Is it just me, or is Britney in one a big downward spiral? First she loses her boyfriend. Then new fans reject the sex-symbol, belly shirt thing. Then she backs out of her Nyla restaurant deal. Then Pepsi chooses Beyonce over Britney for its new advertising campaign. Then TV shows want to emulate more Avril and less Britney.
Oh, and don't forget, she is getting stalked too.
Now Spears and Skechers are suing each other because they disagree on how each party followed the marketing agreement.
What's next? A ten year, Debbie Gibson-like disappearance and a Playboy layout?
Entertainment Weekly: Britney Spears Sues Skechers Over Skates
UPDATE - BBC News: Britney Loses out to PlayStation [via MarketingFix]
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I've heard a lot about Tom Langeland and Alaris Media Network. He is offering a new billboard that will change message (video and text) partly based on what radio station a car has tuned in. The technology will try to deduce the most heavily listened to station at any given time, match that with known demographics from Media Audit for the station, and then change the advertising message based upon those demos.
This is the same technology that car dealers use to find out what stations are listened to when customers test drive cars so that the dealers can then advertise on those stations.
I'm not sure how targeted you can really get with outdoor advertising. Almost every possible demographic is on the road at any given moment and trying to slice that audience up will be difficult. Afterall, outdoor is more of a mass reach vehicle then a targeted one. Maybe this is a step in the direction to change that. At the minimum it is a step ahead for the tired outdoor advertising medium.
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The term is not new but mass customization is becoming a larger part of the commerce pie. You can now order customized pants from Lands End and elswhere. It won't be long before almost every product will be customized to your exact specifications.
If only marketing programs could get to that point as fast as retailers.
Wired: The Customizer Is Always Right
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Here is an interesting article in the Boston Globe acknowledging how webloggers brought the Trent Lott story from the background to the foreground. It goes on to say that many mainstream journalist now regulary refer to blogs for breaking stories. It also states the humble attitude of us webloggers that, yes, we are on the forefront now, but like anything new, we will shortly become just another mode of communication.
Boston Globe: The Descent of Trent Lott Brings the Rise of 'Bloggers'
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FYI. Not much, if any, posting here until after the New Year.
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Courtesy of the Smoking Gun, here is a collection of letters written to the FCC following the recent Victoria Secret Fashion Show. As usual, you will find that many Americans have nothing better to do then to force their puritanical views on the rest of us. Was it really that harmful? It's lingerie. It's supposed to be sexy. You will love these letters.
The Smoking Gun: Letters to the FCC
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Immersive advertising. Advertainment. Advergaming. Call it what you will but it is becoming ever more prevalent as marketers realize it's potential as a vehicle to reach the growing Internet-savvy group of Tweens (9-14) and Gen-Y (born in 1979 or later). The Internet is embedded in their daily lives. It's not just something they do, it practically defines who they are.
This segment is a very large and growing target group. In North America, tweens control or influence about $750 billion of spending every year. The usual forms of online advertising have failed miserably with this group. Advergaming is the next logical step for marketers to explore..
There is concern, however, over these new forms of immersive marketing and advertising. Some say there are problems. "A commercial will last for 20 seconds or so," says Jeffrey Derevensky, a child psychology professor at McGill University. "An adver-game will last for 20 minutes. The more kids actively engage in something and the more feedback they get, the more likely they'll ask their parents to get something. It's all designed to get them to tell Mommy, 'Look how much fun I'm having'.
There will, no doubt, be pluses and minuses for marketers, parents, and children surrounding these new immersive advertising techniques. There are no hard answers yet but if you are a marketer trying to reach the Tween and Gen-Y target, you can not ignore this new channel.
Macleans: Hey, Kids! Let's Play Adver-games!
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