Spots N Dots
The Daily News Of TV Sales
December4, 2017
HONDA, FORD SALES UP, GM DOWN IN NOVEMBER
BIG REBATES AND CHEAP FINANCING PAID OFF
Ford and Honda posted sales increases in November while Toyota, FCA, General Motors and Hyundai-Kia slipped in what turned out to be a solid month, driven by light-truck demand and fatter deals.
Total sales numbers weren’t available over the weekend, since Nissan delayed posting their sales numbers until today.
But add up the rest, and use Nissan Motor Co.’s forecast for a 14 percent gain, and U.S. light-vehicle sales rose 1.1 percent last month -- exceeding most forecasts.
However, the U.S. new-vehicle market, after seven straight annual gains capped by a record 2016, is off 1.4 percent through November, mostly on sharply lower car and fleet business. But volume is still on track to top 17 million units for a third straight year according to Automotive News.
Honda’s volume rose 8.3 percent to a November record of 133,166. Ford’s 7 percent increase in light vehicles -- aided by higher fleet and car and light-truck volume -- marked a third-straight month of gains of 6 percent or more Sales of the Explorer were up nearly 25 percent. the F- Series truck gained a point.
GM sales slipped 2.9 percent on lower fleet shipments and flat retail demand, with every brand posting a decline; Buick down 3%, Cadillac down 13%, Chevy down 1.1%, GMC down 5.8%. Truck sales, including full-size SUVs and vans, were down 1.6 percent, with sales of the GMC Canyon and Yukon each dropping about 26 percent.
Fiat Chrysler had a 3.7 percent decline on lower fleet shipments and weaker volume at Jeep, Ram and Dodge. The Chrysler brand, up 14 percent, was the only marque to post a gain among FCA’s core brands last month. FCA said retail sales rose 2 percent but fleet deliveries dropped 25 percent as part of an ongoing strategy to reduce volume from daily rental customers. Jeep’s fleet shipments plunged 75 percent.
Volkswagen sales dipped 1.6 percent at the VW brand, snapping three straight months of gains, and rose 12 percent at Audi, extending the luxury marque’s streak of gains to 97 months year over year.
November sales rose 0.8 percent at Subaru and 25 percent at Mitsubishi but skidded 16 percent at Kia and 9.4 percent at Hyundai. And sales were down 2.6 percent at Mazda.
With one month to go in 2017, Mercedes-Benz appears to have back-to-back U.S. luxury sales crowns all but wrapped up with a 30,611-vehicle lead over second-place BMW. Mercedes posted a 1.6 percent increase in sales in November. BMW sales were up 7.1 percent.
Among other luxury brands, volume rose 1.7 percent at Volvo, 0.8 percent at Porsche, +20 percent for Land Rover. Jaguar sales were down 9.5%
ADVERTISER NEWS
CVS has agreed to buy Aetna for about $69 billion, in a deal that could reshape the American health care industry, The transaction would combine the drugstore chain with one of the United States’ biggest health insurers, reflecting the increasingly blurred lines between traditionally separate spheres of the health care industry, per the NYTimes.com. The deal, if approved by regulators, should close in the second half of 2018....Signet Jewelers, parent of Zales, Kay Jewelers, and Jared, disclosed in a filing Friday evening it has been notified by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau it may take legal action against Signet for its in-store credit practices. The potential action would pertain to Signet’s “credit practices, promotions, and payment protection products.” Signet has long been scrutinized for its extensive offering of credit, particularly to customers with low FICO scores. In the current fiscal year, 62 percent of its $3.9 billion sales in its “sterling jeweler” business were offered on credit.... Macy’s said it wIll hire an additional 7,000 temporary workers in anticipation of demand through Christmas. The retailer said it September it would hire 80,000 temporary workers for the holidays - with 18,000 working in distribution centers to fulfill online orders. “Macy’s has had a great start to this holiday season with high customer volume across our business,” John Harper, Macy’s chief stores officer, said Friday.... Kroger predicts higher same-store sales for the holiday quarter after reporting higher-than-expected third-quarter results. Kroger said sales at identical stores open at least a year would exceed 1.1 percent in Q4 as its efforts to revamp its business bear fruit. Kroger has about 