The Benders of Rutherford, N.J., say they're a typical American family. Of course, all six laugh as they try to say that on a family-made film that includes clips of son Jake getting an eyebrow wax, firefighter dad Jim retrieving mail from their enormous fire-engine mailbox and snippets from an annual winemaking excursion to Jersey City. But they are truly typical in one way: They don't spend enough time together.
Advertising is good for the economy -- according to an academic study paid for by advertisers. Advertising proponents long have argued that ad spending helps drive commerce, fueling economic growth. But the World Federation of Advertisers and French Advertisers Association now offer a deeper global analysis of how more ad spending correlates with faster GDP growth. The two ad groups helped support and finance a doctoral thesis in economics...
If you can't beat 'em, start integrating. That's the approach Jim Lanzone, CEO of Ask.com, has taken in his efforts to boost the profile of the search engine that, on good days, ties with AOL for fourth in market share. Although there's no touching Google's monthly searches (5.6 billion in August compared to Ask's 438 million, according to Comscore), the opportunity to become a larger part of the consumer search mind-set is still quite palpable.
The Hottest Thing in Kids Marketing? Imitating Webkinz
Written by Webmaster
Monday, 08 October 2007
Pop quiz: Name one of the more common places you'll find a Webkinz stuffed toy today.Answer: Tossed aside and forgotten in the corner of the bedroom. Everyone knows you buy them not for the physical toy but for the ID tag that allows access to the virtual world. Through Webkinz and myriad other online virtual communities, kids -- especially girls -- are feeding pets, buying shoes and making salon appointments.
The Benders of Rutherford, N.J., say they're a typical American family. Of course, all six laugh as they try to say that on a family-made film that includes clips of son Jake getting an eyebrow wax, firefighter dad Jim retrieving mail from their enormous fire-engine mailbox and snippets from an annual winemaking excursion to Jersey City. But they are truly typical in one way: They don't spend enough time together. 
Advertising is good for the economy -- according to an academic study paid for by advertisers. Advertising proponents long have argued that ad spending helps drive commerce, fueling economic growth. But the World Federation of Advertisers and French Advertisers Association now offer a deeper global analysis of how more ad spending correlates with faster GDP growth. The two ad groups helped support and finance a doctoral thesis in economics...
If you can't beat 'em, start integrating. That's the approach Jim Lanzone, CEO of Ask.com, has taken in his efforts to boost the profile of the search engine that, on good days, ties with AOL for fourth in market share. Although there's no touching Google's monthly searches (5.6 billion in August compared to Ask's 438 million, according to Comscore), the opportunity to become a larger part of the consumer search mind-set is still quite palpable.
Pop quiz: Name one of the more common places you'll find a Webkinz stuffed toy today.Answer: Tossed aside and forgotten in the corner of the bedroom. Everyone knows you buy them not for the physical toy but for the ID tag that allows access to the virtual world. Through Webkinz and myriad other online virtual communities, kids -- especially girls -- are feeding pets, buying shoes and making salon appointments.
