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Founded by Professor Freddy Tran Nager, Atomic Tango is an L.A.-based marketing-and-media firm that fuses creativity and strategy to stir the imagination and leave the competition shaken.
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by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Influencer Strategies Instructor at USC; photo by Elijah O’Donnell on Unsplash… What’s the difference between a “celebrity” and an “influencer”? That’s one of the many questions I was asked by columnist Samuel Scott for the British marketing mag The Drum.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Amateur Undead Enthusiast. Photo by Mathias P.R. Reding on Unsplash. Note: This article contains affiliate links, and buying through them supports the Atomic Tango Martini Fund… For reasons I can’t fully explain, this pandemic inspired me to read apocalyptic books as an “escape.”
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketer + Consumer… I’ve never taken a microwave oven off roading. Or tough mudding. Or deep sea diving. I’ve never abused, misused, or spindled a microwave. Heck, I just reheat coffee and make popcorn. Yet every five years or so, a microwave decides to fail on […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Former Music Industry Ad Guy… In another chat with musician, marketer, and fellow USC Annenberg adjunct professor Bobby Borg, I delve into the elements of word of mouth (WOM) marketing in the music industry…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Veteran of the Job Hunting Wars; Photo by Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash… As the tragically revamped LinkedIn algorithm continues to elevate hype over substance, the once informative wall has become plastered with inanity…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Not A Doctor (I Don’t Even Play One On TV); mad scientist image from the 1940 movie Dr. Cyclops (public domain via Wikimedia Commons)… Sorry, real scientists, I understand these times have been brutal for you, given the willfully ignorant troll in the White House, plus […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Professional Who’s Been There, Survived That; photo of a Great Depression soup kitchen created by gangster Al Capone… This makes four. Over the course of my 30-year career, I’ve survived three other recessions: 1990-1991 — The inevitable collapse of Reaganomics. (Borrow, borrow, borrow… wait, we have […]
Q: Dear Freddy: I recently graduated with a master’s degree in communication, and am hoping to find a full-time job in marketing. In the meantime, I’m interviewing for a part-time, independent contractor gig with a small agency. This could include more responsibilities than average, such as project lead for new clients. The agency’s most recent […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Ardent Foe of Laugh Tracks… I know little about diplomacy — indeed, I occasionally dish out some rather vicious tweets — but I do know media manipulation…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Copyeditor with an Attitude; photo by Free To Use Sounds on Unsplash… I’ve noticed an odd writing habit on LinkedIn — and I’m not talking about my pet peeves, the abuse of “authentic” and “humbled”…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + A Man With A Plan (Or Three)… In another chat with musician, marketer, and fellow USC Annenberg adjunct professor Bobby Borg, I delve into the value of marketing plans…
by One Okay Boomer; photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash… Let’s talk pandemic and protests — but let’s get specific and talk about how the last few months have affected ME. (After all, I’m a member of the “Me Generation.”)
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Road Trip Lover; photo by Nick Karvounis on Unsplash… Last year I was interviewed by Ford about the future of driving. The interviewer asked me what I thought Ford should do now that young adults no longer want to own cars or even get a license. […]
Q: Dear Freddy: I received an interview offer from an ad agency for its account management intern position. Do you have any tips on acing the interview? — A in LA
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Veteran Networker Who Hates Networking… I love networking. Most of my jobs — particularly in teaching — have come via people I met in other contexts. And, yes, I hate networking. More exactly, so-called “networking events”…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Hardcore Football Addict; photo from the XFL website… Yes, in the midst of this stampede by the Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse (2020 edition) — Pandemic, Recession, Climate Change, and Republicans — I’m writing about football. That’s because: I’m a lifelong junkie. Go Steelers! Go Trojans! […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Former “Walking Dead” Fan; Poster by Mark Baker via Creative Commons… It might feel like the eve of the zombie apocalypse. And while conditions are serious, at some point societies and markets will recover. In the meantime, here are some marketing tips for companies of all […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Doesn’t Believe Beer Goes With Hot Air… Just when I thought I had said enough about all this “authenticity” nonsense (here and here), a friend sent me this beguiling case study about Pabst Blue Ribbon. It starts off fine, explaining how the Fizz Agency […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Usually A College Sports Fan; photo by Neon Tommy via Creative Commons… The other night I thought I went to a college basketball game at USC, but I had apparently wandered into a circus…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Former Hollywood Denizen… Why is everyone surprised that Parasite won the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for “best performance by a cast in a motion picture”?
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Resists Stereotypes; above image and bio from MarketingWeek… I’ve long railed against the lazy stereotype “millennials” (see my post about the L.A. Rams’ misguided marketing). In fact, I recently barred my students from using the word “millennials” — along with “Gen X/Y/Z” and “Baby […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Kyle’s Proud Professor… This is the true story of one of my students — a story filled with accomplishments and emotions and valuable insights. I just had to write it up and share…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Copywriter for over 30 years; photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash… For a school project, my copywriting students were upset that their client (not me) had rewritten their work. They asked me what they could do. I thought, “Welcome to the real world…”
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Branding Junkie… I’m digging the rebranding of my friend Patrick Byers‘ agency, Outsource Marketing…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Former Music Industry Guy… Many marketers get called “rock stars” — though most are more Milli Vanilli than Mick Jagger. Then there’s Bobby Borg, who is literally a rock star in the field…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + And Nonbeliever in “Millennials”; photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash… Here’s another example of how contrived age-based segments (millennials, Gen Y, Gen Z, etc.) make “experts” look absurd…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Ain’t Afraid Of No Ghosts; photo by Stefano Pollio on Unsplash… The business world seems more haunted than ever, with increasing reports of “ghosting” experiences…
Q: Dear Freddy: Can you recommend any books that would help me with writing techniques for marketing? Or does your writing come mostly through a lot of practice? — KC at USC
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Influencer Marketing Instructor… Got a little more publicity this week: Hannah Jewell of the Washington Post quoted me for her video story on influencer marketing.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + long-time Amazon customer and questioner… I’m reading Amazon’s press release about its Prime Day results (“Alexa, How Good Was Prime Day?”), and though it sounds impressive — “sales surpassed the previous Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined” — it left me wanting to know more.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Packaging Aficionado… I must be part cat given my fixation with boxes. Shoe boxes, to be precise. While I like shoes, I don’t have a fetish for them. A few pairs will suffice. But the boxes?
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Influencer Marketing Instructor… File this under “surprising… but not really”: According to this BuzzFeed story, fashion “influencer” Arii failed to sell 36 T-shirts from her own brand, despite having 2.6 million followers.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Influencer Marketing Instructor; photo from the LIDA agency ad campaign for the Jeff Koons rabbit sculpture… The following is the text of a speech I gave May 23 at an Influencers Industry Social Mixer sponsored by Erka Media. Once upon a time there lived two kings […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Planner of Marketing… A friend who runs an ad agency told me he just declined a prospective client. Even though that prospect was a great guy with a great business, he refused to pay for a campaign plan, and would only pay for the production work. […]
by Jeffrey Hirsch, USC Adjunct Professor + President/Founder of The Right Brain Studio; featured image by Hirsch; this piece originally appeared on The Right Brain Studio blog… On April 3, 2019, Adweek reported that “Droga5, the creative agency known for its acclaimed campaigns for brands like Chase, Google, HBO, IHOP, The New York Times and […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Spends Too Much Of His Life Sitting…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Influencer Marketing Professor… With the influencer business fraught with fraud — all while flaunting “authenticity” — what better way to reveal truth than pointed satire?
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes Being Heard, Not Herded; photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash… Investors, entrepreneurs, and execs all love talking about “disruption,” so much so that they’ve worn out the word. But few companies can deliver that level of innovative thinking. The reason?
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + College Grad Still Deciding What He Should Have Majored In; image credit – modification of photo by Jakub Kriz on Unsplash… As much as I love reading and writing, I was just reminded how much I fear and loathe the study of it. Decades ago in […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Consultant to Nonprofits, Dotcoms, and Dreamers; photo by Kat Yukawa on Unsplash… What do charity organizations and most Web 2.0 companies have in common? None make a profit. (Apparently, someone convinced dotcoms that [intlink id=”1257″ type=”post” target=”_blank”]”free” was a viable business model[/intlink].) But they all still […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + LinkedIn Semi-Enthusiast… On the surface, this sounds good: social media platforms like LinkedIn are now promoting “higher quality” posts and burying junk posts. What’s not to love?
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Knows Jargon Enough To Avoid It; image by Mabdul via Wikimedia Commons… Many companies readily blame the competition for their struggles. For example, how many lackluster retailers have you seen blame Amazon? In many cases, it’s their marketing (or lack of it) holding them […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Doesn’t Like One-Track Minds… Think your company or nonprofit organization is on the right track? See if your executives regularly do any of the following…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Nonbeliever in Lucky Numbers; photo by Maciej Pienczewski on Unsplash… The market space abounds with myths. Some state that social media is a substitute for advertising (never). Others claim that consumers want relationships with brands (rarely). And it’s not just amateurs who tout these myths; agencies […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Professional; photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash… The market hasn’t been this combative since the Greeks went shopping in downtown Troy. What few jobs arise get swarmed by hungry mobs, throwing elbows, and slinging resumes for a shot at a steady paycheck. Even table-waiting gigs attract over 100 […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Creative Strategist… OK, let me get this straight: A sports fashion brand run by savvy marketing pros and brilliant designers creates a text-driven promo piece… then ruins it with bad typography?
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Condiment Contrarian… Oy, what a disgusting mess.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Animal Lover (Not Follower)… Here’s another doozy from the increasingly inane LinkedIn wall: “A wolf pack: the first 3 are the old or sick, they give the pace to the entire pack. If it was the other way round, they would be left behind, losing contact […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Copywriter Who Loves To Envy The Work Of Others… Here’s hoping magazines stage a revival so we’ll always have print ads like these…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Professional Weasel Watcher… A dark corporate conference room. A loud THUD breaks the silence and a voice cries out…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Dude Now Definitely In The Older Demo; photo by Jomjakkapat Parrueng on Unsplash… A running gag in my marketing classes was that every student-crafted plan consisted of “using social media to target Millennials.” Then the business world finally acknowledged that organic social media doesn’t really work.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Avid Reader; photo by Micaela Parente on Unsplash… In this hive of scum and villainy we call the Internet, you’ve likely met all shades of dubious characters: trolls, stalkers, spies, Republicans. Here’s one group that’s not nearly as harmful but just as annoying…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Semi-Professional Shower Connoisseur; featured photo by High Sierra… Who doesn’t like getting into a little hot water?
