Katy Perry Super Bowl 2015: NFL And Pepsi Confirm She Will Perform XLIX Halftime Show

via InternationalBusinessTimes

The NFL and Pepsi, the official sponsor, have confirmed that Katy Perry will perform during the Super Bowl 2015 halftime event. Reuters

Get ready for kittens, a time-machine that teleports in another performer, and glitter -- possibly edible. It's been confirmed by the NFL and Pepsi that pop star Katy Perry will be the halftime performer at the 2015 Super Bowl. Perry tweeted about it from Australia, where she's on her Prismatic World Tour, while watching the New York Giants/Dallas Cowboys football game.

There had been speculation that the NFL was considering charging entertainers to perform during the coveted halftime event, but Perry told ESPN, "I'm not the kind of girl who would pay to play the Super Bowl." And she won't have to, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Perry beat out Coldplay and Rihanna, who were both on a shortlist with Perry, and she'll be following last season's Beyoncé, whose performance drew in a record 111.5 million viewers, according to Variety, making it the most-watched TV event in history.

Super Bowl 2015 will take place Feb. 1, 2015, at the University of Phoenix in Glendale, Arizona, and it will be broadcast worldwide.

 

Mini Coke Finds a Following With Healthy Moms

via WallStreetJournal

A decade-long decline in U.S. soda consumption has left Coca-Cola thirsty for growth. Now it looks like the beverage giant has found one opportunity: smaller bottles and cans.

Sales of Coke’s 7.5-ounce “mini cans” and eight-ounce bottles have risen 9% this year, The Wall Street Journal reports. Compare that with sales of 12-ounce cans and two-liter plastic bottles, which are up a mere 0.1% over the same time frame.

The reason, according to Coke’s North America president, Sandy Douglas, has to do with health trends. Mr. Douglas said the smaller products — which only make up about a quarter of Coke’s overall packages — are attracting mothers conscientious about their children’s health.

“The health and wellness trend has set up, almost teed up, a tremendous opportunity for the Coca-Cola brand with our smaller packages,” Mr. Douglas said at a conference on Wednesday. “Consumers love it.”

And branding experts say Coke should seize on this opportunity in its marketing.

“Giving [consumers] choices to moderate their consumption by smaller indulgent treats is a smart way to allow people to still enjoy a Coke and manage the guilt,” said Allen Adamson, chairman of Landor North America.

Branding consultant Dean Crutchfield says Coke has entered celebratory drink territory and is no longer “something you expect to guzzle down like the old days.”

“It needs to position itself as a treat,” Mr. Crutchfield said. “That means that people aren’t going to be consuming it as much, but don’t forget, there are celebrations happening every day.” Still, growth will be difficult, Mr. Crutchfield says.

Overall, Coca-Cola spends $3 billion per year advertising 17 brands, and spent $109 million advertising its classic product during the first half of 2014, up from $56 million over the same period the year prior, according to Kantar Media.

Revitalizing Coke’s soda sales is no easy task, but part of that responsibility will fall on Marcos De Quinto, Coke’s recently appointed chief marketing officer.

For Coke, smaller packages may be better

via Yahoo

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Regular and mini cans of Coke and Pepsi are pictured in this photo illustration in New York August 5, 2014. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

The world’s largest beverage company is finding smaller might be better when it comes to package sizes.

Coca-Cola Co. said Wednesday that U.S. sales of its namesake cola’s smaller, premium-priced packages, including 7.5-ounce “mini cans’’ and 8-ounce glass bottles, have risen 9% this year through October in dollar terms.

Sales of its 12-ounce aluminum cans and 2-liter plastic bottles, long mainstays at supermarkets, are up just 0.1% over the same period, according to Coke, which cited Nielsen store-scanner data.

Atlanta-based Coke is increasingly pushing smaller packages as more Americans fret about calories from sugary drinks amid high obesity and diabetes rates. This month, Berkeley, Calif., became the first U.S. city to approve a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-added beverages.

