p e r s p e c t i v e

Cheil USA's i-group wins a Bronze MIXX AWARD

2008-10-06T09:51:00.004-04:00

The hits just keep coming for the Juke by Samsung campaign. Cheil USA's i-group picked up a MIXX Award September 23, 2008. We collected the bronze award in the Widget Marketing category for the Juke by Samsung campaign

See all the MIXX 2008 award winners here.

Brian Gield (senior copywriter), Johanna Rustia (art director) and Jennifer Friedberg (General manager/The I) were on hand to collect the award.

Congrats to the team:
Johanna Rustia and Bernell Clifford, art directors; Jeff Babson and Brian Gield, copywriters; Chris Mogen, design director, interactive; Ann Marie Mathis, interactive creative director; Howard Levenson, senior project manager; Joseph Andreana, project manager; Christine Nelson, account supervisor; Laurie O'Connor, associate media director

Making Home Appliance Irresistable

2008-09-24T15:52:00.000-04:00

In the Fall of 2007, Cheil Canada was given the task of creating an advertising strategy for Samsung’s Home Appliance division. 2008 marked a significant year for the division as it would be their first full year of carrying a complete range of kitchen appliances, and their first foray into mass advertising. The brand was in its introductory phase and we had to capitalize on the opportunity to establish a premium brand perception with consumers.

When reviewing the competitive landscape, we faced the challenge of competing with brands that had a long history and strong brand equity in the appliance world. Our challenge: how do we stand out and reach our consumers in a unique and more targeted way?

Working with a very limited advertising budget, our first goal was to stretch our media dollars and find ways to look more massive than our budget could afford. Our objective was to rapidly build brand awareness through high reach and frequency against our target to achieve immediate awareness nationally. Who was our target? The “super mom,”- educated and stylish, she values design in her home. She balances any combination of home, work, community and personal time, is a key decision maker, and influences all purchase decisions that affect the home.

Full page dishwasher print ad that ran
nationally (Canada) in various publications.

Full page refrigerator print ad that ran
nationally (Canada) in various publications.

Knowing that our target is extremely busy, we needed to find media channels that spoke directly to her. We chose media properties that were established and credible in the world of design and home décor. Being a new brand, we wanted to associate ourselves with established media partners which in turn would help to build our credibility. We partnered with Canadian House & Home magazine, a premium magazine and resource in home décor, to create advertorials that combined design tips from an interior designer with details about the innovative technology that’s built into every Samsung appliance. With every advertorial insertion, we also ran one of a series of four ads from an original campaign created by Cheil Canada, each featuring a different home appliance.

We knew our budget did not afford us the opportunity to create television spots, but we felt it was an important medium that could help us build our reach rapidly. We partnered with Home and Garden Television Canada and created vignettes with Jay Purvis, a well known Canadian television design host, that focused on renovating tips and how Samsung appliances fit in with renovating your kitchen or laundry space. In the Quebec market, we partnered with Canal Vie, a television channel similar to HGTV to create Samsung billboards. This helped us to establish a blurred line of endorsement for the home appliance brand.

We also wanted to capitalize on the beauty of the appliances themselves and give consumers the opportunity to experience them firsthand. We targeted consumer shows with a female focus that competitors were not attending. This allowed us to be the exclusive home appliance brand represented, therefore reaching a captive audience.

Full page range print ad that ran
nationally (Canada) in various publications.

Our goal was to connect with our target in many different ways while at the same time ensuring that every touchpoint was consistent. Creatively, our advertising objective was to equate the Samsung brand with stunning and innovative appliances. Our advertising theme became “Irresistible Innovation” – the notion that Samsung appliances are so irresistible, that the clothes that just came out of the machine are dying to get back in. We created print executions for dishwasher, laundry, fridge and range. The “Irresistible Innovation” tagline appears in every form of activation from television, advertorials and brochures to the booth created for consumer shows. We wanted to ensure that when our consumer experienced Samsung home appliances, they had the same brand experience flipping through their magazine at home as when they were visiting a retail store.

Reaching our target in the various stages of their purchase cycle in a consistent, innovative way has helped us build a premium brand for Samsung in the Home Appliance category. Our “Irresistible Innovation” campaign has garnered accolades from consumers as well as Samsung customers such as Sears, Future Shop and The Brick.

Above: Product stickers were created highlighting key product
features. Stickers are being used across Canada at
all retail stores carrying Samsung appliances.

Below: Brochures were produced for the
retail environment highlighting product features
and specifications.

Angela Fitzpatrick
Senior Account Executive
Cheil Canada

Cannes 2008: The Year of Storytelling

2008-09-24T15:39:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, I had a dog. And one day the vet said that heartworm was a risk for all young dogs and that we should give the animal a pill once a day as a preventive measure. Problem is, the vet said, most dogs didn’t seem to like the taste of the pill and in order to get it down, we had to slip it into its dog food. The dog would eat the food, unaware that the medicine was nestled into the meal. Problem solved.

I tell you this story for two reasons: First, it is a situation that is analogous to advertising in some basic sense. Advertisers all have a pill of information they want their audience to consume. But if you just tell people the information cold, they tend to miss or forget it. As ad folks, we are the ones who make the information more palatable by weaving it into some more entertaining, interesting, digestible form. Now, consumers are not dogs and our advertising creations are not dog food (usually), but I think you get the idea.

The second reason I tell this story is that it illustrates the larger point that was the theme at Cannes this year: the importance of storytelling as a means of conveying information. I could have begun this article simply saying, “Advertisers often have to make pieces of information more palatable by weaving them into stories” — but where’s the fun in that? Would you have kept reading? Maybe, maybe not. But engaging the audience in a story is a time-tested way to pique people’s interest and make them more likely to absorb your information, whatever it may be.

The following is a look at five secrets to telling a good story – and how Cannes winners used them to generate publicity for their brands.

1. Involving the audience makes a good story. Simpsonizeme.com generated tons of attention for Burger King and ‘The Simpsons Movie’ by enabling people to see how they would appear in a Simpsons world. By uploading a photo of themselves and feeding them into the Simpsonizer, people could transform themselves into bona fide Simpsons characters. It was an idea that brought people into the experience and generated lots of D’oh!
2. Ordinary people who become heroes makes a good story. The genius of the common man is celebrated in Bud Light’s ‘Real Men of Genius’ TV and radio campaign. From the Edible Panties Inventor to Overzealous Flag Football Player, the Real Men of Genius campaign sends up quirky aspects of American culture in a brilliantly fresh way. Audiences across the country buzzed about each new spot.

3. Practical jokes make a good story. Burger King’s ‘Whopper Freakout’ prank got attention by essentially ‘punking’ their customers. Burger King told their customers that they – the self-proclaimed “Home of the Whopper” – had officially discontinued the Whopper. The customers’ reactions were videotaped and put online. It was a royal success in generating publicity on both the Web and TV.
4. A little shock value makes for a good story. Finetra ‘The bed and bedding experts’ used a little shock value to grab attention in a print campaign recently. Using the line, “Where even nightmares come to rest,” Finetra showed children asleep in bed with their arms wrapped around horrific sleeping monsters. The effect of seeing innocent children and these fanged beasts together dialed-up the shock value and Finetra brand awareness all at once.

5. A great character makes for a good story. Stavros, a German practitioner of ‘position art’ is the creation of Nokia to promote the GPS feature of their phones. By using the feature on the phones, he showed how people could actually create pictures across miles of landscape. The character’s unflagging self-seriousness – evidenced by his insistence on referring to himself in the third person– and unwavering enthusiasm for the world’s newest art form, was just the right mix of pomposity and pluck to introduce an interesting use for these phones.
Tom McManus
Creative Director
Cheil USA

Around the World with Samsung.com

2008-09-24T15:05:00.002-04:00

After almost 13 months, 250,000 frequent flyer miles and thousands of transcontinental phone calls, emails and instant-messages, the Samsung.com sites for Chile, Peru and Argentina launched on June 23rd. This marked the successful finish of the Samsung.com global rollout project.The team, comprising of professionals from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, and of course Korea, fought language barriers, IT and content setbacks and toughest of all, time zones, to cross the finish line.

Cheil Brazil, established in 2002 in Sao Paulo, has played a

pivotal role in building the Samsung Electronics brand
in the Latin American market. The Cheil and
Samsung Brazil team deserves a warm obrigado.

The Samsung.com redesign is a high level initiative to provide a best-in-class website to all Samsung subsidiaries across the globe, from sales powerhouses United States and China to their smaller brethren, Lithuania and Peru. Utilizing a platform created by Samsung OSG (Online Strategy Group) assisted by the triumvirate partnership group of Boston Consulting Group, IBM, and Digitas (providing strategy, process and creative, respectively), the 55 Samsung.com sites around the world share the same clean aesthetic, high-style photography, and deep product content.

One of the major advantages of the new platform comes from our study of economics, that of ‘economy of scale.’ Previously, each subsidiary created online marketing materials only equal to their proportionate budget. As can be imagined, the online marketing budget for Peru (pop. 28M) is slightly less than that of the United States (pop. 305M) based on their size and the percentage of population online. However, with the new Samsung.com platform and structure, Peru, despite their limited resources is able to ‘piggyback’ on the marketing muscle of the United States, providing their consumers with product microsites and other online marketing materials they would otherwise be unable to afford.

No animals were injured during the construction of this site.

Although you can’t tell, the site was built in the shadow of the lovely San Cristobal.

Another advantage to the ‘globalization’ of Samsung.com is the newfound ability to share online marketing advances between markets. An example is the current US web 2.0 initiative of providing consumer-generated reviews on product pages. Previously, this initiative would be constrained to the U.S. due to a lack of communication across Samsung.com entities, with the advent of Samsung’s global online strategy group and the corresponding Cheil online marketing council, this type of initiative can quickly and easily be vetted by the initiating country and, if successful, rolled out globally. This allows Samsung to group-source innovation and quickly spread it throughout the network.

Cheil has played an integral part in this year-long rollout. The North America/Latin America regional headquarters, located in the Ridgefield Park, NJ offices of Cheil have been responsible for nine North American and Latin American countries, spanning from Canada to Argentina. With a staff of six account managers and one copywriter, the NALA group was responsible for organizing all the content development for the site and orchestrating the third party vendors during the site build. With terrific support from the OMC headquarters team in Seoul (often working 20 hour days), the NALA group was able to launch all sites on time. Now as we move into the operations phase, the team is focused on developing the improvements that will make the Samsung.com global network a true best-in-class web presence.

With the help from our partner Elyptics,
Samsung.com Argentina launched on schedule.

David Glitzer
Director, Online Marketing Center
Cheil USA

Fantasy Sports: No Longer a Marketing Fantasy

2008-09-24T14:49:00.002-04:00

When people began playing Fantasy Sports in the early 1980s, it didn’t exactly catch on like wildfire. At the time, Fantasy Sports were a complicated, involved hobby for only the die-hard sports fanatic, an extremely small but involved segment of the population. Pre-Internet times meant no access to player statistics, hence league members would be forced to calculate their scores by hand on a weekly basis using the box scores printed in the local newspaper. This was extremely time-consuming (take it from someone who actually did this), and significantly limited the growth of the industry.

Today, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fantasy Sports in 2008 has become mainstream, with an estimated 34 million U.S. consumers having participated in a fantasy sports game. ESPN has regular fantasy sports draft programming on the air, radio stations have fantasy sports specific content, and there are thousands of websites dedicated to learning, playing, and mastering the craft.

Effect on marketing With the population of active fantasy sports conservatively estimated at 19 million in 2007 according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA), it was only a matter of time before serious marketers began to enter the arena in droves. Coca-Cola and Toyota are currently presenting sponsors of the most popular Fantasy Football game at Yahoo! Sports. General Motors and Geico sponsor ESPN’s Fantasy Football, while CBS Fantasy Sports is sponsored by Bud Light.

Fantasy Sports sponsorships are not limited, however, to just the most popular game hosting sites. Samsung channel partner Circuit City, recently launched the Circuit City presents “YouTube Fanalyst Channel.” The channel provides a compilation of Fantasy Football analyst videos hosted on YouTube, plus contest opportunities for owners to create their own analysis to win prizes. As new games emerge, we can expect that more will be available.

Demographics The lure of Fantasy Sports to Fortune 500 companies is simple – according to MRI data, the Fantasy Football player is almost 3x more likely to watch National Football League games and content than the average person, and the audience is involved and engaged in the content.

When you couple this information with the high frequency of user visits to fantasy sports sites, brands can expect increased exposure of key messages that are target appropriate. According to the FSTA, approximately 75 percent of all visitors to fantasy content sites are male, skew towards an income of $75K+, and nearly 1/3 third are in the sought after 25-34 age range. Furthermore, more than 37% of fantasy sports users spend over 4 hours per week on fantasy sports related sites.

Implications Fantasy Sports consumers are a triple threat to marketers – the key young male marketing demographic with a higher income range, consistent and guaranteed partner site traffic, and long term investment/engagement in the content. As participation continues to grow at 7-10 percent/year (Source FTSA), Fantasy Sports will continue to be a lucrative opportunity for companies to reach consumers where they are engaged and receptive.

Jed Michaelson
Account Supervisor, Brand Management
Cheil USA

2008-09-24T14:46:00.003-04:00

The latest consumer electronics campaign positioned Samsung as a market leader in the industry, while promoting home theater as the new norm.

Timeframe: Q4 2008
Account Director: Bob Carmody
Creative Director: Tom McManus
Account Supervisor: Stephen Fanuele
Art Director: Tom Kane
Copywriter: Brin Banta

CCA wins an OMMA

2008-09-23T14:13:00.003-04:00

Johanna and Jeff accepting the award

CCA wins an OMMA for Best Integrated Campaign: Technology CCA iGroup picked up an OMMA Award September 18th 2008. They won in the category of: Best Integrated Campaign in technology and were a finalist in the widgets category. Jeffrey Babson (copywriter) and Johanna Rustia (art director) were on hand to collect the award. Congrats to the team: Johanna Rustia and Bernell Clifford, art directors; Jeff Babson and Brian Gield, copywriters; Chris Mogen, design director, interactive; Ann Marie Mathis, interactive creative director; Howard Levenson, senior project manager; Joseph Andreana, project manager; Christine Nelson, account supervisor; Laurie O'Connor, associate media director

Gimme! – Basically, we are all Self-Centered

2008-07-25T14:26:00.005-04:00

John Hallward, President of Ipsos ASI, a leading advertising research firm, presented excerpts from his latest book Gimme! to Cheil staff at the NJ office on April 29. Ipsos ASI is a leading global advertising research firm, and is part of the worldwide Ipsos Group. Ipsos ASI offers a full range of advertising research solutions to help clients make the best decisions at all stages of the advertising process: advertising development, advertising pre-testing for qualifying advertising, advertising tracking, and brand equity/brand health evaluation. Ipsos ASI has also recently introduced new holistic integrated advertising assessment. The firm focuses on providing advertisers with the insights to help in the development, evaluation, and improvement of their advertising efforts to help them build stronger marketing performance for healthier brands.

John Hallward is the President of Global Product Management at Ipsos ASI.
In his first book, Gimme! The Human Nature of Successful Marketing,
Hallward explores our evolutionary traits to help marketers, brand managers,
public relations professionals, advertising executives, and even
politicians better tap into primary human motivations for greater success.

Hallward argued that much of what and who we are today is the product of evolutionary processes. Human beings, for example, are genetically wired as such to develop social needs, friendships, morals, habits, emotions, short and long-term memories, among other characteristics. Though we are born with the “gimmes,” we are taught to suppress them as we grow in society. But the “gimmes,” as Hallward observes, do not fade away. They are activated, for instance, when we choose a brand: “How will I be perceived if I choose X instead of Y?” or, “What emotional payoffs do I get for choosing X over Y?” An understanding of how human brains work allows us to become better marketers.

Our brain is largely oriented to our vision. We see in our minds. We judge first impressions with our eyes in a split second. Our brain is constantly engaged in creating basic triggers or memory units – associations, visions, mnemonics and metaphors – for easy future retrieval. Try remembering this:
O T T F F S S E N T

It would require quite an effort to lodge this in our brains and be able to retrieve it at a later point. You likely found no relevant meaning, mnemonic, or cue to recall a random array of characters. But try saving it after understanding the pattern behind the characters.
O T T F F S S E N T
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten

In our complex environment, we simplify information units as a way to cope with the huge overload of stimuli. The units of memory are burned into our neural networks by several factors such as duration and intensity of stimuli and extent of neural processing. The latter, in turn, is dependent on quantity of rehearsals, simplicity, relevance and quantity of emotions attached to memory. Any one incoming stimulus fires upon tens of thousands of neurons. This creates a lot of brain activity, neural firing, and complexity.

Humans have habits. We follow routines. We like predictability. Following routines lets us forget the details and “reasoning.” Marketers need to disrupt purchase habits in bold ways to engage the brain.

Consumers feel much more than they think. Consumers do not think in a rational, well-reasoned manner. We judge cars by the sound the car door makes. We are influenced by the “new car” smell. Each and every stimulus that we attend to gets tagged with an emotional evaluation (i.e., good/bad). Thus, “rational” is not the opposite of “emotional.” Rather, they are basically two sides of the same coin. Decision making is about evaluating the emotion associated with every memory unit. An understanding of the memory units and the emotions that come into play helps design a communication strategy.

Marketing, then, has two fundamental roles according to Hallward: 1. Get it in: get the right desired associations into the brain, in a rich, intense manner, as a neat “summary memory unit”. 2. Trigger it: get recalled and activate the attitudes at the right time (i.e., the purchase time).

Sanjeev Bhatt
Strategic Research Architect
Cheil USA

Taking Social Media on the Road

2008-07-25T14:09:00.005-04:00

Cheil Worldwide and Samsung Nationwide took part in a social media educational program that kicked off on April 30, 2008, at our New Jersey headquarters. As the Interactive Creative Director for Cheil, I felt it was important to educate the clients on the core principles that make up social media, the ‘tools of the trade’ and some best and worst-case scenarios for brands that have embarked into this new territory, or worse, been thrust into it by their own consumers.

