Introductory Note: Rounding up all of the goodness that is the world of television cross-promotion.

Continue reading Cross Promotion Junction: 1/19/06

• Seems that the problem with the mass adoption of mobile advertising on the part of companies is the fact that there's little to no interest from consumers. Only a small percentage of those people with video-enabled phones actually view video on their phones so, you know, that's a problem.
• Procter & Gamble has engaged a small Cincinnati firm to start doing some ad work for it. Everyone is apparently falling over themselves talking about how risky this makes P&G seem.
• Kimberly-Clark's "Room-a-day" promotion on ABC's "The View" will have to be wedged inbetween Rosie O'Donnell's ongoing war of words with Donald Trump, Elizabeth Hasslebeck's crying and Barbara Walters trying to remain dignified during all of this.

• Nielsen BuzzMetrics has released what it's labeling as the most popular blog posts of 2006. Based on this list it looks like most people were interested in Keith Olberman's "Special Comments" and Technorati head David Sifry's updates on how the blogosphere was doing.
  
• Nielsen also lists the most often cited Wikipedia entries, with "Web 2.0" coming in at the top of the heap. The community edited site is also a popular resource for people looking for movie information and other pop culture items.
  
• I've said it before and I'll say it again: Fewer people will be annoyed by mobile device marketing if it's based around a series of user-generated permissions and if those people get something in exchange for the ads.

• Bob at TV Squad provides a little background on the guy who played "Peter" in those classic Christmas-themed Folger's Coffee commercial.
• Also at TVS, Joel points to another list from Giant Magazine of 50 more of the greatest commercials.
• Both Engadget and PSP Fanboy dive into the fake blog created by Sony for their PSP. The blog initially seemed to be from a fan who wanted to get a buddy a PSP but turned out to be corporately produced.
  
• Engadget also is providing their own take on the DirecTV/Time Warner false-advertising kerfluffle that we talked about previously.
• And one more from Engadget: This time it's about an outdoor LED billboard that was powered by someone pedaling away on a stationary bike.

Continue reading Previously on WIN

• Circuit City has reportedly awarded its ad account to Euro RSCG, though no one is officially confirming that news. The change comes, unsurprisingly, after the arrival of a new CMO. Circuit City spent $315 million in 2005.
• Mobile marketing seems to have moved off the sidelines and is now part of the formal plans from many big companies. P&G, along with a number of other companies, are upping their mobile budgets and making them actual items within that budget as opposed to trials that came out of discretionary funds.
• Scripps Network is trying to convince everyone that it's not consumer engagement that matters but their "receptivity" to ads. They're using their findings to push channels like their own DIY network that promote active thinking in the audience, something they say leads to higher levels of receptiveness in that audience.
  

• Advertisers are breathing a sigh of relief that Fox canceled their planned special on O.J. Simpson. Some had actively called Fox telling the network to not play their spots during the show, others said that they were never contacted in the first place.
  
• Sprint Nextel will begin selling ad space on their "decks," the landing pages cell customers see when they access the web on their phones. The company is raising some privacy concerns over how they're doing it, which is selling ads based on user's behavior.
  
• Wireless broadband provider Clearwire is looking for a new agency of record. The WiMax company is looking for an agency as it expands operations. Incumbent St. John & Partners, which helped the company launch, is among those participating in the review.
  

• PVR Wire talks about BlackArrow, a company that allows for dynamic and changing ad insertion within TV shows on the web.
  
• Blogging Ohio says that about 90 people at the Columbus Dispatch will lose their jobs when the paper outsources the design of their local advertising.
• Engadget speculates on how a special concrete that's embedded with light fibers could be used for light-display advertising on the sides of office buildings.
  
• Engadget continues its coverage of outdoor advertising by showing off Leo Burnett's billboards that feature mascara that runs when it rains.
• According to Download Squad, Boxbe lets people sign-up to get what amount to junk emails. The catch is that you're opting-in and the companies sending out the emails are charged a fee, which the end-user then splits with Boxbe.
• Also at Download Squad we learn of Google's idea that cell phones should be free in exchange for people opting in to targeted advertising.
• Starbucks "Cheerpass" holiday promotion gets another look thanks to Slash Food.
• Joystiq says Nintendo plans to spend over $200 million to promote their new Wii game console in an effort to not let it slip into obscurity. It's not all about advertising, though, with several events, product placement opportunities and more.
• Joystiq also complains about how high-quality screenshots from video games are not exactly accurate representations of game-play.
• Joel at TV Squad calls NBC's promotions department a "bunch of putzes" for spoiling most of the surprise guest stars on this past weekend's episode of "Saturday Night Live."
• Joel also passes on a list of perfectly good pop songs that were ruined by being included in awful commercials.
• Blogging Stocks says Time Inc.'s ad revenue was down overall in October and the rest of the fourth quarter ain't looking any better.