2,800 outlets in the U.S., including Ralphs, Harris Teeter and Food 4 Less. The company has been reducing prices and exploring new ways to sell food as it battles rivals like Wal-Mart, Lidl and Aldi, and the newly merged Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market.... Costco’s holiday season got off to a good start. Comparable-store sales rose 8.4 percent in November, excluding gasoline. Traffic at Costco’s 518 U.S. locations rose 5.9 percent in November. E-commerce revenue increased 39 percent.... Blue Apron has replaced its CEO, sending shares up (Friday) over 6%. The meal-kit delivery company has been struggling ever since its IPO earlier this year, as it tries to hold on to customers in an increasingly competitive environment. Not long ago, Blue Apron was a big advertiser, and had a market valuation of $2.2 billion. Friday’s market cap was $568 million.... Nutritional power bars (Think Kashi, Clif, and Luna) have ‘caught on’ it seems. The U.S. market for nutritional shakes and bars rose at an annual rate of nearly 10% from 2010 to 2015 and topped $9 billion last year, according to a new study from market research firm Packaged Facts cited by Food Manufacturing.
NETWORK NEWS
ABC News reporter Brian Ross was suspended on Saturday for his botched report about Mike Flynn. Ross had incorrectly reported Friday that during Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, Trump had directed Michael Flynn to make contact with Russian officials before the election. Later that night, Ross read a “clarification” on “ABC World News Tonight,” saying Trump had actually asked Flynn to make contact with Russia after the election, when he was president-elect. ABC News apologized for the mistake Saturday and issued a full correction. The network suspended Ross for four weeks without pay... Johnny Galeckiof The Big Bang Theory on CBS has agreed to return to the Roseanne reboot on ABC. TheWrap is reporting that Galecki will return as David Healy, his old character from the show’s first run, for one episode in the new season. Series star Roseanne Barr said in a post on Twitter, “We have got our Johnny Galecki on Roseanne for this episode – what a joy to work with such a deeply empathetic actor. Very moving 4 all of us.#JOY.” The Roseanne revival is set to air on ABC in 2018……Actress DanneelAckleswill guest star the CW’s hit demon hunting drama Supernatural in the 13th episode of the show’s 13th season. Ackels will be in her recurring role as Sister Jo, a well-known faith healer that attracts the attention of Lucifer played by Mark Pellegrino. ……The first celebrity edition of Big Brother is coming to CBS on Wednesday, February 7th. The special winter edition of the series will feature multiple episodes per week during a concentrated run. CBS is setting up the show, usually a summer series, as counter-programming to NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics. CBS is also bringing back The Amazing Race for a 30th season starting Wednesday, January 3rd at 8 PM (ET). The new season will feature four special two-hour episodes airing January 24th, February 7th, February 14th and February 21st. A new season of Survivor debuts from Fiji with a special two-hour premiere on Wednesday, February 28th at 8 PM (ET) after the conclusions of Big Brother and The Amazing Race. Survivor will move over to its regular Wednesday night slot at 8 PM (ET) on March 7th. CBS also announced the premiere date for Living Biblically. The show stars Jay R. Ferguson as a modern-day man at a crossroads in his life who decides to live strictly in accordance with the Bible. Living Biblically debuts on Monday, February 29th at 9:30 PM (ET). In addition, CBS will debut Instinct, starring Alan Cumming, on Sunday, March 11th at 8 PM (ET). Cumming plays a gifted author, university professor and former CIA operative who is recruited by a detective from the NYPD to help her stop a serial killer. Instinct also stars BojanaNovakovic, Daniel Ings, Naveen Andrews and Sharon Leal……NBC is developing a new series based on the real life of California pastor Kalvin Cressel. Sprit of the Law revolves around Cressel, who was a federal special agent for 30 years and served as pastor of the Greater Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Compton, California for 19 years. He would work dangerous cases during the week, including going undercover and return to his flock on Sunday in the toughest church in a city torn by gang violence.
