This week Best Buy outlets around the country began selling in-box versions of OnStar, General Motors' telematics product that until now, has only been available in GM vehicles. As in GM cars and trucks, the new product, OnStar FMV (For My Vehicle), comes as technology integrated into a rear-view mirror assembly. To support the retail rollout, the company launches a national campaign on Aug. 1 with a theme that OnStar is now in a box, explains Greg Ross, the VP of business extensions for GM, who was in New York on Monday at Best Buy's flagship in Union Square. He tells Marketing Daily that the new effort "explains that all of the features, the technology, the engineering are packaged in a way that lets you easily put it in your car." He adds that Best Buy will be central to the message. "It will show people coming into a Best Buy and picking up OnStar." The effort, on prime time, cable and network, comprises a range of ads, an Internet presence and social media on its Facebook page -- which, per Ross, has 280,000 fans. "We have been using that quite a lot to get the word out about this," he says. "For example, we have a promotion running right now giving away [an OnStar] mirror every day to Facebook fans." Ross adds that Best Buy held a private sale [Sunday night] to Best Buy Reward Zone members in several hundred stores around the country. "The challenge, strategically, is we know a lot about how to do OnStar services, but what we don't know how to do is retail. So a partner like Best Buy helps a lot in things we might not have even thought about, like how to present OnStar at retail, and even what the box itself should look like." Ross says the new ads really aren't so much about what OnStar is, since awareness of the brand is already very high, although the ads do touch on key services surrounding safety and security. "The heroes in it are the box -- but also live-advisor support and service providers, whether it's emergency responders, fire, or police, because we spent a lot of time building strong relationships with those communities," he says. The company has been seeding the market in various ways for several months to get the word out, starting at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, where it was nominated for Best In Show. And then on "Celebrity Apprentice," part of which was actually shot in the Union Square Best Buy, the final challenge had contestants trying to communicate that OnStar is available in a box. "We knew we wanted to get that across, so it couldn't have been more perfect," says Ross, adding that the show brought in a lot of online opt-ins and queries about when the product would be available. "We are sending emails responses today," says Ross. "The great thing for us with these campaigns is that we already have a set of hand raisers. But we also have relationships already with six million [General Motors] customers, and a lot of them don't have exclusively GM cars in their households. Now they don't have to wait until they are in market for a new car to put in their existing vehicles." Ross says the first sale of the OnStar FMV was to an owner of a 2003 Ford Explorer, a reflection of where the opportunity is for OnStar as a stand-alone brand. "There's 230 million cars on the road, and people are keeping their vehicles six, eight, ten years," he says.
Fox will slow down the consumption of its TV shows online with a new plan pushed by a deal with Dish Network, with similar arrangements coming from Fox's other cable, satellite and telco TV distributors. Starting in two weeks, a Fox deal with Dish will require users to be pay TV subscribers of Dish in order to view a Fox TV episode the next day on digital video site Hulu. If not, users must wait eight days before seeing a Fox episode for free. Fox broadcasts "Glee," "Family Guy" and "MasterChef," among others. Many Fox shows have been available for viewing the day after their traditional TV broadcast on Hulu -- as well as programs from other major TV networks. News Corp., the owner of Fox, along with Comcast Corp., Walt Disney, and Providence Equity Partners, are partners in Hulu. Viewers who subscribe to Hulu Plus, a $7.99-per-month service, will still be able to see shows the next day. The deal with Dish goes into effect August 15th. Analysts say the shift in delaying online video viewing comes from pressure from cable, satellite, and telco companies that have been making carriage deals with the networks -- those that feel threatened by new online video destinations. "Our new authentication service will continue to provide next-day access to Fox broadcast shows for our viewers who subscribe to participating pay television providers," says Michael Hopkins, president of affiliate sales and marketing for Fox Networks. To watch new episodes of Fox shows the next day, viewers can visit Fox.com, Hulu.com, Dishonline.com or the online TV portals of any future participating distributors and log in with their subscriber usernames and passwords.
