Friday, October 29, 2010

"Univision Steps Up Brand Integration"

Author: Georg Szalai, THR

Brand integration is something that is becoming very common in the world of advertising and marketing. The latest example is Univison Communications, which is taking it to new heights with the Spanish prime-time novella Eva Luna that launches Monday.

The show will feature three General Motors vehicles and also weave Domino's Pizza and T-Mobile into the show. All three companies are paying real dollars to have their brands inserted cleverly into the storyline.

It's a concept that's quickly catching on--and not just with television. Video games, movies, and online video sites all now seemingly contain product placement.

If you're a company trying to reach a broad consumer base, what better opportunity would there be? It's essentially the same as paying to have your logo stamped on a basketball court or on the wall of a stadium--both are methods to get your company's name in as many people's minds as possible.

This latest form of brand integration by Univision is taking it to a new level, and I'm very interested to see what kinds of returns the companies receive from this marketing strategy.

- Preston McClellan 


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Friday, October 22, 2010

"Dangling Incentives on Facebook"

Original Article url:

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/strategy/e3i1c1499752deb3a608788007617303c72


Author: Elaine Wong, Brandweek

Fan pages on Facebook are quickly becoming some of the easiest and best ways for companies to connect with potential customers and supporters.



Elaine Wong points that out in this article, citing ConAgra foods as one example. ConAgra, manufacturer of the Healthy Choice brand, created an online coupon incentive aimed at increasing traffic to its Facebook page.
 

The campaign was designed to do more than just attract new fans and followers, however.


It’s a unique way to engage the fans, and it’s an idea I think will catch on. ConAgra hopes that by putting the coupon on Facbook instead of its general site, it will start a better and more open dialogue between the company and its clientele.

 

So far, the plan seems to be a booming success. The Healthy Choice Facebook page has seen its number of fans triple in just over 24 hours.

 
Jack in the Box, a fast-food restaurant, is using Facebook incentives in another, inventive manner. The company is depositing a virtual nickel into a “jar” each time a new person “likes” its Facebook page.


At the conclusion of the sweepstakes, one person will collect the value of the pot in real dollars.


I love the new campaigns by Jack in the Box and ConAgra—it’s something new and inventive. It’s 2010, and it always pleases me to see companies embrace that fact.

These types of ad campaigns offer a great way for people to engage in dialogue about the company and its products, and even offer opinions on how to improve things. It will be interesting to see how many other marketers—particularly those in the food industry—roll with this.


- Preston McClellan


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Monday, October 18, 2010

Sports: The Only Game on TV

Original Article url:
http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3i11445c48b917e5f170a49115f3b214b3



Author: Anthony Crupi, Mediaweek


Sports: The Only Game on TV


Sports and Money.


Those two words go hand in hand—they always have, and they always will. It’s never been more apparent than it is today.


With the ever expanding cable network and more people able to watch games, the market and advertising world in sports is nearly getting out of hand. Conference are launching their own cable networks and making boatloads of money from it.


Take the Big Ten Network for example. It’s a cable television station that contracts with companies like Comcast, Dish Network, and Direct TV, to allow those providers to “sell” its channel to consumers. In return, the Big Ten Conference writes a check to each member school, with each university receving over $20 million last year alone.


With those kind of dollars rolling in through cable television, how does network TV keep up? That’s a key question Anthony Crupi brings up in this article. Right now, NBC is staying afloat with its Sunday Night Football broadcast. But, what happens when a cable station makes the NFL a sweeter offer?


It’s an interesting trend and something certainly worth keeping an eye on.




Big Ten NetworkImage via Wikipedia
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Friday, October 8, 2010

"Kmart Eyes Social Media Xmas"

Image representing Digg as depicted in CrunchBaseImage via CrunchBase
Original article author: Elaine Wong, Brandweek

With the holiday season fast approaching, companies are entering crunch time for deciding what type of public relations and advertising campaigns to use this year.

Like most other companies, Kmart has decided to utilize social media as one of its mediums for reaching customers. I find this interesting because of the social media aspect.

A year ago, only a small sect in the world even knew what sites like Twitter, Digg, LinkdIn, etc. were.

Now, they seemingly dominate the immediate news world. Companies have entire social media departments, and television shows along with newspapers and magazines all attempt to connect with views through social medium's like Twitter or Facebook.

I think it's going to be really interesting to see where Social Media goes in the coming years. Most sites seem to have a lifespan. Take MySpace for example.

Can Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc. continue to evolve and be competitive? Or will they succumb to the next version of themselves?

-Preston McClellan



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Saturday, October 2, 2010

"Sonic Creative, Media Go Into Play"

Sonic Drive-InImage via Wikipedia
Sonic Creative, Media Go Into Play; The client spent $185 mil. in measured media last year

Original author: David Gianatasio

The business of fast food has been hit hard by the recession. No one knows that better than Sonic.

With sales down 35 percent from the same quarter in 2009, the fast food mega giant is being forced to rethink its spending, particularly in advertising. Sonic has been know for its quirky, funny ads featuring two men arguing over food items.

That ad, along with all others over the past 17 years, were designed by the company Barkley. Well, now Sonic Corp. has placed its creative and media assignments into review.

Sonic went from a $700 million, mostly regional company into a $3.5 billion mega-conglomerate under Barkley's watch, so it will be interesting to see how things go from here. Like every company, Sonic has to evaluate its expenditures on advertising versus its returns.

If sales really are down the estimated 35 percent, it is very likely that the company will have to change its marketing strategy so that it can still profit.

-Preston McClellan

 
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