Spots N Dots
The Daily News Of TV Sales
September 7, 2016
POLITICAL ADVERTISING BELOW EXPECTATIONS
WILL TRUMP CAMPAIGN SPENDING PICK UP?
Political advertising continues to be dominated by local television stations and the 2016 campaign remains on track to beat the last presidential election year in 2012—but the growth may fall well short of the expectations analysts had before the election contests got underway. Rather than the 20% gain over 2012 (or 40% over the 2014 non-presidential year) that had been expected, Brian Wieser at Pivotal Research Group now says growth could be only about 10% over 2012 (20-30% over 2014). He even thinks the total could fall short of $3 billion, compared to $2.6 billion spent on local TV and local cable in 2012.
“The big question for station owners at this point in time is the degree to which spending growth will hold up through the crucial fourth quarter,” says Wieser, adding that the big wildcard is ad spending in the presidential race. On a combined basis by the end of August of 2012, the two main Presidential candidates (Barack Obama and Mitt Romney) and affiliated Super PACs spent $423 million. By the end of August 2016, the comparable figure in this cycle was only $139 million. That spending had been overwhelmingly by or for Democrat Hillary Clinton, while Republican Donald Trump had lagged badly in fundraising and spending—and the Pro-Trump PACshad done little to fill the gap.
After an extremely late start, the Trump campaign has finally been on the airwaves with substantial buys. For the 10-day period of August 26 to September 4, Media Monitors reports that Trump ran 7,791 spots in 61 major DMAs tracked by Media Monitors. Clinton, however, ran 10,915 spots during the same period.
Meanwhile, anti-Trump, pro-Clinton PACs continue to overwhelm the other side with negative advertising. Priorities USA Action ran 1,490 spots during the 10-day period and a new group, Women Vote! ran 203 spots. That’s 1,693 anti-Trump spots. Meanwhile, Rebuilding America Now ran 622 and the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund 171 spots again Clinton for a total of 793 anti-Clinton TV spots.
To update his own analysis, Wieser reviewed updated data from Advertising Analytics, which aggregates and tracks political ad bookings in real time based upon information that media owners are required to file with the FCC. Across 17 of the largest station groups (including ABC, CBS, Cox, EW Scripps, FOX, Graham Media Group, Gray, Hearst, Media General, Meredith, NBC, Nexstar, Raycom, Sinclair, Sunbeam, Tegna and Tribune) and on a like-for-like basis (with the same stations owned by each company in each of 2016 and 2014), the analyst saysbookings for Q3 through the end of August were up by 35% over Q3 of 2014. Year-to-date bookings were up by 41% over the same period in 2014.
ADVERTISER NEWS
ITT Technical Institute, which has used some longer-length TV commercials to attract students, is going out of business immediately after the government banned the for-profit college from taking on new students who receive federal aid. The action was taken due to charges the company was using deceptive marketing tactics to enroll students. ITT had 130 campuses in 38 states with about 43,000 students……Right now Velvet Taco, a “premium taco concept” according to Nation’s Restaurant News, has just four units (2 in The Dallas/Ft. Worth market, 1 in Houston and 1 in Chicago) with one on the way in Austin. But the chain acquired a “significant strategic growth investment” late last week from private-equity firm L Catterton and now looks to expand in both new and existing markets. Units average an impressive $4 million in annual sales……Automotive News reports sales of “family cars” is now in “freefall,” with 16 midsize cars on the market down a collective 27% in August. And it’s not for a lack of incentives: Autodata reports the top eight midsize nameplates’ incentives were 7% greater than in August 2015 and 11% above the industry average for incentives. Some brands did even worse: the Nissan Altima, FordFusion, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima were down more than 30% and the Chrysler 200 was down more than 60%...... Another model that’s getting hurt lately, for a different reason however, is the Toyota Prius, where sales are down 26% year-to-date. The culprit is clearly low gas prices which are impacting all hybrids, estimated to be down 14.4% overall by Hybridcars.com………In that story we’ve been following about the upscale Guess Co. moving into the convenience store business, it’s now planning to also launch The Guess Bread Co. as part of the planned GP Express c-store units. The restaurants will feature an open kitchen with 20 tables (only 2 seats per table to facilitate couples-only dining). Guess wants to have 250 restaurants at the 1,000 stores it plans to open within twelve months……This year’s study of pharmacy satisfaction done by J.D. Power produced very good results for both mail order and brick-and-mortar operations, and especially high numbers for pharmacies that have wellness services such as health clinics. Health Mart was tops among brick-and-mortar chains (898 on a 1,000 point scale) followed closely by Good Neighbor Pharmacy (898). Sam’sClub (883) was best among mass merchandisers with an 883 to Costco’s 880. Publix was highest of supermarkets with pharmacies (912) followed by Wegman’s (891). Of the three biggest retail drugstore chains, Walgreens scored an 865, Rite Aid 856, and CVS 853.
