Brands Americans Embrace

Forbes, April 30, 2007 — JetBlue Chief Executive David Neeleman has always been known as a guy who obsesses over customer service. Not only has that strategy differentiated his carrier in a largely commoditized airline industry, it's gone a long way toward gaining some slack when it does mess up. Despite February's much publicized fiasco that had customers in New York stranded on its planes for hours during an ice storm, JetBlue still ranks as Americans' favorite airline.

Cell-Phone Provider Kajeet Goes To Whyville To Reach Tweens

MediaPost Publications, April 30, 2007 — PAY-AS-YOU-GO CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER Kajeet is partnering with Whyville--offering tweens a new way to "talk," while demonstrating how to add value to a virtual world. Though virtual worlds have been touted as one of the most innovative online marketing platforms, short of in-world events, most companies haven't figured out how to use them as an effective sales channel.

Exxon=Oil: Why Exxon Mobil Doesn't Care about Alternative Fuels

Unlike its rivals, Exxon Mobil doesn't much care about alternative fuels and doesn't try to please the greens. Is CEO Rex Tillerson nuts - or shrewd?

FORTUNE, April 30, 2007 — Rex Tillerson is way out of line, and he knows it. "They want us to join the parade," he says, referring to assorted environmentalists, scientists, politicians, investors and others who've been lambasting him and the company he heads, Exxon Mobil. He knows what they're saying about him, and he repeats it: "Get in line. You're outta line right now - get in line."

Why Tillerson refuses to run Exxon (Charts, Fortune 500) the way other CEOs are running other giant oil companies is for many people the most baffling and even infuriating question about the world's most profitable corporation.

Greatest Hits: Measuring User Engagement In A New Metrics World

MediaPost Publications, April 30, 2007 — THE ONLINE INDUSTRY HAS COME a long way since we used to measure our traffic with "hits." Gone are the days when an eyeball was an eyeball, was an eyeball. Yet, the debate continues on the most measured medium in history. Even though we offer far more accountability than any offline medium, publishers must still work to show advertisers that users are engaged with their online ads.

How Moto Can Recapture Its Mojo†

Analysis: Home of Razr Reports $181 Million Loss and 15% Drop in Sales; Ad Age Calls in Experts

Advertising Age, April 30, 2007 — Once-Razr-sharp Motorola not only reported a $181 million loss in the first quarter, but a 15% drop in cellphone sales, which CEO Ed Zander told analysts is "unacceptable." It's up to Mr. Zander and new Chief Marketing Officer Casey Keller, an H.J. Heinz veteran, to turn that around, and a push is expected in spring.

Just do it, marketers say

Nike, PetSmart and other companies are trying to sell their brands by inviting consumers to take part in activities linked to the product or service.

Los Angeles Times, April 30, 2007 — Twice a week, 30 or more people gather at the Nike store in Portland, Ore., and go for an evening run. Afterward the members of the Niketown running club chat in the store over refreshments. Nike's staff keeps track of their performances and hails members who have logged more than 100 miles.

MySpace hunts revenue in the ecosystem†

Financial Times, April 30, 2007 — Peter Levinsohn, the new head of News Corp’s digital division, has every reason to be in a good mood, having just watched a presentation in which online social networking was heralded as the advertising medium of the future. The presentation, by Marketing Evolution, a market research firm, extolled social networking’s ability to create a viral “momentum effect” for brands. It suggested social networking was more effective for advertisers than television as it creates more engagement between individual brands and consumers.

Queen Of The Product Pitch

Martha Stewart isn't shy about integrating ads into her show

BusinessWeek, April 30, 2007 — It's just four minutes into an Apr. 4 episode of The Martha Stewart Show, and Donna Brock from Cleveland, Tex., is on the line asking for advice on how to clean her bathroom. Simple, Stewart says: "Disposable toilet scrubbers, from Scotch-Brite." She plucks a scrubber wand from a box and goes to town on a toilet in the middle of the studio. Watching from home, Brock notes how easy the wand is to use under the bowl's rim.

Slatkin's Star Shines at Limited†

Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2007 — Designer Harry Slatkin creates expensive candles for the likes of retailers Saks and Neiman Marcus. He likes to drop the names of pals such as Sir Elton John and rock musician Lenny Kravitz. Yet Mr. Slatkin has had an unlikely success at Bath & Body Works, the middle-America mall staple owned by Limited Brands Inc. of Columbus, Ohio. Bath & Body Works bought Mr. Slatkin's high-end company in 2005, and made him the retailer's president of home design.

Wal-Mart's Midlife Crisis

Declining growth, increasing competition, and not an easy fix in sight

BusinessWeek, April 30, 2007 — John E. Fleming, Wal-Mart's newly appointed chief merchandising officer, is staring hard at a display of $14 women's T-shirts in a Supercenter a few miles from the retailer's Bentonville (Ark.) headquarters. The bright-hued stretch T's carry Wal-Mart's own George label and are of a quality and stylishness not commonly associated with America's über-discounter. What vexes Fleming is that numerous sizes are out of stock in about half of the 12 colors, including frozen kiwi and black soot.

Wal-Mart's Midlife Crisis

Declining growth, increasing competition, and not an easy fix in sight

BusinessWeek, April 30, 2007 — John E. Fleming, Wal-Mart's newly appointed chief merchandising officer, is staring hard at a display of $14 women's T-shirts in a Supercenter a few miles from the retailer's Bentonville (Ark.) headquarters. The bright-hued stretch T's carry Wal-Mart's own George label and are of a quality and stylishness not commonly associated with America's über-discounter. What vexes Fleming is that numerous sizes are out of stock in about half of the 12 colors, including frozen kiwi and black soot.

Gartner Says 80 Percent of Active Internet Users Will Have A "Second Life" in the Virtual World by t

Gartner, April 27, 2007 — , according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner analysts are examining the hype and reality around virtual worlds during Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2007: Emerging Trends, being held here through April 26. Gartner’s advice to enterprise clients is that this is a trend that they should investigate and experiment with, but limit substantial financial investments until the environments stabilize and mature.

How Motorola Fell a Giant Step Behind†

As It Milked Thin Phone, Rivals Sneaked Ahead On The Next Generation

Wall Street Journal, April 27, 2007 — A year ago, Motorola Inc. appeared headed for a third straight year of rich profits under Chief Executive Ed Zander, driven by its hit cellphone the Razr. "A lot of you are always asking what is after the Razr," Mr. Zander said in an April 2006 conference call after another quarter of 30%-plus growth. "I say more Razrs." But behind the scenes, Motorola was working furiously to get a successor phone to market by the second half of 2006, according to people familiar with the matter. When it failed to do so, profit margins on handsets narrowed and the company swung to a loss. Key executives left. And as the stock slid, activist investor Carl Icahn built up a position and began campaigning for a board seat to address what he called Motorola's "operational... continue reading

Marketing To Women, Part I: Mix Alpha Moms, Cans, Stir In Parties

MediaPost Publications, April 27, 2007 — MANY MARKETERS ARE LOOKING TO new media such as blogs and viral videos to generate buzz about their brands. But the Canned Food Alliance (CFA) is trying an old-fashioned tactic that involves pairing influential women with home-based parties and cans of peas and corn. The CFA is calling on "alpha moms" in the Chicago area to host "CANdelight Dinner Parties," with the bottom line of promoting the nutritional benefits of canned foods and nudging consumers to buy them.

