Quick: What do phallic images, a buxom brunette escort, slyly worded sexual innuendo and divorce jokes bring to mind?
Sirius Satellite Radio hopes it's Howard Stern.
On Sunday, the No. 2 satellite radio company launches a TV ad campaign to promote Stern's move from terrestrial to satellite radio. It follows a massive e-mail effort started Thursday. Billboard, movie theater and Internet ads are in the mix, too.
Just one thing's missing: Stern's face. That's "because he has been, and still is, an employee of Infinity (Broadcasting)," says Sirius spokesman Patrick Reilly. "As of Jan. 1, we can, and will, use his likeness."
But that hasn't stopped Sirius from creatively hyping Stern's Jan. 9 debut on satellite.
Sunday's TV ad shows a man in a restaurant about to dump his wife - until she gives him a Sirius radio as a present. "You gave me Howard Stern. ... I love you," he coos across the table. Then he waves away a waiter bringing a cake that says, "I want a divorce."
The big-budget marketing is on top of $100 million Sirius is shelling out annually in a five-year deal for Stern's star power to bulk up its subscriber base.
"It's a big bet," says Forrester Research analyst Ted Schadler. To increase the odds of success, "They're clearly doing all they can to align themselves with his (current) listeners," he says.
"The goal was always that no one in America wouldn't know that Howard is coming," says Scott Greenstein, Sirius president of entertainment and sports. Here's what Sirius is doing to hype Stern:
•Mass advertising. In addition to the TV spot, Sirius is using billboard and newspaper ads in markets where Stern's current show is strong, such as New York and Los Angeles. The copy in one: "On Jan. 9 the gloves are coming off ... and maybe some tops." Sirius also created a movie-theater ad that has stars form a constellation in the shape of a penis.
• Internet viral marketing. On Thursday, an e-mail went to more than 300,000 Stern fans to pass on to friends. It linked to a sexy brunette offering virtual tours of Stern's studio. An earlier e-mail offered a peek at the cinema ad before it ran on screens. Hitting Stern's fan base with e-mail is a key component of the campaign, says Greenstein.
Targeting them is smart, says branding expert Allen Adamson, because core fans are the easiest to convert to Sirius subscribers. And, he says, they'll likely spread the e-mail. "It's a networking thing," says Adamson. "Howard fans talk to other Howard fans."
• PR bonanza. Sirius' publicity department spent the fall plotting the impressive PR blitz now unfolding. Working with Dan Klores Communications, they got Stern booked on TV shows including 60 Minutes, The O'Reilly Factor and Today.
Overall, the bulk of the marketing is aimed at Stern's expected fan base: men. "It's a male audience with a little bit of a spillover to his large - but not as well-known - female audience," Greenstein says.
Marketing expert Jeffrey Swystun says that even without Stern's mug, the ads likely will work in getting the message across. "There's such inherent recognition with his name," he says.
Already, there are signs that Stern is bringing Sirius brand awareness and customers. In October 2004, when the company announced the deal, brand awareness was 42%, the company says. This October, it rose to 60% of consumers.
The week before the Stern announcement, Sirius reported 662,289 subscribers. It's on track to end 2005 with more than 3 million.
But Stern's polarizing personality also comes with the potential for some backlash. Movie-theater chain AMC pulled the constellation ads after customer complaints.
And Stern's raunchy image could tarnish Sirius' larger brand image.
"There's a risk for Sirius radio. People are going to get the impression that what Howard Stern stands for is endorsed by Sirius and it might represent Sirius' overall programming." Swystun says. "He certainly has a following who is going to tune in right away, but (the ad campaign) could alienate a whole other audience who might think all its programming is tied up in risqué material."
Sirius is taking great pains to make subscribers aware of its built-in options for blocking channels they don't want (or don't want their kids to hear).
