Adidas and the National Basketball Association have tied a new knot in their long-term deal that makes the former exclusive global NBA apparel provider and merchandiser. Until now, Adidas has owned that distinction everywhere but Europe. But starting with the 2010-11 NBA season, the sports apparel company will also handle NBA gear across the pond. Adidas in 2006 signed an 11-year global deal that put its apparel on all NBA players and also made the brand the official apparel provider of the WNBA and NBA D-League. Europe, however, wasn't part of that deal because competitive sports brand Champion was still in a multi-year contract with the NBA for that market. That deal has ended. The new program, launching Oct. 1 with the tip-off of NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports, gives Adidas access to Europe to manufacture and market there such products as replica player jerseys, team warm-up collections, shooting shirts, official practice wear and Adidas compression undergarments, per the companies. The Adidas Originals brand will sell "NBA Soul Swingman" jerseys inspired by the NBA's line of Hardwood Classics products and replica jerseys worn by NBA legends. Sal LaRocca, EVP of NBA global merchandising, says the NBA and Adidas will support the partnership through a mix of global marketing and media initiatives, including the NBA Europe Live game, grassroots events and branded media programs in the 215 countries in which the league distributes content. "Adidas is the leading footwear and apparel company in Europe -- they have a terrific retail and branding presence in Europe, Russia, Turkey and other key NBA markets," LaRocca tells Marketing Daily . "So ultimately, it unifies the overall apparel program on a worldwide basis -- it allows us to have merchandise distributed all over the world." He notes that Adidas has branded stores throughout Europe as well as a branded presence beyond its own stores. "That gives us a very significant combination for distributing products," he says, adding that the NBA already has branded "store-in-store" sections in all Adidas stores, and also has co-branded Adidas/ NBA shops. "What will ultimately happen is Adidas' marketing plan for Europe will be tailored to focus on the introduction of new NBA-branded products." In Europe, basketball is second only to football (called soccer in the United States). LaRocca says basketball is becoming more popular. "All of our indicators point to growth, especially as we continue to have European players playing in the NBA. We see the growth in the sport there from boys and girls through teens and adults, and with the Olympics in London in 2012, we have another opportunity."
Ford Motor Company, which has been with "American Idol" as automotive sponsor for all nine seasons of the Fox hit, is adding car customization to its involvement with the show during this season. Central to the program, which involves a promotional on www.AmericanIdol.com, are 12 versions of Ford's new Fiesta, which goes on sale this summer, based on designs by the 12 Idol contestants. Ford says four of its young designers reviewed questionnaires from the "Idol" contestants, traveled to Hollywood to meet with them and helped each contestant develop the Fiesta design. The vehicles -- actually mock-ups of the vehicles -- were shown during an episode of the show last week about the process by which the contestants dreamed up the customized cars with Ford. As part of the program, Ford is holding a "Ford Music Video Challenge" for 12 consecutive weeks. The 12 winners each get to choose one of the "Idol"-designed cars for themselves, which Ford will then build for them. They also win a trip to the set of a Ford music video shoot for the show, and the show's finale. "This is really building on what we have done before -- you will still see vehicles each week on Ford music videos, but this is different because we were able to bring in our designers to customize these vehicles," says Connie Fontaine, manager, Ford brand content and alliances. She says that Ford's goal is not to get as much TV screen time as possible, but rather to drive consideration with Web-based elements so that the brand isn't too obtrusive during the actual show. "A lot of what Ford does around 'Idol' is online," she says. "We thought it was important to seed the idea in that first week of the top 12, then do integrations in music videos and with a very strong online integration as well. We want everything we do on air to feel relevant, credible and organic."
