Marcom this week: From A to zinc – 3/4/11 edition

Although Charlie Sheen’s rants made more than enough headlines this week, marketers managed to squeeze in a few of their own. From the announcement of Apple’s iPad 2 to the latest research on what consumers want from brands online, here is a look at what happened this week in the integrated marketing communications industry.

iPad 2 raises the bar for marketers
In case you missed it, Apple announced its next-generation iPad on Wednesday. The lighter, thinner, faster tablet arrives March 11 with a price tag of $499 for the 18GB Wi-Fi version. More important than its new software and front- and rear-facing cameras is the fact that the iPad 2 is driving the post-PC conversation forward at full speed. Just a day after Apple’s announcement, Gartner lowered its growth forecast for worldwide PC shipments in 2011. Looks like the iPad is well on its way to bridging the gap between laptops and tablets, which means it’s time for marketers – who haven’t done much to test the tablet waters – to take notice. Faster browsing means a host of new apps are probably already in development. However, if PC alternatives are the future, then how do marketers get on board in a meaningful way?

For brands, it’s all about being "liked"
Take note marketers: consumers want to hear from you when online – if you’re offering discounts. This is the latest finding of a new Ad Age/Ipsos Observer survey of digital-media habits. Facebook was a clear winner, with 41 percent of respondents preferring to receive communication from marketers via this platform. The runner up was Twitter, which received 18 percent of the vote. Coupons are the most sought-after item, with 65 percent of respondents hunting for online discounts. In fact, for most respondents, this was the reason why they “liked” a brand on Facebook. Not surprisingly, only 22 percent of respondents cared about customer news, a reminder that pushing self-promoting content won’t win a brand many friends.

Taco Bell: Where’s the beef?
This week, Taco Bell debuted a series of commercials in response to a lawsuit claiming its beef isn’t beefy enough. According to the ads, Taco Bell’s beef is comprised of 88 percent premium ground beef and 12 percent signature recipe. Viewers are encouraged to visit the fast-food chain’s website to view the entire ingredients list. Overall, the ads aren’t very interesting. We probably would’ve dismissed them with a shrug had it not been for the commercial’s inopportune airing on Sunday evening during a repeat of Fox’s new animated series, "Bob’s Burgers." Titled “Human Flesh,” the episode is about a misunderstanding surrounding the beef content of Bob’s Burgers signature hamburgers. (Sound familiar?) The first ad to air during the commercial break? Taco Bell, of course. Bad timing for the brand, and a big “oops” for Fox.



Marcom This Week: From A to Zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? Visit the “Marcom this Week” archive.

Marcom this week: From A to zinc – 2/18/11 edition

From Pepsi’s controversial new can to a positive outlook on marketing jobs in 2011, here is a look at what made headlines this week in the integrated marketing communications industry.

Diet Pepsi Slims Down for Fashion Week
Diet Pepsi’s new “skinny” can got some rough reviews when it debuted at New York Fashion Week this week. According to PepsiCo Inc., the “tall, sassier” version of its traditional can celebrates beautiful, confident women. Pepsi, what are you trying to say? Beautiful, confident women don’t come in “traditional” sizes?

Before we hate on Pepsi, let’s look at this from another perspective. Yes, Pepsi’s positioning of the new can is a surefire way to draw negative attention. However, this new attribute does have its benefits. Skinny cans are more ladylike than wide-mouth traditional cans and add a bit of glam to the otherwise mundane activity of drinking a diet cola. We may not love the messaging, but we’re up for throwing a case of these cute cans in our fridge. We’re betting others will too, which begs the question: will this negative publicity hurt or help the brand?

Marketing Jobs on the Rise
Good news for integrated marketing grad students: marketing jobs are on the rise. According to a survey conducted by Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the American Marketing Association, CMOs plan to hire 50 percent more marketing pros in 2011. Gains in revenue and profits are fueling the new hires, with 69 percent of respondents saying they are more optimistic about the U.S. economy, up from 26 percent the previous quarter.

