Advertising Age articles from February 2009

Advertising Age archives from February 2009

Consumers flock to private labels.(News)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Byline: marissa miley Pfizer is pushing deeper into over-the-counter remedies as increasingly knowledgeable consumers pull back on branded drugs in a tough economy. Unit sales of brands such as Robitussin (a Wyeth product), Dimetapp...

Watch them all fall down: Another mag bites the dust.(MediaWorks)
February 2, 2009... Byline: Nat Ives Domino got caught in not one industry trend, but two. When Conde Nast shut down the home-design and shopping title last week, its President-CEO Charles Townsend blamed the economy. He just didn't specify which part of the...

How to get a brand on NBC's 'Today' for nothing.(News)(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)
February 2, 2009... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG Most marketers looking to get their messages out by using NBC's popular morning-news program, "Today,'' figure they'll need to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a 30-second spot. And yet Taylor Larouche and her...

A James Brady sampler.(News)
February 2, 2009... "A Long Way to Go to Die, a Reporter Remembers'' (March 28, 2005) Sometimes a newspaper, or an individual reporter, just has to own a story. This one began on Aug. 3, 1987, a Monday at dawn. I was at home in East Hampton when WCBS was...

Thinking big takes Audi from obscure to awesome; Strategy to stand out while others scale back delivers big for brand.(News)(Audi of America Inc.)
February 2, 2009... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY Charlie hughes drives an Audi. The veteran auto consultant is most closely associated with Mazda and Land Rover but now owns an A4. "It's becoming smart to show up in an Audi, and that was far less true two years...

Both bloggers and marketers are quiet on this year's spots; Recession suppresses online chatter, pre-game PR efforts by brands.(Super Bowl XLIII)
February 2, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF Recession may be a buzz kill for Super Bowl-ad hype: Firms tracking online chatter see a significant decline in discussion about this year's crop of ads compared with last year's. Even Go Daddy's annual rite of...

The Question: Is A-B making a mistake by giving up its exclusive rights to sporting events? 55% said Anheuser-Busch is dropping the ball.(News)(Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc.)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Byline: max lakin Anheuser-Busch's decision to let go of its exclusivity rights was met with a relatively even split in this week's poll. "Huge mistake,'' said David Rak, "one that screams of a detached and myopic view of how their...

If Obama hadn't won: a Pepsi logo for a maverick generation.(Adages)(Pepsi-Cola Co.)
February 2, 2009... Byline: Ken Wheaton Pepsi's taking a lot of heat for a logo that seems to copy Barack Obama's campaign material. Indeed, Pepsi exec Frank Cooper came this close to saying "Nuh-uh, Barack cheated off of us.'' He's probably more right...

news roundup- see adage.com for more.(News)(briefs)
February 2, 2009... Publicis Groupe won the $1 billion global business for Carrefour without a pitch after Chairman-CEO Maurice Levy led a presentation to a former client, Lars Olofsson, who joined Carrefour this month as the supermarket giant's new group CEO. The...

How food giant Goya plans to bring Latin cuisine to the masses; Company alters campaign to raise awareness of brand, teach how to incorporate it into cooking.(Hispanic)(Goya Foods Inc.)(Company overview)
February 2, 2009... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ As more companies target the growing U.S. Hispanic population, Hispanic marketers are trying to extend their sales to the rest of America. Take Goya Foods, the $1 billion U.S. Hispanic-owned food company. Founded...

On the road: F[pounds sterling]tbol with Terra and Telemundo.(Hispanic)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Byline: laurel wentz For soccer fans, 2009 is the year their favorite teams and players compete in the matches that will qualify them for next year's global contest. But just watching the games on TV is so last World Cup. ...

Can buying blind save web ads? Start-up offers marketers coveted sites-but they don't know which ones.(News)(advertising)(Brand.net)
February 2, 2009... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN blind faith. It's not the way many do business, particularly in an age of return on investment and a stinging recession. But for one online-advertising start-up, that kind of faith-among buyers, sellers and...

