Things

Things I have looked at today, including an explanation of the “when it rains it pours” Morton salt advertisments I have seen. This is from an interview with an advertising guy.

Brands that succeed are those that can charge a premium over competing brands, or that can dominate a category by virtue of the brand. Morton Salt is a good example. Salt is a commodity, it would seem, except that most people prefer Morton. Why? Because of the story of the little girl walking home from the store in the rain, with the salt pouring out of the container. “When it rains,” it pours, is the tagline, meaning that Morton salt doesn’t stick to itself in humid weather. Today, no salt sticks, but we still prefer Morton. That’s a successful brand.

Also, this funny bit about the “for dummies” books trying to shut down a parody site.