Lamenting the Demise of Infectious Jingles
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Today it seems the jingle is considered a quaint, outmoded branding device. But I believe the right jingle or tonal identity can be pure marketing gold.
Tag: advertising
Davis Thinking
Up-pity ABC Basterds Put the Hurt on Ashley's Precious Avatar Ad
Friday, March 5, 2010
AshleyMadison, of "Life is short. Have an affair." fame, trotted out this Avatar-themed spot for broadcast during Sunday's Academy Awards. Then, in a move as predictable as an over-the-top Sharon Stone reaction shot, ABC banned it from the telecast. Funny that the nation's leading adultery enabler ends up flaccid on Oscar night. Why did those frigid execs give Ashley's aliens the cock block?
Naughty Volvo Faces Identity Crisis
Monday, March 1, 2010
Tough times for automakers have turned the industry upside down. Household names like Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer have gone the way of the dodo. Saab narrowly avoided a similar fate with a last-minute purchase by Dutch super car manufacturer Spyker, a niche player that has intriguing plans for the quirky Swedish brand. Fiat and Chrysler became strange bedfellows. And Toyota is struggling through an historic, crippling recall. But one of the more interesting outcomes of the recent upheaval within the auto industry is Ford Motor Company's sale of Volvo to China's Geely.
Dove’s Men + Care Spot is No Beauty
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
We recently voiced optimism that the Super Bowl launch of Dove's Men+Care line would challenge the alpha male ad genre, just as its revolutionary Real Beauty spot from Super Bowl XL confronted unhealthy female beauty standards. On Sunday, our optimism swirled its sad little way down the drain.
CBS: Classic Super Bowl Coverage, at a Price
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Every year, in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl, we learn whose ads passed network muster and whose didn't. This year, CBS generated lively debate by green-lighting Focus on the Family's pro-life spot, while rejecting an ad from gay dating site ManCrunch.com. Much has already been written about CBS's implied endorsement of one "life choice" over another. But few question why slow-to-evolve CBS failed to capture a fraction of the value its platform created for either organization.
Super Bowl Ads: Tell Me Who Are You?
Monday, February 8, 2010
Legendary television producer Norman Lear often said it was best to start the story "in the middle." That's where the truth of the narrative is, and the theory held for Super Bowl XLIV. Smack in the middle of a confused and confusing collection of ads was The Who, an embarrassing half-time show of old white men singing of "pinball wizards" in the age of connected gaming, and claiming some distant insight into the "teenage wasteland" of a generation to which they do not belong. Yet, they were entirely relevant context for the general fiasco of this year's ads, asking: "Tell me who are you?" With some notable exceptions, advertisers seemed to have no idea who they were this year, nor who their customers might be.
Bud Light Lime “In the Can”: AdAge Gets it Bass Ackwards
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The most successful beer marketers in the world have crossed a line. According to AdAge, a pun is “the final frontier” in “tasteless” beer advertising. In a spot for Bud Light Lime leaked on the Internet, everyday folks innocently confess to getting it “in the can” (some of them like it and want to do so again!). The punch line of the spot reveals that the popular brew is now available in all-too-familiar handy aluminum containers.
Venice: Financial Drought Causes Ad Flood
Friday, August 28, 2009
Usually, the city of Venice is partially flooded by water a number of times every year, courtesy of its slowly sinking foundation. However, these days the city called "La Serenissima," or most serene, is facing a different kind of flood -- one it is much less prepared to stem.
At Issue } essential reading
Diesel Launches Social Media Campaign
Mar 12, 2010
In addition to creating a digital extension to Diesel's national "Be Stupid" campaign, which broke earlier this year, the AOR will be responsible for a number of social media aspects for Diesel, including a mix of blogger relations. Iced Media will monitor Diesel's social media programs daily using IcedMetrix, a proprietary measurement tool that enables clients to track social media referred sales.
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H-P to Brandish Its Technology Credentials
Mar 11, 2010
In need of an image makeover after an aggressive acquisition spree, Hewlett-Packard is launching its first corporate advertising campaign in more than five years. The company, which consumers know primarily for its printers, says it is seeking to recast itself as a broader technology concern with a campaign featuring, among others, rapper Dr. Dre and stand-up comedian Rhys Darby, star of the HBO series "Flight of the Conchords." A person familiar with the matter estimated that the eight-week campaign will cost $40 million.
Zappos Breaks New Campaign
Mar 10, 2010
Zappos has launched a new campaign centered around the notion of “delivering happiness”, a value that the company strives for by delivering customer service worthy of a “wow”, its No. 1 core value. Zappos uses the spots to celebrate their customer service reps – known internally as their customer loyalty team, and emphasizes the notion that they are a brand “powered by service” and “happy to help. 24/7.” The first spot in the campaign features Zappos puppets portraying a customer and a customer service rep helping her with her question – based on an actual Zappos customer call.
E-tailers Seek Revenue Boost From Ads That May Even Tout Rivals
Mar 9, 2010
Don't be surprised if the next time you're shopping on Target.com, Walmart.com or any other major retailer, you see ads -- sometimes for competing stores. Consumers have gotten used to seeing sponsored links across the web, with just about every major publisher from The New York Times to Food Network serving them up. Google is the largest seller of text ads through its AdSense program (that also includes display ads), which collectively generated $5.2 billion in revenue for publishers in 2009.
For Marketers, a Different Set of Oscar Winners
Mar 9, 2010
It is rare to see an actress on the Oscar red carpet wearing her gown from the previous year. Why, then, were there so many retreads among the commercials that appeared on Sunday during the ABC coverage of the 82nd annual Academy Awards? The reruns were an aberration given that for many years the Oscars broadcast had been a showcase for new commercials, much like the Super Bowl.
Google Tests TV Search Service
Mar 9, 2010
Google Inc. is testing a new television-programming search service with Dish Network Corp., according to people familiar with the matter, the latest development in a fast-moving race to combine Internet content with conventional TV. The service, which runs on TV set-top boxes containing Google software, allows users to find shows on the satellite-TV service as well as video from Web sites like Google's YouTube, according to these people. It also lets users to personalize a lineup of shows, these people said.
The Rise Of Transactional Advertising
Mar 8, 2010
The marriage of brand advertising and free content is facing peremptory annulment. There is no shortage of punditry around “the death of the media company” and whether it is a just dessert or a societal travesty. But that’s looking at it from the media company and consumer viewpoint – what do advertisers think about all of this? Where is online advertising headed and what does that mean for free content?
American Express to Cardholders: Take Charge; Make a Difference.
Mar 8, 2010
American Express is using the celebrity-studded Academy Awards TV event on ABC to give one of its new programs a star turn: the company is promoting its cards by urging consumers to "take charge of making a difference." At American Express, card "membership" was long touted for its privileges. Now it comes with responsibilities too.
Diet Coke Eyes 'Next Gen' Consumers
Mar 5, 2010
Diet Coke will make an appearance at this year's Oscars. A new 60-second spot for the soft-drink brand will debut during the awards ceremony on Sunday, March 7. The spot is part of an ongoing campaign called “Stay Extraordinary," and "celebrates the achievements of the next generation of Diet Coke drinkers," per the brand, which is owned by The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta. It will initially air during the Academy Awards, and two additional 30-second spots will be introduced next week during American Idol.
In Recognition of Good Taste
Mar 4, 2010
"Good taste" is rarely used to describe great advertising, but Domino's is going to town with it. It just announced that it has doubled its quarterly profits after telling its customers that it had fixed the taste of its pizzas. It didn't "improve" things or follow any other standard operating procedures of the marketing world; in fact, it violated some of the basic tenets of advertising, such as telling the truth. Critics lumped it into the category of "mea culpa ads" (such as the billboards London's Evening Standard newspaper ran last year apologizing for the crappy quality of its content). Domino's went one better, though, by running documentary-style spots of consumers likening the crust to "cardboard" and topping to "ketchup." It was called extreme and even bizarre. Comedian Steve Colbert got in on the commentary.
Ads Posted on Facebook Strike Some as Off-Key
Mar 4, 2010
Facebook, the world’s biggest social network, is selling more ad spots to big companies like Wal-Mart Stores, Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo. But the site’s pages are also home to countless ads from smaller companies that can be funny, weird or just plain creepy — those suggesting you are, say, eligible to get a free iPad because you are exactly 26 years old, or entreaties to see what your offspring would look like if you had a child with a celebrity.
Sienna Minivan Hits Market at Worst Possible Time for Toyota
Mar 4, 2010
Toyota executives are trying to stop the brand bleeding as they deal with safety recalls and attempt to jump-start sales with a new incentive program and a fresh TV-advertising campaign aimed at shoring up consumers’ overall confidence in the company. But at the same time, Toyota also has been launching an important new product, a completely made-over, 2011 version of the Sienna minivan. The long-derided minivan segment has been showing some signs of life lately, and Toyota still sees it as an important category for the long term, as its Generation X customers move through parenthood.
Can Toyota’s New Ads, Incentive Program Offset Recall Damage?
Mar 3, 2010
Toyota is employing a marketing campaign to mitigate the horrific damage it has sustained over the past several weeks – including an estimated 18,000 “lost” sales in February, billions of dollars in repair costs, and an untold deterioration of its once-sterling reputation. Even as Toyota executives testified on Capitol Hill this week, the brand was unveiling a whole new approach in its TV advertising and launching the company’s most ambitious incentive program ever. “We’re back in the sales business,” Bob Carter, general manager of the Toyota division of Toyota Motor Sales USA, declared to reporters on a conference call yesterday.
Unilever: Brands Must Move Past TV Spots
Mar 3, 2010
Unilever's creative agencies need to "move past their reliance on the 30-second spot" and focus more on social media efforts to keep up with modern consumers. So said Unilever's vp, personal care Kathy O'Brien today at the American Association of Advertising Agencies' Transformation Conference in San Francisco. "The world has moved on. I think consumers have moved on, and we need to get past [TV spots] to figure out what the next way of talking to consumers" will be, said O'Brien. "I also put the onus on us. We rely heavily on it as well as a company. We've done it well for so long [that] we assume it's at the core of everything we do and it doesn't always need to be."
Yahoo! Pitches Scale To Advertisers. To Consumers, It's Personal
Mar 2, 2010
Yahoo!, which will celebrate its 15th year in business on Tuesday, is pitching the "science, art and scale" of its enterprise to advertisers. Carol Bartz, company CEO, is working with marketers, including Wal-Mart and TurboTax, to develop advertising and content tailored to specific audiences they want to reach. "We need ads to engage an audience because we want that audience to stick around," Bartz on Monday told a group of advertising and media executives assembled for an American Association of Advertising Agencies (aka the 4A's) conference in San Francisco.
Madness: Infiniti Partners With NCAA Basketball
Mar 2, 2010
Infiniti is expanding its marketing relationship with men's college basketball by becoming "Official Corporate Partner" of the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and CBS Sports." The automaker says that as part of the program, it will create custom features to air during CBS sports broadcasts. The content wraps Infiniti branding around narratives about college basketball and coaching. The new agreement comes after Infiniti's recent multi-level sponsorships with ESPN, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the SEC (Southeastern Conference) and the Big Ten Conference. The company used that program, which it said was the largest to date, to support its Infiniti G sedan and coupe.
Lowe’s Knows Customer Value
Mar 2, 2010
Lowe’s launched its spring campaign today, March 2nd, and its focus is on customer service. The brand wants to help its employees (a.k.a. associates) offer better expertise and service to shoppers, while also helping them keep within their budgets. Not a bad idea in these economic times. Associates will get equal time in the new commercials alongside actors portraying customers. Their advice and recommendations are geared towards supporting a growing trend of DIY home projects. “Everything we do in the campaign is grounded in service and value, because that’s where the consumer lives right now,” according to Lowe’s SVP, Marketing and Advertising, Tom Lamb.
Medals for Ads During NBC’s Winter Olympics Coverage
Mar 2, 2010
The seemingly continuous commercials during the coverage of the Winter Games on the networks of NBC Universal gave a new meaning to the term “snow job.” It was as if every spot showed snow, or ice, or both, in which skiers, skaters and snowboarders cavorted. That made it difficult for ad-weary, ad-bleary viewers to distinguish the commercials from the actual coverage of the Vancouver Olympics. Perhaps that was the sponsors’ fiendish intent: to perpetrate the ultimate blurring of the line between advertising and content.
Magazines Team Up to Tout 'Power of Print'
Mar 1, 2010
Magazine executives spent much of last year telling anyone who would listen that they were taking their brands digital. Their message this year: Print rules. Five leading magazine publishers have pitched in on a multimillion-dollar ad campaign touting the "power of print." They say nearly 1,400 pages of the ads will be sprinkled through magazines including People, Vogue and Ladies' Home Journal this year.
Lowe’s Puts Its Focus on Knowing the Customer’s Wants
Mar 1, 2010
The bar in “Cheers” was supposedly where everybody knew your name. A leading home-improvement retailer plans to present itself as the place where everybody knows which type of washer you need, which type of insect is infesting your garden or which shade of purple a teenage girl can paint her room without driving her mother crazy.
Google, Microsoft Spar on Antitrust
Mar 1, 2010
Seeking $335,000 in unpaid advertising bills, Google Inc. filed suit against a small Internet site in Ohio in October. The complaint was so routine it was just two sentences long. Google never expected the response it got. Last month, the small Internet site countered with a 24-page antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing the search-engine giant of a litany of monopolistic abuses.
Dairy Industry Backs First Lady's 'Let's Move' Effort
Mar 1, 2010
The dairy industry interrupts its regularly scheduled "milk moustache" campaign to bring you an ad in support of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" program to combat childhood obesity. "We share the concern that childhood obesity is a problem in the U.S., and the world," Julia Kadison, vice president of marketing for the Milk Processors Education Program (Milk PEP), tells Marketing Daily. "We want to emphasize milk as part of the solution."
Can Geek Culture Exist Without Brands?
Feb 26, 2010
Geek culture is strongly linked these days to brands, commercialism and cash. Apple, Wizards of the Coast, Star Wars, LEGO, Marvel, Pixar (and the list goes on) are all brands that link very strongly with any geek’s sense of belonging and meaning. They also, consequently, get a lot of our hard-earned cash. We live in a highly commercialized world, and money helps make it go ’round. But, how much does geek culture need brands and how much do the brands need us geeks? What is the relationship like and are we being charged excessively for our passionate fandom and connection to brands like LEGO and Apple? How do we define our geekiness without these brands? And, how do we foster our children without overemphasizing the importance of having the new release LEGO or movie-associated merchandise.
Google Hits Back Over Algorithm Dispute
Feb 26, 2010
Google on Thursday mounted a renewed defence of the way it ranks search results, as fresh questions emerged about its practice of sometimes manually intervening to override its automated ranking system. The company has been forced onto the defensive by the disclosure earlier this week of a preliminary anti-trust review from the European Commission. Brussels is looking into complaints from three companies that Google’s search rankings and its related advertising system treat some competitors unfairly.
That Triple Salchow Was Great. Now for More Ads.
Feb 25, 2010
Since the Vancouver Winter Games began on Feb. 12, the networks of NBC Universal have presented hundreds of hours of coverage — and thousands of commercials. Here is a look at some of the highlights, sidelights and lowlights of the spots so far.
Turning Pride into Advertising
Feb 24, 2010
What if you could get your customers to advertise for you? I'm not talking about just word-of-mouth. I'm talking about turning them into full-fledged outdoor boards.
BMW Marketing VP Discusses 'Joy' Strategy
Feb 24, 2010
BMW has just launched what the Woodcliff Lake, N.J.-based company says is its biggest brand campaign to date, and maybe the first that puts as much focus on the drivers and their pleasure in driving as the cars themselves. It's part of a big-media strategy the company is doing to raise its profile worldwide with a more emotional, optimistic voice. Jack Pitney, VP of marketing for BMW, takes Marketing Daily for a drive.
Athletes Walk The Line Between Effective And Overexposed
Feb 23, 2010
In the week after he led the New Orleans Saints to victory in, and was named MVP of, Super Bowl XLIV, quarterback Drew Brees was guest of honor in a parade at Disney World; appeared in marketing for Unilever's Dove Men+Care, was part of Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" childhood obesity PSA campaign; made guest appearances on "Good Morning America," "Early Show," "Late Night with David Letterman," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "Oprah"; and was back in New Orleans as a King of the Krewe at Mardi Gras. ESPN also dusted off its "This is SportsCenter" spot showing Brees driving a Mardi Gras float that gets jammed in the parking lot gates. Chris Stuart of Encore Sports & Entertainment, which handles marketing for Brees, called the demand "tremendous."
How One Ad Agency Boosted Productivity After Cutting Costs
Feb 23, 2010
Close your eyes and listen to the fight. One side says we have to change the way we do things now and the other warns grimly that if we do, the end result will be the Dark Ages. This isn't Washington, D.C., but the Madison Avenue echo chamber, with corporate America pushing for cost consciousness and efficiency from its ad agencies and those agencies railing against companies' bean counters being sicced on them. With each soul-crushing Ad Age item about the rising influence of procurement departments, creatives' agita rises.
Take a Step Closer for an Invitation to Shop
Feb 23, 2010
Like many retailers, the North Face has been having trouble luring shoppers into its stores. The company, which sells outdoor apparel and gear, is about to try a new tactic: sending people text messages as soon as they get near a store. Advertisers have long been intrigued by the promise of cellphones, because they live in people’s pockets and send signals about shoppers’ locations. The dream has been to send people ads tailored to their location, like a coupon for a cappuccino when passing a coffee shop.
The Art of Package Design
Feb 22, 2010
Working at method has taught me that package design is the single most important part of your marketing plan. Founder Eric Ryan likes to say that he views cutting steel as a marketing expense. Once a consumer told me that he buys method because the package design makes him want to lick the bottles. Remarkable design, whether in the store or in the consumer’s hand, makes every other aspect of marketing possible. Zero advertising on a remarkable product trumps heavy advertising on a mediocre product.
Visa Connects with Olympics Congratulations
Feb 22, 2010
Taking a page from its 2008 playbook, Visa is updating its "Go World" campaign with ready-made pieces to congratulate the company's sponsored athletes when they win a medal. "We know through research that the way consumers connect to the games is through the athletes and their stories," Jennifer Bazante, head of global brand marketing for Visa, tells Marketing Daily. "It helps extend the window of the breakthrough moment for the athlete."
A Campaign to Leaven the Mood
Feb 22, 2010
Almost 75 years ago, the fashion editor Diana Vreeland began captivating, puzzling and amusing a Depression-weary nation with a column in Harper’s Bazaar magazine called “Why Don’t You ... ” She offered suggestions that were breezy — “Why don’t you tie black tulle bows on your wrists?” — or profligate — “Why don’t you turn your old ermine coat into a bathrobe?” Now, during times deemed almost as hard as those, Saks Fifth Avenue is introducing a campaign inspired by Ms. Vreeland’s maxims, although more grounded in the practical. The campaign, which carries the theme “Think about ... ,” includes print and online advertisements, catalogs, signs in stores, e-mail marketing, events, direct mail and social media like Facebook.
Coca-Cola Gets Hands-on With Its Own Digital Billboards
Feb 19, 2010
The world's largest beverage company has added another feather to its cap: media owner. Late last year, Coca-Cola started rolling out its Digital Network, a group of 29 electronic billboards in 20 markets that the company owns and operates. The company leases the space from outdoor advertising companies such as Clear Channel Outdoor and Boardworks, but it acquires and owns the 14 feet by 48 feet LED screens.
Doritos, Your Ad Sucks Compared to this One
Feb 19, 2010
You've probably seen the Doritos Super Bowl commercial that scored highest among viewers. What does this Doritos ad do? Now imagine you're a writer, and you get this assignment: write a memorable safety belt ad. You've seen them. They're usually violent, ugly spots about how you'll end up terribly mangled if you don't wear a safety belt. What do you do? Do you work on outdoing other writers in the twisted metal department?
Chevy Focuses On Family And Friends In New Ads
Feb 19, 2010
GM's Chevy brand is sporting a very different look in ads that just launched during the Winter Olympics: Vignettes featuring families and friends in Chevy cars. The latest television commercials for Chevy's Equinox, Malibu, and Traverse models drop spokesperson Howie Long in favor of "very human, intimate, family moments – those that often happen in the enclosed environment of the family car – to capture the spirit of Chevy," says Bob Moore, chief creative officer of the agency that created the ads. The previous tagline, "The American revolution," is also gone.
Digital Branded Content Syndication
Feb 17, 2010
Think of someone you know who is graduating from high school in 2010. Maybe it’s your younger cousin, or a niece or nephew. Perhaps it’s your son or daughter. Or perhaps it’s some young folks in your town you may know. Take a minute to think about someone you have watched grow up for the past 15 or so years. Furthermore, let’s acknowledge that your young high school graduate represents, quite literally, the “18” in the coveted “18-35 demographic” that many marketers are constantly trying to reach. Now think about the fact that the high school graduating “Class of 2010” was born around the time that Netscape Navigator arrived—the time when the Web was born.
New B2B Product Introductions: Prioritize Your Online Tactics
Feb 17, 2010
Here is something that product managers and strategic marketers know first-hand: new product introductions and market roll-outs often carry large, and daunting, expectations. A poorly-executed product intro can cost jobs, upward professional mobility, and even millions of dollars and damage to an entire product family’s brand image in the market
Kraft: Cadbury-Merger Savings to Support Marketing
Feb 17, 2010
Kraft Foods expects to realize annual pre-tax cost savings of at least $675 million by the end of 2012, some of which will be used to further increase advertising and consumer spending as a percentage of revenue, chairman/CEO Irene Rosenfeld reported during the company's Q4/year-end fiscal 2009 earnings call on Tuesday. The global food giant increased advertising and consumer spending to 7.2% of net revenues in 2009, versus 6.7% in 2008, she pointed out. The increased advertising support for key brands, including the Philadelphia Cream Cheese "Spread a Little Love" and Miracle Whip "We Will Not Tone It Down" television campaigns, have been "extremely well received" and effective at building the brands' franchises, Rosenfeld said.
Let's Take On The Ads That Fuel Such Waste, Debt And Misery
Feb 16, 2010
Imagine a young Karl Marx alive today: a radical-minded, straggle-bearded intellectual who wanted to make the world a better, more just place. He blogs, presumably. He's among the millions fed up with the party knockabout. What might Karl seize on as the great issue in economics and politics? I'm beginning to think it might be advertising.
Real Leaders Don't Do Focus Groups
Feb 16, 2010
Apple is famous for not engaging in the focus-grouping that defines most business product and marketing strategy. Which is partly why Apples products and advertising are so insanely great. They have the courage of their own convictions, instead of the opinions of everyone else's whims. On the subject, Steve Jobs loves to quote Henry Ford who once said that if he had asked people what they wanted they would have said "a faster horse."
Teaching Pet-Friendly Homes New Cleaning Tricks
Feb 16, 2010
IN “Dog Whisperer” with Cesar Millan, now in its sixth season on the National Geographic Channel, several episodes have featured vacuum cleaners that send dogs into a barking frenzy. With tactics like placing their food bowls next to vacuums that are not in use, Mr. Millan helped reverse the behavior. Now Swiffer, the 11-year-old Procter & Gamble brand, is hiring Mr. Millan to help with a different sort of behavior modification: getting consumers to forgo traditional floor cleaning devices and buy Swiffer products.
P&G Aims For The Gold
Feb 16, 2010
Procter & Gamble, the consumer goods company behind products such as Tide and Pampers, hopes the Olympics will help it score with penny-pinching shoppers. The Cincinnati company rolled out a $10-million ad campaign Monday, integrating corporate and brand messaging, to win over consumers watching the 2010 Winter Games. The goal? To convince shoppers to buy its premium products. TV and Web ads, themed "Thanks, Mom," announce P&G's efforts to subsidize travel costs for every mother of a Team USA athlete.
Audi Launches Winter Olympic Ads
Feb 15, 2010
After throwing a Hail Mary in the Super Bowl, Audi is going for the two points, with a pair of spots to air during the Winter Olympics' Friday evening opening ceremonies. The new ads, via AOR Venables Bell & Partners, are directly competitive with Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
BMW Touts 'Joy,' Value in New Ads
Feb 15, 2010
With Americans tightening their belts, BMW AG is parking "the ultimate driving machine" in the garage, at least for a while. The auto maker for years has promoted the power and performance of its cars using that slogan, one of the longest-running and most well-known in the auto industry. But now the company is switching gears. On Friday, it was launching an advertising campaign that focuses on the joy the company says comes from owning its vehicles and suggests BMWs are safe for mothers and children. One print ad uses the tagline "Joy is Maternal"—a departure from past promotions that touted horsepower, handling and acceleration.
A Look Back at 10 Ideas That Changed the Marketing World
Feb 15, 2010
Looking back at some of the greatest innovations in marketing and advertising over the past 100 years, the creative brilliance of these ideas is obvious. Yet the stories behind these examples involve bold thinking, the passion to champion new ideas and a high dose of risk. Our industry's visionaries often countered research results, drove themselves beyond the great idea and defied bosses and boards to push through their plans. Let these stories inspire today's marketers, who have so many new tools at their disposal, to set aside conventional thinking and become the marketing innovators of the next 100 years.
For G.E., a Human Face on Its Role in Health Care
Feb 12, 2010
General Electric, for one, still believes in advertising. As the Olympics begin, the company is introducing its biggest campaign ever aimed at consumers. Called Healthymagination, it publicizes G.E.’s role in the world of doctors and hospitals. In the United States alone, G.E. expects to spend more than $80 million this year on the campaign. Its role in health care is technical: G.E. makes and sells medical devices, like machines that measure bone density and perform M.R.I. scans. But the advertising focuses on the personal.
Don't Like Product Placement? Here's Why It's Your Fault
Feb 12, 2010
The Association of National Advertisers' annual TV & Everything Video Forum is supposed to be a place where marketers gather to figure out where the business of TV advertising is going. That quest has yet to be completed. But this year, advertisers had no trouble showing us where TV has already gone. Speaker after speaker lined up example after example of shockingly intrusive pacts that placed -- nay, shoved -- commercial messages deep into programming.
P&G Olympics Push Pays Homage to Moms
Feb 12, 2010
Procter & Gamble is feeling generous at this year's Olympic Winter Games. The packaged goods maker is sending Team USA's mothers to Vancouver to watch their children compete, as part of a program called "Thanks, Mom." The program, announced today (Thursday), will defray the cost of travel and accommodations, allowing moms to support the athletes in person during the Games. P&G is also running a campaign, which celebrates the special people in the lives of Team USA's members. (Since forming an alliance with the U.S. Olympic Committee last summer, the company has tapped several Team USA athletes to star in its Olympics-focused marketing. Among the athletes are snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis, speed skater Apolo Ohno, and skier Lindsey Vonn.)
Sprite Launches First Integrated Global Campaign
Feb 12, 2010
Coca-Cola is accelerating its push to make Sprite the soda of choice among the younger crowd both here and abroad, with the brand's first integrated global campaign. The campaign -- dubbed "The Spark" in reference to the brand's 2009-updated logo -- features hip-hop musician Drake and includes multiple TV spots, online music remixing and movie-creation tools, mobile, outdoor and print elements.
How e.l.f. Became a Social Media Giant
Feb 11, 2010
Few brands have had as singular a focus on social media as e.l.f., a cosmetics line that does zero in the way of traditional advertising yet has strong working relationships with about 500 bloggers. As the CMO for e.l.f. (the acronym stands for Eyes Lips Face), Ted Rubin is known for his active use of Twitter (where he has 20,000 followers) and his responsiveness. Rubin, a former protege of Seth Godin, says he responds to every tweet he gets. The social media outreach, along with distribution at Target, a recession-friendly price of $1 per item and a positive review in O: The Oprah Magazine two years ago have helped e.l.f. build a strong brand on the cheap. Brandweek spoke with Rubin about his thoughts on traditional advertising, social media and why larger brands like Coca-Cola can benefit from e.l.f'.'s strategy.
Campaigns Big Enough to Open With Olympics
Feb 11, 2010
Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday was part of the frenetic stretch, which continues this weekend with the Winter Games and other sports programming, like the National Basketball Association All-Star Game and the Daytona 500. The TV marketing blitz, which began with the coverage of the Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 17, is to run through the Academy Awards on March 7 and conclude with the finale of the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament on April 5. All those events have something in common other than high prices for commercial time: They are all broadcast live, part of a trend known as big-event television, which prizes programs that can attract large, involved audiences at a time when consumers have generally been atomized into tiny niche markets.
Beyond The Super Bowl
Feb 11, 2010
As the post-Super Bowl analysis turned this week from which team won the big game to which brands won big, we were once again reminded of the Super Bowl's role as the year's single most important advertising. While the commercials have understandably been the focus of conversation over the past several days, the Super Bowl also offers online marketers some important lessons that help illustrate the changing media dynamics taking place.
Dove Super Bowl Spot Scores Initial Points With Men
Feb 10, 2010
When Unilever first announced it was launching its new Dove Men + Care line with a commercial during Super Bowl XLIV, industry watchers questioned whether making a costly, 30-second ad buy was the right strategy. It seems the move has paid off for Dove, at least, according to initial ad buzz results. Prior to CBS’ broadcast of the Super Bowl, three of the most popular terms associated with Dove were “soap,” “beauty” and “deodorant.” But in the 24 hours following the game, the Dove spot, via Ogilvy & Mather, started generating terms like “Super Bowl,” “ad” and “men," per Zeta Interactive, a New York City-based digital and interactive marketing agency.
Who Says the Future Needs an Advertising Agency?
Feb 10, 2010
Advertising agency of the future sounds a bit like horse drawn carriage of the future. I’m not saying for certain that there won’t be agencies in the future, only that the future doesn’t necessarily need agencies. Just like the future doesn’t need printed news but it needs journalism; the future needs commercial communications, but who creates them, the agency or the brand or someone else, is unwritten. And though the future of the agency is unwritten, I have real doubts that agencies will survive or should survive.
Super Bowl: A Missed Opportunity For Pepsi
Feb 10, 2010
PepsiCo ditched the Super Bowl this year to make a major social media play. Instead of spending money for ad time on the Super Bowl, it's relying primarily on digital initiatives to spread the word about its Internet-based Refresh Project contest and charity campaign. The cause-marketing effort is a good one. Word is spreading through traditional media, online networks, social media and celebrity chatter. But I believe Pepsi made a big mistake in giving up its long-held Super Bowl ad real estate. A more integrated media approach--one that included the Super Bowl--would be a savvy play for Pepsi. And such integration is something top marketing executives need to keep in mind in their rush to embrace digital initiatives.
Why Advertising Needs Behavioural Economics
Feb 10, 2010
Julian Barnes observed that "when you buy a newspaper in America, you watch your country disappear". If you work in advertising or marketing, you can pull off a similar trick: just buy a copy of the Financial Times or The Economist and "watch your discipline disappear". Anyone exposed to current business publications would be forced to conclude that the best means of creating business value and growth lies in mergers, balance-sheet manipulation, takeovers, outsourcing, off-shoring, downsizing, tax-avoidance, restructuring, leverage ... Anything, in other words, that does not involve the tedious business of finding out what people might want and then providing it profitably over time within a relationship of deepening trust.
Do-It-Yourself Super Ads
Feb 9, 2010
Be afraid, Madison Avenue. Be very afraid. That seems to be the message in the aftermath of the crowded, frenetic advertising bowl that took place inside Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday. Among those commercials consistently deemed most effective, memorable and talked-about, many were created or suggested by consumers — or produced internally by the sponsors — rather than the work of agency professionals.
Microsoft Seals Ad Deal With Interpublic
Feb 9, 2010
Microsoft is getting cozier with Madison Avenue. The software company is partnering with advertising holding company Interpublic Group in a deal that will make Microsoft the go-to ad technology provider for the U.S. offices of ad giant's agencies, including McCann-Erickson, Deutsch, Hill Holliday and The Martin Agency. Microsoft, of Redmond, Wash., slashed its undisclosed rates, so that its ad server Atlas will become the default technology to deliver ads and analyze their performance.
One Word: Networks
Feb 9, 2010
Read Bud Caddell's latest addition to The Library of Agency-of-the-Future-Prognostications: Who says the future needs an advertising agency? Between the post and the 50-some comments it's one of the most clear, comprehensive, and thoughtful summations of the industry's evolution that I've come across. After I read it, one word was echoing in my brain: Networks. The difference between what everyone has been doing, and what everyone needs to do is networks. We no longer create messages and experiences for groups of individuals; rather we create integrated experiences across all media environments that are specifically designed to serve and empower networks of connected people.
Manthems, Delusions, and Other Super Gaffes
Feb 9, 2010
If you’ve been in the business long enough, you come to understand there are some basic rules to follow when running an ad on the Super Bowl. Humor works best. Use animals or big-breasted women – or both. Wow people with extraordinary settings and production values. Many of the advertisers on last night’s big game followed the Super Bowl advertising playbook to a tee. And, yet, they violated some fundamental rules of advertising in general.
Brand Messaging: Visual Over Verbal
Feb 8, 2010
Johnny Mercer, in my opinion, was the best lyricist of the 20th century, but I'm sure those words on a piece of paper, even repeated millions of times, would not have made "Moon River" famous. It was the music that made the words "Moon River" famous. Advertising needs visuals in the same way that lyrics need music, if you want to drive your words into the minds of your prospects. Without a visual hammer, an advertising campaign is almost certain to fail.
Denny's, Doritos, Snickers Score Big in Ad Bowl
Feb 8, 2010
Panicky poultry, a battered Betty White and a series of violent ads for Doritos provided plenty of laughs during Sunday night's Super Bowl, even with the weak economy prompting several heavy-hitting advertisers to sit out the Big Game.
In Super Bowl Commercials, the Nostalgia Bowl
Feb 8, 2010
As dangerous as it may be to generalize, it is probably safe to say that few folks think of Marcel Proust as they watch the Super Bowl. But for the advertising bowl that took place inside Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, it was one long remembrance of things past — with candy bars, mobile phones and beer bottles standing in for madeleines. Nostalgia is a critical component of the pitches from sponsors on Super Bowl Sunday. After all, the best way to appeal to a mass audience of 100 million or so Americans is usually to fill spots with paeans to the past along with catchy music, stars, special effects, talking babies and endearing animals.
Attention Big Brands, We Had a Blast on Twitter Last Nite, but Where Were You?
Feb 8, 2010
If you were on Twitter last night during the Super Bowl, you probably had a blast with the rest of us participating in all the chatter around the game, and the commercials. Many of us were using the #brandbowl hashtag to critique the ads in real-time, in fact I was seeing 100 new tweets coming in every couple of minutes. For reference, that's about FOUR times the volume of a busy #blogchat.
The Top None
Feb 8, 2010
I'd planned in all sincerity to write an essay about the three Super Bowl commercials that I thought wouldn't get the recognition in most "top ten" lists, but that I believed might actually do something business-wise down the road. I meant it. I wanted to be positive... ...but I just can't. I can't think of one spot that is going to matter after today's Monday morning ad quarterbacking is done.
Behind Kraft's Marketing Makeover: From New Ad Agencies to New Attitude
Feb 8, 2010
Quick: Name one highly creative advertiser. Bet your first choice wasn't Kraft. The company that brought the world "My bologna has a first name" and "We helped!" for Shake and Bake is unlikely to ever go down in the ad annals next to Nike or Apple. But North America's largest food company -- about to become even larger with the addition of Cadbury -- is making strides toward updating the look and tone of its advertising while keeping it as accessible as possible for consumers.
Marketers Say TV Spending Will Drop. Nets Stay Bullish. Let the Deals Begin
Feb 8, 2010
Even as major marketers once again threaten to pull back on TV spending -- a new survey indicates they will allocate only 41% of their budgets to the medium this year -- the TV networks are gearing up for an "upfront" ad-sales market they expect will be more robust than in the recent past. In a new Forrester and Association of National Advertisers survey of 104 U.S. advertisers that collectively spend almost $14 billion in measured media, more than half of them -- 62% -- said that TV advertising is less effective than it used to be.
Super Bowl 2010: Live-Blogging the Ads and the Music
Feb 8, 2010
Super Bowl 2010 is more than a football game–it’s a face-off between companies striving to have the most-talked about commercials. And the super spectacle will also be rocked by music from the Who, Carrie Underwood and Queen Latifah. Speakeasy will be live-blogging the cultural and commercial aspects of the Super Bowl. Feel free to give your take on the ads and the music in the comments section. You can check out the action on the field here.
NewBizNews: What Ad Sales People Hear
Feb 7, 2010
Recently, at CUNY, we held a roundtable for ad sales people from hyperlocal blogs to big newspapers to hear what they are hearing from local merchants. We’re wrapping up our research for the New Business Models for News Project — indeed, it was Alberto Ibargüen, head of the Knight Foundation that funded this work, who said he really wanted to hear sales people’s perspective — and beginning research for Carnegie-funded work on new ad models, products, service, and sales methods, working with The New York Times on The Local.
