IAR Bits and Bytes

AOL Time Warner Uses Components To Promote Each Other In “West Wing” Contest

America Online, in another example of its efforts to cross-promote between its divisions, is running a contest on its Entertainment Channel called the “How ‘The West Wing’ Can Be Won,” to help capitalize on the success of the television series.

From now until May 18, AOL members can enter for a chance to win a trip for two to Hollywood, to go behind the scenes at the show, and also the opportunity to “do lunch” with a cast member.

The series is produced by Warner Brothers Television, which has been part of the America Online family since the AOL-Time Warner merger.

NestleUSA and Allrecipes.com Team Up

In a deal that NestleUSA, Inc. hopes will help it reach its target audience of women, the packaged goods firm has joined with Allrecipes.com in a nine-month advertising initiative.

The alliance was designed by Allrecipes.com to promote Nestle’s Ortega, Coffee-Mate, Buitoni, Carnation, Libby’s, and Toll House brands, and officially launched on April 27th, with the Ortega promotion.

By integrating select Nestle content with Allrecipes.com meal-planning tools, Nestle can tap into the home cook’s meal planning needs. The campaign will include brand-specific home pages, Nestle-authored editorial, recipes featuring Nestle products, ingredient and keyword sponsorships, contests, and other elements. This, Nestle hopes, will win it significant exposure and brand interaction with its primary target audience: college educated women, age 25-54, who own homes and have children.

The deal represents a significant revenue generator for the Allrecipes.com, according to chief executive officer Bill Moore, although the exact financial details of the partnership weren’t publicly disclosed.

“An alliance with such a high-profile and well-regarded entity as Nestle,” Moore added, “demonstrates that we are viewed as a vital force in the food industry and a valuable resource for companies who want consumers to experience their brands as opposed to simply gaining passing impressions.”

Amicada/Fuel NA Team Up To Bring Commercials To Web

Amicada, a Fort Lee, NJ-based streaming media firm, has signed an agreement with Fuel North America, the integrated marketing unit of Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer/Euro RSCG (MVBMS) on behalf of some of the agency’s major clients.

The deal, financial details of which haven’t been disclosed, will entail MVBMS placing several commercials that had previously been produced for television, on the Internet, via Amicada’s online advertising system.

Amicada’s technology aims to deliver full-screen, full-motion, TV quality content, regardless of the bandwidth of a consumer’s Internet connection. Under the terms of the deal, Fuel NA will then evaluate the efficacy of the technology, measure user acceptance and understand the long-term opportunities for their clients.

This agreement follows recent Amicada agreements with Unilever, to place a number of their advertisements, and with Blink.com as a distributor of the commercials.

“Our PACS technology provides Fuel with the key to communicating emotion online,” said Dr. E. Ted Prince, president and chief executive officer of Amicada. “This builds the bridge between existing, powerful, television creative work and the targeting, personalization, interactivity and e-commerce offered by the Internet.”

Kodak/Kmart Announce Partnership

A new collaborative effort between Kodak and the Kmart Corporation, will provide photography products and services — including the digitizing of rolls of films — both in store and online to Kmart customers.

The co-branded Kodak Picture Center online service, which will be available beginning this month, can be accessed at Kmart’s Web site, www.bluelight.com. The companies will work together to promote easy-to-use, convenient online photo services and digital printing of images, which will enable Kmart customers to obtain high-quality prints and other photography products either in-store or online. There will be a few benefits available only to customers who use the online service, such as the opportunity to manage, edit, and share their pictures.

“The Kodak Picture Center on BlueLight.com is another example of our ‘eFluence’ business strategy, which fully integrates the offline assets of Kmart and its partners with our own online resources to meet consumers’ needs at every turn,” said Steven Feuling, chief marketing officer, BlueLight.com. “We are focused on delivering to our customers the best goods and services from the top vendors in their fields, such as Kodak.”

More than 30 million people shop each week at Kmart’s over 2,100 stores. Financial details were not disclosed.