When a division member asks the Discussion List for help with a research question. they often compile the responses and report back to the group.

See below for a few of these summaries. 

If you have a topic for discussion, please post it to the Discussion List.

 

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June 25, 2009

Robin Feuerstein (Director, Center for Marketing Intelligence, IPG)) asked:

"We are looking for examples of how celebrity fashion trends can relate to retail sales (e.g. Jimmy Cho shoes in Sex & the City), etc. ."

Summary of Responses:

How about Tom Cruise in Risky Business and Ray Ban sales?

Or Sex in the City and the popularity of Cosmopolitans?

 - Amy Zerman, Korn Ferry

Britney Spears and chewing gum

Kate Hudson and UGG boots

Pete Wentz and guyliner / man-scara

- Stephen Fleming, Young & Rubicam Brands

Gossip Girl and headbands

Paris Hilton and her Sidekick

Travolta in Urban Cowboy

Ugg boots

Rappers and Timberland sales or designer logos

Cameron Diaz and Prius-driving

Olsen Twins and boho chic or huge sunglasses

Pashminas were big for a few years (Gwynth Paltrow particularly)

 - Krista Pegnetter, Rodale Inc.

Devil wears PRADA!

Here’s a fun blog entry “15 movies that inspired fashion trends.”

Example: American Gigolo and Armani

- Lauren Albert, Economic Group Pension Services Inc.

Gossip Girls and those bright colored tights they always wear

Jennifer Aniston and the Euro-style scarf around the neck

There is also a line of scrubs being sold that look like what Izzie wears on Grey’s Anatomy.
      http://greysanatomy.nwscrubs.com/
      http://www.allheart.com/greys-anatomy-scrubs.html
      http://www.nationalscrubs.com/greysanatomyscrubs.html

Didn’t Sex and The City also help lift sales for the Birkin bag?

- Betsy Hoza, DDB

Adding to that, Jane Birkin inspired the Birkin bag

How about Sienna Miller and the hippy revival look?

- Joni Savage

“While Fedora sales rise each time an "Indiana Jones" sequel is released, Passikoff says, the opposite also occurs. Undershirt sales declined after men noticed that actor Clark Gable didn't wear one, adds Amy Shea, Brand Keys EVP.” http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=83728

Dixon says celebrities help drive fashion sales. She cites New York handbag designer Andrea Brueckner as another example. "Lindsay Lohan was pictured with the saddlebag, and one of the Simpson girls has been pictured with the same bag a couple of times,’’ she says of the purses, which sell for $300 to $600. "People come in and just buy them like crazy. We have waiting lists for them right now.’’ http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/45090

- Lauren Albert, Economic Group Pension Services Inc.

Michelle Obama and nearly everything she wears (J Crew, Tracy Feith [now at Target])

Kristie Alley and her plus-size Target dresses

Kate Moss and Top Shop

- Reece Dano, Ziba Design

The Pope and Prada shoes and Guccci sunglasses (unsubstantiated)

Don Johnson - Miami Vice and pastel fashion for men and white suits

Grace Kelly and Hermes (Kelly bag)

Birkin (Samantha on Sex and the City and countless other celebrities)

Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons and Phat Farm - Baby Phat

- Alisa Coddington

Will Smith (Men in Black) and Robert Pattison (Twilight) - Ray Bans

- Rebecca Butts, Ernst & Young

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aPRIL 1, 2009

Jen Hahs (Manager Information Services, Martin Williams Advertising) asked:

"I’m on the hunt for free tools to trend Web chatter on a company. For example, twist.flaptor.com graphs what people are saying on Twitter in real time. I’m hoping for something similar but for the entire Web."

Summary of Responses:

http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/08/26-free-tools-for-buzz-monitoring.html - free list of tools

http://www.silobreaker.com/NewsTrends.aspx - Silo Breaker charts news/blog mentions of any keyword.” (Stephen Fleming)

 http://www.google.com/insights/search/# Google Insights for Search “compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, time”

Trackur.com - free trial and are relatively low cost depending on requirements.  Has some handy features.

http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch/advanced_blog_search?hl=en - Google Blogs Advanced Searching (Amelia Kassel)

http://www.slideshare.net/RCM77/social-media-monitoring-tools-evaluation-1134864  - presentation on web monitoring tools (Amelia Kassel)

 

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aUGUST 13, 2008

Jen Hahs (Manager Information Services, Martin Williams Advertising) asked:

"I am looking for examples of brands or products that have clearly understood benefits outside of their traditional use.

Example: Wine = good for the heart; Arm & Hammer soda = cooking/cleaning; Cheerios = lowers your cholesterol; Quaker Oats = good for your heart; Dentyne gum = dentists recommend for oral hygiene; Yogurt = bacteria is good for you"

Summary of Responses:

1. Several people brought my attention to a recent article in Adweek on off-label uses for Preparation H, Bounce dryer sheets, Dawn dish soap and others:
“Apply Liberally: Consumers Use Products as They See Fit Why some companies follow the lead of consumers who have their own ideas about product usage”
Adweek, 7/14/08
http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/agency/e3i5dab627a6e5e9f6721df0cf892520377

2. Each month, Real Simple magazine has a section called "New Uses for Old Things": http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/browse/organize/0,21771,6508000000-Issue_Date-desc-39-1-25,00.html.

3. Bounce Dryer Sheets - dusting

4. Pine-Sol is great for laundry, especially stains.

5. A horrible negative example is the idea that cigarette smoking would help in diet programs. This was 1930-50's thinking.

6. 'Upcycling' -- Consumers are reusing and repurposing packaging in order to avoid waste.

7. Baby wipes -- They're not just for babies. Many people report using them for 'personal cleaning' as well as a quick way to clean bathroom surfaces.

8. Look at periodicals like ReadyMade, Make (O'Reilly), and Craft (also O'Reilly). These publications focus almost entirely on using existing consumer products in conjunction with found materials in order to create new household furniture, crafts, and electronics.

9. You might also come up with some interesting results if you look up "freegans" (like vegans) and "freecycling".

 

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FEBRUARY 28, 2008

Jen Hahs (Manager Information Services, Martin Williams Advertising) asked:

"I’m pulling together a list companies that feature their founders in their ad campaigns. I’m especially interested in any household cleaning examples.

Please send any suggestions my way and I’ll create a master list for the group. Thanks in advance!"

Summary of Responses:

"What a list! Julie Zilavy reminded me that 4A’s has an “Ads-Use of Executives” file.

 Thanks for the help!"

++++++++++++++ 

Jim Perdue, Perdue Chickens

David Oreck, Oreck vacuum cleaners

David G. Neeleman, founder & CEO of Jet Blue

Charles Schwab, Charles Schwab

Grandsons:

     Bill Ford Jr, Ford Motor

     August Busch IV, Anheuser-Busch

Donald Trump, etc, etc

Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm

Samuel C. Johnson, SC Johnson (***cleaning products company)

A.J. Bush, Bush Beans

Jeff Bezos, Amazon

Bill Gates & Steve Ballmer, Microsoft

Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic

Michael Dell, Dell Computer Corp

Frank Buckley, W.K. Buckley Ltd. (bad tasting cough medicine from Canada)

Robert Mondavi, Mondavi wines

Wally Amos, Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies

Ely Calloway, Calloway Golf Ball Co.

