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News Hotline

• Prime-Time Spots Up 2%, Fox Leads Network Pricing
  by Wayne Friedman 15 minutes ago

  The price of network prime-time commercials inched up 2% in the fourth quarter 2011 versus the same period a year ago. Media-buying company TargetCast tcm and TV research firm SQAD says the price for a 30-second prime-time broadcast network commercial grew 2% over 2010 to $116,122. ...

• 'Smash' Produces Solid Performance, 'Voice' Sings
  by Wayne Friedman 35 minutes ago

  A big-budgeted multiplatform marketing effort for "Smash," NBC's new workplace drama about producing a musical, delivered a good but not great performance on Monday night. It produced a solid 3.8/10 after a two-hour edition of "The Voice." ...

• Many Marketers Need An Image, Reputation Makeover
  by Steve McClellan 64 minutes ago

  At a time when consumers are demanding more transparency from companies on issues ranging from child labor practices to the environmental impact of their products, a new WPP study has found many marketers need to improve their images as corporate citizens. ...

• McClatchy Digital-Only Sales Rise
  by Gavin O'Malley 84 minutes ago

  McClatchy Co. said digital ad sales declined 2% during the fourth quarter. The publisher, however, attributed the year-over-year decline to the fact that it bundles digital sales with print advertising. Year-over-year, McClatchy said digital-only sales increased 7.5% during the fourth quarter, helped by two categories: retail and automot ...

• Walmart Leaps Into Labeling Fray
  by Sarah Mahoney 86 minutes ago

  Walmart has taken the wraps off its "Great For You" healthy-food label, a move that is likely to add to the ongoing conflict among stores, food companies and public-health groups about how consumers should learn about nutrition details. ...

• Facebook, Twitter To Vie For Mobile Ads
  by Mark Walsh over 1 hour ago

  Facebook has yet to monetize mobile inventory, but the unexploited mobile landscape provides Twitter with an even playing field when competing with the social network. Twitter's deep integration with iOS 5 should help the company accelerate its mobile audience growth. ...

• Big 4 Sites Control Future Of E-commerce
  by Gavin O'Malley over 1 hour ago

  One could argue that Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook now control the fate of online commerce, per a new Forrester report. Online retailers' success rests largely on the skill with which they can navigate this new reality. ...

• Flingo Raises $7M For Smarter TVs
  by Phyllis Fine 2 hours ago

  Flingo, which "integrates streaming video and interactive advertising into smart TVs," has raised an additional $7 million to invest in personnel, infrastructure and international expansion, writes Ryan Lawler. Flingo technology is currently used in 118 countries, and its co-founder and CEO, Ashwin Navin, will be traveling to Asia ...

• Disney, Univision, Explore Cable News Possibility
  by Phyllis Fine 2 hours ago

  Walt Disney Co. and Spanish-language broadcaster Univision are reportedly in talks to create a 24-hour English-language news cable channel where they would share production and news-gathering costs. Disney's ABC News would thus join the competition for cable news viewers, while Univision would position the channel to reach English-speaking ...

• 100 Ziff-Davis Employees To Lose Jobs After Acquisition
  by Phyllis Fine 2 hours ago

  Roughly 100 employees at publisher Ziff-Davis Enterprise (out of a workforce about 120) will lose their jobs in the wake of the company's sale to online marketing and lead-gen company QuinStreet on Friday, according to anonymous sources. Reportedly about 30 people are already gone, with the rest of ...

• New York Society Pub,' Scene,' To Launch Next Month

  Controlled-circulation style and society monthly Scene will make its first appearance March 1. Headed by an editorial and ad team previously at similar pub Avenue, Scene will share offices with the New York Observer, whose publisher, Jared Kusher,  owns a majority stake in the new mag. Among the ...

• Why 'Bazaar''s Newsstand Readers Won't See Gywneth's Pubic Bone

  How do magazines covers “whore themselves to the newsstand” as one editor puts it colorfully in this short piece on the difference between subscriber and newsstand covers? We're not sure the examples shown really back up the whore analogy -- especially when you consider that it's subscribers to ...

• Does Yelp Fleece Advertisers?

