The Chips are Down: A Lesson in Branding

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

Faux Sure!

You already know that Pringles aren’t really potato chips. One bite told you that. You just ate ‘em because they make good midnight munchies. And they come in that cool tube.

But the blogosphere buzzed when parent company Proctor & Gamble publicly proclaimed that Pringles aren’t entirely made from potatoes…

Marketing During a Recession, Part 4: Come Together Right Now

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

"I can... almost... reach... it..."

Collaboration: The Fine Art of Hookin’ Up

Partnerships, alliances and cross-promotions date back to Eve giving Adam that “come hither” look. I once worked on a cross-promotional website between Nissan and Crayola. Apple and AT&T are now making a killing with the iPhone. You can’t buy a McDonald’s Happy Meal without some movie-related toy in the box. And Yoplait has done well — and done good — by collaborating with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Unfortunately, you don’t see many small businesses or startups thinking in terms of collaborations. Here’s what they’re missing out on…

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?

Marketing During a Recession, Part 1: Pricing

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

When the economy is singing the hardcore blues — kind of like now — many businesses are tempted to lower their prices. My advice? Don’t…

Name Dropping Rules: A Blogging Tip

I love checking my blog stats, not just the raw numbers of views, but also such info as where my traffic is coming from. That’s how I discovered that my article on Wal-Mart had been cited by the Wall Street Journal. Woohoo — I’ve got Street cred!

I’m most intrigued by the search-engine terms that lead to Cool Rules Pronto. Who Googled “Freddy Nager blog”? And why is somebody researching “Spicoli origin”?

Here’s the key factoid I learned from looking at these search-engine terms: name dropping works….

The Greenbox Effect: Wal-Mart Changing Its Ways – or Playing Divide and Conquer?

“We live in a time when people are losing confidence in the ability of government to solve problems… Wal-Mart does not wait for someone else to solve problems.”
- Wal-Mart Stores CEO H. Lee Scott Jr.

I have to admit it: Wal-Mart is brilliant…