The hybrid move is encouraging and I hope the US follows behind. I'd like to try those under $10 Jeans. Here's a photo of them: http://www.japanpress.info/archives/245 Peter –LAKE OSWEGO, OR

Well stated Mr. Madden! –MEDINA, MN

It does seem true that marketers have diluted the meaning of Black Friday with their pre-Black Friday deals. I've seen tons of this on http://bit.ly/bJos8 as it got closer and closer to Black Friday. Any idea why it doesn't seem like Cyber Monday gets as much buzz? I feel like more and more people would be shopping online, but I haven't seen this page http://bit.ly/4CaSaJ get as much attention. –San Diego, CA

The new meaning of #Black Friday is a signal to pause from shopping as the mark-downs only will increase from there. The "trust" in stampede driven "deals" no longer makes sense. –New York, NY

I'm not a buyer/seller or an analyst but it makes sense that television viewing be counted beyond the "live" status. I know in my household we watch five shows, religiously, using our Fios multi-room DVRs: Ugly Betty, The Middle, and Modern Family on ABC; Ellen DeGeneres on NBC4NY; and The Doctors on WCBS. The first two years of Ugly Betty, my girls and I watched it Friday nights – a non-school night. It was our bonding night, and we looked forward to watching Betty, Mark, Wilhelmina, and Justin's shenanigans. Now that it's on Friday night, we still DVR it so that we can time shift our evening and relax to the max. Ellen is a must-watch for my 17-year old daughter, who finds Ellen more genuine than Tyra, a previous must-watch! I'm obsessed with Dr. Travis on The Doctors. What a beautiful man! And the information is good too! LOL... I have more control than ever, and I'm so grateful. The advertising industry needs to wake up and instead of being reactive they need to go to the head of the line and work on solutions. I've bought more products that were featured on Ellen and The Doctors than in regular commercials. So how are you capturing that for your clients? Why the ANA is opposed to this is beyond me and appears to go against consumers' best interest. This is how people are now watching shows and the commercials you place, whether national or local. I know that if I'm fast-forwarding through a commercial break, and I see something funny/interesting like those allybank.com commercials, or timely, like a MACY*S one-day-sale ad, I rewind and watch the commercial. So I hope those brands, whether in national or local shows, are aware of my interest in their message. The bottom line --- Change is Good. Embrace it. Rather than getting into a politically-charged brawl, come together to serve the consumer. (And why is there no mention of what brands and programmers think? Just asking...) Happy Thanksgiving! –OAKLAND GARDENS, NY

This could be the fresh breath of air that Billboard needs. Billboard is nothing more than a fanzine, yet with a ridiculously high subscription priced. The entrenched and self-entitled management are still writing for record stores that no longer matter to the lables. I met Keith Girard when he was named editor-in-chief after the late Tim White and he seemed to have a clear vision and fresh ideas about where Billboard needed to go. Too bad he was sunk by a hostile staff and incompetent management before he could make the changes he wanted. It's been all down hill since then. Murdoch, Finkelstein et al. would be smart to find out what he would do to revive the trade. I'd be interested in hearing about it myself. –New York, NY

Trade magazines are still very relevant, as they provide information that can't be found elsewhere. However, in many industries there's more than one trade publication and since there aren't enough advertisers to support them, some will end up struggling. It is not really an indictment of the whole category. Rather, it's more of a supply-demand issue. - Daniel Faintuch www.amarketersview.com –Cleveland, OH

AOL's biggest winner was when it was associated with America being online ... it was the only game in town and the name of the company said it ... America Online meant if you were online in America you had to be with AOL and to the world we announced that America was indeed online. Americans are the most patriotic people in the world hands down and America Online connected with them on a personal level and that helped with AOL's success. Question is AOL (America Online) going to be able to compete on a world stage with the name AOL? Or should they change the name altogether to EOL (Everyone Online) or WOL (World Online) or IOL (I'm Online). The problem is not the logo, its the name ... AOL change your name!!! Tim, drop me a line and I can resubmit the business plan that I sent to AOL 10 years ago for rebranding the company! –Fort Lauderdale, FL

