BETWEEN THE LINES

December 5, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

It gives a lot of comfort, this idea that the movie business, home entertainment in particular, is recession-proof. Or if not immune, then at least resistant.

There has to be a niggling fear in many minds, however, that the current (official, finally) recession hit so suddenly and so dramatically that conventional wisdom just might not apply.

Not so, says Adams Media Research, which in a new report uses figures dating back to the ’30s to show that media revenue has, in fact, been recession-resistant.

In the report, “Media markets: Just how recession-resist...Read More

Industries: High-Def, Retail, Software

November 26, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

In this season of economic doom and gloom, it’s awfully easy to feel the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Pick up the newspaper to see the Dow fell again (and so did your 401k), Big Industry is laying off workers by the thousands and wildfires raging through southern California. The rains came last night, but that means mudslides in the burn areas.

Sometimes it takes an effort to be thankful for the things you have. I personally have lots to be thankful for: a good, challenging job, home equity, my health and a healthy, happy family including two smart, funny, beautiful kids.

Professionally, there are lots of developments that we in the industry can be thankful for as well, despite concern over the toll the economy may take on fourth quarter sales. These include:

...Read More

Industries: High-Def, Retail, Software, Studios/Suppliers

November 21, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

So many decisions to make this time of year. 
Mashed potatoes or sweet?
Cranberry relish or jellied, the jiggly kind that holds the shape of the can? 
Whether to give gifts at all, given the way our long-term savings are going up in smoke?

Assuming that last decision is in the positive, there’s the age-old what to shop for and now, for
home entertainment consumers, when.

Is it time to jump in and buy a Blu-ray player? You can get one for less than $200 all over the place. Will it go down further before Christmas?

Meanwhile, those ads for Toshiba’s XDE player that promise to enhance all your current DVDs for just $99.99 make it s...Read More

Industries: High-Def, Retail, Software

November 17, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

...if not other retailers.

Amid worldwide economic turmoil, Wal-Mart Stores last week said its third quarter sales (for the period ended Oct. 31) were up 7.5% over the same period a year earlier, while comp-store sales also bested 2007, rising 2.7% at Walmarts and 4.5% at Sam's Club. 

By contrast, Target's comp-store sales fell 3.3% in the quarter, compared to a gain of 3.7% in the same period in 2007. Best Buy's  comps fell 2% in September and 7.8% in October, and the leading C.E. chain has said it expect to see comp sales declines of 5% to 15% for the balance of its fiscal year (through February).

For the fourth quarter, Wal-Mart expects U.S. comps to rise 1% to 3%--no huge gain, but a heck of a lot better than ...Read More

Industries: Retail

November 7, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Kudos to DEG and its studio supporters for pulling together to fund a $25 million ad effort for Blu-ray at exactly the right moment.

The holidays are upon us, player prices are falling and the most compelling titles in the format’s short history -- Iron Man, The Dark Knight, WALL-E, Kung Fu Panda, Hellboy II, among others--are on store shelves or headed there straight away.

The “Tru Blu” campaign as it’s called, combined with title-specific ads tagging Blu-ray Disc, hardware marketing and retailer promotions ought to create quite a mass of consumer impressions for Blu-ray during the holiday shopping season.

Since I started my career at Advertising Age and spent almost a decade there before joining VB, however, I can&r;...Read More