One of the worst....

This is one of the worst copy-cat viral campaigns I have ever seen (copying Criss Angel's "Freak Your Mind").   Extremely disappointing for a show like "HEROES".

 

http://www.heroesmindreader.com/

Jarvik Teaches Us A Lesson

Jarvik Teaches Us A Lesson

Source:
Bob Ehrlich, Chairman
DTC Perspectives, Inc.

It is over and done with. Dr. Jarvik is rowing into the sunset or in his case we're watching the stunt double row away. I think Pfizer got a raw deal in all the criticism as I have written previously. No consumer took Lipitor because of Jarvik's scientific or athletic prowess. He may have stimulated some interest in asking for more information about Lipitor but that is about all. Let's give consumers and doctors more credit for their decision making. No consumer was harmed because Jarvik did not practice medicine.

So what should we all take away from Pfizer's decision to pull the campaign? They had to pull it because consumers and physicians were focused on Jarvik's credentials rather than on the product itself. When a celebrity gets in the way of the message it is time to change. The campaign was good, but there are likely plenty of good back-up campaigns for Lipitor at the agency without the celebrity theme. Lipitor did fine since its DTC launch with several non-celebrity campaigns.

Use of a celebrity can be more of a liability than a help. They are always susceptible to both past and future negative news. They cost a lot and most people have little faith in the word of a celebrity endorser. When celebrities are used more as actors that is fine. Sally Field is great for Boniva because she is not acting as an expert, just an aging actress trying to stay strong. Celebrities who are used for medical expertise will be given the full investigative treatment. Jarvik is a lesson that the numerous critics are watching carefully to embarrass the drug marketers.


Pfizer will be given little credit for pulling the campaign. It will be seen by critics as a capitulation to being discovered as misrepresenting the credentials of their spokesperson. The critics will use the Jarvik situation as a reason why DTC misleads the public. I am sure FDA will be very careful in vetting celebrity endorser credentials in the future. Clearly they are under intense pressure to make DTC harder to do. I would expect some additional risk and side effect requirements to be enacted in the future.

I am quite certain Pfizer never secretly intended anyone to believe Jarvik was a renowned heart surgeon. He is what he says he is and no more. That being said, the lesson here is that if consumers may misinterpret the endorser's credentials, then the burden is on drug companies to prevent it. Following the letter of the law is no longer good enough. As aggressive as marketers and their agencies want to be in their claims and creative power, the negative impact of having them misinterpreted is high. The Jarvik case should be studied by all DTC marketers for the lessons and risks of celebrity endorsers.

 

Novartis Web, TV campaign promotes breast cancer awareness in Latin America

Novartis Web, TV campaign promotes breast cancer awareness in Latin America

Novartis is teaming with Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) for a multiplatform breast cancer prevention and early detection campaign in support of Latin-American women. The campaign, called "SER," which means "to be" in Spanish, will build an online community where women can access the resources they need to understand, detect, and treat breast cancer. The campaign will be promoted via the cable television channels for which SPTI handles the advertising sales in Latin America. There will also be community-based programming. Novartis and SPTI are currently recruiting partners to provide a range of needed expertise to include scientific and medical knowledge, financial advice, patient education, treatment options, fashion tips, and health and diet plans. The campaign combines Novartis' resources and expertise in oncology with SPTI's media reach to assist Latin-American women in their fight against breast cancer.
 

Yahoo Launches Digg-Like Social News Features

Yahoo Launches Digg-Like Social News Features

 

The New York Times

Yahoo is taking direct aim at social-news aggregators like Digg and Reddit with a new tool called Yahoo Buzz that calls up the most popular articles voted on by the Web site's massive user base. As part of the Buzz launch, Yahoo is also introducing previews of content on other sites. For example, a search for a LinkedIn user could return links to that person's connections or their full profile; a search for a restaurant could include links to a reservation page or a review. The moves are in line with Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang's wish to open the Web giant's services to third-party publishers.

Buzz draws heavily from the "open" theme. Instead of turning Buzz into a destination site (like Digg or Reddit), Yahoo plans to include the actual content that surfaces on Buzz in its front page. Items that are most searched for and most voted on will place higher. Yahoo's editors will then choose which Buzz stories to include on its homepage, which receives 90 million U.S. visitors per month.

Testing has shown that Yahoo links are a boon to third-party publishers. Traffic to Esquire magazine doubled in the month that Yahoo linked to the magazine's content from its homepage. Participating publishers in Buzz include, The New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post and People and dozens of blogs and online sites. Yahoo's plan is to open Buzz to every site on the Web.

Avenue A / Razorfish Attributes $735 Million of Online Spend to Vertical Properties and Search Engines

Avenue A / Razorfish Attributes $735 Million of Online Spend to Vertical Properties and Search Engines

Business Wire via NewsEdge Corporation

Business Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--February 24, 2008--In its fourth annual digital outlook guide for marketers and advertisers, Avenue A | Razorfish, one of the world’ s largest interactive agencies and buyers of digital online media, reports that domestic advertising media billings for the agency grew to $735 million on more than 1,800 web sites in 2007, up 36 percent from 2006. Publisher web site spending slipped to 19 percent of billings, down from 24 percent in 2006. Register to receive the 2008 Digital Outlook Report and visit Jeff Lanctot’ s blog to stay informed about media trends throughout the year.

“Last year was an indicator that marketers must wisely invest their digital dollars across a broader range of web sites to keep up with the everywhere customer,” said Jeff Lanctot, editor of the report and senior vice president of Global Media at Avenue A | Razorfish. “Customers don’ t live on a handful of web sites or portals anymore. Advertisers still value large sites, but they realize the web presents a seemingly endless number of advertising options.”

The broad range of vertical web sites that saw increased traffic, included entertainment sites and those focused on video sharing, gaming, music and social networks. Growth on search engines was attributed to improved flexibility for testing advertising relevance, targeting and campaign management. The agency also continued to consolidate its spending in the ad network category with the five largest online ad networks, as billings increased to 71 percent in 2007, up from 63 percent in 2006.

The comprehensive, eight-chapter report provides commentary, predictions, research and recommendations from agency thought leaders and discipline leads across the world to help marketers improve the effectiveness of online campaigns. Specific insights from the report include:

Social Influence Marketing –examines how communities will change the way marketers do business in 2008 and whether consumers will be compensated for their social prowess.

Targeting & Measurement –explores effective ways to move beyond behavioral targeting tools that work in silos.

Search Gets Strategic –provides recommendations for how to implement multi-media search across video and rich media.

Technology Changes the World – shares inspiring examples of how marketers are using technology to become more socially responsible and accountable.

New additions to the report this year include conversations from the “Connected Class,” a sampling of 18-34-year-olds who share anecdotes of how they engage in digital media. We believe this demographic will help predict future digital behavior. The agency also shares suggestions from the leading search providers about how marketers can be successful at Local Search and engaged Forrester Research Inc., to include an excerpt from its upcoming book, “Groundswell,” which explores the way social technologies are changing the world.

Other notable highlights include the “publisher of the year” distinctions, media trends to watch, emerging opportunities in mobile, video and rich media and commentary from Clark Kokich, CEO, Avenue A | Razorfish about what the marketer of the future will look like.

Lanctot concluded, “Consumers aren’ t for sale. As digital media continues splintering in thousands of directions, the marketer who follows their consumer and engages with them in thoughtful, personal and meaningful ways will win.”