Shoppers Win

Call it Thanksgifting.

In this year’s run-up to the holiday shopping season, news reports inundated us with stories about the early start to the holiday shopping season. Big-name retailers Best Buy, Macy’s, Kohl’s and Target unlocked their doors at midnight on Thanksgiving only to be bested by Wal-Mart, which opened two hours earlier at 10 p.m.

While all the early openings were justifiably big news, there’s a development we think is even more interesting – acceleration in the use of electronic shopping, from both the PC and the mobile device.


Content is king, but equally as important as how you connect with your audience.


As SBC’s own Matt Wilson correctly predicted to the Columbus Dispatch prior to the event, Cyber Monday sales growth was primed to explode. This is exactly what happened, as ComScore reported that Cyber Monday sales rose 22 percent from about $1 billion in 2010 to $1.25 billion this year.

Then, there’s mobile-device shopping. As of July 2011, a survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that as much as a third of all American adults owned smartphones. Juxtapose this data with the numbers of people who ventured out for deals on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, and you wind up with what Wilson also told the Dispatch: “Literally armies of shoppers and they have ‘intel.’”

What does it all mean? Retailers are finding every way possible to engage with the consumer wherever it’s most convenient for the shopper, whether it’s through brick and mortar, online or mobile devices. It also means that consumers have greater access to deals, enabling them to make purchases from their phones even while they stand in line at the store. Expect this to only increase as both the smartphone adoption rate and the public’s comfort level with online shopping increases. In the end, Wilson says, “the shopper wins.”

Back-to-School Economic Strategies Employed By Savvy Parents

We're not out of the woods yet! The recession may be over, but the working parents we spoke with at SBC Advertising said that they are still employing money-saving strategies to recover during the back-to-school season this year.  Some mothers told us they plan to continue using strategies formed in the last few years. So what has the recession changed?

Re-using or recycling school supplies from the previous year was one important cost-cutting measure mentioned by the parents we spoke to.  A mother of five said that she used to throw away everything at the end of the school year and shop for all new supplies before the next school year. Now, she saves anything salvageable and keeps it through the summer for her children to use come fall. 

Another mother said that she now postpones haircuts until right before school instead of having intermittent summer haircuts. This allows her children to look good for school pictures without spending money on multiple haircuts during the summer.

Clothes are another expense left until the last minute according to our working parents.  Kids grow quickly, so some parents said they now wait until August to buy new clothes for school. "What fits in June isn't necessarily going to fit in August," said a mother of one. Clothing can become expensive as kids begin to demand name brands, so one mother suggested taking children to a used clothing store and giving them more money to spend there because "they get more there than we'll end up spending somewhere else."

What measures have you used or do you plan to use this coming back-to-school season to save money? Did the recession change your habits?

Image: greenphile/freedigitalphotos.net

Back-to-School is second to holidays in spending, according to working parents. And kick off begins right after July 4th

We talked about that funny Staples ad in our last post. The ad made an analogy on behalf of parents that back-to-school was akin to Christmas as Andy Williams croons "It's the most wonderful time of the year." Interestingly, there are a few other things the back-to-school shopping season has in common with the holiday season: Increased spending and changes in typical shopping patterns.

Our working parents told us that back-to-school is the second most expensive shopping trip of the year next to the holidays. Between new backpacks, clothes, lunchboxes, shoes and replenishing basics like underwear and socks, parents said they have an exhaustive array of items on their shopping list. However, parents aren't just buying for their kids. Our working parents told us that due to slashed teacher budgets, they put items like hand sanitizer, tissue and dry erase markers on the shopping list too.

And the kick off to the back-to-school season begins just as the celebration of our country ends.

Why so early? Parents told us that retailers start advertising their back-to-school sales "All of a sudden Target and Staples and all those start making [back-to-school] the top of their flyer" said one working mom. Parents also said that they do more browsing in the beginning of the season, and will only purchase when the deal is too good to pass up.

Back to school changes normal shopping behavior
Our parents said they peruse store fliers and circulars just as they do during the holidays, but weekly shopping behaviors are expanded while heavier price comparisons begin. They'll visit stores outside of their normal routine, too. "It's when I start comparing and that's when I might actually make the trip to Meijer or Big Lots or somewhere that I don't normally frequent" said a mother of two. This year, we think that lower gas prices will increase the likelihood of parents shopping outside of their normal footprint too.