How Toyota Can Flip The Funnel
Feb 5, 2010
It's tough going these days if you work for Toyota or any of its partners. It's tougher being a customer especially with the doubt surrounding loose floor mats and sticking accelerator pads and safety concerns in general. And then there's the perceived broken trust and the lost credibility associated with a brand that seemingly reigned supreme in terms of relationship, bond and loyalty.
Google To Super Bowl Marketers: Give Us Your Ads--and Your Ad Dollars
Feb 5, 2010
Charging into the Super Bowl for the first time, Kia Motors is discovering that buying a 30-second ad during the game, which will air on CBS this Sunday, is opening a few doors, namely a deeper relationship with a very big company: Google. Google is working closely with Kia and nearly all Super Bowl XLIV's 40 Super Bowl advertisers, offering them exposure far beyond the TV. The marketers that are paying up to $2.8 million for each 30-second spot can upload the ads on Google's Super Bowl Ad Blitz page, as they have in the past. But this year Google has added even more features including social media buttons that will make it easy for viewers to pass them along or "tweet" them on Twitter.
How the Nexus One Was Created
Feb 5, 2010
Google has launched a series of videos on its official Nexus One YouTube channel, documenting various details on how one of the world’s best Android phones was created.
Super Bowl XLIV Ad Quiz: 30 Brands. 30 One-Second Ads. How Many Can You Spot?
Feb 5, 2010
Seventy-five thousand fans will jam into the Sun Life Stadium on Sunday to watch the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts compete for the Super Bowl ring. If you can't afford the obscene ticket price, you can join the other hundred million who will be in their living room or man cave glued to an HDTV with guacamole, chips and six pack in hand, cheering on their favorite... commercials.
Will Pepsi Win The Super Bowl?
Feb 4, 2010
Just days before the Super Bowl, when media outlets are abuzz about all the commercials consumers can expect to see in the big game, the folks of Gastonia, N.C., a small town 25 miles west of Charlotte, are opening their newspapers to find an article about one company that will be sitting on the sidelines this year: Pepsi.
Element of Choice Draws In Online Viewers
Feb 4, 2010
Aiming to wrest more advertising revenue from online video, several companies, led by ad giant Publicis Groupe and including Microsoft, Yahoo, CBS and Hulu, have spent the past year testing online-ad formats to figure out what consumers want. It turns out they want choice. Tests found that "ad selector," a format that lets online-video watchers pick one of three companies' ads to watch, outscored other ad formats, including the much-maligned "pre-roll" ads that consumers are often required to see before viewing online video clips.
Radio Poised For First Quarterly Rebound In Three Years
Feb 3, 2010
It's been three years since radio advertising last posted quarterly revenue growth, back in the first quarter of 2007 -- three years that most recently saw Citadel Broadcasting, owner and operator of 224 stations, file for bankruptcy protection in December and long-struggling Air America shut down entirely in January. It's hard not to dread the full-year figures for 2009, due out from the Radio Advertising Bureau later this month, after the third quarter alone delivered a 21% plunge.
Budweiser Urges Fans to Vote for Super Bowl Ad Via Facebook
Feb 3, 2010
This Super Bowl, it truly does seem that the name of the game when it comes to advertising is social media. For example, Budweiser recently launched a campaign on Facebook asking fans to choose which commercial will air during the big game. According to AdAge, Budweiser is this year’s biggest advertiser — privy to five minutes of air time. The beer company launched its social media campaign on Friday, and already thousands of people are taking part. The idea, essentially, is to infiltrate every level of Facebook (Facebook). First, you might see the targeted ad for the campaign in your newsstream (see the photo above). If you are so inclined to vote, you must first become a fan of the beer:
A Clean Break With Staid Detergent Ads
Feb 3, 2010
One of the biggest — and dullest — categories in consumer marketing is showing signs of life. The category is laundry detergents, prosaic products whose advertising budgets have financed decades of soap operas and women’s magazines, not to mention enough coupon inserts to fill a googol of Sunday newspapers. (Yes, before there was “Google” there was “googol.”) The detergent business is emblematic of what is known as a low-interest category, a marketing term that means most consumers would rather watch paint dry than a commercial for such everyday products.
Hey, Go Daddy: Your Strategy Is Showing
Feb 2, 2010
Another Super Bowl, another press release from GoDaddy.com about how its "controversial" and "racy" commercial failed to make the grade among network censors. This year, the press release came more than a full week before the game, with the exhortation that: "We really thought we'd make it this time."
Super Bowl Shuffle: Why Marketers Will Shift to 'Platforms'
Feb 2, 2010
There certainly will be advertising winners (and losers) on Super Bowl Sunday but let's hope that the Monday morning quarterback chatter doesn't obscure the larger shift at hand for marketers this year. 2010 will be the year of the "platform" for advertisers. Unlike a website, banner, Facebook application or 30-second spot, a platform is an always-on digital environment that allows brands to run specific or multiple programs. The goal is to meaningfully engage consumers on multiple levels.
An Advocacy Ad Stirs a National Debate
Feb 2, 2010
For 43 years, Super Bowl viewers have watched all kinds of commercials from companies that are famous (Coca-Cola) or otherwise (Cash4Gold.com), peddling everything from automobiles to Xerox copiers. But never has there been a Super Bowl spot that took sides on a contentious social issue — until now. CBS, which will broadcast Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, has sold 30 seconds of commercial time in the game to Focus on the Family, an evangelical organization known for conservative views on subjects like abortion and gay marriage. The commercial is to feature Tim Tebow, the college football star, and his mother, Pam, discussing their anti-abortion positions.
Middle-Aged Super Bowl Showing Its Paunch
Feb 2, 2010
Who would have thought we'd ever miss the days of the Budweiser talking frogs? The main advertising buzz around this year's Super Bowl has been CBS' inability to sell discounted time and the controversial advertisers who are taking advantage of the cheap rates. In the good old days of, say, five years ago, the Super Bowl meant three things to its 90 million viewers: football, partying and ads. At 44, the Game is beginning to show its middle-age paunch, with the media focusing on its problems, not its successes. Sounds more AARP than MTV!
Investors to Get a Reading on Ad Revenue
Feb 2, 2010
Media companies have predicted a bounce back in their advertising revenue. Now, investors say, they have to come through for shares to resume their run. The economic downturn led companies to slash advertising on TV, radio, newspapers and magazines. In recent months, slower declines in ad spending fueled stock prices for U.S. media companies, including the Big Five conglomerates. Investors will get a good read this week on advertising activity. News Corp., owner of The Wall Street Journal, is expected on Tuesday afternoon to post fiscal second-quarter earnings of 20 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters, higher than the 12 cents a share from a year earlier. Before Wednesday's opening bell, Time Warner is expected to pull in fourth-quarter profit of 51 cents a share, up from 23 cents a share. The rest of the Big Five—Walt Disney, Viacom and CBS—will report earnings later this month.
Super Bowl Ad Time Is Sold Out, CBS Says
Feb 2, 2010
Ad time for the Super Bowl is sold out, according to the top ad-sales executive at CBS, the network broadcasting the contest this year on Feb. 7. "We're pacing ahead in terms of timing," said Jo Ann Ross, president-network sales, CBS Television Network. The last time CBS broadcast the event, in 2007, sell-out didn't happen until just days before kickoff, Ms. Ross said. CBS has sold the typical amount of ad inventory, she added -- "more than 60 and less than 70" 30-second spots.
Gannett Reverses Loss, Reports Smaller Ad Drop
Feb 1, 2010
Gannett Co., the largest U.S. newspaper publisher, said Monday it turned a profit in the fourth quarter, helped by a drop in one-time costs and a smaller decline in ad sales. The earnings report showed Gannett has been able to slash expenses enough to stay profitable despite steady revenue declines. Other big publishers, such as Miami Herald owner McClatchy Co., have followed a similar course in trimming staff and consolidating printing and delivery operations.
Pepsi Push Harnesses Facebook Potential
Feb 1, 2010
For the first time in 23 years, there will not be an advertisement for Pepsi during Super Bowl next weekend. Instead, PepsiCo, the soft drinks maker, which in previous years has wowed audiences with dazzling spots featuring Cindy Crawford and Britney Spears, is going online. With a $20m digital campaign that features its own website and a heavy presence on Facebook, PepsiCo is betting that a more interactive approach will resonate with consumers in the always-on age of social networking sites. "We're living in a new age with consumers," says Ralph Santana, vice-president of marketing for PepsiCo North America. "They are looking for more of a two-way dialogue, story-telling and word of mouth. Mediums like the digital space are much more conducive towards that."
Pepsi Invites the Public to Do Good
Feb 1, 2010
Decades ago, consumers were invited to “be sociable, have a Pepsi.” Now the brand wants to invite consumers to help Pepsi support social causes — and will use social media like Facebook and Twitter to help spread a message. Pepsi-Cola is formally introducing on Monday an ambitious campaign named the Pepsi Refresh Project, aimed at doing well by doing good. The brand is dedicating at least $20 million through the end of the year for donations to local organizations and causes proposed by the public in realms like health, arts and culture, the environment and education.
McDonald's Bets LeBron James Won't Be a Tiger
Feb 1, 2010
The multiyear partnership deal McDonald's signed last week with basketball star LeBron James is an early sign that the Tiger Woods debacle hasn't put marketers off celebrity endorsements altogether. But it does indicate that the landscape is subtly changing. McDonald's said Thursday that its new relationship with Mr. James will kick off with his appearance in a Super Bowl XLIV pregame commercial. The ad is a remake of "The Showdown," an iconic 1993 Super Bowl spot in which National Basketball Association legends Larry Bird and Michael Jordan sought to outdo each other with seemingly impossible shots to win a Big Mac.
5 Lessons Learned From The Front Line
Jan 29, 2010
There is no doubt that 2009 was a fierce battleground for online marketers to reach the hearts and minds of Generation Y. Between the economic downturn, the proliferation of new media and blogs and the explosive growth of social networking sites, advertisers were challenged like never before to reach millennials and do it with the tightest marketing budgets seen in years. Many marketers, such as Vitaminwater, launched great campaigns and won, while others barely made it off the battlefield.
NBC Expands Research into Massive Olympics Audience
Jan 29, 2010
NBC Universal likely won't turn a profit off its broadcast of the Winter Olympics this year, but it hopes the research it performs on the event's massive audience might generate additional ad revenue in the days and months after the last gold-medal hockey skate has left the ice. The media giant, in the midst of parent General Electric's transfer of majority ownership to Comcast Corp., intends to ratchet up its examination of Olympics viewers' media-consumption habits, building off a big test it performed during the 2008 Summer Olympics broadcast from Beijing.
Coke Unveils Integrated Super Bowl Platform
Jan 29, 2010
Coca-Cola is giving its Facebook fans an advance look at its twin Super Bowl commercials, and also using the social media platform to put its "Open Happiness" theme into action by enabling users to trigger charitable donations and pass "virtual gifts" on to friends. Starting now, each virtual Coca-Cola gift and commercial sneak-peek triggers a $1 donation by Coca-Cola to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Gift recipients receive a special Coke bottle image that is displayed on their Facebook page and newsfeed to feed the viral gift-giving dynamic.
Using Humor in a Campaign Supporting Disabled People
Jan 29, 2010
A national effort to encourage businesses to employ workers with disabilities is not your father’s hire the handicapped campaign. One difference is that the new ads are paid rather than pro bono, with an estimated budget of $4 million for the first two quarters of 2010. The ads will appear on television, in print, online and outdoors; there is also a sponsorship deal with NPR. The ads are being financed largely by agencies in 30 states that provide employment services as well as health and human services to their citizens who are disabled. The agencies have set a goal of raising $10 million for the campaign’s budget for the full year.
Volvo Launches Ads For 'Open-Minded' Folks
Jan 29, 2010
Volvo, a car brand that Ford will spin off to Chinese automaker Geely next year, is launching an ad campaign for its C70 and C30 cars. The effort, via Boston-based Arnold Worldwide, posits the cars as vehicles for open-minded folks who don't mind switching partners now and then. Media for the campaign was by Euro RSCG 4D for online advertising and MPG/Media Contacts for media planning and buying. The first ad launched in January, and the second will hit the waves in February on cable and in cinema. National print support for the C30 will begin appearing in April publications. The ads, under Volvo's new brand campaign -- "There's more to life than a Volvo. That's why you drive one" -- posits Volvo as a vehicle for those who live a rich, varied life.
Coke Ties Facebook Charity Promotion to Super Bowl Ads
Jan 28, 2010
Pepsi is putting its Super Bowl ad dollars to work by helping communities and bypassing TV spots in the game. Coca-Cola is doing the same -- but using its Super Bowl advertising as a hook. During a press event at the Dunlevy Milbank Boys & Girls Club in Harlem, Coca-Cola detailed plans to donate up to $500,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with half of the money raised through a Facebook program linked to the Super Bowl.
Verizon and its Atomic Bomb
Jan 28, 2010
We have seen several epic marketing wars: The Cola War of Coke vs. Pepsi, The Beer War of Budweiser vs. Miller, The Mouthwash War of Listerine vs. Scope and The Battery War of Duracell vs. Energizer. But they all fail in comparison to the money and firepower currently being expended in the Cellphone War between AT&T and arch-rival Verizon Wireless. Last year AT&T and Verizon Wireless spent a combined $4 billion in advertising to blast consumers with 615,000 television commercials. Yet, despite the incredible sums spent and the enormous volume flooding the airways, most consumers are still confused.
Will You Be My Frugal Valentine?
Jan 28, 2010
Madison Avenue is going high and low for Valentine’s Day, as in low prices and high technology. Valentine’s Day is always among the most commercialized holidays on the marketing calendar, offering retailers and advertisers a chance to extract money from those consumers who have managed to refill bank accounts after depleting them for Christmas shopping. The National Retail Federation estimates that Americans spent $14.7 billion last year on Valentine’s Day purchases.
Hey Stupid! Diesel Thinks You're Awesome
Jan 27, 2010
With every new day, the phrase "I'm just not the target demographic" seems to be more relevant for me. Earlier this week I saw a couple of striking posters that caught my eye. They were bold, typographic and used hot colors. That was the good part. Then I read the message: SMART LISTENS TO THE HEAD. STUPID LISTENS TO THE HEART. BE STUPID. This is a new ad campaign from Diesel fashions. Their pitch is that smart is cold, intellectual, and cautious, and has only one good idea. Stupid is exciting, hot, emotional full of possibility, and has "balls." The logic seemed pretty weak.
Will Tim Tebow's Pro-Life Bowl Ad Kill His Potential as an Endorser?
Jan 27, 2010
University of Florida star and National Football League hopeful Tim Tebow might have just thrown a penalty flag on his own future marketing ability by appearing in an anti-abortion ad scheduled to air during the Super Bowl, say sports-marketing experts. In an era when most athletes rarely, if ever, delve into politics or social causes, Mr. Tebow will be appearing in a 30-second spot for the Colorado-based conservative Christian group Focus on the Family. The ad is expected to be pro-life themed, and is slated to air during CBS's Feb. 7 broadcast of Super Bowl XLIV from Miami.
Bud Light Goes for Gags at Big Game
Jan 27, 2010
Anheuser-Busch InBev NV will shelve its Bud Light "Drinkability" slogan during the Super Bowl in a bid to resuscitate the beer's sales with funnier commercials. It's even considering benching its famous Clydesdale horses during the game. Anheuser, the world's largest brewer by revenue, has bought five minutes of commercial time during the Feb. 7 football spectacular. It is expected to air several Bud Light ads with a newly created tagline, "Here we go." The line is meant to show that Bud Light is a "catalyst for a good time," says Keith Levy, Anheuser-Busch's vice president for marketing.
Merrill Lynch Launches $20 Million Effort
Jan 27, 2010
Bank of America Merrill Lynch is launching a $20 million marketing campaign focusing on retirement planning. Themed "help2retire______" (read "help2retire blank"), the campaign encourages individuals to "fill in the blank" by identifying aspects of their working and financial lives that they want to put an end to and to focus on what matters most when planning for and during their retirement years.
What’s the Meaning of Your Message?
Jan 26, 2010
Why do most marketing messages fail to engage potential customers? Why are most internal corporate communications viewed as a bunch of baloney? Why do we distrust big media, big business, and most politicians (big or small)? It's simple, really. Have you heard the expression, "The meaning of the message is the response it elicits?" It suggests that when you communicate a message -- whether you do so face-to-face, over the telephone, on the Internet, over the airwaves, or in writing -- the message means what the receiver of the message thinks it means. And increasingly, what most messages mean to us is apparent.
The Power Of Nostalgia In Advertising
Jan 26, 2010
As we age our nostalgic yearnings grow, making us more receptive to advertisers and marketers use of what researchers call "a longing for positive memories from the past." In addition to time's arrow, this desire for nostalgia is further intensified by society's present circumstance of receding predictability and opportunity. While science is still struggling to unravel the neuro-dynamics of nostalgia, studies have identified some nostalgic cues that can be exploited and how images and sounds from the past can create favorable attitudes about products.
Hopefuls Gird for Gridiron
Jan 26, 2010
Buying Super Bowl ads has helped catapult companies like online brokerage E*Trade Financial, Internet job board Monster.com and video site Hulu into the public eye. That's why several little-known advertisers—including mobile pay-TV firm Flo TV, information provider KGB and vacation rental service HomeAway.com—are forking over millions of dollars to appear on this year's Big Game broadcast.
Miller High Life Goes Long(er), Bowl Spot Toasts Small Biz
Jan 26, 2010
Miller High Life won't be doing another one-second commercial for this year's Super Bowl. Instead, the brand will buy a 30-second spot -- but position it as being "given" to small businesses as a platform for them to tell their stories. Last year, the brand used pre-game teaser commercials starring its popular "deliveryman" (actor Windell Middlebrooks) to spread the word that it would be forgoing a standard-length commercial because spending $3 million was too much. (Due to the economy, 30-second rates are down to between $2.5 million and $2.8 million this year, according to TNS Media Intelligence.)
Intel Makes Super Bowl Comeback
Jan 25, 2010
After more than a decade, Intel returns to the Super Bowl this year to kick off a campaign for its 2010 Intel Core Processor, billed as its biggest product launch in five years. "A lot has changed in the past 13 years [since Intel's first Super Bowl campaign]. People are using computers in completely new and different ways," said Heather Dixon, Intel consumer marketing manager. "It's not just surfing the internet anymore; the No. 1 and No. 2 reasons now are social networking and videos."
Rivalries as Keen as on the Field
Jan 25, 2010
There is nothing like the big matchups at the Super Bowl as powerhouse players go head to head. For Madison Avenue, those fascinating face-offs have nothing to do with football; they pit marketers against one another in competitive categories like automobiles, credit cards, fast food and online services.
Dockers 'Men Without Pants' March to Super Bowl
Jan 22, 2010
Dockers will advertise during the Super Bowl for the first time since 2002. On Feb. 7, the apparel brand is breaking a new TV spot, which uses Shazam mobile technology to allow consumer interaction. The new 30-second ad, dubbed "Men Without Pants," is part of Dockers' ongoing "Wear the Pants" campaign, which launched in December. It will run during CBS's telecast of Super Bowl XLIV, and appropriately, will address men on the subject of modern masculinity. (The ad shows childish men marching and singing: "I Wear No Pants." The men are interrupted with a message: "Calling all men, it’s time to wear the pants.”)
Campaigns Walk the Invisible Tightrope
Jan 22, 2010
Every January, Madison Avenue gets into the betterment business, unleashing a flood of advertising that seeks to take advantage of the impulses among consumers at the start of a new year to improve themselves. Scores of millions of dollars are spent on campaigns for weight-loss plans, diet pills, low-calorie foods, gyms and fitness centers, smoking-cessation drugs and exercise equipment. Almost always, the pitches are upbeat and positive, seeking to instill feelings of empowerment and encouragement in those who want to effect change in their behavior and appearance.
Ad Results, Understanding Clients Called Key To Ad Sales
Jan 21, 2010
Some advice for media companies trying to sell ads: Promising your senior staff's full attention might not charm potential advertisers as much as you think. Ad results, understanding a marketer's business, aggressive deals on price and customer service are the real top priorities, according to a new Advertiser Perceptions survey of more than 1,500 digital, TV and print media decision-makers at both clients and agencies. Each of those four criteria were rated "very important" by at least 75% of respondents.
Audi Aims For A Super Bowl Touchdown
Jan 21, 2010
Audi hopes luxury car buyers will tune in to Super Bowl XLIV. The $2.8 million price tag for a 30-second commercial is high, but the ability to reach 95 million people in one day is important to Audi. It's a shot at distinguishing the company from big competitors, at a time when car marketers--particularly the luxury players--are reeling. Audi's U.S sales slid 5.7% to 82,716 cars sold in 2009, compared to the year before, according to Autodata.
Foreign Auto Makers Suit Up for Super Bowl
Jan 21, 2010
Foreign car makers are marketing their vehicles more aggressively in the U.S., and are making the Super Bowl a high-profile part of their strategies for wresting market share from American rivals. On Feb. 7, tens of millions of football fans will see about a half-dozen auto commercials from at least four overseas manufacturers flicker across their TV screens during the big game. Last year, three auto makers, advertised on the Super Bowl broadcast.
NBC Haunted by Its Knockout Bid for the Games
Jan 20, 2010
The Winter Olympics start in 23 days, and NBC expects to lose $200 million on them. But it didn’t have to be that way — even with an economy that has shredded NBC’s advertising assumptions. In June 2003, executives from NBC, ESPN and Fox gathered at the International Olympic Committee’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, to bid for the television rights to the 2010 Winter Games, which had not yet been awarded to Vancouver, and the 2012 Summer Games, which would be given to London.
'Tweet Me' Joins 'Love You' On Sweethearts Candy
Jan 19, 2010
The familiar candy hearts from Necco that have been a Valentine's Day tradition since the Civil War will carry a new endearment this year: "Tweet Me." The move accelerates recent commercial tie-ins for the 145-year-old Sweetheart brand, Bruce Horovitz writes, while it's a freebie public relations coup for Twitter.
If Google Goes, So Do Many Digital Marketing Opportunities in China
Jan 19, 2010
Normally China's internet censorship is a topic of hot interest for the Human Rights crowd at the State Department, but the fate of Google.cn in China should be watched closely by marketers, too. If the search site does disappear from the mainland, more is at stake than just paid search opportunities. Google is a key player in drawing advertisers to online media. The web -- and particularly the growing number of social networks -- have found the U.S. company to be a key catalyst for online marketing efforts.
Why Case Studies Fail You With Customers
Jan 18, 2010
Marketers use the term case study for a more in depth or descriptive narrative of a customer engagement, from the problem the company helped solve, to the solution used to solve it, including glowing quotes from a happy customer. So why do case studies fail you with customers? The short answer is that those were instances of success for others, and you cannot replicate exactly the same conditions that brought them there. In other words, you fail to see what was behind the implementation. Copying or relying heavily on something happened elsewhere in a different context is a waste of your time.
NBC’s Slide to Troubled Nightly Punch Line
Jan 17, 2010
At its height, NBC was the very model of what a television network should be. With iconic programming, enviable ratings and spectacular business success, the peacock network delivered plenty of laughs along the way with “The Cosby Show,” “Seinfeld” and “Friends.” Nobody is laughing anymore. Today the network is in shambles, brought down not just by the challenges facing broadcast television — fragmenting audiences, an advertising downturn — but also by a series of executive missteps that have made its prime-time lineup a perennial loser and, most recently, turned its late night programming schedule into a media circus that threatens the lucrative “Tonight Show” franchise.
Concern About Prices May Delay Bidding for Olympics
Jan 15, 2010
After years of bidding up fees for the rights to televise sports, U.S. media companies are putting on the brakes. Richard Carrion, a member of the International Olympic Committee's executive board, said the organization is seriously considering delaying until next year the bidding for the U.S. media rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics because of the ongoing struggles of broadcasters hurt by a rocky advertising market.
Oscar Mayer Counts on the Joy, Not the Jingles
Jan 15, 2010
Oscar Meyer, which has two of the most famous advertising jingles, is pushing them to the side as it introduces its biggest campaign to date. After more than 125 years in existence, the brand is spending more than $50 million on its first campaign to extend across all of its meaty products: bacon, hot dogs, premade sandwiches, bologna and sliced packaged meats. The brand wanted to emphasize its name beyond just a few well-known products, said Sean Marks, director for marketing at Oscar Mayer, a division of Kraft Foods.
After Ditching Tiger, Accenture Tries New Game
Jan 14, 2010
On Dec. 13, Accenture decided to end its six-year sponsorship of Tiger Woods. The next day, Roxanne Taylor, the global consulting firm's chief marketing officer, presented the concept for a new ad campaign to Chief Executive Bill Green. Amid salacious headlines about the golf superstar's alleged extramarital affairs, the new campaign, based on an idea Accenture's ad agency already had on hand, was put on a fast track. It would replace images of Mr. Woods with a lineup of animals pictured in ways designed to jibe with Accenture's longstanding slogan: "High Performance. Delivered."
McDonald’s Serves Up Competitive Branding At 2010 Winter Olympics
Jan 14, 2010
The 2010 Winter Olympics offers world-class athletes an intense and competitive environment to showcase their talents. Yet no other participant is preparing more intensely for the games than McDonald’s. That’s right, McDonald’s. The fast food juggernaut has devised a marketing strategy that is as specific and yet as varied as the many competitions being offered at the games next February. McDonald’s is embracing the Winter Olympics in every aspect, and will fill everywhere from host city Vancouver to social networking phenomenon Twitter with its messaging.
Online/Offline Integration: 5 Tips For Strengthening Your Brand Experience
Jan 13, 2010
With another holiday season behind us, retailers are busy crunching sales data to measure success and year over year revenue. However, this is also a good time to assess your company’s brand experience. And if yours needs improvement, integrating offline and online marketing can help.
Marketers Need To Better Understand Creativity
Jan 13, 2010
It can be said that creative advertising is like brain surgery. When advertising is artfully done it cures people of the status quo by activating neural circuitry. To be creative artfully requires a dynamic mix of imagination and understanding of how the world might work. This is not a matter of being correct, but rather a matter of making the audience wonder, provoking a self-referring reverie that elicits an expanded idea of ones-self and how the world works. As a result, we see anew.
Questionable Spin: Marketers Push The Envelope In Tough Times
Jan 12, 2010
Tough economic times are prompting mainstream marketers to try some audacious stunts to generate awareness and sales. Just last week New York outerwear company Weatherproof Garment Company posted an attention-getting billboard in Times Square. In the ad President Obama is pictured in China, where he is wearing a jacket apparently made by the company. Trouble is, Obama isn't a company spokesman. The White House called the garment company and asked it to remove the billboard, which the company's director of public relations, Allen Cohen, says it will do, with reluctance.
Online Buddy Comedy by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett Could Make You URL
Jan 11, 2010
Jason Bateman and Will Arnett are selling out-- if you can call it that anymore. The duo just announced a partnership with Ben Silverman to form a digital production company to produce shorts and commercials. Their label, ironically called DumbDumb, looks doubly smart. They plan to take their quirky eye for chuckles and leverage it to make both traditional commercial spots "low-fi, lo-tech way" online shorts for companies. And their first distributor will be Yahoo.
Location-Based Apps Hold Promise For Big Marketers
Jan 9, 2010
By now many marketers have probably played around Foursquare or Gowalla or know someone who has. For the uninitiated, these are location-based mobile applications that allow people to "check in" from stadiums, bars and bookstores and compete for "mayorship," collect badges and share tips. They are practical, addicting and lots of fun. Users of these services number in the hundreds of thousands today. That's small by national advertiser standards, but it's significant for many local advertisers, which are offering discounts to frequent visitors and offers to people who are physically nearby. This is a trend in local marketing worth noting because it promises to give national advertisers the opportunity to conjure up or attach to an emotion among smaller niche groups.
KFC Pays Indiana Cities For 'Fiery' Ad Space
Jan 6, 2010
Fast-food chain KFC is giving Indianapolis and another Indiana city $7,500 so it can emblazon founder Colonel Sanders' face on their hydrants and fire extinguishers to promote new "fiery" chicken wings. Experts say to expect more ads like this, on public property from sewer grates to the local landfill, as companies look to cut through the clutter of traditional advertising. Cash-strapped governments have long sold space on mass transit, benches, trash cans and other public property to help stretch budgets.
ING Direct Ad Takes Advantage Of Americans' Amnesia About The Stock Market
Jan 5, 2010
'Owners' tempts the young and inexperienced to 'get your share,' and implies that investing can be an expression of one's cultural politics. A tough, tasty steak of a book, Justin Fox's "The Myth of the Rational Market" arrived last fall just in time to explain how and why the smartest economists and best-managed institutions on Wall Street nearly detonated a bomb in the world's underpants.
Apple's News Strategy: Steal Google And CES Thunder
Jan 5, 2010
Apple just announced that its App Store has blown past three billion app downloads, which is impressive. But the timing is curious, as are the swirling rumors about the upcoming Apple Tablet. Is Apple trying to out-PR CES and Google?
Is Pepsi's Pass on Super Bowl an Offensive or Defensive Move?
Jan 5, 2010
The bound stacks of marketing and advertising magazines are filled with mentions of zig and zag. The marketer should zig when everyone else is zagging. Zig and zag, not coincidentally, are often put to the task of pulling the cart of increased ad spending. As in: Company X, instead of retreating during a recession, zigged when everyone else zagged, and spent more money on marketing. Full disclosure: I'm a student in that particular school of thought myself. But what happens to a marketer that zags when everyone else is zigging? We'll find out this year as PepsiCo, one of the annual big spenders in the Super Bowl, yanks all advertising for its beverage brands from the game.
Audi CMO: What U.S. Automakers Are Doing Wrong
Jan 5, 2010
German luxury brand Audi is a refreshing change from what most of the news in the auto business has been about lately. The Volkswagen subsidiary has pumped up its U.S. advertising budget by 20%, increased its market share and been surprisingly successful in marketing "clean diesel" models against competitors' hybrids. In this eight-minute video, Audi America CMO Scott Keogh recaps the company's strategies at the same time he wags his finger at what he portrays as the hopelessly bland marketing of U.S. domestic automakers.
Dr Pepper Buys Its First Super Bowl Spot
Jan 5, 2010
In an effort to drum up more interest in its recently launched Dr Pepper Cherry, Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. has bought advertising time during Super Bowl XLIV. The purchase marks the first time in the company's 125-year history that Dr Pepper will advertise during the National Football League championship, which will be broadcast by CBS Corp. on Feb 7.
When I Knew Advertising Had Completely Changed
Jan 4, 2010
During the year-and-a-half I spent researching and writing Adland, I was often asked, usually by people who knew me in my past life, "What are you doing here? Didn't you write a novel? Didn't you gleefully leave this world behind?" The simple answer was that I was writing another book. Not another novel but, ironically, a book about the past, present and future of the world I had supposedly, gleefully, left behind. Many who worked with me found this curious and funny, and not just because of the irony, but because really, who the hell am I to write a book about advertising?
Cheap Beer If You Check-In… Or Just Tweet.
Jan 4, 2010
One of the most compelling aspects of the location-based service Foursquare is that they are increasingly enticing users to check-in to venues by partnering up to offer special deals to those who do. A person who checks-in at a coffee shop and shows the barista, may get a free coffee, for example. It’s a win-win for both the service and the venue because it gets people using the app more and gets people visiting the venue more. But what if users and venues go around Foursquare and start using Twitter for that?
In Allowing Ad Blockers, a Test for Google
Jan 4, 2010
In a manifesto-like e-mail message sent last month to all Google employees, Jonathan Rosenberg, a senior vice president for product management, told them to commit to greater transparency and open industry standards. Rather than hoard knowledge to exploit it, he wrote in “The Meaning of Open,” share it and watch Google and the entire Internet prosper. With the Chrome browser, however, Google’s inclusive principles are being put to the test: a new version of the browser allows, one might even say encourages, users to stop Google ads from appearing. How Google got to such a position speaks to the inherent dynamism (or is that chaos?) of business on the Internet.
Ad Influx Brightens Hopes For Newspapers, Magazines
Jan 4, 2010
A year-end flurry of ad spending helped moderate steep declines at some newspapers and magazines, and has fueled an uptick at others, raising hopes for a recovery in 2010. Still, following a brutal 2009, when scores of publications closed or made drastic cutbacks, publishers remain wary of declaring an ad rebound as marketers selectively reopen their wallets. Publishing executives attribute the recent influx of ad money in part to marketers hurrying to spend the remainder of their annual ad budgets after doling out those funds sparingly earlier in the year amid fears of an economic collapse.
Gmail Points to Possibilities of the Coming Data Decade
Jan 4, 2010
If you threw me on a desert island (one with internet connectivity) and said that I could use only one website, it would be Gmail. For the last five years Gmail has become the most indispensable tool in my communications and productivity system. I've even found a full-fledged Twitter client, Twitgether, that integrates into Gmail. My use of Gmail is unorthodox in that I also use it as a massive database -- a backup brain. For years now I have been e-mailing myself articles that I think I might need later. Along the way, Gmail gives me a preview of what the algorithmic, personalized future of advertising and media will undoubtedly resemble.
Melanie Wells On Marketing And Advertising
Dec 30, 2009
Marketers will try to convince consumers that behavioral targeting doesn't violate their privacy. Companies have collected online data about consumers and their Web habits for several years. This information helps them figure out which consumers will be most receptive to ads for their products. 2010 will be the year when the marketers, media companies and consumer watchdogs find out if consumers believe--and if they care--that behavioral targeting violates their privacy.
Geico Poses 'Rhetorical Questions'
Dec 30, 2009
Geico today broke a new campaign dubbed "Rhetorical Questions," which is the latest of at least four other concurrent campaigns for the auto insurance provider. The new effort, via The Martin Agency, spotlights the savings car owners get when they switch to Geico insurance. The four spots, however, don't feature any of the company's mascots like the Gecko, the Cavemen, or Kash. Instead, Geico tapped actor Mike McGlone (from The Brothers McMullen) to play a reporter who asks rhetorical questions, such as: "Does Elmer Fudd have trouble with the letter R?" and "Did The Waltons take way too long to say goodnight?"
Google Executive Eyes Advert Revolution
Dec 29, 2009
When asked what his title as president of Google’s sales operations and business development means, Nikesh Arora answers: “I’m basically responsible for the business side.” At Google – whose engineers can sometimes be accused of being on missions unconnected with the bottom line – this means working out the future of advertising in the digital economy Google helped create.
Fewer Actors, Other Trends You'll See in 2010
Dec 29, 2009
The economy may continue its gradual recovery next year, but advertising is expected to show the influence of the recession through 2010. Don't expect a letup in the rough-and-tumble sales pitches that hit the airwaves, Web and magazines this year, as advertisers like Campbell Soup and Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group, took direct aim at their competitors. Advertising executives expect such barbed comparison ads to continue. Other companies, meanwhile, will be showing their softer sides. In the bleak aftermath of the recession, many marketers think consumers will respond to brands they perceive as giving back to the community.
Chief Reputation Officer: Whose Job Is It, Anyway?
Dec 28, 2009
In the 20th century, PR and marketing were separate but unequal career paths, and CMO was the highest-ranking and most-respected title to which one in those jobs could aspire. The standard career paths in these areas were relatively linear: As a lead communicator, you went to j-school, did a turn in journalism or an agency and then apprenticed under a "gray hair" boss until he retired. This is compared with the typical path of a chief marketing officer, who got his or her M.B.A. in marketing, hired agencies that made him or her look good, learned how to manage big budgets and award-winning creative and then got in the running for the corner office. Today that is changing because of the increasing importance of reputation management.
Brands Continue to Keep It 'Real,' but for How Long?
Dec 22, 2009
There's still nothing like the real thing. Or so say food marketers looking to stand out in the mass-produced herd. What really is "real" could eventually be for the government to determine. In the meantime, real people drink Caribou, real dogs eat Alpo, real sandwiches have Hellmann's and Canada Dry ginger ale is made with real ginger. Don't bother taking notes, because Wendy's says "You know when it's real" anyway. Advertised "real" foods, products, services and even experiences aren't new, but they're on the rise.
Babies and Tigers: Best and Worst Ads of 2009
Dec 22, 2009
Madison Avenue gave a nod to grim economic realities in this year's crop of ads, but also pitched plenty of escapist fare—both inspired and goofy. The industry was struggling through one of the worst business climates it has seen in decades. Global ad spending plummeted 10%, according to ZenithOptimedia, a media-buying company owned by Publicis Groupe. Cash-strapped advertisers cut the fees they pay their advertising firms, and tens of thousands of ad jobs were lost. Some of the country's largest firms, such as WPP's JWT, were forced to close once-thriving outposts in markets such as Chicago. Well-known agencies such as Cliff Freeman & Partners ("Where's the Beef?") were forced to close shop completely. From reviews of major campaigns and interviews with advertising executives, here are our choices for some of the best and worst marketing maneuvers of 2009.
