Electronic Retailer’s September ‘09 issue featuring Montel Williams is now available online! For more information about Motel’s upcoming keynote presentation at the ERA D2C Convention on Monday, Sept. 14, click here.
Archive for the ‘Photos’ Category
True Blood and Burger King Take a Bite Out of DR
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
Direct response has become so prevalent lately that even TV shows and restaurants are using it as fake marketing bait. As a fan of HBO’s “True Blood†on Facebook, from time to time teaser items will appear on my News Feed. Recently it tempted fans to check out an infomercial from The American Vampire League, a fictitious vampire rights group in the show. It’s interesting that an infomercial was considered the appropriate marketing vehicle to further entice fans. Perhaps vampires were simply following in Obama’s footsteps!Â
Aside from social media marketing, “True Blood†has made a big splash in traditional media too. In L.A. alone it was hard to miss the second season debut as stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer graced everything from the entire side of a Sunset Strip office building, to busses and even bus stop benches.
 But in the end, it looks like the intense mixed marketing effort paid off. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the second season premiere of “True Blood†was the most-watched program on HBO since “The Sopranos†finale. An article in Sunday’s New York Times went so far as to say that “True Blood†has brought HBO out of its slump!
Consequently, Burger King has released a new ad campaign that utilizes a home shopping format to distinguish the value of the Whooper JR.
For direct response professionals, while these campaigns are drenched in irony, they still salute to the fact that DR is a mainstay marketing force to be reckoned with.
Pat Cauley is Electronic Retailer magazine’s eMedia editor.Â
Does This Calvin Klein Ad Go Too Far?
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
A large Calvin Klein billboard in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood has managed to raise some eyebrows. As discussed in an MSNBC article, fashion advertising often pushes the envelope, but some wonder if this has really gone too far. Obviously there were people on both sides of the debate:
“I think it’s obscene,†said Rachelle Brunn, who was passing by the extremely large billboard in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood. “They always have ads that are pushing the envelope, but this one is the worst I’ve seen since I’ve been here. My biggest concern is that it gives teens the wrong idea.â€
But Carmen Guzman wasn’t bothered by the ad. She said Americans see this kind of advertising everywhere, especially in the Big Apple. “This is really nothing new,†Guzman said.
Loading ...Direct Response Gets Down in San Diego!
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009Below are a few photo highlights from the recent Response Expo.
Have photos you want to share with the industry? E-mail them to eMedia Editor Pat Cauley at pcauley@retailing.org.
Upcoming events you don’t want to miss:
ERA NYC Networking Reception - June 18
ERA Europe 2009 Electronic HomeShopping Conference - June 28-30
ERA L.A. Networking Reception - July 21
2009 ERA D2C Convention - September 13-15 (Early bird/free exhibit pass for ERA members ends July 1!)
Should We Consider Social Media a Luxury?
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
The California Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage, has sparked statewide protests. As discussed on this blog before, social media has changed the way in which people organize their efforts for a united front.
The recent Prop 8 protest in West Hollywood was publicized by blogger Perez Hilton via posts and tweets and brought out not only celebrities, but also readers that may have otherwise been unaware of the protest. As can be backed up by abysmal ratings, the only reason Hilton’s recent spat with Miss California over gay marriage got any traction at all was through social media, not because hordes of people actually watched the Miss USA pageant live. Either way, utilizing social media to organize and reach mass audiences for marketing purposes or otherwise may soon be considered a luxury for U.S. citizens.
According to a recent article in the L.A. Times:
Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on Tiananmen Square this week, Chinese authorities have rounded up dissidents and shipped them out of town. Now, they’ve even shut down Twitter.
Along with their usual methods of muzzling dissent, the authorities extended their efforts today to silence social networking sites that might foster discussion of any commemoration of the events of June 3-4, 1989.
The action is a new sign of the government’s concern of the potential of such technology in an authoritarian society where information is tightly controlled.
China has the world’s largest online population, and Internet communities have proven increasingly influential in spreading word of events to everything from student protests to group shopping excursions.
People are going outside the normal, controlled channels to set up communities online, spreading information about campus unrest and other potentially subversive activities taking place in this vast nation.
Government Internet monitors have shut down message boards on more than 6,000 Web sites affiliated with colleges and universities, apparently to head off any talk about the 1989 events, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy.
Numerous blogs maintained by edgy government critics such as avant-garde artist Ai Weiwei have been blocked and the text-messaging service Twitter and photo sharing site Flikr could not be accessed within China on Tuesday. Video sharing site YouTube has been blocked within China since March.
Additionally, CNN reports that even the U.S. military is now using social networking sites to reach out to non-traditional audiences by documenting the war efforts in Afghanistan. One thing’s for certain- whether organizing protests or simply shooting marketing messages out to consumers, it will be interesting to see how social media’s role within our lives continues to evolve.
Pat Cauley is Electronic Retailer magazine’s eMedia editor.
