"Dash"

Female butt road hazard...

2005-11-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

A bare assed female model advertising a cellulite treatment is being labelled a road hazard by an Italian consumer group (via The Australian)

Plastered over the backs and sides of Rome buses, the cheeky new advertisement for beauty treatment centre DCC features a naked bottom with the slogan "Free of orange-peel (cellulite) in 40 days - 16 sessions for E640".

Apparently this is a recent trend in Italian advertising...

Attention-grabbing nudity - invariably involving attractive young women - seems to be one of the most popular advertising gimmicks in Italy.
Blatant nakedness rarely has anything to do with the product being advertised. One clothing company uses the image of a woman fleeing through a forest - in her birthday suit.

Sex sells... funny that.

Business Tip: Use LinkedIn...

2005-11-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

Most entrepreneurs will tell you that your professional networks are a large determinant of your venture's success.

LinkedIn utilises the concept of 6-degrees of spearation:

LinkedIn is a networking tool that helps you discover inside connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts and business partners. Through LinkedIn, you can accelerate your business effectiveness and career success by leveraging the network you already have. LinkedIn makes it easy to receive and seek out opportunities through your extended network while protecting your privacy, your inbox and your existing professional relationships.

So a scenario might be:
You spot a high-ranking executive, Mel, that you want to get a hold of, but don't know personally. However, one of your trusted contacts, Greg, does have this person as a trusted contact. You can request Greg to refer your details to Mel. She can then decide whether or not to contact you.

Contact information, such as email, is hidden, unless they accept your invitation to be part of your LinkedIn network.

I currently use LinkedIn and have been able to meet a few contacts and also refer a few on as well.

Innovative Ad Mediums: Computer Screen Floor Mat...

2005-11-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Tech firm Intellimat has patented a computer mat less than an inch thick that can be placed on the floors of retailers for in-store advertising.
Essentially a PC wired to a storewide computer, the mat is sturdy, but thin enough to roll a shopping cart over, and it can play ads with sound at shoppers walking on it. At $9,900 each, the four-screen plasma mat is being shopped to grocery and drugstore chains nationwide.
Intellimat, based in Roanoke, Va. and financed by incubator The Egg Factory, declined to name its clients, but said retailers set to launch test markets include a national grocery store and national drugstore chain. Typically, in-store advertising providers have revenue-sharing agreements with retailers, but Intellimat has not set up a formal sales process yet.
(via AdAge)

Innovative Ad Mediums: Aeroplane Table Trays...

2005-11-03T02:07:00.000-08:00

Verizon advertises on USAirways table trays

New York—Verizon Wireless has launched an ad campaign that features ads on the back of airline passengers’ seat-back tray tables on USAirways planes. The ad campaign, launched in partnership with Sky Media International, promotes Venison’s wide-area wireless broadband network and wireless broadband access devices. The campaign launched following the merger of USAirways and America West Airlines. It is running on 11,500 passenger tray tables.

(via B2BOnline)

Comedy Central launches MotherLoad.com: 80 new vids a week...

2005-10-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Comedy Central will launch their broadband-enabled site, MotherLoad.com, on Nov. 1, promising 80 new 3-5 minute videos each week (via AdAge). Their strategy is pretty well summed up by this statement:

“Our audience wants content when they want it,” said Mitch Fried, senior VP-promotion marketing.

Advertisers include Verizon Wireless, Volkswagen and U.S. Army. Network excutives have also indicated that they may move to delivering content over wireless channels if MotherLoad.com is successful.

Another reason why content is king.

Sony Pictures uses "Possessed" Newspaper to promote Exorcism movie...

2005-10-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

Whilst being a good brother and taking my little sister to see the latest Wallace and Gromit movie, I noticed a newspaper, near the $10 popocorn, "Possessed: The State of Modern Exorcism." It's header reads:

THE FOLLOWING NEWS ARTICLES chronicle just a few of the events surrounding the act of exorcism in our modern world. The real-life practice of exorcism is on the rise worldwide. The feature film The Exorcism of Emily Rose, starting its internation realease this fall, is based on the true story of a young girl who died while being exorcised. The priest responsible was tried for manslaughter. What would your verdict be if your religion was put on trial?

The back page had it's movie website: WhatHappenedToEmily.com. Interestingly you can download clips to your PSP and can bid for props and wardrobe items there.

HP and Intel’s Mobile Colour Factory Promotion...

2005-10-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

Something I spotted in Melbourne, Australia. HP and Intel have teamed up and created “The Colour Factory” to showcase the digital process flow from digital camera to final print, utilising - I assume - HP and Intel technology.

4 reasons your email isn't being delivered...

2005-10-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Been frustrated with the lack of deliverability of your emails?
Karen J. Bannan from BtoB Online gives some reasons why:

1) Reason No.1: You’re sending too much mail.
Your company could be labelled as a spammer. Complaints could be from your customers, who no longer want to be contacted or feel that they are not in control of the amount of emails you send them.

2) Reason No.2: You haven’t checked your list lately.
Bounced emails and "user unknown" flags ISP's and spam filter companies assuming that your sending emails with changed prefixes in the recipient's address. Make sure you have a double opt-in system to weed out subscribers using fake email addresses.

3) Reason No.3: Your infrastructure isn’t set up right and secure.
Some servers can be hacked and spammers can send mass-emails via your server, thus damaging your company's image.

