Captivating Connections.

how steve changed business.

CNN has a great article looking at how Steve Jobs changes the face of business today...

"How's this for a gripping corporate story line: Youthful founder gets booted from his company in the 1980s, returns in the 1990s, and in the following decade survives two brushes with death, one securities-law scandal, an also-ran product lineup, and his own often unpleasant demeanor to become the dominant personality in four distinct industries, a billionaire many times over, and CEO of the most valuable company in Silicon Valley.

Sound too far-fetched to be true? Perhaps. Yet it happens to be the real-life story of Steve Jobs and his outsize impact on everything he touches.

The past decade in business belongs to Jobs. What makes that simple statement even more remarkable is that barely a year ago it seemed likely that any review of his accomplishments would be valedictory. But by deeds and accounts, Jobs is back."

has mickey gone corperate?

"Concerned that Mickey has become more of a corporate symbol than a beloved character for recent generations of young people, Disney is taking the risky step of re-imagining him for the future.

The first glimmer of this will be the introduction next year of a new video game, Epic Mickey, in which the formerly squeaky clean character can be cantankerous and cunning, as well as heroic, as he traverses a forbidding wasteland.

And at the same time, in a parallel but separate effort, Disney has quietly embarked on an even larger project to rethink the character’s personality, from the way Mickey walks and talks to the way he appears on the Disney Channel and how children interact with him on the Web — even what his house looks like at Disney World."

This makes me nervous! Don't mess with Mickey!!!

can colbert save speed skating?

He's certianly going to try...

"On Monday night's Colbert Report, the mock-blowhard host of the Comedy Central show announced that he will ask his loyal fans to donate money to the U.S. Speedskating team, whose largest commercial cash sponsor, Dutch bank DSB, just went belly-up. (Colbert snarkily referred to DSB as 'Deposit Savings in Bong') In exchange for the publicity and potential revenue, Colbert Nation logos will be stitched onto the suits of both long-track and short-track skaters during World Cup competitions before the Olympics. Right now, the long-track team is preparing for a competition in Berlin, while the short trackers are in Montreal for a meet. 'We are scrambling like crazy to get the logos on the uniforms this weekend,' says U.S. Speedskating executive director Bob Crowley."

welcome back live radio ads!

We're kicking off this morning a little bit old school...

"Live reads, or radio ads delivered by on-air talent, are perhaps the oldest form of sponsored entertainment. A century later, they're making a comeback, but with a different playbook.

In the early days of radio, ads were often introduced by DJs who were paid to talk up the benefits of Colgate toothpaste or Marlboro cigarettes, long before there were 30-second TV commercials. But today, when a popular personality such as Ryan Seacrest or Steve Harvey talks up a product or service on his daily radio program, there's a lot more than just a paycheck involved.

Mr. Seacrest, the host of Fox's 'American Idol' and E!'s 'E! News Daily,' made industry headlines last year when he signed a five-year contract with Premiere Radio and Clear Channel to help sell ads for his show 'On-Air With Ryan Seacrest.' As part of the deal, Mr. Seacrest leveraged his existing relationships with sponsors such as Procter & Gamble's Scope and Crest brands to bring them to radio, banking a commission for each deal along the way. In turn, Mr. Seacrest appears in several of those sponsors' TV commercials.

Mr. Harvey, a stand-up comedian and best-selling author who hosts Premiere's 'Steve Harvey Morning Show,' applies a more grassroots approach to his live reads. When he talks about advertisers like Ford and State Farm, it's because the brands have been a part of his life for years, he told Ad Age.

'I will not do any live reads unless I absolutely believe in the product,' he said. 'I always try and protect my integrity to the listening audience. I'm too straight of a shooter, and also a stand-up [comedian] -- so eventually if I'm doing something I don't believe in, I'll make fun of it.'"

ftc cracks down on blogger payola.

The FTC is making major moves in regards to going after blogger payola...

"The agency, which protects consumers from fraud or deceptive business practices, voted 4 to 0 to update its rules governing endorsements, and the new guidelines require bloggers to clearly disclose any 'material connection' to an advertiser, including payments for an endorsement or free product.

It's the first time since 1980 that the FTC has updated its rules on the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. In addition to covering bloggers, the new FTC rules state that celebrity endorsers can be held liable for false statements about a product, and all endorsements must include results consumers can 'generally expect.' Previously, an advertiser could cover their claims by the disclaimer 'results not typical.'

But the new rules on bloggers are the most far-reaching attempt to stamp some guidelines of conduct on the blogosphere, which generally operates according to informal codes and the notion that 'inauthentic' bloggers -- including those not disclosing commercial relationships -- will suffer in the web's court of public opinion.