Rumblefish released an application programming interface giving software developers a pipeline to integrate licensed music and soundtracks into mobile and Web applications through its FriendlyMusic portal found on the company's new Web site Tuesday. Brand advertisers looking to crowdsource ads from sites such as YouTube or Zooppa, a user-generated advertising community with more than 100,000 members who set music to videos, can feel more comfortable with licensed tunes. The API launched in private beta with a handful of companies in the second quarter of 2011. There are 400,000 available songs for film, TV, advertising, video games, and social media. The biggest challenge for brands integrating user-generated content into video or television ads remains licensing music, explains Rumblefish Founder and CEO Paul Anthony. The API allows brands, members of social sites, and ad agencies to license music directly through Rumblefish for $1.99 per song per video. While the music industry has put up a few roadblocks when it comes to licensing music, Rumblefish acquired the appropriate rights from the holders, Anthony explains. "It's a big deal to offer a song for a video at this low price and guarantee the license forever," he said. "It takes work to make it this easy." About 4 million songs licensed from Rumblefish's music catalog appear in user-generated videos, slide shows, presentations and games. New content partnerships have expanded the company's music catalog during the past year from 35,000 to more than 400,000 songs. Last year, the company inked a deal with YouTube to provide consumers with a tool to find and license the soundtracks for online videos. Now through the API, the music licensing company extends that service to other companies. One of those partners, Kaiser Permanente, has worked with Rumblefish for several years to give employees across the company access to a custom version of FriendlyMusic's platform to brand the company with licensed music. The first version launched in beta about three years ago. Dozens of KP employees tested the first and the second versions, but Scott Power, KP's senior brand strategist spearheading the infamous "Thrive" campaign, expects hundreds to tap into the third. KP's marketers and advertising departments, as well as event planners, have access to about 300 preapproved songs spanning numerous genres and six brand attributes. The latest version of the "Thrive" campaign focuses on music. "The brand sounds like confidence," Power said, pointing to some of the radio spots that now talk about how music makes people feel better. Power said the IT group has also begun to use the music for a variety of services such as on-hold music for the telephone system. The group estimates saving about $300,000 during the next five years by licensing music from Rumblefish. The next phase of the "Thrive" campaign will look at bringing doctors into the fray, many of whom play musical instruments. While it's not clear whether doctors will produce a musical CD, Power said one thing's for certain -- the campaign's theme continues to emphasize how KP and music heals the mind, the body and the soul.
As Hulu and Netflix continue to square off, it's important to note key behavioral differences between their respective audiences. According to new research from Nielsen, the vast majority of Hulu viewers get their video fixes via computer, while far less Netflix users rely on their "small screens." Specifically, 89% of Hulu users consume its content directly on a computer, while 42% of Netflix users report watching shows and movies on their computers. Hulu and Netflix users also trend toward different content types, according to Nielsen. Nearly three-fourths -- 73% -- of Hulu users primarily view TV shows, compared to just 11% of Netflix users. On the flip side, more than half -- 53% -- of Netflix users primarily watch movies, while a mere 9% of Hulu users say the same. While "Netflix and Hulu have both attracted reams of followers ... these results underscore the different strengths of the brands based on their content offerings," Jo Holz, senior vice president of Client Research Initiatives at Nielsen, said via email. "While Netflix has a large library of movies, Hulu established itself and remains primarily a TV destination." Hulu recently went on the block, but despite their complementary usage segments, Netflix is reportedly not in the running to acquire the company. Also of note, twice as many Netflix users as Hulu users watch both movies and TV shows equally. Overall, about 15% of Hulu users -- and 14% of Netflix users -- report that they stream by connecting their computer to the TV. Other over-the-top Internet-enabled devices, such as Roku Box, Google TV and Apple TV, were also cited as a means for connecting with Hulu and Netflix. As such, respondents were able to select more than one viewing method to best reflect their viewing habits. For its research, Nielsen completed more than 12,000 online interviews in March 2011, focusing on usage and attitudes for over-the-top video, particularly Netflix and Hulu.
New bells and whistles on Internet-connected televisions aren't going to waste, according to a new survey. Turns out they are being used regularly. Over 60% of Internet-connected TV households use TV apps at least once per week, according to Scottsdale, Ariz.-based In-Stat. New wave TVs allow consumers to connect with Netflix, YouTube, Facebook, and more. "As expected, Netflix and YouTube currently dominate the TV application space," says Keith Nissen, research director at In-Stat. "But as Netflix competitors become more numerous and as applications are optimized for the big screen, TV apps will become part of the mainstream TV viewing experience." Right now, In-Stat says 22% of U.S. TV households already own an HDTV with integrated TV apps. Connected TVs with integrated TV applications will grow by an average 36% over the next five years. Still, the survey says TV apps are not the primary reason for purchasing connected TVs -- and that consumer behavior of these new TV apps doesn't lead to more purchasing of other video content, especially when it comes to customers of Netflix. In-Stat says consumers now favor both traditional pay-TV and online video services, which have risen to 30% in 2010 from 18% previously. In regard to DVR use, the research suggests playback of DVR programming does not lead to increased use of free video-on-demand services from a TV programming service.
