Super Bowl Commercials: False Advertising?

Every year, the hype over Super Bowl ads is almost as big, if not bigger, than the hype over the actual game. And in both cases, some years have delivered better than others. This year was not one of the good ones all the way around. [For those actually interested in football, the Green Bay Packers edged out the Pittsburgh Steelers 31 to 25.)

As for the commercials, if it wasn't the huge number of automobile ads and movie trailers that made it hard to remember which car or movie was being pitched, then it was the ads that managed to offend groups ranging from Tibetans, Italians and senior citizens to women, parents and people opposed to drivers using Facebook while behind the wheel. There were, of course, exceptions, with some commentators offering positive reviews of ads for Volkswagen (with its mini Darth Vader), Motorola (love, flowers and Big Brother), Pepsi (love in a can), Chrysler (love note to Detroit), Best Buy (a space-age Justin Bieber), E*Trade (talking babies) and CarMax (mermaids and geeks), among others. The ads, good or bad, cost advertisers between $2.5 million to $3 million for a 30-second spot, according to news reports.

KnowledgeToday asked Wharton marketing professor David Reibstein to give us his views of this year's Super Bowl ad tournament.

”Rating the best ads for the Super Bowl always depends on what criteria are being used," says Reibstein. "Most of the popular ratings are based on how much enjoyment people got by watching the ad. It is not necessarily the best-producing ad for the firm. In fact, often, it is quite the opposite. Yet, many of the ad agencies that produce these ads are striving to get attention and to demonstrate their creativity and production capabilities while paying less attention to whether the ads will yield the desired results for the firm."

Below, in his own words, are Reibstein's favorite Super Bowl XLV ads (in no particular order):

1. The Bridgestone ad with the beaver -- has an animal, which helps ... and it clearly states a product benefit.
2. Pepsi Max had several ads, but the best was “Love Hurts”. It is very cute and communicates the product benefits. I also liked the one with the date where we could hear what each of them were thinking.
3. CarMax was unusual and not a well known brand, but you got the [message] that they were all about service like in the “good old days.”
4. The Coke ad with the border crossing illustrated we can let issues between us go away for a Coke.
5. The NFL ad showing all the old TV programs with football in them [illustrates] how pervasive the sport is in all parts of our life — with programs from different eras and for different audiences. The nostalgia was great and undoubtedly held attention.

My least favorite ads were those that focused on the production, often sci-fi, to demonstrate [technical] capability but had little information about the product. Several ads fit into this category.

1. One that I thought was hilarious, but sent the wrong message, was the Dorito ad with the dog running into the door. It showed that Doritos are a big draw for dogs and would make a great dog treat. Wrong message, yet I am sure it will get high ratings.
2. The VW ad with the powerful Darth Vader was cute, but says absolutely nothing about the car.
3. The Coke ad was too much sci-fi and got distracted by the production.

As for the wisdom of companies spending $3 million for a single 30-second ad, Reibstein notes that it is a question of “simple logic:” Approximately 100 million viewers are watching these ads, he says, which is “just under $30 on a cost per thousand (CPM) basis. That’s in the ballpark for what you pay for a normal ad, plus all these ads get re-shown on so many different websites and in so many newspapers that the total amount of exposure is much greater. So while it looks like an outrageously expensive process, it’s probably a pretty good bargain.”

source: http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu

Smartphones More Effective for Ad Campaigns

Compared to feature phone users, smartphone users are most impacted by mobile campaigns, according to the December 2010 SMART Report from Millennial Media. Millennial Media analysis indicates this discrepancy is likely due to larger screen sizes and rich media offerings of smartphones.

Smartphones Have Biggest Edge in Mobile Ad Awareness

Direct comparisons show that smartphones are an especially superior vehicle for advertising compared to feature phones in the area of mobile ad awareness, or capturing customer attention. Smartphone campaigns have 39% effectiveness in this area, about 39% more than the 28% effectiveness of feature phones.

In addition, smartphones are 30% more effective than feature phones in the area of unaided awareness (17% compared to 13%), and 25% more effective in purchase intent (15% compared to 12%).

Telecom Claims Top Q4 Mobile Ad Vertical Spot

Telecom claimed the number one spot in the Q4 2010 top 10 advertising verticals. Millennial Media analysis shows that during the holiday season, multiple carrier brands and device manufacturers doubled their mobile buys, utilizing a combination of broad and targeted reach strategies to create awareness of new mobile devices, namely Windows Phone 7 devices.

Retail & restaurants moved up one spot from Q3 2010 to the number two position in Q4 2010 and experienced explosive growth of more than 572% year-over-year. Retail & restaurant advertisers leveraged mobile to drive foot traffic with store locator as the primary post-click
campaign action.

Also experiencing explosive year-over-year growth was the automotive vertical (623%), which jumped from number eight in Q3 2010 to number five in Q4 2010. Millennial Media says mobile websites and applications created by automotive brands are extremely robust and enable customers to conduct research, identify retail promotions, find a local dealership and schedule vehicle service appointments.

Traffic to Site Leading Q4 Campaign Destination

Traffic to site represented 49% of the campaign destinations during Q4 2010. According to Millennial Media, advertisers are investing in their mobile sites with features and functionality as robust as their online sites. For example, the travel vertical is is launching full-service mobile sites which allow customers to research and transact on the go.

Meanwhile, custom landing page was the second-most-popular campaign destination in Q4 2010 with a 2% increase quarter-over-quarter, representing 35% of the impression share. Telecom brands created custom landing pages to promote the release of new products, services and holiday promotions.

Targeted Audience Reach Remains Popular

Targeted audience reach campaign methods (GEO, demographic, behavioral audience and audience takeover) continued to resonate with advertisers in Q4 2010 with 43% of campaigns leveraging these targeting methods.

Broad reach methods (run of network, custom subnet and channel) represented 57% of the campaign targeting mix in Q4 2010. Millennial Media data shows that dating, entertainment and telecom leveraged these methods to increase awareness of new products and services during the holidays, a peak advertising time.

Demographic, Behavioral Audience Most Popular Targeted Audience Methods

Demographic as a targeting method experienced the largest quarter-over-quarter growth of 5% and represented 42% of the targeted audience mix in Q4 2010. Restaurant brands with new menu items and various retail advertisers leveraged demographic targeting to effectively achieve their diverse campaign goals.

Meanwhile, behavioral audience represented 19% of the targeted audience reach in Q4 2010, a 4% increase quarter-over-quarter. This targeting method allows advertisers to customize their message to a customer who is known for engaging with similar products or brands. Travel brands targeted moms and business traveler segments with convenient booking tools to and a popular beverage company targeted college students with a new product campaign.

