New research shows that first-time car buyers turn to the Internet more than any other form of mass media to conduct their research prior to buying a new vehicle. A study by the Polk Center for Automotive Studies revealed that 35 percent of respondents said they used the Internet as their primary informational tool, with television coming in a far distant second at 8.2 percent. Other media followed, such as magazines (4.4 percent), newspaper (3.6 percent) and radio (1.1 percent). The report noted that since first-time buyers tend to be technology-savvy young people, the results were not overly surprising. "First-time …

An ad for Dolce & Gabbana watches that shows two men kissing has been deemed acceptable by the U.K.'s advertising watchdog group after receiving numerous complaints from viewers. The TV spot was shown on several British channels last Saturday evening and sparked calls from 89 viewers who found it offensive. In the ad, people are shown in cafes wearing two watches on their wrists; in the final scene, one man kisses another on the lips after giving him one of his watches for fixing his car. The U.K.'s Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the scene was "not inappropriate at times …

Marketers and industry observers are split over how valuable an advertising venue the Academy Awards telecast will be this year. While some national advertisers--like Coca-Cola Co.--are sticking with the show, others are concerned that a preponderance of low-budget and mostly R-rated best-picture nominees will cause viewers to tune out. "I don't know how they get an attraction out of this," says independent analyst Dennis McAlpine. "Look at the top films and tell me who's starring in them. If I were an advertiser on the Oscars, I'd look for something else. This is not going to give Hollywood a chance to …

At a time when many major marketers are cherry-picking ad agencies between larger shops and independent boutiques, Miller Brewing is going the other way. The company announced it is consolidating the majority of its advertising duties for its Miller Lite brand with Crispin Porter & Bogusky. Losers include Ogilvy & Mather, the Martin Agency, and Wieden + Kennedy. Young & Rubicam, which had been on the roster, will continue to do some project work for the brand, which spends more than $180 million on advertising annually. The move comes at a time when Miller is locked in an intense competition …

Marketers of everything from automobiles to credit cards are using the cell phone to deliver sophisticated marketing messages, especially to the hard-to-reach under-25 market. Advertisers have used cell phones in marketing campaigns before, but mostly just for text messaging. Now that wireless networks have broadband-like speed and cell phones are equipped with faster processing chips, marketers are running ads similar to those run on the Internet and TV. Practitioners include General Motors, Levi Strauss, Nike, and Visa, all of which have delivered some kind of product message or announced a contest via cell phones. However, the jury is still out …

Advertisers are stepping up to the plate in an effort to help New Orleans recover from Hurricane Katrina by sponsoring the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. So far, the annual festival of jazz, blues, gospel, and zydeco has deals with major national marketers including American Express, Acura, Miller Lite, and Southern Comfort. Local sponsors include New Orleans-style food products maker Zatarain's, Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, health insurance provider Tenet Choices, and eye-care company St. Charles Vision. Shell Oil has taken on duties as the official presenting sponsor of the festival, which will be held April 28-30 and May 5-7. …

Music is the "generational currency" that can help marketers appeal to consumers of all age groups, from Baby Boomers to the newest generation of so-called "Millenials," says Tom Valdiserri, senior vice president at The Marketing Store in Chicago, a company specializing in brand activation. Valdiserri points out that the Rolling Stones were hired to perform at the halftime show on Sunday's Super Bowl because of their multigenerational appeal."The first professional sports league to effectively use music as generational and emotional currency, the NFL's Super Bowl XL halftime show demonstrated how to perfectly integrate music into a brand," he writes in …

Motorola Inc., which scored a marketing home run with its popular RAZR cell phone, is making plans to expand its business in Japan. The company's CEO said Motorola is currently in talks with several Japanese electronics manufacturers it could partner with to launch a line of phones in that country. "We're trying to figure out how to get into the market quicker with our brand and working potentially with someone else," said CEO Ed Zander. "(We're) talking to the NECs, the Panasonics, the Sanyos, and looking at 'Is there technology collaboration to bring products to market?" Global mobile phone makers …

Branding and marketing are too reliant on consumers' sense of sight and should take more time to stop and smell the roses, and everything else for that matter. At least that's the thinking put forth by a new U.K.-based company called the Brand Sense Agency, which describes itself as a sensory communications group. The BSA says it's "extraordinary" that 83 percent of all commercial communication is visual, because 75 percent of our emotions are influenced by what we smell. The group is not leaving out our sense of sound, either, claiming that it, too, gets short shrift, because there's a …

Super Bowl advertisers are finally realizing that since about half of the estimated 89 million who will tune into the big game this Sunday will be women, it might be wise to target a few of their ads to them. ESPN Research from ESPN revealed that last year's Super Bowl audience was 56 percent male and 44 percent female. This year's advertiser lineup runs the gamut from antibacterial soaps and Aleve to nuts and life insurance, proving that "media people are starting to see that [the Super Bowl] is a media vehicle that transcends just men," said Ed Erhardt, president-ad …