the ad guy @ arnold creative

From CNN - What the Fed decision means for you.

2008-06-25T14:46:00.003-05:00

For months mortgage rates have shot up while the Fed has slashed interest rates. What's going to happen now?

By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Last Updated: June 25, 2008: 3:12 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- If you have a mortgage, carry credit cards and are considering a home equity loan to cope with soaring food and energy prices, you should be paying attention to what the Fed has to say.

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve held a key short-term interest rate steady, following a series of steady rates cuts - a move that signals to some that rates are about to change direction. And most assume that means consumer lending rates will rise as well.

But the central bank had cut rates seven times since September in an effort to bolster the lagging economy and spur economic growth. And during that time, mortgage rates were increasing. So what gives? And what should consumers expect loan rates to do next?

How it works

The fed funds rate is often thought of as a benchmark to set rates paid by consumers on many types of loans, from mortgages and home equity lines of credit to credit cards and business loans.

Generally, the Fed lowers rates when it is concerned about the economy slowing and raises rates when it is more worried about inflation. In times of lower interest rates, consumers tend to spend more because of the cheap cost of borrowing.

But people incorrectly equate the Federal Reserve's actions with changes in consumer interest rates, cautioned Eric Tyson, author of "Personal Finance for Dummies."

There is not a direct connection, he explained, but an indirect one. "Rates are set by market forces and they have been trending higher in part because of inflationary concerns and, in part, because of Fed expectations." So with inflation fears on the rise and many investors expecting the Fed to raise rates again, mortgage rates have already begun to tick higher.

Rates on 30-year fixed mortgages have surged to a 9-month high on growing concerns about inflation, according to a recent report by mortgage backer Freddie Mac.

And rather than track the fed funds rate, which is the rate banks charge one another for overnight loans, fixed mortgage rates are more closely aligned with the yield on the 10-year treasury note, which offers a long-term look at a fixed investment.

While the lagging economy has bolstered the yield on the benchmark 10-year note, it still remains at a relatively low level, Tyson said.

Unlike fixed-rate mortgages, adjustable-rate mortgages can fluctuate in response to a number of rates, depending on the terms of the loan. Many are pegged to the Libor rate, an international interbank lending rate. Others follow the prime rate, which is generally three percentage points higher than the federal funds rate (presently the prime rate is 5%).

Credit card companies also tend to move the rates on their variable rate credit cards in line with the prime rate of interest.

"Credit cards are generally tied to the prime rate which usually moves in lock step with the Fed's actions," according to Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer economics at Moody's Economy.com.

Why it matters

Even as the Fed leaves rates unchanged, what they say about the economic picture could also influence consumer interest rates in one direction or another.

"Most likely they will express concern about inflation," said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSHAssociates.com, an online publisher of consumer loan information, which could send consumer interest rates higher as people take that as a cue that the Fed intends to start raising rates soon.

So if you are in the market for a house, now could be the time to pull the trigger before rates rise even further. As Tyson points out, yields on 10-year treasury notes are still relatively low, an indication that 30-year mortgages could still be a good deal.

Financing conditions for lines of credit, including home-equity lines, will be tighter than they have been for years. "Keep in mind that it will be difficult to leverage your home's value to greater than 90%," Gumbinger said. So if you do need to borrow against your home equity, now might be a better time than in the near-term future.

And it is likely that credit card issuers will switch back to variable interest rates to ride the future rate hikes, according to Robert McKinley, CEO of credit-card tracker CardWeb.com.

"Consumers should be weighing carefully all card offers they receive in the mail or via the Internet to lock in a good promotional rate or long-term rate, before rates head north again," McKinley advised.

If you carry a balance on your credit card, now is a good time to pay that down as well. But generally speaking, "if you have consumer debt you should get rid of that anyway," Tyson said.

But since no one can predict for certain what the economy will do, and how the Fed will react, it is generally not a wise idea to make critical financial decisions based on expectations about what will happen with interest rates, he added.

First Published on cnnmoney.com : June 25, 2008: 2:30 PM EDT

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Ryan Arnold
ryan (at) arnoldcreative (dot) com.

Arnold Creative is a retail brand development firm steeped in the core capabilities of a traditional retail consultancy and integrated marketing firm. Our purpose is to provide small to midsized retailers with expert customer experience management, reliable intelligence on internal processes & operations, and customer engagement & retention opportunities.