NETWORK NEWS
NBC is the first out of the gate with a Dateline special about the case of JonBenet Ramsey. This Friday at 9 PM (ET) Dateline NBC: Who Killed JonBenet will air, joining a long line of other specials from competing networks revisiting the 20-year-old case. CBS will air The CaseOf: JonBenet Ramsey, a three-part series starting September 18th, Lifetime has an original movie titled Who Killed JonBenet premiering in the fall and Investigation Discovery has a three-night TV event premiering September 12th…….The revamped Good Morning America on ABC kicked off on Tuesday with former NY Giant and Live! cohost, Michael Strahan on board. Adding Strahan to the line-up at GMA is seen by many as an effort to shore up ratings that have been in decline in recent months. After zooming past NBC’s Today Show in 2012, GMA has fallen behind, dropping 9% season to date in overall viewers and down 19% in A25-54 over the same period.
WEEKEND RATINGS
Nielsen ratings gave ABC reason tocelebrate the start of the college football season. 7.53 million tuned in for Alabama’s beat down of USC. The game out performed the combined average of CBS, FOX and NBC for the night. ABC’s Sunday night airing of the Texasvs. Notre Dame game delivered the highest viewership for a college football kickoff weekend game ever across all networks. The total number of viewers on ABC and ESPN’s live stream was 11.1 million. That number easily beat last year’s Labor Day prime game between Ohio State and Virginia Tech, which delivered 10.6 million. NBC’s coverage of the NASCAR Sprint race from Darlington fell by 27% from last year, delivering a 0.8 A18-49 Nielsen rating. CBS had Big Brother which suffered as well, down by 35% to a 1.3 rating. Fox and CW aired reruns for the night……ABC’s winning ways continued into Monday night prime as the Bachelor in Paradise season finale grew by 28% over last year and was Monday’s number one show from 8-10 PM (ET). The program ranked second in A18-49, just behind NBC’s American Ninja Warrior.
COMPETITIVE INFO
After weathering criticism of its initial ad offerings, Snapchat is poised for explosive growth in ad revenues in the coming years, according to eMarketer’s first forecast of ad revenues for the social platform. Worldwide, the forecast says Snapchat will generate $366.7 million in ad revenues this year, with that figure jumping to $935.5 million in 2017.
“Advertisers are attracted to Snapchat for its broad reach among young millennials and those in Generation Z, which are valuable demographic groups for many businesses,” said eMarketer principal analyst Cathy Boyle. She adds that Snapchat has expanded its advertising portfolio over the past year to include a wider array of video ads, and more sponsored geofilters and sponsored lenses.
In the U.S., Snapchat’s Discover feature generates the largest share (43%) of the company’s ad revenues. That balance will shift next year, says the forecast, as Stories overtakes Discover as the dominant ad revenue source, generating 37.8% of the company’s U.S. ad business. While Snapchat garners a strong 31.6% share of social network users in the U.S., it only captures 2.3% of social network ad dollars, having launched its ad platform in mid-2015. It faces challenges as it competes with more established players Facebook and Twitter, particularly in the areas of targeting and measurement. Snapchat currently derives 95% of its ad revenues from the U.S. However, eMarketer says that by 2018, a quarter of its ad revenues will come from outside the U.S.
GOOGLE & APPLE POSE SERIOUS AUTO THREAT
Automakers had better take seriously the threat from Silicon Valley. A new survey suggests that more than half of U.S. consumers would be interested in cars developed by Google and Apple. TECHnalysis Research polled 1,000 Americans who currently own a vehicle and plan to purchase another one within the next two years. Among the many questions those folks were asked was whether they'd be interested in buying a car made by Apple, Google, or another technology company.
Of those surveyed,59%said that they would bedefinitely,seriously ormoderately interested in a car made by Google, while52%said that they would bedefinitely,seriously ormoderatelyinterested in cars from Apple.Among early adopters,12%of respondents said that they woulddefinitelypurchase a car from Apple, while11%said the same of cars made by Google.
At the other side of the spectrum,18%said that they hadno interestin cars from Google, while a significantly higher24%said no way Apple cars.
While Google has been quite public about its efforts to develop an autonomous, electric vehicle, Apple has been much more secretive. Apple is said to be working with a Korean company on advanced batteries to power its car and hundreds of Apple employees are rumored to be working on the top-secret “Project Titan.”
PEOPLE BUYING HOMES SIGHT UNSEEN
Let there be no doubt that the housing market is heating up. 19% of people who bought a home in the past year made a bid on a home before seeing it in person. That’s from a survey of more than 2,000 home buyers conducted by SurveyMonkey Audience and commissioned by the Redfin real estate brokerage.
Buyers of high-end homes were almost twice as likely to have made an offer on a home sight unseen. Among people who bought homes for more than $750,000, 39% made an offer without seeing a home in person.
