Why Steve Jobs is both a Genius and a Knucklehead.

Okay, I'm coming clean. First of all, I'm a big fan of most Apple products. And I'm also a fan of Steve Jobs who, by my count, has become a billionaire three separate times in his life (first with Apple, then with Pixar, then with Apple again).

But that doesn't mean that Steve Jobs isn't also a knucklehead. Because only a knucklehead (or an egomaniac) would wrap his entire company's success or failure around one person's personality.

And that person, of course, is Steve Jobs.

Yes, he's a brilliant businessman. Yes, he's a visionary. But no, he's not impervious to getting hit by a bus. And when an entire company's brand is wrapped up in one person, the company's future is riding on an awful lot.

So there you have it. Yes, Steve, you're brilliant. And yes, Steve, you do a great job of promoting Apple. But, c'mon, get off your high horse and start spreading the glory among the other geniuses at Apple. They deserve it. And, quite frankly, so do your shareholders.

How to Create an Advertising-free World.

WildTangent is an online game resource that provides free video games to users. They make money two ways: by selling ads that are displayed on its site and by selling players ways to avoid having to look at those ads.

Although the games are free, customers can pay $20 to have the ads deleted from the site. So far, only 2% of the customers choose to pay the $20, but it's just one more example of some people's desire for an advertising-free world.

The video gaming industry is now bigger than Hollywood. That's right -- more revenue is generated by companies in that industry than by all the Hollywood production companies combined.

It's not surprising that advertisers are clamoring to find ways to take advantage of all those eyeballs. It's also not surprising that at least one innovator (WildTangent) is offering a way for users to avoid advertisements while playing their games.

NetFlix Ranked #46 on Fortune Magazine's Fastest-Growing Company List.

Netflix, the DVD-by-mail innovator, was once described as "an ice cube in the sun" by one West-coast investor. But that was 3 years ago and Netflix is still prospering.

Fortune recently ranked Netflix #46 on its list of fastest-growing companies. Last year, new income was up 36% to $67 million on $1.2 billion in sales. Fortune goes on to say, "What ... Netfilx CEO has right, is that digital downloads are not going to do away with the DVD anytime soon, no matter what Steve Jobs and his iTunes team would have you believe. With Blu-ray recently winning the format war for high-definition DVDs, you can expect a long life ahead for the business that Netflix pioneered."

America is filled with businesses that have succeeded despite conventional wisdom (other examples include Apple and FedEx). True innovators follow their hearts, not their minds, which is contrary to most people's way of doing business.

Hillary Wins Pennsylvania, But Barack Wins Battle of the Brands.

Hillary Clinton won Tuesday's primary in Pennsylvania 55% to 45%. It kept her presidential candidacy alive, but it wasn't quite the blow-out she needed to threaten Barack Obama.

This primary was a must-win for Clinton, who trails in convention delegates, numbers of contests won and total popular vote. But while Clinton may have done a good job winning the battle, the power of the Obama brand might ultimately win him the war for the Democratic nomination.

The Obama brand is about hope, change and optimism. The Clinton brand is about experience, knowledge and expertise.

Both are powerful brands, but in lead up to the Democratic convention, many believe Americans will choose hope and optimism over knowledge and expertise.

What are your thoughts?

Google and ComScore Not Apples-to-Apples

Late last week, Google announced a 20% increase in Q1 consumer clicks vs. the same period a year ago. Web tracking firm ComScore had estimated a 1.8% growth. The discrepancy was widely reported in the trade and general media (including here at The 60 Second Marketer).

But wait. ComScore has correctly pointed out that Google's and ComScore's numbers aren't apples-to-apples. ComScore tallied only U.S. clicks and excluded Google's nonsearch ads. Google's own numbers were overall, worldwide figures.

So the big fuss last week wasn't really based on a fair comparison. ComScore was quick to clarify the situation, which is good. Hopefully, it didn't have too much of a negative impact on their brand.

Yikes! Red Envelope Files Chapter 11.

One of the best online catalog retailers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday. DM News reports that RedEnvelope entered into an agreement with Creative Catalogs Corp. to purchase all of RedEnvelope's assets and assume certain of the company's obligations for $5.7 million.

This is a bummer on two fronts: 1) RedEnvelope seemed to have a robust online retail business with over $200 million in annual revenues and only got $5.7 million for it, and 2) it means that the online catalog business is even more difficult to manage than we thought.

Scott Corbett, the CEO of online retailer Sleepytime Store said, "I wonder what would have happened to Amazon if their sources of capital had shut off before they hit the tipping point..."

It's a good question. Online retail is a difficult business, but if you can hang in there, it can be very lucrative in the long run.

Best Practices for Banner Ads

We have a new video up on The 60 Second Marketer website. It highlights the best practices for banner advertising. You can check it out by clicking here: How to make banner ads work.

