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NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Even with long-awaited approval by the Federal Communications Commission of the $4.2 billion merger between XM and Sirius, the soon-to-be combined satellite radio entity is not likely to make major waves in the radio marketplace in the near future.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- While I may consider "Saving Grace" lazy, generic TV masquerading as something totally deep, it's not hard to discern why the show has attracted a reasonable following. It boasts an ideal lead-in ("The Closer," its smarter and cooler TNT big sister), comatose people can follow its narratives, and everybody likes to gawk at cute detective chicks in low-cut tops and skinny jeans. What's impossible to understand are the warm critical notices.]]>
Summer blockbusters "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight" both showed superhero-like powers when it came to pulling in box-office receipts. The marketing and media behind these two Hollywood franchises was a critical ingredient to maximizing both films' potential. Paramount developed the "Iron Man" media strategy for Marvel Entertainment's first funded production, while Warner Bros. was behind "The Dark Knight." The companies took quite different media strategies. Optimedia U.S. President Antony Young reviews how well they did.]]>
MINNEAPOLIS (AdAge.com) -- The definition of family is changing in America. This is especially apparent on network TV, which in turn often changes what real -- or at least Nielsen -- families watch. Much of this was reflected Tuesday night, as three programs that are ostensibly about family dynamics had mixed ratings results.]]>
It's around this time every summer that Freeloader's party invites begin to dry up and the social calendar begins to look a bit thin. Oh sure, we have more time to catch up with our actual friends and engage in glamorous evening activities like laundry and dishes, but there's always that nagging feeling that we should be at some cocktail party, eating someone's mini burgers.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Kevin Johnson, the executive who led Microsoft's failed Yahoo takeover, has left the company, leaving observers to wonder who will take the post next.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Free applications, the darlings of the new iPhone, are the latest in tech cool. They're also the latest place marketers are plugging their ad messages.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Softness in ad spending in consumer package goods and finance categories didn't help Yahoo's business this quarter, as President Sue Decker cited a "more difficult economic environment than anticipated."]]> SAN FRANCISCO (AdAge.com) -- Three months ago it seemed as though the internet advertising industry could get through this tough economy relatively unscathed. But in what may be a bad sign for a seemingly recession-resistant sector, several internet companies have reported relatively disappointing earnings.]]> WASHINGTON (AdAge.com) -- A major internet advertiser is sounding the alarm about a Yahoo-Google ad deal. AT&T publicly warned that Yahoo's deal to start replacing some of its own search ads with those supplied by Google could hurt advertisers by driving up prices.]]> Megabrands Top 200 Brands ranked by measured U.S. media spending. Top 200 Megabrands By measured media spending in 2007]]> Agency Report Featuring comprehensive rankings of the largest ad agencies in the world. Ranks more than 500 U.S.-based agencies. Agency Report 2008 edition]]> Rankings of Marketing Services agencies, including top Direct Marketing, Sales Promotion and Interactive agencies.]]> Media Specialist Cos. Rankings of the largest media buying and planning companies; latest edition: 2008. Top media specialist cos. in 2007]]> An index to updates made to Ad Age's Annual 2008 (Dec. 31).]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- When Telemundo's morning show, "Cada Día," was canceled, cookwear supplier Royal Prestige was left without a vehicle for its yearlong sweepstakes.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- It's a long shot. That's a loose translation of the title for a Spanish-language reality series Telemundo Communications Group is creating for broadband -- and General Motors' GMC Sierra truck.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- U.S. Hispanic agencies picked up two prizes at last month's Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, including the first Lion for Saatchi & Saatchi's Latino shop Conill.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Eyeing U.S. expansion beyond the Hispanic market, Spanish portal Terra is starting to add English on its Spanish-language site and has picked the U.S. as the first market for the launch of an English-language social-video bookmarking site called Kazivu.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- What if, during the casting of a State Farm commercial, three struggling Mexican musicians with day jobs such as gardening and construction work meet for the first time and form a successful band, get gigs, release a CD, do radio and TV interviews, and live the American dream?]]> I am predicting a trend that will see the CMO inheriting the CEO post. CEOs who dismiss the corporate brand as fluff will pay the price in terms of their own credibility with the board, and if they refuse to modify their views, don't be surprised to see CMOs taking their places.]]>
