Edit and place Tenthwave op-ed "Outsourcing Your Voice" op-ed in Mediapost

Outsourcing Your Voice: Lessons For Brands

by Jaime Hoerbelt, Aug 23, 2012, 8:00 AM

JAIME HOERBELT

Jaime Hoerbelt is social media strategist, tenthwave.

Who’s controlling your brand message?

Recent high-profile Twitter blunders from Progressive Insurance and online store CelebBoutique underscore the challenges of outsourcing your voice as a brand.

Not too long ago, every brand communication was painstakingly crafted in a boardroom or executive suite. Now, in the age of social media, control of a brand’s message can be in the hands of countless social media experts, consultants, freelancers, or even interns. They’re communicating with consumers multiple times a day on Facebook and Twitter, which raises two problems: maintaining consistency in an integrated marketing plan -- especially when social media is outsourced to social media agencies or consultants -- and establishing an authentic brand voice that can keep up with the consumers’ demands for unlimited access.

In order to successfully outsource your voice, here are some key strategies:

1. Find a way to blend your brand knowledge and social meda expertise
Unlike most other media channels, your brand voice in social media must be flexible -- you have to appeal to fans on an individual level and respond quickly to their comments. The challenge is maintaining a consistent tone while still being timely and multidimensional. There are several ways that brands try to stay true to their voice -- with varying degrees of success.

The first way that brands have established to adjust their communications is by working with a social media agency, which handles all of the daily interaction with consumers. The second way is by creating an internal department to handle all of the social media communications. The third way is a hybrid between the two -- the brand has a social media team internally but works with an agency in creating concepts and execution.

The first two approaches are fairly common, but have their drawbacks. On the plus side, an internal team has instant access to customer service, public relations, and legal resources to answer questions and draft appropriate messaging. However, the internal department may lack expertise in with managing multiple diverse communities, analyzing the latest methods in benchmarking and measuring ROI, and often the awareness of what other brands are doing to push the envelope.

The third approach is ideal because it combines the talents of both the brand team and the social media agency. Brands that do this successfully often keep certain aspects of community management in-house, like customer service, but rely on the social media agency to help set benchmarks, to increase engagement, or to come up with campaign ideas.

For example, an agency and a brand will work together in the real world by splitting up certain social media tasks and joining forces on others. Customer service and public relations are owned by the brand. Social media strategy and campaign concepts are created by the agency. The editorial calendar is written and published by the agency, but establishing what trending topics are brand appropriate, deciding which products to focus on and defining social media objectives are ultimately up to the brand. This collaborative process allows for the best balance of expertise.


2. Inflexible messaging never sounds authentic
It’s easy to fall into standardized, robotic messaging to keep a brand’s communications in check. However, fostering fluid conversations with consumers gives the brand more power than it takes away. Consumers can spot the difference between a company that is passionate about speaking to them and one that is afraid. They will rally behind brands that they can make a more meaningful connection with -- and rally against ones that sound like machines.

One brand that is doing a great job of balancing control and authenticity is Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. This hospitality chain successfully encourages regular engagement among fans without sounding repetitive or formulaic. When a fan posts about how great her stay was, Four Seasons asks for photos from her trip. When another fan asks where he should stay in Canada, the chain offers smart, timely advice. Not only is Four Seasons sparking engagement, it’s encouraging sales in a natural way that doesn’t speak down to the consumer. Four Seasons positions itself as a resource for brand-loyal travelers -- a valuable network of people to be communicating with regularly.

The lesson is clear: It’s no longer enough for a brand to use social media purely to push out commercial messaging. Today, corporate entities must put systems in place that invite genuine two-way communication with consumers. They also must ensure that the communication is true to the brand and sounds personal. A brand can do both by collaborating with a social media agency and holding its voice to same standards as their customer -- their Facebook fans and Twitter followers.

Promotion of AARP/JD Power auto study generates most trade press in sales division's history

My strategic execution of AARP Media Sales' auto purchasing survey with JD Power in May 2012 generated over 131 million impressions, targeted directly at business and niche media. This was the largest amount of impression that AARP Media Sales ever received for a single piece of research.

My research media placements included the following locations:

Detroit Free Press -- "Baby boomers drive boom in new car sales"
Mediapost -- "AARP: Marketers Must Rethink Boomers"
The Car Connection -- "Baby Boomers Keep U.S. Auto Sales Booming"
USA Today -- "Forget the kids, Baby Boomers drive car sales boom"
Business Insider -- "One age group is dominating new car sales"
Huffington Post -- "Auto Sales Driven By Boomers, Automakers Desperate For Millennial Love"
Cars.com -- "Most New-Car Buyers Are Baby Boomers, Study Says"
Autochannel.com -- "Forget The Facebook Crowd When Selling New Cars"
MSN Autos -- "Boomers Are Buying"
Huffington Post -- "Boomer Marketing: A Report Card"
UPI.com -- "Who is buying all these cars?"

Launch AARP's new digital Hot Deals ad program in DigiDay, Mediapost and Adweek

 

AARP’s Digital Shift

Josh Sternberg 07.01.2012

The AARP is a juggernaut. Nearly 40 percent of all Americans over the age of 50 (nearly 35 million) belong to AARP. At a time when magazines of all stripes are struggling with declining circulation, the Audit Bureau of Circulation has AARP Magazine as the highest-circulated publication with a little more than 22 million readers.