Moving toward a world of complete TV messaging targeting, Comcast and NBC Universal have adopted dynamic ad insertion for the company's video-on-demand programming. Dynamic ad insertion allows for advertisements to be easily changed at any time. Comcast says it has begun rolling this out in several markets, with plans to expand to the majority of Comcast markets in the coming year. Chrysler and Kraft are the premiere advertisers. Media executives believe dynamic ad insertion will move the needle when it comes to complete TV commercial addressability -- which can target specific homes and viewers according to their needs. Canoe Ventures, of which Comcast Corp. is a partner with other big cable operators, is pursuing TV advertising addressability. Comcast says programming on USA Network, E!, Syfy, Bravo Media and Oxygen Media that airs On Demand on Comcast Cable systems will be part of the rollout. Commercials running prior to and after a show (pre-roll and post-roll ads) will be subject to dynamic ad insertion. Later in the year, this will include mid-roll commercials -- those that run in the show. "On Demand programming is a key way to reach today's consumers and an important part of an advertiser's marketing mix," stated Ed Swindler, executive vice president, NBCUniversal advertising sales. "This capability helps make the service more advertiser-friendly, giving clients greater flexibility to ensure their ads remain timely and relevant." Commercials are usually inserted manually into On Demand programming and remain in place throughout a show's full window of availability. This dynamic ad insertion technology comes from Black Arrow's Advanced Advertising System, allowing ads to be changed or revised when necessary. Comcast will make this available to other programming networks on its systems, working with Canoe Ventures. It says it will move a broader footprint covering more cable operators by early 2012. Comcast's local advertising sales group, Comcast Spotlight, has also started to bring digital ad insertion to local advertising clients.
"Project Runway," the hit A+E Networks Lifetime reality show and designer competition that is debuting in its ninth season Thursday, will encourage fans to use Twitter to vote on specific designers in a campaign dubbed "Fan Favorite." The 20 designers have been assigned their own hashtag consisting of #PR and their first name. Mass Relevance will assist A+E Networks by compiling the tweets and the votes. At the season end, the designer whose hashtag has been tweeted the most will become the fan favorite and receive a $10,000 cash prize, explains Evan Silverman, senior vice president of digital media for A+E Networks. "We were looking for a campaign that encourages fans to use social media in real time and in an open scalable platform that's visible to others that may, or may not, watch the show," he said. A 15-second spot that outlines the Fan Favorite campaign will air in each episode. Designer hashtags are being incorporated into the show. Every time a designer is on camera, Bunim/Murray Productions, the production company, will incorporate their Twitter Fan Favorite tag into the shot. The Project Runway Twitter account will moderate a live chat with three or four former designers or fashion experts during each episode of the show. The A+E digital group for the show is trying to understand the correlation between television ratings and social media conversation. Services such as Trendrr and Bluefin Labs are pioneering a new industry to measure social TV engagement, but they are clearly in the early stages with products and ability to draw exact correlations between the conversation and television ratings. "When the social media engagement levels are high for our shows, we often see spikes in ratings -- correlated or not, it's unclear," he said. "With Fan Favorite, we're looking to provide our passionate 'Project Runway' audience one more reason to engage in the social media conversation around the show." By tapping Twitter in a season-long, real-time voting contest, Silverman believes the show can increase the level of engagement significantly. When the social buzz increases the visibility and conversation around a show rises, it impacts television ratings. The idea to bring real-time live tweeting to the show, however, has an ironic twist. "Project Runway" is taped months in advance, which makes it a bit tricky for tweets to determine the outcome. Silverman said this is the first time "Project Runway" will stage a season-long voting competition to give fans a voice. Project Runway has done fan voting in the past, but this is the first time using Twitter to do so in real time. He said Twitter can't confirm whether this is the first campaign on the platform to leverage voting.
