For years, NBC's central marketing pitch to advertisers, agencies, TV critics and the trade press alike has been the value of the network's adult 18-49 audience. It has even gone so far as to proclaim it is the only demo that really counts on Madison Avenue. But on Wednesday, the peacock network revealed its real demographic bottom line to Wall Street: adults 25-54.
Though a stalwart in the American pastime of drunken competition, foosball is just another "beer pong" to most -- something to do with friends as your head buzzes and liver throbs. But there is a tightly knit worldwide culture lurking beneath the game's surface that encompasses the most -- and least -- loved elements of professional sports: comeback wins, grudge matches, gambling, groupies, drug dealers, superstition, madness, tradition, titles, trophies and, of course, cash. Nathan North reports from the 2003 Pro Foosball Championship in Dallas.
A survey of California residents during the gubernatorial recall race shows diminished faith in political ads when they traditionally peak--as Election Day draws near. And the Golden State election may be an indicator of how media, advertising and voters interact in the next presidential election.
How fast the market for local advertising is recovering — or even if it is recovering — has become a subject of intense speculation along Madison Avenue. For those arguing whether or not there is evidence of a comeback, the answer echoes that from the old Certs commercial: Stop, you're both right.
Two years after the Taliban fled Kabul, there is still a lot of hope in Afghanistan. Optimism is frequently voiced, some of it even genuine, though it hardly balances the anger and despair. Ben Ehrenreich visits this damaged country and finds Westerners trying to help -- sometimes bizarrely -- and Afghans trying to cope, even to understand.
With the Tribune Co. majority-owned amNewYork set to debut this Friday, the European newspaper company Metro International is preparing to launch its own free paper in the Big Apple, reports New York Daily News' Paul Colford. According to Colford, Metro says its standardized format consisting of short articles is designed "to enable commuters to read the newspaper during a typical journey time of approximately 16.7 minutes."
Breaking with the long tradition of producing separate versions of ads for the Hispanic and non-Hispanic U.S. markets, a number of top advertisers such as Coca-Cola Co. and Volkswagen are using a single Spanish-language ad for all markets.
Deutsche Bank publishing analyst Paul Ginocchio cut his retail advertising growth forecast for the newspaper industry while warning that department store spending is migrating to TV as stores focus on brand-building.
In a message originally sent to an AAN listserv, Cincinnati CityBeat Editor and Co-Publisher John Fox tells AAN News that a kickoff party for the Cincinnati Enquirer's "faux alt weekly" was held last week. The new paper, which hits the streets Oct. 29, has been christened Cin. Fox speculates about the meaning of "Cin" and says a 64-page, four-color prototype, "Looks a lot like Thrive in Boise, where the Enquirer's new publisher came from -- similar layout and flow, with 10 pages of daily classifieds in the back. Not a single story jumps."
Even without a recall election in California to help fuel its growth, advocacy advertising would still be a substantial category. Unions, ballot activists, political parties and other groups are spending more in recent years -- reaching some $300 million in the first half of 2003 -- on ads designed to sway public opinion on various issues.