You know what real men have been missing? A soothing hand lotion made just for them -- one that helps heals all those scrapes they get firing up chainsaws and banging on wrenches, and moisturizes too. Or at least that's the way Joseph A. DePreta, VP/Marketing for Wharton Innovative Products, which is launching a new product called On The Job Hand Lotion, sees it. "There's a considerable trend away from metrosexual products for men, and a strong migration to more masculine, manly man products," he tells Marketing Daily. So far, the new product is sold in Meijers, the Midwestern grocery chain, and such hardware stores as Ace, True Value and Do it Best. "The timing, psycho-graphically, is ideal." DePreta is determined to see it launched nationally, and tells us about the journey so far: Q: So how did you get involved with this launch?A: Back in 2005, folks from Wharton came to see us. At that time I was the managing partner at North Castle, a 120-person agency, handling brands like Hershey and Ocean Spray. But the elevator pitch for this product really grabbed me: "Skincare for the working guy ...sold where the working guy already shops." So I spent a lot of time on it there, and, eventually brought it with me when I went to Dentsu, still believing there was potential. We started testing in 2008. And then I joined the company in April 2009, but I've been with the brand since its infancy. Q: Do he-men really want soft, smooth hands?A: There really is a big market for this. We tested the brand in Kansas City -- a totally unknown brand with zero awareness. After just a week of advertising, we were selling between 9 and 11 units per store per week. There really is no other product like this -- it promotes healing, and these guys have banged-up hands. Q: How is it different?A: It's that it contains a healant. There is a dual tube inside the product, so when you squeeze it, one side is an antiseptic, and the other is moisturizing. It absorbs quickly, and it's scent-free. Whether it's a tradesman, a do-it-yourselfer, or a sportsman -- it solves an ongoing problem. Q: So you've stuck with the same launch model?A: No. We've changed that "sold where the working man already shops" a little. And we still plan to have all the hardware stores for distribution, but we are not pursuing the Home Depot and Lowe's as we once were. Instead, we're going much more after the "mass class" chains -- CVS, Target, Walgreens. Q: But don't mostly women shop there?A: Yes. But women make about 80-plus percent of the personal care product purchases for men. And there's a little of that Irish Spring thing going on with this product -- women are using it, too. The level of brand evangelism is really high. Q: What are the obstacles to national distribution?A: It's hard to understand this product -- it's a very disruptive brand. When we met with the execs at large chains, who have to go through such an extensive vetting process for new products, it's hard to explain. They look at Vaseline Intensive Care for Men, for instance, and see it sells only a half unit per store per month. So that's their point of comparison. But this is a different product. I think it's like Axe -- no one was sitting around waiting for a body spray for young men. But with smart marketing, this became one of the most successful launches ever for Unilever. Q: So what's next?A: We have a national ad program ready to go; the print campaign, which we used in the Kansas City test, just won a gold ADDY. But we can't implement it until we have truly national distribution, and we're feverishly working to do that. In the meantime, we're also readying a national online campaign and a robust ecommerce site, which we expect to be up by Aug. 1. We've got a strategic manufacturing alliance with a larger company, DMI, a national manufacturer and packager, so we have the capacity to produce massive amounts. We need to name it, claim it, and stake it nationally to be pre-emptive.
Consumers who buy environmentally friendly appliances come from all over, but they have some similar characteristics -- namely, a love of the outdoors. According to a new study from Scarborough Research, cities as diverse as Honolulu, Hawaii; Green Bay, Wis., Portland, Ore., and San Francisco, Calif. are the leading cities for green appliance households. Leading the pack: Green Bay and Honolulu, where 40% of households have energy-saving appliances, as do 39% of households in Portland and 38% in San Francisco. On a national level, roughly a third (32%) currently have green appliances, according to the study. "What you find is that makers across the country are adopting this [green] philosophy," Howard Goldberg, senior vice president of Scarborough Research, tells Marketing Daily. "It's not just the Californias and the markets you might expect." And the trend should only pick up. According to Goldberg, 54% of people who plan to buy an energy-saving appliance in the next year haven't even shopped for one. As more consumers become aware of government rebates for turning in older appliances for newer, energy-efficient ones, the pace of shopping should pick up, he says. "That leaves a tremendous opportunity for retailers and manufacturers to get their brands in front of consumers," Goldberg says. One place they may want to begin looking is at people who already own such appliances. Many consumers who already own energy-saving appliances have an affinity for other things environmental. According to Scarborough, they are 31% more likely to eat organic food and 21% more likely to garden. They're also more likely to participate in outdoor activities such as running, biking, jogging, and especially hiking. They also tend to be looking for good deals. According to Scarborough, owners of energy-efficient appliances are 20% more likely to live in a household that uses coupons for non-grocery products and services twice a month or more. More than half of them (55%) also live in a household that typically gets coupons from the Sunday newspaper (but they're also 33% more likely to get coupons via e-mail or text message). Marketers looking to capture these customers would be wise to consider these proclivities when putting together their media plans, Goldberg suggests. They may want to consider sponsoring a local race or other outdoor activity, have a presence at organic local markets and place ads near the coupons in Sunday papers, he says. "We can see how the early adopters behave from the data," he says. "It's about getting the right message out and getting them in front of these consumers."