Redfin says bidding sight unseen is likely so prevalent because of market forces like bidding wars and fast home-selling speeds, but technology plays a role too. Brokerage websites and apps like Redfin alert people about homes for sale as soon as they are listed and offer high-resolution and 3D photos and lots of information about the home and neighborhood to help people make informed decisions about a bid. For example, Redfin agent Karla Kirkpatrick-Adams recently helped a client from Alaska purchase a condo in downtown Denver. He did not see the home in person until after closing. “We did a video tour the day the condo hit the market. Given his location and the speed of the market in Denver, a sight-unseen offer was the only option to buy the home before it went under contract,” said Kirkpatrick-Adams.
ACCOUNT ACTION
Diageohas completed its global media account review, reports Ad Age, with Carat, a Dentsu Aegis agency, retaining the U.S. business. The report says the spirits maker spent $785 million on U.S. advertising in 2015.
THIS AND THAT
Frankly Inc. announced a multi-year contract for Heartland Media to deploy its full suite of multimedia platform services. Heartland operates local TV stations in five markets in Mississippi, Oregon, New York and California.Frankly will be its exclusive provider of multimedia platform services, including CMS, advertising, mobile apps, over-the-top (OTT) apps, and online video and website management……Retail industry employment saw an increase of 12,000 jobs in August over July, according to numbers released by the National Retail Federation, which excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants from its calculations. New retail jobs made up a significant portion of the 151,000 jobs the Labor Department said were gained in all industries nationwide……Volkswagen AG has made a $256 million investment in Navistar International Corp. The move will expand VW’s footprint in the U.S. truck market, where rival Daimler AG is already a major player.
AVAILS
WCMH TV, an NBC affiliate Media General station in Columbus OH, is looking for an Account Executive to join the sales team.The AE will maintain and maximize core advertiser revenues, develop new business for NBC 4, nbc4i.com, and Me-TV through contact with local advertising agencies and direct local clients. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of three years broadcast sales experience and a BA or BS degree. Qualified candidates may apply at: job ID: CMH-000265. Background check and drug screen required. EOE.
KOLD News13, the CBS affiliate in Tucson, Arizona is seeking a Senior Account Manager with transactional and sponsorship sales expertise. This position works directly with a local sales manager and the General Sales Manager to maintain and grow existing business/relationships with our key agency accounts. Increase market share on established transactional agency account base. The ideal candidate will be detail oriented, have a high level of energy and enthusiasm plus strong communication skills. CLICK HERE to apply now. EOE
Account Executive:Are you ready to make a solid career move? WFXT/FOX25 in Boston is the right fit for you if…You embrace change, innovation and new opportunities, and have a proven track record of developing successful creative solutions that fit your clients' marketing, advertising and promotional needs. Every WFXT AE will develop new accounts, create fully integrated, multi-platform campaigns, get to the top-level decision makers, and deliver unparalleled service, maintenance and follow through .This position requires a2+ years of media sales experience.Resume . EOE.
Raycom Media owned WMC-TV NBC in Memphis, TN, WMC-TV Digital and BOUNCE-TV has an incredible opportunity for an experienced LSM that is ready to move up to our open Sales Manager position in the 50th market. Must be a team leader with a clear focus on New Business and Digital development providing client advertising solutions across multiple sales platforms. Well-developed coaching and team building skills and the ability to plan and achieve sales objectives are imperative. Qualified applicants, CLICK HERE to apply. EOE.
Winter is just around the corner!If you would prefer to be selling where summer never ends, WPBF 25, the Hearst owned ABC Affiliate in sunny West Palm Beach is looking for a dynamic sales superstar to join our fantastic sales team.The ideal candidate must have Broadcast TV sales experience and possess the drive and ability to thrive on multiple platforms in a fast paced, highly competitive market.Your creativity, originality, and passion for developing New Business will be encouraged and rewarded! Click HERE to apply. EOE
KOIN 6, Portland OR, is seeking an experienced Local Sales Manager to lead an experienced sales team. The LSM is responsible for managing, training, and motivating the sales team, and growing local revenue through new business and existing accounts. A Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of three years of sales management experience including local and digital sales required. Must be well organized, display a professional demeanor, exude high energy and show attention to detail. CLICK HERE to apply, search using requisition # 16-01278.EOE.
Capitol Broadcasting Company seeks a New Media Digital Client Services Coordinator to assist in digital marketing customer fulfillment by providing support to local clients. As part of the Client Services team, this person is responsible for executing digital marketing services such as website design, social media management, reputation management, and certain PPC and display campaigns. Experience in digital marketing preferred.Candidates must apply online at EOE M/F.All Capitol Broadcasting Company properties are tobacco free. CBC participates in E-Verify.
McDonald’s has decided to remove fitness trackers from their Happy Meals. Apparently, many customers thought McDonald’s was just making fun of them.
--Conan O’Brien
Marvel announced that it will be launching a female reboot of Iron Man, starring a character named Ironheart. So, congratulations to my ex-girlfriend.
--Seth Meyers
------
SPOTS N DOTS
The Daily News Of TV Sales
September 7, 2016
Send your job openings to:
Editorial comments/promotions:
Payments or Invoices:
Phone: 888-884-2630