Domestos Take the Fight to the Own Label Bullies
Dec 21, 2009
Hot on the tails of the recent post on Heinz's "It has to be Heinz" campaign comes another example of a big brand taking the fight to the own label bully boys. This one is from Domestos, the bleach for cleaning your toilet. Surely this is a "commodity category" where brands have no role to play, and own label will take over? Well, Domestos don't agree. They have done a great job over decades to consistently communicate their power in the fight against germs with the endline "Kills 99.9% of all known germs. Dead". Their latest ad uses the idea "Cheap bleach is finished".
American Apparel Grabs YouTube's Long Tail
Dec 18, 2009
One of YouTube's greatest challenges with advertisers has been the notion that it's a repository for clips of dogs riding skateboards. But one marketer, at least, sees this as a plus. American Apparel has been targeting ads to over 100 videos of pets, including a clip of a skateboarding canine, to promote its line of dog clothing. The Los Angeles-based brand chose the videos based on suggestions from employees. "It would be hard to do an advertisement on the back page of LA Weekly or a fashion magazine for the dog T-shirt," noted Ryan Holiday, a Web marketing executive at American Apparel.
Spendthrift to Penny Pincher: A Vision of the New Consumer
Dec 17, 2009
The economy appears to have begun recovering after the worst recession in half a century. But businesses ranging from shoemakers to financial services to luxury hotels don't expect American consumers to return to their spendthrift ways anytime soon. They see consumers emerging from the punishing downturn with a new mind-set: careful, practical, more socially conscious and embarrassed by flashy shows of wealth. Much as the 1930s shaped the spending habits of an entire generation, many companies now anticipate a shift in consumer behavior that persists even after jobs and growth get back closer to normal.
Magazines Get Ready for Tablets
Dec 16, 2009
Magazine publishers are taking a mulligan. After letting the Internet slip away from them and watching electronic readers like the Kindle from Amazon develop without their input, publishers are trying again with Apple iPhones and, especially, tablet computers. Although publishers have not exactly been on the cutting edge of technology, two magazines — Esquire and GQ — have developed iPhone versions, while Wired and Sports Illustrated have made mockups of tablet versions of their print editions, months before any such tablets come to market. Publishers are using the opportunity to fix their business model, too.
Google Bets On Display Ads In 2010
Dec 15, 2009
Online display advertising, viewed as inefficient and time-consuming for many marketers, has been a tough sell in recent years. Google aims to change that. In 2010, Google expects the "if you build it, they will come" model to pay off. The company rolled out a new version of its DoubleClick ad exchange in September to open display ad buying to more marketers. "Make it as easy as possible for people to buy display ads, and the pie will grow," says Neal Mohan, vice president of product management at Google in Mountain View, Calif.
Retailer Asks Holiday Shoppers To Take A Hike
Dec 15, 2009
Among the seasonal songs that radio stations play before Christmas is the 1949 pop hit “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” A retailer is introducing commercials that reminds shoppers just how cold, wet and uncomfortable it can get outside -- and just how enjoyable that can turn out to be. The commercials are the first that the retailer, REI, has ever run on television. They are part of a holiday campaign that also includes radio commercials; print and online ads; direct marketing; e-mail messages; signs in stores; presences on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; search-engine marketing; and ads on the REI Web site.
Seismic Shift In Targeted Ads, Media
Dec 14, 2009
At November's "Media & Money" conference, I presented on "The Seismic Shift in Targeted Advertising & Media." For all of its negative press and terrible operating results, the airline industry has produced a brilliant success that has the potential to turn the advertising and media business upside down: yield management.
H&R Block Drops 'People' In Attempt to 'Get It Right'
Dec 13, 2009
H&R Block, which seems to update its tagline and ad approach as often as the IRS tweaks its tax codes, is back with a new campaign themed “Get it right.” The campaign, which broke this month, is a manifestation of major changes at the company of late.
Do These Vuitton Ads Stretch Too Far?
Dec 11, 2009
Bling is out, enduring quality is in. That’s the message this holiday season from makers of luxury goods, who are betting that even in a shaky economy, shoppers will still pay serious money for fine craftsmanship. Instead of sexy models flaunting handbags and lots of skin, Louis Vuitton’s current ad campaign features Vermeer-inspired images of demure young women hand-finishing purses and wallets at a workshop table. One ad is entitled “The Young Woman and the Tiny Folds,” another “The Seamstress With Linen Thread and Beeswax. There’s just one tiny detail missing. Hardly any Vuitton bags or wallets are handmade.
AOL’s Ho-Hum Debut
Dec 11, 2009
AOL began its life anew as independent company on Thursday, when Time Warner completed the spin-off of the Internet company nearly a decade after it merged with it in one of the most disastrous combinations in corporate history. Investors and the media seemed to greet the event with little more than a collective “ho-hum.” Tim Armstrong, who became chief executive of AOL in March, rang the opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange. He then headed for a press conference, as AOL’s shares dipped around 2.5 percent in morning trading.
Uptick In Global Ad Spending Is Forecast For 2010
Dec 9, 2009
It was not exactly a rousing chorus of “Happy Days Are Here Again,” but the predictions for next year by three forecasters of advertising spending had Madison Avenue smiling, however faintly, on Tuesday. The predictions all called for an increase in worldwide ad spending in 2010 compared with 2009, which by most measures will end up as the worst year in decades. Still, there were caveats, among them an expectation for a less robust recovery in the United States than in other markets and continued weakness in demand for ads in print media like magazines and newspapers.
How The Droid Took Root All Over the Web
Dec 9, 2009
So is the Droid the iPhone killer? So far, no, but it's off to a very respectable launch thanks to some smart seeding by Verizon. Analysts estimate Verizon sold between 100,000 and 200,000 Droids in its opening weekend; the wireless carrier should sell a total of 765,000 Droids by year-end, according to Avian Securities' forecast. At this pace, Droid, which was released in early November, would slightly trail the performance of the first Blackberry Storm, which sold a million units by the end of January after going on sale just before Thanksgiving last year.
Forecasters Predict Ad Stabilization in 2010
Dec 7, 2009
The global advertising market will start to stabilize next year, following double-digits declines in 2009, but more-established markets such as the U.S. won't gain steam for some time, according to some of Madison Avenue's most closely watched forecasts. Fallout from the global financial crisis will linger in the U.S. ad market in 2010, the forecasts say. Interpublic Group media agency Magna predicts that U.S. ad revenues—the revenue reaped by media companies in selling ad space and time—will grow just 0.2% to $162.7 billion and reach low-single-digit growth rates by 2012. Publicis Groupe's Zenith Optimedia, which tracks ad spending instead, projects that it will shrink 2.6% to $144 billion in the U.S next year.
Nicorette Puffs $15 Million Into Ad Blitz
Dec 7, 2009
Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline wants people to know that it "sucks" to quit smoking, but there's a way to make it "suck less." The maker of Nicorette, an over-the-counter nicotine-infused gum that helps some cigarette smokers wean themselves off nicotine, is launching a $15 million campaign that will break on prime-time TV networks ABC, CBS ( CBS - news - people ) and NBC this Monday. The ad blitz, created by Omnicom ad agency TBWAChiatDay, will feature four 30-second spots with the tagline, "Quitting sucks. Nicorette Makes It Suck Less," that will air until April. Print ads that look like an open letter to cigarette lovers (saying, "Dear Smokers, 2010 is going to suck") will run in magazines such as ESPN, Time and People. The company will spend $15 million between now and the middle of 2010, then another $15 million in the second half of the year.
As Part Of Comcast Deal, GE Promises To Keep Advertising
Dec 7, 2009
Now that Comcast and NBC Universal have agreed to merge, what happens to all the ad revenue NBC properties get from their No. 1 advertiser, General Electric? Turns out, part of the deal includes a guarantee that GE will continue to advertise on NBC properties. As part of the purchase agreement, GE is contractually obligated to continue to spend "no less than $59 million of gross advertising" with the merged Comcast-NBCU each year, for a five-year period starting the year after the deal closes. And it must purchase an additional $50 million in connection with the 2012 Olympic Games.
A Big Name In Tech Tries A Common Touch
Dec 4, 2009
As the company that makes the plumbing of the Internet, Cisco Systems rakes in the cash, but it is hardly a top technology brand among consumers, in the way of Apple or Microsoft. While it specializes in corporate equipment, Cisco does, in fact, sell some consumer gear. The problem is that Cisco’s efforts to hawk such products have been lackluster. (Ever heard of Cisco’s home stereos? Exactly.)
Using 'Fuzzy Analytics' To Accurately Measure TV Ad Performance
Dec 2, 2009
To many, tracking the success of TV ads is like admiring a Monet -- it's a beautiful picture when taken as a whole, but not meant to convey detail. When it comes to measurement, most TV advertisers know audience reach, some demographics and probably some level of top-line results. Admittedly, it doesn't match the depth and granularity of data we can get for online campaigns, where we know who's responding to our ads, what they're doing on our websites, how much time they spend there and whether or not they complete a purchase.
AT&T Joins NYC & Company
Dec 2, 2009
Telecom giant AT&T has partnered with NYC & Company, the official tourism and marketing organization for the city of New York, on a two-year advertising agreement. The deal provides AT&T with various platforms to promote itself and its Yellowpages.com and YPmobile brands to the market, while sponsoring some of NYC & Company's latest efforts to tout the city's attractions.
For Most, Marketing Budgets Flat This Holiday
Dec 1, 2009
Even though retailers are hoping for much stronger sales than last year, they're not spending more on marketing to get them. BDO Seidman's poll of retailing CMOs reports that 55% say this year's holiday advertising budget is flat this year. In last year's survey, only 43% said so. Only 19% have upped the ad ante, leaving 26% who have cut spending. But the results may be a little misleading, Catherine Fox-Simpson, a partner in the firm's retail and consumer product practice, tells Marketing Daily. "Ad pricing is down significantly this year," she says. "Ad space costs a lot less now than it did a few years ago, so retailers can get a lot more bang for their buck. Even if advertising budgets are flat, there could be significantly more advertising now than in years past simply by virtue of pricing being down."
The Year's Best Marketing
Nov 30, 2009
Great branding and marketing happened all the time in 2009, only it often occurred in some less noticed and most unlikely places. In fact, I'm not sure we possess the right criteria or language to agree on what "great" even means. So many things have changed − from our channels to our expectations − that much of what was celebrated in the media (and promptly resold to other clients) just left me flat. I had this sneaking suspicion that we were missing something all year long.
Twitter Ads Are Evil: Here’s Why
Nov 30, 2009
Advertisers are frustrated. You’re all having direct conversations with friends on Twitter, Facebook, blogs and the rest while totally bypassing the mass mediums they understand. Rather than consuming content all day on TV, in newspapers and on the radio, you’re engaging, one-to-one, with individuals you trust. They can’t get in the middle of that. They hate it. So it’s perhaps predictable that we’re experiencing the rise of in-stream Twitter advertising.
Is Marketing a Strategic Resource or a Procured Commodity?
Nov 25, 2009
When Sir Martin Sorrell, Executive Chairman of the WPP Group and for two decades arguably the most powerful individual in advertising, appeared on The Charlie Rose Show last May, the conversation was more remarkable for what he didn’t say than for what he did say.
Cheap and Cheerful for the Holidays
Nov 25, 2009
With only a month left before Christmas, it seems clear that consumers, worried about the economy and unemployment, will need considerable incentives — in the form of big sales and deals — to buy anything. As a result, campaigns are celebrating price cuts, discounts and bargains in a manner that the British call “cheap and cheerful.” It is a far cry from the holidays of not so long ago, when commercials suggested giving luxury cars as gifts by topping them with red bows — and never mentioned the sticker shock.
Google Adds TiVo Data
Nov 24, 2009
Google has signed a license agreement with DVR company TiVo that enables the Internet search provider to integrate TiVo set-top box viewing data into its measurement of audiences for inventory sold through the Google TV Ads platform. The deal adds approximately 1.6 million subscribers to the universe of set-top boxes that Google TV Ads has to draw on to analyze the second-by-second TV viewing behavior of audiences. Google also has a deal with Dish Network and access to more than 13 million set-top boxes via the satellite carrier.
Stores Line Up Early For Black Friday Throw-Down
Nov 24, 2009
While retailers have been tempting holiday shoppers all month with pre-Black Friday deals, the fiercest of the price-cut showdowns begins this Friday at 5 a.m. Wal-Mart Stores, Best Buy, Target, JCPenney and Kohl's are already blaring their best prices online, offering lots of cross-channel options that make it easier for shoppers to choose store, web, or both. (JC Penney, which has vowed this will be its biggest Black Friday sale ever, is even pushing the insomniac envelope, opening stores at 4 a.m.)
Neither Red State Nor Blue State, But Toy State
Nov 23, 2009
Billy Joel sings about “a New York state of mind.” Can a campaign centered on a brand character named Ripp help put children -- and the parents who shop for them -- in a Toy State state of mind? Toy State is the name of a Chinese company, based in Hong Kong, that markets motorized playthings, primarily to boys ages 4 to 7, under brand names like Road Rippers and Caterpillar. The toys are sold by retailers that include Kmart, Target, Toys “R” Us and Target.
We Have Seen The Future, And It Is Old
Nov 23, 2009
Have you seen the advertising campaign for Dos Equis beer featuring "The Most Interesting Man in the World?" Each commercial depicts exploits from the "interesting man's" past, or he offers insight on a particular topic. For example, on the topic of "Life" he says, "It is never too early to start beefing up your obituary." What we find especially interesting is that the unnamed character is an older man. In fact, he is played by a long-time character actor named Jonathan Goldsmith.
Verizon, AT&T Feud Is Good For Business
Nov 23, 2009
The ongoing dispute between Verizon Wireless and AT&T over advertised coverage area -- coupled with a new phone for Verizon-- looks to be a buzz benefit for both companies. According to YouGovPolimetrix's BrandIndex, which takes the measure of positive vs. negative talk about a certain brand, buzz for both companies has increased in the two weeks between Nov. 2 and Nov. 19. At the beginning of the period, AT&T's buzz was at about 7.7, while Verizon's was around 21.3. By the end of the time period, AT&T's had risen to 14, while Verizon's had risen to 32.3.
Oodles Love Google, But Wouldn't Exactly Call It 'Fun'
Nov 19, 2009
Drum roll, please. Search engine Google topped Forrester Research's survey of consumers' favorite online brands, though respondents ranked the company low on qualities like "trustworthy," "relevant" and "fun." Forty-four percent of consumers rate Google as their favorite online brand in 2009, compared with 36% in 2007. The search engine dominates in wealthy homes. Fifty-five percent of those bringing home more than $100,000 annually rank Google No. 1. It appears relevance is still a weakness for search engines. None ranked above 35% in this category. In fact, only 25% of Google fans rate the engine as relevant. That's a category where Yahoo and Microsoft inch ahead at 33% and 30%, respectively. Meanwhile, only 35% of Google fans view the brand as trustworthy and reliable, while only 6% of YouTube fans say that company had the same attribute.
Apple Envy
Nov 19, 2009
'Tis the season to diss Apple in some very creative and entertaining ways. I'm just not sure whether it's a sign of strategic marketing insight, or fishbowl-like confusion of message over meaning. First came Microsoft's "I'm a PC" campaigns, with its snippets of slice-of-life everypeople declaring their stereotypical lifestyles, and then shoppers explaining how they'd first looked at an Apple but then chose a PC because it was a better value. I'm all for comparison ads but the nonsense of contrasting PC-ness with Apple-ness is kind of silly.
Sony Retunes $5bn Ad Budget
Nov 18, 2009
Sony is looking to concentrate its nearly $5bn annual advertising firepower on a smaller number of products to “reinvent its marketing”, senior executives at the company said. The company fears it is being outgunned by competitors that spend heavily to promote specific products or categories, such as Apple with the iPod or iPhone, Samsung in televisions, or Canon in digital cameras. As a result, Sony believes, even when its device is superior it might not sell as well.
Wag The Dog
Nov 17, 2009
Savvy sports sponsorship buyers already know that in most circumstances sponsorship performs best when evaluated over the long-term and when it features "ownership" of a distinctive piece of the action. For instance, having an in-game feature is more effective, dollar for dollar, than being in the middle of the :30 spot parade. Add to this a relatively new strategy: Adding foreign language rights to a general sponsorship. If the sponsorship being considered is official status with one of the stick and ball sports, let's say MLB, it would be smart to enlarge that sponsorship domain to include Latino, Asian or even all foreign language rights.
Consumers Use Cellphones In Interesting Ways
Nov 17, 2009
Mobile advertising seemed like the next big thing just about 10 years ago. Now it has arrived. With widespread adoption of advertising-friendly smart phones, such as the iPhone, Blackberry and the new Droid, marketers are finally ready to divvy out their budgets to mobile. This year, mobile ad spending is expected to hit $416 million, up 30% over last year. By 2013, marketers will spend around $1.6 million, according to research firm eMarketer. How marketers should pitch their wares may be determined by consumer behavior. So what are people doing on their cellphones?
Godiva Rides in a New Direction
Nov 16, 2009
At a time when many consumers are drinking tap water rather than bottled water, shopping at Wal-Mart rather than department stores and eating in rather than dining out, a high-end chocolatier is making over its marketing to better fit in with the new mood. The Godiva brand of chocolate is introducing a campaign that carries the theme “the golden moment.” The campaign, with a budget estimated at $3.5 million to $4 million, is the first work for Godiva from its new agency, Lipman in New York. The campaign, composed of print and out-of-home advertising, does not seek to reposition Godiva as an alternative to Hershey or other mass-market candy brands. Nor does it suggest, as so many ads for upscale products do these days, that Godiva is a good value. Rather, the campaign seeks to explain why Godiva is still worth buying during tough times, using an emotional appeal to make the case that a brief respite to indulge oneself — “the golden moment,” as it were — is as desirable now as it was when the Dow was at 14,000.
Welch's Heads to the Vineyards
Nov 13, 2009
Welch's is gearing up to promote its grapes and the vineyards they come from. Today (Wednesday), it launches its "Real. Grape. Goodness" campaign across television and digital, and will be rolling out print ads beginning in December. The effort will focus on the natural qualities of Welch's 100% Grape Juice and the farmers who grow the grapes. Food Network star Alton Brown continues in his role as brand spokesperson.
The Digital Economy's Coming Subprime Crisis (And What You Can Learn From It)
Nov 12, 2009
Are crises predictable? That's what most economists are thinking about these days. The great Hyman Minsky spent a lifetime building a model of macroeconomic crisis, striving to do exactly that. I spent an afternoon building, presented for you here, a tiny model of microeconomic crises: how industries crash and collapse. Our subject? Why media just might be the new Wall Street.
Flip's Quest in First Major Ad Push: Become a Lifestyle Brand
Nov 10, 2009
Flip, the Cisco-owned maker of pocket-sized camcorders, wants to go mass, and it's hoping its first, multimillion-dollar ad campaign, launched today, will establish it as a lifestyle brand. For a company that has previously eschewed big media buys in favor of grassroots marketing, it's a new strategy. But there's a lot at stake for the player that invented the sub-category of dummy-proof, affordable camcorders priced around or below the $200 range. For starters, it needs to quickly capitalize on the market's growth before it tapers off, thanks in part to competition from video-camera-enabled smartphones.
A Brand Favored by Muscle Men Wants to Appeal to More Women
Nov 10, 2009
SALES of vitamins and minerals are projected to grow more than 6 percent this year — to $11.2 billion, from $10.6 billion in 2008 — according to Mintel, a market research firm, and that bump may come not in spite of the economic downturn, but because of it. “Economy-conscious consumers concerned with avoiding illness, and thus avoiding sick days, turn to supplements to maintain good health,” Mintel wrote in a recent report. “People tend to take better care of themselves when there are tough economic conditions,” said Joe Fortunato, chief executive of GNC, the vitamin and supplement retailer. A healthy diet, exercise and supplements “are a way to reduce health care costs down the road,” Mr. Fortunato said.
HTC Gets You
Nov 10, 2009
Ever since Yahoo introduced its "It's y!ou" campaign last September, it seems like we've been getting "you-ed" up the wazoo in advertising. Granted, technology is having a customizable moment and the use of the y-word reflects this. But there's more than one layer of irony in multiple advertisers attempting to target millions of people with messages about their individuality.
A Magazine Promises Ads Will Register
Nov 9, 2009
The Week magazine is making a new guarantee to advertisers: that its readers will remember an ad in its pages more than ads in most competitive magazines. “We were trying to think, what’s the most accountable thing you could do?” said Steven Kotok, president of The Week. “This is a way they can say when they buy The Week, they know it’s money well spent, because we’re guaranteeing it will be among the most effective ads they purchase,” Mr. Kotok said.
Amid Transition, Rivals are Descending on Apple
Nov 9, 2009
Apple, once untouchable in terms of marketing, has gotten a little roughed up lately. For much of the decade, Apple got away with bashing longtime adversary Microsoft without repercussions. Apple also dominated the MP3 player category without a serious rival. But now, as Microsoft has reinvigorated its marketing and it navigates into the phone handset category, suddenly everyone is bashing Apple.
After a Brutal Year, Marketers Regroup to Share War Stories and Ideas
Nov 6, 2009
A year ago, 1,200 executives in marketing, advertising and the media attended an annual conference that by coincidence took place a month after the financial crisis began. Together, they stared into the abyss, wondering what conditions would be when — or if — they met again. The sky has not fallen, at least so far, and most of those executives are now gathering for the 2009 conference. Many of them are saying, “What a difference a year makes.” Others, however, are wondering, “What difference does a year make?”
Crowdsourcing a Discussion on Crowdsourcing: Agency Nil, Anomaly and Victors & Spoils
Nov 5, 2009
If it seems like you’ve been hearing a lot about crowdsourcing lately, it’s because you have. Crowdsourcing is one of those buzz words, like synergy or viral that people are throwing around now to cover just about anything. According to Wikipedia, the term was coined in a June 2006 Wired magazine article by Jeff Howe. My first experience with the concept came when I participated in The Beast, the Alternate Reality Game tied to the Steven Spielberg movie, A.I., back in 2001. As a member of the 6,000+ strong Cloudmakers group, I joined fans from across the world to solve puzzles and interact within this fantastic fictional world. We worked together to create a ‘collective detective’ that competed against the puzzle makers, not against each other, and it was brilliant. And now crowdsourcing is very much in vogue.
Kayak.com's First National Ads Aim To 'Flip' On Awareness
Nov 5, 2009
The Kayak.com travel search engine is hoping to "flip" from a well-kept secret among frequent travelers to a tool used by mainstream travelers every day. After discovering earlier this year that 68% of consumers who use online travel sites had never heard of Kayak, the company decided to focus on marketing. This week, Kayak is launching its first national advertising campaign on TV, online and outdoors, created by its new agency of record, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. The creative features the tagline: "Search one and done," a device that resembles the traditional destination/time flip display boards once found in train stations and airports around the world, and a new logo based on this "flippy" device.
Hal Varian: The Google Ad Economy
Nov 5, 2009
Google's Android software will soon be powering Motorola phones, but for the 11-year-old Internet giant, advertising is still king. Google beat analysts' estimates last quarter, thanks to brisk advertising sales. In October the company announced that its third-quarter revenue increased 7% from the same period last year, to $5.94 billion. Net income rose 27% to $1.64 billion. Google accounts for roughly a third of all online ad spending in the U.S.
National Newspapers' New Focus: Local Markets
Nov 4, 2009
National news outlets' battle to provide local news and win local advertisers is suddenly heating up fast. The Wall Street Journal's new weekly San Francisco Bay Area edition will appear for the first time tomorrow, confronting a similar Fridays-and-Sundays push from The New York Times that began there on Oct. 16. The Journal is simultaneously planning to hire new reporters for metro coverage of the New York area, according to insiders who confirmed a New York Times report breaking that news yesterday. And The Times plans to introduce a Chicago edition in the next few weeks, fed by a deal with the new Chicago News Cooperative.
For a Men's Body Lotion, a Rugged Messenger
Nov 4, 2009
In the new campaign — a collaboration between ESPN and the New York office of Bartle Bogle Hagarty — and a new Web site, StrongerSkin.com, Vaseline, a Unilever brand, explores new territory for men’s grooming. While new categories like men’s body spray, shower gel and facial scrubs have surged in the last decade, major brands like Axe, Old Spice and Gillette have not introduced below-the-neck moisturizers.
Diageo's Walsh Sees 'Slow' Recovery as U.S., Europe Trail Asia
Nov 3, 2009
Diageo Plc Chief Executive Officer Paul Walsh said the world’s largest liquor maker will see a “long and slow” recovery from recession in its biggest markets, and plans to compensate by expanding in emerging economies. The U.S. and Europe will take more time than Asia to rebound, Walsh, 54, said in an interview at Diageo’s London offices. Countries such as Mexico and Brazil have been “almost business as usual” through the slowdown, the CEO said, adding that China has seen a “sharp, V-shaped recovery” as a result of the country’s $586 billion stimulus package.
NAD: The Plug Stops Here
Nov 2, 2009
Welcome to a day in the life of the National Advertising Division, an arm of the national Council of Better Business Bureaus that, outside of advertising's legal circles, is pretty much unknown to the public. But since 1971 the NAD, an adjudicative body made up of fewer than 10 attorneys, has had one of the most powerful and influential jobs in the marketing universe: It gets to tell brands what they can and cannot say in their advertising.
Don't Fall Into The ROI Trap
Nov 2, 2009
Nobody's arguing that SEM (both in its paid and organic subspecialties) can deliver ROI. But viewing ROI as a primary and exclusive goal for your organization's search campaigns is dangerously myopic. Here's why:
How Will "Augmented Reality" Affect Your Business?
Nov 2, 2009
My colleague Anand and I think that augmented reality is going to be a big deal for businesses. What is it? It is the idea that locations, devices, even the human body will be "augmented" by linking and overlaying additional information on top of "regular" reality. Anand and I think augmented reality will change at least the following five things:
What TV Shows Are Really Selling
Oct 30, 2009
After a U.S. senator was shot on Fox's drama "24" this year, another character blurted out the make and model of the assassin's submachine gun. The German brand had been prominent in so many episodes of "24" that gun-enthusiast bloggers, among others, speculated whether the company was paying to advertise on the show.
Esquire's Six-Figure Augmented Reality Issue Turns Old Media New, Kind Of
Oct 29, 2009
If you can't have a magazine e-reader that mimics print, you might as well have a print edition that mimics digital. Or tries to, anyhow. This seems to be the driving notion behind the December issue of Esquire, in which about half a dozen pages are enhanced with augmented reality features; hold them up to a Webcam, and the images on the screen come to life. Hold the cover up to a Webcam, and cover subject Robert Downey Jr. steps off the page in 3-D, offering a primer on Esquire's augmented reality issue while the cover copy flies off the cover behind him. Tilt the magazine and the on-screen animation moves in sync. The effect is triggered by a box, displayed prominently (and a bit jarringly) between Downey's legs on the cover that allows the computer to interact and communicate with the printed page. The effect, needless to say, is pretty cool if not a bit over-the-top.
The World’s First Crowdsourced Ad Agency
Oct 29, 2009
Victors & Spoils launched today, touting itself as the “world’s first creative (ad) agency built on crowdsourcing principles.” The agency’s crowdsourced approach stems from identifying the need for companies, brands and agencies to be radically transparent, to address the consumer’s demand to be more involved and from a growing cost consciousness regarding clients’ budgets. Recognizing that the crowdsourcing paradigm can feel a bit unruly for most clients, Victors & Spoils will face the daunting challenge of identifying an array of possible crowdsourced solutions and keeping them on-strategy for their clients.
Walt Whitman and the Levi's Ad
Oct 27, 2009
Wieden + Kennedy uses the words of Walt Whitman in their current work for Levi's (the "America" and "Pioneer" spots in the "Go Forth" campaign). They actually use Whitman's voice as well, recovering it from wax cylinders from the 1880s. At first, it feels presumptuous. Whitman is perhaps the American poet. He helped grasp what America was and fashion the ideas that made it something we could think. It is not too much to say he helped found America. To see his language and voice leveraged for commercial purposes, is at first a little breathtaking.
Many Big Marketers Go on the Hunt for New Agencies
Oct 26, 2009
A long list of major marketers, including General Motors, Yum Brands and Emirates Airlines, are on the prowl for new advertising firms, a signal that the ad recession may be easing but not necessarily a herald of better days for Madison Avenue. During the economic downturn, many companies held off on searching for new ad partners. Reviews to select a new ad agency can be disruptive—and expensive. The process can run a marketer $50,000 to $100,000 for a domestic review and several hundred thousand dollars for a global one involving many regions, industry executives say. But the hunt appears to be on again. "Clearly we are seeing the beginnings of an ad recovery. The volume of ad reviews is way up," says Russell Wohlwerth, principal of Ark Advisors, a consulting firm that matches ad firms with marketers.
Twitter's Business Model: Brilliant or Non-Existent?
Oct 26, 2009
It has become a popular game, even among investors who should know better, to dismiss Twitter based on lack of a business model. But there is a difference between not generating income and lack of a business model. I believe that, in just a few short months, Twitter will show the world that not only do they have a business model, but that theirs is the most sophisticated around. As the founders have admitted, they did not necessarily plan out their success. But the result of their outside funding and considerable valuation is that they have been free to watch and learn what might be possible. Most publishers talk about the two common monetization streams — advertising and subscribers — as though there are no other options. As many have seen over the last year, dependence upon advertising is a slippery slope in a downturn.
Online Rally May Sidestep Newspapers
Oct 26, 2009
It was a good day for newspaper Web sites when Mercedes-Benz USA introduced its updated E-Class cars this summer. Mercedes bought out the ad space on the home pages of The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and had those sites create special 3-D ads for them, at an estimated cost of $100,000 a site. The days after were not as good. While Mercedes was happy with the newspaper sites’ performance, it shifted money to cheaper, more tightly aimed ads bought through networks, which bundle ad space from many Web sites.
Ads Aren't Augmented Reality
Oct 26, 2009
Augmented Reality, or "AR," is one of the ideas buzzing around the advertising world these days. The premise is that consumers don't want to look at static ads any longer, so there are various ways to augment them with technology that makes them move, speak, or appear in 3-D. Unlike passive advertising, AR embeds interactivity that lets people engage with marketing content. Cool. Only that's not AR. It's just a fancy name for creating ads for the sake of creating ads. The industry would do well to avoid pursuing the sham.
New Verizon Ads Take Direct Aim at IPhone, but What Are They Selling?
Oct 20, 2009
Whatever rumors were brewing a few months ago that Apple would break its exclusivity with AT&T and take its iPhone to other carriers, it's a good bet they can be put to bed for now. Less than two weeks after Verizon Wireless aired a TV commercial that takes aim at AT&T's network service, it's now going straight for the iPhone. The teaser campaign, which plugs the new Android device and debuted Saturday night during the playoff game between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels, is, however, causing some head-scratching.
Social Media's Clumsy Ad Model Needs New Moves
Oct 20, 2009
Social media advertising has stumbled in its current form, and needs new choreography. That’s the blunt message that media consultancy Media Link has for MySpace. Media Link has been advising MySpace since August, following a major executive shakeup at the troubled News Corp. unit. That message might as well be aimed at the entire social media landscape, which generates a disproportionate amount of ad impressions but commands such low prices that some in the industry even speculate it could hinder an expected online advertising recovery.
Adult Toilet Training, From Madison Ave.
Oct 20, 2009
With the prevalence these days of commercials for erectile dysfunction drugs and risqué network programming, however, tissue brands also are growing more frank. In a 2008 Cottonelle spot by JWT, New York, actors sat on scorching car hoods or fell on their posteriors while rollerblading, and a voiceover intoned, “The world is a tough place on bottoms.” The campaign introduced a slogan still used today: “Be kind to your behind.” Now a new JWT campaign for Cottonelle, a Kimberly-Clark brand, makes an even more direct appeal. A commercial shows the brand’s puppy mascot scampering through a health spa, as the voiceover recommends that “the gentle care you give to your face, hands and legs, also goes to your tush.”
Gap Revitalizes Brand To Regain Market Share
Oct 20, 2009
Gap hasn't had an easy time of it, and not just because of last month's death of Don Fisher, who founded the store in 1969. The clothing retailer, which owns Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, has suffered through years of declining sales and several executive changes. Only Old Navy, Gap's value-priced brand, has seen a sales increase this year.
CalorieCount.com Targets Media Buyers
Oct 19, 2009
Food database and weight management site CalorieCount.com is looking to attract a new crop of advertisers with a campaign touting its “Strength in Numbers.” The effort, which began this week, is the first major ad campaign for the New York Times-owned brand. CalorieCount.com was founded by two aerospace engineers in 2003. About.com, which is a division of the New York Times, purchased it in 2006.
Pulling Off The Optimal Platform Job
Oct 16, 2009
Another week, another blog post on the subject of “why creative advertising folk need to embrace ‘technologists and their geeky ways’” once again ignites vigorous debate. The post in question is by Joe Mele, VP Client Partner at Razorfish, and received a great many comments and a huge number of re-tweets of the @BBHLabs‘ tweet that contained a link to it. The citizens of Twitter seem to react with a combination of self-loathing and schadenfreudian glee to the disruption that social technologies are wreaking on advertising. It’s a little bit dull and frankly misses the point – and it wasn’t quite (I don’t think) what Joe was saying. Of course, how advertising responds to the digital challenge is a roasting hot topic.
The New Low-Hanging Fruit
Oct 16, 2009
In this continuing economic roller coaster, marketers have become more open to different ways to optimize their end-to-end marketing funnel. Increasingly, they're turning their attention site-side, where any improvements in conversion rates can lift the ROI of every marketing channel and infuse new efficiencies into the marketing mix as a whole. This shift in focus marks a milestone for e-businesses, who have had processes in place to optimize acquisition ad channels for years. Most likely due to the money regularly being spent on media, optimizing search marketing campaigns, display ads and other efforts have long been top of mind for marketers looking to get more done with fewer resources.
We're Spending More Time with Social Media: Advertisers Follow
Oct 16, 2009
The attention dashboard is rapidly emerging as the online hub for sharing and discovering information, connecting us to people, content, and events in real-time. According to research, we’re already spending more time in social networks than we are in email. New studies are only fortifying these findings, documenting an increase time spent specifically in Social Media and blogs. In fact, the Nielsen Company reports reports that time spent on social networks and blogs accounted for 17 percent of total time spent on the Internet in August 2009. Most notably, but not surprising, however, is that this discovery represents nearly triple the percentage of time spent using Social Media just one year ago.
MySpace Tries to Recover Its Cool
Oct 15, 2009
A new executive team at MySpace is trying to reignite the brand by focusing on areas like music, videos and games as users abandon the social-networking site for cooler destinations. MySpace, which is holding a conference this week for its global ad-sales staff, needs to lure visitors back and kick-start advertising revenue, ad executives say. Research firm eMarketer estimates U.S. ad spending on the site will be $495 million this year, down 15% from $585 million in 2008. The basic challenge is similar to the one facing big Internet companies, such as Time Warner's AOL and Yahoo, that are under pressure to reinvent themselves for fickle audiences.
Digg’s Vote-for-Ads Experiment Is Raising Revenue
Oct 14, 2009
When the social news site Digg introduced sponsored links into its main news flow this summer, the company knew it was taking a gamble. Would the notoriously rambunctious community revolt or boycott the site for cluttering up its news feed with advertisements? “The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Mike Maser, chief strategy officer, during a recent visit to The New York Times. The experimental advertising platform, which began a measured introduction at Digg.com in August, incorporates the same social voting principles as the news site, allowing users to vote for the ads they like and against the ones they don’t.
Are You Lovin' it?
Oct 14, 2009
Have you heard? McDonald's is looking for a new slogan to refresh its present one. According to Adweek, McDonald's has tasked three global roster shops to come up with the next expression of "I'm lovin' it," sources said. The drill began a few months ago and is ongoing, with the shops -- identified by sources as Omnicom Group units DDB and TBWA and Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett -- conducting market research and developing pitch ideas, sources said Presentations are slated for late October.
Olympic Challenge: Engaging Youths
Oct 14, 2009
To help address all that before the 2010 Olympics, the committee has been sponsoring a global campaign carrying the theme “The Best of Us.” The campaign, by Cole & Weber United in Seattle, part of the United unit of WPP, enters a second phase on Wednesday with the introduction of what the committee is calling The Best of Us Challenge. Young people ages 12 to 19 will be invited to create video clips in an effort known as consumer-generated or user-generated content. The clips are to show them responding to challenges from athletes like the beach volleyball player Natalie Cook, the pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, the snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis, the gymnast Shawn Johnson, the tennis player Rafael Nadal, the swimmer Michael Phelps and the skier Lindsey Vonn.