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

Fukengrüven der Rampenmüvin.

2008-06-25T12:55:00.004-05:00

An outstanding example of using social media to introduce a product.

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Ryan Arnold
ryan (at) arnoldcreative (dot) com.

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

"That's too much money to spend..."

2008-06-18T07:21:00.000-05:00

...just to figure out what my brand is," said the young, cocky CEO of a Global, Fortune 1,000 company to the stunned ad man.

Granted, I’m bias when it comes to the importance of defining a Brand; my business is built on the principle that discovering the makeup of a Brand is tantamount in creating marketing strategies and organizational growth. I feel a Brand is not defined by use of a clever tag line or a pretty ad; rather values that permeate an organization and drive the ways in which they do business. In an economy that pits retailer against retailer in a no holds barred cage match for every last consumer dollar, isn’t it prudent to allow for 100% dedication in figuring out just what is your company offers and why the hell anyone should care?

Again, maybe I’m just a little too close to the issue to be impartial. It begs the question – how much value do you place on a brand? Share your thoughts; participate in a quick poll on the homepage.

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Ryan Arnold
ryan (at) arnoldcreative (dot) com.

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

Time to put Old Yeller down.

2008-06-09T17:22:00.001-05:00

When General Motors acquired the production rights to AM General's HMWV, or Hum-Vee, in 2002 the cost of gas in Chicago was $1.67 per gallon. With the price of crude oil skyrocketing against an economy nosediving toward recession, General Motors retired the brand in 2006. General Motors recently announced that Chevrolet would shut down North American facilities building heavy duty trucks and SUVs.

Is the beginning of the end of gas guzzling behemoths? Perhaps. With gas climbing toward the $5.00 per barrel mark, more consumers are turning toward high mpg vehicles, even selling their gas guzzlers at a loss in effort to avoid $100+ fill ups. I'm not a genius and I might be totally off base here; we are witnessing something tantamount to mutiny. Loyalties severed for the sake of saving a few bucks, a once powerful industry standing at the brink of collapse, and irreversible damage to the value of the brand.

C'mon, Travis...it's time to take Old Yeller behind the woodshed and put him down.

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Ryan Arnold
ryan (at) arnoldcreative (dot) com.

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

TheAdGuy blog is moving.

2008-06-04T08:03:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note alerting readers to update bookmarks and RSS Feed Settings for The Ad Guy @ Arnold Creative Blog. Though the current address (TheAdGuy.BlogSpot.com) will redirect, you should still update your feed readers and browser bookmark settings to insure that you don't miss a post.

As of Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 The Ad Guy @ Arnold Creative Blog will be found at ArnoldCreative.BlogSpot.com

Happy retailing!

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Ryan Arnold
ryan (at) arnoldcreative (dot) com.

Arnold Creative is a retail brand development firm steeped in the core capabilities of a traditional retail consultancy and integrated marketing firm. Our purpose is to provide small to midsized luxury retailers with expert customer experience management, reliable intelligence on internal processes & operations, and customer engagement & retention opportunities.

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

An overused cliche: "The check is in the mail." For a change, this time it's true.

2008-05-20T13:21:00.000-05:00

If economists are correct, 50% of Americans who receive an economic stimulus rebate won't spend a penny of it on themselves. Count on another 36% of Americans to spend the money on things like utilities, groceries, and bills; things that would have been paid otherwise. That leaves 14% of Americans to boost the economy with $9.3Billion; their cut of the total $130Billion stimulus package.

What will the 14%'ers spend their dough on? Nothing. The majority have reported they will save their rebate. Most said they would save for a rainy day, while others had the money allocated to college funds, vacation funds, and piggy banks. According to the Detroit Free Press, one of the last ways Americans reported to spend their rebate was on clothing or jewelry.

Don't worry, retail friends. Our time will come...

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Ryan Arnold
ryan (at) arnoldcreative (dot) com.

Arnold Creative is a retail brand development firm steeped in the core capabilities of a traditional retail consultancy and integrated marketing firm. Our purpose is to provide small to midsized luxury retailers with expert customer experience management, reliable intelligence on internal processes & operations, and customer engagement & retention opportunities.

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

Taking some time off.

2008-05-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

Arnold Creative will be taking some time off from posting to The Ad Guy @ Arnold Creative Blog. We just need to recharge our batteries before the summer retail season hits full force.

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Ryan Arnold
ryan (at) arnoldcreative (dot) com.

