The term “pet peeve” has been working its way back into the public realm lately. So here’s mine: Organizations that invite feedback online, but don’t reply.

You can always tell the organizations that don’t get it. Someone evidently told them that they needed to have a way for readers or consumers to express their opinion online – that it’s hip, it’s now, it’s happening. But their company’s culture remains very traditional and suspicious of direct communication with the people they’re selling to. They’re much more comfortable issuing edicts in a one-way, top-down manner, and it shows.

As businesses search for ways in which to best leverage the power of social media for their brands, it can be easy to try to reinvent the wheel. Speaking of wheels, American Honda Motor Co. is providing a great example of this with its “Everybody Knows Somebody Who Loves a Honda” Facebook page campaign.

Launched in August, the official page encourages Honda owners and fans to see how they’re connected to friends, family members and others around the world. As Advertising Age reports, visitors can upload photos of their car or link up with owners of their favorite Honda model.

“Reboot the franchise” is a frequent cry of fanboys – those uber comic, sci-fi or gaming enthusiasts who know the minutia of every aspect about their obsession’s world. To spare lengthy explanation, this basically means that members of the fan community recognize it’s time for their favorite title, series or movie/video game franchise to be refreshed with a new approach to keep their interest.

Because fanboys – and fangirls – tend to spend money on the object of their all-encompassing enthusiasm, publishers and studios tend to be responsive.

Knowing when its time to reboot your franchise (to use the word loosely – this concept applies to all brands and businesses) is essential to staying competitive. Here’s what you can learn from the fanboy/franchise dynamic:

“I said do you speak-a my language? He just smiled and gave me a iSnack 2.0 sandwich.”
 
Wouldn’t have had the same ring back in Men at Work’s day, eh, mate?

By now, the Epic Fail Product Name Heard ‘Round the World has created such a ROTFLMAO reaction that there isn’t much to add. There’s even the inevitable Hitler video spoof.

Record label Decca renewed its relationship with Technetium Creative, tapping us to create the album art for the new Boyz II Men release, “Love.” A collection of timeless love songs interpreted by the legendary R&B group in their distinctive vocal style (with special guest Michael Bublé), “Love” is a gift to Boyz II Men fans who have been faithful to them throughout their 20-year career.