Pop Ups Work...Unfortunately

I hate them. You hate them. But they work. In fact, they work twice as well as typical banners do. I guess it's like telemarketing. We all hate it but there are enough suckers out there that take the calls so telemarketers keep shoveling their crap at us. Same with pop ups. If we click, they will pop. What's an angry surfer to do? Just get Mozilla. It kills pop ups.

CNET: Pop-Ups, the Ads We Love to Hate
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Consumer Trend: 'Cocooning' to Transition to 'Butterflying'

For years, marketers have been able to count on consumers to "cocoon". This lifestyle will change according to Unity Marketing, a marketing research and consulting firm that helps companies apply the concept of emotional marketing to corporate branding and marketing initiatives.

"Consumers are emerging from their self-involved, self-centered cocoons to reconnect with the outside world. As they break forth from the cocoon, they are assuming a new leadership position in the social, political, cultural landscapes that define their identity in relation to the outside world," said Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, today at the National Retail Federation Convention, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York.

"Consumers seek a new equilibrium between the roles they play in their inner and external worlds," according to Danziger, whose firm, in partnership with House & Garden magazine, just finished a study on luxury consumers that uncovered the trend toward "connecting."

Unity Marketing studied homeowners with income of $100,000 or more and who have purchased luxury products and services in the last year. They rationalize that this demographic segment represents early adopters and their habits are harbingers of coming cultural and consumer trends.

Unity calls this new demographic segment "Butterflies". It represents a trend towards more outward facing community involvement and connectedness between people and groups.

"For marketers the single biggest challenge is that we must truly connect with our consumers by developing an ongoing, meaningful, two-way dialogue with customers, potential customers, and future customers. In the past, advertising and public relations, both one-way communications originating from the company, have dominated. But with the Internet, company web sites will become the central hub for two-way communication with customers. Every point of contact between a brand and the consumer must be reconfigured for two-way interconnectedness and new methods of communications must be established between customers, retailers, distribution partners and the company," said Unity's Danziger.

"As the desire to cocoon retreats and the need to interconnect becomes the new dominant lifestyle trend, connecting why people buy your product or your brand with how you reach them and where you reach them takes on new meaning. Even more important will be linking the consumer with the brand and the company through meaningful two-way communications," added Danziger.

Unity Marketing: "Butterfly" Consumers Emerge from their Cocoons
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Insider Info on Procter and Gamble

The Vault just published its new insider research report on Procter and Gamble covering details about the corporate culture, compensation and benefits, P&G's "up or out" brand management promotion policy, and the multiple choice test they give to prospective employees.

The Vault: Procter & Gamble, 2003 Edition: Vault Career and Industry Guides
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FootJoy Brings Back Sign Boy Ad Campaign

Sign Boy, the doofus golf character is back in newly created spots (by Arnold Worldwide) that will begin airing February 8th on the ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Sign Boy will appear in the ads with Ernie Els, Davis Love III, Brad Faxon, and Ty Tyron among others.

FootJoy Press Release: FootJoy #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

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UPN Becomes Urban Programming Network

UPN is shifting from it's previous line up that was designed to target a different audience each night of the week to one that will focus on one audience every night of the week. That audience? Young men and urban youth.

MediaLife: New plan will target males and African-Americans
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Fox's Joe Millionaire Top Rated Show Monday Night

"With hype running rampant, Fox's Joe Millionaire was the top rated show of the evening with a 12.8/18 at 9 p.m. - equal to its winning debut one week earlier. Comparatively, the new relationship/reality series was up 73 percent from its Boston Public lead-in (#4: 7.4/10)."

[via MediaWeek Programming Insider]
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Advertising Executives Rank Cable Brands Over Television Brands

In a recent study by Beta Research, 301 senior marketing and advertising executives were asked about their brand perception of cable networks and television networks. By far, cable ranked higher than televison based on the survey's brand recognition and perception related questions.

AdWeek: Cable Wins Out Over Broadcast
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Salon Offers Free Content in Exchange For Viewing Ads

A company called Ultramerical develops TV like creative for the web. Salon has used this technology to get site visitors to view these ads in exchange for a days worth of free access to their premium site content areas.

This is not new but I mention it because it strikes me as a great advertising solution for the web. It is permission based which puts more control with the viewer which they are used to in the web environment (they control where they go on the web). It has all the interactivity one would expect in this medium. It puts the advertiser/visitor relations ship right up front. In effect, saying you don't have to view this ad, but if you do, you will receive added benefit at no cost to you.

I guess we should called in the user controlled pop up.

iMediaConnection: Mercedes & Salon.com Create Ultimate Opt-in

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Blow My Hummer Down

"You can huffington and you can puffington, but you can't blow my Hummers down."

That is the tag line to an email campaign spearheaded by Marcie Brogan, managing partner of Brogan & Partners in respose to Arianna Huffington's "SUV Owners Promote Terrorism" campaign.

You've got to love the creativity in that headline. This is why I love the advertising business. Thank you very much, Marcie, for giving me my daily dose.

Details on how this whole thing started here.

Ad Age: AD EXECUTIVE SKEWERS SUV-TERRORISM CAMPAIGN

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Television Commercials of the Week

Ad Age's weekly round up of current television spots.

Ad Age: TV Spots of the Week
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