The exponential growth of media channels, platforms and audience segments has made brand marketing much too complex to approach without the collective strengths of communications partners.]]>
There's a "secret sauce," as a friend would put it, to creating a recipe that works for serving up innovation success. But if businesses have trouble getting it quite right, it's because they're short on a critical ingredient: inspiration.]]>
Spurred by everything from open innovation networks to cross-industry advisory boards to crowd sourcing, the deluge of ideas brings exciting potential for inspiring breakthrough concepts and for disruptive innovation. But with so many possibilities also comes the challenge of managing the exploding innovation process.]]>
When the ad industry separated media from creative years ago, we lost control over the message and the big-picture context of how to truly engage the consumer. That is, until now.]]> NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Securities exchange giant NYSE Euronext has placed its creative and media account into review, and is asking several global ad networks to participate in the process, according to executives familiar with the matter.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- After creating a ruckus by levying a slew of scandalous charges against his former employer, Dentsu America, and two former bosses, Steve Biegel has lately remained mum with the press. But now that the tales of Czech brothels and Japanese bathhouses have drawn to a close, Mr. Biegel, the agency's onetime senior VP-creative director, agreed to chat with Ad Age about whether at the end of the day it was worth it to bring his lawsuit, his new agency gig at a shop with yet another strange moniker, and more.]]>
BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- Joe McCarthy, Johnson & Johnson VP-worldwide advertising, is leaving to become CEO of Publicis Worldwide, New York. Effective Aug. 18, he succeeds Gill Duff, who is moving to a yet-unspecified role working with a major client within the agency's parent, Publicis Groupe.]]> BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- GSD&M Idea City is landing its second high-profile marketing executive in as many weeks, as Wal-Mart Stores Senior VP-Advertising Tony Rogers prepares to join the agency in a yet-to-be-determined executive role.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- After more than a decade at the helm of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, Chairman-CEO Shelly Lazarus, 60, today announced internally a succession plan that will place Miles Young, chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Asia-Pacific, into the global CEO seat effective Jan. 1, 2009, according to executives familiar with the matter. Ms. Lazarus will retain her title as chairman Ogilvy Group.]]> Bubbalu's, a Tejano bar, is built bad-ass: windowless, cinderblock walls, poor lighting. Beach-turquoise blue walls, dogs playing poker on the men's room wall, a Bubbalu's banner lording over the dance floor featuring a beach bum hammocking near some spen...]]>
In today's high-tech world, it's not particularly fashionable to refer to lessons learned from yesteryear's ad leaders.]]>
The greatest obstacle for our agency continues to be something that seems largely beyond our control: attracting top talent to a second-tier market.]]>
Too many of us wonder, as great talent walks out the door: What would it take to get those people to stay?]]> NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- A recent rise of online outlets are democratizing talent, letting creative types share and shop around their work to potential employers. Such sites may alleviate some of the pressures for both agencies and job seekers.]]>
As the Class of 2008 joins the work force, the big question ad agencies ponder is: Will we find more aptitude than attitude this year?]]>
How can A-B ensure that its loyalists won't defect to Pabst or Miller? Here's my advice.]]>
Witnessing the exuberant demand for the iPhone made me wonder if this feat could be repeated in other categories, such as the auto business. What would an automaker have to do to seduce consumers to stand in line to buy a hot new car?]]>
Magna Global last week announced that the age of the average network-TV viewer has reached the 50-year mark. This has caused no small amount of consternation in the media business and the trade press. This type of sky-is-falling reaction is both sad and foolish.]]>
Marriage Wrecker. Man Eater. A-Rod's Other Woman and Soul Mate. Whatever you want to call Madonna now, you can be guaranteed that the Material Girl loves every one of her new Page One monikers. And it's not just because she's the nation's No. 1 narcissist. No, it's because Madonna has just proven once again that she is the No. 1 marketer in the nation.]]> Now, as protesters begin to train their sights on the major Olympics sponsors, what is a good corporate citizen to do?]]>
