I’m a fan of the Jason Bourne movies with Matt Damon. It’s the one movie franchise I get excited about. In a few weeks Universal will release the latest entry, which features the return of original star Matt Damon after
Netflix More Popular than TV? Check the Fine Print
Research studies and polls can be a great marketing and PR tool. But sometimes the data gets stretched beyond the limit of credibility. Netflix recently claimed that it is “twice as popular as watching “live” TV” based on a survey
KFC Nails an Old Slogan to Freshen It
The fried chicken chain formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken is showing a remarkable willingness to play with its brand in several current ad and marketing campaigns aimed at millennials. In the U.S.A., a growing list of popular comedians has
The Man You want to Hate but Can’t
There are a lot of car commercials out there on TV and the web, most of them unremarkable in terms of story. At least 75% of them seem to feature good-looking people driving aimlessly around the deserted streets of downtown
“They” is the 2015 Word of the Year
Another grammatical barrier has been breached. In its 26th annual words of the year vote, the American Dialect Society voted for they used as a gender-neutral singular pronoun as the Word of the Year for 2015. They was recognized by
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: David Bowie as Transcendent Rock Star
How influential was the late rock singer, actor and fashion icon David Bowie? A short list of big pop stars who borrowed his style or musical ideas includes Mick Jagger, Lady Gaga and Peter Capaldi, the current “Dr. Who.” Over
Chipotle’s Challenge Goes Beyond Food Safety
Chipotle Mexican Grill is a 900 lb. burrito in the restaurant industry, with 1,755 stores and more than $4 billion in sales in 2014. In twenty years, founder Steve Ells grew a single restaurant into a market leader in the
J.J. Abrams on “Star Wars,” Communal Experience and Myth
The Los Angeles Times ran a Q&A today with J.J. Abrams, the director of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” He talks about the powerful communal experience of watching the film in a theater, which ties in well with the mythic
Kobe Bryant: A Market Leader Moves On
On November 30, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers announced that he would retire at the end of the 2015-16 National Basketball Association season. Given that the woeful Lakers are highly unlikely to make the playoffs that would put
The Gray Lady On Gender-Neutral Pronouns
Meet the pronoun “Mx.”, which may become the “Ms.” of the gender-neutral era. From the New York Times column on style and usage, a snapshot of what keeps writers and journalists (and sociologists) up at night.