Intel Launches Employee-Curated Digital Magazine

It looks like Flipboard; aggregates and posts content like Reddit; and presents news visually, like Newsmap. And it’s from Intel. Launching today, Intel iQ is a social-publishing platform and the tech giant’s latest content-marketing experiment.

IQ resembles a digital magazine but is curated by Intel employees. A story gets to the iQ front page when a certain number of people recommend it. The goal is to “connect with a younger audience and tell them the bigger story of who we are as a brand,” said Editor-in-Chief Bryan Rhoads. “Many of them don’t know, so we need to tell them the story of Intel that is beyond PCs and beyond processors.”

Mr. Rhoads will sometimes place staff-written or important stories on the page, but most articles will appear democratically and make it on their own merits. On page, each story box appears with a photo and a tag: “IQ Original” for staff-written and freelance-commissioned articles, “iQ Network” for content written by partner companies such as Discovery or Vice, or “Via” for pieces from an outside source. The last tag is followed by the name of the publication, for instance, “via Mashable.” (www.adage.com)

JC Penney Plans Ads to Better Explain Its New Pricing Strategy

JC Penney’s marketing is entertaining consumers and building the brand, but it’s not doing the “hard work” of communicating the retailer’s revamped pricing strategy, said CEO Ron Johnson, during a live presentation for analysts and investors.

The fourth-largest U.S. department-store company reported a first-quarter loss of $163 million. In the year-earlier period, JC Penney reported net income of $64 million. Sales fell 20% in first-quarter 2012, to $3.15 billion, while comparable-store sales declined 18.9%. The chain also said it would discontinue its quarterly dividend.

“The transition has been tougher than anticipated, but the transformation is ahead of schedule,” Mr. Johnson said during the presentation. “I don’t know that we’re giving up customers. Our customer is clearly buying less with fewer visits in the short term, but we want to earn her back, earn him back.”

In February, JC Penney unveiled a new marketing effort. Upbeat, brightly hued commercials from Peterson Milla Hooks have been in heavy rotation, while spots from Brand Advisors, featuring Ellen DeGeneres, made their debut during the Oscars. (www.adage.com)

GM Cuts Facebook Ad Spending, But Ford Steps on the Gas

On the eve of Facebook’s wildly anticipated initial public stock offering, General Motors said Tuesday that it is “reassessing” its spending on Facebook advertising — about $10 million — but “remains committed” to the social network as part of “an aggressive content strategy with all our products and brands.”

In other words, GM will not pay Facebook for ads but will continue to maintain content, for which Facebook doesn’t collect revenue. News of the decision was first reported in the Wall Street Journal.

GM’s position is far from universal. Ford Motor said it would “accelerate” ad spending on Facebook in conjunction with the content it’s producing for the network.

But GM’s pullout points to Facebook’s biggest challenge: Though most consumer brands see the social network as a way to connect with consumers, opinions are mixed on the value of advertising there. Posting messages is free, but Facebook astonished the market in February when it revealed that only 16% of “fans” see any given piece of content. To reach more “fans” as well as their friends, marketers were urged to buy advertising. (www.adage.com)

Kraft’s feta cheese spokeswoman returns, and still hates (almost) everything about young people

Your cranky, conservative grandmother still thinks you have sex for money. Now, you’re just doing it on camera, too.

The Athenos Yiayia (Greek for grandma) is back to offer her disapproving takes on the sun-bathing, video-chatting lifestyles of today’s young people—and to pitch the Kraft-owned brand’s prepackaged feta cheese. The charmingly cantankerous old woman, conceived and created by Droga5, isn’t known to pull punches. Last year, in a spot selling hummus, she opined that a young lady’s relatively modest cocktail dress might be better suited for a prostitute. In the new spots, Yiayia mistakes a pool party for a porn set, and berates a woman for marrying a machine—not realizing the husband is pictured on a laptop, and is not the laptop itself. The Athenos tagline: “Maybe the only thing approved by Yiayia.” Because that peasant Yiayia … she’s impossible to please. But she loves the brand’s food! Because it’s authentic. She knows, because she’s authentic, too. Get it?