AVERAGE AUTO PRICE HITS NEW HIGH
Kelley Blue Book says the average transaction price (ATP) for light vehicles in the U.S. was $35,870 in November 2017.
“Transaction prices reached a new record high in November 2017,” said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “Prices are being driven higher by the shifting sales mix away from cars, which now stands at just 34 percent and is trending downward. Kelley Blue Book continues to see much of the consumer demand geared toward small SUVs, which saw prices rise by 3 percent, in addition to strong sales growth. This segment features many recent redesigns, and shows no signs of weakness despite the overall down market for new vehicles.”
Ford Motor Company saw solid transaction price growth of nearly 3 percent in November 2017, helped by a strong mix of F-Series Super Duty sales this month. The Mustang also had a good month, with prices rising 3 percent. Lincoln declined 1 percent; however, the next-generation Navigator is now reaching dealerships and may provide a large lift for the brand.
Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Company’s transaction prices climbed two percent. The redesigned Camry increased 10 percent, while Toyota’s top seller, the RAV4, saw gains of 6 percent on a strong sales mix of the RAV4 Hybrid, which helped the Toyota brand improve by 3 percent.
TOP BLACK FRIDAY ADVERTISERS
Despite all the hype, retailer spending on Black Friday TV ads decreased this year to $90.4 million from $113.3 million in 2016, according to Chain Store Age. But some retailers bucked the trend.
CSA analyzed data from Kantar Media and found that Target went all out on TV advertising that promoted Black Friday. Target increased its spending 118% from 2016 to $8.4 million in the month (October 30-November 26) leading up to the holiday weekend.
Although Target’s ad spend increased the most, it wasn’t the top advertiser of Black Friday ads. J.C. Penney claimed the #1 spot, spending $13.4 million, which was down 19% over last year. Penney was followed by Lowe’s ($13.1 million; up 41%), Home Depot ($10.8, up 28%), Kohl’s ($9.5 million, up 43%) and Target.
E-COMMERCE = 9% OF TOTAL 2017 RETAIL
E-commerce sales this year will grow 15.8% to $452.76 billion this year, representing 9% of total retail sales, according to eMarketer. The undisputed ecommerce leader is Amazon, with the largest share (43.5%) of U.S. retail online sales, equating to $196.75 billion this year. Amazon gets 3.9% of all retail sales in the U.S.
In second place is eBay, which has stagnant growth and is losing share. Its e-commerce sales will grow to $30.66 billion by the end of this year, eMarketer estimates, but its share of total ecommerce sales will drop to 6.8%. Walmart, in third place, accounts for 3.6% of U.S. e-commerce sales, but its sales are growing rapidly. Walmart’s online sales in 2017 will jump 46.8% to reach $16.21 billion.
TAX REFORM $$ FLOWING TO BROADCAST TV
The tax debate has been good for TV. Thousands of ads have been bought in an attempt to influence the biggest rewrite of the code in three decades - with many targeting on-the-fence Republican Senators in Wisconsin and Maine - before last week that is. More than 24,000 ads have run on TV and cable, according to a Bloomberg review of data from Kantar Media’s CMAG, which tracks political and issue advocacy advertising.
Bloomberg says that while the Syracuse market is relatively small -- it ranks 85th in TV homes -- 7 percent of all spots related to the tax debate from Aug. 1 through Nov. 29 ran there. Stations and cable in Indiana, Missouri and Iowa also got a bump.
