Network News Riffs: I believe the death of the network news program is greatly exaggerated. It has changed considerably, both in its content and the audience it delivers. But dead? No. I read a
lot about the death of network news (last Sunday’s The New York Times, for one) but a lot of times the word “change” just won’t sell papers. So “change” translates as “the end.” Network news is
morphing. The time when a family would sit down after dinner and listen to Walter Cronkite deliver the day’s news is over. We already know the day’s news. We’ve known about it all day. Personally, I
don’t care who delivers the news to me anymore. As a consumer, there are so many talking heads and hairdos that news messengers have become simply that. It seems to me though that Network News is
becoming a time and place for interpreting economic data. “Here’s what today’s news means to your pocketbook” is a fit subtitle for Rather, Brokaw or Jennings telecasts. So if I’m a media planner, the
brands that appeal to that sensibility fit well on the nightly network news. Financial services, budget travel and utilities would make a lot of sense in today’s content climate. Network news ain’t
over. It’s just different……….
Stat Riffs: If you haven’t discovered the University of Michigan’s American Consumer Satisfaction index, you are missing a treasure trove of information.
And it’s information that’s unsponsored. The ACSI, to me, is the best index of brand loyalty and true consumer sentiment that is available for free. Hell, free or paid for that matter. If you want a
nice version of what consumers think of the brand you work with, do a focus group. If you really want to see something, check out the ACSI……….
Dave Riffs: All due respect to the man and
his work, but I’m not so sure I’d keep Dave Thomas alive as the Wendy’s pitchman, as the company recently announced it would. You have Burger King and McDonald’s moving ahead with movie tie-ins and
trying to press the next hot button all the time. Is it the right time to be retro, if you’re a fast food company? Time will tell……….
