Publication: Brandweek

By Jennifer Owens

IBM has added the Tonys to its stable of major-event Web sites-including the Olympics, the U.S. Open and the Grammys-by launching, hosting and sponsoring Tonys.org to carry live Webcasts from the annual Broadway awards show.

Already, the site has featured actors Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth announcing the year’s Tony award nominees as well as live interviews from the annual Tonys Nominee Brunch held earlier this month. In two weeks, however, Tonys.org will Webcast the prestigious event itself, on June 4 beginning at 8 p.m.

This isn’t the first time the Tonys have gone online, said Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theatres and Producers, noting that the award’s first Web site launched a few years ago, but went dark last June. That site, however, bore little resemblance to its IBM-created descendent with its streaming video and interactive offerings for rabid theatre fans who eagerly await the awards show each year.

This year, said Bernstein, Tonys.org will encourage people holding their own Tony parties to register with the site for prizes. It will also offer online chats with nominees, user polls and script excerpts from nominated shows. And while not meant to be a big source for ticket sales, the site is expected to offer such e-commerce next year, Bernstein said.

According to Robin deMarrais, a senior producer for IBM Global Services, the Tony site-which was created in about two months by a staff of about a dozen-contains more content than any other major event site produced by IBM, save for the Olympics.

Copyright 2000 ASM Communications, Inc. Used With Permission From Brandweek Magazine

Publication: Brandweek

By Jeff Green

At first brush, it might seem counterintuitive for a car maker to target book readers in a society where it’s assumed the most attractive customers don’t have time to read.

But the success of a wide-ranging partnership among Ford Motor’s Lincoln Mercury division, Barnes & Noble.com and its bricks-and-mortar Barnes & Noble parent is turning that conventional misconception on its head-and proving the enduring value of a clicks-and-mortar relationship in a world struck with dot.com fever.

Starting in fourth quarter 1999 with the launch of the new Sable sedan, Irvine, Calif.-based Mercury featured the Barnes & Noble.com logo and link in all its advertising, print, direct mail and other efforts. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble.com, which provided a link to the auto maker on its Web site, inserted Mercury Sable handraiser forms in more than 500,000 packages shipped from the site.

The partners also created the Mercury Sable Independent Thinkers Series, a collection of books that promote independent thinking, an attribute of Sable buyers, according to Mercury officials. In conjunction with the ongoing series, Barnes & Noble has co-sponsored an Independent Thinkers essay contest, one for children and one for adults. B&N president Tom Tolworthy says the bookseller, which distributed entry forms at its more than 500 retail locations, has received upwards of 20,000 entrants, a total well beyond the 5,000 originally expected. Prizes include a $25,000 scholarship for students, and a similar award for adults.

So far Mercury has gained considerable mileage from the tie-in. During a fourth quarter cross-promotion, the automaker generated 67,000 leads for the redesigned Mercury Sable when the stretch goal for the project was 60,000, said Ed Collins, svp-group manager at Y&R’s Mercury brand team in Irvine.

Mercury tracked 29% of its leads from the Barnes & Noble.com site, a greater percentage than that produced by its own Web site. At the end of January, Sable sales were up 28.9% from the year-earlier period, per Ward’s Automotive Reports.

When it was determined that potential Sable customers were avid readers, Mercury considered the dot.com route. But according to Collins, a close study of brand attributes between Mercury and B&N suggested that the partnership take advantage not only of Barnes & Noble exclusive relationship with AOL but also the availability of its retail locations.

Deborah Wahl, Lincoln Mercury marketing communications manager, said the program with B&N provided an ideal opportunity for Mercury to utilize Sable’s new tag, “Live Life in Your Own Lane.” “We wanted to attack the target in a way you wouldn’t expect Mercury to talk to them,” Wahl said. “There is so much hype about the Internet, but a lot of people are still on the ground at retail.”

One such person is Mercury group brand manager Jennifer Moneagle, who tends to be old-fashioned when it comes to buying books. Moneagle says she prefers the look and the feel of retail. But considering her brand’s tie-in with Barnes & Noble.com, Moneagle decided to test the Web site. A few days after purchasing some books, Moneagle received an autographed gardening book as a gift. She said she normally would have waited in line to get such a book, but Barnes &Noble.com was able “to suggest it as a gift just from what I bought and looked at online…We were very impressed with their information technology management abilities.”

For B&N the relationship offered its retail locations a chance to partner with Mercury dealerships in their communities-say by giving B&N gift certificates to customers who come in for a test drive, Tolworthy said.

“We’ve had phenomenal responses from our local communities,” he said. “In the beginning this was something that was hard to connect the dotsfor on the retail side. We weren’t sure what to expect. But it’s clear within our communities that the (dealers and retail stores) are drawing energy from each other.” The local and national synergies were key, Hess said. “This happened across so many channels: online, offline, direct mail, advertising. It was a good mix and fit,” she said.

