Hershey's Promotes Bliss via Experiential Party

Promo Magazine, May 27, 2008 — The Hershey Co. has turned to parties to generate word-of-mouth and buzz around some of its new products. The company recently used themed house parties via House Party, a marketing services firm, to support its new Hershey’s Bliss chocolate line. Hershey’s staged 10,200 “House of Bliss” parties over the April 25 weekend to sample its latest item and spread interest as the product rolled out in stores.

Sampling: The New Mass Medium†

Tactic Has Won Over Likes of Starbucks, McD's and Morphs Into Big 'Event'

Advertising Age, May 12, 2008 — One of marketing's oldest and least glamorous practices — doling out free product — has come a long way from the gray-haired ladies in the supermarket aisle. No longer the province of marketers who can't afford to buy mass media, deep-pocketed giants from McDonald's to Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Dunkin' Donuts are adopting sampling on a grand scale, turning it into a media event — and, in some cases, the media buy.

Study: Purchase Intent Grows With Each Event†

Brandweek, January 28, 2008 — Getting up close and personal isn’t just for politicians. A new survey shows in-person events can boost purchase intent as high as 52%. According to the report, released this month by the Advertising Research Foundation, New York, purchase intent—a customer’s stated interest in buying a product—rose 11% to 52% among consumers who attended brand-sponsored events including sports championships, walkathons and theme parks.

Cross-Media Case Study: Rock 'n Roll Is In Their Jeans

Lucky Brand's tour bus hits the road - and the cyberhighway

MediaPost Publications, September 24, 2007 — There's David Lynch's psychological thriller Lost Highway, AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and America's 1970s hit "Ventura Highway."

Each evokes a certain nostalgic jag. And then there's the rock 'n roll tour - think Almost Famous. Lucky Brand Jeans manages to tap into a groovy 1960s-'80s vibe, while injecting a contemporary edge via its DenimHighway.com initiative, a grassroots marketing/party/brand campaign that invites consumers to interact with the brand outside retail.

A School for Cat-Loving Consumers†

Meow Mix Acatemy Puts New Yorkers in Touch With Their Feline Side

Advertising Age, August 21, 2007 — Rain may have dampened on The Meow Mix Acatemy's official first day of school, but new students were eager to learn about how to think more like their feline friends. From Aug. 21 to Aug. 25, cat lovers and pet parents will have the chance to learn about the "true feelings" of their cats with a series of seminars hosted by Del Monte's Meow Mix.

Room Service, Send Up Some Slime

Want a night with SpongeBob? Marriott and Nickelodeon will accommodate you

BusinessWeek, June 11, 2007 — The idea of putting a brand name on a hotel has attracted everyone from Hard Rock Cafe and Walt Disney (DIS ) to Giorgio Armani, L.L. Bean, and possibly Martha Stewart (MSO ) and Ralph Lauren (RL ). Is there room for Nickelodeon?

More Pop for Corporate Museums†

Coke's Exhibit Leads Trend of Bigger, Flashier, Costlier

Wall Street Journal, May 21, 2007 — From the theater to a 29½-foot-high contour bottle encased in a glass tower to more than 1,000 pieces of memorabilia, elaborately orchestrated schmaltz pervades the New World of Coca-Cola, a $96 million museum opening to the public Thursday. Coca-Cola Co. estimates that about a million people a year will visit the company's shrine to itself, which is roughly the size of 1½ football fields and located about a mile from Coke's headquarters.

Taking the Runway on the Road†

Fashion Week Goes on Tour; Tickets Sell for $500 and Up

Wall Street Journal, March 12, 2007 — When supermodel Naomi Campbell strutted down the runway Thursday night in a body-hugging black Zac Posen cocktail dress, the crowd went wild. A 28-year-old fashion student seated in the front row snapped photos on her pink Motorola Razr phone and shrieked, "Oh my god, I am dying!"

How Consumers Help Build A Brand's DNA†

Adweek, January 29, 2007 — When your marketing asks consumers to share what they think about your brand, you better be ready to change it in ways you hadn't counted on. Tweaking products to make them more usable isn't only for the clever folks in R&D anymore. I

Brands come alive

Marketing Week, January 25, 2007 — It must be dispiriting being a creative or account director working in broadcasting advertising. It seems to have become a medium that is easy to bypass. The whole idea of interrupting someone's viewing enjoyment to present that person with a commercial message is beginning to sound archaic.