4) Reason No.4: Your content looks like spam.
Messages that use spamlike wording, images instead of text or a single link instead of many.

Video iPOD shows content is king...

2005-10-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

Poor old advertisers. With the increasing amount of mediums for delivering content, advertisers now have to contend with the release of Video iPOD - showcasing hit shows like "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives." The power of consuming content is shifting ever more towards the consumer and advertisers are getting nervous.

"The idea of consumer-controlled content has been prevalent," according to Andrew Swinand, executive vice-president at Starcom Worldwide, part of Publicis. "This is the tipping point in terms of it coming to fruition."(via MarketingVOX)

Although Apple will not allow ads to be run on Video iPODs - yet - how can advertisers deliver their message to the throws of newly empowered consumers?
I think that product placement deals and sponsorship deals will be the biggest growth area in years to come. Expect to see a lot of deals between producers and advertisers in this area. I also expect that TV ad rates, in the long term, will decline with more and more viewers consuming their content when, where and how they want.

GE and Dow Jones: Eco-friendly business idea can win you $50,000

2005-10-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

GE and Dow Jones have an interesting business plan competition so-called "ECOnomics: The Environmental Business Plan Challenge"

From their website:

GE and Dow Jones are looking for great business ideas that combine environmental innovation and profitability, because we truly believe that "green" business represents good business. That's why we're offering some help to those who share in the belief that environmental consciousness and effective business practice don't have to diverge. In fact, we're so sure of it, we're going to put up some green to help it along - $50,000 of it.

So if you're a university student, an MBA candidate or a confident entrepreneur, submit your business idea and you could win $50,000. It's time to get your enterprise to help the earth, off the ground.

Shameless Plug 104: Advertisers can now post their ad space needs on Ad-Bay

2005-10-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

Ad-Bay have launched a new free “Give Me Space” service designed for advertisers to post their ad space requirements. Media sellers can then offer their ad space stock for consideration.

Ad-Bay currently operates as an advertising space marketplace where media sellers can post their ad space details and buyers can browse through and bid for the space on offer. Ad space categories include billboards, radio, internet, magazine, in-game ads and sponsorships.

“Ad-Bay’s long-term goal is to create a dynamic and vibrant community of advertising space buyers and sellers. Our new ‘Give Me Space’ service will further add to the way buyers and sellers interact.” Graeme Klass, CEO and Founder of Ad-Bay said, “Advertisers can list their specific ad space requirements such as target demographics, location, media etc. Media sellers who match their requirements can then submit their ad space and the advertiser can then, if they wish, enter a bid.”

“For example, if you are looking to target the Hispanic community, simply submit a “Give Me Space” ad, free of charge, on our site and then simply wait for media sellers that target the Hispanic market to submit their offer to you. Privacy is assured as contact information is only exchanged when the advertiser agrees to purchase the space through Ad-Bay’s bidding and buying system.”

In an age of increasing media fragmentation, businesses are looking for a multi-channel approach to delivering their message. This new service looks to assist advertisers create an effective, multi-channel, targeted campaign.

Creating a “Give Me Space” listing is free.

About Ad-Bay
Established in May 2005, Ad-Bay’s (http://www.ad-bay.com) goal is to create a dynamic and vibrant community of buyers and sellers of advertising space. Buyers and sellers are matched through an online auction system. Ad-Bay’s Founder Graeme Klass runs a related blog site called “Dash” (http://ad-bay.blogspot.com) with marketing and advertising news and tips for businesses and entrepreneurs.

5 tips to kick start Q4 sales...

2005-10-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

Heidi Cohen from Clickz has 5 great tips to kick start your revenues...

Add Halloween, Election Day, or Veterans' Day promotions to your marketing plans. Since you're adding them late in the game, you need a short turnaround that doesn't cannibalize your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa-related sales. Other underexploited holiday ideas that can break through and distinguish your firm are Winter Solstice, Fall Back (for changing the clocks), and First Snow. Tie these events into your product line for the greatest potential.

Include RSS feeds to distribute marketing promotions, if you don't already use them. To keep your feeds interesting, incorporate a mix of special offers and product-focused information. Support these promotions throughout your Web site and in site footer links.

Send sponsored e-greetings for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Go beyond a hackneyed "Thank you for your patronage" message to give something special to engaged customers. If you're a travel site, include more than just a travel widget. Send a sponsored card with links for flight tracking and driving directions. Your customers will find your communication useful even if they didn't purchase tickets from you.

Give holiday purchasers a coupon for use after January 1. Many retailers experience lower sales after the holidays. Give customers a reason to come back. Position it as "We think you deserve a gift!" Remember to mentioned it can't be combined with other discounts.

Create tie-in offers. This promotion can be used on a media site in a special sponsored section giving users a free subscription, on an e-commerce site as a purchase with purchase (where customers receive a deal on a related product), or coordinated with a sister or non-competing company to offer customers something they find useful.

Playboy slashes ad rates; Readers to pay more for printed porn

2005-10-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

(Via AdAge)

Playboy is slashing its guaranteed paid circulation for advertisers -- the all-important metric known as rate base -- by 4.7%, to 3 million from 3.15 million, and hiking its cover price to $5.99 from $4.99.

Playboy is facing stiff competition from a relaunched Penthouse and from "softer" mags such Maxim and FHM. It also faces tough competition from the Internet - where you can get high quality "articles" for free.

