Stuart Elliott writes in NY Times:
THOSE attending the 95th annual conference of the Association of National Advertisers could have been excused for believing that they were taking part in a new reality series called "Extreme Makeover: Madison Avenue Edition."
Speaker after speaker at the meeting, which ended here yesterday, exhorted the more than 900 attendees to acknowledge and act on a new marketing reality: that major changes in consumer attitudes, habits and behavior will require completely making over how products are advertised.
Look at some new ways P&G is getting its customers' attention:
A Procter shampoo brand, Rejoice, increased its market share in the Philippines to the highest level in six years, he added, with a campaign focused on creating a catchy jingle-cum-song, which became "the most downloaded ring tone nationally," inspired a dance craze and earned the pop duo who sang it a gold record.
In Israel, Procter reintroduced a detergent brand, Biomat, to Orthodox Jewish consumers without traditional advertising, which the target audience disdains, Mr. Stengel said. Instead, the brand sponsored a promotion centered on sending trucks carrying washing machines into neighborhoods where the consumers live. They were invited to donate used clothing that would be laundered in Biomat and donated to charities.
As the Wachovia Corporation considers its ad spending for 2006, James J. Garrity, chief marketing officer, said in an interview, discussions include "spending more on public relations, significantly more on online and more in 'viral' or 'buzz' marketing" - as well as "less on traditional broadcast TV."...
...promotion included bank employees wearing "What is it?" T-shirts washing windows of cars as they drove up to drive-in tellers. When consumers asked what "it" was, employees replied, "Customer service," he added, giving them a chance to discuss Wachovia products and services.