I enlisted the help of C.C. Chapman and Steve Coulson of the Advance Guard who helped me kick off the tour. C.C., a long time podcaster and blogger, and Steve, a creative visionary with a wealth of traditional agency experience, helped lay the groundwork for the presentation. The discussion quickly took shape, revolving around these key issues:

What is social media? How does it work?

How does a brand engage the consumer within the social media space?

Where do we start? How can we adapt as marketers and as a brand in this new space?

The two-hour long session covered everything from blogger outreach and micro-blogging to virtual worlds. The dialogue within each session varied depending on the business challenges faced by our client’s particular line of business. I expected the clients to be very focused on metrics. I even went so far as to craft a full-blown metrics chart in preparation for the onslaught of raised eyebrows in answer to the question, “What’s the ROI?” Maybe I fell prey to headlines I read about the hesitation of brands to engage the space. Even though there aren’t traditional benchmarks, it’s clear to me that clients understand the value, and more importantly, the need to get started. Instead I learned that their concerns lay not with how to engage in a dialogue with the consumer, but with whom to engage in that dialogue.

Corporations and brands are now faced with the following questions:

Some Tools of the Trade

■ Blogs: A web site that has regularly updated content. Most have a set theme or topic and/or serve as an online diary, where the topic is based on personal experiences.

■ Social Networks: Sites where individuals gather to connect and share information. All have the ability to connect/befriend other people and most allow for the sharing, and commenting on of content.

■ Podcasting: Internet radio that anyone with a computer and a microphone can create. Rich media content that consumers can subscribe to and enjoy on their own schedule, and on their device of choice from anywhere.

■ Wikis: Web sites in which everyone has the ability to add and edit the content. Self-policing using the theory of the wisdom of crowds, which believes the more people that contribute, the more accurate the information is.

■ Microblogging: Allows people to send short updates to their community via multiple channels including SMS and instant messaging. Real-time public timeline of messages from people around the world interacting with each other.

■ Internet Video: We live in an on-demand world now. Consumers want to consume entertainment on their schedule and not anyone else’s. Online video allows social interaction and viewing on the consumers’ schedule rather than someone else’s.

■ Virtual Worlds: Online communities of like-minded people. Many are not “a game” in that there is not
a goal or mission. Most share the traits of a social network including friend lists, customization and the sharing of content.

■ Photo Sharing: People can upload their photos for the world to see and comment on. Flickr, the largest and most popular, provides tools for people to upload from their computers and phones.

■ Gaming: Quickly evolving category with the rise in popularity of casual gaming, branded games and dynamic in-game advertising and Alternative Reality Games (ARGs).

■ Social Bookmarking: Just like your browser favorites, but these are bookmarks you share with the world. Updatable, taggable and subscribable. Many have voting mechanisms to make popular links gain even more exposure.

Who runs this? PR? Customer Service? The Advertising Agency?

Do I need a new department within my organization?

In an organization with multiple product divisions, is it run at a corporate level? Do I evangelize my product managers? Different companies handle it in different ways. I’m hardly an expert on the topic of successful business models (I’m a creative director, not a CEO), especially in the social media space, where my senior writer, Brian Gield, has often pointed out to me that “there are no experts, only enthusiasts.” Look at how other companies are embracing the space.

Dell’s IdeaStorm website encourages users to talk about Dell – for better or worse – and
takes an active role in responding. www.dellideastorm.com

Take RichardatDell for example (http://richardatdell.blogspot.com/ and at twitter http://twitter.com/richardatdell). It’s his job to search out comments on the Internet and respond (*waves* at Richard, since I know he’ll be reading this – it’s his job after all). Dell is – or was - a company who needed to clean up their Customer Service act quickly after a Hellish Experience (sorry, bad pun intended). Dell actually now has a VP of community and conversations. Check out Dell’s ‘IdeaStorm’ website where consumers are actually encouraged to complain about Dell products. The company responds to, and updates, the consumers on progress being made to address problems posted by consumers.

The trend, however, seems to be more reactive than proactive. Take Comcast for example, which has now assigned Frank Eliason to be their ‘twitterer’. This is most likely due to another very public lashing their brand took from a blogger (notice the trend here?). I wonder if Frank’s role will expand off twitter and into forums, blogs and social networks. His role on twitter is listed as ‘Comcast Customer Outreach,’ but I question how effective twittering will be. How many of twitter’s approximate one million users are actually Comcast subscribers?

So the answers to the earlier questions? Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes and Yes. Anywhere you begin is a good start. Try starting by having customer service or product managers do a tweet scan once a week and respond to some product questions or complaints, or hire someone at a corporate level who’s empowered to talk to individuals within the organization to get answers to questions users post on the web. Or, have your agency do it (gratuitous plug intended). Unless your new ‘VP of Community’ runs around the web berating customers, slapping bloggers with cease and desists, and boasting about how great and perfect their new employer is, you’re already on your way.

Ann Marie Mathis
Interactive Creative Director
Cheil USA

Cheil has the Heart and Passion for a Great Cause

2008-07-25T14:04:00.004-04:00

This year, Cheil Worldwide in Irvine, California donated their creative services to help promote awareness for the American Heart Association and their National Go Red Campaign in Orange County, California. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the U.S., and each year the American Heart Association continues the fight by raising awareness with the National Go Red Campaign. Companies, organizations and cities across America participated in raising funds and awareness by wearing red and making a donation on National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 1, 2008. With the funds raised, the American Heart Association is able to support ongoing research and education about women and heart disease.

To take the campaign one step further, the local heart association partnered with the Paul Mitchell Hair Salon and College. They offered women and men in Orange County a free opportunity to dye their hair red in celebration and to raise awareness for the day. Cheil created an electronic invitation to promote the event along with posters for use at the Paul Mitchell College. On the day of the event, we managed to color over 500 participants.

In addition to promoting the event, Cheil negotiated free bus shelter posters throughout Orange County to help raise additional awareness for women’s heart disease. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the American Heart Association to help support such an incredibly important cause. Chris Georgieff Account Director Cheil USA

Uncharted Territory: College Sports

2008-07-25T13:56:00.004-04:00

Samsung is the official sponsor of the NFL. You can see either Samsung or Sony ads on virtually all televised NFL games. Sharp is the official sponsor of the MLB. There are signs everywhere at MLB stadiums. You can see Sony on the right field wall at Yankee Stadium and Sharp is a part of every large metropolitan team. NBA teams have courtside signage full of major sponsors. HDTV has redefined sports viewing. All manufacturers of flat panel TVs are associated with professional sports—and with good reasons. With all the advertising clutter around professional sports, it makes you wonder: Are there any sports that aren’t cluttered? Hockey is one sport that’s not inundated with ads, but its popularity lacks that of other major professional sports. However, there is one area that is still untouched—college sports. Are college sports popular? If so, why isn’t it cluttered like other professional sports?

According to MRI, there are 41.8 million people who consider themselves “super” fans of college sports. NFL has the strongest followers, with 59.6 million, followed by MLB, 31.6 million. So in terms of avid fans, college sports fans rank second behind only NFL fans. What about the media coverage? Is fan popularity reflected by media coverage? According to Sports Illustrated, a total of 535 articles on college teams appeared in Sports Illustrated during 2007. This is only second to NFL, which had 593 articles in Sports Illustrated (NBA: 308 MLB: 523). Currently, 128 schools participate in Division I football and basketball. These schools enroll about 3.2 million students. However, college sports fans are not all students. Alumni make up the bulk of the 41.8 million super college sports fans. These are college graduates with disposable income. These fans are the consumer base that every consumer electronics manufacturer covets. So we can conclude the popularity of college sports makes it a prime target. Major sponsors for college sports include McDonald’s and Coke. Cell phone carriers Verizon and AT&T were the first ones to sign sponsorship deals and are major advertisers who buy TV spots during college basketball and football games. However, they tend to stay away from sponsorship deals which would include stadium signage as well as rights to associate the brand name with a school. Corporate advertising at college football stadiums is a fraction of what you’ll see at NFL stadiums, even though some college stadiums can hold over 100,000 people, and are usually packed. Keep in mind that college basketball games are televised by ESPN and CBS nationally.

Advertisers tend to go with professional sports, but fail to realize the open opportunities of college sports. The timing couldn’t be better. College football and basketball games are played during the peak sales season. So the logical question is to ask: How come only few advertisers are willing to try college sports sponsorship? I am not really sure. Maybe it’s because there are too many schools. Covering 128 schools which are divided into regionally focused conferences is much more difficult than covering 32 NFL teams. Maybe marketers don’t value college sports as much as professional sports. Whatever the reason, college sports is an opportunity worth exploring. However, it won’t take your competitors long to realize the value of sponsoring relatively inexpensive and uncluttered sports teams with strong fan bases.
Ted Kim Measurement Analytics Strategist Cheil USA

Award Shows Honor Cheil’s Work

2008-07-25T13:46:00.003-04:00

Recently, Cheil USA took home sixteen awards at two award shows: The Interactive Advertising Competition (IAC) and the Horizon Interactive Awards (HIA). These are notable achievements that recognize the hard work by all involved. As we all know, you can’t throw a rock without hitting an advertising award show; there are dozens, if not hundreds, of them. What is it about these two shows that distinguish them from the rest?

The answer might be found within the extensive list of interactive award shows initially compiled by Soo Bak and I. With the help of Ann Marie Mathis, Interactive Creative Director, we examined the award shows on the list and whittled down their features into two key ones: the judges and the participants. The shows that ranked high in both categories made the cut.
Founded some years ago, both the IAC and the HIA are relatively new shows. Though they may not have the storied history of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, the IAC and HIA celebrate a field that is also relatively new. These shows, for example, were the first to recognize online creativity at a time when other award shows were still (and still are) focusing primarily on traditional advertising.
The Interactive Advertising Competition, sponsored by the Web Marketing Association, honors both excellence and effectiveness in online advertising. Though other award shows might pay tribute along similar lines, not all feature judges coming from some of the best shops around such as Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Ogilvy Interactive, Avenue A/Razorfish, dotglu, JWT, and Euro RSCG San Francisco among others.
Equally as impressive is the list of agencies that competed for this year’s IAC honors: Avenue A/Razorfish, AKQA, Atmosphere BBDO, Organic, Critical Mass, Mullen, Wunderman, Agency.com/TBWA, MRM Worldwide, and Arc Worldwide. Even some of Samsung’s competitors, including Sony, LG and HP, had campaigns entered in this competition. Our seven awards earned show that we’re in pretty good company.

Mark Kronenberg, Howard Levenson, Chris Boak, Ann Marie Mathis, Nathaniel Currier, Chris Byrne, Matthew Blackstone and Tom McManus accept the Best of Show award for the P2 Microsite at the 40th Annual New Jersey Awards Show held at the Chart House in Weehawken, NJ.

At the Horizon Interactive Awards, judges included well-respected creative directors and other industry professionals. But what really separated the HIA from other award shows was that the international judging panel also featured end-users. This gave the HIA a unique perspective on creativity.
So what shops (besides us) have proudly won Horizon Interactive Awards? Let’s name a few: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, R/GA, Arnold Worldwide, OgilvyOne Worldwide, Critical Mass, IQ Interactive, Agency.com/TBWA, Carat Fusion and RED. Once again, it’s a very impressive list of competitor agencies.
At both shows, the UpStage by Samsung campaign did extraordinarily well. It took home an IAC Gold Award for Best Integrated Ad Campaign in the Telecommunication category and a Gold Award for Best Microsite in the Horizon Interactive Awards.
To see the full list of award winners, along with their work, please visit: http://ccaworld.com/interactive/portfolio/awards.html
Brian Gield Senior Copywriter – Interactive Cheil USA

In addition...

2008-07-25T11:50:00.006-04:00

On April 9, 2008, Cheil USA announced that its Juke by Samsung website had earned the Official Honoree distinction in the Telecommunications category at the 12th Annual Webby Awards.

Dubbed the “Oscars of the Internet,” the prestigious Webby Awards honors outstanding work that continues to set the standard for the Internet. While over 10,000 entries were submitted, fewer than 15% of them received this honor and were deemed Official Honorees.

At the 40th Annual New Jersey Awards Show on May 29, 2008, in Weehawken, NJ, Cheil USA managed to win, among others, the Best of Show, Best of Interactive, Best of Newspaper, Best of Radio and Best of Television awards for a total of 28 overall, including 14 first place and five second place trophies.

The list includes:
Best of Show - P2 Microsite
Best of Interactive - P2 Microsite
Best of Newspaper - Innovation
Best of Radio - Press Conference
Best of Television - Juke Box Hero

1st Place

Newspaper Advertising, Full Color
Crayon

Newspaper Campaign
Innovation

Out of Home, Pole/Building Banner
CES Trade Show

Out of Home, Outdoor Billboard Extension or Dimensional
Juke

Interactive Media, Website Design Consumer
P2 Microsite

Radio, Regional/National Radio Spot Press
Conference

Consumer Magazine, 4 or more colors
Crayon

Photography, Advertising: Lifestyle/People
Gleam

Word of Mouth Advertising
Juke by Samsung

Television, Regional/National TV Spot
Juke Box Hero

Trade Magazine Advertising, 4 or more colors
Crayon

Photography, Digitally Enhanced
Crayon

Television, Local Spot 30 seconds or less
Seedling

Trade Magazine Campaign
Innovation

Samsung P2 Microsite

2nd Place

Television, Regional National TV Spot
Beyonce meets Beyonce

Interactive Media, Website Design Consumer
UpStage

Interactive Media, Website Advertising
CLX Printer Banner

Trade Show Program
Large Exhibit Booth Display

Word of Mouth
UpStage

3rd Place

Vehicle Graphic Wrap
Juke

Website Design Consumer
Innovation Website

Consumer Magazine Campaign
Innovation

Regional National TV Spot
Game is On

UpStage by Samsung Microsite

Ad Age Agency Report 2008

2008-07-25T11:36:00.005-04:00

In the May 5th issue of Advertising Age’s Annual Agency Report for 2008, Cheil Worldwide ranked 16th in the World’s Top 25 Agency Companies and Cheil USA ranked 68th in the Top 100 U.S. Ad Agencies based on revenue.

Notables include: • Cheil Worldwide ranked 16th (15th in 2007) with revenue (worldwide) of $300 million. • Cheil USA ranked 68th (90th in 2007) with revenue of $27 million.

We’re going to need a bigger shelf - NJ Ad Club Awards 2008

2008-05-30T18:03:00.009-04:00

NJ Ad Club Awards Trophies

Our first foray into the NJ Ad Club Awards was a fruitful one. In all we collected 28 trophies including Best of Show for our P2 MP3 player site. We won on a wide range of advertising executions from word-of-mouth to :30 TV spot. To say we’re proud of our achievement is an understatement. Congratulations to all the teams who had a hand in winning these awards. For more about the NJ Ad Club go here.

NJ Ad Club Awards Trophies among the rest of the awards we've won.

The crew accepting Best in Show for our P2 website.
Left to right: Mark Kronenberg, Howard Levenson, Chris Boak,
Ann Marie Mathis, Nat Currier, Chris Byrne,
Matt Blackstone, and Tom McManus

BEST IN SHOW
P2 MP3 site

BEST IN CATEGORY

Best of Interactive - P2 Microsite
Best of Radio Press - Conference
Best of Television - Juke Box Hero
Best of Newspaper - Innovation

FIRST PLACE

Newspaper Advertising
Full Color Crayon 1st Place

Newspaper Campaign
Innovation 1st Place

Out of Home
Outdoor Billboard
Extension or Dimensional
Juke 1st Place

Word of Mouth Advertising
Juke by Samsung 1st Place

Television
Reg/National TV Spot
Juke Box Hero 1st Place

Out of Home
Pole/Building Banner
CES Trade Show 1st Place

Interactive Media
Website Design Consumer
P2 Microsite 1st Place

Radio
Regional/National Radio Spot
Press Conference 1st Place

Consumer Magazine
4 or more colors
Crayon 1st Place

Photography
Advertising-Lifestyle/People
Gleam 1st Place

Trade Magazine Advertising
4 or more colors
Crayon 1st Place

Digitally Enhanced
Crayon 1st Place

Television
Local Spot 30 sec or less
Seedling 1st Place

Trade Magazine Campaign
Innovation 1st Place

SECOND PLACE

Television
Regional National TV Spot
Beyonce meets Beyonce 2nd Place

Interactive Media
Website Advertising
CLX Printer Banner 2nd Place

Trade Show Program
Large Exhibit Booth Display 2nd Place

Interactive Media
Website Design Consumer
UpStage 2nd Place

Word of Mouth
UpStage 2nd Place

THIRD PLACE

Vehicle Graphic Wrap
Juke 3rd Place

Website Design Consumer
Innovation Website 3rd Place

Consumer Magazine Campaign
Innovation 3rd Place

Regional National TV Spot
Game is On 3rd Place

Cheil Wins 9 Horizon Awards

2008-05-05T11:12:00.001-04:00

The Horizon winners have been announced and we have won a total of 9 awards. Great work guys! Below are our award winning entries.

2 GOLD (Microsite)

1 SILVER (Microsite)

Juke

3 BRONZE (Microsite)

1 Silver (Online Media)

Mini Cooper

2 BRONZE (Online Media)

Please click here to see the rest of the banner ad winners and click here to see the rest of the microsites winners.

Seven Macro-trends to Watch

2008-04-16T17:55:00.004-04:00

We are witnessing some interesting transformations in the consumer landscape. They vary in terms of stage of development. Some are nascent and a little blurry, others sharper edged and closer. Stark or subtle, these trends signal the likely shifts in how consumers live and what they want.

