A Meeting of the Minds†

How to Get CMOs and CFOs on the Same Page When It Comes to Digital Spending

Advertising Age, August 31, 2009 — I hear versions of the same conversations almost weekly. While they're not necessarily new conversations, the tenor of them has grown considerably tenser as a result of the struggling global economy. The conversations run something like this:

The chief financial officer says: "Before I spend any money in this environment, I need to know the impact of this investment. I need to see an ROI."

The CMO responds with: "It's not about ROI; it's about creating awareness. Having people understand our brand will create engagement, which will lead to revenue."

Disney to get Spider-Man, Iron Man and other Marvel characters in $4 billion deal

Chicago Tribune, August 31, 2009 — The Walt Disney Co. said Monday it is buying Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing such characters as Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and WALL-E.

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters. Many of them, including the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, were co-created by the comic book legend Stan Lee.

Is Hulu Watched More Than Time Warner Cable?

Fast Company, August 31, 2009 — According to a new survey, Hulu, the online video TV channel, just beat the viewing statistics of Time Warner Cable for July. Does that mean Hulu's now the second most important TV "channel" in the U.S.? Nearly...but not quite.

Sigg Tries to Control Brand Damage After Admitting Its Bottles Contain BPA†

Klean Kanteen, CamelBak Ready and Waiting to Take Advantage

Advertising Age, August 31, 2009 — Sigg, maker of the metal, reusable bottles that became a badge of consumer eco-consciousness and all-around cool, is in danger of becoming a poster child for brand deception and corporate dishonesty.

Social Network Marketing Expands Sphere

A tool for every purpose

eMarketer, August 31, 2009 — Though social network advertising gets a lot of attention, it is only one of many ways marketers can reach customers on social networks. Social networks can be used for branding, improving customer loyalty, lead generation, direct marketing and e-commerce.

Time.com Looks For Cash In Social Net Real Estate

Time Tests Co-Branded Sponsorships

paidContent.org, August 31, 2009 — Time.com hopes to leverage the popularity of its Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages with advertisers by crafting co-branded sponsorships. Technology and engineering company Siemens is the first advertiser to try out Time.com’s “Stay Connected” program, which includes placement on the company’s social media outposts on those sites. The only social media site Time will be sharing revenue with is YouTube. John Cantarella, GM of Time.com, told paidContent, “The impressions in this campaign are on Time.com and we are only giving the sponsor a presence on TIME’s Facebook and Twitter pages—where it has 72,000 fans and about 1.4 million followers, respectively—as part of the overall campaign.”

How Special K Became a Social Media Star†

Brandweek, August 29, 2009 — Marketers across all industries are buzzing about social media these days, but no one has really figured it out, said Jose-Alberto Duenas, Kellogg’s marketing vp of ready-to-eat cereals in the U.S. Though digital and social media may soon overtake the 30-second spot as the most popular form of advertising, brands still have a lot of experimenting and learning to do in this space. That’s what Kellogg is doing with social media campaigns on its Special K, Pop-Tarts and Frosted Mini-Wheats brands. It’s also teamed up with Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Media and Feeding America to raise up to $1 million for hunger relief. Efforts like the latter program have attracted 210,000-plus in Facebook fans. Duenas, who considers Special K to be one of the... continue reading

A Few Good Things to Come Out of the Recession†

Five Accelerating Trends That Will Reshape Marketing

Advertising Age, August 26, 2009 — I'm sure I'm not the first one to tell you: We're in a recession.

The doom has advertisers hanging signs along the lines of "Will Work For Food" on their agency walls, and marketers continue to face facts and figures like these, from Forrester's 2009 Global CMO Recession Survey: 71% of marketing budgets have been reduced this year, and more than half reported reductions greater than 20%.

Now here comes the curveball: I think this might be the best thing that has happened to our industry in decades.

CMO Sentiment Looking Up

Marketers are optimistic but realistic

eMarketer, August 26, 2009 — According to the July 2009 “CMO Survey” by Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the American Marketing Association, marketers are looking up after a gloomy recession.

Fully 59% of marketers responding to the survey reported being more optimistic about the economy than three months before. They were also looking up when it came to revenues: 47% reported feeling more optimistic about revenues from end customers and 39% felt the same about revenues from channel partners.

Sneaker marketing tries a smaller size

NPR, August 26, 2009 — Some sneaker makers are giving national advertising campaigns the boot. To get more traction, they are increasingly turning to a tactic known as hyper-local marketing. Curt Nickisch reports.

Staples vs. Office Depot: Who Goes to the Head of the Class?†

Optimedia's Antony Young Compares the Retailers' Back-to-School-Season Media Strategies

Advertising Age, August 26, 2009 — Back to school but not back to normal.

The retail industry is expected to record its first drop in back-to-school sales in 10 years, with the National Retail Federation estimating an 8% decline in year-over-year sales. Less money in consumers' pockets and reduced school budgets are hurting a category that is already having a difficult year. At Staples and Office Depot, the No. 1 and No. 2 brands, respectively, in the specialist office-supply sector, the marketing departments are sharpening their 2B pencils to compete for a share of a smaller market and keep general retailers such as Walmart and Target from stealing their lunchboxes.