Toronto Networking Reception Pics!
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009Below are a few photo highlights from ERA’s recent networking reception in Toronto.
Click here to get info on all upcoming events!
Registration is now open for the 2009 ERA D2C Convention!
Twitter: An Old Idea Reinvented?
Friday, May 8th, 2009
As I was running through the forest this morning with my writing partner Scout (below), it occurred to me as we stopped along the way 28 times for the pooch, aka “Sir Spritz A lot,” to mark the route by broadcasting his pheromones, that the basic idea of Twitter may have been around for ages, having originated with dogs.
Rick Petry is a freelance writer who specializes in direct marketing. He can be reached at rick.petry@me.com.
Coachella Gets Viral and Social & T-Mobile Pulls a Ferris Bueller
Monday, May 4th, 2009
I recently had the distinct pleasure of attending the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Wow! It was simply incredible to hear a legend like Paul McCartney and dance the night away to The Killers and MSTRKRFT.
Coachella was nothing like my experience at a Radiohead concert last May where weather complications prohibited the use of technology, forcing my friends and I to wonder aimlessly in the pouring rain sans cell phones. Coachella’s weather was perfect. Not only were we able to use our cell phones, Coachella was also completely up to speed in its use of social media. From an official Coachella iPhone application to a live Twitter feed, concert-goers were always in the know with updates and information. I even recently added Coachella as a fan page to my Facebook profile.
Corporate sponsors were also very visible to concert-goers. “Meet me at the Heineken beer tent,†became a popular phrase during the three-day extravaganza. Coachella will be forever ingrained in my head along with visions of sunshine, palm trees, mountains and the Naked Wizard? Yes, probably the most talked about event from the concert had nothing to do with musical acts. Now a viral sensation, the Naked Wizard definitely gives credence to Andy Warhol’s insightful prediction many years ago that everyone in the future would be famous for 15 minutes. I’m hoping my 15 minutes are dramatically different than the Naked Wizard’s.
Coachella aside, another recent event was the perfect move for a brand trying to connect with consumers via music.
This T-Mobile-sponsored affair is reminiscent of when Ferris Bueller sang “Twist and Shout†through the streets of downtown Chicago, except this is real life. As the media landscape continues to change and evolve, brands would be smart to follow the lead of Heineken, T-Mobile and others that incorporate themselves into consumers’ everyday lives in unique and engrossing ways.
Pat Cauley is Electronic Retailer magazine’s eMedia editor.
Wheelchair Foundation Changes Lives in Ethiopia With the Help of DR
Monday, May 4th, 2009Below are a few photo highlights from Launch DRTV Creative Director Drew Plotkin’s recent trip to Ethiopia for a Wheelchair Foundation drop and distribution. The trip was funded via a PSA spot produced by Launch DRTV and money raised from numerous DR industry players at the Los Angeles Wheelchair Foundation Gala organized by Imagine Fulfillment Services.
To make a donation, please call 1-800-584-0796 or click here.
GA Fly-In Pics!
Thursday, April 30th, 2009The following are a few highlights from ERA’s 2009 Government Affairs Fly-In.
To view more pictures, click here.
Don’t miss out on upcoming ERA networking, education and fun!
ERA Webinar: How to Fight Online Knock-Offs and Counterfeits- May 14
ERA NYC Networking Reception- June 18
The 2009 Electronic HomeShopping Conference- June 28-30
The ERA European Conference and Trade Show
ERA L.A. Networking Reception- July 21
TransFirst’s McGarry Welcomes Baby Boy
Thursday, April 30th, 2009Brian McGarry, national sales manager of TransFirst, welcomes Dillon Craig McGarry to the world. Congrats!
Industry Quote of the Day
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
“There’s no way you can justify spending $3 million on a thirty-second Super Bowl ad, but you sure as hell can justify a half hour infomercial that you know the cost of when within 72 hours you know the revenue you generated from it.” — Chris Rebholz, president of Christopher Morgan Fulfillment
Look for more insights from Chris and other DR fulfillment leaders in Electronic Retailer’s upcoming May issue! Do you have an industry quote or industry event pictures worth sharing? Post a comment or send an e-mail to eMedia editor Pat Cauley at pcauley@retailing.org for possible inclusion.
2009 eRetailer Summit Photos!
Monday, April 6th, 2009Below are a few photos from ERA’s eRetailer Summit held recently in Miami. Check back often, more photos will be posted soon!
Don’t miss out on future ERA networking, education and fun!
ERA Webinar: Optimizing Your DRTV During a Downturn
April 7, 2009 at 2:30 p.m. EDT
ERA Webinar: Changing the FTC Rules on Endorsements & Testimonials: Why You Should Care!
April 16, 2009 at 2:30 p.m. EDT
ERA Government Affairs Fly-In
April 20-21
ERA Toronto Networking Reception
April 29, 2009