Playboy Circulation stats:

Penthouse had an average paid circulation of 355,698 during the first half of this year, down from 400,229 during the first half of 2004, according to its filings with the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Playboy's rate-base reduction takes effect with January issue; the cover price will rise one month later. A spokeswoman did not return a call seeking comment by deadline.

33 Tips for Marketing Success...

2005-10-12T23:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of 33 simple tasks to improve your marketing... from Marketing Guru Al Lautenslager (via Entrepreneur.com)

Hand write a thank-you note to a prospect or customer
Enter customer or prospect names into a database
Brainstorm tagline ideas
Visit a competitor's website
Write an article to pitch to your local business organization
Make a list of press release ideas
Write a press release
Call a newspaper and ask who the feature editor is for your area of expertise
Compose an e-mail sales letter
Call a few prospects or customers to get their e-mail contact information
Develop a series of survey questions
Brainstorm advertising concepts
Write a pitch letter to a radio or TV station
Get contact information from media outlets
Plan a renaming of your products
Work on new product development and introduction ideas
Invite a customer or prospect to your office for coffee or to discuss new ideas
Recognize a special prospect or customer
Discuss a fusion marketing idea with a strategic business partner
Visit a few marketing-related websites
Post new information on your website
Plan your networking calendar for the week
Call to follow up with networking contacts
Get price estimates for the printing and mailing of your direct-mail campaign
Mail samples of your product to top prospects
Brainstorm ideas for an "enter to win" contest
Develop a coupon for your product or service
Rewrite your phone's on-hold message script
Write an article or other text for your newsletter
Brainstorm new product or service ideas
Plan a new customer service activity that will truly delight your customers
Develop your benefit list and compare to it to your competitions'
Develop a checklist, top-ten list or other information as a response to a marketing hook

Innovative Ad Mediums: New York Times advertising-supported branded watermarks over stock listings...

2005-10-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

The New York Times is introducing a new ad medium where advertising-supported branded watermarks that will be superimposed over a Tuesday to Saturday page of its public company stock listings in the Business Day section of the newspaper.

This ad medium is designed for:

major branding campaigns and new product launches, where reaching the financial community is of particular importance.

Jyll Holzman, senior vice president of advertising for The New York Times, says in a news release:

"Our new branded watermark unit reflects The Times's ongoing commitment to deliver high impact advertising opportunities and value to our customers, This is a perfect business-to-business advertising opportunity for companies that want to reach influencers in the financial markets."

According to the results of the 2004-2005 U.S. Opinion Leaders study conducted by Erdos & Morgan, the weekday edition of The New York Times ranks first of 156 print, broadcast and cable media in reaching U.S. opinion leaders. The study also revealed that more U.S. opinion leaders rank the weekday New York Times "influential" than all other media outlets measured.

About The New York Times Company

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2004 revenues of $3.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, eight network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and 35 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. For the fifth consecutive year, the Company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune's 2005 list of America's Most Admired Companies. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

News from Japan: Internet malls eye guidelines to protect online shoppers

2005-10-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

16 major Internet companies with strong footholds in the Japanese online market, including Yahoo! Inc. and NTT DoCoMo, Inc., will jointly create guidelines for Internet shopping.

There have been no clear guidelines laid down by the online shopping industry, although individual operators have instituted their own guidelines. By establishing the council and unified standards for the protection of customers, the industry hopes to convince consumers of the safety of shopping online.

Measures to be taken by the industry will include creating a system in which the identity of auctioneers will be fully established to prevent consumers from falling prey to fraudulent sales through online auctions.

The industry also will work to lay down guidelines to prevent distributors posting misleading advertisements.

According to the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, Internet purchases totaled 5.64 trillion yen in 2004, compared with 3.04 trillion yen in sales mail order services through such means as catalogues and television shopping during the 2004 business year.

From Abby, our Japan correspondent via The Yomiuri Shimbun

Magazine revenue rises for eighth straight month

2005-10-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

Via B2BOnline:

New York—Total magazine rate-card-reported advertising revenue increased 4.7% in September from a year earlier, closing at $2.42 billion, according to the Publishers Information Bureau (PIB).

It marked the eighth straight month that PIB revenue rose. Year-to-date, revenue totaled $16.21 billion, an increase of 7.9% from the same period last year, with ad pages totaling 171,696, a 1% gain. Ad pages totaled 25,733 in September, down 1.3% from a year earlier.
Seven of the 12 major advertising categories tracked showed gains in September. Top gainers included media & advertising; financial, insurance & real estate; drugs & remedies; and toiletries & cosmetics.

Tips for increasing your selling savvy...

2005-10-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

Selling is the lifeblood of any business and entrepreneur. The environment in which salespeople operate have changed over the years:

Customers are better-educated, more sophisticated, and more value-conscious
Competition is stiffer
Technology is rapidly replacing peddlers
Time has become a priceless commodity—for salespeople and for their customers

So to increase your selling savvy in this new environment:

Selling savvy is understanding the selling process well enough to approach it as a highly educated professional.
Selling savvy is understanding people well enough to influence them to buy.
Selling savvy is knowing how to execute.
Selling savvy means developing street smarts.
Selling savvy is having the self-discipline to carry out every detail of your strategy all day, every day.

Read the rest of the article from MarketingProfs.

