Seth Godin’s Wisdom

By Samira Asemanfar
Published on November 21, 2011

The price for success: Bad PR

By David Suissa
Published on October 21, 2011

“Never mind the collapse in confidence in Europe, the Palestinian proposal for United Nations recognition and heightened tensions with neighboring Egypt and longtime ally Turkey. The Israeli economy just keeps growing faster than the rest of the developed world.”

The Naked Nielsens

By Marty Kaplan
Published on April 14, 2011

The TV business is built on advertising. Except for premium cable, the money that networks get for selling audiences’ eyeballs to advertisers is the mother’s milk of the industry. Networks set the price of ads on their shows using demographic information about the age and sex of those shows’ viewers. And the company that pretty much has a monopoly on furnishing those metrics is Nielsen.

Engaging Jews means more than better marketing

Published on February 10, 2011

For four days in January, Jewish leaders under 40 from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Holland, South Africa and Israel assembled in London at the Kolenu conference. Representing large city campaigns in their respective countries, they sought to enlighten and learn from each other as they explored issues of mutual concern. These young volunteers expressed anxiety over the fact that many of their peers are not “buying” what Jewish community campaigns are “selling.” Attendees acknowledged that in each of their cities, Israel-centric fundraising and support for centralized campaigns have lost traction. To be sure, demographic research has affirmed this for a decade.

A birthday gift

By David Suissa
Published on May 15, 2008

Here we are, Jews in every corner of the world, awash in a frenzy of celebrations for Israel -- all because of a birthday. And not just any birthday, mind you, but one that ends in a zero.

Daze of Awe

By David Suissa
Published on October 4, 2007

After two days of talking marketing with Jewish organizations, I've come to appreciate that marketing is not a very Jewish idea.

‘Gary Wexler Is Miserable’

By David Suissa
Published on August 30, 2007

What did Gary Wexler, do? He took out a full-page ad in the local trade publication, Adweek, put a picture of himself in the middle of the ad, and did something rarely seen in the business.

He spoke the naked truth.

The boldfaced headline read: "Gary Wexler Is Miserable." The rest of the ad explained why.

Dumbing Down Judaism

By David Suissa
Published on July 26, 2007

You can't talk about Jewish philanthropy without talking about Jewish priorities. For many years now, a huge priority for the American Jewish community has been to fight assimilation -- what is elegantly called "Jewish continuity." It's a priority that is rarely challenged. How do you argue against Jewish continuity?

The kreme de la kreme of kosher kooking mix it up

By Lisa Armony
Published on December 28, 2006

The first-ever national kosher cook-off is intended to demonstrate to consumers the flexibility, speed and convenience of kosher cooking, while showcasing the Manischewitz label.

Billboard mystery ends with interfaith twist

By Adam Wills
Published on November 16, 2006

The mysterious billboards went up across the Los Angeles area just after the High Holidays. Each used a variation on the same theme, juxtaposing illustrations: Latkes or fries? Bagels and lox or sushi? Yarmulke or cap?

The Tangled Web

By Amy Klein
Published on January 12, 2006

It's probably old news to report that there are specialized Jewish search engines -- there have been since the earliest days of the Web -- but there are still new ones emerging.

U.S. Studios Court Israeli Programmers

By Orit Arfa
Published on December 22, 2005

Hollywood exports are a big business, and U.S. studios sometimes rake in more from international licensing than domestic. Even though Israeli acquisitions account for only 2 percent of overseas television exports, Stern thinks Israel gets special attention.

A Surprise Might Attract More To Shuls

By David Suissa
Published on November 3, 2005

If there's one thing in marketing that piques interest, it's the element of surprise. For synagogues, however, this is easier said than done, because so much of a prayer service is based on repetition. And repetition itself has an emotional benefit: It makes us feel safe and comfortable.

Face It:  Judaism Is Not Hip

By Gary Wexler
Published on September 29, 2005

I was an advertising agency copywriter and creative director. I was trained to be one of the manufacturers of hip. I would sit in offices and create hip, and then watch all those people lust after the creations. I reveled in hip.

