Tax Preparers Come Out Swinging With Negative Ad Campaigns


Just when you thought you could take a post-election breather from attack ads, here come the tax wars.

This is normally a frenetic time of year for tax preparers like H&R Block, Intuit’s TurboTax and Jackson Hewitt, which have fewer than four months until April 15 to convince customers their products and services are superior. And given the finite number of people who need their taxes prepared, the tried-and-true way to increase business is to steal market share from competitors. “That’s what’s been creating a more-intense marketing approach,” said Jay Baer, founder and president of Convince & Convert, a social-media and content consultancy.

This year is especially aggressive, thanks to changes in tax laws in 2013, which makes the process more complex and raises the stakes for marketers who “think this is the year they can acquire new customers for life,” Mr. Baer said. As a result, there has been name-calling and finger-pointing in ads that have landed some of the players in court.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

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Appearance by Group Advocating Boycott of Israel Roils Brooklyn College Campus

B.D.S. ignites a debate on hate speech and free speech.

via NYT > Most Recent Headlines http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/nyregion/appearance-by-bds-at-brooklyn-college-spurs-protest.html

Myths About Gun Regulation

The gun lobby propaganda is convincing lawmakers that the 10-year ban on assault weapons was ineffective.

via NYT > Most Recent Headlines http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/opinion/myths-about-gun-regulation.html

Sarkozy paid $200,000 for a speech insulting Israel to a room of Jewish businessmen

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was paid 150,000 euros, or $202,000, for a speech in which he insulted Israel to a room full…

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The Pulp Fiction Oral History: Uma Thurman, Quentin Tarantino, and John Travolta Retrace the Movie’s Making

via Vanity Fair | VF.com http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2013/01/pulp-fiction-oral-history-quentin-tarantino

Talib Kweli Will Speak at Length About The Big Lebowski

Talib Kweli is hosting a screening of The Big Lebowski at the IFC Center this Thursday. Why? ‘Cause it’s his favorite film — “There are movies from my childhood like The Goonies and The Princess Bride I could watch over and over. Big Lebowski is like that for me as an adult.” But that’s just a start. Fuse had an extended chat with Kweli about what makes the movie “a perfect storm.” Things we learned: The “OVER THE LINE!!” scene is Kweli’s favorite, but he’s partial to Sam Elliott’s lines and the perpetual verbal abuse of Donny. Kweli identifies with the Dude, and went to school with a lot of dudes like the Dude. The musical dream sequence is up Kweli’s alley, too: “I like big productions, but they’re hard to do without being corny. But if someone gives you the budget, go for it: Pull out all the stops, entertain me. Throw in a Dylan song and do a jig.” Next time, Mos Def’s thoughts on Raising Arizona.

Read more posts by Zach Dionne

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the big lebowski
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via Vulture http://www.vulture.com/2013/01/talib-kweli-big-lebowski.html

CNN talent shuffles Erin Burnett, Soledad O’Brien, Anderson Cooper; Zucker “all over everyone”

Many of CNN’s top talents were being moved around like chess pieces yesterday. After new CNN honcho Jeff Zucker hired Chris Cuomo from ABC…

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New Republic owner Chris Hughes says he believes in “substantive journalism” in a digital age

Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes joked about the gossip over his motive for buying politics and culture magazine The New Republic last year. At a party…

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Diane Sawyer considers retiring

Diane Sawyer, anchor of ABC World News and a respected veteran at the network with nearly 25 years under her belt, is considering retiring in 2013, a source close to Sawyer tells Confidenti@l.

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NYC Restaurants Ban Food Photography By Customers…

NYC Restaurants Ban Food Photography By Customers…

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