Advertising Age articles from March 2008

Advertising Age archives from March 2008

HOW THE MALE OF THE SPECIES SHOPS; Where the boys are in the mall (hint: it's not the suit store). Marketers, bring on the shower gel!(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Do men really hate shopping? Sure, we've all heard about-or experienced-the exaggerated groan uttered by the hunters of our species when asked to hit the mall en duo. But is it just a ruse to maintain manliness to...

More from Adage.com/campaigntrail.(Campaign Trail)
March 3, 2008... Tracey: You Wouldn't Bring Wine to the Gallo House You wouldn't bring a bottle of wine over to the Gallo brothers' house or give Tiger Woods golf balls for his birthday, so why would you pay good money to run ads on behalf of Barack Obama?...

More from adage.com/smallagency.(Small Agency Diary)
March 3, 2008... Brownstein: please step away from the inbox I find myself thinking about e-mail a lot these days. Between my laptop, BlackBerry and a separate cellphone that I also use, there is a lot of digital communication going on from my waking hours...

Media agency of the year: Starcom.(Special Report: Media Agency of the Year)(Report)
March 3, 2008... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN For anecdotal evidence of the ascendancy of media agencies relative to their once-dominant creative peers, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes is as good a case study as any. The cereal brand was built on creative...

How top shops stacked up in '07; Ad Age reviews key media operations' wins and losses, creativity, use of media tools, and management stability.(Special Report: Media Agency of the Year)(Laura Desmond became CEO of the Americas at Starcom MediaVest Group and new CEO Bill Tucker was the lead account man on Kraft Foods and head of client services for the agency)
March 3, 2008... MediaVest Bill Tucker MediaVest kicked off an impressive 2007 with two blockbuster account wins: $580 million Wal-Mart Stores and $400 million Wendy's International. Making that pair of victories all the sweeter was the fact that the...

Innovation should be seen as a tactic, not a business strategy.(Columns)(Column)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Al Ries Sharper image, home of innovative products such as the Razor scooter, the robotic dog, the Ionic Breeze, the StressEraser and the R2-D2 interactive droid, has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Innovation is not a...

Blogger smackdown, life pre-MySpace and what's truly obscene; In latest installment of Reader Appreciation Week, reactions to the FCC's Church Lady act and more.(MediaWorks)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Simon Dumenco It's been too long since I've done a Media Guy RAW (Reader Appreciation Week) column, and I'm sorry about that. Because, once again, I can't overemphasize how much I appreciate the smart, generous people who read, and...

Home stores seek improvement; Suffering Home Depot, Lowe's plug cheap repairs in housing-market crisis.(News)(Report)
March 3, 2008... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA The silver-lining theory holds that when consumers can't sell their homes, they upgrade them. Tell that to Home Depot, which last week reported the first sales decline in its 30-year history. Instead of replacing...

Don't blame fragmentation for lousy Oscars ratings.(Viewpoint)
March 3, 2008... The next time somebody refers to the Academy Awards as the Super Bowl for women, the NFL ought to consider legal action. There's simply no reason to let a lazy association with the ratings-hemorrhaging snoozefest besmirch the good name of one...

Major ad categories still failing to target Latino consumers; Synovate: Financial-services missing opportunity; efforts must go beyond ads, focus on relationships.(Hispanic)(Report)
March 3, 2008... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ Whole categories of marketers are still paying scant attention to Hispanics-and it shows. In financial services, for instance, just 77% of Hispanic adults have any kind of bank account, compared to 90% of...

How to make the move up to general manager.(Talentworks)(Survey)
March 3, 2008... Byline: JERRY NOONAN For all the arguments calling for longer tenure, a majority of marketing leaders aren't intent on being career CMOs. Most aspire to trade their functional experience and take a chance on general management. In a...

Global Media Agency Network of the Year: Mediaedge:CIA; New-business haul anchored by 'life-changing' AT&T account buoys billings and revenue almost 20% in agency's 'best year ever'.(Special Report: Media Agency of the Year)
March 3, 2008... Byline: EMMA HALL Mediaedge:cia is a down-to-earth, straight-talking media agency. The global network has all the bells and whistles of the digital age but is never flashy and would rather show marketers tough love than seduce them with...

