Automotive Kiosk 'Sam' Scans Analyzes And Reports Important Vehicle Information
Motorists no longer need to wonder or worry when the "Check Engine" or other dashboard warning lights appear or when they have a concern about the condition of their vehicle-now they can use the Smart Auto Management "SAM" self-service kiosk.
SAM taps into a vehicle's On Board Diagnostic system and prints an easy-to-understand report that reveals existing or pending problems and provides peace of mind when no problem exists. When drivers pull up to a SAM kiosk, an instructional video will guide them through a simple four-step process. The SAM kiosk checks over 2,000 fault codes to provide vital information about their vehicle and a printout on the spot for $15.
"Before SAM, motorists didn't have easy access to their vehicle's On Board Diagnostic system," said Art Jacobsen, Program Director of Smart Auto Management, a subsidiary of Environmental Systems Products Holdings. "SAM allows drivers to make smart decisions that can impact vehicle maintenance costs and safety, and allows them to reach their destination with confidence."
SAM kiosks are currently located at automotive care and emission testing center locations across Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Raleigh and Northern California, and will be followed by a national rollout.
Befine Endcap Display.This endcap was the launch vehicle for the new Befine skin care brand, with the primary objective being to visually create a sense of the brand as being based on food. The merchandising challenge was for the unit to stand out, yet convey a sense of “natural” within the visually competitive environment of a drug store. The display's tagline, "Is Your Skin Hungry? Treat It To A Feast of 181 Ingredients," stops the consumer as does the initial impression of fresh "greenness." The display is shipped fully assembled, and it has a small footprint. Created by Menasha Display Group, 601 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19134.(Web site) www.menashadisplay.com
Sue Bee Honey Displays Promote 'The Apprentice'
Sue Bee Honey was recently the featured product on the fifth episode of NBC's "The Apprentice: Los Angeles," where two teams develop a start-to-finish marketing campaign for the Sue Bee product line.
SKAR Advertising, the ad agency representing Sue Bee Honey, developed in-store shipper displays, to promote the product's appearance on the show.
PumpMedia Teams With Real Digital Media And Avocent To Offer Digital Signage Solution For Gas Station Retailers
PumpMedia, an outdoor media company, has joined with Real Digital Media, a leading provider of digital signage products and Avocent Corporation, a leading provider of IT infrastructure management solutions, to provide a fully integrated digital signage solution for gas station environments.
The first-of-its-kind solution combines Real Digital Media’s NEOCAST digital signage platform and Avocent’s Emerge ™ MPX1000 HD multipoint extender solution with PumpMedia's pump top video enclosure, enabling fuel retailers to implement digital signage at the pump.
For more information, contact Pump Media (Tel) 800-597-4439, (Web) www.pumpmedia.com, Avocent, (Tel) 256-430-4000, (Web site) www.avocent.com, or Real Digital Media, (Tel) 941-951-0130 (Web site) www.realdigitalmedia.com
Sprint Nextel Unveils 2007 NEXTEL Experience
Sprint Nextel is opening a revamped NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series-themed mobile-marketing display, known as the NEXTEL Experience, at Daytona International Speedway.
The NEXTEL Experience, which first launched in 2004, is a 10,000-square-foot interactive fan exhibit focused on Sprint Nextel products and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series displays. The exhibit, designed and managed by JHE Production Group, will be open at every NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race this season. Admission is complimentary.
"Through our sponsorship of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, we strive to bring the fans closer to the sport, and the NEXTEL Experience is one of our most visible ways of achieving that goal," said Dean Kessel, Director of NEXTEL Cup Series Marketing for Sprint Nextel. "It provides a great place for race fans to sample our technology, listen to driver question-and-answer sessions, and learn more about the sport through our multi-dimensional show in the NEXTEL Theater."
Toyota Launches 'Tundra Prove It!' Tour Nationwide
Toyota has launched the "Tundra Prove It!" national tour to provide consumers with a firsthand opportunity to experience the all-new 2007 Toyota Tundra while showcasing its powerful, rugged capabilities.
The tour will travel throughout the country visiting approximately 350 markets over the next 10 months. Driving courses features several real-life situations for the drivers to test out the Tundra including: a fully loaded vehicle to show payload capacity; a vehicle towing 10,000 lbs. to demonstrate towing performance; a demonstration of the Tundra's automatic limited slip differential; an "acceleration run to demonstrate speed and a braking zone to demonstrate one of the best braking systems in its class.
To create a tailgate atmosphere at major events, Toyota has formed a partnership with Char-Broil and Johnsonville to build a 100,000 pound, 18-foot long, 15-foot high, giant grill that will be towed by the Tundra.
