Outside Mag Plans Jump to TV

Outside Magazine is creating a TV series based on the editorial content of its magazine, Mediapost reports. The company will probably pitch the series to a cable television network but isn’t excluding the possibility of shopping the series to a broadcast network.

Other magazines, such as Seventeen and Real Simple, have recently launched similar ventures to jump to TV.

10-Figure In-Store Ad Deals Block Competitors for Years

News Corp.’s News America, which has contracts to sell shelf ads, floor ads, and instant-coupon machines at about 35,000 food, drug, and mass merchandisers, has had luck in selling some marketers complete control of ad space for up to two years at a time, AdAge reports. According to internal company documents obtained by AdAge, which include copies of signed retailer contracts, spreadsheets, and issues of an internal employee newsletter, the deals run as high as eight figures and have been bought by top CPGs including Proctor & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, and General Mills.

E-Cards Are Back, Thanks to Ad Market and Broadband

The online greeting card industry - an icon of the dot-com boom and a quick victim of the bust - is starting to make some noise again, writes the New York Times (via MarketingVox). Companies are designing more heavily animated cards to take advantage of broadband, and despite the costs of creating and distributing the cards businesses are generating profit, thanks to a healthy online advertising market and a willingness by consumers to pay for the cards, which now feature better-quality graphics.

Consumers Gauge Auto Websites

Automakers have embraced the web and internet for marketing and promotions, and the most recent Harris Interactive Automotive Website Assessment Study evaluates how well 37 major U.S. auto brand sites work and satisfy their visitors, writes MediaPost (via MarketingVox). Overall website satisfaction was highest for Cadillac, Hummer and Jeep, which achieved satisfaction ratings of 8.6 out of 10; Chevrolet, GMC, Honda and Mercedes-Benz followed with satisfaction ratings of 8.5. Website features identified as having the most impact on consumer satisfaction were reliability (i.e., no broken links or errors), appealing design, ability to find things quickly, and easy navigation.

NYT Features ‘Jeopardy’ Clue of the Day, Gets Own Category on Show

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The New York Times and Jeopardy announced today an agreement between the paper and the nation’s number one-rated quiz show. Every day, The Times will offer a Jeopardy Clue of the Day, with the correct response available on that day’s show or in the next day’s issue of The New York Times. The clue will appear adjacent to the Tomorrow in The Times box Monday through Friday and on Sunday near the Information Directory, and will also be available online.

AOL Launches Broadband Ad Campaign, Expands High-Speed Network

America Online is launching its AOL High Speed ad campaign, created by Omnicom Group’s BBDO, to promote AOL’s new broadband partnerships, reports AdWeek (via MarketingVox). The campaign includes TV, online and print executions showing AOL subscribers competing against athletes; the tagline adds “high speed” into AOL’s current “Want a better [high-speed] Internet? You belong at AOL.” Atmosphere BBDO handled the web advertising, and Interpublic Group’s Initiative is handling media planning and buying.

AdMedia Partners: Impressive Outdoor M&A Activity in ‘06

According to a new market survey by investment bank AdMedia Partners, merger and acquisition activity for internet marketing firms will be remarkably strong in 2006. AdMedia’s survey also found that mergers and acquisitions of experiential marketing companies - which includes buzz, viral, guerilla and event marketing firms - as well as database marketing and customer relationship management firms, will also be strong this year.

MPA Launching Print Awareness Campaign to Media Buyers

A new ad campaign from the Magazine Publishers of America, launching in mid-Feb., will focus on how consumers use and take action from print ads more than from any other media, Mediaweek writes. The ads, targeting media buyers and advertisers, are part of a three-year, $40 million campaign designed to promote the value of print advertising.

Media Buyers Want Programming, Staff Assurances from CW

Media buyers are warning the new CW network that combining the best programming from both UPN and the WB shouldn’t mean that ad rates skyrocket, according to Mediaweek. In advance of pre-upfront meetings just six weeks away, buyers are urging CW executives to project a clear picture of new program development, as well as a stronger sense of which specific personnel from each of the former networks will be involved with the new one.

Lowe Names Agency ‘Red Brick Road’

Sir Frank Lowe has announced the name of his start-up agency - Red Brick Road - and an official opening date of March 1, Brand Republic writes. Lowe, former chairman of Interpublic’s Lowe Worldwide Agency who retired from Lowe London two years ago, decided to rejoin the ad industry with his own shop, and quickly snagged former Lowe chairman Paul Weinberger and creatives Sam Cartmell and Jason Lawes for the agency.