Marketers can learn a thing or two from evangelical Christianity, a brand in decline; Brands of Faith: Marketing religion in a commercial age, by Mara Einstein.(Bookstore)
March 3, 2008... Byline: MYA FRAZIER Is the evangelical movement suffering a midlife crisis? Or, for those with a more brand-centric world view: Is evangelism entering the "mature'' stage of its brand life cycle? The New York Times Magazine begged the...

A new frontier for media companies and marketers; on digital communications.(Digital)(Survey)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Steve Rubel It wasn't the most-talked-about session at the Interactive Advertising Bureau Annual Meeting last week in Phoenix, but it should have been. In a series of fascinating frames peppered with statistics, Christopher...

THE BLUE-LIGHT BARNEYS: THAT'S KMART'S DESIGN; With fourth-quarter sales down 5.2%, discounter desperate to shed preconceptions about its apparel.(News)(Kmart Holding Corp.)(Financial report)
March 3, 2008... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA Quick, think fashion. What's the first retailer that comes to mind? Bet it wasn't Kmart. Coming off a 4.7% same-store-sales decline last year attributed in part to soft apparel sales, the home of the...

Creative star has a lot of insight; too bad it's illustrated with cringe-worthy 'S&M' advice; Seducing the Boys Club: Uncensored Tactics from a Woman At the Top, by Nina Disesa.(Bookstore)(Book review)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Nancy Vonk "Seducing the boys Club'' is a welcome sight on bookshelves for a group that has little in the way of guiding lights. An ad woman at the top of the pyramid sharing wisdom on thriving among the men is, well,...

Success on the web doesn't guarantee success on the tube.(MediaWorks)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Ann Marie Kerwin Much of the talk during the recent writers strike centered on the web: how will writers get paid for work that appears later online and how, really, when you think about it, writers could free themselves from their...

THE question: Should advertising creatives volunteer their services to political campaigns? 56% said it's OK for creatives to work for political campaigns.(News)(Discussion)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: william hupp Not surprisingly, politics is a divisive issue, both in the office and in the polls. Most who responded in the affirmative, like OSU Federal's Laurie Russell, saw no problem with creatives working for a campaign-"as...

Retailers deliver dismal fourth-quarter results; Gap Inc. emerges as the sole winner, while others see declines in earnings.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA Last week was a depressing one for retailers. Earnings reports showed the home-improvement sector, including Home Depot and Lowe's, was hardest hit, with each posting double-digit slides in fourth-quarter profits...

A debate over which is smallest.(News)(concentrated laundry detergents)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: jack neff This year, virtually every U.S. brand is concentrating liquid laundry detergent by at least half to dramatically reduce packaging, water and fossil fuels needed to keep clothes clean. But there's lively debate about...

Being part of Disney family made these Brothers grow big; Multimedia marketing combination led to the Jonas trio's rapid success.(News)(Walt Disney Co. Walt Disney Studios)(Jonas Brothers')
March 3, 2008... Byline: CLAUDE BRODESSER-AKNER To call the Jonas Brothers' recent success "meteoric'' is inaccurate. It's been much faster than that. Early last year, the Jonas Brothers-Kevin, 20; Joe, 18 and Nick, 15-were just the Jonas brothers....

Wanting less but buying more.(News)(paper packaging)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: jack neff Wal-Mart Stores has been arm twisting and scorekeeping to get package-goods marketers to reduce packaging. Most marketers have tales to tell about ingenious ways they've saved the planet by reducing packaging. So why...

No knickers twisting (yet) over Abercrombie video.(Adages)(Abercrombie & Fitch Co. online video for its lingerie brand Gilly Hicks)(jokes on Renetta McCann of Starcom MediaVest Group during the Advertising Women of New York event)(readers of the book 'Freakonomics' asked to blog on motto for the U.S.)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Ken Wheaton As if Abercrombie & Fitch hasn't made enough enemies. The video on the site for its Gilly Hicks: Sydney lingerie stores has more nudity than you can shake a very firm stick at. (Once at the site, scroll down to GH...

