Vol. 15, September 2005

Image Identification Technology 

Broadens Joyce Julius’ Capabilities

New Technology Brings Increased Speed, Precision & Depth in Reporting

With 20 successful years of sponsorship research in the books, Joyce Julius and Associates hit another milestone this week with the addition of a computerized image detection system for the measurement of corporate logos during television broadcasts.  This cutting edge tool, Image Identification Technology (IIT), provides our researchers with the means to deliver findings in a fraction of the time previously possible, while also improving upon precision of the research and greater depth of analysis.

Based on technology focusing on the recognition of specific pixel patters, IIT can scan a telecast in nearly real time, and can be programmed to work 24/7.  The end result will be faster delivery of information back to our clients—an especially attractive feature for projects larger in scope.

“I am excited about how IIT will enable our research staff to process massive projects like the US Tennis Open or World Cup in a more timely manner than ever before,” said Cindy Shevrovich, Senior Executive Vice President at Joyce Julius.  “Even more importantly, I believe the additional screen measurements that can be pulled out of this system will be a huge benefit to many of our clients, from the standpoint of maximizing the visibility of a sign within an allotted space.”

IIT not only tabulates the amount of time a logo appears clear and in-focus during the telecast, but additional measurements, such as the percentage of screen occupied by the logo, the amount of the logo obstructed, the clarity of the logo and even the region of the screen occupied by the logo, are readily available.  This information can be critical when looking to improve or maximize exposure, and the precise nature of the statistics eliminates any subjectivity or debate regarding the findings.

Now our researchers will have new cutting edge technology not available anywhere else in North America, enhancing their abilities to deliver the type of accurate, third-party sponsorship research Joyce Julius has provided since 1985.  IIT will allow our team to spend less time tabulating and more time analyzing.

“We have looked into some of the other automated systems that are out there over the last five to eight years, but frankly, none of them were up to Joyce Julius’ standards of accuracy, and they were too limiting,” says Joyce Julius Vice President of Research and Development Eric Wright.  “This system has been in development for a while now and has been utilized in Europe for the last three years, doing exactly what we intend for it to do for us.  Because of the real-world improvements made to the system over time, we felt the time was right, and the advancements were great enough, for Joyce Julius to bring it on board.”

So how does it all work?  First, a digital version of the telecast is uploaded into the system.  The Joyce Julius researcher sets about identifying which images IIT is to search for, and specifically where to find the images.  By isolating and then selecting a wide-range of examples, the IIT system becomes “educated” on which images to count.  A test run is then conducted to make sure the proper logos are being identified, and finally the entire telecast is analyzed. 

Unlike other systems, IIT allows the researcher to “open the hood” and see exactly what is and is not counted, through a series of color-coded highlight boxes superimposed into the video stream, insuring accuracy.  Researchers click on images and read visibility statistics to determine why a specific logo may or may not be counted in that particular frame.  This visual information is easily passed along to our clients, thus clearly defining what is being counted and why.

HBO’s P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy 

Delivers Key Demographics to Corporate Partner

Enjoying a nine-week run this summer on HBO, P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy was ground breaking in terms of product placement, according to the show’s mastermind Walter Latham of Latham Entertainment.

“I think this show was historical, because, short of boxing, HBO had never allowed any form of signage in any of its shows,” said Latham who came to prominence in the late 1990s with the creation of his “Kings of Comedy” tour featuring the likes of Martin Lawrence, D.L. Hughley, Bernie Mack and Cedric The Entertainer.

What Latham did was film up-and-coming comedians over five consecutive nights in Brooklyn during the summer of 2004.  During the filming, Crown Royal signage was strategically placed throughout the theatre, while glasses of the beverage were made readily available to the performers on stage.  Initially, HBO balked at the presence of Crown Royal and wanted all images removed, but when Latham refused, HBO rescinded its ban.

“I think that was a huge win,” said Latham.  “The show ended up delivering nine straight weeks of the exact demographic HBO and our other partners were looking for.  To me it was extremely effective.  I believe it not only established a precedent by allowing corporate signage, but also proved very valuable to our sponsor, Crown Royal”.

