BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Sallie Mae CEO: 'Let's get the $%$% outta here!']]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/21/sallie-mae-ceo-lets-get-the-outta-here/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/21/sallie-mae-ceo-lets-get-the-outta-here/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/21/sallie-mae-ceo-lets-get-the-outta-here/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sallie Mae (NYSE: SLM)'s earnings conference call went a little off-kilter. Reminiscent of former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling's "a**hole" comment, the Washington Post tells the story. After a bad quarter that sent the stock plummeting, CEO Albert Lord offered few details of his plans for the company on the conference call.

William Kavaler, a managing director of the French bank Societe Generale: "We're trying to figure out what your stock is going to be worth, and you've got to give us some guidance, you've got to give us some numbers."

Lord: "You should give Steve (head of investor relations) a call."

Kavaler: "But you're the CEO. You're the guy who just took over the company."

Lord: "Yeah ... that's exactly right. I'm the CEO. You should give Steve a call. Next question."

Continue reading Sallie Mae CEO: 'Let's get the $%$% outta here!'

Sallie Mae CEO: 'Let's get the $%$% outta here!' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Albert LordAlbertLordinthenewsobscenityprofanitySallie MaeSallieMaeSLMFri, 21 Dec 2007 11:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Holy crap: car companies' bleep-heavy advertising]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/01/holy-crap-car-companies-bleep-heavy-advertising/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/01/holy-crap-car-companies-bleep-heavy-advertising/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/01/holy-crap-car-companies-bleep-heavy-advertising/#commentsFiled under: , ,

binky and friends in dodge commercialWant to get your customers' attention? Swear at them. That seems to be the latest marketing strategy from Big Auto, who's peppering ads with barely bleeped-out swear words. While the most famous one is Dodge's Caliber advertisement showing a panel of sweet imaginary creatures (the fuzzy puppet, the fairy unicorn, 'Binky') reacting with fear to the auto, the most profane and disturbing is probably Volkswagen's crash commercial, where two friends get in an accident and one of them says, "holy shi " [fade to black].

Sure, people swear. Lots of people swear, and I'd be willing to bet that a majority of VW and Dodge customers are potty-mouthed. (I know, sweeping generalizations, but that's what marketing is about folks!) But is this really the best way to communicate brand? Shock tactics?

It depends, I'm sure, on the consumer. DaimlerChrysler AG (NYSE:DCX) unit Dodge's vehicles are heavily marketed to the wanna-be gangster audience (Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent are famous for wanting to be the first customers of Magnum, Charger, and the Chrysler 300), for whom "crap" is probably not even considered swearing, whereas Volkswagen AG (FRA:VOW)'s consumer profile is famously young and understatedly hip. Hip enough, it seems, to say "holy shit" without blinking an eye.

As for me? I don't give a damn about the swearing (see what I did there?). I'm much more disturbed by the depiction of the accident in the VW commercial, which always jolts me out of my primetime TV buzz and makes my heart beat pitter-patter. Entirely not the shock I want while I'm being entertained -- like the cute little hedgehog says in the Dodge commercial, it doesn't make feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Holy crap: car companies' bleep-heavy advertising originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>binkybleepcaliberchryslercommercialcrapcursecuscussdaimlerchryslerdodgedodge caliberDodgeCaliberholy shitHolyShitprofanityshitshockswearswearwordsvolkswagenvwWed, 01 Nov 2006 15:12:00 EST