MediaPost | Around the Net In Brand Marketing

McDonald's Highest Calorie Item Ever!

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:00:03 -0400

McDonald's is moving in a different direction in Japan than in the U.S. The company has just released its highest calorie item ever in Japan: the Mega Potato. The Mega Potato is almost a pound of fries, and contains 1,142 calories. The Mega Potato will hit Japanese restaurants nationwide this week, according to the site. The Mega Potato costs 490 yen. McDonald's latest exercise in caloric excess in Japan is in stark contrast to what it's attempting in the U.S.

Rolls-Royce Looking For Global AOR

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:00:03 -0400

Rolls-Royce, the luxury car brand owned by BMW, is reviewing its global advertising business, currently held by Partners Andrews Aldridge. The account covers digital work such as online films and direct marketing. It is being reviewed through AAR in a procurement-led process. RFP's were sent out last week and Partners Andrews Aldridge, which has worked with the automaker since 2008, focusing primarily on CRM, trade events and direct marketing. It fended off competition from Publicis Chemistry to retain the business in 2011.

U.S. Retailers See Risk In Safety Plan For Bangladesh

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:00:03 -0400

American retailers are opposed to joining an international plan to improve safety conditions at garment factories in Bangladesh as their European counterparts and consumer and labor groups dismiss the companies' concerns about legal liability. Said Gap's chief executive, Glenn Murphy, responded. "If we were to sign onto something that had unlimited legal liability and risk, I think our shareholders should care about that."

Kohl's Snags High-Level Starbucks Exec

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:00:03 -0400

Michelle Gass, who had long been considered a possible replacement for Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz, and who spent the past two years working on a turnaround for Starbucks' troubled Europe, Middle East and Africa region is going to Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based Kohl's. The retailer Wednesday said it has hired Gass in the newly created position of chief customer officer. She will oversee marketing, e-commerce and something Kohl's calls "the customer's total omnichannel experience."

TV Star Ashley Benson Touts 7-Eleven Slurpees

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:00:03 -0400

7-Eleven Inc. is launching #AWESUMMER Slurpee Days. From May 24 through May 27, medium Slurpees will be available for 49 cents. Actress Ashley Benson launched the program at a Los Angeles 7-Eleven with a "ceremonial first sip." The "Pretty Little Liars" and "Spring Breakers" star set her cup on a Slurpee machine that set off a chain reaction that resulted in the raising of a banner launching the promotion.

Ford Boosting Production

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:00:03 -0400

Ford Motor Company plans to roll-out 200,000 additional vehicles this year to meet customer demand in the U.S. The Dearborn, Mich.-based company said it expects to get the added volume in part by cutting back its two-week summer shutdown at select plants. That alone should add another 40,000 units of volume, Ford said. Ford is also shuttering its build operations in Australia.

Girl, 9, Lectures McDonald's CEO On Nutrition

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:00:03 -0400

McDonald's needs kids more than today's kids need McDonald's. Perhaps no one knows that better than CEO Don Thompson, who was seriously put on the hot seat by a 9-year-old girl at Thursday's annual shareholder's meeting in Oak Brook, Ill. For a few moments, Hannah Robertson - whose mother, Kia, is a kid's nutritional activist and creator of an interactive children's game on nutrition calledToday I Ate a Rainbow - stood and lectured the CEO of one of the world's biggest brands.

Yum! Plans To Double Taco Bell Sales

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:10:03 -0400

Yum! Brands Inc. plans to double Taco Bell's domestic annual sales to $14 billion by 2021, per analysts who attended investor meetings with the company. Louisville, Ky.-based Yum, which also operates and franchises KFC and Pizza Hut, told attendees that system growth would include an increase in average unit volumes from $1.3 million in fiscal 2012 to about $1.8 million by the end of the decade. The plan is also to grow unit count from 5,700 to 8,000 locations.

Twitter Lets Advertisers Collect Contact Info From tweets

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:10:03 -0400

Twitter plans to turn the tweet stream into a more efficient marketing channel with a new Twitter Card that lets people sign up for advertiser offers or promotions inside tweets. Twitter Cards, also known as expanded tweets, are a 1-year-old feature that bring rich media from partners to tweets so that when people click to expand a tweet, they can view and interact with photos, videos, content snippets, and product information without needing to leave Twitter.