Report: Men Prefer Coupons, Women Prefer Sales

2005-10-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

From MarketingVOX:

Consumers favor free shipping above all other money-saving options when
shopping online - but men favor coupons over sale items, whereas women prefer
sale items over coupons - reports DMNews (via MediaBuyerPlanner). Manufacturer rebates and sweepstakes ranked behind sale items and coupons across the board. The findings appear in the first Ebates Online Savings Index. The class of items consumers are shopping for affects how they choose to save online.
Those shopping in the home & garden category cite free shipping among their favorite ways to save money when shopping, higher than in any other category.
Those buying in the business & office and computer categories look for mail-in rebates. And those shopping for apparel and jewelry are eager to find items on sale.

Innovative Ad Mediums: Escalator Handrail Ads...

2005-10-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

Pretty cool way to advertise!

(from Flickr via AdRants)

Making the perfect pitch to a VC: 12 points to consider

2005-10-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

The Age outlines 12 points that a pitch to a Venture Capitalist must contain:

Does the opportunity exist?
What is the compelling benefit to the market?
What is the market size?
Are the market trends supportive?
Who are the competitors and what alternative solutions exist (not just direct competitors)?
Ability to realise - is this the technology/team to realise it?
Management - a genuine team, high energy and determination - preferably a track record
Clear growth strategy
Alliances - can they (will they) make a difference - are they motivated?
How will competitors react to your initial success?
Is the result of realising the opportunity good enough?
Forecast growth
Funding needs to achieve forecasts
Investment valuation
Likely exit and potential exit valuation

(Sourced from Amwin via The Age)

Shameless Plug 103: Ad-Bay's Search Phrases for September 2005

2005-10-01T00:51:00.000-07:00

Interested in the search phrases people put into search engines to get to Ad-Bay? We thought we would let you know our search phrases for October 2005. If you have relevant ad space you might want to think about listing it.

Top 20: Read the full list here. Figures in brackets are % of total.

selling newspaper advertising space (5.30%)
ad space (3.10%)
advertising rates (2.90%)
advertising space (2.50%)
sell ad space (2.20%)
ad auction (1.50%)
sell advertising space (1.50%)
newspaper advertising (1.40%)
buy ad space (1.40%)
selling advertising space (1.10%)
sell advertising (1.10%)
we sell magazine advertising for you (1%)
billboard advertising (1%)
remnant advertising (0.80%)
radio advertising (0.80%)
purchase remnant advertising space (0.80%)
advertising auction (0.70%)
media auction (0.60%)
magazine advertising rates (0.60%)
daseen magazine (0.60%)

Chance to secure governemnt funds from a $2 billion pot...

2005-09-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide more than $2 billion each year to small businesses helping entrepreneurs take their ideas from the laboratory to market. The SBIR and STTR programs fund projects at the earliest stages of development and allow firms who have not yet attracted funding through Venture Capital or other alternative financing to succeed in commercialization.

The 2005 Fall National SBIR/STTR Conference in Albany, NY, will provide an opportunity for small businesses from across the country to learn about these programs, teach them how to apply, and explain what it takes to win part of the $2+ billion.

Conference topics will include:

Proposal Preparation - The Basics
Patents & Licensing
Incubators: A Place to Grow Your Business
Accounting for SBIR/STTR: Different from Paying Taxes!
Commercialization Plan Primer
Alternative Financing: What Other Sources Can You Tap?
Evaluations: How Do Granting and Contracting Agencies Evaluate YOUR Proposal?
Valuation of Intellectual Properties

(via SBIR)

US Spanish speakers growing influence online...

2005-09-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

FeedBackResearch (via Clickz) has some interesting results that will impact web designers and e-commerce sites across the US:

Relatively new to the Web, 79 percent of Spanish-speaking Hispanics have used the Internet for five years or less, but are already highly engaged in online activities. Forty-six percent of Spanish-speakers have been on the Internet less than two years, compared to the identified 17 percent of non-Spanish speakers. As the population grows, the number of Spanish-language Hispanic households accessing the Web via broadband continues to rise.

So what impact will this have? If a large slice of your target market is Spanish speaking consider updating your site to be multi-lingual. Make sure you get expert advice on the grammer and structure of your content, especially for the legal terms and conditions of your site. If your website is contunally changing make sure you build into your business processes a streamlined way of getting your content translated, uploaded and verified on your site. Also consider that physical marketing material such as flyers and business cards may need to be made multi-lingual as well...

The research also indicates that Spanish-speaking Hispanic are more likely to purchase from Spanish websites:

Spanish-language sites are the preferred channel among Hispanic online users. Sixty-nine percent of Spanish-speakers visit sites in Spanish to buy and research products. Hispanic respondents are 49 percent more likely to buy from a Spanish language site when shopping online.

Shameless Plug 102: China Daily lists sponsorship deal on Ad-Bay to cash in on 2008 Olympics

2005-09-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

China's largest english newspaper/online website is looking for sponsorhip in their "1000 day countdown to the 2008 Olympics" feature. Bidding starts at 616,523 USD.

Check out the auction here.

Eat This! AdCandy draws inspirations from the masses...

2005-09-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

AdCandy is a new business to draw advertising ideas from Joe Public (via AdRants). Registered members can submit their ads ideas and win cash prizes for the best ads. Marketers are then invited to buy these ads. All ad submissions become property of AdCandy:

All contest submissions, besides IMAGE submissions, become the property of Adcandy in exchange for consideration to win prizes. All prizes are awarded on the basis of skill and originality. Entrants must be legal U.S. residents, 18 years old or above. There is no cost to enter any Adcandy contest.

It's an interesting concept.

