ever evolving McDonalds Menu, and came to a consensus that it is good that McDonald's wants to at least give people a healthier alternative to their standard fare by offering items like salads and apple slices. Skepticism remains as to weather or not this is just a marketing ploy, an attempt to capitalize on popular trends, a change made out of a sincere concern for the customer's health or some combination of these factors.

Here is an interesting article about 10 things that the food industry does not want you to know (from Yahoo) click here

Funny Motivational Posters

I love the new Battlestar Galactica - not necessarily because of the CGI (which is the best ever produced for TV) but because of the intricate storyline(s) and the depth of character development not to mention the stellar acting. When you get sucked into this show you will forget that you are watching TV and actually identify with the characters and issues. A very difficult task to accomplish in any medium especially Sci-fi for TV.

You may have seen some funny motivational posters floating around on the Internet. A friend of mine recently sent me a great collection from www.demotivateus.com, and I had to share a few. Thank you to whoever created these, you made me laugh.

Books to read: Ender's Game

I just finished Orson Scott Card's masterpiece "Ender's Game", and let me tell you I do not use the word masterpiece lightly. The story has depth and meaning often lacking in popular fiction, it is amazingly easy to read, and although it is the story of responsibility thrust upon a child the writing is assessable but not childish in any way.

"Ender's Game" is the story of a boy-hero, Ender Wiggin, burdened as the saviour of mankind. Ender's trials to become the ultimate commander, achieving balance between the harsh realities of war and the compassion to preserve life, comprise one of the most realistic and poignant coming of age tales ever written.

I don't want to be a spoiler - just read the book and/or graphic novel coming out via Marvel Comics this fall (2008)