So, Dean, tell us what you REALLY think... Because I couldn't find your point (other than to promote your agency), even if I had an electron microscope. Your final note of brilliance about Aol's business and marketing challenge really sealed the deal for me: "We'll rejoice when AOL moves from gestures and engagements to actions and results." Gee, I am quite sure that Aol's new CEO Tim Armstrong is not focused on "actions and results." He knows the Street and the market overall would much rather see "gestures and engagements" from his struggling web company. Why is it that this kind of verbal pablum passes for deep thinking in the marketing/branding industry these days? (And Ad Age keeps printing it!) I can only imagine how much Method's clients must be paying for this drivel. –SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Very nice thought piece on Aol and increasing customer loyalty, increasing opportunities and elevating profits. I totally support Deam's statement that "A corporate rebrand can be extremely powerful if created and communicated properly; it can unite employees behind a common cause and engender pride, symbolize a shared vision, break with the past, signal a future (direction) and create a difference that drives the top line and profit." To me...the "internal brand engagement program" that AOL and Wolff Ollins (Mr Crutchfield's ex agency) or whichever brand agency they select to implement the "engagement program" is the new "secret sauce". (new logos are fine but the engagement program is critical) The team will either buy in and turn aol around or not. Tim Armstrong's team is lay-off weary and some believe that past the point of no return. With one business wrtier recently stating, that since the Time Warner merger in 2001, aol has gone through close to 72 company strategies to rebuild itself...everyone is very guarded if number 73 will be a success. Time will tell but Mr Armstrong must rally the troops for one more battle. Nice article Dean. Geoff De Weaver NYC, New York Lots of –New York, NY

This piece is an attack of great, cogent, writing. I love it! As for cows... "Knock Knock." "Whose there?" "Interrupting Cow." "Interrupt..." "...Moo!!!" -- –Toronto, ON

At least they are doing something. The attration of staff is a move to become leaner. The new logo is a move, the total rebranding needs to be seen. I would have preferred if they had waited for the logo to be positioned against real product changes and platform extensions to make it meaningful, but as I stated before, they are doing SOMETHING..... –New York, NY

It remains to be seen whether Aol. has changed their condition, circumstance or being. After years of stumbling around and changing their business plan every 6 months, it would be a relief to many if they would focus on their being. As for the logo - I think it might actually be an accurate representation of their "identity" and strategy - there's no there there. –New York, NY

This article is a nice sales pitch for Mr. Crutchfield. Mark Twain once observed that he had lived a life of great tragedy that never occurred. Every dire possibility may eventually come to pass, but probably not. The new Aol logo has a nice playfulness. Looks like a good start. –W Bloomfield, MI

Daniel certainly boiled it down, however I do see the "definitive components for building and managing great brands" as having much broader coroporate application, going well beyond logo [re]development. Well done. –Bethlehem, PA

A new logo can be very helpful if it's a reflection of a new, redefined positioning. Otherwise, it's probably not worth the investment. Daniel Faintuch www.amarketersview.com –Cleveland, OH

I'd add an additional component (or perhaps it's a culmination of all four) and that is: great product. I wish they'd made their email service more usable before coming out with a renewed identity. I would have taken the effort far more seriously. Thanks for your thoughts, Dean! –Brooklyn, NY

In the long, proud history of branding, I am unaware of a single case study in which a logo saved a business. And my guess is that Aol. will continue that unbroken streak. As we all know, a logo isn't about a logo. A logo is about a brand. And a brand is about an idea - an idea that has relevance and value to someone. If Aol's new value prop is "the best content" - as I think I've read it is - then they might as well put Aol. over a picture of a tombstone. Companies with decades of a headstart in "the best content" - including soon-to-be ex-sibling Time, Inc. - are finding insurmountable challenges in running with this value prop and turning it into money. So it's hard to imagine that Aol - a brand synonymous with "Internet for Dummies" - is going to reemerge as the, or even a, player in the content game. A couple of words on the mechanics of the new logo. Making the o and the l lowercase while keeping the A upper leads one to want to pronounce it as a word: Ay-ole, or perhaps, a-hole. And the dot ... Has anyone used MS Word recently? If you type "Aol." in the middle of your sentence, the next word will be automatically capitalized. Yes, you can change those defaults - if it's important enough to you. I think at this point it's time for Aol. to do the ole Hail Mary: Announce it's ONLYavailable via dialup. Go back to the 1.0 interface. Resurrect the dirty chat rooms and "Magic: The Gathering." Monthly letters from Steve Case. Call it AOL Classic and milk the nostalgia crowd. Or - how about some TV spots where old people (like me, in our 40s) explain to dumbfounded young'ns why AOL is cool. Tim Armstrong - are you listening?! Mark Silber Copywriter/Creative Guy www.Silberware.com –New York, NY

