May 2010 Archives

It is finally here! The official start of summer begins with the three day weekend - Memorial Day. Barbeques, picnics, the beach, pool and summer vacations all await us over the next three months. Memorial Day is truly an American holiday where food, friends and fun reign supreme. Let the celebration begin as 28 million people travel to a get-together over the weekend. That's up 5% from last year. After two-plus long years of recession, it's heartening to see economic growth in any form.

The financial news networks have been inundated lately with new Vanguard commercials heralding a new way of investing called "Vanguarding." The spots catch your attention because they are so different and unexpected for the category, and are in conflict with Vanguard's bedrock position of low fund management fees and sound investment strategies. Turning a brand into a brand action - transitioning to a brand verb is risky business.

Think about the number of brands that we connect with early in our lives that stay with us year after year. A trusted friend that never waivers. Nothing can come between us and the brand. It is a part of who we are. No brand has a greater grip on our psyche than our sports teams. After all, "fan" is short for "fanatic." It's so true in baseball, where the day-in and day-out, up and down drama of navigating a 162 game season is both exhilarating and depressing. Yet, we keep coming back for more.

This weekend marks the start of the summer blockbuster movie season. It's the time of year when anyone over the age of 30 rarely steps foot into a movie theater. Mature audiences follow the advice of "see you in September" when more serious, adult-themed movies return to the big screen.