Even direct marketers alarmed by recession; DMA survey: Economy expected to curb revenue growth in first quarter.(News)(Direct Marketing Association)
March 3, 2008... Byline: MICHAEL BUSH Despite the fact that it offers one of the most measurable forms of marketing, the direct-response industry is bracing itself for the recession backlash and being cautiously optimistic, to put it mildly, about 2008....

What all that chatter is really saying; Text analytics can turn customer feedback into more-meaningful insight.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK When rebecca Gillan walks through the lobby of a Starwood hotel, she doesn't want to hear the guests talking about "good'' or even "very good'' service. That's because she knows "good'' is only worth a six or...

Digital marketing conference.(News)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Jeff Zucker, president-CEO of NBC Universal will, serve as this year's keynote speaker. Here's your chance to hear how he plans to tackle the challenges of the digital landscape. We'll also have Frank Cooper, VP-marketing at Pepsi-Cola North...

Out of Site at Adage.com.(Columns)
March 3, 2008... As seen on AdAge.com/bigtent Miller: Race is still an issue The misunderstanding of multicultural vs. multiracial marketing is ongoing. The assumption that lifestyle marketing is the end-all and that race is no longer an issue for...

Why you should be in the media-agency business.(News)(Booz Allen Hamilton)
March 3, 2008... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN Media agencies: They're the new creatives, campaign developers, insights engines, production shops and ROI trackers. And they're enjoying an increasingly close and valued partnership with marketers. When Booz...

Risky business can be beneficial.(News)(startup)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: abbey klaassen Risk: the new agency business model? Why not? asked Group M Interaction CEO Rob Norman, who spoke to the 400 publishers and internet-advertising execs at last week's Interactive Advertising Bureau annual meeting...

McCain campaigners prove masters of advertising ROI.(News)(John McCain )(return on investment)(political advertising expenditure)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Ira Teinowitz Sen. barack obama's campaign is winning the advertising spending contest as the Democratic presidential race heads for critical stops this week in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. In another apparent...

Awards shows: Festival Caribe.(Hispanic)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: laurel wentz [Panama City, Panama] The annual 14-country Caribbean advertising show Festival Caribe, organized by Panama's Circulo de Creativos, has a fairly loose definition of Caribbean: The U.S. Hispanic market counts. And when...

Discussion of Tilley's death brings out worst in industry.(advertising executive Paul Tilley)(Column)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Jonah Bloom The tragic death of Paul Tilley last week triggered one of the ugliest, most narcissistic displays I've seen from the ad industry. Instead of remembering the man, or doing the inevitable soul-searching about why a...

FIX THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF DEVELOPING NEW PRODUCTS; GET GOING: There is much that can be done very early in the game.(CMO Strategy)(Viewpoint essay)
March 3, 2008... Byline: BARBARA BENJAMIN An article published Oct. 1, 2007 in Advertising Age sported the provocative headline, "Want New Products That Get Noticed? Change the Process.'' The article offered data regarding marketers' views of product...

MOVE PAST STEREOTYPES AND CONNECT WITH CIOs; HOOK UP: Why the IT organization doesn't have to be a marketing obstacle.(CMO Strategy)(chief marketing officers - chief information officers relationship)
March 3, 2008... Byline: CINDY COMMANDER Chief marketing officers work tirelessly to meet the needs of their customers, who are demanding a higher level of personalization as they interact with marketers. CMOs want to implement better websites,...

Starcom puts Applebee's into the 'Friday Night' game.(Special Report: Media Agency of the Year)('Friday Night Lights')
March 3, 2008... Byline: jeremy mullman So you have a national brand dependent on prime-time TV advertising and need a TiVo-proof solution? Faced with that challenge for client Applebee's, Starcom took a novel approach: It got the brand a recurring...

