X-Tremely Harsh: Motorola Buys Full-Page Slam Ad Against Apple by Mark Walsh

During the Apple press conference dealing with Antennagate, Steve Jobs made the case that its reception issues were something common to all smartphones, including those made by HTC, Research in Motion, Samsung and Nokia. Motorola managed to avoid inclusion in the low-reception lineup highlighted during Jobs' presentation. Nevertheless, the handset maker has taken full advantage of Apple's "death grip" antenna woes and free "bumper" fix with a full page ad for the new Droid X in The New York Times Wednesday featuring the tag line "No Jacket Required" in large type. ...Read the whole story

  • CardStar Adds Foursquare To Loyalty Card App by Mark Walsh

    Startup CardStar earlier this year gave people a way to store loyalty card accounts in one place through a scannable iPhone app. Now the company will allow users to check in to locations via Foursquare when they use their loyalty cards. CardStar CTO Danny Espinoza said the new feature would help extend the Foursquare phenomenon beyond bars and restaurants to retail stores. ...Read the whole story

  • retail BTS: Social Media, Mobile, Department Stores by Sarah Mahoney

    "The overall tone was a little surprising, and very upbeat," Alison Paul, Deloitte's vice chairman and retail sector leader in the U.S., tells Marketing Daily, "with 8 out of 10 expecting to spend the same or more. Consumers told us they would buy some more expensive items, including PCs and cell phones, and we believe that is the result of their not having bought those things for two or three seasons." ...Read the whole story

  • Sprint Adds Net Subscribers, But Losses Grow by Mark Walsh

    Thanks in part to its new 4G Evo smartphone, Sprint Nextel for the first time in three years added net total wireless customers in the second quarter. The nation's third-largest carrier gained 111,000 subscribers in the quarter, reflecting the continued growth of its prepaid and wholesale businesses as well as demand for the Evo. ...Read the whole story

You Can Put the Brand Onto The IPad, But You Can't Put The IPad Into The Brand by Steve Smith

It's always good to see brands support a nascent platform like the iPad and make an honest effort to blend with the new surroundings. So I don't mean to discourage anyone. But we are still waiting for a brand to stand out with a singular experience that leverages the technology, the screen, and the occasion for use. It is time to do a first pass at iPad ads. ...More

  • Distraction Is Dangerous by Jack Loechner

    Fndings from a new survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project report that adults are just as likely as teens to have texted while driving and are substantially more likely to have talked on the phone while driving. In addition, 49% of adults say they have been passengers in a car when the driver was sending or reading text messages on their cell phone. ...More