1. Redefining Work (i): The information age will spawn self-managed, nomadic knowledge workers. Thanks to 24/7/365 connectivity, people will work without synchronism – anytime and anywhere. As a result, task, not time – a model that dominated employment until a century ago – will be the key building block for work. Consumers will demand real convergence and convenience that is easy to use on their terms. Screen shifting will grow, as consumers will want to move seamlessly from computer to television to mobile.

2. Recasting of Primary Reference Group (ii): The construct of friends and family will be more encompassing, extending to networks not necessarily related by blood or encumbered by geography. The basic need to connect will be fulfilled better by smaller online communities sharing similar interests, aspirations and values. Successful marketers will build a brand commune where like-minded individuals can congregate. Taking a cue, Toyota set up Toyota PlanetKaizen website. Toyota enthusiasts and auto aficionados alike gather and share their experiences, industry grapevine, and auto trivia at the website. Toyota, in turn, rewards them by serving detailed technical information, including Toyota’s innovation and manufacturing procedures.

3. P2P Networks (iii): Many-to-Many flow of information will gain the ascendancy over traditional One-to-Many. Collaborative P2P sharing will engender a self-serve, no-wait world. P2P exchanges will use personal currencies. Information or ideas will be transacted in exchange for counsel, shopping tips and social introductions. Marketers will need to build a genuine symbiotic relationship with “network transmitters” who want to influence, produce and distribute content among members.

As a corollary, P2P networks will build new business opportunities. Peerflix.com is an online service that enables members to legally swap DVDs. Kiva.org lets individuals extend micro-credit to budding entrepreneurs in developing countries.

4. Multisensory Life (iv): On-the-go technology tools with fast online connectivity will become integral parts of everybody’s lives. However, the engagement levels will differ. Millennials will be the most comfortable leading a hyperlife. They are used to overstimulation through multimedia. GenXers will slip in and out, walking a tight line between being plugged-in and a quiet life sans wireless. Many boomers/matures will see hyperlife as part of a love-hate relationship with technology. They will like the convenience but hate the intrusion.

5. Quest for Authenticity (v): Virtualization of life will build a yearning for the real. As the consumers see the world around them turn more contrived, they will want their products to connect them to history or to a cause. Consumers will be guided not only by price, quality and availability, but also authenticity. Consumers will search for authentic experiences complemented by authentic possessions. Corona projects an authentic carefree, fun-in-the-sun image, holding a 30% share of the import beer pie in the U.S.

6. Sustainability Check (vi): Eco-friendly business practices will become a price of entry for reaching mainstream consumers. Plug-in hybrid automobiles with potential to quadruple our miles per gallon will be zealously embraced. Food miles will be regularly checked on packaged foods. EDS has developed a grocery cart system that will provide shoppers with information about the environmental impact of their selections. All these steps will help reduce carbon emissions as well as loss of biodiversity.

7. Thrift Consciousness (vii): American consumers have seen their savings to disposable income ratio decline in the past few years. They are maxed out in mortgage and credit card debt. Conspicuous consumption will slow down, overtaken by conscientious consumption. Less will be the new more.

By Sanjeev Bhatt
Strategic Research Architect, Cheil USA

i. Erickson, Tamara J. “Task, Not Time: Profile of a Gen Y Job.” Harvard Business Review. Feb. 2008, p. 19.
ii. Macro-Trends, www.iconoculture.com.
iii. Macro-Trends, www.iconoculture.com.
iv. Macro-Trends, www.iconoculture.com.
v. Cloud, John. “Synthetic Authenticity.” Time. 24 Mar. 2008, p. 53.
vi. Macro-Trends, www.iconoculture.com.
vii. Fox, Justin. “The New Austerity.” Time. 24 Mar. 2008, p. 56.

Integrated Campaigns for HP and Juke by Samsung

2008-04-16T17:17:00.013-04:00

I have only my creative instincts and years of advertising experience when I approach campaigns. Two such campaigns I will attempt to decipher are the HP printer campaign featuring Gwen Stefani and the Samsung Juke campaign featuring the song “Juke Box Hero”. Both these campaigns are considered integrated campaigns. Integrated marketing is defined on Wikipedia as follows:

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), according to The American Marketing Association, is “a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.” Marketing Power Dictiona Integrated marketing communication can be defined as a holistic approach to promote buying and selling in the digital economy. This concept includes many online and offline marketing channels. Online marketing channels include any e-marketing campaigns or programs, from search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click, affiliate, email, banner to latest web-related channels for webinar, blog, RSS, podcast, and Internet TV. Offline marketing channels are traditional print (newspaper, magazine), mail order, public relations, industry analyst relations, billboard, radio and television.

Both these campaigns approach this integration model differently. I will look at both examples and see what they tried to accomplish. Then I will conclude what to leverage for future ad campaigns.

First, I will look at HP. The challenge of HP, as Kate Maddox points out in her article, was to focus on delivering a next-generation digital printing platform to consumers, small businesses and enterprise customers. The global ad campaign, developed by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, includes TV, online and outdoor. Kate Maddox quotes Kathy Stromberg, VP at HP’s Imaging and Printing Group, “We really want to think beyond printers to the world of printing. We want people to think about printing in terms of the web and what the web is enabling.” The campaign brings to life the strategic shift that not only HP wants to make, but what our customers are driving.” This campaign is supported with a hefty $300 million global ad campaign aimed at getting consumers to better use the web to custom produce everything from invitations and greeting cards to concert souvenir books – and, of course, print those using HP products.

A growing trend: Stromberg adds, “For the first time in our history, we are having at least 50% of our media online versus traditional media.”

Central to the campaign are microsites featuring celebrity entrepreneurs, with applications that let users express themselves by mashing, creating and publishing digital content in innovative ways. As part of the campaign, these celebrities were the focal points to highlight different printing possibilities one can achieve by using an HP printer. For example, at hp.com/gwen, users can combine their personal content with free designs from Gwen Stefani to print greeting cards, CD labels and paper dolls. Based on snowboard developer Jake Burton’s style, one can go on hp.com/burton and create small and midsize businesses with online tools to help them build their own brands. And at hp.com/paula, entrepreneurs can use free customizable tools to print business cards, letterheads and brochures based on graphic artists’ designs. (source: Kate Maddox)

The online campaign also featured banner ads that let users create content such as business cards within the ads. The campaign kicked off with distinctive out-of-home placements, including a billboard in Times Square that displayed user-generated content created online. To provide a printing toolbar as well as Snapfish printing service to its Windows Live Spaces community, HP has partnered with Yahoo and Microsoft.

As posted on the blog by geeksugar, the basis of this campaign, as referenced by The Utility Belt, was to encourage people to experiment with demanding print jobs at home and at work. In doing so, consumers will be able to add photos to Gwen’s Sweet Escape tour shots to create their very own album. Gwen will also be showcasing Harajuku Lovers paper dolls that can be customized online and printed at home. HP’s new logo for these designs inspired by Gwen will be called “Gwen Stefani for you”. Additionally mentioned in the Adage article about the HP campaign, Ms. Stromberg explains an aspect of the campaign, “We are focusing on what the end result is rather than hardware products.”

One of Gwen Stefani's customizable paper dolls.

She continues in the Adage article by saying, “The campaign is the culmination of an integrated HP strategy to make web-based printing simpler than before and to build itself as not just a computer manufacturer, but a next-generation printing platform. We’re looking at platforms that cross into the enterprise space, the high-end graphic arts, and every venue where customers are going to want to create and publish that digital content.”

What has not been noted throughout my research was the onslaught of Mrs. Stefani’s image in fashion magazines, as well as the fact that she just happened to launch a perfume around the same time period as this campaign.

The challenge of the Juke campaign was to tap into this youth market, while still trying to create appeal to consumers up to their forties. As reported in an Adweek article, the Juke is described as:

“…a phone for high school kids and college students who are tired of carrying around two devices and don’t have a lot of money,” said Roger Entner, an analyst at telecom research firm Ovum, Boston. The fact that the Juke carries as much music as an iPod Nano doesn’t necessarily make it an iPhone killer, but it does give parents an alternative that might pacify their kids. At $99, it is a quarter of the price of the iPhone. “It’s a tremendous product for the price,” said Bill Ogle, the new CMO of Samsung Telecommunications America, Dallas. “Samsung brought the first music-capable phone to the U.S. and is continuing that history by launching the Juke by Samsung.”

The additional challenge of the Juke campaign was not only to create a highly visible integrated campaign, but to do it with $20 million, compared to the $300 million budget of HP. Cheil decided an iconic, very product-focused approach would help the Juke cut through the clutter, and help it stand apart from the Verizon advertising that was launching simultaneously. How do you drive an iconic, product-focused ad? The thought was to drive it with a very iconic song that just happened to reinforce the product name: Foreigner’s classic, “Juke Box Hero”.

The TV teaser and thirty-second spot were supported by traditional outdoor and print execution. Additionally, Cheil created an online video contest to continue the momentum built by the TV and print campaign. The purpose of the contest was to attract amateur musicians who were invited to participate in an original music video contest, rightly named “Juke Box Hero”, to vie for $10,000. Ultimately, being part of an online jukebox. In response, Bill Ogle said the Juke campaign will “undoubtedly be the largest initiative of its kind for Samsung in the U.S. market.” Samsung spent $59 million behind its phones in 2006 with $19 million doled out in Q4, per Nielsen Monitor. Plus, Verizon spent more than a billion dollars on media last year with a little less than a third of its budget dedicated to Q4.

The online contest via YouTube, attracted a respectable number of participants whom eventually ended up on an online jukebox. The second mechanism of the “Juke Box Hero” contest was to engage the consumer to create playlists on samsungjuke.com to help crown the Juke Box Hero. Creating a playlist was also supported with a Facebook widget, which is embedded in a person’s page. This widget highlighted the participant’s choices to be the Juke Box Hero. Additionally, consumers were encouraged on IMEEM to create a music playlist of untapped talent to listen to.

Stepping back and looking at both campaigns, I can appreciate what they were both trying to accomplish. Both had the challenge of cutting through the clutter of their respective product categories. HP took a more traditional path — using a celebrity to attract consumers to engage with the product. I only noticed their online campaign, which seems to support their proclamation of 50% of their media being online. From a creative standpoint, it packed a powerful punch. It was attention-getting and had a consistent voice. I would only say for an integrated campaign, it seems odd I noticed the online more than anything else.

Perhaps being closer to the Juke project, I saw the impact a bit clearer. I couldn’t miss the TV, the print was in the New York Times, and Cheil used Samsung’s electronic billboard. Online was prominent with banners and ad placements on YouTube. I feel Cheil was the David against the Goliath Verizon campaign. Cheil had a smaller budget than both Verizon and HP, and was thereby challenged to maximize every media dollar possible. In the end, we must all step back and see what a fully integrated campaign can be. The traditional route of TV and print combined with online is still an effective model, but it cannot be the only one available to us. Recently, we have been exploring the possibilities of social networking as an untapped resource we have not fully utilized.

In the end I think both campaigns are worthy of recognition, whether they sold a million plus units or not isn’t always in the lap of the creative execution. We can only hope Juke helped build brand awareness from our previous campaigns. And the next time one considers a phone, they’ll consider Samsung.

By Jeffrey Babson Interactive Copywriter, Cheil USA

Polygamous Weddings

2008-04-16T17:07:00.004-04:00

Connection Planning, while still in its infancy (born in the late ‘90s) compared with other disciplines in advertising, has spurred a passionate debate as to how the process should be implemented.

Curious to learn how other advertising agencies structure this discipline and thought process internally, I headed down to New Orleans to attend the first ever Connection Planning conference to find out.

The conference was titled “Polygamous Weddings” a suitable name considering we were all there to “celebrate the union” of three departments — Strategy, Media and Creative.

The conferences were hosted by a “brand studio” called Trumpet, an agency in New Orleans, that commenced the day by stating that our obligation to our clients is not to simply advertise to people, but rather to connect with people.

The speakers included a diverse mix of people from a range of companies, including traditional advertising agencies, digital agencies, communication planning agencies, design shops, brand studios, consultants and media properties.

It was a day filled with sincere, provocative and passion-filled presentations that each lasted a maximum of 20 minutes. There was a willingness to share ideas and tools with one another in ways never seen before. Agencies “invited” us to go to their “back rooms” and reveal how they’ve adopted this discipline.

One of the boldest speakers was Lisa Seward of Mod Communications. “Connection Planning is starting with the REAL problem,” she said. “Yesterday, media budgets were used to ‘buy an audience’. Today it’s about developing actionable ideas that attract audiences to your brand - investing in ideas that bring people to your brand. Many agencies are tired of being asked for ‘New Media’ opportunities. Connection Planning today is the New Creative. New Creative means that ideas are the medium, not the message and not the media channel. However, media channel recommendations can’t be absent from the idea,” she explained.

Today, Connection Planning is a marriage between media, creative and account planning. Its specialty is “invention” and its deliverable is “actionable ideas”.

There is a shift from the creation of a message to the creation of content. Connection Planning is a protocol to ensure different creative output that doesn’t have to always stem from the creative department. In her mind, giving a team or an individual the title of Connection Planning misses the point — as it’s a way of thinking, free of titles, job descriptions and processes.

The Zeus Jones Company, which approaches communication strategy as a service, also brought forth a unique perspective on how they connect brands with people. Considering that many people who live in major metropolitan cities across the United States are exposed to over 3,000 messages every day, people have become good at looking past the messages that bombard us, and instead focus on real experiences and interactions with brands they want in their lives. Knowing that brand interactions are more powerful to many people than traditional branding communications, Zeus Jones focuses on designing interactions instead of designing communications.

Another arresting approach came from how Modernista, an independent ad agency, approaches Connection Planning. The agency practices the philosophy that there is no such thing as “the big idea”. Brand and product advertising should not exist in only one medium or consumer touchpoint. If brands are like molecules, each with a multitude of various consumer touch points and interactions, then why do companies create only one or two touch points and expect instant success?

After all was said and done, there was one point that stuck with me — replacing the word “integration” with the word “interaction”. Many companies want to run an integrated marketing campaign. The issue with this approach is that too much time and effort is spent on the media mix, while ignoring the real business or marketing problem, as mentioned earlier. Instead, companies should be thinking about the interaction between the things a brand does and stands for, and how people can interact with the brand and its products.

By Marc Allen
Connections Planning Manager, Cheil USA

Green Marketing Will Influence Consumer’s Next Purchase

2008-04-16T16:55:00.006-04:00

The topic of Green marketing continues to grow among brands and their agencies worldwide, so can Samsung be expected to join-in in the near future? If so, it is important that all of us at Cheil become more aware of the “what, why and where” of Green marketing for our clients.

What is Green marketing?

Green marketing is any effort by a product or service to communicate to their consumers information about the brand’s effect on the environment. This communication can focus on sustainable manufacturing processes, product materials selection and recycling, product design – including packaging, and even the logistics of getting the product to the consumer.

Why has Green marketing become so important?

The overall market for Green products and services is growing rapidly and is increasingly influencing consumers’ purchase decisions. According to Mintel research (2006-2008), 36% of consumers across all industries “always/almost always” or “regularly” buy Green products. In the consumer electronics category, consumers say that Green will more heavily influence their next purchase; for major appliances – 87%; for TVs, stereos, PCs and other CE devices – 75%.

Two factors are driving this trend. One, energy costs are rising rapidly and consumers are looking for ways to save money on electricity. First, consider that a large-screen plasma TV uses more energy than your refrigerator, and imagine how a consumer would react to that knowledge when weighing a purchase decision. Second, people are increasingly aware of environmental concerns and are adopting eco-friendly attitudes as a way of doing their part to “help the environment globally by acting locally”.

Where are we seeing Green marketing communications?

In a word, everywhere. Green communications can be found in annual reports on corporate websites, product packaging, dedicated websites, print and television campaigns. Many brands have orchestrated public relations campaigns and partnerships with eco-involved NGOs (non-governmental organizations) such as World Wildlife Fund, Live Earth and others. Some of the best can be seen by going to the Toyota or Subaru websites for a look at their current TV spots, and for an outstanding web experience, check out Dell Earth. And, of course, keep Green on your radar as you look at product packaging and retail displays. Great Green ideas are everywhere, so start thinking of some of your own!

What can you do?

If you haven’t already done so, start by learning more about how you can go Green or greener for yourself and your family. Check out www.treehugger.com as a great resource for information and advice about Green products and services. Next, get informed about how Green marketing is growing in importance for business strategies. You can go to the online version of the Harvard Business Review to their dedicated HBR Green site for current articles, archives and webcasts.

And, finally, watch this space for more on Green and feel free to contact ISG - Joy Fournier in New Jersey for help with any Green projects that come up in your offices.

By Joy Fournier
Customer Engagement Planner, Cheil USA

2008-04-16T16:32:00.002-04:00

Communication Arts (CA) selected Samsung’s P2 Microsite as its Webpick of the Day on Thursday, March 13, 2008. Founded in 1959, CA is the largest creative magazine in the world which showcases the top work in graphic design, advertising, illustration, photography and interactive design. The Webpicks feature outstanding examples of web design based on superior aesthetics, technical expertise, functionality and overall site experience.

Congratulations to the Interactive Creative Team!

Cheil moving up the ADDY foodchain

2008-04-11T14:33:00.006-04:00

Our two ADDY local winners "David and Goliath" and "Press Conference" are moving up the ladder. "David and Goliath" has won Gold, and "Press Conference" has won Silver in the district ADDY. Now we're on to the nationals. Congrats again Lisa and Brin!

Juke wins a Webby!

2008-04-08T13:26:00.004-04:00

Juke by Samsung has been selected as an Official Honoree for the Telecommunications category in The 12th Annual Webby Awards. Kudos to the team. Great work!

Cheil Interactive NJ Wins 7 IAC Awards

2008-03-24T14:02:00.002-04:00

The Interactive Advertising Competition Awards announced winners today and we have won 7 awards this year! The first 2 awards are the best in the category (only one 'best of' in the category is given out). Nice job everyone!