Learn the Ins and Outs of In-Game Ads...

2005-09-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

IGA Partners (via Clickz) have announced their "Gaming 101" edcuational classes to teach the market about the in-game advertising industry:

This September, kids aren't the only ones back in school. Media buyers and planners, strategists, brand managers, CMOs, media supervisors, and creative directors are hitting the books to learn more about an increasingly effective method of interactive promotion: in-game advertising.Agencies around the world are enrolling their teams in Gaming 101, a series of informative sessions offered by full-service in-game advertising media group IGA Partners. The goal, the company says, is to "educate the marketplace on the current and near future videogaming landscape, the changing demographics of gamers, how the hardware platforms differ from each other, and post importantly, how to run in-game advertising campaigns that get the right results."

Other interesting facts:

Activision and Nielsen Entertainment have reported 67 percent of gamers believe in-game advertising makes games more realistic and 40 percent of male gamers say in-game ads influence their purchasing decisions.

According to Yankee Group, the video game industry will swell to over $8.3 billion by 2008 and boast over 126 million gamers, many of whom will be over the age of 35. It also projects the advergaming market will reach $260 million by 2008, compared with a mere $79 million in 2003. Forrester Research predicts a quarter of North American households will be playing video games online by 2007.

Interactive Stewie Promotes Family Guy DVD

2005-09-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

To promote the latest Family Guy DVD series the boffins at Fuel Industries have created Stewie Live (reported by AdRants).

As is usually the case with these command-based sites, Stewie, of course,
burps, farts and has sex. Beyond that, Stewie reacts to 160 commands so far and
the list will surely grow.

Be sure type the words "Chicken", "Simposons", "Dance", "Gun"and "Poo."

You might also want to check out the Lynx Girls Live.

U.S. Cities ask: Am I hot or not?

2005-09-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

Top 10 U.S. Cities (by size) for entreprenuers ranked by Entrepreneur.com:
Large Cities:

1. Phoenix-Mesa , AZ
2. Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill , NC-SC
3. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill , NC
4. Las Vegas , NV-AZ
5. Indianapolis , IN
6. Washington-Baltimore , DC-MD-VA-WV
7. Atlanta , GA
8. Nashville , TN
9. Austin-San Marcos , TX
10. Memphis , TN-AR-MS

MidSize Cities:

1. El Paso , TX
2. Tucson , AZ
3. Birmingham , AL
4. Charleston-North Charleston , SC
5. Mobile , AL
6. Madison , WI
7. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission , TX
8. Columbia , SC
9. Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson , SC
10. Tulsa , OK

Small Cities:

1. Auburn-Opelika , AL
2. Wilmington , NC
3. Lincoln , NE
4. Yuma , AZ
5. Green Bay , WI
6. Jonesboro , AR
7. Huntsville , AL
8. Laredo , TX
9. Richland-Kennewick-Pasco , WA
10. Springfield , MO

Top 10 States:

1. Arizona
2. New Jersey
3. Delaware
4. Virginia
5. Alabama
6. North Carolina
7. Maryland
8. Georgia
9. South Carolina
10. Hawaii

Top 10 Counties:

1. New York , NY
2. Maricopa , AZ
3. Fulton , GA
4. Fairfax , VA
5. Du Page , IL
6. Travis , TX
7. Santa Clara , CA
8. Clark , NV
9. Franklin , OH
10. Oakland , MI

Cities/Regions are ranked by 1) Number of companies within an area that started 4 to 14 years ago and have at least five employees today and 2) Measurement of a company's job growth that accounts for both absolute and percent change in employment.

It's interesting to see the growth areas around the US particularly if you thinking of moving or expanding your business.

Complete list of city/region rankings can be found here.

TV or Online Advertising?

2005-09-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

Five questions from Pete Lerma of Clickz to decide whether you should advertise on TV or Online:

Is my target audience online? Analyze your target audience's media consumption. If the audience spends most of its time online and under-indexes for TV consumption, think about how you can use interactive media to deliver your message. You'll find that a lot of people spend more time online than anywhere else.
Is my message best delivered in video? You might expect an affirmative answer to this question would move you more toward TV. But, TV isn't the end all, be all; video is. It's hard to argue the effects of motion and sound. Video is an incredibly powerful messaging tool. But it doesn't have to be delivered on a TV set. Sometimes, it shouldn't be.
Do I need more than 30 seconds to tell my story? If you have a complex or fantastic product, you may need more time to tell your story. With TV, it can be difficult -- and expensive -- to deliver a message that's 120 seconds or longer. Consider moving that message online and using a VOD (define) platform in conjunction with your interactive video placements. Use your interactive ad units to draw people to the Web site where you can deliver the long-form video message.
How high is broadband penetration among my target audience? According to Web Site Optimization, U.S. broadband penetration is currently 58.5 percent of Internet households. However, if your target audience is younger or more affluent, you may find that percentage is much higher. If you have an audience with 80 percent or 90 percent penetration, that audience isn't just prepared for but expecting engaging brand experiences. This is an opportunity to deliver long-form video content.
Is the Internet an important channel for my client's business? Consider the category your client competes in. Is there a heavy reliance on the Internet for
research in this category? Can the product or service be purchased online? If you can answer "yes" to these questions, don't be afraid to use online as your primary messaging medium.

