Steve’s breakdown: Kraft is throwing the Hail Mary on this one and it’s going to be a $1.7 million fail. I know Crispin Porter did the spot that will air one time on the Oscars but, sorry folks, this is not how you sell product and CP&B knows it.
So get ready to catch Sara Braun of Kraft with a saving strategy as she falls.
N [...]
Posts in category Blood in the Water
Grey Poupon’s “Pardon Me” fail on the Oscars
Steve’s breakdown: Kraft is throwing the Hail Mary on this one and it’s going to be a $1.7 million fail. I know Crispin Porter did the spot that will air one time on the Oscars but, sorry folks, this is not how you sell product and CP&B knows it.
So get ready to catch Sara Braun of Kraft with a saving strategy as she falls.
N [...]
Make your move when it hits the fan
Steve’s breakdown: When bad but not terrible things happen, new business doors open. Take the Carnival Triumph debacle. The management is questioning the reports from passengers on the boat. Do you think the PR folks told them to do that? Not so much!
Carnival aside, what a great reason to call every cruise/travel company you’ve e [...]
JCPenny: A slow motion train wreck
Steve’s breakdown: As soon as 1st quarter numbers come out, this account will be up for grabs unless CEO Ron Johnson figures out we can see him. We can see him in the luxury hotels, we can see him interviewing on CNBC and we can see him living two lives.
PLANO, TX: JCPenney CEO Ron Johnson is mounting a radical overhaul of the flailing [...]
Volvo weighing a digital review
Steve’s breakdown: LBi won the account, then said they merged with GM agency Digitas, now what? Sometimes people are the dumbest animals . . .
ROCKLEIGH, NJ: You’ve spent months carefully vetting agencies to ensure you choose a partner with no client conflicts. After a lengthy process, one shop rises above the rest. You’ve [...]
Hostess, Drakes and Dolly Madison to get new owners
UPDATE: We’ll know what’s happening with hostess on Feb. 28th.
Here’s the original post from November:
Steve’s breakdown: This is either the biggest bluff I’ve seen in years or it’s the end of Hostess Brands. If it is the end, that means there will be new owners for brands such as Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho H [...]
Darden advertising fail: Review is imminent
Steve’s breakdown: This is not good news for anyone except folks who have not been involved. Clearly the present ad agencies have failed and we believe some kind of changes are due.
Here are two past reports regarding Darden that point to the same conclusion:
November 19th: Darden burns through a CMO
June 22nd: Olive Garden & Red L [...]
Herbalife news opens up all kinds of new biz opportunity
Steve’s breakdown: Word on Wall Street is Herbalife is a pyramid scheme. Whether you believe it or not, this news will affect more than Heralife. It will also affect all multi-level marketing companies.
Our suggestion is to check in with a few others regarding PR. Here a list of them:
5LINX
ACN Inc.
AdvoCare
Agel Enterprises LLC
[...]
Gun stocks are down: PR will be needed
Steve’s breakdown: Say what you want about gun control but the market has already spoken. Gun stocks are down and if new laws go through, they will go down furthur. We suspect these companies are going to have to do some damage control and will need representation.
SPRINGFIELD, MA & SOUTHPORT, CT: Markets are surging right now with [...]
New Business Opportunity: Cold War looming for travel sites
Steve’s breakdown: Deutsche Bank believes there is a “Cold War” for the travel sites on the horizon. As far as we are concerned, this is good news and suspect at least one of the top sites will review their advertising. Here are the top ten travel site according to Top Ten Reviews.
Smarter Travel
Expedia
Orbitz
Travelocit [...]
Longterm account watch: Fresh & Easy
Steve’s breakdown: Fresh & Easy is getting sold one way or another and the brand will be just hanging out there. Be ready to catch it.
EL SEGUNDO, CA & CHESHUNT, UK: Britain’s biggest retailer, supermarket giant Tesco, said it was launching a strategic review of its struggling US business Fresh & Easy, which may lead [...]
