Electronic Arts enters into fitness gaming this week with the release of EA Sports Active for the Nintendo Wii. The game features a range of fitness activities plus mini-games that focus on specific sports like in-line skating and basketball. Generally,  EA Sports is a brand synonymous with male-skewing sports franchises like Madden, but as apparent from the box art, the title is being marketed more to women. So how do men and women compare in terms of key purchase metrics for the title?
Based on Nielsen Video Game Tracking data from …

ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” claimed the top slot in Nielsen’s ranking of the top primetime telecasts on broadcast TV for May 18, 2009. The show drew just over 19.2 million average viewers Monday evening.
CBS’s “Two And A Half Men” and “CSI: Miami” rounded out the top three with 16.2 and 14.2 million average viewers.

Tom Pirovano, Director, Industry Insights
I recently shared some thoughts on how CPG manufacturers can protect their brands from private label expansion. Of course, it didn’t take long to hear back from retailers asking for tips on growing their own brands so here are a few private label ideas for our retailer friends.

Study the category consumer before going upscale. Consumer understanding is the common thread among top-selling brands. It’s not enough for a retailer to roll out a quality product in premium packaging.
Disguise your premium store brands. Many consumers still associate …

Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Shopper and Consumer Insights
The recession gripping the U.S. has prompted many families to eat in and to entertain at home, and in many ways, return to basics in an effort to save money.  Many analysts are predicting that the changes being witnessed in consumer behavior will be permanent.  While these changes have had a negative impact on some sectors, others have benefited by adapting to the changing times and leveraging fundamental brand strengths.  Two such sectors — canning and freezing supplies, and gardening supplies – …

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
DAY
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY
FOX
WEDNESDAY
24,670,000

2
AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY
FOX
TUESDAY
22,712,000

3
DANCING WITH THE STARS
ABC
MONDAY
18,554,000

4
GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM
ABC
THURSDAY
16,531,000

5
MENTALIST, THE
CBS
TUESDAY
16,205,000

6
NCIS
CBS
TUESDAY
16,195,000

7
CSI
CBS
THURSDAY
14,810,000

8
DANCING W/STARS RESULTS
ABC
TUESDAY
14,058,000

9
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
ABC
SUNDAY
13,956,000

10
CSI: MIAMI
CBS
MONDAY
13,586,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (May 11, 2009 – May 17, 2009)

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
DAY
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE TUE-05/12/2009
UNI
TUESDAY
5,116,000

2
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE WED-05/13/2009
UNI
WEDNESDAY
5,094,000

3
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE MON-05/11/2009
UNI
MONDAY
5,076,000

4
AQUI Y AHORA TUE-05/12/2009
UNI
TUESDAY
4,959,000

5
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE THU-05/14/2009
UNI
THURSDAY
4,680,000

6
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE FRI-05/15/2009
UNI
FRIDAY
4,651,000

7
NUESTRA BELLEZA SUN-05/17/2009
UNI
SUNDAY
4,207,000

8
CUIDADO CON EL ANGEL TUE-05/12/2009
UNI
TUESDAY
4,022,000

9
CUIDADO CON EL ANGEL MON-05/11/2009
UNI
MONDAY
3,961,000

10
CUIDADO CON EL ANGEL WED-05/13/2009
UNI
WEDNESDAY
3,784,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (May 11, 2009 – May 17, 2009)

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
DAY
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
NBA PLAYOFFS (MAGIC/CELTICS)
TNT
SUNDAY
8,382,000

2
NBA PLAYOFFS-CONF SEMIS L (LAKERS/ROCKETS)
ESPN
THURSDAY
7,352,000

3
NBA PLAYOFFS (MAGIC/CELTICS)
TNT
TUESDAY
5,233,000

4
NBA PLAYOFFS (ROCKETS/LAKERS)
TNT
TUESDAY
5,187,000

5
WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW)
USA
MONDAY
4,940,000

6
NBA PLAYOFFS (NUGGETS/MAVERICKS)
TNT
MONDAY
4,837,000

7
NBA PLAYOFFS-CONF SEMIS L (CELTICS/MAGIC)
ESPN
THURSDAY
4,795,000

8
NBA PLAYOFFS (NUGGETS/MAVERICKS)
TNT
WEDNESDAY
4,574,000

9
WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW)
USA
MONDAY
4,415,000

10
ICARLY
NICK
SATURDAY
4,319,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (May 11, 2009 – May 17, 2009)

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
DAY
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
CSI: MIAMI
CBS
MONDAY
2,122,000

2
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY
FOX
WEDNESDAY
1,765,000

3
WITHOUT A TRACE
CBS
TUESDAY
1,721,000

4
DANCING WITH THE STARS
ABC
MONDAY
1,717,000

5
CSI: NY THURSDAY 10PM SP
CBS
THURSDAY
1,712,000

6
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
ABC
SUNDAY
1,666,000

7
GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM
ABC
THURSDAY
1,593,000

8
MENTALIST, THE
CBS
TUESDAY
1,561,000

9
CSI: NY
CBS
WEDNESDAY
1,501,000

10
CRIMINAL MINDS
CBS
WEDNESDAY
1,453,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (May 11, 2009 – May 17, 2009)

CBS’s “Numb3rs” & “Ghost Whisperer” were the number one & two-ranked primetime telecasts on broadcast TV for Friday, May 15, 2009. The programs had approximately 9.7 and 9.2 million average viewers. NBC’s “Farrah’s Story-Special” was the third-ranked program with approximately 9.0 million average viewers.

Jon Stewart, Research Director, Technology & Search, Nielsen Online
We’ve all been there. We’re at the store sizing up that shiny new product, and everybody from the floor manager to the checkout person to our Significant Other is telling us how much we can save if we just went ahead and bought the darn thing. And we know that spending money isn’t actually saving it, but we do it anyway because it feels so good. Well, last May, Microsoft saw opportunity in our soft spot, and told us that they would …