Good article about the benefits of re-branding, but did I miss something? Is AOL changing its logo or is this referring to the effort undertaken years ago to change the brand? –arlington, VA

I believe that the Marketing and Media Strategey and Execution was performed by The Beacon Media Group in New York, Cepia's long time advertising media service. Advertising did not stop in Mid October as suggested by the Martz Spokesperson, it is actually running until Dec 24th. Phase 2 will begin on December 25th. The campaign was promarily targeted to children, not their mom's, although we did infuse some adult directed blogs into the mix. Hey this is just for the record. FYI the Beacon folks were also responsible for Furby, Cabbage Patch Kids and Pokemon in the past. –New York, NY

Here it comes again, The Cycle. 1) Early buzz builds for Zhu Zhu's. 2) Retail outlets sell out. 3) Greedy hoarders charge outrageous prices on eBay, etc. 4) Home basements in 2010 are filled with unsold Zhu Zhu's next to Cabbage Patch Dolls, Tickle Me Elmo's and Beanie Babies. –Havertown, PA

I watched a documentary on some projects including the Running Fence about 4 years ago. That was the first I had seen of the duo, and I was awestruck at what they were doing. They made me question my impact on the world, and to think would I ever do something that profound? –Mohawk, CA

We've lost a very curious, driven, defiant and brilliant woman. What a small world. What timing. ICharlotte and I ran into Jeanne-Claude and Christo and the Morgan Library on September 17th, where we spoke for a moment about an amusing story she told at Harvey Guild's funeral service, which was held at an ancient cemetery in distant Brooklyn. They were on their way to a memorial service. Now news of her untimely death. Our thoughts and prayers are with Christo and Cyril. –Glendale, CA

I had the pleasure of seeing "The Umbrellas" in Southern California on the Tejon Pass in 1991. It was amazing. The world has lost an original and we'll enjoy the projects she created for years to come. –Fairfax, VA

The world has lost a committed contributor to public art. Thankfully we had her while we did. The Ponte Neuf bridge wrap was another amazing event created with Christo. The Gates brought people out to interact on so many levels. What an accomplishment with art and vision that is pure and simple. Adieu, Jeanne-Claude. --Steve O'Brien –sto. dgo.

I truly enjoyed what you wrote. –Kuala Lumpur

Proof we should be thankful for the internet. Thanks Bart. –Santa Fe, NM

It is impossible to experience lack and limitation when the mind is focused on gratitude! Happy Thanksgiving! Thomson Dawson www.pullinc.com –Ojai, CA

Amen! Brother. –Miami, FL

Great article and a great reminder. We can choose perspective or pain, and it's always our choice. –florham park, NJ

And remember and remind those around you that it is still ok to laugh and have fun while working. Thanks Bart. –WILTON, CT

Great sentiments at just the right moment. Nicely done. Phil Johnson www.agencypja.com http://twitter.com/philjohnson –CAMBRIDGE, MA

It's going to drive my Word autocorrect crazy: after using the official "Aol." logo name in a sentence, Word or my iPhone will start the next word with a capital letter. Maybe I just won't use it. "The company formerly known as AOL" or some such... –Covington, KY

i know the brand by name, but have been out of touch with how far they've been sinking. after taking the glance provided, it seems to me there's a lot of inside information thrown to the world, and "we" don't get it. i knew a photographer who used to look at certain campaigns, and imagine there was a sugar sprinkler filled with cocaine on the boardroom table during the brainstorming sessions. it was passed around, and everybody thought each idea was so great. then, the same approach was implemented in the pitch--pass around the coke, and by the end of the pitch, everyone was so stoked, this was the end all of campaigns, and the audience couldn't possibly pull away from such compelling creative! having said all that, and reading a bit of the rationale, i understand what they're trying to achieve, i just don't see who it tested well with...or was it? –Washington, DC

bmcmcmahon: LOL It's hard to keep a straight face. Better to step out of the room for a breather. Group think. Ain't it great? –Chicago, IL