Customization Site Lures Mustang Fans

MediaPost Publications, August 25, 2009 — To help promote the 2010 Mustang, Ford is tapping into the model's cult status with a customization site that goes well beyond sampling the classic car in different colors. The Mustang Customizer on the car's microsite lets auto enthusiasts choose from among 239 accessories across 18 categories including wheels, decals, spoilers and grilles to create their own dream machine.

Forget Design Thinking and Try Hybrid Thinking

Fast Company, August 25, 2009 — When A.G. Lafley was named CEO of Procter & Gamble during the summer of 2000, the task of turning the organization around looked overwhelming. The price of a share in the consumer packaged goods giant had declined by nearly 55% in just two months. The company was missing revenue and profit targets as it learned to grapple with the Internet and new global competitors. To remain the world's preeminent maker of useful stuff for the house, P&G needed to make a lot of changes very quickly. Lafley saw design as being central to P&G's transformation. Design promised to unleash the creativity of the organization and find new ways to unlock value that a marketing-driven company might not have discovered.

The CMO's Role in a Customer-Centric Organization†

The Head Marketer Is Pivotal to Defining and Implementing Programs About People, Not Products

Advertising Age, August 24, 2009 — Deciding whether to adopt a customer-centric orientation is a significant decision for organizations, not to be made casually. It results in debates defining customer centricity, often with the question, "How customer-centric do we need to be?" Inevitably, it means organizing around the customer and the further proliferation of the types of marketing needed to do so effectively. The many companies that have embraced a customer-centric orientation have experienced some real and often unexpected challenges. At the center of these challenges is the role of the chief marketing officer — the person who needs to deliver thought leadership, lead the strategy debate and reorganization, and then integrate the various marketing types into a company-wide,... continue reading

Tokyo Café Targets Trend Makers†

Young Women Test New Products at Marketer Sponsored Restaurant

Wall Street Journal, August 24, 2009 — At first glance, the Lcafe appears no different than any of the dozens of cozy cafés in Tokyo's Shibuya district, where trend-conscious young people flock to sip coffee and nibble on cakes and sandwiches.

But look closely at the froth of the cappuccino or a coaster resting beneath a drink or the artwork hanging on the wall and it reveals the café's side business: pitching new products to affluent and influential young Japanese women.

It's called a marketing café, a first of its kind in Japan. Sample Lab Ltd. opened the Lcafe last month as a way to reach Japanese women in their 20s and 30s with information about new products.

Unilever CEO Beats Rivals by Bucking Ad-Spend Trend†

Passed-Over Polman Bests Nestle, P&G -- but Isn't Bragging

Advertising Age, August 24, 2009 — You might expect a last laugh from Paul Polman, but he's having none of it, at least not yet and not publicly.

Four years ago, he left Procter & Gamble Co. after being passed over by executives closer to then-CEO (now chairman) A.G. Lafley. Two years later, he lost a closely watched beauty contest to become CEO of Nestle to Paul Bulcke, an insider with deeper roots. He finally got the brass ring that eluded him at the Earth's two biggest package-goods companies at No. 3 Unilever when he became CEO Jan. 1. And this third time is looking charmed.

Shopping Cart Psychology

If you get excited about Chef Boyardee or Healthy Choice, it's because ConAgra Foods has gotten inside your head.

Forbes, August 19, 2009 — Not long ago ConAgra Foods assembled a group of 20 marketers and outside agency folks to figure out why sales of Orville Redenbacher's popcorn had gone stale. They spent nine months studying popcorn eaters, observing families in their homes and instructing them to keep weekly diaries of how they felt about various snacks. "That's when we uncovered the insight," recalls Stan E. Jacot, a ConAgra vice president. It seems that the essence of popcorn is that it is a "facilitator of interaction."

Can Anyone Tap the $100 Billion Potential of Hyperlocal News?

Community-driven news services have been the next big thing online for years. Can The New York Times or AOL find the $100 billion local-advertising pot of gold?

Fast Company, August 17, 2009 — Outside the local train station, the Maplewood Civic Association maintains a bulletin board plastered with news of jazz festivals and yoga classes for this small, affluent New Jersey town. One day last winter, an unassuming new flyer appeared, nestled between ones hawking a fish tank and a drum set, titled, "Introducing the Local." The flyer describes the Local as "a community Web site by you and for these communities, mentored by The New York Times."

Only P&G, Reckitt Convey Value of Marketing in Annual Reports†

Global Survey Shows Most Top Marketers Need to Do More to Connect Brand to Bottom Line

Advertising Age, August 14, 2009 — Only two companies, Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser, have figured out how to communicate the importance of brand to the bottom line in their annual reports, according to a survey of these documents from major marketers.