Couple this news with information about the hottest hiring sectors and you should be heading down a bright career path. As CNBC reported earlier this year, industries promising the most growth include IT, healthcare, transportation and financial services. In fact, according to CareerBuilder.com, 24 percent of hiring managers report plans to hire full-time workers in 2011, up from 20 percent in 2010 and 14 percent in 2009.

Harley Debuts First Crowdsourced Ad
It’s arguable that Harley Davidson has created one of the strongest brand communities of the last century. Now, the motorcycle manufacturer has turned the creative reins over to its customers, asking them to help develop an ad campaign around Harley’s new HD1 program, which allows customers to go online and design their own bike. “No Cages” is the first crowdsourced spot to air. Inspired by Kentuckian Whit Hiler and produced by Boulder, Colo.-based Victors & Spoils, the TV ad pays homage to the freedom felt by Harley riders and owners. So which brand will jump on the crowdsourcing bandwagon next? In addition, while it seems like crowdsourcing and ad agencies are playing nicely, is this technique a threat to creative agencies?




Marcom This Week: From A to Zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? Visit the “Marcom this Week” archive.

Marcom this week: From A to zinc – 2/4/11 edition

Despite Blizzard 2011 wreaking havoc on one in three Americans this week, the marketing industry managed to squeak in a few of its own headlines. Put aside the snow shovel and check out what you may have missed while digging out from the storm.

Print media on track to rise again?
The week was chock full of big announcements from leading print publishers. Just when we thought print was a dying media, it appears some pubs may be on their way back to the top. Leading the pack was People.com, which reached 1 billion page views in January, according to Omniture. This is a first for People, and for all magazine websites.

People wasn’t the only Time Inc. publication making waves this week. In fact, the publisher claimed four of the top five magazines most followed on Twitter. According to Folio, People, Time, InStyle and Women’s Wear Daily topped the list. Entertainment Weekly came in fifth.

Perhaps the most anticipated news came from News Corp., which announced its iPad-only newspaper, The Daily. As Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chairman and CEO, said, “iPad demands that we rethink our craft.” Developed in partnership with Apple, the made-for-tablet pub will cost users $40 a year.

With advertising revenues decline, the Web is where publishers are hoping to cash in. However, billions of page views and highly followed Twitter handles don’t generate cash on their own. In addition, while The Daily may set the tone for the future of the news business model, we’re left wondering who its audience is. We applaud these media companies for their efforts, but hope their strategies are fully baked.




Gap names new CMO
Change is on the horizon for Gap, which ushered in a new CMO this week: Seth Farbman. No doubt the past few months have been rough for the retailer. As Vitamin IMC previously reported, Gap’s new logo was a major flop and the brand took a hit when its “Made in USA” charitable tote bags turned out to be a product of China.

With Farbman, who is currently worldwide managing director for Ogilvy & Mather, at the helm, Gap hopes to set itself on a course to better performance in North America. Ogilvy also is stepping in as Gap’s worldwide agency of record, replacing Laird & Partners. While the retailer denies these changes are a result of the logo fiasco, we find this hard to believe. Here’s to hoping 2011 brings the brand better luck than last year.

Love doesn’t conquer all, but money does
When offered a choice between great sex every week for five years and free chocolate every week for five years, U.S. women pick sex 73 percent of the time. Throw a one-lump sum of $1,000 into the mix, and the majority of women (91 percent) choose the cash over weekly chocolate. These findings from the latest Saatchi Wellness and Time Inc. annual tracking study shed light on a growing trend: the “Me-Covery.” That is, women increasing spending on beauty and health products and services.

This shift is evident in the growing percentage of women who are spending money on anti-aging products and salon services – both were up nearly 20 percent in 2010. It appears women are loosening their purse strings and putting aside recessionary spending habits, which should bode well for marketers of health and beauty products.

Marcom this week: From A to zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? Visit the “Marcom this Week” from January 28.

Marcom this week: From A to zinc – 1/21/11 edition

From the New York Times’ paywall announcement to Steve Jobs’ medical leave of absence, here is a look at what made headlines this week in the integrated marketing communications industry.