Microsoft: Google is our only competitor in ad-platform game; At IAB conference, Microsoft claims top spot, but AOL and Yahoo say they shouldn't be overlooked.(Digital)(Interactive Advertising Bureau)
March 3, 2008... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN [phoenix] Given the bid Microsoft made for Yahoo last month, it's not surprising that the software giant's executives believe that when it comes to ad platforms, their only rival is Google. And that's the message...

In an effort to get 'cool,' Microsoft finally calls in Crispin; Hopes hip shop can help sex up Windows' image with $300 million push.(News)(Crispin Porter & Bogusky)
March 3, 2008... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER And ALICE Z. CUNEO When it comes to cool, some companies just have it, some earn it and some try to buy it. This year, Microsoft will remind us that it's firmly in that third category when it drops upward of...

DIVIDED TAPESTRY ADDS 20% MORE BILLINGS AT STARCOM MEDIAVEST; With two separate units embedded in agencies, SMG Multicultural has picked up (mostly Hispanic) work for clients such as Wal-Mart.(Special Report: Media Agency of the Year)(Starcom MediaVest Group)
March 3, 2008... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ Hispanic agencies still retain a surprisingly big chunk of media planning and buying within their own media departments, but the inevitable move toward specialist multicultural media shops accelerated with the split of...

Unilever, P&G war over which is most ethical; Touting programs that benefit humanity offers big payoff for marketers.(News)(cause related marketing)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Jack Neff Procter & gamble Co. and Unilever have battled over many things over the decades, from soap shares to spy scandals. But the latest battleground may be the most surprising and intriguing-a race to show who's best at saving...

The lessons Starwood learned.(News)(Starwood Hotels and Resorts)
March 3, 2008... Good is not great. Guests who claim a good stay are only moderately satisfied. Guests who use superlatives to describe their stays are much happier and more likely to rate the hotel as a nine or 10. Lurking works. The Starwood Lurker, also...

HOW HORROR STUDIO HOPES TO MAKE KILLING; After Dark Films plans to release its next bloodfest with no rating and market DVD at the same time.(News)('Frontier(s)')
March 3, 2008... Byline: CLAUDE BRODESSER-AKNER When after dark films CEO Courtney Solomon does business, Hollywood usually watches with its hands over its eyes. Not this time. Given the sobriquet of "President Gore'' in the indie film community, Mr....

Global Gallery.(Special Report: Media Agency of the Year)(Starcom MediaVest Group)(Mediaedge:cia)
March 3, 2008... Media agencies are tackling a host of challenges around a world increasingly cluttered with ads. Honorees Starcom and Mediaedge:cia, along with other shops, submitted these incisive attempts to connect with consumers-and not one is a 30-second...

Tilley was passionate, inspiring.(News)(advertising executive Paul Tilley)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: John Siebert Ask anyone who knew and loved Paul Tilley, and they'll tell you spending time with him was unlike anything else. They'll talk about his sheer presence, of course. He was larger than life in every way, from his...

The Texas Musical Massacre: Hillary and Barack keep serenading Latinos.(Campaign Trail)(Hillary Clinton)(Barak Obama)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Laura Martinez With the texas primaries around the corner, the presidential hopefuls have wasted no time pandering to Latinos, who constitute more than 50% of the state's population and could even decide the fate of the Democratic...

Brand Obama was built to thrive on social networking.(Campaign Trail)(Viewpoint essay)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Joe Erwin The obama brand evangelists continue to make a real difference, boosting the senator's ascension in the polls and his momentum in the primaries. As the Clinton campaign now realizes, being behind in organization on the...

This is a global industry, right? So show Montana some respect.(Small Agency Diary)(Viewpoint essay)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Jeff Welch If i've learned anything in my years of building an ad agency in Big Sky Country, it's that everyone wants to live here, but no one wants to work here. Alex Bogusky probably summed it up best in an interview last...

Here are four ways to build the trust it takes to keep your clients around.(Small Agency Diary)(Viewpoint essay)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Bart Cleveland According to AgencyFinder, the average client-agency relationship lasts two to three years. The site also gives two main components in a successful relationship: trust and confidence. Obviously we agencies are not so...

