The Big Fat Marketing Blog

Burger King’s at it again, courting controversy and grabbing up buzz by the handful.

The chain that brought you the “Whopper Virgin” campaign (loud outcry from the one-worlders who accused it of patronizing colonialism) and the “Whopper Sacrifice” (loud outcry from Facebook, which pulled the app down for violating its un-friending terms and conditions) is backing raising a ruckus. And this time the king and his agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky are dragging SpongeBob SquarePants into the fray. more

My buddy, James (aka Dr. J.), went to an auction last week. I’m not sure exactly what kind of auction it was but I imagine it had something to do with guns. James is a history buff (Civil War especially) and one of those guys who knows EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING. He’s rocket-scientist-brain-surgeon sharp and an all-around MacGyver. Frankly, his talents would annoy me except for (a) he’s one of the top three most interesting people I have ever met (I ALWAYS learn something from him) and (b) when the world ends, I know I have a place in his war-proof bunker complete with freeze-dried meals, grenade launchers and make-your-own-bomb activity kits to keep us busy.

At the auction, James saw this… more

My buddy, James (aka Dr. J.), went to an auction last week. I’m not sure exactly what kind of auction it was but I imagine it had something to do with guns. James is a history buff (Civil War especially) and one of those guys who knows EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING. He’s rocket-scientist-brain-surgeon sharp and an all-around MacGyver. Frankly, his talents would annoy me except for (a) he’s one of the top three most interesting people I have ever met (I ALWAYS learn something from him) and (b) when the world ends, I know I have a place in his war-proof bunker complete with freeze-dried meals, grenade launchers and make-your-own-bomb activity kits to keep us busy.

At the auction, James saw this… more

As people tighten their discretionary spends, they are spending less on alcohol and going out less frequently. Diageo, makers of Guinness beer and Johnny Walker scotch, among other brands, is attempting to beef up its in-store POS in a very big way, convincing consumers to buy more, and more often at their favorite grocery store. The big, expensive refrigerated units they are peddling are simply called “the Pod.”

At certain liquor stores they will even help you plan for your parties, not only how many brews and bottles to buy, but they’ll include how much ice to buy. They’ll even allow you to email yourself the information. There they are installing computer screens with the programs to help you plan a hangover your guests only wish they could forget.

As people tighten their discretionary spends, they are spending less on alcohol and going out less frequently. Diageo, makers of Guinness beer and Johnny Walker scotch, among other brands, is attempting to beef up its in-store POS in a very big way, convincing consumers to buy more, and more often at their favorite grocery store. The big, expensive refrigerated units they are peddling are simply called “the Pod.”

At certain liquor stores they will even help you plan for your parties, not only how many brews and bottles to buy, but they’ll include how much ice to buy. They’ll even allow you to email yourself the information. There they are installing computer screens with the programs to help you plan a hangover your guests only wish they could forget.

If you’re reading this, you more than likely work in a field related to marketing. And you’ve more than likely felt the pinch of the recession in some aspect of your business.

Things like foreclosures are what folks commonly think of when they imagine the impact of the recession. But how about a rise in the number of folks going to the dentist to be treated because they grind their teeth at night?

NPR’s “This American Life” ran an interesting story recently about such unexpected recessionary side effects. Check it out.