While the partnership was an experiment for both companies, they are negotiating a longer-term deal, Wahl said. Mercury also has plans to make the relationship an integral part of the fall launch of the 2001 Mountaineer, she said. The customer target for the Mountaineer will be professional women, so the B&N relationship could take another emphasis that would be beneficial to both brands.

Some possible extensions to the program would be actual author chats from the Independent Thinkers series conducted in dealerships and events at B&N stores that are co-sponsored by Mercury. With the success of the essay contest, Wahl said there’s plenty of room for expanded opportunities there, too.

Copyright 1998 ASM Communications, Inc. Used With Permission From Brandweek Magazine

Publication: Brandweek

By Elaine Underwood

Six Flags late this week will start mailing one million pitch letters for a co-branded credit card with MasterCard, making it the first piece of plastic with a Time Warner brand on it and a forerunner in the theme-park/entertainment sector.

The deal also puts Six Flags, No. 2 theme park operator to Disney, ahead on one count. Industry watchers have long expected Disney and its strategic partner American Express to introduce a CO-branded card.

Plans call for the Six Flags Entertainment Card to ultimately encompass more than just the company’s 12 theme parks. In addition to rewards redeemable at Six Flags parks, the card would offer discounts on a range of Time Warner products like Warner Bros. videos and merchandise from the studio stores.

“That element will be added as we grow,” said Mike Kent, vp-advertising and promotions at Six Flags. The debut pitch letter does highlight rewards from Six Flags partners’ Thrifty Car Rental and Best Western.

Enrollees also will receive a year’s free membership in Dining a la Card, a discount restaurant program, which has a list price of $49.95. Another upfront incentive is 10% off any food and merchandise charged with the card at Six Flags. Rewards start with a day’s free entry to a park, a $30 value, after $1,500 of charges, a hefty amount for the payoff.

“It would take the average consumer a year to get there,” said Rick Barlow, president of Frequency Marketing, Cincinnati, who nevertheless praised the concept. “We’ve brainstormed some stuff for other companies like Disney and Sony. Entertainment has potency.”

Time Warner owns 49% of Six Flags with Boston Ventures controlling the majority. But it takes all entertainment cues from Time Warner. Looney Tunes characters stroll the parks and Batman inspires rides. Time Warner’s massive database also plumped up the mailing list. Some 75% of Six Flags attendance involves groups with children under 18.

“Families with children are obviously our most significant prospect,” said Kent.

Credit card booths are going up at each of the parks to capture trade from the 25 million customers expected to visit this year. Kent is also considering testing a television and print campaign later this summer if the card needs an extra boost. He puts Six Flags success rate at between 250,000 and 300,000 enrollees, in keeping with the trend in the credit card industry toward highly targeted CO-branded cards.

For Six Flags, the card heralds national brand ascendancy. The parks switched from a regional to a national media strategy this season. A national survey conducted by Six Flags also revealed that its awareness levels had grown 10% over last year bringing it to 67% unaided awareness to Disney’s 75%.

Publication: Brandweek

By Tobi Elkin

Seeking to boost holiday sales of its new high-end digital video products, Samsung Electronics America will partner with MovieFone for a cross-promotional blitz, to include a national sweepstakes breaking Nov. 6.

The Samsung “Winter Vision” sweepstakes, through Jan 14, 1999, targets avid moviegoers and home theater enthusiasts for a chance to win several products including Digital Video Disc and VCR players, microwave ovens and the brand’s new High- Definition, Projection and VisionPlus TVs. The sweeps will be promoted in several ways beginning with consumer calls to MovieFone (777-FILM). When consumers call MovieFone to find out movie schedules, they will hear a 20-second spot touting Samsung’s Web sites. Subscribers to MovieMail, MovieFone’s direct email service also will receive information on Samsung products and the sweeps.

Additionally, Samsung and MovieFone will unleash a barrage of print and radio ads, plus in-theatre promos touting the sweeps and Samsung products, in six metro markets: New York, L.A., Boston, Seattle, San Antonio and Salt Lake City.

Those ads will take the form of a traditional MovieFone ad beckoning moviegoers not only to call and find out what’s playing, but invites them to enter the sweeps. Another creative execution may feature a Samsung Projection TV and copy suggesting moviegoers can win it, and other prizes. Samsung’s sweeps and logo also appear on popcorn bags, pre-show loop slides and cardboard stands in more than 200 General Cinema and Cineplex-Odeon screens in these markets.

Selected retailers in the markets will give away two free movie tickets to every purchaser of Samsung DVD and VCR players; ticket envelopes show the firm’s VisionPlus TVs and offer details on how to enter the sweeps.

