At this point, if you haven't hit your Q4 goals you're probably getting close to that "all hope is lost" stage.
However, you may be pleasantly surprised to hear that there are still a few last-minute opportunities with advertisers who, for one reason or another, are looking for ways to spend remaining ad dollars in Q4.
Here are five such opportunities that we hope will empower you to reach -- and maybe even exceed -- those big bad Q4 goals after all.
Saad Chehab, Maserati's Global Marketing Chief, was hired in 2013 to grow Maserati worldwide. However, Chehab has stepped down from the luxury automaker in the midst of declining demand in the U.S.
As of yet, it is unknown who will step in to take his place. Although if this opportunity is of interest, you should focus you pitch on the launch of Levante, Maserati’s first SUV.
The Levante launch was delayed from the end of 2015 to February 2016. As such, Maserati’s goal to sell 50,000 vehicles this year has shifted to 2016 (36,448 vehicles were sold in 2014).
After moving media to OMD, Zales is launching a new TV campaign.
This new campaign -- titled "Diamond Kind of Love" -- will be launched with higher media weights than usual, according to statements made by Signet CEO Mark Light during the Q2 earnings call.
The campaign, which has reportedly tested very well so far, is informed by findings from Zales' recent customer segmentation research.
Therefore, with the imminent campaign launch, interested media sellers like yourself should look to secure last-minute Q4 dollars by offering media buys that effectively reach millennial customer segments.
This opportunity also extends beyond TV to radio and print ads. According to recent reports, Signet has been running tests on the ROI of radio and print investments under new CMO George Murray.
To further empower you to win this opportunity, here are a few examples of TV spots Zales ran in the past few years.
Oct. 2015 (SportsCenter)
Feb. 2015 (Ocean's Twelve)
Dec. 2014 (Adult Swim)
The California Walnut Board (CWB) represents the more than 4,000 growers that make up the state’s walnut industry.
And for those who aren't up on their walnut industry factoids, California walnuts make up more than 99 percent of U.S. production. (If you already knew that then go ahead and give yourself a high five and gold star. You earned it!)
So, where's the Q4 play? CWB will launch its first TV campaign in November to promote walnuts’ versatility as a recipe ingredient, said Brian Driscoll, president and CEO of Diamond Foods, during the company’s Q4 earnings call.
Although Diamond isn’t directly connected with CWB, Driscoll referenced the upcoming campaign because it will build top-of-mind awareness for the industry and help drive sales -- especially for Diamond’s line of "culinary nuts."
According to a statement from CWB, the first two advertisements will debut in mid-November. These ads will serve as a combination between national cable and TV spot overlays in key markets.
We highly recommend reaching out now to secure last-minute ad spend for TV, print and digital investments.
CWB’s fiscal year ends Aug. 31, so you can also just go ahead and start pitching for 2016 while you're at it.
The campaign is targeting audiences between the ages of 25-54 (not at all a wide audience range...at all). However, sellers with enticing ideas for boosting engagement rates with millennial moms will have an edge on the competition.
Just last week, DailyVista reported that McCormick is moving its media buying and planning to IPG’s UM, NYC.
In the Q3 earnings call, CEO Alan Wilson said the brand is looking to raise cost savings and use those savings as “fuel for growth for more aggressive brand marketing support during the Q4 holiday period.”
For Q4, brand marketing will increase nearly 10 percent across all markets in the U.S. to support a new “purity” campaign. This initiative builds off the 2015 push for brand equity, as well as marketing of the “purity and freshness” of McCormick products.
McCormick is building out a digital marketing strategy that will account for one-third of global advertising. Wilson believes that it is a "better way to reach consumers and achieve higher ROI on spending."
So, if you are in digital media sales you should jump on this opportunity as soon as possible to capitalize on the brand's emerging digital spend.
LeapFrog CEO John Barbour recently revealed that the company will be presenting nearly three times more new toy concepts this year.
In addition to new toys, LeapFrog is introducing an entirely new line of products designed to launch the brand into a new toy category that it hasn't historically played in. And we all know what this means: more advertising and marketing campaigns.
The brand did not perform well during the holiday season last year and hopes to reposition itself in the market for better results this year.
It will serve you well to approach LeapFrog with opportunities for reaching millennial moms and dads because the brand is not performing well with this demographic.
Click here to download the full Q4 report on these last-minute media opportunities!