"Tundra Prove It! is something unique for Toyota," said Brian Smith, Toyota Motor Sales, Corporate Manager, Truck Operations. "This program doesn't just put consumers behind the wheel, it lets them test the truck in the way they will really use it-towing, payload capacity, braking-you name it, you can test the Tundra's abilities on this tour."
Grey Goose Vodka Unveils La Poire
Grey Goose is setting a precedent in the vodka industry by introducing Grey Goose La Poire Flavored Vodka, the first super premium pear-flavored vodka in the U.S. The first new flavor from the brand since the launch of La Vanille in 2003, La Poire delivers a superior taste and style making it a natural extension of the Grey Goose Vodka family.
Silk Soy Milk Enhanced With Fiber & Omega-3 DHA Introduced
Silk is introducing two new varieties of its soymilk, Silk Plus Omega-3 DHA with Martek's life's DHA and Silk Plus Fiber. Both new varieties offer nutritionally dense and very smart solutions by incorporating all the vitamins, minerals and heart-healthy soy protein of regular Silk, plus added fiber or Omega-3 DHA.
"Silk has always delivered great tasting, high quality soy products to health-minded consumers," said Doug Radi, Silk's Director of Marketing. "By introducing Silk Plus Omega-3 DHA with life's DHA and Silk Plus Fiber, we continue to meet their needs and provide even better choices that fit into their healthy lifestyles."
Sheryl Crow Launches New Revlon Colorist
Revlon has launched Revlon Colorist, a new line of premium hair color products with a revolutionary weekly anti-fade Colorglaze and has named Sheryl Crow as Colorist's spokesperson. Revlon Colorist is the first-to-market haircolor system that uniquely delivers one of the most sought-after features in home haircolor: fade resistant color. The line is available in 26 vibrant shades. The product will be supported by a multimedia campaign that will include television, print, in-store and internet placements featuring Crow's original version of the Buddy Holly hit, "Not Fade Away." In addition to her role as spokesperson for Revlon Colorist, Crow will serve on the advisory board of The Revlon/UCLA Women' Cancer Research Program's national clinical network of oncologists.
"We are thrilled to launch this revolutionary product with Sheryl Crow as our spokesperson," said Debra Dowd, Vie President of Marketing for Revlon's hair business. "The 'Not Fade Away' message stays true to our product as well as to Sheryl's determination and commitment to women's issues."
Henry Weinhard's Organic Amber Premium Ale Introduced
Henry Weinhard's, a pioneering producer of small-batch handcrafted beer in the Pacific Northwest, has introduced Weinhard's Organic Amber Premium Ale. Born from locally grown organic barley and natural hops, Organic Amber Premium Ale is USDA-certified organic.
"To tap into the growing interest in organic food and beverages, we have created a beer that features the natural purity of premium ingredients from the Pacific Northwest," said Scott Ortega, Brand Director for Henry Weinhard's craft beers.
The Goodlife Recipe Brand Launches For Cats & Dogs
The Goodlife Recipe brand is a new line of pet food products including a full line of main meals, snacks and treats for cats and dogs. Each product is made from a balanced recipe that never compromises on either taste pets want or the nutrition they need. With full distribution by mid-March, the products boast a recipe of six key ingredient groups blended to provide the perfect balance of great taste and nutrition.
No nonsense Footless Tights Available At Food & Drug Stores
Fashion trends show that legwear has made a major comeback, especially footless tights. A new line of No nonsense footless tights called footless and fancy free ®, has hit major food, drug and mass retailers. No nonsense footless and fancy free tights are the latest evidence of the brand's ability to meet consumers' increasing demands for brands that offer both style and solutions.
Kohl's Launches Tony Hawk Shoe Collection
Kohl's is partnering with skateboarding icon, Tony Hawk, to launch the Tony Hawk footwear collection. The license encompasses a range of footwear products including fashion skate shoes and sandals, and is currently being sold exclusively in all Kohl's stores.
JCPenney To Launch American Living Brand
JCPenney plans to launch American Living, a new lifestyle brand created exclusively for the JCPenney customer by Polo Ralph Lauren's Global Brand Concepts. The launch will be the largest in JCPenney's history and will include a full range of merchandise for women, men and children as well as intimate apparel, accessories and home. The American Living brand will be available in JCPenney's stores in spring 2008.
Publix Opens GreenWise Markets
After in-depth studies of the health, natural and organic sectors, Publix Super Markets is opening Publix GreenWise Markets in Florida. The first Publix GreenWise market is expected to open later this year in Palm Beach Gardens.
