Apryl's Advertising Blog

A marketing plan is your strategy that identifies your potential customers, your strategy in gaining new customers, what they want from you and helps you identify and tackle the competition. Follow these steps to create your own marketing plan.

Should you go for the the ad agency experience or become your own boss as a freelancer? Evaluate both sides of this career path to decide which route best fits your personality and goals.

Sex and the City: The Movie won't just feature Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. The Mercedes S-Class will also have a starring role.

• On the Sex and the City Set:
  Spy Shot of GLK-350
• Buyers Pay Up:
  TBS Asks $50 Million for TV Show Partnerships

New Line Cinemas and Mercedes Benz have announced a partnership that includes promotional ads and the S-Class in background shots of the movie. Kim Cattrall's character, Samantha Jones, will also drive the brand new GLK-350 compact SUV.

A Sex and the City-themed commercial for Mercedes has just been released. The GLK-350 won't actually be available until January 2009.

Papa John's is serving up 23 cent pizzas Thursday to Cleveland-area residents over "Crybaby" T-shirts aimed at the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James. The shirt controversy began when the Washington Wizards played the Cavaliers last week in the playoffs. Wizards center Brendan Haywood called James a "crybaby" after James complained about hard fouls during the first game of the opening series. At Friday's game in Washington, fans showed up with T-shirts that had the word "Crybaby" on it, the Papa John's logo and the number 23, which is James' jersey number

• Crybaby T-Shirts:
  Ebay Sees New Item Go Up
• Name Change a Joke:
  Pizza Hut or Pasta Hut
• Pizza Hut Vs. Papa John's:
  Slogan Gets Papa John's Sued

Papa John's has issued a public apology, outing a Papa John's franchisee in Washington for printing up the T-shirts without corporate approval. "Nonetheless, we believe this was in poor taste and sincerely apologize to Cavalier fans and LeBron James," part of the statement reads.

More on the Papa John's "Crybaby" T-Shirt: Read more...

All business is moving toward e-business. Regardless of the products or services you sell, every company needs a Web site. Is your ad campaign ready for the Internet?

Avoid the gimmicks of many online ads and run your online ad campaign responsibly. These tips help you study what works and what doesn't so you can get the most out of your online ad campaign.

Your commercial looks great on TV but what happens when the airtime you bought has come and gone? Get more out of your ad budget, reach new customers and generate buzz about your company by posting your commercial on YouTube.

Vote in the Poll: Have You Ever Watched a Commercial on YouTube?

• Yes
• No

• View Results

Fast food restaurant Wendy's has been sold for a reported $2.34 billion. The number three burger chain will now be a part of Triarc, which owns Arby's.

• Can Triarc Save Wendy's?: Talk About It
• Mr. Wendy Out: Ad Campaign Change
• Wendy's Axes Another Campaign: Red Wig Yanked

Triarc is owned by Nelson Peltz, who has helped turn around companies like Heinz and Snapple. Wendy's has been having problems since the death of founder Dave Thomas in 2002. The chain experienced a turnover on ad campaigns like Mr. Wendy and the Red Wig commercials.

The family of Dave Thomas opposes the all-stock deal and wanted Wendy's franchisee David Karam to take over the company. Daughter Pam Thomas Farber says the Triarc deal is devastating news.

Can Triarc save Wendy's? Talk about it.

Miley Cyrus, the 15-year-old actress and singer who stars as Disney's Hannah Montana, is making an apology for photos appearing in Vanity Fair. Cyrus says she is "embarrassed" by the pictures celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz took of her.

• Will There Be a PR Backlash?: Share Your Opinion
• Behind the Scenes: Cyrus Photo Shoot Video
• See the Photo: The Cyrus Picture in Question
• Hannah Montana Goes Retail: Specialty Products Hit Wal-Mart

Some of the photos show Cyrus wrapped in satin looking over her bare back. Last week, Vanity Fair released the photo with a quote from Cyrus. "I think it's really artsy," she said. "It wasn't in a skanky way. Annie took, like, a beautiful shot, and I thought that was really cool. That's what she wanted me to do, and you can't say no to Annie."

However, the cogs of the Disney PR machine started turning and the Disney Channel has now released a statement saying, "Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines." Cyrus has since echoed a similar statement to People magazine. "I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed," she said.

More on the Miley Cyrus and Vanity Fair Photos: Read more...

Food, diapers, personals and starting your business. These are the hot topics being discussed in the ad industry this week:

• "This is the dumbest idea for a campaign I have seen in a long time. If it is supposed to be a joke, they did a terrible job of promoting it as a joke. I don’t think customers like to be the butt of a company’s ill-conceived joke either. " -Adam on Pizza Hut or Pasta Hut?
  
  
• "I appreciate this simple but really effective hint you let us in your post: We should always get our planning done before going in the field." -Frequentia on Developing Your Start-Up's Ad Strategy
  
  
• "Since ALL diapers companies that advertise on TV talk about the shape, absorbency, etc., of their diapers, I just figured that commercial was talking about generic diapers. I’m disappointed to see P & G making a big deal of this." -A Grandma on Judge Rules Huggies Ads Can Stay on the Air
  
  
• "Just goes to show you that there is a lot of money to be made in the Personals and dating industry. I’m not surprised to see a budget this big." -A Lawyer on Chemistry.com Adds $40 Million Campaign