Daily Buzz 5-1-12
Auto Ad Spending Will Grow 14% in 2012, Report Predicts
As the U.S. automobile industry motors toward a broad recovery, Borrell Associates forecasts that national and local advertising spending will rise nearly 14% in 2012, to $30.8 billion, and that about 40 cents of every media dollar will be channeled toward digital.
According to a report prepared by Borrell Associates, a Williamsburg, Va.-based consulting firm that specializes in tracking local ad spending, the trend toward digital media — at the expense of print, radio and direct mail — will continue “largely unabated.”
CEO Gordon Borrell said that the firm foresees the industry, including dealers and dealer associations, spending $11.9 billion on search buys and online banner ads, and trending toward repurposing manufacturers’ agency spots for local video usage “tailored to their own purposes.” The $11.9 billion figure marks an overall increase of 39% from 2011.
“Gone are the days when broadcast advertising dominated the top of the buying funnel,” stated a summary of the report. Among the factors contributing to Borrell’s findings are greater availability of co-op advertising budgets, and the movement of targeting marketing to reach potential buyers via their mobile devices. (www.adage.com)
Citi, LinkedIn Form Network for Professional Women
Citi has partnered with LinkedIn to create the Connect Professional Women’s Network, which launched April 30. The branded community is primarily a discussion board to which members can post and comment on articles relevant to the group, but it’s also a content marketing vehicle for the financial services company.
As part of the initiative, LinkedIn will offer a special edition of its LinkedIn Today social news curator geared toward professional women. The edition will have stories from more than 300,000 publishers that LinkedIn Today regularly sources, articles shared to the group’s discussion board and content from Citi’s Women & Co. site and monthly videos featuring group members.
“In many ways it’s a way we can give professional women a voice about what it is they want to hear about, and then we can help tailor the kinds of content that we serve up to meet those needs,” Vanessa Colella, managing director and head of North American marketing for Citi, said of the initiative. Citi began talking with LinkedIn about building a branded community late last year and worked with Razorfish on the execution.
Women are a particularly important demographic for Citi. Colella said women in U.S. households make more than 80 percent of financial services decisions. Citi is running ads alongside the group’s discussion board, and the company is sponsoring a poll asking visitors if they think the recent economic upturn is sustainable. (www.adweek.com)
Independence Visitor Center Signs New Sponsors For Summer Season
The summer season is quickly arriving as Philadelphia businesses are preparing visitors. The Independence Visitor Center of Philadelphia has signed on with new sponsors for the upcoming summer season.
“Marketers are looking for increased visibility in a more dramatic way and we can provide that at the Visitor Center” says Angelo Scialfa, President of Fox Run Group, the sales agent for the Visitor Center.
The new summer sponsors include Sugar House Casino who has purchased wall spectaculars providing for a large format visual.
The Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA have purchased brochure rack dominance to promote the current exhibit Treasures from the Uffizi Gallery.
The Adventure Aquarium has returned with a unique display to grab the attention at point of sale. The Adventure Aquarium sells tickets at the Visitor Center and decided to place a wall spectacular above the information/ticket desk. (www.sponsorship.com)
Bob & Stacy’s Premium Margarita Becomes ‘Official Margarita’ Of Infineon Raceway
Bob & Stacy’s Premium Margarita has been named the “Official Margarita” of Infineon Raceway, the two companies announced today.
Bob & Stacy’s Premium Margarita, a product of Good Time Beverages, LLC, will be the exclusive margarita at all Infineon Raceway major-event weekends in 2012, including the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and IZOD IndyCar Series. The product will debut at the raceway at the Great Clips West Coast Moto Jam (May 4-6), just in time for Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
“These events are the best in the country for reaching a diverse demographic of race fans,” said Bob Whyte, founder/CEO of Good Time Beverages. “We are ready to start our engines with Infineon Raceway in 2012.”
