Archive for November 30th, 2010

The Obama bandwagon … who’s jumping off? who’s staying on?

November 30, 2010

Punch line: Many are jumping off,  in some groups — by droves. 

But, blacks and the intelligentsia remain fiercely loyal.

Unions weren’t a cross-tab category.

* * * * *

From the Washington Examiner ….

The coalition Obama led to victory in 2008 has frayed in just two years.

Start with voters who call themselves independents. Obama won 52 percent of them in 2008; now, according to Gallup, he is at 42 percent. 

Next, women. In 2008, Obama won 56 percent of female voters. Today, he’s at 49 percent.

He is also down with men, from 49 percent in 2008 to 44 percent now.

Even younger voters, a key part of Obama’s coalition, are peeling away. In ’08, Obama won 66 percent of voters 18-29 years of age. Now, he’s at 58 percent.

Then there are white voters. In ’08, Obama won 43 percent of whites. Now, he’s at 37 percent. 

He won 67 percent of Hispanic voters in 2008; now, he’s at 58 percent.

Even support among black voters, a bedrock for Obama, has ticked downward; after winning 95 percent of blacks in ’08, he’s now at 89 percent.

Just one group has stuck with Obama through it all. In ’08, he won 58 percent of people with graduate degrees. Now, he’s at 59 percent. It appears that academic types will be with Obama always.

Excerpted from the Washington Examiner, Obama’s poll numbers point to his defeat in 2012,11/26/10
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2010/11/obamas-poll-numbers-point-his-defeat-2012

Posted in Obama Administration, Polls & Surveys | Leave a Comment »

Pass the sea salt … now, there’s a gamechanger is the French Fries War.

November 30, 2010

TakeAway:  Wendy’s announced a national marketing plan for its new recipe for French fries, the biggest overhaul of its fries in 41 years. 

Wendy’s CMO admitted fries “are something we hadn’t been a leader in, in the past.” 

The $25 million campaign aims to educate consumers about Wendy’s new fries that it hopes will compete mightily against McDonald’s.

* * * * *

Excerpted from NYTimes, “Wendy’s Rethinks Fries in Nod to More Natural Foods” By Tanzina Vega, November 21, 2010

For the last year, the company has been examining its product line for opportunities to promote food made with more natural ingredients. Wendy’s “new natural-cut fries with sea salt” use Russet Burbank potatoes and are thinner and crisper than the current fries and will be unpeeled.

The idea is to provide an alternative to McDonald’s, which has long been the leader in French fry sales. The Wendy’s campaign includes two television spots that will run on cable and network stations such as TBS, VH1 and Bravo and during shows such as “Conan” and “Lopez Tonight.” The campaign includes two radio commercials that will air nationally, as well as billboards around the country to entice people to select Wendy’s when they get hungry.

The digital campaign includes the use of the Wendy’s Web site, a Twitter account, a Facebook fan page and digital banner ads. The company’s YouTube channel will feature an ad for the fries and the background of the Wendy’s Twitter account page will also feature art for the fries and a “Fry for All” app that lets users select a box of fries that they can post on their Facebook page so they can “share” fries with their friends. The idea of sharing is central to the campaign. “When something is really good, you don’t necessarily want to share it so easily,” said the chief executive and CEO of Wendy’s agency of record.

Edit by AMW

* * * * *

Full Article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/business/media/22wendys.html?ref=media

* * * * *

Posted in Food & Drink, Mktg - Product & Innovation, Mktg - Promotion | Leave a Comment »