Truth in Advertising, Offline or Online
Oct 13, 2009
With so many advertising dollars flowing onto blogs, Facebook and Twitter, it is not surprising that the Federal Trade Commission, which is charged with protecting consumers from sneaky advertising, has turned its eye on this new medium. Spending on consumer-generated and social-networking sites reached $1.01 billion in 2008, up 25 percent from 2007, according to PQ Media, a research firm. It is expected to grow about 20 percent this year. Much of this advertising is clearly labeled. But a lot of it is paid advertising masquerading as bona fide endorsements by celebrities, well-known bloggers and even ordinary people — honest comment, free from pecuniary considerations.
In New Campaigns, Spots Take On a Rosier Hue
Oct 13, 2009
The American economy is back — or so some of the country’s biggest advertisers are saying in new campaigns. It may be a sign that the recession is ending, or it may be a sign that consumers are sick of hearing about it. While economists and investors study housing starts and gross domestic product predictions to measure economic vibrancy, General Electric, Bank of America and other companies are using commercials to proclaim that America’s future is bright. And that may be something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The Future Of Internet Advertising
Oct 10, 2009
There is a big shift underway in Internet advertising. How consumers interact with Web ads, how marketers buy them, and how the success of these ads is measured is about to change. Matt D'Ercole, an executive creative director at Digitas New York, a unit of Publicis, tells us what he sees in store for the future of online advertising.
7Up Ups Ad Budget
Oct 10, 2009
7Up is feeling bubbly about its prospects. This week the original lemon-lime soft drink is launching its first new ad push in more than three years. A pomegranate line extension is on deck for later this year, and a package facelift is in store for 2010. TV ads breaking this week featuring Every body Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett emphasize that 7Up is “Ridiculously bubbly.” The theme behind the new campaign is that a sip of soda can make the biggest grumps happy-go-lucky.
Cheezburger Network CEO: I Can Has Media Empire?
Oct 9, 2009
"No, it's not a typo," deadpans Ben Huh, the 31-year-old CEO of the Cheezburger Network. He's referring, of course, to his company's title--and its flagship Web site, I Can Has Cheezburger, which earns 8.5 million page views a day by posting cat photos with ludicrous captions, like "Rehab Kitteh...Has Relapse." Unlike bigger user-generated content hubs, such as Facebook and YouTube, Huh's brainchild has been profitable since day one. It helped, he says, that during the company's late 2007 launch, "it was just me sitting on my couch at home, so it didn't require much cash." But this year, the Cheezburger Network (officially titled "Pet Holdings, Inc.") will generate more than seven figures from advertising, licensing fees, and merchandise sales.
Plug? Ad? Opinion? Life?
Oct 9, 2009
Ok, so I just said something nice about Best Buy and something critical about its competitor. Look on my disclosures page and you’ll see that I had a business relationship with Best Buy. A few weeks ago, because of my book, they paid for me to come speak to various groups over two days (which I quite enjoyed and which taught me a lot about retail, which I’ve been contemplating and want to write about). So is what I just said about Best Buy an ad? An endorsement? A testimonial? Or just a story and my opinion?
The Long, Viral Lives of Cadbury, T-Mobile and Microsoft
Oct 8, 2009
If the ad campaigns on this week's viral video chart look familiar, they should: They've all been here before. In fact, many of them have been on the chart for a long time. The longest-running campaign, Cadbury's "Eyebrow Dance," is celebrating its 26th week on the chart and the second-longest, T-Mobile "Dance" is marking its 25th week. Microsoft's "Project Natal," meanwhile, is on for its 18th week in a row. Evian's "Rollerbabies" is on for the 13th straight week. Only three videos are new enough to be celebrating their second week in a row: Microsoft's Windows "Launch Party" video, Trend Micro's "Fearless Web" spot and MoveOn.org's "Protect Insurance Agencies" campaign. As you can imagine, it's quite a feat to add enough growth week after week to continue to maintain a presence.
CBS Inches Closer to Selling Out Super Bowl XLIV
Oct 8, 2009
CBS is close to selling out approximately 80% of its ad inventory for Super Bowl XLIV, according to a person familiar with the situation, a sign that the sports-advertising marketplace may be recovering more quickly than other TV venues. CBS is still hesitant to force a price point into its discussions but has sought between $2.5 million and $3 million for a 30-second spot in the game, according to this person. As usual, the price hinges on the position of the ad within the telecast as well as whether advertisers want to get more involved with the event by buying up pre-game time or other CBS sports inventory. CBS is expected to broadcast the game from Miami on Feb. 7, 2010.
Nothing To Say
Oct 7, 2009
Bank of America/Merrill Lynch took out a double-page spread in the Wall Street Journal last week to deliver what it must have felt was a very important message to its current and would-be customers. Nothing. The spread was mostly black ink. A conductor's hands appear in the lower-right corner, a header reads "Expertise and resources, seamlessly orchestrated," and two lines of mouseprint explain that "understanding the score" is important to providing lots of financial services. And we wonder why: - Nobody trusts financial firms anymore, and - Newspaper ads are a dying breed
More Ads for Basic Brands as Shoppers Spend Less
Oct 7, 2009
Readers of this week’s People magazine could be excused for believing they were leafing through a Look magazine from 1959. Of the 44 full-page ads in the issue, half are for brands like Campbell’s, Jell-O, Kraft cheese, Lipton tea and Post cereal. Familiar packaged foods that were once dismissed as dowdy or out of date are regaining their puissance as Americans spend less and eat at home more. While marketers in fields like automobiles, financial services and luxury goods are slashing ad budgets — among them, Chrysler and Citi — advertising is being maintained, and in some cases increased, for prosaic mealtime products like Heinz ketchup (up 967.1 percent in the first half of this year, according to TNS Media Intelligence), Hellmann’s mayonnaise (up 165.6 percent) and Jif peanut butter (up 39.8 percent).
Branding Content
Oct 6, 2009
As advertisers reconsider the value of traditional television commercials and product placement, many aim to weave their brands into entertainment in new, enduring ways. Jon Kamen is the chairman and CEO of @radical.media, a company that produces television programs, films and commercials. Kamen chose five examples of companies that have effectively integrated entertainment into their brands.
Google Decides to Find Its Creative Side
Oct 6, 2009
Google Inc., a champion of the belief that advertising should be less about art and more about science, is embracing its inner creative side. As it searches for new growth, the company in recent months has focused more on creating custom ad campaigns spanning multiple Google services for big spenders including Hewlett-Packard Co. and Ford Motor Co. Since the summer, Google has helped J.C. Penney Co. and PepsiCo Inc.'s Quaker Oats unit launch ad campaigns on YouTube and on some of the hundreds of thousands of sites across which Google sells display ads, along with search ads.
Condé Nast to Close Gourmet, Cookie and Modern Bride
Oct 5, 2009
Condé Nast plans to announce this morning that it will close Gourmet magazine, a magazine of almost biblical status in the food world; it has been published since December 1940. The magazine has sustained a severe decline in ad pages, but the cut still comes as a shock. There was speculation that Condé Nast would close one of its food titles — Gourmet or Bon Appétit — but most bets were on the latter. Gourmet has a richer history than Bon Appétit, and its editor, Ruth Reichl, is powerful in the food world.
A Year After Implosion, Merrill's Bull Is Back
Oct 5, 2009
A year after the brand played a major role in a meltdown that prompted a federal bailout and a worldwide economic downturn, Merrill Lynch and its bull are back, with a $20 million campaign offering consumers “help.” Bank of America, Merrill Lynch’s new owner, is launching the campaign, themed “help2,” to reintroduce its newly acquired Merrill Lynch Wealth Management group. The latter is BofA’s brokerage and wealth management division, which it purchased as part of its rescue of Merrill Lynch last September. Print,TV and online ads feature the classic Merrill bull—a mascot that was first introduced in 1974. The target: affluent Americans. Research, however, showed that their goals differed depending on age, which is why the campaign addresses different notions of help, said Claire Huang, head of marketing for BofA’s global wealth management, global banking and global markets units.
GM Not Practicing What It Preached for Advertising
Oct 2, 2009
General Motors Corp. said it wasn't going to do corporate ads -- and then it put Chairman Ed Whitacre in its multiple-model "May the Best Car Win" campaign. The automaker also said it was going to create distinctive advertising for its four remaining vehicle brands, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC -- but tell that to subscribers of Newsweek and BusinessWeek.
Chubb Turns to Humor to Make Its Pitch
Oct 2, 2009
In a current print advertisement for the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, a woman stands in a verdant field, a picnic basket at her side, and shakes open a red sheet to spread on the grass. What she does not see in the background is an agitated bull galloping toward her. “Who insures you doesn’t matter,” reads the copy. “Until it does.” The theme carries through in a series of print ads — by the Levinson Tractenberg Group (formally the Levinson Group) of New York — where other moments of quietude are about to go awry. In one, a man fishes in a canoe on a river, unaware that he has drifted perilously close to a waterfall; in another, a golfer lines up a putt, oblivious to the enormous alligator behind him. For Chubb, which aims at the affluent, this is the first time it has loosened its bow tie and taken a humorous approach.
Samsung Steps Up the Action With Eli Manning
Oct 1, 2009
Samsung’s latest commercial makes viewers feel that the New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning might just land in their laps. Then he throws the football and it spirals across the screen, through the playing field and several TV screens and past cheering fans on their sofas. That is all intended to bring the intensity and passion of the game to viewers and sell Samsung LED televisions. The company, which is in its fifth season in a partnership with the National Football League, has overhauled its “That’s How I See It” campaign to include action sequences and bold graphics.
Two-Thirds of Americans Object to Online Tracking
Sep 30, 2009
About two-thirds of Americans object to online tracking by advertisers — and that number rises once they learn the different ways marketers are following their online movements, according to a new survey from professors at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. The professors say they believe the study, scheduled for release on Wednesday, is the first independent, nationally representative telephone survey on behavioral advertising. The topic may be technical, but it has become a hot political issue.
Marketers Fight the D.C. Squeeze
Sep 29, 2009
Did you ever think the next sale of Trojans or e.p.t. would help fund President Obama's healthcare reforms? While Congress has backed off on taxing such products after pressure from Republicans and a flurry of behind-the-scenes industry lobbying, it still has marketers fully in its sights. The sparring over taxation and advertising regulations has only just begun. So far, marketers appear to be faring well in what American Advertising Federation's evp of government affairs Clark Rector described "as busy a time as I can recall in quite a few years." Given the activist bent of the Obama administration and the Democratically controlled Congress, he added, "the thinking is that the business community is under fire and marketing tends to be the most visible face of that."
'Awkward' Niche Site Tries to Cash In
Sep 29, 2009
Back in May, Mike Bender and Doug Chernack, a pair of screenwriters in Los Angeles, got together for lunch. Bender told his friend about a trip back home where he noticed a particularly embarrassing old family photo on his dad's desk. "I've got plenty of those in my house," Chernack remembers responding. And so the idea for Awkward Family Photos was born with the mission of "spreading the awkwardness" by collecting those snapshots that make us wince.
Does IBM Have Elves? Do Ads Bleed Meaning? (Muddles In The Ad Biz Model)
Sep 28, 2009
I was watching Stephanopoulos yesterday morning and I saw this IBM ad. And I thought, "hey, I've seen that guy somewhere before." And sure enough, he's in a Castrol Motor Oil ad. I think it's the same guy, right down to the wrinkles in his forehead. Does this matter? Maybe what happens in an ad for Castrol Oil stays in an ad for Castrol Oil. Or do actors have "transmedia" properties? Do they carry anything with them between ads? Here's what the "meaning transfer" theory says.
Viva Takes on Eating Utensils
Sep 28, 2009
Viva, attempting to counter sales erosion from private label, is positioning its paper towels as a companion to food, not just a mechanism to clean up after it. Central to the effort is a deal with Food Network celebrity cook Sunny Anderson that includes 30-second interstitials showing her using the paper towels as a way to enhance the experience of utensil-free eating. Those segments show Anderson, star of Food Network’s Cooking for Real series, preparing her tomato and mozzarella bruschetta by using a Viva towel to squeeze moisture from basil leaves. In another segment, she suggests using coasters made from Viva towels to jazz up red pepper salami bites.
Can Twitter Rake in the Ads to Justify $1 Billion Valuation?
Sep 28, 2009
The question about Twitter used to be, "Is it a business?" Now, the question becomes "How big can it be?" And the answer is: It better be big. CEO Evan Williams confirmed last week that the microblogging service had finalized its new funding, reported to be $100 million, giving Twitter -- which now has no monetization program in place -- a whopping $1 billion valuation. Prior investors Spark Capital, Benchmark Capital and Institutional Venture Partners doubled down, and late-stage investors T. Rowe Price and Insight Venture Partners joined up. With the funding, Silicon Valley and the venture community are once again setting their sites on the marketing budgets of American business to support another free "cloud" web service, in this case 140-word bursts of text. Indeed, they're counting on the exponential growth of advertising revenue in a flat market for a company that -- while certainly useful to marketers -- has yet to earn its first dollar.
Social Networking Use Triples from Only a Year Ago
Sep 25, 2009
Obsessed with Facebook? You're not alone. The hours you spend logging on to update your status, post photos, and make comments on friends' walls is not simply a "phase" you're going through which will end sometime soon. It's a ongoing trend affecting everyone these days and it has serious implications for the online advertising industry. According to new figures from Nielsen, the amount of time spent surfing social networking and blogging sites had tripled since last year, suggesting "a wholesale change in the way the Internet is used," says Jon Gibs, VP of media and agency insights at the company's online division.
AOL, Yahoo Face Off to Impress Madison Avenue
Sep 25, 2009
The rivalry between AOL and Yahoo is on prominent display this week, as the two struggling Internet companies compete for advertising dollars on Madison Avenue. They are pouring on the glitz as they vie for the attention of thousands of ad-industry professionals at the Advertising Week conference in New York. Marketers typically don't negotiate specific deals to buy ad space or time during the annual event. But media companies use it to tout themselves to the many ad agencies and advertisers in attendance, including Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Verizon Communications, Bank of America and MasterCard Worldwide. The aim is to establish relationships and secure business down the road.
'Adland' Searches For Meaning On Madison Ave.
Sep 24, 2009
Former adman James Othmer spent two decades working in the ad industry as it was in the throes of a dramatic transformation. As more consumers zap commercials on DVRs and read magazines and newspapers online, Othmer has concluded that the Madison Avenue industry as he knew it is dying.
The Platform vs. The Eyeballs
Sep 24, 2009
This might be the most subtle yet important shift that marketers face as they deal with the reality of new media. Marketers aren't renters, now they own.
GM Flaunts Fuel Efficiency in New Terrain TV Campaign
Sep 24, 2009
You can buy a crossover SUV, or you can buy a Mini Cooper -- they have the same fuel-efficiency mileage. That's the message General Motors Co. is sending in a TV campaign for the 2010 GMC Terrain that's part of the automaker's "May the Best Car Win" push. The four-cylinder model, which has a direct-injected Ecotec engine and six-speed automatic transmission, is EPA-rated at a segment-leading 32 miles to the gallon on the highway.
Even More On: Everything I Need to Know About Marketing I Learned From Google
Sep 23, 2009
In my last two columns, I've offered the following 15 marketing lessons learned from Google and examples of folks applying them. More than just tidbits to maximize SEM programs, these are principles that can be applied to all facets of marketing. Of course, the irony in all this is that Google is a company that's proudly spent very little on advertising. Accordingly, perhaps the most important lesson of them all is that marketing is so much more than just advertising. Today, I'll close this series with five more lessons learned from Google about marketing.
What If They Like Big Brother?
Sep 23, 2009
Google announced late last week that it will offer an exchange to help brands place online display ads. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Congressman Rick Boucher is drafting legislation to require businesses to disclose to consumers the information they capture about their Internet behavior, and allow them to control its uses. The two news items are related, whether they're ever covered in the same story or post.
How Much Are You Worth to Facebook?
Sep 22, 2009
Some of the most iconic companies of our time -- Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter -- attracted millions of users practically overnight, by unleashing what's known as a "viral-expansion loop." In plain English, they grew because each new user led to more users. The trick is that each of these businesses created something people really want and then made it easy for customers to happily spread their products for them to friends, family, and colleagues.
Facebook Sets Deal to Provide Ad Data to Nielsen
Sep 22, 2009
Facebook Inc. plans to announce a deal with online measurement company Nielsen Co., in a step to address advertisers' frustration with measuring how ads perform on the social network. Under the partnership, Facebook will begin polling its users about some of the display ads it runs on its site, such as a banner promoting a movie release. Facebook will provide that data, including responses from those who didn't see an ad, to Nielsen, which will package it for advertisers, say the companies. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is planning to introduce the product, called Nielsen Brand Lift, in a keynote address at an advertising conference Tuesday and to pitch it to marketers this week in New York.
Pepsi Program Targets African-American Moms
Sep 21, 2009
Pepsi is targeting a somewhat overlooked demographic—African-American moms—with a digital community where such consumers will be asked to share personal and inspirational thoughts. The effort, promoted across various media with the tagline “We inspire,” will serve as the cornerstone of Pepsi’s African-American marketing outreach for 2010. Pepsi is aiming to build buzz for Pepsiweinspire.com via Facebook and print ads, in Essence and Black Enterprise, featuring actress Taraji P. Henson reflecting on the love she has for her mother.
Gill Linton: Does the Fashion Industry Know What a Brand Strategy Is?
Sep 21, 2009
Now that fall fashion marketing is here and the industry is working on what’s next, what should fashion brands do differently to make up for a terrible fiscal 2009? Everyone’s a brand strategist these days, including people in the fashion industry whose core business is to produce fashion shows, generate publicity and create ad campaigns. In which case you’d expect fashion brands to be more distinct from each other, wouldn’t you? Considering fashion is all about change, the fashion-marketing model is really old fashioned. It took a recession for people to accept that the selling cycle doesn’t work, and although advertising isn’t as effective as it used to be, brands still invest heavily in formulaic print ads, along with the same old sponsorships, trunk shows, pop-up shops, collaborations and now blogs, videos and social networking.
Inside the 'Inside Intel' Campaign
Sep 21, 2009
"Intel Inside" was the first, and arguably the best, "ingredient" branding to come out of Madison Avenue. And thanks to that campaign everyone knows that Intel chips are inside computers. But the success of that ad push, which made its debut in 1991, created an image of Intel as a staid chipmaker.
Will Facebook kill Google?
Sep 18, 2009
Will social networking giant Facebook kill search giant Google by sucking up advertising dollars? In the short term, the answer is clearly no. Longer term, that answer is very unclear. I chatted with nearly two dozen people who are buying ads on Facebook. Many of them are also purchasing ads on Google and other online venues. The overwhelming sentiment? Facebook ads are actually more effective and do a better job of getting them in front of their target audiences.
Burger King's School Of Endorsements
Sep 18, 2009
In a recent ad that Burger King just started running, NASCAR champion Tony Stewart teaches a course to other celebrities about only endorsing brands and products they actually believe in. The ad features Eric Estrada selling his own line of Estrada sunglasses, and an overly botoxed Carrot Top (the comedian) selling his own Carrot Crusher juicing machine (both of which have mock websites selling the fictional products - nice touch by Burger King). Clearly, neither of them understand Tony's point of only endorsing brands you really believe in.
Toyota Sets a Big Sales Drive
Sep 17, 2009
Toyota Motor Corp. is preparing a $1 billion marketing blitz to juice U.S. sales in the fourth quarter and plans to expand its line of gas-electric hybrid models under the Prius name, people briefed on the plans said. The strategy, aimed at revitalizing its key North American operations, was laid out by Toyota President Akio Toyoda and his top U.S. lieutenants at a meeting in Las Vegas with the company's U.S. dealers. The world's largest auto maker needs to turn around its North American business after acknowledging it expects to report a loss in its current fiscal year, which would be its second annual deficit in a row. Toyota executives vowed to go "pedal to the metal" in the fourth quarter, using financial strength to drive sales as the U.S. economy appears to be recovering, these people said.
Public Actions; Private Realities
Sep 17, 2009
The financial markets' collapse and a growing distrust of global leaders both public and private has increased the importance of thinking strategically about communications and its impact on reputation. Government officials, political candidates and all those operating in the public realm are increasingly asking how they can measure with greater certainty the dynamics that drive their communications performance. With upcoming battles in the US on climate change, healthcare, Supreme Court confirmations, financial reform and a new Middle East peace initiative, among others, there is ample opportunity to evaluate communicators’ ability to drive public opinion. The corporate sector has been measuring the impact of communications and reputation for some time, using the results of these analyses to determine how their allocation of resources and themes affect financial outcomes such as stock price, P/E ration, revenues and profits. The earliest iteration of measurement centered on clip counts and evaluations—the most basic tenets of media relations—but has since evolved to include more robust scientific metrics. This is spurred by the diminishing effectiveness of traditional advertising. One recent survey revealed that only 13% of respondents believe advertising claims.
Pizza Hut vs. Domino's: Who Delivered the Best Media Strategy?
Sep 17, 2009
The start of the football season kicks off the most important sales period in the pizza-delivery game. A rivalry to match a Cowboys-Redskins playoff would have to be the head-to-head shootout between pizza franchises Pizza Hut and Domino's. In media terms, there's a high level of blocking and tackling, and strategy that is played out in their advertising programs. Pizza Hut leads the $29 billion category with some 18% of pizza sales, and Domino's takes about 10% of the market. Frozen-pizza sales have jumped, as have private label with consumers trading down. As an act of defiance to the recession, both marketers have held and even increased their advertising media budgets in 2009.
Conspicuous (Downscale) Consumption: Pabst Sees 25% Sales Growth
Sep 17, 2009
Pabst Blue Ribbon is a recession juggernaut, but not just because it's cheap. Sales of PBR are up an astounding 25% this year, according to Information Resources Inc. And while cheaper beers -- a group within which PBR has long been something of a mascot -- are outperforming their more expensive peers as consumers look for low-cost options these days, there's clearly more than pricing at work here.
Start-Up Tries to Revive Online Group Buying
Sep 17, 2009
When most people think about buying in bulk, they think about buying 50 rolls of toilet paper, a case of air freshener or 40 boxes of cereal at Costco or BJ’s Wholesale Club. But what about four hours of services from a personal assistant or four salsa dance classes? Groupon, a start-up based in Chicago, that offers daily deals in which people can score reduced prices and discounts on acupuncture, meals, opera tickets, Segway tours, even teeth cleanings — as long as enough people to participate.
Buick Adopts New Advertising Tag Line
Sep 16, 2009
Buick will launch a new advertising tag line Monday: “The new class of world class.” Bob Lutz, General Motor Co.’s vice chairman for marketing, revealed the new line to Automotive News at a media event here today. The tag line will be used in new advertising for the Buick LaCrosse sedan.
Brands Buy Media To Save Consumers From Advertising
Sep 15, 2009
Dropping a total of $2.2 million dollars, South Korea’s Hyundai Card has bought out all media space in the newly opened subway station just outside their building. Next, they put up ads that are largely blank and state, “The world is flooded with too many ads, for a short while we want to leave it empty for you.” White space is an old trick for making an ad stand out, offering a stark contrast with the surrounding cluttered environment. The decision to paradoxically save consumers from advertising with an ad campaign is not necessarily new either, we’ve reported on anti-branding efforts by the likes of Starbucks and clothing brand Freshjive.
Timberland Answers Call of the Wild
Sep 15, 2009
Outdoor footwear and apparel company Timberland has launched a multifaceted campaign that includes a TV ad by London shop Leagas Delaney that casts a trail runner as "bait" for wolves, a wild boar and a hungry bear. Along with the pulse-pounding, cinematic spot, the effort from the client also features iPhone and Blackberry applications and games; interactive billboards; Hulu videos; sidewalk graffiti; customizable Pandora radio stations; and a Harvard Square subway station takeover in Cambridge, Mass., not far from the client's Stratham, N.H., headquarters.
Google Releases News-Reading Service
Sep 15, 2009
Google, long seen as an enemy by many in the news industry, is making a bold attempt to be seen as a friend with a new service it hopes will make it easier for readers to read newspaper and magazine articles. On Monday, the company introduced an experimental news hub called Fast Flip that allows users to view news articles from dozens of major publishers and flip through them as quickly as they would the pages of a magazine. Google will place ads around the news articles and share resulting revenue with publishers. Fast Flip, which is based on Google News, tries to address what Google considers a major problem with news sites: they often are slow to load, and so they turn off many readers. Google, the leader in Web search services and advertising, argues that if reading news online was closer to the experience of scanning through physical newspapers or magazines, people would read more.
Microsoft Goes After Search Market With Pictures
Sep 15, 2009
Are pictures really worth a thousand words? Microsoft hopes so. Today, the Seattle-based software behemoth took the stage at TechCrunch50 to unveil visual search, the newest feature for its new search-engine, Bing. Bing's visual search displays search results by pictures, rather than text, which comes in pretty handy for certain types of searches. Say you're searching for a pink handbag to buy: Click the handbags category, filter by color, and see loads of images to choose from.
Yahoo! Seeks To Boost Image And Awareness
Sep 15, 2009
Yahoo! is searching for a better image. Eager to remind Internet users and marketers that Yahoo! is a powerhouse brand, the company next week plans to kick off a marketing blitz that is likely to include TV, online and print ads. It will discuss the campaign next Tuesday during Advertising Week in New York City. Yahoo! aims to remind marketers that, while it's not the No. 1 populated site, it still grabs 578 million unique visitors per month. The goal: to gain a bigger share of the estimated $21 billion that will be spent this year on display ads.
Ad Shift Throws Blogs a Business Lifeline
Sep 14, 2009
The dream of quitting the day job and making a living from blog revenue has proved to be far-fetched for most bloggers. But a few entrepreneurs, like the Sugars, have found success in blog networks. Such networks put blogs on various topics under some form of central control, like a digital-era Condé Nast. Though they do not command nearly the same ad rates that glossy magazines do, they are attracting ad dollars while magazines are losing them.
Is Honesty One of HSBC's Big Brand Values?
Sep 11, 2009
These U.K. HSBC spots from JWT London that focus on "integrity" and "responsibility" are gorgeously filmed, but they're so achingly ironic and hypocritical, they make my head spin. Yes, HSBC has refused government bailout money, but the firm is now cutting 6,100 employees, yet still managed to find $1.67 billion to bid on ING's private banking business. Meanwhile, the bank holds forth on the topic of social justice in ads that show a paparazzo and fisherman who "do the right thing." It must be comforting for the C-suite suits to see their gold-tinted vision of reality reflected back at them during commercial breaks. Would they spike the photo of the year or toss back the first big catch in weeks, if it meant losing a ton of money? Of course not. Would you? Integrity and responsibility begin with honesty, something these ads sorely lack.
Twitter Expands Rules to Allow Ads
Sep 11, 2009
Twitter, the fast-growing microblogging site now seeking ways to make money, expanded its terms for users on Thursday to allow advertisers to reach the Internet site's more than 45 million monthly visitors. Twitter, the two-year-old venture capital-backed company that lets people send an unlimited number of 140-character messages, is just now beginning to ramp up efforts to monetize, or gain revenue from, its popular site. On Thursday, it revised its "terms of service" to specify that it may run ads.
How Brand Advertising Is Moving Online
Sep 10, 2009
Federated Media Publishing is rolling out Ad Stamp, a new option for marketers that combines two of the industry's largest ad units with a companion banner piping and social media content. The FM network now offers a large "pushdown" ad -- rolled out recently by members of the Online Publishers Association -- at the top of Web pages that expands to 970-by-418 pixels before collapsing to 970-by-60. On the right side of pages, FM will place a 300-by-600 "tower." FM, which runs campaigns on top blogs like Boing Boing, has added a social touch to the package with a 300-by-250 pixel "conversationalist" placement at the bottom of pages to pull in brand-related feeds that can include blog posts, Tweets and options for friending the advertised products and services on Facebook or following them on Twitter.
Jameson Adds Some Blarney to the Facts
Sep 10, 2009
Another liquor brand is arriving on television, bearing barrels filled with Irish whiskey — and Irish blarney. Jameson, sold by Pernod Ricard, will join a lengthening list of distilled spirits to use television as an advertising medium in the United States. Since 1996, when networks and stations began changing decades-old policies against accepting liquor commercials, big brands like Bacardi, Jack Daniel’s and Smirnoff have added video to their marketing tactics along with ads in print, online, outdoors and in stores. Now, smaller brands like Jameson are going on TV, too. One reason is that more television outlets have started to take liquor spots, among them local stations owned by CBS and NBC.
Sorry, Bob, Adworld's Not Dying. 2 Stars.
Sep 8, 2009
Well, as you always kind of suspected, Bob Garfield hates advertising. He even thinks it will die, at least in its mass-appeal form. And big deal, he'd say. People hated that crap anyway. What he doesn't exactly explain is: What are all those big advertisers going to do with all that money instead? Nor does he think there's much chance of you blindsided, slack-jawed advertising people evolving into something that could help answer that question.
Butterfinger Hopes Funny Again Means Money
Sep 8, 2009
There is an expression among performers: “Dying is easy, comedy is hard.” The idea behind it is that making people laugh can be, well, no laughing matter. What is true in show business is true in marketing, as many brands that have centered their campaigns on humor have learned. For instance, Bud Light beer has been struggling in its most recent commercials to strike the right balance between amusing consumers and getting them to pay attention to the sales pitch. As product attributes were played up and laughs were played down, Bud Light began to lose ground to rival brews. That led executives at Anheuser-Busch InBev to promise a mid-course correction that will tilt back in favor of fun. Similarly, the Butterfinger brand of candy bars, sold by the confections and snacks division of Nestlé USA, has gone back to comedic advertising after several years.
Digital: Integration Now, Integration Forever
Sep 8, 2009
When the executives at Razorfish, an ad agency "born digital," peer into their crystal balls, they see thing like universal screens, ubiquitous devices and consumer e-dentities becoming realities within the next five years. For media and advertising, old business is crumbling under the weight of digital interactivity going mainstream. Advertisers and content providers will no longer rigidly push out what they are selling, but instead, co-xist with consumers on an open, integrated digital plane of video, text, images, audio and commerce. When genuine interactivity abounds, prime-time television and the 30-second spot will be history. And that could be sooner than we think, according to the Razorfish brain trust. New approaches to social networks and social graphs, content and e-commerce, are among the change agents already at work, says David Friedman, president, Americas, Razorfish.
Adding a Masculine Edge to Body Wash
Sep 8, 2009
The humble bar of soap has been under attack in recent years, as liquid soaps and hand sanitizers like Purell grow more popular. Women have been more apt to snub it, with 29 percent reporting that they never buy bar soap, compared with 24 percent of men, according to a 2008 study by Mintel, a market research firm. But men increasingly are being wooed from bar soap, too. Among the newest offerings is Nivea for Men Active 3, which is being advertised in a print campaign — by Draft FCB, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies — in magazines like GQ, Esquire and Men’s Health. Like some other brands, it can be used as both a shampoo and body wash, but also functions as a shave gel for both above and below the neck.
Stop Being an Agency and Start Being an Agent of Change
Sep 7, 2009
Ten years ago the chairman of MIT's Media Lab, Nicholas Negroponte, commented that any company that describes itself as an "agency" is doomed. He's right. Agencies -- as middlemen between media owners and brand owners -- are today merely commoditized suppliers and not the creative business partners our predecessors once were. Agencies, simply, are not as important as we used to be.
Tap Into the 'Power of Pull' to Get Your Brand Out There
Sep 7, 2009
For more than 100 years, marketing has largely operated as a push paradigm. We create messages and funnel them through the media to reach stakeholders. Push remains viable. However, with time on social-networking sites and search engines rising, we need new ways to engage and reach people multiple times across different sources. That, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer, is when consumers will trust what we have to say. That's what the "power of pull" is all about.
A Lot of Branding but Not Much Understanding
Sep 7, 2009
In the barrage of back-to-school ads, get ready to see a lot for the University of Phoenix. The school heaps more than $100 million a year into measured media alone and is a highly efficient marketing machine that spends more each year than Cheerios or Tide. In a field where most old-line universities spend a few million a year at best, the University of Phoenix is an anomaly for its approach to both education and marketing. It's the country's largest private university, with more than 400,000 students and 230 campus and learning-center locations. Its parent, Apollo Group, posted more than $3.1 billion in revenue during fiscal 2008 (Phoenix represents about 95% of Apollo's net revenue).
Learning From Craigslist: Who Are Mass Media's True Customers?
Sep 5, 2009
The cover story of the most recent issue of Wired addresses how Craigslist rose to dominate classified listings, in spite of (or perhaps because of) how little it has changed, and the quirkiness of the business. The real customer experience lesson though, can be found in a follow-on blog post written by the story's author, Gary Wolf. In it, he muses, "Why, given the site's notorious shortcomings, has nobody ever succeeded in taking business away from it?" He writes about how many local newspapers have tried to embrace local listings, such as the Bakersfield Californian. When you look at their apartment-for-rent page, you immediately see the problem — the classified listings are sandwiched between giant banner ads and overwhelming navigation options. And this speaks to the fundamental issue facing the mass media today — it doesn't know who its customer is.
Mobile e-Commerce is Struggling
Sep 5, 2009
There's no question that mobile web use is on the rise. Recent reports tell us that cellular networks worldwide are seeing major increases in growth. In fact, there are even concerns that the current infrastructure won't be able to keep up with the new demands. According to one research firm, 3G traffic in developed markets will increase by 20% by the end of 2014 but some operators will face HSPA capacity shortfalls as soon as mid-2010, if not earlier. Forrester Research also recently predicted that more than a third of Europeans will be accessing the mobile internet by 2014. With these levels of growth, we're also seeing related mobile services getting a boost. App stores, both phone-based and carrier-based, are popping up left and right, mobile video usage is booming, and mobile ad markets are seeing dramatic growth, too. However, there's one area that hasn't yet benefitted from the mobile revolution: mobile e-commerce.
Why Kraft Is 'Pheeling' Good About Cream Cheese
Sep 4, 2009
Kraft Foods is introducing a new campaign behind its Philadelphia cream cheese, playing up the emotional connections consumers feel with the brand. New ads show the various uses for cream cheese, and use the word "pheeling" (a combination of “Philly” and “feeling”) to describe a happy state of mind. One spot, breaking next Monday, reinforces this theme by showing a boy spreading cream cheese on a bagel for his mother, a husband and wife indulging in an evening snack of strawberries and cream cheese, and a girl helping her grandmother prepare dessert for the family. In each instance, the people smile and laugh together because of moments created by Philadelphia cream cheese.
Magazines Now Create and Customize Ads
Sep 4, 2009
Magazine publishers once ran ads. Then, they created ads for their advertisers. Now, they are making different custom ads to run in each of their publications, and sometimes even allowing the advertisers to use the ads elsewhere. “It’s a lot of work,” said Jeff Hamill, senior vice president of Hearst Magazines. But with advertising pages down 28 percent in the first half of this year versus the period last year, according to Publishers Information Bureau, publishers are happy to do it.
Social Media Is Infrastructure: PR, Marketing, Ads Safe
Sep 2, 2009
Practically the only thing guaranteed that social media will kill is your free time. Maybe it will kill your real-world social life too, but that's only if you choose to have an intimate relationship with your computer, at the pure neglect of the world outdoors. While it's popular and tempting to say that social media is poised to eliminate core business elements, such as marketing, public relations, or advertising, the truth is that the latest Web tools are simply infrastructure, to be used well. More traditional departments in business, and the third party vendors who provide their services, will need to adapt to a changing world, but they aren't going anywhere.
Privacy Groups Urge Curbs on Online Targeting
Sep 2, 2009
A coalition of privacy groups wants Congress to force online marketing companies to get amnesia about what citizens do online, unless they get permission to remember. At issue is the online ad industry’s increasing infatuation with behavioral ad targeting — which involves tracking a user to divine what her interests are in order to show ads targeted to those interests. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft all have such technology, as does Facebook and dozens of ad networks you have never heard of.
American Express To Card Holders: 'Spend Responsibly'
Sep 2, 2009
American Express is rolling out a major new campaign for its charge card that urges consumers to take responsibility for their spending. The tagline: "Don't Take Changes. Take Charge." The ad campaign broke Tuesday with full-page print ads in major newspapers. It is the first for its basic charge card since 2002. The print ads, part of a campaign that will include TV commercials and radio promotions, features a wallet with a sad face, until you turn the ad upside down. "Why welcome risk into your life?" asks one print ad. "The Charge Card can make a big difference," the ad says.