Fill 'er up, and let the shopping begin!

photo credit: Flickr/emilyonasunday

Why the lazy summer is a myth. For working parents, BTS means relief from "the summer gap."

We talked with a group of working parents here at SBC Advertising about the upcoming BTS (back-to-school) season and what they shared with us about their summertime reality was eye-opening. To be cliche, it's no picnic.

Do you recall that BTS spot from Staples a few years back? It featured an overly excited parent with equally unexcited children meandering through a Staples school supply aisle. I think Staples was trying to say that parents were glad to get their offspring back to school and out of their hair thus making the season the true "most wonderful time of the year" instead of Christmas.

Yes, the commercial is an exaggeration but Staples is on to something. There's truth in the analogy because the idea of a lazy summer is a myth for the working parents we interviewed. And the return to a structured school year means relief for many of them. Parents told us their lives calm down once school begins because their households revert to a more predictable routine whereas the summertime schedule is, well, kind of crazy.

Are brands missing out on a big opportunity? 
Retailers and marketers are so heavily focused on the BTS season that we think they're missing out on a key opportunity to connect with parents. It's not all backyard barbeques and sleepovers throughout the months of June and July. Working parents have to do more to ensure their kids are safe and keeping productively busy during the hours they would normally be at school. More scheduling. More activities. More expenses. More meal planning. More communication. More. More. More. Oh yeah, and they still have to work too.

We think that brands from food retailers and restaurants to communication providers (smart phones and otherwise) could benefit greatly by addressing the "Summer gap" as we're calling it. Help busy, working parents navigate their crazy summer season and you might earn a loyal advocate the whole school year too.

So, how's your summer going?

[photo credit: Flickr/Emilyonasunday]

The Rise of Shopper Marketing, or How I Learned to Pay Attention to the Shopper, Not Just the Consumer

Here at SBC Advertising, we've been doing some thinking about Shopper Marketing, an emerging discipline that is becoming increasingly more important for retailers.


What is Shopper Marketing, you ask?

Essentially, it studies, targets and caters to the shopper, and, more importantly, seeks to understand how individuals act when they're actually in the store or on the website making a purchase. While this may sound like the same thing as traditional consumer research, it is in fact as different as night and day.

For example, when asked during consumer research, an individual may tell you they prefer a certain brand and are loyal to a fault. But when the shopper gets into the store, it can be a different story. That loyal consumer suddenly decides to buy a competing product. What happened?

Shopper Marketing will tell you that the decision was, in fact, not sudden at all. Identifying what influences and drives a sale when a consumer becomes a shopper is what shopper marketing is all about.

Does a shopper just want to get in and get out? Is a shopper looking for the best value? Is a shopper trying to find the lowest price? Understanding these purchasing drivers is the key to driving growth. It's so important, in fact, that many of the world's largest consumer products companies are spending time and money to delve into the issue. InStoreMarketer.org reports that, for the last year a group of leading retail and industry supporters have been working together on the Retail Commission on Shopper Marketing. The commission has tasked itself with the goal of developing a blueprint for Shopper Marketing best practices. Industry-leading retailers Campbell Soup Co., Coca-Cola Co., Giant Eagle, Kellogg Co. and Walmart, among many others, signed on to be a part of this effort.

Meanwhile, according to a study from the Grocery Manufacturers Association, 83% of consumer package goods companies surveyed expect to increase their shopper-marketing investment over the next three years, while 55% of those companies expect their investment in shopper marketing will exceed all other marketing spending, including Internet and social media.

At SBC, we believe that while delving into shopper marketing is valuable, it's important to realize that consumers aren't as easy to influence as they used to be, at the store level or elsewhere. They are much savvier and they have access to instant information about goods and services they purchase because of the indispensable smart phone. As a result, spur-of-the moment purchase decisions have decreased in frequency. That's why it's important to engage shoppers on a regular basis, in places or scenarios where they are progressing down the path from consumer to shopper.