New York Times Will Charge
Nonsubscribers for Access
Beginning by the end of this month, the New York Times will charge nonsubscribers less than $20 a month for full access to its Web content. The yet-to-be-announced price will strategically fall below the paper’s $19.99 a month subscription rate on Amazon’s Kindle. Users will be able to read a certain number of articles free each month; to read more, the reader must pay a flat fee for unlimited access. The paywall will provide the paper with a needed revenue stream in the face of dropping ad sales; however, yet to be determined is whether this fee will chase away readers. Signs seem to point to no, as the pay structure should have little effect on light readers, and loyal readers will most likely hand over the money to ensure uninterrupted access.

The New York Times is not the first paper to initiate a paywall, nor will it be the last. Which media outlets do you think will be next?

Can Apple Survive Without Jobs?
It was a week of highs and lows for Apple. On Monday, the company’s CEO Steve Jobs announced his third medical leave of absence. The following day, Apple announced it sold 7.33 million iPads during the first quarter of its 2011 fiscal year, bringing total sales to nearly 15 million. This is an impressive feat considering the tablet category did not yet exist a year ago. However, Apple’s string of hits, including the iTouch, iPhone and MacBook Air, are a reminder of the important role Apple's CEO plays in the company’s innovation process. In the near term, Jobs’ absence should not hinder Apple’s success. However, with the rapid pace of new product introductions, it is imperative the company keep its innovation process moving ahead at full speed.

Despite “Golden Voice,” Kraft Ad Is Flat
The much-anticipated Kraft Macaroni & Cheese commercial featuring Ted Williams – the homeless man with the golden voice – debuted this week. Unfortunately, amidst all the hype and fanfare the TV ad fell flat. Yes, Williams’ voice added some punch to what would otherwise have been a traditional mac ‘n cheese ad. And, yes, the commercial has become a viral sensation, garnering more than 700,000 views and snagging the No. 6 spot on the Viral Video Chart. But despite a captive audience, the ad did nothing to position Kraft as a forward-thinking brand. Rather, the spot, created by Crispin Porter & Bogusky, reinforces age-old stereotypes of wives cooking in the kitchen and insensitive husbands coming home with last-minute dinner guests. We learn from the ad that Kraft’s Homestyle Macaroni & Cheese is a quick dinner solution, but the brand clearly missed an opportunity to tell us something more.




Marcom this week: From A to zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? Visit January 14's “Marcom This Week.”

Marcom this week: From A to zinc – 1/14/11 edition

From the downfall of celebrity endorsements to eco-friendly TV ads, here is a look at what made headlines this week in the integrated marketing communications industry.

Celebrity Ads Miss the Mark
New research from Ace Metrix may finally dispel the myth that celebrity ad endorsements enhance persuasion and improve advertising effectiveness. According to the 2010 Celebrity Advertisements study, in 2009 celebrity ads either performed below average or merely equaled it. On average, celebrity ads resulted in a -1.4 percent lift, while non-celebrity ads generated an 8 percent lift. Those topping the list of worse ads included Tiger Woods for Nike in “Did You Learn Anything?”and Lance Armstrong for Radio Shack in “No Emoticons.”

Why the lack of love for these hot shots? Participants reported that many celebrity ads lacked information and relevancy. It is not surprising consumers do not appreciate celebrities pushing messages at them. Today, consumers control the flow of information. They pull what they need from a variety of sources – most importantly, their social networks. Celebrities are not part of these networks, so push as they might, it is unlikely consumers will budge.

In fairness, 12 percent of celebrity ads did achieve a 10 percent or greater lift. These included spots from Progressive featuring Oprah Winfrey and Snickers featuring Betty White and Aretha Franklin.