"We have seen exceptional growth in the health, natural and organic food areas of our traditional stores," said Maria Brous, Publix. "Publix GreenWise markets will allow for an environment focused on natural foods as well as provide a venue with an emphasis on prepared foods."
Seagate Partners With Fry's Electronics To Offer In-Store Data Recovery Services
Seagate Technology and Fry's Electronics have formed a strategic partnership in which Fry's Electronics will provide Seagate's renowned data recovery services through 33 of its retail locations.
Fry's stores are now equipped with a revolutionary software solution allowing in-store service technicians to conduct on-site data recovery service assessments and present service price quotations on all brands of hard disc drives. This diagnostic software tool is the cornerstone to a process that promises a pleasant, hassle-free experience for Fry's customers.
Celebrity Cruises To Offer Leapfrog SchoolHouse Programs Onboard
Celebrity Cruises is enhancing its onboard activities for kids by working with LeapFrog SchoolHouse to provide engaging, multi-sensory learning tools and instruction that align with Celebrity's travel itineraries around the world.
LeaFrog SchoolHouse worked with Celebrity to make available onboard a variety of their most popular products, and created six exclusive educational modules for children ages 3 through 9.
The new programming onboard focuses on topics including dinosaurs, science and space, sports, the world, art and music and wildlife. Additional activities tailored to specific Celebrity itineraries also have been developed to enlighten and entertain children.
"Shipboard youth programs typically are designed to provide kids with fun activities while cruising," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity's Vice President of Entertainment & Activities. "Our goal is to go beyond that concept, providing kids with an environment where they can learn while also having a great time."
Coach Plans Legacy Boutiques To Pilot New Collections
Coach, Inc. plans to open two Coach Legacy boutiques this fall, which will be located in neighborhoods well known for their stylish shoppers: Robertson Blvd. in Los Angeles and Bleecker Street in New York's Greenwich Village. These concept boutiques will reflect a more intimate store design to showcase an edited assortment of Coach's more innovative product offering, including limited edition items that will be unique to these stores.
"The new Legacy concept boutiques will provide a different take on Coach, conveying the intimacy of the brand and giving us the opportunity to expand our appeal with our more sophisticated consumer, as our limited edition product becomes a more important part of our offering," said Lew Frankfort, Chairman and CEO of Coach. "Further, we view these boutiques as laboratories, where we can pilot emerging collections, which represent the next evolution of the brand. We will leverage the intimacy that this smaller boutique environment will provide to feature our most innovative products. Ultimately, this will fuel brand excitement, impacting our entire retail store base."
The interiors of both stores will be inspired by the legacy shop-in-shop at Coach's Madison Avenue flagship store and will utilize wood plank flooring with wall treatments of Venetian plaster and traditional paneling painted white. A residential feel will be created by the use of furniture and displays built of natural wood and polished bronze finishes. The layout will be a combination of both large and small scaled elements to present the wide range of product. The layering of stylized visual and decorative elements will also reinforce the lifestyling of the brand. The merchandise offering will include handbags, small leather goods, footwear, outerwear, sunwear, fragrance, jewelry and related accessories.
NBA Names G. Zarr EVP Of Mktg. & Comm.
Gary Zarr has joined the NBA as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications, responsible for all of the league's domestic and international marketing and communications functions. Previously, Zarr was the Senior Vice President for Communications & Business Development for the American Museum of Natural History.
Applebee's Names G. Williams CMO
Applebee's International has named George Williams as the company's new Chief Marketing Officer. Williams is the former Senior Vice President of Marketing for Blockbuster, Inc. where he led marketing efforts from 1997-2002. Most recently, he served as a private marketing consultant. At Applebee's Williams will be responsible for marketing and advertising as well as the overall direction of Applebee's food and menu strategy.
Supervalu Appoints S. Parker Sr. V.P. & CMO
Supervalu has named Susan Parker to the newly created position of Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Parker will be responsible for directing the brand positioning and marketing strategy for the Company's portfolio of grocery and pharmacy retail banners. Parker has more than 25 years of consumer marketing experience, including 16 years with Southwest Airlines, where she most recently served as Senior Director of Marketing.
ForeverGreen Appoints Huang Sr. V.P. of Mktg.
ForeverGreen Worldwide, a Provo, UT-based manufacturer and distributor of all natural whole foods, has named Brenda Huang as its Senior Vice President of Marketing. Prior to her appointment at ForeverGreen, Huang managed Asian operations growth in Taiwan and Hong Kong for Morinda, Inc., better known as Tahitian Noni.