“Health and wellness is a permanent trend,’’ Sandy Douglas, Coke’s North America president, told investors Wednesday at a conference in New York hosted by Morgan Stanley.

Mr. Douglas added that mothers in particular are buying 7.5-ounce Coke cans for their children. The diminutive cans pack about 90 calories, compared with 140 calories for the more widely sold 12-ounce cans.

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The introduction of smaller packages in recent years isn’t helping reverse falling U.S. soda consumption, which is expected to slip for a 10th straight year industrywide. Mr. Douglas said Coke’s smaller package sizes only represent about 20% to 25% of its overall mix, with larger packages still dominating, keeping a lid on overall sales.

But Coke charges more on a per-ounce basis for the smaller packages, giving the company a boost. A 12-ounce can of Coke, typically sold in packs of 12 or 24, has cost the consumer 31 cents on average this year. The 7.5-ounce can, often sold as an eight-pack, has been priced at 40 cents on average, according to the company.

Coke said last month the company’s North American soda volumes contracted 1% in the third quarter, but that the “price mix’’ rose 3% on a combination of price increases and the growth of smaller packages.

Much of the downsized packaging has been around for a while. Coke rolled out the 7.5-ounce cans nationally in 2010, the same year it began selling a 1.25-liter plastic bottle as an alternative to the 2-liter bottle and a 16-ounce plastic bottle as an alternative to the 20-ounce bottle.

The packaging proliferation is part of a strategy that Coke executives call OBPPC, short for “Occasion, Brand, Price, Pack, Channel.’’ Coke has identified more than 30 drinking occasions from “family home meal’’ to “gotta have it to go.’’ The strategy of giving consumers more package choices was pioneered by Coke’s bottlers in Latin America during the 1990s.

Mr. Douglas reiterated Wednesday that Coke doesn’t expect the U.S. market to change overnight. Alongside 12-ounce cans and 2-liter bottles at supermarkets, 20-ounce plastic bottles remain a top seller at convenience stores. None is likely to disappear from store shelves any time soon.

Coke points to this year’s sales data as evidence the smaller packages are gaining traction. Recent sales of 16-ounce Coke plastic bottles have been “explosive,’’ Mr. Douglas said Wednesday. Coke has also done a brisk business in the U.S. in recent years with 12-ounce glass bottles that are imported from Mexico and sweetened with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.

Coca-Cola gears up for 'bigger and better' Christmas campaign

via FoodBev

Coca-Cola is bringing what it calls a 'fresh and personal twist' to its Christmas campaign for 2014, as the Coca-Cola Christmas trucks hit the streets of the UK again this year.

The famous 'Holidays are Coming' TVC has already been shown during The X Factor (8 November), which, for many, marks the official countdown to Christmas. The campaign also features a new 'Give A Little Happiness' TVC ad inspired by acts of kindness, opening with a scene featuring the iconic Coca-Cola Father Christmas and a number of different acts of kindness through various experiences with friends, families and among strangers.

It shows people carrying out simple acts of kindness for the ones they love, to share what they have, when they can – and is set to the 'Make Someone Happy' soundtrack by Jimmy Durante.

Coca-Cola has also released details of this year's Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tour. The Christmas Trucks will be visiting over 40 hotspots and cities across the country and will be supported by a sampling, choir and photo experience. The truck tour will be making stops in high footfall locations.

Following the successful Share a Coke campaign that ran over the summer, Coca-Cola is offering consumers the chance to buy Christmas-themed 500ml packs of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero. The set of nine special edition packs are designed to drive incremental sales over the festive period by encouraging shoppers to 'Share a Coke' with either Rudolph or one of Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donner, Prancer or Vixen.

Festive graphics will also feature on packs of 330ml, 1-litre, 1.23-litre, 4x 1.5-litre, 1.75-litre, 6x 330ml and 8x 330ml Coca-Cola and Diet Coke.

Nick Canney, VP sales & marketing at Coca-Cola Enterprises, said: "Coca-Cola has become synonymous with Christmas and the festive period represents a big opportunity for retailers to drive in-store sales. Soft drinks is the top performing seasonal category at Christmas, so we recommend retailers give over the space and display that reflects their importance to shoppers at this time of the year."