Joyce Julius and Associates was contracted by Latham Entertainment to document the exposure received by Crown Royal, which averaged nearly one minute, 22 seconds of clear, in-focus exposure during each of the nine half-hour telecasts.  When factoring in replays on the HBO package of networks, total exposure time well surpassed the one-hour mark for the entire nine-week run.

“Our partner wanted it monitored to justify their expenditure and the study proved that is was a very good investment on their part.”

Despite his company’s proven track record of commercial success, which includes a long-term First Look agreement with Paramount Pictures, Emmy award-winning specials, multiple sold-out tours and extremely impressive DVD sales, Latham contends it is difficult to convince large corporations to back African American projects, key demographics notwithstanding.

“We are working with a very limited segment and the corporations are demanding proof of the effectiveness, probably more than in any other area of sponsorship.  Frankly, it is very hard to get the dollars when the ones at the top don’t think the demo is important enough to spend on sponsoring.

“It should be getting easier to find a sponsor after all of these projects, but it is not.  When you approach a corporation, you basically are starting from scratch with every new situation.  I just hope other companies look at the positive results we have generated and give others the same opportunities.  As you can see, it works.”

A fall tour of The Bad Boys of Comedy Presented by Crown Royal will begin in late September, while the DVD for Season One of the HBO show is also available.         

GM Shines During Motown Hometown All-Star Game

General Motors and its various divisions and models secured more than $14.6 million of in-broadcast exposure value during television coverage surrounding the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game from Detroit last July. 

According to research conducted by Joyce Julius and Associates, GM and its brands' various logos were seen for more than 16 minutes during the Fox All-Star Game coverage, Fox Sports Net's Red Carpet Show and ESPN's telecast of the Century 21 Home Run Derby.  In addition, the automaker was mentioned 58 times during the three broadcasts. When comparing the exposure to the estimated cost of a 30-second commercial during each respective telecast, GM was credited with $14,626,165 of in-broadcast exposure value.

The All-Star Game on Fox provided the company its greatest platform for exposure, as nearly $12.9 million was realized via 9:32 of clear in-focus exposure and 42 mentions.  Chevrolet's sponsorship of the Pre- and Post-Game portions of the telecast, coupled with the recurring theme of General Motors and its tie to the city of Detroit, provided several opportunities for the auto producer to take center stage.  Massive screens affixed to buildings located outside of Comerica Park were utilized by the automaker throughout the game to display images of its Corvette and HHR models.  Even GM’s world headquarters, located more than a mile from the ballpark, was affixed with All Star-related logos, which often served as the backdrop coming in and out of commercials during the Fox telecast.

GM’s $14.6 million exposure take ranks ahead of the in-broadcast value averaged by NASCAR Nextel Cup Series ($3.9 million) and PGA Tour ($5.5 million) event sponsors, but behind a typical Super Bowl Halftime Show ($18 million) or BCS Bowl Game ($40 million) sponsor.  

Herbie:  Fully Loaded for NASCAR Sponsors

Boasting a star lineup of Lindsay Lohan, Michael Keaton and Matt Dillon, Herbie: Fully Loaded, a re-visiting of everyone’s favorite Volkswagen, was a minor hit this summer at the box office, grossing $106.6 million worldwide.  What maybe was the most noteworthy aspect of the film (aside from it being Lohan’s last public appearance as a red head) was its NASCAR-themed plot in which NASCAR Nextel Cup Series drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, Kevin Harvick and Rusty Wallace all had walk-on appearances.

Predictably, corporate sponsors (or brands making cameos as “sponsors”), were also along for the Herbie/Lohan checkered-flag-chasing affair.  Nextel appeared for more than three minutes during the film and was mentioned seven times by various cast mates.  When compared to the number of individuals who ventured to theatres to watch this film, the resulting exposure was valued at more than $2.9 million according to research conducted by Joyce Julius and Associates.