TECHNOLOGY NO LONGER JUST KID STUFF; Plugged-in parents still spy on their children, but most take to texting and social networking to feed their own interests.(News)(Survey)
February 2, 2009... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Everyone knows a mom who's joined Facebook to check out what her newly off-to-college daughter is posting (Please friend me. Or else. Love, Mom). Or the business-traveler dad who plays games with his tween son to...

What an Oscar nod can bring to the box office; 'The Reader' saw ticket sales soar 238% in the day after its nomination.(News)
February 2, 2009... Byline: CLAUDE BRODESSER-AKNER The major studios traditionally spend an average of $15 million to $20 million to market their films during Academy Awards season to secure a nomination. Yet, research firm Media by Numbers looked at 24 years...

Pfizer/Wyeth matchup yields surprisingly seamless combo; Few conflicts exist in betrothal, but Pfizer likely to wear the pants.(News)
February 2, 2009... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI It's a huge integration-Pfizer's $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth-yet it appears to be devoid of marketing and agency conflicts. "When you look at the product lineup and the agency lineup, there's not a lot of...

What's an Oscar nomination worth? More than a win.(Talentworks)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Byline: claude brodesser-akner As Paul Dergarabedian, CEO of Media by Numbers, will rush to tell you, each year there are a cluster of ever-changing variables around a winning film that could keep audiences out of theaters: Are the...

Don't bypass African-Americans; Marketers make mistake by failing to target this nearly $1 trillion market.(News)
February 2, 2009... Byline: MARISSA MILEY In 2008, the country's top marketers tapped Barack Obama as Marketer of the Year. Many of those same marketers also cut spending directed at the African-American market. With advertisers chasing after niche...

MCD'S SECRET SAUCE: IT EMBODIES VALUE; Big Mac marches on as others stumble due to unflinching focus on value-and adapting what that means to varied consumers.(News)(McDonald's Corp.)
February 2, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK With no sign the economy will improve anytime soon, fast feeders are rolling out the value offerings thick and fast. But by relentlessly reminding consumers about its 6-year-old dollar menu, McDonald's has managed...

Five laws of brand naming.(News)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Byline: Source: Strategic Name Development 1. Names matter They create a distinct sense of identity and personality and allow an emotional connection with the product. 2. Don't lead with a number Numbers are cold and...

Super Bowl detractors need to look beyond the spots.(Viewpoint essay)
February 2, 2009... Believe it or not, the Super Bowl is a bargain-even at $3 million a spot. After we unveiled that nugget of information in last week's cover story, a number of readers took us to task for applauding such spending in this economy for such an...

As seen on AdAge.com.(Brief article)(Column)
February 2, 2009... As seen on AdAge.com/ smallagency Johnson: Look beyond Facebook The sacred cow in the social-media realm is the belief that Facebook and Twitter are the premier platforms for this revolution. As those platforms become mainstream,...

Dougherty, Wheaton, Georgiadis take on new duties at Ad Age; Three tapped as assistant managing editors; Reinhardt promoted as well.(News)(Sheila Dougherty, Aris Georgiadis and Ken Wheaton)
February 2, 2009... Ad age is pleased to announce the promotion of four members of its editing team. Sheila Dougherty, Aris Georgiadis and Ken Wheaton have all been promoted to assistant managing editors, reporting to Managing Editor Judann Pollack. The...

People On The Move.(Talentworks)(Euro RSCG Edge has appointed Greg Johnson)(Razorfish Inc. has promoted Lee Sherman)(TracyLocke has appointed Jim Sexton )
February 2, 2009... Greg Johnson has been named president of Euro RSCG Edge. Mr. Johnson joins the agency from First Marblehead Corp., a client of Euro RSCG Edge, where he was exec VP-chief marketing officer. Previously, he served as director of Arnold One at...

Gatorade goes on mission to reach regular folks; New site, reality series and print ads aim to show it's not just for elite athletes.(News)
February 2, 2009... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA Gatorade's push to capture a broader swath of consumers has begun in earnest with the launch of an online sports and entertainment network. The site, missiong.com, was touted in the closing seconds of each of the...