Swan
Best Computer: Hardware Online ad (last year we won this for the 740bf ad)

UpStage by Samsung Campaign
Best Telecommunication Integrated ad campaign

Juke by Samsung Campaign
Outstanding Integrated ad campaign

Samsung P2
Outstanding Microsite/landing page

Samsung HD Innovations
Outstanding Microsite/landing page

French Door Refrigerator
Outstanding Microsite/landing page

Samsung MPfreedom
Outstanding Microsite/landing page

Cheil has won 2 Silver Addy Awards

2008-03-01T13:20:00.001-05:00

"David and Goliath" and "Press Conference" have both won a Silver ADDY award at the New York ADDY Awards in the Cinema category and radio spot. Congratulations!

Samsung Experience Imagines Innovation

2008-02-28T11:54:00.009-05:00

2007 Year in Review I Samsung Experience

From celebrity-product launches to successful charity events, the Samsung Experience looks back with pride on this abundant year.

Samsung’s Hope for Education, the educational and philanthropic program designed to increase technology programs in our educational system, partnered with teen music sensations Aly & AJ for its 2007 program launch on April 11 at the Samsung Experience. Samsung, Microsoft and the Magic Johnson Foundation are the sponsors of the Hope for Education school essay contest, endowing the winning schools with up to $60,000 in technology products. Students and teachers from local award-winning schools also attended a performance by Aly & AJ, as well as a press conference, where they met the teen superstars. The Hope for Education program, in its fourth year, is a demonstration of Samsung’s unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of our youth by supporting education in schools nationwide.

Aly & AJ, Hope for Education Spokespeople

Aly & AJ perform at the Samsung Experience

The BlueSeat program, an unparalleled look inside the independent film industry, teamed up with the Samsung Experience to screen its Golden Globe-nominated film, “Atonement”. On December 13, the Samsung Experience staff transformed its showroom into the Experience’s first-ever movie screening room. One hundred and fifty guests attended, including key media, NYU film students, and BlueSeat.com members. Following the reception, the CEO of Focus Films, James Schamus, participated in a Q&A session with the eager crowd. We understand that it takes dedication and unwavering commitment to stay focused on one’s vision; so it was a pleasure to be a part of such an exciting event.

CEO of Focus Films, James Schamus, in a Q&A session with the crowd

The ongoing partnership with the renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center has also been a substantial highlight this year at the Samsung Experience. On the second Wednesday of every month, professional performers from Jazz at Lincoln Center entertain an average of 150 guests at the Samsung Experience. This opportunity to enjoy great music is yet another fantastic offering from the Samsung Experience. With ongoing programs like this one, the Samsung Experience reaches out to all walks of life in the very diverse New York City.

As we move into 2008, the Samsung Experience will continue to grow and thrive in this innovative industry.

By Nikki Stelma
Event Coordinator

Juke Spins Some Cool

2008-02-28T11:23:00.014-05:00

2007 Year in Review I New Jersey

Juke. What a cool word.

The word juke originates from Gullah, the language of former West African slaves of the South Carolina and Georgia coastline. (If you have ever vacationed in Hilton Head or Sea Island, that’s Gullah country.)

The first definition of juke was, “wicked, bad, disorderly”. Over time, the word gave rise to juke joint, a roadside establishment where one could find booze, music, dancing, and maybe a prostitute out back.

In the 1930s, a newfangled record-playing device was introduced to the juke joint; the device was named the juke box − and juke has been synonymous with music ever since.

This fall, STA asked Cheil to launch a new music phone: Juke. It was the first phone in America to have a “switchblade” action when it opens.

In other words, Juke was wickedly cool. The challenge was that the communication had to juggle many balls. The brief contained multiple tasks that we needed to convey to our audience. First and foremost, we had to talk about the switchblade action. Then it was necessary to actually demonstrate this in an entertaining way. Of course, there was the obvious need to make it musical. Our final goal was to create a mnemonic device − something catchy.

Integrated teams from both interactive and traditional creative were formed to work on the project. Our focus was on the big idea; an idea that had to be translated across multiple platforms.

The integrated team of Johanna Rustia and Jeff Babson gave birth to that big idea. The inspiration came from the phone itself. We saw the phone as a marriage between the music and the movement; but the movement is what motivated us.

The result was the tagline, “A new spin on the music phone”. The core visual showed how the Juke handset mimicked a turntable arm. The phone opened and positioned itself over a traditional vinyl record, eliciting the music to play. What was great was that the creativity of the advertising focused entirely on the product.

Johanna and Jeff had conceived the idea of an Internet contest; with a working title of “Juke Box Hero”. Tommy Kane, Senior Art Director, was brought in to complete the team. Still, we had no song.

It was Kirk Heinlein, General Manager of Cheil’s Dallas office, who had the genius for the song. Kirk suggested the rock & roll standard, “Juke Box Hero” by Foreigner. It turned out to be phenomenal. None of us ever thought that such an iconic song could be Juke’s theme.

The production for the television spots was created by Framestore. The entire spot was composed digitally. Not one frame of film was shot. It was wild; we never left the office. All production was completed through the Internet and over the phone.

We created a 15-second teaser TV spot and a 30-second ad. The teaser spots mentioned Juke and Samsung 15 times in 15 seconds; and did it without being offensive. Not many spots can claim that success.

In the end, the result speaks for itself – it’s fabulous.

But I think that the best indication of the success of the Juke campaign is marked by the band Foreigner. Foreigner will proudly publicize that they were the creators of the song in the Juke commercials on their next album release. The word Juke continues to make music history.

Click here to check out Juke by Samsung website.

By Tom McManus
Creative Director of North America

Do All Canadians Live in Igloos?

2008-02-28T11:12:00.007-05:00

2007 Year in Review I Canada

A common stereotype for those who have never visited our fine country is that it’s cold the year round, it snows all the time, and that many of us have dog sleds in the driveway. While many readers will realize that this is ridiculous, it pays to know what your consumers will pay attention to.

This kind of thinking turned out to be very successful for us in one of our most recent campaigns. When you understand your customers’ beliefs and preferences and speak to them in a way that resonates, the likelihood that they will be receptive to your message increases significantly. In an advertising world filled with clutter, it pays to get noticed. Our work, our clients’ business and the impact we have on consumers are all positively affected when we’re able to break through.

With the price of media consistently increasing and with new media opportunities popping up everywhere, ineffective media buying/planning and ambient clutter are obstacles that every campaign faces. For instance, in a subway terminal alongside hundreds of advertisers, retail stores and traffic, many key elements play a role in achieving a campaign that consumers actually interact with, as opposed to a campaign that they just “see”.

We approached this problem with many tactics in mind: the creative must stand out to be noticed, the message must be relevant, and advantageous placement of the media is pivotal. The true success of our campaign, however, was due to the target of the message being specific to the environment in which we were about to dominate. Maximizing the use of each and every medium is becoming more and more important in order to be recognized.

" Beer at the ACC - $10.
Beer at your
friend's place - free. "

In this case, we started with the standard that Canadians love hockey. In an attempt to build brand preference and brand attachment scores, Samsung Canada wanted to tap into the passion for the game. We decided to hit consumers with the message, “The game’s better at home on hockey’s HDTV” at the tunnel entrance to the Air Canada Center (ACC): The Toronto Maple Leafs arena. With the benefits of HDTV, the idea was that the best seats in the house are now at your house. Those walking into the ACC were hit with lines like, “LCD vs. ACC” and “Plasma vs. Platinum”. With the average price of Platinum tickets being in the $300 range, a family of four can buy an HDTV for the price of admission. The creative was full of other humorous analogies such as, “Beer at the ACC – $10. Beer at your friend’s place – free.”

We wanted to make certain that consumers knew that this was a lighthearted, innocent comparison to an arena that’s been sold out for decades. To ensure that our creative would stand out, we went with an integrated look and feel, using white ice as the visual cue to contrast the dark and drab subway station. The creative was hugely successful in emerging from its environment.

Stereotypes Pay Off

Two days after the campaign was posted, our broadcast partner received complaints from the ACC (owned by the Toronto Maple Leafs); they were not happy with consumers being hit with our message as they walked in and out of the ACC experience. Privately, they knew that there was nothing they could do about it; we had tapped into true, relevant fan experiences and we were having a bit of fun at the arena’s expense. The result is a campaign that people are spending time reading and chuckling about. And more importantly, our clients are very proud of the work and believe it’s effectively leveraging our hockey sponsorship.

So while we may not all live in igloos, some Canadian stereotypes turn out to be true: we love our hockey; and Cheil’s not afraid to leverage that.

By James Kawalecki
Senior Account Executive

New Year’s Messages Heard Around the World

2008-02-28T11:04:00.007-05:00

2007 Year in Review I Dallas

Samsung Mobile, YouTube and Warner Music Group offers the YouTube community a way to share their New Year’s messages with the world.

At the turn of every New Year, each culture celebrates in a unique way. Some ring church bells or eat twelve grapes for luck, while others watch the ball drop over Times Square and toast with champagne.

For 2008, people from around the world participated in a new tradition. Samsung Mobile invited its global community to share their year-end thoughts and experiences with others through “A Samsung Mobile New Year’s 2008” powered by YouTube.

Samsung asked people across the globe to make a video answering one of four New Year’s themed questions and to post it to youtube.com/samsungnewyears. They addressed one of the following topics in their video:

1. In one word, reveal your personal mission for 2008.
2. Recount the best or worst thing that happened to you in 2007.
3. Tell us what cool things you’ve done with your mobile phone this year.
4. Share with us what features you’d like to see in Samsung Mobile phones for 2008.

Along with these user-generated videos, over 25 award-winning artists from the Warner Music Group submitted their own New Year’s videos, including original content from Matchbox Twenty, Lupe Fiasco and James Blunt. In addition, an exclusive full-length New Year’s concert with performances by Simple Plan and critically-acclaimed rapper Talib Kweli is available on the Samsung Mobile New Year’s page to further engage the online community in the program.

With the novel integration of Google Maps into the Samsung New Year’s homepage, viewers can navigate through a world map to pinpoint and view the videos submitted from Brazil, Thailand, Ireland or even their own hometown. This unprecedented fusion of Google Maps and YouTube helped bring the world together to ring in New Year’s like never before.

As the exclusive sponsor, Samsung Mobile received over 4 billion U.S. impressions through search and display advertising within Google and YouTube (including YouTube homepage takeovers and in-video overlays). With the program site being translated into 11 languages, the Samsung Mobile New Year’s celebration was truly a worldwide event that we celebrated together.

About YouTube

YouTube is the world’s most popular online video community, allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe, and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. As of January 2008, YouTube surpassed 850 million global video views per day.

About Warner Music Group

With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry. The list includes Asylum, Atlantic, Bad Boy, Cordless, East West, Elektra, Lava, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros., and Word.

By Adrian De La Garza
Account Supervisor

Samsung North America's Challenge to Trade Up and Treasure Hunt

2008-02-28T10:56:00.003-05:00

2007 Year in Review I New Jersey

At this year’s North American Marketing Summit, Samsung was privileged to hear from a leading consumer-marketing expert, Michael J. Silverstein. Silverstein is a senior partner and managing director at The Boston Consulting Group; and for over 25 years he has worked with consumer goods, retail and service companies.

Silverstein is an authority on consumer behavior, spending and innovation. His books, Trading Up: Why Consumers Want New Luxury Goods — and How Companies Create Them and Treasure Hunt, describe his findings about recent changes in consumer behavior.

Silverstein’s session challenged the summit’s participants to consider a new consumer paradigm. Over the last 15 years, women have created a revolution in consumer products and retailing. Women are entering the workforce in greater numbers, earning parity wages and, in most cases, are responsible for 100% of discretionary family income. These are the primary forces behind the new consumer economy. Furthermore, Silverstein predicts that by 2030 women will earn more than men on average, and will be using that spending power to trade down nearly twice as often as they trade up.

He shared with us, “Consumers today have more discretionary income, more cash, more product knowledge, more sophisticated tastes and far more product choice than ever before. We believe that consumers will only grow more discriminating in their purchases. It is clear that consumers around the world are willing to pay a premium for goods that they believe deliver better quality, higher performance and more emotional benefits than do conventional goods.”

Savvy Shoppers

In ongoing studies, consumers tell us that they are happy, financially secure and looking forward to the future. They also tell us that they believe in themselves, their families and their dreams. A big part of the consumer’s mission is acquiring goods at the best possible price. Success is a treasure hunt. Therefore, in this era of smart, strategic shopping our companies need to think differently about their offerings. Specifically, companies need to present their commodities as treasures, not just bargains. They have to create a regular cycle of innovation as well as relentlessly drive costs down.

Michael J. Silverstein at the North American Marketing Summit

To the savvy shopper, the new “cheap” has to be more than just cheap; it has to be good. Whenever a consumer makes a purchase of any kind, he or she makes a detailed analysis of many factors to determine how the value of the product compares with the price. These factors include the technical and functional features of the product, the price of the cheapest alternative, the intangibles of the brand, and the circumstances at the purchase moment. Sometimes, people make the value calculation instantly. At other times, it takes weeks of thought and comparison-shopping. Occasionally, consumers get the value calculus wrong; but most of the time, they get it very right. It fits their hopes, dreams and imagination. It is the salve for the ailments of modern life.

As a result, most consumers, especially those with standard incomes, are constantly making careful choices and complex tradeoffs when it comes to spending money. They often trade down; buying the quality they need at the lowest price they can find. Occasionally they trade up, splurging on certain things that hold meaning and value for them. Now and again, they’ll settle for something in the middle. These consumer behaviors have created whole new patterns of spending and saving. People save a little in one category so they can spend more in another. They make one important purchase and opt out of purchases in other categories to make up for it.

On his work, Silverstein says, “We focus on empathy, understanding and a directed, targeted response. We help our clients invent new products that deliver technical, functional and emotional brand advantages.” In the months that follow, Samsung will be launching marketing programs that will reflect the ideals of Silverstein’s work and wisdom.

By Joy Fournier
Customer Engagement Planner

Samsung's U-Beat: The Rhythm of Success

2008-02-27T17:15:00.008-05:00

2007 Year in Review I Mexico

The Challenge: The Art of Fun

In our daily wave of work, we received a new brief about the launch of the MAX-DX75 (76 & 79) music system. This new mini component promised to be the next center of fun. It played music, showed great design, and was ready to connect with other devices like microphones (semi-karaoke), USB host, HDMI out for TV, and Virtual Surround Sound for movies and video games. The whole party was packaged in a state-of-the-art black box designed for multimedia seekers — the cool young people. It was the most advanced entertainment system to date.

The Campaign: Fun in Each Beat

The strategy and the media planning included ATL and BTL such as prints, outdoors, pop, cross promotions and activations at different points along the most important cities in Mexico. The first thing we did was look at the concept. We baptized the MAX with the name U-Beat: imagine fun in each beat. The art direction was based on the concept that the wire was the magic connection to a world of entertainment possibilities.

The Launch: Summertime Rock

The U-Beat was launched with a 360º campaign in midsummer 2007, the right time to attract young people looking for fun. The activities included a big launch on the stage of the Mexico City Hard Rock Cafe with a live band, to the U-Beat Man Tour, with shows at universities, dance clubs and shopping malls. We also advertised with press and magazine ads, POP materials, interactive CDs and banners.

The Results: Top Ten Success

According to the information given by the Audio & Video division, the U-Beat broke all previous sales records. Thanks to the U-Beat, the whole division had great sales growth: the number of sold units in sound systems went from 3,785 in 2006 to 12,206 in 2007, a 222% sales increase.

This is an example of how things can work if both halves of the team, the Samsung Marketing Staff and the Cheil Communications Mexico Team, come together with the same spirit of success.

Carlos Sandoval
Creative Director

CES 2008

2008-02-27T16:54:00.007-05:00

Every year, CES serves as a showcase for Samsung’s products. For Samsung, this year was all about slim design TVs and the new up-and-coming OLED TVs. Here are a few photos from this year’s Samsung booth.

Cheil Communications Introduces a New Vision and Slogan - Passion for Ideas

2007-10-19T15:57:00.000-04:00

This year, CEO and President of Cheil, Mr. Kim, announced a new vision and slogan for Cheil that has enormous potential to provide clients with creative business solutions above and beyond the normal offering of traditional ad agencies. After conducting research throughout the network, the new slogan was developed based on the people, passion and purpose of the organization.

In this day and age, competition as a term seems so soft and trite. The marketing environment today looks more like a war zone, a perpetual stream of attacks between businesses and consumers and vice versa.
And consumers have the upper hand, the means, and the power to determine the success of our clients’ products. And clients thus demand more – bigger, smarter, successful ideas. So, to provide Cheil’s clients with the value needed to engage the market more effectively, Cheil Communications has taken a step
backward to assess the battleground, and made a leap forward to redefine its value to clients.

Cheil Communications: Passion for Ideas

This slogan is based on the principle that our purpose is to create ideas that work for our clients. Ideas that are relevant and bring about a desired change among our clients’ target consumers. Ideas that impact our clients’ businesses. But every agency has “ideas” as a core value. So what makes a Cheil idea different? By better understanding our clients’ needs, the macro and micro environments of the business and categories, and attitude and behavior of consumers, Cheil develops compelling insights that deliver “activating ideas”. These ideas engage and elicit desired consumers to add value to our clients’ bottom line. Ideas that have spirit. Ideas that are driven by energy and enthusiasm. Searching continuously for ideas that have never been done. Supported by the pragmatism of professionalism and the responsibility of implementing these ideas.

Idea Engineering

To live this spirit of passion for ideas, a new process and way of working has been created – Idea Engineering. To be an Idea Engineering company, we harness the power of collaboration by restructuring
the way we work. We remove barriers that impede free thinking and limit richer ideas. The passion of our people invigorates the way we think.