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes Watches And Brands… Knowing I love watches, Amazon recently recommended an Italian brand I’d never heard of: Brismassi Esetti. At least it sounds Italian. And at first glance, it looked pretty sharp: a clean design, only 8mm thick, with an Italian leather band […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder Of Atomic Tango + Professor Who Loves To Cold Call His Students; photo by Fabrice Florin via Wikimedia Commons… Picture yourself in a class or business meeting. You don’t have a pressing thought or opinion on the current topic — indeed, your mind is wandering to what you’d like to have […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Influencer Marketing Instructor… Although it’s April Fools Day, this is no joke. Everyone knows that most social media data can be faked. Likes, followers, views, even comments — name it, you can buy it. What most people don’t realize is how easy it is to do […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Loves a Challenge… Never shy from competition. You will face it, if not now, then as soon as you create a viable market. So if you see a field of competitors, don’t give up, even if they have a head start. Challenge them by […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Honored to be Humble… Every day I challenge my computer to chess. “Bring it on!” I say. And every day I vow, “Today’s the day I turn the tables on that non-sentient tormentor!” But every single day my computer beats me soundly. That humbles me. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Journalism Junkie… How could I resist an invitation to see The Post?
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango; an earlier version of this story appeared on Jawbone.TV… For author Dan Roam, it began with a living nightmare.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Did A Fair Amount Of Shopping This Xmas; Photo by Daniel Jensen on Unsplash… Just this summer, many “experts” proclaimed the death of American brick-and-mortar retail, and that Amazon would eat everyone’s lunch. When Amazon subsequently bought Whole Foods (make that “organic free-range lunch”), […]
by Kim Tronic, Writer + Professional Happiness Pursuer… This article originally appeared in The Kim Tronicles and is republished here by permission. Sedona, Arizona. A sweet little 7-hour drive from Los Angeles, or a quick flight from LAX and puddle jumper from Phoenix. I’d heard about the healing powers of this magical destination, but I […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Apple hOStage… I didn’t need a new computer. My 2010 MacBook Pro is somehow still running — now 2 years longer than any previous computer I’ve owned over the past 30 years. (Knock on wood — just by typing this I might curse my Mac.) […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Misses Alternative Newspapers… I used to read the L.A. Weekly (the alternative newspaper of Los Angeles) when it was the size of deep dish pizza — and almost as delicious, filled with no-holds-barred political screeds and small-theatre reviews and creative writers who wouldn’t get […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder Of Atomic Tango + Fincher Fan… Note: buying anything through the links on this page may benefit the Atomic Tango martini fund. The first DVD I ever bought was Fight Club, and not just because it was based on the inventive and incendiary novel by Chuck Palahniuk. (One of my […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Amateur Mixologist… Let’s drink a toast to creative people in official positions. More specifically, let’s drink a toast to Cleve Colbert “Red” Ketcham, the late great U.S. Forest Service Regional Engineer who gave us, for perpetuity, the Cocktail Construction Chart. Immortalized in the U.S. National Archives […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Writer Who Likes Numbers; photo by Cory Doctorow via Wikimedia Commons… Digital advertising these days is like wandering into a room full of pickpockets. Obviously, you should avoid doing that altogether — you do have other choices — but if you must go, watch your wallet. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Amazon Customer Since 1998… Call me an Amazon loyalist by default. As in, it’s da fault of the competition.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder Of Atomic Tango + Guy With A Hang-Up About Phone Calls… As I typed my very first email in 1994, I thought, “Writer’s dream come true!” No more fumbling for the perfect words while speaking on the phone. No more trying to end a rambling call in a polite yet […]
by Judy Bernstein, Guest Blogger and VP of Insights & Innovation at CBA; Writer’s Block I photo by Drew Coffman… Seinfeld fans fondly remember the Festivus episode: Frank Costanza, played by the legendary Jerry Stiller, creates a holiday in response to the misanthropy he encountered and inflicted at Christmas. From his desperate, wistful conviction that […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + American Happy To Be In Cali… Sometimes creative expression hits too close to home — and a nerve. That’s definitely the case with CALEXIT, a comic book series depicting a hypothetical California secession from these not-so-United States. The secession is precipitated, of course, by the election […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Entrepreneurial Advisor; photo by Valentin Antonini on Unsplash… Too many entrepreneurs treat their startups like Hollywood relationships: the affair begins with a lot of passion, it’s great for gossip and headlines, and it might even lead to deals, but as soon as things get a little […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Believes The Pen Can Be Mightier Than The Sword… You know what product attribute doesn’t get enough hype? Tactility — how something feels to the touch. While today’s manufacturers obsess over size and weight, promising us larger and larger capacity and lower and lower […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Will Miss Shopping In Stores; modified illustration from Weird Tales magazine 1941… Deep inside the HQ of Rapacious Retail Inc. — an office so sterilized and bathed in artificial light that live plants wilt within seconds — we find the head of marketing — Bob […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Talking Enthusiast… Move aside, Sriracha, there’s a new claimant to the spicy condiment crown: Tajin Clasico. In my latest podcast, I explain why I prefer Tajin, and how it’s a key ingredient in a killer summer barbecue beverage, the chelada. But first, I address one of the […]
Q: Dear Freddy: I’m setting up my own business in India where I’ll be teaching meditation and techniques on “mind management.” I’ve gotten a certification from the appropriate agencies and I also teach well, per the feedback I’ve received across different countries. How should I prepare my marketing plan and conduct local research? — A.S. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Doesn’t Travel Nearly Enough… If a storm like this hit Los Angeles, the local news would cover it all day — make that all week — with sodden reporters stumbling around and calling it something like Mega Tempest 2017™. Here in Ireland’s aptly named […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango, Long-Time Listener, First-Time Podcaster; Photo by Jonathan Velasquez on Unsplash… So I decided to take the audio plunge and launch my own podcast… Atomic Tango · The Atomic Tango Marketing, Media, and Mischief Podcast, Episode 1 Like this website, the Atomic Tango podcast explores marketing, media, and other […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… I usually avoid Downtown L.A. The one-way streets terrify me, and once I kept a friend waiting an hour when I got sucked into the Bermuda Triangle of 5th Street. Oh, and good luck with parking. But if you’re brave enough to maneuver the vortex of Downtown, be sure […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Knows Jargon Enough To Avoid It; image by Mabdul via Wikimedia Commons… Quick, can you guess what this company is selling? “We provide a platform for market-moving dialogue by connecting decision makers through actionable exchange, revolutionizing the way 21st century companies create value.” Although […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Professional Procrastinator… The following story is based on actual events. So you made yourself a short to-do list for this Sunday, and figured you would even have time to watch a movie tonight. But just as you start getting to work… 1. You hear your cat […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Former Car Advertising Guy… Every now and then an ad campaign makes us viewers lunge for our TV remote controls, either to change the channel or simply mute the annoying spots.
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… The first time I meandered into Mama Shelter in Hollywood, I had no clue it was a hotel. Perhaps it was the foosball table. Or the corkboard stuffed with notes, jokes, and colorful Post-its. Or the vibrant Chinese lanterns and guitars strung along the front window. Or the lucha […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango, Professional Writer, and Professor; photo by Pwlps via Wikimedia Commons… Dear Class, Please evaluate the first sentence from this recent academic-journal article, “Progressive Mastery Through Deliberate Practice: A Promising Approach For Improving Writing”: “There is virtual agreement across all sectors (policy-makers, researchers, educators, parents, employers) that there […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Cheese Addict… Raise your fork if you like your spaghetti to look like a blizzard hit it.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Communications Professor… Q: Dear Freddy: I noticed that this particular company sometimes leaves sold-out items on its website, and I was wondering what its tactic might be. – S.F. in L.A.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Whose Career Would be Nothing without the Arts… Since this website celebrates creative professionals, I would be remiss to not comment on the threat to the National Endowment of the Arts. Although its budget is relatively minuscule — a mere $148 million in 2016 compared […]
by Nereyda Valenzuela, Guest Blogger + Human Communication Lab Director at Cal State University Fullerton… Ever notice how little things bother you on social media? Such as certain people not liking your photos or accepting your friend requests? These simple cases of inaction can trigger emotions that linger for days. Such willful inaction on Facebook, […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Found of Atomic Tango + Amateur Prognosticator… Based on my observations of trends in demographics, business, technology, and politics, I’ve concocted and contrived these predictions for the new year and beyond. Maybe way way WAY beyond. But if 2017 is anywhere near as capricious as 2016, these could all happen. Or […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Amateur Horologist… I dig on wristwatches: reading about them, window shopping them, and occasionally adding an unusual artifact to my modest collection. For a while I collected vintage Russian watches, which are usually mechanical (no batteries) and remarkably cheap. Since many don’t come with bands, I […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Editor Who Can’t Resist… It’s a common mistake: writing “baited breath” instead of “bated breath.” I just didn’t expect it in the official publication of the American Marketing Association (October 2016 issue). But there it glared at me from an article about Apple’s born-to-be-lost AirPods. Of […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Sure Likes To Talk… I had the chance to sit (actually, Skype) with Joshua Smith, a dynamic and popular podcaster, realtor, personal coach, and fitness expert (see his site, GSD Mode). As you can see, I’m not a video person — I prefer to […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Tchotchke Junkie… A certain trait of the adult male nerd species drives my wife crazy: our penchant for collecting toys to display around our work areas. My wife calls them “dust magnets.” Of course, we adult male nerds know what they truly are: visual caffeine to […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Loves Kids As Long As They Belong To Other People… I’m not a mom (at least not the last time I checked). I don’t have a horde of kids running around the house (unless you count my cats). And I don’t scrap book (scrap […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Questions What Our Business Schools Are Teaching… Dear Leaders of the 21st Century: Congratulations on joining the first class of the Chris Christie School of Business! We are honored that you have chosen to accompany us on our mission to redefine leadership in corporate […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Critical Thinking Enthusiast… Please tell me the image above is just another annoying puzzle — one of those banal math problems or word games that clueless people play on LinkedIn to prove they’re “geniuses.” This particular LinkedIn challenge obviously shows the value of proofreading, and it’s […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, founder of Atomic Tango + Industrial Design Lover (usually)… I’m stricken with horror. Can barely move. May need years of therapy and bourbon shots. I just saw the single ugliest tech product ever made. One of Fujifilm’s competitors must have kidnapped their industrial designers and perpetrated this as a means to […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Social Media Critic… I take Twitter too seriously — especially since I don’t think it will even be around much longer (at least in its current form). No, I still don’t see it as a great place for most brands and non-celebs to do mass marketing. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Professor… Do marketing plans come from factory assembly lines these days? The advice is so generic and commodified, someone on AliExpress must be selling it for 40-cents a piece as long as you buy 100 of them. Take this article about marketing the L.A. Rams […]
