Advertising Age articles from March 2009

Advertising Age archives from March 2009

Trouble in store for shopper marketing? Survey: Recession-hit shoppers decide at home, avoid buying on impulse.
March 2, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF Package-goods marketers have been plowing more money into in-store marketing as the economy worsens, betting that financially strapped consumers need a harder sell. But new research by Information Resources Inc. indicates...

The Heat Index; Weekly rating (0-10) of sizzle and fizzle.(MediaWorks)
March 2, 2009... 10 'Slumdog Millionaire' Eight Oscars, two songs and the entire cast appearing onstage was enough marketing to send people out to the cinema to see it. 5 Oscar Ratings 36 million watched Hugh Jackman sing and dance, a bump above last year,...

Food Network seeing huge growth from web offerings.(FoodNetwork.com )(Brief article)
March 2, 2009... Byline: ANDREW HAMPP What's the secret ingredient to finding double-digit revenue increases in an almost universally brutal first quarter for media companies? In the case of Food Network, guacamole. The Scripps Interactive cable...

Gamgort exits Mars due to rift with global prez Michaels.
March 2, 2009... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH And EMILY BRYSON YORK The news last week of Bob Gamgort's departure from Mars Inc. came as a shock in marketing circles. Even more stunning is what prompted his exit: a butting of heads between Mr. Gamgort, the global...

Quick, get that dog a burrito. No, wait. I mean a can of Alpo!
March 2, 2009... Byline: Ken Wheaton Hot-off-the-presses creative work regularly makes its way onto my desk. It doesn't, though, normally elicit a physical reaction. As I scanned the creative for Nestle's Purina dog-food brand Alpo, my tummy began to...

Latest Bravia ad measures up in scale but not in message.(Sony Corp)
March 2, 2009... Byline: Bob Garfield Sony and Fallon, London, are out with their latest advertacular on behalf of the Bravia line of TVs, and if you wish to ooh and ah, take a number. After all, who doesn't love audacious, outsize and unbelievably...

NO OFFENSE, BUT THIS GUY'S GOT YOUR NUMBER; BK's Russ Klein promises more 'edge,' premium products in '09.(Marketing management of Burger King )
March 2, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK Burger king chief marketer Russ Klein, the man who brought you "Whopper Virgins'' and Facebook's "Whopper Sacrifice,'' says he's not out to offend people; he wants to forge emotional bonds with consumers based on...

Media agency of the year: Initiative; Hurting just three years ago, Initiative completed its turnaround in 2008 with a new-biz boom.(Initiative Media Worldwide)
March 2, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BUSH Late last year, Initiative found itself in a position that had become all too familiar. The Interpublic Group-owned media agency, just coming out of a few tough years of client losses and a management overhaul, had the...

People & Players.(2009 Film Independent's Spirit Awards)(Essence publishing held Black Women in Hollywood luncheon)(Brief article)
March 2, 2009... los angeles: 'Beach chic' at the spirit awards Elle hosts celebrity presenters, winners and VIPs in its "Beach Chic" green room at the 2009 Film Independent's Spirit Awards. (From l.) Philip Carreon, celebrity stylist, Garnier; Deborah...

Ad skippers beware: Ask.com going after you with TV crawl; Campaign aims to send users to site by posing questions during shows.
March 2, 2009... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG guess what, ad skippers: Someone's got your number. In an effort certain to raise eyebrows, search engine Ask.com just started an ad campaign that relies mostly on "crawls'' that show up in the lower part of the...

Japan's ad biz feels economy's squeeze; Spending expected to fall again in '09; foreign shops could cash in.
March 2, 2009... Byline: NORMANDY MADDEN [tokyo] Things are bleak in the U.S., but Japan's ad industry is reeling, and the global economic crisis figures to forever change the way agencies in this market do business. During the last quarter of 2008, the...

