With many consumers more focused than ever on saving money, coupons are re-emerging as a popular marketing tactic. And according to the 2008 Printable Coupon Consumer Pulse Survey from Simmons/Experiean Research and Coupons Inc. quoted in Marketing Charts, the number of American consumers searching for coupons online has increased to 36 million in 2008, up by 10 million from 2005; that’s 24% of all American coupon users. And nearly half of “Coupon Clickers” are between the ages of 22 and 44.

For more coupon strategy tips visit Coupon-Redemption Conventional Wisdom Sometimes Foolish, Marketing Charts

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It's never comfortable rejecting potential suitors face-to-face. RHbrands, a mobile and in-call media company, claims "The Rejection Hotline®," located in 200+ cities across the country, including Atlanta (404-260-1318), Los Angeles (310-735-0099) and New York City (212-660-2245), is a “public service” to both the rejector and the rejectee. The rejectee dials the number to hear: 

"Hello, this is not the person you were trying to call. You've reached The Rejection Hotline.  The person who gave you this number did not want you to have their real number ... So why were you given a Rejection Hotline phone number?

• Maybe you're just not this person's type (note: this could mean boring,
  dumb, annoying, arrogant, or just a general weirdo).
• Maybe you suffer from bad breath, body odor, or a nasty combination of the two.
• Maybe you just give off that creepy, overbearing, psycho-stalker vibe.
• Maybe the idea of going out with you just seems as appealing as playing leapfrog with unicorns."

RHbrands offers hundreds of humorous hotlines to get people out of sticky situations such as 'Bad Breath Notification,' 'One Night Stand Hotline,' and a 'Confession Hotline'.

Twitter, for the uninitiated, is a  social networking and micro blogging service utilizing instant messaging, SMS or a web interface that encourages users to share their answers to the question, “What are you doing right now?” Think IM on steroids.

But while there are those who are compelled to twitter minutiae (just like the ‘real’ world) there are others who are using Twitter to share ideas and pass along news and information. USA Today reports that Twitter has been used to communicate news in emergencies and natural disasters, and that brands, such as Comcast and Zappos, are utilizing Twitter to establish a dialogue with customers.

So is twittering a good idea for your brand? Take a look to see how Comcast customer service manager Frank Eliason interacts with other Twitterers online and utilize Twitter Search to learn what Twitters are twittering about your brand. Before you dive in, spend some time on the site first, to make sure you understand Twitter culture. And remember that communication on Twitter, just like any successful conversation, is based on authenticity and trust.

If you’re not used to twittering your way through the day it might seem odd…at first. But in time you may wonder how you (and your brand) did without it.

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Got Milk and Cookes?
I know, everyone’s sick of the eternal riffs on the “Got Milk?” line, but hey, I’m easily entertained. Anyway, take a look at how Oreos used a glassed-in elevator shaft and an elevator to reinforce the milk-dunking equity of Oreos cookies. Yummily brilliant. Source: Beyond Madison Avenue

According to Brandweek, RadioShack is partnering with Facebook to launch MyMosaic which s turning to social networks to raise brand awareness among younger consumers. The application forms a ‘mosaic’ from the Facebook pictures of the user’s friends. The intention is to raise brand awareness and connect with a younger user base.

See also:
A Mosaic Of Praise For Radio Shack's MyMosaic, MediaPost 7/16/08
RadioShack Social Media Application Creates Facebook Photo Mosaics, Reuters 7/7/08

NeoEdge Networks provides game publishers, portals and advertisers with safe, simple and profitable ad-supported game play through its NeoARM™ technology suite and NeoAds™ Game Advertising Network.

The company offers advertisers rich video game commercials and enables a new ad-supported business model for game publishers and portals. The company also offers a ‘free to play’ casual games website at MostFun.com.

WeatherBill says they are “the first service to provide affordable and easy-to-use weather coverage to protect revenue and control costs for the millions of businesses impacted by the weather.” Based on research into the ways that weather affects a wide range of industries, the company sells coverage to customers online and pays “automatically” when bad weather occurs, without “unnecessary paperwork,” claims process, proof-of-loss or waiting for payment.

Sources:
“Something For A Rainy Day,” The Economist, 7/12/08
WeatherBill.com

With $4.00+ for a gallon of gas, and sky rocketing grocery prices, dedicated couponers are finding that they have lots more company.

According to the Associated Press, CMS Inc., a coupon processing agent and promotions logistics service, reports that Americans redeemed 2.6 billion coupons in 2007, reversing a 16 year decline in coupon use. Coupons Inc., The GroceryGame.com, the Coupon Mom, and coupon processors and promoters are also seeing increased traffic.

And coupons aren’t just for the 50-something crowd; younger shoppers are also using coupons although they’re seeking them online instead of more traditional media.

See also:
Internet Coupon Use Up 83%, but Sunday Newspapers Remain Top Source, Marketing Charts 7/17/08
Most Plan More Coupon Use in a Recession, Many Attracted to Paperless, Marketing Charts 4/7/08

Midsize SUV sales were down a whopping 38% in May 2008 over May 2007, while car sales rose from less than 50% to 57% says the US Department of Transportation.

That’s bad news for big car brands GM, Chrysler and Ford. GM’s Hummer is experiencing a 36% national decline in sales and the automaker is shelving redesigns for its full-size pickup trucks and large SUVs including the Chevrolet Silverado, Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon. Ford has just pushed back the debut of their redesigned 2009 Ford F-150. The company is also cutting production of 90,000 vehicles, mostly trucks and SUVs. Source: AutoObserver.com.

A survey by Autodata confirms that higher gas prices are affecting all income levels. Sales of $40,000K+ vehicles are falling faster than the rest of the market: a 14 percent decline in 2008 ytd versus the same period in 2007. Monthly sales of the Mercedes S Class and Acura RL are dropping more quickly than lower-priced, similarly-sized vehicles such as the Chevy Impala.

So how are automakers coping? Chrysler is offering three years of subsidized gas to purchasers of new Chrysler jeep or Dodge vehicles. The program guarantees that customers won’t pay more than $2.99 per gallon for the first 12,000 miles they drive each year for three years.

The deal applies to most, but not all, of the company's vehicles and ends July 7. Whether the promotion is successful remains to be seen. Sales in May, the promotion's first month, were 25 percent lower than in May 2007.