Hilton Hotels and Southwest Airlines rank highest in brand equity in their categories, according to market research firm Harris Interactive's 2010 EquiTrend study. The annual brand equity study measures over 1,000 brands across 42 categories, five of which focus on travel and tourism. "In an economic environment in which budgets for both leisure and business travel are ever-shrinking, it is more important than ever for brands to set themselves apart from the competition in order to attract a larger base of consumers," says Allison Powell, research director for Harris Interactive's travel and tourism research practice, in a release. Top hotels also included Westin and Sheraton. Hilton showed a notable increase from 2009 -- overtaking Marriott, which led the category for the past several years. Not surprisingly, value hotels score lower on brand equity than the higher-end brands; however, the reverse is not necessarily extended to luxury hotel brands. Four Seasons, while seen as one of the highest-quality brands, scores lower on purchase consideration, likely because of its high-end price tag, according to the study. Southwest Airlines continues to dominate all other airlines in brand equity for the second year in a row. In addition to receiving higher ratings for quality and purchase consideration, Southwest has a much higher emotional connection with consumers than other airline brands. The low-cost carrier's move to set itself apart from other airlines by not having assigned seats and fostering an environment of high employee morale continues to pay off, according to the study. Consumers recognize Southwest's good forward momentum by seeing the brand as being "ahead of the game" among airline brands. Virgin Atlantic and Alaska Air rank second and third in brand equity, with Frontier Airlines and US Airways at the bottom of the category. "Interestingly, while hotels have reacted to current economic conditions by offering the lowest room rates in years, airlines have attempted to make up shortfalls in revenue by charging passengers for services that were once complementary," Powell says. Only one airline -- Southwest -- made the top 10 brand list for the overall travel category. Princess Cruises and Enterprise Rental Cars rank highest in brand equity for their categories. Princess Cruises, a premium cruise line, ranks highest in brand equity, while the most familiar brand in cruises, Carnival, ranks lowest. Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean rank second and third in brand equity, with Royal Caribbean displaying the most brand energy in the category with consumers indicating the brand is "ahead of the game." For the second consecutive year, Enterprise Rent-A-Car ranks highest in brand equity, followed by Hertz Car Rental and Budget Rent A Car. Enterprise's highest ranking is driven by rising purchase consideration for the brand over the past three years, Powell says. This year's EquiTrend study was conducted online Jan. 12-21 among 19,708 U.S. consumers ages 15 and older. The total number of brands rated was 1,151. Each respondent was asked to rate a total of 60 randomly selected brands. Each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings. Data were weighted to be representative of the entire U.S. population of consumers ages 15 and older on the basis of age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, and income, and data from respondents ages 18 and older were also weighted for their propensity to be online. The study evaluates measures including: equity, consumer connection, commitment, energy, brand behavior, brand advocacy and trust. The keystone to the program is equity, which provides an understanding of a brand's overall strength and is determined by a calculation of familiarity, quality and purchase consideration.