Banner ads have been around for over a decade, but if you asked a marketer about them a few years ago, their answer might have been "They don't work." But that's not necessarily the case any more. Even thought click-through rates still hover at or below 1%, they can be an effective tool, especially if you use some of the banner ad tips and techniques we mention in the video.

Check out the new video. Let me now what you think. And keep me posted on other video ideas about internet banner and display advertising.

Disney Jumps into Ad Network Game

Disney announced today that they're getting into the Ad Network game. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the business of brokering ads across clusters of web sites has become on of the most popular -- and overcrowded -- niches on the web. The Journal also predicts some sort of shake out out as the marketplace figures this all out.

For marketers, this simply means we have more options to choose from. That may mean a little confusion in the short-run, but it also means more competition which, of course, leads to lower prices.

Now if we could just get the airline industry to follow suit, we'd all be better off.

Delta vs. Northwest: Battle of the Brands?

Delta and Northwest airlines announced their merger today. The merged airline will be based in Atlanta and will retain the Delta brand. I'm sure there were a lot of logistical reasons to keep the Delta name and have Atlanta as its headquarters, but I also wonder how much the power of the Delta brand helped the decision.

The advertising agency that created the new Delta logo (for, like, the gazillionth time in the past decade) is New York agency Shepardson Stern & Kaminsky, also called SSK. They're a forward-thinking agency with an impressive client roster.

Delta had been one of the most well-respected brands in the industry but fell on hard times in the 1990s and has struggled since then. Over the next year or so, the Northwest brand will fade away and be replaced by Delta. Will Delta regain its brand dominance as a merged airline? What's your opinion?

Diva Marketing Website Reports On Social Media Etiquette

Atlanta-based Social Media expert Toby Bloomberg recently hosted a marketing round table discussion in New York City. The topic eventually turned to Social Media Etiquette.

The good news is that polite, proper behavior is still alive and well, even in the 21st century. Words like "respect," "honesty," "transparency" and "civility" were used frequently in the round table discussion. Comments from everyone were nicely summed up by Toby's statement that you should, "Remember what your mama taught you: Don't lie. Don't cheat. Don't bully. Play nicely together."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

If you'd like to read the complete report, Toby's findings can be found by clicking here or visiting http://bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/bloomberg_marketing/.

Modernista's Wild New Website

Have you seen Boston ad agency Modernista’s new website <http://www.modernista.com/> ? The agency, known for having avant garde websites, has taken full advantage of Web 2.0 by featuring a top layer navigation that floats over other web pages, allowing them to feature their web content on more social sites such as del.icio.us, flickr, YouTube, Google News, Google Maps, Wikipedia, Facebook, Skype, and more.

The idea is definitely interesting and buzzworthy, but some are criticizing it as merely a gimmick. I think anything this innovative is a sign the agency is populated with smart, forward-thinking marketers. What do you think?

Microsoft Still Favorite in Yahoo Battle

Yahoo's directors will meet today to discuss alternatives to Microsoft's takeover. As mentioned previously, Yahoo will end up married to somebody and that "somebody" is probably going to be Microsoft.

Microsoft isn't about to let Google become the only player in the online advertising field. Today's Wall Street Journal reports that a Google dominated world isn't likely to happen. Especially if Microsoft has any say in the matter.

I like Google. I like their personality. And I like the fact that they're geniuses. But, like most Americans, I don't like it when a single player dominates any field, especially if they're a bully. So far, Google has avoided being a bully, but I'm not sure how long that will last.

Why People Put Apple Computer Logos on their Cars

Ever notice a nice, clean, white Apple logo on the back of someone's car? I have. Lots of times. But I've never once seen an HP logo or a Dell logo or any other computer logo. Why is that? Because Apple is more than a company and more than a brand. Apple is a movement, a community and a way of life that says "I refuse to be just like everyone else. I refuse to turn into a statistic. Instead, I'm going to be an independent thinker. And part of my expression of that is through the Apple products I buy."

So there you have it, Apple isn't a company and it's not a brand. It's a way of life.

Google's ad clicks flat. Shares decline 38%.

Google announced recently that their ad clicks are flat. As many of us know, Wall Street "announced" that Google's share price has dropped by 38%.

Is this a sign that we're in a recession? That's what Fast Company asked on their website. Google's challenges are one sign that we're in a recession. The other signs are when marketing, travel and training budgets are cut. They're always the first to get slashed in corporate America. The good news is that they're also the first to come back.

Are we in a recession? I think so, but it'll be short. What do you think?

Yahoo Rejects Microsoft. Yet Again.

It's been two months since Yahoo first rejected Microsoft's $42 billion buyout offer. For the second time in as many months, Yahoo has turned down the Redmond-based Giant's offer to be acquired. In a rejection letter sent to Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer, Yahoo said it wasn't against a buyout, but felt as though Microsoft undervalued the company.

It's not a great way to start a marriage, but it's a start nonetheless. Yahoo is playing hard-to-get, which is appropriate for any company in its position, but it'll eventually be married -- shotgun or otherwise -- to either Microsoft of any of the other multitude of suitors.