Author: Michael Cornnell

Nerrrddd!

Michael Cornnell

Internet confession time: I’m pretty nerdy. This may not come as a surprise to those of you for who have been following this blog for a while, but for new readers, let me bring you up to speed.

I just recently moved, and I had to pack up about 1,500 comic books*. One of the  best gifts my girlfriend has given me is an Xbox 360, which I don’t use to play sports games or shooters, but usually old Genesis games like Altered Beast and Shining Force. And maybe most tellingly, when my girlfriend first met me, she asked why there were so many toys in my room. In my defense, they were awesome “toys,” like old Transformers and classy Marvel Legends figures, but I suppose her point still stands. 

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2010 Style Guide Teaser

Michael Cornnell

I thought this week I would post a little teaser of the style guide I’m writing for our December issue. Since I have a little more time than usual to work on my stories, I ended up collecting a bit more material in my interviews than what’s likely going to see print. I hate wasting good information, so I’ve picked one interview, of the many I really liked, which might not get the attention it deserves in the print version of the story, and presented it below in a Q and A format. Enjoy, and look for the full story this December!

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Answer-mania!

Michael Cornnell

I’ll get to the correct answer to last week’s question in a bit, but first I thought I would run through some of my favorite miss-guesses I received via e-mail. Though incorrect, I feel they are definitely still worth sharing. Arranged in no particular order, here are my top three:

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Secrets of the Simple

There might not be anything more basic than promotions involving badges, or buttons or lanyards for that matter. Place a logo on a piece of plastic, metal or cloth, give it to someone to wear, and you’re set. Basic, however, doesn’t necessarily mean less of a promotion.

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Winners Are Made

The mechanics of a successful awards program are fairly straightforward. Someone does something you like. You give them an award to show your appreciation. They accept said award and smile. Handshakes ensue. Clapping and/or cake may be involved. That’s not the hard part.

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Data to Dollars

SB memory drives. The tiny, pinky-sized hunks of silicon, metal and plastic have become so powerful that they can store whole hard drives worth of information. It’s a good thing too, because the amount of data people need saved has been growing right alongside the storage wonders.

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Fun with FlashForward

Michael Cornnell

Based on my love of Lost, I decided to check out FlashForward last Thursday. It was okay I guess. Overall I wasn’t too impressed. The pilot seemed overly expository and character dialogue was a bit clunky and forced. Still, it was just the first episode, so I suppose I’ll give the show a few more episodes before I cross it off the list.

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Lessons from Indie Rap

Michael Cornnell

Today I bring something interesting from the music world. One of my favorite musicians, P.O.S. (which I’m told stands for “Plain Ole Stefon,” despite the other more obvious acronym), released his new album a few months ago with a pretty cool promotion behind it.

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Toy Stories

PEOPLE TAKE THEIR playtime seriously. Just ask an employee to work a few hours unpaid overtime, a child to do a few chores or an editor to write over a weekend, and see how cranky they get. It stands to reason, then, that if you’re in the business of promotional toys, you better be able to give something that people are going to accept into the precious few moments of free time. With that in mind, below are nine of the more interesting, unique or just plain fun toy promotions out there.

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Watching the Trends

SINCE THEIR INCEPTION, watches have always been important fashion accessories. Now, however, with the rise of new time-telling devices like cell phones, computers and even music players, watches are more defined by how they serve personal style. Below, a few timepiece experts from our industry give tips on how to best incorporate fashion into watch promotions by explaining a few current style trends.

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