Why Pepsi's NFL Strategy Skewed Digital This Fall

via AdAge

Even though Pepsi is the official soft drink of the National Football League, the brand has been noticeably absent during the games' TV commercial breaks this year.

But it's not because PepsiCo has turned its back on the league. Rather, Pepsi has chosen to embark on a digital-centric strategy this fall, spending almost all of its football marketing dollars on online videos starring NFL players. That will change soon, as Pepsi begins airing TV ads leading up to its heavily promoted sponsorship of the Super Bowl halftime show.

But for the the first half of the season, brand leaders decided digital was more efficient and effective. "As we've studied consumers media consumption behaviors around the NFL, we've seen a lot more engagement online as [fans] research players or teams for updates through the first part of the season," said Amy Spiridakis, Pepsi's brand marketing director. "As the season is now winding down, gearing up towards the playoffs, you'll see in the next couple weeks [that] we [will] shift directions a little bit."

She declined to comment on the specifics of the upcoming TV campaign. Last season, the brand began airing halftime-themed ads during the playoffs, leading up to the Super Bowl halftime show starring Bruno Mars. Katy Perry is expected to star in this season's show, according to various media reports, although Pepsi and the NFL have yet to confirm the performer.

Pepsi last year put a lot more TV weight at the beginning of the year, led by a one spot that asked viewers, "Are you fan enough?"

This year's digital campaign, called "All for Football," has featured videos of NFL players Andy Dalton, Matt Stafford and Nick Mangold making surprise appearances at Pepsi retailers.

The latest ad (above), which breaks Wednesday, features Drew Brees, who guides shoppers wearing a Pepsi "smart helmet" through an obstacle course erected in a Walmart parking lot in New Orleans. Earlier videos were set in a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, a Hess convenience store and a Meijer grocery store. The Marketing Arm handled the Buffalo Wild Wings spot, while Mekanism was the agency for the other three.

AD AGE 

While its retail partners get valuable exposure, Pepsi paid for the ads. "We've really been looking for how we can change our activation model with partners," Ms. Spiridakis said. "We see this as really offering those partners value through both media and content, while it simultaneously builds both our brand as well as that of our partner."

In the Buffalo Wild Wings ad, for instance, Andy Dalton is seen conducting a news conference on a video screen inside a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant. PepsiCo replacedCoca-Cola in 2013 as the beverage supplier to Buffalo Wild Wings in a deal that called for "joint marketing initiatives tied to sports and entertainment."

Pepsi has supported the ads with promoted social media posts, as well as pre-roll digital video ad buys. The only TV buy is on the NFL Network.

The three previously released spots have drawn a combined 2.5 million Youtube views. That falls short of the views generated by some of Pepsi's recent viral video hits. For instance, last year an "Uncle Drew" ad for Pepsi Max -- which starred NBA star Kyrie Irving -- drew more than 4 million views in a single week, according to the Ad Age Viral Video Chart.

But Ms. Spiridakis said the Youtube counts do not include views imbedded inside social media posts. According to Pepsi, the three videos have generated more than 4 million views when social media is included. "We've been extremely pleased with this campaign to date," Ms. Spiridakis said.

The Biz of Fizz: How Artists From Taylor Swift to Tiesto Have Raked in Millions With Soda Deals in 2014

via Billboard

The second half of 2014 sees Big Gulp-sized soda partnerships with artists.

Michael Tran/FilmMagic

In 2014, 7UP doubled down on its lucky number by linking with Tiesto, Ultra, Insomniac and others for its 7x7Up initiative: seven top festivals, seven rising DJs (Danny Avila, Disco Fries, Dzeko & Torres), a few Tiesto TV spots and a release party for his new album.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

For a media campaign surrounding its 2013 spokeswoman’s new 1989, Diet Coke sponsored a takeover of iHeartMedia’s top 40 stations and On-Air With Ryan Seacrest, as well as a TV blitz for a 30-second cat-covered spot featuring Swift’s “How You Get the Girl.”