The Outlook Is Murky for Media Advertising
Sep 2, 2009
Matthieu Coppet has a word of hope for the world’s beleaguered media companies, reeling from the deepest advertising slump in memory. All signs point to a relatively robust recovery in ad spending, beginning next year, Mr. Coppet, an analyst at UBS, said in a recent report. His enthusiasm is far from universal. Gerhard Zeiler, chief executive of the RTL Group, the biggest commercial television broadcaster in Europe, reflects another view in the industry: the good times will not return anytime soon.
A New Mindset is Needed
Sep 1, 2009
A new mindset is needed. There’s been a great deal of discussion of late both here and in other forums about the blurring lines between advertising and editorial and the implications for both relationship building and sales. As a measurement geek (or queen, which ever you prefer) my response is generally – who cares what you call it, focus on the results. Is what you're doing selling stuff, saving money, or making you more efficient? Great, do more of it, and less of the stuff that isn’t generating revenue.
Why Social Media Won’t Save Madison Avenue!
Sep 1, 2009
Just last week, holding company WPP announced a decline in profits of forty seven percent and indicated there would be more massive layoffs to come. Much is being made of how, in spite of the decline in most ad budgets, the increasing use of the Internet, and particularly social media, will save the ad industries bacon. Sorry guys, it ain’t going to happen. Simply because it will be impossible for online advertising and social media to deliver everything that is expected of it. The stark reality is that advertising on the Internet is not going to grow; it’s actually going to decrease. This is what happened during the dot com explosion ten years ago; this is what’s going to happen this time around (with perhaps the single exception of Google).
Ads That Invite Drinkers to Jump for ‘Joie’
Sep 1, 2009
A campaign for a popular liqueur is playing up its French roots and the quintessentially French feeling of joie de vivre in an effort aimed at perking up sales. The campaign, getting under way next week, will invite drinkers to live “La vie Grand Marnier,” as in the brand of Cognac and orange liqueur sold by the Marnier-Lapostolle Group of France. Needless to say, the Grand Marnier vie, er, life is about fun and frolic, with a cup-runneth-over spirit embodied by an abundance of the liqueur splashing out of the confines of its glasses.
How Special K Became a Social Media Star
Aug 31, 2009
Marketers across all industries are buzzing about social media these days, but no one has really figured it out, said Jose-Alberto Duenas, Kellogg’s marketing vp of ready-to-eat cereals in the U.S. Though digital and social media may soon overtake the 30-second spot as the most popular form of advertising, brands still have a lot of experimenting and learning to do in this space. That’s what Kellogg is doing with social media campaigns on its Special K, Pop-Tarts and Frosted Mini-Wheats brands. It’s also teamed up with Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Media and Feeding America to raise up to $1 million for hunger relief. Efforts like the latter program have attracted 210,000-plus in Facebook fans.
Out Of The Box
Aug 30, 2009
In 2008, the only advertisement any marketer could talk about was Cadbury's drumming gorilla. The advert was made for television but was also viewed millions of times on YouTube. Agencies were delirious at the crossover success to the video sharing site. Here, finally, was proof that traditional agencies could conquer the web with old-school marketing skills. Gorilla scooped the grand prix in film at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. By June this year, Cannes was a very different festival. For a start, the Croisette - normally packed with partying ad men - was deserted as agencies stayed away to nurse their shrinking budgets. But in any event, rather than television adverts winning awards for online work as Gorilla had, it was the online campaigns that impressed the judges across every category.
Hey, PC, Who Taught You to Fight Back?
Aug 30, 2009
FOR years, Microsoft was the stodgy market leader. It sold 90 percent of the world’s operating system software, and generally left the advertising to Dell, H.P. and other hardware makers who licensed Windows. The only time Microsoft hawked its most recognizable brand on television was when the latest version of the software hit the shelves. Then the company flooded the airwaves with commercials full of loud music and swirling imagery saying that the new version of Windows is out — and that it’s awesome! Apple is the classic smaller insurgent. Its share for desktops and laptops in the United States is just over 8 percent. Every time Apple grabs another point of market share from Microsoft’s partners, its stock price climbs. And one way that Apple has tried to gain share is by running clever ads that ridicule everything Microsoft stands for.
Act Now, and We'll Double Your Market Share!
Aug 28, 2009
The phrase "As seen on TV" might bring to mind Snuggie, ShamWow and PedEgg but probably not a venerable American brand that invites you to share the most important moments of your life. Yet for Kodak, direct-response TV has become an effective and preferred way to reach consumers in the year and a half that the company has used it.
Sony Out to Create New Ad Icon With Latest PS3 Spots
Aug 28, 2009
Is Kevin Butler the new Mac guy? Actually, Jerry Lambert, the actor who plays Kevin Butler in Sony PlayStation 3 ads breaking this weekend, smacks more of John Hodgman's frumpy PC character than Justin Long's Mac daddy. With bland, cubicled offices as his backdrop, Mr. Lambert, garbed in a Dunder Mifflin-ready shirt and tie, walks and wisecracks as he answers questions one-on-one with fictitious consumers. The new ads from agency Deutsch, Los Angeles, are designed to elicit the same serial attraction that makes consumers anticipate fresh Mac vs. PC ads.
A Few Good Things to Come Out of the Recession
Aug 27, 2009
I'm sure I'm not the first one to tell you: We're in a recession. The doom has advertisers hanging signs along the lines of "Will Work For Food" on their agency walls, and marketers continue to face facts and figures like these, from Forrester's 2009 Global CMO Recession Survey: 71% of marketing budgets have been reduced this year, and more than half reported reductions greater than 20%. Now here comes the curveball: I think this might be the best thing that has happened to our industry in decades.
Bud Drinkers, Not Agency, Will Be Behind the Next Chinese New Year Campaign
Aug 27, 2009
Anheuser-Busch InBev is the latest marketer in China to invite consumers to create an ad campaign, but the brewer has one rule: The commercial must feature ants. The U.S. beer giant is partnering with Tudou.com, a Chinese video-sharing site like YouTube, in a contest that lets consumers pitch ideas for a Bud TV spot that will run during the Chinese New Year in February 2010.
HP and Amazon Tap Into Crowdsourcing for Ads
Aug 27, 2009
HP and Amazon's latest ad campaigns may use crowdsourcing to generate advertisements, but the concept is far from new. Dorito's "Crash the Super Bowl" contest, launched in 2006, has been one of the more successful campaigns of this type.
Using Milk-Carton Ads to Build Strong Brands
Aug 27, 2009
Hoping to reach children at school and shoppers at the store, a growing number of national brands are turning to an old medium: milk cartons. The ads on the smallest cartons, the half-pints that are distributed through school lunch programs, are aimed at children. Larger containers, like gallon jugs, are intended to reach the adults who do the shopping for their households — the people who decide whether to pick up a box of brownie mix or try a new cereal.
Unilever Goes Crowdsourcing to Spice Up Peperami's TV Ads
Aug 27, 2009
Unilever is offering $10,000 in a competition to find ideas for its next TV campaign for snack food brand Peperami, using its quirky Animal character, as it decides to drop its ad agency of 16 years and turn to crowdsourcing for creative ideas. The company, which has worked with Lowe on the Peperami brand since 1993, is looking for ideas from people that are a cut above the user-generated content level competitions run by Pringles and Doritos last year.
The Craigslist Credo: Bad Advice for Newspapers
Aug 27, 2009
Here is a question I took away from my reporting on craigslist: Why, given the site’s notorious shortcomings, has nobody ever succeeded in taking business away from it? Many people seem to believe that craigslist is hard to beat because they have a “first mover advantage.” Once a sufficient number of people put ads on craigslist, there is no need for users to go anywhere else.
The Recession Impression
Aug 26, 2009
On Monday, Sept. 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers imploded, the world tilted and all the Fiji Artesian water came tumbling off the table, crashing along with the stock market. Suddenly the conspicuous consumer became the conspicuous coupon clipper. Bad if you own a Hummer dealership. Good if you own a real value proposition.
Scrapping Privacy To Save News
Aug 26, 2009
Eduardo Hauser, a former media executive, sat in his Hollywood, Fla., office last year, trying to figure out what was wrong with DailyMe, the news aggregation service he launched in 2005. The business relied on Internet readers to tell DailyMe what kinds of articles they liked reading, and based on the answers DailyMe served up related articles for them to read and relevant ads to accompany them. The problem? Most readers were too lazy. To ramp up business, Hauser, the CEO and former founder of AOL Latin America, has created a behavioral tracking software he hopes will not only change the face of his company, but also news outlets across the country.
YouTube to Capitalize When Viral Lightning Strikes
Aug 26, 2009
YouTube is looking to turn those bolts-from-the-blue viral videos from cash drain into advertising gold. The video-sharing site, under pressure from parent Google to start turning a profit, today began placing ads on the kind of one-off viral hits -- mostly uploaded by the amateurs that made the site famous -- that, until now, haven't had advertising.
No, What Does Your Brand Do?
Aug 26, 2009
The marketing media was buzzing last week with news that CBS will promote its fall program lineup via a teeny-weeny video player inserted in an issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine. I know the ad industry is in dire need of some good news, but doesn't anybody else think this is utterly stupid?
Why Entertainment Weekly's Video Ad Misses the Point
Aug 25, 2009
Fun, but futile. That's my response to the news this week that technology heretofore seen only in Harry Potter films will soon grace a mainstream magazine's pages. Some copies of Entertainment Weekly's September issue will contain a video page advertising CBS's fall programming and PepsiMax, using a pliant and super-thin LCD screen powered by battery.
Can Yahoo Make E-Mail Pay Off?
Aug 25, 2009
Yahoo! may have thrown in the towel on the business of searching for information online. But the company is doubling down on a technology where it already has the lead over search king Google: in free e-mail service offered over the Web.
Online Video's Where It's At
Aug 25, 2009
These days most companies have no choice but to cut their marketing budgets. And that's a good thing. You read that right -- it's a good thing. The reason it's a good thing is that most marketing bucks are spent on depreciating messaging. Either the medium is failing to deliver the numbers it used to or the creative is ignored by the target audience. Think about it. Most marketing teams are investing in a product that has gone down in value for the past 30 years, that product being network television.
Monocle: A Magazine, an Attitude
Aug 25, 2009
Many publishers will refer to advertisers as business partners. Tyler Brûlé, the founder of Wallpaper magazine and editor in chief of Monocle, calls them “patrons of Monocle’s approach.” And he means it, too. In the United States, magazines abide by the rules of the American Society of Magazine Editors, which call for clear bright lines between advertising and editorial. But for Monocle, a globe-trotting magazine for what Mr. Brûlé calls the “Lufthansa audience,” the only bright line is the one separating lively from dull.
Tokyo Café Targets Trend Makers
Aug 25, 2009
At first glance, the Lcafe appears no different than any of the dozens of cozy cafés in Tokyo's Shibuya district, where trend-conscious young people flock to sip coffee and nibble on cakes and sandwiches. But look closely at the froth of the cappuccino or a coaster resting beneath a drink or the artwork hanging on the wall and it reveals the café's side business: pitching new products to affluent and influential young Japanese women.
Can Microsoft's Bing, or Anyone, Seriously Challenge Google?
Aug 25, 2009
Every year, the market-research firm Millward Brown conducts a survey to determine the economic worth of the world's brands — in other words, to put a dollar value on the many corporate logos that dominate our lives. Lately the firm's results have been stuck on repeat: Google has claimed the top spot for the past three years. The most recent report values Google's brand — those six happy letters that herald so many of our jaunts down the Web's rabbit hole — at more than $100 billion. What's astonishing about this stat is how effortlessly Google seems to have earned the public's affection. Other companies — Microsoft, Coke, IBM, McDonald's — spend enormous sums to stay in the consciousness. Google, which makes most of its money from ads, rarely advertises itself. Telling the world how well it does what it does just isn't Google's way.
Do Consumers Care About Web Privacy?
Aug 25, 2009
Freaking out about the easier opt-outs proposed by some online-privacy advocates? Maybe you don't have so much to worry about. In June, Fetchback, an advertising network that specializes in ad "retargeting," added a link within its ad units that, when clicked, took consumers to a page that explained who the advertiser was and how the ad got there and gave contact info for Fetchback, as well as a way to opt out of future targeting.
A Terrifying TV Commercial
Aug 25, 2009
A Swedish cosmetics commercial has moved almost 110,000 people to join an "I'm scared of it" group on Facebook, and prompted lots of debate on news sites, like this one. Is this an advertising success?
Brands Flock to Niche Video Networks
Aug 25, 2009
Erik Beck, a 27-year-old Californian, has some 3 million fans who tune in monthly to his Web-based show, IndyMogul. The special effects video guide teaches aspiring film makers how to create car crash scenes without actually destroying their vehicles. The longtime amateur video maker has become the go-to guy for the 18- to 34 year-old crowd and, more recently, the marketers trying to woo them.
You Had Me At 100
Aug 24, 2009
Chevy worked overtime to produce a lot of buzz for the estimated 230 miles/gallon for its Volt EREV, and I'm not sure anybody cared. It wasn't as auspicious coming out party for the "new" GM. It's too bad, because the Volt EREV (for Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) deserves the attention...and GM should get the credit.
The Massive Attention Surplus
Aug 24, 2009
There was an attention drought for the longest time. Marketers paid a fortune for TV ads (and in fact, network ads sold out months in advance) because it was so difficult to find enough attention. Ads worked, so the more ads you bought, the more money you made, thus marketers took all they could get. This attention shortage drove our economy. The internet has done something wacky to this situation.
Web Sites Debate Best Values for Advertising Dollars
Aug 22, 2009
For a time, Internet advertising was a rising tide lifting all boats. But as ad spending ebbs, there are more arguments about where on the Web advertising is the most fruitful. The fight over shrinking Internet ad dollars pits online publishers that offer premium content against major Web portals such as AOL, MSN and Yahoo. Portals and publishers, meanwhile, also have to compete with the ad brokers that sell often cut-rate leftover ad space on Web pages with less visibility.
Why Large Online Ad Formats Aren't Industry's Silver Bullet
Aug 21, 2009
Larger ad formats might be in vogue right now, but when it comes to online display advertising, bigger is not always better. Ad effectiveness depends less on size than it does on shape and placement, according to Dynamic Logic.
Key to Marketing in Complex Times: Simplicity
Aug 20, 2009
In an era when marketing strategies seem more complicated than ever before, author Jonathan Cahill is selling simplicity. And he backs it up with 115 case studies. Prior to opening his own London firm, Spring Marketing Innovation and Research, Cahill spent 30 years as an ad man with major agencies in the UK and Italy. His recently published book is entitled "Igniting the Brand: Strategies That Have Shot Brands to Success." And one of his conclusions is that marketers and their agencies are trying so hard to devise strategies that they often look right past simple truths.
YouTube Pumps More Ads Into Lineup
Aug 20, 2009
Google Inc., which has struggled for nearly three years to turn YouTube into an advertising platform, is aggressively pushing new ad formats and ramping up deals with media companies for the online video site.
The Birth of ‘Just Do It’ and Other Magic Words
Aug 20, 2009
To the list of great copy writers in advertising, add an unlikely name: Gary Gilmore. Mr. Gilmore, the notorious spree-killer, uttered the words “Let’s do it” just before a firing squad executed him in Utah in 1977. Years later, the phrase became the inspiration for Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign.
Time Inc.'s Motor City Makeover
Aug 20, 2009
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing thinks he has a jump-shot for his troubled city: He is in talks with Time Inc. executives to work together on a year-long flood of stories about the re-invention of Detroit, says an ad industry insider. Edward Cardenas, a spokesman for Bing, won't reveal details but confirmed the discussions. "We have to explore the best ways of telling our story."
Hardee's, Carl's Hope to Steer Angus Eaters
Aug 20, 2009
The burger wars are heating up, with the Hardee's and Carl's Jr. chains taking aim at McDonald's Corp. with a taste challenge and an attack on Big Mac. In September, Hardee's and Carl's Jr. restaurants will offer mail-in refunds to customers who claim to like a McDonald's Angus burger better than a Carl's Jr. Six Dollar Angus Burger (which actually costs $3.99) or a $3.49 Hardee's Angus Thickburger.
Why Your Agency Should Embrace Connection Planning
Aug 20, 2009
Ask around and you'll find that most marketers believe there is something fundamentally wrong with their media and advertising today. They will complain they are not getting truly media-neutral solutions that are grounded in consumer insights and are ownable by their brands.
MSNBC.com: EveryBlock.com Won't Replace Local News
Aug 19, 2009
Among the conundrums left by the newspaper die-off: What is the new model for local news and information, once the sole province of community newspapers? MSNBC.com snapped up one of the more promising efforts, EveryBlock.com. The startup, founded by programmer and journalist Adrian Holovaty, was funded by the Knight Foundation's "news challenge" program, an annual contest for innovations in local news.
Google Adds Forecast Insight to Insights for Search
Aug 19, 2009
Last year, Google updated Google Trends and launched Google Insights for Search, allowing advertisers and marketers to track search behavior based on frequency of searches, time frame, or geographic location. Now Google is throwing the element of predictability into the mix. Looking at a particular trend's historical search popularity, Google forecasts the trend's future performance.
Study: Online Advertising Drives 9% Sales Gain For CPG Brands
Aug 19, 2009
A new study indicates that online advertising boosts retail sales of consumer packaged goods brands by 9% on average -- comparable with the lift from TV ad campaigns. The findings come from comScore and marketing consultancy dunnhumbyUSA based on research involving online campaigns run over three months for a variety unnamed CPG brands.
Sony Relies on Humor to Counter a Grim Mood
Aug 18, 2009
Ah, the great comedy teams of history: Laurel and Hardy ... Burns and Allen ... Abbott and Costello ... Manning and Timberlake. Manning and Timberlake? As in the football star Peyton Manning and the singer Justin Timberlake? Yes, according to a humorous campaign for electronics products sold by Sony.
Financial Times Feels Vindicated by Web Strategy
Aug 17, 2009
Two years ago, when other media executives were convinced that the only way to succeed on the Web was to give away their content, “we were regarded as slightly freakish,” says John Ridding, chief executive of The Financial Times. The FT, which had charged readers for access to its Web site since 2002, stuck with that strategy, merely tweaking its system to try to draw in more readers. Now, with advertising showing few signs of rebounding from a deep slump and other publishers moving to imitate FT.com by erecting so-called pay walls, Mr. Ridding feels vindicated.
Why Do U.K. Videos Always Seem to Go Viral?
Aug 17, 2009
For more than five months, a minute-long clip featuring a pair of children gyrating their eyebrows to the old-school hip-hop hit "Don't Stop the Rock" has been one of the most popular videos around, racking up millions of views around the internet. Made by Fallon, London, for Cadbury, "Eyebrow Dance" is one of several odd, soft-selling commercial creations from this side of the Atlantic Ocean now dominating Advertising Age's Viral Video Chart. Its wild popularity, along with that of T-Mobile's "Dance," Evian's "Rollerbabies" and Samsung's LED Sheep, begs the question: What makes U.K. ads so infectious?
AOL Blossoms as Print Retreats
Aug 17, 2009
The office at Ninth Street and Broadway in Manhattan in the former Wanamaker’s department store has all of the trademarks of a well-financed digital start-up. Young people eat pizza and chat about applications while others are jammed into conference rooms discussing search optimization. The only oddity in the futuristic tableau comes when you step off the elevator to see three large letters: A O L.
Mad Men's Secret Product Placements
Aug 17, 2009
Fans of the AMC's Mad Men know that the show, about fictional 1960s advertising agency Sterling Cooper, names other real-life agencies and brands to achieve some verisimilitude. What they may not know is that some of those are actual product placements.
Despite Sales Success, Campbell Puts an End to Soup Wars
Aug 15, 2009
Campbell Soup Co. is dropping its hotly contested comparative ad campaign against arch-rival Progresso -- even though the ads worked really well. When the marketer launched its initial push for Select Harvest soup, it began with a taste-test ad in which a blindfolded woman tastes Campbell's brand and names farm-fresh ingredients, then names chemicals after tasting Progresso.
Marketing's Drift Away from Media
Aug 15, 2009
This is going to be a column that focuses on a terrible, tooth-hurting phrase, for which I apologize in advance. But there's no way around it. The phrase is "below the line," as it applies to marketing. It refers, generally, to all forms of marketing that do not involve advertising in specific media. "Below the line" is not Web advertising. It is things such as in-store events, guerrilla stunts that drum up media coverage, and company-built Web sites. A pop-up—a temporary store—showcasing a newish product in a heavily trafficked area? A (very au courant) below-the-line move.
CMOs Optimistic, But Still Tight-Fisted
Aug 14, 2009
CMOs are feeling better about the economy, but they're not about to spend more on traditional advertising. Such marketers expect an increase in customer activity over the next year, and to shift more dollars toward Internet marketing, per a study released this week by Duke University's Fuqua School of Business in conjunction with the American Marketing Association. Don't expect a surge in offline ad revenue to follow suit—such adverting is expected to fall 8 percent.
The Waning Days of 'Mere' Music Licensing
Aug 13, 2009
From the early strains of "Revolution" by Nike, marketing has increasingly co-opted the soundtracks of popular culture to create emotional resonance. And, boy, has the dance between marketers and music changed. No longer are brands and agencies willing to "crutch-up" their advertising with simply a popular song. In fact, the practice of slapping a song in at the last minute is moving into the Ice Age. What continues to thaw and thrive is the shared-values model, that fertile area where what the brands want us to experience and what the bands want us to experience is the same place.
Web Sites Debate Best Values for Advertising Dollars
Aug 13, 2009
For a time, Internet advertising was a rising tide lifting all boats. But as ad spending ebbs, there are more arguments about where on the Web advertising is the most fruitful. The fight over shrinking Internet ad dollars pits online publishers that offer premium content against major Web portals such as AOL, MSN and Yahoo. Portals and publishers, meanwhile, also have to compete with the ad brokers that sell often cut-rate leftover ad space on Web pages with less visibility.
Covering Many Bases for a Brand of Blue Jeans
Aug 13, 2009
The British say “Mind the gap,” but in this country it has been a while since shoppers minded what Gap was selling. The Gap division of Gap Inc. was struggling even before the recession, which has persuaded consumers to cut back significantly on clothing purchases.
P&G’s Ending Billable Hours Forces Grey to Show Chip Ads Work
Aug 13, 2009
For Grey Global Group Inc., its contract to create TV, print and Internet advertisements for Procter & Gamble Co.’s Pringles isn’t just about selling potato chips. It’s about the end of billable hours. Instead of being paid for hours clocked devising promotions for rice potato chips or crispy cracker sticks, Grey earns an undisclosed fee upfront and add-on payments for sales and market share gains. P&G moved brands accounting for 40 percent of sales to the new payment system July 1 and aims to expand that.
The Content Crisis
Aug 13, 2009
The signs are everywhere. The New York Times is close to bankruptcy. Magazines are dying in droves. The music industry is trying anything to make a buck. The TV networks are wondering if they can keep selling increasingly expensive space in return for an increasingly smaller audience that time-shifts its way out of having to watch the ads. Meanwhile, business plans that held the words "advertising funded" are being rewritten, while multitudes of newspapers and content sites are closing down because of lack of income.
BMW Pumps Diesel
Aug 11, 2009
For many Americans who came of age in the ‘70s, diesel is a dirty word. BMW, however, is looking to change consumers' perceptions by prepping a new campaign designed to sell drivers on a cleaner-burning, eco-friendly fuel that doesn’t get in the way of performance. As part of its “EfficientDynamics” initiative, the automaker this month will launch a multi-platform effort promoting the 335d sedan and X5 xDrive35d crossover.
Is Television Over?
Aug 11, 2009
If you love to hate ads, you might enjoy two new books that train their sights on modern marketing. The first makes the case that advertising as we know it is about to be obliterated. The second suggests that we should all dance a gleeful polka on its grave.
Notice Those Ads on Blogs? Regulators Do, Too
Aug 11, 2009
Bloggers, be warned. Advertisers, you too. Two of the National Advertising Review Council’s investigative units plan to announce Tuesday their first decisions involving blogs. Their recommendations call for clear disclosure when a company is sponsoring a site or paying for product reviews.
Why Now Is Not the Time to Cut Costs
Aug 11, 2009
The deep recession and financial meltdown we are experiencing have put consumer-goods marketers into an enterprise-threatening economic environment. How long it will last, of course, is anyone's guess. As we well know, a market for a product must meet three conditions before consumer spending occurs. First, there must be a need or want in the consumer's mind. Marketers are trained to stimulate existing wants and create new ones.
Wall Street in 2007 = Web Street in 2009?
Aug 10, 2009
The online ad industry has been on a fairly stable course for at least seven years now. The last major disruption this industry suffered dated from the Great Dotcom Meltdown of 2001-02, when the entire economy collapsed. Since that time, things have largely been on the upswing, and it's remarkable to me that search spending -- the healthiest component of online -- has held together, even in the midst of a deep recession whose likes we have not seen since the 1930s.
Before You Base Your Business Plan on Paid Content, Read This
Aug 10, 2009
For a moment last week, it seemed like paid content was really on the march. Rupert Murdoch announced his intention to charge for every News Corp. news site. DirecTV, the second-largest pay-TV provider, was found in talks to launch a web-video service -- for its paying subscribers. And a comprehensive new forecast reported that consumers were spending less time with media that's heavily subsidized by advertising -- and more with media they pay for.
PR and Advertising are at a Crossroads
Aug 10, 2009
Advertising and public relations stand at a crossroads -- at once battered by recession-driven corporate downsizing and confronted with a bevy of new and often untested online platforms. Amid the uncertainty, firms have battled back with disparate strategies: eschewing general advertising to reach smaller target audiences; rushing to integrate the once separate fiefdoms of PR and advertising; and seeking to capitalize on the disintegration of multinational firms by buying up local branch offices.
There’s an App for That. But a Revenue Stream?
Aug 10, 2009
Media brands are jumping onto the iPhone. USA Today? There’s an app for that. “The Rachel Maddow Show”? “Entertainment Tonight”? Public radio? Yes, yes and yes, there are apps for those. Now, if only there were an app that showed media companies how to make money on the iPhone.
In a 'Content Snacking' Age, Will Ads Still Be Welcome?
Aug 10, 2009
Media consumption is changing. You don't need me to tell you that. But you may be unaware just how much it's shifting as we embrace "the stream." What's the stream? It's a way of consuming content as a continuous feed of brief bits, singles, 10-minute videos, tweets and status updates. It reflects the societal shift from analog to digital. And it's a natural fit for the web, where attention spans are minuscule.
Facebook Joins Forces with Advertisers
Aug 10, 2009
More than 80 per cent of the largest US advertisers are using Facebook to promote themselves, suggesting that corporate America has embraced the social networking site as a mainstream promotional platform. This marks a striking shift. Companies were initially hesitant to advertise on social networks because users appeared resistant to advertising and there were fears that corporate logos might appear alongside offensive content.
How Powerade Defeated Gatorade in Court
Aug 7, 2009
Yesterday's verdict in favor of Coca-Cola's Powerade had a lot to do with endurance -- Gatorade Endurance, court documents revealed. On April 13, Gatorade's parent company, the PepsiCo-owned Stokley Van Camp, filed suit against Coca-Cola's Powerade ION4 product. It alleged false advertising, trademark dilution as well as other claims.
Building an Army of Hyper-Local, Mobile-Connected Advocates
Aug 6, 2009
No, this isn't "the year for location" in mobile. That phrase has become industry cliche by now. But it's hard to ignore the hype that one location-based service called Foursquare is getting in some circles -- and no advertiser should. The NYC-based startup has built a sticky platform, an avid fan base and, quite possibly, the next-generation platform for proximity marketing.
Father of Flash Mobs on the Future of Viral
Aug 6, 2009
As the provocateur behind the Great Flash Mob Craze of 2003, Bill Wasik knows first-hand how quickly stories (trivial or otherwise) can flare up in the wired world, get fanned by the media, and then quickly fizzle. Making way, of course, for another ephemeral story that seems urgent at the time.
Best Buy's Augmented-Reality Ad Dazzles, but Does It Work?
Aug 6, 2009
Best Buy got props on Sunday when its weekly supplement came equipped with a 3-D notebook computer -- that is, if you had a webcam and held the circular up to it, you'd see a 3-D image of a Toshiba laptop, thanks to the technology known as augmented reality.
Web Ads Get More Intrusive
Aug 6, 2009
The Web has long relegated advertising to the sidelines as part of a do-not-interrupt mandate that separated cyberspace venues from traditional media. That's slowly changing.
Measuring the Results of an Ad, Right Down to the City Block
Aug 6, 2009
The people who buy media have found their jobs more complicated lately, what with all the new ways of measuring response — how many people clicked, clipped a coupon or made a purchase after seeing an ad.
Mass Media Crisis Is Marketers' Crisis, Too
Aug 5, 2009
By undermining the financial viability of traditional media, marketers are jeopardizing the only viable means currently available for reaching mass audiences. That's the core premise of "The CMO's Dilemma: Can You Reach the Masses Without Mass Media?," a new white paper co-authored by John Rose and Neal Zuckerman of The Boston Consulting Group. Rose and Zuckerman argue that it's critical that marketers, agencies and media companies start addressing the issues surrounding this dilemma together.
Advertising's Revenge of The Nerds
Aug 4, 2009
After years of calling the shots, the traditional Mad Men of advertising -- the creative types who cooked up memorable sell-lines like "the ultimate driving machine" -- are increasingly sharing the spotlight with, you guessed it, the nerds. Or as Jon Bond, a co-founder of Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners, which has done work for Target and Panasonic, says, "If we were in India, it would be as if the untouchables had suddenly become the ruling class." What has allowed the lowly quants to sit at the same table as the advertising Brahmin is a new way of thinking about the creation of desire.
Ad-supported Content, Out: Paid Content, In?
Aug 4, 2009
According to a new survey published by private equity company Veronis Suhler Stevenson, consumers are getting wise to advertising and are choosing to avoid it. In 2008, for the first time, people used more paid content than ad-supported stuff.
Going Google: A New Contender in the Microsoft vs. Apple Advertising Battle
Aug 3, 2009
Boston, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago will be getting a month-long billboard ad campaign starting for this week, with one simple message: If you want to escape Microsoft's expensive grip, switch to Google.
Integrated Media Strategies Are Necessary
Aug 3, 2009
Earlier this year, Forrester Research released its five year advertising forecast which found that marketers were shifting substantial advertising dollars out of traditional media and into interactive channels such as mobile marketing, display ads, search, social media and email. Yet, marketers who rely too heavily on interactive channels, at the expense of traditional channels, risk losing out on the lucrative Boomer segment that are avid multi-media consumers.
Creepy? Annoying? Or Creepy and Annoying?
Aug 3, 2009
Gary Koepke, co-founder and executive creative director at Modernista, loves that you're creeped out by his ads for Sprint's Palm Pre. In the past few weeks, the Boston-based ad shop's TV spots have been unsettling potential consumers. The campaign features actress Tamara Hope speaking directly to the camera in near-robotic tones and sharing strange observations about traffic lights, jugglers and reincarnation.
Is Persistence the Key to Web Branding?
Aug 3, 2009
The Web has a problem: It's largely ad supported, but the rapid-fire way people churn through page views by the dozens makes it less than ideal for brand advertisers. Yes, the move to make the Web safe for marketers is progressing on many fronts. There's the development of new, larger ad units by major publishers and an increased focus on creativity within the industry, not to mention there's an increasing number of people consuming online video. But because brands, above all else, need face time to make their case to consumers, more must be done to get ads in front of users.
Now on YouTube, Local News
Aug 3, 2009
With its ability to collect articles and sell advertisements against them, Google has already become a huge force in the news business — and the scourge of many newspapers. Now its subsidiary YouTube wants to do the same thing to local television. YouTube, which already boasts of being “the biggest news platform in the world,” has created a News Near You feature that senses a user’s location and serves up a list of relevant videos. In time, it could essentially engineer a local newscast on the fly. It is already distributing hometown video from dozens of sources, and it wants to add thousands more.
The Latest Branding Opp? The Profile Picture
Aug 3, 2009
Twitter may be free of advertising, but that hasn't stopped brands from trying to get in front of users glued to the fast-growing service. They've made their presence felt in subtler ways, such as holding quizzes and donating to charities in the hopes visitors will tweet about a brand. One of the more recent efforts involves brands looking for a persistent presence in the Twitter stream through users' profile pictures.
The Monetization of Mimi: Mariah CD to Have Ads
Aug 3, 2009
As music sales continue to drop like they’re not so hot throughout the industry, Island Def Jam Music Group is jamming on a new business model: integrating brands into artists’ CD booklets. The first deal, created for the Mariah Carey release Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel on Sept. 15, is a 34-page co-production with Elle magazine that includes lifestyle ads from Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne, Carmen Steffens, Le Métier de Beauté and the Bahamas Board of Tourism. Providing the experiment goes well, the label is eyeing bigger brand deals for booklets of CDs by Rihanna, Bon Jovi, Kanye West and other artists.
Why Now?
Jul 31, 2009
A number of dim bulbers emailed me this week to complain that it was dumb for spokesceleb Mike Rowe to add the phrase "why not?" to the end of Ford's tagline "why Ford, why now" in a new TV commercial. I actually don't like the "why now" part.
P&G Tries Augmented Reality
Jul 31, 2009
Procter & Gamble is testing the waters for “augmented reality,” a form of digital technology that's driving a new campaign for Always Infinity. The packaged goods giant hopes to give consumers ways to interact with its ads like never before.
Ads Follow Web Users, and Get Much More Personal
Jul 31, 2009
For all the concern and uproar over online privacy, marketers and data companies have always known much more about consumers’ offline lives, like income, credit score, home ownership, even what car they drive and whether they have a hunting license. Recently, some of these companies have started connecting this mountain of information to consumers’ browsers.
Reason vs. Emotion in Branding
Jul 30, 2009
On Monday, Roger Dooley posted a short piece on his Neuromarketing blog titled, "Emotional Ads Work Best." Citing an analysis of data regarding successful ad campaigns referenced in the book Brand Immortality by Pringle and Field, Dooley states the following: "Campaigns with purely emotional content performed about twice as well (31% vs. 16%) with only rational content, and those that were purely emotional did a little better (31% vs 26%) those that mixed emotional and rational content."
Can Microsoft and Yahoo Co-Create New Businesses?
Jul 30, 2009
Microsoft and Google's increasingly captivating competitive dance took another turn on July 29 with the announcement of a search partnership between Microsoft and Yahoo. The deal could create a viable competitor to Google--or even more enticingly build very different kinds of growth businesses.
Yahoo, Microsoft Deal Gives Bing a Google-Rivaling Turbo Boost
Jul 29, 2009
After years of foreplay, Microsoft and Yahoo have made it official: They're cozying up in bed together. The major beneficiary will be Bing--it'll usurp Yahoo search, boosting its Google rivalry power.
How Verizon, Campbell Soup, Scotts Find Value on Air
Jul 29, 2009
Radio companies, like all media companies, are under more pressure than ever to prove their medium's value to marketers. But when three brands opened up their strategies to radio executives at the Advertising Research Foundation's Audio Council in New York, the industry got an insightful look as to what else marketers are looking for from radio.
Why Is Six Flags Targeting Kids with a Creepy Old Guy?
Jul 29, 2009
This could be a make-or-break summer for Six Flags. And in the current economic environment, families will likely sacrifice thrill-ride screams for savings. So why, in the face of such serious challenges, would Six Flags respond by rolling out an ad campaign featuring a widely mocked character that the company's own chairman once said is "misguided" and "weakens the brand"?
An Environmental Group’s Campaign of Wry Lies Against Bottled Water
Jul 29, 2009
Can an ad campaign turn bottled water into the new tobacco? Taking a cue from antitobacco campaigns, Tappening, a group opposed to bottled water on environmental grounds, has introduced a campaign called “Lying in Advertising,” that positions bottled water companies as spreading corporate untruths.
Big Spenders Get the Most Buzz
Jul 29, 2009
Spend and you will get buzz. That seems to be one takeaway from YouGov's BrandIndex, which compiled daily feedback from thousands of consumers for the first half of the year in order to find out which brands consumers are buzzing about and which brands they're not.
GM's Appointment of Lutz Shows No Respect for Marketing
Jul 28, 2009
General Motors' new advertising and marketing czar is Bob Lutz, who until April of this year headed global product development. According to CEO Fritz Henderson: "Bob's responsibilities beyond creative design will include brands, marketing, advertising and communications." (I can visualize Bob at his first meeting with one of GM's agencies: "I'm not a marketing expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.")
Marketers Revisit Instant-Messenger Ads
Jul 27, 2009
Universal Pictures spent some $35 million promoting Bruno a summer movie with Sacha Baron Cohen about a homosexual fashion reporter. There were the typical TV and radio ads, says Doug Neil, Universal Pictures' senior vice president of digital marketing, but the plugs that built a viral hum and motivated moviegoers were video display ads embedded in instant messages.