CBS Gives “Green” Advertisers Stamp of Approval
Beginning next week, CBS will include an EcoAd visual “digital” leaf on TV commercials for green advertisers. These advertisers are participating in the network’s sustainable media program, managed by EcoMedia. By purchasing these value-add spots, a portion of the advertisers’ dollars go toward urban reforestation projects, solar installations and affordable housing projects in cities nationwide. Sponsors include Chevrolet, Safeway, O Organics and Boston Scientific, among others.

EcoMedia launched in 2002; however, this is the first time we've heard about the EcoAd program. With EcoAd sponsors set to receive primetime attention, we are curious to see how CBS grows this program.

Working Out with “The Captain”
According to Captain Morgan, pirates are famous for three things: looting, pillaging and developing high-intensity, low-impact resistance training programs. What better way to market the latter of these skills than with a workout video? This three-minute web video produced by Pereira & O’Dell features The Captain in an infomercial about his life-changing workout routine. You do not want to miss the testimonials.





Captain Morgan was not the only adult-beverage company hitting the web with a film short this week. Heineken debuted a 90-second video entitled “The Entrance.” Produced by Weiden & Kennedy, the spot features a man with perfect party-entrance timing. Both brands pumped significant marketing dollars into the production of these web-only videos, strengthening the argument that marketers are placing greater importance on the web.

Marcom This Week: From A to Zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? View January 7th's “Marcom This Week."

Marcom this week: From A to zinc – 1/7/11 edition

From Oprah Winfrey’s successful cable network launch to cash inflows and employee outflows at top social networking companies, here’s a look at what made headlines this week in the integrated marketing communications industry.

OWN Debuts with Strong Numbers
Early results show Oprah Winfrey’s new cable network – OWN – enjoyed a successful launch on New Year’s Day. For its Saturday premiere, OWN was the No. 3 cable network among women ages 25 to 54 during the 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. hours, averaging 1.2 million viewers per time slot. Sunday proved tougher, with the network attracting 968,000 viewers for the launch of “Ask Oprah’s All Stars” and only 602,000 viewers for “Master Class.” Although Oprah has a solid track record and loyal following, extending her personal brand to include a cable network isn’t without risk. However, backed by the world’s leading tastemaker, along with the many stars she has helped make famous, we don’t think the network is in bad shape. With the launch complete, we’re anxious to see the full programming schedule – and what product integration opportunities it will afford marketers.

Social Networking Site Shakeups
2011 is ushering in big changes at top social networking companies, including Facebook, Myspace and LinkedIn.

In an effort to stay private longer, Facebook struck a deal with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Digital Sky Technologies, among others, to raise $500 million. The agreement values Facebook at $50 billion. The deal also puts Facebook over the critical 500-shareholder limit set by the Securities and Exchange Commission, meaning it will be forced to begin disclosing financial information or host an initial public offering by April 2012.

In other IPO news, LinkedIn plans to go public this year, according to sources close to the matter. In fact, the social network is expected to deliver a prospectus as soon as this quarter. The company’s estimated value is $2.2 billion.

Unfortunately for Myspace, its future doesn’t look as bright. It’s rumored the social network will soon announce massive layoffs, which could lead to reductions in staff by as much as 50 percent. This news follows the company’s 30 percent reduction in staff that occurred last summer. Myspace recently redesigned its site, but it continues to lose market share, dropping to 4.75 percent after losing nearly 7 percent over the past year.

LEGO® Makes it “Click”
Thanks to this latest film short from LEGO, this week we enjoyed a momentary return to the innocent and imaginative days of childhood. Entitled “Brick Thief,” the video promotes LEGO’s idea hive, Click, which provides an online forum for sharing stories, videos and photos that depict moments of inspiration. “Brick Thief” is a sequel to “Cl!ck” and features the same oddly spectacled and mustachioed Imagineer hard at work in his lab on his latest LEGO creation. We bet you’ll be scrambling to dig out your LEGO Pirate’s Fort set before it's over.

Marcom This Week: From A to Zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? View Jan. 1's “Marcom This Week."

Marcom this week: From A to zinc – 12/31/10 edition

From social networking sites dominating our search queries in 2010 to growing social media budgets in the year ahead, here’s a look at what made headlines this week in the integrated marketing communications industry.

