Allen & Gerritsen’s 7th annual Meaningful Messages Super Bowl Ad survey ranks commercials by performance, not popularity. The survey gets to the heart of the matter: “Do you buy it?” In other words, do the ads have meaning and will you be persuaded into buying the product advertised?

Our survey found the most and least meaningful ads to be:

Most Meaningful Super Bowl Ads (Consumers “buy it”)
1. Snickers, Betty White
2. Denny’s, Chickens Across America
3. Anheuser Busch, Fences (The Clydesdale ad)
4. HomeAway.com, Griswold Trailer
5. Hyundai, 10 Years/Favre

Least Meaningful Super Bowl Ads (Consumers don’t “buy it”)
1. GoDaddy, News
2. Bridgestone, Your Tires or Your Life
3. Vizio, Forge
4. GoDaddy, Lola
5. Diamond Foods, Awesomer

According to Andrew Graff, CEO of Allen & Gerritsen, “The ads that were most meaningful were clear in what they were telling consumers what to do but were still entertaining: Revive yourself with a Snickers, get a free breakfast at Denny’s and buy a Hyundai that has a 10 year warranty that may or may not outlast Brett Favre’s football career.”

Graff added, “It’s not enough to be entertaining for 30 seconds. “Consumers don’t buy ads that are predictable and formulaic. We’ve seen the Go Daddy schtick for a few years in a row now. The least meaningful ads were certainly not worth spending $2.5 million for a chuckle.”

Survey respondents rated Super Bowl ads using a 5-point scale based on the 4 following criteria:

• Did this commercial clearly portray the value of the product or service advertised?
• Did this commercial respect you and what you believe?
• Did this commercial clearly communicate a reason to respond (e.g. purchase, go online, call for info)?
• Did this commercial fit in with the Super Bowl and did it make sense that it ran there?

GoDaddy.com has turned heads over the past few years with its raunchy, random Super Bowl advertising. To its credit, GoDaddy.com has stood out against behemoth advertisers - but do consumers know what product or service is being sold? Andrew Graff takes readers on a tour of a brand’s advertising objectives and motivations when it comes to the Super Bowl.

From the article:
According to Andrew Graff of Allen & Gerritsen, a Super Bowl appearance is a good way to change [low consumer awareness]. With “100 million captive viewers” and a bevy of media coverage devoted to Super Bowl ads, any company that shells out for airtime is going to get noticed.

But a marketing campaign cannot thrive on Super Bowl ads alone. “You have to make sure you have a strategy behind the one-time event,” Graff said.

For the full article, click here.

Even without our mighty Patriots playing in this year’s Super Bowl, local network affiliates have sold out of in-game inventory and have nearly booked pre- and post-game spots for this Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIV. Andrew Graff weights in on the ad grab.

From the article:

Andrew Graff, chief executive of Allen & Gerritsen and chairman of The Ad Club of Boston, said these advertisers “get the benefit of running [ads] in the most viewer watched program without having to pay the $2.5 million to run it nationally.”

For the full article, click here.

It’s that time of year again, when speculation runs rampant around which brands have abstained, which submissions are too risque or too conservative, and which have sunk a production budget that would make Cameron Crowe blush. This, of course, is Super Bowl season and the game is what happens in-between these breathlessly anticipated spots.

Agencies and industry thought leaders will be polling and prodding consumers to determine the ad winners – the funniest, the raunchiest, the greatest spectacle, the dud.

But is that really the point of our industry? Are we just making clever ads for ourselves, or are we trying to accomplish something greater? Being outrageous simply isn’t enough. Now, we’re not making the claim that advertising shouldn’t entertain. It should, while honoring both the brand (ROI) and the end consumer (transparent messaging).



Over the last 6 years, Allen & Gerritsen has asked consumers to rank the Super Bowl ads that are most meaningful – meaningful defined as provoking sales. Now entering our 7th year of the survey, we have discovered a significant gap between meaningful and entertaining.

This got us thinking, in an era when world events have heightened our collective skepticism, there is very little that we “buy” or believe to be credible. Bringing this skepticism to the biggest advertising opportunity of the year - the Super Bowl – the big question is, what do people “buy” figuratively and literally? What do consumers believe in and what converts a laugh to a sale?

We want to open the conversation beyond industry insiders congratulating or mocking each other next Monday. We want to know whether or not you, as the consumer, buy it.

Do you buy that Weird Science, Flashdance, and Danica Patrick have anything to do with registering a domain name? Does it matter?
Do you buy the phenomenon of wise-cracking babies championing E-Trade?
Do you buy Bridgestone’s adventure vignettes, including whale-whispering and MadMax like encounters on the road?
Do you buy the ref’s call?
Do you buy the hype?
Do you buy it?