Generating Word of Mouth Advertising

2005-09-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

Word of mouth used to be the ony way to promote your business back in the 1800s for many people. Now we have a myriad of ways with which to advertise. However, word of mouth advertising is still one of the most powerful ways to build brand loyalty among your customers. In fact there is now an association (WOMMA - Word of Mouth Marketing Association) dedicated to this. (WOMMA have an "Word-of-Mouth vs Advertising: Consumers in Control" conference on September 28)

MarketingProfs have an article devlving into the psychological needs of consumers in why customers feel the need to share information with each other. In particular, the difference between men and women's brains:

...since the early 1990s, research studies conducted by leading psychologists,
biologists, neuroscientists, paleontologists and ethnologist have clearly shown that there are in fact brain differences between men and women. These differences do impact each gender's preferred way of communicating, learning and socialization.

The key difference is area of the brain devoted to emotion - a key way to build brand loyalty:

MRI scans of both men and women have successfully located the area of the brain
that is responsible for emotion. In men, emotion is located in two areas of the
right side of their brain. Located in only one side, men's emotions can operate
separately from the other brain functions. Women's emotions are located in both
hemispheres of the brain, making her more able to "switch her emotions on" while
her brain performs other functions. Ask any brand steward, and they will tell
you the key to building brands is getting to the emotions... building
associative memories.

Which leads to another important aspect in generating word-of-mouth - communication. Women love to communicate and share:

talking is necessary for processing information. Her brain is prewired to use
speech as is a primary form of expression.

Thus when you are creating a word-of-mouth strategy, remember that when targetting females, make sure that you create an engaging, trusting, community based feel not just for your brnad, but for your entire business. Use techniques like viral marketing, blogs, personalised email and great sales staff to continually build your brand appeal.

Bum-vertising

2005-09-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

There are no limits to the lengths people go to promote their business. One enterprising individual has enlisted an army of beggars on the streets of Seattle to prominently display his website, PokerFaceBook.com.

Money, sandwiches, chips, apples, water, and other beverages have all been
dispensed in order to compensate the homeless in the Seattle Bumvertising™
campaign

Great idea… though I think the community at large will find it a bit off putting. Read some of the public reactions. Also check out the enlightening “Economic Analysis” of Bumvertising.

But at the end of the day, money goes into the pocket of these beggars-turned-human-billboards, for a far more productive use than those roadside car window washers.

Productivity Tip: RoboForm

2005-09-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

If you are tired of filling out the same information time and time again when registering for web pages, online transactions and such then think about getting Roboform. It’s also great for remembering all your web-based passwords.

Roboform is free and with limited functionality. I have the full-version and I use daily – probably hourly.

* Disclaimer: I have a financial arrangement with Roboform through their reseller/partner program based on a cost-per-click and small percentage if you do buy the software through the above link. I only signed up to their reseller program because it was such a great little piece of software and I highly recommend it to anyone!

* Disclaimer on the Disclaimer: It was not my intention to make the Disclaimer longer than the body of the article. At least my conscience is clear.

Shameless Plug 101: Ad-Bay's first human ad space auction...

2005-09-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Had an interesting listing on our website - our first human ad space auction.

Although Ad-Bay was set up for mainstream advertising space, we'll see where this goes. Could be a lot of fun!

Surfers with full stomachs go clickety click

2005-09-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

aQuantive's Atlas Institute (via Clickz) have shown that web surfers have a higher conversion rates during lunch breaks and evening times.

The report identifies the lunch break and evening hours before bedtime as
times that yield the most conversions. At mid-day, conversions are 35 percent
higher than the overall average.

Some online publishers charge a higher rates according to "dayparts". Gee if only there was an auction site to auction off their popular primetime ad space! "/shameless_plug"

World's Longest Billboard...

2005-09-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

Ad-Rag reports that Virgin Express is promoting their latest flight deal on a 3,600 foot monster billboard!

Imagine the poor ad agency creative with a client demand like this: "I need a creative copy for a 3,600 foot billboard by this afternoon!"

In-Game Advertising to Grow...

2005-09-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

I've been intrested in the whole advertising in video games for a while now. The video game industry is worth about 10 billion dollars (more than box office receipts) and is expected to grow to 16.9 billion in 2008.

In-Game advertising projections from eMarketer.com:

Advergames are promotional games created by companies and is usually associated with viral marekting technigques. Examples can be found here and here.

In-game advertising are a little more subtle. Many video games are set in real world stituations like first-person, multiplayer games with settings in cities, building etc. That is, in places where you would expect to see advertising. Game publishers have now realised that a) in-game ads (like billboards on walls) add to the realism of the game and b) advertising can make them extra money. Check out a few examples here.

Media guru Jack Myers (via Clickz):

According to the Jack Myers 2006 Marketing and Advertising Spending Forecast, in-game advertising is expected to grow by 40 percent in 2006, though it will still represent less than one percent of total ad spend. Online advertising will increase by 27 percent to reach a 6.4 percent market share. Movie screen advertising is expected to grow by 25 percent; branded entertainment, local and regional cable, and custom publishing will each grow less than 20 percent each.

SHAMELESS PLUG 101 UPDATE: Ad-Bay's first in-game ad space listed!

Ad clichés to avoid...

2005-09-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Advertising is supposed to synonymous with creativity. Advertising practitioners, when facing looming deadlines and a demanding boss (or client!), can unfortunately take the road well-travelled.