Mobile Retailing on the Rise

Consumers are using mobile phones for retail-related activities at an increasing level, according to a new study from ForeSee Results. The US edition of the “ForeSee Results Report on Mobile Shopping” indicates that 33% of all survey respondents had accessed a retailer’s website using a mobile phone (compared to 24% in 2009), and an additional 26% said that they plan to use their mobile phone to visit a company’s website, mobile website, or mobile application in the future. In other words, more than half of all online shoppers are either already using or plan to use their phones for retail purposes.

Many Americans Lack Savings

Twenty-seven percent of Americans have no personal savings and 34% have no retirement savings, according to results of a new Harris Poll. Just 18 months ago those numbers were moderately lower, at 22% and 30%, respectively.

Echo Boomers, Gen X Least Likely to Save Personally

When it comes to personal savings, the age group least likely to have any is Echo Boomers (18-33), with 33% having no personal savings. Gen X fares little better with 32% having no personal savings. Only 14% of Matures (65 and older) lack personal savings.

Overall, bank savings and CDs are the most popular form of personal savings (31% of respondents have most of their personal savings in these mechanisms, down close to 10% from 34% in May 2009). Interestingly, the two most likely age groups to mostly use bank savings and CDs are Echo Boomers (41%) and Matures (31%).

Few Change Personal Savings

Seventy percent of Americans say they have not changed their personal savings in the past six months, up more than 10% from 62% in May 2009. Only a combined 15% have moved money out of a savings vehicle.

Looking at respondents with differing educational levels, those with a high school degree or less or some college (74% and 75%, respectively) are more likely to have not changed their personal savings in the past six months than those with a college degree or post-graduate education (60% and 61%, respectively).

More than Half of Echo Boomers Have No Retirement Savings

Echo Boomers’ retirement saving habits are even worse than their personal saving habits. Fifty-three percent of Echo Boomers have no retirement savings, with Gen X the next most likely to say this at a far lower 32% response rate.

The most popular form of retirement savings overall is a relatively equal mix of stocks/mutual funds and investments such as bonds and money market funds (22%, not much different from 19% in May 2009). Echo Boomers (16%) and Gen X (27%) were both more likely to mostly put their retirement savings in stocks and/or mutual funds, however.

Retirement Savings Largely Untouched

Retirement savings, like personal savings, have mostly not been changed in the past six months. Seventy-four percent of Americans have not done so, up about 14% from 65% in May 2009. Also similar to personal savings, lower educational levels are associated with a lower likelihood of having changed retirement savings in the recent past.

Average Young Worker on Track to Save 2/3 of Needed Money

Due to lack of participation in defined contribution plans, low savings rates and high rates of cashouts, Aon Hewitt analysis indicates eight in 10 Generation Y workers (ages 18-30) will not meet all of their financial needs in retirement unless they significantly improve their saving and investing behaviors.

After factoring in inflation and post-retirement medical costs, Aon Hewitt projects Generation Y workers will need to save 18.7 times their final pay in retirement resources: including Social Security, employer-provided defined benefit and defined contribution plans and employee savings; to maintain their current standard of living in retirement (this assumes retiring at age 65; more will be needed to retire earlier).

Yet Aon Hewitt’s research shows that employees of this generation who work a full career are on track to accumulate just 12.4 times their final pay, leaving a shortfall of 6.3 times pay, a third of their total needs.

Social Media Gaining Value as Component of Super Bowl Advertising

CA, NY — Despite the high cost of advertising during the Super Bowl — commercial time has sold for upwards of $3 million per 30-second ad — the big game continues to attract sponsors interested in reaching a vast audience for their products. Marketing expert Scott Hamula says those sponsors are also finding more ways than ever to expand that audience through the use of social media.

“It’s likely that Super Bowl XLV will have more ads directing viewers online than ever before as marketers look for greater ROE — return on engagement,” said Hamula.

“In a tough economy, marketers more than ever scrutinize their advertising. They want to know what’s working and what’s not. CEOs, COOs, CFOs and CMOs like numbers. So, short of using elusive sales figures, ads that drive traffic to a microsite or that get consumers talking online are valued because they are immediately accountable. Ad agencies can say, ‘Look, this campaign is successful! We got x number of hits at our site or “likes” on our brand’s Facebook page.’ Plus, brands get the added benefit of interacting with consumers in some sort of virtual experiential environment which could result in a strong ROE for the ad dollars spent.”

An associate professor of integrated marketing communications in the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, Hamula points out that advertisers begin making connections with viewers way before kickoff. Pepsi, for example, is using the Internet to engage consumers with an opportunity to view five consumer-created Doritos and five Pepsi Max ads and vote on which will air during the Super Bowl.

“It’s fascinating how a marketer can drive traffic to a website and have people attentively watch just commercials!”

Hamula says that advertisers appear to be bullish on the February 6 game, which will be televised by Fox, as ad inventory sold out quicker than in recent years. He notes that some advertisers who cut back in the past are returning (BMW), and with a vengeance (Pepsi). Some newcomers to the Super Bowl include Groupon, Best Buy, Pizza Hut and CarMax. For the first time in about a decade, the big three Detroit automakers — General Motors, Chrysler and Ford — are all buying time.

by David Maley from Ithaca.edu

The Advertising Rebound Eludes Newspaper Publishers

Monetizing digital content won't come easy for Gannett and New York Times.

Overall media advertising has rebounded after the economic downturn that started in early 2008, but newspaper publishers have yet to see positive growth. As illustrated below, advertising industry dollars began to decline in the second quarter of 2008, but the drop was more pronounced for newspaper publishers, continuing a secular shift from print media that started before the recession. Even as the economy has improved, newspapers are still posting year-over-year revenue declines, while television and online advertising have rebounded sharply. In our view, the newspaper industry's decline will prevent Gannett and New York Times from sustaining positive top-line growth, given their dependence on publishing (roughly three fourths of total sales for each firm).

Newspaper publishers have expanded into digital offerings to mitigate the decline in print media. With digital ad revenue growth in the double digits, newspapers are looking to capture some of this growth. Gannett has expanded from its newspaper roots into the faster-growing area of online media. The digital segment, formed in 2006, has grown to over 10% of Gannett's sales. The company owns a majority stake in CareerBuilder and ShopLocal and holds an interest in Cars.com and Apartments.com through a 24% stake in Classified Ventures. New York Times is also focused on growing its digital offerings and improving its advertising potential through new technologies and expansion of existing content. It owns websites About.com and CalorieCount.com and will soon have an online paywall for NYTimes.com and charge for its iPad application.

