Addressable Ads Could Reinvigorate TV†

Better Targeting Would Improve Efficiency, but Scale Remains a Major Hurdle

Advertising Age, November 17, 2008 — Satellite-TV firm Dish Network and ad-tech firm Invidi struck an agreement last week that involves "advanced receivers," "targeted advertising delivery" and "dynamic commercial insertion." Behind the tech talk is something media executives such as Group M's Rino Scanzoni believe is nothing short of "the renaissance of the TV business."

The Dish-Invidi pact calls for developing of the ability to sell ads that can be sent to specific households based on geographic and demographic information.

Mindshare Wants A Lotame, And A Lot Of You: Cuts Deal Based On How We Spend Time Online

MediaPost Publications, November 11, 2008 — n a Madison Avenue first, WPP's Mindshare unit has cut a deal to begin serving ads to social media users based on the time they actually spend engaged on social media sites, and the advertising content surrounding them. The deal, details of which will be announced today with Lotame, the developer of an advanced audience behavior targeting system, is another step by a major agency away from the classic advertising model of placing ads based on the context of media content and instead moving to one based on the context of the audiences consuming it.

Lotame, which is a truncation of "local, target and message," is a scrappy start-up, has won favor with publishers of mid-tier social networks

Personalized Store Ads Take Off†

Big Marketers Start to Embrace Pitches Tailored to Reflect Shoppers' Buying Habits

Wall Street Journal, October 23, 2008 — For years, supermarket cashiers have handed shoppers coupons as they left the checkout aisle. These days, shoppers often get narrow paper strips printed with something else: ads related to the shopper's own buying habits.

Recently, Stouffer's has used such ads to encourage buyers of its single-serve frozen entrées to join its Dinner Club. Joining the club allows consumers to earn points for buying the Nestlé unit's products. The points can be used to bid for rewards like TV sets and magazine subscriptions.

General Mills CMO Talks Growth, Sustainability†

Brandweek, October 17, 2008 — In today's tough economy, when food companies are battling escalating ingredient costs, heavily scrutinized marketing practices and fluctuating stocks, General Mills is driving growth with a business model that includes marketing at its core.

Mark Addicks, CMO and svp of General Mills, revealed what those strategies were during a speech this morning at the Association of National Advertisers' conference in Orlando, Fla. Addicks credited "leadership, scale and leverage" as the three factors fueling General Mill's brand portfolio in an unstable food business.

Marketing to Millennials

Not all execs use methods they deem best

eMarketer, October 14, 2008 — Executives surveyed worldwide thought the best way to target millennials was with viral marketing, peer-to-peer recommendations and sponsorship of millennials' favorite programs, according to a survey conducted in May and June 2008 by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Genesys.

But more than one-half of respondents said they had yet to come up with a strategy for targeting, attracting or retaining millennials; just under one-third said they had done so.

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

The Ad Changes With the Shopper In Front of It†

Some Digital Screens Could Adjust Messages Based on Features

Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2008 — Ad targeting is coming to a store near you.

In the latest effort to tailor ads to specific consumers, marketers are starting to personalize in-store promotions based on products the consumer recently picked off a shelf or purchased — and in the near future, based on what the shopper looks like.

Targeted-Ad Initiative Is Crucial for MySpace†

Questions Multiply On Site's Potential to Turn a Big Profit

Wall Street Journal, August 4, 2008 — When News Corp. reports its fiscal 2008 earnings Tuesday, investors will scrutinize the company's plans to generate more advertising revenue from the enormous amount of traffic on its MySpace social-networking Web site.

One initiative that could be critical to MySpace's success, according to media buyers and industry analysts, is a system that lets marketers aim their ads at particular groups of users. As part of this "hypertargeting" system, MySpace has analyzed the profiles of its users to gauge their interests and then categorized them into more than 1,000 "buckets," including rodeo watchers, scrapbook enthusiasts and "Dancing With the Stars" viewers.

Generation Gab†

Brandweek, July 2, 2008 — For those who think media fragmentation and niche marketing have redefined marketing permanently, here's something to chew on. What if the microscopically splintered youth demo out there right now—recent college grads on down to kids riding the bus to preschool—ends up gelling, melting and solidifying into a uniform power bloc of consumers? And what if, contrary to popular wisdom, they're not self-important, undisciplined individualists riding on digital highs, but a team-playing, risk-averse group that fosters familial bonding? All this would mean that Gen Y actually looks a lot more like, well, AARP. It would mean that the billions of dollars'worth of microtargeted marketing being created right now just could be a . . . waste of time? Then what?

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.