TV everywhere-as long as you pay for it; Time Warner's Bewkes plots industry initiative to eradicate free content.(News)(Jeff bewkes)
March 2, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL LEARMONTH And ANDREW HAMPP Jeff bewkes hopes to put more TV on the internet, but he's going to make consumers prove they've paid for it. Time Warner, the largest owner of cable networks including TNT, Cartoon Network,...

Dating sites still attracting users; Paid subscriptions up, but OK Cupid, other free options growing rapidly.(News)
March 2, 2009... Byline: MARISSA MILEY Love conquers all-even, it seems, the recession. Despite all the job losses and mounting debt, love-or the quest for it-is as alive as ever, particularly when it comes to online dating. "I don't know if any...

Casseroles make comeback as easy, quick meals for the cash-strapped.(News)
March 2, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK Guess what's making a comeback: that ultimate comfort food, the casserole. The one-dish wonder has become a lot more popular lately among cash-strapped and often culinarily challenged consumers anxious to save...

SmartMoney finds using fewer ads can boost click-through; Users more likely to pay attention when there aren't so many units.(News)
March 2, 2009... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN When it comes to the supply-and-demand balance of online advertising, the supply side is winning-and that's hurting click-through rates and CPMs, and worrying premium publishers that need to boost both to underwrite...

Global media agency of the year: Mindshare.(News)
March 2, 2009... With success in the Chinese market and content hits such as `In the Motherhood,' Mindshare is tops around the world By LAUREL WENTZ and NORMANDY MADDEN lwentz@adage.com, nmadden@adage.com the very large chinese audience that loves the show...

People on the Move.(Talentworks)(Hearst Corp. has appointed Neeraj Khemlani)(Hurrah Marketing has appointed Carol Eisenrauch)(Stir Communications has appointed Damian Garcia )
March 2, 2009... Neeraj Khemlani was named to the new position of VP and special assistant to the CEO for digital media at Hearst. He will be responsible for promoting and coordinating digital-content transformation across the company. Mr. Khemlani was formerly...

Honorable Mentions: OMD; No longer just a media department for creative agencies, OMD's new leadership showed the agency can stand on its own.(News)(OMD Worldwide)
March 2, 2009... Byline: Michael Bush mbush@adage.com One year ago we called out OMD for its second consecutive lackluster new-business performance. In 2008, the Omnicom Group-owned agency responded by snatching up nearly every major piece of business...

Honorable Mentions: Naked; The communication-planning shop's surprise sale to Photon Group did little to stop its growth across the globe.(News)(Naked Communications)
March 2, 2009... Byline: Emma Hall Naked kicked off 2008 with a real head-scratcher. In February, the communications-planning network that's long been one of the ad world's juiciest acquisition targets finally announced that it had sold itself. But the...

Media morph: ScapeNation.(Digital)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 2, 2009... Byline: marissa miley What it is: A virtual social network where 7- to 14-year-old "Scapers'' can chat with each other, play games, go shopping and fight against evil villain "Darkness''-all while building brand awareness for Tween Brands,...

Big automakers' ad spending fell 13% in fourth quarter.(News)(Financial report)
March 2, 2009... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY General motors Corp. revealed last week that it would chop $800 million from its marketing budget this year, but that could be the tip of the iceberg if troubling trends from the fourth quarter hold up among other...

Bank marketing fails to reassure wary and befuddled customers.(News)
March 2, 2009... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK some customers are asking whether Citibank is a safe place for their savings. So what is Citibank doing? Running ads in The Wall Street Journal about its microfinance capabilities in Texas and India. Of...

As seen on AdAge.com.(Columns)(Brief article)(Column)
March 2, 2009... As seen on AdAge.com/campaigntrail Tracey: Obama's brand extension Could President Obama be stretching his personal brand too thin? So far, he's served as the point person on the stimulus package, state bailouts, the mortgage and...

Trade groups must prove ROI to member companies.(Viewpoint)
March 2, 2009... The Magazine Publishers of America is canceling its big annual conference, which had been planned for Boca Raton, Fla., this October, and replacing it with a smaller agenda to be presented in New York. The Outdoor Advertising Association of...

