Lake Forest-based Johnny Rockets Group Inc. is putting its advertising account up for review.
“We’re looking at the relevant agencies in Orange County,” said Cozette Phifer, a spokeswoman for Johnny Rockets. “It’s very important for us to keep it in Orange County.”
The Americana burger chain has spent the past five years with Lake Forest-based Northten Inc., which is taking part in the review.
Johnny Rockets has 217 U.S. restaurants, including seven in OC and 35 in nine other countries including Canada, Turkey and Qatar.
The company hasn’t spent a lot of money on national television and radio ads, zeroing in on local markets instead.
“We really focus our marketing on the community outreach programs and building the brand from the local level out,” said Tim Gorman, executive director of national marketing.
The chain still does some national marketing and now is working on some, including with Cypress-based Namco Bandai Holdings USA Inc., part of Tokyo-based Namco Bandai Holdings Inc.
Johnny Rockets is partnering with Namco on its Nintendo Wii “We Ski” video game marketing campaign.
“Namco and Nintendo together are a great example of good clean fun and sharing a mutual experience,” Gorman said.
Johnny Rockets has longstanding marketing deals with New York-based Six Flags Inc. and Miami’s Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
“Brands like it when you can tie together to pool the money and make a bigger and more effective advertising campaign,” Gorman said.
Johnny Rockets has yearly revenue of about $230 million.
Virginia-based Red Zone Capital Management Group LLC, a private equity firm, acquired the chain in 2007. The plan is to expand Johnny Rockets within the U.S. and worldwide, including opening smaller Johnny Rockets Express restaurants.
The private equity firm also owns Six Flags, where Johnny Rockets operates at the company’s theme parks.
Other Johnny Rockets marketing includes displays at restaurants. The company started an in-store campaign called “Roll In & Win” this month. The campaign rewards regular customers with guaranteed free food and the possibility of free food for a year.
The chain still plans on opening 60 restaurants in 2009, including several global locations.
Johnny Rockets gained some national attention when it catered the 2008 American Music Awards After Party in November. The company served more than 5,000 hamburgers and is set to be featured on the History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” television series.
OC Weekly Cuts
Santa Ana’s OC Weekly is sharing in the pain many newspapers are feeling these days.
In December, the alternative weekly let go Rich Kane, managing editor, and Nate Jackson, clubs editor.
Ted Kissell, editor of OC Weekly, declined to comment.
The newspaper, part of Phoenix-based Village Voice Media, has seen a drop in advertising, especially in its classified section.
Advertising for cosmetic surgery, massage services and dating has been the hardest hit, according to a source familiar with the paper.
Craigslist and other classified sites have drawn business away from alternative weeklies.
OC Weekly, distributed in OC and Long Beach, has earned national attention for its ” & #260;Ask a Mexican!” column by Gustavo Arellano, who credits former editor Will Swaim with coming up with the idea. The column now is in syndication.
Village Voice Media has been tackling the loss of ad revenue at its other papers with similar cost cutting measures and further downsizing in the editorial and advertising departments.
Culver City-based LA Weekly, a sister publication to OC Weekly, saw some layoffs in December.
New York’s Village Voice weekly also let go Nat Hentoff, a longtime music columnist, Lynn Yaeger, fashion writer, and others in December.
Heritage Foods Tour
Santa Ana-based Stremicks Heritage Foods LLC is holding the Southern California leg of a national media tour for Elizabeth Somer, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the company’s 8th Continent Soymilk brand.
Somer has been representing 8th Continent Soymilk on a national media tour that began in early October.
Newport Beach-based Girlpower has handled the seven-market tour and expects the Southern California leg to target women and Hispanics.
“We have a Hispanic component because of the prevalence of lactose intolerance within the Hispanic community,” said Linda Landers, founder of Girlpower.
Appearances on “The Today Show” and “The View” are part of the campaign in bids to target moms.
Girlpower is focusing part of its 8th Continent campaign on interactive marketing targeting parent and mom bloggers.
“About 68% of moms and baby boomer women are blogging and chatting online right now,” Landers said. “We’ve developed relationships with several groups of parent bloggers, providing content for them so they can provide it for their readers.”
The media tour is expected to run its course in March.
Landers, formerly a managing partner with Irvine-based PainePR Inc., started Girlpower.
