www.spotsndots.comSubscriptions: $350 per year.

This publication cannot bedistributed beyond the office

of the actual subscriber. Need us? 888-884-2630 or

sales@spotsndots.com Copyright 2017.The Daily News of TV Sales Thursday, May 11, 2017

MILLENNIALS WANT LUXURY CAR BRANDSEMBRACE CARGURUS FOR SHOPPING Millennials may have been slow to embrace American car culture, but they have high aspirations. The Harris Poll’s 29th annual EquiTrend Study reveals that seven of the top ten Millennial car brands are luxury brands, versus five each for Generation X and Baby Boomers. Mercedes-Benz boasts an equity score of 73 among Millennials, compared to an equity rating of 66 among consumers overall. Aspiration, however, outpaces ownership as Millennials are much less likely to actually own luxury cars than older generations. Not only is Mercedes tops with Millennials, it reclaimed the Luxury Automotive Brand of the Year honor in the survey from Lexus. Mercedes held the title from 2011 through 2015. Toyota maintained the Non-Luxury Automotive Brand of the Year for the third consecutive year. “Millennials are changing not just what we want to drive, but how we drive and how we shop for cars,” said Joan Sinopoli, VP of brand solutions at The Harris Poll. Millennials aspire to luxury, and this is nowhere more evident than in the automotive industry, she noted. Well done TV advertising may also be paying off with Millennials. While Lincoln’s brand equity remains below the Luxury Auto category average, the automaker’s brand equity increased significantly (3.4 points) since 2014, coinciding with Lincoln’s commercials featuring actor Matthew McConaughey. Comparing generations, the brand’s equity in the Harris Poll study is highest among Millennials. For all respondents, Mercedes was followed by BMW in the Luxury Automotive Brand rankings. Genesis, Lexus and Porsche rounded out the top five. For Non-Luxury nameplates, Toyota was followed by Honda, Chevrolet, Ford and Subaru. Millennials played a big role in putting CarGurus.com on top for the first time as Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year, jumping seven equity points and passing KBB.com, which held the title since 2012. “KBB is an incredibly strong brand,” said Sinopoli, “but CarGurus has touched Millennials in a more relevant way.” Besides the irreverent name, she notes that CarGurus’ landing page boasts great deals, great dealers, transparency, and a powerful search engine. “Add that to Instant Market Value and deal ratings, and it’s a compelling promise to a young car buyer—or dreamer,” she said. While KBB.com is equally well known across generations, 25% of Millennials are familiar with CarGurus, compared to 16% of consumers overall. Familiarity is one of the three main factors determining brand equity, and Harris Poll’s study suggests that those who know CarGurus know them very well.

ADVERTISER NEWS Daimler says it has dropped attempts to get approval to sell 2017 Mercedes diesels in the U.S., but has made no decision as to whether it will exit the diesel passenger market here permanently. Of course all this traces back to the Volkswagen diesel scandal and the increased scrutiny from government regulatory bodies that came about as

a result. Daimler did get approval last month to sell diesel Sprinter commercial vans in the U.S…….Coke believes special packaging has brought it some success, and now the company is teaming with Dollar General which will exclusively carry military-themed cans with special labels such as “Veteran,” “Service Member,” and “Military Spouse”……

Wendy’s reported a same-store sales increase of 1.6% for the first quarter (5.2% over the first quarter of 2015), the 17th consecutive quarter of positive same-restaurant sales. It noted margin was down from 17.2% to 16.7% at company-owned locations due to increased labor costs, and it would have been worse if not for lower commodity costs. The chain is projecting same-store sales growth of 2-3% for the rest of the current year…….Party City doesn’t report its results quite the same as most other retailers, but the company reports “brand comparable sales” up 1.7% in the first quarter while it opened two new stores, closed four, and bought back 36 stores from franchisees. It’s developing an online site for party-related services connecting suppliers and consumers who can select party services including entertainment, activities, food and decorations from screened vendors……Vitamin Shoppe comp store sales were down 6.3% and it cites “intensifying promotional environment in the Sports category.” The chain opened six new stores in the quarter while closing one and transforming three into a new format……More problems for Indiana-based Marsh Supermarkets as Progressive Grocer reports the chain “is rapidly approaching a point of no return.” Already planning to close 19 stores this month, the Indianapolis Business Journal says another 16 could close unless the chain, owned by Sun Capital Partners, finds a buyer or business partner…(Continued on page 3)

