Chief Marketer Staff

• Agencies

  McDonald’s Ramps Up Happy Meal Premiums

  McDonald’s is out with the first of four summer promotions around Happy Meal premiums, tying the popular menu item with a top retailer and two major films.

• Agencies

  Giftybox Launches National Gift Pass Experiences

  Giftybox is putting its own unique spin on its incentive offerings, extending its regional gift-pass experience program nationally this summer.

• Agencies

  New Products at the Incentive Show

  Bath & Body Works was once again offering 2-ounce samples of its lotions to the crowds of attendees lining its booth at the recent Incentive Show after conducting a test to see how not giving out the samples would bode with attendees at last year’s Motivation Show. The answer? Attendees want some samples.

• Agencies

  Greyhound Rewards Road Warriors

  Greyhound Lines, Inc. has launched its first loyalty program called Road Rewards giving special offers to customers who purchase tickets on the transportation company’s Web site.

• Smirnoff Puts New Cocktail Consultant to Work

  In March, Smirnoff vodka began searching for an “enthusiastic drinks guru” to delve into the culture of cocktails, report its findings and represent the brand. It didn’t take long to unearth the perfect candidate.

• Social

  Burger King Ups the Ante with MySpace.com

  In its biggest youth-marketing move to date, Burger King is following millions of teenagers straight to MySpace.com, one the most popular online communities for the young to meet, chat and socialize.

• Agencies

  CVS Triples Online Rewards for ExtraCare Cardholders

  Drug store chain CVS boosts online shopping with a short-term promotion for its ExtraCare loyalty card

• Kid-Friendly Wellness Brands Can Boost Center-Store: Report

  Grocers can harness kid-targeted health and wellness brands to reinvigorate center-store sales and address parents’ concerns about childhood obesity.

• Agencies

  The Perfect Storm: Response Metrics and Digital TV

  John Wanamaker, the father of the department store, described the classic dilemma in advertising: “I know half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half.” Direct marketers have long believed that they have the answer. But do they?

• Digital

  Click Fraud: Energizer Bunny of Search Headaches

  Anyone who thought click fraud could be solved with a blanket settlement, take a step forward. Not so fast, Google.