Blogvious

Don’t you love the old rock groups that recapture the public eye?  Well, not always. The Strolling Bones can still kick it out, but a few others need to pack it up and move along.

Remember Devo? Yes, that Devo. As in “Whip It” and a host of other widely forgotten tunes? Well they are back. What are they doing? Touring? Recording? Nope. They’re suing McDonald’s. Yes, lovable Ronald McDonald - a guy not geeky enough to be a member of Devo - is now the target of a lawsuit.

Seems Donald had donned the red Devo hat. While they are at it, they are also suing American Idol. They are actually suing because they claim a toy in the Happy Meal box is wearing ‘their hat’. As I said, you can’t make this stuff up. If you really want details, here’s the link: Divo sues over Happy Meal Toy.

By the way guys, the 1980’s called. They said your 15 minutes ended when Members Only went out of style.

– Carl Melville / Blogvious

Based upon requests from friends, I’ve added a page called “Reading
List” with recent books and my comments on them Here is the
June list. Note: I don’t always recommend these books. Check out
my views then read other reviews at Amazon if you are
interested.

Here is my June 2008 Reading List

Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking

by Andy Sernovitz

This book has forwards by Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki. While
they both annoy me, I must admire their ability at brazen
self-promotion. This was a good read. If you are seasoned
publicist you will find it familar but worthwhile. If you are
not a practicioner, you may find out a few things about stealth
marketing that will change the way you process Word of Mouth
messages from friends, associates and strangers.

High Visibility: Transforming Your Personal and Professional
Brand by Irving Rein

The third edition of High Visibility is a great read. To
survive in today’s market you need to build and maintain your
‘personal and professional brand’. Those of you that are
fans of Stanley Bing know what an impact this can have on your
life, income and career. This is not a light read, nor is it all
that entertaining. If you want a serious review of what it
takes, I recommend this book. It’s one I will keep on the
shelf for future reference as well.

The New PR: An Insider’s Guide to Changing the Face of Public
Relations

by Phil Hall

Well, I read it, but would not recommend it. It’s a very
light read - and is actually not a bad book as a PR primer. That
said, much of it is fundementals that are well worn for
marketing and PR practicioners.