  Does Yelp overcharge advertisers? VentureBeat -- which reports that the business review site charges upwards of $600 a CPM -- says yes. TechCrunch says no. “Yes, [Yelp] ads are expensive, especially for low-end restaurants,” it writes. “But for lawyers, dentists, jewelers, and mechanics with a high lifetime average ...

• Odd Couple: Halliburton Embraces Apple

  Halliburton plans to transition thousands of employees from BlackBerrys to iPhones and Apple's iOSplatform, AppleInsider reports. While we doubt Apple will publicize the news -- given Halliburton’s poor public image -- it represents a huge win in its continued efforts to win over large corporate clients. "Over the next year, we will begin ...

• Questioning Facebook "Active Users"

  Soon to be a public company, Facebook can look forward to ever increasing levels of scrutiny. The New York Times, in fact, takes issue with the first page of Facebook’s stock prospectus, which claims 845 million “monthly active users.” Even more “astounding,” according to NYT, Facebook claims 483 ...

• British Airways Bows Olympic Ads

  British Airways will use social media to debut its London 2012 Olympic advertising campaign, including Google+. The first ad, under the "To Fly. To Serve" tagline will debut on Facebook at 11 am on Feb. 9 and then Google+ shortly afterwards. It will make its UK television appearance ...

• Super Bowl Ads Not Dead Yet

  Blogger John Coleman writes that Super Bowl ads can't be judged as just "ads" but as branded entertainment. "Super Bowl advertisements have become their own form of entertainment," he writes, " and as such play by a completely different set of rules." ...

• Company Sues Apple For IPad Name

  A representative from a Chinese company suing Apple in a dispute over the iPad trademark has said it is "demanding an apology" and anticipates Apple will be fined $38 million by a Beijing court over the issue. ...

• McDonald's Seeks R&B Talent

  Producer Rodney Jerkins, a heavyweight in the pop music world who's worked with an array of A-list artists, is looking for new acts for McDonald's. Jerkins and his Chicago-based company, Artists & Brands, are mining new musical talent from the rap and R&B world, coaching young artists on ...

• Damn Few: Audi R8 GT Spyder

  Audi says it plans to import only 50 copies of the hand-built R8 GT Spyder convertibles later this month. The most exclusive version of what is already Audi's top-line model, the topless supercar will carry a sticker price of $210,000, making it the German maker's most expensive offering ...

• Loma Linda Versus McDonald's

  Without a single liquor store, and legally smoke-free for nearly three decades, the tiny hillside town of Loma Linda brims with pride about its devotion to health and spiritual well-being. That healthful lifestyle is a core tenet of the Seventh-day Adventist faith, which is woven through the San ...

• This Really Requires No Comment

  A North Carolina woman was Tasered by police for refusing to budge from the McDonald's drive-thru. According to the Fayetteville Observer, the woman entered the McDonald's drive-thru on Friday but rather than place her order at the menu board or pay at the first window, she went straight ...

• NPD: Super Bowl Apps Fell Short Of Hype

  Despite all the hoopla around two-screen viewing, findings from market research firm NPD Group indicate that interaction with smartphone apps during the Super Bowl did not live up to expectations. Engagement with football-focused apps from ESPN and the NFL were actually down compared to the playoffs two weeks ...

• Belo: Revs Down, But Spot Ads Up

  Big TV station owner Belo Corp. witnessed lower advertising revenue in the fourth quarter due to lower political advertising, but continued to see strong results from its biggest ongoing category: automotive. ...

• Apple Siri Relies on Wolfram Alpha For Answers

  Wolfram Alpha will roll out Wednesday phase two with the ability to understand data and images in the way that search engines typically understand text queries. Steve Lohr tells us that Siri accounts for about 25% of the queries that Wolfram Alpha files. Apple isn't alone when it ...

• Don't Ignore Designing A Google+ SEO Strategy

  Search on the keywords "social media" in google.com, press search and in the right rail you'll find a list of people and pages on Google+. A little line at the bottom of the three entries reads: "Learn how you could appear here too." Neil Patel believes, for this ...

• Time Warner Invests In Conviva, Ups TV Everywhere Growth

  An arm of Time Warner has invested $15 million in Conviva, which provides the technological backbone for online video platforms such as TV Everywhere, from HBO to Turner. The company said the financing will be used for international growth and to hire more staff. ...