Today a well-crafted marketing plan will not only cover shopper marketing but include mobile as a key component of the plan as cell phones, especially smart phones, and now tablets have increasingly become a source of easily accessible information for consumers and shoppers.

Image: Ambro/freedigitalphotos.net

Sources: 
Shopper Marketing: Racing Along the Path to Purchase, Advertising Age, 2010 
Retail Commission: A "Road Map" to Shopper Marketing, InStoreMarketer.Org, February 2010 (registration required)     

Are you in or are you out? Of the product placement game that is.

That is one of several questions in Morgan Spurlock's new movie Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Did Spurlock sell out to the advertisers in order to get money to make his movie, or did he make smart business decisions and buy in to brand integration to help fund a movie he wanted to make?

SBC Advertising held an exclusive sneak preview for Spurlock's new movie, a day before it opens city wide in Columbus on Friday, May 20th. The underlying quest in Spurlock's movie is to fund an entire documentary using advertising dollars from brands such as Old Navy, Sheetz Convenience Stores, Ban deodorant, Jet Blue Airways, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and of course the jackpot title sponsor Pom Wonderful.

A number of provocative questions arise throughout the movie and one of the most prominent was:
Is advertising helpful or manipulative?

In the case of Broward County School District in Florida, advertising dollars served as fundraising support for local schools. The schools are required to implement more school-run extracurricular programs, yet their budgets are constantly trimmed. In this case: advertising = good and helpful

On the other side of the debate lies the fast food industry. With an all-time high American childhood obesity rate, parents and health officials are in an uproar that McDonald's is selling Happy Meals with toys to specifically target children. In this case: advertising = bad and manipulative.

Spurlock presents both sides of the advertising discussion while enlisting the opinions of consumer experts (Martin Lindstrom), public figures (The Donald) as well as the average Jane Consumer on the street.

We think the movie was interesting, and offered a nice balance between presenting the benefits and pitfalls of product placement. As advertisers, we weren't sure what to expect and were surprised to find Spurlock had represented our industry fairly. But as far as whether or not Spurlock himself sold out, we're still figuring that one out.

So, what do you think? Did Spurlock simply raise money to buy in to the marriage of brands and entertainment in order to make a movie? Was this really a documentary about the subject of product placement? Or did he sell out to big brand name corporations just for the money?

We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Image: assignmentx.com


Sources:
Pom Wonderful: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
sonyclassics.com 
cdc.gov  

How far have we fallen into the Green Gap?

According to an article in MediaPost, numerous companies are running tie-ins to green causes in honor of Earth Day on April 22nd.

• RadioShack has an electronics trade-in tied to winning an eco-friendly car
• AAA is offering green driving tips
• Nickelodeon is hosting Big Help Earth Day

How many consumers will take advantage of these offers, or take time to heed some of the green advice being given?

OgilvyEarth recently conducted a study regarding consumer intentions vs. consumer actions when it comes to shopping and living sustainably, a phenomenon they have labeled the "Green Gap." In other words, a green gap is the difference between a person's aspirations for living green and a person's reality in living green. A troubling matter not only for environmentalists, but also potentially for marketers.

• 82% of Americans have "good green intentions"
• 16% are dedicated to fulfilling them ("Super Greens")
• 66% are ignored by marketers ("Middle Greens")
• 18% are Green Rejectors

OgilvyEarth says that many of the "world's leading corporations are staking their futures on the bet that sustainability will become a major driver of mainstream consumer purchase behavior."

What's the dilemma? Besides the 70% who claim they would rather cure cancer than fix the environment, OgilvyEarth found that green marketing messages remains a much more niche position rather than mainstream.

"Existing green marketing is either irrelevant or even alienating to most Americans."

Half of Americans equate environmentally friendly products with "Crunchy Granola Hippies" or "Rich Elitist Snobs." What about the Everyday Americans, the Middle Greens? Marketers need to recognize there are a different segments of green consumers who respond differently to messaging.

Another concern? The number one barrier Americans claimed to living and shopping sustainably was cost, not only financially but also emotionally. Middle Greens say they feel shunned by those around them because of the negative judgment associated with going out of their way to purchase green products. They want to feel normal, not different. Until green "feels normal" the Middle probably won't fully embrace green products.