Based in Southern California, Good Time Beverage is a leading manufacturer of adult mixed ready-to-drink products, packed in patented flexible pouches. Pre-made ready-to-drink (RTD) mixed drink pouches are the latest innovation of stand-up flex pouches targeted at event-attending, adult beverage consumers. All Good Time Beverage pouches take up 95% less landfill space and are made from 65% recycled materials. (www.sponsorship.com)
Expedia.com, the world’s largest online travel agency, today announced that it will sponsor the 2012 National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY), the premier showcase of the best young directors – aged 22 and younger – from around the world. NFFTY is a festival put on by The Talented Youth, a non-profit organization founded in 2007. Since its inception, NFFTY has grown to be the world’s largest youth film festival. The 2012 NFFTYs are taking place in Seattle, Washington, from April 26 through April 29, 2012.
Joe Megibow, Expedia’s vice president and general manager, formally announced the Expedia Film Contest on NFFTY’s opening day. The Expedia contest will feature short films directed by past and present NFFTY Filmmakers. The films will be 2 – 3 minutes in length and will include travel as a theme, though the directors will have wide latitude on how to incorporate that theme. (www.sponsorship.com)
State Farm Sponsors 4th Annual Mother’s Day Music Festival
State Farm has partnered with Platinum Production Shows to become presenting sponsor for the Annual Mother’s Day Music Festival in Atlantic City. This year’s festival will benefit Advancing Families Foundation to support and provide comprehensive programs for families seeking educational and economic opportunities.
The annual sold out music festival, offers a stellar line up of great entertainers and empowerment workshops for all in attendance. The three day weekend opens with a welcome party on May 11th, concert series with Patti Labelle, Charlie Wilson and Johnnie Gill on May 12th, and Mother’s Day Brunch and intimate finale performance with Keith Sweat on May 13th. This year’s event will also feature a Women’s Empowerment Expo and Financial Literacy Seminar “Building A Legacy Through Financial Wealth” hosted by State Farm Agent Randy Noel with special guest appearance by The Real Housewives of Atlanta Star, Nene Leakes. The Women’s Empowerment Expo seeks to inspire women to become financially independent in today’s society and address issues that impact their lives. Attendees will be entertained and engaged with demonstrations and vendors of various fashions, health, education, finance and wellness.
The announcement of State Farm’s sponsorship of the Mother’s Day Music Festival was made by Cynthia Davenport, Multicultural Business Development Specialist. “State Farm is excited to partner with Platinum Production Shows to become presenting sponsor for the music festival. Our company recognizes the importance of reaching the African American market and we believe strongly in giving back to the communities we serve. Our goal at this event is to promote brand awareness and highlight our insurance and financial products. We are looking forward to being a part of the 4th Annual Mother’s Day Music Festival”. (www.sponsorship.com)
At first blush, a Kenneth Cole billboard perched above the West Side Highway looked like an ordinary ad for a red blazer.
But the accompanying text—”Shouldn’t everyone be well red?” and a less-than-subtle tagline underneath, “Teachers’ rights vs. students’ rights”—was anything but innocuous.
On Monday, the company removed the billboard after it drew the ire of labor leaders and public-education activists, such as Diane Ravitch, who interpreted it as an insulting jibe at teacher rights. (www.wsj.com)
Reminders That a Cookie Goes Beyond the Fig
NABISCO, the subsidiary of Kraft Foods, has rarely taken a cookie-cutter approach when it comes to marketing the fig roll introduced in 1891 as the Newton.
Unlike most cookies, it is square, and unlike most offerings in the cookie aisle, Fig Newtons, as they were renamed shortly after being introduced, were called “cakes” on packaging until the 1980s, when they became “chewy cookies.”
Popular commercials in the 1970s featured Big Fig, the actor James Harder in a costume performing a dance and song. (“Is it good? Darn tootin’! Doin’ the big Fig Newton.”)
But these days there are no paeans to the fig by the brand, which has dropped the word from its logo and is now known simply as Newtons.
The shift came not only because the cookie has for decades been available with other fillings, including strawberry, but also because the fig may lack the pizazz of, say, the pomegranate for health-conscious consumers.
