:: Adgruntie :: Lazy Sunday

+ Quiznos pulls black-oriented ads- "Denver's Quiznos Subs has stopped advertising on radio stations that emphasize hip-hop and rhythm and blues, the Washington Times reported Friday.The move followed an internal study showing such music is associated with a lifestyle the company does not want to be seen endorsing." Whatever that means.

+ Companies find they can't buy love with bargains. "Too many companies confuse selling clever gadgets at good prices with delighting customers. When so many products get cheaper every year, offering customers a great bargain will not necessarily win their loyalty. Someone else is bound to offer a better bargain, and besides, most customers have come to expect good deals. "Price has an effect on whether you buy or not," Dr. Fornell says. "It has less of an impact on whether you're satisfied or not.""

+ Yipes! Things to avoid when presenting to a potential or established client. From the article: "Little things do indeed count, as other executives learned from their own experiences. One executive left major portions of the ad presentation back at the office, while another placed presentation materials in a rented car, then took a different car to the meeting. A seemingly diligent ad executive tried too hard, apparently, and sprayed the presentation board with insecticide, instead of adhesive. A relatively unobservant executive didn’t recognize the client’s president when he walked into the building. An executive who didn’t attend to details “thought he had put the phone on mute — but had not — and was talking about the client.”"

+ Ad Icon, Smokey the Bear turns 60 tomorrow (8/9). And after 60 years, he's still relevant, even if his tagline has changed from forest fires to wildfires.

+ When the Olympic Games begin, Chevrolet’s long-running “Like a Rock” advertising campaign will be put to bed as General Motors Corp. embrases their new catchphrase, “An American Revolution" with a "blitz of 10 new commercials airng the 2004 Summer Olympics. Wes Brown, an analyst at consumer research firm Iceology in Los Angeles, says the slogan, "Like a Rock", has long outlived its usefulness. “There’s no doubt almost every consumer would recognize what brand goes with that song,” said Brown, “but it didn’t really translate into increased sales.”" I'm not quite sure how an American Revolution will translate into sales though. But who knows.