A final piece to this puzzle: the study found that 73% in the survey would prefer to buy an environmentally responsible product from a well-known mainstream company (Clorox's Green Works) instead of from a company who specializes in being green (Seventh Generation).

Not a surprising statistic since the majority group wants to shop and live sustainably, but also wants to feel normal doing so.

How far have we fallen into the Green Gap? Not so far that we can't get out, especially if marketers acknowledge the need for different messaging for the various segments of green consumers. Also, if more mainstream and trusted brands like Clorox produce environmentally sound products, this might help bridge the green gap as well.


Image: Danilo Rizzuti/freedigitalphotos.net  


Sources:
Study: Green Gap Is Bigger Than Ever, mediapost.com, 4/19/11
Mainstream Green: Moving sustainability from niche to normal, Ogilvy and Mather (OgilvyEarth), 2011 

A Tailored Experience: Local Preferences Rule!

In 2008 Macy's instituted a pilot program to test specialized, local merchandising in 20 markets and then rolled out My Macy's - a program which stocks merchandise based on popular items in local stores.

Here are some examples of what stores are carrying. In Memphis, Tennessee this past holiday season Macy's stores stocked up on Elvis Christmas tree ornaments while in San Bernadino, California stores discovered a need for more extra-large men's clothing.

In our own backyard, Parma, Ohio stores found the demand for electric pizzelle presses (used to make a certain type of Italian cookie). Macy's in Sandusky carries high-end lingerie, something they may never have had available before My Macy's.

Not only does My Macy's engage the local consumer, but employees have a chance to take ownership of their stores and have more say in merchandising. Stores in Las Vegas place customer request logs at every register so managers and employees can reference the logs and pass along the information to local merchandising managers.

Is there a downside to local merchandising? How deliberate does a customer need to be to get what she wants? Is there a possibility that retail can get too regionally tailored, thereby excluding certain consumers? (I mean, really - who wants to make pizzelles from scratch?) And what if you aren't a local?

So far, customers seem to enjoy the new experience. We expect other big retailers to follow suit.

Image: freedigitalphotos.net 

Sources:
Retailers on quest to rekindle the personal touch of a bygone era, adage.com, 2/14/11
"My Macy's" Engage Employees, experiencematters.wordpress.com, 11/30/10
My Macy's tailors merchandise to Northeast Ohio tastes, cleveland.com, 11/2/10
"My Macy's" to Keep it Local, pe.com, 10/27/10

Who's the VO on the Chrysler Super Bowl spot featuring Eminem? Think Local.

Guesses have ranged from Robert De Niro to Eminem himself. But it looks like they hired Rockford, Michigan-based voice-over talent Kevin Yon. Extra points for keeping it local, Chrysler!

Now if only I could tell you that one of the many great Michigan-based ad agencies made the spot -- that would have a lovely ending to this "imported from Detroit" story.  (The talented folks at Wieden & Kennedy from Portland, OR made the spot.)

Best Buy a Freshman in the Super Bowl Ad Circus

Did you know that Best Buy has never run a commercial during the Super Bowl? That's a bit surprising given that they seem like a good fit for the Super Bowl ad line up with their myriad of home entertainment systems and big screen TVs.

This year they're joining the circus because Best Buy has big news to share.

They plan to kick off a campaign with a :30 Super Bowl spot that will run throughout the year. Drew Panayiotou, Sr. VP of U.S. Marketing says Best Buy is going to "revolutionize" retailing in one 30 second spots (Really?). Panayiotou also says, "the ad may include a noteworthy celebrity or two." Hmmmm.
Wonder who those will be?

The spot is currently projected to run in the third quarter of the game.

Image: Salvatore Vuono/freedigitalphotos.net

Source:
Best Buy to Make First Super Bowl Appearance, adage.com, 12/3/10    

Has VW already won the Super Bowl ad war?

There seems to be a front runner for the winning Super Bowl ad from VW. Fans of the ad say the "brilliance about the commercial is that it really isn't an advert for a car at all, but more about the imagination of a child playing at being Darth Vader."

Posted on YouTube earlier this week the spot already has over 6 million views.

