Daily Buzz
Polo Ready To Take Victory Laps In Vancouver
By Sarah Mahoney
- Just as Polo Ralph Lauren is getting ready to take its victory laps in Vancouver — in knit caps covered with moose, no less — the company says it has achieved record financial results this quarter, despite the miserable retail environment.
- While revenues for its fiscal third quarter slipped 1% to $1.2 billion, the company says its net income rose $111 million, up from $105 million in the same period a year ago. And while wholesale suffered — both in the U.S. and Japan — comparable-store sales for the quarter rose 4% at its retail stores, 6% at its factory stores, and 7% at its Club Monaco brand, Roger Farah, president/CEO, told investors during a conference call.
- In part, he says, the strong results are due to the company’s ongoing investment in advertising, marketing, and public relations — adding that “our long-standing association with premiere sporting events, such as the Olympics, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, accentuate our global visibility and allure.”
Verizon Embarks On Interactive TV For Olympics
By David Goetzl
- Verizon will offer real-time news and information in an interactive television venture during the coming Winter Olympics.
- Propelled by an EBIF (Enhanced Binary Interchange Format) platform, Verizon’s FiOS service will allow its subscribers to pull up athlete bios and medal counts, while watching the Games on USA, MSNBC and CNBC.
- The content — which also includes updates on U.S. athletes and other news — will be accessible by clicking an on-screen prompt with the remote control. All 2.9 million FiOS TV homes will have the iTV options through an agreement with NBC Universal.
Google Patent Filings Shed Light On Future Of Internet And Online Advertising
By Laurie Sullivan
- Google updated a series of patent filings in January that could suggest the search giant plans to dig deeper into behavioral targeting, video content, and might also roll out dynamic advertising in its mapping applications.
- The patents range from a method to deliver, target and measure advertising over networks to an overlay for advertisements in video content. For a company that attempts to stay away from the word “targeting” comes an update on a patent originally filed on July 24, 2009. The filing, updated on Jan. 28, 2010, provides a method to deliver ad targeting and measuring tools over networks.
The WSJ Tears Down Pay Wall Courtesy Of Acura
By Laurie Sullivan
- News Corp. has begun rolling out paywalls for its precious online news, but content at The Wall Street Journal became free Wednesday to anyone who wants to consume the publication’s news and exclusive features.
- The free day of browsing, sponsored by Acura, could become an interesting business model that not only gives prospective subscribers an inside look at the publication’s content, but an incentive to sign up and buy. An ad on the home page reads: The Wall Street Journal Online is Free Today. Explore the entire site and all its exclusive features.
- The sponsorship demonstrates an interesting twist for publishers and brands looking for another outlet to reach consumers. If online publishers decide to put up a paywall, they simply sign on a brand to sponsor a free day of browsing. Online publishers don’t care who pays for access to the content, as long as someone does.
- “It’s a smart move by Acura because it gives them another touchpoint to reach consumers,” says Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, a New York-based marketing and research firm. “It also proves Acura’s brand value aside from being a car company.”
Zucker: NBC, Comcast Alliance To Shake Up Staff, Biz Practices
By Wayne Friedman
- On Tuesday of this week, NBC brought together about 120 people from both companies who will be working on the transition of how the new NBC Universal would operate under the majority ownership of Comcast.
- Jeff Zucker, president and chief executive officer of NBC Universal, said in a memo sent to employees on Feb. 3, which was obtained by MediaPost: “While we recognize that transactions create uncertainty, they also provide unique opportunities to rethink how we do business and how to win in the future.”
Randy Bernard Officially Introduced As Indy Racing League CEO
- The overhaul of the IndyCar Series is nearly complete with Randy Bernard being introduced as the new CEO of the IRL. With the move, one can state that the sun has officially set on the Tony George era, as the series turns to an outsider who gained notice for transforming the PBR into a successful commercial and television property.
- In meeting the media for the first time, Bernard “laid out six initial goals for the IndyCar Series, including creating a positive environment, developing relationships and becoming profitable — not by cutting costs, but by increasing revenue.”
