Sorry, Tom Waits fans. This post is not about his immortal down-and-out classic, “$29.00,” in which the protagonist is bereft in L.A. with only “twenty-nine dollars and an alligator purse.” Rather, we’re remarking on today’s arrival of an altogether different animal, likewise associated with 29 bucks.

As most of our brethren in the ad game know, Apple’s newest operating system for the Mac hit store shelves this morning. Numerically speaking, this is version 10.6, but in keeping with Apple’s big-cat naming scheme of the past several years, “Snow Leopard” is the moniker on everyone’s tongue. And its cost is just $29.

(more…)

As an agency that’s done its fair share of healthcare marketing (for Owens & Minor and VCU Massey Cancer Center, among others), Big has kept its metaphorical eye on the healthcare ball for a while. And we can tell you, regardless of how the current imbroglio turns out, one aspect of healthcare is in for some big changes: How you market it.

(more…)

Pardon me, business world, but are you tired yet of internet experts telling you to blog? Well, don’t worry; we’re not here to repeat that advice. But the advice is nevertheless very good. Blogging is a smart move for many corporations. And for some, it could be considered essential. Still, we’ll spare you the sermon. Besides, we hope you’re blogging already.

We also hope your blog is successful. But if it’s not—and most aren’t—Smashing Magazine can help. Their recent article, “10 Harsh Truths About Corporate Blogging,” makes some excellent points. Starting with this one: Many marketing departments perceive corporate blogs as a way to generate new website traffic—but they are not. (Hint: the primary goal has to do with recurring traffic.)

(more…)

Admittedly, twitter-bashing has proven to be one of this blog’s signature themes. But we like to think we’ve shown some restraint; for instance, we’ve never called down the wrath of God upon Twitter’s trendy little head. Nor have we suggested its use might cost you your mortal life, much less your immortal soul. For those pronouncements, we have Vincent Nichols, head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, who last week introduced some weighty theological components to the whole phenomenon.

(more…)