How well a TV ad does can often rely on “Earned Media” — the volume and value of the online conversations that happen before an after it airs.

The majority of Super Bowl viewers enjoy the game’s ads more than the action on the field, according to results of a recent survey by The Nielsen Company.

The media has relentlessly covered the Tiger Woods story, but lately, Woods’ presence as product pitchman has been scarce. In addition to Tiger’s personal troubles, Nielsen data shows that brands associated with the golfing great are becoming part of the collateral damage.

2010 will be huge test, as new realities of consumer expression and cross-platform integration create a powerful new dynamic hovering over the largest single-spot ad spend on record.

Yield management is an approach to maximizing revenue when a business has a fixed, perishable resource and can segment customers into groups willing to pay different prices for the same resource.