Blood-in-the-Water at Agency Network
Steve’s breakdown: This is the worst kind of new business lead but it happens. An email went out to an entire region within a certain well-known agency network that included an attachment with employee salaries.
We don’t know who it is but any client that was on the edge of moving their account from this company – Will.
This [...]
Darden burns through a CMO
Steve’s breakdown: This is an all-of-a-sudden deals. What’s even more surprising is the CMO position didn’t exist more than two years ago. Are they going to replace him? Probably, but don’t wait to start your aproach.
BTW: We kinda saw this coming when we reported “Olive Garden & Red Lobster in hot water agai [...]
Prediction: Saving face at Sony will mean ad account shake up
Steve’s breakdown: The new Sony CEO has got to save face – fast. He’s thinking about all kinds of crazy things to turn the tide. Well, at least people are humored to have heard these crazy things.
Anyway, if you are anywhere near these folks or one their many categories, it’s time to put your research team on the case. [...]
Inside scoop: ShakeUp at Brown Forman marketing
Steve’s breakdown: Here’s another reason to subscribe to the Ratti Report. My ROLODEX! (Do they still say that?)
I just confirmed this movement at B-F with a very close friend of mine down there. Though he couldn’t say much, he did say there was lots of movement in the department and that means opportunity!!
Between you and [...]
Pep Boys & ad agency relationship: Totalled
Steve’s breakdown: We hate to see agencies lose business this way but it happens; especially with creative like the featured ad. We suspect the account will go into review either yesterday or this winter.
PHILADELPHIA, PA: Word has been coming in through the Spy line that Philly-based auto parts chain Pep Boys has ended its agency part [...]
Muscle Milk & ad agency split
Steve’s breakdown: This is what happens when you steal another brand’s creative. (i.e. world’s most interesting man) You “part ways”. Whether they are looking for another shop has yet to be determined. We suspect money was an issue but don’t quote us.
BENICIA, CA: We have received confirmation from sources [...]
Amazon needs to start thinking outside the box store
Steve’s breakdown: Amazon is doing fine but if more stores stop selling their products, it’s going to be a big problem which will probably need a marketing adjustment.
SEATTLE, WA: Wal-Mart Stores, the nation’s largest retailer, said Thursday it was dropping Amazon’s Kindle tablets and e-readers, a sign of how seriously it views [...]
J&J in advertising hot water again
Steve’s breakdown: There’s a big debate in the advertising community about whether a pharma account is worth the trouble. On one hand, it’s big money – on the other, just look at Digitas Health . . .
Your call but J&J has got some problems to take care of and you might as well take the money.
TITUSVILLE, NJ: A John [...]
Abercrombie & Fitch is losing it!
Steve’s breakdown: The featured video is proof that this article is dead on. Please, please, please – someone get in there and fix this!
NEW ALBANY, OH: Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s soft-porn ads and nightclub vibe once delighted American teenagers and infuriated parents. Today, many aren’t even paying attention.
The [...]
ZipCar zips through a CMO: Next!
Steve’s breakdown: You got to love it when a company knows time’s time to cut the cord. And like we’ve always said, if you help them find the next CMO, you’ll have a very good chance of being the next AOR.
CAMBRIDGE, MA: Zipcar Inc‘s chief marketing officer is leaving the company, at a time when the U.S. car-sha [...]
GM CMO – OUT!
Steve’s breakdown: Whether or not there will be an ad agency review once a new CMO gets in there is anybody’s guess but if your agency has a relationship with GM, I’d make a call or two.
DETROIT, MI: You know the old saying, “go big, or go home.” General Motors‘ advertising chief Joel Ewanick made some bold moves in his shor [...]
Mazda marketing boss quits
Steve’s breakdown: Their present advertising is pretty good but I’m sure it will suffer without it’s CMO. Be ready to jump once they pick a new one. Even better, help them find the next boss!
LOS ANGELES, CA: Mazda’s North American marketing boss has left the company.
Don Romano, chief marketing officer for Mazda Nort [...]