Social Networking Increases Internet Time

Watching too much TV? Start social networking

eMarketer, April 27, 2007 — Social networking increases Internet usage, according to a Marketing Evolution study commissioned by MySpace called "Never Ending Friending." A copy of the study provided to eMarketer reveals that nearly a third of social network users ages 14-40 have increased their Internet usage, while 8% decreased usage. Usage remained the same for the rest of those surveyed.

Mattel aims at preteens with Barbie Web brand

Toymaker turns to tech as sales slump for iconic fashion doll

Associated Press, April 26, 2007 — Mattel Inc.'s Barbie is joining the Internet age. The nation's No. 1 toymaker Thursday unveiled Barbie Girls, a multipronged brand that features a free Web site, BarbieGirls.com, that will allow children to create their own virtual characters, design their own room and try on clothes at a cyber mall. This summer, Mattel will introduce a Barbie-inspired handheld MP3 music device to interact with the Web site and unlock even more content.

Stores compete to prove their green credentials are in the bag†

Financial Times, April 26, 2007 — Thousands of shoppers queued outside J Sainsbury stores yesterday to snap up the latest special offer. But they were not seeking cut-price groceries, clothes or electrical goods: they just wanted a bag. Within an hour of 450 stores opening at 8am, the supermarket chain had sold out of the 20,000 reusable cotton bags created by designer Anya Hindmarch, which cost £5 each.

The Customer Service Hall of Shame

These companies topped a list of more than 400 nominated by MSN Money readers. An MSN Money-Zogby poll ranked the 'Bottom 10,' and the 'winner' is . . .

MSN, April 26, 2007 — Who hasn't gotten lost on an automated phone line, wandered aimlessly around a store trying to find a sales clerk or waited hours for the repair technician who never comes? Last month, we asked readers to tell us about their worst customer service experiences, and more than 3,000 responded within 24 hours of our request.

Viral Marketing's Video Love Affair

Along with 'cool microsites' and games, viral video is hot.

eMarketer, April 26, 2007 — Marketers with viral campaign experience think highly of microsites, games and video clips, according to Marketing Sherpa's "2007 Viral Marketing Survey." Experienced viral marketers recognize that creating a separate presence for viral campaigns can have a huge impact. "Creating cool microsites" topped all other tactics, with 37% of very experienced marketers saying they produced great results.

Big Beauty Brands Aflutter†

Wall Street Journal, April 25, 2007 — Madonna owns a 24-karat gold-plated one. People Magazine quotes actress Jessica Alba calling hers "the best." Vanity Fair magazine has featured the black-nickel and gold versions on a list of holiday presents. The buzz isn't over the latest must-have jewelry, but about a utilitarian gadget marketed by L'Oréal SA, whose sole purpose is to curl eyelashes.

Dowdy Craft Business Gets Martha Stewart Makeover†

Wall Street Journal, April 25, 2007 — On a recent episode of her daytime television show, Martha Stewart set out to make a decorative songbird out of wool and felt. It didn't go smoothly. She struggled to wind the wool into a head and strained to insert wire legs. "This is a tough little bird," she told viewers, frowning. Now Ms. Stewart hopes a high-stakes crafts project for her company will be less exasperating.

Gap Tests New Designs to Pull Out of Dive†

Wall Street Journal, April 25, 2007 — Gap Inc. clothes will grace the cover of Vogue's May issue for the first time in more than a decade, highlighting its partnership with up-and-coming fashion designers. Gap? And Vogue? Sounds like a stretch, but industry watchers applaud the splashy debut of the San Francisco company's latest collection of women's bow-detailed blouses, trapeze mini-dresses and tie-neck shirts with puffed sleeves.

Heinz Pours It On for Self-Made Spots†

Brandweek, April 25, 2007 — In another example of consumers taking creative control of brands, Heinz is the second food marketer behind Doritos to enter the fray of consumer-created ads with a “Top This! TV Challenge” campaign for ketchup. The matrix of the campaign is TopThisTV.com, a Web site where visitors are invited now through August to upload their own commercials and view and vote for their favorites throughout the process.

Product Tips You Can Use, by Way of Cellphone

New York Times, April 25, 2007 — FROM time to time, Philips Electronics has used its “sense and simplicity” campaign to clear away marketing that bothers consumers. Last year it paid Hearst $2 million to remove the subscription cards from four of its magazines for a month, and several times it has bought up blocks of commercials on television shows and used them to give air time back to the programmers (like CBS’s “60 Minutes” and NBC’s evening news).

Second Life Offers Another Chance for Branding, Promotions

Marketing Charts, April 25, 2007 — Virtual world Second Life holds potential for real-life brand and product promotion, according to the latest GMI Poll by global market intelligence solutions provider Global Market Insite, Inc. For example, 56% of Second Life users say the virtual world is a good promotional vehicle, and only 16 percent say they would not be more likely to buy or use a brand that is represented there.

CPG Smacking Its Lips over Internet Advertising

After getting a taste of online advertising, many consumer packaged goods marketers seem to like it.

eMarketer, April 24, 2007 — Food and beverage advertisers cut spending in nearly every major media last year — except the Internet. This year, eMarketer estimates this category will spend $288 million advertising online, a 36.6% increase over 2006. Why has Internet advertising become a meat-and-potatoes buy for food and drink marketers?

Merger Challenge: Unite Toothbrush, Toothpaste†

P&G and Gillette Find Creating Synergy Can Be Harder Than It Looks

Wall Street Journal, April 24, 2007 — Among all the products brought together in Procter & Gamble Co.'s 2005 acquisition of Gillette, two carried particularly high expectations because of their natural fit: the world's No. 1 toothbrush and the world's No. 2 toothpaste. But putting together Gillette's Oral-B and P&G's Crest turned out to be more complicated than it looked.

Study Seeks Value In Brand Chatter On Social Networks

MediaPost Publications, April 24, 2007 — A STUDY CONDUCTED JOINTLY BY Fox Interactive Media's MySpace and Carat USA's Isobar finds that campaigns taking place within social networks, while difficult to quantify, do in fact deliver value for marketers. The "Never-Ending Friending" study identified a metric dubbed the "Momentum Effect" by Marketing Evolution, a marketing, measurement and consulting firm. The metric attempts to quantify the impact of a brand within a social network beyond traditional advertising impressions to encompass the viral power of consumer-to-consumer communication.

Toyota's Scion Brand Bests E-Tailers With Recognition Among Young Consumers

MediaPost Publications, April 24, 2007 — SCION, TOYOTA MOTOR SALES U.S.A.'S brand founded in 2003 to appeal to Generation Y consumers, has 80% name recognition among young buyers, according to Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG)'s second annual e-commerce survey, putting it ahead of other, well-established branded online retailers Sears, Target, Macys, Best Buy and Amazon.com.

Virtual World Transition: What Second Life Business Model Works Best?

Marketing Profs, April 24, 2007 — Many successful companies have made the transition from the Real World (RL) to a three-dimensional realm called Second Life (SL)—a virtual world steeped in commercialism. The rationale behind these "transitions" is vast and ranges from attracting press coverage to brand engagement with potential clients. Whatever the desired outcome, and whether by design or happenstance, millions of dollars are spent daily in Linden Lab's virtual environment.