Our new vision requires that we re-examine thinking (ideas for the sake of ideas) vs. acting (ideas for creating value). Our focus will be on creating and activating specific and well thought out ideas, thereby
bringing new value for our clients.

We are a company of idea engineers who work with our clients to develop ideas that are fresh, startling and activated for success. With this new vision we will harness the power of collaboration – the passion of our people and the precision of the engineer – to develop and implement ideas that engage customers at all points of contact, with the express purpose of changing attitudes and behavior to impact our clients’ ongoing business success.

Mark Kronnenberg, Director,
Integrated Solutions Group, Cheil, NAHQ

2007-10-19T15:08:00.001-04:00

■ 8 out of 10 Americans know about blogs; half visit them regularly 87% of the people who read blogs said they don’t spend less time with other media now that they’re reading blogs.

Source: Marketing Daily, August 29, 2007

■ IBM Consumer Study: Internet rivals declining TV as primary media source 66% of respondents reported viewing 1-4 hours of TV per day, vs. 60% who reported the same levels of personal Internet usage.

IBM Study, Source: Marketing Charts, August 22, 2007

■ Media usage per person drops for the first time in a decade For the first time since 1997, US consumers spent less time using media in 2006, compared to the previous year. Media usage per person declined 0.5% to 3,530 hours. This drop is mainly attributed to changing consumer behaviors and advances in the digital space.

Source: Advertising Age, August 8, 2007

■ Millennials like traditional – not just new – media Almost three-quarters (71%) of Millennials say they enjoy reading print magazines even though they know they could find most of the same information online.

Source: Marketing Charts, July 30, 2007

■ Social networking reached near full penetration among teens and tweens Social networking is approaching parity with TV time among 9-to 17-year-olds. And when kids are multitasking, they’re four times more likely to pay closer attention to whatever they’re doing online than to whatever they’re watching
on the tube.

Source: Alloy Media and Marketing, Advertising Age, June 25, 2007

Cannes [isn't just] for Creatives

2007-10-19T14:48:00.000-04:00

This past June, I had my inaugural Cannes Lions experience. The Cannes Lions festival is widely known as being a “creative” awards show. But once I was there, I found it to be a melting pot of not only creatives, but of planners, account directors, developers – and clients.

As I walked the seemingly endless sea of blue walls, sat through seminars and workshops, and analyzed the accolades, there were several things that struck me. It’s not just the way we work that’s evolved. It’s the way we think. The way we talk. The way we generate ideas. Our audience has changed. As marketers, we should no longer be talking at consumers. They are empowered. They decide how and if they want us in their lives. “Integration” has taken on an entirely new dimension.

In the past, integration has been about how well different elements of a campaign work together. Does the online look and feel similar to the offline? The old school model of integration was made up of a pretty cut and paste media mix too: TV, print, website, banner and email. Today, it includes a much wider set of deliverables. Advertising is in places that are new and different (and even immersive enough to not feel like advertising). Today’s media mix can be enormously diverse, depending on your idea. One example is the Titanium Grand Prix awarded to Crispin Porter + Bogusky for Burger King for developing a series of video games for the Xbox 360 where users are actually immersing themselves into the world of “The King” and paying for it.

“ Titanium stands for
breakthrough ideas. It might be a
brand new idea, or it might
use an existing idea in a brand
new way. ” – Alex Bogusky

In order to reach “the people” we have to speak their language, interact with them and give them meaningful experiences. Integrated is now defined as how well a campaign utilizes these different mediums
to tell a story. It’s about context. Where you are and what you’re doing makes all the difference. These mediums don’t just coexist harmoniously, they feed off each other in order to form a collective whole.

The industry trends we face as marketers and brands were evident at the festival. The Titanium & Integrated category received a 60% increase in entries. The Cyber Lions and Media categories also contributed to the overall growth of entries this year. As a creative director, I looked at their work and asked myself, “How did they do this?” Unique use of media is quickly becoming a creative solution. Our Samsung Shout-Out campaign, which short-listed in the Media category at Cannes, used online elements working synergistically with in-stadium placements. Winners in this category included ambient, outdoor, direct, mobile and cinema (and when I say cinema, I mean that the product plays a lead in the movie itself – not just as a placement or cinema spots).

One might say the only thing that limits us is our own imagination. The truth is, it also depends on the people required to help turn a great idea into reality.

“ Today’s marketing mix brings
big ideas into emerging and
ambient media spaces such as
online widgets and customized outdoor,
guerrilla and events. ”

I looked at work through this filter while at Cannes. As a creative director, I not only have to believe in my team’s ideas and visions, but inspire others to want them just as badly. Samsung Shout-Out was one of these challenges. It was a challenge to pull together and pull it off. I think short-listing at Cannes makes it all worth it. I came back with a new attitude about believing in ideas and how important it is that others around me do the same.

The Cannes Lions festival is a must-see for anyone in the business at least once in his or her career. It will challenge you, it will educate you and it will inspire you. I’m considering spending the weekend doing some COOK uploads to make sure I get to go back next year.

Ann Marie Mathis Creative Director, Interactive http://www.whatsweb3dot0.blogspot.com

Connections Planning

2007-10-19T14:37:00.000-04:00

Just because we can buy a space on the side of a dog doesn’t mean that we should.

Today’s media landscape offers us a multitude of ways to connect with consumers, and abounds with opportunities that just a few years ago would not have been thought of as media. While this has served to broaden the scope of advertising, it has also made it more difficult to determine which channels to utilize in order to best maximize resources.

Thus, it becomes critical that every sound communications plan takes into careful consideration all consumer touch points.

Determining whether to utilize media channels such as online, print, TV or out-of-home vehicles can be difficult enough, especially when budgets are tight. However, once a media plan has been reached, our jobs have only just begun. How can we ensure that our advertising is actually effective, that we are reaching the target in the way that we intended, that our message is being heard?

Why not tailor our advertising not only to the target audience, but to the selected media channel as well? Instead of using diverse media channels to communicate the same idea, why not take advantage of
the strengths of each unique media channel to communicate a “custom-made” advertising campaign?

The message can still be tied together by the same strategy or insight, but also give each channel a chance to shine and do what it does best, instead of twisting an idea that’s not really built with any particular channel in mind. Each media channel has its strengths and weaknesses and is self-contained to exist on its own, while simultaneously being pulled together into a greater brand narrative.
Ultimately, involving your audience is vital to any successful communication. So how do we place our brand out into the world in a way that people can become involved with? We create this connection by building relationships. We need to shift our focus to be on the brand’s relationship with people and people’s relationship with different communication channels. Bombarding people with advertisements doesn’t create relationships.

Building relationships starts with treating people as people – catering to people in their own unique and different ways. We can create and place a lot of communication pieces out there, not necessarily expecting
every person to see every piece, but creating enough interconnectivity that people will talk and eventually hear about pieces they haven’t seen from someone else. If we can only generate the following responses — “I’ve seen that ad,” “I’ve been to that event,” “I had a positive experience with an employee at that company” or “I’ve tried that product or service,” and then have our audience compare experiences
with one another. With the explosion of social media these discussions are made easier, faster and are amplified in ways that were never thought possible only a couple years ago.

Connections Planning seeks out the places where brands and people meet in the real world (both online and offline), and sparks conversation to build ongoing dialogues and relationships. Not only should Connections Planners gain insight into why consumers value particular brand attributes, but they must understand when, where, and how consumers choose to interact with the brand across different touch points. The ultimate goal is to find new ways of connecting brand and consumer through touch points that are not only useful and desirable, but credible and social. These touch points can include everything from package designs to the ambience at a retail store to simply owning behaviorallyrelated search words.

In the end, it’s all about ideas. The currency to connect with people today isn’t about great creative execution, and it’s not about efficient and effective media plans. It’s brilliant ideas – which ironically enough, make creative and media indistinguishable. A smart idea nullifies people’s ability to dismiss us and instead invites these ideas into their lives – which is what ultimately we want to do.

Marc Allen, Manager, Connections Planning, Cheil, NAHQ

Report from the Account Planners Conference

2007-10-19T14:25:00.000-04:00

Each year several hundred planners come together for the annual International Account Planners Conference, sponsored by the 4As. Our theme in 2007 was “Creating Possibilities”. This year there were twelve countries represented, with over 700 planners in attendance. The three-day conference took place during the first week of August, a perfect time of year to visit San Diego and to enjoy the cool summer weather they have year round. In this report I’ll share key thoughts from the presentations of two speakers who told us their inspirational stories of creating possibilities.

Keynote Speaker: Sir Ken Robinson

The conference began with a presentation on the challenge of cultivating creativity. The keynote speaker was Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally recognized leader in the field of creativity for business and education. Sir Robinson’s message is that every organization has to find new ways to succeed in a world that is changing faster than ever before. Revolutionary changes are transforming how business works, creating an urgent need to promote creativity and innovation in the workplace.
Sir Robinson defines creativity as the process of having original ideas. The first step is imagination, the capacity that we all have to see something in the mind’s eye. Creativity uses that imagination to solve problems — call it applied imagination. Then, innovation puts that creativity into practice as applied creativity.

Hear more from Sir Ken Robinson:
Check out the speech he gave at
last year’s TED conference.
http://www.ted.com

The key to future success for all businesses is understanding creative intelligence and the idea of human resources. Sir Robinson argues for radical changes in corporate cultures to make the most of our human resources. He gives the example of Pixar, a company that understands the imperativeness of innovation and has enabled its corporate culture to foster creativity. The company created Pixar University – a program that offers educational classes, events, and workshops daily. Every employee is entitled to spend four hours a week at Pixar University, and are encouraged to not take job-related classes. Sir Robinson believes this keeps employees’ minds alive. One can’t be creative if their mind is not stimulated, just as one can’t be an Olympic athlete if they don’t train regularly. He concluded by emphasizing that the secret of the creative corporation is to look hard at employees and begin to realize their strengths. Because creativity is found in helping people find their talents.

Eric Ryan – Co-founder of Method, “People Against Dirty”

At the age of 27, Eric Ryan founded Method, a San Francisco-based consumer goods company that has reinvented home care products with an innovative branding and product design approach. Eric began his career as a planner, and used his planning skills to identify the opportunity to create the brand and marketing/communications plans that led to this unparalleled success. Method is a partnership between Eric and his college roommate Adam Lowry. It was founded in 2000 with $300,000 from their personal savings, friends, family, and others. Today, they have annual revenues of over $40 million.

In five short years, Method has challenged some of the world’s largest multinationals in home cleaning, laundry, personal care and air care to become the fastest growing consumer products company in the US.
Recently, Method was named number seven on the Inc. 500 list for fastest-growing companies in America.

Eric’s partner, Adam Lowry, graduated from Stanford with a degree in chemical engineering and says, “I knew as a chemical engineer that there was no reason we couldn’t design products that were non-toxic and used natural ingredients. It would be more expensive, but as long as we created a brand with more ‘premium-ness’ about it, our margins would support the extra investment in product development and high-quality ingredients”.

In essence, Eric and Adam have now crafted a master brand in home care. The brand’s tag-line “People Against Dirty” reflects more than a penchant for a clean home, but for clean air, clean water and clean living. Method is a modern lifestyle brand – not just a green leafy brand.

Consumers realize they can be “green” without making a sacrifice in performance or design, as such, package design is core to their business model. Method was going up against big soap companies like
P&G and Unilever with limited resources. They knew disruptive packaging would be required, so they recruited designer Karim Rashid and introduced a startling bowling-pin-shaped dish soap bottle that
put Method on the map, earning the brand coveted distribution with Target and a cult following. Today the brand offers green products and packages in Method’s distinct style.

As his final message to us as planners, Eric noted that the role of planners and planning continues to play an integral part in the on-going operations of the company. Today, Method’s advertising agency has a
planner assigned to the business who works out of Method’s offices in San Francisco. Planners are involved at all points along the R&D continuum, leading ideas through to on-shelf, in-store and all points of
communication. This is truly where the future of planning lies, in growing ever more immersed in all aspects of our clients’ business.

Joy Fournier Director, Customer Engagement Planning Cheil, NAHQ

The Good, the Bad, and the Unremarkable

2007-10-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

Current trends in advertising

Advertising has always done a strange dance with the culture: sometimes leading, sometimes following, but the two are always inextricably linked. Lately, this fact seems truer than ever. There are several events taking place in the industry these days that can trace their roots to current cultural phenomena – for better or worse. The following is a look at a couple of these high- and low-lights in the biz – and where they originated.

On the positive side, one trend follows advertisers enlisting the efforts, tactics and ideas of conceptual artists like David Blaine. Blaine has made a name for himself by being something of a modern-day Houdini.
His exploits include everything from confining himself in a glass box over the Thames river for 44 days and nights to standing atop a 90-foot tower in Bryant Park in Manhattan for 24 hours without a safety net.

Target department store was quick to seize on the trend by hiring him to promote their two-day sale by giving him two days to escape from a spinning contraption five stories above Times Square. The event
was considered to be a tremendous marketing success and generated a lot of publicity in the media.

Another instance of an advertiser taking influence from an artist involves Adidas and conceptual artist Phil Hansen. Hansen recorded himself painting a portrait of North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il with 300cc of his own blood and posted it on YouTube.

The tactic was then seen in an advertising campaign from Adidas for the New Zealand Rugby “All Blacks” team. Adidas’ agency TBWA/WHYBIN created a limited-edition poster that not only featured the players,
but also included each player’s blood, which was thoroughly sterilized and then embedded into the paper during the printing process.

Sales of Adidas “All Blacks” apparel went up by 24%. All 8,000 posters quickly sold out. In fact, many are now traded on auction sites around the world for around $400 and rising. It was featured on TV news
programs, in The Wall Street Journal and other international newspapers generating millions of dollars of editorial comment; not to mention – hundreds and hundreds of blogs and sites.

On the less positive side, the portrayal of women in advertising has always been a controversial topic in the industry. And while the old advertising bromide “sex sells” seems to be repeated nowadays only with a healthy dose of irony, we all still see ads that portray women in ways many don’t appreciate, either intentionally or not. A recent TV spot for Heineken featuring a robotic blonde beauty pulling a mini beer
keg out of her abdomen seems to be the “offender du jour”.

What’s new here, however, is the way some in the industry are choosing to shed light on the problem. 3iying is an “all girl creative agency” based in New York City. Their mission is “to make better ads,
products and media for other girls”. They asked young women to point out ads they didn’t like because they found the message particularly insensitive to them. 3iying compiled the results into a video mosaic that provides a fascinating look at a highly targeted demographic responding to advertising that was aimed at them – and missed.

One video critiquing a print ad for Absolut vodka caught my eye. In the video, a young woman holds up an Absolut ad that features a man and a woman facing the camera. The woman is beautiful and elegantly
dressed, holding a drink. The man stands beside her – poorly groomed with a bulging, obviously pregnant, stomach beneath a frumpy sweater. The headline reads “An Absolut World”. What offended the young
woman was the way the pregnant man was portrayed – how he struck such a stark contrast to the elegant and sophisticated woman – that, in effect, being pregnant was shown to be un-fun, unglamorous,
and undesirable.

What I find interesting is that the ad was surely intended to have just the opposite effect: to give a nod to women, to poke fun at gender roles and stereotypes. But even with the best of intentions, the effort appears to have been handled a little too cavalierly for some. It’s a lesson all of us in the advertising industry should be mindful of.

Tom McManus Creative Director, Cheil, NAHQ

The World's Largest Market and Marketing Opportunity

2007-10-19T14:03:00.000-04:00

“ The consumer is not a moron,
she’s your wife. ” – David Ogilvy

Women:

Control more than 75% of discretionary income
Over 40% of households with at least $600,000 in assets are headed by women
Married women’s earnings are growing faster than their spouses
25% of working married women make more money than their spouses
85% identify themselves as the principle household shopper
90% of married women identify themselves as the principle shopper
80% of consumer goods purchased are made or influenced by women
Women buy 50% of all cars and influence 80% of car purchases
51% of consumer electronics are purchased by women (70% of new digital cameras are bought by women)

Women are more likely to use people as a resource in their CE research

56% of women turn to their friends and family versus 43% of men
46% of women rely more on in-store sales people versus 39% of men

Women tend to get most of their product information from the product packaging, whereas men utilize various websites
Women tend to ignore ads driven by features, but rather relate to brands that demonstrate purpose
1 in 4 women purchase consumer electronics from a mass merchant as opposed to an electronics retailer

6 in 10 women find consumer electronic stores cold and unemotional
5 in 10 women indicated they are likely to make their next purchase at a mass merchant

Overall, women are less emotionally attached to CE than men. Their purchase behavior is more deliberate and considered than men – who tend to purchase the latest, feature-rich products

Opening Night at the Movies… at Home?

2007-08-07T13:54:00.001-04:00

Who doesn’t like going to the local theater every once in a while to take in the latest and greatest movie blockbuster? It’s a pastime that’s been tried and true since motion pictures became entertainment in the early part of the 20th century – buy your tickets, get some popcorn, pick out your seat, and settle in for two hours of escapism and relaxation with the latest studio releases. Tried and true until now, that is.

In May of 2007, Comcast Corporation announced their plan to release blockbuster films via video-on-demand (VOD) at the same time movies are made available in theaters. Termed “simultaneous release” by the film industry, this initiative would allow people to view the latest films in the comfort of their own home for a yet to be determined “premium” price, technically eliminating the need to go to the theater. That premium price has been estimated to be anywhere from $30-60 per view.

The emergence of VOD and digital video recorder functionality means that viewers are more likely to watch TV/Movies outside of scheduled times, and to avoid commercials in increasing numbers. In fact, the number of heavy on-demand media consumers has doubled between 2005 and 2006. VOD marketing rose from $282 million in 2005 to $451 million in 2006, an increase of 60%, and it is expected to rise even further in 2007 and beyond.

31% of US residents have watched VOD, and of those who have not tried video-on-demand, 29% are “very” or “somewhat” interested in utilizing it in the future. Many cable operators are now trying to take advantage of this increased interest and offer VOD to their viewers.

