What marketer doesn’t want their next campaign to go viral? When it means garnering more free exposure than you could afford to buy, who could resist trying?  The problem occurs when more focus is given to the factors that make ads go viral than the factors that generate sales.  Unfortunately, these are rarely the same.

The viral success of the current Old Spice campaign is undeniable.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t done much to convince consumers to buy the product.  MSNBC reported recent WARC figures which show sales of Old Spice Body Wash are down 7% year-to-date.  Most likely you’ve seen the campaign.  Were you entertained? Were you given a compelling reason to buy Old Spice?  I’m thinking you only answered “yes” to one of these.

Read the rest of this entry »

Back when we only consumed video content through our televisions, no one bothered to count screens.  But the last time I checked, we’re now up to four.  Televisions, computers, mobile phones, and out-of-home video screens are not only how we consume video, but they’re increasingly how we interact with it.

Along with our four-screen world comes the concept of lean back vs. lean forward media.  Initially, it may sound like “degree of focus” (which you’ve most likely heard of), but it’s also impacted by factors like engagement, ability to immediately respond, and time spent.

Probably the best way to understand lean back, lean forward, and the implications of each is with a chart:

Read the rest of this entry »

Typically, the next “big thing” in the digital world generates new users much faster than it generates profits.  If savvy marketers take advantage of the opportunity Foursquare provides, the fast growing social app may prove an exception.

If you’re not familiar with Foursquare, members use their phones to “check in” when they visit various locations.  By doing so, their Twitter and/or Facebook accounts are updated with their location, and they accumulate points and badges which can be used in a variety of ways.

What Foursquare represents to retailers is the opportunity to track when and how often customers visit them, as well as what other activities they combine with those trips.  Who wouldn’t want to know the days of the week, peak times, etc. that their most loyal customers visit…or reward them for their loyalty?

Read the rest of this entry »

While ad spending on many tactics has declined since the recession hit, direct response has seen significant growth.  According to Nielsen, direct response spending has increased 18% since 2007.  They estimate that the average US home now views 32 DR ads each week.

It’s easy to guess what’s driving this.  It’s the immediate measureable results that come with direct response.

Read the rest of this entry »

In a recent NYT article, David Carr examined consumers’ use of social media to comment on television programs while they’re watching.  The trend is growing and it has created an unprecedented level of viewer engagement.  Carr gives examples such as the heavy use of Twitter during this year’s Oscars and increased viewership for the Oxygen networks’ The Bad Girls Club, which allows viewers to talk back to both their television and other people via www.Oxygenlive.com

Read the rest of this entry »

In almost all cases, television programs rather than commercials are what attract viewers.  Any advertiser knows that viewers often go to great lengths to avoid having to sit through the commercials.

Of course the Super Bowl is a bit different.  Since I work in the business, I might be a bad example, but I’ll openly admit that I found myself wandering off for snacks during this year’s game and then rushing back to the TV for the ads. But according to Nielsen, I’m not alone.  More viewers now say they tune in to the Super Bowl for the commercials rather than the game (51%).  Given the lengths to which advertisers go to produce entertaining (and hopefully effective) spots, it’s not surprising.

Read the rest of this entry »

A recent Supreme Court ruling loosening the restrictions on corporate campaign spending could be just the thing to give local TV stations a much needed boost in revenue.  The ruling will essentially open the floodgates for attack ads funded by corporations and unions.  While many media tactics could benefit from that spending, most political advertising is spent on local television in key battleground states and cities.

Read the rest of this entry »

Magazine advertisers have long suffered with less-than-desirable accountability metrics.  As an analogy, think of negotiating a radio schedule based on the number of people who own radios.  Thankfully, the industry has made significant improvements in the last few years and has recently leapfrogged some competing traditional tactics.

MRI started down this path a few years ago by providing issue specific audience estimates.  This allowed advertisers to calculate the delivery of a specific magazine schedule, and thereby more effectively plan and negotiate the medium.

Read the rest of this entry »

In looking back at 2009, the most significant change in the print industry came from its digital component. While the greatest volume of readership and revenue still flow through the printed product, the digital tail is clearly wagging this dog.

The growth of the internet and the decline of print readership have driven publishers to create digital editions. Readers followed, but sufficient ad revenue did not. In the end, 2009 will stand out as the year that these pressures began to drive change.

Read the rest of this entry »

Just three months after Guiding Light aired its last episode, CBS announced the cancellation of As the World Turns.  These cancellations have nothing to do with a lack of viewer interest in soap operas, but rather a lack of profitability caused by a steady decline in daytime PUTs (persons using television).

 Both shows have respectable viewership for daytime programs, but nothing close to what they generated 20+ years ago, and not enough to justify their production costs.  By abandoning soaps, the network is signaling a shift in focus to programming genres that are less expensive to produce.
Read the rest of this entry »