MILLER LITE TO POUR ON 'GREAT TASTE' ALL THE TIME; Taking page from successful sibling, Lite plans to hammer home message.(News)
March 2, 2009... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Millercoors is hoping Miller Lite's future looks an awful lot like Coors Light's recent past. In an attempt to revive the original light-beer brand, the No. 2 U.S. brewer is purloining the playbook of its...

No GM backing for 'Transformers 2'? Paramount may be on its own to market movie starring Chevy Camaro.(News)(General Motors Corp.)
March 2, 2009... Byline: CLAUDE BRODESSER-AKNER For general Motors Corp., 2007 must seem like a long time ago. Not that the automaker was without its share of financial problems even then, but that summer it was preparing for a major tie-in with Paramount...

Multicultural media specialists on the rise.(News)(Hispanic market)(Brief article)
March 2, 2009... Byline: Laurel Wentz In the U.S. Hispanic market, full-service agencies such as Vidal Partnership, Dieste, Zubi Advertising and Lopez Negrete Communications still control much of the media planning and buying through their own media...

President, Oscars draw more viewers this year than last.(MediaWorks)
March 2, 2009... Byline: Anne Marie Kerwin Last week TV proved it can still draw the eyeballs. On Feb. 22, 36.3 million people tuned in to watch Hugh Jackman singing and dancing his way through ABC's telecast of the Academy Awards. The awards show was...

Honorable Mentions: Mediavest; Innovative dealmaking and new business from the likes of Schering-Plough made 2008 a standout year for the Publicis shop.(MediaVest USA)(Company overview)
March 2, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BUSH In 2008 mediavest not only stood out among its Publicis Groupe siblings, Starcom, Zenith and Optimedia, but also distinguished itself from many of its non-sibling agency competitors by executing and leading major...

Shops seek control in social-media space; Scale is agencies' best weapon in the hotly contested battleground.(News)
March 2, 2009... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN When pepsi wanted to do a big push into the social-media space, it hired public-relations firm Edelman. When FedEx developed its Launch a Package app, the first branded application to reach Facebook's most-active...

What bankruptcy could mean for GM, Chrysler; Experts say filing could actually help sales by removing uncertainty.(News)
March 2, 2009... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY General motors corp. and Chrysler have been arguing against bankruptcy, saying not only would it be more costly than a bailout, but it would severely damage their companies and result in significant plunges in their...

For online brand reps, getting personal can be a tricky situation; Some argue that 'brandividuals' gain more from their companies than the businesses do from them.
March 2, 2009... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN You've got a highly visible Web 2.0 persona. You're tapped to run social media for a brand. How much of your personal social-media equity do you lend the brand-and how much does it lend to you? That's been a hot...

Retrain journalists to save biz? OK, but what about civilians? If we're really serious about preserving journalistic values, let's nurture them beyond newsrooms.(Minnesota Job Skills Partnership program )
March 2, 2009... Byline: simon dumenco EXHIBIT A "The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership program has given the Duluth News Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the University of Minnesota's journalism school a total of $238,000 to help retrain the...

Twitter eyes search as means to monetize; Look who's talking now: plan to parlay real-time advantage into revenue.
March 2, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL LEARMONTH When twitter closed on a $35 million round of venture capital, in addition to the $20 million it had already raised, the messaging service signaled that it intends to be a very big business. Like its 6 million...

Economy, easing on Iraq boosting Army recruitment; Enlistments exceed goal but smarter, more digital marketing also credited.
March 2, 2009... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ The economy may be bad news to most marketers, but to the U.S. Army, it's making the job of recruiting a little easier. Top officials who oversee the Army's recruitment say they, too, would like to see things...