GM Closes Big Apple Finance Office

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:10:03 -0400

General Motors will close its New York Treasurers office and move the operation to Detroit by the middle of next year. GM has traditionally had its finance operating from its building in the southeast corner of Central Park. In fact, for many decades GM's chairman, starting with Alfred P. Sloan, was based in the Big Apple, rather than Detroit. Since the 1950s, New York is where high potential employees on the fast track went to win promotions to big jobs inside or even outside GM. No more.

NFL-Microsoft Deal 'Landmark' Game-Changer

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:10:03 -0400

A new multi-year alliance between the league and Microsoft, valued at $400 million, will give the company expanded "official" status, provide teams, players and fans access to next-generation technology and move the NFL closer to a future where, according to both sides, innovations would include the ability for coaches and players to view replays on sidelines while providing fans with an "enhanced" game experience.

Future Of Fast Casual: Alcohol

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:10:03 -0400

Fast-casual restaurants are using alcoholic beverages as a way to differentiate their brands. "We're seeing a fair amount of it within fast casual; traditional limited service, not so much, although Starbucks obviously has been testing it," says David Henkes, VP of Chicago-based Technomic Inc., adding that alcohol can account for 3%-7% of a fast casual's sales. "For fast casual, it is a lot more in their wheelhouse than in traditional fast food."

NFL Puts Super Bowl L Into Levi's Stadium

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:10:03 -0400

In 1985, the last time a Super Bowl was played in Northern California, San Francisco defeated Miami in Super Bowl XIX. In 2013, the San Francisco Bay Area defeated Miami to win the rights to host the NFL's historic Super Bowl 50, which will be played in 2016.

Marchionne Mea Culpa

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:05:02 -0400

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has apologized to Italian-Americans for using the term "wop" during a press conference at the Detroit Auto Show in January. "I used the term 'wop engines' to refer to powertrains that would be used in the Alfa Romeo range," Marchionne said in a letter to the Italian-American One Voice Coalition dated May 15. "The term was used in jest, by me as an Italian, to emphasize the uniqueness of the offering." Marchionne said he never intended to condone use of that the term, which is a pejorative for Italian-Americans.

Nike Rolls Out New Jerseys For Team England

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:05:02 -0400

England's Three Lions team is the Nike Swoosh on their new home uniforms. England used to wear Umbro gear, but Nike sold off that brand along with Cole Haan for $225 million to Iconix last year. The logo gets camera time in a promotional video. The jersey celebrates the 150th birthday of the Football Association by paying design homage to England's first jersey.

ComforPedic Campaign Says Sleep Keeps You Bright

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:05:02 -0400

Simmons' ComforPedic mattress brand is getting its first national ad campaign, with TV spots featuring walls that are rear-projection screams showing celebrities dreaming. The effort, via Boston-based Arnold Worldwide touts the bed as "the better memory foam," and the tag is, "Sleep smarter." The pitch is that good sleep helps your IQ. "Smart begins with better sleep. Better sleep begins with ComforPedic," says the web site.

Eminem In Suit Against Facebook Over Ads

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:05:02 -0400

Eminem's song publisher is suing Facebook and its ad agency, claiming they infringed the Detroit rapper's copyright. In the complaint, filed in Detroit federal court, Ferndale, Mich.-based Eight Mile Style contends that a Facebook ad that was broadcast online April 4 copied music from Eminem's 2000 song "Under the Influence." The 30-second ad, dubbed "Airplane," was featured in a webcast by Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to announce Facebook Home, an interface for Android phones. Some viewers at the time noted a similarity between the ad's music and Eminem's song.

IBM's Watson Supercomputer As Marketing Consultant

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:05:02 -0400

At the IBM Smarter Commerce Global Summit in Nashville this week, IBM plans to launch the Watson Engagement Advisor, aimed at helping organizations provide better customer service and product recommendations in real time at scale. The same technology that once outsmarted humans to win Jeopardy and has recently been used to diagnose cancer will now be used to help organizations sense and respond in real time.

Nutella Shuts Fan Site, Opens Social Media Nightmare

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:05:02 -0400

Brands as disparate as Coca-Cola and Marmite embraced fan sites. Nutella maker Ferrero has gone the other way, issuing a cease and desist notice to the owner of the unofficial "World Nutella Day" website and social media pages. The company has been branded as "counter intuitive" by social media experts, who warn it could make previous advocates of the brand turn away to competitors.

