www.spotsndots.com Subscriptions: $350 per year. This publication cannot be distributed beyond the office of the actual subscriber. Need us? 888-884-2630 or [email protected]Copyright 2020. The Daily News of TV Sales Monday, April 20, 2020 STUDY: EXISTING SHOPPERS ORDER MORE OFTEN As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc in the U.S., new research from CPG marketing agency Acosta finds that while online ordering is ramping up, more shoppers are also making additional stock-up trips to the grocery store, Supermarket News reports. The report, which found 28% of online grocery shoppers made their first-ever online grocery order in March due to COVID-19, also provides guidance to help retailers and brands navigate unprecedented challenges. “Our first round of research into consumer behavior was conducted just as this crisis was beginning to take shape in the U.S.,” said Darian Pickett, CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Acosta. “This second round, conducted at the end of March, offers a stronger snapshot of current consumer behavior with 65% of respondents reporting they have changed their shopping habits due to COVID-19, compared to just 23% in our previous survey taken between March 6-12. As the number of cases unfortunately continues to rise and more states and counties impose quarantine measures, we expect to see further changes in consumer behavior in the coming weeks.” Acosta’s latest COVID-19 research report, gathered via online surveys March 20-29, provides insight into shoppers’ changing habits, as well as recommendations for retailers and brands, including: • When comparing channel shopping behaviors, many shoppers reported going to stores less frequently, especially mass merchandisers. Among those who shopped at a mass merchandiser in March, 47% reported making fewer trips. • Stocking up is becoming more commonplace. More shoppers indicated purchasing pantry food items in addition to cleaning items/paper products compared to Acosta’s previous survey. • About half of U.S. shoppers said they made an additional stock-up grocery trip in the past week. While shoppers are making fewer grocery store trips compared to Acosta’s previous survey, more shoppers are turning to grocery e-commerce. Twenty-eight percent of online grocery shoppers made their first-ever online grocery order in March due to COVID-19. Many consumers who had previously ordered groceries online reported ordering more frequently. Of the 36% of shoppers who ordered groceries online for store pickup, 33% reported making more orders in March. Of the 38% of shoppers who ordered groceries online for home delivery, 37% reported making more orders in March. “Retailers should continue to implement solutions that reduce the risk of shopper and employee transmission of the virus, such as aisle flow solutions and expanded cashier-less checkout options,” the report said. “Retailers should expand online ordering fulfillment and pickup/delivery time slots in order to meet the needs of new e-commerce shoppers who prefer not to shop in the store.” MORE GROCERY SHOPPERS MAKE FIRST ONLINE ORDERS ADVERTISER NEWS Guidance from the federal government issued Friday says automotive sales and manufacturing should be considered essential businesses during the COVID-19 crisis and allowed to stay open. The final decisions, however, remain with the states as the recommendation “is advisory in nature (and) is not… considered a federal directive or standard”… Ford has announced plans to re-open its plant in Louisville, Ky., on May 4 but did not say anything about its other factories. The Louisville plant makes the Escape and Lincoln MKC… On the downside for Ford, it is now estimating it will lose $2 billion for the first quarter… Mazda is giving health care workers free oil changes and enhanced cleaning of their vehicles through May 4. Owners of all brands will be eligible for the free service. Mazda says it got the idea from some dealers who were doing it on their own… Procter & Gamble had its biggest sales gain in the U.S. in many years with organic sales (which exclude currency valuations and brands added or sold in the last year) up 10%. The biggest gains came from its health care division with brands like Vicks and the fabric and home care divisions. And, of course, P&G makes Charmin toilet paper… Michaels started contactless same-day delivery for stores in 10 states last week and expects to have the service available nationwide later this week… Rite Aid same-store sales for its fiscal Q4 were up 1.6% with pharmacy sales accounting for 65.9% of store revenue. The company does note the pharmacy results were held down significantly by the introduction of new generics, but overall script count grew by 5%… Convenience stores are being hurt by less gas being sold, and fewer trips into the store to buy higher markup merchandise. GasBuddy says gallons sold in March were 10% behind February and 20% below March 2019. Add in lower gas prices and the revenue decline from gas amounted to a 28% drop… With units of all four brands closed, Bloomin’ Brands said full Q1 same-store sales came in down 10.4%. But it notes off-premise sales for all four — Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s, Bonefish and Fleming’s — have grown each week since locations closed in March. The average Outback brought in $33,161 for the week that ended April 12, up from just $12,000 weekly for most of March… After testing in Southern California and Washington state, Costco and Instacart will roll out national capabilities for delivery of prescriptions… New shopping habits are being formed during the COVID-19 crisis and it’s very likely that much will be different when the crisis is finally over. A report from the CPG marketing agency finds that 28% of online grocery shoppers in March were buying groceries online for the first time… Another luxury retailer appears to be in big financial trouble. Neiman Marcus has defaulted on close to $73 million of interest payments on bonds. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the chain was bought for $6 billion in 2013, but was saddled with $4.46 billion in debt and has needed to pay about $300 million annually in interest. A bankruptcy filing could come this week.