What do you think - does Volkswagen have a winner?
http://bit.ly/e0j2z3


Image: germancarblog.com 

Sources:
Volkswagen Star Wars Super Bowl Advert, breakingglobalnews.com, 2/4/11 

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Munich's $6 Million Return

After a 10 year hiatus from the Super Bowl, luxury auto manufacturer BMW is jumping back into the year's biggest advertising showcase with both feet.

At a cost of at least $6 million ($3 million/30 seconds), BMW is coming back to the Super Bowl with two commercials and an integrated Facebook contest. Considering what's at stake in the coming year, BMW feels that $6 million will be well worth it.

"We're in the window of our biggest launch period in history and the Super Bowl gives us the stage to make that big impact," BMW Marketing Communications Manager Stacy Morris told Ad Age in December.

Approximately 60% of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's model lineup is brand new between 2010 and 2011. While we don't know how many of those new vehicles will make it in front of Super Bowl viewers, thanks to Facebook, we do know that the BMW X3 will.

Hoping to increase anticipation for the commercial and increase Facebook likes, the Munich-based manufacturer began promoting a contest on the social media site a few weeks back that offers a grand prize of a free, two-year lease on a BMW X3 to the person who correctly guesses all of the options that will be included on the Super Bowl-featured X3. In exchange, contestants must let BMW access all their Facebook information and network information.

Will this turn off prospective buyers? Would it turn you off?


Source: BMW to Make Super Bowl Comeback After 10 Years, adage.com, 12/2/10

Pepsi Max Teams up with Doritos to "Crash the Super Bowl"

Last year Pepsi opted out of advertising in the Super Bowl and focused their $20 million efforts on The Pepsi Refresh Project, the much-celebrated program that awards grants for programs to bring great ideas into communities across the country. This year Pepsi Max will team up with their sister brand Doritos in the Crash the Super Bowl consumer-generated ad contest. Doritos has been running the contest since 2007.

Past ads have been enjoyable: Do you remember the young man who told his mother's too-excited date to  "keep your hands off my mamma, keep your hands off my Doritos?"

Or how about the naughty gym rats who steal Tim's bag of Doritos encouraging Tim to don a Samurai suit made of Doritos while flinging the triple pointed nacho chips at the thieves?

Get ready for six more spots this year. Out of 5,600 entries this year, the winners have already been chosen but only six spots will air during the big game: 3 for Pepsi Max and 3 for Doritos.

Check your advertising savvy and see if you can spot the winners out of the finalists here:
http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/# 

Image: Paul/freedigitalphotos.net

Source:
Three Lessons from Pepsi's Super Bowl XLV Ad Campaign, forbes.com, 2/1/11

Betty White and Beer - Ad Recap from Super Bowl XLIV

Cool cars, crappy jobs, men, emasculated men, men in underwear, chips, Google, Tim Tebow, Danica Patrick, Charles Barkley, Betty White and of course, beer - lots of beer.

The XLIV Super Bowl brought us all kinds of commercials. Some were outstanding, some...not so much.

Because the past is prelude, warm up for this year's Super Bowl ads by taking a look back at last year's spots. Advertising Age has conveniently archived them here. When you're done, join SBC Advertising on Facebook and Twitter during the game to comment on this year's commercials or compare them to last year's.

Will any live up to Google's Parisian Love? We'll see.  

Image: dailyvsvidz.com 

Sources:
Watch all of the Super Bowl XLIV Ads Here, adage.com, 2/7/10  

A Sweet Valentine's Story (for retailers)

According to the National Retail Foundation's 2011 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, consumer spending will continue through Valentine's Day this year bringing the holiday total to an estimated $15.7 billion. Couples will not only be doting on each other, the average man spending twice as much as the average woman, but will also be generous with friends and co-workers in addition to Fido, Spot and Whiskers. 

With Valentine's Day two weeks away, will you have your heart or your cash (perhaps both) 

in your hand?