GM Shops Sweat as Lutz Sunbathes in Caribbean
Jul 27, 2009
GM's new marketing top gun, Bob Lutz, met with the automaker's brand teams on July 14, spent 10 to 20 minutes critiquing the work for each brand and, in the words of someone in the know, "crapped all over the advertising." Then he jetted off to the Caribbean island of Montserrat on holiday, leaving some scared individuals in his wake.
Watching You Watching Ads
Jul 27, 2009
A technician in a black lab coat gazed at the short, middle-aged man seated inside the Walt Disney Company’s secretive new research facility here last week, his face shrouded with eye-tracking goggles. Read ESPN.com on that BlackBerry, she told him soothingly, like a nurse about to draw blood. “And have fun,” she added, leaving the room. In reality, the man’s appetite for sports news was not of interest. (The site was a fake version anyway.) Rather, the technician and her fellow researchers were eager to know how the man responded to ads of varying size. How small could the banners become and still draw his attention?
Is Augmented Reality the Next Big Thing?
Jul 27, 2009
Until recently, augmented reality existed mainly in movies like The Minority Report and computer science labs at universities, where technologists grappled with comically clunky headgear. Now, however, several new Web and mobile applications are changing minds and helping to bring AR into the mainstream.
Marketing Takes a Beating in Beltway
Jul 27, 2009
As if the recession pummeling the industry wasn't enough, the business is starting to feel besieged by the Beltway. There are efforts to strip the $4.7 billion direct-to-consumer-drug category of its tax deductibility; congressional concern over consumer tracking on the internet, endangering the $23.4 billion online-ad market; Food and Drug Administration scrutiny of such household names as Cheerios and Tylenol; proposed guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission seeking disclosure for paid blog posts, even tweets; and, of course, the federal government's strong hand in setting -- and sitting on -- ad budgets at Chrysler and General Motors. With a new Congress and an administration seeking funding for health care and other programs, marketing has become an unpopular and easy target ripe for regulation and shakedown to fund the federal piggy bank.
Advertisers Need to Make Some Noise
Jul 25, 2009
Sound in advertising is hot once again. Take the recent VW television commercial making light of a hybrid car's sound or General Motors admitting that the Volt has "the feel of a sports car" but its sound needs to be refined. Or Starbucks' approach to reinvigorating its brand by rejuvenating the coffee experience so that customers can hear the "whir of the grinders."
For Those Who Want Their Cereal Extra Manly
Jul 23, 2009
Wheaties, invented accidentally when a health clinician in Minneapolis who was simmering bran gruel for intestinally distressed patients spilled it onto a hot stove and it dried into flakes, was introduced by the Washburn Crosby Company (now General Mills) in 1924. The brand adopted the “Breakfast of Champions” slogan in 1933, and in 1934 the Wheaties box featured its first athlete, Lou Gehrig. It is a formula — slogan, athletes (from Bruce Jenner to Mary Lou Retton to Tiger Woods), block letters on orange box — that has kept Wheaties in the game for more than eight decades. But that formula does not seem to be winning new fans.
Has Jamba Juice's Controversial Ad Just Pureed Its Billion-Dollar Dreams?
Jul 22, 2009
When James White, the still new CEO of Jamba Juice, stopped by our offices a few weeks ago, we'll admit we were excited. Who hasn't been occasionally seduced by the charms of its Pomegranate Pick-Me-Up (Jamba's signature blend of strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate juice, and raspberry sorbet)? White came by to explain to Fast Company his strategy to turn Jamba Juice into the next billion-dollar brand and potential Starbucks slayer. Given the whirl of controversy online about Jamba's new ad campaign being a ripoff of the work of cult cartoonist David Rees' Get Your War On series, White appears to have forgotten the first rule of holes: When you're in one, stop digging.
Advertising And Modern Minstrelsy: What’s Funny About Race Roleplaying?
Jul 22, 2009
Last week we came across this music video/ advertisement for Taco Bell (created by DraftFCB), a riff on Diddy’s 1990s anthem, "It’s All About the Benjamins." The commercial, entitled “It’s All About the Roosevelts,” seems to have drawn inspiration from the popular "Lazy Sunday” skit featured on SNL four years ago, a self-parodizing rap video about the banal lives of Chris Parnell and Adam Samberg. SNL’s characters rap self-seriously (but in actuality, self-deprecatingly) about the boring details of their daily lives, from visiting cupcake bakeries to finding directions on the Internet. The comedic effect is a result of a combined dissonance; it’s not funny because it’s white people rapping, it’s funny because it’s dorky white people rapping about their very un-thug lives.
Your New Sweet Spot: The 50-Plus Consumer
Jul 22, 2009
Today's advertising agencies are filled with young, talented people whose job is to create messages for a world of consumers who look, act and feel just like they do. In advertising parlance, reaching the 18-to-34-year-old demographic is called targeting the "sweet spot." Ninety percent of today's marketing dollars are spent trying to reach this group. Marketers lust after them, and media companies do everything in their power to lure them to their Web sites, magazines, TV shows and radio stations.
Advertising Will Change Forever
Jul 22, 2009
Here's one of the things we do at Forrester Research: we interview as many marketers as we can about their plans, identify trends and project future likely conditions, and then we put together some numbers to make a projection. If you've ever seen a Forrester projection, it comes from a process like this.
Amazon Charts Course Toward E-Book Advertising
Jul 21, 2009
Books are among the last bastions of ad-free content. But they won't be so forever if Amazon has its way. The online retail giant has been nurturing a growing e-reader market with its Kindle device; analysts estimate more than a million have been sold since its 2007 debut. And the idea of serving ads in e-books has been a subject of chatter for a while. But Amazon appears to have taken the next concrete step in that direction. Recent reports indicate the online retail giant has filed patent applications to stuff digital books with contextual advertising.
Madison Avenue Will Be Watching FedEx’s Web Videos
Jul 20, 2009
FedEx has been something of an advertising bellwether. So when the company announced that after 18 years it would forgo advertising during the last Super Bowl, because it could not justify the expense during the downturn, the news resonated. The company is certain to be watched closely Monday, then, as it unveils its first Web-video advertising campaign, five three-minute films that feature the actor Fred Willard.
Nike Stages a Takeover of Fuel TV for 6.0 Line
Jul 17, 2009
To promote its 6.0 line of action-sports gear this month, Nike is establishing a major promotional beachhead on Fuel TV, the News Corp.-owned cable outlet geared towards skaters, surfers and bikers. The deal allows the sportswear company to dominate the network for a set period of time.
Should YouTube Charge a Fee to Upload Video?
Jul 16, 2009
Gene Munster, the analyst with Piper Jaffray, put a report out Thursday looking at the finances of YouTube, and he makes a suggestion that I haven’t seen before: Google should charge a “nominal fee” to people to upload videos to YouTube if the video isn’t appropriate for advertising.
Dos Equis' 'Most Interesting Man' Is an Even Greater Beer Salesman
Jul 16, 2009
"He lives vicariously through himself." "The police often question him just because they find him interesting." And he can drive an expensive imported beer brand to double-digit sales gains during a recession that's forced many of its competitors into steep declines.
Cellphones: The New Billboards
Jul 16, 2009
Ad-weary Internet users may have trained their eyes to ignore banner ads, but on an otherwise uncluttered mobile phone screen the ads are harder to ignore. That's the thinking behind SAP's new mobile marketing campaign, which it launched in mid-June along with related online and print ads.
Commercials On The Go
Jul 15, 2009
Michael Jackson's memorial service drew a surprising number of eyes to TV sets July 7. Even more surprising was the number of people who watched the farewell on their phones--nearly 1 million.
Tracking Makes Life Easier for Consumers
Jul 14, 2009
It would be like having the same conversation -- over and over and over again. That's how one digital ad executive describes a world where no one is allowed to collect information online, a scenario the industry is hurriedly -- and worriedly -- trying to keep from happening.
Game Advertising Goes Mainstream
Jul 14, 2009
Games have long been fertile marketing ground for movie studios, soda companies and fast feeders -- youth-targeted brands counting on a cache of cool. So what are Alka-Seltzer and Knorr doing in the space?
Auto News: Lutz Promises Drastic Changes in GM Marketing
Jul 14, 2009
General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz says one of the first things he plans to do as the new head of marketing is make "drastic" changes in the "tone and content" of all of GM's advertising, according to Automotive News.
Facebook Lures Advertisers at MySpace's Expense
Jul 10, 2009
Facebook has won over millions of users from social networking pioneer MySpace. It's becoming more alluring to advertisers, too. Even as overall U.S. advertising spending on social networks declines this year, ad sales are on the rise at Facebook, and the company is gaining a larger slice of the pie at the expense of News Corp.'s (NWS) MySpace, according to a new report from marketing researcher eMarketer.
Turning Your Audience Into Marketers
Jul 10, 2009
At last month's Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, Hiroki Ono of Japan walked away a winner. But he didn't take home a Grand Prix or Golden Lion. Ono, a 23-year-old aspiring filmmaker, placed first for "Feel the Globe."
The Seven Myths Of Mobile Advertising
Jul 10, 2009
With a clearer distinction between what's realistic today and what's been mystified by industry hype, brands, agencies and publishers alike can start leveraging the mobile medium now as an easy-to-use, creative, targeted, and measurable new revenue opportunity.
Print Media is Dying. Online Revenues are Tiny. What if the Ads are to Blame?
Jul 9, 2009
By now, we're all familiar with the gruesome predicament of print media: Print readership is falling, and ad revenues are disappearing as a result. The Web hasn't been any kind of savior, for a simple reason: No matter how good your newspaper or magazine's site is, advertisers still don't pay as much to reach a Web reader as they will for a print reader, to the tune of about ten cents on the dollar. No wonder print publications have been so scared to migrate their businesses online--it's like asking them to move into a shiny new house that happens to be on pile of toxic waste.
Google's AdSense for iPhone Trips up Advertisers
Jul 9, 2009
In the two weeks since Google announced it would open up AdSense for mobile, serving up text and display ads inside apps, there are signs the online-ad giant -- and marketers -- are still figuring out how to create good experiences for mobile users.
Everywhere You Go, a Duane Reade Ad
Jul 9, 2009
Macy's, F. A. O. Schwarz and Saks Fifth Avenue are not the only retail landmarks of New York City: there is also the Duane Reade drugstore chain. With 253 stores in and around New York, Duane Reade is a near-ubiquitous presence in the city, as its former slogan, “Everywhere you go, Duane Reade,” put it.
The Decline of Traditional Advertising and the Rise of Social Media
Jul 9, 2009
Forrester Research released its five year forecast that estimates interactive marketing spending from 2009 – 2014. Forrester predicts that interactive marketing in the US will near $55 billion and represent 21% of all marketing spend by 2014 and will include search marketing, display advertising, email marketing, social media, and mobile marketing. More significantly however, overall advertising in traditional media will continue to decline in favor of less expensive, more effective interactive tools and services.
J. C. Penney Plays Up Its Manhattan Opening
Jul 8, 2009
J. C. Penney, a retailer with middle-American roots, intends to make a grand entrance with its first store in Manhattan, a place at the heart of retailing.
Advertising Could Do With More of Bernbach's Genius
Jul 7, 2009
"Nobody's Perfect" is the title of Doris Willens' new book on Bill Bernbach and the golden age of advertising. And just to make sure you get the point of the title, the book explores every imperfection she could find in the career of perhaps the most famous person in the history of advertising.
P&G Rethinks Production Houses
Jul 7, 2009
Creative agencies generally have free rein and a wide field to choose from when hiring production companies. But in the current era of compulsive cost control, this is changing. One large global marketer is rewriting the rules for the hiring of production houses with an eye towards exerting more control and reducing costs, with another said by sources to be making a similar move.
Lights, Camera, Action for Concession Coupons
Jul 7, 2009
Film producers spend millions every year to draw audiences to their movies. Now, advertisers are beginning to benefit from that, using not only movie screens for their commercials, but the lobbies of cinemas as well.
The Internet Makes Work for Idle Hands
Jul 7, 2009
The radical decentralization of the means of cultural production and distribution it has brought about, that I mentioned in the slidecast in my last post, "Social Begins At Home," has changed the very nature of the audience--of what an audience is.
Wagnerian? Vaudevillian? No, Hardwarian.
Jul 6, 2009
Marketers have always been fond of coining words, the better to stand out amid the cacophony and clutter. There are myriad made-up names for products, like Kodak, Xerox and Q-Tip, not to mention advertising slogans proclaiming that Cocoa Krispies cereal is “cocolossal,” Mr. Salty pretzels are “crisplier” and 7Up is the “uncola.”
Amazon Applying for In-Book Advertisement Patent for Kindle
Jul 5, 2009
Before everyone gets in a huff, let’s consider Amazon’s intentions with these patent applications. Surely they would never allow advertisements to be placed in books which you have purchased legitimately at full price, so let’s put that out of our heads. But what if you could take a few bucks off the cover price at the cost of a few contextual ads relating (if possible) to the book’s content?
Why the Court's Decision on Virtual DVRs Matters to Marketers
Jul 2, 2009
The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Monday to let stand a ruling that Cablevision can go forward with its virtual DVR product. Let me explain what this is and what it means for marketers.
Pro Bono Spots Soak Up More Commercial Time
Jul 1, 2009
For almost 65 years, Smokey Bear has been reminding Americans, “Only you can prevent forest fires” (and, more recently, wildfires). As the economy faltered, it turned out, Smokey was sharing screen time — and exposure in other media — with pro bono advertising intended to prevent home foreclosures, encourage financial literacy and keep students from dropping out of high school.
Advertising: The Price of 'Free' Media
Jul 1, 2009
The march of technology has disrupted the implicit contract that has driven the media business for a hundred years or more: Publishers/programmers provide quality content; advertisers help subsidize the content and, in return, get to show commercial messages to audiences; and consumers enjoy the content and accept the ads that subsidize all or some of the cost.
In A Rude World, Can Marketing Ever Be Polite?
Jul 1, 2009
By now, we've all read enough stories about ill-mannered co-workers who text during meetings, nasty bosses who idolize Simon Cowell ("I'm just being honest with you!") and subordinates who snipe like characters from "The Office" or "Scrubs."
Beam Marketing Chief on Making His Brands Heard
Jun 30, 2009
When Rory Finlay took over as senior VP-chief marketing officer of Beam Global Spirits & Wine in early 2007, he faced a daunting challenge. Beam, the world's No. 4 spirits player, boasted iconic brands such as Jim Beam, Sauza, Maker's Mark and Canadian Club, but it lacked the budget to go ad-for-ad with its much larger competitors Diageo, Pernod Ricard and Bacardi.
Foes No More, Ad Agencies Unite With Internet Firms
Jun 30, 2009
Advertising agencies and Internet companies once viewed each other as foes, but are now coming together to harness the potential for online advertising. Like many other segments, online ad spending has slowed from its previous breakneck pace during the deep recession, forcing companies to devise new ways to chase fewer dollars.
Levi’s Courts the Young With a Hopeful Call
Jun 30, 2009
Generation Y. Generation O (for Obama). Millennials. Echo boomers. Call them what you will, the tens of millions of Americans in their teens and 20s compose a market as hard for advertisers to figure out as it is alluring and lucrative.
Mamas, Don't Let Your Ads Grow Up To Be Camels
Jun 30, 2009
Remember the old joke about the camel? That it's a horse built by a committee? Many of the ads targeting mature consumers these days appear to be built by committee. Chock full of pictures. Lots of messages all at once. You could consider them visual camels.
Selling Junkless Junk Food to the Masses
Jun 30, 2009
Someone once described the concept of trying to have it both ways as like brushing your teeth while eating a candy bar. Substitute “snack chip” for the treat in that sentence and you’ve a good idea of the strategy behind a campaign for a new entry into a growing category that could be called junkless junk food.
What the Michael Jackson Sales Surge is About
Jun 30, 2009
Sometimes people ask me why, say, McDonald’s or Coca-Cola or Nike bother to advertise at all. We’ve all heard of them, right? We’ve all decided whether or not we like them. So why waste the money? Here is my answer: Because the simple-sounding issue of salience is very important. And as backup I offer the abrupt return to popularity of Michael Jackson’s music.
Digital TV: Where Are All Those Eyeballs?
Jun 26, 2009
For years local broadcast stations looked forward to digital TV as a potential business panacea. The technology would allow them to create so-called subchannels alongside their existing ones that would beam niche programming—from local weather to high school football games—over the air to viewers' sets, theoretically attracting more advertising and helping the local guys compete with cable.
How Get-Rich-Quick Ads Steal Google's Brand Equity
Jun 26, 2009
In a world of double-digit unemployment and old-line industries in mid-collapse, here's a sales pitch tailor-made for the times: "Get Paid by Google."
The Online Ad That Knows Where Your Friends Shop
Jun 26, 2009
If a marketer asked people to hand over a list of all their friends so it could show them ads, few would comply. On social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, though, friendships are obvious, and advertisers are beginning to examine those connections.
Google Finds Way Into Mobile Apps
Jun 25, 2009
As mobile users increasingly flock to the fancy applications on their smartphones -- and potentially spend less time on the mobile web, where Google has staked its lead -- the search giant had to find a way into those apps. So it is using its contextual ad program to serve up text and display ads inside mobile applications.
‘Simpsons’ Draws Higher Rates on Web as Ads Target Loyal Fans
Jun 25, 2009
Television programs such as “The Simpsons” and “CSI” are for the first time commanding higher advertising rates at Web sites including Hulu.com and TV.com than on prime-time TV.
How to Kick Off an Innovation Project
Jun 25, 2009
To build consumer loyalty, Office Max launched a study of what women look for when they buy office supplies
Ads That Break the Mold and Grab Attention
Jun 25, 2009
Everybody seems to hate advertising, in part because it seems inescapable. Television screens are cluttered with commercials. Web sites are obscured by pop-up and rollover ads. Streets, sidewalks, and vehicles are plastered with so many signs and digital screens that many people are calling them graffiti. Yes, print media are becoming ad-free zones, but no other space seems off limits, from airport jet ways to elevators to clothing.
Web Privacy Efforts Targeted
Jun 25, 2009
The threat of new regulations involving Internet privacy is prompting Web advertisers to give consumers more control over how their private information is collected and used online. In coming weeks, a group of advertising, media and Internet trade groups plan to announce new guidelines for Web sites that they say could better protect consumers' privacy online. Among the measures is an icon that would appear either on Web pages or ads alerting consumers if their activity is being tracked. Clicking the icon would reveal information on the activities that a site collects about visitors, along with a list of companies that use this data, said an official at an ad trade group.
Automakers Create On-The-Go Ads
Jun 25, 2009
Dying to hear how the stereo system of an Infiniti convertible sounds? Check your mobile phone. The automaker has a mobile music application that runs on Facebook and plays melodies on mobile phones while users ogle pictures of the new G37 convertible. The Tokyo-based auto company is also buying text ads on mobile news feeds and embedded spots for mobile video.
Case Study: How Search Ads Helped Pier 1 Stay Afloat
Jun 25, 2009
The marketing team at Pier 1 Imports chose a challenging time to launch a new campaign. Bank of America had just gobbled up Merrill Lynch, several of the nation’s largest investment firms had buckled down and were receiving TARP money, and in the midst of it all, panic-stricken consumers just weren’t buying.
Online Ad Lessons Learned: Creativity and Content Matter
Jun 25, 2009
At this point, I don't need to lament anymore the ailments of the print-newspaper industry. It's a well-chronicled and covered story.
Brand Awareness Was Only Half the Battle for Aflac
Jun 25, 2009
Any CMO who invites L.A.-based rap group Majesty into an insurance company for a performance is clearly trying to shake things up. Indeed, Jeff Charney has made it his mission to infuse new life to a still-misunderstood brand. Mr. Charney, 50, is senior VP-chief marketing officer for Aflac U.S., one of the largest sellers of supplemental insurance which is largely known for its spokesfowl, the Aflac duck.
In Defense of Experimental Advertising
Jun 24, 2009
How is it that in spite of the incredible scientific and technological boom since John Wanamaker's time -- penicillin, DNA, space flight, supercomputers, the internet -- his puzzlement as to which half of money spent on advertising is wasted remains as relevant today as it was nearly a century ago?
Data as the Ad
Jun 23, 2009
Apple's "Wall of Applications" developed for its recent developer conference did more to demonstrate the breadth and scale of its applications than any single static ad ever could. It's a great example of the power of data as a compelling form of communication. In Apple's case, it's all about the scale of the information to signify the size of the ecosystem.
Buyers Suggest MySpace Revamps
Jun 23, 2009
For one of the Web’s biggest sites, there’s a lot that needs fixing over at MySpace. Buyers and analysts have varying ideas on just what News Corp. should do with its ailing social net, ranging from the philosophical (decide who you are) to the logistical (cut down the clutter). But no one doubts that change is needed, and is coming soon.
Bank of America Resurrects Home-Mortgage Advertising
Jun 23, 2009
Don't look now, but home-mortgage ads are back. At least they are for Bank of America, whose latest TV spot shows vignettes of families perusing a single sheet of paper. The ad, for the newly renamed Bank of America Home Loans division, is focused on a one-page summary of a home loan's agreement terms. The new work, under the theme "Clarity Commitment," is part of an overall rebranding campaign around the jettisoned Countrywide brand name (Bank of America acquired the beleaguered mortgage company last year). But the effort also pushes past the "Starting now, Bank of America has a new address" introduction and doubles as a home-loan ad.
How To Fix A Broken Advertising Industry
Jun 23, 2009
Here's an irrefutable fact: Marketing and advertising agency models are completely broken. With the rise of the Internet and the evolution of new-media offerings--from mobile to social media to word of mouth--client needs have changed. Yet the models of most agencies, built on the traditional foundations of TV, print and radio, have not.
Why 'Going Galt' Isn't the Solution for Newspapers
Jun 22, 2009
The Newport Daily News in Rhode Island has a new digital strategy: close its free, ad-supported site and sell an electronic edition that costs more than twice as much as getting the print paper in your driveway. It's a bold move that just might work. So why isn't every newspaper so brave? What if every newspaper gated off everything tomorrow? What if newspapers embraced the idea of "going Galt"?
Does the CEO Make an Ad More Credible?
Jun 20, 2009
Good news, relatively speaking, for CEOs who'd like to get their faces on TV: In polling conducted among LinkedIn members for AdweekMedia, relatively few respondents said seeing the CEO in a company's advertising makes the message less credible -- though well under half said it makes the ad more credible.
Remote Control Marketing: Don't Interrupt; Interact
Jun 19, 2009
The conventional 30-second television commercial hasn't changed in over 50 years. The time has come. Technology allows us to consume information, news, entertainment and more not only with a mouse click, but with the remote control.
GEICO Shifts Ad Focus From Savings To Service
Jun 19, 2009
There's neither a talking gecko or cavemen to be found in a new campaign from auto insurance company GEICO. The effort also offers a different message. Instead of focusing on savings, the new campaign touts GEICO service. And instead of reptiles, it has talking trees, car bumpers and other inanimate objects to elaborate the message that the company has a 97% positive satisfaction rating among customers.
Time to Close the Gap Between PR and Advertising
Jun 19, 2009
Integration among industries is nothing new. Throughout time, industries with similar formats, products or product-delivery systems have grown by bringing their offerings together. For instance, once-separate grocery stores and pharmacies are now commonly housed together in one supermarket, and corner drugstores are selling a wider selection of convenient grocery items. The local cable company has evolved into an internet service provider that can also hook you up with a phone package, and the phone company is offering internet and TV services, too. More recently, Facebook has incorporated Twitter-like status updates into its news feed.
One Medium PR People Should Buy: Search
Jun 19, 2009
A key distinction between PR and advertising has always been that public relations is earned media rather than paid. But now, just as search engines have revolutionized the way consumers access information, search marketing is evolving public relations.
Mercedes Campaign Focuses on Image, Not Recession
Jun 19, 2009
Car companies like Hyundai and Ford have been showing solidarity with consumers recently, running ads promising that the companies will help them should they lose their jobs. Mercedes-Benz USA is trying a different way to get customers to buy cars as it introduces its updated E-Class Series.
Facebook: Our Targeted Ads Aren't Creepy
Jun 18, 2009
Facebook's targeted advertising program is "materially different from behavioral targeting as it is usually discussed," Chris Kelly, the social network's chief privacy officer, said in remarks prepared for a Thursday morning hearing before two House subcommittees.
MyPlan For MySpace
Jun 18, 2009
MySpace has fired 30% of its workforce, or about 400 people, just as parent company News Corp. scrapped a $350 million plan to consolidate it in a new office with the other components of Fox Interactive Media. Most of the business coverage sites blame falling advertising sales and traffic gains by Facebook. As you may know, News Corp. is busy implementing a strategic overhaul to combat these two issues, having recruited a new CEO for all its digital operations from AOL (an expert in falling ad sales), and one for MySpace from Facebook (adept at prompting visits that make it no money).
Charles Schwab Launches 'Aggressive' Creative
Jun 17, 2009
Normally, Charles Schwab would be taking a hiatus from advertising during the summer months, but the current economic climate and a recent uptick in business have prompted a new flight of executions.
Why Advertising Isn't That Important to YouTube
Jun 17, 2009
Google would like YouTube to become profitable -- a tough task when it's providing free bandwidth and video storage for much of the world's videos, most of which have limited interest to advertisers. But providing all that bandwidth isn't as expensive and YouTube is far closer to break-even than previously thought, according to IT outsourcing firm RampRate.
Is Hunch The IPhone Of Search?
Jun 17, 2009
As much as I like Bing and think that it has effectively closed the gap with Google from a user experience perspective, it's going to require drastic measures to catch Google's market share and revenue. That said, as Microsoft has often stated, we're still in the early innings of the search game and Bing may just be the rally-inducing hit Microsoft needs. But we're still only talking about the search game here. As Gord said, "The iPhone isn't a mobile phone, it's a mobile Web and computing device. The phone is secondary." Bing is still a search engine -- actually, more of a search portal. What search needs is an iPhone. What search needs is a decision engine. Not a search engine with a tagline that says decision engine, but a true decision engine.
Kickin’ Down Madison Ave., Feelin’ Groovy
Jun 17, 2009
The moon may not be in the seventh house. And only an astrologer knows for sure if Jupiter has aligned with Mars. But it seems like the dawning of the age of Aquarius on Madison Avenue, as images and sounds from the 1960s become increasingly popular in advertising.
Seven Predictions About the Future of Advertising
Jun 16, 2009
Let’s start with what we know about media habits, structural changes in advertising practices, and advertising effectiveness.
Why Interactive Advertising Needs a Creative Revolution
Jun 16, 2009
One of the most persistent questions about advertising is: How does it work? Almost 20 years ago, John Philip Jones suggested it depended on which side of the pond one was on. His paper "Advertising: Strong Force or Weak Force? Two Views an Ocean Apart" described the typical American view that advertising was "expected to work by conversion: by addressing apathetic prospects and persuading them with powerful arguments." In contrast, "weak force" described the European view: Advertising was a "nudge," acting as a reminder, reinforcing existing brand perceptions and defending the status quo.
New Balance Plays Patriotism Card in New Marketing Push
Jun 16, 2009
The "Made in America" claim is one that's traditionally attracted little interest from American consumers accustomed to purchasing items produced in distant lands. But with unemployment on the rise and the bankruptcy of manufacturing icons General Motors and Chrysler, New Balance is banking on a shift in consumer awareness of and preference for American-made goods.
Why So Many Media Companies Stumble Globally
Jun 15, 2009
There are plenty of global conglomerates in industries from finance to pharmaceuticals to, of course, advertising. But running a global news business requires a tricky combination of international brand appeal, regional relevance and subject expertise that both travels and translates.
Ad Agency Finds 2-For-1 Deal In Downturn
Jun 15, 2009
The lack of income isn't the only hard thing about being unemployed: There's also isolation and a loss of purpose. Ariel Horn, who runs The Horn Corp., a Manhattan ad agency, has found both a way to help the numerous unemployed ad workers in New York, and a new business model.
Fast Feeder Stays Relevant By Providing Comfort, Value
Jun 15, 2009
Mary Dillon, CMO of McDonald's, one of the few companies to thrive during the recession, talks marketing in a downturn, advertising to kids, and niche promotions within the context of one global message. While the chain continues to boost digital as a percentage of spend, she's also focusing on "old media," like outdoor.
Nearly 3,000 Ford Dealers to Break Sunday Newspaper Ad Blitz
Jun 13, 2009
In a move that will put a smile on the faces of local newspaper publisher, at least for a day, nearly 3,000 of the roughly 3,700 U.S. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealers will run mostly full-page ads in local newspapers this Sunday. Unlike traditional ads from individual retailers that push sales, the executions are more corporate in tone. Ford Motor Co. and JWT's Retail First arm, Dearborn, Mich., created eight different templates for the "advertorials" for the dealers to customize with their own local ad agencies, said Kim Cape, retail marketing manager at the automaker.
Amazon Readies Return to TV
Jun 13, 2009
Amazon is readying a return to TV advertising after it stopped running commercials in 2002. The Internet retail giant isn't ready to hire an agency yet. Instead, it has kicked off a user-generated commercial contest to find submissions that tell its story. Amazon plans to work with winners to craft their entries into TV spots.
How GM Stifled 'Passion and Creativity' in Its Marketing Ranks
Jun 13, 2009
The former VP-marketing and advertising at General Motors Corp. believes its culture is "so bureaucratic it stifles all passion and creativity" with bloated processes, woeful inefficiencies and an approach to its agencies that is threatening rather than productive. So says Mike Jackson, who left GM two years ago after seven years, pulling no punches in a recent guest column in Automotive News entitled "GM Must Overhaul Marketing."
AOL Buys Two Companies Specializing in Local Online Media
Jun 12, 2009
Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit has acquired local online media companies Patch Media Corp. and Going Inc. as part of a broader strategy to build the company's position in the relatively fast-growing local online advertising market. The acquisitions come as Time Warner moves to split off AOL into an independent company and AOL Chief Executive Tim Armstrong, who joined the company in April, is working on putting together a new structure and strategy, in which local content is one major push.
All That Advertising Brings Buzz for Coffee Marketers
Jun 12, 2009
The coffee wars generated a flurry of advertising in May. McDonald's launched its first McCafe blitz, Dunkin' Donuts made its first concerted doughnut push in more than a decade and Starbucks began its first pure branding campaign. While it's too soon to say what the impact on sales has been, all three marketers saw a major uptick in buzz, as measured by Brand Index.
The Infomercial Comes to Life in India's Remotest Villages
Jun 10, 2009
Advertisers in India can't rely on TV, radio or even newspapers to reach the country's 700 million rural consumers. So they use Sandeep Sharma. On dirt roads across the subcontinent, the former wedding singer cracks jokes, gives demonstrations and stages game shows to spread global consumerism, one village at a time.
Campaign Against Rival Could Haunt FedEx
Jun 10, 2009
The word bailout has gone from descriptive to derogatory. In a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign introduced Tuesday, FedEx objected to legislation that would make it easier to unionize the company by accusing its rival, United Parcel Service, of taking a government bailout.
Free… It’s Still the Most Powerful Word in the English Language!
Jun 9, 2009
There’s been a hell of a lot of chat recently about exactly how you can make money through social media. So far, the only ones cashing in have been the founding principals when they sell off a fraction of their site to a traditional media company, which immediately gives them an insane valuation in the billions. Right now the situation smacks of the late nineties, dot com “Field of dreams” model. The one that said if you build it they will come, then we’ll start making dumpster loads of money by selling lots and lots of really shitty and intrusive advertising on the site. It didn’t work ten years ago and billions of dollars worth of VC money went down the rancid tubes of hundreds of short lived Silicon Valley start-ups.
Nescafe Launches Assault on Starbucks' Instant Java
Jun 9, 2009
Nescafe has found something new to roast: Starbucks. The premium-java chain is launching a nationwide offensive into the instant-coffee market this fall, and Nestle is quick to point out the considerable price difference between it and Nescafe.
Google: We're Actually Really Small
Jun 9, 2009
Three times in the last month, government agencies have targeted Google for antitrust reviews. An outstanding private lawsuit alleges that Google tried to kill a business-to-business search engine with predatory pricing. And during the waning months of the Bush administration, soon-to-be Obama antitrust chief Christine Varney declared that Google "has acquired a monopoly in Internet online advertising." Last month she asserted that the Bush administration had been too lax in combating monopolistic behavior and that the Obama Justice Department would no longer "stand on the sidelines." This should explain why Dana Wagner, a former Department of Justice antitrust lawyer hired by Google just last year, is rapidly becoming one of the company's public faces.
P&G' Multi-brand Makeover Ad 'Quadruples Purchase Intent'
Jun 9, 2009
P&G are launching an innovative new approach to TV advertising this June. The ‘Max Factor Makeover Break’ will three 90 second advertisements shown over consecutive commercial breaks, which see a consumer made over by experts using a range of P&G Beauty & Grooming products. Throughout the series of adverts, experts share tips from how to select the right hair colour to applying moisturiser properly.
Where to Find the Marketer Opportunities in the New iPhone
Jun 9, 2009
Apple executives didn't throw any curve balls at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference today in San Francisco. But the iterative changes hidden within a new, faster iPhone -- and the previously announced software upgrade -- could change not just consumer but also advertiser behavior. Here's a run-down of what's new and what it means to marketers.
In Ads, Banks Try the Warm, Cozy Approach
Jun 9, 2009
There is Ally Bank: “A better kind of bank.” And A.I.U.: “A unique franchise.” And — really — Redneck Bank: “Where bankin’s funner!” All are new names and new slogans for old companies with big worries and, in some cases, even bigger image problems.
The Platform Is The Problem
Jun 8, 2009
A pair of mobile studies in the last week offer a sobering contrast to the hoopla surrounding the launch of the Palm Pre Saturday and the upgraded iPhone today. Based on a survey of brands and agencies, the Mobile Marketing Association estimated mobile will garner less than 2% of total marketing dollars this year.
Thinking Beyond the Online Banner
Jun 8, 2009
Considering the magazine-heavy resume of The Daily Beast founder Tina Brown, it stands to reason the Web publisher would take her cues from that world. But rather than adopt the banner, the most magazine-like Internet ad format, the IAC-owned Daily Beast has sworn off "traditional" Web ads in favor of custom executions.
Sound: Differentiating Brand Builder
Jun 8, 2009
Some time ago, I was flicking through a copy of ‘People’ magazine, when I beheld something on its pages that caused me to just about fall off my chair. An ad promoting a TV series about Elvis, which was to run on CBS, was the source of my surprise. “The King is Hear…”, proclaimed, typographically, what turned out to be the first part of this innovative notice. On turning to the next page of the magazine, sure enough, I did hear the King. Elvis was singing from the pages and a voiceover was promoting the series. If you managed to see this copy of the magazine, I’m quite sure you’d have found the advertisement as unforgettable as I did.
Why Walmart Is Getting Serious About Marketing
Jun 8, 2009
It's marketing's time at Walmart. It's easy to become complacent when you are a $401 billion company whose shareholder meeting gets teen idol Miley Cyrus out of bed before 8 a.m. to perform for more than 15,000 employees as a warm-up act for American Idol Kris Allen. But Walmart executives know that if the recession abates, they will face a challenge holding onto shoppers who've been introduced, or reintroduced, to the retailer as they've traded down to save money.
Something New Gains With Something Borrowed
Jun 7, 2009
As companies give mobile-phone advertising a try, many are starting to focus on the search ads that have worked so well on personal computers.
Pay-What-You-Want Ad Agency
Jun 5, 2009
If magazines, restaurants and hotels can turn to pay-as-you-want pricing schemes to help them survive the recession, why not an ad agency? Sure enough, Agency Nil offers a variety of freelance branding, media and advertising services without any set price, leaving it instead up to clients to decide how much to pay.
Can Advertising Change Consumer Behavior?
Jun 5, 2009
That's THE question to ask: Will our advertising effect consumer actions, and not simply awareness, perceptions and attitudes? But, there's a follow on question to ask: Once advertising has moved someone to experience our brand, will said experience cause them to change their habits? To become a "customer?"
Searching for Bing? It’ll Be Baked Into TV and Online Fare
Jun 5, 2009
In seeking to make the new search engine Bing as much a part of the popular culture as “bada bing,” Bing Crosby or Stanley Bing, Microsoft is buying prominent placement for bing.com inside television shows and the online video hub Hulu.
Corona Extra Revives Ads from the '90s
Jun 5, 2009
How many brands can revive a TV commercial that last aired nearly two decades ago--and not in a nostalgic or camp way? Not many.
Digg Plans Social Ads
Jun 4, 2009
Social news site Digg is rolling out its first major ad product, borrowing a page from Facebook by designing units that mimic the site experience itself.