Transcript
www.spotsndots.comSubscriptions: $350 per year.
This publication cannot bedistributed beyond the office
of the actual subscriber. Need us? 888-884-2630 or
[email protected] Copyright 2020.The Daily News of TV Sales Monday, April 20, 2020
STUDY: EXISTING SHOPPERS ORDER MORE OFTEN As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc in the U.S., new research from CPG marketing agency Acosta finds that while online ordering is ramping up, more shoppers are also making additional stock-up trips to the grocery store, Supermarket News reports. The report, which found 28% of online grocery shoppers made their first-ever online grocery order in March due to COVID-19, also provides guidance to help retailers and brands navigate unprecedented challenges. “Our first round of research into consumer behavior was conducted just as this crisis was beginning to take shape in the U.S.,” said Darian Pickett, CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Acosta. “This second round, conducted at the end of March, offers a stronger snapshot of current consumer behavior with 65% of respondents reporting they have changed their shopping habits due to COVID-19, compared to just 23% in our previous survey taken between March 6-12. As the number of cases unfortunately continues to rise and more states and counties impose quarantine measures, we expect to see further changes in consumer behavior in the coming weeks.” Acosta’s latest COVID-19 research report, gathered via online surveys March 20-29, provides insight into shoppers’ changing habits, as well as recommendations for retailers and brands, including: • When comparing channel shopping behaviors, many shoppers reported going to stores less frequently, especially mass merchandisers. Among those who shopped at a mass merchandiser in March, 47% reported making fewer trips. • Stocking up is becoming more commonplace. More shoppers indicated purchasing pantry food items in addition to cleaning items/paper products compared to Acosta’s previous survey. • About half of U.S. shoppers said they made an additional stock-up grocery trip in the past week. While shoppers are making fewer grocery store trips compared to Acosta’s previous survey, more shoppers are turning to grocery e-commerce. Twenty-eight percent of online grocery shoppers made their first-ever online grocery order in March due to COVID-19. Many consumers who had previously ordered groceries online reported ordering more frequently. Of the 36% of shoppers who ordered groceries online for store pickup, 33% reported making more orders in March. Of the 38% of shoppers who ordered groceries online for home delivery, 37% reported making more orders in March. “Retailers should continue to implement solutions that reduce the risk of shopper and employee transmission of the virus, such as aisle flow solutions and expanded cashier-less checkout options,” the report said. “Retailers should expand online ordering fulfillment and pickup/delivery time slots in order to meet the needs of new e-commerce shoppers who prefer not to shop in the store.”