PAGE 2 The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com

NETWORK NEWS Fox has decided to cancel its supernatural drama series Sleepy Hollow after four seasons. The show, inspired by Washington Irving’s story, was moved to Friday night midway through season 3 and remained there for the fourth season. The fourth season averaged a modest 3.2 million total viewers and a 0.9 rating among adults 18-49 in the Nielsen Live +7 surveys…NBC has renewed Taken for a second season. The drama is based on three highly successful films starring Liam Neeson. The TV series stars Clive Standen in the role as a younger Bryan Mills fighting to overcome personal tragedy and exact revenge on those responsible. NBC has ordered 16 hour-long episodes for the second season, up from 10 episodes in the first season. Taken also co-stars Jennifer Beals, Gaius Charles, Brooklyn Sudano, Monique Gabriela Curnen, Michael Irby, James Landry Hèbert and Jose Pablo Cantillo……Fox issued its first series order for the season with the pick up its highest-profile project and drama front-runner The Gifted. The project comes from writer Matt Nix and X-Men director Bryan Singer. The series focuses on a suburban couple (Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker) whose ordinary lives are rocked by the sudden discovery that their children possess mutant powers. The Gifted was one of the most buzzed-about Fox pilots this year, along with Ghosted and LA-> Vegas, which are also expected to get picked up to series……MeTV has announced that the kick-off for its programming event, The Summer of Me will take place on Monday, May 29th. The event will feature Barry Williams of the TV family comedy The Brady Bunch as host. The network will feature a special block of classic comedies weekday afternoons and weeknights all summer long. MeTV has added several new shows for the event, including ALF, which joins the network for the first time. Williams will select his favorite and most memorable episodes of The Brady Bunch in a weeklong special event called The Brady Bunch – Barry’s Best beginning Monday, July 10th through Friday, July 14th at 5 PM (ET)……Top comedy writer-producer Kenya Barris has signed a long-term extension to his overall deal with ABC Studios. Under the terms of the deal, the Black-ish creator will continue to serve as executive producer on the popular comedy, now in its third season and expected to be renewed for a fourth. Additionally, Barris will continue to develop new projects for the network, cable and streaming services.

DONE DEALS 21ST Century Fox has named Joe Marchese as the new ad-sales chief for the Fox Networks Group. Marchese, who has worked with 21st Century Fox to develop new ways of pitching commercials in new distribution venues, including video on demand, will take the role of president of advertising revenue for Fox Networks Group. He will supervise not only ad sales related to Fox Broadcasting, but also the company’s FX suite of cable networks, National Geographic and Fox Sports 1. Additionally, Marchese will supervise advertising research and development of new ad products.

AVAILS WNJU / Telemundo 47 in New York seeks a dynamic Local / National Sales Manager who will lead, motivate, and inspire our Account Managers to exceed revenue goals across multiple platforms, in a fast paced environment. The ideal candidate will have a passion for developing business from Advertising Agencies and Local Direct Accounts. The ideal candidate has a minimum of 10 years broadcast sales management experience, with a proven track record

of successful revenue generation and station share increases. Bi-lingual a plus. CLICK HERE to apply. EOE. WBTV CBS/wbtv.com/BOUNCE TV, in Charlotte, NC seeks a Multi-Screen Marketing Specialist. Candidate must demonstrate a knowledge of agency negotiations, a track record of successful new business and internet development. Candidate must be detail-oriented, a problem solver and have professional presentation skills.

One-two years broadcast experience required and a college degree preferred. Qualified applicants, please APPLY HERE and attach resume and cover letter. No phone calls please. EOE/M/F/D/V. Radio Account Executive needed for sales of Sunrise Broadcasting cluster of stations in the Wilmington, NC area. 3+ years outside sales experience preferred. The ideal candidate is an experienced sales professional with a positive outlook, incredible drive, and a thirst to learn. The successful candidate will have three or more years of outside sales experience. A college degree or equivalent experience is preferred. All candidates must APPLY ONLINE. EOE M/F. All Sunrise Broadcasting properties are tobacco free. Sunrise Broadcasting Company participates in E-Verify. Local Sales Manager: KUBE 57 TV, Houston, is looking for a positive, self- motivated, and passionate sales manager ready to pave their own path. Are you ready to love what you do and have fun doing it? The right person for this job understands leadership by example, sells and trains with passion. This person understands the value of relationships. Solid references and a history of sales performance are critical. Send resume, references and cover letter explaining why you are the right candidate to jobs@kube57.com. EOE. KABB/KMYS/WOAI - TV in San Antonio is seeking a Director of Sales. This position is responsible for all aspects of sales operations to include revenue/expense budgeting, sales strategy, forecasting and sales team training/development. The ideal candidate will have a passion and understanding to lead his/her team to build strong business growth and customer relationships. 5-7 years’ experience in TV sales management required, strong and positive leadership skills required. CLICK HERE for more info or to apply. EOE/Drug Free Workplace.

