WSJ (paid subscription required)
Longtime network TV advertiser Anheuser-Busch is finally beginning to broaden its media horizons. The brewer, traditionally the Super Bowl's single biggest advertiser, is shifting some of its ad dollars away to cable TV and the Internet. The brewer is making the move in light of a stagnant beer market and a blistering price war with its biggest rival, SABMiller. Tony Ponturo, Anheuser vice president of global media & sports marketing, noted that men and women aged 21-34--a key demographic for the brewer--were spending 55 percent of their TV time with cable networks. "What we're really doing is following the consumer," …
Ad Age
Some influential food marketers are involved in a skirmish with the Children's Advertising Review Board in which they claim the self-regulatory unit is overstepping its bounds. The controversy involves recent rulings by CARU regarding ads targeted to kids for Kraft and Burger King. Specifically, CARU has said marketers advertising mealtime foods to children must show the products within "the framework of a balanced meal," which means showing four out of five food groups in the advertising. "Given the complexity of nutrition science, this subject clearly deserved broader consultation with CARU supporters and external stakeholders," said a Kraft spokesman, warning that …
imediaconnection
Marketers are discovering a new option for branded entertainment: the Internet. So far, most branded entertainment, in which marketers sponsor entire programs or insert products and product references into programming, has been restricted to broadcast and cable TV. But as marketers continue to realize the power of the Internet as an advertising and communication vehicle, their attitudes are changing. This is especially true now that media companies are beginning to either recycle or develop new Internet programming. For example, the traditional networks, along with ESPN, Scripps, MTV, Comedy Central and others have either launched or are planning to launch channels …
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Marketers take heed: When Shakespeare asked, "What's in a name?" he very well may have been talking to you. New research indicates that a consumer's name--and especially the specific letters in that name--might influence buying decisions. People like their names and prefer the letters in their names to other letters, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. C. Miguel Brendl, director of the INSEAD Social Science Research Center in Fountainebleau, France, said his study shows that these preferences affect people's choice of careers and even spouses. He also found that it is …
Brandweek
Model Jerry Hall, the former wife of Rolling Stone front man Mick Jagger, is going on the record about erectile dysfunction. Not Mick's, of course, but the general condition. Bayer HealthCare in Europe says it has signed the tall blond beauty as a spokesperson to "encourage men and women globally to 'Strike Up A Conversation' and openly discuss erectile dysfunction with each other and their healthcare professionals." Bayer markets ED drug Levitra, but it was unclear whether Hall would appear in any advertising for the brand. "I'm working with Bayer HealthCare to encourage men to confront erectile dysfunction and take …
WSJ (paid subscription required)
Despite its myriad woes, General Motors has found one bright spot in its ongoing saga. Contrary to the trend sweeping the rest of the U.S. automotive industry, GM has a winner with its new H3 Hummer model. The vehicle is smaller and more fuel efficient than its big brother and is so popular that U.S. Hummer sales are up 87 percent this year. Now the auto marketer wants to take the model overseas. Next year, Hummer wants to enter Japan, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and has a team evaluating its prospects in China. Hummer hopes that 10 percent …
Ad Age
Has the Gap, the retailing icon of American style, lost its marketing way? Some experts think so, and the primary reason is because of an overdependence on celebrity endorsers. Every marketer knows the potential pitfalls of relying on a celebrity to hawk your product or service. Marketing lore is rife with stories of famous spokespeople being arrested or somehow embarrassing themselves publicly while also appearing in a new ad campaign. While Gap's celebrity problem does not involve any scandalous hijinks, the retailer has been accused of just doing the same thing over and over and paying too much money for …
eMarketer
Online marketing tactics are beginning to play a key role in a growing number of business-to-business marketing strategies. A new survey reveals that almost half of the B2B respondents went online this year. The survey was conducted by Forrester Research for American Business Media (ABM) and included interviews with 867 B2B marketers from several industries. In an indication of the importance of online, the respondents reported that the Web will soon surpass direct mail and general business magazines as an effective communications vehicle. The B2B marketing spending pie is cut into many pieces, with events, direct mail and trade magazine--three …
Brandweek
Marketers' hopes for a robust holiday shopping season could be somewhat dashed, according to early estimates. A report released by ShopperTrak RCT Corp. revealed that Friday and Saturday sales totaled $13.41 billion compared to the $13.48 billion posted in 2004. However, there may be a glimmer of hope in that the service also said the numbers might be skewing lower due to heavy retailer discounting over the weekend. "It seems safe to say that the flat performance we saw this weekend is not necessarily going to be indicative of the holiday season as a whole, as traditionally Thanksgiving weekend is …
NY Times
It appears that Santa's bag this year will be filled with electronic entertainment devices, according to a list compiled by the Consumer Electronics Association with input from retailers and industry analysts. Of the 10 most desired gifts this season, the CEA said the Apple iPod music player and the Xbox 360 game console from Microsoft occupy the first and third positions. Digital cameras hold the No. 2 spot. The results were in stark contrast to last year, when portable music players did not even make the list and video game machines came in a distant ninth. But the popularity of …