Coca-Cola, Ford, Microsoft, McDonald’s, SunTrust and Whole Foods Among First To Join CoTweet Enterprise Innovators Program

SAN FRANCISCO – The world’s leading brands have embraced the power of the real-time web, and CoTweet is playing a key role in their success. CoTweet announced that companies including Coca-Cola, Ford, McDonald’s, Microsoft, SunTrust, Whole Foods and others have enrolled in the CoTweet Enterprise Innovators Program, a new program that includes exclusive Enterprise Edition product features and services that help companies manage their brands on Twitter. The program is available to customers for a fee, demonstrating one of the first examples of a Twitter ecosystem application to generate revenue.
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Smart, original spot airs in 11 Chicago regions

CHICAGO – Leading production and post production house, Optimus, announced that it has completed and aired “Done,” the TV commercial based on the winning script from the Optimus “One Shot” contest. The contest was staged last August in partnership with the firm’s brand marketing agency, Scott & Victor, LLC. It was a rallying call to the Chicago advertising community to showcase genuine creativity and generate excitement about Chicago as a creative environment. “Done” was initially aired on Comcast on January 22, and will be aired in 11 Chicago regions from January 26 through February 2.

“We came up with the idea to give away a spot that would be created by Chicago’s freshest young talent and produced start-to-finish by Optimus and our new in-house production arm, ONE. We also would handle media placement of the spot,” said Tom Duff, president of Optimus. “After developing the ‘One Shot’ contest concept with Scott & Victor last August, we issued a creative brief and asked for the most creative and original expressions of it.”
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ORLANDO, Fla. – At its signature Mplanet conference, the American Marketing Association unwrapped the results of a year-long project to help marketers map future scenarios and possibilities in the marketplace. The work, created in partnership with Decision Strategies International, used scenario-building to predict four archetypes of CMOs and their potential impact on marketing in 2015.

The process of “disciplined imagination” used by AMA and DSI gives marketers a way to organize all of the uncertainty in the market and create possible stories or pictures of the future.

AMA’s CEO Dennis Dunlap challenged industry leaders to use the scenarios and be flexible enough to market in the moment while still planning for a continuum of possibilities.
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ORLANDO, Fla. – As the marketing landscape continues to change at unprecedented speeds, the industry’s top minds came together at the American Marketing Association’s conference Mplanet (Jan. 26-28) to share insight on the opportunities and challenges in today’s technology-driven marketplace.

“Especially in today’s changing climate, marketing has the opportunity to create an enduring brand,” said Dennis Dunlap, CEO of American Marketing Association. “By bringing together our industry’s best and brightest to explore new strategies, media and tactics, Mplanet is helping to ensure marketing’s role in creating a brand’s long-term innovation and sustainability.”

Digital Marketing Lab Learnings

Mplanet, hosted in partnership with Wharton School and Bain & Company, commenced with a pre-conference digital marketing lab Monday afternoon where speakers explored the growing toolkit of digital marketing techniques, social media, mobile marketing technologies and next generation devices.
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PARIS – Regulatory News:

Publicis Groupe (Paris:PUB) announced the acquisition of the Chinese full-service advertising agency W&K Communications. Effective immediately, the agency will be re-branded as Leo Burnett W&K Beijing Advertising Co. and will become part of Leo Burnett Greater China operations. W&K Communications will continue to be led by Mr. Guo Weijun, current Chairman, and Mr. Wang Yi, Managing Director. Both will now report to Michael Wood, CEO of Leo Burnett Greater China.

Founded in 2004, W&K Communications employs nearly one hundred communications specialists between its Beijing and Guangzhou offices. The Chinese agency provides extensive services in advertising, promotions, television production and media buying. Major clients include Air China, Mengniu (Dairy), Yutong (Bus), Holiland (Food), Totole (Condiments) COFCO (Oils and Foodstuffs), PICC (Insurance), Tsingtao Beer and Daliyuan (Food). W&K Communications has been recognized by a number of national awards such as the China Agency Awards (2005-2006), Five Star Diamond Brand (2006), Great Wall Awards (2004-2008), China Creative Awards (2004-2008) and the China EFFIE Awards (2005-2008).
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Avenue A | Razorfish announced today that the agency has shortened its name to Razorfish and launched its new website — www.razorfish.com.

‘For four years we have operated as a single agency with integrated capabilities in the global marketplace, and we don’t need two names anymore,’ Razorfish CEO Clark Kokich said. ‘Although both Avenue A and Razorfish are excellent choices as standalone brands, the Razorfish name enjoys stronger brand equity around the world.’

The Avenue A | Razorfish name was the result of a 2004 merger between Avenue A, one of the first companies to plan and buy digital media, and Razorfish, one of the first companies to counsel clients on digital marketing strategy, creative, and web design.
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NEW YORK – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) closed this year’s highly successful MIXX Conference and Expo with the presentation tonight of the fourth annual MIXX Awards. The MIXX Awards are the only honor devoted exclusively to interactive advertising, and the only juried competition that recognizes excellence in both creativity and effectiveness. For the first time, the digital advertising campaigns were evaluated by senior executives from agencies, publishers and marketing organizations deliberating together, sharing their distinct perspectives on what makes advertising creative successful. Tonight’s multimedia gala was emceed by Rob Norman, GroupM Interaction Worldwide CEO.

“The sheer volume of submissions coupled with the extraordinary level of creativity that cut across such a wide swath of platforms and technologies speaks to the vitality of the interactive advertising industry,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB. “Interactive advertising is breaking new ground in engaging consumers in ways that we had not even dreamed of, and the pace of change will only continue to accelerate.”
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Industry Leaders to Examine the New Marketing Environment and Strategies of Today’s Most Successful Brands

CHICAGO – The American Marketing Association announces the return of Mplanet, an industry-leading event for the world’s most influential marketing leaders and academics to share new ideas, innovations and proven strategies in today’s challenging marketing environment. The American Marketing Association, the largest marketing association in North America for individuals and organizations involved in the practice, teaching and study of marketing worldwide, will host the conference in partnership with The Wharton School and Bain & Company.

“This techno-driven, borderless world has created many new challenges and consumers are becoming resistant to traditional marketing,” said Dennis Dunlap, Chief Executive Officer of the American Marketing Association. “From rapidly changing computing and communication platforms to a weakening economy, today’s marketing leaders need fresh insights to improve performance and to drive results within their organizations.”
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