3 thoughts for the week of January 4, 2010 (CES, impactful campaigns, colds)

1. We know that Christmas was just a few weeks ago, but this week is a sort of second-Christmas for all the tech-geeks out there. This week is the Consumer Electronics Show . If you haven’t heard of CES, then you probably aren’t the one who wants to run out and get the latest gadget. But if you are like Matt, you’ve been following all the news announcements and catching webcasts of all the keynotes whenever you can. As we believed, one of the hot topics at this year’s show is the tablet PC and related e-readers. So far though, the experts seem unimpressed with the offerings. There seem to be reservations as they all wait for the real game changer. Apple Tablet perhaps?

   Read more at:

   • PC World
   • CNET
2. One thing that every new year brings is a look back on the year that came before. Being involved in the marketing industry, we’ve been thinking about what campaigns really stood out. “There’s an App for That.” and “There’s a Map for That.” are examples of smart marketing that left a mark in the cultural fabric. We wonder what will grab our attention in the new year. Not only what will make the biggest splash, but also what will quietly stick with us – what will make us say, “You know what? That was really good.” One campaign that had this quiet power actually started in ’08, but continued in ’09, was the Cadillac CTS TV campaign featuring actress Kate Walsh. ( watch 2008 spot , watch 2009 spot ) These ads, aside from being beautiful, did much to reframe the Cadillac brand as something relevant to a younger generation and not something to be dismissed as “an old man’s car.”

   Check out Brandweek’s list of the most popular campaigns for 2009.

   What are some campaigns that have stuck with you? What brands do you think have the most potential to make a splash in 2010?

3. One gift the new year brought for Shea was a lovely cold virus. It’s one of those things you really wish you could return, but like the ugly sweater from Grandma, you can’t. So you deal. Lots of people struggle, especially through the winter, with how to handle getting sick. We put a lot of pressure on the American Worker so they feel that they simply can’t miss work. This is despite the fact that study after study shows that calling in sick is the better choice for everyone. Sick employees get better faster, other employees avoid catching whatever the sick one has, and overall this leads to higher productivity that saves money for the employee (Forbes Article- When should you call in sick). However, since we already work from home, that doesn’t really factor in. Shea has only exposed Matt a little bit. Keep your fingers crossed for him. What are some of your favorite remedies to get over a cold? We’re getting desperate.

Hope your 2010 is off to a happy and healthy start.