Manny, Moe & Jack Pep, Pep Boys

Papa John's pizza

Coors Beer

Samuel Adams

Perdue chicken

 ++++++++++++++

 Newman’s Own

Mother Boyle in Columbia Sportswear ads

Orville Redenbacher

Paul Mitchell hair care

Bobbi Brown cosmetics

Dyson vacuum

Wendy’s Dave Thomas

Colonel Sanders

 ++++++++++++++

* Richard Branson / Virgin Atlantic Air : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XFlJcTXrl0 (Not the greatest example; there may better ones)

* Frank Perdue / Perdue Chickens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vj4C_I8Ln4

++++++++++++++

* Ernest & Julio Gallo / Gallo Wines

* Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield / Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (probably just print ads)

* Steve Jobs / Mac

* ___ DeVos / Amway

 ++++++++++++++ 

• George Foreman Grills
• Martha Stewart
• Chef Boyardee (Ettore Boiardi - he really was a real person)

 ++++++++++++++ 

Buick, Chrysler and Ford have all used founders in ads (although not really as spokespeople)

 ++++++++++++++

 Men’s Wearhouse and Hair Club for Men

 ++++++++++++++ 

• Martha Stewart
• In 2005 Madden footwear used Steven Madden in their campaign - http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/media/05adco.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
• Are Ben and Jerry in the advertising of Ben and Jerrys???  I can’t remember.  
• O’Neill wetsuits
• Ronald McDonald!!  Kidding....

 ++++++++++++++ 

• Perdue chicken
• Hair Club for Men - LOL!
• Victor Kayam/Remington
• Carvel Ice Cream
• Does Richard Branson do ads for Virgin?
• Lee Iacocca

 ++++++++++++++

 What about SC Johnson, a family company? (Pledge, etc) Just the youngest family member seems to be in the TV commercials now -- but a couple of years ago, it also showed his father and talked about the family tradition and values that went into their products. Not exactly the founder -- but sort of close.

 ++++++++++++++ 

Dave Oreck and his vacuum cleaners

George Foreman and his grills

 ++++++++++++++

 Linda Loudermilk? - fashion designer trying to push a green message, fronting her brand

Virgin Airlines? -isn't the founder their spokesperson?

 Other inspiration?

Famous founders getting a lot of positive press for being socially conscious, whether they are spokesman for their brand or not. I think there's some learning here:

• Tom's shoes founder Blake Mycoskie
• Edun founder, Bono's wife
• American Apparel founder, Dov Charney

 ++++++++++++++

 Andrew Weil’s skin care products

Papa John's Pizza

Frank Perdue - chicken

Stacy's Pita Chips - Stacy is in cartoon form in the print ads and I think she is live in the television ads

 ++++++++++++++

 Any of the Target/designer ads

 ++++++++++++++

Murlan J Murphy founded Murphy Oil Soap, but as far as I know, they never used him in a campaign.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murlan_J._Murphy

http://www.colgate.com/app/MurphyOilSoap/US/EN/HomePage.cwsp

 

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July 13, 2007

Jen Hahs (Manager Information Services, Martin Williams Advertising) asked:

"I’m pulling together a list of brands that reference themselves in their tagline. Do any come to mind? So far, I’ve got:

Are you ready to Tanqueray?
Yahoo: Do you yahoo?
Discover Card: It pays to Discover
Hanes: Look who we've got our Hanes on now
Zappos: I'm Zapposing right now
Mountain Dew: Do the Dew

Summary of Responses:

"A big thanks to Angela Titone, Nicolas Tang and Richard Kowalski for recommending these links:"

Welcome to the Coke Side of Life
http://www.igorinternational.com/blog/2005/12/coca-cola-slogans-taglines-and-jingles/

Be a Pepper
Great set of L'Eggs
http://www.tvacres.com/advertising_slogans.htm

Don't get mad, get Glad
Nothing runs like a Deere
http://www.creativeidentitygroup.com/2007/05/20/101-famous-taglines-whats-your-identity/

JUNE 22, 2007

Barbara Silverbush (Project Director, Center for Marketing Intelligence - Interpublic Group ) asked:

"Does anyone know of a source for finding the most popular blogs on specific subjects? For example, how would I find the most popular blogs about diabetes? I've tried using Technorati's search function, but the results are not very helpful."

Summary of Responses:

"WebMD is a great resource for medical questions such as diabetes. See this link: http://diabetes.webmd.com/default.htm. On the right of the page there is a section "Boards & Blogs." I don't if it's the most popular, but it may be a place to start to find experts and other resources!"

Blaire Dorsey (Marketing Analyst, Cognis Corp.)

 

"Search with terms such as:

diabetes blogs (ratings OR rated OR rank OR ranking OR ranked)

Also try:

diabetes popular blogs diabetes top blogs diabetes blogs ~ratings

The tilde before a term in Google looks for synonyms and sometimes works, sometimes not. Here are two from a search using: "top rated" blogs diabetes:

1. http://www.diabetesdaily.com/forum/blogs/?do=topjournals - this site has a list of top viewed and top rated blogs.
2. http://www.diabetesmine.com/2007/06/made_the_cut_wo.html - this site states: "Thanks to a tip from Diabetes Notes I've discovered the Healthcare 100, a new global ranking of top English-language healthcare blogs from eDrugSearch.com -- and also discovered that little 'ol me here at DiabetesMine.com is currently rated No. 9." This site also lists professional blogs and blog trackers.

You could also do a more traditional search in popular magazines and newspapers (Dialog, Factiva, LexisNexis) to see if you can uncover leads to blogs about diabetes. "

Amelia Kassel (MarketingBase)

 

"I'd recommend trying one of the following:

Sphere - a blog search engine that offers a contextual widget which shows related posts from other blogs. This is a good tool to find even more sources to build on once you find a site that is relevant to you.

Google Blog Search - A very simple blog search engine. It's basically Google Search that only looks through blogs and comments on blogs. Their search system works differently from Technorati's, so you should get a different set of results depending on your search wording.

Ice Rocket - A Google-like blog search engine which allows you to specify exactly where you want to look whether it be MySpace, blogs or newspapers.

PopURLS.com - a social search engine that allows you to search through other del.ici.ous links and other sites such as Digg, Reddit, etc YoName.com may not be the most useful for health research as it is mostly for finding mention of people but it is a search engine that scours blog sources like Xanga and LiveJournal (among others)

Also, Technorati has recently revamped their site,  so going to s.technorati.com takes you straight to the search, as opposed to just technorati.com.  It causes different results."

Katrin Sosnick (Rondeel Research Group)

MARCH 9, 2007

Jeanette Mueller-Alexander (Business Librarian & Bibliographer / Hayden Library Social Sciences Reference ) asked:

We want to subscribe to a database of advertisements. Other than the Hartman Center at Duke, what do you use?

Summary of Responses:

Besides the Hartman Center at Duke (http://library.duke.edu/specialcollections/hartman/), the following sources are used. Many are very expensive subscription based services.