We want to know, tell us at #dybi

In today’s Adweek, Andrew Graff reconstructs Scott Brown’s campaign and takes a closer look at five successful strategies, including a well crafted public image, smart media buys, community building, strategic partners and taking the high road.

From the article:

The entire country has had its eye on the special Massachusetts Senate election, as the iconic Ted Kennedy’s seat became vacant. Both candidates had to rev up their marketing machines, given that they only had five months to get elected compared with the usual 18 months politicians usually have to prepare.

Out of the Republican gate, a virtual unknown candidate and onetime Cosmopolitan centerfold, Scott Brown, captured the hearts of college students, wealthy professional suburbanites, the working class and senior citizens and won the election.

Read the entire article here.

Despite the economy, the 2010 music business’ international trade show, NAMM, just drew over 86,000 music professionals and artists and an astounding 1,800 musical instrument manufactures and retailers. Covering 800,000 square feet of space and spanning four days, it was an impressive tempest of activity, excitement and non-stop business.



From world-renowned brands like Fender, Roland and Zildjian to niche and newcomer companies such as Zon Guitars and Orlando’s Wind Instruments, the scope and scale of attendees was massive.

Although estimates vary, it is projected that 20% of the US population currently play an instrument of some type. That decreases further to approximately 10% of the population for guitar players and just 5% for drummers. Considering that there were over 500 guitar manufacturers and over 150 cymbal and drum companies at NAMM, the level of competition and clutter for relatively small markets was, and is, epic.

So in this fragmented and cluttered market, how can these countless brands stand out and connect with target consumers? Well, it’s certainly not through big media investment and ad campaigns. Unlike CPG, automotive, or other competitive markets that have the benefit of significant media budgets, the music industry has exceptionally limited media spending. Buying share simply isn’t an option.

What works best?  In many cases, falling back to the proven strategy of building buzz at the grass roots level, one customer at a time. The combination of strong retailer relations, meaningful artist endorsements, and a deep understanding of customer and prospect needs is certainly a place to start. Encouraging customers to act as a marketing channel is how brand messages can be efficiently proliferated. That means enabling two-way customer communications through social media, blogs, and content sharing is key, as is face-to-face brand exposure.

Marshall Amps use of Slash to Introduce a New Product

Allen & Gerritsen’s work with music industry clients has shown that it’s very difficult to buy share by outspending the competition, however if customers respect and value your products, validated with professional artist endorsements, it’s possible to engage passionate musicians at all skill levels to become a part of the extended brand family.

As illustrated by brands such as Gibson, Marshall Amps and Zildjian - the recipe of base level media investment, artist relations, social media and a grass roots connection to the target audience is certainly a great place to start.

According to just released Publishers Information Bureau (PIB) data, People StyleWatch, OK Weekly, Saveur and Family Circle are the only magazines in the US to show an increase in ad pages of over 10% last year. That’s no mean feat, given that overall magazine pages declined by 25% in 2009 for the 250 or so magazines measured by PIB.

Perhaps the most impressive performance is by Saveur, given the dramatic downturn in the affluent and epicurean ad market. Gourmet lost 49% of it’s ad pages before shuttering it’s doors in November. Bon Appétit was down 28%, and Food and Wine 22%. So what is Saveur’s recipe for success? Well, for those unfamiliar with the vehicle, here’s their mission statement:

“SAVEUR, a print and digital publication, explores the authentic cuisines of the world, tracks recipes and ingredients to their places of origin and illuminates their history, traditions and local flavors.”



With a “print and digital” positioning, Saveur is the only epicurean magazine that actually mentions digital in their publisher’s statement, even including digital distribution in their circulation statement. While still receiving under one tenth of Epicurious’s online traffic, perhaps there is something to be learned from keeping the same brand online ad offline, rather than the Epicurious/Gourmet split elected by Conde Nast. This year will tell.

The CMO resource, Direct Magazine, addresses A&G’s findings on online shopping satisfaction.

From the article:

Online sites excelled this year in delivering highly satisfying customer experiences. This was particularly true of online-only stores: 82% of shoppers found their experience at specialty sites to be somewhat or very satisfying.

Read the entire article here.