The group is now betting it can muscle further into the digital world – aarp.org received 5.3 million unique visitors in May 2012, up from 4.5 million in May 2011 — with a coupon site called Hot Deals that’s geared to the 79 million Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1965) whose sunset years are on the horizon.

There are currently 13 brands participating in Hot Deals — including Dell, Radio Shack, MLB, GNC, British Airways, The Hartford — which offer AARP members discounts like $5 off a Radio Shack purchase of more than $90 or free shipping on a pair of Dockers. AARP takes a cut of the deals redeemed.

“Most people don’t realize the No. 1 reason people join (AARP) is for discounts,” said Peter Zeuschner, AARP’s senior manager of advertising sales for the northeast region. “We didn’t have a discount platform, so we launched this to allow one place for our members to find different offers.”

The timing might be right. Advertisers are often obsessed with chasing youth, with the idea that their brand preferences aren’t yet set in stone. But older Americans are far more likely to use coupons; according to GfK MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer, compared to those age 18-49, 50+ consumers are 20 percent more likely to use coupons, and 21 percent are more likely to be heavy coupon users. Additionally, Baby Boomers have become extremely Web savvy. According to an April 2012 Pew study, 53 percent of American adults age 65 and older use the Internet or email. According to the AARP, about half of its members are working (full or part time), while the rest spend their days in retirement. And the age breakdowns: 33 percent are under 60, 46 percent between 60 and 74, and 21 percent are over 75.

You might think of the AARP as, excuse the pun, old school. In fact, it has a digital business that many publishers would envy.

Zeuschner claims that over the past four years, aarp.org has experience 30-50 percent growth in revenue. He also said that the site gets “anywhere from $45 CPMs on the homepage and our premium channels are north of $25.” Hot Deals works on guaranteed impressions, making the buy more affordable.

“This is part of an opportunity to allow advertisers to bring these offers to members in a cost-effective way,” Zeuschner said. “Most advertisers have a hard time justifying $45 CPMs.”

According to Zeuschner, average time spent on aarp.org is 29 minutes, indicating that there’s some type of justification for the high CPMs. But with Hot Deals, this is a program that’s an easier point of entry for brands.

“We’re serving two needs: the member need for discounts and the advertiser need to have one place to offer discounts on a performance-based platform,” Zeuschner said. “The one thing [the site] lacked — in terms for members and advertisers – is one area where all sorts of different advertiser discounts can live.”

 

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Brands, Publishers Target 50-Something Crowd

by Laurie Sullivan, Jul 6, 2012, 6:49 PM

The 50+ generation goes online -- and brands and publishers have finally gotten the message. Some, like AARP and Perion, are trying to reach this demographic with deals and gadgets.

AARP launched a Web page on its site specific to Hot Deals, offering brands like Dell, The Hartford, Major League Baseball, and Radio Shack a direct connection to the 50+ crowd. The deals aim to reach AARP's nearly 35 million members -- a majority comprising baby boomers, which Nielsen estimates control $230 billion in sales.

About 74% of all ARRP members sign up looking for discounts, according to Peter Zeuschner, AARP Northeast media sales manager. "The main site generates about 5 million monthly unique visitors," he said. "They spend about 29 minutes on the site."

Zeuschner said the content related to social security issues, technology and health services targeted to the 50+ generation keep visitors on the site. There are more than 20,000 recipes on the site. Many feed between two and four people, rather than three to six.

Founded in 1958, AARP supports nearly 35 million members. Nearly one-third of the members are under age 60, about 46% are between 60 and 74, and 21% are 75 and older.

The key to understanding this demographic resides in recognizing that those who are 50-plus do not fear the Internet or technology, but some need a little convincing and an easy way to access it.

Although 88% of the Americans age 45+ consider themselves slow to adopt technology, research by Perion Network suggests that 85% adopt a new technology when it fits their lifestyle, and 89% will use new technology if it’s better than what they use today.

Perion focuses on software and technology tailored for what Adam Goodvach, director of consumer insight, characterizes as "45+ Second Wave Adopters (SWAs)." He found that this demographic based the decision to adopt or buy specific technology on the practical impact it will have on their lives.

Smartphones may not be the answer for aging adults because of the screen size, but the quick penetration of tablets among Americans age 45 or older offers important clues to the future of mobile services for this demographic. Since this group is willing to embrace technology if presented with a com

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AARP Makes Its Site Safe For Advertisers

Launches new strategy to get ageist marketers in the door By Lucia Moses

  

Older Americans want you to know they’re worth marketers’  time, but apparently everyone hasn't gotten the memo. AARP knows that well, so it’s created a new deals section to entice them to advertise on its site without—God forbid!—being seen by younger consumers.

“Marketers tend to not want to market to 50-plus for some reason,” said Peter Zeuschner, AARP’s Northeast media sales manager. “It gives them the fear of aging their brand.”

A bunch of blue-chip advertisers, including—shhh—Dell, British Airways and Radio Shack—are using the section, called Hot Deals, to test discounts of various kinds. One advertiser, Steve Denton, president of GSI Media, said Hot Deals offered a good way to test ads for the AARP audience using a performance-based model. “You have a large audience of 50-plus that’s online, has tablets, income and time,” he said. Even so, Denton wasn't all that eager to say which of GSI's advertisers are trying out the section via GSI. (For the record, they include GNC and CJ Banks.)