 

AdForum    http://www.adforum.com/adfolio/search.asp

 

AdCritic    http://adcritic.com
 
Ads -- U. of Texas Advertising Index     http://advertising.utexas.edu/world/index.asp?pageid=Ads

 

AdScope (TNS Media Intelligence)     http://www.tns-mi.com/prodAdScope.htm

 

Advertising Age's Encyclopedia of Advertising   http://adage.com/encyclopedia/

 

Ad*Views     http://www.nielsenmedia.com/monitor-plus/products/adviews/adviews.htm

 

Adweek Best Spots     http://www.adweek.com/aw/creative/best_spots/index.jsp

 

Beam.TV     http://ny.beam.tv/login.php?847595a939ba

 

Clio Awards web site     http://www.clioawards.com/home/

 

Clio Awards videos    http://www.films.com/Subject.aspx?psid=1693&SubjectID=1814

 

Comperemedia (direct marketing campaigns)     http://www.comperemedia.com/

 

Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns   http://www.gale.com/press_room/2006_11_30_Market.htm
 
Lürzers Archive     http://www.luerzersarchive.net/home.html

 

VMS     http://www.vmsinfo.com/

 

Xtreme Information      http://www.ads.xtremeinformation.com

 

MARCH 19, 2007

Toni Burton (Information Coordinator/Interim Privacy Officer, ICA) asked:

Can anyone think of examples of tag lines that end in a question mark?  For instance:

Responses (from many people):

• Who's he/she sleeping with? (Westin)
• Did somebody say McDonald's? (McDonald's)
• Are you a Pepper too? (Dr Pepper)
• Do you Canoe?
• Aren't you glad you use dial?  Don't use wish everyone did? (Dial soap)
• How do you spell relief? R-O-L-A-I-D-S (Rolaids)
• Wanna get away? (SWA)
• Can you hear me now? (Verizon)
• Where you at? (Boost Mobile)
• Is it live? or is it Memorex? (Memorex)
• Have you Met Life today? (Met Life)
• Are you in good hands? (Allstate)
• What's in your wallet? (Capital One)
• Wassup? (Budweiser)
• Who's that behind those Foster Grants? (Foster Grant)
• That's Allstate's stand. Are you in good hands? (Allstate)
• Have you had your break today? (McDonald's)
• Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon? (Grey Poupon)
• This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions? (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
• What would you do for a Klondike Bar? (Klondike Bar)
• What can Brown do for you? (UPS)
• Will you be ready? (Cialis)
• Doesn't your dog deserve Alpo?
• Shouldn't your baby be a Gerber baby? (Gerber)
• Hey! How about a nice Hawaiian Punch? (Hawaiian Punch)
• Is it soup yet? (Campbell)
• How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop? (Tootsie Roll)
• Do you believe in magic? (McDonald's, 1993)
• Have you had your break today? (McDonald's, 1995)
• Did Somebody Say McDonald's? (McDonald's, 1997)
• Do you Yahoo!? (Yahoo!)
• Why ask why?  Try Bud Dry. (Anheuser Busch, Budweiser)
• Shouldn't your baby be a Gerber baby? (Gerber Products Company)
• Have you had your Weetabix? (Weetabix)
• How do they cram all that graham? (Golden Grahams)
• Do you eat the red ones last? (Smarties)
• Need a moment? Chew it over with Twix. (Twix)
• Hungry? Grab a Snickers! (Snickers)
• What would you do for a Klondike Bar? (Klondike)
• Where's the cream filling? (Hostess)
• Aren't you hungry for Burger King now? (Burger King)
• Who's got the best darn burgers in the whole wide world? Burger King and I. (Burger King)
• Got the urge? (Burger King)
• What's the worst that can happen? (Dr. Pepper)
• Who's your soda? (Red Fusion, Dr. Pepper)
• Don't you wanta Fanta? (Fanta)
• What can brown do for you? (UPS)
• What’s an Intel chip doing inside a Mac? A lot more than it ever did inside a PC. (Apple)
• Where did the computer go? (Apple)
• Which iPod are you? (Apple)
• So where the bloody hell are you? (Tourism Australia)
• Who Makes Movies? (association of movie industry associations)
• Do you want a shape like a bra? Or do you want a shape like a woman? (Body Bra by Warner's)
• Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick? (Buick)
• How strong is the Chiquita name? How many banana commercials can you sing? (Chiquita)
• Isn't that a lot for a bottle of Scotch? Yes. (Chivas Regal Scotch)
• Are your friends living beyond your means? (Chivas Regal Scotch)
• Your client is a poor, rejected stepchild, whose best friends are dwarfs. Can you insure her against poisoned apples? (Continental Insurance Co.)
• Should a Tough Man Make a Tender Turkey? (Frank Perdue Poultry)
• Shall the man work - or shall you? ... Back of every great step in women's progress from a drudge to a free citizen has been some labor-saving invention. (General Electric Clothes Washer, 1924)
• Do you arise irked with life? Are you prone to snap at loved ones? Our strong, heart breakfast coffee will change all this! Breakfast becomes a spirited, even hilarious affair. (General Foods Co., 1958)
• Riddle: What's college? That's where girls who are above cooking and sewing go to meet a man they can spend their lives cooking and sewing for. (Gimbel's Department Store, 1952)
• Can Head & Shoulders stop dandruff? Can Wilt Chamberlain stuff? (Head and Shoulders)
• Have you ever had a bad time in Levi's? (Levi's)
• Do you inhale? Of course you do! Lucky Strike has dared to raise this vital question because certain impurities concealed in even the finest, mildest tobacco leaves are removed by Luckies' famous purifying process. (Lucky Strike Cigarettes, 1932)
• Where was Moses When the Lights Went Out? - Groping for a pack of Meccas. (Mecca Cigarettes)
• Has your girl turned into a refrigerator? If her air is arctic, try ... MUM. (Mum Deodorant)
• MILK - Where's your mustache? (National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board)
• In 1944 you won the war together. Isn't it worth $1.50 to spend five minutes with him again? (Northwestern Bell Telephone Co.)
• Where will you be when your laxative starts to work? (Phospho-soda Buffered Laxative, 1969)
• What's the ugliest part of your body? (Pretty Feet Deodorant, 1969)
• Does it make sense to jump out of a warm bed into a cold cereal? (Quaker Oats)
• How do you spell relief? R-O-L-A-I-D-S. (Rolaids)
• Tired of getting junk mail from someone you don't know? Try getting junk mail from someone you do know. (Surprise Club, Mail-order Gift Club)
• Which twin has the Toni? (Toni Permanents)

sources:

Wikipedia: List of advertising slogans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_advertising_slogans

 

Tagline Guru
http://www.taglineguru.com/

The 100 Most Influential Taglines Since 1948
Press Release: http://www.taglineguru.com/pressrelease.html 
The List: http://www.taglineguru.com/survey05.html
Business Week: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/aug2005/sb20050804_867552.htm

AdSlogans
http://www.adslogans.co.uk/

Advertising Slogans Hall of Fame
http://domain1114814.sites.fasthosts.com/pages/hall_of_fame.html

  

Texas Advertising

http://advertising.utexas.edu/

FEBRUARY 7, 2007

Robin Feuerstein (Vice President, InterPublic Group of Companies) asked:

Is anyone aware of any list of top worldwide, global or international taglines or slogans?