UPDATE: Duke + Progress = Largest Utility account
Steve’s breakdown: Last month we reported about this merger. Now the CEO quits. We smell Blood-in-the-Water and maybe an even easier path to this account.
From last month: Power utility accounts tend to be a little sticky because the government gets involved with messaging but the money is good. Start sniffing around these guys to find [...]
Coke Zero splits with ad agency
Steve’s breakdown: They are not talking in regards to who will have the account next. Do we think the account will go into review? We think it already is and if you have a phone number for the marketing department at Coke, you should use it.
ATLANTA, GA: Coca-Cola is ending its longtime relationship with MDC Partners-owned shop CP& [...]
Olive Garden & Red Lobster in hot water again
Steve’s breakdown: If you want to work for either one of these clients, you’ll have to have a brand name stockholders have a fuzzy feeling about. But if you do, it’s time to make some calls.
ORLANDO, FL: Darden Restaurants Inc. is struggling to revive sales at its flagship Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants. A key sale [...]
Best Buy Update III: Founder is Out!
Steve’s breakdown: The count down to the Best Buy agency review has officially started. Do the research and be ready to pounce once the dust settles.
RICHFIELD, MN: Best Buy Co. Inc. founder Richard Schulze said on Thursday that he is immediately resigning from his role of chairman and as a director board as he explores all options for [...]
Unilever Mexico and digital agency split
Pedro‘s breakdown: Unilever Mexico and Grupo W, their digital/interactive agency, announced they are ending their relationship after 7 years. This long partnership created several award winning campaigns but both companies want to move in different directions. Original article with a statement from Rodrigo Perez, one of
Grupo W´s managi [...]
Miami Dolphins 2012 will be looking for an ad agency by 2013
Steve’s breakdown: The new CMO of the Dolpins spent the past 8 years at Burger King. Now she’s trying to serve up and a more approachable team to recapture their frustrated fans. This is going to flop faster than a whopper & cheese at a PETA convention. BANG! We’ll be here all week!
Now most will say, if the teams s [...]
Agency review prediction: T-Moblie CMO is leaving with a bad plan in place
Steve’s breakdown: So here’s the plan: revamp marketing to emphasize the value of its data and voice plans, make-over the pink-clad model spokeswoman to project a tougher image and increase its media spending to ensure that the company has strong-selling handsets that aren’t the iPhone.
And none of it will work! This accoun [...]
Another CMO is leaving his post: This time at Kodak
Steve’s breakdown: Kodak has been going through a lot of changes lately. Filing for chapter 11 in January, announcing it was ending its line of consumer digital cameras and pocket camcorders in February and now this. Is an agency search next?
ROCHESTER, NY: One of Eastman Kodak Co.’s highest-placed executives is leaving the company.
The [...]
Best Buy CEO & CMO gone
Steve’s breakdown: Last month the CEO stepped down amid allegations that he used company resources to conduct an affair with an employee. Now Best Buy’s global chief marketing officer is out. Expect more changes in the marketing department including possible agency reviews. BTW: Last year we reported Best Buy Circulates RFP to Mu [...]
Yahoo CEO lied on his resume: Lead?
Steve’s breakdown: This just in. CNBC is reporting that the CEO of Yahoo lied about what degrees he had on his resume. The resume says he had degrees in accounting & computer science. Stone Hill College, where he went to school, didn’t have a computer science degree when he attended.
This is pretty big news and it’s not [...]
Colgate-Palmolive Hispanic Account Just Hanging Out There
Steve’s breakdown: We’ve just started covering Hispanic marketing accounts full-time and we think this is a good start. Too bad it went down with an agency.
NEW YORK, NY: New York headquartered Hispanic advertising agency Siboney USA is closing. Employees have received 90-day notice, a source in Siboney said.
Siboney accounts in [...]
