Digital Hive

Media Buying: Protecting the Image of the Outlet?

Topic for discussion....should Web sites (or any media channel really) turn away particular advertisers because of a risk of negative or undesirable association with the buyer's brand? How sensitive should they be to protecting their OWN image? 

Not being directly involved in media buying myself, i'm not clear how widespread this behavior is...I assume that it's common for particular sites or media outlets to want to avoid the shady halo of pornography, alcohol, cigarette advertising etc....(and their flexibility is limited anyway.) We heard ad nauseum about GoDaddy's efforts to tone down their Superbowl advertising to something the network considered respectable, so we do see glimpses of media outlets exerting some kind of control over the messages they're paid to transmit.

But, what about when it's not just a matter of questionable content? What if a brand is a lame duck...and they want to advertise on a Web site that's all about cool?  A recent article in New York magazine mentions Gawker's efforts to protect their image....  "Gawker even claims to turn away advertisers that are too low-rent; the site’s ad manager boasted to Mediaweek that it takes no Ford or Chevy ads because “we hate American cars” and no pharmaceutical ads because “our readers are healthy and beautiful.”

Do both the media outlet and the advertister deserve to benefit from association, even when one is compensating the other for the airtime? 

Bawdy Office Humor Site...coming soon to a computer near you

Following up on my earlier postings referencing the daytime surfing/nightime viewing behavior of most consumers these days, it's worth mentioning Time Inc.'s efforts to break new ground in the online space, through a site focused on bawdy office humor. (I'll also note that this feels like it's capitalizing on the success of The Office.) The site, called officepirates.com hasn't launched yet, but the effort is being lead by Mark Golin, "the editor credited with making Maxim magazine a success in the late 1990s with a beer-and-babes formula imported from the United Kingdom." Not surprisingly, the target is primarily young working men, whose impulses to share crude humor or off-color content among colleagues and friends have been stiffled by increasingly watchful IT departments.   

While it's not likely I'll be frequenting the site,  it's still worth noting the trend highlighted in the WSJ article on the topic: "Web sites like Office Pirates offer a new "prime-time" slot for advertisers. Ads traditionally reached the general public after the workday, but the Internet has changed that." Forget soap operas and day-time talk shows as the narrow daytime outlet. These days, 9-5 is the new advertising frontier.  Read WSJ article

Undiscovered, untapped territory in the consumer market? Really?

Sometimes we all need a solid reminder that  different consumers interact with brands in very different ways. This particular article from Brandweek (read it here) discusses the misunderstood - but vast - domestic Asian market, which marketers have paid little attention to despite their size and purchasing power.

The article quotes Julia Huang, a Taiwanese immigrant and founder of the multicultural marketing firm InterTrend Communications. She mentions viewing a videotape from a San Jose, Calif., supermarket in which two Chinese shoppers were seen opening packaged goods in the store in order to be able to touch and smell everything before they made a purchase. Sampling was a critical part of their purchasing process. But, as the article unveils, the majority of grocery stores and manufacturers aren't addressing this critical need for many Asian shoppers to have tactile contact with the product.  "In this day and age, it may seem odd that marketers would need help "demystifying" a well-represented ethnic group....However, the Asian demo remains largely untapped by a number of U.S. companies that stand to benefit from a greater understanding of the market."

InterTrend has plans to launch a major study this year into the purchasing and consumption behavior of the Asian market to begin to fill in the gaps.  Uncharted territory definitely makes for fascinating research, but this also offers a good reminder to marketers that product name, color palette, or store display they've selected can never be all things to all shoppers.

Modern Day Made for TV Movie = Made for Wired Viewing?

Following up yesterday's post about AOL's plans to launch a new online, interactive reality program with Mark Burnett, it's worth noting Amazon's upcoming foray into online programming. Starting in June and continuing throughout the summer, Bill Maher will be hosting "Amazon Fishbowl" with new programs 'airing' every Thursday night at 8. (Hmm, do we need to change that lexicon now that programming is moving onto the web? it's no longer aired - maybe it's wired, hosted, launched, live?)

It appears to be typical talkshow fare, but there's also a slightly incongruous promotional tie-in with Amazon.com and UPS. In an available clip, Paul Reiser accompanies the UPS delivery guy to the home of a woman who ordered his new DVD from Amazon.com for Special Delivery. Interesting way to draw attention to the delivery option, but I can't say that it's compelling content. (I imagine they'll find a way to integrate it more directly into the show...)

A little criticism....What they missed, which Mark Burnett specifically acknowledges, was the fact a huge percentage of consumers are online throughout the DAY, and still tend to watch tv at NIGHT....that new episodes of Fishbowl will be live at 8 PM seems counterintuitive, given the data. I agree with Adrants recommendations that they make episodes available for download or as podcasts. Why mimic and compete with narrow prime-time tv viewing hours when the web enables so many other options?