Responses:

1.)  How about the Global EFFIES: http://www.effie.org/pressroom/press_4_11_06b.html

- Stephen Fleming, Young & Rubicam Brands

JANUARY 18, 2007

Jeanette Meuller-Alexander (Business Librarian & Bibliographer Hayden Library, Arizona State University) asked:

Is there an index to product placement in films or videos?

Responses:

1.)

For Movies:

Brand Cameo: http://www.brandchannel.com/brandcameo_films.asp

For Music:

SongTitle: http://www.songtitle.info/

AdTunes: http://www.adtunes.com/

- Stephen Fleming, Young & Rubicam Brands

2.)

I love this source for brands in songs:

American Brandstand: Agenda Inc.
http://news.agendainc.com/mt-agenda/content/archives/american_brandstand /index.html

It tracks all the mentions of brands in the lyrics of the Billboard Top 20 singles chart

- Leslie LaPlante, Interpublic Group

dECEMBER 12, 2006

Carol Doms (Corporate Librarian, Nicholson Kovac) asked:

Does anyone know of the percent of ads using humor?

Responses:

1.)

One of the things my department creates is a weekly Intelligence Update.  A couple of years ago we did one on sex and humor in advertising.  We say that between 11% and 24% of all ads employ humor but we just source an anonymous study (and yes, 11-24% is a pretty wide range!).

Great links and enclosures
•              Ads People Like:  Humor, Traditional Values Top the List (Roper Reports Public Pulse, RoperASW, 03/07/02, 3 pages, pdf, 72k). RoperASW’s syndicated consumer research tracks the behavior and attitudes of US consumers 18 years and older.  In this issue of their weekly Public Pulse newsletter, consumers revealed how they felt about brands and advertising just a few months after the September 11th attacks.  Starting on page 3, humor in advertising is discussed.  Surprisingly, given the somber mood that many marketers had chosen to adopt with respect to 9/11, consumers ranked humorous ads as the ones they preferred. It seems that humor, when done properly, is never inappropriate.  

•              Commercial Avoidance:  Trends and Coping (Labyrinth Publications, 11/24/03, 14 pages, pdf, 84k).  This is a chapter from a published dissertation from the Netherlands’ University of Groningen titled Consumers’ Moment-to-Moment Processing of Television Commercials.  The chapter on commercial avoidance includes brief paragraphs on the use of humor and sex in advertising to capture and hold viewers’ attention.  Further, the effectiveness of each technique is discussed.  The authors conclude that sex and humor are both effective at grabbing attention, but, citing other published academic studies, they concede neither strategy has been proven to increase persuasion or brand recall.  You can find this chapter at http://www.ub.rug.nl/eldoc/dis/eco/j.l.c.m.woltman.elpers/c2.pdf.

•              Marketing – You Must Be Joking (University of Ulster, 05/24/00, 13 pages, pdf, 44k).  This essay on humor in advertising addresses the issue academically. The authors analyze the great increase in the use of humor in modern advertising and argue that this is a highly appropriate tactic in contemporary marketing.  The essay focuses on the Budweiser “Frogs” campaign, which began in 1995.  The authors conclude that funny ad campaigns sell the products they promote by selling humor itself. The copy-protected essay can’t be printed, but can be viewed at www.ucc.ie/ucc/depts/mgt/dk/cv/joking.pdf .

•              A Serious Thing Happened on the Way to Being Funny (Dean Fueroghne, 2001, 19 pages, pdf, 208k).  Dean Fueroghne is creative director at Mousetrap, an ad agency based in Pasadena, California.  This chapter from his book Always Leave Room for the Mouse focuses on the science and psychology of humor, and its application in advertising.  The chapter is playfully written and cites many recent examples of humorous advertising – some good, some bad.  Download this chapter at www.mousetrapads.com/perspectives/Chapter Four.pdf  .

•              Sex in Advertising – A Gallup & Robinson Essay (Gallup & Robinson, Fall 2003, html only).  Advertising and marketing research firm Gallup & Robinson has been testing advertising effectiveness for more than 50 years. This feature on sex in advertising was compiled mostly as an entertainment piece, but with 83 pages and 100 advertisements on display, it is highly informative.  There is also a great deal to learn from G&R’s insights on the evolution of the use of sexuality in advertising from pre-World War II to today.  This feature is divided into 18 chapters such as “WWII Pin-ups,” “Subtle vs. Obvious,” and “Romantic vs. Sexy.”  You’ll find this at www.gallup-robinson.com/essay1.html  .
 

- Velda Ruddock, TBWA/Chiat-Day
 

2.)

Try these:

http://www.isenberg.umass.edu/marketing/funny/
http://thearf.org/research/info-center.html

Also, I think the ARF has an annual study, The ARF Copy Research & Validity Study. This might have the statisitic you're looking for.

- Sandy Bautista, Burke, Inc.

3.)

I chatted with AAAA they gave me a stat from 1995 which was the most recent stat I got.  They  said 9.9 % consumer magazines ads - humor,  TV was 24.4 and radio 30.6. - Carol Doms

4.)

The Advertising Research Foundation’s Copy Research Validity Project was completed in 1990 and though referred to frequently in the literature, has not been updated since. Part of the study quantified the percentage of people who felt an ad was “funny or clever”, but did not seek to quantify the percentage of advertising or commercials that was humorous. 

Several studies have been done quantifying the percentage of advertising that is humorous, notably works by both Wayne Hoyer and Marc Weinberger.  

For example: 

In a 12/2004 Journal of Consumer Research review article, entitled: “Humor in Television Advertising: A Moment to Moment Analysis”, an estimate is quoted that states that 1 out of 5 TV ads are humorous. 

Another review article from the June 2005 Journal of Macromarketing quotes a number of statistics giving the percentage of TV ads containing humor. They range from 11% to 50%.  

In a Summer 2000 Journal of Advertising article the statistic 11% to 24% is repeated (from the above mentioned article) but not the 50% statistic.

A 2004 Journal of Consumer Research article entitled “Humor in Television Advertising: a Moment to Moment Analysis”, breaks the figure down by medium stating:

That 1 out of 5 ads contain humourous appeals.

Our Journal of Advertising Research contained a study in the May/June 1995 issue on the use of humor in advertising by medium with numerous breakdowns and stats. 

In “The Impact of Perceived Humor, Product Type and Humor Style in Radio Advertising” (Flaherty, Spring 2004 Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising), it is stated that 24% of prime time TV and 35% of radio ads use humor.  

Finally, an August 2, 2004 Creative Review (British) article discussed the work of Sergio Zyman of the Zyman Group. He states that his company did an “exhaustive study of award winning ads” and found that “84% of award winning ads incorporate humour.”