• Couples this year will spend an average of $68.98 on significant others or spouses, up from $63.43  last year
• The average man plans to spend $158.71 while the average woman plans to spend $75.79

• The average person will spend:
• $116.21 on traditional Valentine's Day merchandise up 11% over last year's $103
• $5.04 on pets up from $3.27 last year  

• Consumers will spend an average of:
• $6.30 on friends
• $4.97 on classmates and teachers
• $3.41 on co-workers

52.1% of consumers are planning to purchase greeting cards, the most popular gift option, while 17.7% of consumers are planning to purchase jewelry, up from 15.5% from last year

• Consumers are planning to spend on:
• Shiny, happy...ears, fingers and necks?
• $3.5 billion on jewelry up from an estimated $3.0 billion from last year
• $3.4 billion on dining out up from $3.3 billion last year
• $1.6 billion on clothing up from $1.5 billion last year

• Stop and smell spend money on the roses
• $1.7 billion on flowers
• $1.5 billion on candy
• $1.1 billion on greeting cards

• Where will consumers spend their heart-earned money?
• 36.6% discount stores
• 30.5% department stores
• 19.4% specialty stores
• 18.1% online

• Greeting Card Fun Facts
• According to the Greeting Card Association, as estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year (behind Christmas)
• Approximately 80% of all valentines are purchased by women
• In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia

• A Little History
• Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, although written valentines didn't emerge until after 1400
• The oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum
• The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840's by Esther A. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine
• Howland produced handiwork with lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap"

Image:Patchareeya99 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net/freedigitalphotos.net

Sources:
Love Is In the Air this Valentine's Day According to NRF, nrf.com, 1/27/11
About Greeting Cards - General Facts, greetingcard.org
Valentine's Day, history.com

Signs are Pointing Up for a Positive 2011

November's early promotions proved too tempting for consumers, who came out in droves to spend well before December 25th, and even before the celebrated Black Friday. Free shipping and bad weather (and perhaps the realization of how much money was already spent?!) seemed to keep consumers' wallets tucked away in December. Although unemployment remained high and consumers may not return to "normal" spending soon, the fact that sales were positive - particularly in the luxury sector - is a positive sign for the new year.

Overall holiday sales - the best in four years

• Same store sales for November-December 2010 showed a 5.7% increase
• the best holiday season since 2004 which saw a 5.9% increase
• The two month 2010 sales increase is higher than the 3.6% increase for the same period in 2009

November Reigns

• November 2010 same store sales saw a gain of 5.6% 
• vs. a 0.3% drop in November 2009
• December 2010 same store sales saw a gain of 3.1%
• vs. a 3.0% gain in December 2009

Bright spots in luxury

• There were significant gains in December jewelry and luxury sales this year compared to 2009
• December jewelry sales rose 10.4% 
• vs. a 5.6% gain from December 2009
• Luxury sales outside of jewelry rose 8.5% 
• vs. a 5.5% gain from December 2009

Online sales see a surge

• Americans spent 13% more online this holiday season ($30.81 billion) than last year ($27.37 billion)
• 2009 saw only a 5% spending increase from 2008
• This year served as an all-time record for online spending for the holiday season 
• Free shopping was used in more than half of all e-commerce transactions this season

M-commerce, the new kid on the block

• According to a January 2011 ForeSee Results study of 10,000 consumers:
• 11% of shoppers made a purchase from their phones this holiday season vs. 2% during the 2009 holidays
• 7% of shoppers used retail mobile apps this holiday season compared with 1% during the 2009 holidays

Image: jcreationzs/freedigitalphotos.net


Sources:
Strong December Gains Help Retailers Beat Holiday Sales Projections, According to NRF, nrf.com, 1/14/11
33% of webshoppers engage in m-commerce, and 11% buy, ForeSee Results finds, internetretailer.com, 1/10/11
December retail store sales solid but below expectations after November surge, washingtonpost.com, 1/6/11
December Same-Store Sales Soften, Kantar Retail Reports, kantarretail.com, 1/6/11
Holiday store sales chilled, money.cnn.com, 1/6/11
December Retail Sales are Weaker Than Expected, nytimes.com, 1/6/11
U.S. Online Holiday Shopping Season Reaches Record $32.6 Billion for November-December Period, Up 12 Percent vs. Year Ago, comscore.com, 1/5/11
US retail sectors saw growth in Dec-SpendingPulse, reuters.com, 1/6/10
Online Holiday sales rise 13 percent in 2010, msnbc.com, 12/30/10