Thursday, December 30, 2010

But, did it do anything for Snickers?

12/30/10

The most liked spot from last year’s Super Bowl was the Snickers ad featuring Betty White. It did wonders for her career, leading to an appearance on Saturday Night Live and a role in a new sitcom. Good for her.

But the real question is, did it increase sales of Snickers? If it did, then the company sure isn’t saying so. (Goetzl, 2010)

I guess it’s better to run an ad people like instead of one that outrages them, as they did several years ago. Still if it doesn’t sell more Snickers then why waste $2 million+?

Goetzl, D. (2010, December 23). Super Bowl Ads Still Impact, Ask Betty White. mediapost.com. Retrieved December 30, 2010, from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=141893&nid=122078

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Yes, advertising can sell broccoli!

12/16/10

In an effort to prove that television advertising does indeed work, The Television Bureau of Canada has proven our thesis that advertising can be used to increase consumption of healthy foods. Specifically, three spots they created and ran on television led to an 8% increase in broccoli sales. That’s 188,574 pounds. (Corr, 2010)

Here are the spots that did the trick if you want to check them out. I think we can all agree that they are not award winners. Yet, they worked. So perhaps they should be.

http://eater.com/archives/2010/10/01/broccoli-commercials-an-advertising-experiment-boost-sales-8.php

Let’s hope the folks in the U.S. healthcare sphere have taken note and are budgeting for their own future efforts. Obesity shortens life spans and increases healthcare costs. It’s time we used all the tools we have to fight this important battle. Don’t you agree?

Corr, A. (2010, December 13) Can TV Ads Really Sell Anything? Ask Broccoli. mediapost.com. Retrieved December 16, 2010, from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=141233

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Do Women Need Their Own Sports Website?

12/9/10

ESPN apparently thinks so. As new data continues to pour in about the skyrocketing increase in the size of the female sports fan market and their spending potential, ESPN has decided that the time is right to launch EspnW.com.

The site will cover both male and female sports and will provide information about training. It will also provide “Olympics coverage,” i.e. more human interest stories, since this is what ESPN’s research has told them is the gold standard for women. (Siegel, 2010)

Given that 76% of ESPN’s viewers are currently male this could be a rich source of new revenue. What do you think? Is it worth a try? Will it be a success?

Siegel, F. (2010, December 8) ESPN’s Big New Site For Women, EspnW.com Finally Launching Today. mediapost.com. Retrieved December 8, 2010, from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showEdition&art_send_date=2010-12-8&art_type=41

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Will you order food that your friends “like” on Facebook?

12/2/10

The advantages for marketers who allow consumers to order food through Facebook seems obvious – a savings of $20,000 - $30,000, which they would have spent on building a website. There is also the possibility that the platform will allow them to better understand and communicate with customers, since it allows for two-way conversations. (Sullivan, 2010)

But what is the advantage for consumers? Is convenience enough? Or is knowing what others like to eat important?

Initial tests have showed a 10% increase in sales, and average checks that are three times higher than offline orders. Why?

Sullivan, L. (2010, November 17) Would You ‘Like’ Soup Along With That Facebook App? mediapost.com. Retrieved December 12, 2020, from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=139643&nid=120828