MORE GROCERY SHOPPERS MAKE FIRST ONLINE ORDERSADVERTISER NEWS Guidance from the federal government issued Friday says automotive sales and manufacturing should be considered essential businesses during the COVID-19 crisis and allowed to stay open. The final decisions, however, remain with the states as the recommendation “is advisory in nature (and) is not… considered a federal directive or standard”… Ford has announced plans to re-open its plant in Louisville, Ky.,
on May 4 but did not say anything about its other factories. The Louisville plant makes the Escape and Lincoln MKC… On the downside for Ford, it is now estimating it will lose $2 billion for the first quarter… Mazda is giving
health care workers free oil changes and enhanced cleaning of their vehicles through May 4. Owners of all brands will be eligible for the free service. Mazda says it got the idea from some dealers who were doing it on their own… Procter & Gamble had its biggest sales gain in the U.S. in many years with organic sales (which exclude currency valuations and brands added or sold in the last year) up 10%. The biggest gains came from its health care division with brands like Vicks and the fabric and home care divisions. And, of course, P&G makes Charmin toilet paper… Michaels started contactless same-day delivery for stores in 10 states last week and expects to have the service available nationwide later this week… Rite Aid same-store sales for its fiscal Q4 were up 1.6% with pharmacy sales accounting for 65.9% of store revenue. The company does note the pharmacy results were held down significantly by the introduction of new generics, but overall script count grew by 5%… Convenience stores are being hurt by less gas being sold, and fewer trips into the store to buy higher markup merchandise. GasBuddy says gallons sold in March were 10% behind February and 20% below March 2019. Add in lower gas prices and the revenue decline from gas amounted to a 28% drop… With units of all four brands closed, Bloomin’ Brands said full Q1 same-store sales came in down 10.4%. But it notes off-premise sales for all four — Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s, Bonefish and Fleming’s — have grown each week since locations closed in March. The average Outback brought in $33,161 for the week that ended April 12, up from just $12,000 weekly for most of March… After testing in Southern California and Washington state, Costco and Instacart will roll out national capabilities for delivery of prescriptions… New shopping habits are being formed during the COVID-19 crisis and it’s very likely that much will be different when the crisis is finally over. A report from the CPG marketing agency finds that 28% of online grocery shoppers in March were buying groceries online for the first time… Another luxury retailer appears to be in big financial trouble. Neiman Marcus has defaulted on close to $73 million of interest payments on bonds. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the chain was bought for $6 billion in 2013, but was saddled with $4.46 billion in debt and has needed to pay about $300 million annually in interest. A bankruptcy filing could come this week.
PAGE 2 The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com
AVAILS KMVU-TV FOX26 Medford, Ore., is looking for a Digital Media and New Business AE to join our fantastic team of professionals. The Account Executive is responsible for selling television, digital and OTT advertising solutions to local businesses. The ideal candidate enjoys being part of a small community, thrives in a goal-oriented team environment and has strong interpersonal skills. If you have a positive attitude, client focus and desire to WIN — we want to hear from you! Email resume and cover letter to [email protected]. No
calls. EOE. Fox 26 KRIV-TV, the Fox O&O in Houston, seeks an Associate Producer. Responsibilities include writing stories and teases, editing video, and creating graphics and supers for newscasts and digital platforms. Must be willing to assist on the assignment desk, if necessary. Must be reachable 24 hours a day in breaking news situations. One to two years’ experience as a TV Newscast Associate Producer or Producer in a
small to medium to major television market or equivalent preferred. CLICK HERE for more info or to apply now. EOE. It’s fun to work in a company where people truly believe in what they are doing! WHNT News 19 in Huntsville, Ala., is searching for an Account Executive. This person implements strategies to grow revenue for multiplatform campaigns, and will use responsive and clear communication to establish credible relationships with local businesses, prepare proposals and develop effective schedules and creative. CLICK HERE for detail, qualifications and to apply now. Minimum 3 years of experience in sales, preferably in the media field. EOE. KCWE, the Hearst-owned affiliate in Kansas City, Mo., is looking for a Local Sales Manager. We are looking for a leader with a proven track record of success across multi-platforms. The ability to impact the local market and business community, build relationships, and strategically plan to drive results to our clients is a must. Click HERE to apply. EOE.
