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Among companies testing the Web for back-to-school product promotion is OfficeMax, which created an entertainment program for the Web and TV that includes a plug for back-to-school products into the story line. The program, which features Jesse McCartney, will run on Walt Disney's ABC Family cable channel and will be posted on Google Video with extra content from the show. The promotion, which looks to the teen market for sales, and emphasizes entertainment rather than traditional ad content, which advertisers know is a turnoff for teens. The youngsters are online much of their time, and they only view specialized TV, says Bob Thacker, senior VP of marketing for OfficeMax. Among rivals faced by OfficeMax in the back-to-school market are other office supply chains and discount stores such as Wal-Mart Stores and Target. The discount stores have large annual ad budgets, and the market for back-to-school supplies is expanding slowly and should reach $6.4 billion in 2006, up from $6.32 billion in 2005. Others trying new Web-based ideas include Staples, which is running an online contest with prizes that include a shopping spree, and J.C. Penny, which puts commercials online and allows Web visitors to stop the ads to buy outfits worn by an actor in the ad.
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Information Sources, Inc.
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