According to Wayne Freidman’s story in MediaDailyNews, strong toy ad dollars on kids' TV networks are fueling a surprisingly higher-priced third and fourth-quarter selling period. The kids’ food category, however, isn't fairing so well. Translating that for those of you who are not media buyers, this is the time of year when big dollars are at stake, ramping up for the holiday toy retail – uh, - what’s the word? Madness.
Kids' marketers typically spend heavily in the fourth quarter and especially in the so-called "hard eight" or 10 weeks before the Christmas holiday. So what’s new? In spite of a sluggish economy, the advertising CPM in key demo kids' groups is soaring -- up 20% to 30% or more over an already strong 2010-2011 kids' upfront market.
Freidman says the market is so hot, certain networks are sold out in specific days/weeks. Big kids' retailers Wal-Mart, Target and Toys 'R Us are using their clout to pressure even modest-size toy manufacturers to spend heavily on television.
Continuing to lose steam, however, is the kids' food category.
Food marketers had been curtailing efforts, especially around rising kids' health and obesity issues. Sara Lee Corp., for example, recently said it would limit its kids' TV marketing under an industry-wide initiative. Sara Lee joins 16 other companies, including Burger King, Campbell Soup Company, Coke and Pepsi, Dannon, General Mills, Hershey, Kellogg, Kraft Foods, Mars, McDonald's and Nestlé. I learned about this intitative early this year and, believe me, it’s not going away.
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