Study: Brands Sold on Shopper Marketing Programs

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/esearch/e3i382d62ad1770e9ede207cf7aa81ec385

In-store marketing tactics have not only become actively embraced by marketers of consumer packaged goods, many rank it as one of their most effective tools, per a study released today (Sept. 22). Deloitte and the Grocery Manufacturers Assn. polled more than 100 companies for the Delivering the Promise of Shopper Marketing: Mastering Execution for Competitive report.

Nineteen percent of consumer packaged goods manufacturers and half of retailers rank shopper marketing as the most effective activity for generating strong return-on-investment. Overall, 75% of manufacturers and 86% of retailers studied ranked in-store marketing among the top four activities in terms of gaining strong ROI.

Marketers Hit Hard by Credit Crisis

http://adage.com/article?article_id=131325

With banks in bunker mode and hoarding cash, marketers are beginning to feel the effects of credit drying up. Not only is McDonalds' coffee rollout threatened as franchisees scramble for funding to outfit stores, but General Motor Corp.'s largest dealership folded. Retailers are having a tough time raising money for much-needed holiday pushes and store openings. And deals are being hit hard on both ends of the price spectrum: Questions are being raised whether financing for InBev's $52 billion buyout of Anheuser-Busch will hold up, and $100 million consumer-products marketer Method is said to have taken itself off the market for want of a suitable price.

100 leading media companies

http://adage.com/mediatrees08/

2008 listing from AdAge

#1 Time Warner

Revenue breakdown for top 5
http://adage.com/images/random/datacenter/2008/bigplayers.pdf

Study: Sampling Works

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/shopper-marketing/e3i32e9c3e84ea86c79e3ae157688c1ad0a

new survey from Arbitron found sampling works.More than one-third (35%) of customers who tried a sample bought the product during the same shopping trip, per the poll of 1,857 respondents conducted earlier this year via the phone. Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed reported they would buy a product again after trying it.

Perhaps the most surprising finding: Nearly a quarter of those polled (24%) said they bought the product they sampled instead of the item they initially set out to purchase.

Nissan's Multicultural Account Finds New Home at Omnicom

Nissan North America is moving its multicultural account to Omnicom Group, to a new agency that will be set up to comply with Nissan's requirement for certified minority ownership and attempt to create a new model for handling multicultural business.

http://adage.com/hispanic/article?article_id=131351

Confidence Erodes Among U.S. Ad Execs, Budgets Expected To Decline

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=91660
The study, the Media Economy Report conducted by Advertiser Perceptions Inc., found that the percentage of advertising budgets that are expected to increase over the next six months fell to 33% during the April/May period that its most recent survey was conducted, an eight percentage point drop from the Spring of 2007. The percentage of advertising budgets expected to decline during that period, increased five percentage points to 23%.

Point.360 to Acquire the Assets of CenterStaging Musical Productions, Inc.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080930/latu523.html?.v=24

"CenterStaging's customers include recording artists, television networks, production companies and studios that use the space and expertise of CenterStaging in the same manner as owners of content use the talent and facilities of Point.360 to service their masters. The potential acquisition will bring us approximately $7 million of new revenue opportunities, new customers in a new segment of the entertainment industry and the opportunity to cross-sell the services of Point.360 and CenterStaging."

The purchase of assets is expected to be completed in the quarter ended December 31, 2008 and is subject to the United States Bankruptcy Court approval and an opportunity for other parties to overbid for CenterStaging's assets.