The following are the citations for the above referenced articles and a couple of others containing statistics. Please note that most of these journals are available on Ebsco’s Business Source Premier:

• Alden, Dana L., Mukherjee, Ashesh, Hoyer, Wayne D. The Effects of Incongruity, Surprise and Positive Moderators on Perceived Humor in Television Advertising. Journal of Advertising V. 29 N.2 Summer 2000 p.1
• Beard, Fred K. One Hundred Years of Humor in American Advertising. Journal of Macromarketing. V. 25 n. 1 June 2005. pp.54-65
• Flaherty, Karen, Weinberger, Marc. G, Gulas, Charles S. The Impact of Perceived Humor, Product Type and Humor Style in Radio Advertising. Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising V. 26, N. 1 Spring 2004 pp.25-36
• Krshnan, H. Shanker, Chakravarti, Dipankar. Process Analysis of the Effects of Humorous Advertising Executions on Brand Claims Memory. Journal of Consumer Psychology. V 13. n.3 2003 pp.230-245
• Thykier, Casper. Advertising Does Work Creative Review August 2, 2004. p. 40
• Weinberger, Marc. G., Spotts, Harlan, Campbell, Leland, Parsons, Amy, l.  The Use and Effect of Humor in Different Advertising Media. Journal of Advertising Research
  May/June 1995 v35, n. 3. pp. 44-56
• Woltman Elpers, Josephine LCM, Mukherjuee, Ashesh, Hoyer, Wayne D. Humor in Television Advertising: A Moment-to-Moment Analysis. Journal of Consumer Research. V31 December 2004 pp.592-598

- Peggy Teich and Bert Schachter,  the ARF

 

April 10, 2006

Jen Hahs (Manager Information Services, Martin Williams Advertising) asked:

I'm pulling together examples of commercials that have used sound mnemonics in the vein of the "Intel Inside" musical tag.

I thought of McDonald's, Alka-Seltzer, Outback, Pringles, Rubbermaid and Intel but would love to have your ideas. Fashion examples are of particular interest.

Response

Here are some links that are semi-helpful from my search:

Interbrand on "Sonic Logos"
http://www.brandchannel.com/papers_review.asp?sp_id=1158

"Sound and Brand" study
http://www.cheskin.com/cms/files/i/articles//6__report-Beatnik%20rpt%20final.pdf http://www.cheskin.com/view_articles.php?id=6

Good jingle source
http://www.taglineguru.com/jinglelist.html

and here are eight responses from the discussion list:

1.) Very similar to Intel is the old Maxwell House Coffee percolator jingle.

Others:
Cotton, The Fabric of Our Lives - Cotton Inc
Nothing Comes Between Me and My Calvins - Calvin Klein Jeans
Lifts and Separates - Playtex Cross Your Heart Bra
Rice A Ron, the San Francisco Treat - Rice-a-Roni
Things Go Better with Coke
Think Outside The Bun - Taco Bell
If you've got the time, we've got the beer - Miller Beer
Meow, meow, meow, meow ... Ralston Meow Mix
Don't leave home without it - American Express
Reach Out and Touch Someone - AT&T
The Uncola - 7-UP
We bring good things to life - General Electric
It keeps going, and going, and going - Energizer Batteries
Hey, Mikey... he likes it! - Life Cereal
Think small - Volkswagen
Ring Around the Collar - Wisk Detergent
Takes a licking and keeps on ticking - Timex
Let your fingers go the walking - Yellow Pages
I love New York - NY State Dept of Econ Dev Share moments.
Share the moments. Share Life. Kodak.
The breakfast of champions - Wheaties
All the news that's fit to print - The New York Times
Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun - Wrigley Doublemint Gum
How about Midas Muffler--"Trust the Midas Touch."

2.) T-Mobile

3.) Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there...

4.) If you go back far enough, there was Cresta Blanca wine.

5.) The original subway cars in Montréal used to make a very distinctive, loud sound on departure; it was either the brake system or the suspension. It was a series of three notes. The transit system ("Société de transport de la communauté urbaine de Montréal" back them, now just the "Société de transport de Montréal") had used those three notes to start off the melody of their jingle. If I remember right, the campaign was called "Il fait beau dans le métro" ("the weather is nice in the subway", literally).

6.) I was thinking maybe Nextel/Sprint. That damn push-to-talk beeping.
And this is not a commercial, but a tv show...the stop watch ticking before and during 60 minutes.

7.) T-Mobile

8.) Vonage has a very distinctive sound.

 

March 7, 2006

Jen Hahs (Manager Information Services, Martin Williams Advertising) asked for sources for advertising and marketing case studies.  Here is a summary of the response:

Free Sites

America's Greatest Brands
http://www.americasgreatestbrands.com/brand-case-studies.php

BrandChannel.com
http://www.brandchannel.com/search_result.asp?text_search=case+study

Outdoor Advertising Association
http://www.oaaa.org/outdoor/research/audience.asp#case

Quirk's Marketing Research Review
http://www.quirks.com/articles/

Effie Awards
http://www.effie.org

Kelly Awards
http://www.magazine.org/Advertising_and_PIB/Kelly_Awards/

Thunderbird Case Series (International focus)
http://www.thunderbird.edu/faculty_research/case_series/

Public Relations Society of America: Silver Anvil Awards
http://www.prsa.org/_Awards/silver/index.asp?ident=sil0


Pay Sites

WARC
http://www.warc.com

American Marketing Association
http://www.marketingpower.com

Harvard Business School Cases
http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/cases/cases_home.jhtml

Stanford Graduate School of Business
http://gsbapps.stanford.edu/cases/

Darden Business School cases (University of Virginia)
http://store.darden.virginia.edu/ecustomer_enu/start.swe?SWECmd=Start

Richard Ivy School of Business
http://www1.ivey.ca/cases/

European Case Clearing House
http://www.ecch.com/

CasePlace.org (aggregates Harvard, Darden ,etc)
http://www.caseplace.org


Books


Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns
http://www.gale.com/servlet/ItemDetailServlet?region=9&imprint=000&titleCode=GBSE&type=4&cf=e&id=224029

Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1558622276/002-7479344-8760052?v=glance&n=283155

Encyclopedia of Advertising
http://www.routledge-ny.com/ref/advertisingencyc/

Patricia Watkins (Manager INFORMation Services, Arnold - Boston) asked "where to find Global Advertising sales & spending by brand."  Stephen Fleming responded:

Free Sites:

Ad Age's Global Marketing has the top 100 Global Advertisers: http://www.adage.com/images/random/GlobalMarketing2005.pdf

Pay Sites:

Xtreme Information sells global ad spending data: http://www.xtremeinformation.com/

TNS Media Intelligence will be offering it soon: http://www.tns-mi.com/

ACNielsen is another option: http://www2.acnielsen.com

 

NOVEMBER 16, 2005

Jen Hahs (Manager Information Services, Martin Williams Advertising) asked: "Ever had to brainstorm examples of brands within a commodity industry? Or how about examples of "Ingredient" brands?  Send me your examples and I will summarize for the list."

Hilary Garrett (Reference Librarian, Nixon Peabody) asked: "I am often asked to find lists of leading trade publications for particular industries. I do web searches, trade association searches, news searches, search Ulrich's and also look at media kits ... [but] I feel I may be missing important publications.  Is there some standard guide that I may not be aware of? "

Responses:

"I find the list covered by SI:Special Issues database is a great source and the Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources is a good hard copy guide."

John Ganly
New York Public Library
 

 

"You might find the Small Business Sourcebook < http://digbig.com/4feyh > with listings of trade periodicals for specific types of businesses (e.g., Insurance Agency) helpful."

Stephen Fadel
Fadel Information Services
 

October 20, 2005

Jen Hahs (Manager Information Services, Martin Williams Advertising) asked: "I need help brainstorming a list of serialized ad campaigns. The Campaign can be with any media as long as it has storylines with continuing chapters or sequences."

