Advertising Agency & Marketing Industry News

Latest Ad & Marketing News

Intel Launches Employee-Curated Digital Magazine

It looks like Flipboard, aggregates and posts like Reddit, and presents news like Newsmap. Intel iQ, launching today, is the tech giant's latest content-marketing experiment.

JC Penney Plans Ads to Better Explain Its New Pricing Strategy

JC Penney's marketing is entertaining consumers and building the brand but isn't doing the "hard work" of communicating the new pricing strategy, said CEO Ron Johnson.

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

Univision Upfront Opens With Sofia and Closes With Shakira

"I might work somewhere else, but this is where I live," said "Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara, who got her start on the network.

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

Preview Five New Fox Shows, From 'The Mindy Project' to 'Ben and Kate'

See the trailers for new Fox series including "The Following," a serial-killer drama starring Kevin Bacon that Fox hopes will become "our next '24.'"

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

See Photos From Fox's Upfront at New York's Beacon Theater

Zooey Deschanel and Mindy Kaling appeared together, amplifying the adorkability.

GM Cuts Facebook Ad Spending, But Ford Steps on the Gas

The pullout points to Facebook's biggest challenge: Though most consumer brands see the social network as a way to connect with consumers, opinions are mixed on the value of advertising there.

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

See Photos From NBC's Upfront at Radio City Music Hall

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

Watch the Previews for 10 New ABC Shows, '666 Park Avenue' to 'Nashville'

Watch the Video

Ross Levinsohn Lays Out His Vision for Yahoo (Before He Became CEO)

Mark Modesto Joins Ryan Partnership as CEO

'Big Bang' Falls Lower in TV Check-Ins, 'Nikita' Stays Strong

News \ Creativity Pick of the Day

Hellmann's Turns Receipt Into Recipe Using the Groceries You Just Bought

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

ESPN's Upfront Presentation Goes Long on Digital

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

ABC Adds to Comedy Stock, Moves 'Revenge' to Sundays

+Castro Creates a Technological Pachamama Extravaganza for Tropicana

Real Steel: Obama and Romney Release Dueling Videos

From Around the Web

LAT Shutting Down Sunday Magazine

Citing the downturn in the print industry, LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine will cease production on June 3 in favor of a quarterly.

Picked by Nat Ives

New USA Today publisher Kramer's theories about newsroom evolution

New USA Today Publisher Larry Kramer hasn't had a newspaper job since 1991, but he's thought about newspapers ever since.

Picked by Nat Ives

GM to Stop Advertising on Facebook

General Motors plans to stop advertising on Facebook after the auto maker's marketing executives determined their paid ads had little impact on consumers, a disappointing development just days ahead of Facebook's expected initial public offering of stock.

Picked by Kunur Patel

NYMag.com

TV is Not TV Anymore

A revolution in how we watch was just the start. Now comes the good stuff.

Picked by Kunur Patel

Fastcompany

New Google+ Study Reveals Minimal Social Activity, Weak User Engagement

Larry Page recently called Google+ the company's "social spine." But a new report from RJ Metrics shows that the average public post there receives less than one +1. Just how weak is this spine?

Picked by Natalie Zmuda

Bloomberg

U.S. Retail Sales Cool After Warm-Weather Spree

Retail sales rose in April at the slowest pace of the year as Americans took a break from a shopping spree induced by unseasonably warm weather and an earlier Easter holiday.

Picked by Natalie Zmuda

Gizmodo

How Yahoo Killed Flickr and Lost the Internet

This is the story of Flickr. And how Yahoo bought it and murdered it and screwed itself out of relevance along the way.

Picked by Jason Del Rey

Wall Street Journal

Facebook and Twitter Postings Cost CFO His Job - WSJ.com

To his Facebook friends and Twitter followers, Gene Morphis was like the rest of the world, using social media to vent about day-to-day frustrations of his job. But Mr. Morphis wasn't like most employees. He happened to be an officer of a public company. On Monday, his musings cost him his job.

Picked by Sheila Dougherty

Wall Street Journal

Macy's to Ship Online Orders From Stores

Interesting look into Macy's response to Amazon. "We've spent the last 153 years building warehouses," said chief stores officer Peter Sachse in an interview. "We just called them stores."

Picked by Abbey Klaassen

Wbrz

Mitchell Guist from History Channel's Swamp People Dies

BELLE RIVER - Deputies in Assumption Parish confirmed that Mitchell Guist from The History Channel's show 'Swamp People' died this morning.

Picked by Ken Wheaton

More From Ad Age

columns \ The Big Tent

May Is Time to Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage

What can your company do to learn more about this group's achievements and contributions?

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

So Long, '30 Rock': We May Never See Your Kind Again

We may never see sitcoms like "30 Rock" and "Community" again after next season, unless we subscribe to Showtime or HBO.

blogs \ DigitalNext

Will Facebook be an Internet Behemoth in 10 Years?