Against It

The industry itself is clearly divided on the issue. Major theater chains like Regal Entertainment Group and National Amusements are vehemently against simultaneous release, and for good reason.

“We’re not interested in playing anything that makes its debut in the home and at the theater at the same time,” said Michael L. Campbell, Regal’s Chief Executive (LA Times, May 12, 2007).

Box office revenues have been limited for movie theaters ever since they became independent from the major studios in the 1950s, making theater owners extremely dependent on a high volume of customers in order to turn a profit. For some background, theater chains earn an average of only 10-20% of the box office for the first 2-3 weeks of a films release, while 80-90% goes to the studios. If a film has “legs” and can still draw a significant amount of people after the first 3 weeks, the box office split changes to around 60-40 in favor of the studio. This is why concessions cost so much at the movies – the chains don’t make a significant profit on the box office, so they sell Junior Mints at a 300% markup to try and make up for it. Bottom line- the theater chains need people to come to the movies and come often, video-on-demand poses a significant threat to their existence.

All For It

Along with the cable operators who are carrying the films, the studios themselves would definitely be a large beneficiary of this type of arrangement. Yes, less people might go to the theater to see the film, but there would probably be little to no revenue loss based on the premium costs for viewing the films on VOD. The studios themselves have been very quiet on this issue to date, but it’s clear that the possibility would not have progressed to this point if they were not truly interested.

According to Adage.com on May 14th, Comcast Chief Operating Officer Steve Burke feels that simultaneous release would also help to bring new films to those that have grown tired of the movie theater experience (cellphones ringing, talkers, lousy prints) and the overwhelmed (the millions of parents of young kids who can’t possibly get to the movies on a Friday night).

In the end, customers will still be viewing films with simultaneous release VOD – they will just have the option to view new films in a different, profitable way. And the studios definitely like the sound of increasing revenues.

Affect on Advertising

Should simultaneous release come to fruition, it will certainly have a significant effect on in-cinema advertising as a whole. That being said, there is good news and bad news that comes with simultaneous release.

Let’s start with the good news. First and foremost, it is safe to assume that there will be significant demand for simultaneous release VOD among cable TV viewers. Even at the price point of $30-60 for a single viewing, people will be tempted to get the latest Hollywood release right in their homes out of convenience. They might even invite their friends over to watch to help fray the costs, hence even more impressions.

It is also safe to assume that this will be a captive, audience for messaging. Consumers ordering VOD will be enthused about the newly released film they purchased and excited to watch it. Hence, as long as the pre-show advertising is a forced exposure and can’t be fast-forwarded, it will be that much more effective than regular television advertising. Not as effective as movie theater advertising, of which Arbitron’s 2007 study claims that two-thirds of adults 18 to 34 say they don’t mind cinema ads. But probably not that far off, either.

The bad news is the hit that in-cinema advertising will take as an effective medium for engaging the consumer. Although the in-cinema audience will likely remain captive, there will simply be less of an audience to talk to. Costs for on-screen advertising will certainly be reduced, but so will the relevance of the medium.

Cable companies are taking advantage of VOD by offering advertisers a shorter lead-time for ad changes, which can ultimately provide direct feedback from consumers. One successful example is Cablevision. Cablevision signed automobile makers in the beginning, but now has signed close to two dozen national advertisers, including Sony Bravia and US Navy. Even though online videos are very popular, they’re meant to be viewed by one or two people. For a family, watching a video at the time they want without running to the video store is a great incentive for them to choose video-on-demand.

Where does the Industry Go from Here?

It appears that Comcast might have been a bit ambitious announcing its plan for simultaneous release so early on in the game. The major theater chains have dug in their heels against it, and the movie studios do not appear ready to fight the battle just yet.

If one were to venture a guess as to the outcome, I would say that eventually some sort of deal gets worked out to cut the theater chains in on the revenue generated from VOD. In reality, this is the only way that the new model becomes palatable for everyone.

With implications for consumers, advertisers, and obviously to the entire movie industry, this will be a great story to follow over the next few years – with no clear-cut resolution.

Jed Michaelson, Account Supervisor Brand Strategy
&
Ted Kim, Media Investment Strategist
Cheil Communications New Jersey

Good-bye, Luke Sullivan. Hello, Cecil B. DeMille.

2007-08-06T20:10:00.000-04:00

Do you remember the first time you sent an email? The first time your did a research on Google? The first time you ordered from Amazon?

Who can even imagine life before? Well, there's a new paradigm shift (to use that Web 1.0 cliche). It's YouTube. Internet video. Life will never be the same.

After all, why make the effort to read something when you can have it spoon-fed to you?

Doubt it? Well, how many hours this past week did you read a book as compared to watching TV?

Enough said.

Over the last year I have been watching YouTube daily. I guess it qualifies me to be as much of an expert as anyone. Hey, who would have guessed Google would be the company to rival MicroSoft?

Over those lost hours, I have seen patterns emerge in videos. Certain themes seem to return again and again.

I think this is important. To take advantage of YouTube, you have to know its audience. Frankly, it's no different than being a network programmer.

Here are some of the themes I've spotted in no particular order.

Sex: Amazingly enough, it still seems to be a strong motivator of the human race.
Mishaps: Some are funny. Some are bloody horrible. Watching your fellow man writhe in pain never goes out of style.
Comedy routines: The sketches are frequently funnier and questionably more profane than regular TV.
Vlogs: The video version of the blog. The most successful are generally from women.
Sport clips.
Tech clips: Shots of computer games or short deminstrations of electronic products.
Music videos.

Maybe this list isn't all that earth-shattering. But I think it's part of the big picture. (Forgive the pun.)

This isn't TV made small. It's different content from TV altogether.

The content is racier. More amateur. More intimate. It leans to the bizarre. The outrageous.

YouTube viewers don't want to see things they can already see on TV. After all, it's already on TV. The sole exception might be sport clips.

And there's the catch. Bizarre, outrageous, anti-establishment content is not what advertisers generally gravitate toward.

Some advertisers have had some initial success. Dove did a great job showing the manipulation of women in modern media (anti-establishment). Blendtec has breated David Letterman-like demonstrations for itselectric mixers (outrageous). Samsung has had great success with its UpStage contest (bizarre, or at least quirky). These ads are neither serious nor sentimental, the two favored sentiments throughout the advertising industry.

Others have failed. The most notable is BudTV. Millions were spent creating content that no one cared for. Bor-r-r-ing. Anheuser-Busch failed to realize that they are not competing against Miller beer, they are more competing against Jimmy Kimmel.

That's right, advertisers will be competing against the entertainment industry-not against other advertisers.

Think about it: Tivo. Shrinking TV viewership. Collapse in newspaper and magazine readership.

Good-bye, Luke Sullivan. Hello, Cecil B. DeMille.

It's that old paradigm shift again. Just like the last time you...

Philip Wilson
Sr. Copywriter
Cheil Communications New Jersey

Search Engine Marketing

2007-08-06T20:02:00.001-04:00

One of the most powerful marketing weapons in a company’s online arsenal is Search Engine Marketing, also known as SEM. A specialized subset of direct marketing, where SEM marketers promote websites and products by increasing their visibility in search results on search engines like Google, Yahoo, or Ask.com. These search results can be organic or paid.

Organic Search

With organic search, each search engine uses its own proprietary algorithms for returning the most relevant results to a user’s request. The more relevant the result, the higher the ranking on the page. Results of eyetracking studies show that most users immediately scan the top left portion of search results pages or the position of the top organic result.

Most companies use in-house experts or third party experts to constantly tinker with their site’s metadata in order to optimize results rankings. ROI calculations for these activities are measured by the cost of such activities against the increases in traffic post-optimization.

Paid Search

Paid search is one of the fastest growing areas of advertising today. Overall, industry monitors say ad spending will be the weakest since 2001 -- growing just 1.7% to $152.3 billion, a marked drop from its previous forecast of 2.6% growth. (TNS Media Intelligence 6/12/07). Network television is expected to grow only 1.3% and newspaper expected to decrease by 2.9%.

By comparison, while slowing from the meteoric rise of 2003 and 2004, paid search is expected to still grow by 16.4% this year.

With Paid search, return on investment measurement starts with the initial organic search metric of traffic generation. However, unlike organic search, with paid search we can also track leads and conversions directly resulting from our efforts, with a discrete quantifiable cost. Companies purchase keywords, knowing that each consumer sent to the website will cost a specific amount. A retail company can then follow that single user through to sale, providing a hard ROI metric. Generally, paid search listing pass the user directly to a sell opportunity with ROI being the efficiency of online search spend to actual sales.

"To become aware of the
possibility of the search
is to be onto something"
-Walker Percy

In the case of numerous companies today, they direct traffic from paid search links to their company portals and then redirects to channel partners.

Due to the circuitous route to sale, our ROI measurement must include traffic generation efficiency, amount of pages consumed and time spent on the site by users, as well as how many leads are passed to our channel partners. To get to a hard number, a monetary value must be assigned to each of these “soft” metrics.

While the DM function of search is generally the most relevant to a sales-oriented company, recently there has been a rise in the discussion of the branding abilities of SEM. Every result, organic or paid, can be viewed as an ‘advertisement’ for the company or product. The reason to use SEM for branding is that, if done correctly, it can be much more efficient than display advertising. By using pre/post search campaign Dynamic Logic studies we can understand any supplemental branding component our search campaigns provide our marketing efforts.

Search and Measuring the ROI of Offline Campaigns

An interesting aspect of search is that it can also be used to benchmark success of offline campaigns. These ‘success metrics’ can be seen in the traffic resulting from organic search, paid search and even social media.

Successful offline campaigns should cause an increase in the number of searches for brands and/or products featured in these campaigns. With geo-targeted advertising (eg. Spot TV, radio or billboards), we can study traffic sources to see if there is a rise in searches from those specific geographic areas.

Offline campaign success will also be evidenced in our paid search results. The number of impressions our paid search terms receive will rise as we gain top of mind status with consumers. Our clicks should rise proportionately and we can measure increases in pages viewed and time spent to provide a pre/post campaign metric.

Search engine marketing can be an extremely efficient traffic driver & sales tool for any brand - used effectively; SEM can provide the most accountable ROI marketing program.

David Glitzer
Director Interactive Services
Cheil Communications New Jersey

Teen Marketing in the U.S.

2007-08-06T19:41:00.000-04:00

More than any other time in history, today’s teens are considered a highly desirable target for marketers. Yet this sought-after segment is one of the hardest groups to reach. So why do so many companies bother going after them? The reason is in the numbers:

There are 33.5 million teens in the US today. If they were a country, they would be the 38th most populated country in the world – bumping Canada to 39th.

Last year US teens spent a whopping $179 Billion. Add to that amount the great deal of influence they have over what their parents purchase. For example, the average adult with a teen in the home spent $1,752 on consumer electronic products in the last year, more than $500 over the national average .

With teen spending and influence projected to stay strong, marketers are desperately trying to target this elusive population. There are several factors that have made reaching the teen target difficult:

Growing cynicism to traditional marketing methods. Teens want to be entertained, not marketed to.
Ability to filter messages aimed at them via electronic devices such as DVRs, PCs and mp3 players.
Tremendous rise in online activity from watching user-created content to social networking to shopping online.
Going mobile - having a cell phone is essential for most teens.

Finding Teens

Before marketers can reach today’s teens, they have to find them first. Not surprisingly, more and more teens can be found online. It’s difficult to overstate how the Internet has revolutionized what it means to be a teen. From music downloads to blog postings to social networking sites, the Internet is now as much as a destination as is TV. The Internet continues to build influence in every area, taking over the top spot as “Most Informative” and approaching TV as the medium teens “can’t live without.”

Online Teen Facts
92% of teens go online during an average week
86% of teens have access to a home computer
66% of teens have high speed Internet connections

The question becomes,” where are teens online and what are they doing”? The top 5 sites for teens are:

My Space
Yahoo
Google
Facebook
YouTube

The top 10 things teens do online:

Send emails (69%)
Listen to music clips (58%)
IM (56%)
Visit personal homepages or profiles (53%)
Research for school (50%)
Play games (45%)
Surf for interests and hobbies (45%)
Look for stuff to buy (45%)
Get daily information (horoscope, weather) (36%)
Read an ad (36%)

The key to understanding teens’ online activity is not to think of any of their activities as standalone. Rather, these are all part of teens self-expression and are intricately connected, with YouTube links embedded on blogs alongside “check this out” viral endorsements. Many marketers are turning to “influencer” teens to help spread the word about a product using viral endorsements. Others have turned to providing entertaining content to teens that is “sponsored by” the company. The Internet will continue to become stronger with teens as broadband enables teens to upload and stream their content of choice in their Web 2.0 world. Coupling broadband growth with the introduction of online content over wireless networks means that true interconnectivity has really only just begun.

" Last year US teens spent
a whopping $179 billion"

The rapid wireless adoption among teens has made marketers turn more toward the third screen as an attractive and easy way to reach them. There has been a rapid expansion of basic “extended” mobile activities like taking pictures and downloading ring tones. Now teens have reached a point where they are ready to jump into more robust activities like music and video.

Wireless Teen Facts

66% of teens own a cell phone
88% use it to tell time
72% send text messages
60% take photos, 27% send photos
23% shoot videos
9% bought something

With more teens wanting to use their cell phones for more vigorous online activities such as search, purchasing and mobile social networking, expect to see a rise in smartphone purchases among teens. However, marketers should be aware that teens are even less tolerant of wireless spam than their parents.

Innovative moves by brands trying to reach teens:

Sprite, the third most consumed regular soft drink among teens is making a push into the world of mobile social networking. Its new initiative, called Sprite Yard, will be a full-fledged branded mobile social networking site featuring all the usual elements like profiles, photo sharing and messaging – along with mobisodes & animated shorts. However, Sprite Yard stands out in the teen market because it will be a mobile social networking site. Users will be connecting using their cell phones rather than their computers.
A brand’s bold move into the world of the teen mobile social networking.

Dunkin' Donuts, the number two coffee chain with teens and college students is launching a new website called MyIcedCoffee that allows users to plan road trips and map out its stores along the way. In addition to offering trip planning capabilities, the site features a sweepstakes and user-generated content.

Today’s teens are more connected than previous generations which means they have more messages flying at them from all directions. Marketers have to be smart about how to reach teens today. Whether its’ content wrapping on the CW network, creating a product profile on Facebook or planning a road trip via Dunkin’ Donuts - marketers are continuously searching for new ways to engage teens and to make that brand connection.

Rules for Marketing to Teens:

Teens expect to be entertained by advertising, they love to laugh: be engaging!
Teens won’t work overtime to get the message (they’re really busy and efficient about messages they consume): get to the point!
Teens love the spotlight and they want to feel the message is being sent directly to them, but that doesn’t necessarily mean using teen speak (which most adults really can’t do credibly): be relevant!

Andrea Gretsky
Account Planning Director
Cheil Communications New Jersey

Innovative Branding Concepts for Events

2007-08-06T19:14:00.000-04:00

Events have become widely embraced and accepted as a powerful marketing tool. With traditional advertising budgets decreasing in favor of alternative methods to better target and involve the consumer meaningfully, events have risen to a prominent place in the marketing mix. Jack Morton’s recent research found that consumers cited event marketing, word of mouth and the internet as the top media mediums to learn how the brand relates to them and explain “what the product/brand stands for:” (March, 2007). It’s not surprising given events offer a unique opportunity to interact face-to-face with the target audience and capture their attention for an extended period of time, potentially creating a (favorable) lasting memory.

With the many elements that make up events, there are myriad of opportunities to express the brand’s personality, message and logo. This article reviews branding techniques and innovations found in the event industry.

Obvious event branding at events typically involve:

Step and Repeat

Otherwise known as the press board, this is the photo opportunity area where the brand’s repeated logo or slogan is prominently displayed. It's all about branding and keeping it simple; controlling the backdrop for still cameras and B-roll footage.

Projection Screens

Oftentimes flanking a stage and always at the center of attention, large screens showcase a company’s logo, brand messaging and even bullet point lectures and Powerpoints.

Signage

Enlarged graphics decorate walls, hallways and red carpet entrances aiming to become part of the décor but oftentimes simply blaring the company’s logo in case you forgot who invited you or why you were there.

While these traditional branding elements are fine and sometimes mandatory, there are many more unique ways to seamlessly introduce the brand to the events’ guests.

The Tony Awards, repeated their top hat logo and created branded decor throughout the environment showcasing it as clever: chandeliers, table centerpieces, containers for take-home baubles and hanging light fixtures above the bar.

Target used their simple logo as a design element in their space through projected lighting treatments in their space.

A movie premier placed famous quotes from the movie onto the venue’s walls. Vanity Fair carved their logo into a tall topiary wall.

A magazine Company showcased their major titles by fashioning a live décor model in a custom outfit.

Caterer uniforms are often branded and their bodies are sometimes tattoo-ed.

It seems just about anything (or anyone) can be branded these days. There seem to be few limits on creative branding executions. Of course creativity must be balanced with style and a keen understanding of the brand in order to best judge how a brand should be translated into an environment and experience. But that’s for another article…

Live marketing experiences were also shown to be a valuable way to increase marketing ROI:

75% of consumers say that participating in a live marketing experience would make them more receptive to the product/brand's advertising

75% of consumers said they would be extremely or very likely to tell others after participating in a live marketing event , extending impact through word-of-mouth

8 out of 10 consumers who had actually participated in experiential marketing in the past said that they had told others about their experience

The research supports the value that experiential marketing brings to many companies. Spending on experiential marketing has grown to an estimated $166 billion in 2004, a 9% increase over 2003, according to an influential industry trade publication.