THIS AND THAT
Amazon Alexa is now integrated with the CBS, NBC, Hulu and PlayStation Vue apps on Fire TV. FierceCable.com reports that Fire TV product marketer Heather Dawson outlined a handful of phrases that can be used within individual apps as well as some more general commands that can control video content, like “Alexa, pause”, “Alexa, rewind”, and “Alexa, play from the beginning”. The functionality works by having an Amazon Echo paired with a Fire TV device, or through the Alexa voice remote or the Fire TV remote app.... Spirit Airlines announced plans for a number of new non-stop routes that will launch this spring. Seattle gets daily seasonal service to four new destinations: Dallas, Chicago, Ft Lauderdale and Minneapolis/St. Paul. New daily or seasonal service is coming in Baltimore/Washington, Detroit, Tampa, and Orlando....Only 10% of fund managers in the U.S. are women, according to Morningstar. That may help explain why investors were so quick to dump Ulta’sshares after Q3 earnings were reported. Earnings beat expectations and net sales increased nearly 20% compared to the same period last year. Comparable store sales rose over 10%, says WSJ.com. But gross margins were worse than expected, and the stock plunged by 9% in midday trading Friday.... AdAgereports that TV’s No. 2 sports league is enjoying year-over-year lifts. According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, NBA telecasts on ESPN and TNT together are currently averaging 2 million viewers per game, up 15 percent compared to a year ago.
AVAILS
WAVY-TV10 and WVBT FOX43 in the Norfolk, VA, market seeks a results-driven Account Executive. This experienced sales professional must have a winning attitude and a desire to succeed! Responsibilities include managing agency business, new business generation, client relationship building, and presentation to a diverse customer base. The position requires excellent communication, customer service, and time management skills. The ideal candidate will be a people person who is responsible for developing large-scale new business clients and growing digital revenue! CLICK HEREfor more info or to apply now. EOE
WGAL, Hearst Television’s NBC affiliate in the Harrisburg-Lancaster, PA market is seeking a skilled Account Executive. Best candidates are driven to make a difference and possess an insatiable desire to help businesses grow. Media sales experience is desired with a skill in negotiating win-win solutions. Accelerate your media sales career by joining a prominent broadcast station with a progressive portfolio of resources to fuel your success. CLICK HEREto apply. EOE.WATCH THIS!
Hot market? FOR SURE! Orlando, Florida. Sales Manager opening at WKMG News 6. Lead Local and National AE’s to perform at the highest level by getting results for all of our partners. Create, implement and execute client campaigns that will deliver trackable results. Motivate sellers, hold people accountable, manage inventory and utilize all media assets daily. Work closely with DOS and the entire sales team to exceed budgets and outperform the market. Please send resume to . EOE
WBAL-TV, Baltimore MD, a Hearst Television station seeks our next Super Star NSM. We’re looking for a passionate and energetic NSM who loves a challenge, sets the bar high and enjoys setting sales records! The ideal candidate will work with great speed, efficiency and organization to complement our strong management team. We are looking for television sales experience and the ability to sell multiple platforms. We offer a competitive salary and the opportunity to grow and be a part of a winning team! CLICK HEREto apply.
WROC-TV 8, a CBS Affiliate, seeks a Chief Engineer to oversee the day to day operations of the Engineering Department and is responsible for the maintenance of all broadcast technology and equipment at the station and transmitter sites. Assigns projects to staff and verifies that deadlines are being met. Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Communications, or equivalent combination of education and work related experience preferred. Please CLICK HEREfor more info or to apply now. EOE.
Jerry Springer says he won’t run for governor of Ohio next year. You know politics has gotten messy when Jerry Springer’s like, “I can’t be associated with this.”–Jimmy Fallon
I always watch ‘The Shining’ with family around Christmas time to remind them what happens if we spend too much time together.–FunnyTweeter.com
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SPOTS N DOTS
The Daily News Of TV Sales
December4, 2017
Phone: 888-884-2630