News Hotline

• Out-Of-Home, Cinema Ad Revs Spike
  by Erik Sass 9 minutes ago

  Buoyed by increases in a number of categories, out-of-home advertising revenue increased 4.5% to $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2012, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. This marks the eighth consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth for the medium. ...

• OTT Apps Cut Into Mobile Video Revs
  by Gavin O'Malley 41 minutes ago

  What do you get when you give consumers the ability to access the full HTML Internet, over-the-top (OTT) video services, apps and TV Everywhere from mobile devices? A significantly reduced incentive for them to pay for dedicated carrier-based mobile video services, according to new research from SNL Ka ...

• Mag Bag: Food Mags Unveil New Cookbooks
  by Erik Sass 45 minutes ago

  Two leading food magazines -- Every Day with Rachael Ray and Eating Well -- are helping consumers get ready for summer and eat healthy with free digital cookbooks. ...

• CNN Prime-Time Audience Dwindling
  by Phyllis Fine 74 minutes ago

  The figures for last week were truly bad, deeply bad - the worst for the news network in 20 years. CNN averaged just 395,000 viewers in prime time for the week of May 14, a figure lower than any week of prime-time programming on the network since September ...

• New Membership Model Works For National Journal Group
  by Phyllis Fine 74 minutes ago

  Nine months ago, Atlantic Media's National Journal Group took the bold step of converting the politics and policy publisher's individual subscription model to one based on membership in hopes of growing revenue and loyalty. The offering was unusual in a few ways: annual fees would go as high ...

• BuzzFeed Preps D.C. Bureau
  by Phyllis Fine 74 minutes ago

  The buzz around BuzzFeed opening a Washington bureau is true. Political Editor Ben Smithconfirms to FishbowlDC that the LOL-laden site is shooting to bring on new blood by summer to get the cat pic operation up and running. Will he poach from his former stomping ground of Politicowhere ...

• Wieden + Kennedy Win Grand Efie For 'Detroit'
  by Phyllis Fine 74 minutes ago

  Wieden + Kennedy won the Grand Effie for its “Imported from Detroit” campaign for Chrysler. It was one of 10 finalist; last year Wieden also won for the Old Spice "The man your man can smell like" work. The other contenders, included Leo Burnett/Starcom’s “Mayhem” for Allstate; BBDO’s ...

• Mindshare Retains Billion-Dollar Unilever Business
  by Phyllis Fine 74 minutes ago

  Mindshare has successfully retained Unilever’s whopping $1.4 billion U.S. media buying account. The CPG giant decided not to go forward with a review of its U.S. media buying work and is nearing a selection for an agency to handle its global media planning chores. ...

• Wake Up! Select Comfort Puts Mattress Account In Review
  by Steve McClellan 2 hours ago

  Select Comfort Corp., marketer of Sleep Number brand mattresses and related bedding products is conducting a media agency review, according to sources. The company spent $90 million on ads in 2011, up about 30% from the previous year. ...

• App Platform Kony Cops $15M
  by Gavin O'Malley 2 hours ago

  Mobile app development platform Kony Solutions has closed a $15 million series C round of financing, led by Insight Venture Partners. With cash in hand, “The startup is looking [to] fund the deployment of new sales and marketing programs, regional expansion, and to ramp up hiring,” TechCrunch reports.  ...

• Mobile Threatens Browser Diversity

  As it stands, consumers can freely choose between four or five browsers to surf the Web. Yet, some suggest that the rise of mobile devices threatens such freedom. “On personal computers running Windows, Macs, and Linux, you can pick from a variety of browsers, finding the best combination ...

• Skinnygirl In 'Drink Like a Lady' Campaign

  Women "know what they want...and the art of socializing should be on their own terms," says Skinnygirls Cocktails founder Bethenny Frankel. Both the brand and the new campaign are about "reinventing the art of cocktailing," she adds. ...

• Facebook Gives Developers More Data

  Despite a few distractions, Facebook this week said developers would now be able to track all of the activity going on within the social net with far more granularity. Apps that publish Open Graph stories, for example, will now be able to track the unique numbers of publishes, ...

