Branding Matters

An interesting read in today's Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Henry Unger, a business columnist, talked with Turner Entertainment Network's Steve Koonin about branding TNT and TBS. No matter what your business, it is worth a read - call it "Branding 101!"

Got No Idea?

This is a bit of a vent, but as a marketing professional I grow very weary of those who essentially take someone's idea and use it for their own. I know, I know, it takes money and effort to develop marketing concepts, but that is no excuse to steal another person's concept.

The gist of this is, if your marketing campaign is all about using a variation on "Got ______?", you're only making people think about the original "Got Milk" campaign. You're not helping your business or stating any value proposition other than to say, "I have no ideas, and now you know that too."

To their credit, the "Got Milk" people have taken this in stride, and haven't sued anyone - after all, it doesn't negatively impact their campaign, but it smacks of plagiarism and a lack of originality, just the same.