How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live
Jun 4, 2009
The one thing you can say for certain about Twitter is that it makes a terrible first impression. You hear about this new service that lets you send 140-character updates to your "followers," and you think, Why does the world need this, exactly? It's not as if we were all sitting around four years ago scratching our heads and saying, "If only there were a technology that would allow me to send a message to my 50 friends, alerting them in real time about my choice of breakfast cereal."
Al Gore Wants to Save Advertising, Too
Jun 4, 2009
According to former Vice President Al Gore, the importance of sustainability doesn't just apply to the environment. It also is key to the future of advertising. "It really comes out of the environment, but in my opinion the key theme of this century really is sustainability," Gore said. "This theme of environmental sustainability has become a part of our culture, it's a part of our discourse, and I'm very optimistic that it will soon be a part of our policy."
Stop Selling Scarcity
Jun 4, 2009
You have to love - or at least pay attention to - Digg’s new advertising system enabling users to vote on ads: The more that users digg an ad, the less the advertiser pays. That’s a reversal of advertising but it’s the way advertising probably needs to go: The better your relationship (which springs from a better product and service), the more your customers will market it for you, the less you’ll have to pay to market it. That is the ideal. Advertising is failure.
The 5 Worst (and Best) Ad Songs of All Time
Jun 3, 2009
The right song can help a product shine -- but the wrong one can hit an off note. Billboard consulted with a six-person panel of experts in advertising and branding to determine our list of the best five songs in commercials -- and five that made viewers reach for their remotes.
Southwest Campaign: 'Grab Your Bag. It's On'
Jun 3, 2009
Southwest Airlines has launched a new ad campaign encouraging customers to travel despite the current economic recession.
Unilever’s Attitude Towards Mothers & Daughters Compared And Contrasted
Jun 3, 2009
On one hand Unilever see mothers as mentors of their daughters - as we see here in this snap from a Dove soap website. On the other hand Unilever see mothers as sexual collaborators with their daughters and their boyfriends - as we see here in this ad from the guys at Axe.
Trying to Pitch Products to the Savers
Jun 3, 2009
The biggest challenge confronting marketers is how to deal with the Meineke mind-set consumers have adopted as a result of the recession.
Name That Tune
Jun 3, 2009
You know you're old when songs you listened to when you were a kid are being used to brand old fogey cars. It's common for musicians of all ages to sell their music to advertisers. Beck and the Who have done it, as have Feist and the Rolling Stones. It's not just a crass sellout anymore, but rather crass marketing strategy: ads get heard more often than songs on radio stations, so getting into a commercial is just one of a menu of options that include inclusion in the soundtrack of a movie, or appearing in a teen drama on TV.
Target Offers Taste of DailyCandy
Jun 2, 2009
Target has its bull's-eye on a new venture: online media. On Tuesday, the retailer plans to formally announce a partnership with DailyCandy.com, the email newsletter and Web site owned by cable operator Comcast that covers fashion and culture for a mostly female audience.
The Ad Campaign for a ‘New’ G.M.
Jun 2, 2009
Can General Motors make up for decades of mistakes and misfires in a minute? That is the ambitious goal of a 60-second commercial to begin running on television on Wednesday. The spot is already available on a Web site (gmreinvention.com) and on YouTube.
Put Ad on Web. Count Clicks. Revise.
Jun 2, 2009
On a recent Thursday, Darren Herman, the president of Varick Media Management, was sequestered in his SoHo office. He wasn’t scrutinizing a television ad or images from a photo shoot. He was combing through graphs and Excel spreadsheets. From the “Mad Men” era until now, advertising has been about a catchy tagline, an arresting image, the Big Idea. But Mr. Herman and his competitors are bringing some Wall Street-like analysis to Madison Avenue, exploiting the huge amounts of data produced by the Internet to adjust strategy almost instantly.
Carl's Jr. Makes New Kind of Network Buy
Jun 1, 2009
Justine Ezarik might not be a household name, but the 25-year-old has a cable TV-size audience. The only difference: Ezarik's audience is on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Advertising as Failure
Jun 1, 2009
At Burda’s DLD conference in Munich, talking with the Nokia Ideas Project, I first happened on the notion of advertising as failure. That is, the ideal relationship a company should have with its customer is that it produces a great product the customer loves and talks about and thus sells; there is no need for advertising there. It’s only in the case of failing at that idea that one needs to advertise.
Marketers Fear Frugality May Just Be Here to Stay
Jun 1, 2009
Mary Pryor was doing pretty well until January, when she got laid off from her web-project-management job at cable channel Fuse. Now she's replenishing her wardrobe at clothing swaps, eating on $25 a week, living without cable TV and doing her laundry in the bathtub. "My gym membership is gone," she said, "so I'm running around outside and doing jumping jacks in my living room."
Future of Advertising? Print, TV, Online Ads
Jun 1, 2009
A research project commissioned late last year with dire-sounding rhetoric about a crisis in advertising has produced decidedly calming conclusions. Among them: Threats posed by DVRs and clutter to TV ads are overblown; print and online advertising are effective; and word-of-mouth about brands is largely driven by paid media ads.
Amazon's Jeff Bezos on Kindle, Advertising and Being Green
May 29, 2009
An environmental theme ran through Amazon.com Inc.'s annual shareholders meeting on Thursday – though it wasn't intentional, according to the CEO.
Are You Building Concepts or Conversations?
May 29, 2009
When I first got into the ad biz and during my college studies the big thing that was repeatedly hammered into my young, impressionable mind was the need for every ad and ad campaign to have a "concept." A concept was that big idea, that creative aha that would simultaneously capture the consumer's attention and drive home a key benefit of the brand being advertised. And in the world of interruption based marketing, that makes sense. And to a lesser degree, today, it still does. But here is the rub. Here is the big thing that I think many of my fellow advertising folk haven't quite figured out. In the world of social media and web based marketing, you don't need a concept. Why? Because social and by and large digital isn't an interruption based communication platform. It's invitation based.
Dr. Dre Raps for Dr Pepper
May 29, 2009
It may just be a few seconds of music, but Dr. Dre fans will remember the new Dr Pepper ad as the spot where they heard the first officially released beats from the much-delayed "Detox."
Campaigns Address Today’s Anxieties by Looking Back
May 29, 2009
Advertising almost always wants to be upbeat, the better to jolly consumers into, well, consuming. So it is startling to see a spate of campaigns invoking some of the most downbeat times America has ever endured: the desperate decade that began when the stock market crashed in 1929 and continued through the Great Depression.
How Facebook Will Upend Advertising
May 29, 2009
With social networks like Facebook transforming the way companies communicate with consumers, it's time for the ad industry to get its head out of the sand.
The Vice and the Virtue of Marketing
May 28, 2009
As publications continue to struggle or fold because of dwindling advertising revenues, one is thriving by selling not just ad space, but entire marketing campaigns.
Why Wont Traditional Media Outlets Innovate?
May 28, 2009
By now, it's no longer news--in fact it's cliché to say it's cliché--that the old ways of doing business in traditional media no longer apply. It's accepted as fact that media companies that resist change are doomed to fail and that legacy models have been overturned by digital technology. Except here's the thing: Having realized the digital pennies they're pulling in won't replace the analog dollars they're losing, traditional media companies are clinging ever more desperately to what they know.
Don’t Dial ‘M’ for Murder, Type ‘A’ for Altruistic
May 28, 2009
Most appeals to donate blood treat the subject as if it was a matter of life and death -- and, often, to be sure, it is. But a new campaign is taking a different tack, on the theory that a light-hearted approach may attract more donors.
China's 'Ugly Betty' Is One Long Product Placement
May 27, 2009
As it goes into its third season as a smash TV hit across the mainland, the Chinese version of "Ugly Betty" is also pioneering new levels of product-placement clutter. The show is set in an advertising agency rather than a fashion magazine, which enables the program to focus on all manner of products and their attributes. Mateo Eaton, who heads the branded-content division of Mindshare North Asia, acknowledged that the dense placements are a bit over the top, but advertisers -- and the TV producers they're paying -- aren't complaining at all.
Secret of Googlenomics: Data-Fueled Recipe Brews Profitability
May 27, 2009
In the midst of financial apocalypse, the gadflies and gurus of the global marketplace are gathered at the San Francisco Hilton for the annual meeting of the American Economics Association. The mood is similar to a seismologist convention in the wake of the Big One. Yet surprisingly, one of the most popular sessions has nothing to do with toxic assets, derivatives, or unemployment curves.
Why We Will Remember Tide Thursday
May 25, 2009
Analyst conferences are rarely exciting, but when P&G Chairman-CEO A.G. Lafley appears at one next week, some believe the near-term future of package-goods marketing -- and the long-term future of Procter & Gamble -- may hang in the balance. Some are even billing the appearance as "Tide Thursday," a reference to "Marlboro Friday" in 1993, when Philip Morris, battered by value-brand incursions on its Marlboro brand, cut prices 20% and stepped up consumer marketing in a move that was ultimately copied by many in the consumer-goods industry, reshaping the way many marketers approached pricing and advertising.
Real Time: The Web's New Prime Time
May 25, 2009
The Internet was always fast. Google made a point during its rise to prominence to detail -- to the millisecond -- just how quickly it delivered a search result. And, as we all know, the Web has gotten even faster.
The Gloves Are Off: More Marketers Opt for Attack Ads
May 25, 2009
It's going to be a cruel summer in advertising. Attack ads have been on the rise for the past year, but comparisons are getting sharper, responses are growing testier, and an increasing number of ad battles are ending up in court. Just don't expect a letup, because they're also working.
Microsoft Aims Big Guns at Google, Asks Consumers to Rethink Search
May 25, 2009
Microsoft has used attack ads to go after Apple, and now it has Google in its sights.
It’s The Economy Stupid! (Or Why We Need a Brand Hug)
May 24, 2009
If there has ever been a time for brands to stop selling product and start acting like a company, it’s now. This is the time to prove to one’s loyalists – the family of customers, vendors and stakeholders - that brands feel their pain. A ‘grown up’ brand needs to sympathize and recognize that it understands people aren’t living their lives in a ‘business as usual’ mode. These times are business most unusual. It’s time for brands to remind their fan base that everyone is in this together. Brands need to be leaders with a voice that inspires.
Learning, and Profiting, from Online Friendships
May 24, 2009
Companies are working fast to figure out how to make money from the wealth of data they're beginning to have about our online friendships.
A Tale Of Two Houses
May 22, 2009
I have a difference of opinion with Gian Fulgoni, chairman of comScore. Actually, it's not so much a difference as a question of context. He believes there's room for more visual branding on the search results page. I believe this is a potentially dangerous area that has to be handled very carefully on the part of the engines.
Paid Search Has To Work Harder Now
May 20, 2009
Noah Brier points us, via John Batelle, to a post by Gian Fulconi from ComScore which takes note of the fact that paid search traffic is witnessing a decrease of late. Fulconi says that though search queries are up 68% over the last couple of years, the growth rate of the number of paid clicks is at just 18%.
TV Advertisers Are Offered Closer Ties With Content
May 20, 2009
In another sign of how hard television executives are working to attract advertising in tough times, two cable channels plan to significantly expand an initiative that pairs commercials with relevant scenes in the shows they interrupt.
Dial Fights Recession by Stepping Up Spending
May 18, 2009
Dial CEO Brad Casper has picked a funny time to go on a spending spree: the deepest recession in a half century. For the first time since he became CEO of the notoriously thrifty unit of Germany's Henkel four years ago, all five of Dial's largest brands will simultaneously have substantial consumer marketing campaigns this year -- including TV, print and digital -- led by Energy BBDO, Chicago.
Corporate Campaigns Hint at Brand-Advertising Revival
May 18, 2009
If you page through The Wall Street Journal or New York Times, you might discover a few surprises. FedEx, General Electric and IBM have recently launched corporate branding campaigns, and tech power SAP made a splash just last week with a global push from Ogilvy themed "Time for a clear new world."
Advertising is Dead. Long Live Advertising.
May 18, 2009
There’s been lots of talk about the “death of advertising” and the increasing ineffectiveness of the media. There’s a tremendously well-researched, insightful and informative Bob Garfield post in Ad Age, with lots and lots of numbers supporting his version of “Apocalypse Now” for the ad industry. There’s no doubt that there’s agency layoffs, and client cutbacks and fear and uncertainty. So who am I to be the bearer of even an ounce of good news for the ad industry?
Touting Good Works, Marketers Make Stars Of Those They Help
May 15, 2009
Many marketers are talking up their good deeds and social responsibility projects in advertising. Some now think the way to stand out in the clutter of look-at-me, do-gooder messaging is by featuring some of the people they say they are helping through social programs or business practices. If consumers like these projects, maybe they'll feel better about the brand.
Angry Ads Seek to Channel Consumer Outrage
May 15, 2009
The mad men of Madison Avenue are really mad these days, creating a spate of angry advertising campaigns that seek to channel the outrage, frustration and fear felt by consumers hit hard by what some are calling the Great Recession.
Comcast Unleashes 'Shack 'n Stein'
May 15, 2009
Comcast has launched an effort to draw subscribers with the promise that the cable provider offers a mix of quality and value. A centerpiece of the TV campaign is a commercial starring the incongruous duo of basketball star Shaquille O'Neal and economist/actor Ben Stein.
Art In a Time of Advertising
May 14, 2009
Nothing in America is so brilliant a symbol of the nation’s wealth as New York’s Times Square, that dazzling ad-scape, where each sunset gives way to a neon-and-tungsten gloaming that lasts until dawn. But a recession could dim the lights. Nowadays, more and more billboards are going blank, and the Wall Street Journal has reported a drop in shares of outdoor advertisers. Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, a big billboard company, announced a 25% decrease in revenues during the first quarter of the year. Advertisers are now looking to more creative, less costly ways to reach the public.
Companies Quickly Call Foul When They Feel Wronged in Ads
May 14, 2009
Marketers are increasingly defending their brands by filing complaints or going to court against rivals in these tough economic times. Complaints to the ad industry's self-regulatory agency are on the upswing this year as marketers show less tolerance for direct or implied jabs by rivals in advertising — and rivals are more tempted to take such jabs.
Chrome Wasn't Built in a Day
May 13, 2009
Last fall, Google released a new Web browser called Chrome that is speedy, elegant, and reliable. Just ask the 1.42 percent of people who use it.
The Art of Culture Jamming at the Anti Advertising Salon
May 13, 2009
Last Thursday we attended the Anti-Advertising Salon at MEET hosted by Marc and Sara Schiller of the Wooster Collective. The evening served as a thought provoking expose on “billboard liberations” and the motivations of their creators. The discussion featured Jordan Seiler of the Public Ad Campaign, who most recently orchestrated the NY Street Advertising Takeover; and Steve Lambert of the Anti-Advertising Agency, which is perhaps best known it’s collaboration with eyebeam (Firefox plugin Add-Art) and the Graffiti Research Lab “GRL” (an ad-jamming campaign entitled Light Criticism).
IPhone Gets Bigger as Ad Medium
May 12, 2009
Madison Avenue is plowing more resources into a new marketing medium: Apple Inc.'s iPhone. In the past several months, companies such as Burger King Holdings Inc., Zippo Manufacturing Co. and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. have experimented with promotional software applications that can be downloaded onto the iPhone, or they have created ads that are placed within other popular applications for the device.
Hybrids Battle for Green
May 11, 2009
With sales of hybrid vehicles sinking, a green-advertising battle is erupting between Toyota Motor's new Prius and Honda Motor's new Insight. Beginning today, Toyota, the world's largest auto maker, is rolling out a major U.S. ad push for its 2010 Prius, the third generation of the world's top-selling hybrid vehicle. The car hits dealerships in the coming weeks.
Goodbye, Destination Web, Hello, Online Enlightenment
May 11, 2009
For the past 15 years, marketers have lived like kings online. We built ornate palaces in homage to ourselves in the form of websites and microsites. Each acts as a destination that embodies our meticulous choice of aesthetics, content and activities. We still put a lot of time, effort and money into erecting these palaces, much as Louis XIV did in planning Versailles. And, for the most part, we have been rewarded handsomely for our efforts. For years consumers flocked to our sites, reveled in all we had to say, played with our toys and sometimes were motivated enough as a result to buy our stuff. That's what life was like in the good old days. But now we're in the age of online enlightenment.
Grilled Chicken a Kentucky Fried Fiasco
May 11, 2009
KFC's grilled-chicken launch was to be the biggest in the chain's history. Now it might also go down as a marketing case study in what not to do. The story starts with a marketer testing the elasticity of its brand. After all, we all know what the 'F' stands for in KFC, so suddenly insisting the consumer associate the fast feeder with grilled chicken, rather than the Colonel's fried version, was always going to be a stretch.
Going Out of Business: The End Of Search Marketing
May 8, 2009
A guy walks into a search pitch meeting and says, "Thank you for inviting me here today. But I'm not in -- and you don't want someone in -- the search marketing space to be your search vendor." Now the punchline to that could have been the guy ends up on a barstool in about 15 minutes because he was thrown out on his ear. But it wasn't. In fact, the reality was a two-hour discussion about the change that is taking place which has its roots in search, but transcends our business entirely.
Last.fm Launches Visual Radio to Entertain Listeners, Woo Advertiser
May 7, 2009
Last.fm, the social music site acquired by CBS two years ago, unveiled a major redesign to its interactive radio service on Wednesday in an attempt to keep users where its advertisers can reach them.
Is Advertising to Blame For The Current Recession?
May 6, 2009
According to a new study from Harris Interactive, 66% of consumers believe advertising agencies bear at least some responsibility for the recession because they “caused people to buy things they couldn’t afford.” Segue to AAAA's chieftain, Nancy Hill, who had this to say in our AAAA's leadership conference address in response to the above findings: "Now imagine that: Advertising agencies causing the crippling of the economy because we stimulate consumer desire and consumer demand. Who says advertising doesn't work?"
Real Trumps Trite
May 5, 2009
Advertising has long been criticized for making hollow unbelievable and overblown promises that aren't grounded and simply pandering to people's emotions. The public has gotten sick of this stuff, which presents a problem for clients and their agencies who want to say something big. I think T-Mobile in the UK has gotten it right.
Boing Boing Sells Out?
Apr 27, 2009
With the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") pondering adapting its archaic advertising regulations to cover blogs, I chanced upon some blatant commercial content posing as a blog post on one my favorite sites, Boing Boing.
TiVo Promotes Ads It Hopes You’ll Talk to, Not Zap
Apr 23, 2009
The company that attacked television advertising is trying to resuscitate it. TiVo, which allows viewers to digitally record programs and fast-forward through ads, is trying to sell ad spaces on its screens. It is in a footrace with other companies, including Cablevision, Cox Communications and DirecTV, to offer interactive alternatives to the zapped-through television spots. The ads are called interactive because they ask the viewer to do something — enter in a new channel number, press a button on the remote — to get more information.
New KFC ads give us a lot to unthink about
Apr 23, 2009
KFC wants its customers to be stoopid. Thick as bricks. The dimmer the better. Of course, that's not really the message of Draftfcb's "Unthink" campaign for the fast feeder, but it might as well be.
Dove Breaks For Real-Life 'Gossip Girls'
Apr 23, 2009
In the latest example of a network looking to build viewer retention during breaks, the CW is launching Dove-sponsored vignettes during "Gossip Girl." The 90-second pieces hope to offer somewhat real-life versions of the series.
LensCrafters Infuses Brand With Some Heart and Soul
Apr 21, 2009
Cutwater's first work for LensCrafters attempts to put heart and soul into the brand with a new campaign that promises, "Love what you see. See what you love."
Ad Agencies at Fault for Economic Crisis, Finds Poll
Apr 21, 2009
When it comes to assigning blame for the current economic crisis, two-thirds of Americans are pointing the finger at ad agencies and more than half are singling out the media.
‘Stimulus’ Works Its Way to Madison Avenue
Apr 16, 2009
Genius, Thomas Edison said long ago, is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. Now, the geniuses on Madison Avenue are recalculating the formula to add a lot of stimulation. As marketers remake campaigns to address the recession, advertising copywriters are liberally peppering prose with financial words and phrases, particularly “stimulus” and “stimulus package.”
Does Content Matter?
Apr 15, 2009
Remember back in the Paleolithic era of the Internet, when people said things like "paradigm shift" and "information superhighway"? Back about that same time, it was the informed wisdom that "content is king."
The Rise And Fall And The Coming Transformation Of Madison Avenue
Apr 14, 2009
Madison Avenue has come a long way. Since the emergence of modern advertising in the 1920s, defined by the shift from text-based to visual advertising and the use of psychologically sophisticated messages, ads began to resonate powerfully with consumers. Madison Avenue represented the new and the modern (until the emergence of social networks and media), and ads helped consumers figure out what they needed to live a certain lifestyle. Consumers were eager to embrace the cultural authority of Madison Avenue. But by the late 1950s, they were feeling differently.
Truth Rules
Apr 14, 2009
If I believed everything I saw in ads, I'd believe that oil companies are dedicated to protecting the environment, tobacco companies want to help me quit smoking and the Sham Wow is the second coming of sliced bread. Yeah, right. The whole "say-whatever-they-want-to-hear-and-we'll-sell-'em" mentality that still rules some corners of the marketing and ad industries just doesn't play anymore. Consumers are smart. They know when you're gaming them, when you're using a snake oil ploy just to make a sale. And, guess what, they're not buying it.
The Slow Erosion of Google Search
Apr 13, 2009
I remember it very clearly. Four of us were getting together for breakfast last year at SXSW. We were waiting for a cab, and we started sharing our Twitter stories. Each of us had one…We had used Twitter in ways that it was never imagined to be used, getting real value from it. It was at that point that I started to think about Twitter as something other than a fun little SMS tool. I also started to wonder if Twitter might be the game-changer that finally put some heat on Google…the favorite conjecture of recent times is “Who is the next Google killer?”.
Microsoft's Talk Vs. Microsoft's Walk
Apr 9, 2009
Not so many columns ago, I urged Microsoft to do something amazing in search. Last week, they did. But it wasn't in a good way. I was on the road last week, and I saw three different things land in my inbox about Microsoft and its search efforts. With each email, my frustration mounted. Finally, Friday as I was sitting in Seattle airport, I couldn't contain myself anymore. I sent an email to the most senior person I knew at Microsoft Search. The gist of the email was "don't do it," Yesterday, I got an email back thanking me for my "honest" feedback. Yet somehow, I don't think it will make a difference.
True/Slant Tests Another Model Of Web Journalism
Apr 9, 2009
This week, a new Web news site is entering the fray, with a novel approach to journalistic entrepreneurship, new forms of advertising, and an effort to blend journalism and social networking. The site, called True/Slant, at trueslant.com, is opening its doors via an odd preliminary status it calls an "open alpha." This means it's rough around the edges, and not yet taking in revenue, but hopes to attract enough participation to hone its design and operation.
Benefits Vs. Price: Advertising Strategy In A Recession
Apr 8, 2009
In an economic downturn of such weight and impact as this, now being referred to as the "Great Recession" due to our love for branding our own historical periods, how does a mass-market consumer brand react to ensure success? I've been paying close attention to various answers to this question over the last few months, and I've learned there are two distinct camps of response. They are diametrically opposed in process and structure, but each can be successful in its own right.
Magazines Blur Line Between Ad and Article
Apr 8, 2009
If the separation between magazines’ editorial and advertising sides was once a gulf, it is now diminished to the size of a sidewalk crack. Recent issues of Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Time, People, ESPN the Magazine, Scholastic Parent & Child and other magazines have woven in advertisers in new ways, some going as far as putting ads on their covers.
'Pitchmen' Celebrates Advertising As Entertainment
Apr 7, 2009
The reality show focuses on Billy Mays, the most successful direct-response salesman in TV history. 'I cut through the noise, through the clutter,' he says. 'People want to hear the pitch.'
Warm and Fuzzy Makes a Comeback
Apr 7, 2009
If music hath charm to soothe the savage breast, what can calm worried consumers during an economic crisis? Madison Avenue believes one answer is nostalgia. As the recession continues taking its toll, marketers are trying to tap into fond memories to help sell what few products shoppers are still buying. The time-machine tactics are primarily evoking four decades — the 1950s through the 1980s.
Search Has Won The Advertising Culture War
Apr 6, 2009
For the past five years, "we" in search have been fighting "them" at the ad agencies for that slowly shifting piece of the overall marketing pie. In large part, we've been talking past each other the same way that jocks and geeks do in high school. As long as the jocks continued to win the affections of the pretty girl with the big marketing budget, the geeks were marginalized, making them an angry, depressed bunch. Well, you know what? Times have changed, and we've won.
How Google is Changing Advertising Agencies
Apr 3, 2009
In just a little over 10 years, Google has built a business that is impossible not to admire. In fact, its success begs the question -- what would Google do (WWGD)? Media pundit and thinker Jeff Jarvis tackles this question head on with a new book by the same title. In "What Would Google Do?," Jarvis breaks down Google's practices into 12 distinct rules and then applies them to aging industries like media and advertising.
A Strategic Path To The Digital Customer
Apr 3, 2009
A new executive brief by IBM Global Business Services, based on an in-depth study by the Institute's research team, reports that to compete in the new era of advertising will require a fundamental change in media and entertainment companies' capabilities. The study findings show that four trends are raising the bar for consumer-centric marketing: consumer adoption of new distribution formats, a shift in advertiser spending, the digital migration of platforms and the emergence of new capabilities due to game-changing moves by both new entrants and existing players.
What's The Point Of Search Marketing?
Apr 1, 2009
I give you the very reason search marketing is the most powerful platform of them all -- the point (aka intent) of the consumer using the channel is perfectly aligned with that of advertisers and the rest of the marketing ecosystem looking to exploit, er, leverage the channel.
Esquire's Latest Cover Stunt: A Mix-and-Match Flip Book
Mar 31, 2009
First Esquire's October issue came with a battery-powered cover that blinked and flashed. Then the February issue had a flap on the cover with an ad inside. Now the May issue of Esquire, on sale April 10, is coming perforated to split into a flip book that will let readers play mix and match with the facial features of President Barack Obama, George Clooney and Justin Timberlake.
Google Aims to Connect Ads for TV, YouTube
Mar 28, 2009
Google Inc. is developing technology to connect its TV-ad brokering business to YouTube and eventually video on other Web sites, as it struggles to lure bigger advertisers to both services.
Twitter Gets a Conference
Mar 26, 2009
File this under “You Knew It Was Coming.” Web entrepreneur and Voice of the Net event organizer Jeff Pulver announced early this week he is organizing a conference around the hottest name in digital media, Twitter. The “140 Characters Conference” is far from a short message, spanning two days (June 16-17) at New World Stages in New York. Pulver says the focus will be on the effects of Twitter on media, advertising and celebrity.
Why Advertising Is Failing On The Internet
Mar 22, 2009
The Internet shatters all forms of advertising. “The problem is not the medium, the problem is the message, and the fact that it is not trusted, not wanted, and not needed.”
Brands Team Up for User-Generated-Ad Contest
Mar 22, 2009
The nation's top marketers are known for a lot of things, but here are two things they're not known for: turning over their brands willingly to the YouTube hoi polloi and, well, doing anything together.
An Icon That Says They’re Watching You
Mar 20, 2009
I have an open question for the people who complain about the potential of advertising networks to track your behavior on the Internet: What is a better way?
Another Reason to be Skeptical of "Analysts"
Mar 18, 2009
I agree about one thing - building ad platforms like Tweetsense will be difficult. But nothing valuable is ever easy. Adwords was not easy. Overture was not easy. What Facebook is building is not easy. And TweetSense won't be easy.
Belief-Driven Behavior
Mar 18, 2009
In this age of ever-increasing product parity and marketing sameness, people form their opinions of a brand based on all the things it stands for—its values, its point of view, its “beliefs.” In the past, companies too often assumed that conveying these beliefs to their audience was limited to what they could put in an ad or a clever tagline—everything else was just business. But as people’s media habits become more diverse, more sophisticated and more “real time,” they expect a brand to be a lot more than just an occasional commercial break.
Spoon Feeding: Facebook Redesign Brings Feeds (And Ads) To The Masses
Mar 15, 2009
Facebook began to roll out a new design of its homepage today, with a number of subtle features intended to make feed-based social networking more intuitive for the typical user. When the company first showed off its plans last week, we and many others compared some of the changes to microblogging service Twitter and lifestreaming service FriendFeed. But upon using the service, significant differences become more clear — and point to Facebook’s long-term strategy of gradually opening the site up to the web.
Dockers Introduces 'Shakeable' iPhone Ad
Mar 12, 2009
The latest example of a cool marketer-created iPhone experience is not an app but an ad. Apparel maker Dockers San Francisco has created a "shakable," motion-sensitive ad that uses the phone's motion-detecting feature.
Facebook Offers Ad Targeting By Language, Location
Mar 12, 2009
Facebook sent out a message to advertisers Wednesday afternoon notifying them that there are two new features to target users with: language and target location radius.
The Ad Biz Under Glass
Mar 12, 2009
I only caught the last 20 minutes of Trust Me, the show on TNT, but I was impressed by what I heard. Mason was giving a nuanced discussion of a campaign idea. What a nice change, I thought, from the usual approach. You know, the one that treats the ad biz as a domain of scoundrels and the home of dumb discourse. But what really caught my attention is that the brand at issue is Dove. Not a pretend brand but the real thing.
At Least Elvis Can't Get Caught Smoking Pot
Mar 12, 2009
The rise in botched endorsement deals with the likes of Michael Phelps and Chris Brown has marketers rethinking recruiting young, megawatt stars as brand ambassadors, celeb watchers said today at a gathering of top advertisers.
TV Ads and Viewers: Together at Last?
Mar 12, 2009
A study has shown that viewers enjoy TV shows more with ad breaks, but it's no cause for celebration.
Changes In Store for Kids Virtual Worlds
Mar 11, 2009
The kids virtual worlds space is due for a major shakeout in 2009 as advertisers are expected to pull back on spending in the once red-hot sector, while venture capital funding has almost completely dried up.
Iconic Ad Campaigns Drafted to Fight Hunger
Mar 6, 2009
Parodies of well-known ad campaigns, reworked with anti-hunger themes, will be popping up around NYC ahead of next Thursday's launch of Agencies in Action, a new non-profit designed to get local ad agencies involved in the city's social problems.
Consumers Share Media Habits With 4A's Conference
Mar 6, 2009
The American Association of Advertising Agencies' Media Conference & Tradeshow this year is focused on discovering changing consumer habits, so attendees were treated to three panels made up of New Orleans residents -- young adults, baby boomers and women 25 to 54 -- who offered their thoughts on everything from from social media and Hulu to their web usage and what advertisers are doing right and wrong.
Devastated Peanut Growers Turn to Advertising
Mar 6, 2009
Devastated by a massive consumer pull-back from peanut-containing foods, the country's peanut farmers are launching a crisis-management advertising campaign. The effort, which kicked off in Grand Central Terminal this week, follows the peanut-related salmonella outbreak believed to have killed nine, sickened more than 600 and triggered a recall of 3,000 different food products. The National Peanut Board will be using print, TV, outdoor and radio ads in an effort to rebuild consumer confidence in peanut butter and other products. <div style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;"> <a href="http://adage.com/video"><img src="/images/random/video_alladage417bar.jpg" width="417" height="40" border="0" /></a> </div>
TV Everywhere -- As Long As You Pay for It
Mar 5, 2009
Jeff Bewkes hopes to put more TV on the internet, but he's going to make consumers prove they've paid for it.
Pam Offers Sticky Situations Solution
Mar 4, 2009
ConAgra Foods has launched a new campaign for Pam, which takes a humorous approach to promote the cooking spray as a key ingredient for making perfectly cooked food.
Congress Pushes Tobacco Marketing Restrictions
Mar 4, 2009
New, stronger controls over tobacco marketing is being pushed by Congress -- and that has advertisers up in arms.
Kia Readies Integrated Effort For New Soul
Mar 4, 2009
Kia this month launches its newest car, the Soul compact car, with an integrated campaign comprising TV, print, outdoor and Web advertising that begins late this month.
Yes, We Plan: How Altruism and Advertising Could Change the World
Mar 4, 2009
Marketing veteran Cindy Gallop and software developer Wendell Davis are on a quest to make the world a better place, with a crowdsourcing project to motivate people to do big things by taking small bites. Their theory: Small, good intentions can bring about great leaps.
As Earth Day Nears, eBay Shows Its Green Side
Mar 4, 2009
In a new program centered on Earth Day, eBay is becoming the latest company to promote its green credentials.
Schlotzsky’s Goes Web 2.0 for Sandwich Debut
Mar 4, 2009
Schlotzsky’s is throwing out the first pitch for its first major QSR deal this week with a spring baseball-themed program that supports the casual chain’s launch of three Big League Clubz sandwiches. The creative challenge was to spread the word about the new Beef ‘n Bacon Club, Chick ‘n Turkey Club and Ham ‘n Turkey Club sandwiches among dads and their ball-playing kids by the bonding the sport brings—from Little League to the big leagues.
Sabra Hummus Breaks National Campaign
Mar 3, 2009
Sabra, a hummus brand partially owned by Frito-Lay, is launching its first national ad campaign this month, an effort that beckons consumers to enjoy a taste of the Mediterranean without leaving home.
Avoiding 'Truman Show' Moments
Mar 2, 2009
The proposition "If we build it they will come" is by now nearly universally recognized as a fallacy by marketers, as well as, nowadays, even most real estate developers. Unfortunately in many sectors of the online advertising world, where behavioral is all the buzz, another often unwarranted assumption has taken hold, namely that "If an ad is (apparently) relevant consumers will engage with it," regardless of how inappropriate or irrelevant the context of the page it runs on.
Bank Marketing Fails to Reassure Wary and Befuddled Customers
Mar 2, 2009
Some customers are asking whether Citibank is a safe place for their savings. So what is Citibank doing? Running ads in The Wall Street Journal about its microfinance capabilities in Texas and India.
MIT Students Turn Internet Into a Sixth Human Sense
Mar 1, 2009
Students at the MIT Media Lab have developed a wearable computing system that turns any surface into an interactive display screen. The wearer can summon virtual gadgets and internet data at will, then dispel them like smoke when they're done.
Coen Brothers' TV Ad Ridicules 'Clean Coal'
Feb 27, 2009
The Oscar winners, known for their sardonic style, directed the spot for an environmental coalition as a media battle warms up over the role carbon fuels should play in America's energy future.
Advertising To Social Networkers Tricky
Feb 27, 2009
A recent study by InsightExpress, exploring participation trends across social networks, as well as how receptive their members are to advertising, found that 43% of the online population reports using a social networking site. And, no matter their age or number of profiles, social networkers see advertising as a hot topic.
Facebook Pages Redesign Coming
Feb 27, 2009
Facebook launched Facebook Ads in November 2007 to give brands and businesses a way to create a presence on Facebook and interact with users. Starting next week, says a source with knowledge of the new product, those pages will be substantially redesigned.
Ad Business: Do Something Useful!
Feb 27, 2009
The ad industry looks to be in for a very tough 2009. But maybe there's opportunity in this bleak news. Smaller outfits like Brooklyn Brothers and Anomaly have launched or planned their own products in categories from chocolate to clothing. The not-so-small Bartle Bogle Hegarty has started a division called Zag to create new brands—starting with Pick Me vegetarian meals and a line of "personal alarms" under the name Ila Dusk—that the agency itself will own.
Google Puts Small Ads on Pages of News Site
Feb 27, 2009
Google began running small text ads on the pages of its Google News service this week, reviving a debate between the company and some struggling newspaper publishers, who have seen their businesses devastated by the shift of advertising to the Internet.
Today's Ad Business: Land of the Lost
Feb 27, 2009
With this year's Super Bowl behind us, this seems like a good time to address the advertising business and how it has lost its way. My overall comment on the array of wildly expensive and unintelligible commercials that ran: What in the world are advertisers thinking about? Most of the people sitting in my living room kept asking me, "What are they selling?" My response was that I was just as bewildered as they were.
Company Advertises To Find Workers New Jobs
Feb 26, 2009
An electronics company is Massachusetts is taking an unusual step. Jabil Circuit is closing a plant, and it has placed an ad in the Boston Globe urging other employers to contact the company if they want to hire exceptionally skilled and experienced employees.
How Marketers Get It Wrong With Wikis
Feb 24, 2009
Although his nonprofit Wikipedia made him best known as the selfless guru of wisdom-of-the-crowd publishing, Jimmy Wales has a second site designed to make as much money as possible. Called Wikia.com, it has become a sprawling universe of thousands of wikis on nearly every imaginable subject. Many marketers have begun to explore wikis as vehicles for product promotion. But several deeply ingrained flaws in their thinking often cause their wikis to fail. <div style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;"> <a href="http://adage.com/video"><img src="/images/random/video_alladage417bar.jpg" width="417" height="40" border="0" /></a> </div>
Yahoo Intros 3 Ad Products
Feb 24, 2009
Yahoo is looking to boost the value of its display and search inventory with the launch of three new ad products, each of which promises better targeting by taking into account users’ previous Web activities.