FREE CLASSIFIED ADS TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS This is a difficult time for the TV industry. But in the very near future, it’s likely that things will begin to return to normal and every station will need a full staff to recover and gain share. If you’re a Spots n Dots subscriber, we’re offering to promote your job openings at no charge through the end of April. Send jobs to [email protected]. Please send in a word doc, or send a link to the job opening online — no PDFs, please. We’ll post all the jobs on our website for 30 days and will run them in this newsletter as often as possible, depending on response. Spots n Dots has been researching news in retail, auto, healthcare, insurance, competitive media and many other industries, reading industry-specific publications so you can spend your time generating revenue, not reading dozens of newsletters. Our goal is to keep you informed so sales managers and your sales team can talk to prospects about their business — not just about TV ratings.
NETWORK NEWS Social distancing and sheltering in place has unleashed a wave of creativity among the confined. CBS is spotlighting it in a one-hour special, #Homevideos: A Global Phenomenon, that will be broadcast in May and hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. The show features viral home video moments, featuring the full spectrum of the best videos during the nation’s collective experience together. Cedric the Entertainer will guide viewers through video moments from the communal quarantine, providing a snapshot of the world at an unprecedented time... With hand-wringing and debate continuing about the path ahead for big-money pro and college sports during the coronavirus pandemic, the PGA Tour says it is “very confident” in its new plan to return in mid-June without fans. Tour officials say they plan to hold the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, from June 11-14. CBS will televise the annual tournament, which had originally been scheduled for May... Chicago Fire series regular Annie Ilonzeh is leaving the NBC firefighter drama after two seasons. Ilonzeh joined as a new series regular at the beginning of the just-completed Season 7. She was initially set as a recurring, but was upped to series regular after production began. Ilonzeh played Emily, an intelligent, easy-going and confident new paramedic... Fox is set to deliver long-gestating reality series Labor of Love, about the road to motherhood, fronted by Sex and The City star Kristin Davis. The network will launch the eight-part series at 9 PM on Thursday, May 21. It comes nearly three years after Deadline revealed that the show was in development at the network. Labor of Love will follow Kristy Katzmann, a 41-year-old smart, successful and beautiful career woman who seems to have it all — except the one thing that she wants the most: a child. Katzmann has yet to meet a potential father and, in the show, will be matched with 15 men who are ready to let their paternal sides shine... Ranjit Chowdhry, a Bollywood actor who crossed over to the U.S. mainstream, died last week at a Mumbai hospital. He was 64 years old and suffered a ruptured ulcer that required emergency surgery, according to reports. Chowdhry had returned to India for some dental work, but then was trapped there by the pandemic travel shutdown. Chowdhry appeared in two episodes of The Office in Season 5 of the NBC sitcom, where he played a telemarketer named Vikram opposite Steve Carell. His U.S. acting resume also includes the TV shows Prison Break, Girls and Law & Order: SVU.
THIS AND THAT CF Entertainment says Nielsen is extorting it over ratings — and says it can’t do business with advertisers without that information. The Weather Channel’s owner says Nielsen is engaging in “predatory pricing” because of its monopoly on ratings services. CF Entertainment on Friday sued Nielsen for breach of contract and unfair competition and unjust enrichment. CF, which is owned by Byron Allen’s Media Group, claims it’s being overcharged by more than $400,000 per month.
The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 3
ATTENTION, BRANDS: DON’T STOP THE ADS Brands are pulling or pausing their ad spending as the COVID-19 crisis puts a strain on their businesses, but new research shows that consumers may not want them to stop advertising altogether. A March 2020 survey by GlobalWebIndex asked internet users in 13 markets whether brands should continue advertising as normal. Nearly four in 10 U.S. respondents ages 16 to 64 agreed, and a similar share (35%) were neutral, compared with 28% who disagreed. In another March 2020 survey from Kantar, just 8% of
consumers in 30 countries thought that stopping advertising should be a priority for brands. But 77% of respondents said they wanted advertising to “talk about how the brand is helpful in the new everyday life,” and 75% said it should “inform about [the brand’s] efforts to face the situation.” That suggests that while consumers don’t expect brands to abandon advertising, brands should rethink their strategies, eMarketer says. Campaigns that were
planned pre-pandemic may no longer be appropriate.
