marketing

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Behind KFC's Marketing Meltdown

How does a TV ad blitz and an Oprah endorsement result in a brand nightmare?

(Newser) - How to engineer a marketing disaster: Make offer, rescind offer, turn away hungry customers. Kentucky Fried Chicken’s grilled-chicken promotion was to be the largest launch in the chain’s history but turned out to be a promotional nightmare, Advertising Age reports in a look at how a massive TV...

Media World Braced for Loss Of GM, Chrysler Ad Buys

A collapse in Detroit could cost media players billions

(Newser) - As the situation in Detroit becomes increasingly perilous, media companies are anxiously waiting to see what happens to the vast marketing dollars—$3 billion in the US last year—General Motors and Chrysler previously poured into advertising. But while vastly decreased spending seems like a foregone conclusion, most media companies...

Denny's Plans Another Giveaway

(Newser) - Denny's has found its marketing niche and is sticking to it. Playing off the tough economy, the no-frills restaurant is giving away another free meal, reports Advertising Age. On the heels of its buzz-generating offer during the Super Bowl, Denny's is offering a free Grand Slamwich—it's a new one...

Jacko Cooking Up 'New Moonwalk'

King of Pop preps surprise for summer shows

(Newser) - Michael Jackson will debut a new dance move for his upcoming London tour dates, his manager tells the Telegraph. It will be "something like the Moonwalk, but different," vowed Randy Phillips, the marketing genius behind the reclusive pop star's return to the stage. No insurer has agreed to...

Marketers Bank on Women in Recession

(Newser) - Some recession-wary companies are marketing more to women these days, the Economist reports. After all, women make more than 80% of discretionary buys in America, and are more loyal, product-plugging (or bashing) customers. But one expert says the strategy could turn off male buyers in traditionally masculine marketing areas like...

Money Woes Boost Sales of Sedatives, Antidepressants

Jump comes despite dive in marketing dollars

(Newser) - Here's a downer: The sale of antidepressants and sleeping pills have jumped amid the recession, and 31% of Americans asked about their sleeping habits say financial worries are keeping them up at night. The 7% jump in sleep aids comes despite hundreds of millions of fewer dollars spent on their...

Search Could Be Twitter's Path to the Big Bucks
Search Could Be Twitter's Path to the Big Bucks
ANALYSIS
Mar 2, 2009 4:20 PM CST

Search Could Be Twitter's Path to the Big Bucks

Site could offer real-time brand info to firms

(Newser) - Twitter is huge, and while it remains relatively unconcerned with how to monetize its prominent position in the online zeitgeist, a few ideas have popped up, Advertising Age reports. One is search: The micro-blogging site is considering charging firms for detailed metrics on who is saying what about their brand....

But Wait, There's More! Snuggie's Not the Original

Ads set it apart, but it wasn't the first sleeved blanket

(Newser) - Casual observers—meaning late-night TV watchers—probably think the sleeved-blanket craze started with the Snuggie. Easy mistake: The ads showing cultish, cozy Snuggie converts are everywhere, and 4 million have been sold since October, the New York Times reports. But the creator of the Slanket wants to set the record...

A-Rod Juiced but Fellow Players Will Pay

Endorsements dry up as advertisers avoid risky baseball stars

(Newser) - A lot of people will pay for Alex Rodriguez’s admission that he used steroids—and A-Rod isn’t one of them, writes Jeremy Mullman in Advertising Age. A-Rod’s already shallow pool of endorsements isn’t likely to dry up, but by bringing steroids back into the spotlight, he’...

Rebuilt 'Small World' Not Too Small for Disney Marketers

(Newser) - The recently renovated “It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyland has some new inhabitants, OC Weekly reports—Disney characters. The ride, which debuted in 1964 to showcase tolerance, now features animatronic versions of popular movie figures alongside children of the world, the AP adds. “What message are...

Obama Aside, Marketers Still Bypass Blacks
Obama Aside, Marketers Still Bypass Blacks
ANALYSIS
Feb 2, 2009 4:07 PM CST

Obama Aside, Marketers Still Bypass Blacks

$913B in buying power goes relatively ignored by Madison Ave.

