Super Bowl XLVII: The good, the bad and the ugly

No doubt you have an opinion on the best and worst Super Bowl commercials from yesterday's game. In my opinion, the best way to judge the effectiveness of an ad is by how well it fulfills the objective of the brief. An ad that doesn't appeal to me, but appeals to my Mom, may be a good ad because that is to whom the ad was supposed to appeal. So, from that perspective, I will give all the ads the benefit of the doubt that they each of them fulfilled their brief.

Having said that, here is my critique of the ads that stood out from a brand or messaging point of view.

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The value of a Facebook "Like"

Facebook has turned many brands into a neurotic mess. Like some smothering and needy friend, brands are constantly asking us to show our allegiance to them with a “like.”

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Does Google really need help with their brand?

The Duffy Agency's Sean Duffy just finished publishing a four-part series on the Google brand, which we at The Duffy Agency believe has not been managed as well as it could be. It's a very quick, but very insightful read.

But I’m not saying that their business model is sinister or that they don’t deserve every dime they have earned. For the most part, I’m OK with that arrangement so long as Google can keep me convinced that it will stay true to it’s founders unofficial yet well-hyped corporate motto “Don’t be evil.” That's brand management. To date, they're not doing such a great job. In fact, they're doing a lousy job. Unchecked, I believe this will be the company’s undoing.

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Are there lessons to be learned from @Sweden?

The @Sweden twitter account has captured the attention of social media folks. People are arguing about whether Sonja is helping or hurting the brand of Sweden, but I think they might be asking the wrong question.

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Why the interest in Pinterest?

Pinterest is different. And not just because the latest "it" site on the social Web is growing astronomically fast.

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This time, it's personal

Social media asks a lot from both consumers and the brand. So, before you start putting yourself out there, make sure you are ready for the relationship.

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Is Twitter really helping your brand or your employee's brand?

Does your company have its own Twitter account, e.g., @AcmeCorp? Or do you rely on an employee to use their own personal Twitter account to act as the voice of your brand? If your answer is the latter, then you could be setting yourself (and your brand) up for a social media fail.

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When co-branding makes sense

A company’s success or failure hinges on its brands. They are the key to controlling consumer perception.

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How your brand can be an honest shade of green

The last few years have seen an increase in environmental awareness among consumers. More and more people are opting for eco-friendly labels and there’s been a huge surge in demand for everything clean and green

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What's lost in translation is found in adaption

As an international advertising agency, we are often asked by clients to help them extend their marketing message across borders. In fact, adapting marketing messages, campaigns and websites

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“Digital behavior” creates new opportunity for brands

The Duffy Agency extends its digital offerings through formal partnership with US-based online agency

We’re pleased to announce that The Duffy Agency has entered into a joint business partnership with Digital Day

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“Digital behavior” targeted as new opportunity for brands

The Duffy Agency forms international partnership with US-based online agency.

Malmö, Sweden /Boston, MA — The Duffy Agency, a full-service international branding and advertising agency, with offices in Malmö, Sweden and Boston, has entered into a joint business partnership with DigitalDay, one of Northeast Ohio’s premier online marketing agencies. 

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Why Facebook and not Apple is the big story of the BrandZ Top 100 survey

Each of the last six years, Millward Brown Optimor has conducted their BrandZ survey, TheTop 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, which calculates the value of each brand according to economic and competitive dynamics. And yes, there is an app for that—a BrandZ Top 100 app, that is. 

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9 ways to repurpose your killer content for social media

It has been said that in today's world, content is king. Recently, I have heard the more specific, optimized content is king. Either way, producing engaging content is the lifeblood of the social media universe.

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What is the meaning of love?

It seems an appropriate question to ask on Valentine's Day. What is love? Some say that what most people think of as love is just a brand created by greeting card companies and perpetuated by Hollywood movies

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