Slumdog Millionaire, the Oscar winner for Best Picture in 2008 was not a summer blockbuster.  Nor were any of the other nominees in that category.  But they all had a couple of things in common: they were primarily advertised in the second half of the year with a concentration in the fourth quarter, and they were all released in the months of November and December.  So while the summer blockbusters get a great deal of attention, it is those films that are released – and tend to advertise – during …

Viewership levels for the NHL playoffs are up compared to last year on both Versus and NBC, a trend that may continue with a Stanley Cup Finals featuring two hockey crazed cities, Detroit and Pittsburgh, and one of the NHL’s brightest stars, the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby.
 

But just as important as the raw viewership for the NHL and Versus, which is available in 66% of US homes, is the brand behavior of these viewers.
With advertising dollars tight in the current economic climate, the pressure is even greater for sports leagues to demonstrate return …

For the period April 13 through May 10, brand placements in the reality shows The Amazing Race, Celebrity Apprentice, and American Idol featured strong product placement recall. While the Amazing Race’s integration of Travelocity posted the highest index, American Idol’s partnerships with Coca Cola and Ford accounted for five of the top 10 most recalled placements.

Most Recalled In-Program Placements: Reality Show April 13-May 10

RANK
Brand
In-Program Placement Description
Program Airing Info
Recall Index

1
Travelocity
Online travel service awards Galapagos Islands trip to Tammy and Victor for arriving in first place
The Amazing …

The use of ad effectiveness measurements to buy and sell spots on the networks is one of the biggest trends in the TV ad industry. Lois Miller, President of Nielsen IAG Automotive, explained this new advertising “currency” to the Nielsen Wire, and why it’s become an important tool for marketers in the auto industry.
Q: An article in the latest BusinessWeek explains how program engagement and advertising effectiveness measurements are changing the way companies place their ads. How is Nielsen helping to change the game of TV advertising?
Lois Miller: Nielsen’s TV …

The economic decline has affected most parts of the world, but some have been hit harder than others.  One region that seems to be holding its own is Asia Pacific (APAC).  Although consumer confidence in APAC has declined in recent months, those declines have generally not been as steep as in Europe or North America.  Eight of the twelve markets for which Nielsen tracks ad spending posted growth in 2008 over 2007.  That said, most of the markets were registering declines by the fourth quarter.
Main media, defined by Nielsen as …

President Obama marks his 100th day in office tonight with his third primetime press conference since January. The President’s request for air time adds a strain not only to each network’s news resources, but also to their overall bottom line.
It’s no secret that the 8pm hour generates much-needed ad dollars for broadcast TV networks. In February, ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC combined to average $21.5 million in revenue on Wednesdays from 8pm to 9pm ET. With that kind of money in play, networks are forced to balance their public service duties with financial obligations.
So …

Ford Motor Co. was the big winner at Nielsen IAG’s 3rd annual Automotive Ad Awards, presented Wednesday, April 8 at the opening breakfast for the 2009 New York International Auto Show.
The automaker took home the prize for Most Effective Auto Ad of the Year for its spot featuring several real-life women test-driving a Ford Focus for the first time. Other winners included Lexus for Most Effective Green Ad of the Year and Volkswagen for Most Effective Sales Event Campaign of the Year.

Watch highlights and insight from Nielsen IAG’s Lois Miller …

With the 2009 tax deadline quickly approaching, Nielsen conducted an audit of its own, looking back at how tax service companies spent their advertising dollars in 2008.
The Tax Services category spent $220 million in 2008 on ads, an increase of 11% from 2007. Over one-third of the 2008 total was spent on Cable TV ($76.9 million), followed by Spot TV ($40.5 million), and Network TV ($35.7 million).
Over half ($125.8 million) of the budget was spent in the first quarter – the three months leading up to the April deadline. That …

Meet the newest recession-fighting ally in the scrimmage for consumer sales: online advertising. Even discretionary product categories taking a hit at the register can build market share through online presence. Here’s how.

Nielsen announced today the nominees for its third annual Nielsen IAG Automotive Awards. The awards recognize auto advertisers whose ads were found to be the most effective by Nielsen IAG’s 2.5+ million viewer panel. This year, awards will be distributed in three categories: Green Ad of the Year, Sales Event Campaign of the Year, and Automotive Ad of the Year.
Winners will be announced by Lois Miller, President of  Nielsen IAG Automotive, at the New York Auto Show on Wednesday, April 8.
“The automotive industry faced a very challenging year in 2008,” …