Hyundai invites consumers to 'discover' the brand; Auto marketer tailors TV and online efforts for Hispanic buyers.(Hispanic)(Hyundai Motor America)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ With a new head of multicultural marketing and its third Hispanic agency in less than three years, Hyundai Motor America-with only a 2.7% share of Hispanic car sales-is tackling Latino consumers who don't really...

Call for entries.(Hispanic)
March 3, 2008... Ad Age's Hispanic Creative Advertising Awards is now open for entries. TV, radio, magazine, newspaper, out-of-home and interactive ads and websites targeting U.S. Hispanics that broke between May 1, 2007 and April 30, 2008 are eligible....

Media Morph: Shifd.(Digital)(online information service )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: nat ives WHAT IT IS: Shifd is basically an online repository for your notes, maps and links designed to simplify clipping and transferring content from the web to mobile devices and vice versa. Ditto for accessing your information,...

CNN gives biz sites run for their 'Money'; Now with online video, CNNMoney.com is a bigger threat on the web.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG Energetic newscaster Poppy Harlow stands in front of a wall of stock charts discussing Starbucks' recent decision to close outlets for three hours to give workers additional training. She moves on to talk about job...

DONOVAN SET TO UNVEIL DIGITAL SYSTEM; Media biller says iDesk app will evolve to serve agencies' needs.(News)(Michael Donovan and Henry Lawson Donovan of Data Systems Inc.)(Interview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: MEGAN MCILROY Donovan data systems, the media-tracking and -billing system used by most of the large media-agency networks, is set to unveil a campaign-management system for the digital buyer at this week's 4A's Media Conference in...

Mags grow online but still dwarfed by web bigs.(News)(online magazine publishing)
March 3, 2008... Byline: NAT IVES When the magazine industry turned out for its latest digital conference last week, no one doubted the importance of the web. But now that they've moved online, many major magazine publishers are finding themselves nobodies...

WHAT'S ON MCDONALD'S OLYMPIC-MARKETING MENU; Q&A: Fast feeder's 'biggest activation ever' includes sending 200 kids to event.(News)(chief marketing officer at McDonald's Mary Dillon )(Interview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK One message, 118 countries. Since Mary Dillon took over as global chief marketing officer at McDonald's in October 2005, she's been working to strengthen and interpret the company's "I'm lovin' it'' ad...

Tragic tale of creative but complicated man.(News)(Paul Tilley of DDB Worldwide)
March 3, 2008... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN And EMILY BRYSON YORK Ddb chicago creative chief Paul Tilley was his usual affable, outsize self as he sat through routine planning meetings in Chicago and a client meeting in New Orleans on Feb. 19 and 20. "He...

Clients remember Paul Tilley.(News)(DDB Worldwide)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... "Paul Tilley's tragic passing touches us deeply. We will remember him as a good man and a creative leader whose impressive record of achievement will stand as a lasting tribute to his talents. We send our deepest sympathies to his family.'' -...

News outlets fixate on Starbucks' no-joe play.(News)(Starbucks Corp.)
March 3, 2008... Byline: AD AGE STAFF Cost: an estimated $2 million to $4 million in lost coffee and muffin sales. ROI so far: hundreds of millions of dollars worth of media coverage for Howard Schultz's turnaround attempt; some better-trained baristas;...

Clinton can ask the question, but she may not like the answer.(Garfield's AdReview)(Hillary Clinton)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Bob Garfield Hillary haters rejoice. In an act of political desperation leading into Tuesday's make-or-break Texas and Ohio primaries, Sen. Clinton has released a campaign ad that pundits and partisans will declare a reprise of...

THE HEAT INDEX; Weekly rating (0-10) of sizzle and fizzle.(MediaWorks)
March 3, 2008... 10 Jay Leno - Set to relinquish "The Tonight Show" to Conan O'Brien in '09, ABC, Fox and Sony Pictures are all eager to hand him his own show. 8 Jimmy KImmel - His retort to girlfriend Sarah Silverman's "I'm F-ing Matt Damon" is a viral...