Macy's New Campaign

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400

Macy's is rolling out Americana in a new marketing campaign throughout 850 stores that encircles Independence Day. Classic fashion staples of denim, T-shirts and sneakers are the inspiration for "American Icons," the new campaign that will run through the week of July 4. The effort includes in-store displays, magazine ads, direct-mail catalogs and a charity fundraiser. "It's about driving sales," says Martine Reardon, Macy's chief marketing officer.

Barbie Is Househunting

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400

Toymaker Mattel has hired a team of interior designers to create three "dream houses" - in New York, California and India - for Barbie and will announce its choice in August. One of the sets is a luxury penthouse overlooking Central Park, designed by Celerie Kemble. "Barbie is a strong, independent woman. She belongs in New York!" Kemble said. "Manhattan is the best of the best for Barbie."

Forget Flicks, U.S. Will Export Machinery

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400

Crappy movies will not be the main U.S. export in coming years. The good news for everyone east of the San Andreas Fault is that industrial machinery will be. A new trade forecast says the merchandise category, which includes everything from large power-generating machinery to small parts for domestic electrical items, will account for 21% of export growth from now until 2015. That's because emerging markets will need specialized goods.

Darden Testing New Bar Concept

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400

Darden Restaurants Inc. is testing a new bar concept called Atrium that serves a dual-branded Olive Garden/Red Lobster location. The venue, in North Carolina, is not designed to be stand-alone concept. Rich Jeffers, a spokesman for the Orlando, Fla.-based Darden said the company is testing the idea of giving the shared bar area a more unique identity. Since March 2011, Darden has opened six dual-branded locations, which the company calls "synergy units" designed to work in markets that don't have population density to support a single brand location.

Sure, C-Store Stops This Summer

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400

For summer travelers, convenience store stops will be part of the trip. According to this month's NACS Consumer Fuels Survey, 85% of vacationers surveyed will be traveling by car and more than four out of five (82%) will be stopping at a c-store along the way. Beside gas purchases, 59% of survey respondents said they will buy drinks, 59% will use the bathroom, and 55% will buy snacks.

Driverless Cars; Yeah, We'll Get One Of Those

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400

Google's driverless car project may turn out to be a gold mine if sentiment research has some predictive power. In a Cisco Customer Experience report, 57% of people surveyed said they would "be likely to ride in a car controlled entirely by technology that does not require a human driver." The survey polled 1,500 people in 10 countries. Respondents in Brazil (96%), India (86%) and China (70%) were most likely to trust a driverless car. In the United States, 60% said they would.

Domino's Brazil: DVD Boxes That Smell Like Pizza

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400

Domino's Brazil is launching a "smellvertising" campaign. A YouTube video explains how a special thermal ink on DVDs rented at stores in Brazil makes the DVD players act like little ovens that trigger a smell of pizza, while turning the image on the discs into pizza as well.

YouTube Lets You Shop Products On Videos

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400

Google is releasing a new "channel gadget" that will aim to shorten the path to purchase and translate video views to sales. The new technology will allow brands to sell products through their YouTube Channels. The new "shoppable" videos will let brands to partner with third-party technology providers to allow viewers to click on a product and make a purchase.

Cracker Jack Ties With Ashley Tisdale

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400

New Cracker Jack'D in town isn't your grandfather's caramel-covered popcorn snacking food. The rebranded and remodeled Cracker Jack'D, a division of PepsiCo's Frito-Lay, has signed deals with hip-hop musicians Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, uber-automotive design firm West Coast Customs, and actress Ashley Tisdale, who is on the cover of the current Maxim magazine - to tout a new line of flavors.

More States Consider Raising Tobacco-Use Age

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400

In April, several members of the New York City Council introduced legislation that would raise the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21. Then New York State elected officials proposed similar legislation at the state level. Now, New Jersey officials are also considering the move. The legal age to buy tobacco products in most states is still 18, but New Jersey, Alaska, Alabama, Utah and a few New York counties have set the age at 19. A bill to raise the legal age to 21 is pending in the Texas legislature.

More States Consider Raising Tobacco-Use Age

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:05:03 -0400