J&J is getting very sick of their future CEO
Steve’s breakdown: WOW! It’s like we all knew the pharma business world was corrupt and this guy just wanted us to make sure we knew. Expect changes everywhere especially in PR.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ: A motion filed last week in a potential multi-billion healthcare fraud case against Johnson & Johnson provides another apparent exa [...]
Allstate CMO Resigns
Steve’s breakdown: I don’t think they were planning on any advertising changes before this happened. But since it has, it makes me wonder about the wisdom of taking over Esurance which has been the advertising hot potato of the industry.
NORTHBROOK, IL: Allstate Chief Marketing Officer Mark LaNeve resigned Monday for personal rea [...]
Chili’s fires Digital Agency
Steve’s breakdown: They say they are not going to put the digital account into review but I would still keep an eye on these folks.
DALLAS, TX: Casual-dining chain Chili’s has parted ways with Digitas, its digital agency of record. The move comes less than a year after Chili’s handed the Publicis Groupe agency the account f [...]
Big shake up at Friendly’s Just Months After Ad Review
Steve’s breakdown: This account went into review last March. Pile & Co did the search. The VIA Agency won the business and launched a new campaign in September. They probably will let the dust settle a bit before rethinking VIA but I would keep a close eye on this account. Mostly because the ad shown above is the ad show on the Fr [...]
Netflix rewinds their marketing department
Steve’s breakdown: Netflix has got to put 2011 behind them and this is a good step in the right direction. Will the account go into review? Not right away but within the year.
LOS GATOS, CA: Netflix, Inc. today announced Leslie Kilgore, its Chief Marketing Officer for the last 12 years, will join the Netflix board as a non-executive di [...]
Penney-Saatchi Split and Retailer shifts toward multi-shop approach
Steve’s breakdown: As we predicted/reported back in October “Target CMO Departs for JCPenney: No love lost . . . yet”, Saatchi & Saatchi is out and there could be more opportunity to be had.
PLANO, TX: JC Penney’s split with Saatchi & Saatchi comes a month after the retailer added Peterson Milla Hooks to its creativ [...]
Faster than a Tweet: Twitter & Edelman Part Ways
Steve’s breakdown: Here we go again. When this account went in to review in August I said in our breakdown then: “The fact that this account exists is surprising enough. Even fishy if you ask me but it’s probably just very complicated.” Will they hire a new firm? I’d go in-house if I were them but don’t let that [...]
Christmas quality Hanukkah pricing ad is dead
Steve’s breakdown: Yep! That’s the line of the another ad in this Wodka vodka campaign. Is this a new business opportunity? Maybe if you can come up with a string of similar lines that don’t offend millions.
NEW YORK, NY: Less than 24 hours after making its debut alongside a Manhattan highway, Wodka vodka’s anti-Semiti [...]
SAP PR Review Puts Burson-Marsteller On Alert: Globally!
Steve’s breakdown: Seems the PR account at SAP has gone rouge! Multiple markets could go into review with the UK account already there. Get your boots; this could be a mess.
WALLDORF, GERMANY: SAP is set to kick off a multi-market review of its public relations activities, putting nine-year global AOR Burson-Marsteller on alert.
The Ger [...]
Walmart Parts Ways With Digital Agency R/GA
BENTON, AK: Steve’s breakdown: They say Martin Agency will handle the digital account and I’m happy for them today. Next month they might want to cut their wrists. So keep an eye on this because I smell blood at R/GA and Martin.
Walmart is dropping R/GA as its digital agency of record after a three-year relationship, the retailer [...]
Weeks After Winning Kellogg Business, Weber Shandwick Resigns Account
Steve’s breakdown: Conflict alert! I suspect IPG will try to save this account but you all should storm forward.
BATTLE CREEK, MI: Interpublic Group of Cos.’ Weber Shandwick and a sister agency have both given up a plum PR account for Kellogg Co. only weeks after being awarded it, due to an apparent conflict of interest.
“We [...]
HP Parts Ways with 72andSunny
Steve’s breakdown: Here’s one of those times when no good deed gets unpunished. 72andSunny creates something special and then loses the business. Hopefully your agency can have better luck.
