• VNU Hedges Bets -- Again -- Pitches Its Own, Cheap Alternative To Apollo by Joe Mandese

    In another puzzling twist to the erstwhile partnership of research giants VNU and Arbitron, VNU has quietly begun pitching clients on a lower cost, but methodologically inferior alternative to Apollo, the ambitious research project that would simultaneously measure the media exposure and product purchases of a single sample. Apollo, a so-called single-source system that is frequently referred to as the "Holy Grail" of marketing and media research, would create a gigantic panel of households equipped with Arbitron's portable people meters and product purchase scanning technology from VNU's ACNielsen HomeScan unit. The system, backed vigorously by Procter & Gamble, the world's ... ...Read the whole story

  • Carat Buys More Than :60, Arranges '60 Minutes' Exclusive For Philips by Wayne Friedman

    By selling an entire upcoming "60 Minutes" show to Royal Philips Electronics in an exclusive sponsorship deal, CBS has given media agency executives some hope in addressing the long-time commercial clutter problem. ...Read the whole story

  • The Games People Play, Sponsors Apparently Don't by Ross Fadner

    Video game developers, understanding the potential for branded sponsorship, are incorporating more and more examples of in-game media in their products, and media analysts, speaking at The Next Big Idea: the Future of Branded Entertainment conference in New York Wednesday, said advertisers are missing out on good opportunities. ...Read the whole story

  • 'Martha' On The Rebound, Now Her Daytime Series Is Showing Life by Wayne Friedman

    After slipping since its launch a couple of weeks ago, NBC Television Distribution's "Martha" daytime syndication show has shown some signs of life. The Martha Stewart-hosted show perked up 6 percent to a Nielsen Media Research 1.7 household rating. ...Read the whole story

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