 

Zeuschner said he hoped that the results of Hot Deals would speak for themselves—AARP members have money to spend and are deal-happy—and in so doing, help change attitudes about marketing to older people.

“There’s still a long way to go,” he said. “It’s not like people are banging on the door saying, ‘We need to run more advertising pages in AARP.’”

Break client Talenthouse's arrangement with Virgin Mobile in Ad Age, Mediapost and Mashable

App-Happy Brands Bypassing Facebook to Build Content on It

Marketers Rely on Third-Party Technology and 'Preferred Developers' Liked by the Social Network

by Edmund Lee
Published: February 14, 2011

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- When Ron Faris was looking last year for a way to build out a Facebook page for Virgin Mobile USA, where he is the head of brand experiences, he didn't contact Facebook.

"The beauty of Facebook is its open nature," he said, referring to the company's publicly available software that allows anyone to plug into its site, also known as an API. Virgin's Facebook page at the time was set up to function in a more workaday manner, responding to customer queries or complaints, but Mr. Faris wanted to broaden Virgin's presence by incorporating participatory features like polls and calls for content, work that not too long ago would have gone to an ad agency.

Instead, Mr. Faris cold-called a small New York-based startup called Buddy Media that specializes in Facebook applications, which set Virgin up with the aforementioned features. Tellingly, even though Mr. Faris considered Buddy an agency in this regard, the company, in fact, does not think of itself this way.

Virgin Mobile's Live Facebook page.

"We're not an agency," Buddy Media CEO Mike Lazerow said. "We don't strategize; we don't service clients or anything like that. We do enterprise software. We do social technology." It's a distinction that underscores the blurring and, according to some, tension between advertising agencies and technology companies around the social network, especially as Facebook has increasingly become the primary destination for a large portion of the online audience, and thereby a crucial media outlet for advertisers.

The hordes of brand-focused companies looking to tap into the largest social network, like Mr. Faris, have had to go through third-party technologies to carry out their social-media plans instead of going directly to Facebook. This removed contact, so to speak, is in fact a point of pride for the company and is an unaffected result of its open nature, said Ethan Beard, Facebook's director of platform product marketing. "We really want to be the technology that allows our users to connect and share with friends and family," he said. "We're not the media; we're the technology."

It's an ethos that has resulted in a third-party economy around Facebook in which major companies are contracting marketing work with a select group of software developers. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based internet giant has actually started to vet these outside developers under the designation "preferred developer consultant," which at current count numbers 48. At issue, according to one industry insider, is the fact that web campaigns had for so long started with a blank slate, often resulting in what the industry calls a microsite, or a one-off web page that would be left unattended or taken down after the life of the ad campaign. Still, it offered a lot of work to agencies focused in digital.

Facebook's fixed structure, however, does not require as much ground-up building, and much of the marketing can be done with off-the-shelf software. Context Optional, another preferred developer, says most of its work comes directly from brands, instead of through agencies.

"Eighty percent of our revenue comes directly from the brands," said Context Optional CEO Kevin Barenblat. "But we also work with agencies -- it depends on whether the company works more closely with their agency or whether they want to manage their social media themselves."

Mr. Barenblat pointed out that social media is different from advertising. "Brand messages typically come from the companies themselves," he said.

It's a view that other preferred developers also hold, and given the rising interest in social-media plays, WPP recently took a $5 million stake in Buddy Media, suggesting that technology companies may have a bigger role to play in marketing, whether within agencies themselves or directly to big companies looking to manage their brands within Facebook. But Mr. Lazerow warned, "We provide the underlying technology to any client, whether it's within WPP or not," he said. "We're not going to steal anyone's customers."

In fact, for a forthcoming Facebook campaign, in addition to Buddy Media, Mr. Faris has also brought in Los Angeles-based agency Talenthouse to drive Facebook users to Lady Gaga's "Monster Ball" tour, which Virgin Mobile is sponsoring. Talenthouse has set up a submission page where Facebook users can submit short videos to become one of 10 official bloggers for the tour. It's an effort to drive both "likes" and content that keeps Facebook active.

Talenthouse founder Amos Pizzey said his company specializes in influencing this kind of collaborative content, which he said had been missing from precious social-networking plays. "In the early days on MySpace, bands got huge numbers of fans, but it didn't do anything," he said. "They just sat there. They became a dead community."

Mr. Pizzey said even in the age of Facebook it's not enough to just feed people with random content. "You have to draw them in," he said. "Don't care how cool it looks, it has to be gripping, they have to want to do it."

But part of what drives users to company's Facebook pages, however, is straightforward advertising, which has exploded on Facebook. The company took in $1.86 billion in ad dollars last year, based on estimates from eMarketer, with $1.12 billion coming from the company's self-serve model. That product is similar to Google's long-standing system, which lets advertisers plug in to an auction-based bidding platform to buy ad space.