Looking for greater access to valuable set-top box data for its local TV research products, Nielsen has made a multi-year deal with Kantar Media for its consumer viewing data from DirecTV set top boxes. Nielsen will use Kantar Media's DIRECTView service in local TV audience measurement. Nielsen has developed a proprietary, hybrid methodology for the U.S. market that combines Nielsen's National People Meter panel data with set-top-box and other sources of data. Nielsen's local TV efforts would hopefully move it away from many local TV markets that still rely on diary-based measurement. In 2008 Kantar Media (then TNS Media Research) struck a deal with satellite programmer DirectTV to create an opt-in audience measurement panel of 100,000 DirecTV subscribers. Currently, DirectTV has 19.4 million subscribers. "DIRECTView is one of many sources of data Nielsen is incorporating in our efforts to provide higher quality local TV audience measurement," said Steve Hasker, president, Nielsen Media Products and Advertiser Solutions, in a release. He added: "Our innovative approach to enhance local TV measurement addresses the technological limitations of using set-top-box data alone, and we expect it will provide valuable benefits to local TV markets." George Shababb, president of Kantar Media Audiences North America, said: "The sample size and granularity made possible through return path data advances what audience measurement has traditionally been able to deliver and will help offer advertisers in local markets an improved service."
Home 3D Entertainment isn't a priority for consumers currently, but awareness and exposure outside the home -- in movie theaters, retail venues, and from portable devices -- continues to grow. The NPD Group says 3D glasses are the big problem -- overpriced -- with the majority of American consumers saying this halts any purchase of the new TV entertainment product. Pricing is the second deterrent, with 42% of consumers in May reporting that it was a hurdle to buying a 3D TV, up from 38% last September. The survey says overall awareness and purchase intent of 3D products declined in May 2011 versus October of last year. Executives have said 3D TV marketing efforts of sets and services may be slowing as a result of seasonal buying habits. NPD Group says consumers don't necessarily mind 3D entertainment away from the traditional living-room television set. One of the improving trends comes with portable devices, says the study, like the new portable handheld 3D video-game consoles. With the launch of products, such as Nintendo 3DS in February, consumer awareness climbed 13% in May from 5% last October. Some of the lull with 3D TVs comes from typical seasonal buying trends that affect all TV sales, says NPD Group. Newer 3D technologies may ease consumers back into the marketplace. "With lighter and less expensive active shutter glasses, a mix of smaller displays and the entry of passive 3D technologies into the market, the industry is offering more 3D options to consumers," stated Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at NPD. He credits a larger selection of Blu-ray titles, along with new digital delivery alternatives, as "helping to ease the path to 3D entertainment."
Allow me to demystify a monumental shift that is underway, hidden behind the buzzword of "the cloud." For those who don't care about the minor details (most people), for practical purposes the cloud is just the Internet. You use the cloud every day by accessing various websites and web-based services and don't even realize it - because the nomenclature is unimportant. The benefit is what matters, and the experience should be seamless. You don't really care about the exact broadcast technology that allows your favorite TV program to appear on your TV screen, you're just happy that it's there. The cloud as a delivery platform is changing the consumption dynamics and economics of the entertainment industry. It's as exciting to be a consumer as it is a marketer today! So Why Does The Cloud Matter? Consumers' demand for digital content, anywhere, on demand, and on any (or every) device has spawned the need to provide this access in an efficient and reliable manner. Advances in technology and the willingness and cooperation of the entertainment industry to provide a wider range of access have converged at a major milestone in history. Just ask Blockbuster Video. The reality of on-demand access to a wide array of content across all screens and devices is here. Well, mostly here. Today's generation may not have experienced a TV without a remote control, or a rotary telephone. But the next generation will find accessing content from anywhere other than the cloud to be a foreign or archaic concept. It's that big a deal. The Future of TV is the Web One of the downsides of being an early adopter is that you tend to forget that your media and gadget-based experiences are not yet indicative of the average consumer. Like all early adopters, I have seen the future. Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube and Vudu are just another set of channels on my Samsung-connected TV. But they are so much more than that, providing seamless experiences across multiple devices from the living room to smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and beyond. It's only a matter of time before original programming comes to these new digital channels. That said, there are still licensing issues and a brave new world where these new services coexist among traditional networks and MSOs - who happen to flex a lot more muscle and have a lot to lose. One thing's for sure - consumers want on-demand content, all the time, everywhere. The people have spoken. While the TV and movie industries are still evolving, many of us are already at the point where we can't live without Pandora. In addition to hours of entertainment, the discovery of new music and ease of purchase is fueling the growth of a new entertainment ecosystem. Amazon, Spotify, Google music, Apple's iCloud and others