(Newser) - Many of the advertising folks who named Barack Obama Marketer of the Year have cut spending directed at African-Americans, whose buying power is nearly $1 trillion, Marissa Miley writes in Advertising Age. “Why people continue to question this customer segment continues to baffle me,” says one author. “...

Obama Tries to Rein In Use of His Image

White House lawyers look for ways to cut down on marketing

(Newser) - Marketers have been using Barack Obama to sell everything from futons (Ikea's Embrace Change line) to ice cream (Yes Pecan from Ben & Jerry), but now the White House is trying to rain on their parade, Bloomberg reports. Lawyers are working to “protect the presidential image,” a...

Marketers Have Inauguration Fever, Too

Companies tie products, events to Obama's big day

(Newser) - Marketers for products from cognac to commemorative coins are looking to cash in on Barack Obama’s Tuesday inauguration, the New York Times reports. “Obamabilia” includes bottles of Hennessy with a “44” on the label, special magazine issues, and Tshirts galore. Other companies, like Quaker Oatmeal, are hosting...

Designers Target Red-Carpet Season to Stay in Black

Fashion industry more aggressively seeking celebs to strut its stuff at awards shows

(Newser) - With sales of designer goods plunging like a Hollywood starlet’s neckline, the fashion industry is looking to jump-start spending. Designers say print advertising doesn’t cut it anymore, so they’re lobbying harder than ever to outfit celebrities for red-carpet appearances, the Wall Street Journal reports. Awards shows provide...

Obama's BlackBerry Passion Worth $50M

But Prez-elect advertises obsession for free

(Newser) - Barack Obama won't nab any cash for his frequent endorsement of his beloved BlackBerry—but if he weren’t a public servant, his thumbs-up could be worth as much as $50 million, the New York Times reports. “This would be almost the biggest endorsement deal in the history of...

Anti-Bulimia Ads Catch College Women In Act
Anti-Bulimia Ads Catch College Women In Act
ANALYSIS
Jan 8, 2009 2:51 PM CST

Anti-Bulimia Ads Catch College Women In Act

German firm gets edgy, plastering undersides of toilet seats

(Newser) - A German women’s advocacy group is employing crafty means to get bulimics’ attention, Animal New York reports: Pro Mädchen (translated as “for girls”) is smacking pink splatter stickers, with a phone number and the tagline “Bulimia is curable,” onto the undersides of toilet seats...

Realtors Friend Facebook for Boost in Rough Market

Networking site is useful way reach out to friends—and to buy and sell properties

(Newser) - Facebook has been reviving more than long-lost friendships—it’s proving a useful tool for struggling real-estate agents, Daniel McGinn writes for Newsweek. Agents are increasingly using the site to promote themselves, pitch listings and keep track of potential clients. “I’m trying everything in a market like this,...

The Best Movie Taglines Ever
 The Best Movie Taglines Ever 
OPINION
Jan 7, 2009 4:13 PM CST

The Best Movie Taglines Ever

Just when you thought it was safe to read a Newser summary...

(Newser) - You have to hand it to Patrick Swayze. He may never win an Oscar, but when his movies have taglines like The dancing’s over. Now it gets dirty, does he really need to? Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle is a devotee of the fine art of the...

Sign Spinners Toss, Twirl the Sandwich Board

Businesses embrace cheap advertising idea in recession

(Newser) - Sidewalk sign holders in California have spun a boring job into art that's drawing attention, on the cheap, from advertising-inundated consumers. Sign spinners twirl, toss, and wheel ad boards around the body—all while ensuring the board's message displays prominently. As ad dollars dry up, the complicated showmanship is helping...

Let's Stop Talking In Slogans
 Let's Stop Talking In Slogans 
GLOSSIES
Dec 7, 2008 12:44 PM CST

Let's Stop Talking In Slogans

Using language to communicate hampered by psychology of advertising

(Newser) - We live in a world of snappy slogans, but that may not be the best way to communicate, write Dan Heath and Chip Heath in Fast Company. "People need a reason to prefer Crest over Colgate," but those same people—that's us—shouldn't talk like toothpaste salesmen. "...

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