That can come at a significant cost. While anyone can make use of the company's self-serve system, big advertisers looking to buy in bulk have to use yet more third-party software, such as one from New York-based Blinq Media, which allows media buyers more control over the system than Facebook's native interface allows. Costs for every thousand impressions on Facebook run around $1.00 within the self-serve marketplace. But advertisers looking to buy on Facebook's famed home page have to go directly to the company's in-house sales team, which has exclusive rights to that space. According to insiders, the company charges around $5 for every thousand homepage impressions.

Mr. Faris, however, does not buy any media. "The world of brand experiences is not about advertising," he said. "It's all about conversations. About building relationships with your consumers. Your fans. That's what's exciting about Facebook. It's not about my agenda; it's about the consumer's agenda."

Virgin Mobile Looks To Lady Gaga For 'Likes'

by Aaron Baar, Monday, February 7, 2011, 8:00 AM Virgin Mobile has set a goal of reaching one million "likes" on Facebook by the end of the year, and it's hoping Lady Gaga and 10 lucky bloggers will help the company do it. It is announcing Monday a contest in which 10 bloggers (nine from within 100 miles of one of the pop star's upcoming "Monster Ball Tour" stops and one international winner) will be selected as official "tour bloggers," with special VIP access to the show and the venue. "Virgin Mobile's goal is to substantially increase its Facebook 'likes,'" Matt Wilkinson, VP Brand Relations at Talenthouse, the Los Angeles-based social media marketing company enlisted to run the contest, tells Marketing Daily. "Our program is fully integrated into Facebook to help make that happen." Throughout the contest, Talenthouse will collect video submissions from contestants and post them on Virgin Mobile's Web site www.virginmobilelive.com as well as other sites, and ask the public to vote on the submissions. When people do so, a pop-up will appear asking them to like Virgin Mobile on Facebook. Based on previous similar contests, each submission will draw between 50 and 100 votes, Wilkinson says. As the contest gets underway, Talenthouse's 25-person marketing department (along with Virgin Mobile's social media team) will reach out to blogs, Web sites and other media to promote the contest, he says. Virgin Mobile is a presenting sponsor of Lady Gaga's Monster Ball tour. Virgin Mobile has been increasing its entertainment offerings. Last week, the company announced a deal with independent film studio Relativity Media and its Virgin Mobile Live Facebook portal, which will include exclusive video and music as well as product placement in Relativity Media films. ++++

Virgin Mobile Seeks Bloggers for Lady Gaga Tour

At the moment, about 40,000 people “like” Virgin Mobile on Facebook, but the brand hopes to hit 1 million by the end of the year using a tie-in with Lady Gaga.

The telecom brand is working with social media talent marketing firm Talenthouse on a new program that hopes to transfer some of Lady Gaga’s 27.7 million Facebook fans over to Virgin Mobile.

On Monday, Virgin Mobile is launching a contest to find 10 official bloggers for new dates in Lady Gaga’s “Monster Ball” tour. To enter, bloggers are encouraged to send a short video to Virgin Mobile Live’s Facebook page displaying their “best work.” Then the public votes via Facebook. Every submission will be housed on Facebook and will require a “like” to be submitted.

Amos Pizzey, president and founder of Talenthouse, says that although Virgin Mobile has a goal for its “likes,” the brand understands that certain fans have disproportionate influence. “They want the right ‘likes,’” says Pizzey. “They want people who are there to consume content.”

The deal between Lady Gaga and Virgin Mobile comes after the pop star inked a deal with Polaroid to develop a new line of photo-capturing gadgets. Lady Gaga began the Monster Ball tour in 2010, but decided to extend it in 2011, starting this month.

Black Friday media blitz for YouGov BrandIndex in Brandweek, Forbes, Mediapost

CMO Network

Black Friday’s Hottest Consumer Electronics Brands

Nov. 23 2010 - 12:49 pm

By ELAINE WONG

When it comes to consumer electronics, Apple rules the roost this Black Friday season.

The personal computer maker, along with three of its most popular products—the iPod, iPad and iPhone—ranked 1, 3, 7 and 8, respectively, in a new ranking of this holiday shopping weekend’s most buzzed about brands. YouGov’s BrandIndex, which tracks consumers’ daily perceptions of brands, compiled the report.

Apple aside, which came in with a buzz score of 32.5, other highly sought after consumer electronics brands include Nintendo’s Wii (second place, with a buzz score of 31.3), Bose (#4, 29.1), Sony (#5, 27.3) and LG (#6, 27.0). Hewlett-Packard rounded out the list (#10, 21.5). YouGov compiled the data for Forbes on November 19, and the buzz scores are a ratio of participants’ positive versus negative feedback about a brand. (The firm reached out to 5,000 respondents ages 18 or older—out of its sample set of 1.5 million U.S. adults—for the study.)

Okay, buzz is one thing, but what do these numbers mean for marketers and consumers who have stumbled across this post? Looking at this year’s “winners,” a few take home points jump out:

*It’s good to be Apple. Times are tough, indeed, but Apple still enjoys top-of-mind awareness among shoppers heading into this Black Friday season. Dad might not be willing to shell out $500 for a new dining table, but he’ll plunk down $1,000+ for a new MacBook Pro if it makes his youngest daughter look good, right? (This really happened with Media Geek’s sibling, who just started at Temple University as a business major. Media Geek got squat for her freshman year college present.) Plus, though Apple may be a brand that connotes style and class, it’s not too stuck up to offer consumers a good Black Friday deal. As this Mashable post notes, the company is holding a one-day, Black Friday sale where consumers can find deals on beloved Apple products.

