71176 0 2 html <p>As reported by BrandWeek, the office supplies retailer has taken money from the $100m it spends every year on Sunday circulars and <a href="http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/direct/e3i9b66dcb9d0fe519a37b09abe4113243a">is directing it at an online show</a>.</p> <p>The show, called <em>Smart Specials with Matt and Matt</em>, is part of Office Depot's Small Business Self-Bailout recession-oriented marketing campaign. <em>Smart Specials</em> episodes can be viewed at TheSurvivaloftheSmartest.com and on Hulu. The purpose of the show: supplement Office Depot's print campaigns and entice consumers to shop Office Depot online.</p> <p>So will it work? That's a tough call. Brands that have tried to '<em>do content</em>' in various forms have had mixed success with more brands <a href="http://bmorrissey.typepad.com/brianmorrissey/2009/02/where-are-the-branded-entertainment-success-stories.html">struggling than succeeding</a>. The failure of initiatives like Budweiser's Bud.tv and Coca-Cola's <em>The Coke Show</em> hint that Office Depot will face an uphill battle.</p> <p>The reality is that brands getting involved with content need what every content producer needs: compelling content.</p> <p>After watching the 4 minute and 11 second long episode of Smart Specials entitled "<em>Rewards Awards</em>", which mixes product promotions with a less-than-humorous plot revolving around an awards show for Office Depot's Worklife Rewards loyalty program, I have my doubts about how compelling consumers will find <em>Smart Specials</em> and how long Office Depot will sustain the effort.</p> <p>That notwithstanding, the reality is that sink or swim, more brands will be pulling money from their offline budgets and shifting them online. Inevitably a few of them will find the right recipe and get it right.</p> <p><em>Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hattiesburgmemory/">hattiesburgmemory</a> via Flickr.</em></p> <p>As reported by BrandWeek, the office supplies retailer has taken money from the $100m it spends every year on Sunday circulars and <a href="http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/direct/e3i9b66dcb9d0fe519a37b09abe4113243a">is directing it at an online show</a>.</p> <p>The show, called <em>Smart Specials with Matt and Matt</em>, is part of Office Depot's Small Business Self-Bailout recession-oriented marketing campaign. <em>Smart Specials</em> episodes can be viewed at TheSurvivaloftheSmartest.com and on Hulu. The purpose of the show: supplement Office Depot's print campaigns and entice consumers to shop Office Depot online.</p> <p>So will it work? That's a tough call. Brands that have tried to '<em>do content</em>' in various forms have had mixed success with more brands <a href="http://bmorrissey.typepad.com/brianmorrissey/2009/02/where-are-the-branded-entertainment-success-stories.html">struggling than succeeding</a>. The failure of initiatives like Budweiser's Bud.tv and Coca-Cola's <em>The Coke Show</em> hint that Office Depot will face an uphill battle.</p> <p>The reality is that brands getting involved with content need what every content producer needs: compelling content.</p> <p>After watching the 4 minute and 11 second long episode of Smart Specials entitled "<em>Rewards Awards</em>", which mixes product promotions with a less-than-humorous plot revolving around an awards show for Office Depot's Worklife Rewards loyalty program, I have my doubts about how compelling consumers will find <em>Smart Specials</em> and how long Office Depot will sustain the effort.</p> <p>That notwithstanding, the reality is that sink or swim, more brands will be pulling money from their offline budgets and shifting them online. Inevitably a few of them will find the right recipe and get it right.</p> <p><em>Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hattiesburgmemory/">hattiesburgmemory</a> via Flickr.</em></p> 2009-07-01T08:25:31+01:00 0 1 html <p><strong><img alt="" height="100" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/3298099109_9622c2b860_m.jpg" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: right;" width="151" />It's no secret that despite the recession and shrinking overall budgets, major advertisers continue to shift ad dollars to online. </strong></p> <p>Earlier this month, <a href="http://econsultancy.com/blog/3988-us-ad-spending-drops-12-in-q1-report">Nielsen reported</a> that in Q1, spending on local Sunday supplements fell 37.7% in the United States. A perfect example of how some of that spend is making its way online can be found with Office Depot.</p> <p><strong><img style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: right;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/3298099109_9622c2b860_m.jpg" alt="" width="151" height="100" />It's no secret that despite the recession and shrinking overall budgets, major advertisers continue to shift ad dollars to online. </strong></p> <p>Earlier this month, <a href="http://econsultancy.com/blog/3988-us-ad-spending-drops-12-in-q1-report">Nielsen reported</a> that in Q1, spending on local Sunday supplements fell 37.7% in the United States. A perfect example of how some of that spend is making its way online can be found with Office Depot.</p> false 4133 Office Depot tries to supplement the Sunday circular with an online show false 2009-07-01T09:27:17+01:00 office-depot-tries-to-supplement-the-sunday-circular-with-an-online-show 2009-07-01T09:27:17+01:00 1437