Chief Marketer Staff

• Office Depot Sticks with NASCAR

  Office Depot has extended its NASCAR sponsorship, and is prepping for a bigger, better version of its Official Small Business of NASCAR sweeps.

• Six Flags, Nintendo Team for Marketing Partnership

  Nintendo of America has inked a deal with Six Flags for its Wii to be the official gaming console of the theme park.

• News Brief

  NIKE: has named Clare Hamill president and CEO of the company’s Exeter Brands Group.

• Agencies

  Study: Women Prefer Direct Mail to E-mail Ads

  Direct mail is read by 32% more women ages 25-44 than e-mail advertising, according to the Customer Focus 2007 Direct Mail study conducted by Baltimore-based marketing services provider

• The Red Umbrella: a Case of Stolen Identity

  It doesn’t matter that Citigroup acquired Travelers and the red umbrella along with it. The case will always be perceived as a stolen identity.

• Agencies

  Real Lifetime Value: UTango Awards Buying—and Fidelity

  Every marketer, it seems, has a loyalty program for something frivolous. But very few think of life’s basic necessities. So feels one West Coast businessman who has come up with just that: a program that will reward married couples up to $1 million for purchasing over the long term — provided they stay married.

• Agencies

  Gold Standard: Godiva Revamps its Marketing Strategy to Attract a Younger Audience

  Godiva Chocolatier, to celebrate its 80th anniversary this fall, is updating its direct creative approach, redesigning its retail stores and even revamping its signature gold box with new pieces and packaging.

• Agencies

  In the Cards: Do You Have Valentine’s Mailbox Glut?

  So, are you the type to obsess over finding just the right card for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day? Or, do you wait until the day before and hope something good is left on the rack at the drug store?

• Agencies

  Thank God I’m Married: A Quick Visit to the Online Dating World

  A quick tour of two of the Web’s most popular dating portals have confirmed something I’ve long suspected. If I were alone, I’d be a crazy cat lady, because I don’t think I could take the stress of dating, on- or off-line.

• Agencies

  Let Me Count the Ways: A Few More Love Notes

  About 189 million roses were produced for Valentine’s Day last year, according to IPSOS FloralTrends.