Despite a temporary halt of TV advertising on the part of many marketers due to the outbreak of war last week, brands are going forward with promotions as planned, including today’s launch of McDonald’s new Winning Time game.
McDonald’s did cut back on pre-promotional TV spots last week but, “The game will start as planned,” said Douglas Freeland, director of U.S. marketing at Oak Brook, IL-based McDonald’s. “We started planning this last summer with March 25 in mind, so we’re going forward as scheduled to run the game for four weeks.”
Winning Time will distribute game pieces in restaurants, giving away prizes ranging from cash to luxury cars. The Marketing Store, Oak Brook, IL, handles.
Elsewhere, MasterCard International says it will go forward with its Priceless Night on the Town Sweepstakes next month, despite shelving TV spots for the campaign for one week starting last Thursday (with the exception of running a Priceless spot during Sunday’s Academy Awards). “This won’t have any effect on our promotions,” said Purchase, NY-based MasterCard spokesperson Marc Levy.
Research firm Yankelovich is advising brands to keep marketing and has issued guidelines for marketers during the war with Iraq.
“If the American economy stumbles because of war with Iraq, there is a real impact from the loss of jobs, income and productivity,” said president J. Walker Smith. “Marketing during wartime is not just about selling products, it’s about sustaining the viability and strength of the marketplace.”
Yankelovich advises:
* Don’t send consumers the wrong signal by retrenching or stopping all marketing.
* Avoid flag-waving.
* Provide comfort and connection with small indulgences and products for home and family.
* Concentrate on your best customers, with less prospecting and more focus on maintaining your existing customer base.
* Segment customers by war worries and formulate marketing plans accordingly.
*Increase your presence in media focused on specific lifestyle interests.
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