In our view, digital media will not become a meaningful portion of overall revenue and certainly not enough to offset the loss of print advertising and circulation dollars. These fast-growing segments are a relatively small portion of total sales. Gannett and New York Times' bread and butter is still print media, so both firms have enacted a myriad of cost-cutting measures to offset the continued top-line declines. Gannett's reduced workforce, mandated furloughs, facility consolidation, and centralization of back-office functions has led to dramatic operating profit margin improvement of nearly 400 basis points during 2010. New York Times has also reduced its workforce and salaries, consolidated facilities, and instituted operational improvements, contributing to 330 basis points of margin improvement in 2010. While we applaud the cost-cutting efforts to date, we doubt the publishers will be able to cut costs at the same pace as print revenue declines over the longer term. In our view, Gannett and New York Times need to show some real top-line improvement in order to hold onto recent margin gains. In addition, we are concerned that the newspaper publishers will run out of fat to trim and have to cut into muscle, negatively impacting the quality of their product, leading to greater subscriber erosion.

Further, we are skeptical about the newspaper publishers' abilities to monetize digital content. The USA Today and New York Times iPhone applications are among the top news-related downloads, and USAToday.com and NYTimes.com attract 56 million and 100 million visits per month, respectively, but all are currently free. New York Times will introduce a paid model for NYTimes.com this year, but only for the "most frequent" visitors. Gannett is testing a pay model for USA Today in three markets, but management states they are happy with having an ad-supported site for now. Given the amount of news sources that do not charge for online content, we do not believe the revenue generated from charging from websites and applications will be meaningful. Additionally, the newspaper publishers must be careful with online ads, such that they do not compromise the user experience. An excessive amount of advertising online will likely deter customers.

For these reasons, we think Gannett's shares are overvalued and New York Times' shares are significantly overvalued. Gannett is trading at 1.3 times our fair value estimate and a forward fiscal enterprise value/EBITDA multiple of 5.6 versus our implied fair value multiple of 5.1. New York Times is trading at 1.8 times our fair value estimate and a forward fiscal enterprise value/EBITDA multiple of 7.0 versus our implied fair value multiple of 5.6. These multiples may appear punitive, but we're focused on the long-term secular decline of the newspaper industry, coupled with the publishers' inability to offset lost print revenue with newer digital offerings.

Source: By Joscelyn MacKay from The Morning Star

Half of Homes to Have DVR by 2016 | Cablevision Expands Free HD Programs

• The number of U.S. homes with a DVR should pass the halfway mark and reach 50% of all TV homes or about 61.8 million households by the end of 2016, up from 32% or 37.9 million at the end of the third quarter of 2010, according to revised projections from Magna Global. The firm is also predicting that the homes with VOD, a category that includes both traditional multichannel VOD offerings and over the top services, will hit 70.1 million homes, about 57% of all TV homes at the end of 2016. That is up from 51.1 million homes with VOD or about 44% of all TV homes at the end of the third quarter of 2010, reports broadcastingcable.com.

• The TruTV show Operation Repo wants 500,000 likes on Facebook, so it’s issuing a challenge to its fans: hit the number by the end of the season in April, and they’ll produce an bonus episode just for Facebook. It’s not the first time a cable show has rewarded its Facebook fans, reports LostRemote.com, Nick debuted a Spongebob episode on its Facebook page this week, beginning at 8 p.m. ET, a day ahead of the television episode on Nick.
• Cablevision System has added Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus to its free lineup of HD service. The New York metro area’s predominant cable operator said it is automatically directing HD set-top boxes to the HD feeds of the complementary channels, when available. For CableCARD customers, the HD channel position for Fox Soccer Channel is 797; Fox Soccer Plus is available on 798. All told, Cablevision counts over 100 free HD channels, writes multichannel.com.

Source: http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/entry/79776/half-of-homes-to-have-dvr-by-2016-cablevision-expands-free-hd-programs/?utm_source=mbp&utm_medium=email&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=newsletter

It's a sure bet economy wins after Super Bowl: professor

By Monique Beech, Standard Staff

For those who play the stock market, this weekend's Super Bowl should be a win-win situation.

The old theory, or "Super Bowl Indicator," goes like this: Who wins the biggest football game on the planet is a predictor of a strong or soft stock market.

The idea is that if a team from the original National Football League wins Sunday's big game, the stock market should go up.

If a team from the former American Football League wins, the markets should a take hit and go down.

The leagues merged in 1970 to form the NFL.

This year is special. Both the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are original NFL teams. It's only happened nine times before in the Super Bowl's 44-year history. All nine times, the S&P 500 went up an average 17% in those years, according to a study by George Kester, a finance professor at Washington and Lee University.

Meanwhile, if an original NFL team reigns supreme over an old AFL team, the market only increases by 10%.

That excites Brock University business professor Ernest Biktimirov.

"Now, both teams come from the original National Football League. In this case for sure, markets will go up according to the predictor," said Biktimirov, who created a similar predictor based on the outcome of the Stanley Cup playoffs and how it affects the Canadian stock market.

The Super Bowl/stock market correlation is strong. The Super Bowl winner has correctly forecasted whether the market will go up or down 80% of the time.

Trouble is, no one knows why, Biktimirov said.

"There is no economical theory behind this," he said. "It's simply some spurious speculation. It just happens to happen. The reason it gets so much attention is Super Bowl is such a big event."

An event that happens at the same time every year, he added.

Then again, Biktimirov said stock markets are also predicted on the length of women's skirts. If short skirts are in fashion, the market goes up. If hemlines go down, so do fortunes.

Would Biktimirov put his money on the stock market or the game?

The stock market, said Biktimirov, who is neither a Packers cheesehead nor a Steelers fan.

"The predictor has been remarkably successful. That's why it got so much attention."

Economists began noticing the correlation of Super Bowl winners and the financial health of the United States as far back as the 1980s.

What is Branding and How Important is it to Your Marketing Strategy?

By Laura Lake, About.com Guide

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.

Therefore it makes sense to understand that branding is not about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem.

The objectives that a good brand will achieve include:

• Delivers the message clearly
• Confirms your credibility
• Connects your target prospects emotionally
• Motivates the buyer
• Concretes User Loyalty

To succeed in branding you must understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects. You do this by integrating your brand strategies through your company at every point of public contact.

Your brand resides within the hearts and minds of customers, clients, and prospects. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you cannot.

A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for customers intensifies day by day. It's important to spend time investing in researching, defining, and building your brand. After all your brand is the source of a promise to your consumer. It's a foundational piece in your marketing communication and one you do not want to be without.