*Value matters. Microsoft might’ve put big marketing dollars behind its Xbox Kinect, game controller-free entertainment system, but Nintendo’s Wii, which the former was meant to challenge, still managed to hold its place. (Xbox Kinect didn’t make the top 10.) Why? Penny pinched consumers might see Nintendo’s Wii as a better value buy. Most of its consoles sell

for under $200 on Amazon.com, whereas Xbox Kinect’s list price runs anywhere from $149 to $399, depending on what equipment you already have, per Microsoft’s site.

*Quality matters. No. 5 Sony has traditionally been a favorite among quality seekers, with the company ranking right behind Intel and Canon, as far as quality scores ago. In fact, its ranking among the top 22 electronics brands, in terms of quality, remained exactly the same as the year-ago period, YouGov said. Compare that with what happened to Toyota when reports about sticky accelerator pedals and floor mats hit. Yikes.

*It pays to be a consumer electronics staple. Bose makes speakers, radios, headphones and clocks. Okay, not exactly the same, gliterrati-like sort of tech stuff that Apple makes, but sometimes—particularly now—all you need are the basics, right?

*It pays to be consumer-centric. Dell recently kicked off a global push to become “the most loved brand in the PC industry,” global CMO for consumer and small and medium businesses, Paul-Henri Ferrand, told marketing trade Brandweek last month. Ads, via Wunderman, carry the tagline, “You can tell it’s Dell,” and mark a stark contrast from the former’s (up until now) price-driven approach.

With Black Friday less than three days away, “these are the brands that people are talking about in the most positive way,” says Ted Marzilli, svp and global managing director for BrandIndex. In the end, “sales tell the tale,” though being one of the most buzzed about brands certainly helps. (There is some evidence that high buzz scores correlate with strong sales, though it’s not always the case, he adds.)

At the very least, these numbers tell marketers whether or not “they are even in the game. If you’re not in the consideration set, you don’t have a seat at the table,” he says.

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Merry Deals Offered Earlier Than Ever

Nov 19, 2010

Retailers are taking full advantage of the holiday shopping season, having rolled out ads and promotions as early as Halloween this year. Black Friday marketers, for instance, have extended the shopping window from two to three days. And when it comes to holiday retailers with the highest value scores, Target, Old Navy and Amazon lead the pack for women with children under 18, per research firm YouGov.

The Brandweek BrandIndex Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral. This week's report also measures brand value and quality.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

The report spotlights:

• Holiday retailers
• Dell
• Jim Beam


YouGov Lists Retailers With Best Value Perception
Holiday marketing is in full swing. Wal-Mart has already fired its first salvo, offering free holiday shipping for all online purchases through Dec. 20. The move prompted Macy’s, Target, and Toys"R"Us to announce similar deals.

For this list, YouGov BrandIndex examined value scores for women with children under 18—traditionally the primary purchasers of holiday gifts.

With Black Friday merely one week away, Old Navy and Target are in a virtual tie for best value perception, with Amazon not far behind. Rivals Kohl's and J.C. Penney are neck and neck, while auction kingpin eBay makes a strong showing with a score of 36, followed by Wal-Mart and Sears. Rounding out the top 10 is electronics giant Best Buy.

With the ad campaigns coming thick and fast, in the past week, Sears made the biggest leap in value with 13 points, followed by Toys"R"Us with a 12-point increase.

Dell Powers Up Global Rebranding
After losing market share to competitors and being the subject of negative online feedback regarding its customer service, Dell launched a global rebranding campaign that carries the tag: “You Can Tell It’s A Dell.”

The computer giant hired big guns for the multimillion-dollar effort: WPP Group agencies Wunderman, Schematic and Young & Rubicam, as well as outside agency Mother. Components include direct mail, e-mail marketing and social media, as well as TV, print and display advertising.

Dell’s index score—which measures overall brand health—has been gradually rising in the U.S., Germany and U.K. for adults over 18. The most pronounced jump has been in the U.S., where the score has jumped from 48.9 to 55.6 in three weeks. The campaign strengthened the U.K.’s index score, which leads the three countries, followed by Germany, where Dell's index score has fallen by a few points but has recently been trending upward.




Jim Beam's Quality Score Is On Fire
Making its move in the competitive spirits category—where Jack Daniels has long been a brand standout—Jim Beam launched an online campaign on Oct. 15, centered on its eight-year aging process. Earlier this year, the bourbon maker unveiled the “Eight Years Changes Everything” slogan for its Black Label line.

Jim Beam created a Facebook game with an accompanying Web site, Beamfire.com, which asks consumers to throw their regrets in a virtual bonfire. Site visitors can also upload images of those items they'd like to discard and earn badges or a grand prize of $8,000.

The campaign’s debut coincides with Jim Beam’s quality score improving much faster than the spirits sector average. Its score peaked at 77 on Nov. 8, just a tad behind Jack Daniels. Since then, both brands have moved down gradually, but Jim Beam’s quality score remains elevated.