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Rebecca Sullivan
for Allen & Gerritsen
781-326-1996/617-501-4010
rebecca@rsullivanpr.com

POST-MORTEM HOLIDAY SURVEY:

RETAILERS SUCCEED WHEN CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCE MIX OF

IN-STORE, ONLINE & CATALOG SHOPPING

Insight into Consumer Wish Lists, Budgets and Satisfaction Level with the 2009 Holiday Season; Lessons for Retailers for 2010

Watertown, MA (January 12, 2010)— Retail stores still trump online stores as the go-to holiday destination, but online retailers are delivering higher customer satisfaction, according to a post-holiday survey of 400 people conducted by advertising agency Allen & Gerritsen (a&g).

“Consumers still want the human touch when shopping, but this is only part of the user experience,” said Andrew Graff, CEO of Allen & Gerritsen. “The seamless integration of digital, combined with retail stores and catalogs deepen retailers’ relationships with consumers and help close transactions.”

According to the survey, despite the increased usage of online retail sites during the holiday season, most people are still visiting actual stores for inspiration and to purchase a gift. 83% of respondents went to a retail store followed by 47% who used online-only sites like Amazon.com or Zappos.com, with 38% using a traditional retailer’s online site (like Walmart.com). Over half of respondents say they visited retail stores to get ideas for gifts (51%) and nearly as many reached out to friends and family for ideas (43%).

Online sites excelled this year in delivering highly satisfying customer experiences. This was particularly true of online-only stores; 82% of shoppers found their experience at specialty sites to be somewhat or very satisfying. Shoppers were as satisfied with the experience they had at physical retail stores as they were with online sites of retail stores.

“One interesting takeaway from the survey is that the future of retail may be a showroom,” said Andrea McKenna, a Boston-based retail consultant. “Shoppers will be able to view and touch merchandise, but transactions will be conducted digitally.”

In keeping with the new era of frugality, consumers stayed on or under budget (47% and 16% respectively). Consumers have learned a new way to shop, and are increasingly seeking coupons and discounts when shopping for special occasions, not just everyday necessities. a&g advises that retailers must expect this empowered shopping behavior to persist and devise strategies that will mesh with a more targeted and leaner shopping style.

The survey also revealed a growing trend: wish lists (60% used wish lists to guide purchases). According to a&g, retailers and marketers should devise strategies to get onto and promote wish lists early in the 2010 shopping season.

The survey of 400 Americans (50% male, 50% female), was conducted by Allen & Gerritsen from December 31, 2009 to January 4, 2010. Download the complete survey report and accompanying graphics via www.a-g.com or by clicking here.

About Allen & Gerritsen

Always focused on what’s next, Allen & Gerritsen (a&g) strategically combines technology, creativity, media and analytics to develop digital, experiential and traditional branding experiences. Ranked by Advertising Age as one of the Top 50 Independent advertising agencies in the US, a&g creates conversations and builds connections that contribute to the bottom line. Their roster of global, consumer and BtoB clients includes the Berklee College of Music, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, The Boston Celtics, Fallon Community Health Plan, Hannaford Supermarkets, KemperSports, MFS Investment Management, Ninety Nine Restaurants, New England Baptist Hospital, Toy State, Waters Corporation and Zildjian.

Allen & Gerritsen polled 400 consumers during the week after Christmas in an effort to understand how the economy effected shopping habits and holiday celebrations. Delving into issues of budget management, shopping channels and overall gift satisfaction, Allen & Gerritsen uncovers provocative insights for the retail industry.

From the article:

While the holidays are already ancient history to most marketers, the art of interpreting consumer spending patterns is just beginning, and a new study indicates that the relationship between online and in-store shopping is more closely connected than many retailers realize.

While people want to buy online, they still want to shop in person, reports marketing agency Allen & Gerritsen, which polled 400 consumers during the week after Christmas. “Despite the increased usage of online retail sites during the holiday season, most people are still visiting actual stores for inspiration,” Catherine Kolodij, VP/Audience Intelligence for A&G, tells tells Marketing Daily.

Some 83% of respondents said they went to a retail store, followed by 47% who used an online-only site, such as Amazon.com or Zappos.com, followed by 38% who used a traditional retailer’s online site (like Walmart.com). And stores are still the most popular place to get gift ideas, with 51% of respondents visiting retailers, compared to 48% who browsed the Web. About 43% asked friends and family for input, and a third browsed catalogs, although only 13% bought through this channel.

But the transactional benefits of the Internet are meeting their expectations, and consumers are highly satisfied with their online shopping.

“In fact, when we asked people where they planned to shop next year, based on their experiences this year, online was up 20%.” she says.

Not only is customer satisfaction with Web shopping high, consumers also seem increasingly understanding about the way the channels work together.

Read the entire article here.