Funniest Commercial Direct TV – Locker Room .  I should have included this in the previous post.  I have cable and don’t plan on quitting any time soon – well because I’ve had satellite television previously.  But the first time I saw this commercial, I couldn’t stop laughing.  And every time I see it, I chuckle.  The motivational opening pulls you in and the perfectly timed punchline is simple but startling.  Very well done including casting.    Most Inspiring Stor ies A California high school girls’ volleyball team was headed for the state semifinals when several members of the team lost everything in the wildfires. Their rivals who they were slated to play, raised money and surprised the visiting team with new uniforms, food, and donations.   Another Inspiring Story A ninety-eight-year-old man walks 12 miles every day to visit his wife in the hospital.  Inspiring, but not quite believable.  You mean to tell me folks in Rochester, NY are okay with letting this ma

The Media Tea Leaves 2018 Year-End Review Yeah, I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from Media Tea Leaves.  But since everybody was offering up their 2 Cents on the year, I thought why shouldn’t I contribute my 5 cents.  I thought it would be interesting to offer my POV on ad campaigns, media companies and the industry in general.  It’s not scientific, but it is based on what I have observed in the media that I consume.  Why is it important that I state that? Because I’m not in anybody’s demo.  I am consistently ignored and when not ignored, blatantly insulted.  So, let’s dive right in. My 5 cents on best commercials, most insulting, best corporate citizen, worst corporate citizen.  Other thoughts on best presentations, most inspiring story, the most hilarious tweet will appear in a separate post. Best ad campaigns or commercials for 2018. These are strictly my opinion and based on whether the message hit home and/or delivered relevant information or inspira

Swooping in like a black knight in shining armor,  Richelieu Dennis, who not too long ago, was demonized by black women for marketing a product to "women not of color", has purchased Essence Communications from Time Inc.   BRAVO Mr. Dennis!  And thank you!  We needed that, more than shampoo and moisturizer, frankly.   Dennis, the founder of Shea Moisture hair and skin care brands, just recently sold the portfolio to Unilever, parent company of Dove.   I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Dennis very briefly last spring when he made an appearance at the Odyssey Media Business Retreat.  He came for the sole purpose of explaining the marketing faux pas that sent black women into a lather, literally and to apologize for it.   “Our focus here will be on ensuring that Essence reaches its full potential via heightened capabilities, technology, products and touch points that super-serve the interests of black women locally and globally.” Dennis is quoted as saying.  

We thought we’d end the year with a brief round up of important events that took place that have potentially significant impact on the African American media and marketing ecosystem. Just as 2017 was beginning to wind down, at least three major events took place that potentially have enormous implications for the African American marketing ecosystem. The Future of Essence? On Monday, November 27 th,  Meredith, publishers of a host of general market heartland publications such as Better Homes & Gardens and Family Circle announced it was purchasing Time, Inc. for 1.8 billion in cash.  Ordinarily, this wouldn’t cause anyone to blink, except, one of the titles in the Time, Inc. portfolio is Essence Communications.  Essence Communications of course is the publisher of Essence magazine, the primary magazine for Black women and the trailblazing Essence Festival.  There has been a lot of discussion about which titles might be shuttered when Meredith takes over, b

Introducing  Media Tea Leaves , a blog offering commentary and analysis of the advertising and marketing ecosystem and the implications for African American media companies, agencies and the  brands that need to connect with this consumer segment.  Reading tea leaves, of course, is a mystical endeavor by which a highly intuitive individual can look at the tea leaves, or coffee grounds as it were, and divine the future.  It has a formal name: tasseography with the root etymology originating from French meaning cup.  In essence, it’s the study of cups – stretched. The frequency of posts is undetermined at this time.  We will let events and issues in the marketplace assist with defining the topics and cadence.   The first article was a 1 0 point summary of the ANA Multicultural Marketing Conference  held in Miami November 5-7 th , 2017.  It was published on LinkedIn and reposted by my good friends at Moguldom.com We will also, from time to time, invite guests to of