LinkedIn skyrockets as job losses mount.(LinkedIn Corp.)
March 2, 2009... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN There are two places most of today's laid-off executives are heading: to job-search sites to see what other opportunities are out there and to networking sites in hopes they can reconnect with-and milk leads...

The question: What's the best book you've ever read on marketing? Readers give Ries and trout top `positioning'.
March 2, 2009... Ad Age wanted to create a definitive reading list for the marketing and media business, but we didn't know whether the editorial team could pull it off on our own, so we turned it over to the wisdom of crowds. Actually "The Wisdom of...

SMG MUlticultural breaks $1B, continues to dominate; Publicis Groupe unit that houses Tapestry a leader in Hispanic-marketing innovation.(Starcom MediaVest Group)
March 2, 2009... Byline: Laurel Wentz In 2007, publicis groupe split its multicultural media-buying behemoth, Tapestry, into two separate units. The idea was that Starcom clients would be served by Tapestry, while MediaVest clients would be handled by 42...

Turn the Oscars from boring twaddle to a marketing tool.(Column)
March 2, 2009... Byline: Jonah Bloom The oscars suck. They suck for host ABC, for whom they should be a TV event to rival the Super Bowl. The network treated the news that 36 million people tuned in for this year's show as a success story. Indeed, it...

The effects of 'Benjamin Button' will be coming to ads near you.(The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
March 2, 2009... Byline: Teressa Iezzi Here's what didn't suck about the Oscars: seeing the wizards from Digital Domain accept the visual-effects award for "Benjamin Button.'' DD's work here provides a glimpse of what's next in feature and commercials...

Casseroles make comeback as easy, quick meals for the cash-strapped.(News)(Correction notice)
March 2, 2009... Byline: EMILY BRYSON YORK ***** Correction: RE: "Casseroles Make Comeback as Easy, Quick Meals for the Cash-Strapped'' (AA, March 2). The fact that consumers in a recent study said they prepare casseroles between three and five times...

Creativity Top FIVE.(Work)
March 9, 2009... This week's episode of Creativity's Top Five features EA Games and Psyop offering viewers a trip to hell by way of the new game "Dante's Inferno"; the Australian Outdoor Awards exhibits its first prize with a billboard made up of 10,000 $1...

`TV Everywhere' may shine light on cable's weak spot.(News)
March 9, 2009... Jeff Bewkes is proposing a remedy for TV's woes with "TV Everywhere.'' But many cable networks may ultimately find the cure is as bad as (or worse than) the disease. To paraphrase Roger Ailes, no one gets up in the morning and thinks,...

Gun makers and retailers post strong sales increases; Sour economy, potential for tightened regulations drive buyers to firearms.(News)
March 9, 2009... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA The economy might be tanking, but firearm sales are going great guns. Despite the weakest holiday season on record, outdoor-products retailer Cabela's turned in strong fourth-quarter sales, largely as a result of...

Tyler Perry's 'Madea' offers lessons for media, marketers.(Column)
March 9, 2009... Byline: Lenore Skenazy i just got back from a wildly popular place I've never been to before. If you're white, chances are you haven't either: Madea Land. I rented "Madea's Family Reunion,'' (a No. 1 movie when it opened in 2006) then...

As seen on AdAge.com.(Columns)
March 9, 2009... As seen on AdAge.com/bigtent Newman-Carrasco: Why so squeamish? While Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers'' is positioned as a book about success, it is worth recommending in the context of the multicultural-marketing dialogue. By including...

Who's getting a boost from downturn do-it-yourselfers; DIY spirit pervading numerous categories could last for years.(News)(AutoZone Inc.)(Procter and Gamble Co.)(Campbell Soup Co.)
March 9, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF consumers with less money in their pockets and more time on their hands because of the recession seem to present a big opportunity for do-it-yourself propositions of all kinds. Thom Blischok, president-consulting and...

Stalled auto market a boon for parts, repair; Consumers spend to maintain cars instead of buying new ones.(News)
March 9, 2009... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY The bad news: Americans aren't buying many cars these days. The good news: They are keeping the ones they do own longer, and spending more on their upkeep. According to researcher R.L. Polk & Co., the median age...