This is a joke, right? Please say it is. This can't be a serious attempt at a logo design. If it is, and W&O made big money with this, I'm afraid everyone in the design field needs to reassess their business model. Seriously, stock photos (random as they are) and lower case Aol. (and what's with the period at the end?). Well, I think the period says it all. This is the end of Aol. Period. –Nashville, TN

It is a conceit masquerading as a brand identity (Granted, the business strategy and brief they would have received is not clear or focused). So I can imagine the brainstorming session from whence this was vomited - multicolor puke -: "AOL is too hard in caps, let's go for a softer approach but impute the vernacular of lower case. Aol everywhere with a period... and we need to go beyond the logo as anchored in a corner. Let's make Aol. pervasive. Yes, Aol. everywhere, on fish fowl and beast, in the sea, on the mountains, in the sky. Why not a polyphonic, contrapuntal design element that crystallizes the future of being online, that is offline,...ubiquitous....Bla Bla" Once again, 'Creativity' is no substitute for a creative-strategic approach. I am looking forward to seeing how the identity unfolds in a consistent manner across all new forms of media; how it messages to all the stakeholders and resellers who will be handing out business cards with blue fish and green ammonites on them.. –St. Louis, MO

I like it !!! i think it will work very well...... it is clear....creative...cosmetic.......and customized....!!! Wolf & Ollins has done a great job....!!! cheers guys !!! –Minneapolis, MN

Wow. What is it? Aol, I mean. I was a Source subscriber at 300 baud. Then Compuserve. Somehow side-stepped Prodigy. They're gone. And so is Aol. Questions about this reasonably well-conceived artwork are irrelevant. Yes the u/l case makes sense; the period makes a statement. The "o" is too strong, he could have backed off. But the portal business model (running on dedicated client-side software?) has been dead for omg nearly 10 years. Think a new logo design's gonna revive a corpse? The little clips tell the story. What the hell does Aol mean over a fish? Or pink goo? Green string? Supposed to be, uh, fun? What the hell does Aol mean? Anymore? –Chicago, IL

I agree with Ripps, AOL is definitely out of touch. And the logo redesign? YIKES! WTF?How does adding the period define their brand or even bring their brand up to date? I think it looks like an old desk top publisher designed it. –CULVER CITY, CA

There are so many things wrong here. First and foremost the fact that AOL thinks that changing their logo will revive their brand/service. Even if I love the logo, what exactly are they asking me to do? Disconnect my current ISP and switch to AOL? Here they are, blaming the economy for being on the cusp of bankruptcy, and yet this is a company that hasn't innovated in 15 years. They deserve to go out of business. They shouldn't have gone to an Omnicorp agency for advice, they should have asked their 16 y/o nephew what to do... Because its ovbious these people dont use the internet for anything besides checking their email via Blackberry. In a recent NYT article explaining this branding decision some guy at Landor closes the piece by saying �œI have an AOL account.”.. I think that is exactly the problem here. If you have an AOL account in 2009 you are out of touch, and definitely shouldn't working on anything tech related. As far as the logo's go, they are effortless, dated and out of context. -Ryder Ripps internetarchaeology.org –san francisco, CA

Well. I think Wolff Olins did Aol. a great disservice. First, because the service is obsolete in so many ways, one could could describe it as irrelevant. Olins decided to take the money and run rather than face the client and tell the truth. Or maybe the people at Olins don't know enough about the world to see that there's absolutely no equity in the name. (An acronym for name most users have long forgotten. Sort of the search engine equivalent to Atlantic Pacific aka A&P.) Consequently the work is a joke. Yes, lol. is the obvious response to something that matters to no one except the employees who still have their jobs, their families and dependents, shareholders and others creditors who didn't dump the stock and off course their landlords and vendors such as Olins. I suspect the company's only hope is that the remaining "subscribers" remain inert, because the only glue that hold the service together is inertia. I'd say that Olins and the people involved at Aol. ought to be ashamed of themselves for displaying not only a lack of genuine effort�"there isn't a drop of sweat in the work�"but also sincerity. –Glendale, CA

