Archive for February, 2011

Daily Buzz 2-28-11

P&G, Colgate, Clorox to Raise Prices, Marketing Spending Procter & Gamble Co. Chief Marketing Officer Jon Moeller told the Consumer Analysts Group of New York that the company will begin announcing price increases within a month to make up an estimated $1.5 billion in increased commodity costs this year. He pulled down guidance for operating margin [ READ MORE ]

Daily Buzz 2-25-11

‘Organic’ SXSW Blogger Buzz? More Like Marketing Astroturf A lot of the buzz that has turned the South by Southwest festival into a media monster has been paid for and delivered by the big brands that sponsor it. SXSW in Austin is one of the biggest conferences of the year for techies, filmmakers and musicians. Even the [ READ MORE ]

Daily Buzz 2-24-11

JCPenney’s Logo Is Changing, Bet You Won’t Notice The new logo takes the retailer’s name partially outside of its signature red box, leaving just the letters “JCP” inside the box. The letters are also all lowercase but they remain in the same font. In short, it just doesn’t feel all that different. JCPenney, however, says the [ READ MORE ]

Daily Buzz 2-23-11

Kraft to Boost Spending on Core Brands, New Products Declaring that “great marketing is back at Kraft,” the food giant today said it will boost spending on key brands and new products as it seeks grocery profits in the face of commodity inflation and sluggish economic trends. And if its latest moves are any indication, the [ READ MORE ]

Daily Buzz 2-22-11

Can Dr Pepper’s Mid-Cal Soda Score a 10 With Men? Dr Pepper doesn’t want there to be any confusion. Its new 10-calorie soda is simply “Not for Women.” Dr Pepper Ten, a reduced-calorie soda, is unapologetically targeting men, a bold move in a category that has had its fair share of marketing missteps. Coke Zero and Pepsi [ READ MORE ]

Daily Buzz 2-18-11

LPGA Tries for New Fans With Ad Campaign Beset by low TV ratings and dwindling sponsors that forced a limited tour schedule this year, the Ladies Professional Golf Association is breaking its first brand campaign in four years to try and lure new fans. That in itself seems a bit ironic. The LPGA had a former ad [ READ MORE ]

Daily Buzz 2-17-11

‘Idol’ Still a Product Placement Power, but Awards Shows Provide Fertile Ground Too Awards shows have become extremely fertile ground for product placement, earning four slots among the top 10 shows ranked by brand appearances last month, according to research by Nielsen. Although new episodes of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” combined to give the series the [ READ MORE ]

Daily Buzz 2-16-11

Why the NBA Didn’t Block Kobe Bryant’s Gun-Toting ‘Call of Duty’ Ad Lakers star Kobe Bryant upset some people last year when he appeared in a violent commercial for the “Call of Duty: Black Ops” video game. “I’m looking at a 14-year-old boy right now who got shot in the head,” a youth football coach who [ READ MORE ]

Daily Buzz 2-15-11

Harley-Davidson Breaks Consumer-Created Work From Victors & Spoils The first work from Harley-Davidson’s new linkup with Boulder, Colo.-based crowdsourcing shop Victor & Spoils has debuted on YouTube. The consumer-created spot is born of a new agency model the motorcycle maker adopted after parting with longtime agency Carmichael Lynch in August of last year. In November, it tapped [ READ MORE ]

Daily Buzz 2-14-11

Get Hooked up With the Big Business of Online Dating Internet wisdom shows that the number of people scrambling for romance via online dating starts growing in November and peaks at Valentine’s Day. “People realize sitting around the Thanksgiving table with their family and think, ‘Hey, I don’t have my other half’ or ‘My sister’s married and [ READ MORE ]