The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine, is working on establishing industry-specific benchmarks for marketing budgets and marketing mix allocations.
The university, in partnership with the E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University, is asking executives across the country to participate in a 20-minute questionnaire and provide answers about their industries, the size of their firms’ marketing budgets and how the money is distributed.
The data will help researchers Imran Currim, associate dean and chancellor’s professor at the Merage school, and Ofer Mintz, an assistant professor of marketing at Ourso, to analyze which factors influence marketing budget sizes, what drives marketing mix allocation, and how those factors impact a firm’s performance.
Study participants will receive various benchmarks comparing their marketing budgets and practices to those of other firms in the study. They will also gain access to academic papers based on the research.
Tires on the Go
Yokohama Tire Corp. in Fullerton has launched a new mobile website optimized for use on the devices’ smaller, touch-sensitive displays.
“People want information quickly and clearly,” Theresa Palang, the company’s manager of public relations and digital marketing, said in a news release. “The innovative design gives our customers streamlined access to what they are looking for from Yokohama.”
The mobile site loads automatically on smartphones and provides information on various tire styles, as well as Yokohama-generated motorsports coverage.
Yokohama is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo-based Yokohama Rubber Co., which manufactures tires for buses, high-performance and passenger cars, and other vehicles.
Kia & Blake
Kia Motor America Inc. is continuing its two-year collaboration with Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin to promote its 2014 Kia Optima sedan.
“At Kia, we are fans of the game of basketball, and we are excited to welcome the return of the [basketball season] with a new campaign, featuring the dynamic duo of our global brand ambassador, Blake Griffin, and his new sidekick, Jack McBrayer,” Michael Sprague, Kia’s executive vice president of marketing and communications, said in a news release. “The Optima is one of Kia’s most popular vehicles, and … Griffin continues to help us increase awareness and enhance our brand image by fostering connections with basketball fans across the country.”
The 30- and 60-second spots, dubbed “The Griffin Force,” debuted last week during the NBA’s 68th season opener—Kia NBA Tip-Off ’13— a double-header featuring the Miami Heat against the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Clippers taking on the Los Angeles Lakers.
The TV spots portray Griffin and McBrayer as a superhero squad fighting to “save the world, one Kia Optima at a time.”
David&Goliath, Kia’s advertising agency of record, created the campaign. Seven related ads will also air this month, including “Zipline,” in which Griffin and McBrayer save “citizens from making terrible decisions by showing them a better, smarter and more attractive way: the redesigned 2014 Optima.”
The ads are set to run throughout the 2013-2014 NBA season and on Kia’s social and digital platforms.
Kia Motor America is the Irvine–based marketing and distribution subsidiary of Kia Motors Corp. in Seoul, South Korea.
Bits and Pieces
Irvine-based Bolt Public Relations has added several brands to its client roster, including Rockview Farms in Downey. The new accounts helped the agency increase its annual revenue by more than $250,000. … Jeff Maerov, former group creative director at Draftfcb’s now-downsized Irvine office, joined DigitasLBi in Boston, which is part of the Publicis Groupe. Draftfcb is part of the Interpublic Group of Cos. … Kofax PLC, an Irvine-based software manufacturer, appointed Grant Johnson as its new chief marketing officer. … San Clemente-based GrindMedia appointed Jaime Owens as the new editor-in-chief of TransWorld SKATEboarding magazine. Owens served in a similar role at Skateboarder Magazine, which folded in September. … Jesse Cook left his position as digital media planner and buyer at Ocean Media Inc. in Huntington Beach to join Oliver Russell & Associates in Boise, Idaho, where he will focus on digital marketing.
