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☆ Combative Consumers Change the Marketing Strategy for Target and Bud Light
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Katie Deighton | Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/combative-consumers-change-the-marketing-strategy-for-target-and-bud-light-97ca0ac2

☆ TV’s Annual Upfronts Were Light on Stars, Heavy on Drama (and Not the Scripted Kind)
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Megan Graham | Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/tvs-annual-upfronts-were-light-on-stars-heavy-on-drama-and-not-the-scripted-kind-2a58ac60

☆ Roblox Criticized by Children’s Advertising Watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Roblox said it had 66.1 million daily active users in the first quarter, 43% of whom were under the age of 13. Photo: Rafael Henrique/Zuma PressAn advertising industry watchdog said videogame company Roblox violated the group’s guidelines for marketing to children younger than 13. The Children’s Advertising Review Unit , a division of self-regulatory business organization BBB National Programs, said Friday it found that Roblox hadn’t adequately disclosed to young users that certain content within games was advertising.

☆ Verizon Chief Marketing Officer Diego Scotti Stepping Down After Eight Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Patrick Coffee | Suzanne Vranica | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Diego Scotti became one of the industry’s most visible marketing executives during his tenure at Verizon, with a focus on diversity among the telecommunications giant’s marketing partners. Photo: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg NewsVerizon Chief Marketing Officer Diego Scotti has announced that he will step down after nearly nine years in the role, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. Mr. Scotti told several contacts in recent days that he would be leaving Verizon but didn’t indicate if he would be moving to another job, they said. Mr. Scotti didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ TikTok Bans Are Crimping State Travel Marketers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The TikTok office building in Culver City, Calif. TikTok has become a major player in travel marketing, but restrictions are limiting its use among state tourism agencies. Photo: MIKE BLAKE/REUTERSTikTok, the wildly popular ByteDance-owned short-video app, became a major conduit for travel and tourism marketing during the pandemic as more people began using it to plan long-postponed vacations. But a wave of state-level orders and bills banning TikTok on government-issued devices because of national-security concerns—along with the Biden administration’s threat to pass a nationwide ban—has clouded the plans of many so-called destination marketing organizations that have come to rely on it.

Digital publishers and streamers including Roku presented new content, formats and technology at NewFronts. Photo: RokuArtificial intelligence, entertainment-industry turmoil and new ways of gauging the success of advertising loomed large at this week’s NewFronts media showcases for digital ad buyers. Presenters including Amazon, Roku and NBCUniversal’s Peacock hosted NewFronts events in New York City to show off new shows, ad formats and measurement capabilities. But this year’s NewFronts also offered a taste of what traditional TV programmers might face in two weeks at their annual upfront sales events, where major networks usually host star-laden stage shows for advertisers if the Writers Guild of America strike continues. WGA members on Tuesday picketed Peacock’s presentation in Midtown Manhattan, and actress Edie Falco chose to not introduce a new Peacock show during the event because of the strike, according to a person familiar with the situation.

☆ Most CMOs Who Leave Their Jobs Move Up, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The job of chief marketing officer has become more complex, which has opened paths higher on the corporate ladder, says Richard Sanderson, head of Spencer Stuart’s marketing, communications and sales practice in North America. Photo: timothy a. clary/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe idea that chief marketing officers face more scrutiny and have less job security than those in other C-suite positions is misleading, according to new research from executive search firm Spencer Stuart. The increasing complexity of marketing operations has created new opportunities for CMOs in recent years, with the job more likely to serve as a steppingstone to more senior positions, said Richard Sanderson , leader of the firm’s marketing, communications and sales practice in North America.

☆ Measurement Messiness Complicates TV’s Annual Sales Season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Megan Graham | Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel hosted Disney’s annual presentation to ad buyers last May. Photo: Disney General EntertainmentMedia companies are preparing to spotlight their buzziest television shows at the TV industry’s annual advance-sales presentations to advertisers, but marketers may be more preoccupied with measuring how many people watch and how to translate that into deals. Veteran players like Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal and newer platforms such as Netflix Inc. will try to win over ad buyers during star-studded “upfront” pitches in mid-May at New York City venues including Radio City Music Hall and the Paris Theater. Before that, tech players including Amazon.com Inc., Snap Inc. and Roku Inc. will kick off the selling season with their so-called NewFronts events this week.

☆ The Risks Brands Take When Touching on Social Issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Suzanne Vranica | Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Some customers criticized Bud Light for its recent partnership with social media star Dylan Mulvaney. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe outcry over Anheuser-Busch InBev SA’s partnership with a transgender advocate could cause brands to rethink whether and how they address contentious social issues, putting in question an increasingly common strategy for marketers as they try to reach younger consumers. Anheuser-Busch’s trouble began when the world’s largest brewer enlisted social media star Dylan Mulvaney to help generate some publicity for its Bud Light beer brand during the annual March Madness college basketball tournament.

