• NY Times, Thursday, March 2, 2006 11:30 AM

Procter & Gamble is turning to the Internet to promote viewer interest in two daytime soap operas the company produces. P&G will sponsor a watch-and-win loyalty rewards program under the name Daytime Dollars to help reverse a long-term decline in the ratings for "As the World Turns" and "Guiding Light." The promotion will be housed on a Web site (daytimedollars.com) and will begin March 13 on the two shows and run through September. P&G has been sponsoring soap operas since the 1930s and is responsible for the genre's nickname, created because soap powders were advertised on the shows. The move is indicative of a trend among major marketers who are using the Internet to reach out to consumers rather than rely as much as they have in the past on traditional TV and print advertising. "The soap genre is a perfect fit for the Web because this audience is rabid for more information," said Annamarie Kostura, vice president for NBC Daytime Programs at NBC Entertainment.

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