• ABC TV Stations Set Alarm App To Promote Shows

  If eight ABC stations have their way, viewers will go to sleep after watching "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and wake up listening to their branded alarm clocks. Call it a different version of "Good Morning America." ...

• Net-Connect TV Grows Ad Impressions

  Net-connected TV video ad impressions are five times that of 2011. There are also five times more advertisers and 15 times more campaigns when comparing May 2012 versus May 2011, per Videology. Some of these devices include Smart TV, Apple TV, Google TV and Xbox 360. ...

• Scripps Exec Notes Scatter Uptick, YouTube Programming Options

  Scripps Networks Interactive CFO Joe NeCastro says market trends look positive, with scatter pricing up in the single-digit range over levels in the spring 2011. His company is also keeping an eye on YouTube, which is launching new online channels. ...

• What's Scarier Than Facebook IPO?

  Dan Bigman explores the social network's share structure, a dual-class arrangement founder Mark Zuckerberg set up wherein the Class-B shares he controls carry 10 times the voting power of the A shares. "That means he owns about 18% of the company, but controls more than 50% of the ...

• New McDonald's CEO Steps In

  Don Thompson steps in as McDonald's CEO next month. He will become one of the nation's most powerful African-American executives, but the pressure will mount for him to change McDonald's at an even faster clip than his predecessor, Jim Skinner, who steps down June 30. Under his tenure, ...

• P&G Restructures Marcomms

  In an effort to boost marketing efficiencies by $1 billion, P&G is fusing its global communications function with marketing under the stewardship of global marketing chief Marc Pritchard to build more integrated brand activity. The shift towards a global "communications" division will see greater emphasis placed on communications' ...

• The Most Valuable Soccer Teams

  Manchester United is most valuable franchise in soccer, and in all of professional sports, at $1.86 billion. Real Madrid with a value of $1.4 billion is second, followed by Arsenal, at $1.19 billion. Overall, the average value of the 20 clubs on Forbes' list increased to $640 million, ...

• Fiat Inks Roadster Deal With Mazda

  Fiat SpA and Mazda Motor Corp. are collaborating on a roadster based on the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The move is the beginning of a deeper tie-up between Japan's fifth-largest automaker and Chrysler Group LLC's parent company. The cooperation could also lead to a jointly produced next-generation Miata, an ...

• Hardee's, Carl's Jr. Tout Spiderman

  Carl's Jr. and Hardee's have teamed up with Sony Pictures for "The Amazing Spider-Man." The chains, owned by CKE Restaurants did likewise with the "Spider-Man" film in 2002. This summer, customers entering the restaurants across the country will find an array of advertising, fan events, Spider-Man-themed promotional and ...

• Mobile Malware Exploding In Android App Markets

  Malware has arrived on smartphones in a big way, and Google's Android appears to be the soft underbelly the bad guys are targeting. Fake anti-virus apps and premium SMS scams make the dark art profitable for hackers. ...

• Calif. Launches Mental Illness Social Media Campaign

  The campaign aims to dispel the misconceptions many Californians have about people living with mental illness, since misunderstandings and misconceptions can prevent people from getting help. ...

• Top Story: Rentrak, MasterCard To Merge TV Audience, Consumer Transactional Data

  Nielsen rival Rentrak this morning announced a deal with credit card giant MasterCard that it says will integrate Rentrak's TV audience data with MasterCard's "consumer trends and insights" derived from billions of payment transactions. Rentrak said the deal is intended to provide advertisers and agencies with "deeper insights ...

• Tablets Expand On Millennial Network

  The iPad may be the dominant tablet brand, but Android-based rivals are registering on radar as mobile ad vehicles in their own right. New findings from Millennial Media show a trio of tablets made its ranking of top 20 mobile devices by mobile ad impressions for the first ...

• ABC Local Apps Stick To Basics: News, Weather, Traffic, Waking Up

  Using a decidedly simple feature set for at-a-glance functionality, ABC's group of owned local TV stations has started rolling out "alarm clock" apps. The iOS apps are meant to cover the local news mainstays: news, time, weather, and traffic. ...

