Survey Records Shift in Blue Chip

New Epsilon CMO Survey Highlights Shift to Digital Marketing

Epsilon, September 8, 2008 — Chief Marketing Officers at many of the biggest brands in the nation are seeing a major shift in the marketing landscape. Almost two-thirds (63%) of the 175 marketing executives surveyed see an increase in their spending on interactive/digital marketing while 59% report a decrease in traditional marketing spend.

According to Mike Iaccarino, CEO of Epsilon, a leading marketing services firm, "Epsilon's first survey of the nation's Chief Marketing Officers presents a unique look at the changing dynamics of the marketing landscape. In this economic climate, marketing executives are seeking accountability and measurable results. Data driven marketing is an increasingly important component of corporate marketing campaigns as senior marketers employ... continue reading

Sprint Puts Positive Spin on Losses

New York Times, August 7, 2008 — Sprint Nextel, the troubled No. 3 wireless carrier, lost nearly a million customers in the second quarter. But the company says it lost some of them on purpose.

Meanwhile its chief rivals, AT&T and Verizon Wireless, respectively gained 1.3 million and 1.5 million new wireless customers. As customers tighten their spending during rough economic times and when nearly nine out of every 10 Americans already own a cellphone, winning customers from a competitor is the only way to grow quickly. And at that task, analysts say, Sprint is struggling.

Brands Adjust to Media Fragmentation

One way media synergy might pay off

eMarketer, June 27, 2008 — Marketers have long focused on segmenting consumers, to approach them via the media channels and destinations they use most. But in many markets, media fragmentation has made reaching a large enough audience increasingly difficult.

Smartphones Now Ringing for Women

New York Times, June 11, 2008 — If recent history is any guide, roughly a third of the people snapping up Apple’s new iPhone are likely to tote it in a purse.

In a big shift for the phone industry, women have emerged as eager buyers of not just iPhones but of all so-called smartphones — BlackBerrys, Treos and other models

New Wii Games Find a Big (but Stingy) Audience

Marketing its Wii video-game system at a lower price than competitors, Nintendo has caught a wider net of potential customers, but game sales have also been slower with this softer audience.

New York Times, April 21, 2008 — Ninetendo sits atop the home video-game market. Its Wii, though less technologically advanced than Microsoft’s Xbox 360 or Sony’s PlayStation 3, continues to outsell those machines and is now in more than 20 million homes.

So why are retailers having so much trouble selling Wii games?

Baseball, Apple Pie... and Mahindra?

How an Indian company plans to woo America's heartland with its fuel-efficient SUVs and pickups

BusinessWeek, November 5, 2007 — Engineers from India design advanced jet engines, write some of the world's most sophisticated software, and run massive global computer networks. But can they make a pickup truck that will sell in America's heartland?

Mahindra & Mahindra, a conglomerate based in Mumbai, intends to find out. In spring, 2009, the company plans to launch two- and four-door pickups and a sport-utility vehicle in the U.S.

Consumer Preferences Vary Among Gay/Lesbian Segments

MediaPost Publications, October 24, 2007 — A NEW STUDY DRIVES HOME the importance of understanding the diversity of the gay and lesbian communities and creating marketing strategies that reflect a company's or brand's likelihood of connecting with specific consumer segments.

Wii will rock you

How Nintendo's new game machine won over the world - and beat the pants off Sony and Microsoft

FORTUNE, June 11, 2007 — Nintendo's legendary videogame designer Shigeru Miyamoto is lying face down on the floor in Kyoto, Japan, hobbled by a right cross and struggling to regain his composure. The man some credit with the very existence of the $30 billion videogame industry, the Walt Disney of our generation, has taken one blow to the face too many.

To Appeal to Women, Too, Gadgets Go Beyond “Cute” and “Pink”

Women are embracing consumer electronics just as the technologies are reaching out to embrace them.

New York Times, June 7, 2007 — A growing number of women are embracing consumer electronics just as the technologies are reaching out to embrace them. Behind this quiet revolution are engineers and designers who are bringing a more feminine sensibility to products historically shaped by masculine tastes, habits and requirements.

Today's Niche Marketing Is All About Narrow, Not Small†

Big Impact: The Brands That Will Survive in the New Economy Will Give Up Illusions of Massiveness

Advertising Age, June 4, 2007 — The evolution of our mature marketplace, along with the technology that allows consumers to be in control, has created a seismic shift from one-size-fits-all mass markets to millions of markets of self interest.