Nielsen Partners With Credit-Check Giant Experian's Marketing Side

Online campaign ratings will parse demos even finer than before.

Ever gotten a credit report on yourself? If so, you probably used data mining company Experian to get the information. Now, the company will be providing specific consumer info to Nielsen for use in the latter's online campaign ratings (OCR), adding more measurements to Nielsen's data, which already includes info from Facebook. The partnership is with Experian's marketing side, Experian Marketing Services (their info is anonymized and uses a different data set from the credit report arm).

"Currently, Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings reports on the basis of age, gender and designated market area," the company said in a statement . "This effort will enable Nielsen to explore extending the solution to report campaign audience by additional demographic and lifestyle segments, such as estimated household income range, family size and education level."

Nielsen is currently locked in competition with analytics agency comScore, whose validated campaign essentials system has plenty of adherents among newer companies. TV networks frequently prefer the reliability that goes with the Nielsen brand, but as more pure digital market players choose VCE, Nielsen is obviously stepping up its game in order to attract a greater market share.

The program is in beta testing this fall, with a full release anticipated in 2014. “We are committed to bringing greater accountability to digital ad measurement, building upon the strong foundation of traditional demos as we respond to the industry’s need for television-like guarantees," said Megan Clarken, evp, global product leader for Nielsen.

Rarely has the industry shown a greater need for third-party measurement. Betweenquestionable traffic from sites that exist mostly on paper and outright fraud, reliable delivery guarantees are essential for a market without rampant inefficiencies. With the price of digital advertising so far below comparable content on television, the industry is trying to demonstrate to clients that its kinks are ironed out, and while companies like Nielsen can't afford to expand their panels much further without charging their clients yet more money, data gatherers like Acxiom and Experian are able to sell on their measurements while sustaining the cost of the panel infrastructure.

Article Written by Sam Thielman
Read More here: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/nielsen-partners-credit-check-giant-experian-153279

Pepsi vending machine accepts FB likes instead of quarters

Pepsi vending machine accepts FB likes instead of quarters 

Free samples are sometimes a one-way street. Companies traditionally give out gratis products with the hope that doing so will result in future business, but it's never a sure thing. Pepsi combats this problem with its new "Like Machine," which essentially trades free Pepsi samples for a consumer's Facebook information.

Here's how it works: The machine, which recently debuted at a Beyonce concert in Antwerp, Belgium, offers a free Pepsi to consumers who "like" Pepsi on Facebook via their smartphones or a touch screen on the machine's display.
It's certainly a novel way to boost Pepsi's reach on Facebook. A video featuring the machine shows throngs of people "liking" Pepsi and happily retrieving cans of soda. "Thanks to this new way of sampling, we know exactly who like, tried, and enjoyed an ice-cold Pepsi," says the video's narrator.
But to us the voiceover is almost ominous. If all companies operated this way, our Facebook feeds would suddenly be overrun with branded messages. There's also something unsettling about big companies having access to our personal information. Maybe we're being paranoid, but online tracking is already widespread. Time to update those privacy settings
What do you think of Pepsi's Like Machine?





Maker's Mark's Plain Dumb Move Proved To Be Pure Marketing Genius

Maker's Mark's Plain Dumb Move Proved To Be Pure Marketing Genius

(Article authored by Avi Dan, Contributor for Forbes Magazine and can be found here) 

Sex sells, and so does panic, apparently.

Sales of Maker’s Mark bourbon, known for its distinctive red wax seal, soared 44 percent in the first quarter, its best ever, after the distillery announced in mid-February that it plans to water down its own product and lower the proof due to shortage of raw materials. That led to a revolt among loyal customers, but whereas people usually boycott a product when they are not happy,

The firestorm that the announcement caused led Maker’s to sober up. As thousands took to social-media to complain about the change to Maker’s, the company reversed the decision a week after the news broke.

“You spoke. We listened. And we’re sincerely sorry we let you down,” the distiller wrote on its Facebook FB -1.63% page Feb. 17. Nearly 28,000 people clicked a “like”, praising the decision.

Companies of course tend to crow about product reformulations, but that is often the case when they improve the formulation, not diminish it.  However, when it comes to marketing, scare tactics seem to work. The public relations fiasco turned out to be a boon for Maker’s Mark, offsetting some decline in parent Jim Beam BEAM -1.18%’s other spirits.

Beam isn’t the first company to face a backlash when tinkering with a beloved product. In 1985, devotees of Coke were enraged when Coca-Cola KO -0.71% Co. introduced a reformulated beverage called New Coke. Less than three months after what some called “the biggest marketing fiasco ever”, Coke went back to its original formula, rechristened “Coca-Cola Classic”, marketed side by side with New Coke.

In a bit of spin, Coca-Cola eventually claimed that both formulas actually increased their share of the cola market, and some conspiracy theorists even insinuated that this was actually a brilliant, secret strategy intended to regain loyalty of Coca Cola drinks that have been switching to Pepsi.

Is it possible that Maker’s blunder was premeditated?

That would have been pretty dumb. For starters, it would have been too risky, bordering on a death wish.  No one could have predicted that their customers would rush out and hoard on the bourbon. And in the age of social media it was entirely predictable that customers would revolt vociferously.