Gabriel Olson (Avicii), Craig Barritt (Wyclef) / Getty

For World AIDS Day (Dec. 1), the soda giant is partnering with nonprofit Red and others to premiere exclusive new tracks from Queen (with unreleased Freddie Mercury vocals) and Aloe Blacc, followed by an Avicii/Wyclef Jean collab and a remix of OneRepublic’s “I Lived.”

Brian Steffy/BET/Getty

In a studio the company built with Complex Media in downtown Hollywood earlier this year as part of its “One of a Kind” program, up-and-comers Tinashe, Robert DeLong and RAC recorded three exclusive EPs with hot producers RZA, Dave Sitek and The Hood Internet.

Araya Diaz/Getty

Besides partnering with Blake Shelton and Usher for a co-headlining set in Dallas in 2015, Pepsi made its smartest cola buy in 2014 with emerging talent: funding music videos by Sebastian Mikael, Mayaeni and Nico & Vinz.

5 Predictions For Hispanic Online Marketing In 2015

via MediaPost

This time of year is particularly exciting for me as I get to work on my true passion: developing Hispanic digital strategies for our clients. As we wrap up 2015 planning, five key themes have emerged that I expect to come to life in the Hispanic online market next year.

1. Hispennials will be the “It” consumer.

Move over, Latina moms – Hispennials (that’s Hispanic + Millennials) are poised to emerge as the most sought-after market segment. Millennials, the largest generation by population size, are all the rage, and wise marketers know that 21% of Millennials are Hispanic. To win with Millennials, marketers must win with Hispanics — and winning with Hispanics means digital. Of all consumers, Hispennials are the most active and engaged digitally, spending the majority of their time on their phones and with social media.

2. Hispanic content marketing will flourish.

Brands understand the value of becoming publishers and, as a result, content marketing is hot. According to Forbes, the content marketing industry has ballooned to $44 billion, with 90% of B2C brands investing in this tactic. This reality coupled with the fact that there is relatively little content for online Hispanics paves the way for a Hispanic content marketing boom. Hispanics are hungry for content that connects with them in a relevant way, in English or Spanish, and brands that can deliver the right content, at the right time, across the right channel will reap the benefits of an engaged and connected audience. 

3. Hispanic online video will move from nice-to-have to must-have.

I couldn’t have said it any better than Marla Skiko from Starcom MediaVest: “The U.S. Hispanic audience has a love affair with online video.” According to a 2014 Nielsen Report, Hispanics spend 90 minutes more viewing videos on a digital device than the average American. What’s more, a study by PwC found that 43% of U.S. Hispanics stream mobile video and 36% download mobile video each week vs. 25% and 17% respectively for non-Hispanics. With this kind of clear data, we expect brands to invest more in online video targeted to Hispanics, including Hispennials, and agencies and publishers to step up to meet the demand.

4. Hispanic digital influencers will influence brands.

Social media has leveled the playing field, enabling individuals with ambition, creativity, and a point of view to build up strong followings, establish influence and grab the attention of brands. Because Hispanics are hungry for content and highly engaged with social media, it is not surprising that a powerful ecosystem of Hispanic digital influencers, both professional and amateur, has emerged. Collectively, this ecosystem of Hispanic digital influencers has reach that rivals large publishers and can deliver authenticity, a combination that brands crave. This year we have seen brands dabble with Hispanic digital influencers, but we anticipate stronger brand engagement with them in 2015, along with better methods to aggregate and measure influencer campaigns.