Journalism goes local with wave of start-ups; New blogs attempt to reinvent the model for community news.(News)
March 9, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL LEARMONTH We're seeing the newspaper business collapse in slow motion, but what will replace it? That's the question behind a wave of start-ups trying to find a new model for local journalism. The New York Times dipped...

Introducing the new TimesPhone Mobile News Navigator 1.0; It doesn't exist-yet. But would you pay extra for a phone with a mobile-optimized news service?(MediaWorks)
March 9, 2009... Byline: Simon Dumenco The thud was so loud it's still painfully echoing in my ears. Hearst's recent informal announcement, via Fortune, that it planned to launch a Kindle-esque wireless e-reader-on which customers could read magazines...

THE HEAT INDEX; Weekly rating (0-10) of sizzle and fizzle.(MediaWorks)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... 8 'TYLER PERRY'S MADEA GOES TO JAIL' "Madea" ruled the box office again in its second week, fending off the 3-D movie from the Jonas Brothers. 6 PAID CONTENT From "TV Everywhere" to plans by Cablevision and Hearst to stop giving away...

WHERE 1990'S TOP PAPERS ARE NOW; Two decades later, only four pubs have grown paid circulation.(News)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... Byline: NAT IVES Of the 25 biggest weekday papers in 1990, the year newspaper employment peaked and the year before circulation declines really gathered momentum, 21 papers have lost ground. One, The Rocky Mountain News, was just shut down...

Advice to marketers about domain names.(News)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... The coming surplus of new domains has been flying under the radars of many companies. So what should you do if you're just getting up to speed? First, find out how new domains could affect your company. Has your brand experienced a lot of...

U.S. papers seek more circ revenue.(News)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... Byline: nat ives The Financial Times isn't alone in increasing pricing, but it does charge more than its principal American competitors. The New York Times raised its metro weekday price to $1.50 from $1.25 last summer, and The Wall Street...

National mags hope to find bright spot in regional ads.(News)
March 9, 2009... Byline: NAT IVES It's not just start-ups and newspaper refugees fighting over local marketing and media-national magazines have planted a stake in local turf as well. Publishers are hoping that regional ads in magazines can provide their...

Market plunge a cautionary tale for media companies.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Nat Ives Last week kicked off with a stock-market plunge that returned the Dow Jones Industrial Average to 1997 levels, exacerbating concern over just about everything. Then things got worse: The Standard & Poor's 500 tumbled...

Adworld has new king in Sir Martin Sorrell; WPP passes previous leader Omnicom, but the win comes at a cost.(News)
March 9, 2009... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH There's officially a new world order in Adland. WPP, the British ad giant led by Martin Sorrell, last week moved ahead of U.S.-based Omnicom Group as the world's largest owner of agencies based on reported revenue. But...

How Financial Times defies the times; Famed pink broadsheet in the black by raising price, charging for web.
March 9, 2009... Byline: EMMA HALL The financial times is charging more for copies of its salmon-colored daily broadsheet and is making readers pay for its online content as well-not exactly recessionary measures in the toughest times ever for the...

Verizon targets women with Hub phone; Telecom enlisted iVillage community to help it market all-in-one device.(Verizon Communications Inc.)
March 9, 2009... Byline: MARISSA MILEY Of the estimated $200 billion spent on retail consumer-electronics products in 2007, $90 billion, or 45%, was likely spent by women, according to the most recent research by the Consumer Electronics Association. Yet,...

Economy accelerates shift away from upfront buying; Wary marketers cling to budgets, lean toward year-round purchases.
March 9, 2009... Byline: BRIAN STEINBERG With the economy flailing, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that TV-ad sales for next fall's prime-time schedule are primed to droop. Behind the scenes, however, lies something potentially more drastic....