What to look forward to in Sunday’s Super Bowl of Advertising

By Lewis Lazare Media & Marketing Columnist Feb 3, 2011 6:11PM

For Lew Lazare

At almost the last minute, Groupon has made it into Sunday’s Super Bowl of Advertising, traditionally the biggest event of the year for advertisers and the advertising industry in America.

The Chicago-based, super-hot digital discount coupon company looks to be latching on to the Super Bowl and its 100-million-person TV audience to raise brand awareness in a hurry. Groupon was initially slated to run ads only in the pre- and post-Super Bowl shows. But as sometimes happens, ad time opened up in the game itself last minute, and Groupon grabbed it.

Groupon tapped Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami to do its three Super Bowl-related spots. CP+B is known for not being afraid to be outrageous. Among other things, CP+B cooked up the subservient chicken online for Burger King.

Groupon is keeping details about its new Super Bowl work under wraps, but Crispin selected Christopher Guest to direct the TV commercials. Guest recently did a series of TV ads drawing attention to the 2010 United States Census that were developed by DraftFCB.

Groupon and a slew of other advertisers will pay top dollar (upwards of $3 million per 30 seconds) to buy time during this year’s Super Bowl. They gladly cough up the big bucks because this TV event, more than any other each year, draws tens of millions of males and females who sit in front of their TVs to actually watch the advertising as well as the game itself.

This year’s Super Bowl of Ads promises to be an event filled — more than usual — with commercial announcements from the auto industry.

No fewer than eight major auto makers — among them Audi, GM, Chrysler and Volkswagen — have signed on to run commercials during the Super Bowl. With the economy starting to turn around, auto makers figure now is the time to whet the public’s appetite for a new car. And car manufacturers are using advertising’s biggest stage to do just that.

Some, like BMW, are keeping all details of their Super Bowl ads under wraps until the commercials run Sunday. But Audi, which has a high profile buy in the first commercial break after kickoff, has released just enough particulars to draw interest.

Like several of the spots in the year’s line-up, the Audi commercial, titled “Release the Hounds,” features a celebrity appearance — in this instance jazz musician Kenny G. He is tied into a story about two inmates who are trying to break out of a luxury prison. Just what a “luxury” prison looks like remains to be seen.

Anheuser-Busch has long been a major player in the Super Bowl of Advertising. This year, however, with Belgian-based InBev now solidly in control of the iconic American brewer, A-B’s presence won’t be as dominant as it has been in years past.

The August Busch clan that sold the brewery to InBev was a big believer in making a big advertising splash during the Super Bowl — no matter the cost. The more cost-conscious InBev, however, appears to be taking a more conservative approach toward Super Bowl ad expenditures and putting some of that money to use in other marketing efforts.

The brewer is buying only three and a half minutes of ad time this year, compared to five minutes in 2010. A-B is splitting that buy among three brands, one of which is import Stella Artois, making its first appearance at the Super Bowl. Adrien Brody plays a singer performing for a room full of beautiful women in a nightclub circa 1960. Brody said he’s pushed the envelop personally in this spot, because he’s never before had a singing role.

There will also be a Budweiser spot with the Clydesdales. The famous horse team was almost shut out of last year’s Super Bowl. But the public raised a fuss, and A-B returned the Clydesdales to the mix last minute.

DDB/Chicago, an A-B roster ad agency, did two of three Bud Light ads that will run Sunday. The ads are part of the “Here We Go” campaign that has been running heavily in recent months. DDB had no Bud Light work in last year’s Super Bowl.

New to the show this year

Best Buy will make its first ever Super Bowl of Advertising appearance with a spot that it has promised will revolutionize retailing. Stars Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne, an odd couple if there ever were one, will help Best Buy make its case.

Snickers ran a hugely successful commercial in last year’s Super Bowl, and the candy bar brand is back again with a new commercial from BBDO/New York using the same concept, “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry.” Last year’s spot featured Abe Vigoda and Betty White getting tackled on the football field. It was not a pretty sight, but Super Bowl fans ate it up. Plus the spot majorly helped reinvigorate White’s career.

This time around, Roseanne Barr and Richard Lewis are the celebrity actors in the Snickers spot called “Logging.” Judging from the teaser we saw, the commercial looks to take place in a logging camp among a group of brawny loggers. We can only imagine.

Look for another familiar and fun presence in past Super Bowls of Advertising to return this year. Yes, we’re talking about the E-Trade baby, who in past commercials has amused us no end with his very unbaby-like wisecracks.

Finally, the cola wars will be much in evidence in this year’s Super Bowl of Advertising. Both Pepsi and Coca-Cola will be peddling their products. Pepsi Max will get a major push from PepsiCo and Coca-Cola will, of course, focus its Super Bowl ad buy on the world’s most well-known brand.

We’ve loved a lot of the Coke work from Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore. in recent years. The two spots Coke will air on Sunday also look quite promising — at least on paper. One called “Siege” shows how Coke is used to ward off an army of ogres and dragons advancing on a castle. Another is about two border guards from neighboring countries who manage to make a friendly connection thanks to Coke.

Source: Chicago Sun-Time

7 in 10 Americans Will Watch Super Bowl

Almost seven in 10 American adults (69%) say they will be watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, according to a new Harris Poll. That breaks down to 75% of men and 63% of women.

Most Don’t Know Where They’ll Watch
Although the Super Bowl is only a few days away, almost four in 10 US adults (38%) say they know they will watch, but are just not sure of what their plans are yet. Equal numbers say they will be hosting family and friends at their house (14%) and going to someone’s house (14%) for the game while 4% will watch at a bar or restaurant.

6 in 10 Viewers Look Forward to Ads
Super Bowl advertisements get as much or more hype than the game itself, so it’s not too surprising that about six in 10 (59%) US adults planning to watch the Super Bowl say they look forward to the ads. Another 30% don’t look forward to the ads, but enjoy watching them.
Only 8% of Super Bowl viewers pay no special attention to the ads, and a mere 3% wish there was no advertising during the telecast.

Halftime Show Less Popular Than Ads
The Super Bowl halftime show also receives a great deal of publicity, but only 33% of viewers look forward to watching it. A higher percentage of women (37%) than men (29%) look forward to the halftime show.

A total of 27% of viewers don’t look forward to the halftime show but enjoy watching it. Again, this response skews female (35%) rather than male (29%).

Twenty-nine percent of viewers pay no special attention to the halftime show and 10% think it is a distraction they could do without. These two responses skew male (35% and 13%, compared to 23% and 7%, respectively).

More Viewers Pull for Packers
The Packers and Steelers are both historic NFL franchises with multiple Super Bowl wins through the years. Yet 38% of viewers say they will root for the Packers, compared to 28% supporting the Steelers. Another 34% will root for neither team but just enjoy watching the game.

