You know the summer is flying by when radio advertisers get their 'back-to-school' campaigns ready. The latest Mediaguide AdMonitor review of radio advertising across the U.S. for the first two weeks of July shows that the top retail brands are, for the most part, tracking at lower levels than the same period in 2009. Macy's, Target, JC Penney and Kmart are down for the first 15 days of July 2010 versus the same period of 2009. Kohl's and Wal-Mart are significantly up with Kohl's running nearly 10 times the number of radio spots this year and Wal-Mart doubling their radio spot load. So what does Kohl's and Wal-Mart know that makes them invest in radio now instead of saving their advertising dollars for the fall? Could it be both are starting their fall campaign early? Joan Gerberding, Mediaguide's EVP Advertising Sales may not have the answer but says "The experts are predicting that marketers will go all in for the back-to-school season"...
The top four advertisers during the period August 1 through September 1, 2009 were: Wal-Mart with 220,324 ads, Macy's with 62,364, Kohl's with 45,589 and JC Penney with 41,195. Target and Kmart ran under 1,000 ads during the same period. Could it be that Target and Kmart are Ksmart for saving their dollars for September or do they just have less money to spend than the big four? Joan Gerberding says "I think it's a good bet to say that the big name department stores are saving their advertising budgets to blast back-to-school ads toward the end of the summer." ...
The results of the Mediaguide AdMonitor review mirrors what the U.S. Commerce Department reports - that retail sales have dropped for two consecutive months. Could this be a summer lull or is radio advertising not as robust as we first believed it to be???
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1858] Pay Ball: All-Star baseball teams from Brooklyn and Manhattan play the 1st in a series of 3 games at Fashion Park Race Course on Long Island. For the 1st time admission (50 cents) is charged for watching a game. It will be 11 more years before the 1st players, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, will get paid to play...
2.1940] #1 with a bullet: Billboard publishes its 1st "Music Popularity Chart". The 1st #1 hit is "I'll Never Smile Again" by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra featuring singer Frank Sinatra...
3.1958] Curtains: After a decade on the air, the final episode of "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" airs. Stars that cut their musical teeth on this show include Rosemary Clooney, Pat Boone, Steve Lawrence, Connie Francis and Patsy Cline. Elvis Presley flunked his audition in 1955...
4.1969] One small step: Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the moon and documents it: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." ...
5.1976] Martian hop: America's Viking 1 robot spacecraft lands on Mars...
6.1984] Vanessa the undressa: Vanessa Williams is asked to resign as Miss America for posing nude in Penthouse. Suzette Charles replaces her. Vanessa became the 1st black woman chosen, Suzette, the 2nd...
7.1990] Ollie freed: A federal appeals court sets aside Oliver North's Iran-Contra convictions...
8.1993] Murder or suicide?: White House deputy counsel Vince Foster is found shot to death in a park near Washington, D.C. His death is ruled a suicide...
9.2004] UN resolution: The U.N. General Assembly passes a resolution demanding that Israel tear down the barrier it was building to seal off the West Bank...
10.2007] Inhuman treatment is out: President George W. Bush signs an executive order prohibiting cruel and inhuman treatment, including humiliation or denigration of religious benefits, in the detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects...
Music Memories:
1961] Number One on this date: 'Tossin and Turnin' - Bobby Lewis...1981] 'Bette Davis Eyes' - Kim Carnes...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Julianne Hough (22), Stephen Strasburg (22), Gisele Bundchen (30), Ray Allen (35), Sandra Oh (39), Dan Shaughnessy (57), Carlos Santana (63), Kim Carnes (65), Dame Diana Rigg (72), and Sally Ann Howes (80)...
Timeline Countdown: 4 days until NFL training camps begin opening, 5 days until the MLB HOF induction and 18 days until the Pro Football HOF induction...