The Passion of Mel Gibson

By Ivor Davis
Published on February 19, 2004

After watching Mel Gibson's two-hour-and-six-minute "The Passion of the Christ" at the Fox Studio's 200-seat Zanuck Theater, with barely a dozen carefully invited others in the audience, I came away with great admiration for Gibson.

Not for the film, I can assure you.

For while it is superbly photographed by Caleb Deschanel ("The Patriot," "Being There" and "Black Stallion") you can't but sit in awe of Gibson's brilliant publicity juggernaut that could teach Barnum and Bailey a thing or two about the not-so-delicate art of movie promotion and marketing.

Q & A With Jewtopia Creators Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson

By Amy Klein
Published on January 22, 2004

I'm standing in the foyer of the Coast Playhouse in West Hollywood talking to Bryan Fogel, the co-writer/co-producer/co-star of "Jewtopia" -- a play that parodies dating, JDating, interdating, rabbis, Passover seders, Purim, Chanukah bushes, bar mitzvahs, shofar blowing, other types of blowing, goyim, Asian fixations, synagogue memberships and, most of all, Jewish women and their overbearing mothers -- when this overbearing Jewish mother shamelessly accosts Fogel outside his dressing room to peddle her daughter to him.

The Circuit

By Andrea Adelson
Published on September 4, 2003

The Circuit

Slicing the Kosher Cheese Market

By Gaby Wenig
Published on July 3, 2003

Compton company Anderson International Foods (AIF) is trying to carve out a portion of the kosher cheese market for itself.

The Circuit

By Michael Aushenker
Published on May 8, 2003

Becker General Contractors' Sandy Becker was happy to be at what is known in the real estate and construction business as a "sunriser" -- an early morning get-together.

Made in Israel

By Michael Aushenker
Published on March 27, 2003

The marketing campaign was launched earlier this month in a collaboration by the Southern California Israel Chamber of Commerce, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, the Government of Israel Economic Mission and the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute.

An Enabler of Genocide

By Michael Berenbaum
Published on March 8, 2001

Edwin Black's new book, "IBM and the Holocaust" (Crown) has generated significant interest. Full-page advertisements in the New York Times and other prestigious newspapers and interviews on the "Today Show" and other prominent television programs have all been part of its marketing program. Despite its many substantial problems, the work is important.

Challenging Content

By Judy Gruen
Published on September 21, 2000

Hollywood may be taking a drubbing lately for its content and marketing practices, but if you ask Mark Honig, the industry has no one to blame but itself.

Hollywood Jews and the FTC Report

By David Evanier
Published on September 21, 2000

Leading Jewish Hollywood executives and directors responded with a sense of shame this week to the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) report criticizing the marketing of media violence to minors. Reached by phone, they spoke with The Jewish Journal about how they struggled to reconcile their sense of social and moral responsibility with the demands of the marketplace. Many felt the challenge of balancing the task of self-regulation from within the industry against the evil of censorship from the outside. Others spoke of a more personal balance, played out against a highly charged political atmosphere: deciding how much of the entertainment industry's product their own children can watch.

Raising Boys

By Jane Ulman
Published on June 22, 2000

This past year, Toys R Us was excoriated for proposing and, in some instances, constructing separate "Boys World" and "Girls World" sections. But public outrage quickly forced the 707-store retailer to abandon this gender-based marketing concept, which it euphemistically referred to as "logical adjacencies."Twenty years ago, I would have vehemently condemned Toys R Us' discriminatory actions, perhaps even joining the ranks of the politically correct protesters. Girls, I would have argued, have as much right to play with a Tonka truck as boys with a Little Tikes vacuum cleaner. And not only a right, a need.Twenty years ago, I was single, childless and clueless.

It’s Just Business

By Ellen Sandler
Published on August 19, 1999

"Do they all have to be Italian?"

This is the question the network executive asked the creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond" as they were casting Ray Romano's family.

Sealing the Breach

By Marlene Adler Marks
Published on June 17, 1999

This Father's Day, I'd like to say a word about masking tape.

Shabbat Across Los Angeles

By Julie G Fax
Published on March 12, 1998

It's finally happened. Marketing gurus have gottentheir hands on Shabbat, taking it off dining-room tables and throwingit up onto billboards across the nation -- in the hopes of bringingit back down to more tables.