☆ Omnicom to Reduce Global Real-Estate Space Even as Employees Return to the Office
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Omnicom plans to reduce its real-estate footprint by more than 1.6 million square feet, Chief Executive John Wren said. Photo: Omnicom GroupOmnicom Group Inc. said it will significantly reduce its real-estate footprint and formalize return-to-office requirements for all U.S. employees as the company said it expects growth to continue through 2023, an indication that executives believe marketers’ continued spending will help the advertising giant largely avoid the economic headwinds that have hit the tech and finance industries. Omnicom, which owns agencies such as BBDO, OMD and TBWA, will require all U.S. employees to return to the office at least three days per week, Chief Executive John Wren said on a call to discuss the company’s first-quarter earnings.

☆ FTC Alerts Nearly 700 Companies About Potential Penalties for Misleading Claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The FTC headquarters in Washington, D.C. The agency has been stepping up its scrutiny of marketing claims. The Federal Trade Commission warned approximately 670 companies of the penalties they could face if they mislead consumers with unsubstantiated product claims, part of a continuing effort to re-establish the agency’s authority to penalize brands that engage in deceptive marketing practices. The warnings follow a December update to the FTC’s guidance on advertising health-related products that emphasized the need for concrete substantiation for claims. The new warnings aren’t limited to health claims and could apply to any marketers’ statements about the performance of their products, the agency said.

☆ Bud Light Faces Boycott Calls, but Punishing Brands Is Harder Than It Looks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bud Light was mentioned 1.08 million times on social media in the 11 days following posts by transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, research shows. Bud Light’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney has led some conservative critics to call for a boycott, generating headlines and social-media posts including a video of musician Kid Rock shooting a rifle at cases of the beer, but such campaigns often have failed to deliver a meaningful blow. Many social media-fueled boycott efforts do no material damage to the businesses in question, studies suggest, and may even have an opposite effect by increasing awareness and briefly boosting sales.

☆ Metaverse Mania Cools for Many, but Not for Marketers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Even while some of the metaverse’s biggest proponents are scaling back or shutting down spending on their visions for virtual worlds, many marketers are standing firm. Forty-six percent of consumer brand marketers say they will increase their metaverse budgets this year, and only 12% say they will spend less, according to a survey of 903 executives conducted by research firm Forrester in January and February.

☆ ‘We Love NYC’ Ad Blitz Gets No Love From Residents—and That’s OK With Its Creators
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Partnership for New York City, the nonprofit group behind the new “We Love NYC” ad campaign, doesn’t mind that its logo seems to be loathed by city residents ranging from newspaper columnists to pop star Joe Jonas, who offered his own version. After all, any publicity is good publicity. The project, which launched this week with the release of the new logo, offers a twist on the classic “I Love NY” mark created in 1977 by designer Milton Glaser . The purpose is to persuade New Yorkers to adopt a more optimistic outlook and improve quality of life in their city by frequenting local businesses and signing up for volunteer work, said marketing executive Maryam Banikarim, whose consulting firm, MaryamB, helped develop the campaign strategy.

☆ New FTC Order Pressures Tech Platforms Over Fraudulent Ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-ftc-order-pressures-tech-platforms-over-fraudulent-ads-72a6df4e

☆ Have the Ads in Your Twitter Feed Changed? There’s a Reason for That
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Patrick Coffee | Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Twitter has been catering to direct marketers as some big brand advertisers continue to stay away. Lesser-known advertisers seeking clicks and other direct responses are becoming more prominent on Twitter Inc. as the social-media company shifts its sales strategy and some household-name brands continue to stay away. Twitter throughout most of its history appealed to big marketers that bought ads to raise awareness. Some 85% of its annual ad revenue came from brand advertising budgets and the rest from so-called performance advertising, the company said in 2021. Previous management said its long-term goal was to even out that ratio, and built technology to try to make that happen.

☆ AI Food Startup NotCo Hires Activision’s Fernando Machado as CMO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

NotCo co-founder and Chief Executive Matias Muchnick, right, with Chief Marketing Officer Fernando Machado. Mr. Machado will develop a marketing plan to help the plant-based food startup break through into the U.S. market, according to Mr. Muchnick. The Not Co. or NotCo, a Chilean startup that uses artificial-intelligence technology to produce plant-based foods that mimic dairy and meat products, has hired Fernando Machado as chief marketing officer. He succeeds Flavia Buchmann, who left the company in late 2022. NotCo has also brought on an unnamed U.S. general manager to work alongside Mr. Machado and will announce that hire in the coming weeks, according to a company spokeswoman.

