Apple’s Makes Pitch For The Four-Figure Smartphone
“It’s essentially a computer you carry around in your pocket” is the way countless people have described the smartphone over the years. Now, Apple is testing that cliché, and asking consumers to put their money where their mouth is. The age of the four-figure smartphone price is here, and, once again, Apple is leading the charge both in hardware and messaging. As smartphones became both more complex and more ubiquitous, most people thought it was inevitable that, at some point, they would eclipse some laptops in price. But, with the recent reveal in Cupertino, CA, Apple released not one but two different iPhone X models that will cost you more than a grand to take home. Sure, the original iPhone…
Read MoreCourier Responds Smartly to Questions About Williams Controversy
Serena Williams was the queen of women’s tennis, the unassailable matriarch, boundary breaker and face of the sport. Then came the US Open loss, and, before that, a verbal clash with an official that many fans have said was out of line. Those fans thought Williams handled herself with grace and poise, despite the momentary and uncharacteristic outburst. Others said there was no place in the sport for slamming racquets and yelling at officials. After an inspiring, if obviously uncomfortable medal presentation, Williams continued to be confronted by the media, trying to dig deeper into what was, clearly, a story that was not going away any time soon. Finally, Williams gave them a quote that caused the story to blow…
Read MoreUsain Bolt: Now the fastest man in space, as on Earth
It’s one small sip for man, one giant leap for mankind. The former Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who now plays for Australian A-League football team Central Coast Mariners, has entered new heights as part of a campaign by French firm Mumm’s Grand Cordon Stellar to showcase a new Champagne bottle- developed specially for use in zero gravity. On board an Airbus Zero-G aircraft, the usually grounded star floated in zero gravity as he sampled the goods: namely, a specially-designed clear glass bottle that uses pressure within the bottle to expel champagne into a ring-shaped frame. In zero gravity, the effect looks like a droplet of bubbles, that can then be gathered into a custom-made glass.
Read MorePapa John’s Treading Water in Crisis
When Papa John Schnatter was ousted by the successful pizza company he founded, it may not have been an existential PR crisis, but it was certainly a walk through a proverbial minefield for the board deciding the company’s immediate future. First, Schnatter was on everything. He was, literally, the face of Papa John’s and at the center of nearly all marketing and advertising. And, then, he was not. Schnatter was gone, persona non-grata at the office and in the commercials. As he continued to proclaim his innocence, Schnatter, by default, kept the company in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Read MoreSimpsons Creators Respond to Criticism
The Simpsons is one of the longest running and most popular animated programs on television. The show has also spawned countless pop culture icons and references, even adding to our language in certain circumstances. The program has also built its reputation for smartly-crafted satire that, at times, cuts very close to the bone. When engaging in that level of satire, offending people can be par for the course. But there is one aspect of that offense that keeps coming back around and doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. That topic is Apu, the Kwik-E-Mart clerk that, some say, promotes negative stereotypes and is harmful to certain segments of the population. Some are even calling the Apu character…
Read MoreUrban Meyer on Hot Seat at OSU
The skinny on iconic college football coach Urban Meyer is that he is so driven to win his heart nearly gave out on him. A hero coach at the University of Florida, Meyer left the game “for his health” only to return a few years later, to helm the powerhouse Ohio State program. Meyer was back, prowling the sideline, focused and intense. But the rumors that plagued him at UF were still stuck to him at OSU. Meyer would do anything to win, up to and including “tolerating misconduct” from players and coaches as long as it meant winning the SEC and competing for national titles. Years ago, it was so cliché as to almost be assumed that many top-tier…
Read MoreBarr Trying to Battle Back After Firing
After several weeks of defiance, Roseanne Barr appeared poised and contrite in her first major network TV interview since being fired from her eponymous sitcom due to some tweets about former Obama advisor, Valerie Jarrett. It’s a new look for a comedian who has built her career stepping across the line with sharp satire and humor directed at social norms and political trends. Barr has always been edgy, even when her popular sitcom was not, yet, when Twitter users reacted with outrage over tweets deemed to be racist, Barr was quickly ousted by ABC.
Read MoreZuckerberg Missteps in Vow to Clean up Social Media
Social media giant Facebook is continuing in its very public bid to restore consumer and user confidence after having to admit statistically staggering numbers of “fake” accounts and posts, as well as companies that thrived on collecting supposedly private information. In its most recent announcement, Facebook says it will be cracking down on “misleading and inflammatory” posts or content that “may trigger attacks…” However, when pressed for specifics, CEO Mark Zuckerberg landed on an example he immediately wished to take back: Holocaust denial.
Read MoreParamount TV President Fired Over Racial Remarks
While it’s true that socio-cultural norms change with time and environment, there are always going to be some things one cannot say, in any context, in a business setting. Or, rather, you can say them, but it will lead to consequences. These consequences could be a loss of respect, a loss of opportunity to advance, the loss of a job, or, in affect, career suicide. In recent years, in-context comments or ‘jokes’ that would have been given a pass – if not a laugh – not that long ago, have led to major consequences for even some of the most powerful people in their professions. From Roseanne Barr to “Papa” John Schnatter, it’s become pretty clear that racial commentary is…
Read MoreIHOP Burger Gimmick Fails to Entice
Rebranding is serious business, even if the campaign you use to communicate the plan is delivered with tongue firmly planted in cheek. There are a lot of variables and multiple interlocking considerations. How will we communicate our reasons? How will longtime customers react? How will the target customers we want to attract react to the campaign? How will our staff and management communicate this change to their team? Will we have a single, cohesive vision and message, or will people adlib and create brand confusion? Will people love it or hate it? So many questions…
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