Facebook will need to fight a constant battle if it wants to maintain its dominant position amid ever-shifting consumer preferences and changing technologies.

Agency News

On Heels of Bank of America Loss, BBDO Wins HP Creative

Agency was already on HP's roster, handling corporate, and printing and imaging work.

MediaWorks

Former News Corp. Exec Rebekah Brooks Charged in Phone-Hacking Cover-Up

Ms. Brooks, a onetime Rupert Murdoch lieutenant, become the first person charged since the scandal erupted last summer.

MediaWorks

Twitter and ESPN Plan Branded Campaigns Around TV Sports

Twitter wants to cash in on tweets about TV sports by selling custom campaigns around events like the World Series.

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

How the Upfront Can Become the 'Forefront'

Recent changes present a rare opportunity to transform what's old into something new again, says Starcom's Mike Rosen in the final episode of "Upfront, I Love You (Now Change)."

Agency News

Agencies Going After Accenture, Deloitte IT

Consultants have designed IT solutions for global marketers, and agencies are responding by building out IT of their own.

News

Pernod Ricard Plans New Cuban Rum

What sounds like serious advance planning is actually Plan B in a long-running trademark battle over the company's Cuban-made Havana Club brand, which is sold in more than 120 markets.

Digital

Groupon Reports Profit as Overseas Growth Boosts Coupon Business

The largest daily-deal site reported Q1 profit that topped estimates as marketing costs dropped and it expanded internationally in its second period as a public company.

News \ Creativity Pick of the Day

For Staples, David Shows You How Not to Clean Up Your Office

New agency on the block, Ogilvy & Mather's David nails it with its first work, a Staples spot that makes a case for why you need a tidier office.

News

Ford Plans to Take 'Go Further' Global

The concept behind Ford's recent viral hit will be the basis of a global campaign.

Digital

With Scott Thompson Out at Yahoo, Former PayPal Colleague Heads for Exit

In his short stint at Yahoo, former CEO Scott Thompson flanked himself with a couple of his PayPal allies, including PR head Amanda Pires, who is leaving the company, according to a person familiar with the matter.

columns \ Adages

The Onion: Honey Nut Cheerios Bee Given Horrifying Backstory

Special Report: Best Places to Work 2012

Allen & Gerritsen Tops Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

What's better than topping Ad Age's Best Places to Work list? Easy: topping it two years in a row.

Full Article

Mr Youth Is No. 2 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

This is Mr Youth's second year on Ad Age's Best Places to Work list, and a culture where people are close to the work has contributed to that accomplishment.

Full Article

Tris3ct Is No. 3 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

Independent Tris3ct has been growing more than 50% for three consecutive years, not only in headcount but also in new business.

Full Article

Big Spaceship Is No. 4 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

The staff enjoys revenue sharing for revenue-generating intellectual property, as well as outings to local bars and sporting events.

Full Article

Eric Mower & Associates Is No. 5 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

Collaboration is everything at Syracuse, N.Y.-based Eric Mower & Associates. It can be seen throughout the agency's infrastructure, employee orientation and strategic approach.

Full Article

Red Door Interactive Is No. 6 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

In a loft with views of downtown San Diego, the Padres' ballpark and the bay, employees at Red Door Interactive operate under tenets like "share," "exceed" and "100% jerk-free."

Full Article

Read More Special Report: Best Places to Work 2012
Special Report: Agency A-List

Agency of the Year McGarryBowen Proves Solid and Reliable Beat Fast and Furious

McGarryBowen is turning heads for solidly proficient work appreciated by its clients and a new-business record envied by nearly everyone in the industry. And with a staggering 60% growth in revenue in 2011 it's a clear pick for Ad Age's Agency of the Year.

Full Article

Droga5 Is No. 2 on Ad Age's Agency A-List

The 5-year-old agency, with 120 employees and two offices, is sweeping awards shows and nabbing clients ranging from Amstel to Prudential with its avant-garde thinking.

Full Article

BBDO Is No. 3 on Ad Age's Agency A-List

In 2011, BBDO won every global pitch it participated in and about two-thirds of its U.S. pitches. Revenue is up 15%, while globally, revenue has increased 18% to an estimated $2.4 billion.

Full Article

Razorfish Is No. 4 on the Ad Age Agency A-List

Digital-agency acquisitions rarely result in the kind of success this shop has had since landing at Publicis Group in 2009.

Full Article

72andSunny Is No. 5 on the Ad Age Agency A-List

72andSunny's approach is far more democratic than that of most agencies, and an understanding prevails that a great idea can come from anywhere, not just the creative department.