Ford leaving Chrysler, GM in its rearview; Strategy to build brands, discount less pays off as automaker steals share.(Ford Motor Co.)
March 9, 2009... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY Suddenly, the wind is at Ford's back. Maybe it's the rising quality of its cars. Maybe it's the halo surrounding Ford for passing up federal funds being devoured by its Detroit rivals. Or it could simply be Ford's...

What's in a domain name? Marketers weigh the cost; Companies wrestle with decision to buy into blitz of new dot designations.
March 9, 2009... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Today there are 21 generic top-level domains, or those little words that come after the dot at the end of a web addresses, including .com, .net and .gov. But that's all about to change. A proposed expansion of...

Credit-card marketing message: We'll help you pay off your debt; Visa, AmEx, MasterCard promote rewards, debit to frugal cardmembers.(News)
March 9, 2009... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Credit's out, debit's in-just ask Visa, MasterCard and American Express. As housing prices fall and job losses mount, consumers are increasingly keeping their plastic tucked tight in their wallets. U.S....

Coke: Buy 1 rival, get our brand free; Soft-drink giant's Vault takes on Mtn Dew with unusually aggressive offer.(News)(Coca-Cola Co. (Atlanta, Georgia))
March 9, 2009... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA In an audacious and quite possibly unprecedented move likely to resonate with recession-weary consumers, Coca-Cola will give away a free sample of its Vault brand to anyone who buys PepsiCo's Mtn Dew. The...

There's a price to be paid for bad judgment in synthetic oils.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Ken Wheaton It's every man's nightmare: There you are, standing in your driveway, making slightly disparaging comments about name-brand synthetic motor oil when you hear footsteps and an odd wobbling-whipping sound. Before you know...

The Question: Should automakers declare bankruptcy? 79% said it's a wise idea for GM and Chrysler to declare bankruptcy.(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... Byline: max lakin The question of whether embattled automakers General Motors and Chrysler should file for bankruptcy protection garnered a fury of comment from respondents, the majority of whom suggest the two go gentle into that good...

At 4A's conference, smaller crowd cries out for solutions.(News)(American Association of Advertising Agencies)
March 9, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BUSH Empty hotel bars, canceled agency-sponsored dinners and fewer attendees. This year's American Association of Advertising Agencies' Media Conference & Tradeshow in New Orleans was riddled with all of the cost-cutting...

Don't be reticent, marketers: Give consumers a reason to buy.(Column)
March 9, 2009... Byline: Rance Crain The economic recovery won't come by playing it safe. So what if Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank and Chris Dodd believe that if anybody is having fun it can't be effective marketing? So what if TMZ and Maureen Dowd think...

REALIZING REAL ESTATE DREAMS AMID RECESSION; Coldwell Banker VP Fischer sees opportunity in challenging times.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Jennifer Rooney The two biggest purchases in a consumer's life? Houses and cars. The two things consumers aren't buying right now? Houses and cars. But Michael Fischer has had to lead marketing efforts for both. And he's unfazed....

BRING A NOTEBOOK, NOT A BEACH TOWEL, TO CANNES; With less revelry, ad fest will be a lot more sober-in every way.(News)
March 9, 2009... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ And RUPAL PAREKH For anyone wondering how global recession will affect the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival this year, listen up: DDB Worldwide is scrapping the Friday-night beach bash that has been a...

People on the Move.(Talentworks)(Mother Nature Network has appointed James Berrien)(Afar has appointed John Sheehy)(House Party has appointed Greg Besner)
March 9, 2009... Mother Nature Network appointed former Forbes chairman James Berrien president and chief operating officer. Mr. Berrien was president and publisher of Forbes Magazine Group from 1999 to 2008, and before that held a number of senior positions at...

Media Morph: In-video product placement.(Digital)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... Byline: michael learmonth The premise: Online video advertising is, for the most part, stuck in the past, with the only significant innovation being the kind of bottom-third transparent overlays popularized by YouTube and Google. But what...