☆ VideoAmp Hires Its First CMO as Ad-Measurement Race Heats Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

VideoAmp is part of a group of media-measurement upstarts aiming to challenge longtime standard-bearer Nielsen. VideoAmp Inc. hired media executive Jenny Wall to be its first chief marketing officer as it looks to further establish its position in the contentious media measurement space. Ms. Wall had been CMO of Paramount Global ’s Nickelodeon and previously held marketing roles at Hulu, Netflix Inc. and Gimlet Media, a podcasting company owned by Spotify Technology S. A.

Brands will account for 70% of that spend, with most of the rest coming from so-called collectives, alumni groups that funnel money to athletes, according to Opendorse. Female athletes and meme starsGiven the wide-open field, brands’ strategies with NIL deals vary widely. Jill Cress, chief marketing and experience officer of H&R Block in a 2018 picture. Favorability ratings from both Gen Z consumers and parents of college students rose after the campaign, according to Ms. Cress. Bigger deals aheadNIL deals will likely evolve to often include intellectual property agreements with the schools in question, said Mr. Schwab.

☆ Molson Coors Told to Stop Saying Rivals’ Beer Tastes Like Water
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev SA has scored at least a temporary win in the long-running battle over light beer brands’ marketing claims. BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division, an ad-industry self-regulatory group, determined that Molson Coors Beverage Co. should stop marketing its light beer products by implying that those produced by rivals have little or no flavor. Molson Coors plans to appeal, according to Chief Communications Officer Adam Collins. A final decision in the Molson Coors case should come down next month, she said. In 2019, Molson Coors sued AB InBev over a Super Bowl campaign highlighting the fact that Miller Lite and Coors Light use corn syrup in the brewing process.

☆ Uber and Lyft Claim Big Gains for Their Ad Businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Ride-hailing companies Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. each say their nascent advertising businesses have grown significantly in recent months. PREVIEWThe ride-hailing rivals’ ad businesses are also important for the companies’ growth. Uber said increased ad revenue in the latest quarter was a key growth driver for its overall business. Lyft ad revenue increased “nearly seven times” in the fourth quarter compared with the previous quarter, according to Mr. Greenberger. But the companies’ ad prices offer a glimpse at their respective positions in the market.

☆ Dogs Win the Super Bowl Ad Lineup, Surveys Show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The winner of USA Today’s annual Super Bowl Ad Meter was a commercial for dog-food delivery company Farmer’s Dog Inc. that tracked one chocolate Lab’s relationship with its owner from puppyhood to old age. The USA Today rankings had some overlap with other results. Research by Ace Metrix, a unit of TV ad measurement firm iSpot.tv Inc., crowned Jeep’s Super Bowl commercial as the most likable of the night. Jeep had the game’s most likable ad, according to Ace Metrix. “In past years, we’ve seen the majority of Super Bowl conversation generated in the weeks leading up to the Big Game,” a Mars spokeswoman said.

☆ Ben Affleck Created Dunkin’s Super Bowl Debut With the Help of Jennifer Lopez
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Dunkin’ might not have made an appearance in the Super Bowl this year if not for the influence of its best-known fan. The Inspire Brands Inc. restaurant chain decided to make its Super Bowl debut only after seeing the results of actor-director Ben Affleck’s push to film himself working a drive-through shift at a location near his hometown of Boston, said Dunkin’ Chief Marketing Officer Jill McVicar Nelson.

☆ The 2023 Super Bowl Ads Will Feature Booze, Betting and Jesus
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Megan Graham | Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

The Super Bowl ads on Sunday are poised to promote an unusual mix of alcohol brands, gambling and Jesus. The Super Bowl still regularly draws an audience of around 100 million people, making it TV’s biggest event of the year and advertising’s biggest night. Planters’ Super Bowl ad features comedians mocking Mr. Peanut. The ads are likely to strike a lighter tone than the occasionally somber messages of Super Bowl ads in recent, highly politicized years or the early pandemic, said Anjali S. Bal, an associate professor of marketing at Babson College. Many Super Bowl advertisers have again released their ads well before Super Bowl Sunday to increase their chances of being seen.

☆ Crypto Brands Reposition Themselves in Wake of FTX and Market Tumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Roughly one year ago, a handful of crypto heavyweights made swaggering debuts on the Super Bowl ad roster, airing costly commercials with messages like “Don’t miss out” (FTX) and “Fortune favors the brave” (Crypto.com). Then came the swoon in crypto and the bankruptcy of FTX. Recently, trading firm OKX scuttled its plans to buy an ad in Super Bowl LVII when FTX began to dominate the news cycle. Coinbase aims to convey its confidence in crypto “while maintaining our position as the most trusted brand in the space,” Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch said. “I think that, especially after the FTX collapse, there has been a real need for that across the entire crypto space,” he said.

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