Volkswagen is sponsoring the New York Rangers for the 2010-11 season in a deal with MSG that includes the VW logo on ice, vehicle displays at Madison Square Garden and on-air activation. The effort also includes an in-arena fan contest, the "Shoot. Score. Drive. Challenge," which puts VW cars and crossovers on ice -- literally -- for a promotional in-game contest dangling Volkswagen vehicles as prizes throughout the season. The promotion involves a game-intermission contest in which a Rangers fan takes a shot from the far blue line for the chance to win a two-year lease on a Volkswagen vehicle. Fans have to text a keyword to a shortcode to be revealed throughout the season in-arena and on MSG Network or go to NYRangers.com to vie for the chance to play. Volkswagen and MSG will promote the contest in the arena and on NYRangers.com, the MSG Network, and in tri-state area Volkswagen dealerships. Volkswagen also gets its logo on a Zamboni, and the brand gets exposure on MSG Network, where Volkswagen will promote the Power Play during games. Ben Freidson, manager of sports marketing at Volkswagen of America Inc., says the Rangers were the right partners because the automaker has a big retail footprint in the tri-state area. "We have a great dealer base here," he says. The two other major markets for VW are Miami and Los Angeles. Freidson says hockey is the right sport for the brand because the sport's fan base demonstrates strong loyalty for teams and for brands that associate with them. "It's very similar to soccer. Fans live and die by the sport. And there's an intense loyalty to brands that support the sport." "We still are challenged in terms of familiarity of the brand and products and consideration. We have strong brand awareness but we need to move the brand from niche to serious player and have people like us both for what we bring to the table as a brand but also our products. So sports platforms that get cars in front of people are important." Shortly after moving from Auburn Hills, Mich. to Herndon, Va., VW signed as sponsor of the DC United soccer team. The company also did a deal with the Verizon Center and the Washington Wizards. "The mid-Atlantic region was a great test market for us to do activation, measuring and what works for the brand in sports," says Freidson. The company also did a partnership with the Houston Dynamo last year. Dealership activation is important, according to Freidson. "Each dealership has rights to use team logos. And when people go into dealerships they will see Ranger-wrapped Volkswagen vehicles, point-of-sale materials. We are definitely pushing our 40-plus dealers in this area to leverage this because that's where these sponsorships become successful. Successful sponsorships are those where your strongest presence is outside the arena. It's our arrival; we have very aggressive goals and we want people to have us top of mind when they are making decisions."
Looks like America is longing for the Great Pumpkin this year: A new study from the National Retail Federation predicts that Halloween spending will jump to $5.8 billion, with the typical adult plunking down $66.28 -- up $10 from last year. This year, it's not just about the little ghouls. Four of 10 adults -- the most in the survey's history -- plan to dress in costume, up from 33% last year. And 11.5% of those in the survey will get their pets into the spirit of the holiday. (Petsmart already has a photo contest going, and its Howl-O-Ween Shop is featuring a Martha Stewart Mummy Dog costume, tandem looks, so you and your dog can dress alike, and canine lobster suits.) In all, the survey predicts that 148 million -- or 64% of us -- will celebrate somehow, with 72% planning to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters, 50% decorating their home or yard, and 46% carving a pumpkin. They'll spend the most on costumes ($23.37), followed by candy ($20.29), decorations ($18.66) and greeting cards ($3.95). Marketers, naturally, are lining up for their share of that spending. Hostess, for example, is running a "Hand Out Hostess On Halloween" promotion, offering a $1 million jackpot, as well as other prizes -- including the chance to be drawn in to the cover of a DC Comics comic book cover. Its Justice League-themed snack cakes feature DC Comics' Super Heroes Green Lantern, The Flash, Superman, and Batman. The NRF, which conducted the survey with BIGResearch and included 9,300 adults, attributes some of the increase to timing. Since the holiday falls on a Sunday, families have all weekend to celebrate. Young adults, as usual, are most eager to say boo, with 69.4% of 18-to-24-year-olds planning to dress up, 55.4% either throwing or attending a party, and 38.6% planning to visit a haunted house. Retailer Party City predicts that modern-day vampires, 1980s throwback costumes (think Madonna and Cyndi Lauper), as well as looks inspired by Lady Gaga and "Jersey Shore" cast members, will be among the most popular. Some trick-or-treaters are still spooked by the economy, though. The NRF says almost a third plan to cut back because of the economy, spending less overall.