I almost got a scoop when I interviewed Andrea Alstrup, recently retired VP-advertising at Johnson & Johnson, newly inducted to the Advertising Hall of Fame.]]>
As the skirmish between prescription-drug companies and the government over Big Pharma's ad practices continues, marketing directors are taking the rap for dragging their heels.]]>
The investment-adviser market is undergoing some major changes as baby boomers start reaching retirement age.]]>
"The most insecure species of our race are the creative people." So said Keith Reinhard, newly minted member of the Advertising Hall of Fame, who penned "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there" and "You deserve a break today" for McDonald's.]]>
If you're acquisition-minded, now is a good time to be in the ad-agency business.]]>
I revisited a handful of questions that have popped up in my e-mail, on my Facebook page or even in good-old booze-based human conversation, in case any of them inspired a column. They did. Sort of.]]>
It is easy to lose sight of the advertising at the Cannes advertising festival.]]>
Read between the lines of the deals Yahoo President Sue Decker revealed at Advertising 2.0, and a focus emerges -- on display.]]>
Do I think Samsung's airport charging stations sell phones? Unlikely. But they're way more likely to leave me feeling affection for the brand than some mind-numbing airport billboard that has nothing to do with the frustration and boredom I'm experiencing. They're classic examples of marketing as service, a concept worthy of more attention and dollars than it's getting.]]>
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The latest Dove controversy epitomizes the ad industry's struggle to reinvent itself as a participant in an ongoing conversation rather than an old guy with a megaphone barking orders to people who no longer follow them.]]>
What's more important, the visual or the verbal? Neither. It's like asking what's more important in building a house, a hammer or a nail? Both have to work together. The best hammer in the world is useless if the hammer misses the nail. And the best nail in the world is useless unless there's a hammer to hammer the nail in.]]>
Have you seen the advertising campaign for "the new Chrysler"? Slogan: "If you can dream it, we can build it." Sounds like an ad for a California custom shop. But more important, is the slogan memorable? In this day and age, it doesn't matter how well-crafted the words are; if the slogan isn't memorable, it's just a waste of space.]]>
If mobile devices integrate three technologies in an attractive and convenient package -- GPS, scanning and voice recognition -- the result will be the birth of a new medium as revolutionary as television or radio.]]>
In Al Ries' opinion, too many advertising agencies are concerned with fixing the advertising when their first concern should be fixing the problem. All the advertising in the world wouldn't have saved Isuzu, he says. Why? First and foremost, Isuzu is a terrible name. And its agency should have said something.]]>
Innovation is not a strategy, and companies that depend on a constant flow of new, innovative products will someday find themselves in deep trouble, as Sharper Image has. Every successful company needs a branding strategy, which may or may not include innovation. Yet many marketing gurus have elevated "innovation" to a point where it is widely perceived as the single-most-important function of a corporation.]]>
I'm taking a week off from my usual default mode of creeping dread and swaggering indignation. Instead, I'm delivering an uncharacteristically upbeat edition of Media Guy, highlighting just some of the media I'm happiest about lately.]]>
The on-again, off-again, full-frontal, roundabout, all-or-nothing, piecemeal Microsoft run on Yahoo has, of course, become one of the great ongoing media dramadies of the year.]]>
I'm pleased to note that we here at Ad Age totally saw "Mad Men" Mania coming.]]>
It's time once again for the quarterly-ish Media Guy Media Studies Pop Quiz. All books and papers off your desk now!]]>
We've been getting the news, in dribs and drabs, about the disintegration of traditional media models for how many years now? So I propose a moratorium: Let's stop obsessing about the lost golden age of easy media profits and just get on with inventing the media future (which will, let's face it, involve lower margins for just about everybody -- except Google!).]]>
From thousands of hopefuls, the former editor of Psychology Today will create 10 seemingly compatible couples, just the way Yente the Matchmaker would.]]>
In New York City, local law now requires restaurants with 15 or more outlets to post their sometimes shocking calorie counts. This info is changing the way our city eats. And soon, possibly, the way the rest of America eats, too.]]>
Lately Jack Link's, the beef jerky leader, has been working on a radical new marketing niche, one that has helped net it several consecutive years of 18% sales growth. It's called women.]]>
