It’s easy to be critical of this year’s Super Bowl ads. And many people have been. 
Here’s my favorite profanity-laced review. It’s equally easy to gush glowingly about their humor and effectiveness. You can read the attaboys here.
This dichotomy, however, demonstrates the true Achilles heel of traditional marketing, and brand-building TV advertising specifically.
On January 19, Scott Brown, an obscure state senator from Massachusetts, pulled off a stunning upset by beating the heavily favored state attorney general Martha Coakley for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Edward M. Kennedy.
Many political pundits credit the social media efforts and technological know-how of the Brown campaign for overcoming huge disadvantages in fundraising, familiarity, and party ID to win. In just one day, late in the race, the campaign was able to raise $1.3 million by publicizing a fundraising blitz using its established social media platforms.
So what was the secret of his success?
Read the rest of this memo »
Today’s secret comes courtesy of Adidas and NBA high-flying superstar Dwight Howard. 
AdAge Digital reports, the #2 shoe marketer encourages viewers to share a specific video, featuring Howard, that will gradually unlock to reveal more content of the player the more times it’s shared.
What a great idea. And it reveals an insightful strategy you should follow to promote word of mouth: The more someone shares, the more he or she gets. Rewarding your sharers is certainly not a new strategy, but this execution is pretty ingenious.
You’ll be able to find the video at youtube.com/AdidasBasketball.com
Parenthetical thought: When did Adidas pick up such great stars? In addition to Howard, it has KG, Tim Duncan, Derrick Rose, and a handful of other stars I’m sure my son knows and loves… I of course think MJ, Magic, Barkley, Bird, and David Robinson are still playing. Aren’t they?
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