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FAILING TO MEET CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS The annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index survey shows that five retailers (one of which is already on its way out of business and another recently going bankrupt) are among the ten “least-engaging” brands ranked by over 40,000 respondents. The very worst brand isn’t a surprise—it’s Volkswagen, whose emission-rigging scandal has been news for months and still is not settled. The rest of the ten brands with the lowest emotional engagement strength are Blackberry, American Apparel, Cosi, Aeropostale, Sears, kobo, Budweiser, Sports Authority and Whole Foods—which Brand Keys noted had a tough year in which it had been accused of price rigging. “The fundamental reason these brands were rated so low… is because they were unable to meet the very high—and ever-growing—emotional expectations consumers bring to the marketplace,” Brand Keys’ Robert Passikoff said. “If you do poorly, consumer displeasure not only shows up on the list but harshly in the real-world marketplace.” Winners in their categories include JetBlue, Ford and Hyundai in automotive, Wells Fargo, Sam Adams, Panera, Shake Shack, Dunkin’ Donuts, the two heavily-advertised insurance brands GEICO and Progressive, Domino’s, Subway, Marshall’s, Target, Home Depot and AT&T.

FACEBOOK REPPING VIDEO SITES Facebook is upping the ante in its competition with Google. In addition to selling video ads on its own Facebook and Instagram platforms it is now selling inventory on third-party sites through an expansion of its Audience Network, which had historically focused on direct response ads—but now is going after major brand marketers. Audience Network will deliver ads in both in-stream and in-article formats. In-stream video ads will play before, during or after (pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll) video content on third party apps and sites across mobile and desktop. These sites include popular video publishers like USA Today Sports Media Group. In–article video ads will appear on mobile pages of publishers, such as Daily Mail, between paragraphs of text and play automatically when at least half the pixels are viewable. In this format, the viewer must opt-in for sound. Facebook has not disclosed the revenue split.

ADVERTISER NEWS Mercedes-Benz is developing a new pickup truck it plans to debut this fall, but there’s no timetable for when the vehicle could go on sale in the U.S. “It’s whenever,” Mercedes USA CEO Dietmar Exler told Automotive News. “I don’t think we do ourselves a favor to come up with a defined timetable. It’s more important that we get it right”……Bevnet reports PepsiCo has completed a test of selling warmed soft drinks and teas at some CVS locations in the Boston market and is now evaluating the data

from the trial. Displayed in a countertop warming cabinet, the offerings included a SoBe green tea, a lemon-flavored Lipton tea, and a couple of non-carbonated drinks, apple-flavored Ripe Harvest and lemon-flavored Lemon Soothe……We’ve already reported that UnitedHealth Group is pulling out of most of the states in which it has sold policies under the Affordable Care Act, but now The Wall

Street Journal is reporting other insurers are looking at dropping out of a “growing number of mostly rural regions,” which could impact fourth quarter advertising in some markets. Among the major companies Humana has already said it will pull out of some areas, Anthem plans to stay in the 14 states in which it currently operates, Aetna says it’s possible it could expand and Cigna plans to add to the seven states in which it current offers ACA plans……Non-fuel identical store sales rose by 4.7% for Albertson’s in the quarter that ended on 2/27, with Safeway stores up 5.8%......Furniture Today says last week’s Census Bureau data shows April sales at furniture and home furnishings stores amounted to $9 billion, 3.6% better than in April,Continued on Page 2

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NETWORK NEWS FOX announced new dramas Lethal Weapon and The Exorcist to debut this fall, along with the new animated comedy Son of Zorn. The prized post-Super Bowl spot next February 6 will go to 24: Legacy for part one of a two-night premiere event. FOX says the 2016-2017 season will feature a schedule of nearly 90% original programming—the most in the network’s history. Oh, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show reimagined for TV will air in October……Co-star Justin Hires tweeted to fans that CBS will not bring Rush Hour back for a second season……The NBA Finals begin Thursday, June 2, on ABC, with Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night at 8:00 pm (ET), NBA Countdown at 8:30 pm (ET) and Game 1 at 9:00 pm (ET). A similar schedule is set for Game 2 on Sunday, June 5......The second leg of the Súper Clásico Liga MX between América and Chivas Sunday night on Univision Network with a simulcast on UDN averaged 2.7 million Total Viewers 2+ and 1.6 million Adults 18-49. Univision says that audience is larger than every NHL playoff game in the current 2015-16 season across all networks, regardless of language. The first leg on Thursday had averaged 1.4 million Total Viewers 2+ and 924,000 Adults 18-49.

