The Millennial Commitment Blues
Employers, biz owners—and marketers—are still trying to get a grasp on just what Gen Y wants

Might Millennials be the most perplexing—and intriguing—demographic group ever? Made up of 18- to 34-year-olds, they’re bound by few commonalities; one being a fondness for social media and another, an overarching fear of commitment. This commitment issue is big news these days, as scorned bosses, lovers and advertisers everywhere ponder what went wrong. Some of the most common things Gen [...]

Bickering Over Bikes
As the number of urban bicyclists grows, something else is increasing in tandem: controversy

Biking: a boon to the environment or urban nuisance on wheels? It depends on whom you ask. Turns out that the growing number of bicyclists in cities around the world are subject to a bit of a backlash—call it a “backpedal.” And nowhere are the complaints more loudly heard than in New York City (natch). In the Big Apple, bikers have [...]

A Tale of Blue Cities
Is ranking cities a fool’s errand?

St. Petersburg, Fla., is the saddest U.S. city; Austin the funniest; and Nashville the manliest. The loneliest city on the entire planet? Dublin. And the very best city to live in all the world is … (drumroll, please) … Vancouver. Have qualms with any of these or questions about how they were chosen? So do lots of people, including one journalist who gripes that the cities frequently dubbed the [...]

The Mile-High Country Club
Today’s first-class flight soars in a class all its own

A massage before take-off. An in-flight shower. Three-star meals. These days, first-class flights are more dramatically luxurious than ever before—in stark comparison to the spartan amenities afforded those occupying the back portion of the plane. Though first-class passengers account for just 5 percent of those on long-haul routes, and business class passengers for 15 percent, together those seats supply 40 to 50 percent of airline revenue. [...]

The Law of Facebook Averages
The typical social media user is older and more connected than ever before

It’s so 2008 to complain that Mom and Dad have joined Facebook. The platform long ago ceased playing host to mostly college kids and their keg party pictures. These days, the average age of an American Facebook user has risen, to 38 in 2010, up from 33 in 2008. (Also of note: This average user has amassed 229 friends but [...]

Mad (Wo)men
Gender-specific advertising triggers laughs, buzz … and controversy

Have you noticed a gender stereotype emerging in some of today’s humorous ads? (Brands like Dodge, Dockers, Dove and Miller Lite come to mind.) Each ad has in common a hapless male weathering his wife’s requests while longing to reclaim his manhood. In spite of some backlash, this new generation of ads is an outright victory when held up against the 1950s ads that kept women all smiles in the [...]

Social Media Performance Anxiety
As the rules for social media engagement evolve, one thing remains the same: Brand value hinges on it …

Now that the social media footprint of corporate brands has been directly linked to a company’s growth and value, more emphasis is being put on the how-tos of branding via social media. For one, there’s the matter of “likes” and comments and how to get them. Comments, especially, are valuable to brands, as they lead to four times [...]

Place Studies
Why wait for a commercial break when advertisers are increasingly infusing our TV shows, movies and music with their products?

It’s hard to ignore product placement these days: “American Idol” judges sip from Coca-Cola cups, “The Bachelor” Brad proposed to Emily with a box labeled “Neil Lane” and contestants on “Survivor” won a barbecue set from Sears (the most remembered placement in the U.S. in March, according to Nielsen). It doesn’t seem like the practice is diminishing, either: Products [...]

Failure to Communicate
Groupon, with its widely criticized Super Bowl ad, joins Kenneth Cole on the list of brands unsuccessfully mixing politics with commerce

It’s the world’s largest social-buying service—by far—and yet Groupon seems as if it still has a thing or three to learn about brand building. Ask most people who witnessed the company’s Super Bowl commercials (its very first TV ads!) if the spots (the most criticized one stars Timothy Hutton and equates political issues in Tibet with a [...]

Super Ad Day
Everyone’s talking about Super Sunday—one of the biggest TV commercial days of the year—and, oh yeah, there’s a football game, too

Sure, many fans actually care about the grand sporting event pitting two teams of titans, clashing for the right to claim a golden ring. (It sounds so mythic—or Tolkien-esque—when it’s put like that, doesn’t it?) But for many, the commercials being unveiled on Super Bowl Sunday are as thrilling as the gridiron action. And indeed, the anticipation [...]