Market more authentically by cultivating some all-stars; On Digital Communications.(Digital)
February 2, 2009... Byline: Steve Rubel Personal branding, while not new, is hot. In these uncertain times, many workers are flocking to social media in an effort to build their own brands. But just as perennial all-stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez...

The Heat Index; Weekly rating (0-10) of sizzle and fizzle.(MediaWorks)
February 2, 2009... 8 NBC Sports guy Dick Ebersol said there were just two slots to sell in the Super Bowl by midweek last week, after a "tough slog" trying to move the last 10% of inventory. 5 Self Conde Nast named Self Publisher Kim Kelleher its publisher...

Super Bowl ad winner: Hyundai's big marketing idea.(Columns)(Hyundai Motor America)
February 2, 2009... Byline: Jonah Bloom it won't top any of the many meaningless Super Bowl ad charts, but the best advertising in the big game was Hyundai's "Contract.'' The spot itself is not a visual extravaganza like the Coke or Audi spots, nor was...

GM throws lifeline to flailing Saturn brand.(News)(General Motors Corp.)
February 2, 2009... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY General motors is working behind the scenes to save Saturn. The brand seemed like a goner as recently as December, when the troubled automaker told Congress it would muster its resources behind only Chevrolet,...

Prices keep package goods afloat; Consumers splurge on some costlier products even as they cut expenses.(News)
February 2, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF Package-goods sales are holding up well in some surprising places despite a downturn that's cut broadly into volumes and ad spending by key players. Consumers were surprisingly willing to trade up for some of the...

Report: Disney mulls layoff of `least cute' of Jonas Brothers; Has it come to this? Cost-conscious media giant might need to 'right-size' pop singing sensation.(MediaWorks)(Walt Disney Co.)
February 2, 2009... Byline: Simon Dumenco After months of painful bottom-up cuts-layoffs of thousands of rank-and-file workers media-industrywide-a new, dramatic staff reduction may finally be coming from the very top of at least one media-entertainment...

Media Guy's Pop Pick: 'Fakers'; Our columnist's current media obsession.(MediaWorks)
February 2, 2009... I suspect that some readers of my column this week (above) will skim it distractedly, out of context on the web, and freeeeeeak out (particularly if they're under 14). Because everything on the internet is true, of course. I wish I could send...

People & Players.(News)(briefs)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... washington: a new 'state of the union' CNN marks the inaugural broadcast of "State of the Union With John King." (From l.) CNN/U.S. President Jonathan Klein; CNN "State of the Union anchor John King; and Sam Feist, CNN political director...

Work of the Week.(Work)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Creativity Top Five In this week's episode of Creativity's Top Five, McKee Wallwork Cleveland gives us a look at effects of ecological irresponsibility on the Canadian flag; T-Mobile coordinates a train-station dance-off; Publicis Mojo,...

Facebook's plan to amp up ad revenue.(News)(advertising )
February 2, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL LEARMONTH Think facebook's 15 minutes are just about up? Well, one in five web users in the world is saying otherwise. Facebook lured 222 million unique visitors in December, according to ComScore, twice as many as MySpace,...

Making direct marketing work to reach Hispanics; Survey: Find out target's preferred language, level of acculturation.(Hispanic)(Survey)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ Almost half of direct marketers (48%) use bilingual promotions to target Hispanics, while 20% use only English and 12% use only Spanish, according to a recent survey by the Direct Marketing Association. The remaining...

ALBERTO-CULVER GROWS ITS HAIR-CARE ARSENAL; Casey Keller shares his strategy for getting ahead of rivals in recession.(CMO Strategy)(Interview)
February 2, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF He helped transform Pringles from a brand near death to a billion-dollar behemoth at Procter & Gamble Co. and turned condiments on their head, literally, with an upside-down bottle at Heinz. He also endured a roughly...

What's in a (good) product name? Sales; Cellphone study finds 'cognitive' monikers work; numerics flop.(News)(Survey)
February 2, 2009... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Can a clever product name translate to market share? And can an unpopular name sink it? Researchers at Strategic Naming Development say yes. In a consumer study they found the most- favored cellphone names...