5. Hispanic e-commerce will gain steam.

E-commerce is the best and most direct way to measure the ROI on digital investments and Hispanics are filling digital shopping carts. EMarketer reports that Hispanics are more likely vs. Non-Hispanics to make purchases on their mobile phones across various categories including:

• Clothing: 52% Hispanic vs. 38% Non-Hispanic
• Electronics: 52% Hispanic vs. 37% Non-Hispanic
• Music: 50% Hispanic vs. 40% Non-Hispanic
• Movies: Tickets 49% Hispanic vs. 31% Non-Hispanic

From a social perspective, “Hispanic consumers are twice as likely to purchase the kinds of products they share about compared to non-Hispanic consumers,” according to a ShareThis, Unilever and Mindshare study. As marketers increase investments in Hispanic online marketing, including targeting Hispennials, video, content marketing and influencers, they will increasingly turn to e-commerce to justify those investments. 

What are your Hispanic online predictions for 2015?

12 Principles of Great Brand Design

via Forbes

Branding is something you should be focusing on even in your startup days. It’s much easier (and more cost effective), to get your brand design right the first time, rather than fix it later. However, this can be tough to focus on when you’re just starting out.

Keep these dozen tips in mind to stay on track, make the right branding moves, and ensure your company shows off its best self from day one:

1. Stay classic

Classic doesn’t mean boring and it certainly doesn’t mean old school or stodgy. It does, however, mean foregoing trends in many area’s such as in favor of traditional fonts, colors with staying power (such as neutrals or primary colors), and being able to see the branding lasting for decades. That’s the goal, right?

2. Match the branding to the company

This seems obvious, but everyone has seen a logo that just doesn’t align with what the company does. Let your mission statement and business plan lead the way. If your company is a trampoline business in the ocean off Hawaii, make sure that excitement shows through in the branding.

3. Make sure it can’t be confused with other businesses 

Sometimes this is unintentional, and other times companies try to ride the coattails of other, existing companies. Get multiple opinions and make sure your branding can’t be easily confused with another company’s.

4. Ensure it works on multiple platforms

Is your branding and logo going to work in print, on smartphones, on billboards and in low quality newspapers? It needs to have mass appeal and be clear enough to not get “lost,” regardless of platform.

5. Stick to no more than two colors

Black and white don’t count, but beyond them only go for one or two additional colors. Anything else is overkill, and you’ll be paying a premium when printers (such as t-shirt screeners), charge by the color.

6. Less is more

This goes for font choice, color, actual number of lines and everything else. Take a look at the branding from some of the largest companies such asSubway , Starbucks SBUX +0.44% or Chipotle. They’re actually minimal, easy to recognize, and clean.

7. Remember the name is for life

One of the most exciting, yet frustrating things about starting a business is choosing the name. Don’t get swept up in trends, such as opening a breakfast joint called “Hashtag.” Instead, go with something easy to say, spell, and remember.

8. Keep mottos under seven words

If you’re including a motto regularly in your branding, such as McDonald’s, “I’m loving it,” the less is more principle also applies. Sometimes it’s necessary in order to make it clear what your company does, or simply to wriggle into the heads of consumers. If you do so, keep it short.

9. Leave plenty of white space

White space is free space when it comes to printing, and it also lets your branding breathe. A glob of black and/or colors is unattractive and tough to make out from a distance.

      10.  Steer clear of sharp edges

The lines of your branding should almost always be a little softer and smoother. If you go with sharp lines and edges, such as the “W” in Wendy’s, it can look outdated, unwelcoming, and overly formal.

11.  Choose warm or cool tones carefully

When selecting a color scheme, before choosing between turquoise and periwinkle, consider what kind of vibe cool vs. warm tones will suggest. Do you want your audience feeling excited, passionate and fired up—or would you rather they feel relaxed, calm, and collected? Warmth and coolness of tone will dictate that. How would the eBay EBAY -0.13% logo look with the letters in light tan, outlined by turquoise? Putrid! The primary colors used on each letter, brilliant.

       12.  Put some of “you” in there

If it’s your company, you deserve to have a little “you” in there. Maybe you adore a certain font, elephants, or your favorite color is a very specific lavender. When you can, let your uniqueness leak into your branding.

Most importantly, hire a reputable marketing/graphic design team to help you. I also like to make sure you have clean url’s.  This is the face of your business and you don’t want it in the hands of a newbie.