Response:

• Country Crock
• Budweiser Frogs from the 1990s (see below for full description of campaigns)
• NYC AIDS campaign
  The New York City Department of Health ran an extremely well-regarded long-term AIDS-awareness campaign. Referred to as a "subway soap opera" - http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/press_archive99/pr43-730.shtml
• Oxo - UK
  "a soup, gravy, bullion cube maker in the UK. They have a famous "serialized" ad campaign that has literally been going on for something like 15 years. It's not terribly sexy, from what I remember it has mostly "homey" situations --eg, kid comes home from school, etc., but the characters have been developing overtime."
• Mastercard ad with dog
• DKNY's - New York Stories
• BMW Films
• Taster's Choice coffee - that romancy soap opera spot
• Hallmark romancy soap opera spot during Hallmark specials
• Visa Jerry Seinfeld campaign with Superman
• Secret antiperspirant – Jack and Shirley knockoff of Taster's Choice "Couple" campaign
• Fallon's Archipelago campaign - "...a TV program that would air in one-minute increments every morning at 7:59 a.m., one minute before the opening of the Archipelago exchange."

Webisodes

• Ford's "Where's Alex?"
• Polaroid - "Polaroid Palace"
• Lincoln Mercury's "Meet the Lucky Ones" : series of five short films depict the life, love and heartbreak of 10 characters with interlacing lives.
• Target http://www.oddsagainst7even.com  BTS college campaign
• Budweiser Frogs - In the 1990s Budweiser beer introduced three croaking swamp frogs who snatched containers of Budweiser beer by zapping them with their sticky tongues or by enlisting an alligator in their plan to liberate a case of beer from a nearby cabin. Each frog croaked a single syllable that together spelled out "Bud-weis-er." The initial frog campaign was criticized because some felt the alcohol ads were targeted at kids. Anheuser-Busch denied the allegations. In 1998 during Super Bowl XXXII ad spots "Budweiser's Bad Day To Be A Frog" (created by Goodby, Silverstein and Partners) Budweiser introduced the Budweiser Lizards - a pair of green-with-envy speaking lizards named Louie and Frank who contemplated rubbing out their amphibian competitors. The 1999 Super Bowl XXXIII continued the frog-hating adventures of Louie & Frank in a series of three ads spots, one of which showed the frogs "literally" giving Louie the lizard a tongue lashing (as payback for the lizards plan to electrocute the frogs). Frank and Louie later teamed with a ferret who communicated in short, muffled squeaks. TRIVIA NOTE: An alleged deadly computer virus designed to erase everything on your computer was disguised as a downloadable screensaver program featuring the Budweiser Frogs. The Internet virus was a hoax but the story has been circulating since the late 1990s.

May 9, 2005

Scott Jenkins (Sr. Information Specialist, Leo Burnett USA) asked: "Has anyone done a comprehensive review of databases of advertising creative? "

Response:

(Thanks to Stephen, Grace and Steven for your responses regarding creative databases)

There are many resources that come to mind when looking at this list:

• awards that have creative at their site (One Show, Cannes, etc.)
• historical creative (Ad*Access, Adflip, Ad Council Historical Campaigns, Emergence of Advertising)
• media specific (OAAA Creative Library)
• current creative magazines (Contagious, X-Tribes, shots.net)
• niche (Commercial Closet)
• and so forth.

We have done a summary of five creative databases: Adcritic.com, Adforum.com, The Reel, Fast Channel and Source TV.   You can view it at the DAM Community of Practice (COP) section of the DAM division .

It is difficult to evaluate creative databases. So, there may be some errors: it may not include all relevant databases; it will change over time.

Here's a summary of the other sources also:

1. ShadowTV - Streaming video service like TVEyes but includes ads
     http://www.shadowtv.com/

2. VMS - video tracking service
     http://vidmon.com/

3. Adweek's Best Spots - monthly reviews of recent commercials
     http://www.adweek.com/aw/creative/best_spots/index.jsp

4. Adweek's Creative Coverage - Portfolio
     http://www.adweek.com/aw/creative/portfolio_display.jsp

5. Communication Arts - for interactive design annual
     http://www.commarts.com

6. I.D. -  for annual design review
     http://www.idonline.com

7. Lürzer's International Archives - archive of creative print and video ads from around the world
     http://www.luerzersarchive.com/

8. Le Book - archive of creative print ads and music covers, mainly from France
     http://www.lebook.com/

9. Living Room Candidate - archive of presidential TV commercials
     http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/

10. Who's Mailing What - database of direct mail campaigns, with information on Who sent What When (subscription based)
     http://www.whosmailingwhat.com/

11. AdTunes.com - music from recent commercials
     http://www.adtunes.com/

12. SongTitle - music from TV commercials
     http://www.songtitle.info/

 

May 4, 2005

Jen Hahs (Manager, Info Services, Martin Williams Advertising) asked: "I could use some help identifying major players on the "Trend Watching Scene."   My goal is to create a list of influential authors, speakers and resources that those in the know would be hip to. "

Response: 

1. World Future Society - http://www.wfs.org/
2. The Institute for the Future - http://www.iftf.org/
3. Social Technologies - http://www.socialtechnologies.com/about.asp
4. Dexigner - http://www.dexigner.com/
5. Trendwatching.com - http://www.trendwatching.com (the head of this group is speaking at the AAAA/ICA Conference)
6. Cool News - http://www.reveries.com
7. PSFK - http://www.psfk.com/
8. Science Daily - http://www.sciencedaily.com/
9. Pop Matters - http://www.popmatters.com/
10. Buzz Report - http://www.umbriacom.com/services.html (prepare to be harassed)
11. Yankelovich - http://www.yankelovich.com/ (J. Walker Smith is an excellent presenter)
12. Hot Trends Newsletter (Cheryl Russell, executive editor of New Strategist Publications, previously editor of the American Demographics)
13. Pantone - http://www.pantone.com/pantone_v1.asp
14. Cotton Inc. Lifestyle Monitor Magazine - http://www.cottoninc.com/LifestyleMonitor/
15. NPD Food; Fashion; Beauty; and Tech Monitor
16. MIT's Technology Review Top Ten Trends - http://www.techreview.com/articles/05/05/issue/feature_emerging.asp?p=0
17. Trends in Japan - http://web-japan.org/trends/
18. Trend Letter  -  http://www.briefings.com/n.asp?nl=tl
19. Nilewide  -  http://www.nilewide.com/
20. Trendsetters.com  -  http://www.trendsetters.com/
21. Various EPM Pubs  -  http://www.epmcom.com/
22. Influx Insights  -  http://www.influxinsights.com/
23. Springwise  -  http://www.springwise.com/
24. What's Next  -  http://www.nowandnext.com/
25. "You might also want to talk about market research companies - because they are somewhat in the trend business:  Zandl, Cassandra, TRU - and to a lesser extent Roper, Yankelovich, World Monitor, Packaged Facts, Mintel, etc.   Same goes for cool hunters."
26. View Publications
27. http://www.thefuturelaboratory.com/ (part of View)
28. Iconoculture - http://www.iconoculture.com
29. Sense Worldwide - http://www.senseworldwide.net/background.php
30. BrandNewWorld - http://www.brandnewworld.com/
31. WGSN - http://www.wgsn.com/ (fashion trends)

Youth Focused
1. Big Blue - http://www.bigblue.com
2. Zandl's, Hot Sheet, Irma Zandl - http://www.zandlgroup.com/hotsheet.html
3. Youth Intelligence - http://www.youthintelligence.com/company/default.asp
4. Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) - http://www.teenresearch.com/home.cfm

People
1. Mayer In Marketing - Ira Mayer, publisher of Youth Markets Alert & Research Alert
2. Malcolm Gladwell - Author of Blink
3. "Another idea to consult speakers directories that event planners use. Other speakers that come to mind just from the above list would be Michael Tchong, Peter Zollo and Erma Zandl."
4. Yankelovich,  J. Walker Smith is an excellent presenter
5. people from MIT Lab
6.Faith Popcorn's Brain Reserve
7. Paco Underhill
 

April 26, 2005

Toni Burton (Information Coordinator, Institute of Communications and Advertising) asked the age-old question: "How many ads are consumers exposed to each day?"