Stella Oh
Brand Amp Supervisor
Cheil Communications New Jersey

What's Hot, What's Not - Trends to Watch for TV and Magazine

2007-08-06T18:48:00.000-04:00

As we embark on TV and Magazine planning for the fall/early 2008, it is important to note trends in these mediums to ensure optimal client investment. So what are the “Hot” and “Not-So-Hot” trends? Experts from Media Life and Ad Age give us a peek of what’s to come.

According to Media Life’s “Upfront Report” on fall 2007 TV trends, there will be a decline of serialized dramas due to bad ratings. Among the affected shows are: Fox’s Vanished, ABC’s The Nine, and CBS’s Jericho. Additionally, even long-running hits such as ABC’s Lost and Fox’s 24 are declining. Overall, these hit shows are slipping due to the viewer’s lack of commitment. In essence, viewers are looking for shows with story lines that are wrapped-up within the hour, rather than viewing shows that require a higher level of commitment.

On the other hand, NBC’s Heroes is the only serialized drama that’s a hit show. It successfully caught on quickly with viewers, which allowed it to gain traction. Heroes established a connection with viewers, as it allowed them to relate to the characters in the show through escapism, mythology and overall empathy for the characters.

Another TV trend suggests a rise in shows like NBC’s The Office or job related shows, and less attention to family oriented shows similar to Everybody Loves Raymond. Viewers are gravitating toward work-based storytelling rather than family-based shows because the workplace is considered a whole other family. For most, the traditional family isn’t relatable. Furthermore, another dynamic exists at work where all kinds of drama and tension exist. Hence, allowing viewers to relate more to this type of programming.

Networks this fall are also aiming to support shows centered on women; specifically the women of NBC’s Lipstick Jungle. The introduction of this new drama will be used as a means to attract educated, successful women.

Experts also analyzed an interesting TV trend involving teens. MTV’s TRL (Total Request Live) was once a teen obsession, but is now struggling much like MTV. TRL is down 67% from 8 years ago due to MTV relying on older, fading shows, i.e. The Real World.

Furthermore, TRL has been hurt by Youtube.com, since teens can call-up favorite videos rather than waiting a full hour to see them. In an effort to save money, MTV has also been airing TRL episodes two days a week instead of airing them live; thus losing the show’s essence of capturing the day’s top music video choices. Additionally, this “move to tape” has caused speculation that TRL would be cut entirely.

With regards to Magazine trends, the latest report from the Publisher’s Information Bureau (PIB) notes that “Teen” magazines have been on the decline. This has been due to the demise of Elle Girl and Teen People.

Most titles in the “Parenting” category are down, and unfortunately, the print edition of Child magazine recently folded. Cookie and Family Fun are the only “Parenting” magazines that are showing gains.

Media Life notes that “Teen” and “Parenting” magazine categories are on the decline due to the migration of readers and advertisers that are moving toward the Internet.

According to Ad Age, the “Celebrity Weekly” category is also showing signs of decline, which can be attributed to the rise of TMZ.com, a celebrity gossip website. Additionally, the category has become overcrowded; not to mention changes in reader attention toward the overexposure of the same few stars: i.e., Anna Nicole Smith, Brad-Jen-Angelina, etc. Moreover, postal hikes and price wars may also be contributing to the decline in circulation growth. An example of this is Star Magazine, which has cut circulation by 10% to 1.35 million, down from 1.5 million.

Media Life also outlines magazine categories that are showing gains. Among them are: “Women’s Service/Beauty”, “Fashion” and “Shelter” titles. Such gains indicate vitality and a strong position in the marketplace.

Additionally, certain publication groups are responding to these trends by creating innovative ways to incorporate print brands online. For instance, Fox and Hearst are partnering to make a series for broadband and eventually network TV, based on popular magazine titles. An example is the Cosmo Girl project; a serialized Soap with fans contributing to the narrative by submitting suggestions for what should happen next in the story.

TV and Magazine trends are ever-changing; filled with peaks and valleys. Hence, as part of our daily job performance, it is imperative that we stay abreast of these changes in order to make the most viable and optimal client recommendations to maximize return on investment.

Laura Greenfield, Senior Media Planner
Cheil Communications New Jersey

Campaign Spotlight: P3 Reseller Launch

2007-08-01T10:36:00.000-04:00

The goal of this campaign was to increase sales via Samsung’s newly designed, benefit-driven Power Partner Program (P3 Program).

Clear objectives were outlined at the start of this initiative:

Reposition & clearly communicate the benefits of the new P3 program
Increase activity within existing P3 members-community
Attract additional resellers to the program to increase sales of Samsung IT products

Utilizing Print Advertising, Collateral and Direct Response efforts helped this campaign to reinforce the benefits derived from being part of Samsung’s P3 Program.

Samsung is one of the few organizations to offer dedicated sales support for their Reseller partners. There are now 3 levels of service associated with this program. Even if you achieve the first level of qualified sales, Samsung will assign a dedicated inside sales person. This is a proven unique and key differentiating factor for Samsung in the highly competitive peripheral Reseller market.

Campaign Results

20% revenue growth for Q1 2007 vs. Q1 2006
234 new P3 members in Q1 2007
Average of 1,025 P3 users per month, surpassing the total average active users of 880 per month
25,435 opened P3 email communications in Q1 2007- with continually increasing totals per month
Approximately 80 resellers moving from Bronze to Silver, 12 Silver moving to Gold, and 4 Gold moving to Platinum in Q3 2007

Chris Georgieff
Account Director
Cheil Communications Irvine

Beyond the Buzz

2007-04-18T21:25:00.000-04:00

Currently, Web 2.0 is the big buzz when it comes to Internet marketing. Simply put, it’s empowering users to select the media they want, influencing how consumers affect advertising, and allowing consumers to generate the next news event or popular culture phenomenon. It is a change that is exerting tremendous influence – and creating endless opportunities – the world over. The following is a look at how various media are employing Web 2.0, and some key issues that are being brought to light by their efforts.

One example of how the print world is reflecting the influence of Web 2.0 is a current promotion by Xerox and Wired Magazine. It’s called “Make Wired Your Own”. The drive of the promotion is to get current subscribers, 5,000 total, to upload their image so it can appear on their very own copy of the magazine cover. This is a perfect example of print and online converging. This is not only exciting for a current subscriber of Wired, but almost an envy to others that can’t participate. It’s creating yet another way to get a consumer excited about their brand.

If you’re a brand like Splenda - your image is everything. Brands worry about image so much that it practically consumes them. In order to control bad PR, Tate & Lyle, manufacturer of Splenda, along with its US based co-developer Johnson & Johnson, bought up potentially negative domain names by the hundreds (such as splendasucks.com and splendakills.com). Why? They fear the online consumer. But chances are if someone has something bad to say about a brand, they will find a place online no matter how hard that brand may try to stop them. This is the power of Web 2.0 for better or worse. Consumers can almost make or break a brand merely on how they react to it.

" The Internet video
download business is
expected to be worth
$3.7 billion in annual
revenue in 2010."

MTV, on the other hand, has developed a counter-strategy which embraces the new Web 2.0 strategy. Their approach: if you can’t beat them, join them. Kenneth Li from Reuters writes that, “MTV Networks, owner of the MTV and Comedy Central channels, is pushing a risky new Web strategy to win back young viewers from the likes of YouTube and MySpace. The network, which already has 150 Web sites in 162 countries, plans to build literally thousands more, hoping to draw viewers by letting them watch, contribute and even re-edit its television shows.” This is an established brand name almost re-branding themselves in order to keep pace with the Web 2.0 world. As the article further states, “MTV Networks” new strategy is part of an effort by Viacom to reach a wider audience that is spending as much time on the Internet and on video games as watching television, and no longer cares when or where programming is shown.” A Pricewaterhouse spokesperson points out the Internet video download business is expected to be worth $3.7 billion in annual revenue in 2010. Why wouldn’t MTV embrace this strategy?

The next big challenge a recent Reuters article points out is: “(finding) new ways to court viewers who split their time between viewing traditional media, surfing the Internet and playing video games. One such solution vying for consumers’ attention will be Joost. Joost’s primary focus is on network-quality programs – an entire network of global programming without the problems we have with today’s streaming video. Compared to Apple’s iTunes, which sells TV shows and movies, Joost is free, though its content is peppered with one to three minutes of ads an hour. It’s bringing the traditional broadcast model full-circle. A recent Time.com article explains: “Joost is lean-back from a content point of view, but its attractiveness to advertisers is in getting you involved”. Ad execs love Internet TV because its audience is measurable, targetable and interactive. “If you spend 10 minutes learning about a new car you’re interested in,” Ozguc says, “that’s worth gold to advertisers.” By 2010, Parks Associates estimates, the online-video market will grow fivefold, to more than $7 billion. So far Wrigley, T-Mobile and Maybelline have signed on, and others may customize ads not just by location, but also by viewing style. Watching Lassie, Benji and other dog flicks? Purina might have a message for you. “There’s no reason why a real estate company couldn’t put an ad up linking to a video walk-through of properties in your neighborhood,” says David Clark, Joost’s advertising director. Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Web video provider Brightcove adds: “Unlike traditional entertainment media, however, end-user participation should be a big part of any online media strategy.”

In the midst of all this lies the question: Who owns content? With users seamlessly able to upload anything to the web they feel catches their eye, then how much control do you truly have over your own product? To quote Mark Cuban, regarding usage rights for content on the web: “HBO charges a monthly fee to subscribers. If someone can watch an HBO show on Google Video or YouTube, even if it’s divided into 1, 3 or 6 partsand reassembled into a playlist, they have far less incentive to subscribe or retain their subscription(s). HBO in turn, syndicates those shows to cable networks. As an example, A&E paid a reported $2.2 million per episode of the Sopranos. If the content is available online, do you think maybe it might reduce the value to A&E and HBO of the Sopranos? And that’s before we even get to overseas syndication. YouTube and Google Video have a great deal of popularity overseas because in many cases US shows are not as readily available. Online international viewing reduces the international revenue opportunity. Then of course there are DVD sales. YouTube downloads every video right to your PC. Google Video not only downloads to your PC, it provides the option to convert it into a PDA format including the iPod. So tell me why it makes good business sense for HBO to let users post the content they sell for a ton of money?”

" By 2010, the online-video
market will grow fivefold,
to mor than $7 billion."

Essentially, the Internet is the new antenna. Where content is free, and integration of products is crucial to connecting with the consumer. How brands engage the consumer is still key, both from a delivery standpoint to a product standpoint. With the web terrain already cluttered with sites that want to deliver us entertainment, it is even more important that those delivering the content become “household names.” Established brands like Yahoo and Google would be wise to create their own concepts of Joost. Why? Because they’re established brands and already have a built-in consumer base. They are not starting from scratch. We already see brands that are stepping into this entertainment sphere. Apple TV is a perfect example of an established brand that has already had success in delivering music, trying its best to take another piece of the pie by creating a delivery system that is practical and engaging. Its sole purpose is to take all the entertainment you have already downloaded from Apple, and enjoy it on a TV anywhere in your home. Apple is not the first to come up with a delivery system like this, but they are perceived as a brand that delivers technology that is easy and simple to use. An established brand that already has a loyal consumer base will inevitably increase with this incredibly approachable technology.

" The Internet is the
new antenna."

So what does Web 3.0 look like? Well, the web doesn’t consist solely of websites anymore. Take Sony and Xbox’s online gaming platforms and Second Life, an online “metaverse.” These are massive global networks made up of communities of online users. Brands integrating into these environments are one of the fastest growing trends. Second Life will soon integrate voice as well as web-content. What will happen once it can support content such as Joost’s online broadcast model? Total convergence seems inevitable. Imagine logging on at night and sitting in your virtual home, watching the playoffs on a virtual Samsung TV with your brother from Detroit sitting next to you on your virtual couch. The trash talk is brutal since you’re rooting for opposing teams. One of you’re virtual neighbors from the UK wanders in to sit and watch the game with you. The scary truth is that we aren’t far off from this now. By the time you read this, it may have already happened.

Ann Marie Mathis
Creative Director, Interactive
Cheil Communications New Jersey

Advertising 2.0

2007-04-18T20:59:00.000-04:00

As an abstract idea, Web 2.0 is simple: there has been a change in the direction of traffic on the Information Superhighway. What used to be a top-down flow of communication on the Internet is now bottom-up. Downloading content has been replaced by uploading. Viewers are calling the shots when it comes to media content. Consumers are crafting advertising messages. The sun and moon have switched places. Snowflakes are falling up. Got it.

For those of us in the advertising community, however, Web 2.0 is much more than a simple abstraction. It is a living, breathing organism whose vital signs are visible throughout the vast media-scape. Here are some Web 2.0 Advertising success stories:

:: You make the ad: The Doritos story
Instead of spending millions on producing a Super Bowl commercial like everyone else, the folks at BBDO only spent $20,000 to sponsor a 'create your own Doritos ad’ competition among its consumers. The idea resulted in thousands of entries and a lot of buzz in the press including five minutes of airtime for free on the Today show. Not to mention a pretty good Super Bowl ad.

:: Dove: Spinning the “Word-of-Mouth” mill
Another great spot this year wasn’t even technically a TV commercial. It was the Dove “Evolution” viral video that showed a normal woman being transformed into a supermodel using both cosmetic and digital techniques. Instead of running on traditional TV, it ran on the “Word-of-Mouth” network – the Internet – letting the Web work its inter-connective magic.

:: Haägen Dazs and “Crowdsourcing”
The Haägen-Dazs site “Scoop” uses a Web 2.0 technique called “crowdsourcing” which relies on its users to help with research and development. The users not only generate the content of the web site, they generate the product itself.

:: Old Spice’s “Mashup”
Another interesting Web 2.0 tactic is the use of multiple sites to create content using a technique called “Mashup”. For the web, Old Spice merged with the web site College Humor to create a “Keep it Clean” contest. Visitors were asked to upload amusing pictures – of nature, architecture, accidental double entendres, etc – that look sexual in nature but, upon closer inspection, are completely innocuous.

:: Mini’s big idea
Web 2.0 insights can also be applied to outdoor. Mini came up with an outdoor idea that communicates with drivers via Radio Frequency Identification. The drivers opt into an email blast. After answering the email, a keychain with a FOB arrives in the mail. Now, whenever the driver goes by the outdoor board, the display will post personalized messages for the drivers as they pass.

Web 2.0 may have become an overused buzzword lately. That’s inevitable; all good ideas get abused in our culture. But good marketing works because it captures something true. Web 2.0 is on everyone’s tongue these days because its basic aim – to give a greater, more participatory role to the consumer – is creating a lot of new avenues of opportunity for consumers and advertisers alike. We would all be wise to master this new Web upgrade – and apply its insights.

Tom McManus
North American Creative Director
Cheil Communications New Jersey

Ad Icon to Sitcom Star

2007-04-18T20:44:00.000-04:00

Geico is known for their quirky spots featuring characters and actors that don’t fit into the normal mold of advertising. For example, the gecko, which at first was mad that people would call him looking for Geico, but in recent years has become the “spokes-gecko” for the brand. The gecko is perhaps the most notable character, but coming up quickly on the gecko is the Geico Cavemen. The popularity of the Cavemen has spurred a deal with ABC to create a sitcom based on the characters from the commercial.

:: Geico Cavemen: The Beginning

Three years ago, the first cavemen spot broke featuring “real” cavemen (played by Jeff Daniel Phillips, Ben Weber, and Jon Lehr) acting in a commercial for Geico. The tagline of “so easy a caveman can do it” insults the cavemen actors and they storm out. A follow up commercial was released with the two insulted cavemen, dressed in collard shirts and blazers sitting in a restaurant with the Geico announcer as he apologizes for the commercial— “We had no idea you guys were still around.” The apology was not enough, one caveman has “lost his appetite” and the other orders the now famous “roast duck with the mango salsa”; one more way of sticking it to the man.

Some advertising critics thought that this was a “one-note joke”, but the cavemen have become a phenomenon. Each new commercial takes the viewer deeper in to the life and world of this “hyper-sensitive and hyper self-involved caveman” (Ad Week). The ads are smart and quick witted with snarky dialogue and smart acting. Much of the time, the funniest part of the commercial is the caveman’s silent reaction to a new Geico ad.

In an interview with Forbes magazine, Warren Buffet said that the company spent $631 million on ads last year and the Wall Street Journal says that for 2007 that amount will rise by 20%. With this kind of money backing the ads and consumers creating a stir with their own content, the cavemen have achieved celebrity status.

:: The Move to Sitcom

The big news for the cavemen is a new sitcom that will be based on the characters from the Geico commercials. The new project titled “Cavemen” will “focus on a trio of prehistoric characters who battle prejudice in modern-day Atlanta” (Wall Street Journal). The show was shopped around to the various networks, and ABC picked it up and will be paying for the pilot episode. This decision highlights the “blurring line between advertising and entertainment” and also shows ABC’s desperation at launching a winning sitcom. At the moment, there is no script and no cast ready for the show, but it has been noted that Geico will have no creative input or control on the project. Ted Ward, Geico’s VP of marketing is fine with this decision saying, “We sell car insurance; we don’t make TV shows” but Geico looks forward to have this opportunity for a brand extension (Wall Street Journal). In the event that the sitcom does take off, it is unclear at this time whether Geico will continue the cavemen commercials, which could be good news for the gecko.

" The risk is having the
sitcom come off as an
extended commercial."
-Ad Age

:: Been There, Done That
This move of the caveman character out of the commercial and into a sitcom is not a new endeavor. In the late 90s, Baby Bob, “a precocious talking infant who shilled for dot-coms” got his own sitcom on CBS in 2002, but was killed after only nine episodes (Ad Age). The potential for this sitcom to become popular and mainstream is up in the air. Because its roots are in advertising “the upside is that the character gets well-known and resonates more” says Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys. But the fact that the character is already known as being from a commercial, the risk is pushing an “advertising icon” into the public and having the sitcom come off as an extended commercial (Ad Age).