So therefore, the company might have been brazen enough or foolish enough to actually consider cheapening their product as a viable business strategy, but I don’t believe that the announcement about watering down the bourbon was premeditated, just dumb.

In some ways Maker’s learned what many companies have to grapple with today: they really don’t own their brands anymore, the customer does. They just rent them.

Avi Dan is the founder of Avidan Strategies, a marketing consulting firm that specializes in business and marketing advice, agency search, compensation, and advertising strategy. He spent 30 years in senior management and board positions with leading global agencies.

Kool-Aid launches new ad campaign centered around a new, modern, and kool Kool-Aid man

Kool-Aid Launches New Liquid Drink Mix, Expansive Brand Campaign

(Original article posted on BevNet.com on April 17, 2013 3:09 pm | Can be located here)

Celebrity Spokespitcher Undergoes Massive Makeover; Brand Launches Kool-Aid Liquid Drink Mix for Refreshing, Portable Flavor

New Interactive Website and Mobile App to Showcase Kool-Aid Man’s Colorful Personality

NORTHFIELD, Ill. — Kool-Aid, the iconic refreshment beverage that has stood for fun and flavor for generations, today unveiled a comprehensive brand campaign called “Smile. It’s Kool-Aid,” which introduces a new look and feel for the brand and a makeover for its famous spokespitcher, Kool-Aid Man, all timed to the product launch of Kool-Aid Liquid Drink Mix.

Kool-Aid Man, who has been the embodiment of the brand since he first appeared in an advertisement in 1954, has undergone a serious makeover with a brand new modern look and distinctive voice.  Kool-Aid Man has gone back to his roots for his updated look, with an emphasis on his original pitcher-focused personification but playing up his undeniably fun personality. Previously a costumed character, the new lifelike Kool-Aid Man is technologically advanced, CGI-generated and more interactive and colorful than ever. In addition to his iconic tagline “Oh Yeah!” he will now have his own characteristic sound, expanded vocabulary and developed personality. And like any digitally-savvy celebrity, Kool-Aid Man will have his own personal Facebook page, launching on April 15, where he will interact directly with fans like never before.

The new campaign, produced by Saatchi & Saatchi New York and VSA Partners of Chicago, showcases the new CGI-generatedKool-Aid Man in television print, online and mobile creative. The print and television campaigns, geared toward moms, offers insight into Kool-Aid Man’s personality and a first glimpse into his daily life: trying to decide which of his 22 flavor “outfits” to wear, working out at the gym, buying flowers and interacting with neighbors, and of course, breaking through walls.

“This is one of those fun projects we love to work on: Bring Kool-Aid Man back, better than ever,” said Saatchi & Saatchi NY Chief Creative Officer Con Williamson. “When we set out to do that, when we really dug in, we discovered that there’s a lot to love in the evolution of this iconic character. We wanted people to get to know him a bit more. Kool-Aid and Kool-Aid Man are undeniably fun and positively bold. We wanted that happiness to shine through in his personality and attitude.”

In June, for the first time ever, Kool-Aid will launch a new Android- and iOS-enabled Kool-Aid Man PhotoBomb mobile app, which will enable fans to superimpose different images of Kool-Aid Man into their personal photos. PhotoBomb users can move, scale and manipulate images to allow Kool-Aid Man to integrate seamlessly into any photo opportunity. All photos will be shareable across all popular social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).

The newly revamped Kool-Aid website will offer fans a chance to navigate Kool-Aid Man’s home, clicking through interactive portals that will link to various brand assets. The website, app and Facebook page are being developed by VSA Partners ofChicago.

Introducing Kool-Aid Liquid Drink MixTimed to the campaign launch, the brand introduces Kool-Aid Liquid, a sugar-free liquid drink mix that you squeeze into water to create delicious Kool-Aid flavor.  The 1.62 fl. oz.-sized bottles, shaped like the Kool-Aid Man, give you the power to carry 24 servings with you in your purse or pocket. Available in four great-tasting, favorite flavors: Tropical Punch, Cherry, Grape and Orange, Kool-Aid Liquid is available in the beverage mix section of mass market and grocery stores nationwide.

“When we conceptualized the campaign, we knew that fun and flavor needed to be at the core of everything we did,” said Erica Rendall , Senior Brand Manager at Kraft Foods. “People know and love Kool-Aid, and the new liquid drink mix is a fun, flavorful evolution of the brand our customers love. Just as the liquid has evolved, Kool-Aid Man has a new look and attitude, and he’s sure to deliver smiles to the whole family.”

ABOUT KRAFT FOODS GROUPKraft Foods Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRFT) is North America’s fourth largest consumer packaged food and beverage company, with revenues of $18 billion in 2012.  Launched as a public and independent company on Oct. 1, 2012, the new Kraft has the spirit of a startup and the soul of a powerhouse.  The company has an unrivaled portfolio of products in the beverages, cheese, refrigerated meals and grocery categories. Its iconic brands include Kraft, Maxwell House, Oscar Mayer , Planters and JELL-O. Kraft’s 23,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada have a passion for making the foods and beverages people love. Kraft Foods Group is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 and the NASDAQ-100.