Captivating Connections.

happy birthday to youuu

(if buy youuu I mean digital advertising)

"Oct. 27 marks the 15th anniversary of the industry's first banner display ads, which appeared on Hotwired.com. To the many of you reading this who weren't in the business back then, that's not a typo; I'm not referring to www.HotWire.com, the travel site, but HotWired -- the first commercial digital magazine on the web and the offshoot of Wired magazine."

so how dark will black friday be?

...It depends on who you ask...

"In some ways, there's something comforting about the way retailers are gearing up for Black Friday, that make-or-break kickoff to the holiday season. Stores like Target are already shoving aisles of Christmas items in between the Halloween costumes. And advertising circulars are already being leaked to deal-finding websites, creating a buzz retailers count on to build traffic.

But there are also signs that this holiday season - the second consecutive year of dreary economics lessons - will be different.

Retailers, for the most part, will consider it a big win if they can sell at least as well as they did last year, Leon Nicholas, director of retail insight at Management Ventures, based in Cambridge, Mass., tells Marketing Daily, 'We don't expect to see as many flashy price points, as more stores have locked in already-low pricing. I don't think we'll have the assortment we've had in the past. And in many ways, Black Friday is becoming more of a cultural event about browsing than buying, with people surfing the web for deals and ideas.'

Stores are encouraging that, Phil Rist EVP/BIGresearch, says, 'by making Black Friday earlier and earlier each year,' with many events and web-only sales starting on Thursday. 'We'll see even more of that this year.' Still, he says, Black Friday matters as much as ever. 'It's always going to be the day for the super deals and the way stores try to get the money early in the season.'

And indeed, many people are shopping earlier. About 69% of shoppers expect to do most of their holiday shopping by Dec. 7, up from 60% in 2008, according to a new survey from Accenture, the consulting company. And more say they plan to shop on 'Black Friday' -- the day after Thanksgiving -- this year (52% vs. 42% in 2008)."

delivery week starts today...

For you NYCers too busy (or, er, lazy) to go get food or cook, check out Delivery Week!

You can get 3-course prix-fix meals from over 100 awesome restaurants for only $12.09 for lunch $20.09 for dinner!

attention nerds.

Comic Con is coming!

mac lovers rich & nerdy?

Well, I know I'm certianly nerdy...

"Mac owners are more likely to be affluent and gadget-oriented, according to a new study by NPD Group. The group's Household Penetration Study found that Mac owners were more likely to have more than one computer in their household--with 66% of the Mac-using survey respondents reporting more than three computers."

is tailgating the new marketing hotspot?

I'm from Balimore, and it still always impresses me when I go home to "Ravenstown" and see the rapid fans (including my friends and family) more or less live their lives (or at least weekends) by how the Ravens do.

Media Life recognizes the power of the tailgate, and has written an article positioning it as the new 'it' marketing spot:

"Now, two weeks into the NFL season, is a great time for marketers to reach out to fans who turn up at stadiums to cheer their teams on, and that doesn't necessarily mean spending huge dollars on signage in the stadium itself.

Another way to reach them, and at far less cost, is before the game starts when they’re tailgating in the stadium parking lot.

And besides cost, there are other advantages to targeting tailgaters. They're largely male, they're in a receptive mood, if not downright joyous in anticipation of seeing their team play, and they're not watching a game, as they would much of the time inside the stadium. They're talking with their buddies.

And the advertiser doesn't have to commit for the whole season. They can do one weekend or several, or all of the home games, and that makes it even more cost efficient.

In a typical tailgate campaign, street teams will be sent in to mingle with fans, talk up the product, and hand out fliers and samples. The advertiser might also hire a plane to tow a message around in the sky.

To find out how to get your client’s message in front of NFL tailgaters, read on."

2009 emmy winners.

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY 30 Rock & Mad Men!

Check out all the winners here.

mtv finally has a hit.

Nice job MTV:

"The network improved on the previous year’s viewership for the third straight 'VMAs,' attracting the show’s biggest audience since 2004.

The 'VMAs' averaged 8.97 million total viewers, up 5 percent from last year’s 8.43 million. The Viacom-owned network said that simulcasts on VH1 and MTV2 drew an additional 2 million viewers.

That’s the best since 10.3 million tuned into the broadcast five years ago.

The special did especially well among MTV’s target audience of viewers 12-34, where it drew a 7.5 rating, its best since 2005 and the top-rated show of the year in the demographic."

is there hope for b2s?

Is it possible back to school shopping may prove more fruitful than originally predicted?

"U.S. retailers looking for a much-needed sales boost may find a glimmer of hope in a survey released on Tuesday showing consumers have not yet finished the majority of their back-to-school shopping.

The average American family has finished only 41.6 percent of their back-to-school shopping as of August 11, according to a survey conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation, a leading retail trade group.

In addition, the survey also found that nearly one-third of families with children in kindergarten through 12th grade have not yet started shopping.

When consumers are shopping, sales or coupons have influenced nearly half of their purchases so far this season.

'The days of mom or dad letting children put whatever they want in the shopping cart are over,' said BIGresearch's Pam Goodfellow in a statement. 'Parents ... are making careful spending decisions based on price instead of giving kids free rein to pick out whatever they want.'"

ultimate cocktail contest.

So I’ve just received word about Bar Artisanal’s cocktail contest. For those of you who think they could pick up a second job as a mixologist, this one’s for you.

 

Check out the rules here:

 

Amateur mixologists and cheese lovers alike (who are at least 21 years) should send an original cocktail recipe that pairs well with cheese for a chance to have their cocktail featured on the Bar Artisanal cocktail menu and win $200 gift certificates for each of the Artisanal Group restaurants: Bar Bar Artisanal, Artisanal Fromagerie, Bistro and Wine Bar, and Picholine.

 

Submission Deadline: 5pm July 30, 2009 via Bar Artisanal’s Facebook page or contest@barartisanal.com.

 

Final Judging: 4pm July 30, 2009. Mixologists at Bar Artisanal will prepare the cocktails for a panel of judges to include Terrance Brennan, Chef-Proprietor of Artisanal and Bar Artisanal; Robert Haynes-Peterson, The NY Drinks Examiner; Tony Hightower, Co-Editor of Cocktailians; Jason Miller, Artisanal Group Beverage Director; and Dave Arnold, Director of Culinary Technology at The French Culinary Institute, who will rate the cocktails based on taste, appearance and originality to select a winner.

 

Information: www.barartisanal.com

 

If you decide to enter let us know what your concoction is!