The new rules go into effect Dec. 1, and penalties include $11,000 in fines per violation. The FTC wasn't specific about how disclosures must be communicated but said its decisions would be made on a 'case-by-case' basis."

2009 emmy winners.

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY 30 Rock & Mad Men!

Check out all the winners here.

jay leno kicks off with heavy viewershio.

So did you watch Jay Leno's new show? I admit, I DVRd it but have yet to watch it.

It sounds like a lot of other people did, though...

"NBC’s heavily promoted 'The Jay Leno Show' had the huge premiere everyone expected. The question now is how many of those viewers will stick around in the days and weeks ahead.

'Leno' averaged a 5.1 adults 18-49 rating at 10 p.m. last night, according to Nielsen overnights, trouncing the competition and providing NBC’s best rating in the timeslot since the 'Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash' last November.

Perhaps best of all for NBC, there was no falloff from the show’s first to its second half hour, a key indicator networks look at to see if audiences liked a program. The show actually rose slightly, from a 5.0 to a 5.2.

'Leno' drew an equally impressive 17.7 million total viewers, NBC’s best timeslot tally since last year’s Summer Olympics. On that measure the show dipped slightly in its second half, from 18.1 million at 10 p.m. to 17.2 million at 10:30 p.m."

is williams safe?

It's usually the case that, when a celebrity "goes wild" or acts out, sponsors shy away from them. This may not be the case for tennis' Serena Williams...

"Most marketing experts believe tennis star Serena Williams isn't in danger of losing any of her estimated $12 million in annual endorsement deals after her profane outburst at the U.S. Open -- none of her sponsors dropped her, and Nike and Kraft Foods put out a statement of support."

And it doesn't sound like they're planning on it.

Ms. Williams has marketing deals with Nike, Wilson Sporting Goods Co., Hewlett-Packard and Gatorade. She also owns and designs her own clothing line, Aneres. Kraft Foods, which sponsors Ms. Williams through its Oreo Double Stuff Racing League, in which she and sister Venus Williams are pitted against Eli and Peyton Manning, is also standing by her. Company spokesman Basil Maglaris said, 'We're glad to see Serena Williams has taken responsibility for her actions and we continue to work with her.'

Nike noted that Ms. Williams apologized almost immediately after the outburst and said 'she let her emotions get the best of her. Nike stands behind Serena and looks forward to her outstanding career continuing.' A Wilson spokeswoman at company headquarters in Chicago declined to comment to AdAge.com; other sponsors could not be reached at press time.

But experts don't fear a backlash. 'I tend to think she is in no danger of losing her endorsements,' said Robert Boland, clinical assistant professor of Sports Management at New York University. Mr. Boland even referred to an on-court interview conducted by Patrick McEnroe after Ms. Williams teamed with her sister, Venus, to win the U.S. Open women's doubles championship a day after her tirade. Mr. McEnroe asked about the outburst and was booed by the crowd.

'I don't see it having any negative effects on her long-term marketability, though I'd expect her current sponsors may want to limit her visibility until Americans lose interest in this scandal and move on to the next,' said Bob Dorfman, executive creative director for San Francisco-based Baker Street Advertising. 'It's also possible that this could lead to new endorsement opportunities for her in the same way that Brett Favre's off-season indecision [about retiring] found its way into a Sears ad [in the 30-second spot, Mr. Favre spends hours deciding whether to buy a new TV]. Serena's outburst could become the subject of a campaign for an anti-perspirant, herbal tea, mattress or other product designed to help you stay cool, calm and relaxed.'"

What do you think?

how the beatles navigate the world of marketing.

As both a fan and a marketer, I find this incredibly interesting:

"The Beatles broke up almost 40 years ago, but their brand power is almost as strong today as it was when they first played the "Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964. Moreover, the band built that iconic brand -- and continues to promote it, gaining new generations of fans along the way -- without the benefit of advertising agencies or formal relationships with PR firms.

Do you want to know their secret?

Apple Corps, the Beatles' holding company; the Beatles themselves and their surviving spouses; former Beatles label EMI and Sony/ATV, which owns most of the band's music catalog, jointly make decisions on what projects will be approved, and they do so sparingly.

'The key is they've been so amazingly protective of the brand that everything that does come out is special,' said Bill Stainton, president of Ovation Consulting and a Beatles expert. 'They're not going to be on the K-tel compilation, or the 'Best of the '60s' CDs. ... They're almost Disney-esque in their protection of the brand.'"

As they should be!!

ivillage updates itself.

"Marking the first phase of a total site relaunch, iVillage has launched a new entertainment site focused on celebrity news, movies and television shows for women and their children.

The focus will remain on community, according to Angela Matusik, iVillage's chief content executive, who recently joined iVillage from People.com and is overseeing the editorial direction of the entire site."