Arnold Creative is a retail brand development firm steeped in the core capabilities of a traditional retail consultancy and integrated marketing firm. Our purpose is to provide small to midsized luxury retailers with expert customer experience management, reliable intelligence on internal processes & operations, and customer engagement & retention opportunities.

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

Offer Incentives to avoid damaging your Brand’s value.

2008-04-28T07:59:00.000-05:00

It’s all about the consumer perception of your brand. Incentives to move merchandise don’t have to be bland discounts like “10% off all Blue Tagged items.” Instead, I recommend offering customers something extra, like a gift with purchase or visit to your store. I worked with an auto dealer who needed to move a mid-level luxury sedan which retailed for $54,000. We’ll call the sedan the “Model D”. The manufacturer identified the age range of the target customer as 54 – 65 years old. I recommended that the dealer offer an attractive incentive; Dinner for two at a 4-star restaurant and a pair of tickets to the performing arts center in Chicago. (Illinois, like many states, restricts the type of incentives auto dealers can offer. In this case, the incentive was offered after the customer took a test drive of the “Model D” – no purchase required.)

Dinner for two came in the form of a $150 gift certificate. We arranged to purchase 50 gift certificates from the restaurant at a 50% discount. The pair of tickets to the performing arts center was offered in the form of a voucher. There were some restrictions (offer expires in 12 months, not valid on Saturday nights, etc.) but none that would be a flagrant turn off. We arranged to pay for the vouchers as they were redeemed.

The goal was to get customers behind the wheel of the “Model D” for a test drive. Some people ended up buying and very few people just came in for a free dinner and a show. The perception was that this particular auto dealer was offering customers additional value in exchange for their business. Businesses head down a dangerous path when they begin to discount products and services. It will not take long before your business is perceived as “the discount” place or “the cheap” place. 99% of the time, a business can never recover from that kind of damage to their brand’s value.

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

A brand is the affirmation of your company’s differentiation from the competition. Arnold Creative is a dynamic, full service brand development firm steeped in the core competencies of a traditional integrated marketing firm and advertising agency.

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

Earth Day.

2008-04-22T00:21:00.001-05:00

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

Pardon the interruption; I want to sell you something.

2008-04-21T15:17:00.002-05:00

Before summer campaigns roll, I recommend you to take pause and insure the messages you’re sending communicate the values of your brand. In an earlier article, I wrote about how running creative for the simply because it is “cool” is wasted ad dollars. We’re entering the second most profitable time for retail sales; the first being Q4, of course.

“The advertising doesn’t work!” If you’re the client, you’ve probably uttered these words. If you’re the marketer, you’ve had them uttered to you. Before shooting the messenger, remember that with any medium you select, consumers will view your message as an intrusion. You are interrupting them and taking a piece of what consumers have the least of – time. Without coming out and saying “pardon the interruption…” I recommend keeping your consumers interest (and attention span) in mind. Does your message include a distinct and unique customer benefit? What are you telling them so they will buy from you? “We’re committed to Customer Satisfaction” and “We won’t be undersold!” don’t count. Remember – consumers see thru the rhetoric and bullshit. Your message needs to reflect a true, unique consumer benefit. Delivering on a brand promise will beat the “low price leader,” even in a down economy, every time.

I sought advice from two colleagues I trust. Dan Horwitch is a Senior Account Executive for radio station WXRT in Chicago. He reminded me - “Every retailer is hurting. So, focus on when people’s pocket books are open. We don’t want to do the legwork. We don’t have the time and we don’t have the money we used to.”

Bill Cavanaugh is General Manager for radio station WERV in Chicago. I spoke with him about how he counsels clients. “A lot of our business comes from direct advertisers. In my experience, the ones who are successful seem to have these three things in common. First, their creative is engaging; it breaks through the clutter. Next, their message is relevant to their target customer; it speaks to them in a way they want to be spoken to. Finally, they have the fortitude to stick with it and make long range plans; having the courage to commit will yield them the recognition they will need to be memorable.” Then, quoting Mark Twain, he ended with “Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.”

So, is your message being respectful? Are you communicating a worthwhile reason or are you simply bothering them?

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

"Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." - Benjamin Franlklin

2008-04-15T09:17:00.004-05:00

For info on how to file an extension and filling out Form #4868 click here.

For a visual guide to "Where Your Federal Tax Dollars Go" click here.