Ads That Live, Ads That Die
Feb 24, 2009
There are ads that live and ads that die. Some ads get more interesting in rotation. Other ads get old and die before our eyes. Before long, these ads are an agony. Without the blessing of TIVO, we're obliged to watch them like someone out of Clockwork Orange.
Among Oscars’ Reruns, a Few Standout Acts
Feb 24, 2009
Imagine tuning in on Sunday night to watch the Academy Awards and seeing the Oscar for best picture given again to “No Country for Old Men,” “The Departed” or “Million Dollar Baby.” That was almost what it was like to watch the commercials that appeared during the broadcast on ABC. In another sign of how drastically the recession is forcing Madison Avenue to pinch pennies, many of the spots shown were reruns.
Mr. Clean: The Multitasker
Feb 23, 2009
Mr. Clean is embracing multitasking. New ads from Procter & Gamble breaking this week show the product doing the work of three brands combined.
Guess Which Medium Is as Effective as Ever: TV
Feb 23, 2009
The drumbeat of doom for TV advertising has sounded for more than a decade -- DVRs, channel surfing, fragmentation, clutter, the flight to digital media ... Jay Leno moving to prime time. Now the recession has e's most reliable moneybags of yore, such as Procter & Gamble and General Motors, yanking big wads of cash off the table. Yet a growing body of evidence suggests not only that TV advertising still works, but that it may be working better than ever.
The Next Business Model for Ad-Supported TV?
Feb 20, 2009
Many in the advertising business are calling for a new business model for ad-supported TV. It is clear that the value of traditional TV as a medium for delivering advertising messages effectively is quickly eroding, and there is a scramble for new technologies and models to fill the void. Three current and emerging ways for consumers to get TV or video content (including advertising) offer a good place to start to understand how we might answer these calls for change.
A-Rod and Kobe and Phelps, Oh My!
Feb 20, 2009
It was a risk when Activision cast four of the world’s most recognized athletes to dance in their underwear for a video game that that wasn’t sports-related. Imagine it: The greatest Olympian of all time (at least by medal count), the best basketball and baseball player today, and the person that has almost single-handedly popularized skateboarding and extreme sports—all in the same ad. Wow.
Denny's Super Bowl Ad Value: 'Incredible'
Feb 19, 2009
After its Super Bowl ad promoting a free breakfast created demand on Main Street, Denny's top executive Nelson Marchioli tried Wednesday to serve up interest on Wall Street. The CEO told investors that Denny's has had "a very encouraging lift in guest traffic" since the gimmick, but stopped short of predicting long-term results.
Cars.com Driving Traffic to Auto Dealers
Feb 18, 2009
With auto sales at depressed levels--and classified ads with them--Cars.com, the car shopping site owned by five newspaper chains, says its traffic is surging. Cars.com said in January potential buyer contacts with its advertisers increased 20% over January 2008, when it was setting traffic records. And after its commercials ran on Super Bowl XLIII on Feb. 1, "the site saw a surge in February traffic," it reported.
The Body as Billboard: Your Ad Here
Feb 17, 2009
Terry Gardner, a legal secretary in California, returned home from work recently to find two police officers waiting. They said her brother had told them he thought she might be having a breakdown because she had shaved her head. Ms. Gardner, 50, said in a telephone interview that she had told the officers that she was fine and had shaved her head for an advertising campaign by Air New Zealand, which had hired her to display a temporary tattoo. She turned around and showed them the message, written in henna on the back of her head: “Need A Change? Head Down to New Zealand. www.airnewzealand.com.”
TiVo Tallies Top Ads Post-Super Bowl
Feb 17, 2009
Super Bowl commercials get major viewership. But how do those brands compare at other times of the year? TiVo says one way of analyzing this is determining low "commercial avoidance"--also known as DVR fast-forwarding. When looking at Super Bowl marketers' commercials in non-Super Bowl programming, Coca-Cola had the best ad-viewer results.
Google TV: Still a Tough Sell
Feb 17, 2009
As Google pulls out of the newspaper and radio ad business, it seems loyal to its TV efforts, but several shortcomings are holding it back.
Pedigree Super Bowl Spot Finds New Life Online
Feb 17, 2009
One Super Bowl advertiser has found a way to extend the reach of its TV spot to millions more viewers. Pedigree has partnered with DogTime Media to include the ad on the Sparky Media Center, which has already been embedded on over 70 publisher and blog sites with 6 million visitors, said DogTime Media CEO Trevor Wright. Sparky also has been placed on tens of thousands of individual desktops or social media pages, he added.
If You’re Nervous, Deodorant Makers Have a Product for You
Feb 17, 2009
IT is a recurring motif in deodorant advertisements that no matter how stressful the situation — sprinting to jump onto the ferry as it pulls away from the dock, pointing to a chart during the big sales presentation — the product keeps you dry and fresh. So it is perhaps fitting that even as everyone else is sweating bullets during this economic downturn, major deodorant brands are actually experiencing a bump in sales, thanks to recent introductions of stronger “clinical” formulations, which can cost more than twice as much as conventional deodorants.
What Bayer Campaign Means for Pharma Ads
Feb 16, 2009
A sea change is coming to the $5 billion direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical-advertising category in the wake of the Food and Drug Administration's decision to force Bayer to run corrective advertising for one of its brands.
Gone Daddy Gone: Heinous Ads May Cost Go Daddy Customers
Feb 16, 2009
After this year's Super Bowl, I just couldn't do it anymore. As it was, any time I had to log on to Go Daddy I felt some combination of embarrassment and annoyance at the registrar's approach to women and marketing. But after its execrable ad efforts around this year's game, I found that I just couldn't stomach contributing anything to this organization any longer. I'm transferring my domains and my insignificant little piece of business elsewhere.
Alcohol, Sex Ads Get Prime TV Time
Feb 13, 2009
The airwaves are getting more grown-up, and it's not just the shows. The Absolut Vodka commercials that aired in Los Angeles and 14 other cities during Sunday night's Grammy Awards marked the first time in years that liquor ads ran in prime time on network-owned stations. Also crowding the airwaves during heavy viewing hours are infomercials once reserved for the middle of the night and ads touting extramarital affairs and the intimate uses of K-Y Jelly.
How Branded Entertainment Is Holding Up Amid Recession
Feb 13, 2009
As marketers rein in spending on everything from national TV to the Super Bowl, whither branded entertainment?
Penney to Focus Advertising on Trendier Fashion Lines
Feb 11, 2009
For the first time, J.C. Penney Co.'s spring advertising campaign will focus only on its most fashion-forward clothing lines, designed by trendy names such as Kimora Lee Simmons and Nicole Miller. The move is part of a bid by the midtier retailer to appeal to shoppers who in the past have turned to high-end stores and boutiques for the latest looks in fashion but have cut back on spending.
Hilfiger: Out-Of-Touch Or On The Money?
Feb 11, 2009
In unveiling its newest marketing campaign, Tommy Hilfiger is doing more of what it has always done: Invoking young, glamorous, affluent Americans with that classic cool. This time, they're looking more like movie stars than ever, as they lounge on expensive cars, sunbathe at the pool, and bask in palm-tree-studded sunsets. Either these folks missed the memo that, at the moment, America represents job loss, recession, and a cratering economy, or the company is hoping its lifestyle fantasy image will have more appeal than the latest downer headlines.
Sex is Easy but Doesn't Build a Brand
Feb 11, 2009
All we need to do "is make our advertising so shocking that consumers will be outraged, the networks will censor us and the media will cover us." Instant PR and brand awareness! And what is more shocking than sex? Nothing. It is perfect formula, right?
P&G Pullout: The Start of a Stampede?
Feb 10, 2009
A week after its COO asserted that Procter & Gamble would continue to maintain its marketing spend, the nation’s top advertiser is quietly pulling back on its second-quarter upfront options, a move TV sales bosses are characterizing as “comprehensive.”
Media As Creative Agency: Boing Boing Does Cheetos
Feb 9, 2009
Over the last few years, we’ve explored the trend where new media publications have been working directly with brands to produce advertisements for their products.
Working Fast and Brilliant Is the Challenge for Creatives Today
Feb 9, 2009
The advertising creative community still carries in its DNA some of the inherent artistic temperament of its forbears. The most extreme examples -- monthlong drinking benders, TV sets and typewriters being tossed furiously through windows -- have gone the way of the typewriter. But the one thing that can still rankle even the most seasoned ad creative is the lack of a commodity that their "pure artist" counterparts wallow in: time.
Public Flogging for Bailed-Out Marketers Like Citi, BofA
Feb 9, 2009
In the marketing and media industries, it's widely believed that advertising, done right, is an investment in future business results. But the question today is whether the rest of the country can be persuaded to see it that way.
YouTube Viewers Crown Doritos Super Bowl Champ
Feb 6, 2009
Last Sunday's Super Bowl might be nearly forgotten, but advertisers are still mulling the effectiveness of their pricey investments. YouTube has weighed in by crowning Doritos as the big winner with the video site's millions of visitors. The Pepsi snack brand had two spots crack the top-five tally in YouTube's Ad Blitz, a special section it created to showcase Super Bowl commercials.
Who Burnished Their Brand With Super Bowl Ads, and Who Didn't
Feb 5, 2009
The Pittsburgh Steelers weren't the only big winners on Super Bowl Sunday. Brands such as Pepsi, Budweiser, Cars.com, General Electric and Bridgestone also pulled off some heroics last weekend, albeit not in the form of a dramatic last-minute, game-winning touchdown drive like the Steelers. Instead the aforementioned marketers earned their victories through 30 and 60-second spots which ran during the game and cost roughly $100,000 a second.
Hyundai, Using a Safety Net, Wins Market Share
Feb 5, 2009
TWENTY-THREE years after it started selling cars in the United States, and in the midst of an industrywide slump that has pushed some competitors to the brink of bankruptcy, the Korean automaker Hyundai spent $3 million to tell Americans watching the Super Bowl how to say its name correctly.
Super Bowl Ads: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Feb 5, 2009
Super Bowl commercials cost as much as $3 million this year, but the contest between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers wasn't an advertising blockbuster. Longtime marketers such as General Motors and FedEx pulled out of the game, and marketers were snapping up discounted airtime right up to kickoff. BusinessWeek's advertising and marketing mavens—Jon Fine, Burt Helm, and David Kiley—settled down with a bucket of wings and a dose of disbelief at some of the branding plays they were forced to witness. Behold their picks and pans of Super Bowl advertising, 2009.
Vizio Sees Value In Promos Post-Super Bowl
Feb 5, 2009
The television commercial on the Super Bowl was only the beginning for Vizio in an effort to increase visibility for its high-definition television brand.
Ad Age Hits Up Denny's for Free Grand Slam
Feb 4, 2009
During the Super Bowl America was offered a free breakfast today at Denny's, and Ad Age decided to take it up on its offer in four different areas of the country.
The Top Five Most 'Emotionally Engaging' Super Bowl Ads
Feb 4, 2009
Media-research firm Innerscope concluded that the most "emotionally engaging" ads -- surprisingly or not -- were those that in one way or another channeled concerns about the economy. That CareerBuilder and Cash4Gold ranked highest in the firm's subconscious scale only speaks to what many already know; people are worried about their finances.
2009 Super Bowl Top 10 Most-Liked, Most-Recalled Spots
Feb 4, 2009
Nielsen IAG ad ratings: consumers like Budweiser's 'Clydesdale Stick' ad best.
In Campaign Wars, Apple Still Has Microsoft’s Number
Feb 4, 2009
Twenty-five years ago, Apple hurled a legendary marketing sledgehammer at I.B.M. personal computers that ran Microsoft software. During the 1984 Super Bowl, Apple ran a television ad that depicted those machines as instruments of Big Brotherish conformity. The ad was shown just once, but people still talk about it. Today, Apple is still producing ads that hammer away at computers that run Microsoft’s software. But this time, Apple’s pounding is constant, even as Microsoft has been weakened by product stumbles and a series of ads that fell flat with the public.
Christians Bailing on GoDaddy Due to 'Immoral' Advertising
Feb 4, 2009
GoDaddy's famously risque Super Bowl ads always pull lots of eyeballs, but the company's latest spots may have resulted in a little too much attention of the wrong kind.
E-Trade, Kellogg's, Cash4Gold Score Big On Integration
Feb 3, 2009
Just like on the field, Super Bowl XLIII had its winners and losers among brand marketers trying to turn their big game spots into lasting online results. This year, E-Trade, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, and Cash4Gold.com were all integrated marketing winners, according to new data from IPG's search and social media marketing agency Reprise Media.
Crest Puckers Up for 'Kiss Me in 3-D'
Feb 3, 2009
Following on the heels of 3-D commercials in the Super Bowl, Crest has launched its first foray into the technology with a Web site promoting its teeth-whitening system.
Boobs, Buzz & Buffoons
Feb 3, 2009
I write this as I reel from all of the Monday-morning quarterbacking after yesterday's Super Bowl...only the media coverage isn't focused on the game, but rather on the ads. Nary a hint of reality intrudes on the coverage. It's as if the ads exist in some absolute, ethereal world of creativity, wherein consumption amounts to little more than reactions registered during game breaks. Nevermind that the marketplace is tanking, and even the bestest branded products are rotting on store shelves. NBC still broke records for what it charged for the spots, and lots of reporters and bloggers are talking about them now.
Potatoes Win, Cars Lose In Super Bowl Ads
Feb 3, 2009
No matter that Sunday's Super Bowl XLIII turned out to be one of the best ever, in terms of football. Some of the biggest advertisers--including Budweiser and Toyota--looked like also-rans, and consumers seemed underwhelmed by much of the advertising.
We
Feb 2, 2009
Within days of Barack Obama’s historic presidential victory, an ad called “Now what?” hit the airwaves, accompanied by an email sent to more than one million people. Both urged the American people and the new president to “Repower America.” Ironically, the man behind the promotion was Al Gore.
How to Get a Brand on NBC's 'Today' for Nothing
Feb 2, 2009
Most marketers looking to get their messages out by using NBC's popular morning-news program, "Today," figure they'll need to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a 30-second spot. And yet Taylor Larouche and her pals were able to snag much more time than that -- for free.
Web Helps Keep Bowl Buzz Alive
Feb 2, 2009
In the aftermath of dropping an average of $3 million per 30 seconds, Super Bowl advertisers hope to translate that into online buzz.
3 Reasons Super Bowl Ads Failed, And 3 That Worked
Feb 2, 2009
Most marketing blogs the day after the Super Bowl are sharing the same disappointment at the ads and how universally average they were. Meanwhile, some of the best campaigns of the Super Bowl season were efforts launched online or that had a significant online component, but the fact remains that many Super Bowl ads simply didn't work this year. Here's my list not just of the best and worst ads, but some lessons I think any marketer can learn from why the worst ones failed.
21st Annual Super Bowl Ad Meter results
Feb 2, 2009
How TV's most expensive commercials scored with USA TODAY's Ad Meter focus groups:
Reviews Fly at Twitter Ad Parties
Feb 2, 2009
Consumers, creatives and even advertising characters gathered Sunday night at virtual Super Bowl chat parties set up specifically to discuss the commercials in real time. And while the sheer volume of reactions made it difficult to gauge a consensus opinion, there were some clear winners and losers among the ads -- and a general feeling that the spots, by and large, underwhelmed.
Super Bowl XLIII Ads: Teased, Remixed and Too-Hot-for-TV
Jan 30, 2009
The most sacred of American annual rites is upon us: sitting through an over-hyped football game to see cutting-edge TV ads that occasionally rival feature films for production value and creativity. But this year it isn't just about television -- the spotlight's online.
Super Bowl Ad Drive Leads to Brand Sites
Jan 30, 2009
Thirty percent of respondents who plan to watch the game said seeing the telecast's commercials makes them more likely to visit an advertiser's Web site.
It's Not Just DreamWorks' Super Bowl Ad That'll Be 3-D
Jan 30, 2009
If this weekend's Super Bowl is any indication, 3-D is coming back in a big way in 2009, and it's way more than just the red-and-blue glasses of yore.
GE to Spends Big Bucks for Smart Grid Ad on Superbowl
Jan 30, 2009
Superbowl ads are a decent way to see trends. During the dot-com bubble, you could see ads for various websites. This year, GE will debut an ad campaign for smart grids. The 30 seconds commercial will feature "a dancing Scarecrow and will discuss a smarter, more efficient, and sustainable electrical energy grid." It's impressive when you think about it: Since when is the electrical grid sexy enough to deserve such an expensive spot?
Upbeat but Sympathetic: A Fine Line for Super Bowl Ads
Jan 30, 2009
For television viewers, the Super Bowl offers an annual midwinter spectacle. On Sunday, in addition to a football game and a halftime show, they can watch Madison Avenue try to walk a tightrope. The advertisers, which are spending up to $3 million for each 30-second commercial during Super Bowl XLIII, have a tricky task before them. They must figure out the right way to speak to consumers worried about the wretched economy while at the same time not ignore the long-standing appeal of Super Bowl Sunday as a night of escapist fare.
If We Agree Advertising is Broken
Jan 30, 2009
The comments from my post crapping on the New York Times for buying remnant advertising are telling. Lots of people agree that advertising is “broken.” They just don’t know what they want to do next. Do you?
Hyundai To Drive Through Super Bowl
Jan 29, 2009
Hyundai Motor will air five 30-second TV spots during Sunday's broadcast of Super Bowl XLIII on NBC. The ads tout the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe, the company's recently launched Hyundai Assurance program, and the fact that the Genesis sedan was named "2009 North American Car of the Year."
Super Bowl Ads Jump Off The Screen
Jan 28, 2009
To justify the hefty costs, marketers look to make their messages outlast the big game.
Pepsi Tries Super Bowl Spot Selection 2.0
Jan 28, 2009
PepsiCo today announced which ads will be running during the Super Bowl, sort of. The No. 2 cola giant has readied work for Pepsi, Pepsi Max, SoBe Lifewater and G (formerly Gatorade). However, it is hedging its bets as to which creative to run. Instead it is waiting to see which brands are getting the most buzz on the Internet, according to Massimo d’Amore, CEO, PepsiCo Americas Beverages.
Advertisers Change Game Plans for Super Bowl
Jan 28, 2009
Yes, Virginia, and the other 49 states, there is a Super Bowl on Sunday, despite the awful economy. And it appears that NBC will be able to sell all 33 ½ minutes of commercial time at a record price estimated to average $3 million for each 30-second spot. Still, the uncertainties of this challenging year are manifesting themselves in the days before Super Bowl XLIII as advertisers think, rethink — and rethink again — what they intend to do.
Google Promotes Chrome With YouTube Ads
Jan 27, 2009
Well, now we know one customer who's excited by Google's new ad possibilities at YouTube: Google.
Facebook Implements Polling Ads
Jan 27, 2009
Advertisers seeking to crack the code on reaching Facebook's growing audience have a new weapon in their arsenal: polls.
Lindsay Launches 'Savor Olive Life' Campaign
Jan 27, 2009
For the first time in nearly a century, Lindsay Olives is redesigning its identity under the "Savor Olive Life" banner, introducing new products and launching a marketing campaign as well as new packaging and a Web site.
Bridgestone Hits Funny Bone Again In Super Bowl
Jan 27, 2009
Bridgestone America, official tire sponsor of Super Bowl XLIII, will continue the humorous approach to promoting the stopping power of its Bridgestone tires for its Super Bowl ads. The Nashville, Tenn.-based tire company, which advertised during the Super Bowl last year, will run two 30-second TV spots during NBC's broadcast of the game.
Turner, GM Craft Branded Microseries
Jan 27, 2009
Turner is revving up another branded microseries initiative, signing General Motors as the sponsor of a five-part strip bowing Jan. 28.
Then So Should A Car Wreck
Jan 27, 2009
If the eyeballs delivered by the viral nonsense coming from Burger King is considered marketing, then so should a car wreck.
Hulu To Shock The World With Super Bowl Ad
Jan 27, 2009
Here's something that just came into my inbox, and presumably the inboxes of the rest of the digital-media press corps: an e-mail from the media team at Hulu, the joint video venture between NBC Universal and News Corp., announcing that the company will be running an ad during Sunday's Super Bowl XLIII. It sounds like Hulu is really hoping to make a splash along the lines of Apple's landmark "1984" ad that aired 25 years ago.
The Top 10 Super Bowl Ads Of All Time
Jan 26, 2009
Nothing makes the economy appear sound like scores of corporations lining up to spend $3 million for a 30-second advertisement that may or may not help their company. Even after a year filled with government bailouts, Bernie Madoff and $4-plus gas, there’s still plenty of money for Super Bowl commercials. But will this year’s advertisements be any good? Too often, today’s Don Drapers fail to look at what has worked in the past.
Marketing's New Red-Hot Seller: Humble Snuggie
Jan 26, 2009
The Snuggie blanket launched nationally on direct-response TV in October, just as the economy was slowing to a crawl, so the timing seemingly couldn't have been worse. However, it turns out the timing couldn't have been better.
Jim Beam Invites Fans To Spoof Its Ads
Jan 26, 2009
Leveraging the passionate, creative Web surfer, Jim Beam is launching "The Remake" contest, designed to challenge fans to create spoofed versions of "The Girlfriend" as well as two other commercials, "The Party" and "The Tragedy" (think beautiful lesbians). The contest dangles a grand prize of $25,000, a trip for four to Las Vegas, and a chance to have the winning video showcased on JimBeam.com.
Deconstructing Barbie
Jan 25, 2009
This March, Barbie Millicent Roberts will turn 50. We know her as the age-immune creature Barbie, 11 1/2 inches of plastic delivered by Mattel onto our cultural landscape in a zebra-striped bathing suit. She has been painted by Warhol, scrutinized by intellectuals, sabotaged by pranksters, pilloried by cultural critics and purchased more than a billion times.
Facebook Crushing MySpace in Traffic
Jan 25, 2009
Want to know which is becoming the world's default social network? Hint: It's not MySpace. ComScore data is out and on a global basis Facebook is pulling away.
Maverick CMOs Try Going Without TV
Jan 25, 2009
As the upfronts loom, many big brands—like General Motors and Citibank, for instance—are slashing their spending on television advertising out of necessity. But another factor to consider is the maverick CMO who is willing to spend a lot less on TV advertising or cut it out entirely.
The New Age of Personalization
Jan 23, 2009
The term "personalization" often evokes bad memories and broken promises from the last technology boom, 10 years ago. You remember when the term was all the rage and marketers promised better customization and increased relevancy in their marketing messages? Well, marketers overpromised and underdelivered, and the idea of personalization revolutionizing the marketing industry just never materialized.
Making Every Second, or $100,000, Count
Jan 23, 2009
Marketers that advertise on the Super Bowl are always seeking more bang for their buck. This year, with each 30-second commercial during the game estimated to cost a record $3 million — yes, $100,000 a second — and the recession threatening to dampen viewer enthusiasm, the sponsors are intensifying efforts to amplify the force of what they plan for Super Bowl XLIII.
CareerBuilder Brings 'Tips' to Super Bowl
Jan 23, 2009
CareerBuilder.com will break a 60-second spot during the third quarter of the Super Bowl. Titled "Tips," the ad humorously presents reasons why it might be time to get a new job.
Opinion: Coke 'Draws' Up Winning Formula
Jan 23, 2009
For a span of nearly seven years, Coke struggled to find its voice. CEOs Douglas Daft and then Neville Isdell made bold proclamations to crowded ballrooms that Coke would return to its roots of creating "iconic advertising."
Bad Times Affect Ad Recall for Bowl Spots
Jan 21, 2009
If U.S consumers have money troubles on their minds, can it detract from their ability to remember what happens in an eye-catching Super Bowl commercial? The answer, apparently, is yes.
Google Ends Efforts to Sell Newspaper Ads
Jan 21, 2009
Google’s efforts to expand its advertising empire beyond the confines of the Internet have hit their first major setback. The company said on Tuesday that it would end a two-year-old program to sell ads in newspapers because the effort, called Google Print Ads, had failed to live up to its expectations.
Almost No Escaping Audi Ads in Inauguration Coverage
Jan 20, 2009
According to Audi's CMO, the company is communicating the "inherent spirit of progress and innovation that is the core of our corporate DNA" by sponsoring this historic day's news.
Underwriting Your Super Bowl Spot
Jan 19, 2009
The plot has thickened for Super Bowl ads in 2009. The economy is hurting, skepticism of advertising is in no short supply, and the price is $3 million for a 30-second spot. Go for it? Or run for the hills? Super Bowl spots today need to pass two distinct tests -- one measurable and traditional, and the other based on unique dynamics of cross-platform engagement, most notably buzz and conversation.
Super Bowl a Big Bash, But With Ads Toned Down
Jan 19, 2009
NBC said 90% of Super Bowl ads have been sold -- most at an all-time high price of $3 million per 30-second spot -- but some will reflect the tough economic environment.
Fiber Being Pitched As Tasty, Sexy Even
Jan 18, 2009
Fiber, the chewy, gummy, indigestable substance that is said to promote both weight loss and regularity, is not known for its taste, but you wouldn’t know it from the industry’s latest spin. New ads from General Mills, Kraft and Kellogg put taste at the forefront while those other properties go largely unmentioned.
‘Open Here’ to Peek at Esquire’s Articles and Ad
Jan 16, 2009
Esquire magazine is offering readers — and advertisers — a window into its front covers, literally and figuratively. The February issue of Esquire, on its way now to subscribers and to newsstands, has a window, or flap, in the middle of the cover, next to an invitation to “Open here.” Opening the window reveals quotations from articles inside the issue, adjacent to an advertisement for “One Way Out,” a new series on the Discovery Channel cable network.
'G' Is Not Only Gatorade, It's Good -- So Far, Anyway
Jan 15, 2009
As anyone with a fluid ounce of sense should have realized, G is Gatorade, as envisioned by its new agency, TBWA, Los Angeles. Apparently, though, plenty of viewers were stymied.
Target Tries First Price Point Driven TV Ads
Jan 14, 2009
Target, for the first time in the company’s history introduced TV ads featuring price point messaging. The spots, which debuted during the Golden Globes on Sunday, were the second iteration of its “A new day” brand message.
Brands Jostle To Jump On US Inaugural Wagon
Jan 14, 2009
It is meant to be the inauguration of a president, but it is turning into an adman’s dream. When Barack Obama takes the US presidential oath on January 20, he will draw vast audiences normally associated with American football’s biggest event, the Super Bowl. Viewers should prepare for a commercial onslaught.
A Taste for Breakfast and the Super Bowl
Jan 14, 2009
Although the term “grand slam” is associated with baseball rather than football, the restaurant chain that sells the Grand Slam breakfast — Denny’s — is becoming a Super Bowl advertiser for the first time.
Audi Markets Via ESPN Documentary
Jan 14, 2009
ESPN will air a prime-time documentary that was conceived as a marketing vehicle for German automaker Audi. "Truth in 24" is scheduled for March 20 and focuses on the performance of Audi cars in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
Yahoo's New Chief Is an Unknown to Media, Ad Circles
Jan 13, 2009
There are a few things to know about Yahoo's new CEO, Carol Bartz.
Unemployed? Monster.com Wants You to Laugh
Jan 13, 2009
There are 11.1 million unemployed people in the United States, and the unemployment rate is at a 16-year high. Those are bleak numbers. But as it tries to appeal to job seekers in a new advertising campaign, Monster Worldwide, the parent company of the employment Web site Monster, decided to use a humorous touch. calling embedded video jsp brightcove player begins hasEmbeddedPlayer promo include for articles
Behind TNT's New Advertising Drama, 'Trust Me'
Jan 9, 2009
Hunt Baldwin and John Coveny are advertising refugees who have finally gotten what many a copywriting cubicle dweller craves: not only a TV drama about them but one that allows them to lampoon advertising.
New York Store’s Ads Play Funny and Rude, Like the City
Jan 7, 2009
Music and electronics retailer J&R Music World has launched series of TV spots that use dark humor to remind shoppers of its New York heritage — and make no mention of three-day sales or unbelievable prices on digital cameras.
Recession May Move Mobile Away From Branding
Jan 6, 2009
Click-through rates, calls to action important amid woeful economy.
Ogilvy to Lay Off Almost 10% in North America
Jan 6, 2009
Industry executives attributed the cuts to continued pullback in client spending for 2009.
Ad Industry Preps for Pain in '09
Jan 6, 2009
The unpredictability of the year ahead could bring the kind of challenges that have never been experienced by the current generation of executives running marketing communications companies.
Media Agencies Ready to Rumble for ROI
Jan 5, 2009
For marketers, 2009 may be a year of experimentation and changing channels. At the very least they will be thinking hard about shifting dollars to different ad platforms where there could be a better return on investment during the recession.
Sex Sells, but a Commitment Can Help
Dec 28, 2008
Sex in advertising is generally thought to be more useful in selling to men than to women. But a study soon to be published in The Journal of Consumer Research finds that this effect is reversed when emotional intimacy justifies the sex.
Palm's Facebook Campaign Gets Quick Results
Dec 23, 2008
Getting through the Christmas online marketing rush is tougher than getting to a cash register today. And getting the attention of somewhat jaded, media-savvy young digital denizens is tougher yet. Palm, Inc. seems to have pulled off this trick - and in a short timeframe - with a Facebook campaign for its Centro smartphone that combines on-page applications and user applications that are producing some pretty impressive viral results.
FedEx Forgoes Super Bowl for First Time in 12 Years
Dec 22, 2008
FedEx announced today that it will not run a Super Bowl ad for the first time in 12 years. Director of advertising Steve Pacheco posted a statement on the company Web site citing “unprecedented economic waters” as the reason FedEx is opting not to buy a spot.
Marketers Can Get on the Menu at JetBlue's Terminal Five
Dec 22, 2008
JetBlue's Terminal Five at New York's JFK has already garnered plenty of attention, and now it's looking to let advertisers in on the action.
Barclays: 2009 Ad Market To Plummet
Dec 19, 2008
Domestic ad spending is expected to drop 10% next year--dramatically worse than the declines felt in both the 1991 and 2001 recessions, according to Barclays Capital. In a signal of just how bleak the 2009 outlook has become in such a short time, the 10% figure comes a little over two months after Barclays pegged next year's decline at the considerably lesser 5.5%.
Chrysler Closes Factories, but Marketing Marches On
Dec 18, 2008
Chrysler said late today it will shut down all its plants at the end of the last shift on Dec. 19, with factory workers not back to work before Jan. 19. Despite that, the automaker will continue some current marketing efforts. Both Ford and GM have made similar moves.
Churches Welcome Quirky Approaches to Spread Their Message
Dec 17, 2008
THIS time of year, advertising is filled with religious imagery. But typically, little of it is actually sponsored by religious organizations. That is starting to change as churches seek to take advantage of the seasonal opportunity to communicate with prospective members.
Levi Unbuttons Another 501 Effort
Dec 16, 2008
Two months after the release of the "Unbutton Your Beast" viral campaign, Levi Strauss & Co. has debuted yet another in-your-face effort. Four hundred taxicabs whizzing through the streets of the Big Apple have started carrying outdoor media displays for Levi's 501 jeans.
GE Sees Future in 'Environmental Solutions'
Dec 16, 2008
General Electric launched a print advertisement this week, along with new Web video installments, focusing on its message of innovation and how environmental solutions will be part of the company's growth.
Google Search Suggest Get Ads, Links & Answers
Dec 16, 2008
Earlier this year, Google Suggest finally made it to the Google home page. The feature suggests queries as you begin typing in the search box. Now Google is testing providing links to web sites, direct answers and even ads that appear within the Google Suggest list.
Tony Retailers' New Ad Campaign: Less Is More
Dec 16, 2008
Madison Avenue is adopting a new mantra: Less is more. "Here's to less" is the headline on a new print ad from De Beers featuring a sparkling diamond solitaire.
ESPN Strives to Eject Clutter From Its Site
Dec 16, 2008
ESPN.com is counting on less clutter and more advertising options to bolster revenue at a time when its sister cable channels are battling rare weakness.
Banks Use Free Pizzas and Humor to Calm Fears
Dec 15, 2008
AS consumers continue to worry about the economy, banks and financial institutions are still running advertisements meant to allay those concerns. As Christmas approaches, many pitches are taking a less serious tack, replacing straightforward reassurances about safety and security with free pizzas and humorous advice about holiday gift-giving.
Advertisers Face Hurdles on Social Networking Sites
Dec 14, 2008
FOR some time, Procter & Gamble, the world’s largest advertiser, has been dipping its big toes into the vast pool of Facebook, now the world’s largest social network. I recently knocked on the doors of both companies to hear how the experiment was going. Neither was inclined to say much.
In-Game Advertising Starts To Drift
Dec 11, 2008
Video games -- with their captive, observant and engaged audiences -- would seem to be a natural venue for advertising. But other than a historic buy in "Burnout Paradise" by Barack Obama's presidential campaign, ads haven't made much progress in the gaming sector.
YouTube Videos Are Pulling in Serious Money
Dec 11, 2008
One year after YouTube, the online video powerhouse, invited members to become “partners” and added advertising to their videos, the most successful users are earning six-figure incomes from the Web site.
Wal-Mart And Coke Make Music Together
Dec 10, 2008
We were pleasantly surprised by a new holiday commercial from Wal-Mart and Coca-Cola. The ad, currently playing in movie theaters and online, features a young, geeky guy wandering through his own holiday party with a reusable Wal-Mart tote bag, handing out bottles of Coke while singing a little ditty about his guests.
Papa John's One-Day Google Test Was Pie-Seller
Dec 9, 2008
Papa John's launched a one-day Web campaign with a display ad on Google last Friday that resulted in online weekend sales that were up between 15% and 20% over a typical weekend, the pizza giant says. Mobile orders also rose.
Who Still Wants a Spot in the Big Game?
Dec 8, 2008
Nearly three months ago, coming off the fabulous ratings success of the Olympics, the Peacock boldly asserted that it could get as much as $3 million for a 30-second spot in the Super Bowl. The strategy largely worked: NBC said in mid-September that it had already sold more than 80% of its spots in the big game. Now that the economy has taken a drastic turn for the worse, the network may have to change its strategy to unload the remaining inventory.
A Wink to Theatergoers, and Nods to Broadway
Dec 5, 2008
The campaign for "Shrek the Musical" is indicative of the increasingly elaborate efforts devoted to the creation of ads for entertainment properties.
Lawsuit: Marketing Blamed in Wal-Mart Trampling Death
Dec 4, 2008
Security should have been better, but advertising also helped kill a temporary worker at Wal-Mart, according to a lawsuit filed by the estate and relatives of the 34-year-old man trampled by a pre-dawn Black Friday crowd at a Valley Stream, N.Y., store.
This Season’s Must-Have: The Humble Coupon
Dec 4, 2008
The faltering economy could mean renewed interest in coupons as shoppers refocus on the cost of the products they buy — that is, if they do actually buy anything these days.
The Strangely Robust World of TV Advertising
Dec 3, 2008
In an article in the summer, Jon Fine observed an interesting paradox in the TV biz. Viewership continues to fall, but ad dollars remain in place.
Widgets Are Made for Marketing, So Why Aren't More Advertisers Using Them?
Dec 1, 2008
Branded widgets are the refrigerator magnets of the Brave New World. These compact, portable little software apps -- from video players to countdown clocks to makeup simulators -- are inexpensive to distribute, free to the user and (often enough) distinctly useful.
Social Networking Traffic Up as Ads Fall Flat, per IDC
Nov 25, 2008
More than half the country actively uses social networking sites, but so far advertising on these properties is nothing short of anemic, says a new report issued by market research firm IDC.
I Hate You, Blue-Tux-Wearing Viagra Guy!
Nov 24, 2008
Web video ads are annoying and repetitive. Here's how to fix them.
Detroit Tones Down Year-End Sales Pitches
Nov 24, 2008
This year's barrage of year-end auto clearance sale ads will be a little kinder and gentler.
Should Newspapers Become Online Ad Brokers for Local Businesses?
Nov 21, 2008
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and that's where the newspaper business is right now. With profits slashed, unending layoffs, and online ad growth slowing, newspapers have to be open to new ideas that will help them deal with a media shift like no other.
Summer in Beijing Was Strong for Sports, but Weak for Ads
Nov 21, 2008
What happened to the “Beijing bounce”? It was the surge in advertising spending that the Summer Olympics were supposed to provide.
Click Fraud To Shape Ad Decisions in 2009
Nov 19, 2008
As financial fears and uncertainty pervade Wall Street, and once-high-flying Internet darlings struggle to stay relevant, there is an underground revolution among marketers that will permanently change how ad spend decisions get made.
Downturn Is Time To Revamp Traditional Media
Nov 14, 2008
An upside to the downside of this brutal recession will be the widespread rejection of broken old business models and the development of new structures fit for the digital age.