People & Players.(Time.com)(South Florida Interactive Marketing Association)(Levi Strauss & Co.)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... new york: 10 Questions for Sean Combs Time features the hip-hop mogul in its first live "10 Questions" event. (From l.) Taylor Gray, associate publisher-global marketing, Time; Mr. Combs; Leslie Grand, VP, Carat; and Josh Tyrangiel,...

Creativity Top five.(Work)(advertising music)(Prada S.p.A.)(Discovery Communications Inc. Animal Planet)(AT&T Inc.)
March 3, 2008... Welcome to the Creativity Top Five, a weekly video series recapping the best and brightest work featured at Creativity Online. This week we take a look at Absolut's musical machines; how BBDO, New York, and Martin Scorsese see "Bedtime" for...

Why you should be in the media-agency business.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN ***** Correction: RE: "Why You Should Be in the Media-Agency Business'' (AA, March 3). The story misstated the survey as saying media agencies are benefiting from a closer relationship with marketers. In...

Reruns go from deja vu to new; Networks keep viewer attention by adding extra features to rerun episodes.(News)(ABC Entertainment Television Group)(CBS Broadcasting Inc.)(Starcom Entertainment)
March 10, 2008... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG TV networks are trying to get viewers excited about some of the most boring things on the air: reruns. ABC has spiced up week-old episodes of "Lost'' by running onscreen commentary that offers viewers more...

The best job for you isn't the one that picks you.(TalentWorks)
March 10, 2008... Byline: DAVE HOLLOWAY In a jan. 14 TalentWorks column, author Brian Brooker wrote about how companies can nurture and retain their employees. It's an insightful article. However, it leaves half the story untold: It doesn't address how job...

'Category 5 storm' predicted for Pennsylvania; Up to $40 million could be spent on advertising in upcoming pol battle.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ Pennsylvania was a key battleground in the American Revolution. Now it's about to become a front in another war that could be just as bloody. Hillary Clinton's victories over Barack Obama last week could prompt...

Consumers to providers: Do you know who I am? Poll finds that customer service and recognition trump privacy, pricing.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Privacy concerns? Not so much. A Harris Interactive poll finds that a whopping 95% of people believe it is at least somewhat important that companies know "who I am, my buying history, past problems or...

I'm going on the record when it comes to anonymous bloggers.(Column)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Rance Crain What concerns me most about some of the ad blogs that have been in the news these days is that their anonymity can lead to real troublemaking-as can anonymous sources in the general press. The problem is that most...

How did a Valley Girl convince Times she was a ghetto chick? A literary fraudster takes the newspaper of record for a ride-and our columnist suffers flashbacks.(MediaWorks)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Simon Dumenco On feb. 28, my journalist friend Matt Haber e-mailed me a link to an article titled "A Refugee From Gangland'' from that day's New York Times, along with a note that read, "OK, maybe I'm a cynic, but doesn't this...

K-C brings teary tales of games to big screen.(News)(Kimberly-Clark Corp.)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Byline: JACK NEFF Olympics fans who can't get enough compelling personal drama will be so happy they'll cry: The tear-jerking moments of international amateur athletics will be available in a 40-minute documentary film brought to you by...

Lenders labeled new marketing villains; Consumers, politicians turn their ire toward banks, credit-card cos.(Consumer Debt)
March 10, 2008... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER Debt: It's the new obesity. Just as food companies have gotten spanked for pumping their products full of fat and sugar, companies that spend big to market credit cards and add more flab to the already-chunky...

4A's media: How do we measure up?(News)(Conference news)
March 10, 2008... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG And MEGAN MCILROY [orlando, fla.] What is often a rather humdrum discussion of the strengths of magazines, TV and other media venues this year turned into an exercise in grenade launching and hand wringing over the...

CONSUMERS IGNORE ADS THAT AREN'T TELLING THEIR STORIES; IT'S ALL ABOUT THEM: Marketers must listen to customers on their home turf to get the real story.(CMO Strategy)
March 10, 2008... Byline: TOM NEVERIL I was recently hired to investigate the viability of a beverage for surfers. What turned out to be an eye-opening experience involved interviewing surfers at surf shops, pizza places, bars and the beach. Each casual...