Toyota, Microsoft and Citgo are sponsoring Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day, an annual event that gets museums and cultural centers around the country to offer for a day what the Smithsonian Institution does all the time: free admission. The organization says more than 1,300 museums are participating in the Sept. 25 event, and that last year over 300,000 people took advantage and two million people went to Smithsonian.com to get info. Toyota -- which is presenting sponsor, supporting the Avalon -- will provide docent tours, interactive trivia contests and giveaways at the Dallas Museum of Art; the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Ill.; The Autry National Center in L.A.; Tower Hill Botanic Garden Boylston, Mass. and the Tampa Museum of Art. Toyota's involvement includes broadcast, print and online experiences: In Smithsonian Magazine and online, Toyota will present something called "Featured Five," a listing about each of the venues. Toyota will also donate $1 -- up to $10,000 -- to museum programming nationwide for each online consumer query about its Avalon full-sized sedan. Microsoft's participation in-book presence touts the company's "Make Education Great" corporate campaign. Microsoft will give away tip cards at the museums on how to 'Make Your Museum Visit Great." The cards also encourage ticketholders to use Microsoft Office products and direct visitors to the "Make Education Great" hub to enter to win $25,000 to help schools in their areas. Microsoft's logo will be present on all Museum Day promotional materials, the sponsor page and the Museum Day Ticket. The Smithsonian Web site also has links to sponsors' sites. Rosie Walker, associate publisher, marketing and sales development at Smithsonian Media, tells Marketing Daily that this is the first time for Toyota as a sponsor of the program, now in its sixth year. She says Hyundai was involved in 2008. The organization is expecting a 50% increase this year. "Participation was up 40% last year and the year before that as well," says Walker. Toyota helped choose the five museums at which it will have a major presence, including vehicle displays, because they are in key markets for the automaker and their cultural diversity ranges from science to art. "They also hit Avalon's key demographics," says Walker. The Adler Museum will actually haul out a solar telescope it usually doesn't move outside and set it up next to the Avalon. The automaker's advertorial in Smithsonian Magazine will be complemented by online branding at Smithsonian.com and TV spots on the Smithsonian channel.
Despite continued heavy price promotion activity among CPGs, General Mills continued to show strong performance during its 2011 fiscal first quarter. The company reported 13% growth in net earnings (diluted EPS of $0.70) and net sales growth of 1% (to $3.53 billion). Recent product launches -- including Chocolate Cheerios, Wheaties Fuel, new grain snack bars and fruit snack varieties, new Yoplait Greek yogurt varieties and Yoplait Splitz layered yogurts -- helped drive a 2% increase in U.S. retail sales to $2.45 billion, on top of 6% sales growth in last year's first quarter. Key existing brands also showed growth. These included Multigrain Cheerios, Fiber One, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Yoplait original and Yoplait Light, Green Giant frozen vegetables, Old El Paso Mexican foods and Betty Crocker cake and frostings. The growth was supported by increased marketing: Advertising and media expenditures rose 8% during the quarter. Chairman/CEO Ken Powell also cited the company's continued focus on holistic margin management as a key factor in its earnings performance. Lines showing U.S. net sales growth included Big G cereals (4%), snacks (5%), Yoplait (4%) and meals (3%). The organic/natural products line Small Planet Foods gained 15%, reflecting growth from Cascadian Farm cereals and granola bars. Lines that showed declines included Pillsbury (down 3%, against a double-digit gain in last year's comparable period) and baking products (down 6%). The Q1 performance exceeded the expectation of analysts, who characterized it as good news for the food industry as a whole, given the promotional climate. General Mills confirmed that its 2010 fiscal performance included 18% growth in diluted EPS (to $2.24) and net sales growth of 1% (to $14.8 billion).
