Blog

Associated Press has dropped the “writer” from its byline because, according to a staff memo by AP Standards editor Tom Kent: “These days, the byline on an AP story may rightfully belong to a text reporter, a photographer, a videographer or a radio reporter…some of our staffers have extensive multimedia skills and work with several platforms every day. Saying simply “Associated Press” focuses on the important thing: that the material is from an Associated Press journalist.”

Advertising Age rates Ford as the year’s best marketer among automakers although its many successful ad campaigns were probably topped by simply saying “No” to the government’s TARP funds. Ford marketing chief Jim Farley told the trade magazine turning down the loan was worth “more than $1 billion in coverage and consumer interest.” . . . Not likely to reach those proportions but Toyota’s new corporate campaign, reported in Marketing Daily, cleverly combats negative recall residue without bringing it up. Called “Ideas for Good” it talks about how the company repurposes automotive technology it has developed to benefit society. And it encourages positive awareness by spotlighting five of its technologies where prizes will be awarded to consumers who come up with the best ideas for re-purposing them in non-automotive uses.

A reason why more car bloggers should attend BlogWorld as Tom Kelley urges or enter Keith Griffin’s Blogger of The Year Awards, is this quote of the week relayed from England by Media Digest: “A lot of bloggers seem to be socially inadequate, pimpled, single, slightly seedy, bald, cauliflower- nosed young men sitting in their mother’s basements and ranting.”

GARAGE “FINDS”

1929 Bugatti

1937 Ford House Car