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/
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
"Wal-Mart launches 3D web application Your Zone"
NEW YORK - Wal-Mart has launched an online service called Your Zone that creates a 3D virtual room filled with ever-changing Wal-Mart furniture. Your Zone, created by digital firm Neo-Pangea, in partnership with Wal-Mart's ad agency The Martin Agency, has been designed to provide consumers with a realistic view of how a variety of furnishings would look in their homes. The fabrics, wall colours and accessories change over time to represent different styles and provide a larger view of Wal-Mart's product line. Neo-Pangea used Papervision3D to render the virtual room in real time, so that when users rotate the marker, the room rotates and when they move the marker closer to the webcam, the room gets larger. Jason Morris, Neo-Pangea's Royal Alchemist, said: ''Because this is a tool that people use to see actual products, it was important for us to make sure the items look exactly as they do in the store. ''The textures for the individual drapes, sheets, comforters, etc, was taken from photos of the actual products.''View full article:
http://www.brandrepublic.com/Discipline/Marketing/News/936990/Wal-Mart-launches-3D-web-application-Zone/
"iGo® Netbook Charger to Be Sold at Verizon Wireless Stores"
iGo, a leading provider of power management solutions, today announced that it has started shipping the new iGo® Netbook Charger to approximately 2400 Verizon Wireless stores nationwide. The charger will begin appearing in Verizon Wireless stores in the coming weeks. The iGo Netbook Charger utilizes iGo`s patented tip technology to power both netbooks and mobile devices with one charger while at home, in the car, or in a plane. The iGo Netbook Charger can be utilized on virtually any model of netbook. "Verizon Wireless is a driving force in the growth of netbooks and we are pleased to work with them to address the emerging power needs of their netbook customers," said Michael D. Heil, Chief Executive Officer of iGo. "Like netbooks, our new chargers are lightweight, making them ultra-portable and convenient for netbook users to bring along with them wherever they go. They are the perfect solution for helping netbook users continue emailing and browsing the Web whether they are staying local or traveling internation ally." The iGo Netbook Charger provides safe and quick charging, and also includes a USB cable to provide easy charging for other devices such as mobile phones, digital music players, Bluetooth headsets, digital cameras, and gaming devices. The iGo Netbook Charger also works worldwide, eliminating the need for a voltage converter and is the perfect accessory for traveling abroad.View full article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS98233+14-Sep-2009+BW20090914
Saturday, September 12, 2009
"Nescafé launches £43m ad push"
Nescafé is to launch its biggest marketing push in 20 years with a £43m TV ad campaign that aims to recapture the buzz that the brand had in the days of the Gold Blend couple. The campaign, which breaks tonight, has been a year in the planning and introduces a new strapline: "Coffee At Its Brightest". It will be a hard task to top the long-running 1980s ads featuring Anthony Head and Sharon Maughn in an ongoing romance. However, Nescafé believes it has a new idea with the potential to become just as famous. "It is a radical departure from where we've been previously as it will take consumers on a journey back to the origins of coffee and show how, through our 71 years of experience in the market, we capture coffee at its brightest," said Matt Hall, managing director of Nestlé UK's food and beverage division. Nescafé is seeking to convince consumers, especially young ones, to see instant coffee as a 100% natural product. To do this, Nestlé shot the ad in Brazil – the country that in 1930 challenged it to develop coffee that could be made by just adding water. Nescafé instant coffee was invented in 1938. According to the company, the plan is to "reconnect consumers with the journey from the plant to jar" and focus on the origins of its coffee. The ad campaign, which also includes a nationwide press, poster and bus campaign, has been developed by ad agency McCann Erickson London. "We should celebrate the origins of coffee and remind people that Nescafé coffee is 100% pure coffee with nothing added whatsoever from plant to jar," said Hall. "'Coffee at its brightest' allows us to do this … and will certainly get people thinking differently about our coffee."View full article:
"A Unique Opportunity to Co-Brand with Nike"
You won't need any introduction to Nike; it's one of the world's most instantly recognized brands. From Brazil to Barcelona, the distinctive Nike swoosh is worn with pride by many of the world's top names in sport. In fact, until recently, it would have been impossible for any brand that is not a major sports name to be associated with Nike. But that has changed.Now, thanks to a new direction in Nike's branding policy, your own company brand and logo can appear alongside the Nike logo, on a whole range of Nike teamsports goods.Just imagine the possibilities. Imagine how any promotional clothing you order would look so much more prestigious, and be infinitely more desirable, with the famous Nike logo on it. Or imagine you needed to order some clothing for a team-building event - and think how much more motivating it would be if the team was twinned with Nike! The range goes all the way from polos to T-shirts and sweatshirts, hoodies to rain jackets and sports bags.