Will Facebook's faster feeds, filters make it the new Twitter? Site's coming changes can be beneficial to marketers if they take active role in keeping their pages fresh.(Digital)
March 9, 2009... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN For the last several months, social-media pundits have busied themselves debating whether Twitter was the new Facebook. But last week Mark Zuckerberg & Co. hoped to change that dialogue, launching a pair of...

Goodby does impossible, cures Comcast affective disorder.(Garfield's AdReview)(Goodby, Silverstein and Partners)
March 9, 2009... Byline: Bob Garfield Client walks into Goodby Silverstein & Partners, plops down a suitcase full of money. Says, "You have your choice of three briefs.'' Partners say, "OK, shoot.'' "No. 1,'' the client says. "Find a noninvasive cure...

People & Players.
March 9, 2009... new york: the art of the interview The New Yorker hosts an event to discuss the art of the interview and the future of news. (From l.) Ken Auletta, staff writer, The New Yorker; ABC News' Barbara Walters; Sir Howard Stringer, CEO, Sony;...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Hearst Entertainment has appointed George Kliavkoff)(GSW Worldwide has promoted Joe Daley)(Jacobson Rost has appointed Pat Goggin )
March 23, 2009... George Kliavkoff was named exec VP-deputy group head of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication. He will be charged with leading the digital expansion of the operating group responsible for Hearst's interests in cable-TV networks, TV production and...

FOR RICHER OR POORER: WEDDING SPENDING NOW; Average reception costs down, but bridal websites, TV shows seeing success.(Brief article)
March 23, 2009... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA Wedded bliss: It's something consumers are looking for, even in a down economy, right? Well, maybe. Industry experts say they are beginning to see longer engagements and more cohabitation, as couples look to save up...

Ford's focus on change paying off in marketplace.
March 23, 2009... In times like these, it's downright heartwarming to see Ford's flame flickering in the darkness. In a U.S. auto industry on life support, the company is managing to improve quality, roll out convincing advertising, skillfully negotiate its...

Amid cutbacks, ShamWow marches on; As downturn worsens, DTRV "bottom feeders' pick up slack for media.(Direct Response Television)
March 23, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF The 30-second spot may be an endangered species, even if its wake has proven largely premature and overbooked. And the 30-minute spot also has seen better days. But the 60- and 120-second spots have never been healthier,...

WAIT, THERE'S MORE! DRTV IS GAINING MAINSTREAM APPEAL; J&J, Church & Dwight, SC Johnson embrace the model.(Infomercials)
March 23, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF To find the heart of the DRTV industryat least of the $19.95-and-under crowd that increasingly have seared themselves into the collective consciousness in the recessionlook no further than New Jersey. There, three of the...

HOW TO SUCCEED AT DRTV.(Direct response television advertising)
March 23, 2009... Steal with pride: Neither your product nor the approach has to be entirely original to work. "At one time in the 1990s there were six ab machines that all looked substantially similar, cost substantially the same amount and had different...

Ad effort can't rescue economy- at least not yet; Government marketing push might work, but after country stabilizes.
March 23, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF The ad industry has a long history of volunteering for campaigns in service to our country, even some aimed at bolstering the economy, such as the push urging Americans to "Whip Inflation Now'' during the Ford...

NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SNUGGIE MODEL EXISTS FOR DRTV SHOPS; From Eicoff to Blue Moon: Pitch, compensation, clients vary.(direct-response agency )
March 23, 2009... Byline: JACK NEFF For years, direct-response agencies have toiled in the shadows of their more glamorous peers at conventional ad agencies. Now, direct-response TV shops are finding their place in the sun as the recession darkens the...

New Yorker sweeps NMA nominations once again.
March 23, 2009... Byline: ANN MARIE KERWIN The magazine industry is facing one of its toughest economic environments in a decade, but some assets, such as editorial excellence, can still be relied on. In the case of Conde Nast's New Yorker, has banked...