SeatGeek is an Entertainment ticket search engine that uses its data to index popularity, helping brands spot up and coming bands to sponsor. One such brand is insurer State Farm, who has partnered with the startup to look for the next big thing. By watching ticket sales across the web, along with the size of the ticket resale market, SeatGeek believes it can identify bands on the verge of popularity among younger crowds that brands want to reach. This data will help State Farm to sponsor bands that will generate buzz for the brand within the younger age group that it often fails to reach.
Tag: Advertising Age
German Insurance Brand Hijacks Stadium Screen
Earlier this week, German insurance brand DEVK took over the “big screen” showing the crowd at a football match. The ad, which purported to show a real-time crowd event in the stadium, presented a half-naked sumo wrestler on-screen climbing down to the benches, grabbing a fan, and ripping his shirt in half, followed by the question, “How do you explain that to your insurance company?” Creative agency Garbarz & partner produced the ad and cut it into the live stream during the game. There were two other ads demonstrating similarly absurd incidents, including a person wrestling with a bottle of mustard. You can watch the sumo-wrestler video here:
Amazon Quietly Leading Branding Charge
According to a report by Adage, Amazon’s ad business is significantly larger than is generally assumed, and with mobile platforms like the Kindle available for expansion, Amazon is a now a prime candidate for big branding business. Indeed, with clients like Lexus and Chrysler exploiting these mobile opportunities, as well as Amazon’s in-house targeting technology that reaches Amazon customers around the web segmented by demographics and purchase history, the secret may be out. Amazon is said to have built it’s own demand-side platform that allows them to load customer data into a media-buying technology to target prior Amazon buyers on other websites, so their tracking and targeting systems have the potential to powerfully sway viewers based on demonstrated interests. Another big step forward for Amazon’s ad strategy was the announcement of the “Amazon Media Network,” which is Amazon’s media and advertising wing. Their success, in combination with these new technologies, now reportedly means that they can ask for over $1 million for ad packages that include Kindle Fire accessibility. In order for the technology and business to develop further, Amazon will have to deepen its agency relationships and branding business, and return good numbers via its technologies in metrics like “brand lift” and awareness. If it can achieve these metrics, Amazon’s secret might not be under wraps for that much longer.
FX Announces FXX and FXNow to Target Millennials
FX Networks is aiming to compete with large broadcast networks for ad buys by splitting their audiences and offering competitive CPMs. The newest network, FXX, aimed at the valuable 18-34 demographic, will launch September 2 and become the new home for such favorites as “The League” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” This announcement follows the launch of FXM, which airs movies, and will soon be home to original miniseries much like competitor HBO. The company also intends to launch FXNow this fall, offering on-demand streaming aimed to reduce DVR usage. The service will include FX original series as well as a rotating set of movies. Now that FX has clearly set its sights on such varied competitors as ABC, NBC, HBO, and Netflix, will other networks follow suit and diversify?