Editor’s Note: We first met Rachel Brookhart on Twitter, where her wit, devotion to smart marketing, and love of both cats and whiskey caught our eye. We also share an academic connection: Rachel received her M.A. in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University L.A., where Atomic Tango Founder Freddy Tran Nager used to teach. Now she’s […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Heavy Drinker (of Water)… The Mobot Water Bottle & Roller seems to pack a lot of desirable features: BPA-free Made of recycled stainless steel Built-in massage tool And— OMG EVERYONE, RUN! IT’S A GRENADE!!! Oh, sorry, false alarm. My eyes are getting old, and I should […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Realistic Idealist… Much has already been said about Nintendo’s Pokemon Go, the augmented reality (AR) game that’s turned millions of Americans into manic scavenger hunters. Perhaps too much. The phenomenon has already triggered a backlash after just a few days from people tired of hearing about […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Creative Who’s Sat On Both Sides Of The Table; photo by Samuel Yongbo Kwon on Unsplash… I occasionally help my clients find and interview other marketing agencies and professionals, since I speak the lingo and know what to look for. My B.S. detector can sense a […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Not Much of a Gambler; photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash… I don’t care to gamble, not counting my dismal dabbling in the stock market. So naturally, I look at any betting offer with skepticism and a deep lack of enthusiasm — even when it comes […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Heavy LinkedIn User… Of all the social networks out there, LinkedIn has delivered the best return on my time — as in actual gigs that come with actual money. That doesn’t mean I love the site — the user experience appears designed by inebriated spider monkeys […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Veteran Of The Career Wars; photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash… Yes, you found a job opening you think you could fill perfectly. You have the skills, the education, a lofty employment record with glowing recommendations, and genuine enthusiasm for both the company and the opportunity. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Website Content Director And Instructor; photo by youngthousands via Wikimedia Commons… My wife could hear me cursing from the other room. Did I hurt myself? Did the stock market crash? Did one of my favorite characters just get the axe on Game of Thrones? Worse: I […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Hires Skilled Professionals… From his bio, Simon Sinek sounds like an amazing person: author, TEDx star, military innovation adviser, supporter of nonprofits. So I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that this quote was taken way out of context. But that’s […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… If I invited you out for a drink at some local saloon, what would you envision? Gun holsters, swinging doors, and horses waiting outside? How about a pub? Do you immediately get a craving for fish ‘n chips and a nice frosty pint? And really, is there a difference […]
by Katharina Heuermann, Dream Seller + Founder of the travel agency Destination-K!… Hello Jetsetters! Summer is around the corner, and you know what that means for us travelers: full airplanes, jammed roads, packed hotels, and not much fun. The solution is obvious: counter-cyclical travel — that is, traveling out of season. Since you’re a creative […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Hardcore Binge Watcher… You can sense it: you’re binge watching some show, and along comes a story line that makes you say, “I’ve seen this before…” Because you have… in a half-dozen other series… in the past year. They’re plot twists relied on by TV writers […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango; photo courtesy of MarcyVeryMuch.com… Email is back! … Well, actually, it never left. It just got overshadowed by all the social media hype. But now that marketers have finally acknowledged that most social media marketing is a waste of time, everyone’s launching an e-newsletter. Or worse. While […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… Much like any girl looking back at her yearbook photos from 1999, I’m horrified that my baggy ripped pants, faded T-shirt, and frayed hemp necklace constituted “fashion.” Because my sense of style has evolved about ten times since then, I’m grateful that my wardrobe has matured — those Abercrombie […]
by Katharina Heuermann, Traveler + Dream Seller… Hello Jetsetters! I’m the founder of Destination-k!, a German travel agency. (Please forgive the German on my website — I’m working on the English version!) I’m also one of you: a creative professional who loves to travel and, yes, also has a budget. Now I don’t go for […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Spice Lover; note that this article contains affiliate links, and buying via them benefits the Atomic Tango martini fund… Some things are worth spending extra on, even if they’re just everyday objects that spend most of their existence in a cupboard. One of those things, I […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Professor Who Likes Giving Multiple-Choice Quizzes (so much easier to grade)… Despite all the research and analysis showing that most social media marketing is a waste of time, the hope persists among well-meaning business folk that somehow, someday, a well-timed Tweet or an unstoppable hashtag […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Partner To Some Awesome People; photo by Albert Kok via Wikimedia Commons… In the animal kingdom, a fish called the remora attaches itself to larger creatures like sharks to eat scraps of their food while enjoying their protection. In the human kingdom, a creature called the […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Usually a LinkedIn Advocate… I just found out that an old friend of mine got fired. No, he didn’t tell me — I haven’t spoken to him in years. Rather, LinkedIn told me. I’m connected with my friend on LinkedIn, and one day the social network’s […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Stickler for Details… The movie Race, about American hero Jesse Owens, looks terrific. The sound? Well, that could use work. Just listen to the movie trailer. Notice something odd about the cameras?
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Trader Joe’s Junkie… If we are what we eat, then I’m 99% Trader Joe’s. (In case you don’t know, Trader Joe’s is a beloved chain of low-priced gourmet food stores that’s more cult than grocery. Like Scientology with kale.) I’m lucky to live walking distance to […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + LinkedIn Purist… The neighborhood is slowly deteriorating. Not my physical one in L.A., which is gentrifying so fast even the pigeons have to take out loans to eat.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Professor; photo by Beatriz Pérez Moya on Unsplash… Q: Dear Freddy: What’s a good length for my copywriting portfolio? Right now it’s 20 pages, which feels long, but it’s 6 writing samples, and most are multiple pages. Is that too long? – K in L.A.
by Dr. Sonjia Kenya, Research Professor + Author/Podcaster of “Sex In South Beach”; intro by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango… Freddy’s Intro: People ask me why I don’t podcast. It’s simple: my brain refuses to cooperate. It’s bizarre. Over the past 6 years, I’ve lectured live before hundreds of people, both friends and […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who’s Been There, Survived That; note that this article contains affiliate links, and buying through them helps support the Atomic Tango martini fund… So you just emerged from your academic shell, armed with a degree and a wealth of textbook knowledge. And now you want […]
by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista Most of my generation will say that they remember where they were when Obama was elected president. I will remember where I was the first time I saw my CEO wearing jeans… We were at the airport preparing to take an 18+ hour flight to our office in Tel Aviv, […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Loves Millennials… And Many Other Segments; photo by Maru Lombardo on Unsplash… My Strategic Marketing students last year had a running joke. For every business challenge in the universe, they would say, “We plan to target millennials using social media.” That got a laugh […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… As much as I love my Chuck Taylors and baggy jeans, I burn with envy for fashions circa the 1920s. Beads. Sequins. Flowers. And OMG petticoats. And ever hear of “programmatic architecture?” It basically means “buildings that look like stuff.” In those days, when automobiles became the new way […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango, MBA, and Professor of Communications… A point that really stood out to me in an overall fantastic article by Philosopher and Business Consultant Matthew Stewart: “Next to analysis, communication skills must count among the most important for future masters of the universe. To their credit, business schools […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Former MCA Records Operative… If Hollywood ever sets a James Bond movie in L.A., The Blue Agave should perform the all music. Indeed, their cover of “Besame Mucho” would make a killer 007 opening credit sequence. The Blue Agave’s eponymous debut album takes you on a […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Professor; photo by Manuel Cacciatore via Wikimedia Commons… So you’d like to learn more about business but can’t take a class right now. Or maybe the idea of school gives you nightmares about forgetting class until the final exam. (Been there, dreamed that.) No problem. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder Of Atomic Tango + Guy You Really Don’t Want Flying An Airplane… As Americans went full feeding frenzy over Black Friday (run away! run away!), I found my own materialistic lust object. And it’s a bit too big to fit under a tree…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + No Relation To The Grinch; featured photo by Powhusku from Laramie, WY via Wikimedia Commons… With Black Friday lurking around the corner, you’ll likely see the term “doorbuster” describing a deal so irresistible that you’ll want to break down the door to get at it. Now, […]
by XDL, Filmmaker… In filmmaking, we have the deadly production triangle: cheap, fast and good. If you’re lucky, you get two — usually at the sacrifice of the third. You can have cheap and fast, but it won’t be good. You can have good and fast, but it won’t be cheap. You can have cheap […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Fairy Tale Weaver; image by DonkeyHotey / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)… [dropcap style=”default, square, or circle”]O[/dropcap]nce upon a time there lived an evil princeling named Zuckerella. Although he had more wealth than he could possibly ever spend, he craved much, much more. Specifically, Princeling Zuckerella wanted to […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Facebook Old Timer… I should have iced my Facebook Page three years ago. In 2012, Facebook tweaked its algorithm (called EdgeRank) to essentially screw over commercial Pages. Sure, I understand why Facebook doesn’t want to give corporations a free ride. It’s their snake oil sales pitch […]
by XDL, Filmmaker… Why do particular films and actors succeed when many believe they’re undeserving? You’d be surprised how many people in Tinseltown lose sleep over that question. My answer: Hollywood is a branding and marketing mechanism, and once the gears get moving, it’s there to perpetuate content. The trick is to get the gears […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Loves Strong Brands… I couldn’t resist the bait. A direct marketing guy on LinkedIn posed the following question: “Why don’t most advertising agencies pay as much attention to results as they do to their creative and the awards that they can achieve?… Don’t get […]
By Freddy J. Nager, Founder Of Atomic Tango + Man Who Has Cursed At Furniture; featured photo by Dionysage… Two words that might strike fear into your heart: “ASSEMBLY REQUIRED” Or how about the four-letter word that will make you utter other four-letter words: “IKEA”
by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista… True to my fashionista (see “raging shopaholic”) form, I’ve been to Paris to experience its unparalleled fashion brilliance. My stiletto boots made their way around Milan as well, but I didn’t find the fashion there as impressive as the I just threw this outfit together and happen to look like […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… I’m no fan of hotel bars in Los Angeles — too much pretension and plastic surgery. But when a friend brought me to The Culver Hotel, my apprehension melted away. Filled with locals and tourists, the lobby bar welcomes its customers with a flowing serenade of jazz tunes by […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Has Worked With Clients Of All Types In Agencies Of All Sizes… Finding the right client is like dating: You have to escape your comfort zone and make small talk with lots of strangers. Most prospective clients simply aren’t a match or a catch: […]
by Pat Palleschi, Ph.D., President of the Executive Agency… Employees often tell me that the culture of an organization can encourage them to be productive or be so soul-sucking that they’re dying (figuratively, I hope) to leave. Culture is one powerful aspect of your organization… and it doesn’t take a penny to improve. Here’s how. […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes To Think He’s Cultured But Digs On Watching The Walking Dead… I blame Jane Eyre. Although it’s supposedly one of the great works of literature, having to read it for my 10th grade English class made me feel like I was locked in […]
Q: Dear Freddy: How do I come up with creative ideas for this leather products company I’m freelancing for?