The lesson: If marketers want to win the battle for company resources, they must work harder to promote their contribution to the bottom line in annual reports, according to a new global survey by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising in the U.K.

Corporate America Finding Tweet Smell Of Success On Twitter

Investors.com, August 12, 2009 — Corporate America is all a-twitter.

From agriculture giant Monsanto (MON) to the Starbucks (SBUX) coffee chain, outfits of all stripes have added Twitter to their mix of communication tools. Just in the past three or four months, use of Twitter for marketing has boomed, says Forrester Research analyst Emily Riley. "Marketers are looking for free ways to reach influential audiences, especially in a bad economy," Riley said.

How Digital PR Turned Adidas' Soccer Videos Into Viral Hits†

Careful Seeding of Spot Featuring Star Riquelme Is the Talk of Football Rivals Brazil, Argentina

Advertising Age, August 11, 2009 — "I love her, she's clean," says Juan Román Riquelme while kissing a soccer ball in a viral video Buenos Aires' digital agency Brandigital made for Adidas. In it, he "hace jueguito" (plays with the ball to show his skills), while being shot at with paintballs.

Little Sign Of Relief For Marketing Budgets, Agencies

Marketing Daily, August 11, 2009 — Marketers continue to be under heavy pressure to reduce costs, and agencies are feeling the squeeze even more than a year ago, confirms the latest recession-driven trends survey conducted by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA).

Celeb Product Hawkers Fail to Sway Consumers

Marketing Charts, August 6, 2009 — Though the media feeds consumers a constant stream of minutiae about celebrities’ private lives, and celebs who Tweet seem to have legions of avid followers, a new study of LinkedIn users by AdWeekMedia finds that most US consumers say they are not at all swayed by celebrity endorsements of products.

Tide Turns 'Basic' for P&G in Slump†

Wall Street Journal, August 6, 2009 — Procter & Gamble Co., under assault by penny-pinching consumers, has quietly rolled out a version of Tide detergent that the company freely admits isn't "new and improved."

The product, Tide Basic, is currently for sale in about 100 stores throughout the South. It lacks some of the cleaning capabilities of the iconic brand — and costs about 20% less. Its very existence is one of the most telling signs to date of how the sour U.S. economy is forcing mass marketers to shift course.

As Sales Slip, Whole Foods Tries Health Push†

Wall Street Journal, August 5, 2009 — John Mackey, the chief executive of upscale grocer Whole Foods Market Inc., is planning to reposition the struggling Austin, Texas, chain as a champion of healthy living in a return to its natural-foods roots.

Branded for Life? A New Taurus Heads Upmarket†

Wall Street Journal, August 5, 2009 — The federal “Cash for Clunkers” program lured consumers out of their bunkers and into showrooms. Now, car makers need to get their cars on all those hastily assembled shopping lists—a challenge Ford Motor Co. is confronting right now with the launch of its new Taurus.

Ford is repackaging the Taurus—a brand considered so uninspired a few years ago that Ford retired it—as a technology-laden, European-style sports sedan with features normally found on luxury brands and a price tag that can push above $37,000—the lower reaches of BMW 3-series territory. It’s a risky, costly venture.

NFL Teams With Procter & Gamble In a Play for New Kinds of Sponsors†

Wall Street Journal, August 5, 2009 — The National Football League has an official drink and an official wireless headset. Now, in a sign of how far sports leagues will go to find revenue in the recession, it has official toiletries.

The NFL, the biggest U.S. sports league by revenue, on Wednesday will announce a sponsorship deal with Procter & Gamble Co., maker of everyday household items such as soaps and shampoos. The multi-year pact, which P&G says is the costliest in its history, lets it slap a newly designed "Official Locker Room Product of the NFL" label on products including Old Spice deodorant and Head & Shoulders dandruff shampoo.

RadioShack CMO: We're Not (Really) Changing Our Name†

'The Shack' Just a Marketing Nickname; Company Says Criticism Based on Confusion

Advertising Age, August 5, 2009 — Yes, RadioShack has seen the criticism of its new branding. No, it's not worried. Earlier this week, RadioShack unveiled its new branding, which includes the nickname "The Shack." Immediately Twitter users and a host of bloggers were sharing their thoughts — many of them unflattering. Tech blogs zeroed in on the fact that the company appears to be embarking on a pricey (and misguided) marketing effort rather than addressing any number of core issues.

Mom Accuses Walmart of Going After Girl Scouts†

Says Retailer Rolls Out Private-Label 'Fake' Thin Mints, Tagalongs

Advertising Age, August 3, 2009 — Walmart, which has been going after a lot of brands lately with the restage and expansion of its Great Value private label, now appears to be taking on the Girl Scouts.

To Live in Interesting Times

Feed Company, August 3, 2009 — Consider for a moment that the humble Amazon product review can nullify millions of dollars of ad spend, that a search for "best razor" on Google can route around all of Gillette's best efforts to communicate the "best a man can get," and that a "hate Comcast" group on Facebook has the power to drive a consumer straight into the arms of DirectTV.