We got some feedback from Pacific Life Insurance Co. on our June 22 page 1 story “Ad Splash.”
The Newport Beach-based insurer’s reaction: Our $70 million estimate for the company’s yearly advertising spending was too high.
Pacific Life declined to say what it actually spends on advertising.
The company, which offers life insurance policies and investments, is operating on a moderately reduced ad budget for the year, according to Milda Goodman, vice president of advertising and public relations.
With 2008 revenue of $4 billion, Pacific Life is the county’s largest private company. It’s a staple advertiser on college sports and is focusing much of its marketing efforts on TV.
“Television still remains a core element of our advertising program,” Goodman said.
TV watching is up during the recession, according to Neilson Co.’s Neilson Monitor Plus.
Pacific Life has been targeting news channels, sports events and some primetime programming, according to Goodman.
But, with a reduced budget, “Our TV advertising will reach fewer people in 2009 than it did in 2008,” she said.
The life insurer has gone back to basics, Goodman said.
Pacific Life is reusing some commercials from 2008 with new music and some fresh editing, she said.
The company backs two sporting events as a way to reach potential customers: The Pacific Life Holiday Bowl in San Diego in December and the Pacific Life Pac-10 Men’s Basketball Tournament, which wrapped up earlier this year in Los Angeles.
“We like having our brand associated with these two events because college sports have a great fan base and allow us to be part of a very positive experience,” Goodman said.
The Pacific Life name is integrated into television coverage of the events and promotions at the arenas.
“Sport sponsorships engage patrons at a deeper level,” Goodman said.
Like other advertisers, Pacific Life has changed the tone of its marketing.
“Many of our prospective customers have recently questioned their current financial situation and wanted some acknowledgement of that,” Goodman said. “The attitudes are a little different today than where they were a year ago.”
Car Site
Aliso Viejo-based Motr Inc., publisher of the online video Web site OnCars.com, has done a “Launch Vehicle” segment on the Tesla Model S electric sedan. The segment is sponsored by San Carlos-based Tesla Motors Inc.
“We’re getting access that nobody has had with it,” said Paul Pfanner, Motr’s president.
The company is working with other automakers on weekly, multi-episode reviews of buzzworthy cars.
Motr does a weekly series with Irvine-based Mazda North American Operations called “Rev” about automotive racing.
“It’s been highly successful overall with over 700,000 unique views for the series,” Pfanner said.
Motr worked with Mazda when the Web site still was in its early stages.
“We worked early on with Mazda, which was very supportive and which provided us with cars before we were even online,” Pfanner said.
Pfanner has a long history with auto racing, hav-ing run Irvine-based Ra-cer Communications Inc. and Racer Magazine be-fore it was purchased by Britain’s Haymarket Me-dia Group Ltd. in early 2001.
Motr’s sister company, Pfanner Communications Inc., is working on a marketing strategy for the Indianapolis 500 for 2011.
Truth in Hot Tubs
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Truth ad for Jacuzzi: running in newspapers |
Chino Hills-based Jacuzzi Brands Corp. is looking to its latest summer promotion to spur sales on its hot tubs that can help soothe aches and pains.
During the housing boom, sales were higher than normal. But those figures since have declined.
Last year about 246,000 hot tubs for homes were sold or installed, according to Georgia-based P.K. Data Inc., a research company that tracks pool and spa sales.
That was down from 417,000 as recently as 2004.
The slowdown in home sales and remodeling and consumers who are reluctant to spend on big-ticket luxuries are the big reasons for the decline.
Jacuzzi hired Santa Ana-based Truth to come up with a summer promotional campaign targeting customers looking for new ways to relax.
“We’re really just trying to help people reduce their stress levels,” said Wendi Buchs, partner at Truth. “It hasn’t been an easy time for anyone the last few months and a Jacuzzi can really rejuvenate you.”
The ad shop has launched the first phase of the campaign with print ads in major newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal.
Truth also is doing a radio campaign in Canada and handling the spa maker’s online work.