Samsung will supplement the effort with ethnic marketing initiatives launching this week and targeting Mexican Americans, via Lynx, L.A., in Austin, Houston and San Antonio, Texas, and L.A. with Spanish-language print, and radio and outdoor ads touting the firm’s value-oriented prct lines. Retail demos and rebate coupons hammer a “great technology at a value price” message. Similar efforts via Cheil Communications, Ridgefield Park, N.J., target Korean Americans in the New York, L.A. and Seattle areas but promote Samsung’s higher-end video products.

Meantime, Samsung’s corporate parent in Korea is readying a cable TV spot, via Arnell, N.Y., that promotes four key product categories: wireless phones, LCD/TFT monitors, TVs and DVD players. Samsung also underwrites a Nov. 9 PBS special on HDTV: A Cringely Crash Course.

Copyright 1998 ASM Communications, Inc. Used With Permission From Brandweek Magazine

Publication: Brandweek

New York American Express and MovieFone last week inked a “long term” marketing deal to promote telephone and Internet ticketing for films. Amex becomes a national sponsor of MovieFone and it’s online counterpart MovieLink.com; the companies will create a program to reward Amex credit card users. Available in 32 cities, MovieFone will promote American Express to phone users, and in promotions and advertising.

New York, July 22, 1998 American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) and MovieFone, Inc. (NASDAQ NM:MOFN), the nation’s largest movie listing guide and ticketing service, today announced a new long-term marketing partnership to promote telephone and Internet ticketing for movies. Under the new agreement, American Express will become a national sponsor of MovieFone and its online sister service MovieLink.com, and the companies will work together on and jointly fund new marketing programs designed to reward moviegoers when they use the American Express Card to buy tickets through these services. The new program is expected to accelerate the already rapid increase in electronic ticket sales for movies and other events, via the telephone and the Internet.

“American Express is the perfect partner for MovieFone, since they share our commitment to movies, and to building a powerful brand through innovation”, said Andrew Jarecki, MovieFone CEO. “We look forward to expanding our longstanding partnership and initiating new programs that make moviegoing more appealing for consumers”.

“American Express has always been the credit card of choice for the entertainment-oriented consumer, and we believe that there is great potential in increasing usage by moviegoers,” said Lloyd M. Wirshbla, Vice President & General Manager, Restaurant and Entertainment Industries, American Express Company.

Jim Erlick, President of J. M. Erlick, Inc., was MovieFone’s consultant on the partnership. Erlick has fourteen years of corporate marketing experience.

By Shannon Stevens

First USA is teaming up with Live Broadway to offer a no-fee credit card which doubles as a frequency card for theater goers nationwide.

The affinity card continues Live Broadway’s effort to partner with major consumer brands that began last summer when the non-profit group representing theater operators scored Continental Airlines as a partner.

The cards, sporting the Live Broadway logo will be pushed beginning June 8, the day after the Tony Awards, with an application blitz that includes a direct mail campaign based on names from the 400 member theaters’ mailing lists. Print, internet and broadcast campaigns also may enter the mix.

The credit card will offer users points by which to obtain unique rewards, including stand-in roles in shows, limited-edition posters signed by cast members, and show memorabilia, said Meg Meurer, marketing director for Live Broadway.

First USA, a Wilmington, Del., unit of Bank One, Columbus, Ohio, has affinity card partnerships with America Online, Southwest Airlines, the PGA and others.

By Steve Gelsi

Starting in February, GM’s Buick unit will be the presenting sponsor of a five concert series starring Roberta Flack and Judy Collins, continuing its efforts to make its Riviera coupe click with female buyers.

The “Riviera by Buick presents: Ladies of Note” concert will be promoted in a four-page insert in Conde Nast’s Gourmet andBon Appetit Magazines breaking next month. The ad features the two singers posing next to Rivieras and ties the company and the concert in with fundraising for Concept Cure’s…

It’s part of an overall effort at General Motors to play up relationship marketing programs to connect cars to buyer targets on a grass roots level. In this case, the Riviera will be visible to the 50,000 to 100,000 concertgoers and readers of the magazines, while dealers are expected to get involved through their own direct mail or local promotional efforts to encourage test drives by dangling tickets to the events, possibly Richard Tyler T-shirts – the designer did a custom Riviera last year – or an upcoming compact disc release featuring the two singers.

The tour hits Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York, as the company seeks a metropolitan buyer beyond its Midwestern core consumers. Buick last year sponsored fashion shows and teamed with Tyler for the limited edition Riviera, which is now on the car show circuit. Tyler will also display the Riviera at his fashion shows.

Riviera, with sales of 20, 641 units last year, hopes to grow sales by playing up its styling to a female audience. The car now draws about 40% female buyers, expected to grow to 50%.