As part of its continuing efforts to attract young people to its brand, Coca-Cola is joining forces with Apple Computer in Europe to promote the iTunes digital music service. Under terms of the deal, Coke will link its Web site to the iTunes site and give away millions of free music downloads on its drinks in the UK and Germany. It's another example of how Coke is seeking new ways to communicate with young consumers as traditional forms of advertising lose their potency in the multimedia era. Another example was announced last week, when the company launched an interactive Web …

NASCAR marketing tie-ins extend beyond the traditional, stereotypical beer, tobacco, and gasoline sponsorships. Now they even include Little Debbie single-serve snack cakes. A new, 30-second TV spot breaking this weekend is part of an integrated ad campaign being launched by Little Debbie parent McKee Foods to celebrate the marketer's partnership with the #21 Wood Brothers Ford Fusion Nextel Cup car, driven by veteran racer Ken Schrader. The ad takes place in a convenience store where a NASCAR fan, choosing from an array of Little Debbie snacks, notices a standee of Schrader holding a package of Mini Powdered Donuts. Only it's …

Ford Motor is turning to singer Kelly Clarkson of "American Idol" fame and country music star Toby Keith to help market its cars to music fans. The plan calls for an extensive sponsorship of the singers' concert series--including special promotions that go far beyond traditional signs and banners, such as car giveaways and special Web sites where users can view live concert footage. "The dealers have bought into the promotion, and we're giving a vehicle away at every single concert," says Crystal Greene, Ford's coordinator, sponsorships and alliances. "In some markets, we're giving away a Fusion. In others, we're giving …

Volkswagen is relaunching its Rabbit model this fall, and part of its marketing plan includes an unusual print ad in Playboy. Rabbit ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky has arranged for the back cover of the magazine's September issue to feature a reverse angle shot of three Playboy bunnies who appear on the front cover. In the back cover ad, the girls are shown from behind; one of them is sporting the Rabbit icon and little else. The copy, including the Playboy logo, is in reverse type, suggesting transparency to the front cover, and reads: "The Volkswagen Rabbit. It's Back." …

Marketers targeting Generation Y young adults, ages 18-26, had better shift their ads from TV to online, according to a study by Forrester Research. The study shows that young adults spend 12.2 hours online--28 percent longer than Generation X's 27- to-40-year-olds, and twice as long as baby boomers ages 51-61. The group is also more likely to tap into new online communication services--instant messaging, blogging and social networking Web sites--than watch television. "All generations adopt devices and Internet technologies, but younger consumers are Net natives who spend more time online than watching television," says Forrester vp and co-author of the …

Food marketer ConAgra is shedding some of its non-core brands in the second phase of a restructuring that includes selling Butterball, Eckrich, Armour, LunchMakers, Margherita and Longmont to Smithfield Foods for $575 million. The company will retain Hebrew National, Brown 'N Serve sausage, Slim Jim and Pemmican meat snacks brands, which ConAgra says have strong equity and growth potential, and fit within its brand portfolio. Earlier this year, the marketer sold its Cooks ham brand to Smithfield, and its Louis Kemp seafood business to Trident Seafoods Corp. ConAgra's domestic and imported cheese business is still on the block. Company CEO …

Fast-food sandwich marketer Subway turns to mobile marketing in its latest gambit to increase traffic and sales. The initiative is taking the form of a test in Buffalo, N.Y., where Subway franchisees will offer customers the chance to receive coupons, special offers and event notifications via their mobile phones using MobileLime's technology. The restaurant chain's goal is to achieve a competitive advantage over other quick-fix food establishments in Buffalo and gain more than the standard 2 percent to 3 percent response rates garnered through other promotions. The effort is indicative of a growing trend among advertisers to use mobile marketing …

The marketing methods McDonald's Corp. is using to connect with young adults are becoming as varied as the chain's menu. In addition to traditional disciplines, it has added iPods, blogs, Web sites, cell phones, and high-tech place-based programs to the marketing mix. The aim is to attract consumers who started visiting the Golden Arches when they were kids, but are now 20-somethings who are harder to reach with commercial messages. To tap this demo, McDonald's is delivering its message where the young-adult action is: the beach, pop concerts, and after-hours bars. One technology-inspired communication is a bar mirror that, when …

Cereal marketers are about to start offering less product for a higher price. This fall, Kellogg's says it will institute a 2 percent price hike for its cereal products while simultaneously decreasing the size of product packages. Ad Age says the company's rivals in the $6 billion ready-to-eat-cereal category are likely to follow suit. The magazine says the move will allow more money for marketing expenditures, and is part of a trend among many marketers to defy long-held discounting strategies in favor of increased prices. "When you have to hit profit-margin targets and there is no pricing power, marketing has …

A growing trend: marketers are turning to consumers equipped with video cameras and other communications gear to create ads for them. The move stems from two complementary factors. First, the popularity of social networking sites like MySpace.com and video-sharing services like YouTube.com, where amateurs can post videos. Second, the advertisers' constant search for new ways to engage consumers. Another element in the mix is user-generated content. It has become so prevalent that many consumers are making unauthorized ads. To capitalize on the inevitable, marketers have decided to encourage people to make ads, hoping to create a little buzz for their …