Story matters to AMC; so do new marketing mechanisms

From examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-14278-SF-TV-Examiner~y2009m6d17-Story-matters-to-AMC-so-do-new-marketing-mechanisms

Story matters to AMC; so do new marketing mechanisms.

Something called Audience Identity Metric may yet redefine the term 'personal ad', if not the term 'acronym'.
AIM, as it's unfortunately known, is out of testing and coming fully-formed to basic cable. Its premise: to further isolate consumers inside a demographic. Its interface: AMC, formerly a wasteland of movies-you've-seen-twice-already, now home to high-end original shows like "Mad Men" and rebranded as a network "where story matters". If you're a regular viewer, prepare to be peddled to in ways far less generic than you might be familiar with.

AIM, like those kinds of software infantry known as spiders, is designed to get in your personal space. Essentially it enables microadvertising. Whereas before advertisers pitched mainly in the macro--tying demographically-skewed products to movies of any corresponding genre--AIM theoretically allows them to narrow the focus even more.

According to Advertising Age, which reported the story this week, Shell-Pennzoil is AMC's first client using AIM. Instead of pressing its product during movies typically (or stereotypically) big with 25-to-54 year-old fuelcentric males, like Die Hard or The Alamo, AIM found a more diffuse way. It attached ads to softer, more varied movies covering a range of genres.

AMC partnered with Nielsen for its test run; by all accounts the system produced better, more precise ad spots simply by going a step or two beyond the obvious. A member of a key demographic might be more likely to watch one movie than another, for instance, but the same person logically has second and third choices.

Naturally all this flies in the face of traditional market research. Psychographic data, which centers on observed behavior, is generally more fluid than demographic data, which is the reason so many marketers distrust it. But psychographics are the future of advertising; at any rate they drive it on the Internet and television may just now be catching up.

What's operative is whether or not ads that are more and more personalized will keep the average couch-potato from clicking over to South Park. For guys watching Fatal Attraction it may not be all Tampax and furniture polish much longer. The things you like are coming to you and it doesn't matter so much what you're glued to. Affixed to AMC's impressive transition from garbage network to trendsetter, AIM is at least noteworthy for being cool. If only the acronym weren't so reflective of the gay nineties.

IN HONOR OF ALL OUR DADS...STILL HERE... OR WATCHING OVER US...

If you are lucky enough that your Dad is still living, send him this link before Sun. (Father's Day) and tell him how much he means to you....you won't be sorry.

http://www.youube.com/watch?v=N-vYuV3OmhE

Still confused about Pete

Last night, i watched the episode where Peggy's copy is successfully presented to belle Jolie. The episode starts with Pete saying, "Do you know how hard it is for me to see you?", followed by sex. Laater at the bar, pete gets mad when Peggy is dancing and says, "I don't like you like this." So... thoughts on why it made him so angry?

photos of January on set for season 3

Don't click if you don't like spoilers http://gallery.januaryjonesfan.com/thumbnails.php?album=360

Christina Hendricks getting married

As reported in the Philadelphia news:

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20090617_Tattle__Christina___Mad_Men___Hendricks_to_tie_knot.html

October 11 - my wedding anniversary, too! (29 years and counting)

Could we conduct today's business on yesterday's whiskey intake?

I received my MAD MAN coffee mug in the mail today... It's great, I love it. It's surprisingly hefty to hold, and inside the mug is a dotted line which reads: FILL WHISKEY TO DOTTED LINE.
A joke which every maddict gets.
Some real-life MAD MEN, who were actually "there" in ad agencies in NYC in the 60's, like my uncle Paul was, say that, if anything MAD MEN under-plays how much booze was consumed over a full day, both within and outside the office.
I wonder: could today's offices function on this much whiskey intake? I suppose if one were a client of many NYC businesses during the 50's and 60's, it would not be a shock to have to have your customer representative slightly unsteady and smelling of alcohol. But today, we'd be indignant if a business officer greeted us with a hint of booziness.
Myself, I used to drink motre than I do now 9which is almost none at all). I find I have to keep a clear head about me just to juggle all the information coming and going on my computer. I just can't be tipsy when I'm working on the computer.

What say you?

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Good Lord!

Who chooses the ads for this Forum? I thought the Viagra ones were bad enough, now we're getting instructional videos on the removal of body hair? Once upon a time an ad like that would have been deemed pornographic. Now it is merely tasteless and crude.....at least in my opinion. What would Don Draper think of such an ad? Would he instruct Pete, Harry, Ken and Paul to put their razors to use and give informed opinions on whether American men were ready for this latest step in manly grooming? Who would judge the results from the feminine point of view? Would the office girls get to stand behind the two way mirror for a change and make comments on the boys?

Pete and Trudy

For any Sex and the City fans out there, do Pete and Trudy remind you of Charlotte and Trey McDougall? It's so easy to imagine a very insensitive Pete coming home with a cardboard cutout of a baby to try and placate his fertility challenged Park Avenue princess wife!

Absence makes the heart grow eager

I miss my show...

Win a trip to the LA Premiere of Mad Men‏ (season 3

Enclosed a link to win a trip to the LA Premiere of Mad Men (season 3)

http://www.madmencasweeps.com/

Knowing a real "Joan Holloway"

Back in the late 80's and early 90's, my secretary was the real-life counterpart of Joan at Leo Burnett (NYC) in the early to mid 1960's. Her name was Naoma O'Meara. In her early 60's at the time she worked for me, she still had that walk just like Joan. Naoma used to show me the group photo pics of the employees at the the agency circa 1960-66. I'll guarantee you all one thing, her stories of the high jinx and how they partied are dead on in Mad Men. She also loved her vodka gimlettes. Naoma has since passed away and I miss her, but she would have been wild about the series. Naoma was THE professional secretary and a great friend to have watching my back when I was a young guy in the business world.

Patrick Fischler Talks

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=awardcentral&jump=emmys09&articleid=VR1118004972&cs=1

Spoiler Photo!!

http://www.eonline.com/photos/gallery.jsp?galleryUUID=624#36676

Guess the year!!

The new Don Draper Ad Agency

Many have predicted Don starting his new ad agency in Season 3. If Don went out on his own, what would he name his new agency? Who would he try to take with him? Who would be in charge of what department? What clients would he want? Which clients would he try to steal from SC?