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Craft Beer Lover Before He Was A Drinker… How should you feel when one of your favorite local brands gets snapped up by a giant multinational corporation? Shouldn’t you just feel giddy that a small-business owner hit the jackpot? Well, try to remember when your favorite […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… Like any good basic babe in Los Angeles, I’m a big fan of brunch: Mimosas. Bloody Marys. 20-pound omelettes. And saucy gossip with BFF’s. My infatuation with brunch initially led me to Alcove Café in Los Feliz, where I discovered that their lunch/dinner items deserve just as many culinary fistbumps. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Recovering Hate Watcher… I recently fell in love with a new expression. And, thankfully, it’s not “sharing economy.” “Hate watching” has been around a few years (I’m slow on the uptake). In case you’re not familiar with the term, that infinite fount of wisdom knowledge hearsay, […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Diehard Wired Reader… Back in the indie days of Wired magazine — when it was psychedelically colored, chopping-block thick, and as rebellious as James Dean on a Harley crying “MORE MORE MORE” — they wouldn’t have done this. Yes, they ran ads — early Wired was […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… Today we’re gonna bend the rules a bit. Instead of bringing you a martini recipe, I want to scribble outside the lines and share something (gasp!) different. And yes, it’s served on the rocks. I’ve always been a fan of copper: it makes for interesting jewelry, strong plumbing pipes, […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Self-Marketing Advocate; photo by Sereja Ris on Unsplash… Thanks to this Internet thing, job hunters worldwide can now apply to dozens of gigs simultaneously with a few keystrokes. No more typing one resume at a time on 99%-cotton-and-cashmere paper, licking stamps (an actual behavior in the […]
by Pat Palleschi, Ph.D., President of the Executive Agency Dear Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn: I had no knowledge of you prior to this post, but I must admit that I have harbored a bit of a love affair with your company. I love the “thumbs up,” the endorsements, the comments, the posts — the […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… Remember those middle school summers when your friends shipped off to camp? And when school started again in September, all they did was brag about how much fun they had? (Despite suffering from 23,000 bug bites and swimming in bacteria-infested lakes, of course.) Instead of joining those friends, I […]
by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista; illustration by Mark Armstrong… If you’ve sold Kool-Aid at a lemonade stand in the not too distant past (the pre-30 crowd): When you hear “business casual”, do you think jeans and a polo? Or are you reaching for basketball shorts and a hoodie at 9:00 Friday morning? Some employees choose […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Consumer Of Both Digital Media And Coffee In Vast Quantities At The Same Time… MBA programs today must be teaching young marketers to compare everything to a Starbucks latte. You’ll likely see this in marketing for digital media, which will boast that an app, download, or […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Caffeine Addict… Three yuppies walk into a Starbucks. Sounds like the beginning of a joke, and in a way it is. Two claim a table while the third goes to order. He asks the others what they want, and they both say “nothing.” He responds, “So […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Amateur Neologist; word and illustration by Claire Barry… As a writer, I love learning new words and phrases. I recently came across “vegetarian inclined,” which describes omnivores who are eating less meat for health reasons. (Count me among them — and wow, do I miss bacon.) […]
by Patricia Palleschi, Ph.D., President of The Executive Agency; featured photo by Ben White on Unsplash… A wise person once revealed that there are only four reasons why a person gets hired. (And you are most likely to get hired if you have all four going for you!) Someone in a hiring position likes you. […]
Editor’s Note: We sought out our multi-talented friend XDL to give us his take on life as a creative professional — specifically, as a film editor working in Hollywood.
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… Like any normal woman, I’m private about certain details. My weight. My real hair color. Amount of money spent on Botox. But one secret that everyone seems to know: I’m kind of a crazy cat lady. I have 3 kitties and about 2,000 photos of them on my phone. They sleep […]
by Patricia Palleschi, Ph.D., President of The Executive Agency… Appropriating the words of Aretha Franklin — and the sentiments of many of you — all we need is a bit more RESPECT to make the recruiting process a lot more effective.
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Diehard Newspaper Lover; photo by David Monniaux via Wikimedia Commons… Many marketers and media pros are buzzing about “influencer marketing”: hiring celebs of various stripes to spread the word in a social-media-driven marketplace. That’s why YouTube stars have agents and Pinterest mavens have endorsement deals. […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Was Taught Early On To Not Take Candy Or Facebook Posts From Strangers… So you’re killing time on Facebook, hoping to chance upon some juicy updates about your ex, or at least a cat video or three, but there, in the middle of your […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… As I watched the final episode of Mad Men, I felt a bit depressed. No more sassy Sterling. No more drunk Draper. No more cool outfits. No more sexist innuendos. But as I wallowed in the sadness of missing Mad Men, I heard about a bar in West Hollywood […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… If you live in L.A., you most likely react to “tourist traps” by rolling your eyes, emitting a small groan, and vowing to never get stuck in the honeytrap of 3-hour traffic jams. (Also see: the Walk of Fame, Disneyland, or Muscle Beach.) But I invite you to hit […]
by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista… A girl’s prom: strapless bras, glittery eye shadow, unmet expectations, and cheesy photographs. My prom: I think there was some dancing, and I’m sure there was some Mudslide mix (tastes like candy, makes boys more approachable). Prom dresses should never be: sheer, covered in sequins, purchased at Walmart. Guns: an […]
by Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Expert + Jingle Writer… It’s happened to all of us. You’re in the shower lathering up or driving to work and you start humming a tune. Then you hum louder and bob your head. Before you know it, you’re screaming “Fresh goes better with Mentos, fresh and full of LIIIIIIFE!” […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Still Hurtin’ Firefly Flan… When “Battlestar Galactica” concluded, some fans lamented that the series had to end, but others were thrilled that it departed on a good note. Compare that to the fans of “Lost,” who screamed “WTF?!” after its later episodes.
By Kim Tronic, Resident Cocktail Mistress… They say there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. They forgot an important 3rd certainty: Hot sauce makes everything better.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Sees Value In Brilliant Jerks; image credit: internet meme featuring photo by Scott Grummett for Wired Magazine… LinkedIn’s wall is degenerating fast. It used to focus on careers and business discussions. Now it’s becoming Facebook, complete with inspirational quotes. For example, my LinkedIn wall […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Fellow Aspiring Mogul; illustration by Barzak… “In this very real world, good doesn’t drive out evil. Evil doesn’t drive out good. But the energetic displaces the passive.” — Bill Bernbach, advertising legend I recently spoke about media careers to college students at the National Broadcasting Society […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Branding Enthusiast; Supreme Brick image via top-brands-shopping on eBay… In the marketing version of chicken-and-egg, we marketers love to debate which should come first:
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Communication Professor… Add another voice to the growing chorus of marketers stating the inconvenient truth — a truth that social media cheerleaders still refuse to acknowledge: When it comes to marketing brands, organic social media is a colossal waste of time.
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes Change… A few months ago a journalist interviewed me about “pivoting.” In case you missed the business-speak memo, “pivoting” means “changing direction” — it just sounds more athletic and deliberate than, “We changed our minds, alright?” It so happens that I have just […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Analyst… Add “effective” to the list of marketing terms that no longer mean anything, alongside “authentic,” “leader,” “revolutionary,” “disruptive,” and “engagement.” According to a misdirected study by research firm Ace Metrix, in 2014 Samsung had 7 of the 15 “most effective” ads in the tech […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + #Strategist… One hashtag, three problems… The other night I asked 50 marketing students what the Twitter hashtag #unstoppable represented. Some guessed it was for a movie. Others thought it was for a car company. None guessed the reality: it was for a Mexican tourism campaign — […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who’s Happy He’s Not On The Job Market… I keep my eyes open for job openings that I can pass on to my students, but too often I encounter ads that get my eyes rolling. The job requirements are so excessive and irrational, not even […]
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
It was a Saturday night, and such a Sabbath as followed! Ex officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen. The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble; every sailor a butcher. You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen.In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, and which no single man…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Beer Commercial Connoisseur… ‘Tis St. Patrick’s day, so what better way for a marketing blogger to celebrate than to write while totally drunk share a classic Guinness commercial: Beyond entertaining, that video also hits all 3B’s of my marketing promo framework: Brand: It makes the Guinness […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Member of Too Many Social Networks… Apparently, the leading social networks have given up on innovation. Now they just gaze covetously at each other’s “best practices.”
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Hardcore Word Lover… The other day I saw a billboard for a food company. I don’t remember the brand or the product (total ad fail), but I do remember the tagline: “Real Authentic Taste.” And I immediately thought, what the hell does that mean?