Super Bowl Spending Looks Solid
The average US consumer is expected to spend $59.33 on game-related Super Bowl merchandise, apparel and snacks in 2011, up almost 13% from $52.63 last year, according to a recent survey by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, conducted by BIGresearch. Total Super Bowl spending is expected to reach $10.1 billion.

About the Data: This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between January 25 to 27, 2011 among 2,516 adults (aged 18 and over) of whom 1,682 plan to watch the Super Bowl. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

Marketing to Upscale Urban Consumers

In 2011, brand marketers will need to fine tune their strategies to meet the needs of experienced and sophisticated urban dwellers who are rapidly growing in nations around the world, according to a new report from consumer insights firm trendwatching.com. These consumers already number in the hundreds of millions, and are referred to as “Citysumers” by trendwatching.com.

Citysumers More Demanding, Connected
trendwatching.com says Citysumers are more demanding and more open-minded, but also more proud, more connected, more spontaneous and more try-out-prone, requiring a whole host of new urban goods, services, experiences, campaigns and conversations.

In addition, trendwatching.com cites UN statistics indicating that by 2050, the global urban population is expected to be 6.3 billion, or 70% of the population at that time

Three Key Trends Drive Citysumer Growth
trendwatching.com identifies three key drivers for the boom in Citsysumers. Namely,
1. The huge increase in the number of urban dwellers all around the world.
2. The ever-increasing wealth and power of cities and those who live in them.
3. The spread of urban culture and values.

Citysumer Opportunities
In recognition of the rapid growth of Citysumers, trendwatching.com advises marketers of eight specific branding opportunities, which are briefly highlighted here.

1. Celebrate urban pride: In thriving mega-cities, whose economic and cultural power already often surpass that of entire nations, Citsysumers’ identities will often be closely tied to a city’s culture, its brand, its heritage, its ‘being’. This means that for brands, delivering city-specific products, services and communications that truly capture a city’s character is an excellent way to build recognition and trust, especially if they are seen as impersonal and corporate.
2. Enabling urban encounters: Despite ever-increasing amounts of time spent online, audiences aren’t retreating into virtual worlds. Rather, Citysumers will forever enjoy connecting with other, real-life human beings. In fact, online (especially with smart phones being the new laptops) increasingly drives and enables offline encounters.
3. Enriching the urban canvas: Many time-starved, choice-rich, smartphone-using Citysumers look to brands to bring them ever more varied and instantaneous experiences, especially if those experiences are fast-paced, transient interesting, physical, interactive etc.
4. Pushing the urban envelope: Sophisticated urban audiences are especially receptive to brands that use daring and edgy marketing campaigns and strategies.
5. Go eco-urban: Cities are increasingly seen as a solution to the quest for environmental sustainability, with high-density living promoting a more efficient distribution of resources (although not everyone agrees). Indeed, urban environments offer forward-thinking brands a whole host of opportunities to reach eco-conscious Citysumers.
6. Urban escape: Brands focusing on enabling Citysumers to temporarily leave the city and enjoy some peace and quiet with nature and clean air thrown in have numerous opportunities for innovation.
7. Urban transcendence: Brands also have an opportunity to innovatively deliver peace, quiet and nature into urban environments themselves.
8. To buy or not to buy: Urban living, with its premium on space, means that for many Citysumers, owning bulky, irregularly used items is inconvenient, if not unnecessary. Easier access to public services or even private objects is creating a culture where ownership is increasingly a choice to be considered. Furthermore, an OWNER-LESS model also allows Citysumers not having to sink large parts of their budgets into a small number of high-price tickets, freeing up money to be spent on a multitude of experiences, such as bike- and car-sharing services.

Mature Consumers Seek Edgy Brands
A growing audience of experienced, less-easily shocked, outspoken consumers appreciate brands that are a little bit more daring and outspoken, according to other findings from trendwatching.com, which has dubbed this growing consumer trend “Maturialism.”

According to trendwatching.com, consumers of today no longer tolerate being treated like yesteryear’s easily shocked, inexperienced, middle-of-the-road consumers. Able to handle much more honest conversations, unusual flavors and risqué experiences, these consumers increasingly appreciate brands that are pushing the boundaries a bit.

Half of Homes to Have DVR by 2016 | Cablevision Expands Free HD Programs Published on January 28, 2011

The number of U.S. homes with a DVR should pass the halfway mark and reach 50% of all TV homes or about 61.8 million households by the end of 2016, up from 32% or 37.9 million at the end of the third quarter of 2010, according to revised projections from Magna Global. The firm is also predicting that the homes with VOD, a category that includes both traditional multichannel VOD offerings and over the top services, will hit 70.1 million homes, about 57% of all TV homes at the end of 2016. That is up from 51.1 million homes with VOD or about 44% of all TV homes at the end of the third quarter of 2010, reports broadcastingcable.com.

The TruTV show Operation Repo wants 500,000 likes on Facebook, so it’s issuing a challenge to its fans: hit the number by the end of the season in April, and they’ll produce an bonus episode just for Facebook. It’s not the first time a cable show has rewarded its Facebook fans, reports LostRemote.com, Nick debuted a Spongebob episode on its Facebook page this week, beginning at 8 p.m. ET, a day ahead of the television episode on Nick.

Cablevision System has added Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus to its free lineup of HD service. The New York metro area’s predominant cable operator said it is automatically directing HD set-top boxes to the HD feeds of the complementary channels, when available. For CableCARD customers, the HD channel position for Fox Soccer Channel is 797; Fox Soccer Plus is available on 798. All told, Cablevision counts over 100 free HD channels, writes multichannel.com.

Top Viral Videos – Jan. 2011

Top Viral Videos – Jan. 2011
Online video watchers were in a mood for motion in January 2010 as some type of vehicle was featured in four of the 10 most-shared online videos tracked by Unruly Media during January 2011. These included the top video: “Gymkhana Three, Part 2″ from DC Shoes, as well as the number three video, “Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle,” from Icon Films.

Autos, Bikes Generate Interest
If a cutesy video of roller blading babies from Evian is included in the vehicular category, then five of the top 10 most-shared online videos for January 2011 (and the top three) featured a vehicle, although this spot shares little in common with the jaw-dropping extreme stunts performed in the other four.

The Gymkhana series focuses on extreme auto racing stunts, and another video from the series, “Gymkhana Two The Infomercial,” placed at number eight. Coming in fourth was “Way Back Home” from extreme biker Danny MacAskill, who does not use a motor but is no less impressive for it.