• Top Story: Should Tablet Magazines Really Be The Same?

  Many magazines took the tablet platform as an opportunity to get tricky, oh-so-cool and dazzling with their interfaces and layouts -- but could readers be more put off than engaged? According to a survey of tablet magazine readers from GfK MRI's iPanel, 72% said they would rather their ...

• Big G Combines Retro Packages, Atari Tie-Ins

  "Our consumers love the nostalgic aspect - it takes them back to their childhoods," says Tara Johnson, integrated marketing communications manager for General Mills, adding that the '80s is experiencing something of a general revival. ...

• Redbox To Launch Streaming Video

  Verizon and Coinstar said they would kick off a co-venture that will allow customers to obtain DVDs at Redbox's 35,000-plus kiosks and view content streamed online. Details regarding branding, pricing and content were not released, although a launch is expected in the second half of the year. ...

• Super Bowl Ad Retention Highest Before Last Play Of Game

  The best-retained Super Bowl commercials for TV viewers came moments before the last play of the game. The last four commercials before the end of the game -- the Hail-Mary pass of New England Patriots' Tom Brady into the end-zone, the last play of the game, according to ...

• ReDigi Can Keep Selling 'Used' Tracks

  The startup ReDigi, which allows consumers to sell their unwanted "used" iTunes tracks, can continue operating for now, a judge ruled on Monday. The start-up says the legal principle of "first sale" allows consumers to resell digital tracks the same way they can resell physical CDs or vinyl ...

• Nielsen Global Revs Up 8%, Set To Deliver Wal-Mart Data

  Nielsen is set to begin offering sales data from Wal-Mart in the second quarter, which will supply a fuller picture of U.S. retail activity for clients. In 2011, global revenues were up 8% to $5.5 billion, including up 4% for its TV measurement business. Profits dropped from $130 ...

• Top Story: Solve This: What's Google Really Up To With 'X'?

  Google unveiled hints early Monday to a project called Solve For X, which it later revealed represents an event held last week for experienced entrepreneurs, innovators and scientists. The event follows similar guidelines to those established at the Technology, Entertainment, Design conference, also known as TED. It focused ...

• Magazines Exploit Mobile Commerce With Snap-To-Buy

  SpyderLynk is helping magazine publishers cash in on mobile commerce with the launch of Snap-to-Buy, which allows consumers to engage in a range of actions -- including purchasing products -- by scanning SpyderLynk SnapTags in print publications with their mobile devices. ...

• Super Bowl Hits 111 Million Viewers

  For the third year in a row, the Super Bowl set a record for the most-watched program in TV history -- hitting 111.3 million total viewers, per Nielsen. On a household basis, the game earned a 47 rating/71 share, up 2% from a year ago. Almost three of ...

• TiVo Names Dorito's 'Friend' Most Engaging Bowl Spot

  TiVo has declared Dorito's "Man's Best Friend" Super Bowl ad the most engaging commercial in Sunday night's big game, televised on NBC. Appearing in the second quarter, the ad featured a dog who bribed a man with Doritos to conceal the whereabouts of the family cat. ...

• Lexus Rolls Out Huge Campaign For GS

  Lexus has a new ad campaign for the 2013 Lexus GS that is borne on the wings of what Lexus says is among its largest-ever media buys. It carries a new message for Lexus -- one that focuses on technology and performance. ...

• VW's Slimmed-Down Pooch Steals The Game

  Doritos' murderous Great Dane came in second, followed by Bud Light's Rescue Dog, M&M's Ms. Brown and Skechers' Mr. Quiggly. (And, yes, that means dogs star in four of the top five spots.) ...

• Online Retail Spend Hits Nearly $50B In Q4

  For the entire fourth quarter, online retail spending reached $49.7 billion -- up 14% year-over-year, according to new data from comScore. That growth rate represented the ninth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth, not to mention the fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth rates. ...

• Historic Super Bowl Stream Misses Ads, Halftime Show

  Despite cool extras like the ability to pause and rewind and watch from four different camera angles, "the 2012 Super Bowl streaming experience itself left a lot to be desired," writes Rip Empson. The historic digital event fell down on delivery of the halftime show, and of ads ...