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Professional Non-Athlete | Photo by by Albert Yau via Wikimedia Commons I was the world’s worst little league baseball player. I’ve always had the hand-eye coordination of a sponge, so I couldn’t hit and I couldn’t catch. I didn’t even like baseball — watching people stand […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Aficionado of Undead Entertainment… I love the adrenaline-fueled rush of a good scare… provided it’s pure fiction. (The Republican National Convention is too creepy to bear.) Unfortunately, most American horror movies and TV shows indulge in torture and gore more than in actual chills and thrills. Or […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Wears Out His Credit Cards Too Soon… I dig my American Express card. Really. It enables me to buy pallets of cat litter at Costco, which won’t accept any credit card except AmEx. It extends warranties, so when my MacBook fried after the initial […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who’s Given Up Drinking Milk (And Kool-Aid)… “How to Build a Multi-Million Dollar Ecommerce Business With $0 Marketing Budget” No, that’s not the subject line of an email in your spam box. That’s the actual headline of a “case study” on Black Milk Clothing, as […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who’s Extremely Allergic To Snake Oil; featured photo by Mister Serum via Wikimedia Commons… “Snake oil” originally described the fake medicine that con men sold across 19th century America. The worthless ointments and lotions supposedly cured everything from basic pains to baldness, when the only […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Questions the Answers… A recent class discussion brought up one of my core tenets: the need to question everything in the market. We were discussing Charity: Water, a nonprofit that achieved near celebrity status because of its use of social media and videos: Great […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of the one and only Atomic Tango LLC (at least for now)… Nothing about the email set off my usually hypersensitive B.S. detector. It had landed in my business inbox with the subject line, “Confirm: About “atomictango” registration.” I didn’t recognize the sender’s name, Gerry Gu from p-xi.org, but emails […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Thinks That Words Matter… “The most important factor in selecting type is its readability. Type should be clear, easy on the eye, friendly, and inviting. Style is important — the choice of font is one of many elements that contributes to the image conveyed […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + No Relation To Right Said Fred… Inbound and permission marketers must be the sexiest people on earth. (Mis)led by their guru, Seth Godin, they abhor ads and other marketing promos that “interrupt” consumers. Rather, they simply build websites and social media profiles, then passively wait for […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Certified Non-Celebrity… Why do 60% of Twitter users quit within the first month? You could blame the inane trending topics, like these… #LightSkinGirlsDoStuffLike #ShorterThanBeyoncesHair Miley Cyrus #ThanksMiley #confessyourunpopularopinion Each trend is based on hundreds of tweets. Kind of makes your cerebrum cringe, doesn’t it? That said, […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Car Fanatic… Remember when Honda could do no wrong? Back in the ’90s and the ’00s, it seemed like every other person in L.A. drove a Honda, and they’d never have to take their car in for repairs or recalls. Indeed, my buddy is still […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Doesn’t Know Everything But At Least He’s Gotten His Hands Dirty; photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash… Anyone who teaches or writes about business should have actually run a business, or at least worked in one. Makes sense, right? Would you study surgery with […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Cares How Stuff Is Made; note that the following article contains affiliate links, and buying via them benefits the Atomic Tango martini fund… After nearly a decade of service, my Swing-A-Way manual can opener finally bit it. It was cheap yet solid and totally […]
By Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Teacher of World Classes; photo by Greta Schölderle Møller on Unsplash… As yet another public service, I’ve identified a few words and phrases that have been so overused, misused, and abused that they no longer have any meaning. (Kind of like the joke in an average Saturday Night Live […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Social Media Evaluator I’m waiting for my payment of $138,552.96. I’m not sure who’s supposed to pay me, but I know the exact amount. According to the article “What’s the Value of a Tweet?” by the consulting firm SumAll, the “revenue generated from a business […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes Shiny Objects… People ask me whether marketing truly works. Sure, marketers claim they made Nike and Apple and BMW rich and popular — but didn’t these companies become rich and popular simply because they had great products? In response, I first explain what marketing […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Will Not Work for Food… or Coffee; featured illustration by Shane Clester… I once made the mistake of having lunch with a fellow Harvard alumnus who owned an IT firm with $17 million in annual sales. He had asked for my help to market […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Happily Married Guy; photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash… A client asked me how I measure “engagement” on Twitter. Now “engagement” is one of those overused, misused, and abused words in business — like “leading” or “authentic” — that no longer means anything. So how can […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, the ONE and ONLY, of Atomic Tango LLC So there’s a department at Twitter called Twitter Trust & Safety. For that alone, they should be sued for false advertising, since Twitter can no longer be trusted to protect the safety of your ideas and identity. I’ve been on Twitter for several […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Guy Who Likes To Question The Answers I used to read and recommend eMarketer, simply because they have numbers and pie charts and other examples of statisticulation. That made their articles seem more rational and realistic than 98.76%* of the blogposts written by social media […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Early Banner Ad Creator… The biggest reason why banner ads don’t work? People simply don’t see them. We marketers call it “banner blindness.”
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Professor… We need to stop treating social media like it’s some kind of miracle cure that will turn dictatorships into democracies, water into wine, and rats into kittens. (I know, I’ve tried.) Social media is just another communications tool. Because of its vast, always-on, right-here-right-now […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + E-Commerce Addict… I just had a shopping experience I can’t forget — and not because it was memorable in any way. I can’t forget it because the Internet won’t let me…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Fan of Both the NFL and Andrew McGregor… So maybe you’ve seen these NFL commercials with the bearded guy in the suit (created by agency David & Goliath)… And perhaps you said to yourself, “WTF? Who is that guy and why is he the spokesman for […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Differentiation Advocate; image by Williamwiki via Wikimedia Commons… Thanks to the jury in the Apple-Samsung case, product differentiation is now mandated in the marketplace (at least in the smartphone industry). Unfortunately, differentiation — and creativity and daring — are harder to find despite every company’s claim […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Hype Assailant; image by Jantusia via Wikimedia Commons… I LOVE to dispel hype surrounding social media and marketing clichés like “engagement.” But sometimes, even my fellow hype-assailants go astray and perpetrate some nonsense of their own…
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Avid Inc. Reader If you’re an entrepreneur or run a small company, you should read Inc. magazine. One issue contains more insightful, practical advice than some of the semester-long classes I endured in business school. And a subscription to Inc. will put you back a […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Animal Enthusiast… I love to dis and dissect social media hype, but proving that I’m not all naysaying and negativity, here’s one social media success story that did make a difference. A BIG difference. In fact, it saved a life… Meet Charlie: Not Your Typical Social […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Professional Klout Abstainer… I often start my posts with a joke, so here it is: Klout. Not laughing? That’s because the joke may be on marketers who think Klout is a good tool to promote their brands. Why? Because not since spam has any marketing tool […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Social Media Realist; photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash… So a Harvard Business Review article will tell you what it means to be professional in the social media era. It begins with a compelling example of how the Susan G. Komen Foundation bungled its recent image […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes Tools (The Non-Human Kind)… My father ran a plant nursery up in Oregon, and for years he enjoyed a steady business with few disruptions beyond the weather. Then one day Walmart lumbered into town, and like a scene from a Godzilla flick, they […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Former Facebook Advertiser… [intlink id=”5021″ type=”post” target=”_blank”]In part one of this series[/intlink], I talked about the aesthetic MySpacification of Facebook: how the popular social network’s design went from clean to pure cornea gumbo. Now let’s talk advertising on Facebook. I used to buy Facebook ads because […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + former AOL-user turned MySpace-user turned Facebook-user turned Next-Please!-user; gumbo photo by jeffreyw via Wikimedia Commons… There’s a great term in Jargon Watch, a small dictionary published by Wired back in the Pleistocene Era (circa 1997): Cornea Gumbo. It refers to “a visually noisy, overdesigned PhotoShopped mess,” […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Guy Who Actually Reads the Ads I confess: I clicked an ad on Facebook today. Really. Now, you know that Facebook ad clickthrough rates are so dismal (about 1 out of every 2000 views), that even Facebook execs are talking more about “branding” and “awareness.” […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Sucker for Shows about Advertising… Just saw AMC’s “The Pitch,” a reality show about ad agencies going head-to-head to land an account. Although it contained the usual heavy editing and over-dramatization of most reality shows, it was fun to second-guess real agencies in action. This episode […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Questions The Numbers; photo via Wikimedia Commons… Imagine that you own a basketball team, and you send your talent scout out to find a new player. He comes back and presents two options: Player A: averages 9 points a game, including 1 three-point basket […]
by Emir Phillips, MBA/JD/Etc., Author of Lucitan: A Christian Punk Novel + Diehard Saints Fan… Editor’s Intro: Why is there a diatribe about New Orleans Saints football, crime, and punishment on this site? First, it’s a knee-deep, Mississippi-mud-thick, Tabasco-and-vitriol-infused jambalaya about football, and we love some spicy good writing about the world’s greatest sport. Then, for us marketers, […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC True story: A man walks by a pet store and sees rabbits for sale. He tells the clerk that he’ll take one, and she asks him what color he’d like. The man responds, “I don’t think the snake cares”…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Lifelong Fan of the Warlord of Mars… Forget the 10-foot-tall 6-limbed marauding Martians – the biggest challenge facing John Carter is his name. Or more exactly, the fact that Disney used his name as the title to his movie. Creating the second-worst sci-fi movie title of […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Old-Fashioned Newspaper Lover; photo by AlejandroLinaresGarcia via Wikimedia Commons… The other day I’m killing time on Twitter – which I call “Fritter” because of how well it serves that purpose – when a trending topic caught me eye. I usually ignore Twitter trends, which consist […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Prefers Talking Over Stalking; illustration by Shane Clester… If this is the social media revolution, wake me when it’s over. Social media was supposed to forge stronger relationships between companies and customers. It was also supposed to provide a massive improvement over traditional advertising, […]
by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista… Teenagers have a reputation for a lot of LOL but not a whole lot of IQ. But what if it’s all a conspiracy? What if the world of fashion is setting up the youth to take the fall? Fashion Real investigates… Exhibit A: Wet Seal Illiteracy For some ungodly reason […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Practicing Skeptic; photo of uncut industrial diamond ready for hyping by Shieldforyoureyes Dave Fischer… I once met this millionaire who made his fortune selling diamond jewelry through supermarket tabloids. What kind of jewelry sells through the cheesiest rags on the planet — newspapers you wouldn’t dare […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + IMC Instructor and Practitioner; photo by BrokenSphere via Wikimedia Commons… So I’m reading IMC The Next Generation by Professor Don E. Schultz, the father of integrated marketing communications. This seminal book offers some good approaches to marketing management, such as value-based customer segmentation and goals-based budgeting, […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Buys Too Much Stuff for His Cats… They had me at “meow.” They lost me at “sign up.” I was flipping through Facebook when it caught my eye — an ad featuring a cat lounging in some Jetsons-age contraption: Since I’m addicted to furry […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Moderate Fanboy It’s predictable: Apple releases a new product, and the devout start camping out at the Temple O’ Jobs to be one of the first to lay their hands upon it. And just as predictably, people will ridicule these fanatics, usually with aspersions about […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes to Answer Questions and Question Answers My friend Nina writes… “I’m reading this article, and I can’t help but wonder: who comes up with the names for various consumer groups, like Millennials or, as in this piece, ‘X-fluents’? How do they gain traction? […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Devastated Jobs Fan; photo is a screengrab of the Apple website homepage… “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Professor of Marketing + Founder of Atomic Tango; photo by Sandrachile on Unsplash… Too many entrepreneurs and CEO’s tell me that they “don’t have money for marketing” or they’re “not ready for marketing yet.” What they’re really saying is that they don’t know what “marketing” means…