What a $1 billion industry could do to tarnish your brand; Online lead-generation offers swindle consumers by associating themselves with trusted companies.(Digital)
March 10, 2008... Byline: WILLIAM HUPP It seemed like a good offer-a little too good to be true. When Heather Miceli went online to redeem $100 worth of L.L. Bean coupons, she Googled the company name to find its official website, and a paid search ad...

Media Morph: The Washington Post's live broadcasts.(Digital)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Byline: abbey klaassen What it is: Live election coverage-from a newspaper company. Anchored by Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham, The Washington Post and Newsweek produced live video coverage for Super Tuesday, the Potomac primaries and March...

Atlantic assures fans it hasn't sold its soul.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Nat Ives Longtime readers of The Atlantic are likely to do double takes when they see Britney Spears on its next cover-a rarified piece of media real estate more often occupied with subjects such as Pakistan's A.Q. Khan, the...

The future of entertainment: Can the computer catch up? on digital communications.(Digital)(Survey)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Mike Vorhaus When asked about the future of TV and of video on the internet, people reveal profound differences in attitudes based on age groups. We asked people ages 12 to 64 if they agreed (on a scale of one to five, with five...

Airborne suit could make consumers sick of industry.(Viewpoint)
March 10, 2008... It doesn't get any simpler than this, marketers: Do not mess around in the medical aisle. Once again, we have a best-selling "drug'' that's run into advertising trouble. Last week, the makers of Airborne settled a false-advertising lawsuit...

Celeb-backed site gets chilly reception in blogosphere.(MediaWorks)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Nat Ives More magazine keeps roaring along, having just completed its fabulous 40-plus model search in New York, and Martha Stewart is apparently contemplating her own magazine for a slightly older crowd. But now the online...

A LITTLE LESS SALT, A LOT MORE SALES; Campbell's line extension unlikely winner of hottest-new-product prize.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK The most successful new- product launch to hit grocery shelves last year was a canned line extension of a 136-year-old product that's likely already in your kitchen cupboard. Campbell Soup Co.'s...

RING UP E-COMMERCE GAINS WITH A TRUE MULTICHANNEL STRATEGY; CMOs, ditch division and finally bring together online and brick-and-mortar shopping experiences.(CMO Strategy)
March 10, 2008... Byline: MICHAEL STICH And JIM LEONARD Even the most forward-thinking CMOs don't know what they don't know when it comes to e-commerce integration, as they struggle to overcome a forced divide between virtual and real-world retail. As more...

THE HEAT INDEX; Weekly rating (0-10) of sizzle and fizzle.(MediaWorks)(Ziff Davis Media Inc. into bankruptcy protection)(Cable News Network)(Real Simple Magazine in deal with TLC)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... 8 CNN Nobody seems able to pull a win out of the Democratic primaries-except CNN, which attracted more 24- to 54-year-olds in a single month than Fox News. 7 Real Simple Magazine strikes a multiplatform deal with TLC, including an...

Leading the new-product pack.(News)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Byline: emily bryson york It may not be the most exciting list you've ever seen, but Information Resources Inc. maintains that its new-product pacesetters in the food category demonstrate consumers' shift to more-healthful products. After...

FACEBOOK GETS A NEW 'FRIEND'; Q&A: Sandberg discusses her role as Zuckerberg's No. 2.(News)(Interview)
March 10, 2008... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN Facebook has appointed a No. 2 for 24-year-old CEO Mark Zuckerberg in Sheryl Sandberg, a Google veteran who most recently served as VP-global sales and operations. Ms. Sandberg surely will be called on to help figure...

Companies in games can't stay silent on China's role in Darfur.(News)(Coca-Cola Co.)(McDonald's Corp.)(Visa Inc.)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Jill Savitt What will it mean for the brands of the Olympic corporate sponsors-brands such as Coke, Visa and McDonald's-if the 2008 Beijing Games are remembered as the "Genocide Olympics''? That is a question that has become...