Chief Marketer Staff

• Live from PROMO Expo: Yahoo Tops Awards

  Yahoo took top honors at the PRO Awards in Chicago last night for its Billboard Dating campaign for Yahoo Personals. The campaign also won first place in the Building Brand Awareness and Trial and Innovative Communication Strategy categories. The …

• Live from PROMO Expo: Activation Is More Than Just Signage

  It’s a mantra that’s been repeated in a number of sessions: If you’re going to buy a sponsorship, you better save some cash to activate it. Coca-Cola learned that tough lesson a few years back when it bought a NASCAR race sponsorship but didn’t follow …

• Live from PROMO Expo: Buzzing on a Budget

  If you think buzz marketing only works on young, hipster types, think again. Financial services and B-to-B companies, makers of household cleaning products, the travel and tourism industries and the makers of luxury goods are all finding success by …

• Agencies

  Warner Home Video Stirs Up Some Magic with Harry Potter

  Harry Potter fans may find themselves under the greatest spell of all: a face-to-face with author J.K. Rowling. Warner Home Video is out with an online sweeps to promote the Nov. 23 release of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on DVD and VHS. …

• Fraud Rises in Tandem with Online Sales

  (Direct Newsline)—Online marketers are expected to suffer more than $2.6 billion in fraud losses this year, roughly $700 million more than last year, which reflects a 37% overall increase in sales lost to fraud, according to survey findings released by …

• Alcone Wins Heineken’s Mexican Beer Brands Business

  Heineken USA has named Alcone Marketing Group as its promotions agency of record for its FEMSA Cerveza Mexican brands. The deal includes the Dos Equis, Tecate, Sol, Bohemia and Carta Blanca brands in the U.S. Earlier this year, White Plains, NY-based …

• News Briefs

  WARNER BROS. ONLINE: and T-Mobile International have teamed to bring iconic Warner Bros. Entertainment brand and information on upcoming properties to T-Mobile customers in Europe. PEPSI-COLA: has signed a multi-year agreement to be the official …

• Nautilus Group Recalls Some Bowflex Machines

  The Nautilus Group is recalling two of its home fitness systems: Bowflex Power Pro and Bowflex Ultimate models. According to a published report, the recall affects 680,000 Bowflex Power Pro systems and 102,000 Bowflex Ultimate Fitness Machines.

• Vermont Teddy Bear Shows Slight Loss in Weakest Quarter

  Vermont Teddy Bear, Shelburne, VT, generated $6.1 million in first-quarter revenue, up from just under $5 million in first-quarter 2003. The company

• With Clinton Library Opening Nearby, Acxiom Tells Staff “Leave Guns Home”

  Wire service reports yesterday claimed that an internal memo from Acxiom Corp. requested that employees leave their rifles home, as the company