by Cordelia Perez, Guest Blogger Editor’s Intro: Cordelia is an incredibly talented young writer, and a member of a rare and amazing species: a young person who loves to read. (Quick, sample her DNA for future cloning!) Her writing contains inspired turns of phrase and fresh perspectives undampened by such soul-anesthetizing pressures as monetization and […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Business-Lit Taste Tester… Seth Godin’s book Meatball Sundae lives up to its name: it’s a big mess. I won’t fully review an old publication here, but the following two paragraphs made me want to hurl the book against the wall (or just hurl). On pages 68-69, […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder Of Atomic Tango + Husband Of Anthropologie Fan… My wife LOVES Anthropologie so much, I should invest in the parent company just to get some cash back. With a religious fervor, she devotedly keeps tabs on the company in social media, and from what she tells me, Anthropologie sure knows […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Mad Men Fan… Don Draper would not be pleased. Don’t get me wrong — basing a fashion line on the TV series Mad Men is brilliant (albeit, about three years overdue). Since I dig the show and midcentury-modern design, I looked forward to it, and a […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + More of a Marketplace Fan than ever; note: buying via the links in this article may generate revenue for the Atomic Tango Martini Fund… In 2008, I blogged about [intlink id=”23″ type=”post” target=”_blank”]upstart electronics brand Skullcandy[/intlink], which I had encountered at the Consumer Electronics Show in […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes to Question the Answers So I’m reading an article in Inc., my favorite zine for advice on entrepreneurial matters, when I found this statement about one company’s social media campaign: “So far, about 7 percent of Step2’s customers have registered on the company’s […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Found of Atomic Tango + Aficionado of Daring Branding… Let’s say you start an athletic shoe company specializing in tennis, a sport mostly favored by upper-crust Europeans and the country-club set. You cement your brand image by naming your company after a tiny, extremely civilized European country famous for chocolate, watches, […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Occasional Coupon Clipper Just read a Mashable article by daily-deal entrepreneur John Amato, who trumpets how great Groupon and other discountosaurs are for everyone (“Why Daily Deals Are Here To Stay”). His key points…
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + LinkedIn Veteran… Many entrepreneurs and execs have ineffectual LinkedIn profiles — if they have one at all. That’s because they think they don’t need one at this stage of their career. “I’m not job hunting — why should I bother?” That’s because LinkedIn isn’t just […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Former Banner Ad Clicker… When was the last time you clicked on a banner ad? If you’re like most people, the answer lies somewhere between “never” and “I don’t remember”…
by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista; illustration by Mark Armstrong Editor’s Note: In-flight magazines deliver captive audiences, of course. When you’re waiting for your plane to take off… and waiting… and waiting… and while you’re at it, waiting some more… and all your electronic devices are supposed to be turned off… and the guy next to […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Part-Time Metcalfe’s Law Enforcer; image by Iriiina via Wikimedia Commons… OK, we get it: humans are social animals, and without positive interaction, we become Unabombers or maladjusted billionaires in David Fincher films (beware of alienated Harvard men). So while humanity desperately needs green energy and affordable […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Occasional Sportswriter NUKE: I love winning, Crash, you hear me? I love It. Teach me everything. CRASH: It’s time you started working on your interviews. NUKE: What do I gotta do? CRASH: Learn your cliches. Study them. Know them. They’re your friends. Write this down. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Part-Time Mad Media Scientist… I usually use this space to dissect other people’s projects, so for a change, I decided to eviscerate one of my own. Ladies and gentlemen: introducing the idea that went nowhere, “The Horror Ghetto”…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Rehabbed Bacon Addict… Nice to see American capitalist ingenuity focused on what’s important: Finding new ways to help Americans socialize Finding new ways to help Americans become Goodyear blimps
by Raegan Thurlow, Fashion Blogger… My Top 4 problems with online shopping…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Superhero Analyst… It must suck to be powerful. I’m determining what image I should use to present myself here at Atomic Tango. Since I picture myself as an action star (in a power-nerd way), I researched how Hollywood is depicting its almighty this summer. What I […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Interracial Relations Insider… I don’t assign social media textbooks to my students because most are outdated by the time they’re published. Indeed, every time I flip on my computer, Mark Zuckerberg has messed with his giant virtual antfarm. Plus, real life case studies keep popping up […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes to Talk Shop… Social media isn’t “free.” As I tell my students and clients, there are several costs involved: The cost of hiring someone to do it for you. The value of your time if you do it yourself. The opportunity costs: what […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Social Media Realist Are you oppressed by a bloodthirsty dictator? Do you want freedom and democracy without having to fight for them? Well, now you can harness the same power that’s made Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber leaders of their respective generations! It’s as easy […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Consultant to the Consultants; photo by Antti Leppänen via Wikimedia Commons… Deliverable (n.): Report or item that must be completed and delivered under the terms of an agreement or contract. — BusinessDictionary.com Even though the U.S. has a service-based economy (meaning, “sorry, we don’t make things anymore”), clients […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Board Member of City Garage Theatre; photo shows a scene from City Garage Theatre’s “Paradise Park”… I have this bizarre communication disorder. Every time I ask someone, “Would you like to see a play?” they hear, “How’d you like a root canal?” or “Let’s watch sausage […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + A Guy Who Loves His Customers (well, most of ’em)… Q: What consumer and market research guided the iPad development? Steve Jobs: “None. It isn’t the consumers’ job to know what they want.” – from the New York Times Customer centricity argues that companies should restructure […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Logo Design Undercharger; photo by Johntex via Wikimedia Commons… I had no idea I was leaving so much money on the table. I help clients develop new brand identities, including logos and look-and-feel guidelines. For this I charge a few thousand dollars, depending on a few […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Futurist in Training; photo by Kim Tronic… I was recently asked to contribute some mad prognosticatory science to Social Media & Content Marketing Predictions for 2011. My temptation: to unveil cold hard honest nuggets like, “Thanks to social media, American productivity will drop to levels not […]
by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista; illustration by Mark Armstrong… While watching “Brothers & Sisters” the other night, a very disturbing thing happened… I was curled up on my couch wearing my red-and-white-striped PJ’s (what with Christmas just around the corner) and was fully immersed in the show’s storyline: Sally Field is worried about her children […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Former AOL Chatroom User Dan Lovell is a writer, web developer, musician, and baseball expert – a regular 21st century renaissance man. So even though I think baseball is less entertaining than watching continental drift, I follow Dan on Twitter, where he often makes strong, pertinent […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Media Consultant; photo by Ben White on Unsplash… Call it Public Frenemy Number One. Google can be your best friend because it can help other people learn about you. Google can also be your worst enemy because it can help other people learn about you. What’s […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango Cartoonist Randall Munroe, the brain behind the popular comic xkcd, seems to know me too well in this strip dubbed “Duty Calls”.
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + College Football Fanatic “A nearly $1 million salary and benefit package for a nonprofit executive is not only questionable on its face but also raises questions about how the organization manages its finances in other areas.” – Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), criticizing the pay of […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC & Social Media Consultant For decades, professional procrastinators relied on communal hydration technologies (i.e. water coolers) to support their best practices. Unfortunately, that particular tool maxed out bladder capacities, and even the dullest middle managers quickly learned that employees chatting while holding little paper cups weren’t […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC & Dotcom-Bust Survivor “If you buy a share of Facebook and flip your shares in a few years, you could make millions. Oh, but wait: You can’t. Facebook isn’t a public company. The only people who can invest in it already are millionaires. The hot IPO […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango & Ph.D.-Program Conscientious Objector; photo by Jonathan Daniels on Unsplash… Lots of dirt being dished about Ph.D. programs these days. Take this amusing quicky critique: “The Illustrated Guide To a Ph.D.” For a more elaborate evisceration, read “The Ph.D. Problem” by Prof. Louis Menand in the November-December […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC & Freelance Dreamer So “Inception” is this action-packed, visually stunning film that appears real. Too real. Indeed, although the premise is based on dreams, it isn’t very… well, dreamlike. Who has linear dreams that are essentially action films? Whose dreams appear shot from a third-person perspective […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Incorrigible BACN Addict I have few addictions, but I confess to loving me some bacon. I’ve tempered my addiction somewhat by subbing in turkey bacon, but that’s like seeking a buzz off light beer. It’s possible but hardly as satisfying. Same thing goes for most […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + No Fan of Captain Ahab… How does one of the hottest restaurants in town go completely out of business in just weeks? That’s what happened to The Hump, a trendy sushi joint in Santa Monica, California, that shut down after getting busted for selling (get this) […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Business Lit Connoisseur… Note: The following is meant to be satirical. The author has no affiliation with the Harvard Business Review or any idea what its editors could possibly be thinking. For nearly a century, the Harvard Business Review has been the authoritative voice of critical […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Practicing Metaphor Engineer… Looks like it’s over for us marketing strategists. Now I’m not saying there’s no more need for marketing strategy. If you look at the anemic brands of most banks, airlines, and Web 2.0 startups, you’ll see that the need for marketing is growing […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Former Music Industry Advertising Guy… Funny to see all the young ones chattin’ away on the Twitter ’bout this year’s South-by-Southwest festival, aka SXSW. What used to be a good ol’ fashioned music fest in the unvarnished heart of Austin is now this slicked-up multimedia shindig […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Ink-Devouring Eco Junkie I have a love-hate relationship with my Canon MP500 printer. Love because it prints out professional looking photos. Hate because its insatiable thirst for ink is robbing me dry, like NYPD cops in a perfume warehouse.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + “Bank Run” Consigliere… (Full Disclosure: The following post is about one of my clients at Atomic Tango.) Imagine waking up and finding yourself strapped to a chair. Standing over you is a strange man swinging a large golf club. He keeps asking you menacing questions, but […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango & Social Entrepreneurship Instructor; photo by Alejandro Linares Garcia via Wikimedia Commons… Some people just don’t get it. I’m not talking about the willfully ignorant knuckle-draggers on the Texas State Board of Education. (They’re so beyond not getting it, they’ve gone full primordial.) I’m talking about the […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + And Marketing Mix Veteran… The hardest part to believe about “Superman” isn’t that a man can fly with no physical means of propulsion. It’s that Lois Lane, a reporter, can’t tell that Superman and Clark Kent are the same guy because of a pair of glasses. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Business Relationship Counselor… Dear John Corporation: Let me begin by saying that our times together have been good for me. I mean it! I definitely see the value in being with you… to a certain extent. So what I’m about to say might seem cold and […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango & Professional Provocateur; photo by Ryoji Hayasaka on Unsplash… I got some fan mail about [intlink id=”1436″ type=”post” target=”_blank”]my post on resume writing[/intlink]: “I was liking your article, as I have others that I’ve read… However, I soon found the in-your-face political opinion rude and quite unprofessional […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC & Japanese Food Lover So you manage a small chain of sushi restaurants, and business is not exactly stellar, so you decide to run one of those coupons that winds up in people’s mailboxes en route to the recycling bin. And that’s when this happens…