• Pfizer Launches Lipitor Mobile App

  Pfizer Inc. is launching an app tied to its Lipitor prescription medication, marking the first time Pfizer has released a consumer mobile app for a prescription product in the U.S. The app is tied in to Meredith Corp.'s "EatingWell" magazine. ...

• Yahoo Builds Browsers For Mobile, Desktop, Connects Ad Targeting Cross-Platform

  Yahoo on Thursday unveils a browser with search functions dubbed Axis for tablet, smartphone and desktop devices. The browsers will eventually support a combination of paid-search and display ads, along with cross-platform ad targeting and search functions. ...

• Facebook Appeals Pro-User Ruling To Recoup Legal Fees

  Facebook is pressing its claim to recover $700,000 in legal fees from consumers who unsuccessfully sued the company for allegedly misappropriating their names and images in ads. ...

• Local Cable Grows Political Ad Dollars

  It may come as no surprise that spot TV is still the media-buying tool of choice for presidential candidates' advertising campaigns -- but local cable appears to be gaining. The medium now averages 19% in terms of overall ad unit share of political candidates' media buys. ...

• Humorous AAMCO Campaign Makes Engine Noises

  Says Jack Bachinsky, VP marketing: "We decided to extend ["We Hear You,"] and this is the perfect next-generation ad." He says the "Trust" campaign reflects the importance of the issue based on consumer research. ...

• McClatchy Newspapers Plan Paywalls

  McClatchy Co., one of the nation's largest newspaper publishers, is planning to introduce online paywalls at its newspaper Web sites. The first batch of five newspapers will introduce their online paywalls about two months from now, using the online payment system tested at 'The Modesto Bee.' ...

• Ford And Yahoo Home In On Electric Focus

  Ford is launching its first electric car solely online, and solely on Yahoo Screen's custom content online program, "Plugged-In." The program, launching May 29, features people like David Arquette and Adrian Grenier, and the cities in which they live. ...

• Facebook App Stars Brands In Timeline Movies

  Definition 6, a marketing agency specializing in viral video campaigns, released the Timeline Movie Maker for Facebook Pages, a brand-oriented version of the Timeline Movie Maker app that it launched for individual users early this year. ...

• Mobile VIdeo Message Use On Rise

  While mobile video messages reminding viewers to watch a television show have surfaced as one of the more popular communications between media companies and consumers, the marketing tool has become especially popular on iOS and Android devices across AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless. That's according to a Mogreet ...

• WAS Steers Jaguar Social Media Account

  Social media agency We Are Social has been appointed by iconic car brand Jaguar to manage its global social media account after a formal review. WAS has been awarded a two-year contract; it will continue the day-to-day oversight of the client's community engagement programs on Facebook, Twitter, and ...

• Paywalls Proliferate, Most DIgital Pros Won't Pay For Them

  While the figures may not be indicative of broader consumer behaviors, over half of digital media professionals who encounter online paywalls say they immediately leave the Web site. The news comes as more U.S. newspapers establish, or consider establishing, online paywalls for their content. ...

• Initiative Splits Innovations, Digital Units, Rosner To Run Innovations

  Nearly a year after combining the operations, media shop Initiative is now de-coupling its Innovations and Digital units. The move comes after MillerCoors consolidated its nearly $400 million (per Kantar) media assignment with Initiative earlier this month. Dave Rosner will return to running the Innovations operation as executive ...

• TBS Touts Facebook ads as Part of Upfront Package

  Falling stock prices? Who cares? Facebook has partnered with TBS in a partnership where the network will bundle Facebook ads with its own TV and online ads. This marks the first time the social media company has partnered with a network to sell its own content. ...

• Coke Intros Celebrity Tumblr Themes

  Each celebrity worked directly with Coca-Cola North America and digital agency 360i to provide input on their themes, including design elements and content. 360i handles digital design, strategy and community management for Coca-Cola. ...