If anything, multitasking is really sequential tasking: interrupting one thing to do another. That might not be so bad, except that a third of the time we're interrupted, we never get back on track.]]>
In 1983, companies were spending $100 million a year to market to children. Today they're spending 170 times more: $17 billion. Numbers like that make parents realize they cannot limit this media exposure by themselves. A movement builds.]]>
It's rare today that an agency winning a major chunk of business for a significant brand elicits the reaction, "Who?"]]>
Especially now, as it becomes more and more difficult to craft a unified communications message, design is the core emotional bridge.]]>
Here, Creativity's picks. Mix and match them, and they'll probably represent a good chunk of the winners at Cannes this year.]]>
Solutions have to have a green ethos, but they also have to just be good. So how much of this long-term, sustainable thinking is incorporated into design process in the brand world?]]>
ROI-obsessed marketers buy into all kinds of made-up metrics; this one is at least a less arbitrary indicator of business success, and it's one that both shrewd advertisers and creative types can get behind.]]> Conservative Group Calls Him 'Both Ways Barack']]> He's handing out Junior Varsity press passes to the poor bastards who didn't get to go on the Obama world tour. Gawker's got the...]]> First Contender Since Dole to Buy National Broadcast]]> Barack Obama is going around the world and the media can't get enough. (I'd say that I was actually embarrassed for Katie Couric's coverage so far, but then I'd have to admit that I was watching network news!) So how has McCain been carving out his little...]]> Obama Team Says It's 'Same, Tired' Campaign Tactics]]> How to tell if you're afflicted....]]> This is nowhere near as annoying as the Pit Bull Brigade having a hissy fit over a Verizon ad. Rather, this is mildly amusing.]]> Sci-fi blog io9 has a list of reasons why entertainment marketers with the appropriate properties/content should be at Comic-C...]]> Budweiser needs help. Maybe they should get Stephen King to do an ad. Hey, it was good enough for Ernest Hemingway, who went to bat for Ballantine Al...]]> Don't Be Caught by Surprise if Your Store Shuts Down!]]>
As I pack my suitcase, I can't help but think of all of the people I know in advertising and public relations who pride themselves on not taking vacations. Or at least a real one that lasts more than a few days. Well guess what: In an industry that has more than its fair share of awards shows, there's no award for "Most Years Without Taking a Vacation."]]>
I love learning new things, but I'm finding that what's important for me to learn at this point revolves around the discipline of keeping this business focused on finding the best opportunities to thrive and grow.]]>
We all want to make a profit. It's the lifeblood of a business. It supports our growth. It pays for our raises and our bonuses. It funds new positions. The trick is that not all profit is created equally.]]>
Several agency CEOs agreed that young talent is going elsewhere for careers. I found that consensus alarming, as our industry has long been considered sexy by the (naive) youth entering the business. I say "naive" because agency life always appears more glamorous than it really is.]]>
Connecting a brand with its target audience in a sustainable way is like an archer hitting a bull's-eye at will. But in branding, that ability is not really a success if another target is not also reached: the internal target.]]>
Outstanding recent creative work includes Leo Burnett cracking a giant egg over Chicago, life lessons from 'Star Wars' and a high-tech Radiohead video.]]>
In this week's episode of Creativity's Top 5, Great Works and TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York, offer online users Kanye-fication on behalf of Absolut; PES animates a tasty meal; Tina Fey bumps into Martin Scorsese for American Express; Monster.com and JWT, Hong Kong, show the sad state of underemployed toys; and 4Creative gives a behind-the-scenes look at "The Shining" for Channel 4.]]>
In this week's episode of Creativity's Top 5, 72andSunny give action-sports giant Quiksilver an online makeover; Bartle Bogle Hegarty conjures a whimsical world of steam for LG; Australian agencies The Hallway and Happy Soldier put the baked bean to use for Zuji Travel; Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, helps a lost boy with Sorbent toilet paper; and New York-based Anomaly rolls out a cornucopia of online offerings for Converse.]]>
Welcome to the Creativity Top 5, a weekly video series on AdAge.com recapping the best and brightest work featured at Creativity-Online.com. This week: Heinz gives a British mum a New York makeover (sort of); Smith Brothers gets some canines to recount their troubles for the Animal Rescue Association; Friends With You and the Brooklyn Brothers match a pair of puppets for Fuse; Hewlett-Packard unveils its newest take on touch technology; and Nike allows people to customize their kicks using their surroundings.]]>