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Tuesday, September 8, 2009
"T.G.I. Friday's(R) Restaurants Say Thank God It's Football With Largest Kickoff Party in the U.S.A."
T.G.I. Friday's restaurants today announced it will kick off the upcoming football season with the "Largest Kickoff Party In the U.S.A." by offering its bar guests six FREE Buffalo Wings at football watching parties at participating Friday's restaurants on Thursday, Sept. 10, Sunday, Sept. 13 and Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. Participating Friday's restaurants will also feature specially-priced appetizers in the bar for football watching parties all season long. "TGIF stands for that 'Thank God It's Friday's' attitude you will only find at Friday's year round," said Andrew Jordan, senior vice president marketing for T.G.I. Friday's. "And on those three days in September, it will stand for 'Thank God It's Football.' It starts with six free wings during our opening weekend football watching parties. Plus, you'll find great value and incredible flavors all topped with an unbeatable atmosphere at the T.G.I. Friday's bar during football games all season long."
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"USAA app lets iPhone users deposit checks"
In the latest twist on electronic banking, customers of financial services firm USAA will now be able to deposit checks directly through their iPhones. USAA on Tuesday updated its iPhone app to allow customers to deposit checks wirelessly. By taking a photo of both sides of the check using the iPhone's built-in camera, customers can send an image of a check directly to USAA where it can be verified and deposited. The new USAA Deposit@Mobile feature expands on the bank's existing iPhone app, which debuted in May and has been downloaded almost 140,000 times, says USAA. The free mobile app already lets customers check their balances, transfer funds, and find ATMs. The mobile check depositing is also the next step from USAA's Deposit@Home service, which lets customers scan and deposit checks using a PC and scanner."Our members are on-the-go and need to be able to manage their accounts at all times, from any location," Wayne Peacock, USAA's executive vice president of enterprise business operations, said in a statement. " Nearly 50 percent of our 1 million mobile users are active-duty military, who may be deployed anywhere. The convenience of mobile access is essential to delivering the highest possible level of customer service."
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Wednesday, September 2, 2009
"New Marketing for Sprint Nextel"
Sprint Nextel, which has struggled to attract customers with marketing criticized as confusing and unfocused, will try again when it rolls out new advertising this weekend.
Gone are the gimmicks of the past, such as the face-slapping cowboy, the businessman threatened by vultures or the guy from "Office Space" talking about the company's wireless network warding off meteors. In its place is network speed as art -- performers using streaming lights to build mid-air flowers, rocket ships and pie charts as announcers talk about the instant gratification of mobile technology. "We wanted to celebrate our magical network speeds," said Michelle Emerson, vice president of brand for Reston, Va.-based Sprint Nextel Corp., which has operational headquarters in Overland Park, Kan. "It's a metaphor for Sprint's advanced technology." Using the tag line "Sprint Ahead," the eye-catching ads, which will be unveiled in movie theaters Friday and begin airing on television Sunday, are another attempt by the company to highlight its fast wireless download speeds to separate itself from key competitors Verizon Wireless and AT&T, which have focused their marketing on network reliability or specific devices, such as AT&T's iPhone." This talks about how customers can get what they want right now," said Emerson, whose company developed the campaign with the help of San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. "We believe it will really break through the clutter. The company has previously pushed the speed message, which some analysts said was wasted on customers who were more interested in whether the phones would drop calls or had the features they wanted. "If your most compelling feature is measured in bits per second, it's not very compelling," said David Chamberlain, wireless analyst for In-Stat, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based research group. "I think if you're looking at the consumer market, speed doesn't have much to offer. I've done surveys, and 60 percent of the population say they just want a phone."