Google closes in on Yahoo's leadership in display advertising; Meanwhile, marketers don't think the No. 2 online player has made strides in search, according to poll.(Digital)
February 2, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL LEARMONTH Yahoo's business didn't crater in the fourth quarter-good news for new CEO Carol Bartz. But the bad news: The No. 2 online player predicts first-quarter revenue will be down 10% as the recession starts to hit...

A tribute to Gentleman Jim Brady-on Page Six, of course.(News)(Obituary)
February 2, 2009... Byline: JUDANN POLLACK James brady, longtime Ad Age columnist and author of "Parade'' magazine's celebrity-profile column "In Step With,'' died last week at his home in Manhattan. He was 80. Mr. Brady, who for decades wrote Ad Age's...

This is the kind of creativity we should see more of in the Bowl.(Columns)
February 2, 2009... Byline: Teressa Iezzi According to Ad Age, buying an ad in the Super Bowl is, for the most part, worthwhile. And I've tended to agree that it has been. That value, though, is predicated on the fact that people look forward and pay...

ED MCMAHON'S BAD AD STEALS THE SUPER BOWL; Bob Garfield's take on the best and the worst pegs Coke Zero, Monster.com as top winners; Toyota, Teleflora the biggest losers.(News)
February 2, 2009... Byline: BOB GARFIELD Cash4gold? On the Super Bowl? Really? Things are even worse than we thought. Not because it's pitiful that the down-and-out Ed McMahon and MC Hammer should humiliate themselves before 100 million appalled...

Sanford Moore speaks out.(News)(Interview)
February 9, 2009... For 40 years Sanford Moore has been an advocate for racial parity on Madison Avenue, particularly for African-Americans. He's been a thorn in the side of the agency structure, a chief cheerleader of government attempts to intervene and a critic...

Smartphone apps great for marketing, bad for social skills.(Columns)(Viewpoint essay)
February 9, 2009... Byline: Lenore Skenazy is it just my kid, or is every child over the age of 8 carrying around a smartphone that's making him dumb? That's what I've been wondering ever since my 12-year-old saved up his money for the do-it-yourself...

Amazon vs. eBay: Who's the online sales king?(News)(Brief article)
February 9, 2009... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN And NATALIE ZMUDA It's a tale of two online sellers-and two fourth-quarter earnings reports. When Amazon reported earnings at the end of last month, it showed why it's about the only recession bright spot in retail,...

Sales team will walk through fire for clients. Would you?(Adages)(Men's Journal)
February 9, 2009... Byline: Ken Wheaton Back in the day, some sales teams took clients for lavish all-expense-paid trips that included spas, skiing, golf outings, booze, you name it. But with the economy the way it is, such largesse is a no-no-except for...

THE HEAT INDEX; Weekly rating (0-10) of sizzle and fizzle.(News)
February 9, 2009... 10 'AmericAn Idol' Fox's singing competition adds audience in week four, as contestants head to Hollywood. 5 Paying for NYTimes.com Two years after dropping TimesSelect, the paper is weighing how to get readers to pay for online content...

THE question: Do you think there was less buzz around the Super Bowl ads before the game this year than there has been in past years? 84% said there was noticeably less talk about this year's ads.(News)(Brief article)
February 9, 2009... Byline: max lakin This week we asked readers if they felt the anticipation for this year's crop of Super Bowl ads was more tepid than usual. Mike Patterson at WIP said he suspects that "given the economic climate, these companies...

Denny's ROI on $5M: 2 million butts in seats; Super Bowl spot and Grand Slam giveaway lead to crowds, buzz.(Super Bowl XLIII)
February 9, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK Score one for beginner's luck. Denny's first Super Bowl spot, which offered free breakfast to America, drew crowds of hungry diners. The restaurant claims it surpassed its estimate that it would serve up to 2...