Welcome to the Creativity Top 5, a weekly video series on AdAge.com recapping the best and brightest work featured at Creativity-Online.com. This week: Cannes winners. We highlight some of the agencies and marketers who took home a pretty statuette from the South of France.]]> Brewer's dilemma: While Anheuser-Busch's superpremium Michelob Light is growing toward record sales, sister brew Budweiser is on the verge of losing its crown as King of Beers in supermarket aisles. the coup in st. louis is almost a fait accompli. With...]]> All Your Questions Answered]]> The Power 150 is a ranking of the top English-language media and marketing blogs in the world, as developed by PR executive and blogger, Todd Andrlik. It's really as simple as that, except that the name isn't strictly accurate: It currently ranks more than 360 blogs written about all types of media and pretty much every imaginable marketing discipline. To get your blog listed, just submit it through our web form.]]> I know that my last round of writing in this space was a 1,400-word one-sided shouting match at the agencies. And I usually leave the positive reinforcement to Tiffany Warren ... b...]]>
Maybe, just maybe, if you're as lucky as I was, you will get to work with Jim Stengel and he will help you raise whatever bar needs raising. My advice? Listen to and learn from his every word. And try not to cry.]]>
Italian Vogue editor in chief Franca Sozzani said her decision to dedicate the July issue to black models was influenced by a New York protest group as well as Barack Obama's success in the U.S. presidential primaries. She had feared that the issue would not sell. Now the only thing that might be bothering her now is not printing enough copies to send to the U.S., considering all the buzz.]]>
Finally, here's a study that quantifies the way many Blacks live every day: dreaming, living, buying, connecting, thinking and, yes, hurting. It also sends a message that Blacks are so much more -- more than criminals, welfare recipients, athletes and overachievers. Black Americans don't all live the same way or believe the same things.]]>
Every so often, just when you think the world is changing, something brings you back to reality. Maybe it's the lack of participation in the recent human rights commission meeting by most of the major agencies. Maybe it's the feeling you get when you think of the first black president and then you see a racist New Yorker cover. Then you remember that you are in America. Nothing in America has come easy for people of color. Why do we think that the business world would be any different?]]>
We've covered rock-branded eats before, but this one may be the tastiest ... critical commentary?]]>
After a frenzied period of voting -- according to McD's, only 12,280 participated -- the winner of the McDonald's Big Mac Chant is finally here. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Jason Harper and your new Big Mac Chant. It's a pity that fourth-place finisher Tamien Bain didn't come out on top, considering he served 12 years for robbing a McDonald's.]]>
Yesterday couldn't have been slower if it was rolled in molasses and dipped in breadcrumbs. Or so we thought ... until this little dollop of joy dropped into our mailbox: Reebok, through its agency mcgarrybowen, licensed a Vashti Bunyan song for an NFL TV commercial.]]>
Smaller brands can often afford to align themselves with a particular artist or genre, but larger brands tend to (smartly) tick off as many boxes as they can without ticking off any of their consumers. For them and many others, last.fm is rolling out new ad software that allows advertisers to target users based on their musical tastes.]]>
We were given this clip of Hayden Panettiere singing her first single for a Candie's-via-Kohl's spot, and we were, in all honesty, expecting to groan and close when we saw it. Turns out, we ... well, kinda like it.]]> The Sci-Fi channel is Twittering. Like marketing imitating art -- or something -- the channel has turned to Twitter.com in a tandem promotion of it's original primetime series, "Eureka," and the lead-up to the show's season three premiere and its appearance at this week's Comic-Con International in San Diego.]]> You're walking past the mall. It's not a good hair day. Suddenly a digital screen in a storefront flashes an ad for a brand new hair product. Helpful or insulting? Imagine the havoc if the Evil Queen in Snow White got an ad for Depends sent to her.]]>
Readers matter: You pick what I write about. So I'm back to the old-school basic survey and poll. It'll takes about three minutes to answer three questions about some provocative topics I'm angling to write about but want your help in deciding which to tackle. That's right, you, the unwashed public, get to pick some upcoming entries.]]> The thing about shows is they're big, crowded, require lots of walking and generally serve crappy concession food. So when you can see the new products and talk to the people behind them without actually having to go, well, that's the kind of event we can get behind. In this case, we're talking about E3 -- and Ogilvy Digital Labs continues its vlogging of the annual gaming event for DigitalNext.]]>
If you want us to vote for you, buy from you, read you or enter your contest, we want to hear your point of view, and then we want you to listen and respond to what we think. Social = two-way street.]]>