
USC’s handling of Coach Steve Sarkisian’s situation drew criticism Thursday from a doctor who treats patients with addiction problems.
Dr. Howard Samuels, founder of the The Hills treatment center in Hollywood, said based on Sarkisian’s behavior Saturday night and public comments this week, it was unwise to have Sarkisian seek treatment and coach football at the same time. Continue reading →
By Rebecca Brooks, Partner and Co-Founder, Alter Agents
Honey Maid, the venerable brand of graham crackers whose very name evokes sepia- toned memories of the good ole days, launched a cutting-edge advertising campaign last year that is a model for all other brands seeking to be genuinely “genuine.” We’ve all heard that the evolving, self-aware consumer wants brands to be more “real” and “authentic,” but what does that mean? Continue reading →

Hotel brands face a marketing conundrum: Though they may be national or global brands, the average consumer experiences them on a local basis. Travelers may have a general preference for one chain or another, but when it comes to deciding which specific property at which to stay and how much they enjoy the experience, it comes down to local. So how should global hospitality brands manage such a bifurcated marketing strategy? Continue reading →
It’s a safe bet no one envies Subway’s marketing team – or its reported new CMO – in the wake of the unprecedented implosion of its longtime spokesman. The brand is facing a situation that will likely become a reputation management case study for years to come. While Subway wasn’t complicit in the actions of its longtime spokesman, Jared Fogle, the range of responses from branding experts – from laying low to undergoing a major shift and seemingly everything in between – underscores the complexity and delicate nature of the issue at hand. Continue reading →

Dave McCoy said he’s a fun-loving man, not a businessman.
And that quest for fun and adventure, he said, has led to his long and successful life. McCoy, founder of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, turns 100 on Monday. Continue reading →

Pedophile preacher Josh Duggar admits to cheating on his wife after the Ashley Madison hack revealed he had two paid accounts. Duggar and his wife, Anna, were married in 2008 and have four children. Continue reading →

Not everyone agrees with the tough trophy love doled out in James Harrison’s house.
The Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker posted on Instagram saying he was taking away his kids’ participation trophies because he wants them to “EARN a real trophy.” Continue reading →

FOR MOST, RETIREMENT COMES AS A WELCOME REPRIEVE–a chance to stop working, stop moving, stop planning. For Dave McCoy, the man who sculpted Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, there has been no such pause. McCoy will celebrate his 100th birthday on August 24, yet another milestone that would permit a man to clock out, but he’s not interested. After McCoy opened the first chairlift at Mammoth on Thanksgiving Day, 1955, he spent five decades–never once taking a vacation–making his mountain a great place to ski. Though he sold the resort in 2005, marking an end to his 50-year tenure that resulted in 38 chairlifts and more than 4,000 acres of skiable terrain, McCoy hardly called it quits. Continue reading →