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Both Mediapost's Marketing Daily and Ad Age do AARP Media Sales/Denny's story

Denny's AARP Pact Is Generating Results

by Karlene Lukovitz, Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 4:58 PM

While it's still early in the game, Denny's is seeing "excellent" results thus far from its new program offering exclusive discounts to AARP members, according to John Dillon, VP, marketing and product development for Denny's Corp.

Denny's implemented its AARP discount program in late March, with two special member offers effective through 2010. Members who show their AARP cards at participating Denny's locations nationwide on any day of the week between 4 and 10 p.m. are eligible to receive 20% off the total check amount for themselves and their guests. In addition, the card entitles AARP members and their guests, on a 24/7 basis, to a standing price of $1 for a cup of coffee.

The move made Denny's the first restaurant chain to offer the association's nearly 40 million members dining discounts on an on-premises, show-your-card basis. Subsequently, on June 1, Denny's signed a three-year agreement with AARP committing to offering AARP members exclusive dining benefits through the agreement's term, although it is not yet determined whether the current discount offers will be continued or whether other deals will be offered starting next January.

Denny's elected to promote the launch of the initial deal offers with a full-page, four-color ad in the May/June issue of AARP The Magazine -- which was received by readers about the same time the deals became effective -- to reach the magazine's 23.5 million subscriber circulation rate base (the largest magazine circulation in the U.S.). While Dillon declines to discuss the cost, the publication's rate card lists a full circulation run, four-color full page at $532,600.

That's no small out-of-the-box marketing investment in and of itself, but the prominent, direct exposure to the association's membership was key in generating what are so far proving to be "very encouraging" results, Dillon confirms. The offers "are clearly resonating with AARP's membership," he says. "We're seeing redemptions increase week by week in these initial stages, and we've gotten great feedback from the members."

Denny's had been considering a partnership with AARP for some time, notes Dillon. The restaurant brand has long had a "strong relationship" with diners in the 50+ demographic, who are already an important part of its customer base, and the rapid growth of this population segment represents opportunities to build on this dynamic, he points out.

"We want to ensure that we are paying attention to and meeting the needs of this valuable customer base," Dillon sums up. "The AARP partnership provides a clear opportunity to foster loyalty and repeat business."

Clearly Denny's, along with many other restaurant chains, also has an eye on attracting first-time 50+ diners who can be won over as regulars.

While Denny's is still finalizing its overall marketing plans for the AARP discount program, Dillon says that efforts will definitely include "more communications to the AARP membership," as well as on-premises awareness-building activities such as highly visible register-toppers promoting the deals.

Many types of companies -- financial/insurance, travel, car rental, retailers and others -- offer exclusive product/services deals to AARP members through the association's two commercial services subsidiaries, AARP Services Inc. and AARP Financial Inc.

However, up to this point, restaurants have made their offers only through an online Restaurant Discount Center on AARP's site, where members can locate participating restaurants (from among about 15,000 nationwide) by geographic area and buy dining certificates at a discount of 70% or more.

These third-party companies are responsible for their own marketing plans/media costs for AARP offers -- meaning their product/services relationships with AARP do not include or require buying ad space in AARP The Magazine or its other publications (AARP Bulletin and Spanish/English-language magazine AARP Viva), according to Jim Fishman, SVP, media sales for AARP.

In line with restrictions on nonprofit entities, AARP limits mentions of commercial partners to the organization's online member benefits listings area and squibs highlighting a few third-party services companies that run occasionally in its print publications, Fishman says.

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Denny's Embraces AARP Audience to Combat Sales Slump

Once Known as 20-Something Late-Night Hangout, Chain Faces Increased Competition Across Dayparts

By Emily Bryson York
Published: June 18, 2010

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Denny's, the All-American 24-hour-dining chain, is casting about for an identity. And while a decade ago it was the late-night safe-haven for 20-somethings, it's now making a bet on the AARP crowd.

Starting this month, Denny's will offer $1 coffee to AARP members and 20% off their meals between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. Bill Ruby, Denny's VP-media and field marketing, said the strategy is simply to reach out to consumers more than 50 years of age who have loved the brand their whole lives. He noted that Denny's itself is 57 years old.

"We're embracing -- because we're open 24 hours -- [that] different dayparts lend themselves to different segments," Mr. Ruby said. "If you look at AARP offers, they're primarily during the week." Weekend late-nights, meanwhile, are intended for young partiers.

Jim Fishman, senior VP and group publisher-AARP Media Sales, in a statement said, "AARP's boomer-plus membership is more likely to visit casual-dining restaurants on a weekly basis than the general population. It makes total sense for AARP members to build a strong relationship with one of the biggest restaurant chains in America, since everybody benefits."

Late-night competition
Only two years ago, Denny's launched a "All Nighter" menu, with items like "potachoes" and dessert nachos, for middle-of-the-night diners with the munchies. But same-store sales have suffered at Denny's, disproportionately to peers, during the recession. This year, the chain is battling shareholders over its spending, in particular its recent Super Bowl advertising promotions. The chain in the past two years has promoted free Grand Slam breakfasts following the game. Denny's is also searching for a new CEO in response to investor unrest.

The chain seems to have slipped with younger consumers in recent years, as fast-food chains have promoted late-night hours and menu items, and brands such as Buffalo Wild Wings have expanded. The wing chain, for instance, offers a full bar, dozens of TVs for any imaginable sporting show and even gaming.