Place a job in Spots n Dots! Do it ONLINE HERE, or send your listing to ads@spotsndots.com

5/11/2017

Conan O’Brien

In Mexico, the world’s heaviest man, who weighs almost

1,000 pounds, is preparing for surgery. The man said, “After

years of being unhappy with my appearance, I’m finally getting

that nose job.”

The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 3

AUTOMOTIVE UPDATE TrueCar announced a partnership with eBay Motors to offer a new car buying service. The program gives eBay shoppers pricing information from TrueCar Dealers for new cars and enables them to engage with TrueCar Certified Dealers for the purchase of a new vehicle…… General Motors has recalled 11,246 Buick Lacrosse cars from the 2017 model year. The recall stems from a part being installed backward, which could cause a bolt to loosen and fall out, disconnecting part of the vehicle’s suspension.

BEDDING BATTLE HEATS UP The feud between Mattress Firm and its former vendor Tempur Sealy turns into heavier marketing for each company, as the retailer has cut ties with its biggest vendor, and the manufacturer has lost its largest retailer. Tempur Sealy is now using tennis star Serena Williams in TV spots for its Tempur-Pedic brand, with Williams endorsing the bed and pillows she claims to have used for the last ten years. The campaign, according to Tempur Sealy President Rick Anderson “is supported by a significant increase in national media.” Mattress Firm is now emphasizing its relationship with Serta Simmons Bedding, and is breaking a new “Technology to Power Off” campaign created by Droga 5 in time for the important Memorial Day weekend. National and local TV are planned along with radio and digital.

ECONOMIC NEWS The labor market is strong, good news for almost all television advertisers, and if The Conference Board’s Employment Trends Index is correct, things will get even better. The April study came in at 132.64, up from an upwardly-revised 131.58 the month before, and 4.1% better than the ETI a year ago. The index aggregates eight labor-market indicators (such as ratio of involuntarily part-time to all part-time workers and percentage of firms with positions not able to fill right now) and seven of the eight components pointed upward in the latest study. Forecast: A tight labor market is about to get much tighter, with solid employment growth occurring at a time when there is almost no growth in the working-age population.

ADVERTISER NEWS (Contunued from page 1) ....Meanwhile Kroger is opening a new convenience store concept called Fresh Eats MKT near Columbus, Ohio, which it calls “a different kind of convenience store,” featuring fresh produce, meat, bakery and dairy. Kroger already operates some c-store under the Turkey Hill banner……SeaWorld first quarter revenue fell from $220.2 million to $186.4 million, but the shift of Easter into April may have played a large part in the decline and the company says attendance through the end of April has caught up and is now “essentially flat.” On the positive side, season pass sales are up 6% year-to-date.

AVAILS Looking for an opportunity with the best company in the business? WKCF CW18, Hearst’s powerhouse CW affiliate in Orlando, has an opening for an experienced seller. With 32 hours of local news each week, plus strong syndicated and prime programming, we are one of the top-rated CW’s in the country. We also offer premier digital products, state-of-the-art sales training, and a winning

culture! Email Samantha Johnson: Sjohnson@hearst.com or CLICK HERE to apply online. EOE.

BUSINESS BYTES Amazon is lowering the threshold for free shipping for the second time this year, now to $25 dollars for customers who are not members of Prime (all shipments are free for Prime members). The cut-off point had been lowered from $49 to $35 earlier this year, and the latest move may be a reaction to

Walmart’s recent strategy of offering discounts on some items that are bought online but picked up in a Walmart store……In another Amazon note, Parks Associates says Amazon controls 71% of the smart-speaker market with its Echo, Dot and Tap—and the market is expected to grow by 60% this year. Despite potent competition such as Apple’s Siri, Google Now, and Microsoft’s Cortana, This Week In Consumer Electronics reports eMarketer is projecting Amazon’s Alexa “will remain the dominant virtual-assistant platform for the foreseeable future.” Perhaps some of that dominance was built in part by a strong TV campaign Amazon placed for Alexa during the Holiday season last year.

5/11/2017

FunnyTweeter.com

Saw a sign on a truck said, ‘Driver carries no money.’

I guess he must be married.

TUESDAY NIELSEN RATINGS - LIVE + SAME DAY