McDonald's sends McCafe onto Fashion Week catwalks.(News)
February 9, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK And NATALIE ZMUDA eyork@adage.com, nzmuda@adage.com mcdonald's has hooked up with an unlikely partner for its McCafe specialty coffee drinks' first real close-up-Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. ...

Public flogging for bailed-out marketers; Pols, media dismiss ads from automakers, Citi, BofA as waste of money.(News)(Bank of America Corp.)
February 9, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFFand JEAN HALLIDAY jneff@adage.com, jhalliday@adage.com in the marketing and media industries, it's widely believed that advertising, done right, is an investment in future business results. But the question today is...

What's in a stadium name?(News)(Troubled Asset Relief Program's funding to stadiums)
February 9, 2009... Byline: jack neff Tarp may be the most apt acronym ever, as the federal bailout is covering a whole lot of companies with stadiums named after them. Of the 20 biggest recipients of funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, 14 have...

WPP division stakes claim to data from its online ads; Group M 'scares' media owners by stopping the sharing of web-ad results.(News)(WPP Group USA Inc.)
February 9, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL LEARMONTH When it comes to data ownership, the web is still in the Wild West phase, but WPP Group's media-buying arm, Group M, laid down the law recently by changing the terms of its online-ad deals to the following: "All...

PHELPS BRAND TAKES A HIT; Kellogg walks away from Olympian, Subway puts him on backburner.(News)
February 9, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK That was one expensive bong hit. The pot-smoking photo that rocketed around the world has cost superstar Michael Phelps a deal with squeaky-clean Kellogg and earned him a three-month suspension from U.S.A....

Flying to Las Vegas with Sports Illustrated's models.(MediaWorks)
February 9, 2009... Byline: Marissa Miley They are by now iconic, the bathing beauties splashed across the pages of Sports Illustrated, seemingly having the time of their lives, beckoning you to join them. Now, for the first time ever, you can. With the Feb....

Let's stop crazed baby-obsessives from media profit; In the spirit of 'Son of Sam' laws, how about a 'Mom of Octuplets' law to keep loons from funding their habit?(MediaWorks)
February 9, 2009... Byline: Simon Dumenco A desolate-looking driveway leading up to a modest Southern California house-lit at night by an AP photographer's flash and looking utterly spooky, like a crime scene. And, in a related shot, a couple dozen medical...

Mobile effort gets more to say 'I can' purchase a Porsche; Phone campaign outperformed carmarker's wider push to convince potential buyers of its affordability.(Digital)
February 9, 2009... Byline: RITA CHANG If the idea of marketing Porsche sports cars on mobile handsets seems unlikely, it's for good reason: Mobile skews young, but the core Porsche demographic is more middle-age male. And pitching aspirational luxury...

Super Bowl spotlight isn't all good for Cash4Gold.(News)(Brief article)
February 9, 2009... Byline: michael bush Is it possible for a Super Bowl ad to be too successful? While the question might seem ridiculous, especially during a recession, Cash4Gold's new-found celebrity may be coming back to bite it. Many of the post-game...

People & Players.
February 9, 2009... new york: men's journal takes a lunch break Men's Journal holds an editor's lunch with actor and musician Harry Connick Jr. (From l.) Francis Farrell, publisher, Men's Journal; Terry Noland, executive editor, Men's Journal; Mr. Connick;...

FOR DIVERSITY OFFICERS, NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED; Those struggling to increase minority head counts come in for criticism.(News)
February 9, 2009... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH It's not easy being a chief diversity officer. Some of the insults hurled at those taking the job have included "pimp,'' "Uncle Tom'' and "window dressing.'' In fact, as the executives themselves note, having a thick...

No day is a good day for no mail; From mags to coupons, call for five-day service has everyone scrambling.(News)(United States. Postal Service)
February 9, 2009... Byline: Ira Teinowitz and NAT IVES No one knows what day the Postal Service will drop if it goes to a five-day week, but this much is certain: Someone is going to get hurt. Whether that someone is magazine companies, direct marketers or...