But Emerson said the initial ads will get consumers to see speed as important, and subsequent ads will show how Sprint Nextel's network and devices can make that speed work for them in terms of music and movie downloads and instantaneous Internet browsing." From that aspect, it will give people the idea this is how Sprint will impact my life, and that's what was missing before," said Roger Entner, senior vice president of the communications sector of New York-based firm IAG Research, who has seen the new ads.
Gone are the gimmicks of the past, such as the face-slapping cowboy, the businessman threatened by vultures or the guy from "Office Space" talking about the company's wireless network warding off meteors. In its place is network speed as art -- performers using streaming lights to build mid-air flowers, rocket ships and pie charts as announcers talk about the instant gratification of mobile technology. "We wanted to celebrate our magical network speeds," said Michelle Emerson, vice president of brand for Reston, Va.-based Sprint Nextel Corp., which has operational headquarters in Overland Park, Kan. "It's a metaphor for Sprint's advanced technology." Using the tag line "Sprint Ahead," the eye-catching ads, which will be unveiled in movie theaters Friday and begin airing on television Sunday, are another attempt by the company to highlight its fast wireless download speeds to separate itself from key competitors Verizon Wireless and AT&T, which have focused their marketing on network reliability or specific devices, such as AT&T's iPhone." This talks about how customers can get what they want right now," said Emerson, whose company developed the campaign with the help of San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. "We believe it will really break through the clutter. The company has previously pushed the speed message, which some analysts said was wasted on customers who were more interested in whether the phones would drop calls or had the features they wanted. "If your most compelling feature is measured in bits per second, it's not very compelling," said David Chamberlain, wireless analyst for In-Stat, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based research group. "I think if you're looking at the consumer market, speed doesn't have much to offer. I've done surveys, and 60 percent of the population say they just want a phone."
But Emerson said the initial ads will get consumers to see speed as important, and subsequent ads will show how Sprint Nextel's network and devices can make that speed work for them in terms of music and movie downloads and instantaneous Internet browsing." From that aspect, it will give people the idea this is how Sprint will impact my life, and that's what was missing before," said Roger Entner, senior vice president of the communications sector of New York-based firm IAG Research, who has seen the new ads.
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Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
"Home Depot, Weather Channel Expand Partnership to Mobile"
The Weather Channel Interactive, in partnership with home improvement retailer Home Depot Inc., launched an updated Weather.com section dedicated to do-it-yourself home improvement projects. The improved "Project of the Week" site at http://www.weather.com/homedepot allows for easier access to a wide variety of step-by-step project guides. Consumers can send their project shopping list to a mobile device for easy access. During tough economic times, the site provides users with home improvement details that can save the expense of bringing in a contractor. A genuine cross-platform effort, the expanded features will allow viewers to watch "Project of the Week" reports on The Weather Channel network Saturday from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET. The enhanced site also includes banner ads, the Home Depot store locator and direct links to the online store and weekly ads at http://www.homedepot.com/. One mobile component to the Home Depot Project of the Week online site is the ability to send a shopping list to the mobile device for the first time. There are mobile media placements -- click-to-WAP banners -- that drive to the mobile version of the "Project of the Week" site at http://potw.mtiny.mobi/featured.ftl. The home improvement site also has a social networking capability that lets consumers send a project to a friend or bookmark it on their favorite social networking site. Meanwhile, whether targeting city dwellers or rural folks, hip young singles or proud parents, The Weather Channel Interactive claims that it is now able to help advertisers reach these types of specific audiences more effectively with the introduction of segmentation data via the mobile Web. The new product, TWCi's Segmentation Targeting featuring Nielsen Claritas' PRIZM segmentation data, is now available on device-specific mobile weather applications and at The Weather Channel Mobile http://www.weather.com/mobile site, adding to the enhanced ZIP code-targeting capabilities TWCi already provides its advertisers on the Weather.com site online.
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