Recently in TV and Media Category

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.

Much has been written over the past year and half about the death knell sounding for BTB print magazines. It seemed like everyday another BTB title was heading off to magazine heaven. It was a graveyard littered with venerable old titles that had served various categories with distinction for years. If you believed the pundits, BTB print was DOA

Is it just me or are brand icons and mascot type influences all weird and off-putting today? Once upon a time advertising logo icons were friendly and happy. Perhaps it was because it was a simpler time. Everyone has fond memories of Tony the Tiger, Snap, Crackle and Pop, Charlie the Tuna, Count Chocula and Frankenberry. The list goes on and on. There truly is a priceless MasterCard commercial that features all of these great icons; from Chef Boyardee to the Jolly Green Giant to Charlie to the Vlasic pickle guy. It's a great spot and recalls fond memories. There's no questioning the emotional attachment you had with these iconic figures and the products they represented. In fact, many of them are in the Advertising Hall of Fame. It speaks volumes about their effectiveness, impact and longevity.

Today's btobonline newsletter brought some sobering news to anyone in the business to business world. According to the latest Business Information Network figures released by American Business Media, ad pages declined 33.06% in March 2009 compared with March 2008. Pages are off 29.70% for the first quarter of 09 vs. 08.