So think about avoiding these 26 ad clichés (from BBC):

1. Men are obsessed with sex but will forego sex in order to watch football or drink beer.

2. Women are locked in a constant battle with their weight/body shape/hairstyle.

3. Career success is entirely based on your ability to impress your boss.

4. Mums are often harassed but NEVER depressed/unable to cope.

5. Any act of male stupidity (e.g. walking across a clean floor in muddy boots, putting the dog in the dishwasher, etc.) will be met with a wry smile, not genuine annoyance/anger.

6. Married men will flirt with other, younger women but NEVER act upon it.

7. Anyone with a scientific career will have a bad haircut and dreadful clothes.

8. If you work for the emergency services, you are a better person than the general population.

9. Elderly relatives NEVER suffer from senile dementia.

10. Scandinavians are, without exception, blonde and beautiful.

11. Women have jobs they never do in real life, e.g. dockworker (who looks like a
model).

12. Children will not eat fruit or vegetables. Ever.

13. Both men and women find driving deeply pleasurable, never
boring or stressful.

14. Men are inherently lazy/slobbish; women
are the reverse.

15. Chocolate, however, will cause women to
immediately fall into the languor of the opium eater.

16. High Street bank staff are (A) friends of the customers, and (B) of slightly
above-average attractiveness (only if female).

17. Modern men own a cat.

18. Hot beverages have miraculous rejuvenating effects.

19. Professional people have strangely trivial preoccupations, e.g. a female barrister who is morbidly obsessed with finding a healthy snack bar.

20. All women (except stay-at-home housewives) have interesting and enjoyable careers.

21. Any over-the-counter medical product will work instantly and 100% effectively.

22. Children know more than adults.

23. Women never merely hop in and out of the shower, instead preferring to act out some sort of soapy Dance of the Seven Veils.

24. School is a happy experience for all children.

25. Tortilla chips are the most exciting experience any group of young people can experience.

26. Playing bingo is THE number one pastime among 18-25 year old British women.

Here's a challenge: Promote what you got in 5 secs...

2005-09-11T05:08:00.000-07:00

AdRants report that Clear Channel are creating 5 second "ad-lets" for their 1200 odd-radio stations across the US. It's yet to be seen whether these ads will really efficiently promote your wares or just annoy the hell out of listeners.

Can you get your message across in 5 seconds? Can you cut the bullshit and the fluff and "get to the point" ?

"Coronation Street" Mobisodes...

2005-09-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

NetImperative reports that ITV in the UK plans to deliver 2-minute Coronation Street clips for its mobile service:

ITV said it expects to charge between 25p and £5 a clip, depending on the content, with charges made to the user’s mobile phone bill.

I wonder if ITV will be ever broadcast the 1960s episodes over mobiles?

Coronation Street circa 1960s: Check out the guy with the pipe... there's never enough pipe smoking in today's world.

Men love Media (More than Women): Report

2005-09-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I reported that Women love Pets (More than Men). So that Men don't left out here's an article on the not-so-surprising findings that Men spend more time than Women watching TV, using the PC, listening to the radio, using the internet, watching movies, reading newspapers and playing video games.

(stats from eMarket.com)

Keep these figures in mind when you are tailoring your advertising message to your customers. It also reinforces that, regardless of whether your are targeting males or females, that to get at your target market you need to adopt a multi-channel advertising strategy.

One more thing:

Maybe this is why Men spend so much time with media than Women... ;)

Family Work & Caregiving Statistics
Number of working mothers who reported they
do far more of the household chores than their spouse or partner:
8 out of 10

Ratio of mother’s time to father’s time spent on all
weekday caregiving activities in dual earner
families:
3:2

Ratio of mother’s time to father’s time
spent on weekday caregiving activities involving household chores and learning
activities in dual earner families:
2:1

Hours a week
devoted to childcare, housework or shopping by mothers in dual earner
couples:
25

Hours a week devoted to childcare,
housework or shopping by fathers in dual earner
couples:
14.5

Hours a week devoted to childcare,
housework or shopping by mothers not in the
workforce:
39

Hours a week devoted to childcare,
housework or shopping by fathers not in the
workforce:
20

Women love Pets (More than Men): Report

2005-09-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

A new company, Animal Radio Network , has just registered as an Ad-Bay-er. They are America's first full-time animal radio show. As luck would have it, just this morning I came across some interesting results from Hartz's May 2005 Human-Animal Bond survey:.

Women and special bond with pets
According to the survey, women pet owners show a particularly strong bond with their pets. Here’s what we found out.
Women (16 percent) are nearly three times more likely than men (6 percent) to say they would dump their boyfriend/girlfriend that their pet didn’t like

Nearly a third of women (31 percent) say they spend more time with their pet than their spouse/significant other vs. only 15 percent of men

29 percent of women ages 18-34 say they notice celebrities pets in the news now more so than before

Surprisingly:

Human-like habits of pets
Whether getting under the covers or the dining room table, our pets are becoming more like us or maybe we becoming more like our pets? Among those who own dogs and/or cats:

About one in three (32 percent) say their pet watches TV; dog/cat owners in the Northeast are more likely to say their pet watches the tube (41 percent) than those in the West (30 percent), south (29 percent) and Midwest (29 percent)

Nearly a half (48 percent) say that their pet sleeps on the bed and hogs the covers and the pillow

51 percent of dog owners and 40 percent of cat owners say their pet sits by the dinner table and begs for human food

The American Pet Product Manufacturers Association have some interesting statistics on the Pet Industry. 63% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 69.1 millions homes. Total expenditure on pets in America is worth over $35.9 billion in 2005 (est.). Judging from the Hartz survey it's not really that hard to see why we spend so much on our pets.

Tips for generating PR for your business...

2005-09-06T01:42:00.000-07:00

Great article on Entrepreneur.com from Al Lautenslager on Implementing a PR Strategy in 7 Days.

In short:

Day 1: Determine your target.
Day 2: Develop a database of contacts from day one.
Day 3: Determine what PR story you will communicate.
Day 4: Write the actual press release.
Day 5: Send your press release to those in the database you established on
day two.
Day 6: Use your press release for other things.
Day 7: Continue your efforts to establish relationships with editors,
reporters and producers.

I've used a few of these tips in the past and they have worked quite well.

News from Japan: Miss Train. Get Nude.

2005-09-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Abby, our illustrious correspondent from Japan, sent me an article on a business offering women who miss the last train to spend the night at an exclusive women’s spa.

Spa Laqua opened in Korakuen in 2003 featuring natural hot spring baths and
sauna facilities. Its location allows women to drop in anytime and soak away
their worries.

“There are more women lodging here than we initially
expected,” said Nao Iwase, a spokeswoman for Tokyo Dome Corp. The company
expands its women-only space during the late-night hours to meet customer
demand.

The spa is open from 11 a.m. to 9 a.m. the next day. Overnight
stays cost about 5,000, yen which is cheaper than taxi or hotel fees for many
people.

and

fresh underwear offerings are also popular with female customers

5,000 yen is about 42 USD which is not too bad… makes me want to go to Japan to NOT catch the train because luckily:

Men can also use the facility, but there is a special lounge just for women.

Ad-Bay's Search Phrases August 2005

2005-09-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

Interested in the search phrases people put into search engines to get to Ad-Bay? We thought we would let you know, so that if you have relevant ad space you might want to think about listing it.

Top 20: Read the full list here

(numbers in brackets are % of total)
advertising space (3.20%)
ad space (3%)
sell ad space (2.60%)
advertising rates (1.90%)
remnant advertising (1.60%)
sell advertising space (1.40%)
advertising auction (1.40%)
selling advertising space (1.30%)
ad rates (1.20%)
media buyers (1.10%)
taxi advertising (1.10%)
ad space for sale (1.10%)
newspaper advertising (0.90%)
ad auction (0.80%)
billboard advertising (0.80%)
chicago billboard advertising (0.70%)
selling ad space (0.70%)
free ad space (0.70%)
advertising space wanted (0.70%)
i want to buy advertising space (0.70%)

Read the full list here

2005: International Year of Microcredit.

2005-09-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed
him for a lifetime”
- Chinese Proverb

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to create an artificial shortage of fish and he will eat steak”
- Jay Leno

The United Nations have declared 2005 the International Year of Microcredit.

Microcredit is a small collateral-free loan extended to entrepreneurs who are too poor to get a loan from traditional banks (Wikipedia). Loans are lent to people to start their own business (usually for self employment) to purchase tools and equipment to generate income.

Microcredit is primarily targeted towards developing countries around the world as a way to help people help themselves. Although interest rates charged on these loans are high (from 20 to 100 percent per annum), microcredit supporters say that studies conducted in India, Kenya and the Philippines found that the average annual return on investments by micro-businesses ranged from 117 to 847 per cent. That’s enough to get any business man and woman excited. Women entrepreneurs, indeed, have been the big beneficiaries of microcredit, where they have been traditionally shut out of obtaining finance to run businesses on their own.

Detractors of the microcredit scheme claim that finance institutions are making big profit at the expense of the poor. However, microcredit financial institutions cannot be expected to deliver long-term services to the poorest areas of the world without making a profit. In fact, having a healthy profit margin will encourage other finance companies to move in and offer more microcredit loans which means that a) more money will flow into the poor countries and will have a stimulatory effect on the economy and b) competition will drive interest rates lower.

So this got me thinking… can the concept of microcredit be applied to first-world countries such in situations like Hurricane Katrina? Although the finance industry is much more mature in the US, can a microcredit style loan help small businesses in New Orleans and the affected areas? It can act a stimulatory boost to the local economy and can act as a raise the hopes of the thousands that have been affected.

Help for advertising, PR and marketing professionals...

2005-09-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

MarketingSherpa have a site for Marketing, Advertising, & PR Professionals for those in the Hurricane affected areas.

Market Research Association have a Researcher-to-Researcher Assistance Blog. “This Blog will be used as an exchange system where all research professionals can list what they are in need of and/or what they can provide one another” says its’ website

Donate your online ad space to Red Cross

2005-09-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

Donate your online ad space to Red Cross and help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Katrina: Initial Thoughts...

2005-09-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

With many businesses, especially the small and medium ones, in the New Orleans and the surrounding areas hurt so badly, it is with sadness (but also optimism and hope) that I publish my first article on “Dash”.

Whilst the most important thing is the immediate safety of family and loved ones in this crisis, the longer term impact on the local economy will be significant. Whilst the devastation of Katrina is so plain to see, there is something about the American spirit that will not take a beating like this without a fight back to rebuild and re-energise. I’m an Australian and we do share that sense of “can-do” attitude and that sense of helping a mate out in times of need.

So I hope the readers of this column can give moral and or financial to the families and businesses adversely affected by Katrina.

Perhaps you have a story or two about a disaster and how you coped?