PALO ALTO, CA: Sources are telling us that Hewlett-Packard and 72andSunny are no longer working together. If you remember, the agency created [...]
Collier leaders weigh $800K boost to tourism marketing contract
Steve’s breakdown: The bad news is things are still up in the air. The good news is they are talking about adding $800,000 to the marketing budget. We don’t like to talk about “blood in the water” when it’s the agency’s blood but that’s the situation here. Swim around and watch what happens.
NAPLES, F [...]
Comcast Splits Media Business Between WPP, Publicis
Steve’s breakdown: Last weeks news about the media business split didn’t come as a surprise but we here at The Ratti Report still think it’s a bad idea. We predict after the client pulls its hair out trying to manage this cluster you-know-what, they will make the organizational changes they should have done months ago so the [...]
Netflix tries to ride out wave of customer anger
Steve’s breakdown: We all knew this 60% price hike was not going to go well but Netflix still thinks it’s going to be alright. We disagree and believe heads are going to roll. And that could include the ad agency.
LOS GATOS, CA: Netflix Inc.’s sterling reputation suffered a few minor dings in the past year, such as when its [...]
Complaint filed on R.I. state ad contracting
Steve’s breakdown: The proverbial sh*t is hitting the fan in Rhode Island. Seems there was only one agency that responded to an RFP and now people are crying foul. The Ratti Report predicts the present agency is not going to survive.
PROVIDENCE, RI: The fallout continues over the failed 11th-hour attempt by state lawmakers to steer all [...]
California High-Speed Rail Authority says Buh-bye, Ogilvy
Steve’s breakdown: This is one of those wrong-place wrong-time situations for Ogilvy. They hired an ad agency and what they need is “a new partner that will show initiative, actively counter oil-company-induced misinformation with facts, and inform Californians of high-speed rail’s transformative benefits for our econom [...]
EXCLUSIVE: Sears Holdings and Digitas Split
Steve’s breakdown: The Ratti Report has obtained a memo from the Digitas management regarding the split with Sears Holdings. Considering what’s been going on at Sears since we stared covering them, we’re not surprised. There was the long awaited CEO hiring and then a month later they said that Sears Holdings was reviewing t [...]
Washington State tourism office to close
Steve’s breakdown: Why would this news be considered a new business opportunity? Because there are hundreds of businesses in Washington that now have to fend for themselves. They have the money but no place to put it. That’s where you come in. Pick a list of tourist attractions and start making your pitch! Check out the TV news se [...]
Has Stephen Elop doomed Nokia?
Steve’s breakdown: No matter how fishy a story sounds, when there’s failure, there opportunity. Look for smaller accounts to come loose during the coming months and years.
ESPOO, Finland: The N9 and N950 clearly show that Nokia had good smartphones already in the development pipeline, but new CEO Stephen Elop never gave them a cha [...]
Tim Hortons CEO exits abruptly
Steve’s breakdown: Did taking on McDonalds, Dunkin’ Donuts & Starbucks head-on break this 20 year vet. If it didn’t, it should have. Look for some big marketing chances over at Tim Hortons. If you ask me, and I know you’re not, having a human resources guy be your CEO when invading the USA is just a bad idea. NEXT [...]
Atkins Nutritional advertising account resigned by agency
Steve’s breakdown: This agency was so happy to resign this business it sent out a press release. Not a good sign. On the other hand, Atkins might need a “rebound boy friend” . . . I mean agency so go for it!
ATLANTA, GA: – LeeReedy/Xylem Digital goes on Atkins Diet; sheds 800 lbs.
Effective this week, LeeReedy/Xyle [...]
Turmoil at Foxwoods could spell marketing opportunity
Steve’s breakdown: The you-know-what is hitting the fan at Foxwoods. In February they lose their CMO and now, not only do these three executives leave, their bartenders have voted to form a union – - again. This all spells out big changes and that has to include marketing. The website is a shell of its former self and the last ad [...]