Darren Tristano, exec VP at Technomic, noted that the chain also faces increased competition from upstart breakfast-and-lunch chains such as Egg Harbor Cafe and Five Guys Burgers and Fries, now one of the fastest-growing chains in the restaurant industry.

Sales suffering
Last year, Denny's same-store sales fell 4% at company stores and 5% at franchised stores. During the first quarter of 2010, company-run and franchised restaurants both declined 6%. Although it was the worst year for the restaurant category in a generation, the loss might be particularly troubling to Denny's because the brand launched what was expected to be a brand reinvention around the Super Bowl, with then-new agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners. But despite a strong increase in overall brand buzz, the chain's same-store sales continued to decline.

Moving forward, Mr. Ruby said, Denny's will need to craft promotions and communications that are "laser focused." After all, he said, Denny's doesn't have to be "everything to everyone all of the time."

Mr. Tristano of Technomic described Denny's as a brand "without a clear understanding of what direction they're heading." He noted that Denny's, like other chains, has focused on operations and cost-cutting measures, "but in terms of marketing in order to get more customers in their doors ... it's a difficult time to do that."

Edit and place AARP Media Sales op-ed in Mediapost

Marketers And Boomers, BFFs Once Again?
by Mark Bradbury, Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 7:45 AM

Some things are destined to be together. No matter how often they part ways, they find their way back. Carrie and Big. The Lakers and Celtics. Sandra Bullock and... well, Carrie and Big.

Now, thanks to the recession, you can add mainstream marketers and baby boomers to that list. And the implications of this reunion go far beyond growing corporate bottom lines.

After nearly 50 years as marketers' darlings, boomers lost favor over the last decade, slipping through the cracks of target demos as they hit age 50. Call it oversight. Call it the 50 year itch. But call it old news.

Companies have felt the pinch of decreased consumer spending, and smart ones are realizing that, while America's wealthiest generation may have hit AARP's magic number, they have not stopped spending or exploring new brands. Consequently, market leaders are once again targeting the boomer generation-comprising 76 million people, 59 million of whom are already age 50+.

Examples of this trend can be seen far and wide. Stouffers' "Let's Fix Dinner" campaign targets empty nesters. Jeep has honed in on "cool" grandparents. General Mills and Yahoo are partnering to reach boomers through their health-focused digital "Vitality" campaign. Proctor & Gamble has teamed up with NBC Digital to develop a network of boomer Web sites under the banner "Life Goes Strong."

As the ultimate industry sign of renewal, Tuesday night, the Effie Awards will present its new Boomer+ Award for the second year in a row, honoring marketing effectiveness to the 50+ demographic.

It's important not to overstate reality. Younger consumers still rule in most marketers' minds. The boomer-plus demographic may never be the primary interest of mainstream marketers, but they are increasingly finding their place alongside younger generations as advertisers seek to maximize the ROI of their consumer communications.

Though motivated by a desire for increased bottom lines, the renewed relationship with boomers has broader societal implications.

For starters, boomers are being portrayed in a more positive and realistic light in advertisements, which could shift how society views the 50+ population. The vibrant, active image of Jeep's "cool grandma" can replace traditional stereotypes and reshape our cultural perception of what it means to be in the second half of life.

Additionally, advertisers are learning that they have an opportunity to develop new products and services to meet the specific needs of the 50+ population. This will lead to a wider variety of products and services aimed at improving the lives of people 50+, benefiting not only the boomers, but each successive generation, who will reap the rewards as they move past middle age.

Break Google's Round "D" investment in INVIDI Technologies

Google Ups Its TV Bet, Invests in Invidi

by Peter Kafka
Posted on May 5, 2010 at 4:00 AM PT

Google, which is still trying to figure out how to crack the TV business, has invested in a tech firm trying to do the same thing.

The search giant is leading a $23 million series D round in Invidi Technologies, a New York City company that works on “addressable” TV ads. Addressable ads are supposed to target specific viewers, using data from set-top boxes, in the same way that Internet ads sniff out specific Web surfers.

You can see why Google (GOOG) would be interested in this stuff, particularly as it tries to integrate its Android platform with TVs. Shishir Mehrotra, who runs product management for all of Google’s video businesses, will join Invidi’s board.

Addressable ads are a holy grail for the TV business, but they may still be several years away. Invidi, founded in 2000, has completed two market trials to date.

People familiar with the transaction tell me Google has invested between $10 million and $15 million in company in this round, which brings Invidi’s total capital raised above the $85 million mark. Other investors include WPP’s GroupM, Motorola (MOT), Menlo Ventures, InterWest Partners and EnerTech Capital.

Business Insider, which first reported the investment, says the transaction is connected to Google’s ad pact with the Dish satellite network. But I’m told Dish doesn’t factor into the deal.

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Google Invests In Invidi, Addressable TV Play

Posted May 5th, 2010 at 8:14 am by Joe Mandese

GroupM backed addressable TV developer Invidi Technologies Corporation says it just secured over $23 million in a financing led by Google, with GroupM (a unit of holding company WPP), Motorola Ventures, and leading venture capital firms Menlo Ventures, InterWest, and EnerTech as participants.