• Disney Launches U.K. Print Mag For Kids

  Disney's Club Penguin, a virtual world for kids, is debuting a print magazine in the U.K. this week, as a test for starting print titles in other countries. Apparently the British market for such a pub is a healthy one, according to a Club Penguin co-founder. "The Club ...

• CBS, Grammys, Offer Plenty Of Digital Coverage

  Unlike the Super Bowl, the actual, real-time Grammy Awards will be available only on broadcast TV (CBS) this year, but there will be a host of digital extras available on Grammy Live, "a three-day orgy of live-streaming and social media beginning this Friday and continuing through Sunday," with ...

• Blue Skies Forecast For 'Architectural Digest'

  John Koblin fills in the rosy picture for Architectural Digest, which includes substantial increases in ad pages.  And last week its publisher, Conde Nast, awarded the veteran pub the title of "best business turnaround." As one of the Class of 2010 -- a large group of publications that ...

• Madonna's 'Luvin' All The TV And Radio Exposure

  In this age of social media, can TV and radio exposure still boost music sales?  It sure can, if your TV exposure comes during the Super Bowl halftime, and your radio exposure comes from a massive push by giant station owner Clear Channel.  Madonna’s new single, “Give Me ...

• Branded Multichannel Ad Campaigns Emerge From Super Bowl Spots

  Football fans didn't tap into mobile devices to catch the New York Giants] win over the New Engine Patriots Sunday as many analysts expected, but the ad industry did hit a major milestone in multichannel marketing. Consumers searched for data and game stats on desktop and mobile search ...

• JetBlue Redesigns Site, Launches IPhone App

  The sites use "smart" technology to personalize and simplify the customer experience, from the point of booking through the time of travel and even after, when travelers need a ride home from the airport. ...

• Design, Connectivity Are Reasons Apple Reigns

  This week, "Marketing Daily" brings you exclusive coverage of the Brand Keys 2012 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index. Each day, expect a full report on key product/services categories from among the 83 surveyed for this year's study, including automotive, electronics, retail and technology. This second installment focuses on highlights ...

• Congress Urged To Seek Broad Input On Piracy Laws

  Amnesty International, Public Knowledge, Internet Archive and Mozilla are among a broad coalition of 70 groups who wrote to Congress asking lawmakers to seek a "fresh perspective" before attempting to revise the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act. ...

• The Real Game Begins: Ad Metrics

  In TiVo's Top 10 list of most-viewed Super Bowl ads, based on anonymous audience research data, Doritos grabbed two of the top three spots this year with the No. 1 spot, "Man's Best Friend." ...

• Top Story: MediaCom Gets The 'Works,' Subway Consolidates Digital

  MediaCom's Subway restaurant media account just got a little heftier. The WPP agency has been awarded digital media responsibilities in the U.S. for the Subway franchise. Estimated spending on the digital portion of the account is between $25 and $30 million. ...

• JetBlue Flies App, Updates Sites To Personalize Travel

  JetBlue Airways has launched an iPhone app and updated its mobile and PC-based Web sites in an effort to provide a more personalized and streamlined travel experience for customers. ...

• Super Bowl Stream - A Work In Progress

  For the first time ever, the Super Bowl was streamed live, this year -- by both the NFL and NBC. As for the success of the dual effort, TechCrunch seems torn. “The streaming online experience tonight during the Super Bowl was pretty amazing,” it gushed, before adding: “The ...

• Toyota Flagged For Spammy Super Bowl Promo

  Flag on the field! The call: unnecessary spamming. The offending team: Toyota. For Super Bowl XLVI, the game’s title sponsor created an array of Twitter accounts, which it used to essentially spam users about its “Camry Effect a Friend’ Giveaway!” The Next Web's West Coast Editor Drew Olanoff ...

• Twitter Wins Super Bowl XLVI

  Thanks to what must have been robust backup servers, Super Bowl XLVI didn’t crash Twitter despite being the most tweeted sporting event in history. According to the microblogging service, the big game averaged more than 10,000 tweets per second. An unimpressed ReadWriteWeb attributed the feat to “continued growth ...