Here is a summary of the responses.  Three sources were cited for answering this question:

AAAA

"The Association of American Advertising Agencies has compiled studies from the 60's, 70's and from current editions of TV Dimensions  to answer this question.  If you are a member of the AAAA:

1. Go to the FAQ’s (in the MEMBERS ONLY section)
2. Choose AD EXPOSURE from the drop down menu and click GO."

April 1, 2005

Carol Doms (Corporate Librarian, Nicholson Kovac, Inc.) asked for a cable reference book that would include detailed information on various cable systems such as:

• Home passed
• Cable Subscriptions
• Services Offered
• Zip Code Serves
• Zones, Maps, etc.

Here is his summary of the responses:

Janet K. Bates of Comcast suggested these resources:

Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook
Bowker Publishing
www.bowker.com

National Cable and Television Association
www.ncta.com

Trade Journals

MulitChannel News

Broadcasting and Cable News

Daniel Lee (Research Librarian, Navigator) asked for meaty definitions of the words "advertising" and "communication."

Here is his summary of the responses:

Advertising definitions

From Webster's New World Dictionary of Media and Communications, revised edition, 1996:
Advertising is "the use of paid media to sell products or services or to communicate concepts and information by a sponsor or advertiser. Publicity, on the other hand, sometimes is called free advertising in that the source of publicity does not purchase the time or space from the media (the services of professional publicity agents, of course, are not free). Some media, such as outdoor billboards, are available only or mostly to advertisers. Other media, such as newsletters, usually are not available to advertisers. In its broadest sense, Public Relations incorporates all forms of communications, including advertising. As a marketing process directed to prospective customers or other audiences, advertising generally involves purchase of time or space in a medium and thus is characterized as controlled, whereas publicity is not necessarily directed at potential purchasers. The industry itself also is called advertising, as is the end product, the advertisement or ad. The organization responsible for the process is called an advertising department or advertising agency."

From the American Marketing Association:
(http://www.marketingpower.com/mg-dictionary.php?)
Advertising is "the placement of announcements and persuasive messages in time or space purchased in any of the mass media by business firms, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and individuals who seek to inform and/ or persuade members of a particular target market or audience about their products, services, organizations, or ideas."

From The Chartered Institute of Marketing:
Advertising is the "promotion of a product, service, or message by an identified sponsor using paid-for media."

From Merriam-Webster:
1 : the action of calling something to the attention of the public especially by paid announcements
2 : ADVERTISEMENTS <the magazine contains much advertising>
3 : the business of preparing advertisements for publication or broadcast

From the Dictionary of Advertising Terminology from the University of Texas/Austin:
( http://advertising.utexas.edu/research/terms/index.html)
There are a variety of definitions, with subtle but important distinctions. While the general public frequently views advertising as encompassing all forms of promotional communication, most advertising practitioners limit it to paid communications conveyed by a mass medium. The latter definition distinguishes advertising from other forms of marketing communication, such as Sales Promotion, Public Relations, and Direct Marketing.

From Oracles on "Advertising": Searching for a Definition, Richards, J. I., and Curran, C. M. in the Journal of Advertising:
"A paid, mediated, form of communication from an identifiable source, designed to persuade the receiver to take some action, now or in the future."

From the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition:
1. The activity of attracting public attention to a product or business, as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast, or electronic media.
2. The business of designing and writing advertisements.
3. Advertisements considered as a group: This paper takes no advertising.

Communication definitions:

From Webster's New World Dictionary of Media and Communications, revised edition, 1996:
1. The transmission or exchange of information, signals, messages, or data by any means, such as talking (verbal communication), writing (written communication), person-to-person (personal communication), or via telephone, telegraph, radio, or other channels, within a group or directed to specific individuals or groups. The term is often used in the plural. A communicator may send and receive such messages by talking, writing, or gesturing.
2. The conveying of thought from one party or group to another.
3. The planned and measured management process to help organizations achieve their goals using the written or spoken word. Communication skills involve the art of transmitting information, signals, or messages by speech gestures, writing, or other means from one medium (person, device, or point) to another.

From Merriam-Webster:
1 : an act or instance of transmitting
2 a : information communicated b : a verbal or written message
3 a : a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior <the function of pheromones in insect communication>; also : exchange of information b : personal rapport <a lack of communication between old and young persons>
4 plural a : a system (as of telephones) for communicating   b : a system of routes for moving troops, supplies, and vehicles   c : personnel engaged in communicating
5 plural but singular or plural in construction a : a technique for expressing ideas effectively (as in speech) b : the technology of the transmission of information (as by print or telecommunication)

From the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition:
1. The act of communicating; transmission.
2. a. The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior. b. Interpersonal rapport.
3. communications (used with a sing. or pl. verb) a. The art and technique of using words effectively to impart information or ideas. b. The field of study concerned with the transmission of information by various means, such as print or broadcasting. c. Any of various professions involved with the transmission of information, such as advertising, broadcasting, or journalism.
4. Something communicated; a message.
5. communications A means of communicating, especially: a. A system, such as mail, telephone, or television, for sending and receiving messages. b. A network of routes for sending messages and transporting troops and supplies.
6. communications The technology employed in transmitting messages.
7. Biology The transfer of information from one molecule, cell, or organism to another, as by chemical or electrical signals or by behaviors.
8. Anatomy a. An opening or connecting passage between two structures. b. A joining or connecting of solid fibrous structures, such as tendons and nerves.
 

JANUARY 4, 2005

Scott Jenkins (Senior Information Specialist, Leo Burnett USA) asked for people's experience with the Advertising Research Foundation  (http://www.arfsite.org). 

Here is a summary of the responses:

Many thanks for those who responded to my inquiry on the Advertising Research Foundation.  My summary and the responses sent to me follow:

Summary: The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) is a cooperative of agencies, advertisers, market research, media companies, educational institutions and international organizations and other groups to conduct original research into marketing questions.   While known for theoretical research, ARF is moving toward an increased focus on research to help marketing practitioners.

Some of the ARF's information is available in WARC - such as the Journal of Advertising Research, Advertising Research Foundation Workshop documents, etc.  However, some of the information they produce is only available to ARF members.  It is not known what percentage of ARF's material is available through third-party aggregators and how much is held proprietary for their membership.