Full Article

Alma Is No. 6 on Ad Age's Agency A-List

That knack for matching Hispanics' passion points with online efforts helped Alma's digital revenue soar 300% last year. Overall, revenue grew 10%. Last year alone, the agency succeeded at bringing home 10 new accounts.

Full Article

Read More Special Report: Agency A-List
CMO Strategy

Hats Off to These 10 Forward-Thinking Clients

Here's a ranking of 10 forward-thinking executives, and some takeaways that may help you become a better client. And we included five to watch for the near future.

Full Article

Respect, Trust Key to Healthy Ad Relationship

Agency-client relationships are like a marriage. They can start to wear during the months and years ahead as the difficulties of daily life set in, but how you manage those things is what matters.

Full Article

Bacardi CMO Shares Agency Advice From Simon Clift

Bacardi Global Chief Marketing Officer Silvia Lagnado invited former Unilever CMO Simon Clift to talk to her team. Mr. Clift shared his major points with Ad Age. A few are listed here, along with observations from Ms. Lagnado.

Full Article

The Secret Behind the Long Union of Allstate, Burnett

How have Allstate and Burnett maintained their long partnership? To get some insights, Ad Age sat in on a late-December meeting and interviewed key members of the Burnett-Allstate team. Here is what we found.

Full Article

How to Be a Better Agency Client

Major marketers talk about their resolutions for making the most of their company-ad agency relationships

Full Article

Marketer Resolutions: PepsiCo's Jakeman Will Be Busy, Fit and Talkative

PepsiCo's Brad Jakeman has three tips for making your brand messaging creative and effective.

Full Article

Read More CMO Strategy
Special Report: Hottest Global Brands

William and Kate: Elevating the Royal Brand

William and Kate quietly leading the modernization of the British monarchy, a brand that has been reinventing itself since the first William sat on the throne in 1066.

Full Article

Majolica Majorca Sets Out to Prove Every Woman Can Be a Princess

Even the name of Shiseido's cosmetics brand aimed at young women is supposed to evoke a fairy spell.

Full Article

After Decades of Effort, Jagermeister Lands on Top 10 List of Premium Spirits

Jagermeister is No. 8 on Impact Databank's Top 100 Premium Spirits List this year, just behind megabrands such as Smirnoff, Bacardi, Absolut and Johnnie Walker, and ahead of better-known products such as Bailey's, Gordon's and Jim Beam.

Full Article

Racy Approach Brings Axe Full Control Sweet Victory in Latin America

Thanks to a 'Premature Perspiration' campaign out of Ponce, Buenos Aires, sales of Axe antiperspirants rose by 11.7% in Argentina, a striking performance for a brand that is already a market leader.

Full Article

Moshi Monsters Enter Real World to Become Global Marketing Marvel

The online social-gaming network that aspires to be a Facebook for kids, already has more than 50 million players around the world and one signing up every second, but it's just getting started.

Full Article

Rock in Rio Connects Music Lovers and Advertisers

This year's weeklong music festival, in late September, drew 700,000 people-55% of them from outside Rio-and a horde of marketers. The eclectic mix of headliners included Shakira, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Coldplay and Metallica,and Brazilian stars such as Milton Nascimento.

Full Article

Read More Special Report: Hottest Global Brands
Special Report: Marketer A-List

Marketer of the Year: Coca-Cola

It's a marketing model not just for mega multinationals looking to share best practices from around the world but also a case study for how upstart and mid-size brands, of which Coca-Cola has amassed many, can use creative stunts and strategic partnerships to get a lot done on a smaller budget.

Full Article

For Amazon, a Focus on the New Helps Push Sales of the Old

Like Walmart, Amazon.com sells food, clothing, media and electronics -- the old-school foundation of modern retailing. But Amazon keeps reinventing its business by coming up with new lines to sell, some of them tangible, some of them the stuff of imagination not too long ago.

Full Article

Kardashians Prove Family That Enterprises Together Stays Together

Out of a sex tape flourishes a brand that becomes the linchpin for three TV shows, a clothing boutique, books and a wedding whose rights sold for $17.9 million.

Full Article

Crown Deserves a Toast for Big Sales in Bad Times

In a year where big brewers continued to lose ground, Crown Imports stands out for one simple reason -- it is actually growing sales, overcoming a tough economy with aggressive advertising on Corona and new investments in surging smaller brands.

Full Article

With a Fearless and Willing to Fail Attitude, Diamond Foods Emerges as Powerhouse

Scrappy little snackmaker wins Big -- and aims to get bigger by scooping up Pringles.

Full Article

Humans, Not Tech, Define a PC-Free IBM

IBM's path to marketing success began strangely enough with a retreat from the very thing most consumers knew it for best -- the personal computer. Since the 2004 decision to divest the business to China's Lenovo and focus on business services and analytics, the IBM brand has never been stronger.

Full Article

Read More Special Report: Marketer A-List