A Brand Theme Park for Children†

Kidzania's Unique Style of 'Edutainment'

Advertising Age, April 23, 2007 — Kidzania, a theme park offering intense brand engagement with young children, is a new twist on branded entertainment. It charges a $30 admission fee to allow children to "work" in one of 70 different kinds of jobs for a day. Young customers are outfitted in uniforms, hats or helmets as they take up their places in child-sized brand venues ranging from a Coca-Cola bottling plant and a Mo's Gourmet Hamburgers restaurant to a Johnson & Johnson hospital ward and a Mitsubishi auto world.

Advertising/Marketing: Filling up 'greener'

USA Today, April 23, 2007 — In an ambitious new marketing campaign, BP (BP) takes on two of the biggest negative perceptions of Big Oil: that gas station service stinks and that oil companies don't care about the environment. On the service issue, TV ads use cartoon characters and a catchy tune to say that BP tries to make customers' days "a little better" with clean gas stations and friendly service. One ad shows a cartoon family having a bad road trip until they pull into a spiffy-looking BP for food and gas.

Boeing Videos Feature New Dreamliner

New York Times, April 23, 2007 — Boeing is using new technology not only to build its 787 Dreamliner aircraft but also to promote it: The company has commissioned a series of large-format videos running on the aircraft’s Web site to promote the 787 to potential passengers and airline customers, aviation enthusiasts and others. Created by Sarkissian Mason, the videos are running on a Dreamliner microsite on www.newairplane.com, and will change at least monthly until the plane enters commercial service in 2008.

Harnessing Social Networks

A new service lets companies get into the game quickly

BusinessWeek, April 23, 2007 — Just when you thought you and your business were getting the Web down cold, social networking has come along to confuse matters. After a decade of exposure to the Internet, mom-and-pop businesses and international giants alike have learned to make effective use of the Web. Now they need to figure out new strategies as the Web morphs from a mainly one-way method of communicating with customers to a free-for-all of user-created content.

Kraft Bets Consumers Will Hunger for Bacteria†

LiveActive Brand Could Extend From Raw Cheese to Snacks and Beverages

Advertising Age, April 23, 2007 — Hold the Metamucil: Kraft Foods wants to help America get more regular. The food giant appears to be launching an entirely new marketing platform under the LiveActive name of probiotic (good bacteria to battle irregularity) and prebiotics (nondigestible fibers that stimulate good bacteria in the colon).

Learn From a Master of Marketing†

Q&A: Jim Garrity May Be Retiring From Wachovia, but He Still Has Plenty to Say

Advertising Age, April 23, 2007 — Gim Garrity, exec VP-chief marketing officer of Wachovia Corp. and a high-profile member of the Association of National Advertisers, is retiring July 1 after a decade with the once sleepy bank brand turned national powerhouse following the merger with First Union Corp. Mr. Garrity, 60, is stepping down after a successful career with companies including IBM and Compaq Computer Corp., where he repositioned the brand. Reporter Kate MacArthur talks to the Ad Age Marketing 50 alumnus.

Mags March Calmly Into Face of Chaos†

Execs Spend on Research, Creatives and Advertising to Prove Power of Print

Advertising Age, April 23, 2007 — Magazines have absorbed innumerable depressing forecasts since the internet arrived — most recently last month, when "Bob Garfield's Chaos Scenario 2.0" in Advertising Age envisioned a "post-apocalyptic media world" in which "Canadian trees are left standing and broadcast towers aren't." Most publishers say they aren't done logging — and to make sure that it stays that way, they are increasingly funding new research, seeking supporters outside their ranks, raiding agencies for creatives to offer their advertisers and even — who would have thought? — running print ad campaigns to make their case.

MySpace: Friending Is the New Ad

GigaOM, April 23, 2007 — MySpace, hoping to prove it is a new type of marketing platform, commissioned research firms to look at its user habits and responses to marketing campaigns. The results, released today, were unsurprisingly positive — but they’re also interesting. “Friending is the next advertising,” proclaims the report. And 40 percent of social network users claim to have “discovered brands and products that [they] really like” through the websites.

Non-Boring Ways To Use Twitter For Marketing

Since around the time of SxSW and perhaps earlier, the buzz on Twitter has gone through the roof.

MarketingNewz, April 23, 2007 — Collecting groups of text messages and emails from people cataloguing "what they are doing now" might seem like a colossal waste of time, but it has found a devoted following from bloggers and those actively engaged in social media because of the immediacy and real time appeal of sharing your thoughts.

This is different than blogging, this is like carrying a text based recorder on your shoulder to broadcast your location and current thoughts to the world. It's not hard to see why this would appeal to bloggers who are already sharing their personal views of the world online. Twitter adds a frame of reference and has the same live appeal of instant messenger.

Papers' Web Hopes Dim a Bit†

Ad Growth Online Slows as Sources for New Burgeons

Wall Street Journal, April 23, 2007 — Even with all the grim news the newspaper industry has faced in recent years, publishers have consoled themselves that they have a lifeline. If they could switch content away from print and onto the Internet — bringing advertisers with them — they could save their businesses.

Texas Station Interrupts Commercial Interruptions†

Wall Street Journal, April 23, 2007 — In the wee hours this morning, Dallas classic-rock radio station KZPS was scheduled to flip to a rock-and-country hybrid format called Lone Star. But "Stairway to Heaven" won't be the only thing missing from the new station — regular 30-second and 60-second advertisers won't be part of the lineup, either. Instead, the Clear Channel Communications Inc. station plans to weave in mentions of sponsors, no more than fifteen seconds at a time, throughout the regular programming — a setup that is more akin to public radio than traditional commercial broadcasting.

There's Nothing New in Desperate Marketing†

BK, Ford Followed Different Paths -- and Show Why the Best Marketing Comes From Innovation, not Desperation

Advertising Age, April 23, 2007 — The recent tales of two iconic businesses speak volumes about the frenetic conditions that continue to drive (or impede) marketing's ability to contribute top- and bottom-line growth in both the short and long term. Burger King and Ford are diametrical in their current in-market strategies; one has holistically embraced innovation as its growth strategy, while the other seems to have embraced desperation. Lessons abound for marketers seeking the paths to their own go-to-market strategies.

There's Nothing New in Desperate Marketing

Prophet, April 23, 2007 — Two Brands: Burger King and Ford followed different paths in their quests to grow-and stand as case studies of why the best marketing comes from innovation, not desperation.

What's Making 'Friends' With a MySpace User Worth?†

Fox, Carat Study Tries to Quantify Return of Social-Network Marketing

Advertising Age, April 23, 2007 — What's the value of a MySpace user letting a brand latch onto his or her page? A return that keeps multiplying long after people have agreed to let marketers on their profiles, according to a study released today by MySpace owner Fox Interactive Media in conjunction with Carat. Fox executives are presenting the results of the study to a group of online-advertising clients today in Los Angeles.

Why Sci-Fi Grabs More Than Geeks†

Human-Focused Content, Novel Marketing Pushes Channel Into Mainstream

Advertising Age, April 23, 2007 — You can't just stick Spock ears on Patrick Dempsey and make a Vulcan McDreamy. But that's just what Sci-Fi Channel has struggled with for years. How do you make the channel's extraterrestrial fare palatable to the mass market — and to mass marketers? What its come up with is a combination of content changes, innovative marketing ideas that go beyond 30-second spots and closer ties to parent network NBC to help widen the channel's appeal.

Ad firm adapts digital strategy

Out of necessity, Goodby focuses more on new media

San Francisco Chronicle, April 22, 2007 — It was close to two years ago that Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein, co-founders of the storied San Francisco advertising agency that bears their names, began to worry that their best days were behind them. The business was changing. The shift was on to new media, particularly the Web, and the Goodby shop, in the top tier of U.S. agencies, was devoted largely to television and print advertising, such as the memorable "Got Milk?" campaign.