are banking on the ecosystem being big enough to support multiple entrants with varied offerings. The game is changing quickly. As marketers, it's vital to keep your eyes on the players and understand these new environments. In some cases new media opportunities are born, while in others they are cannibalized. Device Access - Still Early in the Game I'm a big fan of streamlined experiences. For the in-home experience, the single device model seems to be the most streamlined, but it is probably the least adopted currently. While some brands like Samsung have developed their own platforms, the GoogleTV model, a proven and familiar operating system adapted for the connected TV, is positioned to be the most logical one over time. Connected TV operating systems will surely beat out third party devices like AppleTV, Boxee, and Roku in the long term. Of course that means a real Apple TV is imminent. However, the popularity of gaming consoles may keep them in the running for some time. Bigger is Better Cloud computing requires massive infrastructure. The need for reliability, security and competitive pricing has thus far limited this space to those who can handle serious scale. Amazon, Google, Microsoft, AT&T, and a growing second tier --including Salesforce and the larger ISPs -- are leading the way. An alternate option is developing a private cloud. But ultimately the logistics don't really matter unless your job includes selecting a cloud provider. The downside however, is obvious. The bigger you are the harder you fall. When Amazon's cloud service crashed earlier this year, thousands of businesses, including FourSquare, Quora, Hootsuite, and most notably Sony's PlayStation Network, with its 75 million gamers, went offline, resulting in a substantial loss of revenue, and disappointing consumer experiences. While this shift to streaming, cloud-based entertainment is significant, it's no immediate threat to the status quo. The economic model still favors traditional broadcast distribution. TV consumption is actually on the rise. However, as adoption of connected TVs and cloud-based streaming entertainment proliferates, we'll need to figure out where the blurry line gets drawn on the practical definition of TV consumption.
Cathy Hetzel, corporate president of Rentrak, is a pioneer in interactive television and set-top-box data. Her first role at Rentrak was to ascertain whether Rentrak's home video business could be adapted to television. After helping to launch their Video On Demand measurement service by examining log data from the servers, she saw the possibility of set-top-box data as a new way to measure television. In this interview, Cathy talks about Rentrak, set-top-box data providers and the competitive landscape. She also offers some insights into the media landscape over the next few years. Below is a short excerpt of the interview, the complete version of which can be viewed here. CW: Let's talk about Rentrak's cross-platform initiatives. CH: We are starting with our on-demand service, where we have 100% market share of census-level on-demand television data for the U.S. We currently provide a dashboard for our on-demand clients to connect other data sources and give them an idea of where the transactions are coming from. Online can prove to be a challenging platform to analyze because generally, you think of online as something that is delivered via IP and is watched on a computer. However, it is also delivered potentially to a tablet or a mobile phone. What we are learning from our clients is that the most important thing for them is to understand is our viewing metrics, based on ad-supported, subscription and transactional business models. They would also like to understand what viewing is happening inside the home and in other places. Today, we can provide a roll up of on-demand transactions across TV, mobile and Internet. We can also flag certain data sets to indicate a portable device vs. a computer, and we will continue to expand our ability to track by device. CW: In addressable advertising, I think the metrics are more custom? CH: Today we see it as being more custom; client-by-client and partner-by-partner. In some cases, we are serving as a verification partner for our clients where they give us the information and we apply our standard editing rules such as "TV-on" and TV-off." In other cases, we are getting the raw data directly and creating the reporting on behalf of our clients. In all cases, addressable advertising metrics are only being shared between the advertiser and the operator, not aggregated and reported publicly as we do with our national and local TV measurement services. Agencies and advertisers have much more confidence in a third party who is vetting the data, versus getting the data directly from a service that might not impose Rentrak's same level of judicious analyzation in order to provide the most accurate and stable ratings metrics. CW: Deutsche Bank, the financial institution that brought out the Nielsen IPO, describes Rentrak as lacking momentum and offers its opinion on which Rentrak customers will drop the service. In a world of speculation and market positioning, what is your response to Deutsche Bank's prognosis? CH: We respectfully disagree with Deutsche Bank's assessment. They are simply wrong. Rentrak continues to make solid progress by integrating its census-level currency with third-party processors such as Donovan, Strata and One Domain, which enhance the tools used in the day-to-day business of buying and selling advertising. We have a robust client list and pipeline of local stations, national networks and advertising agencies. Remember, Rentrak is the only company that offers census-level VOD data to help our clients sell advertising and make important business decisions. This has always been a core part of our business, and Rentrak continues to lead the industry as we expand our services to provide the most advanced cross platform intelligence available today. (Weisler's disclosure: I own Rentrak stock.)
The changing face of the TV upfront market? You probably don't need anyone to drum you over the head concerning the improvement of cable networks, the up-and-down road of NBC, and the growth of Spanish-language networks. But if that isn't enough -- and you need some specifics -- just follow the money. Estimates are that Univision pulled in around $1.7 billion in the upfront. Sounds big? It happens to be around the same amount NBC pulled. Sure, we all know upfront deals are just "commitments" and that advertisers have options to pull back on that spending throughout the year. Univision's numbers also include its smaller broadcaster TeleFutura and its cable network Galavision. No doubt there are also differences in overall advertising/programming loads between NBC and Univision. Even with these differences, I'm reminded of stories written since the upfront was completed over a month ago. For example, a lot was made about how cable networks reeled in more money than broadcast networks -- about $8.9 billion in upfront deals to $8.5 billion, according to one estimate reported in MediaPost. What wasn't mentioned much in most of those stories was the apple-to-oranges relationship. Cable upfront revenue includes some 70 ad-supported networks compared with five to seven broadcast networks (some of which may include Spanish-language channels). Also, cable upfront tallies all day-parts and broadcasters just primetime. Even then, we understand that cable networks, like Spanish-language TV, is a growing business - or, for the most part, an indication of where marketers believe the growth is. For Spanish-language TV, this trend isn't new. For the better part of two decades, many researchers and futurists have estimated the rise of the Latin American U.S. population and thus TV viewers. The knock on TV marketers has been that they are sometimes slow to move. But David Lawenda, president of advertising sales and marketing for Univision, told The New York Times that the company has made big progress over the last year and a half, signing up 150 new brand advertisers -- with an additional 40 advertisers signed up since the upfront presentations in May. Many avenues exist for networks, new and old, to gain revenue -- and to gauge advertising health. But if you are NBC or another English-language network, you might, in the short term, look at all this and think -- in a growing digital entertainment world -- can other traditional networks also add new upfront advertisers? Internet advertising sales executives would say yes -- there are many advertising opportunities left to explore, and that comparisons, even rough dollar estimates against competitors, can foster new sales thinking.
Now here is a study in contrast between what seems to have the most impact on TV and what works online. Nielsen released its list of most-liked TV ads from the second quarter of 2011. Sentiment is the dominant theme among those spots, with the highest "likability index" scores (those ads noted by the consumer panel as being liked "a lot.") Topping the list is an Oreo spot in which a boy wakes up dad for a midnight Oreo snack in order to say "Happy Father's Day." Yeah, you'll get a little choked up. >Boys appear to be a theme lately. Also well-liked is a Chevrolet ad in which a boy practices saluting with his brother in order to salute his soldier Dad as he returns. It is interesting the next most-liked spot and many of the others on the top ten bunched generally did not trade on sentiment. Curiously, when it comes to sheer memorability, however, the Oreo spot is only ranked #4 on Nielsen's accompanying list of most-remembered spots. That list is topped by an Orville Redenbacher ad in which magician Criss Angel "magically" turns a microwave popcorn bag into a popcorn bowl, mystifying clueless suburbanites. It is also interesting that neither the Oreo spot nor the Angel spot have a lot of viral traction online. The former has gotten about 16,000 YouTube views and the latter only 74,000. So while tugging on heartstrings and goofy irony dominate mind share on TV, compare this to the current viral video Top Ten from Visible Measures. A lengthy mini-film from Justin Timberlake's turn at the ESPYs "I Love Sports" tops this week's list. Also present are comic spots for K-Swiss, an "Exorcist" spoof ad for Dirt Devil and the return of Old Spice guy, who appears to be super-caffeinated this time out. For years at digital marketing conferences we often asked the rhetorical question "What Web ad can you recall seeing?"-- or the more telling "Can a Web ad make you cry?" Well, arguably, video has helped solve the first issue, in that we regularly churn out "did you see this" moments online. But for heart-pulling-flag-waving-I-really-love-my-dad sentiment, somehow TV remains king of the tear-jerkers.
What a show, with dueling arguments and superstar spokesmen. But we can now announce a deal. It's done. Our long national nightmare is over. With rancorous negotiations behind us, and billions of dollars rescued, the nation is secure. I speak of course of the NFL Players Association agreement with management. Now we can get on with our lives, our liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, at least every Sunday. As to that other issue, raising the national credit card limit from $14.3 trillion to, well, whatever is more than that, of course, that will have to wait. As the world watches in amazement and/or horror on MMTV (minute-to-minute television), we have seven, that's seven, plans on the table. We have Reid and Boehner and CCB and McConnell and G6, the Grand Bargain and The Can (as in kick it). All but The Can have been pronounced as non-starters by one side or the other. And that will be vetoed by the President, he says, if Congress dares to pass it in the emergency which is already upon us. What goes on here? Deadlines have a way of providing focus, particularly when played out in the stark sight, sound and motion of television, as we watch much of the posturing give way to bottom line positions. And now we have the bottom line. It's the length of the deal. It's always been about the length of the deal. One side insists on an extension through 2012. The other side on a multistep process that insures we argue about this again, in the heart of the election season of 2012. Which, of course, will be the ultimate TV show. There you have it. And with that clarity, let's understand the depth of the trouble we're in. Our negotiators have now exposed the motives underlying their by-the-poll positions, and it is likely to have a similar effect: to default itself. That means interest rates rise, credit becomes even scarcer, the business environment gets more difficult. And it's not a walk in the park now. So what do we do? For those who have not yet made the mental adjustment, we're on our own. No help is coming to save the day. If we toil at IBM or for a garage start up, we're all entrepreneurs now. Everyone. Joseph Schumpeter, an economist and political scientist, was "a champion of innovation and entrepreneurship," according to The Economist magazine. From entrepreneurs, or "wild spirits" as he called them, come changes in a nation. He believed that these individuals are the ones who make things work. He said an entrepreneur "disturbs equilibrium" and is the prime cause of economic development. And he did not confine his view of the entrepreneur to individuals in new enterprises. He said that innovation also comes from the large companies that have the resources to invest in R&D which drives innovation. There is one more characteristic of the entrepreneur. It is leadership. Leadership means the willingness not just to innovate or launch a new enterprise or a new idea, but to accept responsibility for the outcome. It is to be accountable. All change begins with attitude change. It may be an odd time to think about the opportunities ahead of us, because the challenges appear so daunting. But that's when the largest gains are made. That's when the game is won. It is now up to all of us to disturb some equilibrium.
The NFL is coming back -- and TV marketers are breathing easier. But might they be gasping again? Back in April, NFL TV advertisers -- who target male viewers -- believed their fall marketing plans might be in big trouble, due to a possible league shutdown. The concern was big, said those executives, because there were few alternatives to run their media and make business hay. Now the league is seemingly good to go this season. But the frantic thinking that beset the business for months might reveal a seemingly underlying problem in the growing entertainment and marketing world. Is there just one potent media platform for male-targeted media plans? For many marketers, the NFL's performance dynamics are unmatched; limited inventory, high viewership and big consumer engagement stir the pot. One would think, in 2011, there would be other options. And some competing programmers -- cable TV and others -- might chime in here that there are. Existing NFL marketers might counter that none of those options have as big an impact as pro football. In contrast, look at the options for getting women viewers, which are seemingly plentiful everywhere -- network, cable, syndication. There's little doubt that TV -- especially with regularly scheduled, Monday through Friday primetime fare -- offers a lot of places to get women viewers. Men? We know they watch a lot of football, as well as the other big three (or two) sports leagues). You might include mixed martial arts and X-Games. Offline? Men can be happy interacting with video games. But the NFL is a big and effective place to get all that a marketer needs -- with little hassle. That why it's no surprise that 80% of NFL advertising deals have already been completed for this upcoming season -- all of which happened even with a better than a fair chance the entire season would be canceled. Seemingly, TV marketers had planned -- or not planned -- for no other options this year. All this means that there was always some confidence by NFL owners and TV networks that too much business was at stake for a deal not be happen between the players and the owners. Still one wonders why, in this growing digital age, some TV marketers can be tackled so quickly.