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Board Member of City Garage Theatre Whenever I get hungry in a strange city, I hunt out brewery restaurants. My belief: anyone who cares about the taste of beer is going to make pretty good food — or at least a decent burger. And so far, […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango & Hardcore Caffeinated Beverage Addict So Pepsi is skipping the Super Bowl, ending a 23-year run of entertaining ads. Contrary to what the social media cultists would like to believe, Pepsi is not doing so because it prefers social media. (As much as I use social media […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Italian Cuisine Junkie; photo from the movie “The Big Night” (see below)… The way social media-philes talk, you’d think that businesses had been ignoring customers for thousands of years. The socmeds ascend their virtual mounts and issue pronouncements like “2010 will be the year of listening […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Occasional Chiseler Warning: The following blog post contains full frontal liberal snarking and might not be appropriate for all audiences. If you’re a Republican with a thin skin, please escape now to somewhere you might feel more at home. The way I see it, ridiculing […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC, and Veteran Marketer Trying to Get Jiggy with It In my quest to find value on Twitter, I began by following a lot of marketing people, including several ad agency heads and veteran PR people. I wound up unfollowing most of them — except for the […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Demonologist… It was brilliant. Not the film, but the marketing campaign that turned a $15,000 amateur horror flick into a $100 million box office smash. The problem? Serious anticipointment…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Advertising Admirer… You see them in every fashion magazine: Preternaturally gorgeous young models squeezed into sadistically form-clinging outfits that require three assistants, an elf, and a can of WD-40 just to get into. And after the shoot, the model needs four hours in a hypobaric chamber […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango & B2B Rabble Rouser… He’s violent. He’s funny. He’s different from anything you’ve ever seen in business insurance advertising — or imagined you’d ever see. He’s Arnie the Armadillo, the new mascot of Britain’s Kingsbridge Professional Solutions (KPSol). And it’s creating quite a stir among business-to-business marketers…. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Social Media Instructor… The belief that Twitter is more than just another communication platform continues to spread, kind of like swine flu for media geeks. And like the flu, it’s plunging victims into feverish hallucinations: “Twitter saved the Iranian protestors!” they cry, neglecting the fact that […]
by Freddy J. Nager, the guy at Atomic Tango LLC who calls himself a “Fusion Director” Not since Sarah Palin claimed “executive experience” has anything this silly been uttered about top management…
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Twitter Critic (Twittic?)… Critical times like these spawn critical questions: How do we provide healthcare to 300 million people? Can conflicts over culture and religion ever be resolved? If wind blows into one of Sarah Palin’s ears will it come out the other? But the question […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Loves To Question The Answers… Sometimes you look at a chart and it seems clear as day. Then you look closer and that “day” turns into a foggy afternoon at San Francisco Airport with everything completely grounded. For example, check out the above Cato […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Occasional Publicity Seeker; photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash… Handling your own public relations is like serving as your own lawyer in court. Possible? Yes. Advisable? Not so much. I write this in response to the NY Times article “Which P.R. Firm Do You Use?” by entrepreneur Jennifer Walzer. Walzer […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Wonders Why He’s Still On Twitter… INT. CORPORATE CUBE FARM – DAY One guy is following another guy really closely. “I’m following you, so just follow me back, OK, OK, just follow me, please follow me, follow follow…” A woman goes from desk to […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Social Media User, Instructor & Consultant… So let’s trip back to 1876, the year the telephone was invented… Hmmm… something’s missing… and I’m not talking about Starbucks on every corner…
Veteran YouTuber Kevin “Nalts” Nalty just let loose his take on social media. He calls his article “The Stupidest,” but we found it way more insightful than most of the tripe posing as social media advice. It also came on a day when many Twitterphiles were twitterbating about Tony Robbins at their conference. Yes, that’s […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Crabcake Junkie; photo by Stu Spivack via Wikimedia Commons… In my ongoing quest to find anything of value on Twitter, I started following Umair Haque, a strategy advisor who writes for Harvard Business Publishing. Haque recently blasted someone else’s article: “i strongly rec everyone read https://bit.ly/GdroN […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Had To Memorize Too Many Formulas in Business School… “… fear of the unknown and our desire for certainty lead us to throw ourselves into the arms of perceived ‘experts.’ … We trust quantitatively flavored constructs to escort us away from the gloomy reality […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Professor… Just read an article by Brant Cooper entitled “Is social media worth your marketing dollars?” Most of the advice is fairly standard and could apply just as well to non-social media. But what made me say “hmmm” is Cooper’s definition of market segments: “Market […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Is Authentic When Necessary… The movement du jour among marketers is “authenticity.” This approach dictates that companies should be open and honest about who they are and what they stand for — not just because that’s a good thing to do, but because that’s […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Semi-Professional Bull Wrangler; photo by Forum concoursvaches.fr via Wikimedia Commons… Pass the paper bag, I’ve got emotion sickness. I’m perusing Harvard Business Publishing’s website, and a headline snags my eye: “Use the Downtown to Your Advantage“. Hmm, that sounds compelling. What kind of killer advice could […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + And Guy Who Questions The Answers For all our talk of freedom, we Americans LOVE rules… Our favorite sport, football, has the most rules of any sport on the planet. America poker players make up new rules with every hand (“threes and hearts are wild except […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Professionally Names Things… Previously here on Atomic Tango… Pizza Hut became “The Hut,” evoking images of Jabba — or worse. Now word comes that another iconic American brand has likewise simplified: Radio Shack is now “The Shack,” evoking images of a giant basketball player. […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Diehard Newspaper Reader; photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash… It’s tough watching an old friend slowly die. Even tougher knowing that you’re helping to knock him off. Before you go calling 911, the old friend I’m referring to is my daily newspaper. For decades, I’ve started […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Long-Time Amazon Customer Who Thinks Amazon Should Know Him Better By Now… Amazon’s ability to recommend products based on my purchases usually impresses me. It’s a smart way to get current customers to buy more. But tonight I purchased a product at Amazon and got a […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Not An Actor But A Guy Who Played One On Stage… Hollywood is experiencing a “Freaky Friday”: in the 1976 movie, a mother and daughter magically swap bodies. After a series of icky moments milked for laughs, they predictably come to understand each other. Now, unpredictably, […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Longtime MySpace User… MySpace is losing it. And I’m not talking about its members defecting to Facebook. Last year, the once mighty, world dominating social network that had crushed its predecessor Friendster suddenly found itself splattered on Facebook’s windshield. At first, MySpace responded by copying Facebook […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Hater of All Things Double Ungood… Orwell is not only spinning in his grave, he must be doing triple salchows. Amazon kindled a web-wide furor this morning when it yanked digital copies of two books from users’ Kindles: George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm…
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director of Atomic Tango LLC So you finally found that gadget you’ve been dreaming about — you know, the one with the 60″ screen, built-in WiFi, and ability to make a perfect crème brulee at the touch of a button. Better yet, you found it advertised at just […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango & Stake Holder Analyst… I finally got around to watching the first season of “True Blood” — yeah, I know, I’m a total TV slacker — but I survived only four episodes. “True Blood” begins with an intriguing level of satire that quickly devolves into soap operatics […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC Somebody my size with my athletic ability doesn’t play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Picture an over-caffeinated chicken on a greased trampoline. It’s just not in my genetic cards. So I did the next best thing: I wrote a bad-ass essay about the team. Actually […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Creative Strategist… File under “What The Hell Were They Thinking?!” A few days ago, Microsoft leaked a new ad for Internet Explorer 8 — though I’m not sure if “leaked” is the right verb. More like spilled, yakked up, upchucked, and Technicolor-yawned it. The ad is […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Pizza Addict… What’s wrong with pizza? I love pizza! Yet fast food giant Pizza Hut is dropping the “pizza” from some of its store names and packaging. While still officially called Pizza Hut, the chain will refer to itself as “The Hut” to make it a […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Appreciates A Nice Cold One… It’s no fun picking on Coors now that they’re no longer run by right-wing zealots from a mountain stronghold in Colorado. I did razz ’em for their faux microbrew, Blue Moon. But since Coors became the Molson Coors company, […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Enjoys Wine, Film, and Advertising — Separately… So I’m flipping through the Calendar section of the L.A. Times print edition. (Only in Hollywood is the entertainment section of the major newspaper called the “Calendar.” That’s right, we don’t do anything else in this town […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Kool-Aid Abstainer; featured photo by Les Anderson on Unsplash… Multilevel marketing (MLM) is the business equivalent of cigarette smoking: technically legal, extremely lucrative for its corporate overlords, and lethally addictive for millions of people worldwide, even though it’s ultimately bad for them. The big difference between […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Social Media Analyst; photo by Guillaume Paumier, CC-BY, via Wikimedia Commons… L.A. contains miles of velvet ropes that pack more protective power than the Great Wall of China. They’re fronted by large scowling men armed with high-caliber clipboards. And they’re assaulted nightly by swarms of […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Loves A Good Sandwich; photo by JoeInQueens via Wikimedia Commons… Maybe it’s the bacon. Every week, I shoot pool in the same joint, The House of Billiards in Santa Monica. Is it the cheapest pool hall in town? Nah. It’s actually pricey. Is it […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + PhD Conscientious Objector… Since I love teaching and talking about marketing, friends often ask why I don’t get a PhD. I’ll think about it… and then I stumble upon an example of the actual work perpetrated by PhD’s in my field…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Aspiring Snackologist… Of course, you already know Pringles aren’t really potato chips. One bite told you that. You just ate ’em because they make delicious midnight munchies. And they come in that cool tube. But the blogosphere buzzed when parent company Proctor & Gamble publicly proclaimed […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Price Pacifist; photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash… Imagine you’re selling lemonade from your friendly neighborhood stand when — BAM! — you’re torpedoed by a rival who cuts his price in half. That inglorious bastard! Here you two had settled upon a comfy price point — […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC Over my fifteen years of working in website development, I’ve encountered some bizarre and fascinating characters rivaled only by the people who gravitate to show business. Here are just a few I’ve met — perhaps you recognize some of them?…
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Guy Who Likes Brands With Personalities… So my longtime bank, Washington Mutual (WaMu), recently got taken over by megabank Chase. ‘Twas a sad day for us WaMulians, because for all its faults — and it had a few — WaMu was a friendly place to […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Doesn’t Own Ed Hardy Anything… Intrigued by the Ed Hardy wines at his local Whole Foods, Pulitzer Prize winning writer Dan Neil performed exploratory surgery on that insatiable branding machine Christian Audigier. The resulting L.A. Times article is a brilliant and funny study of […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Professor… It’s like an episode from the HBO series Sex And The City (or any romantic comedy of your choice): the lead character pines for a fantasy ideal — a millionaire, supermodel, quarterback, cheerleader, prince or princess — but our hopeless romantic ultimately finds true […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango & Website Strategy Instructor; photo from FOTO:FORTEPAN / Németh Tamás via Wikimedia Commons… Search engine optimization (SEO) is that magical science of making Google and other search engines fall madly in lust with your website. The more your site is optimized, the higher it appears on search […]
My wife just paid off her car two years early, and she’s ecstatic about it. Getting the new car was fun; but shedding that debt felt even better. It’s like getting to eat an entire package of freshly baked Trader Joe’s Snickerdoodle cookies in one sitting and losing all the weight the next day.
