BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT
Audio Branding: Phillips Explores the Sound of Creation brandchannel 09.07.12 The stewards of the Philips brand are “obsessed” with sound, and are hoping to answer the question, “Does creativity have a sound? And if so, what would it be?” Cue “The Sound of Creation,” an interactive musical story and digital experience that’s playing out on the Philips Sound Facebook page and on a microsite.
Ikea’s Hit Web Show: An Entertaining Ad The Wall Street Journal 9.07.12 “Easy to Assemble,” a tongue-and-cheek comedy series co-produced by its creator and lead actress, Illeana Douglas, and the Swedish furniture retailer IKEA, illustrates the latest twist in Branded Entertainment. The success of “Easy to Assemble,” which social-media users have already shared more than 1.5 million times, has led IKEA to roughly triple its efforts to create branded content.
ISM Entertainment Launching Branded Entertainment Group at Black Hangar Studios in the UK PR.com 9.13.12 ISM will offer brand partnership opportunities through Black Hangar Studios not available with major motion picture studios. ISM’s on-lot Branded Entertainment Group will manage strategic partnerships at Black Hangar Studios including Product Placement, Brand Integration and Cross Promotion. Other Black Hangar amenities include production offices, location services, art department, special FX workshops, construction workshops, full post-production and finishing services.
ADVERTISING
Ad Industry Needs Social Analytics To Identify Influences And Search Trends Media Post Publications 09.10.12 Social media identifies buzz that points to trends in specific geographic areas and topics, but can advancements in analytics produce the insight to really identify increases in search behavior and interest?
Dew Process: PepsiCo Stunt Takes a Pop at Bloomberg’s NYC Soda Ban Brand Channel 9.13.12 In response to Bloomberg’s NYC Soda Ban, PepsiCo-owned Mountain Dew partnered with “cultural production” studio New York Art Department to plaster ads around New York City that say “Prohibition” and feature a 17 ounce, vintage can of Mountain Dew (long before it was abbreviated to Mtn. Dew). To drive the message home, a smaller message quips: “Also available in legal sizes!”
Facebook advertising gets more sophisticated MarketWatch 9.13.12 Facebook said Thursday its Facebook Exchange has moved out of a preliminary testing stage to become more widely available. The technology enables advertisers to track visitors on sites outside of Facebook back to the social network, and present advertising to them there based on interests expressed online.
ENTERTAINMENT
Martha Stewart Expands Digital Video Push to Hulu Mashable 09.10.12 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has knit partnerships with Hulu and AOL to transition the “domestic diva” from TV and some online content to a heavy dose of archived digital videos and newer short-form segments. The deals come after The Martha Stewart Show ended its daytime TV run in May, although Stewart will maintain a TV presence on PBS’s “Cooking School,” which debuts in October.
Online Video Frequency; Less Is More As CBS-Owned Digital Food Show Downshifts Media Post Publications 09.10.12 Whenever a regular online video series undergoes a change, that can be a good opportunity to learn about what works and doesn’t work in a regular Web video show. One such example is CBS Interactive-owned Chow.com’s “SuperTaster” series. The show, fronted by Chow columnist James Norton, who taste tests mass-market food in each episode, is downshifting from five days a week to a three-day-a-week schedule.
Nintendo Sets Sights on Living Room Entertainment With TVii Service AllThingsD 9.13.12 Along with announcing the launch date and price for the Wii U, Nintendo unveiled TVii, a new application that streams video to the TV. But as with many streaming TV services for the home, it is more of a fancy remote control or elaborate directory than it is a replacement for how you watch TV — and more importantly — how you pay for it.
MEDIA & TECH
Most TV, Tablet Interactions Involve Another Screen E Marketer 09.11.12 With a sizeable portion of the US population now in possession of multiple media devices, including TVs, computers, smartphones and tablets, maintaining a multiscreen presence is a mandate for marketers.
Reporters Turn to Mobile Video for Fashion Week Coverage Mashable 09.10.12 Instagram may have been the darling of New York Fashion Week in February, but this September, several fashion reporters are turning to Viddy and other forms of mobile video distribution to compliment their coverage. Eva Chen, Teen Vogue beauty director and hyperactive user of Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram, has been uploading several short videos to Viddy at and in between each show she’s attended since Fashion Week began last Thursday.
High-Tech Product Announcements This Fall ABC News 9.13.12 Toys R Us says it plans to launch its own Android tablet computer aimed at children, Google releases a new YouTube app for the iPhone and the iPad as Apple prepares to release a new iPhone model and more.