Pricey hair brands find success in mass outlets; Salon sales struggling, but consumers still seek high-end products.(News)(Brief article)
February 9, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF Recession or no, salon hair-care products are proving to be hot commodities-just not in salons. On one hand last month, salon mega-operator Regis Corp., hurt by a decline in salon visits, announced it had agreed to...

Why so few saw Miller's 1-second spots; NBC directive all but banned ads meant to mock A-B's spending.(Super Bowl XLIII)(Miller Brewing Co.)
February 9, 2009... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Millions of Super Bowl viewers who read about Miller High Life's one-second Super Bowl ads but didn't see them during the game probably assumed they simply missed them because they were grabbing a beer in the...

'Saturday Night Live' takes on new role as Pepsi agency; NBC's Michaels and co. create spots based on 'MacGruber' sketches.(News)(Pepsi-Cola Co.)
February 9, 2009... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG Live from new york, it's... the latest upstart ad agency? Madison Avenue is known for a litany of storied acronyms, such as BBDO and DDB, but the newest might just be "SNL.'' In a rare twist, the cast and crew...

Apple polishing? Five years in, Leo Burnett chief defends record.(News)(Leo Burnett Company Inc's Tom Bernardin)
February 9, 2009... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN This month marks Leo Burnett CEO Tom Bernardin's fifth anniversary at the network, but the occasion is unlikely to be marked by much celebration. The agency just cut 75 people from its Chicago headquarters in the...

Work of the Week.(Work)
February 9, 2009... Creativity Top Five This week, it's the Creativity Top Five Super Bowl Edition, where we count down our favorite spots from the big game. Somewhere between the pounds of wings and pints of beer, Venables Bell & Partners, San Francisco, and...

Helpful steps magazine publishers can still take; How to extend ad-sale deadlines, get rid of bleed charges before it's too late.(News)
February 9, 2009... Byline: NAT IVES Advertisers, recession and technology are conspiring to render still more magazine traditions obsolete. Publishers have already started reporting issue sales more rapidly and frequently than before. They have also started...

Ad industry cut another 18,700 jobs in December; Only online media and search companies added staff at the end of 2008.(News)(Statistical data)
February 9, 2009... Byline: BRADLEY JOHNSON The u.s. advertising and media industry slashed 18,700 jobs in December, bringing industry job losses in this recession to 65,100. The industry cut staffing 3.9% from the time the recession began in December...

EVERYONE GETS A TROPHY; Marketers looking to justify their big spend just have to pick the right metric.(Super Bowl XLIII)
February 9, 2009... Byline: ANN MARIE KERWIN We now know that a record-setting 98.7 million people tuned in to NBC to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Arizona Cardinals in a scintillating game. But who won the advertising competition? Well, the answer...

Talentworks.(Targetbase has appointed Steve Grout)(Time Inc. has appointed Bettina Cisneros)(BBDO Worldwide Inc. has appointed Noel Haan )
February 9, 2009... Targetbase appointed Steve Grout, former managing director of Rapp Collins Europe, as CEO of its U.K. office. Targetbase, a leading U.S.-based direct-marketing agency, is gaining notoriety overseas through its U.K. office, which launched in...

NBC makes most of Bowl with 'Super Front,' promos; Net sold out inventory, previewed fall lineup and plugged all it could.(Super Bowl XLIII)
February 9, 2009... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG When people recall the advertising in Super Bowl XLIII, they'll no doubt think of PepsiCo's five and a half minutes of commercials; the entrance of a direct-response advertiser, Cash4Gold; and a Doritos commercial...

News from AdAge.com.(Briefs)(Kraft Foods Inc's sales growth)(Interpublic Group of Companies Inc's has promoted Laurence Boschetto)(Crispin Porter and Bogusky is cutting workforce)(Brief article)
February 9, 2009... Kraft reported strong sales growth for its fourth quarter and full year, though 2008's earnings fell 72%, which Kraft blamed on taxes, restructuring costs and commodity hedges. Still, CEO Irene Rosenfeld underscored the importance of the...