The spots walk a fine line: The brand is making an ethnic joke, but isn’t really part of the culture it’s ribbing. So, anyone arguing that the campaign isn’t in the best taste—as some critics did when the last round of ads launched—may have a fair point. Still, most people seem to love them: The humor is pretty harmless—funny, even—and the character, while hyperbolic, seems to capture an endearing and resonant bit of truth about the inter-generational dynamic. So, credit to Kraft for doubling down, rather than backing away, after the original round sparked a minor flap. (www.adweek.com)

More Pitches Accent the Spanish

ALTHOUGH the word “upfront” is English rather than Spanish, the broadcast networks and cable channels that aim programming at Hispanic viewers are again increasing their presence during the annual television upfront week.

There are nine presentations scheduled this week to brief advertisers on programming plans for the 2012-13 season (and yes, also woo them with shrimp and adult beverages). Last May, during the upfront week that preceded the 2011-12 season, there were five such presentations.

The reason for the higher profile this upfront week is the growing interest among advertisers in reaching Hispanic consumers in light of the results of the 2010 census, which found that the Hispanic population had surpassed the 50 million mark. More demand among advertisers to reach Spanish-speaking consumers — and those acculturated Hispanics who are bilingual or speak English — means more efforts by media companies to sell commercial time during shows those consumers watch. (www.nytimes.com)

P&G Good As Gold With London

P&G has aligned with some 150 Olympic athletes and hopefuls worldwide encompassing brands from Tide and Bounty to Pantene and CoverGirl. But the major strategy revolves around “Thank You Moms,” a campaign the company said will empower families, improve the personal lives of U.S. athletes in London and, bottom line, help P&G reach its goal of $500 million in Summer Games-related incremental sales. Q&A with Jodi Allen, P&G’s vice president of North American operations and marketing. (www.mediapost.com)
Burger King, 7UP, Sunkist Join USA Basketball

En route to the Summer Olympics, Burger King is now the official quick server restaurant partner and Dr Pepper Snapple Group siblings 7UP and Sunkist soda the official soft drink, of USA Basketball. Both honor the 20th anniversary of the gold medal 1992 Dream Team that starred Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and friends. (www.mediapost.com)
Moto Guzzi Social Site Reaches New Riders

Piaggio’s motorcycle brand Moto Guzzi USA is moving into high gear with marketing designed both to expand awareness to riders outside the brand’s fan base, and also entice non-riders to swing a leg over the bikes with the café-racing heritage and unique 90-degree engine angle.

The 90-year old brand, which tends to be known for its heritage motorcycles hearkening back to racing, has launched a “Moto Guzzi Originals” microsite. Rather than being a bikes-and-specs product site, however, the platform is more of a social media engine and digital lifestyle hub.

It makes its point by featuring non-motorcycle “original” brands — denim, jewelry, apparel, even tumblers — intended to align with Moto Guzzi’s own brand iconography around authenticity. The site, www.motoguzzioriginals.com, is also has a blog for the company’s designers and engineers.

“We are looking to emphasize authenticity in terms of parts and craftsmanship — the fact that our motorcycles are designed and manufactured in Italy,” says Melissa MacCaull, VP marketing, Piaggio Group Americas. (www.mediapost.com)
Mountain Dew In Big ‘Dark Knight’ Campaign

PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew is “dew-ing” it up big with a multi-pronged campaign around the upcoming summer blockbuster, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

The ambitious campaign reflects a natural synergy: The audience “sweet spot” for both Mountain Dew and the movie, from Warner Bros. Pictures in association with Legendary Pictures, is Millennials 18 to 24, according to the soft-drink brand.

The core concept: Enable fans of Mountain Dew and the Dark Knight to immerse themselves in the world of the Caped Crusader and Gotham City through customized experiences.

“Whatever their ages, the core psychographic of Mountain Dew fans is their desire to be different, make bold, distinctive choices and have bold, distinctive experiences,” notes Zach Harris, senior marketing manager for Mountain Dew. (www.mediapost.com)