Google leads the round, which includes a second investment made by GroupM, the world’s largest media investment company, and Motorola, a leading set top box manufacturer. Other participants include repeat investors from INVIDI’s prior rounds of financing: Menlo Ventures, InterWest Partners, EnerTech Capital, Westbury Equity Partners, BDC Capital, and others.

As part of Google’s commitment to this new relationship, Shishir Mehrotra, Director of Product Management for Google TV Ads and YouTube Ads, has joined INVIDI’s board of directors. In addition to its investment in INVIDI, the two companies have agreed to work together on projects of mutual interest that will bring value to INVIDI’s customers.

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Google Leads $23 Million Round In TV Ad Startup Invidi

by Leena Rao on May 5, 2010

TV ad startup Invidi has secured over $23 million in series D funding led by Google, with GroupM, Motorola Ventures, Menlo Ventures, InterWest, and EnerTech Capital, Westbury Equity Partners, BDC Capital participating in the round. The Business Insider broke the news yesterday evening.

Invidi provides software applications that track targeted advertising and offers a digital set-top box application that delivers targeted advertising and marketing messages to individual viewers. The technology also facilitates the sales of digital products, digital tiers, and digital services, such as VOD, PVR, and pay-per-view events; Internet, voice, and wireless services; and triple play offers.

In conjunction withe the funding, Shishir Mehrotra, Director of Product Management for Google TV Ads and YouTube Ads, has joined Invidi’s board of directors. In addition to its investment in Invidi, Google has committed to working with the startup on a number of products relating to TV advertising. Of course, it is expected that Invidi’s technology could be integrated with Google’s development of an Android-based software for TVs.

Founded in 2000, Invidi currently has distribution agreements with Dish Network and DirecTV. Invidi’s technology was recently tested in Comcast’s Baltimore, MD, system with Starcom MediaVest, and the trial showed addressable ads to be 65% more efficient and 32% more effective.

Google just shared updates on its venture arm, Google Ventures, and announced additional investments in mobile payments startup Corduro.

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Invidi Technologies Gets $23 Million Fourth Round From Google, GroupM

TV ad targeter Invidi Technologies has netted a huge

$23 million fourth round led by Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and WPP media unit GroupM. When WPP first invested in Invidi almost three years ago, its backing of the Princeton, NJ-based ad delivery system was considered a way to blunt Google’s moves into TV ad targeting. Now, the partnership can be seen as a way for Google to speed up its efforts in that area, which have been fairly slow-going.

As part of Google’s involvement, Shishir Mehrotra, Director of Product Management for Google TV Ads and YouTube Ads, has joined Invidi’s board. In addition to its investment in Invidi, the two companies have “agreed to work together on projects of mutual interest that will bring value to Invidi’s customers,” though no specifics were provided.

In addition to WPP, Motorola (NYSE: MOT), which participated in the last funding, also returned. Other backers in this latest round included Menlo Ventures, InterWest, EnerTech, Westbury Equity Partners, BDC Capital, and others.

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Google Invests in Invidi

The firm develops addressable TV technology

May 5, 2010

- Steve McClellan

Google is the lead investor in a new $23 million round of financing for addressable technology firm Invidi, the companies confirmed today.

It's the first time the search engine giant has invested in Invidi, which specializes in systems that enable TV ad sellers to distribute ads to select groups of viewers, down to the individual household level. Google began selling TV ads several years ago and has indicated in recent months that it remains committed to that business, both through Google TV Ads and subsidiary YouTube.

The companies already share a common connection: Dish Network. Google TV Ads has an ongoing arrangement to sell Dish inventory, while Dish is participating in a trial of Invidi's ad delivery system.

Other investors in the financing round include WPP's GroupM, set-top box maker Motorola and venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, InterWest and EnerTech. It's the second investment made by GroupM in Invidi.

"Google and GroupM share our vision that addressability will transform television advertising by increasing effectiveness and eliminating wasted reach," said Invidi CEO David Downey. "They want to play an active role in shaping this revolution."

As a result of the investment, Shishir Mehrotra, director of product management for Google TV Ads and YouTube Ads, has joined Invidi's board of directors.

In addition, the two companies said they would work together on "unspecified projects of mutual interest." The companies declined to identify the projects at this time.

"Invidi Technologies is actively advancing the growth of addressable technologies, which brings more relevance to TV viewership and advertising," Mehrotra said. "We're happy to join Invidi's investors, and we're looking forward to seeing continued progress in this space."

GroupM CEO Irwin Gotlieb, who also sits on the Invidi board, said about the new funding: "GroupM strongly believes that addressable technology and advanced advertising functionality are critical to the future of television and other media." As an industry leader in the buying and planning of TV ad time, he said, "we have a responsibility to our clients to act as a catalyst on all developments in this arena, and our continued investment in Invidi reflects this objective."

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MULTICHANNEL NEWS: "Google Takes Stake in Targeted-Ad Firm Invidi"
CLICKZ: "Google Takes Another Step Into TV Ads With Startup Investment"
NEWTEEVEE: "Google Boosts TV Ads With Invidi Investment"
VATOR.TV: "Invidi Lands $23 Million From Google"
SOFTPEDIA: "Google Invests In TV Ad Startup Invidi"
ELECTRONISTA: "Google hints at TV set-tops, funds Invidi"
WEB PRO NEWS: "Google Leads Invidi Technologies Funding Round"