Lohan, looking ever the part of a racing pro, sported a Goodyear hat for a portion of the film.  The tire and rubber company’s logo was visible for nearly 2:30, bringing about an exposure value of approximately $1.6 million, while BASS Pro Shops saw its logo on the silver screen for 1:24.  When coupled with a pair of mentions, BASS Pro Shops reaped almost $1.2 million of exposure value.

Herbie: Fully Loaded is slated for DVD release on October 25, which along with providing one hour, 32 minutes of fun for the entire family, will continue adding significantly to the sponsors’ exposure values.  Typically, the amount reaped during the theatre-release portion of a film’s run accounts for about 26% of the entire exposure value garnered during the first five years of a movie’s existence.

Motorsports Sponsorship

  In a year of lackluster box office sales, there seems to be one surefire way to catapult to the weekend #1 slot -- sponsor a NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. Back in June, the Father’s Day Michigan event was presented by “Batman Begins". The movie, which opened the Wednesday before the race, ended up in the #1 spot with a haul of almost $50 million. The second Michigan race of the season, the GFS Marketplace 400 presented by “Transporter 2”, aired a week before the movie’s Labor Day weekend opening.  “Transporter 2” also ended up at the top of the box office standings with just over $20 million for the long weekend.

  In American Le Mans Series action, contingency and team sponsor Jean Richard Swiss Watches enjoyed a successful run during coverage of the Road America event, topping the team sponsor chart with $295,225.  Overall, Jean Richard Swiss Watches currently resides in the sixth slot of the year-to-date team sponsor chart with $2,463,700.

  Throughout the first half of the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, various regional Chevy Dealers around the country have cashed in on exposure when the truck series came to town.  Piggy-backing on the truckbeds of veteran drivers Dennis Setzer and Jack Sprague, sponsors running the gamut from Atlanta Chevy Dealers to the Mountain Empire Chevy Dealers of Tennessee to the Texas Chevy Dealers have profited.  Thus far, 14 separate regional Chevy Dealers have united to reap 15:54 of on-screen time and $164,000.

  It’s a fact—a limited sponsorship involvement with a race series can still yield big-time exposure results.  Just ask Carfax, which has appeared in just six of 15 Speed World Challenge GT Championship and six of 17 Speed World Challenge Touring Car Championship telecasts, respectively, thus far in 2005.  By participating exclusively as a sponsor of the running order—which is shown several times throughout a broadcast—Carfax has racked up 2:00:02 of on-screen time, two mentions and $259,375 of comparable earnings during the GT Championship season, placing the entity fourth, in terms of value, out of the 279 total sponsors monitored so far this telecast season.  Following the identical exposure strategy in Touring Car, Carfax has secured marks of 1:26:22, four mentions and $201,030—fifth highest out of 290 overall monitored sponsors.

  The switch this year from Spike TV to NBC for Champ Car’s crown jewel, the Long Beach Grand Prix, proved profitable for the race’s entitlement sponsor Toyota.  The auto brand saw its in-broadcast exposure value rise by some 400% to more than $1 million during this year’s telecast.  The carmaker has reaped all this exposure success despite not fielding a car in the series since 2002.

  Looking to repeat as the Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford driver champion, Sebastien Bourdais, found himself at the top of the points standings with four races to go—and his primary sponsor, McDonald’s, dominating the team sponsor chart with more than $3.2 million of television exposure value.

  Even though IRL IndyCar Series driver Danika Patrick did not win this year’s Indianapolis 500, the female rookie helped propel her team sponsor Argent Mortgage to the top spot of the team sponsor chart during ABC’s telecast with $9,327,260 courtesy of 25:52 and a pair of mentions.  Patrick’s in-car camera alone drew in 13:07 and $4,669,525, the highest grossing source for Argent Mortgage.