Quirky Videos Draw Eyeballs
In addition to showing a taste for vehicles, viral video viewers in January were also drawn to what can only be described as “quirky” videos. In addition to the aforementioned roller blading baby video, these included the number four video of French rapper Eklips beatboxing his way through hip-hop history for the British TV channel Trace Urban; as well as number six, Heineken “The Entrance,” featuring a suave young man making what can only be called the world’s greatest entrance to an elite cocktail party.

The number nine video from Lego, “The Brick Thief,” uses stop-motion photography to document an oddly-mustached man stealing Lego blocks from unaware children to assemble a robotic band. And rounding out the list at number 10 was T-Mobile “Welcome Back,” a recording of a presumably genuine ambush singalong performed for arriving travelers at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Video for Indian Market Cracks Top 10
The number seven video, “BF&GF TVC” for McDonald’s, is a commercial aimed at the Indian market which is not in English. However, the scene of two (very) young lovers deciding to visit their local McDonald’s breaks language barriers and holds universal appeal.

Top 10 Most-shared Online Videos January 2011
1. DC Shoes - Ken Block’s Gymkhana Three, Part 2 – Ultimate Playground, L’Autodrome
2. Evian – Roller Babies
3. Icon Films - Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle”
4. Danny MacAskill – Way Back Home
5. Trance Urban - The Most Amazing Beat Box Video Ever
6. Heineken – The Entrance
7. McDonald’s - BF&GF TVC
8. DC Shoes – Ken Block’s Gymkhana Two, The Infomercial
9. Lego - The Brick Thief
10. T-Mobile – Welcome Back

Top Viral Videos – Jan. 2011

Top Viral Videos – Jan. 2011
Online video watchers were in a mood for motion in January 2010 as some type of vehicle was featured in four of the 10 most-shared online videos tracked by Unruly Media during January 2011. These included the top video: “Gymkhana Three, Part 2″ from DC Shoes, as well as the number three video, “Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle,” from Icon Films.

Autos, Bikes Generate Interest
If a cutesy video of roller blading babies from Evian is included in the vehicular category, then five of the top 10 most-shared online videos for January 2011 (and the top three) featured a vehicle, although this spot shares little in common with the jaw-dropping extreme stunts performed in the other four.

The Gymkhana series focuses on extreme auto racing stunts, and another video from the series, “Gymkhana Two The Infomercial,” placed at number eight. Coming in fourth was “Way Back Home” from extreme biker Danny MacAskill, who does not use a motor but is no less impressive for it.

Quirky Videos Draw Eyeballs
In addition to showing a taste for vehicles, viral video viewers in January were also drawn to what can only be described as “quirky” videos. In addition to the aforementioned roller blading baby video, these included the number four video of French rapper Eklips beatboxing his way through hip-hop history for the British TV channel Trace Urban; as well as number six, Heineken “The Entrance,” featuring a suave young man making what can only be called the world’s greatest entrance to an elite cocktail party.

The number nine video from Lego, “The Brick Thief,” uses stop-motion photography to document an oddly-mustached man stealing Lego blocks from unaware children to assemble a robotic band. And rounding out the list at number 10 was T-Mobile “Welcome Back,” a recording of a presumably genuine ambush singalong performed for arriving travelers at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Video for Indian Market Cracks Top 10
The number seven video, “BF&GF TVC” for McDonald’s, is a commercial aimed at the Indian market which is not in English. However, the scene of two (very) young lovers deciding to visit their local McDonald’s breaks language barriers and holds universal appeal.

Top 10 Most-shared Online Videos January 2011
1. DC Shoes - Ken Block’s Gymkhana Three, Part 2 – Ultimate Playground, L’Autodrome
2. Evian – Roller Babies
3. Icon Films - Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle”
4. Danny MacAskill – Way Back Home
5. Trance Urban - The Most Amazing Beat Box Video Ever
6. Heineken – The Entrance
7. McDonald’s - BF&GF TVC
8. DC Shoes – Ken Block’s Gymkhana Two, The Infomercial
9. Lego - The Brick Thief
10. T-Mobile – Welcome Back

CFOs Have Stagnant Financial Expectations

CFOs Have Stagnant Financial Expectations
CFOs of large North American companies lowered their sales and earnings expectations in Q4 2010, according to a new study from Deloitte. The Deloitte CFO Signals quarterly survey for Q4 2010 indicates that after two quarters of rising expectations, CFOs now project lower year-over-year sales gains of 6.5% (down 40% from 11% in Q3 2010) and earnings gains of 12% (also down 405, from 20% the last quarter). Deloitte data indicates variability of expectations is high. Median sales growth is just 5%, and median earnings growth is just 8%. However, all surveyed industries are projecting sales improvements.

Google Loses YOY Search Activity

Google Loses YOY Search Activity
While Google remained the dominant US search engine in December 2010, it experienced declines in year-over-year market share, query volume and unique visitors, according to new data from Compete. Most significantly, Google’s unique search visitor total dropped 16.6%, from 184 million in December 2009 to 154 million in December 2010.

US Adult Obesity Stabilizes in 2010

US Adult Obesity Stabilizes in 2010
More than six in 10 American adults (62.9%) were either overweight (36.3%) or obese (26.6%) in 2010, on par with 2009, but still slightly more than the 62.2% in 2008, according to new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data.

Android Conquers World

Android Conquers World
Google Android has become the leading global smartphone platform, according to new data from Canalys. Shipments of Android-based smart phones during Q4 2010 reached 32.9 million (32.6% share), while devices running Nokia’s Symbian platform trailed almost 6% at 31 million (30.6% share) worldwide.

TV Remains Dominant Global Medium

TV Remains Dominant Global Medium
In 2011, TV will retain its global leadership of all media forms in terms of total revenues, including ad revenues, subscriptions, pay-per-view and license fees, according to a new white paper from Deloitte. “Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions 2011″ forecasts this year, TV will account for about 41% of all ad revenues, and grow its share to 42% by 2012. TV ad revenue share grew close to 10% between 2007 and 2010, from 37% to more than 40%.

TV, Newspapers Grow in Opposite Directions
TV’s expected 10% five-year growth in ad revenue, from $174 billion in 2007 to $191 billion in 2011, contrasts sharply with newspapers’ expected 26% decline in the same time period, from $126 billion to $93 billion.

A forecast 6% increase in TV ad revenue during 2012 would take it beyond $200 billion, more than twice that of newspapers, which still represent the number two global advertising medium.

TV Audience Attention Climbs
Deloitte also expects TV will grow its share of audience attention. In 2011, aggregate TV viewing is expected to total 4.49 trillion hours. The global TV audience is expected to increase about 1%, from 3.66 billion to 3.7 billion viewers, still leaving about half the world population as a potential growth market.