Kraft Food's Philadelphia Cream Cheese is teaming with Food Network star Paula Deen to launch "Real Women of Philadelphia," an online community to be led by "real life" cooks/hosts chosen via an online video and live cook-off competition. The community, at www.PaulaDeen.com/RealWomen, is the core platform for an integrated, multichannel initiative spanning numerous digital elements, a cookbook and experiential cooking tour, PR and traditional media. The "Real Women" program, in turn, ties closely with the brand's "Spread a Little Philly" ad campaign from McGarryBowen, which stresses consumers' emotional connection with the brand ("Spread a Pheeling") and brings greater focus than in the past to the product's versatility in cooking/baking, as well as snacks. Starting March 29 and running through May 23, home cooks are being encouraged to "audition" by submitting videos of themselves preparing their best Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipes. (The site provides step-by-step video and how-to advice, although the focus is on content/ personality rather than technical video mastery.) Deen and judges will choose 16 semifinalists, who will then compete in a cook-off in Deen's hometown of Savannah, Ga. to be live-streamed on the site. The four winners (one each in the categories of appetizers, entrées, side dishes and desserts) will be awarded $25,000 talent contracts that include hosting their own weekly online cooking shows on the community site, being featured in a community cookbook and cooking videos, and participating in publicity tours. Once in their online roles, the hosts will encourage other women to submit their own favorite Philly recipes, with one winner ($500 prize) chosen each day over 16 weeks, according to Adam Butler, senior associate brand manager, Kraft Foods. Once these recipes, along with the "Real Women" hosts', are compiled into a cookbook, the hosts will embark on a cross-country experiential cooking tour. The community site will also feature users' recipes, ideas and videos, along with weekly tips videos from Deen. Other digital aspects of the program will include "robust social media engagement" via the brand's Facebook fan page, Twitter feed and other outreach. (A YouTube-hosted video of Deen explaining the "Real Women" competition is already featured/embedded in the Facebook fan page wall.) Kraft Foods channels such KraftFoods.com, partnerships with "mom blogs" and the corporate CRM/email communications database will also be leveraged, Butler reports. Philadelphia Cream Cheese has engaged in a variety of digital efforts in the past, including social media, partnerships, search and banner ad campaigns and how-to videos pushed out via digital networks. However, "Real Women" represents the first multi-component, UGC-based program guided by an integrated, cohesive strategy. "We're employing all of the learnings from previous [digital] efforts" to "deliver at a higher level," sums up Butler. Kraft has challenged all of its brands to "elevate" the power of their digital strategies, and with the shift to a greater emphasis on cooking and baking, connecting consumers through online, user-generated cooking content was a natural for the #1 cream cheese brand, Butler says. "People love to cook with Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and online is where everyone goes for recipes and ideas now," he notes. "Content has enhanced credibility in the digital space." The brand will build on its digital momentum via ongoing testing and employing real-time data, search results and user feedback on recipes and content to hone its offerings to the needs of the market, Butler adds. This week, Philly also launched a new 15-second television spot featuring Deen and the "Real Women" theme, considered a companion to another 15-second, cooking-oriented spot that debuted in January, Butler notes. Deen is also featured in a new "Real Women" Philadelphia Cream Cheese magazine print ad (and is scheduled to appear on "The View" on March 26). The digital initiative, including video production, Web site development and community management, was developed by EQAL in collaboration with Digitas and Kraft Foods. Social media strategy is being handled by DEI Worldwide, PR by Edelman, the tour by OgilvyAction and media by The KraftOne team of Digitas and Mediavest.
Top 10 DMAs in which reside adults who visit a casino in the past year: 1 Las Vegas 2 New Orleans 3 Fresno/ Visalia, Calif. 4 Albuquerque/ Santa Fe, N.M. 5 San Diego, Calif. 6 Phoenix 7 Hartford & New Haven, Conn. 8 Sacramento/ Stockton/ Modesto, Calif. 9 Flint/ Saginaw/ Bay City, Mich. 10 Buffalo, N.Y. Source: Scarborough Research, www.weknowthelocals.com