Ward on Words

Though I applaud the physicians of America for going after the obesity epidemic (according to the Centers for Disease Control , 17% of children and adolescents are obese), lining up Ronald McDonald in their sights isn't exactly the right target. More than 500 physicians have signed a letter to McDonalds, asking the corporation to retire Ronald. As reported in the WSJ , the letter says: "The letter, slated to run in the form of full-page ads in six metropolitan newspapers around the country on Wednesday, acknowledges that 'the contributors to today's (health) epidemic are manifold and a broad societal response is required. But marketing can no longer be ignored as a significant part of this massive problem.'" (It's looking more and more like marketing is the answer AND the problem!)

Todd Mintz has a great story in Focus, a trade publication for business execs on the business lessons we can learn today from taking a look back at Monty Python . The men of Monty Python were brilliant satirists, but who knew their business acumen could be applied today when developing branding, marketing, sales and corporate strategies? Some lessons include: On branding: "Well, before he went he left a note with the company, the effect of which was how disappointed he was with your work and, in particular, why you had changed the name from Conquistador Instant Coffee to Conquistador Instant Leprosy. Why, Frog?" In the quest to be new and innovative, brand managers sometimes feel the need to tinker with success (think “New Coke”). Their ego gets the better of their judgment and they push forth ideas they think are creative but are unsuccessful in the marketplace. The end result is that revenue tanks. If brand is strong, don’t mess with it; just adjust the peripheral...