In journalism and war, Brady showed extraordinary discipline.(Columns)(James Brady)
February 9, 2009... Byline: Rance Crain Walter anderson said at Jim Brady's wake that nobody would succeed Jim in writing those back-of-the-book celebrity interviews in Parade magazine, and his editors weren't sure how to fill the space for Jim's...

Don't get bamboozled by post-Super Bowl 'results'.(Viewpoint essay)
February 9, 2009... Never has a group of ads been so scrutinized, dissected and measured-and all to tell us so little. Doritos' consumer-generated spot took top honors on USA Today's Ad Meter poll, which tells us the spot won a popularity contest among 288...

As seen on AdAge.com.(Columns)
February 9, 2009... As seen on AdAge.com/bigtent Thompson: Hispanic market is good buy in tough times We see firsthand the slashing of budgets and brands by marketers looking for ways to weather the storm. As many in the industry know, when brands tighten...

DEL MONTE'S PEARCE PUTS PRIORITY ON PUPS; As part of focus on core brands, CMO readies $8M dog-treat push.(CMO Strategy)(Del Monte Foods Co's Bill Pearce)
February 9, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK Consumers may be cutting back on lattes, casual dinners at restaurants and trendy clothes, but they're not forsaking their pets. Bill Pearce, senior VP-chief marketing officer, Del Monte Foods, recently found as...

Direct response works-the products being sold however ...(Garfield's AdReview)
February 9, 2009... Byline: Bob Garfield These days, when you say anything about direct response, you tend to get a direct response. Such as after the Super Bowl, where the ads featured all the usual furry animals; all the usual cheesecake, all the usual...

Meetup goes from social organizer to brand-building tool; Site now allows marketers to reach large volume of targeted groups via sponsorship of gatherings.
February 16, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL LEARMONTH Meetup is one of the first great applications for the social web, famous for helping vegans, pug owners and salsa dancers find one another, not to mention a key role in the ascendance of President Barack Obama,...

SHOULD HOWARD SCHULTZ BE SMILING? A look at CEO's first (admittedly recession-plagued) year back atop coffee chain.(News)
February 16, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK It's been a little more than a year since Howard Schultz retook the reins at Starbucks, a move anticipated to return the coffee chain to its roots and the restore its brand essence. But what's happened since?...

Creativity Top Five.
February 16, 2009... In this week's episode of Creativity's Top Five, AMV BBDO and Transport for London serve up a sobering reminder that irresponsible behavior has consequences; McCann Erickson, London, and SCKin provide a bronze sheen to pasty office dwellers;...

As seen on AdAge.com.(Columns)
February 16, 2009... As seen on AdAge.com/songsforsoap Moran: Will celeb deals taper off? It's unclear how long the taste of recent troubles with Michael Phelps and Chris Brown will linger in marketers' mouths, but with ROI for celebrity endorsements under...

Gone Daddy gone: Heinous ads may cost Go Daddy customers.(Viewpoint essay)
February 16, 2009... Byline: Teressa Iezzi After this year's Super Bowl, I just couldn't do it anymore. As it was, any time I had to log on to Go Daddy I felt some combination of embarrassment and annoyance at the registrar's approach to women and marketing....

Do ethnic shops have a future? May be far in distance, but integrated Mad Ave could spell end for some.
February 16, 2009... Byline: MARISSA MILEY matter who is in the White House or what the lawyers ultimately accomplish, the consumer-facing side of marketing will never inhabit a post-racial world. In a realm where every differentiating factor is examined to...

Cablers' outlook not as grim as prime time; Marketers looking to reach under-12 set not cutting back as severely.
February 16, 2009... Byline: ANDREW HAMPP Early budgets for this year's kids' upfront indicate that kiddie cablers such as Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Disney Channel will experience less-severe cutbacks than their adult counterparts, with early...

With Michelle Obama on the cover, Vogue gets real.(MediaWorks)
February 16, 2009... Byline: Ann Marie Kerwin Vogue has photographed nearly every first lady since Lou Hoover, wife of Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States. (Harry Truman's wife, Bess, declined.) But only one, Hillary Clinton, has made it to...