iCandy: What iPhone Apps and Hershey Bars Have in Common

Recession? What recession? Apple enjoyed a 15% surge in profits for the first quarter of this year and, more sensationally, just sold its one billionth iPhone App. That’s one billion in just nine months! That would be remarkable during boom times, but during the worst economy in 70 years?

Well, of course. It makes perfect sense. In fact, perhaps the recession is the reason it happened…

Who Says No One Watches Commercials Anymore? Ads Move iPhone Apps

A screengrab from a YouTube video of an Apple television commercial about reading a book on your phone now appearing on a blog.

I hear it all the time:

“Advertising is a waste of money.”
“If you have a great product, you don’t need to advertise.”
“Word of mouth is more effective than traditional media.”
“It’s impossible to cut through the clutter.”
“Most consumers tune out or TiVo past commercials.”

While these declarations might be true in some cases, many bullheaded companies still invest millions in advertising — and not just during the Super Bowl when everyone is paying attention to the commercials.

Are these companies just clueless losers who are stuck in the past? I don’t know — would you describe Apple that way?

A Mismatch Made In Heaven? Apple Does Wal-Mart

Seeing iPhones sold at Wal-Mart is like seeing Wolfgang Puck chowing down at IHOP (not likely) or Rachael Ray pimping Dunkin Donuts (oh yes she did).  Has there ever been a bigger mismatch in marketing history? What’s next, an Apple logo on a NASCAR vehicle? Or even worse, an Apple at a — what? What’s that, you say? You want to know what’s the big deal?

The Pomegranate Phone: Say Huh?

It's everything but a floor wax or a dessert topping...

Now here’s a site that takes borrowed interest to a new extreme.

The Pomegranate Phone is an all-in-one device that makes the iPhone look like a hockey puck. It’s got it all: web surfing, MP3 player, video projector, voice translator… Sounds pretty cool, right? Then, of course, there’s the built-in coffee maker, harmonica, and a shaver for eliminating those pesky five o’clock shadows…

Listening at Maximum Volume: NIN’s Trent Reznor Connects

Burn your copies of Harvard Business Review. Forget anything you’ve ever read by Al Ries or Seth Godin. And skip that conference on best practices. If you want to see how marketing is really done, follow the rock stars….