UNIVISION, NIELSEN SIGN DEAL FOR AUDIO Nielsen says Univision has inked a multi-year agreement with its Nielsen Audio. The renewal covers national and local measurement of all 58 of Univision’s owned and operated Uforia Audio Network stations in 15 key markets, which include the top 10 U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico. The deal includes all Univision portable people meter markets, continuous diary measurement markets (Fresno, Calif. and Puerto Rico) and a two-book market in McAllen, Texas. “The Hispanic population is a principal driver of economic growth in the U.S., and radio, which reaches 96% of adult Hispanics each week, is one of the best ways to engage this influential consumer,” Jesus Lara, President of Radio at Univision, said in a news release. “As the leading Hispanic media company in America with the largest Spanish-language radio network in the country, it’s paramount that we have access to the audio insights and the measurement tools available. Nielsen ratings continue to be the currency of our industry, providing the most comprehensive and representative measurement of the U.S. Hispanic population and we are looking forward to our renewed relationship.”
4/20/2020
FunnyTweeter.com
My dog stole an entire baguette and hid it under her bed so she could eat it in secret. I’m only mad because I did not think of doing that for myself.
SATURDAY NIELSEN RATINGS - LIVE + SAME DAY
PHARMA TV AD SPENDING REMAINS FLAT With COVID-19 issues on the minds of TV consumers, pharmaceutical marketers have seen nearly 30% higher TV impressions from TV ad spending for the most recent monthly period — all this against flat — TV spending. Some 46.4 billion viewing impressions were seen from March 9 through April 5 for pharmaceutical marketers. That’s up from 36.2 billion impressions over the same period in 2019, according to iSpot.tv. The most recent month-long period was also up 12% from a total of 41.3 billion in the previous period — from Feb. 10 through March 8. This comes as overall TV ad spending for the pharmaceutical/medical category has shown virtually no change before and after the COVID-19 crisis and was slightly down in the most recent period versus a month ago — down 2% to $547.4 million for overall pharmaceutical national TV spending in the most recent month versus $559.9 million a year ago. The biggest pharmaceutical/medical category over the recent period is Osteoporosis/arthritis medications, at $72.8 million from March 18 to April 16 (up from $66.8 million a year ago), followed by allergies/cold/flu medication at $59.6 million (up slightly from $58.8 million), over-the-counter pain relief drugs, $51.3 million ($35.4 million a year ago) and immune disease medications at $27.7 million (down from $37.5 million). The most active major pharmaceutical brands continue to be Humira, Trulicity, Rinvoq, Xeljanz and Otezla.
THIS WILL GET AMERICANS BACK TO THE MALL Cornonavirus-cornered Americans expect to be busting out in June, or at least soon after, Chain Store Age reports. The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) polled 1,004 Americans about their expectations of the pandemic’s demise and found them eager to be back at their usual haunts before summer. Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed said they would feel comfortable going to stores to buy non-essential items within or sooner following the lifting of the National Emergency. More than seven out of 10 also said they would feel the same about visiting open-air shopping centers and dining at restaurants within that time frame, as well. Sixty percent said they’d return to malls by June, and more than half imagined themselves getting their nails or hair done, working out at gyms or receiving massages.
AUTO SALES NOW LISTED AS ‘ESSENTIAL SERVICE’ Automotive sales are now considered an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to updated guidance released late last week by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. According to Automotive News, the new guidelines include “workers critical to the manufacturing, distribution, sales, rental, leasing, repair, and maintenance of vehicles and other transportation equipment, including electric vehicle charging stations, and the supply chains that enable these operations to facilitate continuity of travel-related operations for essential workers.”