Average daily TV viewing time per person in 2011 is expected to reach three hours and 12 minutes.

Watching Superbowl for the Ads

15% Watching Super Bowl for the Ads| 43 Million Viewers for Obama’s State of the Union
Published on January 27, 2011
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Only slightly more than half of Super Bowl viewers will be watching for the football, according to a report from Lightspeed Research, a unit of WPP’s Kantar. The report, based on a survey of 2,000 online respondents earlier this month, found that nearly as many viewers will be watching for the ads, the halftime show or “just for the fun of it.” Fifteen percent said they’d tune in primarily for the ads, read more at adweek.com.
Nielsen Media Research tells us almost 43 million viewers tuned in to President Obama’s second State of the Union address Tuesday evening. This viewership number is down 11% from his 2010 State of the Union address and 18% from his address to the joint sessions of Congress on Feb. 24, 2009, shortly after he took office. The speech, which was carried live from approximately 9-10:15 p.m. on 11 networks earned a combined 26.6 household rating, reports broadcastingcable.com.
Time Warner Cable’s lost a net 141,000 video subs in the last quarter. At the same time, fuel for cord-cutting conspiracy theorists, TWC also added 94,000 internet customers, reports paidcontent.org.
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association suggests that the free market forces behind video’s move to broadband have outpaced the FCC’s attempt to put its shoulder to that wheel. The FCC is looking to create a gateway device that weds over-the-air, over-the-wire and over-the-top video as a way to drive broadband adoption. NCTA says video is already moving online without the government having to step in and mandate a technological path via its AllVid inquiry. The FCC has been looking to put out a rulemaking proposal in the first quarter, reports broadcastingcable.com.
The 7.7 million new subscribers to Netflix services last year was double Netflix’s own expectations. Netflix now has more subscribers (20 million) than premium channels Starz and Showtime, according to Lostremote.com
“Everyone says that social television will be big. I think it’s not going to be big — it’s going to be huge,” said Ynon Kreiz, CEO of the Endemol group, the largest independent television production company in the world. Kreiz told attendees at the Digital Life Design (DLD) conference this week to “get up, leave this room” and run to their garages to get to work designing the future of social TV. “Whoever figures it out,” Kreiz thinks, “will be the next Steve Jobs of this generation,” reports LostRemote.com.

Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast for 2010 to 2015”,

Published on February 01, 2011
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According to the Cisco “Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast for 2010 to 2015”, released today, worldwide mobile data traffic will increase 26-fold during this time period reaching 6.3 exabytes per month or an annual run rate of 75 exabytes by 2015 due to a projected surge in mobile Internet-enabled devices delivering popular video applications and services. This traffic increase represents a compound annual growth rate of 92 percent over the same period. Two major global trends are driving these significant mobile data traffic increases: a continued surge in mobile-ready devices such as tablets and smart phones, and widespread mobile video content consumption.
Smart phones, laptops, and other portable devices will drive more than 87 percent of global mobile traffic by 2015.
Today, the average mobile connection generates 65 megabytes of traffic per month, equivalent to about 15 MP3 music files. By 2015, the average mobile connection is anticipated to generate more than 17 times that amount, to a total of 1,118 megabytes of traffic per month, equivalent to about 260 MP3 music files.
By 2015, there will be a mobile connected device for nearly every member of the world’s population.
Mobile network-connected tablets will generate more traffic in 2015 (248 petabytes per month) than the entire global mobile network in 2010 (237 petabytes per month). The same will be true of machine-to-machine (M2M) traffic, which will reach 295 petabytes per month in 2015

Average Valentine's Day Spending Up 11%

Average Valentine’s Day Spending Up 11%

The average US consumer will shell out $116.21 on traditional Valentine’s Day merchandise this year, up 11% from last year’s $103, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2011 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch. Total holiday spending is expected to reach $15.7 billion, also up 11% from $14.1 billion last year.

Spouses, Pets Do Better
Having cut back on spending in recent years, the survey predicts couples this year will spend an average of $68.98 on their significant other or spouse, up about 9% from $63.34 last year. In addition, the average person will spend $5.04 on Valentine’s gifts for their pets, up a significant 54% from $3.27 last year.

Consumers will also spend an average of $6.30 on friends (up 17% from $5.37), $4.97 (up 16% from $4.29) on classmates and teachers, and $3.41 (up 20% from $2.84) on co-workers.

Men, Young Adults Spend More
As usual, men will spend the most on Valentine’s Day gifts. The average man plans to spend more than twice as much ($158.71, up 17% from $135.35) as the average woman ($75.79, up 5% from $72.28).

Looking at age-related trends, adults 25-34 will spend an average of $189.97, about three times the $60.22 adults 65 and older will spend.

Spending on Wide Variety of Items Will Rise
The survey also found spending across the board is expected to be up this year. Consumers will shell out $3.5 billion on jewelry this Valentine’s Day, up almost 17% from an estimated $3 billion last year. Clothing ($1.6 billion, 7% higher than $1.5 billion in 2010) and dining out ($3.4 billion, up 3% from $3.3 billion in 2010) will also be popular gift options.

While greeting cards will be the most popular gift option (52.1%, up 10% from 47.2%), jewelry is expected to be a big hit as well, with 17.3% planning on buying jewelry, up 6% from 15.5% last year.

Discounters Capture Consumer Hearts
Discount stores (36.6%) will be the most popular shopping destination, but department stores (30.5%), specialty stores (19.4%) and online (18.1%) will share much of the holiday traffic as well. Others will shop their local florist (16.8%) and jewelry store (9.5%).

Super Bowl Spending Also Looks Solid
February could be a lucrative month for retailers, as the average US consumer is expected to spend $59.33 on game-related Super Bowl (Feb. 6, 2011) merchandise, apparel and snacks in 2011, up almost 13% from $52.63 last year, according to another recent survey by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, conducted by BIGresearch. Total Super Bowl spending is expected to reach $10.1 billion.

About the Data: The NRF 2011 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted for NRF by BIGresearch, was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to Valentine’s Day. The poll of 8,913 consumers was conducted from January 4-11, 2011.

Agency Survey Shows 'Rebirth' of Buyers' Interest in Radio

Agency Survey Shows 'Rebirth' of Buyers' Interest in Radio

A survey of advertising agency buying teams finds fewer are cutting radio budgets, and client interest in the medium is growing. STRATA executives say the top three media -- television, Internet and radio -- also appear to be the breakout hits of the advertising recovery.

