Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
"McDonald’s marketing tricks tots’ taste buds"
CHICAGO - Anything made by McDonald’s tastes better, preschoolers said in a study that powerfully demonstrates how advertising can trick the taste buds of young children.Even carrots, milk and apple juice tasted better to the kids when they were wrapped in the familiar packaging of the Golden Arches. The study had youngsters sample identical McDonald’s food in name-brand and unmarked wrappers. The unmarked foods always lost the taste test. “You see a McDonald’s label and kids start salivating,” said Diane Levin, a childhood development specialist who campaigns against advertising to kids. She had no role in the research. Levin said it was “the first study I know of that has shown so simply and clearly what’s going on with (marketing to) young children.” Study author Dr. Tom Robinson said the kids’ perception of taste was “physically altered by the branding.” The Stanford University researcher said it was remarkable how children so young were already so influenced by advertising. The study will likely stir more debate over the movement to restrict ads to kids. It comes less than a month after 11 major food and drink companies, including McDonald’s, announced new curbs on marketing to children under 12. McDonald’s says the only Happy Meals it will promote to young children will contain fruit and have fewer calories and less fat. “This is an important subject and McDonald’s has been actively addressing it for quite some time,” said company spokesman Walt Riker. “We’ve always wanted to be part of the solution and we are providing solutions.”
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"Ford to heavily market Taurus in NFL advertising"
WASHINGTON (AP) - Pro football fans inundated with TV ads for brawny pickup trucks and sleek luxury models will get something different from Ford Motor Co. this season. Ford, which has marketed its "Built Ford Tough" image during fall football seasons in the past, plans to heavily promote its all-new Taurus passenger car during the upcoming NFL season. Advertising during pro football games will be integrated into Ford's sponsorship of the Fox NFL Sunday Pre-Game Show and Web ads on fantasy football sites. The move reflects Ford's high-stakes launch of the 2010 Taurus, the redesigned model which was the nation's best-selling car from 1992 to 1997 and now serves as a key part of CEO Alan Mulally's strategy to revitalize the company with family friendly fuel-efficient cars and crossovers. The advertising, which kicks off with Sunday's NFL season openers, will include images of the Taurus on TV screens around the Fox studio, animated billboards of the vehicle during the broadcast and mentions of the "Ford Drive One" campaign going into and out of commercial breaks. Ford plans viewing parties on Sundays with the Taurus and a heavy presence on social networking sites. Ford will continue to advertise trucks du
ring football games, but the Dearborn, Mich., automaker wants to use the time slots to place a spotlight on Taurus and other passenger cars. With more buyers shunning trucks and SUVs for cars, Ford is using the prime advertising real estate — a typical pro football game can draw 20 million viewers — to showcase a more rounded-out fleet."Our lineup is really changing. We're not just the truck and Mustang company anymore," said Matt Van Dyke, Ford's director of marketing communications. Ford is marketing Taurus, which starts at $25,995, to males, so the football viewership represents a target-rich audience. About 70 percent of football viewers are men and Fox Sports typically draws about 5 million viewers for its weekly pre-game show. The advertising will also highlight some of the technological traits in Taurus that are generally found in higher-end cars, including features like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and programmable keys that can limit teen drivers to 80 mph, using a computer chip in the key.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
"Bandai to intro everlasting beer enjoyment"
You're hot, you're tired, you're stressed out. You reach into the fridge for a cool one and eagerly pop the pull tab. Even before the brew reaches your lips, you're already starting to relax. . .Knowing that sensation and sound can cause a pleasant Pavlovian response, Japanese toy maker Bandai has introduced a number of novelty items in recent years that let users endlessly relive the oddly satisfying and addicting sensation of squeezing, tearing and pulling everyday objects like bubble wrap, cookie packages and even edamame beans. Now the company is targeting those who respond happily to the experience of opening beer cans. Slated for release in June, Mugen (endless) Can Beer will be available in any of four colors for less than the cost of a few containers of the real stuff (819 yen).