Facebook Beats Google in 2010 for “Most Visited Site” Title
According to Experian Hitwise’s analysis of the top 1,000 search terms for 2010, "facebook" was the top-searched term overall, accounting for 2.11 percent of all searches. This is the social networking site’s second year as the top-searched term. Not surprisingly, overall, social networking-related terms dominated the results, accounting for 4.18 percent of the top 50 searches. "YouTube" was the third most-searched term, followed by "craigslist," "myspace" and "facebook.com." Facebook also took top honors as the most-visited site in 2010, moving up from No. 3 and accounting for 8.93 percent of all U.S. visits. Google came in second with 7.19 percent of visits, followed by Yahoo Mail at 3.52 percent, Yahoo at 3.3 percent and YouTube at 2.65 percent. Bing popped up on the top-10 list for the first time in 2010, sitting at No. 10. Will be curious to see where the newbie search engine site goes from here.

Social Media Spending in 2011
With nearly 80 percent of corporations undertaking social media efforts, social media has quickly evolved from a shiny new object to a marketing toolkit must-have. So it’s no surprise that total budget for social strategy is projected to rise in 2011. Advisory firm Altimeter Group recently asked 140 corporate social media strategists how much they spent in 2010 and learned that the amount varies greatly based on the size of the organization. However, on average, companies spent $833,000 last year on social strategy. Next year, this number is expected to reach an average of $1.16 million. The following chart breaks down social media budgets and strategy based on an organization’s level of SM sophistication. We’d be curious to hear how this compares to your experience – let us know in the comments.

TaylorMade Scores a Hole-In-One with "Sesame Street"
The leading manufacturer of golf clubs, TaylorMade, has teamed up with the sounds of “Sesame Street” for a major TV ad campaign that will launch Jan. 3 on the Golf Channel, ESPN, NBC and CBS. The commercial features the song “One of These Things is Not Like the Others” – a “Sesame Street” staple – and will plug the company’s high-tech R11 driver, which has an unusual mostly white-colored clubhead. While we think the cutesy song will perk the ears of golf enthusiasts tuned into the season’s top competitions, we’re not sure these viewers will totally get the deeper meaning intended by TaylorMade’s ad agency, NYCA. As Michael Mark, CEO and creative director of the Encinitas, Calif.-based shop, explained in a recent AdAge interview, “We wanted to disarm the fear. We wanted to bring people back to a time of learning and openness when they would make personal leaps ahead without worry of what they didn’t know. That’s what ‘Sesame Street’ is all about.”

Marcom this Week: From A to Zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? Visit the Dec. 24th edition of “Marcom this Week."

Marcom this week: From A to zinc – 12/24/10 edition

From Federal Communications Commission (FCC) net neutrality rulings to the New Year’s reigning media outlets, here’s a look at what made headlines this week in the integrated marketing communications industry.

FCC Rules to Regulate the Internet
This fiercely debated topic came to a head earlier this week when the FCC passed a controversial net neutrality order to ensure the Internet stays free and open. The limited net neutrality rules – the FCC’s first-ever attempt to regulate the Internet – focus on: 1) ensuring transparency of Internet services; 2) no blocking of lawful content, applications and services; and 3) prohibition of Internet services from discriminating against any lawful content or giving preferential treatment to certain content.

While it all may sound good and well, the rules have yet to garner much support, and rumors are swirling that Verizon is contemplating a challenge. However, it appears this was, overall, a smart step forward by the Commission. We’re following this topic closely, so stay tuned for more in-depth coverage. In the meantime, let us know what you think. Should the government regulate Internet access?

For those in need of a quick refresher, net neutrality is the buzzword used to describe the principle of maintaining unfiltered access to the Internet. Learn more about net neutrality by watching this helpful video from Engadget.