Saks Names C. Biggs EVP For Store Visual
Saks Fifth Avenue has named Carolyn Biggs Executive Vice President for Stores, Store Visual, Planning and Construction. Biggs will have accountability for the New York City flagship stores as well as store visual, planning and construction, in addition to her current role as Senior Vice President of Stores.
Hershey's To Offer 'Sweet Seats' To World Series of Poker
Consumers have a chance to win "Sweet Seats" to the World Series of Poker Main Event, as part of an agreement between Harrah's Entertainment and The Hershey Company.
Hershey will launch a unique consumer promotion awarding two "Sweet Seats" to the World Series of Poker Main Event along with secondary prizes including trips to Las Vegas. The promotion is scheduled to hit in-store displays April through June throughout the U.S. More than 20,000 display units of Hershey's standard bar chocolate products will feature the World Series of Poker logo and "Sweet Seats" sweepstakes.
Alcone Named Agency For Milk-Bone & Meaty Bone Brands
Alcone Marketing Group has been named the sales promotion agency of record for the Milk-Bone and Meaty Bone brands, marketed by Del Monte Pet Products. Alcone will provide integrated marketing, planning, management and implementation for both brands.
Valassis Names M. Kowalczyk Sr. V.P. Of New In-Store Division
Valassis, a leading company in marketing services and Connective Media ™, has named Michael Kowalczyk to the newly created position of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Valassis In-Store Marketing. In his new role, Kowalczyk wil be responsible for developing strategic in-store partners, looking at future in-store strategic selling partnerships and new in-store product development. Prior to joining Valassis, Kowalczyk was with the BCB Group, a marketing think tank for new product introductions and American Greetings where he lead trade and brand marketing.
Display Products Becomes Radius Display Products
Display Products, a pioneer of fabric trade show exhibits, will now be known as Radius Display Products. "The new name draws from the 30 years of equity in both the Display Products and Radius portable display brands, and allows us to market more effectively as one company," said Tim Lightfoot, President of Radius Display Products. For more information on the Company and its products, visit the new web site at (Web site) www.radiusdp.com
Environmental Recycling Exhibits At Fence Technology Show
Environmental Recycling Technologies exhibited its new Lifecycle ® brand of wood/plastic composite fencing at the American Fence Association's 45th Annual Fence Technology show, which was recently held in Orlando, FL. The exhibit portrayed the benefits of AERT Lifecycle Fencing. "Fencing is a natural extension of our existing brands of premium composite products, which are all made from recycled plastic," explained Joe Brooks, AERT Chairman.
General Motors 2007 North American International Auto Show Exhibits
General Motors recently showcased its brands in style at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. When show visitors stepped inside the 121,000-square-foot General Motors exhibit, they experienced more than beautifully designed cars and trucks-the GM exhibit, the show's largest, was transformed into the auto show equivalent of an art gallery. A more intuitive layout supported by enhanced, high tech overhead and vehicle lighting; open spaces and clean lines; minimalist architecture and premium materials, allowed visitors to experience GM's eight distinctive brands in unique, gallery-type settings within a unified, GM-themed environment. The individual brand displays surrounded GM's advanced technology-themed corporate display. Visitors will know they've arrived at a special destination the moment they approach the exhibit, with its dramatic center entrance featuring a stainless steel ribbon 261 feet wide and 26 feet high, sporting a jeweled GM corporate logo. Throughout the exhibit, 615 linear feet of LED lighting was suspended above visitors' heads, complemented by additional lighting in the brand displays that bathed the vehicles in light. Each of the brand areas had back wall video projection for product messages, as well as synchronized corporate messages. The individual brand displays surrounded GM's corporate exhibit, featuring LED screens and projected laser images on glass that demonstrated GM's vision for reinventing the automobile.
H.B. Stubbs Appts. Fred Sherry, VP Strategic Planning
H.B. Stubbs Companies, Warren, MI, has appointed Fred Sherry as Vice President, Strategic Planning, reporting to Scott Stubbs, President & CEO. Sherry will be responsible for creating and implementing strategic corporate and new business strategies. Prior to joining H.B. Stubbs, Sherry was President and owner of Regan Productions, a developer and producer of marketing and communications programs.
AP Graphics Offers 3D Graphics
AP Graphics is the exclusive U.S. distributor of a three dimensional relief printing process known as AP3D. This printing process is a more dynamic alternative to flat one dimensional printing, and can be used in a myriad of ways including point-of-purchase displays, case cards, standees, full size posters, backlit signage, counter cards and danglers. For more information, contact AP Graphics, 250 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013; (Tel) 212-645-1792, (Fax) 212-645-6204, (Web site) www.apgraphicsinc.com