For lyrics to The Beatles song "Taxman" click here.
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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Julia Keller hosts Journalist Round table.

2008-04-15T06:49:00.001-05:00

Chicago Tribune writer Julia Keller will host a round table discussion about the changing role of journalists in the information age on Wednesday April 16th, 2008 at the South Loop Barnes & Noble in Chicago.

Admission is free and the discussion will be held in the lower level of the bookstore and is presented in conjunction with Barnes & Noble-DePaul Center and DePaul University College of Communications.

For directions to the venue click here.

For Julia Keller's bio click here.

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

Creative is King. Except when it's the Joker.

2008-04-14T12:15:00.000-05:00

Every time I say it, I mean it - if your advertising agency or brand development partner ever recommends using a piece of creative because it's "cool" or "clever," take a stick and hit him/her over the head. Even when the economy isn't as crummy as it is today, it's never a good idea to develop creative solely because it's "cool" or "clever."

Earlier this spring I got a call from a colleague asking if I had "anything to do with this piece of crap?" She was referring to a television spot she saw for a a client I had worked with in the past." "No," I responded. As she described the train wreck of a commercial, in slow detail, I thought about how damaging a piece of creative can be to a brand. I'm not talking about creative that is blatantly offensive, but rather creative that flies in the face of the image you've worked to portray and maintain. Running this type of creative costs advertisers substantially more money (in negative feedback from current customers, lost revenue opportunities from new customers, and the cost of man-hours dedicated to damage control) than had the creative never be presented.

To reiterate: Do not use any ad/spot/piece of copy/web video without careful consideration to how the creative complements the brand building you've already done. "I think it's cool" should never, ever be the basis for choosing one piece of creative over another. With retailers going out of business faster now than ever before, it's imperative that creative speak directly to what consumers feel to be most valuable and how it pertains to your brand.

Here's another fun thing to do with a stick.

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

Stand By Your Brand.

2008-04-14T11:16:00.004-05:00

Amid concerns of an impending recession, US retailers are facing the most unnerving economic landscape in 8 (or 18) years, depending on the source. The magic contributors are identified as the housing market, the credit crunch, higher fuel costs (and subsequently higher food costs) and, most recently, the rising unemployment rate. March reported the national unemployment rate rose .03% to 5.1%. Number crunchers expect the percentage to continue growing thru 2008 and Q1 of 2009. Doom-and-Gloom bean counters project double-digit unemployment numbers before the close of 2008.

Blah, blah, blah...

Retailers with the biggest war chests and deepest pockets won’t be the retailers who survive this economic downturn; retailers who stand by their brand will be, albeit bruised and light in the bankbook. Let me put a personal spin on this idea: think back to a particularly hard time for you personally; an illness or losing a loved one. If you’re like most people, you had a core group of people who you leaned on for support. Those people made some sort of affirmation to you, like: “I’ll take care of picking up the kids during the week.” They delivered on that affirmation and, when the troubled time had passed, you remembered how much it helped, even though it may have inconvenienced the person picking up the kids. You’ll never forget how that person stuck to their guns when times were tough. Similarly, when your company makes an affirmation to your customers during a particularly troubled time and your company stands firm, you demonstrate your willingness to get into the troubled times with them. This recession will end. When it does, your company will emerge with brand evangelists instead of customers. Those brand evangelists will spend the good times (and the good money) with you. See how the size of your ad budget has little to do with determining how you’ll fare during this recession?

When in doubt, stand by your Brand!

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

American Airlines schedule back to normal.

2008-04-12T17:07:00.001-05:00

After displacing more than 250,000 passengers this week to re-inspect its fleet of MD-80's, American Airlines says that all flights are expected to return to normal. The cash cost to the airline is expected to top $3Million; the cost to the brand is expected to more than triple that. Customer ill will, passenger frustrations, and a common question "Why the hell hasn't the CEO [Gerard Arpey] said anything?" still float about the media, newspapers, and blogs. The window of opportunity for American Airlines to react in a manner that upholds the brand promises put forth in their mission statement is quickly closing.

Mr. Arpey, your audience awaits.

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

REPOST: A showing of contrition & immediate action…

2008-04-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

A fitting repost, in the wake of American Airlines' 250,000 stranded passengers. Originally posted February, 2007.

…from JetBlue

Dear JetBlue Customers,

We are sorry and embarrassed. But most of all, we are deeply sorry.

