A & E Television apparently believes that giving the impression of having morals is just as good as having them. Last year, A & E pulled Dog the Bounty Hunter off the air because the show’s main character was recorded using racial slurs. A & E wasn’t forced to cancel it, but it was a respectable decision considering that the show was popular.

So, Starbucks is closing 700 under-performing stores. That was our recommendation this past spring. But, that’s the easy part of the fix that we encouraged. Now, let’s see if they are brave enough to protect their brand position and end the discounted products and turn Starbucks back into the exclusive social club that it once was.

Despite all of the discussion about digital marketing in this month's Good Vibrations, the most important point for marketers to realize today is that you can't stop marketing. Sure, there are lots of reasons to do so; down economy, less competition, you're at the top, etc.

VI Creative Director, Steve Sturges, has a daughter that one might define as precocious. In her opinion, and somewhat to her father’s dismay, commercials exist ‘because people need bathroom breaks.’ Ouch!

Last year, two brands left my home state of Oklahoma having been acquired here by competitive brands. These acquisitions were bad for consumers and consequently bad for the image of the state as well.

So, Starbucks performance has looked decaffeinated as of late. Inevitably (ala Apple Computers), they bring back Howard Schultz, the visionary CEO (who made them what they were) to get them back to what they were.

Television is in trouble. Double trouble really. We’ve observed dwindling TV ratings for several years now, which is the trouble. But That doesn’t necessarily doom the medium. In fact, it has actually forced our shop to create some new and creative ways to use it.

Wendy’s red wig campaign is a bust. While the category showed growth in the 4th quarter, Wendy’s sales were down .8%.

So, gasoline approaches $4 a gallon. Global warming discussions gain traction – lots of it. And, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are at the center of attention for causing both. Worst of all, you make Hummers. That’s a recipe for disaster if I ever saw one.

I believe that Sonic is a great marketer. Not because of their television spots, which have been met with mixed reviews. Not because of their outdoor ads either, although I absolutely love them. What I think they do really well, is what they do really well.

I love the food at Braum’s. Love the ice cream. Crave the hamburgers. Even think that the grocery items are better than anywhere else locally. In fact, I appreciate their vertically integrated business model too. So, why don’t I go there more often?

Harold's Clothing Stores, an Oklahoma institution, is in a real mess and can't seem to find their way out. In the past quarter, same quarter sales were down again, and even online sales were down from the previous quarter.