Marcom this week: From A to zinc

From pledging away billion-dollar fortunes to laughing along with Kevin Bacon’s biggest fan, here’s a look at what made headlines this week in the integrated marketing communications industry.

Zuckerberg Pledges to Give Away Fortune
The Giving Pledge, which invites the wealthiest individuals and families in America to publicly commit to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes, added Facebook-founder Mark Zuckerberg as a signatory this week. The effort – the brainchild of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett – also added AOL co-founder Steve Case and investor Carl Icahn to its roster, along with 13 other billionaires. While initially suspected to be a publicity stunt, the Giving Pledge highlights the trend of billionaires opting to give away greater amounts of their wealth to philanthropic efforts earlier in their lives. We respect Zuckerberg and the other signers for their commitment to giving back, but also applaud the effort as a great reputation management tool. Reputation management seems to be top of mind for the young Zuckerberg, who announced his first major charitable gift on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in September: a nearly $100 million donation to public schools in Newark, NJ.

Kevin Bacon’s Biggest Fan
After viewing Logitech’s latest commercial for the first time last week, we thought, “Wow, that guy does a great Kevin Bacon impersonation.” Come to find out, it is Kevin Bacon. In this humorous spot from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners for Logitech Revue with Google TV, Bacon plays his biggest fan, reminding us of some of the actor’s most memorable roles – and hairstyles. Great play by Logitech. It may take a few views before remembering what the spot is advertising, but it’s worth watching multiple times.



Yelp No Match for Family
An exclusive AdAge/Ipsos Observer survey revealed that consumers consult family members for advice before making major purchase decisions. Family beat out friends, professional reviews and online reviews in nearly every product category. With nearly 90 percent of respondents stating that family recommendations had an impact on purchases, it appears marketers have a big job ahead of them: getting in the conversation. This may come as a surprise to marketers who have spent recent years investing in social media strategies in an effort to seamlessly enter the conversation.

Marcom this Week: From A to Zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? Read Dec. 3rd's “Marcom this Week."