Otherwise, Sirius is going ahead unapologetically. "We believe in free speech both in our advertising campaign and on radio in general," Greenstein says.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20...wAjtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
Sirius Satellite Radio hopes it's Howard Stern.
On Sunday, the No. 2 satellite radio company launches a TV ad campaign to promote Stern's move from terrestrial to satellite radio. It follows a massive e-mail effort started Thursday. Billboard, movie theater and Internet ads are in the mix, too.
Just one thing's missing: Stern's face. That's "because he has been, and still is, an employee of Infinity (Broadcasting)," says Sirius spokesman Patrick Reilly. "As of Jan. 1, we can, and will, use his likeness."
But that hasn't stopped Sirius from creatively hyping Stern's Jan. 9 debut on satellite.
Sunday's TV ad shows a man in a restaurant about to dump his wife - until she gives him a Sirius radio as a present. "You gave me Howard Stern. ... I love you," he coos across the table. Then he waves away a waiter bringing a cake that says, "I want a divorce."
The big-budget marketing is on top of $100 million Sirius is shelling out annually in a five-year deal for Stern's star power to bulk up its subscriber base.
"It's a big bet," says Forrester Research analyst Ted Schadler. To increase the odds of success, "They're clearly doing all they can to align themselves with his (current) listeners," he says.
"The goal was always that no one in America wouldn't know that Howard is coming," says Scott Greenstein, Sirius president of entertainment and sports. Here's what Sirius is doing to hype Stern:
•Mass advertising. In addition to the TV spot, Sirius is using billboard and newspaper ads in markets where Stern's current show is strong, such as New York and Los Angeles. The copy in one: "On Jan. 9 the gloves are coming off ... and maybe some tops." Sirius also created a movie-theater ad that has stars form a constellation in the shape of a penis.
• Internet viral marketing. On Thursday, an e-mail went to more than 300,000 Stern fans to pass on to friends. It linked to a sexy brunette offering virtual tours of Stern's studio. An earlier e-mail offered a peek at the cinema ad before it ran on screens. Hitting Stern's fan base with e-mail is a key component of the campaign, says Greenstein.
Targeting them is smart, says branding expert Allen Adamson, because core fans are the easiest to convert to Sirius subscribers. And, he says, they'll likely spread the e-mail. "It's a networking thing," says Adamson. "Howard fans talk to other Howard fans."
• PR bonanza. Sirius' publicity department spent the fall plotting the impressive PR blitz now unfolding. Working with Dan Klores Communications, they got Stern booked on TV shows including 60 Minutes, The O'Reilly Factor and Today.
Overall, the bulk of the marketing is aimed at Stern's expected fan base: men. "It's a male audience with a little bit of a spillover to his large - but not as well-known - female audience," Greenstein says.
Marketing expert Jeffrey Swystun says that even without Stern's mug, the ads likely will work in getting the message across. "There's such inherent recognition with his name," he says.
Already, there are signs that Stern is bringing Sirius brand awareness and customers. In October 2004, when the company announced the deal, brand awareness was 42%, the company says. This October, it rose to 60% of consumers.
The week before the Stern announcement, Sirius reported 662,289 subscribers. It's on track to end 2005 with more than 3 million.
But Stern's polarizing personality also comes with the potential for some backlash. Movie-theater chain AMC pulled the constellation ads after customer complaints.
And Stern's raunchy image could tarnish Sirius' larger brand image.
"There's a risk for Sirius radio. People are going to get the impression that what Howard Stern stands for is endorsed by Sirius and it might represent Sirius' overall programming." Swystun says. "He certainly has a following who is going to tune in right away, but (the ad campaign) could alienate a whole other audience who might think all its programming is tied up in risqué material."
Sirius is taking great pains to make subscribers aware of its built-in options for blocking channels they don't want (or don't want their kids to hear).
Otherwise, Sirius is going ahead unapologetically. "We believe in free speech both in our advertising campaign and on radio in general," Greenstein says.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20...wAjtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