Need to see it in context. Seems very first level. These images all look like stock. –Matthews, NC

Fascinating. –charlotte, NC

I will try to do this in 140 words or less (simplicity is the key to this field right?), ready, go! It was a gimic, they got publicity. The campaign hasn't come out yet, so no one has a solid basis to judge its profitability. @1day1brand: Not endangered, evolved. –Boston, MA

Traditional News Media and Traditional Advertising - Two endangered species. –Toronto, ON

crowdsource? i'd call it freelancer free-for-all at bargain prices that's what 10.2% unemployment gets you –lafayette, CO

Uh! Questions, questions, questions!!! Is it yet another one night stand given a fancy name to cover up or rationalize downfall of advertiser loyalty? With all due respect to the creatives who won the -what's it called? mob pitch?- I cannot help but ask 'Had it not been for an agency orginally, would the brand get anywhere beyond BiFi?' Why didn't the advertiser allocate the same or similar incentive to get their agency do develop the creative more? Or did they? Did the agency fail? Really? Or to be fair, is it because the popularity of the brand and its advertising becoming so popular that it became public creative domain? Questions questions questions... Answers? Let's wait and see the new work. –Levent Istanbul

"We're certain the two ideas will be a successful campaign for the Peperami brand and the legendary Animal" a) That pretty well defines what the future holds for "brand management"...one campaign at a time. In 2 years, a new CMO will be in and will stop this nonsense dead in its tracks. b) Anyone wanna bet that the social media "gurus" are already churning out the tweets about how this story is a benchmark for social media ROI? neglecting of course that there is no customer resonance in this story at all (you can point them to the part about the winners being 2 pros who probably never have or will eat "pepperami"...) –New York, NY

JeffBach, I think the "high dollar facilities" to which you refer are their well-practiced imaginations. –craigcooper.com, NY

Another step in the 'why do we need a relationship with anyone' sweepstakes. And they wonder why their customers show no loyalty. The no realtionship world can be a lot more expensive than people think. Imagine having to re-sell your spouse/partner everytime you want sex! Hmm .. maybe we already do! don.brown@brownchild.com Houston TX –Houston, TX

It occurs to me that these two could also be doing their freelance contest participation after hours with the support of high dollar facilities. Does anyone know? –Stoughton, WI

One more nail in the coffin of high overhead, analysis by paralyis by the minute creatives in plush offices. This scenario reminds me of a Hewlett & Packard moment in which Baldwin & Davies do their thing in a plain little garage, and do it quite well, without the trappings of high dollar creatives. Now the trick for Baldwin & Davies, as well as others in the future, is to avoid the rush to growth and overhead, which no one in a for-profit, more is better society seems to be able to avoid. –Stoughton, WI

Finally. Thank God. –FARMINGDALE, NY

I found this article really interesting. With the right tools in hand & suitable social media platforms in place, dramatic improvements in brand engagement and marketing as well as customer satisfaction can be achieved. I use another powerful search tool, TipTop at http://FeelTipTop.com, to keep track of sentiment about brands in real time. –Sunnyvale, CA

I read this article with a big "hmph." BestBuy's customer service is inconsistent at best, disruptive at worst. Clean up your in-store act first, Best Buy. That's your biggest WOM challenge. –FALMOUTH, MA

Great insights all. I especially like the point about HR evolving into a marketing input. To me, Best Buy's Twelpforce does expand upon the call center concept as noted in the article, however, it also marks an important departure from it. Call centers operate under a passive "build it and they will come" model, Twelpforce on the other hand, is an active "reach out and touch" platform that has Best Buy scouring the Twitterverse for any opportunity to create a touch point with consumers. Twelpforce isn't just available, it's anticipatory . . . A key differentiator that is still lost on many of BBY's competitors and suppliers! Carol Spieckerman/President/newmarketbuilders http://www.nmbblog.com Twitter: @retailxpert –BELLA VISTA, AR

"Less is more" I love it! –State College, PA

I love the way Hulu handles the advertisers. Occasionally, I'll be offered the option of a longer ad in the beginning, with no ad interruptions afterward. And I've even been asked to pick which company I want to see the ad for, and sometimes, which kind of ad too! I remember a car ad where I was asked to learn about the luxury, safety, or overall aspects of the car. It also seems that Hulu displays a lot more PSA's then TV. Keep up the good work! –New York City, NY