"It's looking very bright for radio," STRATA marketing chief J.D. Miller told Inside Radio. The firm's quarterly survey of buyers found 24% of agencies' clients are more focused on radio, up from 17% in the prior quarter. The number of agencies reporting they are spending less on radio is off by half -- 17% say they're trimming radio budgets compared to 34% who said that three months ago.

When it came to classifying the advertising avenue that agency clients are most focused on, the STRATA survey found TV remains at the top with 44%, followed by digital at 21%. But even the survey takers were surprised with #3: radio. The results show 16% of clients rate radio as their top pick, compared to 9% who said that in the prior quarter's survey. Miller says, "Something good is happening for radio."

Beyond the top three, there's a "considerable drop off" of interest in other media. Print ranks fourth, with 7% of clients making it their top pick. Miller says that could be considered good news for newspaper publishers. "Print has a pulse -- it was almost nonexistent, now it has a pulse," he says.

Agencies Grow More Confident in Recovery -- and Old Media Friends

By their nature, media buyers are a tough crowd not known for gushing optimism. So when a survey shows a steady uptick in client activity, it's worth taking note.

More than half (51%) of buyers surveyed by STRATA say their agency is seeing improving business, up from a low of 23% during the 2008 economic meltdown. STRATA president/CEO John Shelton says, "Advertisers are finally feeling more confident about the economy."

That confidence is manifesting itself in a surprising way. As budgets come back, buyers appear to be more interested in traditional advertising like television and radio -- with demand for digital advertising going in the other direction.

"We see that the focus on digital has fallen off a bit," Shelton says. "While still hot, it is used more in a solid media mix than more dollars heading its way."

The most popular digital menu items are website display ads, social media and search. Mobile may have buzz, but just 29% of buyers say they're buying mobile ads. Among those who are, mobile display is the preferred format with SMS text ads fading fast. Just 15% of agency buyers say they're on their radar in 2011.

(Source: Inside Radio, 01/21/11)

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CONSUMER TRENDS TO WATCH IN 2011

Eleven key consumer trends to watch in 2011 include acts of kindness from brands, the developed world launching products for emerging economies, and online status symbols,according to consumer insights firm trendwatching.com.

Following is a brief overview of each of the 11 consumer trends which trendwatching.com predicts will have a global impact on marketers in 2011.

1.Random acts of kindness: Consumers’ cravings for realness, for the human touch, ensure that everything from brands randomly picking up the tab to sending a surprise gift will be one of the most effective ways to connect with (potential) customers in 2011, especially beleaguered consumers in North America, Europe and Japan.

trendwatching.com advises that the rapid spread of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook among consumers gives brands previously unavailable insight into their moods, wants and locations, and also provides a new direct channel to deliver acts of kindness.

2.Urbanization: Urbanization remains one of the absolute mega trends for the coming decade, with about the global population currently living in urban areas. Urban consumers tend to be more daring, more liberal, more tolerant, more experienced, more prone to trying out new products and services. In emerging markets, these effects tend to be even more pronounced, with new arrivals finding themselves distanced from traditional social and familial structures, while constantly exposed to a wider range of alternatives.

3.Pricing Pandemonium: Mobile devices and social networks allow consumers to constantly receive targeted offers and discounts, even at the point of sale from a rival brand, as well as join interest groups. Brands should target consumers with offers and features such as instant mobile coupons and discounts, online group discounts, flash sales, and dynamic pricing based on real-time supply and demand.

4.Made for China/Emerging Economies: In 2011, expect an increasing number of ‘Western’ brands to launch new products or even new brands dedicated to consumers in emerging markets. Growth in consumer spending in emerging markets far outpaces consumer spending in developed markets, and Western brands are favored more than local brands in emerging markets. Western brands including Levi-Strauss, Apple and BMW have already capitalized on this trend.

5.Online Status Symbols: In 2011, trendwatching.com recommends that brands supply customers with any kind of symbol, virtual or ‘real world,’ that helps them display to peers their online contributions, interestingness, creations or popularity. This includes personalized social networking memorabilia as well as location-based games and contests which award virtual or real-world prizes.

6.’Wellthy:’ Growing numbers of consumers will expect health products and services in 2011 to prevent misery if not improve their quality of life, rather than merely treating illnesses and ailments. Products such as mobile health monitoring devices, as well as online health apps and health-dedicated social networks, will serve the multichannel wellness needs of consumers.

7.‘Twin-sumers’ and ‘Social-lites:’ Both of these types of online consumers identified by trendwatching.com are critical to spreading positive word-of-mouth recommendations. Twin-sumers are consumers with similar consumer patterns, likes and dislikes, and who are hence valuable sources for recommendations on what to buy and experience, while social-lites are consumers who consistently broadcast information to a wide range of associates online.

8.Emerging Generosity: This trend is about brands and wealthy individuals from emerging markets (especially China) who will increasingly be expected to give, donate, care and sympathize, as opposed to just sell and take. And not just in their home countries, but on a global scale. It’s a profound cultural change and a consumer demand that their counterparts in mature markets have had a few years to getting used to.

9.Planned Spontaneity: With lifestyles having become fragmented, with dense urban environments offering consumers any number of instantly available options, and with cell /smartphones having created a generation who have little experience of making (or sticking to) rigid plans, 2011 will see what trendwatching.com calls full-on “planned spontaneity.”

Brands can expect to see consumers in 2011 rushing to sign up to services (the planned part) that allow for endless and almost effortless mass mingling with friends, family, colleagues or strangers (the spontaneity part). A developing segment of this trend is consumers signing up for mobile services that passively and constantly broadcast their location.

10.Eco-Superior: When it comes to ‘green consumption’, brands should expect a rise in “eco-superior” products; products that are not only eco-friendly, but superior to polluting incumbents in every possible way. Trendwatching.com says brands should think of a combination of eco-friendly yet superior functionality, superior design, and/or superior savings.

11:Owner-less: Fractional ownership and lifestyle leasing business models have re-emerged, with services such as car-sharing and public bike programs enjoying success around the globe. For many consumers, access is better than ownership.

Emerging Economies Provide Consumer Innovations

Emerging economies are an increasingly important source of consumer innovations, according to earlier findings from trendwatching.com. The company cites a number of statistics to support its premise that emerging economies are becoming a major source of consumer innovations that will have a global impact. For example, these economies have accounted for nearly 70% of world growth during the last five years, accounted for 34% of global GDP in 2010 and will account for 39% in 2015, and will account for two-thirds of world trade in 2050.

In addition, trendwatching.com says emerging economies contain a growing middle class of 2 billion people who spend $6.9 trillion USD annually. That figure is expected to rise to $20 trillion by 2050.