SUNDAY RATINGS A night of season finales—Once Upon a Time, The Family and Quantico—gave ABC the demo win on Sunday night, while CBS, with 120 minutes of 60 Minutes, had the most viewers. The Nielsen overnights put ABC at an average 1.1 rating in Adults 18-49 and 2.4 in Households, with an average audience of 3.789 million. CBS was at 0.9 19-49, 5.0 HH and 7.749 million; FOX, with The Simpsons live stunt, 0.9 18-49, 1.2 HH and 2.146 million; NBC, with The Carmichael Show, 0.8 18-49, 2.8 HH and 4.416 million; Univision, with Liga MX QF: América vs. Chivas, 0.8 18-49, 1.0 HH and 1.944 million; and Telemundo, with La Voz Kids, 0.4 18-49, 0.6 HH and 1.220 million.

ADVERTISER NEWSContinued from Page 12015. But This Week In Consumer Electronics reports that for CE and appliance dealers the numbers were negative as $8.6 billion in sales was down about 2% from last year…… The TA Restaurant Group is offering a free kids meal with the purchase of an adult entrée at its Country Pride and Petro Iron Skillet banners until September 5th according to Convenience Store News. The restaurant group is part of TravelCenters of America, which includes the Minit Mart c-store brand……Cosi reported same-store sales up 1.5% at company-owned locations in the first quarter, but up more than double that (3.7%) at franchised units. However the company lost money again (it has never reported a quarterly profit as a publicly-held company) and again is looking to close a few underperforming locations. “Obviously, we’re not living in an ideal situation,” its CEO said. “We’re managing through the low point of our cash flow…But we’re not distracted by it.”

AVAILS Regional Sales Account Executive: Morgan Murphy Media, (WISC-TV, TVW, Channel3000.com, Phase 3 Digital, and Madison Magazine), Madison, WI is seeking an experienced transactional seller to join one of the few family-owned media companies in the country. Candidate must be a tough negotiator, have a deep understanding of Nielsen and comScore ratings, and must be able to build and maintain strong professional relationships. Send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to: hr@wisctv.com. EOE. Visit our website

at http://www.channel3000.com. KOAA5, the #1 NBC in beautiful Colorado Springs, CO, has an opening for Director of Sales. Cordillera ownership affords you bigger opportunities. Our present DOS was promoted to a newly created corporate DOS position, creating this opening. Must have a minimum 3-5 years of highly successful broadcast and digital sales management experience. We’re looking for a motivator and coach to

keep our team nourished and accountable in order to keep our clients successful and growing. Send credentials to: sales@koaa.com. EOE. WSMV-TV Nashville, TN the Meredith Corporation is searching for talented Account Executives that know how to achieve assigned revenue goals, solicit new advertisers and increase their share of business. If you are an experienced driven self-starter, ready for a move and would love to join our team and put satisfied advertisers on our station and digital properties please visit www.meredith.com/careers for more information see requisition #JR01606. Or, submit your resume directly to: Paul.Scott@wsmv.com. EOE. WJLA/NewsChannel 8 in Washington DC seeks a Sales Marketing Coordinator. The ideal candidate will support the WJLA/NewsChannel 8 Sales department in developing, managing and administering sales promotions and events. Responsibilities include assisting the GSM in proposal preparation, promotion execution, processing reports related to promotions and interfacing with all departments within the station. College degree preferred. Must be skilled in Microsoft Office, Photoshop and SBG sales related systems, have strong analytical ability. CLICK HERE to apply. EOE/Drug Free workplace. T Media Sales, a national rep firm, located in Los Angeles seeks a highly motivated, detail oriented sales assistant. This position will provide valuable support

for the sales team from order entry to contract management; relationships with buyers and network clients. The ideal candidate will be a resourceful

problem-solver, have excellent communication skills, and be a team player. He or she must be well-organized and be able to multi-task. Proficiency with Microsoft Office; Excel, Word and PowerPoint is a must. College degree preferred. Send resume to: jobs@tmediasales.com5/17/2016

I think the most interesting thing about this bathroom bill is that ‘Bathroom Bill’ sounds

like the perfect name for a bathroom pervert.