Smart agencies understand they need to find a new way to work. But the question remains: What will this new way of working look like? It could be, as CP+B's Chuck Porter quipped, a bunch of bright people sitting in a room. But, in advertising, we tend to look to other agencies, media companies and technology companies for inspiration. There is, however, one organization that could point the way to unexpected results: The U.S. Army. At first blush, you won't find disciplines as culturally divergent as the advertising business and the U.S. Army. Soldiers speak of duty, selfless service to a greater good and personal courage. Advertisers speak of, well, not that. It might be instructive to look beyond our media subculture for inspiration. The U.S. Army has been building highly creative, responsive, adaptive and organized teams for decades. Specifically: The U.S. Army Special Forces. The U.S. Army Special Operations Forces (or SF) has a short list of stated missions, including: Unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, direct action and foreign internal defense. They must be able to deploy rapidly and solve the world's most difficult and delicate problems with a minimum of supplies, time and support. Each SF team consists of 12 people. Each team member is an expert in a particular subject matter, such as weapons, communications, medical and engineering. The team is led by a core command group of a Commander, Assistant Commander, Operations Sergeant and Operations/Intelligence NCO, who handles much of the recon. Besides the deadly and covert nature of this expertise, this organizational philosophy is not dissimilar to many small, fast-moving companies. What sets SF apart is that each member of the team must be cross-trained in the other fields. This is useful in two ways. First, if the weapons expert is injured or separated, other members of the teams can fill this role as needed. More importantly (and more applicable to advertising), no one on the team is saddled with a knowledge deficit. In discussing the best plan of attack, each person is perfectly conversant in all strategies, objectives and tactics, and can provide thought leadership and innovation. Intuitively, this leads to a more dynamic and creative unit. The small team size and flatter structure also allows for faster action. In addition to individual training and cross-training, there is also collective training and language training. Teams are taught to work together and to learn difficult new concepts quickly. SF even recruits in an unconventional way. Hollywood fuels the perception that Special Forces take only the best of the best from existing soldiers. While true, there is also an enlistment option called 18 X. This option allows average potential recruits to make the jump from citizen to Special Forces Soldier, although the process takes up to two years. The stereotype of the U.S. Army is that it is a large, slow-moving and traditional organization, but in reality it allows the possibility that someone without prior training might make one of the most accomplished soldiers. My favorite aspect of the Army's organizational philosophy is the value of the many over the value of the individual. Special Forces teams blend into the local landscape. They are not subject to the usual Army dress code and, ideally, the world will never see their hand at work. They have an enormous influence on world events, yet remain anonymous and uncredited. Their reward comes in the challenge of the mission and the bonds they build with the men with whom they serve. In advertising, we talk about "rock stars." We venerate those few minds that drive influence, change and culture -- Bernbachs, Della Feminas, Wiedens and Boguskys. We each fight over credit for ads or campaigns that do well. We hop from agency to agency to build up our personal brand value. If we followed the Army philosophy, our reward would come from working on a winning team, from being part of a larger, tightly-bound, social dynamic. We need more "we" and less "me," to boil this down into the elevator pitch. What is the result of all this unconventional thinking by the U.S. Army Special Forces? The smartest, fastest, most creative teams on earth. Special Forces teams help to fight and deter terrorists, capture dictators and free countless people. Indeed, their motto is "De Oppresso Liber" or "To Liberate the Oppressed." Imagine what they might do with a packaged goods brief. Or what we might do by borrowing a few pages from the U.S. Army Special Forces playbook.
Top 10 DMAs in which reside adults who agree with the statement, "I try to eat a healthy breakfast every day": 1 New York 2 San Francisco/ Oakland/ San Jose 3 Boston (Manchester, N.H.) 4 Chicago 5 San Diego, Calif. 6 Hartford & New Haven, Conn. 7 Tucson (Sierra Vista), Ariz. 8 Colorado Springs/ Pueblo, Colo. 9 Providence/ New Bedford, Mass. 10 Tampa/ St. Petersburg (Sarasota), Fla. Source: GfK MRI's Market-by-Market study, www.gfkmri.com