Archive for April, 2008
Blogger’s Checklist & Tips
Jennifer Slegg, a search engine marketing consultant, has posted a great checklist for bloggers. On several occasions I’ve published a post, only to go back and edit it. Is it true that editing a post keeps the search engines away? That’s what I’ve heard. If so, a good reason to get it right the first time.
Newspapers – Circulation Down, Online Visitors Up
According to a story in MediaPost, A report just released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations shows an overall circulation decline of 3.6% in the six months ending March 2008, compared to the same period one year ago. This is the steepest drop yet (up from a 3% drop in September), and it’s the ninth straight report where newspaper circs have declined. Since March 2004, total daily circulations have fallen almost 10%, from about 50.8 million to about 46.2 million.
Among big national papers, The New York Times saw daily circulation fall 3.9% to about 1.08 million, as Sunday circulation tumbled 9.3% to about 1.48 million. At the Los Angeles Times, daily circulation fell 5.2% and Sunday 6%. The Washington Post‘s daily circ fell 3.6% and Sunday 4.4%. At the Chicago Tribune, daily and Sunday circ both fell 4.5%. There were a few exceptions to the general gloom: USA Today and The Wall Street Journal both saw circulation creep up slightly, gaining less than 1% each.
On the other hand, the Newspaper Association of America reports that the number of unique visitors at its member’s websites increased by 12.3% in the first three months of the year. Follow this link to the full story.
Best Shows on TV – Ever?
The New York Post has released their list of the “35 Best Shows on TV – Ever!“ Yesterday’s NY Post TV Week cover highlights the best of the best. In case you don’t have time to go through multiple pages on their website, here’s the top 10 best shows on TV – ever, according to the New York Post.
1. The Sopranos 1999-2007 HBO
2. All In The Family 1971-79 CBS
3. The Oprah Winfrey Show 1986-present Syndicated
4. American Idol 2002-present FOX
5. The West Wing 1999-2006 NBC
6. Mary Tyler Moore 1970-77 CBS
7. Dallas 1978-91 CBS
8. 24 2001-present FOX
9. Twin Peaks 1990-91 ABC
10. Sesame Street 1969-present PBS
Where’s M*A*S*H? Not on this list! Oops, must be an oversight!
Phil Mickelson TV Ads
A new television campaign just broke for Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts starring Phil Mickelson. “A Meeting with Phil” uses unscripted banter between Phil Mickelson, golf commentator David Feherty and actual Mickelson fans. Fallon created the campaign. The companion website www.ameetingwithphil.com features all 4 spots and other fun stuff.
Earth Day or Marketing Bonanza
Earth Day has given every business a day (or week) to tout their connection with the environment and sustainability. And many will advertise a product or 2 perfect for consumers to purchase to become more green. While bringing awareness and suggested opportunities to consumers is commendable, it’s becoming overshadowed by commercialism. You can’t turn on the TV, read a paper or get your online news without seeing an healthy supply of environmentally friendly products. The Today Show has dedicated a week to green and eco-friendly living. They are not the only ones trying to make a difference. Ad Age asks: “Is Earth Day the new Christmas?” Good question.
The Point Radio Show on KWAM 990
Recently Jeff Moder and Jeff Ward began broadcasting every Saturday from 10am – 12noon on KWAM AM - 990. You can listen or call in to voice an opinion. Or visit the companion blog, thepointradioshow.com. This is what they say about their show:
”Both Jeff and Jeff have had experience inside and intertwined within the political arena for years. The Hosts consider themselves conservative leaning but are quick to criticize either political party for their obvious inconsistencies and their gross hypocrisy that is often so evident in the political realm of today. The goal of The Point Radio Show is entertain and inform. The experiences of Jeff and Jeff give the audience a unique perspective of politics and campaigns and more importantly give a voice to the issues and opinions of so many in the mid-south.”
What constitutes an ad impression?
The following question was asked:
“We are finishing a media kit for a radio show we are syndicating. In determining the number of gross impressions each sponsor will receive, we are trying to determine whether certain elements will qualify as an “impression”. Obviously, :30 ads are impressions. What about announcer bumps which mention sponsor brand/tag line? How about the hosts reading sponsor offerings during the program?”
And my answer to this question:
An ad impression is defined as “exposure to advertising messages via a media schedule.” The :30 spot, announcer bumps and “live” reads all constitute an advertising impression. If a person is exposed more than once, it is counted each time and accumulated to be “gross impressions” My many years in media have taught me to give some “ad impressions” more value than others. If it’s a name and tagline (:05), that has a lower value than a :30 spot. The longer the message, the more valuable that impression becomes. All that said, to sell your program, you will need to show as many gross impressions as possible. Count every ad impression and let the buyer determine what the value will be to them.
If you have a question, please email to: beth@graberpartners.com .
NCAA Championship Game Ratings
According to MediaPost, CBS received similar NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game numbers in 2008 as they did in 2007.
“A dramatic overtime title game–with Kansas coming from behind to beat Memphis for the national title–pulled CBS to a 12.1 rating/20 share in household ratings, virtually the same number the game had a year before when it clocked in with a 12.2/20.”
Here’s another article from Media Life reporting that there was an average of 19.5 million viewers.
Listed in my previous post, WREG’s preliminary local Memphis viewership for the NCAA Championship game is a 50.4 rating/64 share. Memphis’ household rating far exceeded the national rating, to no one’s surprise.
Memphis loves their Tigers!
So much has been written and reported since the University of Memphis Tigers overtime loss to the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2008 NCAA Championship game last night. All I can add are the ratings and just a few observations.
According to WREG, the local audience for the televised game between the Tigers and Jayhawks on WREG exceeded that of the 2008 Super Bowl between the Giants and Patriots on WHBQ. The Monday night NCAA Championship game’s local Memphis rating was 50.4 with a 64 share. (This is based on preliminary numbers from Nielsen.)
As a Tiger fan in San Antonio, the game last night at the Alamodome was quite emotional. During the day, we said it was great just to be in the Championship game, win or lose. But we wanted a win, just like the team, the rest of the fans and the entire city of Memphis.
Now, a day later, I realized that the score last night was not a reflection of the incredible Memphis Tigers season. What a ride we’ve had this season, watching the highs and lows of our beloved Tigers. The Tigers broke all college basketball records by winning 38 games in one season, with only 2 losses. And once again, the Memphis Tigers brought a divided city together. Tiger fans and Memphis pride broke all racial and economic barriers. Can’t wait until next year!
Go Tigers Go!
Memphis Tigers beat UCLA
It was a great night for Memphis Tiger Fans! At the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, the University of Memphis Tigers beat the UCLA Bruins. Looking forward to Monday night when Memphis meets Kansas to decide the 2008 NCAA Basketball Champion. More Later…