From Many Tweets, One Loud Voice on the Internet

New York Times, April 22, 2007 — “ONLY connect,” the English novelist E. M. Forster admonished mankind. I don’t think, however, that he meant that we should connect exclusively, or continuously. Habitual users of a new, free communications service called Twitter would disagree. For anyone unfamiliar with the latest trends in technology, “Twitterers” send and receive short messages, called “tweets,” on Twitter’s Web site, with instant messaging software, or with mobile phones.

Interactive TV Ads Could Hit U.S. Soon

Mediaweek, April 22, 2007 — Interactive TV ads, commonplace in England and undergoing extensive testing in Canada, are still not in the mainstream in the U.S., although that could soon change.“Television innovation does not move at Internet speed. But within the next three years, I think we are going to see widespread deployment of interactive advertising, and interactive programming on broadcast and cable networks,” said Tracey Scheppach, vp, video innovation director at Starcom USA.

Move over MySpace, Gaia Online is here

GigaOM, April 22, 2007 — By the middle of last year, it was attracting half a million unique visitors monthly; fast forward to last month, and that number is two million. It’s not a traditional MMO like World of Warcraft; it’s not a social game like There; it doesn’t originate from Europe like Habbo Hotel or from Asia like Cyworld. You haven’t heard of it partly because the San Jose company has kept a low profile.

An Official Measure of Innovation

A U.S. government-sponsored brain-trust is developing a better set of metrics for innovation initiatives—and they're asking the public to help

BusinessWeek, April 20, 2007 — How best to measure innovation has bedeviled the business community for years. But with the discipline garnering increased attention—and investments—creating an accepted system of metrics to evaluate its impact has become top priority. Now the U.S. Commerce Dept. wants in. On Apr. 13, it issued a Federal Register notice asking for public comment on a series of innovation measurements it might use to drive public economic and innovation policy.

AT&T Wireless Unit CMO Marc LeFar Resigns†

Move Comes Weeks Before Apple iPhone Launch

Advertising Age, April 20, 2007 — Marc LeFar, who shepherded the $1 billion-plus marketing budget of the former Cingular Wireless for the past four years, has resigned from AT&T, the wireless provider's new parent. An AT&T spokesman said Mr. LeFar "wanted to do something else" and declined further comment. David Christopher, formerly VP-product management, has taken over as chief marketing officer for the brand, the spokesman said.

Mobile phones represent next frontier for search

Reuters, April 20, 2007 — Mobile, mobile, mobile" were the words of Google Inc. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt this week when asked what technologies are most intriguing to the computer Web search leader. Google, which generates billions of dollars from online advertising, is racing to bring consumer services like search to the phone.

More Boomers Watching Online Video

Boomers hit YouTube.

eMarketer, April 20, 2007 — It's not just the kids watching online video these days. At 39.4 years old, the average adult who downloads video is about five years younger than the average Internet user, according to BIGresearch. The data refer to all Internet users or Internet video viewers. The number of US adults who have downloaded a TV show, for example, remains small.

Warning Signs of Brand Deterioration

ANA Marketing Maestros, April 20, 2007 — In February, the ANA and Guideline polled the ANA’s Brand Marketer Leadership Community, an exclusive peer community of marketing and brand marketing professionals, to understand how companies view the warning signs of brand deterioration.

Big Money in Little Screens

New York Times, April 19, 2007 — Searching the Web on a mobile phone has been a lot like getting online via dial-up modem circa 1995: slow, tedious and not terribly useful. Typing on tiny buttons, squinting at a list of links and clicking through to a page that won’t display properly is enough to test anyone’s patience. But that is beginning to change. Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have all trained their sights on cellphones, which they see as the next great battleground in the Internet search wars.

Green Jeans: Why Designers Are Late to Eco Game†

Though Hemp, Seaweed Now Make Fine Fabrics, Retailers Balk at Hippie Image

Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2007 — For an industry that prides itself on being up with trends, Fashion Inc. has been slow to recognize that eco-friendly and luxury are no longer at odds with one another. Far from producing scratchy hemp to be paired with Earth shoes, textile technology has advanced so far that factories are weaving fine, supple cloth from bamboo, hemp, seaweed and other sturdy plants that don't require coddling with fertilizer and pesticides. They're dyeing fabrics with colorful, nontoxic pigments.

Shopping by TV comes to the PC†

Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2007 — After looking for ways to sell more gemstone pendants and diamond earrings, executives at online jewelry site Ice.com decided to mix two popular formats to reach their customers: home-shopping TV and the Web. So they moved some couches, installed a sliding curtain and built a $25,000 set in their offices in Montreal. Today, they plan to launch IceTV, an online television-shopping program that will feature segments on topics like how to get the gift you want or how pearls are made — with links to where shoppers can buy the featured items on their site.

The Surfer's Guide to the Web TV Galaxy

Search engines, tech startups, and media networks are competing to become the go-to portal and guide to professionally made online programming

BusinessWeek, April 19, 2007 — Suranga Chandratillake, founder of video search engine blinkx, likes showing off his new remote control. It can't change programs on TV, but this mouse-controlled tool will help users channel surf the Web. Much like the on-air channel guides on cable and satellite TV, the blinkx tool provides a comprehensive list of network TV programming available on the Web. Then, it lets users call up a show—from virtually anywhere on the Web—with the click of a mouse.

TV Fans Spill into Web Sites

"Shh! You can look it up on the Web during the commercial!"

eMarketer, April 19, 2007 — Time spent at television Web sites increases during prime time, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In fact, 40% of total time spent at NBC.com in February 2007 was spent during prime time, making it the top site ranked by Nielsen's prime-time index.

Xerox Refocuses On Its Customers

Chief Technology Officer Sophie Vandebroek is using customer-led innovation to get a jump on the competition and kick-start sales

BusinessWeek, April 18, 2007 — Three years ago, a team of Xerox researchers dreamed up a commercial printer with two engines instead of one. Rather than following the company's standard development process—build the prototype, get customer feedback—they decided to hold focus groups with customers and potential customers to find out what they thought of the idea.

Coke Opens VirtualThirst.com In Second Life

MediaPost Publications, April 17, 2007 — DIVING INTO THE VIRTUAL WATERS, Coca-Cola officially entered Second Life, issuing an invitation to avatars as well as the general public to submit ideas for a portable virtual vending machine. The design competition invites people to submit designs to www.virtualthirst.com for a chance to win a grand prize of building and launching the ultimate vending machine with the help of 3-D design shop Millions of Us.

Garage Shop Innovation

Too much experience, too much familiarity, or too much money can kill innovation fast. That's why game changing ideas tend to come from a lone inventor or two in a cramped garage

Fast Company, April 17, 2007 — A while ago I wrote a piece for Fast Company called "An Evolutionary Approach to Innovation." The central idea was that Darwinism teaches us quite a bit about innovation. In particular, random mutations and adaptations caused by a particular local context or by rapidly changing conditions can spread to become the norm through a process of natural selection. Innovations are generally mutations created when one or more old idea is cross-fertilized by another.

Maybe a Lavender Web Site Wasn’t How to Attract Women

New York Times, April 17, 2007 — JULIE PFEFFER, who has traveled on business to more than 55 countries, was among many female business travelers not impressed with the announcement by American Airlines last week that it had started a Web site just for its female travelers, www.AA.com/women. “There are so many things that are infuriating about this lip-service nonsense that I can’t begin to list them all,” said Ms. Pfeffer, an executive with the emerging markets division of Artisan Partners, an investment management company.

MTV gets with a new program

The network takes a leap with more viewer-generated content

Los Angeles Times, April 17, 2007 — Though it might appear that shows like "Laguna Beach," "The Real World" and "The Hills have defined young people better than any others, MTV is moving away from high-gloss and into homemade. In an attempt to reconnect with young audiences that have drifted from the channel recently, MTV will begin to roll out series that showcase the best of the Web, require heavy viewer participation and feature the lives of real teens.

The Seven Surmountable Hurdles to Marketing Effectiveness

Prophet, April 17, 2007 — One of the most pressing challenges marketers face today is finding the balance between the art and science of marketing to create strategies and programs that meet measurable business objectives. It’s called marketing effectiveness, and achieving it is doable – once some surmountable barriers are overcome.

AOL Founder Hopes to Build New Giant Among a Bevy of Health Care Web Sites

New York Times, April 16, 2007 — Stephen M. Case wants to be America’s doctor, courtesy of the Web. This week he plans to unveil his new company’s Web site for consumers, RevolutionHealth.com, which has built a growing audience since a test version went online in January.

CMOs Left in Lurch†

Adweek, April 16, 2007 — CMOs are failing at a high rate because they lack the skill sets, credibility and authority to fulfill their often ill-defined jobs. So concluded a CMO Council survey to be released next week that examines the health of contemporary U.S. CMOs, diagnoses the cause of corporate discontent and recommends remedies.

Endemol and EA make a ‘Virtual Me’†

Brand Strategy, April 16, 2007 — Games company Electronic Arts has joined forces with TV company Endemol to launch a new virtual world concept called ‘Virtual Me’. The entertainment property is designed to bridge the divide between traditional TV and videogames.

Fuzzy Expectations Leave CMOs in Lurch†

Adweek, April 16, 2007 — CMOs are failing at a high rate because they lack the skill sets, credibility and authority to fulfill their often ill-defined jobs. So concluded a CMO Council survey to be released next week that examines the health of contemporary U.S. CMOs, diagnoses the cause of corporate discontent and recommends remedies.

Good Reception: Managing Mobile Customers

Brandchannel.com, April 16, 2007 — At CTIA, new business models are explored. Unique species of data service are introduced. Fresh market segments are carved out. And amid the creative clamor, one thing is certain: the technological advances to bandwidth, screen quality, storage, and operability are turning the mobile phone into a most powerful marketing tool.

Google Reaches Deal With Clear Channel to Sell Radio Ads

New York Times, April 16, 2007 — Google will begin selling advertisements across all of the stations of Clear Channel Communications, the No. 1 radio station owner in the United States, at the end of June, the companies will announce today. Google has been working for months to expand its ad sales operation into traditional media like newspapers, radio and television. To do so, it needs traditional media companies to allow it to sell some of their ads, and it had seemed to be making little progress in radio.

Google: Tomorrow the World?

Does Google's acquisition of DoubleClick transform a concentrated industry into a monopoly?

eMarketer, April 16, 2007 — Google is set to earn $6.3 billion in net US online ad revenues in 2007. Meanwhile, total US online ad revenues will reach $19.5 billion. Many economists define a monopoly as a company that controls 25% or more of a given industry. With the announcement of its DoubleClick purchase, has the monopoly player just sealed the deal on control of the market?

How Xerox Plans to Position Itself as the Cool Copier Company†

Marketer Looks to Develop a More Casual Image With Viral Push, Second Life Presence and Blogs

Advertising Age, April 16, 2007 — Remember when Xerox was "The Document Company"? Now how about Xerox, the viral marketer? Or Xerox, the Second Life island builder? Or even Xerox, the employee-blogging company? That's the kind of transformation Xerox is hoping for. Its recent digital efforts are attempts to bring words such as "fun," "energetic" and even "exciting" to its stalwart brand image of quality and reliability.

Q+A: Orange Is the New Blue for GM's Design Guru†

Brandweek, April 16, 2007 — General Motors loves the color orange. So much so that nearly 75% of its upcoming stable of vehicles will be available in some variation of orange in the next few years. Its Trax concept, for example, unveiled at the New York International Auto Show earlier this month, was displayed in Blaze Orange.

The Coming Virtual Web

In the future, the Internet is almost certain to look more realistic, interactive, and social—a lot like a virtual world

BusinessWeek, April 16, 2007 — Ever since Neal Stephenson published Snow Crash in 1992, the virtual world he described in his seminal dystopian novel has been the Holy Grail for a generation of tech whizzes. The metaverse, as Stephenson called it, was essentially the Internet. But in place of the flat, two-dimensional World Wide Web that had just been invented, he imagined a completely immersive and highly social 3D online world.

The New Alchemy At Sears

It has quietly created $1.8 billion in securities based on Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard

BusinessWeek, April 16, 2007 — Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD ) Chairman Edward S. Lampert talks lovingly of his plans to reinvent Sears and Kmart Corp. (SHLD ) He makes great theater out of his surprise visits to stores to check out the displays of power tools and the length of the checkout lines. The stock analysts who cover the Hoffman Estates (Ill.) giant follow his lead in counting foot traffic and poring over profit margin data.

Web Attack

Nastiness online can erupt and go global overnight, and "no comment" doesn't cut it anymore. Here's how to cope

BusinessWeek, April 16, 2007 — Martin S. Sorrell, CEO of advertising agency WPP Group, sues two blogging ex-colleagues for a Web hate campaign in which, he says, they smeared him and his former lover. The Washington Post grapples with a surge in online comments that read like the racist garbage on neo-Nazi Web sites. Home Depot's (HD ) CEO goes into an emergency huddle with his crisis management team after 14,000 bilious customers storm an MSN (MSFT ) comment room.

How to Turn Trash Into Treasure†

Smaller Firms Hone Ways To Revive 'Orphan' Brands Cast Off by Large Companies

Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2007 — When Martin Franklin, chief executive of Jarden Corp., acquired Coleman camping goods two years ago, he knew he was taking on a tired business. Coleman, though still selling its familiar coolers and lanterns at discounters such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp., had few new products in development after its previous owner had filed for bankruptcy protection. What's more, it was caught in a waning interest in outdoor recreation as young people increasingly turned to digital adventures rather than the wild.

Stores to launch discount coupons via mobile phones†

Financial Times, April 13, 2007 — A network of 17,000 local retailers and corner shops will this summer launch a scheme to offer discounts and money-off coupons to shoppers via mobile phones in an attempt to replicate the success of supermarket loyalty card schemes. The Shop Scan Save initiative will send special offers to consumers' handsets as barcodes that can be scan-ned from the mobile phone display.

A GE Brand Seeks Place in Trophy Kitchens†

Wall Street Journal, April 12, 2007 — Chef Joe Castro slides slabs of hoisin-glazed salmon into a stainless-steel GE Monogram Trivection oven. Then, he sears filet mignon over a powerful 17,000 BTU burner on the GE Monogram's professional-style gas range. Twenty students watch from sleek cooking stations and then tackle the dishes themselves. The students are appliance retailers catering to high-end clients who often overlook the Monogram line. Now, General Electric Co. wants more of their business.

Hyatt Andaz Brand Seeks Luxury Guests†

Wall Street Journal, April 12, 2007 — Seeking to capture the attention of luxury travelers, Global Hyatt Corp. said it will announce today the new Andaz brand of upscale urban hotels planned initially in London, New York and the Los Angeles area. The closely held Chicago-based hotel company hopes Andaz will find a place between its high-end Park Hyatt brand and its Hyatt Regency product.

Nestle to buy Gerber for $5.5 billion

BusinessWeek, April 12, 2007 — The famous Gerber Baby will change parents, with Nestle SA announcing Thursday that it will buy Gerber Products Co. for $5.5 billion, giving the world's biggest food and drink company the largest share of the global baby food market.

Procter and Gillette Learn From Each Other’s Marketing Ways

New York Times, April 12, 2007 — WHEN their corporate marriage took place in the fall of 2005, Gillette was from Mars and its new owner, Procter & Gamble, was from Venus. Gillette, the maker of razors, Duracell batteries and Oral-B toothbrushes, knew how to talk to men. And Procter & Gamble, which makes Pampers, Cover Girl cosmetics, Tide and Charmin, spoke with a very female voice. Nearly two years later, marketing executives from both sides say they have learned from each other’s methods.

Traffic Plummets at Struggling Bud.TV†

Brewer's Online Network Sees 40% Drop in Visitors During Second Month

Advertising Age, April 12, 2007 — Traffic at Anheuser-Busch's online TV network cratered in March following an already underwhelming debut in February. Bud.TV drew 152,000 unique visitors last month, 40% fewer than February's 253,000 visitors, according to numbers released today by ComScore Media Metrix. A-B executives have said that they hope to draw between 2 million and 3 million visitors per month by early next year to the online network, which is costing the brewer somewhere between $30 million and $40 million.

YELLOWBALL Shines Light on Advertising

ANA Marketing Maestros, April 12, 2007 — So often we hear of the marketing and advertising industry getting bad press and being held responsible for the rise in childhood obesity. At yesterday’s Integrated Marketing Committee meeting, it was a breath of fresh air to listen to the Arc Worldwide presentation on VERB YELLOWBALL. The impact this viral advertising campaign had on the health and well being of youth ages 9-13 was remarkable.

Brand Building in the Digital Age: A Dizzying Array of Choices

Knowledge@Wharton, April 11, 2007 — For anyone who is a baby boomer, the name TV Guide still conjures up an image of that digest-size magazine that came to your home every week with its listings of the nightly shows on the four or five channels in your hometown, as well as a couple of feature stories about "Gunsmoke" or "Gilligan's Island."

Inside the Upfront: The Maddening Metrics Puzzle†

The springtime frenzy of network presentations and freewheeling auctioneering known as the TV upfront has become the front line of marketing's ongoing revolution.

Advertising Age, April 11, 2007 — Perhaps the single most jarring and disruptive change in this year's TV upfront is the fragmentation of the currency standard used for the buying and selling of prime-time advertising. The struggle around this crucial logistic now involves program ratings, commercial ratings and engagement metrics as well as the issue of "live" vs. time-shifted viewing.

Survey: Boomers Have Money, Aren't Afraid To Spend It†

Brandweek, April 11, 2007 — Far from being cowed by the growth in technology, the aging baby boom generation has embraced the Internet and everything related to it, and enjoys spending time online and surfing interesting Web sites. That’s the crux of a new study by BoomerEyes, a leading boomer research and demographic intelligence company that studies baby boomers and their influence on American society and the economy.

Could Second Life kill off the call centre?

The brave new world of customer service

Silicon.com, April 10, 2007 — Web 2.0 is still the hottest buzzword in tech circles, with every big brand worth its salt rushing to open a headquarters in Second Life or build its own MySpace page. But beyond showing off some fancy programming, a handful of companies are already looking at the latest wave of technologies to explore whether user-generated content could be the next frontier in customer service.

Marketers create their own shows

USA Today, April 10, 2007 — Problem: TV watchers don't want their shows interrupted by ads. Solution: Make the show the ad. That's one approach being used by marketers as they try to keep consumers' attention. Gillette is producing an ABC prime-time reality series starring the group of NASCAR drivers — dubbed the "Young Guns" — who are featured in its TV ads and online.

Are Designer Collaborations Dead?

With ever more retailers tapping fashion's biggest names, the once-hip strategy is becoming cliché and savvy designers are focusing on other markets

BusinessWeek, April 9, 2007 — When Matthew E. Rubel left his post as chairman and chief executive at upscale footwear label Cole Haan in 2005 for the chief executive position at low-end shoe store chain Payless ShoeSource (PSS), he faced the challenge of rejuvenating a company that had seen 10 years of flat sales. So within the first two months of his new role, he focused on tapping into a trend that's been gaining momentum since early this decade: high-profile, limited-edition collaborations between budget-friendly retailers and ultra-chic fashion designers who typically sell their clothes and accessories at tony department stores such as Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue (SKS).

Cold Cash From A Hot Site

Can MySpace pull in revenue fast enough for Rupert?

BusinessWeek, April 9, 2007 — As numbers go, this one's a whopper. Last year MySpace users called up an average of 31.5 billion unique page views per month. That's as though everyone on the planet visited the site once a week. And yet, the big kahuna of social networking racked up a paltry $90 million in ad sales. Not exactly what Rupert Murdoch had in mind when his News Corp. paid $580 million for MySpace nearly two years ago.

Few Convert at Retail E-Commerce Sites

Many shop. Few buy.

eMarketer, April 9, 2007 — Online merchants convert an average of 2%-3% of their site visitors into buyers, according to the e-tailing group's "Sixth Annual Merchant Survey." That's about the same as last year. And the year before that. The group says that driving the right customers to sites and increasing sales and retention all require more targeted tactics every year.

Googling Growth†

Wall Street Journal, April 9, 2007 — Facing a slowdown in its core business of selling ads tied to search terms, Google has recently been scouring the landscape for acquisitions. It bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006 (and soon found itself facing a $1 billion copyright infringement suit from Viacom). Now it is said to be bidding more than $2 billion for the online advertising company DoubleClick.

Is Google Too Powerful?

As the Web giant tears through media, software, and telecom, rivals fear its growing influence. Now they're fighting back

BusinessWeek, April 9, 2007 — It's the year 2014, and Googlezon, a fearsomely powerful combination of search engine Google Inc. (GOOG ) and online store Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN ), has crushed traditional media to bits. Taking its place is the computer-generated Evolving Personalized Information Construct—an online package of news, entertainment, blogs, and services drawn from all the world's up-to-the-minute knowledge and customized to match your preferences. And it's all collected, packaged, and controlled by Googlezon.

It's the Conversation Economy, Stupid

As consumer markets fragment, marketers and designers must understand how platforms evolve and influence human behavior

BusinessWeek, April 9, 2007 — Once upon a time, we were consumers. We consumed things. We took in the messages that were communicated to us. We didn't really get to talk back. If we had a good or bad experience with a product or service—we told a friend. Maybe that friend told a friend. Maybe, just like the shampoo commercial from advertising's golden age, "They'll tell two friends, and they'll tell two friends, and so on, and so on…."

Let Consumers Control More Than Just Ads

Direct Involvement: Innovative Marketers Invite Consumers to Guide Business Strategy

CMO Strategy by AdAge, April 9, 2007 — Stop selling consumers short. They want to do more than create ads for you. The latest wisdom of the crowds is that it's a good idea to ask consumers to create ads they think will appeal to other people like them. s it smart to allow everyday people to vote on which ads should be aired? Sure.

Niche Social Networks Offer Target Practice†

Brandweek, April 9, 2007 — As a maker of toddler toys and games, Playskool has little obvious connection with the Wild West of social networking. But like many advertisers, the company has witnessed the MySpace revolution and wants in. Next month, it kicks off its first social-networking campaign, a yearlong push it hopes will tie it closer to its consumers. Rather than running on MySpace, however, Playskool's campaign is on CafeMom, a four-month-old social network for mothers that's part of a crop of "mini-MySpaces" geared to specific audiences, from moms and high-school athletes to cats and dogs.

Saving Starbucks' Soul

Chairman Howard Schultz is on a mission to take his company back to its roots. Oh, yeah—he also wants to triple sales in five years

BusinessWeek, April 9, 2007 — On Apr. 3, starbucks launches a pair of confections called Dulce de Leche Latte and Dulce de Leche Frappuccino. A 16-oz. Grande latte has a robust 440 calories (about the same as two packages of M&M's) and costs about $4.50 in New York City—or about three times as much as McDonald's (MCD ) most expensive premium coffee. Starbucks Corp. (SBUX ) describes its latest concoctions, which took 18 months to perfect, this way: "Topped with whipped cream and a dusting of toffee sprinkles, Starbucks' version of this traditional delicacy is a luxurious tasty treat."

Zen And The Art Of Selling Minimalism

Muji, Japan's unbranded Ikea-cum-Target, is planning its first outlet in America

BusinessWeek, April 9, 2007 — It sells sleek and functional designs in a spare retail setting. Its prices can't be beat. And it has legions of fanatical devotees. Ikea? Nope. It's Muji. Though few Americans know it today, that may soon change. Muji's full name, Mujirushi Ryohin, translates into "no-brand quality products." This fall, the store is heading to the U.S. in hopes of wooing Americans tired of in-your-face logos and over-the-top design.

Designer Hotels Hit the Hot Spots

Armani in Dubai, Missoni in Kuwait, Bulgari in Milan—fashion houses are teaming up with Ritz, Marriott, and their ilk to provide luxury rooms with a label

BusinessWeek, April 6, 2007 — Coco Chanel, the late grande dame of French couture, said she didn't do fashion—she was fashion. An apt metaphor, perhaps, for the latest trend among the titans of fashion and luxury. No longer content merely to design haute couture and accessories, they are branching out into the "experience" business by lending their design style and brands to top-of-the-line hotels and resorts around the world. Love your outfit from Bulgari, Armani, Missoni, Versace, or Moschino? Now you can wear it in surroundings conjured up by the same designers.

For Bulgari, a New Look and New Ventures

New York Times, April 6, 2007 — Nicola Bulgari entered his Manhattan office like he owned it, which, of course, as the grandson of Sotirio Bulgari, the great Roman jeweler, he did. In the big room, whose windows overlook Tiffany and Vuitton, almost everything looked fairly old, at least since the last generation, including the portrait of his father leaning against the wall, still unhung. Only a new white sofa stuck out. It did not match his sensibility.

Google Lets Users Add Features to Maps†

Wall Street Journal, April 5, 2007 — Google Inc. is releasing a new feature called My Maps that lets users annotate online maps by marking locations with notes, video and photos and then share them with friends or the public. The move builds on Google's popular Maps service, which tech-savvy users have harnessed to build a wide range of customized maps displaying information such as Chicago crime statistics and listings of homes for rent or sale.

Mini Web Sites Target Users of Mobile Phones†

New Kits Gives Firms a Cellular Presence; Boon for Concertgoers?

Wall Street Journal, April 5, 2007 — Johannes Tromp says the Web site for his South Carolina bed-and-breakfast generates good business. But last fall, he found a way to reach even more potential customers: He made a version of the site for cellphones. Mr. Tromp signed up for a mobile Web address with the newly available suffix "dot-mobi" and used a self-starter kit from a company called Roundpoint Ltd. to build www.kilburnie.mobi1, the mobile site for his Inn at Craig Farm. He says he's gotten a surprisingly good response, with 30 to 40 new calls per month from interested travelers who heard of his inn by accessing the cellphone site.

When It Comes to Mobile Audio, Ads Aren't a Bad Thing†

Study Says Consumers Will Accept Messages -- in Exchange for Free Content

Advertising Age, April 5, 2007 — Days after Steve Jobs emerged victorious, at least with one major record label, in his quest to eliminate digital-rights management, a new study appears to offer another reason the Apple CEO should be optimistic when it comes to his soon-to-be-released iPhone.

Chief Marketing Officer's Wish Lists

KenRadio, April 4, 2007 — The 2007 Marketing Outlook survey, by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, to capture insights and opinions about how marketers are focusing their efforts in 2007, finds that marketers look at measurement, improved efficiencies and customer knowledge as top challenges. In addition, they plan on making further changes to upgrade organizational effectiveness, strengthen customer engagement and achieve even greater measurability.

Free photocopies for students

Springwise Newsletter, April 4, 2007 — An innovative Japanese company is offering university students free photocopies. This free love is made possible by printing ads on the back of the copy paper, which is slightly thicker than normal to prevent ads from shining through. For JPY 400,000, advertisers can have their message printed on 10,000 sheets of paper.

General Mills Seeks Help From Iron Chef†

Batali's Frozen Pasta Will Appear in Aisles of Warehouse Retailers

Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2007 — General Mills Inc., maker of Hamburger Helper, is trying to find some extra help in the kitchen. For starters, it has turned to celebrity chef Mario Batali. Like other consumer-products companies such as Procter & Gamble Co. and Kraft Foods Inc., General Mills is craving fresh ideas from outside its own research-and-development group. Two years ago, General Mills began forming a world-wide "innovation network."

Love Those Loyalty Programs: But Who Reaps the Real Rewards?

Knowledge@Wharton, April 4, 2007 — Click to enter the mileage mall, a cyberspace bazaar where everything from flowers to golf clubs to cruises is bought and sold in the mall's own currency — frequent flyer miles. At American Airlines' AAdvantge e-shopping site, more than 200 vendors — including Bergdorf Goodman, Home Depot and Petco — offer bonus miles to shoppers. Like the currencies of countries, the value of vendors' currencies fluctuates as well.

MasterCard Goes Mobile -- Nearby†

Brandweek, April 4, 2007 — MasterCard is using mobile marketing to let cardholders use their phones to find the nearest ATMs in the U.S., Canada, Australia and much of Europe. The initiative, called "MasterCard Nearby," also provides branded information such as merchant locations and directions.

Ogilvy's New Digital Chief Discusses Challenges†

Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2007 — Hoping to sharpen its focus on digital media, WPP Group's Ogilvy North America has named an interactive-marketing veteran to the newly created position of chief digital officer. Jean-Philippe Maheu, a onetime chief executive of interactive ad agency Razorfish, will work with both clients and senior Ogilvy managers to develop digital ad efforts.

Magna: Syndication Gets Best Commercial Viewer Retention

Mediaweek, April 3, 2007 — The broadcast networks lose an average 7 percent of their audience during commercial breaks, while cable loses 10 percent and syndicated series lose only 2 percent of their audience, according to the latest commercial pod study of Nielsen Media Research by Magna Global USA.

Master of Search Seeks Mastery of the TV Dial

New York Times, April 3, 2007 — Following its conquest of YouTube last year, Google is now aiming for a piece of the old-fashioned tube. The Internet search giant is announcing Tuesday that it will begin selling television ads on the 125 national satellite programming channels distributed by EchoStar Communications’ DISH Network

Mobile Ads Crawling Along

Text from mobile marketers: 'U 1st.'

eMarketer, April 3, 2007 — Mobile data use has doubled since 2003, but mobile marketing is still taking baby steps, according to a new report by Forrester Research. The study claimed that only 13% of interactive marketers used text messaging to reach consumers in December 2006. When asked what would convince them to spend marketing dollars on mobile-enabled sites, mobile text messages, branded microsites, podcasts, in-game ads, RSS and other emerging areas, most of the companies questioned in the Forrester study said "proof of use."

New Survey Results: Challenges Remain for ROI Measurements, but Discipline Pays off

Marketing Profs, April 3, 2007 — Several studies released in the past two months present different perspectives on marketing accountability, measurements, and ROI. This week Lenskold Group and Marketing Profs add to the list with our "2007 Marketing ROI and Measurements Study." Our analysis of the 759 surveys completed with marketing practitioners worldwide focused on the difference between companies using profitability metrics and those using traditional marketing metrics with no financial metrics.

Taking the Pulse of Marketing

A survey of leading thinkers, gathered to judge the advertising world's Effie Awards, offers a valuable snapshot of an industry in flux

BusinessWeek, April 3, 2007 — Is the 60-second spot dead? Whither Second Life? To find out what's going on in the world of marketing and advertising, BusinessWeek joined the Effie Awards—the advertising prize awarded by the New York American Marketing Association to the year's most effective campaigns—to survey the judges when they gathered in early March to decide on the winners. (The envelopes will be opened later this month.)

Why Did Starbucks Cross the Road?†

To Get to the Customers on the Other Side, Says a New Book, But Maintaining Growth at the Coffee Chain Is the Challenge

Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2007 — Can Starbucks Corp. keep up its growth? That's a question many investors were asking even before a recently leaked memo from Chairman Howard Schultz raised concerns about whether the company was diluting its brand. After all, the stores seem to dot every block in New York City, and the company still plans to open 10,000 new stores world-wide over the next four years, bringing the total number to more than 23,000.

Google Launches National TV-Ad-Sales Test on Echostar†

E-Trade, Intel, Others to Participate in Program That Will Also Offer Second-by-second Ad Ratings

Advertising Age, April 2, 2007 — Google is making its entree into TV with a bang, announcing it has teamed with Echostar to offer a national, auction-based ad-sales system for inventory running on 120-plus cable TV networks, and offering second-by-second commercial ratings for the buys made through the system.

How BofA Juggled 9 Shops, Single Message†

Case Study: Working With Omnicom, Bank Integrates 'Opportunity'

Advertising Age, April 2, 2007 — Anne Finucane took over as CMO of Bank of America with a big task — completely reposition the industry leader's consumer, credit-card and private-banking businesses — and do it in less than 12 months. The challenge was made all the bigger by the fact that there's no real consensus on how to implement massive integrated campaigns.

Ipsos Study: Americans Love Streaming Video

MarketingVox, April 2, 2007 — Americans still love their TV, but online video has also found mainstream acceptance: At the end of 2006, nearly six of ten Americans (58 percent) age 12 or older with internet access had streamed some form of video content online, according to findings released by Ipsos Insight from MOTION - its biannual digital video study.

Match Human and Product Brands for Greater Impact

Identity Marketing: Connect With Consumers by Understanding How They Define Themselves

CMO Strategy by AdAge, April 2, 2007 — Personal identities define who we are to ourselves and one another. Comprising race, gender, physical traits, occupation, social groupings and even the person we think we are, they can be real or aspirational. We have multiple identities, and, of course, each one represents different choices in product consumption.

Nike Gets Back to Basics, Reinventing the T-Shirt†

Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2007 — For years, a vast army of apparel designers at Nike Inc. has tinkered with the seemingly simple task of making a T-shirt. The result was a cache of more than 30 different designs, often with only tiny differences — shirt sleeves that hung an inch or two longer or bottom hems that were curved rather than straight. Some designs were skin-tight. Others hung loose like sacks.

Rule No. 1 for Planners: Be a New-Media Whiz†

Teams Take Pains to Stay on Top of Technology Trends, Know Where Consumers Will Turn Next

Advertising Age, April 2, 2007 — The ever-growing list of media possibilities makes the 50,000-plus beverage combinations at Starbucks seem simple, even manageable. But somehow media planners not only need to be nimble enough to stay on top of the wave, they must be ready for whatever comes next.

Test Ride†

Marketers are trying out new media with small but effective campaigns

Brandweek, April 2, 2007 — Even highly experienced marketers can be daunted by the current menu of new media options. The glossary of industry terms alone is a hefty course of alphabet soup. There are blogs, vlogs, podcasts, V-casts, WAP sites and RSS feeds. There is user-generated content, open-sourced branding, crowd-sourced branding, mobile marketing, social networking sites, virtual communities. Choosing a media plan and creating a strategy starts to feel like spinning a roulette wheel.

The Mind-Bending New World Of Work

Motion-capture technology has burst out of Hollywood and into businesses from aerospace to advertising

BusinessWeek, April 2, 2007 — n a darkened loft in the industrial district of downtown Los Angeles, Gesture Studios CEO Kevin Parent slips on a pair of black gloves studded with iridescent white, purple, and yellow dots. Standing about 10 feet from a wall-size screen, he lifts his hands like a conductor. With a series of precise gestures, he calls up photos and videos of urban Los Angeles. Raising his thumbs and pointing his index fingers toward the screen as if miming a cowboy with two guns, he swiftly sorts the images, zooming in on certain buildings and playing snips of films depicting various street scenes.

What Do 35-Year-Old Women Want?

As other stores stumble, Bloomie's Quotation boutiques are going after these busy shoppers

BusinessWeek, April 2, 2007 — Bloomingdale's Inc. (FD ) is pursuing "yummy mommies." That's what the chain has dubbed the stylish 35-to-45-year-olds it's courting with a store-within-a-store boutique called Quotation. These women may have gone up a size post-baby but are adamant that motherhood is not synonymous with looking matronly. Other retailers have tried and failed to win over this elusive demographic. In January, Gymboree Corp. (GYMB ), known for its children's clothing, shuttered Janeville, its brand for women in their mid-30s and older. Soon after, Gap Inc.

Wrigley Unwraps Big Ideas

The Chicago-based company chews over—and delivers—new products that keep it as fresh as a new stick of gum

BusinessWeek, April 2, 2007 — Goose Island in Chicago wouldn't seem a hotbed of innovation to most. Just northwest of the downtown business district known as "The Loop," it is a largely industrial area filled with warehouses and long-forgotten factories from the city's days as a manufacturing hub. Yet for the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. (WWY), the area has become the epicenter of its push behind innovation.

Caught in the Clutter Crossfire: Your Brand†

Why Pollution Is Worsening Despite Cleanup Efforts

Advertising Age, April 1, 2007 — Somewhere between 254 and 5,000 is a number that represents just how many commercial messages an average consumer gets each day. There's no consensus on it, but just about everyone agrees on two things: It's way too high, and the industry's not doing anything to reduce its own overproduction. That's our clutter problem — and yours.

Using technology to improve in-store marketing

McKinsey Quarterly, April 1, 2007 — Rather than use slow, expensive, and risky pilot projects to assess in-store marketing programs, one consumer goods manufacturer is taking advantage of shopping-simulation technology to test ideas more rapidly.