I was going to post something pretty cool from Mattel, but then I went to create a graphic to accompany the story, right-clicked on the cool image accompanying the cool product, and got the uncool popup you see above.

In case you can’t read it, the text says:

This image is copyrighted, and it is owned by Mattel.  You may not reproduce, distribute, publish, transmit, modify, adapt, translate, display, sell, license, publicly perform, prepare derivative works based upon, or otherwise use or exploit this image.

I’m not sure how someone can “publicly perform” an image, but if I really want to reproduce or modify or otherwise display the image, I don’t need to right-click — I can simply print my screen and use Fireworks or Photoshop to create and upload a new image … like I did to capture the popup.

Memo to Mattel: All this legalese does is tell the site visitor who wants to spread the word about your product that you’re more interested in putting up barriers to that visitor telling your story than you are in helping that visitor tell your story.

If you really want to “protect” your image, go ahead and watermark it. Stock photo sites do this all the time. But this is a strident piece of legalese on a page that includes an image intended for press release purposes.

Think about that: Mattel has taken the very image they’ve created for dissemination to the press and added a barrier that serves only to make it more difficult for the press to use that very image that was created for the press to use.

Alrighty, then.

Takeaway for marketers: Talk to the lawyers. Do you really want to come across so hardass so often, or does such a stance undercut your larger marketing goals … like spreading the word about your product?

Aliza Sherman’s “5 Things That Don’t Work on Facebook Pages (and 5 That Do)” over on WebWorkerDaily would be worthwhile reading if only for this pithy truism: “Let’s face it: Not everything should be marketed using every new cool tool on the block.” But beyond the pith, there’s a good deal of common-sense thinking going on about Facebook as a marketing tool.

Takeaway for marketers: Give it a read. Maybe post it to your Facebook page.

Here’s a screenshot of an email I received from my local chamber of commerce today. “You’re” instead of “your”? Really?

Good grief.

Takeaway for marketers: Okay, I know practically no one out there can spell. Fewer still understand the basic rules of grammar. But some of us do. We’re out here and we want you to hire us for two reasons: so we make money, and so you don’t look like a complete idiot. See? It’s a win-win!

For years I’ve been singing the “quality, not quantity” mantra as it pertains to social media followers. I’m glad to see that Harvard Business Review has finally caught up. (Hat tip to Barbara for the link.)

Takeaway for marketers: It’s not always about more. Sometimes it’s about better.

Last night was the season finale of Saturday Night Live. (In case you missed it: It began with a painfully unfunny skit about BP and the oil spill and went downhill from there.) But last week’s Betty White program was still fresh in everyone’s mind, and was referenced (with some help from Steve Martin on video) in Alec Baldwin’s monologue.

The other day BNET posted 5 Marketing Lessons From SNL’s Betty White Show. I think it was more about BNET trying to post some link bait than it was about trying to post some real advice.

Because there’s really only one marketing lesson to take away from the Betty White show: Give your customers what they want. SNL’s customers wanted Betty White to host. They made it happen. It’s as simple as that.

Takeaway for marketers: Listen to your customers. Duh.