I no longer use a DVR. I no longer have a cable box or cable bill. My TV is attached to a Mac and I watch Hulu for most network shows, Netflix for movies and iTunes for movies and shows I want to keep. I recently had to travel for over a month and I was able keep up with the shows I like while I was away. One step better than a DVR, I am in control of what and when I watch the shows I like. As for fewer ads, I find myself paying more attention to the ads since there is usually just one short ad at a time. I don't tune it out or get up and do something else. And when one advertiser has the whole show, I learn more about that advertiser and their products than I do when it's buried in a sea of ads that I fast-forward through or talk through. I believe this is the future and the networks will be smart if they find ways to embrace it now or risk ending up with the same uncertain outlook as print newspapers and magazines. –HOUSTON, TX

I just had two friends visit who told me they don't see a need for a DVR. Like me they watch very few shows. And all of them are available online at either Hulu or Show Specific websites like Comedy Central etc. –Los Angeles, CA

Current law requires a list of immediate hazardous ingredients, companies do not have to list ingredients that may cause harm more gradually. People should know what toxic chemicals are found in their household products. This is especially important for children Children are not small adults; rather, they are a developing version of an adult. Simply put, children are under construction. They are unfinished and their developing systems are quite fragile. We know, for instance, that in children the brain continues to develop into their twenties, and this makes their brains potentially more vulnerable to toxicants. They breathe more rapidly, so they take in more toxins through their lungs. In the work to prevent cancer risk when we have the opportunity to eliminate unnecessary and preventable exposures to those toxins found to harm human health we should. Bill Couzens Founder Less Cancer –New York, NY

Outstanding "Dirty Shower Scene" good thought –N Las Vegas, NV

Adam, We do have big problems to deal with and I agree we should all be remorseful for electing socialist evidently hell bent on destroying our country. However the same mentality that elected these people is the mentality that says Adam Lambart's actions do not matter. His actions matter for our countries future. The more we tear at the foundations of what once made us great the less great we will be. What made us great was freedom granted by the constituion and tempered by a morality based in our Judeo-Christian ethic. We cannot be free if we have no abosolute sense of what is right and what is wrong. If we cast aside our historic morality then you need someone to tell you what is right and wrong. Evidently Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have chosen themselves to be the arbiters of right and wrong. And they have decided to begin with telling you that you should pay for babies to be exterminated and old people to be left to die. If you all have not figured it out yet. For the statist the individual does not really matter the state is the new deity to be worshiped and sacrificed too. –St. Marys, GA

As a professional keyboard musician, it's hard for me to find good vocal talent to watch on TV. Everyone is heavily over produced (Brittney, Miley, Lambert etc..) You now need 15 dancers, 6 back-up vocals, wacky tasteless attire, hard thumping sub bass driving music, to get attention. And you become a star and make millions within a year if you're produced correctly. Hey wait just a minute. I just described marketing 101. sad sad sad. –Rochester, NY

The only reason i clicked to comment was to say what sparks333 and hector already said. Why care when this country has important issues to deal with... Start with Democratic VOTER REMORSE!!!!! –new york, NY

Massacres in the Philippines? No health care reform yet? HIghest unemployment in dozens of years? Highest drug adduction ever in the country? Exorbitant executive pay? Who cares? Adam pretended to have oral sex, JLo fell and Paula got hit by a flying ham! As long as the media continues showing this as "relevant events", they will keep idiotizing and manipulating the American public. This will be a country of uneducated, easy to control people. –Scottsdale, AZ

Agreed. Did anyone read his Rolling Stone interview? And why do you think they put him on so late in the evening? This was no Janet Jackson oops. –Middletown, CT

Yawn. I wonder whether it was his publicist's, agent's, or manager's idea, and how long they've been planning it.... –NEW YORK, NY

It's not like anyone will tune in for talented performances. Maybe next year they can do something worth watching. Getting tired of no-talent crotch talent. –Oceanside, CA