A new advertising campaign highlights new fruit flavors of Newtons, as well as Newtons Fruit Thins, a line of crispy cookies introduced last year.
“And now, another Newtonism,” begins the voiceover in one ad, which shows fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. “Never beat around the bush — you’ll just squash the berries.” The ad, for a new triple berry filling, emphasizes it is made with whole grain and closes with the tagline, “One unique cookie.”
Another commercial, for a new flavor of the crispy variety, apple cinnamon oat, says, “Being the apple of someone’s eye — is easier with cinnamon.”
The campaign, by McGarryBowen, part of Dentsu, was introduced on television on Monday. It is not aimed at children, to whom cookies are typically pitched, or even mothers, who typically pack their lunchboxes, but rather to baby boomers. (www.nytimes.com)
P&G, Visa Sponsor Yahoo Olympic Coverage
Visa and Procter & Gamble are on board as key sponsors for Yahoo’s coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, which the Web portal plans to ramp up from the 2010 Winter Games.
With NBC holding exclusive rights to broadcast the games, Yahoo creates ancillary programming on a dedicated Olympic microsite within Yahoo Sports. For the London Games, the company told the AP it is doubling its presence to 25 reporters and analysts, including former Olympic stars Dan O’Brien, Shannon Miller and Summer Sanders.
In addition to news updates and original video programs like “London Minute,” Yahoo’s coverage will also include an Olympic-themed sports fantasy sports game dubbed “London Pick ‘Em” that enables players to daily predict the outcome of various competitions. (www.mediapost.com)
Flexjet Touts Service In The Sky
Jet-sharing firm Flexjet showcases people over planes in a new effort to showcase it’s personalized customer service and distance itself from rivals.
A new print and online effort appearing in business publications such as Elite Traveler, Bloomberg Markets, Forbes, Robb Report and the Wall Street Journal features engaging photographs of its customers peacefully enjoying their Flexjet experience. The copy, meanwhile highlights the company’s service and flexibility. One ad shows a sleeping child curled up in one of the seats with a teddy bear. “Sleep on the Plane,” reads the copy. “Sleep (comfortably) on the plane. Sleep (comfortably) on a plane backed by 13 FAA Diamond Awards.”
“If you look at the decision processes for our products, they’re very personal, and as a result they have a lot of personal connection involved with them,” Bruce Peddle, vice president of sales and marketing at Flexjet tells Marketing Daily. “We believe there’s a strong emotional decision process in the private aviation sector.”
The effort is a deviation from the company’s previous (and many competitors’) campaigns, which had long showcased the aircraft and amenities. Those, however, are simply points of entry in the category, Peddle says. Flexjet, he says, needed to identify what was the true differentiating factor. After much internal analysis, that differentiator turned out to be service. (www.mediapost.com)
Pretzel Crisps Jumps On Branded Video
Snack Factory’s Pretzel Crisps is making its first foray into branded video content with two different approaches from two different agencies.
One — “One Snack” from GeniusRocket — is 90 seconds in its full format on YouTube, and shows three women enjoying the flat pretzels in a variety of ways (plain, with healthy dips and veggies, etc.) as they go through their daily activities. In the vignettes, the women dance and sing to a hip-hop-inspired song (“There’s only one snack … Pretzel Crisps”) throughout.
The other video – “Meet Carl, the Pretzel Crisp,” from Tongal — introduces a new brand mascot, a talking flat pretzel who does card tricks and impressions of his friend Roger (among his other riffs) … working in along the way that Pretzel Crisps are the healthy snack food that can be enjoyed either alone or with accoutrements.
Both videos target Pretzel Crisps’ core consumer base — women 25 to 49 — and both, in addition to being offered in long versions on the brand’s YouTube channel, have been cut into shorter versions for pre-rolls on various targeted sites (particularly video-driven sites), Pretzel Crisp VP of marketing Perry Abbenante tells Marketing Daily. (www.mediapost.com)
No comments yet.