Last week was the worst operational week in JetBlue's seven year history. Following the severe winter ice storm in the Northeast, we subjected our customers to unacceptable delays, flight cancellations, lost baggage, and other major inconveniences. The storm disrupted the movement of aircraft, and, more importantly, disrupted the movement of JetBlue's pilot and inflight crewmembers who were depending on those planes to get them to the airports where they were scheduled to serve you. With the busy President's Day weekend upon us, rebooking opportunities were scarce and hold times at 1-800-JETBLUE were unacceptably long or not even available, further hindering our recovery efforts.

Words cannot express how truly sorry we are for the anxiety, frustration and inconvenience that we caused. This is especially saddening because JetBlue was founded on the promise of bringing humanity back to air travel and making the experience of flying happier and easier for everyone who chooses to fly with us. We know we failed to deliver on this promise last week.

We are committed to you, our valued customers, and are taking immediate corrective steps to regain your confidence in us. We have begun putting a comprehensive plan in place to provide better and more timely information to you, more tools and resources for our crewmembers and improved procedures for handling operational difficulties in the future. We are confident, as a result of these actions, that JetBlue will emerge as a more reliable and even more customer responsive airline than ever before.

Most importantly, we have published the JetBlue Airways Customer Bill of Rights--our official commitment to you of how we will handle operational interruptions going forward--including details of compensation. I have a video message to share with you about this industry leading action.

You deserved better--a lot better--from us last week. Nothing is more important than regaining your trust and all of us here hope you will give us the opportunity to welcome you onboard again soon and provide you the positive JetBlue Experience you have come to expect from us.

Sincerely,

David Neeleman
Founder and CEO
JetBlue Airways

Since original posting, David Neeleman was replaced by Dave Barger as CEO of JetBlue last October. He remains as non-executive Chairman of the Board. In addition, Neeleman announced plans to launch a new domestic carrier in his native Brazil.

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

Arnold Creative is a dynamic, full service brand development firm steeped in the core competencies of a traditional integrated marketing firm and advertising agency. A decade of experience has enabled Arnold Creative to hone the skills that have left our clients raving about our second-to-none level of service.

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

Irreversible Damage to American Airlines brand?

2008-04-10T13:36:00.002-05:00

American Airlines terminals bare a striking resemblance to refugee camp. 250,000 passengers and over 1,000 flights have been cancelled this week due to voluntary safety inspection the MD-80 aircrafts in the American Airlines fleet. The MD-80 is one of the oldest models of the company’s work horses and is responsible for the lion’s share of American Airlines’ daily flights. The local television stations have been camped out at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport; one of three main hubs for the airline. One camera captured a portion of this passenger dialogue with an airline spokesperson: “Don’t blame the FAA. This is your fault; American Airlines is to blame.”

Let’s take a page from JetBlue’s Customer Service playbook. Remember when severe weather paralyzed New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports in February of last year? Headlines like “Held Hostage on the Tarmac” and “Passengers Furious about being Abandoned” were splashed across the nation’s newspapers. Not long after the passengers had finally departed the airport (some on JetBlue planes, others on competitor’s planes thru tickets purchased by JetBlue) CEO David Neeleman used his personal blog and YouTube to issue an apology and outline organizational and operational changes being implemented at the startup carrier.

“Hi,” he said, “my name is Dave Neeleman, and I'm the CEO of JetBlue. I'm here to serve you this evening…”

In a very “hat-in-hand” manner, Neeleman used phrases like “sorry” and “rebooking opportunities were scarce and hold times at 1-800-JETBLUE were unacceptably long or not even available” and statements like “We know we failed to deliver on this promise last week” as he addressed customers and critics. Acknowledging that his company failed, he reminded customers that the buck stopped with him and he was genuinely sorry. He closed his message with:

“You deserved better--a lot better--from us last week. Nothing is more important than regaining your trust and all of us here hope you will give us the opportunity to welcome you onboard again soon and provide you the positive JetBlue Experience you have come to expect from us.”

According to their website, “American Airlines and American Eagle are in business to provide safe, dependable and friendly air transportation...We are dedicated to making every flight you take with us something special.” Broad generalities make for poor brand statements. Remember – at the core, a brand is the affirmation of your company’s differentiation from the competition. The question becomes whether American Airlines will be able to deliver a solution that will be satisfactory to the quarter-million customers who have been affected. The resolution of this incident will prove how dedicated American Airlines is to making every flight "something special."