- Bernard: “I’ll market the sport the very best we can, and if we can’t put more people in the seats and the (TV) ratings don’t go up, then I would say I haven’t done my job.”
Super Bowl XLIV Program Also Being Launched As Digital Product
By Terry Lefton
- Super Bowl XLIV program goes digital, with virtual magazine, iPhone app, other features.
Bridgestone Seeks Renewal Of NFL, Halftime Show Sponsorship Deal
- Bridgestone serves as the official tire of the NFL and is the exclusive sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show, and the company is “trying to renew its sponsorship deal … because the event has helped increase tire sales.”
EA Will Attempt To Run Rejected SB Ad During NBA All-Star Game
- Electronic Arts, which was rejected by CBS in its bid to run its “Go to Hell” tagline in a Super Bowl ad promoting the forthcoming “Dante’s Inferno” videogame, will also attempt to run the ad during the NBA All-Star Game.
Yingli Green Energy Becomes First China-Based World Cup Sponsor
- Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. today announced a deal to sponsor the ‘10 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
- Yingli becomes the first Chinese company to sign a global sponsorship deal with FIFA, as well as the first renewable energy company to back the event.
BMW Oracle Racing Signs JP Morgan To Deal On Eve Of America’s Cup
By Jon Show
- BMW Oracle Racing has signed JP Morgan as its official private bank just days ahead of the start of the 33rd America’s Cup.
- The one-race deal was negotiated with JP Morgan’s European marketing group and includes signage at the team’s San Diego headquarters and logo rights. It does not include branding on the boat.
- The U.S. team, which begins racing on Monday in Valencia, has also signed official supplier deals for the first time with 3M and Catch the Wind, each of which are providing racing technology for the sailboat. Other official supplier deals include Inmarsat (satellite services), Slam (apparel), NetSuite (software) and ABC Tools.
- BMW Oracle Racing Commercial Dir Scott Hollingsworth said the deals offered a low-to-mid seven figures worth of cash and value-in-kind.
Monster Deal: Yahoo Sells HotJobs for $225 Mil.
By: Mike Shields
- Yahoo has found a buyer for HotJobs. The Web giant has unloaded the employment site to rival Monster Worldwide for $225 million in cash
Tax Rivals Square off in Social Media
By: Brian Morrissey
- TurboTax and H&R Block are gearing up to do battle again during the tax season, with each banking on social media as a cornerstone of its marketing efforts.
Skittles Site Ends Extreme Social Makeover
By: Brian Morrissey
- Skittles has relaunched its Web site, a year after the client drew criticism for having its primary online venue reflect what was being said about the brand online.
- The new Skittles.com tacks away from the social media transparency approach. Instead, it loads dozens of different content elements in an effort to evoke the Internet culture defined by sites like I Can Has Cheezburger, Failblog and Awkward Family Photos.
Consumers Party On for Major Brands
By: Andrew McMains
- Call it a modern-day Tupperware party. Big, mass marketers like Microsoft, Kraft Foods, Ford, Verizon, Nestle and S.C. Johnson are going grassroots, enlisting consumers to throw parties in their homes to sell their products.
Sheraton’s $20 Mil. Push Mixes Business With Pleasure
By: Elaine Wong
- As business travel slowly picks up again, Starwood Hotels & Resorts is launching a $20 million ad campaign aimed at getting consumers to “rediscover” its Sheraton hotel brand.
Tropicana Starts Offering ‘Juicy Rewards’
By: Elaine Wong
- PepsiCo rolled out its Juicy Rewards program for Tropicana last week, a move the company characterizes as the largest marketing investment for its orange juice brand. The program offers incentives through a points-based system for every purchase of qualifying Tropicana juice. Rewards include Adidas shoes, TaylorMade golf balls and a trip to the local zoo
ConAgra Cooks Up New Healthy Choice Varieties
By: Elaine Wong
- ConAgra Foods has expanded its Healthy Choice line with 11 fresh varieties, and to promote the products, the food giant is running a TV spot starring actresses Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld) and Jane Lynch (Glee).
No comments yet.