  And the winner is…Toyo Tires!   As the official tire of the Speed World Challenge Series, Toyo Tires is guaranteed its fair share of broadcast exposure during GT and Touring Car Championship telecasts—the entity has amassed a combined 2:00:49, 185 mentions and $364,985 throughout broadcasts devoted to the two branches of the series.  However, to ensure its continued exposure success in 2005, the entity has also become the official sponsor of a sweepstakes promotion in which a lucky home viewer can win a trip to Laguna Seca Raceway.  The result?  During GT and Touring Car telecasts, Toyo Tires has nabbed 7:19, 16 mentions and $21,505 solely from exposure related to the contest.

  Making the most of its role as series sponsor for the NASCAR Truck Series, Craftsman has utilized time during each race this season to showcase its latest innovative entry in the world of tools.  So far, Craftsman has spotlighted 17 different products, including a Reciprocating Saw, Endurable Flashlight, Orbital Sander, Wall-Mounted Shop Vac and BoxEnd Ratchet Set.  All told, these tools have been presented on screen for 37 minutes, were mentioned 63 times and culled a total of $478,000 in combined comparable earnings.  On average, each new item has collected 2:10, four mentions and $28,120.

  This year the IRL IndyCar Series introduced two road courses into their traditionally “oval” schedule, making them the largest grossing races in on-screen time of the 2005 season.  Cumulative in-focus television exposure time for both road-course races--St. Petersburg and Sonoma--surpassed the five-hour mark.  ESPN’s St. Petersburg telecast drew in 5:32:57 of on-screen time and Sonoma, also airing on ESPN, accumulated 5:46:29, while oval races have averaged 4:30:25, with three races left to go.

  Thanks in large part to a dominating Honda-powered Andretti Green Racing team, including Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, Honda clinched its second-consecutive IRL IndyCar Series engine manufacturer title in Fountain, Colorado, during the Honda Indy 225.   As of the Argent Mortgage Indy Challenge telecast from Sonoma, California, Honda had tallied a year-to-date total of $36.2 million, trailed by Toyota’s $10.8 million and Chevrolet’s $9.9 million.

  Eighteen-year-old Menards Infiniti Pro Series rookie Marco Andretti has made quite a sensational start. Only participating in three of the series’ 12 races so far this season, Andretti--who won two of those races--has managed to put his Vonage-sponsored racecar into first place above all the team sponsors in the series in terms of in-broadcast exposure value with 29:14, 12 mentions and $468,500.

  Speed Channel’s coverage of the Grand-Am Cup race held at Watkins Glen International, which was mired by accidents and long durations of yellow-flag periods, enabled the pace car—the Pontiac GTO—to rack up one minute of on-screen time and 10 announcer mentions.

  What a difference a year and a few new networks make…  At the mid-year point of the Champ Car World Series, cumulative exposure value was up more than five times over figures posted a year ago during the same point in the season.  Benefiting this year from appearances on NBC, CBS and Speed Channel, overall series exposure value stood at $65.4 million, versus $9.7 in 2004 when the series appeared on Spike TV.

US Military NASCAR Busch Series Television Exposure Results

Several drivers on the 2005 NASCAR Busch Series have made use of logos from the five major branches of the military as part of their marketing strategies and the resulting value totals have proven quite rewarding.  Through telecasts of the Domino’s Pizza 250 at Michigan International Speedway – race 25 on this year’s 35-race schedule – the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines have combined for more than $25.6 million of exposure value after appearing clearly and in-focus for nearly seven hours and receiving 199 mentions. 

U.S. Navy – which backs David Stremme’s ride – has accounted for 67% of the military-related entities’ overall total, reeling in 4:32:45, 117 mentions and $17,174,220.  The total ranks the U.S. Navy fourth among team sponsors monitored thus far during 2005 Busch Series telecasts. 

Sponsor (rank among team sponsors)                        Exp. Time              Mentions               Exp. Value

* = ranking among non-team sponsors.

  A Second Look is a newsletter published by Joyce Julius and Associates, Inc., updating recent developments, trends and happenings in the areas of sports, special events and entertainment marketing.  All information contained in this newsletter is available for journalistic use, with all rights reserved.