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

If your business is in need of strategic brand direction, please contact Ryan Arnold.

The Ad Guy @ Arnold Creative blog reaches milestone.

2008-04-09T06:41:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the subscribers and faithful readers of The Ad Guy @ Arnold Creative blog for catapulting readership to the largest number in any single day: 504 unique pageviews on yesterday's posting on Absolut Vodka's controversial Latin American campaign.

If you haven't done so already, please take a few moments to subscribe to the RSS feed of The Ad Guy @ Arnold Creative blog by clicking the the orange RSS icon at the top right of the page.

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

¿Viva La Revolucion? ¡Relajar América!

2008-04-08T10:23:00.001-05:00

“I have poured the remainder of my Absolut bottles down the sink,” wrote one blogger. Another blogger posted a YouTube video touting “Absolute Vodka's insult to Americans… Boycott and write to the company expressing your outrage!”

Bowing to pressure, Absolut has pulled the ad and is “refocusing” efforts in the Latin American marketplace, specifically in Mexico. The creative, early 19th century map showing chunks of the United States as a part of Mexico, has angered many American and Mexican consumers. (*a note from the Historical Accuracy Department & Wikipedia: the map used is historically accurate up until 1848 when the United States, under President James K. Polk, invaded Mexico and seized Mexico City after the Mexican government refused to acknowledge the United States’ annexation of Texas.)

Let’s put this into perspective, people. Absolut Vodka is a Global brand. Hence, they undertake marketing initiatives that are geared toward specific consumers located in various parts of the Globe. In the case of this ad, it was part of an outdoor and print campaign in Mexico City, Cancun, and other larger Mexican cities. This ad was not geared for the US General Market – it was placed in Mexico and targeted Mexican consumers. When media outlets throughout the Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California caught wind, many tried to spin the ad as Absolut weighing in on immigration and citizenship reform. Absolut released this statement on their website:

“In no way was this meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues."

Recognize this advertisement for what it is: another in the long list of clever advertising we’ve come to know and love from Absolut Vodka. You can view a fine collection of Absolut Vodka ads (some less controversial than others) here. France's Pernod-Ricard is taking over Absolut Vodka, one of the world's top-selling spirits, after buying government owned Vin & Spirir earlier this year.

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

"Any damn fool can put on a deal...

2008-04-07T17:17:00.004-05:00

...but it takes genius, faith and perseverance to create a brand."

- David Ogilvy

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2008-04-04T06:48:00.001-05:00

"…live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Taken from Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have A Dream” speech. Read the transcript in it's entirety and listen to a restored & remastered recording of the speech here.

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

Better Time Management Thru “The 80/20 Principle”

2008-04-02T12:15:00.006-05:00

The 80/20 Principle is one of the most helpful of all concepts of time and life management. It is also called the Pareto Principle after its founder, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who first wrote about it in 1895. Pareto noticed that people in his society seemed to divide naturally into what he called the “vital few” - the top 20% in terms of money and influence - and the “trivial many” - the bottom 80%.

The techniques described in the Richard Koch’s book, “The 80/20 Principle,” have most greatly impacted my time management skills. I’ve read that “Time Management is life management” in several places. For me, time management is really the ability taking control over the sequence of events. Time management is control over what has to be done next. My ability to choose between the important and the unimportant tasks is the key determinant of my success in life and work.

Effective, productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task that; they force themselves to “man up” and push through it. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person and are much happier as a result. Try to adopt this technique as your way of working as well.

Here’s how I did it: First, make a list of all the key goals, activities, projects and responsibilities in your life today. Next, use a litmus test: which of them are, or could be, in the top 10 percent or 20 percent of tasks that represent, or could represent, 80 percent or 90 percent of your results? Finally, shoulder down and plow through it!

Read more about The 80/20 Principle and how you can put the principles into practice here.

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com

April Fool's Day.

2008-04-01T03:30:00.001-05:00

Taco Bell purchases the naming rights to The Liberty Bell, the Alabama state legislature had voted to change the value of the mathematical constant pi from 3.14159 to the 'Biblical value' of 3.0, and the Eifel Tower moves to Euro Disney; just a few of the 100 Top April Fool’s Day pranks according to the Museum of Hoaxes.

Read about these and the other 97 pranks here.

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Ryan Arnold
www.arnoldcreative.com