• M Magazine To Be Relaunched By Conde Nast

  The high-end fashion book that died in the early '90s recession is due for a comback. Peter Kaplan, editorial director of Conde's Fairchild Fashion Media group, will oversee the quarterly's relaunch. The first issue is due out in September. "It will be a big, beautiful magazine with a ...

• Future Of Newspapers: 'Rich Guy Play Toy'?

  Media General is a chain of small-ish newspapers across America. Not a particularly prestigious or savvy chain of newspapers, and the company's value has been nosediving off a cliff for the past five years along with most of the rest of the newspaper industry. But! Media General has ...

• Free Chapters On Facebook From Hachette

  Big-six publisher Hachette Book Group is making free chapters of upcoming books from bestselling authors like James Patterson and Michael Connelly available through a new Facebook app. The app, ChapterShare, lets Hachette publishing divisions, authors and retail partners post free chapters of books on their Facebook pages. Readers ...

• Elite, Clear Channel Strike New OOH Deals

  Elite Media in Las Vegas and Clear Channel Airports in Philadelphia signed new deals for out-of-home advertising in transportation venues. The Las Vegas Monorail carries over 50,000 riders per day on nine trains serving seven stations concentrated along the Las Vegas Strip, while Clear Channel Airports' new seven-year ...

• AOL Names Brody CEO, Advertising.com Group

  As part of what the company calls a more "segmented" operational strategy, AOL has named Ned Brody CEO of Advertising.com Group. This marks the second time that AOL has reshuffled its ad executives since its head of sales Jeff Levick left last summer. ...

• Oracle Buys Vitrue, Strengthens Social-Media Marketing Services

  Oracle has announced acquiring social media marketing firm Vitrue to bolster its own social relationship services for corporate clients. Vitrue manages more than 1.3 billion social interactions across more than 500 brands, with customers including McDonald's, NBC, Yahoo and Ikea. ...

• Sprint Turns 'Dream' Maker In Movie Theaters

  Moviegoers are familiar with the on-screen admonition to turn off their cell phones before the lights dim. Whether it's heeded is another matter. Now Sprint is giving audiences an added incentive to shut off their devices through a new in-cinema promotion that allows them to receive a personalized ...

• Networks Want 3D Costs Shared

  The TV networks believe other entities should share in the pricey costs to produce in 3D. Presumably, that includes the leagues and rights holders, as well as manufacturers of 3D TV sets. ...

• Scripps Produces 2 New Shows

  Scripps is producing two programs that will debut Sept. 17 in seven of the company's 13 TV markets. One is a game show, "Let's Ask America" and the other a news magazine "The List" that replaces "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" in access and early fringe. By producing ...

• Sales Increase, But 3DTV Excitement Lags

  According to The NPD Group, 3DTV unit sales increased 74% and revenues increased 64% in the first quarter of 2012 compared with the same period last year. They accounted for 11% of all flat-panel TV sales during the quarter. ...

• For Stores, Tablets Trump Mobile

  Americans are crazy about shopping on tablets, and a new study reports that 49% of retailers say tablet shoppers spend more per order. And tablets now account for 3.2% of Web sales, compared with just 1.5% for smartphone sales. ...

• Bing's "Visual Search" Fades Without Notice

  What about Bing’s highly touted visual search feature? Microsoft’s search engine scrapped that a while ago -- and without anyone realizing it. “The fact that almost no one noticed might be one reason why Bing has dropped its Visual Search feature … something that apparently happened months ago,” ...

• Apple Master Of Mobile PCs

  Apple maintained its position as the leader in mobile PC sales -- with 17.2 million units shipped during the first quarter of the year, according to research firm NPD. (That’s including iPad sales, which amounted to 13.6 million units moved during the quarter.) The company beat out its nearest competitor ...

• Oracle Drops $300M On Social Platform Vitrue

  Oracle announced the acquisition of social marketing platform Vitrue. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources tell TechCrunch that it cost the software giant $300 million. “As if Oracle didn’t offer enough products and services already, the acquisition will give it a strong Facebook marketing platform ...