Colin Jost

The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com

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RETAILERS OVERDOSING ON DISCOUNTING Retailers are relying heavily on discounts and promotions thus far in 2016, continuing the trend from the 2015 holiday season of pulling the promotional “lever” far too often, according to the DynamicAction Retail Index: Spring 2016. The findings were released at the inaugural Shoptalk conference in Las Vegas. One key finding is that retailers sold less at full price in Q1 of 2016 vs. a year ago, with full-price sales down 4% for the quarter and orders using a promotion up 63%. March was an especially promotional month, with an 86% increase in orders using promotions compared to 2015. Unfortunately, retailers found it harder to convert first-time buyers into second-time buyers, with those conversions down 6% from a year ago. While revenues were up 10% in the first quarter compared to 2015, retailers’ ability to control profit has been unstable in early 2016. Retail profits were up an average 5.2% year-over-year in Q1; however, most gains occurred in January, with increasing volatility in February and March, according to the report. “The antiquated strategy of retailers relying exclusively on their promotional calendars to run their operations has fostered an ingrained need for discounts by consumers, who are increasingly being trained to wait for promotions or discounts prior to making a purchase,” said John Squire, CEO of DynamicAction. In his view, the best retailers are preparing now for the Holiday Season of 2016 “by focusing on curbing the promotional addiction and utilizing their full data set to better manage inventory and operations.”

COMPETITIVE INFO Gannett has increased its takeover bid for Tribune Publishing by 22% to $475 million. That’s not including some $385 million of debt to be assumed. Tribune had said the original bid undervalued the company and its board is now looking at the revised offer.

NBCU GOES ALL OUT FOR UPFRONT NBCUniversal promised “the biggest Upfront that has ever existed,” and Adweek says the Comcast video unit delivered—rolling together two broadcast networks, 15 cable networks and all of its digital properties in under two hours. Adweek called the extravaganza “a dizzying blur of sizzle reels and celebs.” “Today’s upfront combines the strongest broadcaster and the strongest cable company,” said NBCU president and CEO Steve Burke. Instead of network by network, night by night, the company touted its portfolio “by fanbase,” with Linda Yaccarino, chairman of advertising sales and client partnerships, saying that’s the way audiences experience the company’s content. Yaccarino pushed back against the claims from various digital video players during the NewFronts, claiming that “the average American spends seven times as many hours watching television as they do on Facebook” and watches television 15 times as much as YouTube. She also took a shot at Nielsen, saying “and really, who needs C3 when you have ATP, our audience targeting platform.”

AVAILS WYFF 4, the Hearst NBC affiliate in beautiful Greenville, (37th DMA) has an opportunity for an experienced Account Executive, selling the #1 Television, Web and Mobile advertising platforms in South Carolina. We are seeking a highly motivated and creative professional to develop new business, strengthen existing relationships, generate revenue across multiple product lines and grow revenue with existing clients. If you’re unfamiliar with our market, Google “Greenville, SC Top 10” and see why everybody wants to live here. CLICK HERE to apply. EOE.

KXRM-TV, FOX & CW affiliates, in beautiful Colorado Springs, CO is looking for a Director of Sales. The DOS is responsible for leading, teaching, and motivating the sales team and with growing local revenue. The DOS will also direct and coordinate activities involving digital sales. Must have a strong emphasis on developing new business. Minimum of three years of sales management experience. Send cover letter/resume to: Steve

Dant, V.P./GM at sdant@kxrm.com, or apply online at www.mediageneral.com. EOE. WJLA-TV/NewsChannel 8 in Washington DC is seeking a Sales Research Analyst for our sales department, devoted to using market research to help our sellers achieve greater shares of business. We prefer candidates with experience in sales, marketing, and statistical usage. This position will create client-focused, solution-based research presenta t ions and sales pieces demonstrat ing the value of our station’s a u d i e n c e d e l i v e r i e s . Proficient in Microsoft Office is a must. CLICK HERE for more info or to apply now. EOE/Drug Free Workplace.

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THIS AND THAT Ford says 6,500 people from around the world applied online to buy one of the first 500 2017 Ford GTs, described as an “EcoBoost-powered, carbon-fiber supercar.” Creative applicants submitted videos which featured children, lighting effects, racing footage, revving engines, garage tours and life stories to show why they should own the all-new Ford GT. The lucky few who get to part with over $400,000 will be notified within 90 days……Warren Buffett is active in the tech word these days. His Berkshire Hathaway has bought nearly a billion dollars’ worth of Apple stock and Buffett says he may help bankroll the effort by Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert to buy Yahoo……Office Depot has announced formal termination of its merger with Staples, which was blocked by a federal court on antitrust grounds. Office Depot is due to receive its $250 million break-up fee from Staples this Thursday. But what then? Office Depot says it has engaged Bain & Company for a strategic review of its business.5/17/2016

North Korea’s ruling political party will be giving leader Kim Jong Un a new title. I’m gonna guess: Is it the

heavyweight title?

Seth Meyers