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"BMW: Luxury Auto, Meet DRM"
BMW is kicking the tires on a direct response campaign targeting luxury auto enthusiasts, turning to an often undervalued marketing platform as a means to entice Mercedes, Volvo and Audi drivers to come in for a test drive. In a bid to draw likely buyers to their local BMW dealership, last week the New Orleans-based DRM firm Dukky began sending out some 25,000 mailers to premium vehicle owners in the Tri-State (New York-New Jersey-Connecticut) area. Upon registering for a test drive, the recipients of the direct mail material are presented with a $25 American Express gas card.Participating consumers are directed to visit a unique URL, which directs them to a personalized activation site powered by Dukky. Once the user has registered for a BMW test drive, he or she can share the promotion via email or social networking sites. The digital activity feeds into a dashboard which reports back to the client in real time, thereby creating a database of purchase intent and user feedback.Although the DRM strategy may seem a bit low rent for the likes of BMW, there are a number of advantages to targeting the mailbox. “BMW for years has been all about acquisitions, whether you’re talking email lists or traditional mailing lists,” said Scott Couvillon, chief marketing officer, Dukky. “By its very nature, direct mail is much more impactful than even the greatest email because it’s there and it’s tangible. Then you take the next step with the PURL and you’re getting feedback on an individual consumer level.”Consumers were also targeted by the specific brand of vehicle they currently own, said Erik Wennerod, vp, director of CRM at Dotglu, the interactive unit of Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners. “Quite frankly, we wanted to go after each one of the 25,000 competitive vehicle owners with a message that was targeted to their demonstrated preference,” Wennerod said. “So for the Volvo owners, we went after them with a safety message. With Audi, it was tilted toward performance. With Mercedes, it was all about luxury.”The gas card works as an incentive to get prospective clients deeper into the purchasing funnel, down past the initial part of the decision-making process where people start talking themselves out of a buy. “For better or worse, they start to add practical reasons for not buying,” Wennerod said. “One of the advantages BMW has is, once you drive one, there’s a much more emotional experience that takes place. If we can get them to that step, the car takes care of the rest.”View full article:
Thursday, September 17, 2009
"Southwest Airlines Introduces EarlyBird Check-In, a New Customer Convenience That Simplifies Travel"
DALLAS, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Don't race. We'll save your place! Southwest is proud to announce its newest product, EarlyBird Check-in, which gives Customers the option to score an early boarding position by adding an additional $10 to the price of a one-way fare. The low-cost service automatically reserves a boarding position for Customers prior to general check-in, allowing EarlyBird Customers to begin boarding the plane after Southwest's Business Select and Rapid Rewards A-List Customers. "With EarlyBird Check-in, you no longer need to watch the clock or set your alarm to be one of the first Customers to check in for a Southwest flight. EarlyBird Customers can relax, and let us do the work for them," said Kevin Krone, Southwest's Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Distribution. An early boarding position provides Customers with the opportunity for a better seat selection and earlier access to overhead bin space, giving Customers the option to enhance their travel experience while creating incremental revenue opportunities for Southwest. Early boarding privileges are already included in the purchase of a Business Select fare and are a benefit of being on the Rapid Rewards A-List. All Customers are required to print their boarding pass prior to their scheduled departure.View full article:
"Coca-Cola aims to get the UK recycling more"
The ‘Keep it Going. Recycle' campaign supports Coca-Cola's investment in a scheme to create branded ‘Recycle Zones' across the UK. The zones are already operating in destinations including Thorpe Park and Manchester Airport with a new zone opening 22 September in Southampton's City Centre. The campaign was created as a result of research undertaken by Coca-Cola in partnership with the Carbon Trust which showed that packaging accounts for the largest proportion of a drink's carbon footprint. Activity also supports the soft-drinks giant's efforts in making packaging from more recycled material and less material overall. Its aluminium cans now contain around 50% recycled content, weigh 5% less. Sanjay Guha, president of Coca-Cola GB, said: 'We believe that increasing recycling levels is one of the most effective steps we can take in achieving our overall goal of operating in a responsible way. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do - without sustainable, healthy communities we won't have a sustainable business. Which is why, as well as taking action ourselves, we're committed to helping consumers to do their bit as well.'View full article:
http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/938920/Coca-Cola-aims-UK-recycling/
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