U.S. Box office earnings for the first weekend of the new year reached $123.2 million – down 28% from the prior weekend ($169.9 million), but up 10% compared to the same weekend a year ago ($112.5 million), Nielsen reported Monday.
Twentieth Century Fox’s “Marley & Me” remained in the top spot for the second weekend running, with earnings of almost $24.3 million between Jan. 2 and 4.
Walt Disney Studios’ ”Bedtime Stories” claimed second place, with earnings of $20.5 million, and Paramount’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” rounded out the top three, with an $18.7 million box office …

By: Jess D. Aguirre, Jr., Senior Vice President, Research, Hallmark Channels, and Howard M. Shimmel, Senior Vice President, Consumer Insights, The Nielsen Company
SUMMARY: What do beer, gum, candy, snacks, and fragrances have in common? All are categories that under-spend on media against a Boomer demographic that accounts for the bulk of consumer packaged goods sales.
It’s a question for the ages. Why aren’t TV advertisers targeting Baby Boomers, a demographic with proven clout at the cash register and demand to spare? Even as Boomers expect to live and work longer, extending …

The column below, by John Burbank, CEO, Nielsen Online, was recently published in Adweek.
Want a firsthand lesson in the health of the Internet? Ask a friend a simple question: “What’s your favorite online ad?”
Chances are they’ll have a tough time giving an answer. Some may mention a dancing girl seducing you to refinance a mortgage; others may bring up one of the online executions of the Mac vs. PC television campaign.
But many people cannot recall any online advertising, despite all the time each of us spends on the Web and …

By Julie Enzweiler, Nielsen Online
The automotive industry has witnessed an extremely volatile and game-changing 2008. With Ford, BMW, Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen leading the way, here is a look at the top 25 automotive brands that consumers discussed online in 2008 relative to all online discussion.

Online social network giants MySpace and Facebook battled for supremacy in 2008.  The trend lines below show the percentages of consumer-generated online discussions that mentioned each site between June and December:

CBS’s “CSI” special claimed the top slot in Nielsen’s ranking of the top primetime telecasts on broadcast TV for New Years Day 2009.
NBC’s special presentation of “Deal Or No Deal” was the number two ranked primetime telecast, and FOX’s “FEDEX Orange Bowl” rounded out the top three.

Rank
Program
Network
Viewers (P2+)

1
CSI SPECIAL(S)-01/01/2009
CBS
9,760,000

2
DEAL OR NO DEAL 1/1(S)-01/01/2009
NBC
9,488,000

3
FEDEX ORANGE BOWL(S)-01/01/2009
FOX
9,319,000

4
ROSE BOWL-POST GAME(S)-01/01/2009
ABC
8,870,000

5
ELEVENTH HOUR – SPCL(S)-01/01/2009
CBS
7,740,000

6
BIG BANG THEORY, THE – SP(S)-01/01/2009
CBS
6,513,000

7
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER-SP(S)-01/01/2009
CBS
6,271,000

8
AMER FUNN HM VIDEOS-1/1(S)-01/01/2009
ABC
4,784,000

9
PRIVATE PRACTICE SP-1/1(S)-01/01/2009
ABC
4,338,000

10
OFFICE 1/1(S)-01/01/2009
NBC
4,134,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (January 1, 2009).

Overall, FOX won the night with an average audience of almost 8.1 million …

Credit markets freeze. Financial institutions implode. Economic benchmarks plummet. Consumer spending plunges. Unemployment skyrockets. Bail out plans are unveiled. Global markets fall like dominoes and consumers tighten their hold on wallets. What are a retailer and manufacturer to do? Read on for strategies on how to manage the economic downturn.

Nielsen retail industry experts Jonathan Banks, Todd Hale, Tom Pirovano, James Russo, and Jean-Jacques Vandenheede review the key trends that defined the U.S. retail sector in 2008 – and offer their predictions for the new year.
2008: Staying In Is The New Going Out
Americans are spending more time in front of their computers and televisions. The reach and frequency of TV, Internet, and time shifted TV use increased notably in 2008, as consumers on tight budgets opted to save money by staying home. 
2008: Economizing Strategies Go Digital
In 2008, 20% of consumer discussions online referenced strategies for managing grocery budgets.  …

ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin Eve ‘09 Special” claimed the top slot in Nielsen’s ranking of the top primetime telecasts on broadcast TV for Wednesday, December 31, 2008.  The telecast drew just over 8.5 million average viewers on New Years Eve.
CBS’s “CSI: NY Special” and “Criminal Minds Special” rounded out the top three, with 6.9 and 6.7 million average viewers, respectively.

Rank
Program
Network
Viewers (P2+)

1
NEW YEAR’S ROCKIN EVE ‘09(S)-12/31/2008
ABC
8,549,000

2
CSI: NY SPECIAL(S)-12/31/2008
CBS
6,850,000

3
CRIMINAL MINDS SPECIAL(S)-12/31/2008
CBS
6,699,000

4
ABC WED MOVIE OF WK-12/31(S)-12/31/2008
ABC
6,308,000

5
BONES SP-NY EVE 8P(S)-12/31/2008
FOX
4,671,000

6
KNIGHT RIDER 12/31(S)-12/31/2008
NBC
4,540,000

7
BONES SP-NY EVE 9P(S)-12/31/2008
FOX
4,452,000

8
OLD CHRISTINE SPECIAL(S)-12/31/2008
CBS
4,132,000

9
LAW AND ORDER:SVU 12/31(S)-12/31/2008
NBC
4,034,000

10
GARY UNMARRIED SPECIAL(S)-12/31/2008
CBS
3,893,000

Source: The Nielsen Company …