He is the male version of Britney Spears... who cares.. –Cambridge, MA

The problem with this kind of action is that the viewers condone this. We talk about it with such delight, we celebrate it and ultimately the outcome will only help Adam's career. It's not the kissing that I think we need to be judgmental about. If a straight boy were to kiss a girl dancer...that would be cute. However, the trusting of someone's head into his crotch, we could do without. We really need to draw the line somewhere in the sand about what we consider decent behavior on network TV and that concerns violence as much, if not more, than sexual concerns. Funny how violence can be so acceptable no matter how bloody but that's another subject. Bottom line, we all need to exercise better manners and respect ourselves more. Our role models need to be more aware of this than anyone...you can make a statement without vulgarity. Our society is on a slippery slope to accepting anything. –NEW YORK, NY

When a man in a 3-piece suit, shirt, and tie simulates sex acts in a hilarious, non-literal way and generates more interest than 15 half-naked, spandex-clad female stars on the same show, we have witnessed, ladies and gentlemen, the birth of an advertiser's dream. Thumb your noses all you like - that's just more ad revenue for the rest of us. Profitable holidays to all! –Bronx, NY

Geez, I guess it's a good thing Jim Morrison isn't around anymore. –Saco, ME

face it. the author made a mistake. adam's "performance" had nothing to do with higher ratings but it has everything to do with post show buzz (that you can attribute to twitter and other loser social media users) –wilmington, DE

Where's Charles Rocket when we need him? A round of F-bombs for all my friends! I guess this performance of Adam's is the new trend. Sad but true. –Lake Forest, IL

This is the 21st Century. Expect the unexpected. To all the June Cleavers of the world, if you don't like the show, change the channel! If incidents like this are continuing on these shows, then the reality must be faced that they will not stop. –Jersey City, NJ

This is so painfully irrelevant. –Richmond, VA

Also, the East Coast viewed the awards before the airing on the West Coast. By the time of the airing, the West Coast viewers would have heard of the performance, which may have boost ratings. –Athens, GA

Ever hear of Twitter? –SHOREVIEW, MN

i'd like to know how the show could have attracted a larger audience "despite the controversy, or perhaps becasue of it".........how is that possible? did people watching the show see the act then call all their friends to tell them to tune it?? really, now, let's think this through. lambert's "actions" had nothing to do with the viewship numbers. period. –wilmington, DE

Google needs to continue expanding it's reach, because the day is rapidly approaching when the Google search engine will suffer. It has become an infomercial search engine over manipulated by commercial interests thanks to the Google focus on profits that's finally overwhelmed the mission of providing objective organic restuls. I already use AltaVista as my default home page search engine versus Google because of the commercial opportunities opened up to those of us who have learned to manipulate even organic searches through Google's relentless pursuit of profits. I get routinely get different search results on AltaVista (and other lesser known search engines) versus what shows up on Google. They have done themselves in, but succeeded to such extent that the search engine may be dispensable. Google is now a phone company, a media presence, and I soon expect them to start manufacturing cars. –Richmond, VA

Thanks a bunch Phil. Todd - What a great, easy-to-recall approach! I'll likely steal it for an upcoming client presentation. Only kidding. Seriously, thanks for your input and kind words. –MEDINA, MN

Good article, Dana. I particularly admire the "annual hero fund" idea. A simple but powerful way to be a "super hero" to clients is to demonstrate consistent passion for building their business, not just one's own. Providing passionate client leadership through business-building ideas can seem daunting to some -- particularly more junior folks. But, it can be rather simple if they follow a logical approach like LEADERlogic... L - LEARN: Learn everything you can about the client's business, industry, and competition. And not just what they tell you directly. Do your own digging. The more you know, the more you can help them. E - ENVISION: Identify a key client issue, outage, or untapped opportunity -- then envision a way to turn it into a business-building idea. A - APPLY: Identify a current/new agency capability/service that you can apply uniquely to bring this idea to life. D - DEVELOP: Develop a proactive proposal that marries the client opportunity and the agency capability in a client-centric fashion -- then develop a powerful presentation to share it. E - ENROLL: Enroll your client in the power of the idea with a passionate and persuasive illustration of the potential impact. R - REALIZE: Realize the opportunity by taking initiative, following through...and making it happen! Then ensure strong results and document a success story. http://TellYourClientsWhereToGo.com –Cincinnati

I love this post. You've obviously brought some joy and fun back to agency life. Phil Johnson www.agencypja.com http://twitter.com/philjohnson –CAMBRIDGE, MA

Just another free-rider who realizes he might not get away with his "freedom from paying for content" any longer. Content costs Mr. Sullivan. Digital content distribution also costs; those who claim that in the age of computers (or so called "network economy")the cost of both is "close to zero" do not know what they are talking about or they lie. Or both! The Googles and Yahoos of the world might not bear the cost, but we do, in the form of additional electricity (and CO2 clean-up!) that is required to push all these "free" ads through the network; in higher ISP fees; more broadband and storage capacity... Not to mention the cost of ad-spams, which as someone just estimated might cost us $1.4 billion a year, and form which the biggest "free" content providers benefit in hundreds of millions dollars (see the Facebook and Zynga case, now in court. A few bucks a day for valuable, timely and professionally created content might be the best solution for cleaning up the Internet (which according to Google's Schmidt has become a cesspool of misinformation lately) and to restore the free market principles it needs. –Warsaw

It may also lead to a fight for exclusive content which will just make life difficult for users, similar to the old paywalls that AOL had in place with content just for users... If you want to read a breaking news article, will you take the extra time to check it both Google & Bing just in case the WSJ wrote a better story than the FT. Splitting content between search engines and drawing a line in the sand will not end well for competition, media or consumers! But lets say Microsoft/Bing didn't get wrapped over the knuckles by the competition watchdogs, think about their distribution platforms. These figures are just from memory but it shows that combined they do have the distribution numbers but how will it compete with its MSNBC service? Facebook 300,000,000 Twitter 50,000,000 MySpace 120,000,000 XBOX Live 10,000,000? MSN Messenger Hotmail 350,000,000? Yahoo 400,000,000 I could be wrong but I don't recall NBC and FOX being the best of friends in media? Someone would have to sell parts of the empire or atleast not have exclusive agreements in place that prevent competitors such as CBS,BBC appearing... http://thelostagency.wordpress.com –Brisbane

Let's not all jump on the "Google Killer" scenario. From MSFT's perspective gaining market share is a rasonable objective. Do we really believe MSFT is out to "kill" Google? I think not. Competition is necessary for a healthy environment. From Murdoch's seat, "killing" is not the objective. Getting paid for the content his news division creates is the end game. More power to him Paul Benjou Industy Blog: www.MyOpenKimono.com –New York, NY

Danny is right because more and more of us are seeking other sources, not behind pay walls. When I first went on line I dropped WSJ first, IBD second, NYT third, and Globe last (local paper). Then I discovered our local free paper had improved coverage--news better. Then I found niche sites, EXACTLY like this one, slash.org, paidcontent, 411 leads, bookseller (English; US PW charges). Now I never use WSJ, rarely NYT or IBD, and occasionally Globe on line. The garbage part is stupendous. Also, online provides quicker scans to see what you want. Google news is one of my favorites, along with AOL. Then Rasmussen Polls. It goes on and on, with more every day. This from a senior citizen. Ah, CBSSports.com for sports. Google won't lose a beat--and Murdock is driving folks to other info sources. Finally, I find the free sites less biased. –Lincoln, MA

Wait a second...I'm not sure that's really the whole picture. I'm not so sure it's really wise for any engine to let the major news conglomerates wither on a vine. As a digital means of searching relevant content, Google should be a bit more open than 'sorry, look elsewhere' in this case. As the central hub for intellectual content in this country there is a much bigger risk at stake if Murdoch DOESN'T create this power play. Cop out, yes, but; Considering the cajillions that paid search alone has generated alongside such 'not so important content', I'd sure hate from a long-term business positioning standpoint Google didn't pay closer attention to Murdoch. It would be naive to think that Google search is forever & that destination sites couldn't at some point regain share as a starting point for online activity. Even Rome crumbled, Danny. –carlsbad, CA

Doesn't seem that Google will be affected much as they are regularly adding new media to index and add to it's search results. Steve http://GotFreeBusinessCards.com –Columbus, OH

Tend to agree with the comments. Don't think this move is a Google killer. Hardly anything on the horizon actually is! Especially like the "there is not OPEC for news" quote. Sums it up pretty well. That's the news world we live in and Rupert won't be able (first time?) to get his way by just playing hardball. –Wilton, CT