Sometimes, amidst all the talk of bank bailouts and business banality, I stumble across something that melts away all the jagged cynical edges, one note at a time…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Long Tail Marketing Enthusiast… Customer: Do you have “I Just Called To Say I Love You”? Barry: Yes. Customer: Can I have it? Barry: No. Customer: Why not? Barry: Because it’s tacky sentimental crap that’s why. Do we look like a store that would sell that […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder Of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Values Public Utilities But Wouldn’t Want To Work For One; photo by Gretar Ívarsson via Wikimedia Commons… The late Senator Ted Stevens once claimed that the Internet was a “series of tubes.” Now, there were many reasons to ridicule venal Ted, but his analogy […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Taco Junkie… I just waited an hour-and-a-half in line for a taco. Make that 97 minutes for four tacos and two burritos, to be exact. I had started out wanting only a bite from the legendary Kogi Korean BBQ taco truck, but by the time I […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Believes Everything Worthwhile Has A Price… Just over a year ago, editor Chris Anderson of Wired magazine proudly proclaimed that the future would be free, an argument based partially on ad-supported free sites like NYTimes.com. Of course, it was hard to take this manifesto […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC A long time ago, in an Internets far far away, the people were promised a galaxy free of corporate-empire dominance, where the little guy would have a fair and equal shot at being heard, where small businesses could claim riches once envisioned only by multinationals, and […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Sam Adams’ Fan and Investor… One of my more rewarding discoveries while attending college in Boston was Samuel Adams beer. In the 80’s, Sam existed primarily in New England, so after I moved to L.A., I found myself bereft and bewildered. For all its creative profligacy, […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Multimedia Marketer I hear it all the time: “Advertising is a waste of money.” “If you have a great product, you don’t need to advertise.” “Word of mouth is more effective than traditional media.” “It’s impossible to cut through the clutter.” “Most consumers tune out or […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Professional Collaborator… Collaboration: The Fine Art of Hookin’ Up Partnerships, alliances and cross-promotions date back to Eve giving Adam that “come hither” look. I once worked on a cross-promotional website between Nissan and Crayola. Apple and AT&T are now making a killing with the iPhone. You […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Former Sugar-Cereal Junkie… This week I had my students develop ideas for new energy drinks. Some of the health-conscious students had trouble determining how to sweeten their drinks without sugar or chemically contrived substitutes. (We Los Angelenos continuously seek ways to minimize our sugar consumption […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC When I was a kid, the object of all crayon lust was the Crayola 64 box with the built-in sharpener, because a dull crayon was almost as bad as soggy Cocoa Pebbles. And yet, that Crayola 64 contained some bizarre colors like Maize, Burnt […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Still Member of the Living… To prep for a video I’m producing, I watched Undead or Alive, the 2007 comedy-horror flick about zombies terrorizing the old west. It’s moderately entertaining, with Chris Kattan as a cowboy wannabe and Navi Rawat as the intellectual kung-fu fighting Native-American […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Sports Fan… Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Versus… Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Few know about the small sports network, which I appreciate for bringing me Ivy League football. Where else could I catch the Harvard-Cornell game in L.A.? Since Versus wants more than us middle-aged […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Still Looking For His Lost Shaker Of Salt… Want to see a brand done right — and gone wild? Go to a Jimmy Buffett concert, but don’t bother with the music performance.
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC Nice work, WVU! And I’m not just talking about your football team.
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Branding Purist… Seeing iPhones sold at Walmart is like seeing Wolfgang Puck dishes at IHOP (not likely) or Rachael Ray pimping Dunkin Donuts (oh yes she did). Have you ever seen a bigger mismatch in marketing? What’s next, an Apple logo on a NASCAR vehicle? Or […]
While it's easy to blame the economy for business struggles, times like these also present a ripe opportunity for struggling businesses to reassess what they're doing. One classic perspective on reassessing a struggling business -- or an entire industry -- is "Marketing Myopia" by the late great marketing guru Ted Levitt...
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Member of a Few Segments… A few years ago, my wife and I strolled into Forth & Towne, a new fashion chain from Gap Inc. targeting women over age 35. It was solemn and dignified with muted lights and muted music — and muted people. While […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Misses Flip-Phones… Now here’s a site that takes borrowed interest to a new extreme. The Pomegranate Phone is an all-in-one device that makes the iPhone look like a hockey puck. It’s good for everything but use as a floor wax or dessert topping: web […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Has Weathered Some Economic Downturns; photo by Chris Sabor on Unsplash… Tough times like these separate the plucky from the certifiably pluckless. Plucky companies see economic turmoil as a ripe opportunity to crush weaker competitors. The pluckless see a shrinking economy and resort to […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Really Does Like Ads… As this economy continues to just lie there, unmoving and unappetizing as cold turkey giblets, some businesses are trying to save money by re-airing their old holiday commercials. After all, those ads cost a lot to produce, so why not […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Proud Obama Supporter… One of marketing’s primary responsibilities is to make your brand stand out from the competition — ideally in a good way. So even though I’m a marketer who supports Obama, I’ve hesitated to write about Obamarketing, because every other marketer with a blog […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Part-Time Shark Jumper… Although Americans don’t manufacture much anymore, we still excel at making media, including entertainment and news. We give good hype, and the Internet brings it to the rest of the world 24/7. One problem: all this unfiltered Yankee content poses a linguistic challenge […]
by Freddy Tran Nager + Guy Who Watches The Super Bowl For Both The Footbal AND The Ads… How can you exploit the Super Bowl without spending millions for a 30-second commercial?
by Freddy Tran Nager + No Fan Of Faux News; photo by Pollywog Creek via Wikimedia Commons… I don’t usually go to FoxNews.com, but today — October 24, 2008 — I wanted to see what they had to say about the mugging hoax by a McCain volunteer. Instead, I found the following top national headlines: […]
So there’s this common symbol that’s being used to justify everything from industrial pollution to obscene spending. No, I’m not talking about the letter “W” — that’s become a punchline. I’m referring to the once humble and inoffensive % sign, now exploited as a tool of self-righteous justification. I stumbled across two flagrant examples of […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Usually Likes Direct Mail Offers… You gotta love asterisks* — those little stars that tell you some juicy bits of information are lying far from the statement you just read. The late great novelist David Foster Wallace turned the footnote into a powerful literary […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Knows All About Crappy Jobs… These days, just having a job you can hate is a luxury… “What, you scored a steady gig with health insurance? Hell, if you don’t like it, let me have it and I’ll hate it for you…” So maybe […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango… Originally published September 30, 2008. Reflecting on Monday’s abject failure of the Wall Street Bailout bill, it would be totally remiss of me not to say it: Could the marketing of that bill have sucked more? First, there’s the nickname: “Wall Street Bailout.” Who came up with […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Aficionado of Undead Entertainment… Ever watch a horror film and yell at the characters, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Well, smarty, now you can put yourself in the characters’ bloody shoes with the online zombie flick The Outbreak… The interactive horror short lets you make key decisions for […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Social Media Realist; bee photo by Rowan Heuvel on Unsplash… I recently had lunch with an entrepreneur to discuss her marketing problems. She had launched her company with PR, and the initial results included major media coverage and a torrent of traffic to her site, but […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Integrated Marketing Advocate; photo by Christian Bowen on Unsplash… I have a serious weakness for ice cream. GOOD ice cream. As in 200% butter-fat-full-sugar-with-no-artificial-ingredients ice cream that makes me break into R-rated facial expressions and one-man gospel choruses. (Yeah, you don’t want to witness that.)
You might not recognize his face, but you certainly know his voice…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Marketing Forensics Practitioner… As an L.A. interactive-media guy, I’m expected to blog about sexy new developments online or in Hollywood, but today I’m writing about Mervyns department store. And, yes, that’s the only time you’ll ever see the words “sexy” and “Mervyns” in the same […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Survivor of Multiple Dotcoms; Photo by J. Kelly Brito on Unsplash… So I’m walking through my neighborhood counting the foreclosure signs when I develop this mighty thirst. Fortunately, I find a lemonade stand run by an enterprising six-year-old named Zucky. Just as I’m about to pay […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + No Fan of Double Standards… Delia Rose is mad as hell. The L.A. teenager is calling for a boycott of Unilever. The reason? The skin-whiteners that the corporate behemoth distributes and promotes in Pakistan and other Eastern countries under the name Fair & Lovely…
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Wishes His Personal Name Were “Atomic Tango”… I recently read a book that recommends naming your company after yourself to make your brand “authentic.” Hmm… Freddy Nager Productions? Uh, no — sounds like a nightmare on Elm Street. My personal name issues aside, here’s […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Occasional Dog Lover… When the economy gets rough, many businesses cut their marketing. Now, as a devoted reader of this blog, you know that’s a big mistake. The best time to launch a full-on marketing offensive is when the competition is crying and cowering like Dick […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketing Forensics Expert… Paige H. got a huge surprise this week. The 20-something Midwesterner had attempted to keep a low profile online: “no MySpace, no Facebook, no blog” — indeed, she’s long had a “distaste for the world of social networking websites.” And yet, thanks to […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Frequent Customer… Last week I hit the Digital Media Summit in the coolly atmospheric Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. There I heard speakers so intently spinning facts and sidestepping questions, I thought I was watching a Bush administration press conference… My favorite line came from a Hollywood agent […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who’s Survived And Thrived During Some Serious Down Times… When the economy slows to the speed of a three-toed sloth after one too many hash brownies, the knee-jerk reaction by most marketers is to reduce ad expenditures. For some brands, however, a recession presents sweet […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Donut Junkie… Like many people, I want 01.20.09 — Bush’s last day in office — declared an international holiday. But even with “the End of an Error” in sight, right-wing extremists continue to wreak their corrosive damage, and are now invading the seemingly sheltered world of […]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC & Press Release Connoisseur… It’s amazing the difference between what you learn in school and actual business practices. I once took a class in public relations where we learned how to write a press release. The basic rule: write an actual news story about your company […]
by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + No Longer a Young Professor… Dear Young Professor: Congratulations, you’ve been hired by a Top 20 business school… well, it WAS a Top 20 business school, but you know how these things go. So let’s just say, congrats, you’ve got a job with health insurance! But […]