2011 Top Media Outlets
Burrelles Luce released this week its list of the top media outlets for 2011, which includes leading traditional and social media outlets in the U.S. based on circulation, visits, authority or market share. No big surprises in the area of daily newspapers: The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and New York Times once again hold the top-three spots. However, where it gets more interesting is blogs. The Huffington Post retained its No. 1 position, while Mashable moved in on TechCrunch’s No. 2 turf. The top-20 list welcomed newcomers Mediaite, Lifehacker and GigaOM, while bidding adieu to The Daily Dish, NewsBusters.org and Business Insider.

A trip down memory lane – or at least back to 2007, when Burrelles Luce first began ranking blogs – reveals that 60 percent of the blogs that appeared on the list four years ago are no longer in the top 25. Remember Perezhilton.com and Gawker? Looks like the days of celebrity gossip blogs ruling the Net are no more.

Prius Bundles Up for Its 10th Birthday
We recently gave props to Toyota for its Swagger Wagon campaign, but it appears the carmaker is due kudos for its Prius Projects effort, as well. To celebrate the earth-friendly car’s 10th anniversary (wow, 10 years already!?), Toyota, with help from agency partner Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, has developed a film series that is slowly revealing the future of Prius. In the latest spot, entitled Prius Cozy, a group of hipsters gathers in a perfectly pastoral setting to outfit a Prius in a homemade sweater. The end result is a car that looks cozy enough to snuggle up to (or in, as it would be). But, the greater result may be the warm and fuzzy feeling tree huggers and space-starved city dwellers alike get when thinking about the brand.



Marcom This Week: From A to Zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? Visit last week's “Marcom This Week."

Marcom this week: From A to zinc – 12/17/10 Edition

From PR headaches to monetization strategies for social media start-ups, here’s a look at what made headlines this week in the integrated marketing communications industry.

‘Tis the Season for Damage Control
As if its logo debacle earlier this year wasn’t bad publicity enough, this week Gap launched an anti-hunger FEED campaign that touted the “Made in USA” status of the FEED-branded bags it’s currently selling. Oh, did we mention the bags are actually made in China? Ouch. But, who are the bigger victims in this latest gaffe by Gap? Try presidential niece and FEED founder Lauren Bush and the American children she had hoped to feed through the sale of her products at Gap. A recent poll by the Huffington Post shows that 75 percent of respondents would opt not to buy the bags as a result of the mislabeling.



Also taking some heat this week was eyelash growth product Latisse. Rumor has it Latisse spokesperson Claire Danes is suffering from a known side effect of the product: skin discoloration. The starlet is keeping a video diary of her experience using the lash grower, and we can’t imagine this side effect will make for good material. At the same time, the online diary could serve as a useful tool in dispelling the rumor, if it is just that. We’re staying tuned to see how Latisse handles.

Twitter: Web’s Next Golden Child?
Twitter is flush with cash after receiving $200 million in funding this week, valuing it at $3.7 billion. With 175 million registered users, the platform appears to be following in the footsteps of Facebook in its pursuit of World Wide Web domination. However, these big numbers aren’t adding up quite yet. This is because Twitter is still figuring out how to turn itself into a profitable business. It’s expected the web start-up will end the year with nearly $50 million in revenues – approximately $.29 per user. This is a far cry from rivals Facebook and Google, which generate around $2-$3 per user and $25 per user, respectively. However, with only eight months of ad service under its belt and former DoubleClick CEO David Rosenblatt joining Twitter’s board of directors, the company’s future appears promising.

“Go down your gullet, just like a mullet”
This week, our pick for ad of the week goes to Pepto Bismol. Or, rather, the star of its holiday campaign: Ken Jeong. Best known for his comedic roles in "Knocked Up," "The Hangover" and "Community," Jeong has set his sights on eradicating holiday party under-indulgence this season by introducing the power of Pepto to partygoers with sensitive stomachs. What the commercial lacks in taste and sophistication, it makes up for in awkward dance moves and strange lyrics. Go ahead, click replay a few times – it’s worth it. But, we’re not so sure we can say the same for Jeong’s career.



Marcom this week: From A to zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? Visit last week's “Marcom This Week."