Experiential

• Agencies

  Best Western Puts Gift Card in Wal-Mart, Kroger, Other Stores

  Best Western International is set to greatly expand it travel card program offering its gift card in a number of retail outlets, including discount giant Wal-Mart and The Kroger Co., just as consumers gear up for the start of the holiday shopping season.

• Agencies

  Holiday Spending Will Average $800: NRF

  Consumers will spend nearly $800 on average this holiday season, up 7% from last year—with nearly $100 more earmarked for purchases for themselves.

• Agencies

  Live From DMA06: Greco Urges Marketers to be Relevant, Responsible

  (Direct Newsline)—Direct marketers must send relevant messages, be responsible, and respect the wishes of customers, donors and prospects, or they will risk becoming irrelevant themselves, said DMA president and CEO John Greco during his welcoming keynote address yesterday.

• Agencies

  Consumers Flock to Hotel vs. Travel Sites Thanks to Rewards

  Eager to avoid the cost of “middleman” sites, hotel Web sites are building an edge: Consumers who are members in a hotel loyalty program more often choose the hotel’s Web booking program first.

• Agencies

  Denny’s Adds Free Kids Meal on Halloween

  Denny’s is tapping a Halloween theme to give kids an extra treat.

• Agencies

  Polaris Chief Challenges Competitor CEOs to ATV Race

  Polaris CEO Tom Tiller is challenging his competitors to a duel in a promotion that touts Polaris’ all-terrain vehicles as the toughest ATVs on the market.

• Agencies

  Miller Relies on Word-of-Mouth to Push Holiday Lager

  Miller Brewing Co. is out with a chocolate lager, adding another layer of flavors to the $9 billion beer industry as it attempts to stave off a consumer shift towards spirits like vodka and rum.

• Agencies

  Sampling Reigns as Key Method to Drive In-Store ROI

  Product sampling is the most influential in-store marketing method when it comes to influencing consumer purchase decisions, and is a reliable option for marketers looking to increase ROI.

• Agencies

  BabyGap Rolls Out Casting Call

  BabyGap is putting the call out to moms and dads who think they have the cutest babies as part of a new contest to feature tots in an upcoming ad for the brand.

• Agencies

  7-Eleven New Start Time for White Sox Games

  7-Eleven is ramping up its image in the Chicago area by letting Chicagoans know that apart from being a convenience store, 7:11 is now the new start time for home games of the Chicago White Sox. 7-Eleven inked the sponsorship deal with the Major League Baseball team last week that will run through 2009.