Blog

Upon walking into the locker room last Thursday morning to join my University of Richmond football teammates in our usual 6 a.m. run, I walked head on into a maelstrom of a conversation. “Where do you think he’ll end up? New York? No! Chicago? Obviously Miami.” In such an unholy hour of the morning I was taken aback by the energy and intensity of this conversation; especially considering the morgue-like silence that so commonly precedes any workout beginning at 6 a.m.

Of course, they were talking about LeBron James’ (then) impending team decision. In his primetime ESPN special, The Decision, LeBron James had the eyes of millions of viewers upon him as his media circus’ final act unfolded before our eyes. In what should have probably taken about 30 seconds, we were all transfixed on LeBron James’ larger-than-life ego. A single athlete was given an hour long special to grant us all the privilege of letting the world know where he would play basketball in the continuation of his career. I don’t think I’m the only one who felt sick from the stench of king-sized arrogance permeating from the television. Read the rest of this entry »

Bergman Group is proud to announce the official launch of Martha Jefferson Hospital’s brand new website.

At nearly 200 pages, this comprehensive site will be a valuable resource for patients, healthcare professionals and all residents of the greater Charlottesville area. In addition to having an interface from which the Martha Jefferson team can constantly update and manage new content to keep the community updated on all relevant news and activities, the site will also have a brand new “Find a Doctor” application developed by Bergman Group, making the process of finding great medical care both simple and customized to the patient’s unique needs and preferences.

It was a pleasure working with a client that so clearly has the best interests of the community in mind, and we are very happy with the project. Check out the site here!

Thanks to the life-changing DVR and the overwhelming laziness and impatience among Americans, advertisers are now forking over more cash for fewer ads during prime time television. Although the television numbers may look grim to advertisers, they always seem to find an audience in other areas of everyday life.

A recent Advertising Age study found that fourth-quarter and first-quarter estimates of C3 ratings—also known as the number of viewers who actually watched commercials during prime time programs instead of fast-forwarding through them or switching channels—showed large audience erosion. Read the rest of this entry »

I worry a great deal about 28-year-olds today. When they graduated from high school in 2000, they probably expected their lives by the year 2010 to be very different than they are. And as a parent and employer of young adults, I’m concerned about their success.

Ill-defined as either the leading edge of the Millennials or the end of GenX, these kids were an inspiring group. They were digital early on, having learned the alphabet on their Texas Instruments computers and accessing the Internet on their parents’ dial up AOL subscriptions. With helicopter parents hovering over their every move, many enjoyed play dates, after-school activities, extravagant summer vacations, and success recognition with trophies and ribbons no matter their performance. Read the rest of this entry »

The BP oil spill is a disaster of many kinds—one that stems from disdain for procedure and regulation and maybe even environmental laws—as well as a PR disaster. But what a PR disaster it is.

BP has failed to plug the hole spewing oil and the holes spewing lies. Testifying before congress, CEO Tony Hayward mumbled apologies but offered no new information, no satisfying explanation or real solution. And this after the company failed to show the proper concern and responsibility just after the blast—instead feigning complete optimism. Then there’s Hayward’s oh-so-sensitive “I’d like my life back” statement. I doubt anyone, especially those with loved ones who were killed in the explosion, much appreciates that sentiment coming from that party. Read the rest of this entry »

I worry a great deal about digitally challenged companies.

Having spent years working with and around such companies, I’ve learned to identify the symptoms (blurred vision, night sweats, weight gain, etc). Suddenly, the CEO or someone in a senior management role decides that the company must become digitally active—all this because:

1) Their teenage offspring have finally introduced them to Facebook, or
2) They’ve recently attended a seminar on the emergence of social media. Read the rest of this entry »

Nike is bringing their expertise to the international level with their latest advertisement, “Write The Future,” featuring football players from around the world. Wait? Football players…from around the world? But football is only played in America, right? Well, not exactly. Read the rest of this entry »

The University of Missouri and the AAF are partnering to form an Ethics Institute that will “combat the advertising industry’s bad reputation.” A bad reputation? In the advertising industry? I can’t believe—well, okay, they might have a point.  According to a 2007 Gallup/USA Today Poll, advertising practitioners are ranked below business executives and congressman in the public’s perception of those who behave honestly and ethically.

And if the public claims to trust congressmen—who seem to make more headlines from airport bathrooms than the Senate floor—more than advertising practitioners, then this Institute probably should have been created a long time ago. Read the rest of this entry »

The real story behind Newsweek’s demise is one of mismanagement and corporate incompetence. Of course, the weakening of the magazine-advertising environment didn’t help, but neither did changing the editorial, redesigning the look of the product or charging higher prices for subscriptions and at the newsstand during the worst recession in recent history. Read the rest of this entry »

During the Principles of Marketing class I teach at a private liberal arts college, it dawned on me the other day that my students understand Facebook a lot better than their teacher could ever dream of doing. Read the rest of this entry »