Hotlines: Late-Breaking Industry News

Condé Nast Vice Chairman, Former CEO Florio Dead at 58NEW YORK Steve Florio, the colorful former chief executive of Condé Nast Publications, died Dec. 27 from complications following a heart attack he suffered before Thanksgiving, the company said. Florio was 58. Company chairman S.I. Newhouse Jr. issued a statement saying, "Steve was a great executive and a wonderful leader. I'm very glad that we had many years together." Florio, who had a history of heart problems, retired in 2004 as CEO and retained the title of vice chairman. He stepped down fully in January 2006. He started his career with Condé Nast back in the early 1980s, when Newhouse hired him away from Esquire to become publisher of GQ.Social Network Advertising To Surpass $2 Bil. by 2010NEW YORK By 2010, over $2 billion will be spent on social networking advertising in the U.S., estimated Bharat Book Research, in its annual "Global Internet Report." It indicated that the success of this "new era of digital media" will focus on advertising and the ability to attract new revenue. The report said industry confidence would be driven by "phenomenal growth" in online advertising revenue. BBR estimated that more than $25 billion would be spent globally on online advertising in 2007. As broadband infrastructure continues to grow, the Internet will see a diverse range of video applications arise, beyond what is available now. Social networks such as Facebook are expanding into video-based services, recognizing that this is necessary to remain competitive.Career Site Monster.com Breaks First Global CampaignNEW YORK Monster.com last week introduced its first global campaign from BBDO Worldwide here. Titled "Your calling is calling," two commercials broke in the U.S. and the U.K. One spot, directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, features people trying to fight off Monday morning daybreak. Another, directed by Frank Budgen, shows people moving through the monotony of their daily commutes. The campaign also includes online, print and radio advertising.Study: 75% of DVR Users Watch Prime-time Ads Next DayLOS ANGELES Holiday-sale advertisers should be pleased to learn that DVRs are not having a serious impact on commercial viewing or on watching time-sensitive ads, a study by Palisades MediaGroup here suggests. Conducted in conjunction with NPower (which, like Adweek, is a unit of the Nielsen Co.), the study said more than half of prime-time programs recorded were played back within the same day, and three quarters by the day after. Susie Thomas, PMG svp, director of research and insights, added that although fewer than half of DVR users fast-forward through ads, at 20 percent DVR penetration "the impact on viewership remains minor."Coke Inks Integrated Marketing Deal With ExerciseTVNEW YORK Coca-Cola North America said last week it has signed a two-year deal to promote its waters, juices, teas, energy and sports drinks and other products on ExerciseTV. The alliance begins Jan. 1. ExerciseTV is a video-on-demand network currently available in more than 23 million homes via Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Bresnan Communications. It was launched in January 2006 by exercise guru Jake Steinfeld, who is CEO of Body By Jake Global, and developed by Comcast. Coke and ExerciseTV will integrate beverage brand messages and product attributes into new shows they will co-create as well as existing programs on ExerciseTV. Additional elements include exclusive content for MyCoke-Rewards.com. Coke's non-cola product lines include Minute Maid, Powerade, Enviga and Dasani. It was not revealed whether Coke would support the deal with ad campaign. Financial terms were not disclosed.Aegis' Carat Keeps Pernod's $200 Mil. Media BusinessBOSTON Aegis Media retained the estimated $200 million global media business of Pernod Ricard following a review. The Paris-based spirits giant also heard final pitches from Publicis Groupe's Optimedia and WPP Group's MindShare, sources said. The competition was launched this summer. Aegis' Carat network handles the estimated $60 million U.S. portion of the business and will continue to do so. Carat added those chores after a pitch two years ago. Pernod Ricard has been an Aegis client for more than 30 years.Nielsen: Some Segments Gain, But Year-to-Date Ad Spend FlatNEW YORK Advertising fell 0.1 percent through September, according to preliminary figures released in late December by Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Of the 16 media segments tracked by the research service, which, like Adweek, is part of the Nielsen Co., only six showed increases, led by the Internet, with a 15.9 percent gain. Other media that grew during the period were national magazines, up 7.7 percent, national Sunday supplements (6 percent), outdoor (5.7 percent), national cable TV (1.2 percent) and Spanish-language TV (0.5 percent). Last week, TNS Media Intelligence issued its third-quarter estimates, reporting a slight increase in ad spending of 0.2 percent to $108.2 billion. Most of the market softness came from the automotive category. Auto manufacturers cut spending by 13.5 percent, and local dealers reduced spending by 5.6 percent. Among the top 10 categories, only pharmaceuticals, telephone services and wireless, and direct response products were up. The top 10 advertisers cut budgets during the first nine months of the year to $30.5 billion, a decrease of 6.3 percent. Only two advertisers, Procter & Gamble and Kraft Foods increased budgets by 1.3 percent and 1 percent, respectively.Study: Kids See Fewer Alcohol Ads Overall, More on Cable TVNEW YORK Though youth exposure to alcohol marketing on TV overall and in national magazines declined roughly 6 percent from 2001 to 2006, exposure to alcohol ads on cable TV has increased, a new study has found. The research from the Council on Alcohol Marketing and Youth found that although there's been a 50 percent drop in magazine exposure for such advertisements, contact with TV ads rose 30 percent. The data is contained in "Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising on Television and in National Magazines, 2001 to 2006." "There's been an explosion in the TV medium," said CAMY executive director David Jernigan, adding that the main drivers have been the distilled spirits brands. "Alcohol marketers are all over the cable channels. The last thing kids need is more exposure to alcohol ads, and putting those ads on [TV] stations does exactly that."Kimberly-Clark Taps Naked For Communications OverhaulNEW YORK Kimberly-Clark is adjusting its marketing-agency model and no longer developing ad programs built exclusively around 30-second TV spots. With this new approach in mind, K-C has selected Naked Communications as its communications planning agency. Naked, New York, will work with the client to better integrate the efforts of all of its agency partners in developing media-neutral marketing ideas, communications plans and channel strategies for K-C's consumer brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Pull-Ups, Cottonelle, Viva, Depends and GoodNites. Tony Palmer, CMO at K-C, said in a statement that producing marketing efforts built around TV commercials is no longer relevant in today's business environment. "It is incumbent on clients to take an active role in reshaping the model," he said, adding that hiring Naked is a step in this direction. Naked's role is to help K-C and its agency partners identify the best communications channels it can leverage to execute specific brand programs.Disney's Internet Arm Names Chief Technology OfficerNEW YORK The Walt Disney Internet Group has appointed A.D. "Bud" Albers as chief technology officer. WDIG creates interactive Disney-branded media for Internet and mobile devices globally for all of the Disney properties. Albers will be responsible for leading the technological charge on WDIG's existing platforms as well as developing new technology solutions. "His technical knowledge combined with his strategic thinking will help us achieve our vision of a world where users can access The Walt Disney Co. content, including Disney-branded characters and stories, ABC news and entertainment and ESPN sports coverage and analysis, anytime and anywhere," said Steve Wadsworth, WDIG president, to whom Albers reports.Video Site Hires Former Yahoo! Honcho to Grow BusinessNEW YORK Video entertainment site Metacafe has hired former Yahoo! and Disney executive, Scott Bushman, to the position of vp of business development. Bushman will be responsible for cultivating relationships with global media companies, oversee content licensing deals as well as determine other viable growth opportunities for the company within the short form video entertainment arena. "Online video entertainment has proved a cultural phenomenon in the past couple of years, and it's now poised to become a lucrative media business," said Bushman.Intel Reviews Media Buying, Universal McCann to DefendBOSTON Computer chip giant Intel has confirmed a review of its media-buying business, handled by Interpublic Group's Universal McCann, which sources said is expected to defend. Sources estimated global ad spending in the $300 million range. That business is now in play. IPG's McCann Erickson handles creative duties, but a client representative stressed that those chores are not currently being reviewed. Agency executives at UM and McCann either could not be reached or declined comment. Intel, the world's largest microchip provider, made a big push to introduce its Core 2 Duo processor last year, with various McCann Worldgroup units, including McCann Erickson and MRM, contributing.Carroll Follows Dru as TBWA CEO, Clow Takes New TitleNEW YORK TBWA Worldwide late last month said Tom Carroll would succeed Jean-Marie Dru as CEO of the Omnicom Group-owned network. Carroll, 52, also retains the title of president, while Dru, 60, becomes chairman. Lee Clow, who had been chairman and chief creative officer, becomes global director of media arts, a new title. The changes are effective immediately. "I believe it is time for me to move up and let Tom take charge of running the company," Dru said in a statement. "I know Tom can achieve this. He has all the energy and all the skills to lead our talented group of executives." Clow added, "The next few years, which I have described as the next 'creative revolution,' are going to be the most exciting the advertising business has ever seen, and Tom will be at the forefront of transforming the agency and the industry. I think Jay Chiat would be happy." Carroll had stints at Chiat/Day in New York and Los Angeles in the 1980s. He left in 1989 to found Weiss, Whitten, Carroll, Stagliano; in 1995, he moved to MVBMS, where he was a partner, responsible for Dunkin Donuts, Evian, Oppenheimer Funds and Universal Studios.

Brand Marketing

Hotlines: Late-Breaking Industry News

Adweek Staff

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Adweek Staff