Clear Channel Communications Inc.’s “Less is More” strategy aimed at cutting back commercial air time has boosted pricing and ratings. This translates into radio revenues that outpace the industry, leading to higher profits for the number one radio operator - which earned a 14 cents-per-share profit versus the industry’s 13 cents - writes Reuters.
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Volkswagen of America Inc. announced yesterday that it will be exploring new and creative ways to reach consumers in the entertainment marketing arena, and has selected product integration agency Creative Entertainment Services (CES) to develop film and television brand-building platforms. The companies will collaborate on entertainment-themed marketing initiatives for high-profile properties.
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National television came ahead of newspapers and public radio as the most trusted news source, according to 82 percent of the 10,230 adults questioned in a worldwide survey on trust conducted by GlobeScan on behalf of Reuters, the BBC and The Media Center, in 10 countries, writes Reuters. The internet is on the rise as a trustworthy medium as well, especially among the young participants.
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The agencies that have handled Wal-Mart’s $578 million U.S. creative and media activities - including longtime incumbents Omnicom Group’s GSD&M and independent Bernstein-Rein - have recently been informed that the account is now in the early stages of review, according to a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, writes Ad Age.
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Following January’s 5.4 percent rate increase, prompted by rising fuel and health care costs, the U.S. Postal Service filed yesterday a request to increase postage rates by an average of 8.5 percent - including a three-cent hike in the price of first-class stamps - writes BtoB. Provided the absence of a set timetable for rate increase requests, the USPS also proposed to create an annual rate adjustments cycle.
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Freitas Outdoor is the second-fastest growing major ad medium, just after the internet, according to estimates from the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, with a growth rate of 11.4 percent in March, Mediapost writes. First quarter revenue grew 7.7 percent over the same quarter in 2005. The winter months typically see a dip in spending, which means that this summer could see even more growth, says Stephen Freitas, chief marketing officer of the OAAA.
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Mainstream media outlets may be at risk of becoming marginalized by the youth generation of today who want the news when, where and how they want it, writes BBC News. The young are moving away from traditional news outlets and relying on the internet more for their media news consumption, according to the opinion poll released by BBC, Reuters and American think tank The Media Center.
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CBS hopes to claim the multiplatform spotlight early this year by debuting - as soon as today - its anticipated broadband video player on an ad-supported free broadband channel before the upfronts begin in two weeks, according to sources close to the matter, writes Broadcasting & Cable.
If Fox builds a strong development slate for next season, it could be a lock to finish first place among adults 18-49, without having to rely on its habit, in recent years, of falling behind early and surging late on the back of American Idol when the series begins in January, Media Life writes.
Nielsen and News Corp. have settled their differences concerning the drawn-out debate over the rollout of local people meters, writes MediaPost. The Don’t Count Us Out anti-Nielsen pressure group, which News Corp. funded, has apparently dissolved along with the argument.
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Commander in Chief, the most-watched new show of the season when it launched seven months ago, has been axed by ABC, Media Life writes. The show peaked with nearly 17 million viewers in its second week, but the network soon canned creator Rod Lurie in October and took over the show itself, reportedly because the show-runner’s scripts were coming in late and costing the network in delayed production.
Also in October, as ratings drooped a bit, a “conspiracy theory” began circulating that the show was really a ploy to help pave the way to the White House for Hillary Clinton.
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A comedy section has been added at MySpace.com in an effort to generate revenue from the social networking site, with Sierra Mist a prominent product sponsor, writes paidContent (via MarketingVOX).. The section includes content from users but it’s not user-generated; the emphasis seems to on commercial or sponsored content.
The anouncement comes on the heels of JibJab’s launch of its own comedy social network - JokeBox.
Because marketers are trying to reach younger audiences through videogames, Midway Games of Chicago is increasing ad options for new game releases, reports AdWeek (via MarketingVOX). The recently released NBA Ballers: Phenom, a basketball-themed game for Xbox and PlayStation 2, includes T-Mobile, Spalding and Sprite product integrations. For example, game characters communicate via a T-Mobile Sidekick after they are drafted.
In recent years, database modeling has evolved to better boost response rates due to the rising number of cooperative databases, the increasing types of models and the more vast and sophisticated variables available, writes Multichannel Merchant.
Though an expanding subscriber base nearly tripled Sirius Satellite Radio’s first quarter revenue, the company reported Tuesday that its losses more than doubled in the first quarter, pointing mainly to the $225 million it paid in stock-based compensation to shock jock Howard Stern and his affiliates as the culprit, writes Yahoo. The company reported total stock compensation expenses of $284.6 million, accounting for 20 cents per share of the loss.
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Over the past decade, technological advances have broadened radio programming, expanding audio options as well as listeners’ control over what they hear, writes eMarketer. Despite these advances to digital radio, “The Infinite Dial: Radio’s Digital Platforms” study, issued by Arbitron and Edison Media Research, found that 75 percent of the “digital radio” audience said they would continue their AM/FM radio listening habits.
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During a meeting last month, Warner Brothers chairman Barry Meyer met with partner and CBS Corporation chairman Leslie Moonves, along with the marketing department of their new network, the CW - which formed in January when WB and UPN merged - to discuss the future and identity of the new entity, writes the New York Times.
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Yesterday, at the MTV Networks’ upfront presentation in New York, Viacom’s CMT revealed a slate of three new series along with several specials, writes MediaWeek.
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Mangia Media - U.S. supplier of pizza box ads - reports that pizza is the most popular fast service meal in the nation, being the first choice of 97 percent of Americans. This, together with the increased popularity and quality of advertising on pizza boxes, has higher-end advertisers adding the medium to their media advertising plans, writes Media Life.
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UK broadcaster UKTV is airing niche sporting events online and then running the highlights on the TV network, writes Media Life. The UK network uses TV to promote the paid online service.