:: In Love and Backlash
Response to the news of the cavemen getting their own show has been mixed. Most advertising editors and bloggers do not love the idea of the spots getting more time on air:

"At first I found the commercials entertaining (though not very informative), but I don’t think I could handle a television show rooted in something developed by an advertising agency."
—Blogger by the name of Flexo from ConsumerismCommentary.com

“[Geico] could wear out the advertising idea due to oversaturation…Like anything, ads eventually lose their surprise ... Doing a TV show will accelerate that process and shave life off the campaign so it might not be worth it.”
—John Bond of Kirshenbaum Bond and Partners quoted on CNNmoney.com

“There is no way to really predict how the new ’Cavemen’ series will turn out. It absolutely represents a shift in the advertising for Geico, for if the series does not do well, the gecko could soon be the reigning Geico spokesman once again. Seeing this trend of the “advertising icon” becoming enough of a character to support their own program, it has led some others to think, who’s next? Check out AdWeek’s ’Just Asking’ and see what commercial characters advertisers and marketers think should be the next big TV idea.” —Just Asking from AdWeek

Melanie Moser, Information Coordinator
Cheil Communications New Jersey

What other commercial characters should get their own show?

2007-04-18T19:47:00.000-04:00

John Hodgman and Justin Long of the Apple commercials in a roommate show. PC guy clueless on everything, hip Apple guy with patience sorely tested everyday. Hilarity ensues.
—Susan Quirk, principal Quirk Design & Advertising, Simsbury, CT

Serta Sheep. If people liked the show, great. If they don’t and found it so boring that they fell asleep, voila! The sheep finally got to do their job. It’s a win-win.
—Steve O’Connell, President/CD Stick & Move, Philadelphia

The Pillsbury Doughboy. He’s cute and lovable and it’s a natural progression from there to recipes. I can see him taking on the Martha Stewart set.
—Debra Bluman, VP, product marketing, Crisp Wireless, New York

from Adweek.com Just Asking March 19, 2007

Thinking Outside the Home

2007-04-18T19:23:00.000-04:00

Out of Home has surpassed people’s wildest dreams. The industry has taken advertising from traditional to non-traditional and now it is presenting itself on buildings and in windows. Its presence is still considered more traditional in nature with billboards, walls, posters, malls and transit, but guerilla marketers are playing a huge part in the medium’s next generation. Some of these types of OOH options include sidewalk art, removable imprints on currency, street teams and interactive sites plus anything else that an advertiser can conceive creatively. Out of Home vendors are very adept at creating niche advertising opportunities to achieve the presence desired in any market or at any venue.

For the third year in a row, Out of Home growth is more than 8% and advertisers spend approximately $7 billion annually in this medium. New business continues to grow in double digits with new advertising partners putting dollars into the many new forms. This year alone has over 3 dozen new vendors and technologies some of which will lead the way for advertiser superiority in a variety of venues. AAAA (American Association of Advertising Agencies) anticipates new entries on a regular basis, but the type of entries this year has provided advertisers new dimensions to work within.

High fashion, retail, investment banking and automotive continues to outspend most other entries in Out of Home. Calvin Klein, Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, and Bulgari have become top airport advertisers as well as using the newer and more outlandish types of guerilla advertising to gain attention. Merrill Lynch, Chase, Citibank (just to name a few) also find airports, wall wraps, and street art to their benefit and buy within the top markets to build their name and image. Auto makers continue to direct their agencies to buy up stadium and arena advertising and create 3-dimesional executions to promote new vehicles and line extensions and to reach the consumer. It becomes a very competitive world when advertisers like these are buying OOH in yearly increments (annual contracts) to lock in the most superior locations. They outspend the other categories by more than $3M and look for the truly spectacular. Hotels and the entertainment categories have put tremendous demands on the OOH industry to provide venues that cater to many different audiences such as teens, alternate lifestyles, African-Americans, Asians and high lifestyle seekers. Competition in every area of business makes advertisers want more “bang for their buck” and OOH does not disappoint.

" Out of Home lets
imagination take the lead."

Continuing to forge relationships with the suppliers to provide as much detail on the target ability of venues, and to be able to measure and embrace the new options is every advertiser’s desire. The Traffic Audit Bureau and OAAA (Outdoor Advertising Association of America) forge ahead and measure the new forms of Outdoor. They continue to develop new measurement models to factor in the pedestrian value so they can properly define impressions. Outdoor measures the number of vehicles viewing the advertising, but with so many new options for the pedestrian, we continue to struggle with providing accurate numbers to report the huge viewership of these great new alternatives. Out of Home continues to be a media form that allows imagination to take the lead. The reach and deliverables for OOH continue to be far below what other media delivers as the measurements are based on vehicles, not “eyeballs”. We, the Out of Home leaders are working diligently with vendors, and committees to bring the OOH circulation numbers into line with other measured media.

Options continue to grow as targets expand and there is virtually nothing that cannot be conceptualized by most Out of Home specialists. Some new trends include:

:: Branding money with removable and usable stickers
:: Vehicle wrapping
:: Interactive mall and street kiosks with Bluetooth technology
:: 3-dimensional holographic window displays
:: Steam cleaning sidewalks as part of a public service with branded stenciled messages
:: Wrapping buildings, airplanes, blimps and vehicles with a variety of materials

Targeting is infinite, even right down to a certain street or zip code. Billboards, walls, buses, trains, malls, and stadiums continue to be the standards that drive traditional Out of Home. Demographic groups can be targeted by location, not by type of medium. Lead time for Out of Home is longer so that creative can be specifically designed to meet the form. It is a balancing act to work with so many variables in order to create the perfect message. Out of Home creative is sharper and more defined, and new technologies are factored in to create a unique message.

There is a new twist on using vacant store windows for large-scale poster ads with the additional use of video projection and audio. Now passerby’s can watch full motion video and listen to a product jingle while running errands or just window shopping. This urban signage program has taken a step beyond plastering posters on empty window to create giant, street level billboards with the capability of making them 3-dimensional with full audio.
Ads are printed on vinyl film that covers the windows and facades of vacant, permitted store fronts. These are called Storescapes, a window dressing application which takes advantage of the architecture, and builds an interactive campaign. It gives the appearance that creative is painted on the windows with logo and contact information included. Billboards at eye level create an interactive impact as people stop and actually inspect creative and read the message. Creative can be changed throughout the campaign to tie into other types of OOH that are being used in a variety of markets. The programs are designed for single advertisers to brand a message or promote a product. This technology is available in NYC, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles. This window technology can be used on its own, or be used as a backdrop for street promotions. It is also an incredibly effective way to introduce a new product or event.

The dressing up of buildings and wrapping their facades has also taken on a designer-like image. Selected buildings are bathed in material or in light to create any image possible. The projection media process has taken on cinema quality, and the ability to transform a building has proven breathtaking. Buildings are morphed into illusive pieces of art for special events or for sheer advertising presence.

The use of these types of building wraps has grown by over 33% from 2005 as corporations are using them to gain media exposure from television and radio. Building wraps are more than just Out of Home; they are a public relations spectacle that CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox use for their new television seasons and sweeps. They have continuously used wraps to enhance their awards shows and events in the top markets. The creative is usually tied into the television advertising in order to fully brand all mediums. Movie studios also use these building wraps in the Los Angeles markets on a regular basis to draw attention to their latest upcoming summer and holiday movies. We have come a very long way from just draping columns on buildings with traditional vinyl, and are hoping that technology and advancements can keep up with our imaginations.

Vicky Frank, Out-of-Home Supervisor
Cheil Communications New Jersey

The Rise of Interactive TV

2007-04-18T19:15:00.000-04:00

Interactive TV is an overarching term describing any service allowing viewers to interact with television content. The new technology allows the user to select content and control playback features. Interactive TV has evolved to include video on demand, VCR-like pause, rewind, fast forward, and DVR usage. The consumers control their content viewing by the use of the remote control. According to Forrester research, by 2010, over 45 million households (40% of the US) will have Interactive TV in their households.

Advertisers can utilize Interactive television several ways. A few examples include:

Air traditional :30 spots enhanced with triggers which would transport viewers to a full screen Microsite. Run traditional :30 spots enhanced with triggers which transport viewers to long form content regarding information about products. Use Interactive TV as a call to action and collect the viewer’s contact information when the consumer clicks on a screen where they request more information regarding a specific product or a free sample.

What does this all mean for the future of television? The typical television viewing experience will soon resemble the current web surfing experience of today. Advertisers will selectively target ad messages to specific groups and interests, weeding out the ad for a product or service not of interest to the viewer.

This also means that the commercials will become scripted programs, and will have to offer more information on the products. The spots will have to intrigue customers to select and watch when they want. This could weed out advertisers where long form will not work for their products or where budgets will not allow for the production of these scripted spots.

Lastly, scheduled programming may become a thing of the past. The importance of the time of the show and broadcast will shift to an emphasis on what the show has to offer.

Although Interactive TV is currently deployed in around 30 million US households in one form or another, it has yet to reach viability as a stand-alone service. Part of the reason is that it is a new product, and will require testing, integration, maintenance and updating. Once this service becomes more widely adopted by advertisers, it will become a more efficient and recommended opportunity. Consumers will watch Interactive TV with more attention, and will not bore them because they are actively involved. The right creative can engage consumers and stop viewers in their tracks and keep them there. The medium is measurable, as you can acquire information on the viewers, analyze and evaluate who is interacting with the brand, and make relevant decisions on target marketing.

It is a rapidly changing world and wherever consumers go over the coming years to find their favorite TV content, smart advertisers will follow.

Natalie Suesser
Media Investment Supervisor
Cheil Communications New Jersey

DM Spending Continues to Trend Upward

2007-04-18T19:05:00.000-04:00

We recently came across survey results conducted by Tivoli Partners* looking at the trends associated with Direct Marketing. As companies continue to push their marketing partners to more quantifiable results and ROI, direct initiatives continue to play a critical role in their communication vehicles.

A national survey among direct marketing professionals to identify key industry trends recently found that 69% of the respondents indicated that direct marketing spending has increased since 2004. They collected responses online from a statistically valid sample of 130 participants, mostly in the financial, retail, and services industries. Respondents’ company size ranged from 11 to 5,000+ employees. 55% spend $1 million or less on direct marketing each year, and 29% spend $5 million +.

" The bottom line is, we
all want the same thing."

The findings indicate that reasons for the upward trend included clients’ need for more accountable communications, and the ability to reach customers and prospects in more targeted fashions, including direct mail, e-mail, telemarketing, and other one-to-one communications methods. Advanced technology and enhanced data-mining techniques have brought even more science to the art of direct marketing.

Begin a dialogue with your target to gain a better understanding of their needs and how better to tailor your message and offers to them. When given a laundry list, respondents gave high marks to reminder mailings (83% used these somewhat/very successfully) and newsletters (65% used these somewhat/very successfully).

And, finally, it’s interesting to note that direct marketers identify lifetime customers as their most valuable (38%), yet do not allocate customer retention a bigger slice of the budget pie.

While communications budgets should reflect that there are different jobs to be accomplished and prioritize accordingly, the bottom line is we all want the same thing – to sell more product, gain market share and loyalty, leading to more sales and up-sell opportunities.

Key findings:

1. Direct marketing budgets have increased. 69%of respondents indicated an increase in spending when asked whether their total direct marketing budget had increased, decreased, or stayed the same during the past two years. 16% indicated their budgets had stayed the same.

2. Acquisition and retention are just about equally important. 52% of respondents use direct marketing for customer acquisition, while 47% use it for customer retention.

3. Spending for customer retention lags. More than one-third (39%) spend 25% or less on customer retention, while those who commit more than 75% of their budgets comprised less than 12%.

4. Reminder mailings and newsletters are preferred tactics. When given a laundry list including points-based frequent buyer programs and membership clubs, respondents gave the highest marks (83%) to reminder mailings and newsletters (65%).

5. There’s no substitute for great customer service. 79% feel that they are somewhat/very successful
in delivering exemplary customer service, while 8% indicated they are not even trying.

6. Marketers are quick to react if something’s not working. 68% agreed with the statement, “We quickly shift dollars during a campaign if we think it’s not working.” The remaining respondents wait until the end of
the campaign to evaluate results.

7. Telemarketing users have increased their spending. 42% of respondents do not use telemarketing at all; but of the 58% that do, 43% have increased their spending in the past two years.

8. Direct mail delivers. More than half (54%) have increased their use of direct mail in the past two years — indicating that predictions that the Internet would replace print have not come to fruition.

9. e-Mail rules. 72% have increased their use of e-mail marketing during the past two years. And 63% of those marketers using online banners or sponsorships have increased their spending.

10. Cross-selling is king. When we asked respondents to rate certain topics of interest from customer retention to innovative tactics, 52% indicated that they were very interested in techniques to deepen their relationship with current customers.

11. Lifetime value ranks highest. When asked to identify their most valuable customers, 38% chose lifetime value above all other indicators.

The bottom line is, we all want the same thing.

Chris Georgieff, Account Director
Cheil Communications Irvine

*Tivoli Partners commissioned Interactive Marketing and Research of North Carolina to conduct this survey of select subscribers to direct marketing publications. Tivoli Partners is a Charlotte, NC based agency specializing in direct response marketing.

The Facts of Second Life

2007-04-18T18:45:00.000-04:00

Cheil Communications North America recently constructed a lavish 5-floor office on the corner of 43rd and 7th in the heart of Times Square. Times Square in Second Life, that is – a vast, virtual world.

According to Adweek, “the most surprising innovation in 2006 was the rush to advertise in the Second Life virtual community….” Unfortunately, over 70% of Second Lifers have been disappointed with the old school attitude these brands have brought with them.

That’s why Cheil has approached Second Life with a goal of establishing a full-time and permanent presence that embraces every aspect of this new world. Like what? Below you’ll find our top ten rules for brand building in Second Life as preached by our Brand Wizard in the virtual Cheil lobby.

1. To become a player one must forfeit the notion that Second Life is a game.
There is no finish line in Second Life. Nobody is keeping score, although it is possible to score a pimped out pad. There is no ’end boss’ to beat. In fact, beating of any kind is generally frowned upon in Second Life.

2. Being in Second Life is not the same as being a part of Second Life.
Second Life is a world of things to do, places to see, and avatars to meet. That’s why it’s important to be inventive, imaginative, and unique. Give them a reason to stop by and stay awhile. If not, they’ll just teleport the heck out of there.

3. There’s a fine line between creating a buzz and being told to buzz-off.
The cost of overselling in Second Life is steep. Instead of brand loyalty, you risk developing a degree of brand lameness. Be subtle instead of sublime. Respect their savvy and avoid the cynicism. Because remember, word spreads quickly in Second Life and there are a few choice words you don’t want
to be called.

4. Keeping it real in Second Life is really, really boring.
In the real world, your brand would never be able to offer promotional free rides on a purple dragon. PETA would probably protest, not to mention the fact that it would be illogical. But this is Second Life, a world where anything is possible. It’s also a world where traditional marketing and real life brand experiences rank up there with a trip to the Second Life DMV.

5. Remember, it’s not considered a bribe in Second Life. It’s an incentive.
If you build it, they still might not come in Second Life. On the other hand, if you offer the residents ways to make Linden (moolah) then you’re bound to get more visitors. Pay them to camp at your place. Give them jobs as DJs, Greeters, or Mimes. Actually, it’s probably not a good idea to have a mime. They’re just as annoying in Second Life.

6. Scratch their backs and the Second Life community will scratch yours.
Second Life is all about community. In that community, a cooperative company is more likely to succeed than a corporate company. That’s why it’s important to support the local mom and pop shops. Not to mention the shops owned by elves, showgirls and Cyclops. Employ their services and they’ll be more likely to send people your way.

7. Give away too many freebies and it could cost you your reputation.
Sure, you could set up shop and give away everything for free for promotional purposes, but that would hurt the indigenous businesses that don’t have your resources. Check the local economy and price your goods and services accordingly. If you don’t, be prepared to experience the wrath of Griefers.

8. Build on a deserted island, and it might just stay deserted.
Even if you have a skipper, movie star, millionaire and his wife on your island, it still probably won’t be enough to get people to come. Instead of buying your own island, try being a rock and a pillar to an already existing community. Your presence will only add to its vibrancy.

9. Even if you’re not ’into’ leather chaps that doesn’t mean Bubba won’t be wearing them.
Part of the fun of Second Life is that you’re free to create and do virtually anything you want. It also means that everything from convents to strip joints exist in the community. Be aware that it’s not all “PC” in Second Life. Plan for the unlikely and occasional compromising situation as best you can.

10. Keep them coming back for more.
Once your brand is in Second Life, it’s important to do things to keep the residents’ interest. Get creative
and host big events. Throw parties or promote concerts. Add new features to your location that will warrant repeat visits. Whatever you do, don’t rest on your laurels or your spot might end up a ghost town. Unless that’s what you’re going for, then make sure you build a saloon and stage a mid-day train heist.

Brian Gield
Senior Copywriter, Interactive
Cheil Communications New Jersey

Campaign Spotlight: BlackJack

2007-04-18T18:21:00.000-04:00

The Samsung BlackJack phone offers a compelling and technologically advanced smart device, however we wanted to show that this phone could be used for more than just smart features and we utilized celebrities to bring this message to life.

Rachel Zoe – a high profile celebrity stylist was the face of “Style”. She brought to life the beautiful, sleek style and design of the BlackJack.

“Work” was showcased by Derek Lam – the world renowned fashion designer who is able to keep up to the minute with the help of this multi-functional device.

Mark Cuban was the face of “Play” – working hard and playing hard is a mantra this businessman lives by. We felt he captured the essence of the enhanced music and video features the BlackJack offers.

Finally there was “You” – Katherine Heigl, the popular TV actress embodied the perfect combination of style, work and play.

Media placement for this campaign consisted of: National and Local Newspapers, Online Media, and National (Business, Entertainment, Men’s, Music, Travel and Women’s Fashion) Magazines.

Kristen Benavitch
Business Development Manager
Cheil Communications New Jersey