The bulk of ARF's existing research is more theoretical or "academic" in approach.  However, their research is also unique and may be the only source for more technical considerations in respect to wear out, effectiveness and so forth.

One of the goals of ARF is to create better access to their research.  They have an information professional with extensive agency experience (Bert Schachter - she used to work at Bates) that can help locate relevant research.  Bert is also currently working on several projects aimed at creating better access to the ARF's information.  She is also a good person to contact for insight into advertising effectiveness - both for ARF and other sources of information on the topic.

Questions for the ARF can be directed to infocenter@thearf.org or 212-751-5656, Ext. 230.

Member Responses:

"Right now, we use the ARF primarily for their webinars, which we "attend" regularly.  We've found many of them to be very informative, and usually the presentations are available to attendees (and with the presenter's and/or the ARF's permission, we can use them to answer questions).

"We also use their publication, The Journal of Advertising Research, to answer information requests.

"That said, I think it's worth noting that the actual ARF information center is in a state of flux.  The long-time director, Roslyn Arnstein, left about 6-8 months ago, and the new director, Bert Schachter, is currently overhauling and updating their services and resources.  She could fill you in better than I (212-751-5656, Ext. 230), and it's definitely worth contacting her if you haven't already. My understanding is that big changes are in the offing.

"Also, IMHO, ARF's strength is in scholarly information or advertising theory or practice, particularly market research."

*****

"I use them on occasion to access/purchase "academic" analysis on industry topics such as the impact of commercials on children. Also I've worked with their Director of Info Services, Bert Schachter, and she is great -- she's helped with some hard to find quotes or materials."

*****

"Based on my experience, I've used ARF as a treasure trove of research resources on advertising and media research. Some of the topics from ARF include:

• copy research
• single source exposure
• advertising effectiveness
• ROI measurements
• case studies on successful marketing campaigns
• ARF Awards, i.e., David Ogilvy
• consumer's attitudes and behavior towards brand icons/characters
• advertising wear-out
• many more.

"ARF's research and surveys are unique; many are shared with members only; some are cited in Dialog's File 15.

"Bert Schachter is now the Director of Information Services.  Bert is a long-time ad agency practitioner. She used to be very active with SLA DAM.

"Lately, I follow ARF's webcasts on topical advertising industry and digital marketing coverage. "

*****

"Each year they do a conference where current research on the industry is presented. Advertising agencies, marketers/client-side and researchers are among the speakers, and there is always a wealth of information to
take home.  In addition, there is an exhibit hall where attendees can talk with vendors and learn about new products."

*****

"...you ought to give them a call and talk to Bert Schacter (she runs the Library).  It is a goldmine of great stuff on the conceptual end of our business - you know, those esoteric, seemingly impossible questions on advertising research (e.g. the very fine points of copytesting, or how many impressions does it take to do this, that or the other. We always found her predecessor, Roz Arnstein to be a life saver....and as Bert was with Ted Bates for ages, she undoubtedly has a mind for this stuff too.

"We sometimes attend their conferences as well - topics on various aspects of the business, with good/authorative speakers and good proceedings."


 

NOVEMBER 30, 2004

Toni Burton (Information Coordinator, Institute of Communications and Advertising) asked for examples of ad jingles that later became pop music hits.  Many people contributed suggestions.  Here is the list that Toni compiled:

Jingles that became Hits 

click here for WORD version

 Compiled by Toni Burton, Information Coordinator at the Institute of Communications and Advertising.  From information supplied by various people on SLA’s Division of Advertising and Marketing’s discussion list.    November 30, 2004

NOVEMBER 2, 2004

Carol Doms (Corporate Librarian, Nicholson Kovac) asked  "Is there a place I can get how much business ($$) did market research"industry" did in 2001/2002?"

Bert Carelli (biz360.com) responded:

Mark Bieraugel (Research Specialist, Waggener Edstrom) also suggested this:

"I've found Esomar is a decent source for world wide information on the market research industry:

Esomar (http://www.esomar.org/esomar/show/id=129275) is the global market research organization which publishes statistics on country by country figures of market research statistics. The most recent statistics they have on the US and other countries is 2002 (a press release), but have full reports from both 2001 and 2000 so you can extract trend information if needed.

Trendline for market research market share in the US:
2002: $6.307 Billion
2001: $6.159 Billion
2000: $6.356 Billion"

October 7, 2004

Gretchen Hazlin (Coordinator, Education & Outreach Services, New York Academy of Medicine) asked for suggestions on finding the net worth of famous people.  Here is her summary:

"Thanks a bunch to everyone who sent suggestions in reference to my query regarding a famous individual's net worth.  I found exactly what I needed.  Below is a summary of the responses in case it helps another one of you some day!"

 

Ten-Tronck's Millionaire Directory

-----

Who's Wealthy in America

-----

 

The Rich Register
1-512-477-8871 
$299 directory of America's richest men and women.  provides an estimate of net worth.  Perhaps the publisher will sell you information on the individual you need. 
http://www.hoovers.com/business-information/--pageid__11119--/global-books-index.xhtml

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Prospect  and Development researchers - those doing research for nonprofit organizations about potential donors use a wide variety of sources to piece things together but finding net worth is problematic. See http://www.usc.edu/dept/source/NetWorth2.htm for more about the subject.

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Public records are used to determine real estate (although in the case of celebrities, property may be in the name of representatives or family members), airplane, and boat ownership. SEC filings are used to determine stock holdings depending on minimum amounts that must be disclosed publicly.

 

Lexis/Nexis-Public Records database - property records... (check with Nexis if you are a client-they may have something for you. )  Perhaps even a mention in an article, if nothing else. 

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Searching for foundations and/or contributions to foundations or philanthropic causes using the Web or databases in Dialog, LexisNexis, and Factiva also add to the puzzle as does searching business and news sources and biographical articles to uncover stories about how much a person is paid for something like a major movie or sports contract.

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Forbes 

Forbes Celebrity 100 http://www.forbes.com/celebrities/

 

Forbes 10/11/04 issue - The 400 Richest People in America
http://www.forbes.com/home/forbes400/2004/09/22/rl04land.html

 

Forbes 3/15/04 issue - Billionaires: The World's Richest People
http://www.forbes.com/maserati/billionaires2004/bill04land.html

 

Forbes Lists
http://www.forbes.com/lists

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Parade magazine, an insert to newspapers, sometimes discusses salaries and net worth of famous individuals and average people. Fortune or Forbes may rank individuals according to net worth and discuss the criteria.

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I would search in Worldcat database on richest people, wealthiest people, millionaires (or billionaires) and rankings.

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Special Issues -- Gary Price's List of Lists
http://www.specialissues.com/lol/ 

Look under Real Estate to find real estate moguls or Business for business people.

 

Specifically, you might also try:Executives & People
http://www.specialissues.com/lol/dispLOL.cfm?Subject_ID=EXECUTI003    

 

MARCH 16, 2004

Scott Jenkins (Senior Information Specialist, Leo Burnett USA) asked about people's experience with consumer research and market research consultants:

Scott Jenkins (Senior Information Specialist, Leo Burnett USA) asked for companies that measure brand awareness: