ONLINE: Meet the New Idiot Box.

Among the many ignoble monikers that television has endured over the years is "idiot box." Well, it appears the computer may soon be jostling for this low-and-mighty position. According to eMarketer, the estimated number of online US viewers is expected to increase almost 30% in the next three years, to 157 million people by 2010. Clearly, advertisers and their agencies will need to account for the growth of this medium when developing strategic media plans.

That's it. Gotta run. There's a program on my computer I've gotta catch.

Source: Marketing Management, NOISE

INTERNET MARKETING: Improving Your Clickthroughs.

Are there ways to improve the effectiveness of your e-marketing? Some new research from Silverpop Systems suggests, yes. Here are some excellent tips based on a recent study:

1. PUT YOUR NAME IN THE SUBJECT LINE. This simple suggestion can increase up rates up to 12%.
2. IMBED TEXT-STYLE LINKS. A text link, versus an image link, averages nearly 3% better.
3. NAVIGATION BARS. If you include navigation bars in your eblasts, note that business-to-consumer scores better on the left, while business-to-business navigation bars generate better response when at the top.
4. FORMAT. Again, there are differences. Business-to-consumer e-blasts perform better in a newsletter format, while business-to-business messages deliver higher clickthroughs as postcards.
5. LINKS. The study also showed that the magic number of links for high click rates appears between six and 10; any more begins to detract from results.

Source: Marketing Management, NOISE

ADVERTISING: The Leap From 30 Seconds to 22 Minutes.

Over the years, there are numerous examples of advertising campaigns so connective, they've entered mainstream American culture.

Kleenex and Xerox are brand names that many folks have used, or still use, as a noun or verb. Expressions such as "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" or "it's Miller time" or countless others become part of everyday conversation. But it isn't often — in fact, this is really the first time — that the potential exists for a 30-second commercial to make the leap to a 22-minute prime time sitcom.

Introducing "Cavemen," or another name to be determined, if ABC programming executives follow through and actually air the pilot that they've ordered of the famous and incredibly cool Geico Neanderthals (in this case, three of 'em) struggling to make it through another day of civilization in Atlanta (isn't that something of an oxymoron itself?).

Will it happen? Who knows? Will it be successful? Who cares, really? The bottom line for the parent insurance company is that since 2004 when the Cavemen first appeared, Geico market share in a very competitive industry has increased almost 30%, which suggests that something's clicking and working.

Congratulations to the Martin Agency and Geico Insurance. Stay tuned, so to speak.

Source: Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, Others, NOISE

INTERNET MARKETING: TV Online Outperforms TV Offline.

Maybe we should add another criterion to the reach and frequency goals of television advertising. Like impact.

Because if impact were in fact measured, it now appears that TV commercials presented online perform far better with viewers than the medium for which they were created. Here's the skinny from Millward Brown research of more than 3,000 viewers that studied a network program on the competing platforms of television viewing and internet viewing:

1. Compared to traditional television, web spots increased attention by 53%.
2. Compared to tradtiional television, web spots increased awareness by 52%.
3. Compared to traditional television, web spots increased consideration by 27%.
4. Compared to traditional television, web spots increased favorability by 26%.
5. Prompted recall of brand advertising was 400% higher for web spots.

While all this should encourage every marketer to upload their TV to their website and integrate it all of their e-marketing, the downside to webmercials is the significantly smaller audience they deliver.

In other words, reach and frequency.

SOURCE: Adweek, NOISE

PUBLIC RELATIONS: When Is Good Buzz Bad?

This past Super Bowl brought us what industry experts have called one of the least-memorable litany of high-stakes messages in years. That doesn't mean, however, that people weren't talking.

As you may already know, three campaigns — two that debuted during the Super Bowl and one shortly thereafter — have cause a firestorm of buzz. And most of it's been bad.

One is the now well-known chest-hair-pulling spot for Snickers, in which two manly men doing manly things wind up sharing a Snickers bar, and an unintentional kiss — then resort to great (albeit short) lengths to reinforce their manliness. The spot was quickly pulled after gay and lesbian protest.

Another spot, this for GM that featured a depressed manufacturing robot jumping off a bridge, was re-edited after it received extreme criticism from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Even uber-hot Crispin Porter + Bogusky felt the heat in the kitchen after resurrecting, in a very creepy way, the late Orville Redenbacher (some blogs have taken to referring to him as "Deadenbacher").

So the question is: is bad buzz really better than no buzz at all?

Our answer: not when the buzz spins negatively vis-a-vis the brand's perceived core personality characteristics (i.e. sympathetic, understanding, sophisticated, intelligent, cool, etc.). After all, it's one thing to be outrageous or silly or daring or even (in the right situation) stupid. It's another to be rude, unfeeling or disrespectful.

Source: Boards, NOISE

TRAVEL & TOURISM: What's Hot in Florida.

Two significant trends will influence Florida tourism in 2007: Travelers want "bragging rights" about a unique vacation experience, and they love to compare notes with each other over the internet.

Specially-crafted consumer experience are one of these key elements. Destinations, attractions and accommodations need to take a new look at what they are and what they have to offer — then stand on their heads and think upside down how to newly package and market those experiences.

In a similar vein, these same marketers need to make it simple and easy for consumers to talk about their experiences online, and share their experiences with others. So beyond packaging and marketing, seek opportunities to let your customers be your advocates -- on your website and elsewhere. And provide them incentive to do so.

Other trends to watch for:

1. More in-state Florida tourists will be taking three-day vacations.
2. More gender-based vacations will be the norm, such as spa weekends for women and golf weekends for men.
3. Visitors will seek off-the-beaten-path experiences, yet
4. They'll also seek vacation experiences that reflect "what the locals do."

Be creative. Be smart. Be proactive. And be successful in 2007!

SOURCE: Florida Trend Magazine, NOISE

CORPORATE ETHICS: Change For His Dollar.

Here's to Whole Foods Market founder John Mackey's recent (November 2006) announcement to the WFM nation of his intention, effective January 1, 2007, to draw only $1 per year in compensation.

According to Mackey, "the tremendous success of Whole Foods Market has provided me with far more money than I ever dreamed I'd have and far more than is necessary for either my financial security or personal happiness. I have reached a place in my life where I no longer want to work for money, but simply for the joy of work itself and to better answer the call to service that I feel so clearly in my heart. Our intention is to donate all of (my) future stock options to our two company foundations."

Today, buzzwords like "green marketing" and "cause marketing" are thrown into more and more marketing dialogue and brand positioning — with the intent, of course, to manipulate public sentiment by doing good. We applaud the apparent genuine intentions of Mr. Mackey to let his actions speak just as loudly as his words, in defining the soul of Whole Foods Market.

May we all do good with what we've been given.

SOURCE: Fast Company, NOISE

TRAVEL & TOURISM: How (Web) Word of Mouth Is the Best Form of Advertising.

The trends are all over travel and tourism: more than ever, the internet drives the bus when it comes to personal travel planning.

But what really motivates and influences today's internet travel planner? It's not just pretty websites or multi-star ratings, but just as much word-of-mouth recommendations that help determine one's final destination.

According to a recent study by research firm Guideline, both "standard vacationers" (those spending less than $2,000) and "luxury vacationers" (spending more than $2,000) are highly influenced by:

1. Reviews by other travelers. 35% of luxury travelers and 34% of standard travelers feel this is most influential.

2. Articles about the destination. 34% of luxury travelers seek editorial regarding their destination, as do 25% of standard travelers.

3. Photos or slideshows of the destination. Another important element according to one of four luxury travelers, and one of three standard travelers.

Lessons? If you're seeking to influence your travel and tourism audience, be sure to include personal and editorial commentary of your destination in their search.

SOURCE: Marketing Management, NOISE

WEB MARKETING: Analyze This. Analyze That. Analyze Free.

All of us at trendspottings have reverent admiration for the ingenious minds at Google. So it's with great genuflecting that we report on Google's newest, latest and (yet another) free way to better integrate its way into your world.

It's called Google Analytics.

With Google Analytics, now anyone and everyone with a website can have a highly sophisticated, highly detailed, extremely useful and (did I mention this?) free web analytics program. With your free account (available at googleanalytics.com/getstarted), you can add tracking elements to your website that provide on a daily basis:

• Unique Visitors
• Pageviews
• New Visits
• Referral Source Visits
• Geographic Visitor Map
• Top 5 Sources, Keywords, Campaigns
• Top 5 Entrances, Exits and Content (Including Pageviews and Average Time)
• Marketing Summary
• Conversion Summary
• Marketing Optimization Reports (With a Host of Tools)
• Content Optimization Reports (More Tools!)

All of this includes a really cool site overlay of your website, where every clickthrough on your page appears as a box, and all you need to is scroll over the box to see your report.

Of course, Google Analytics works with Google Adwords and you're encouraged to participate. But why not? Google Adwords is a complementary component to many marketing campaigns, and this valuable free service from Google almost makes you want to give them money.

SOURCE: NOISE, Adweek

PUBLIC RELATIONS: AirTran's Slogan? Laugh, There's Nothing Stopping You.

From our point of view (which is generally an aisle seat), there's no question: AirTran Airlways advertising is by far the funniest, coolest, hippest around. Read their witty billboards or, better, fly 'em one time and check out the back of the bag of peanuts.

This December 24, at 10 am, 3 pm and 7 pm, along came a three-part series of AirTran news releases (now in its third year) which outlines important information on the company's "Satellite-based Aviation Navigation Tracking Apparatus" (S.A.N.T.A) report. Delivered with the same tongue-in-cheek approach as AirTran's ad campaign, the S.A.N.T.A. report provided updates on the travels of Santa Claus' international one-night flight, with AirTran technicians "mysteriously losing radar contact as Santa's sleigh entered airspace off the coast of Bermuda" in apparent approach to the United States.

The fact that AirTran's S.A.N.T.A. report is issued via national newswires and picked up by many news bureaus shouldn't be lost on any marketing professional who might Scrooge the idea or its cost. As msn.com noted in picking up the entire release (including AirTran stock, flight and promo info), it's all "delightfully fun." And that translates into good feelings toward AirTran by the consuming public. Which influences selection. Which influences sales.

Kudos to AirTran's creative marketing minds for realizing that for PR and promotion, the sky's the limit (pun intended). Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all.

SOURCE: NOISE, eTurboNews, msn.com

MEDIA: Google Goes Radio

As if there isn't enough advertising in the world, now Google has purchased dMarc Broadcasting with the goal of integrating radio advertising into its search engine similar to its AdWords pay per click program. As Kevin Leff of ClickZ sees it, Google will most likely "implement its famous auction methodology for radio ads, replacing traditional ad rotation with an ad-spot auction running in real time. Soon media buyers will bid for each defined group of ad spots against all the other marketers who want to reach the same audience. Media buying is going to get a lot more interesting."

And searching for information, potentially a lot more noisy.

SOURCE: NOISE, clickz.com

TRAVEL & TOURISM: There's Nothing Like the Weekend.

Travel marketers would be smart to focus on an ever-growing travel trend: short weekend trips. These getaways are increasingly appealing to Americans, with 225 million such trips taken last year — an increase of more than 10 percent in just five years, according to the Travel Industry Association's (TIA) U.S. Domestic Leisure Travel Report.

The shoulder seasons of April-May and September-October have become prime weekend getaway times (32%), about equal to the summer months (31%).

According to the study, weekend travelers are much more likely than the typical leisure traveler to stay in a hotel or bed & breakfast. And because they stay just 2.2 nights on average, they don't waste any time — managing to include more activities on their trips than leisure travelers overall (the most popular activities during weekend trips: dining, entertainment, shopping and sightseeing).

As expected, a large share (43%) of weekend trips are taken by male-female couples; however, 28% of these trips are also taken by families with children. In addition, weekend getaways are more likely than other leisure trips to be taken by upper-income households (42% by households with incomes over $75,000). Weekend travelers spend an average of $416 on their getaways, excluding the cost of transportation to their destination, compared to $360 for overall trips.

Our advice? Map a market within three to four hours drive. Package a package of relaxation, dining and entertainment for couples and families. Then price it correctly, promote it properly and profit handsomely.

SOURCE: TravelMole, NOISE

HEALTHCARE: Healthy (and Unhealthy) Personalities.

A new Yankelovich Preventative Healthcare Study of 6,000 consumers finds that only 30% of us are legitimate when it comes to actively, positively taking care of our health — leaving a lot of room for improvement, and a lot of opportunities for health care marketers.

The study divides Americans into 25 profiles which are then converted to four general health categories. Here are the findings:

• "Take Charge." This group, comprising 30% of us, makes health and wellness a priority in their lives and regularly engage in behaviors that promote overall well-being. They're active consumers of health care information.

• "Best of Intentions." This group represents 9% of the population and are more advanced in health care attitude than behavior, knowing what they should do about health and wellness but failing to consistently act on their knowledge.

• "Middle of the Road." According to Yankelovich, 29% of us fall into this category — persons superficially aware of health risks but only willing to take action in a crisis. Here, prevention is interesting but not a priority.

• "Disinterested." The largest group is the worst — 33% of all Americans. If you're one of them, you maintain attitudes and behavior that actually contribute to an increased likelihood of poor health.

With information like this, health care marketers and their agencies should be better able to identify the programs and services best suited for each audience, and how to go about promoting them with messages that best reach each audience.

SOURCE: Healthcare Marketing Report, NOISE

TRAVEL: Thanksgiving Now a Leftover in American Holiday Travel

You've got to pity the poor turkey. First, millions of 'em make the ultimate sacrifice each year in grand American ritual. Now, American travelers snub that sacrifice in lieu of a newer, more attractive holiday vacation — Christmas.

That's the news from an American Express Travel poll, which reports that the most popular time for holiday travel this year is not Thanksgiving weekend but the week between Christmas and New Year's — favored by almost 33% of travelers, versus 18% for Thanksgiving and another 8% following the new year. That's only one change in holiday travel patterns, however.

"Holiday travel has evolved considerably from the local family gathering to new, exciting adventures as travelers seize the opportunity to create lasting holiday memories," says Audrey Hendley, vice president of marketing, American Express Travel.

In addition to the shift in schedules, more than half of the agents in the poll said customers are looking for new destinations instead of the tried and true, with trends including:

• Luxury vacations at record high levels.
• An increase in five-star hotel bookings.
• More first class and business-class airline bookings.

The survey found luxury travel this holiday season has increased most among couples and families, followed by mature travelers and singles. American Express agents say that beach resort, cruise, and ski-mountain vacations top the list as favorite getaways.

Almost half of those surveyed said the top reason for taking a holiday vacation instead of staying home are that kids are off from school. Other major reasons for holiday vacations are that people are able to take time off, a desire to relax and get away from it all, and an interest in experiencing a new culture or country.

SOURCE: TravelMole, NOISE

BUZZ: NOISE Names New CEO, Adds Staff to Service Growth

NOISE Branding Communications is pleased to announce the appointment of Milissa Sprecher (pictured) to the position of Chief Executive Officer of the agency. Previously, Milissa Sprecher had served as Chief Financial Officer. Under her tenure, which began earlier this year, NOISE has attracted significant additional clients in Florida, Wisconsin and Illinois. Sprecher will share management of the agency's 12-person, multi-state staff with Mary Parodo, President. The move allows husband and Chief Creative Officer John Sprecher to more effectively allocate his time toward creative services for an expanding roster of clients.

NOISE has also announced the promotion and additions of:

• Dave Kotlan to Vice President and Associate Creative Director.
• Greg Batiansila to Copywriter and Web Programmer.
• Jessica Kolbe to Account Leader.
• Chris Campbell to Web Programmer.

SOURCE: NOISE

MEDIA: Thinking Outside the (Takeout) Box

Congrats to Mediawest USA for winning Adweek's "Media Plan of the Year for Out of Home" award for Continental Airlines. In a targeted campaign in Manhattan, New York, Mediawest stepped way outside the box to purchase more than 1,600 out-of-home sites (with more than 1,000 copy variations) including:

• Traditional posters and transits
• Elevator screens
• Taxi tops
• Subway wraps
• A Times Square building wrap
• Chinese takeout cartons that read "New daily nonstop service to Beijing" (Our personal favorite — the strategy, not the sweet and sour shrimp)

Post-campaign research found that an impressive 70% of consumers recalled the campaign and an even more impressive 65% were influenced in the decision-making process.

SOURCE: Outdoor Advertising Association of America, Adweek, NOISE

MEDIA: Teens: More TV Is Less TV.

Marketers who target teens should expand their broadcast reach beyond traditional television to online viewing — or risk losing a substantial and growing audience. That's according to a new study from MindShare Online Research group, which found that clearly one out of every three teens ages 12-17 (and one in four tweens ages 8-12) watch television programming online. Not surprisingly, television was the medium that would be most missed if taken away, followed by video games and internet. Newspapers and magazines barely registered a single percentage point.

SOURCE: MediaBuyerPlanner Daily, NOISE

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS: What's Next? iCoffee?

Here's a tip to any company that desires to extend its brand in new and unique ways: follow the example of Starbucks.

In conjunction with an announcement that the venti retailer aims to double its U.S. size in the next five years, and ultimately grow to 40,000 locations worldwide (10,000 more than previously planned), Starbucks has announced a strategic partnership with Apple Computer to offer its unique blend of coffee house music on iTunes. Plans are for both parties to split the profits. The mind begins to whirrrrrllllllll, like on a triple shot of espresso, at the cross-promo opportunities.

The lesson's pretty simple. If you're a brand leader, surround yourself with like brand leaders, leverage each other's cachet and explore every potential, logical, profitable extension.

SOURCE: Brand Noise, NOISE

CREATIVE: It Tastes a Lot Like Chicken — the Xbox Game, That Is.

How good is your agency's advertising? So good that you'd make a video game of it? Not too many campaigns can claim this — in fact, I can't think of another — but Burger King's (in)famous subservient chicken is soon to come to gamers. Word is that come November, fans of The King, his love interest Brooke Burke and Subservient Chicken will all be featured on Xbox 360 video games, available for $3.99 (plus a meal, of course) at Burger Kings. According to sources, the games will feature five different theme parks and "challenging scenarios" (like wolving down BK food, perhaps?). Silliness aside, you've got to give it up to a campaign that's so successful it transcends advertising into mainstream society. If you want to call Subservient Chicken mainstream. For those who haven't a clue what the fuss is all about, visit subservientchicken.com for a (pardon the fowl pun) hoot.

Source: Adweek Interactive, NOISE

PUBLIC RELATIONS: Building A Viable Online Media Center.

Every serious marketer needs an online media center. Much more than a fact sheet or about us page, an online media center makes it easy and virtually pain free for journalists to acquire more than just the facts, ma'am — but industry trends, meaningful research, credible authorities and, most of all, editorial ideas that can inspire editorial placements.

According to Bacon's, one of the world's leading publicity information agencies since 1932, the key is for the marketer to "think like a journalist" (a line that begs "insert joke here") — by offering information that's timely, relevant, easy to access and fluff-free. Specicially, Bacon's suggests you place your media center in a prominent position on your website and include the following:

• Fact Sheet
• Frequently Asked Questions
• News Clippings (previous, specific to your company)
• Press Releases (last 12 months)
• Story Ideas
• Company Background
• Executive Bios
• Quotes
• Photos, Graphics and Charts (password may or may not be required, your call)
• Impartial Source List
• Contact Information

We're passionate proponents of public and media relations as part of any organization's overall marketing mix. Not only is editorial exposure three times more credible in the public eye than advertising, every bit of exposure you garner should be merchandised and marketed again and again — on your website, in your literature, even on your walls — as evidence of your newsworthiness and noiseworthiness.

SOURCE: The Navigator, NOISE