Drew Ianni, chairman of programming at ad:tech expositions showed a photo of a muppet standing in front of a stove fire today and said, “This is how I feel.”

This seems to be the theme developing at this year’s ad:tech San Francisco, which is aimed at answering the question, what is the new media currency and how do we engage this?

Marketers from all over are gathering in the Moscone Center to figure out how to address consumers, as the big sites seem to steal the show.  Many argued that the Internet is being dominated by the large players like Google, Yahoo and MySpace, while others contested that this is all hype.

The resurgent topic of the day was turning to video, as executives discussed how traditional television is going away, and what these new channels like Internet television and on demand television mean to marketers in an opt-out easy world.

The solution?  It’s early to say, but many advertising models are being discussed, including product placement and product sponsoered programming.  In such advertising embedd content, it is no surprise to hear about the new television show that is being spawned as a response to th popular Geico ads.

-Dianna Dilworth

Thrill-a-minute Manhattan isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but apparently J.C. Penney didn‘t have enough when it opened a 15,000-square-foot temporary store in Times Square last March.

Today during its annual analyst meeting, the Plano, TX-based multichannel giant said it plans to open its first Manhattan store. The 150,000-square-foot store will be located in the Manhattan Mall on West 33^rd St. While Times Square isn‘t much of a shopping destination, the new location is just that, boasting Macy‘s just a block away and several specialty chains nearby.

Decked out with in the brand’s signature red and white colors, last year’s pop-up store didn’t look like a typical J.C. Penney store. It also featured 22 Internet kiosks. There’s no word yet on what the new Manhattan store will look like or if kiosks will be included.

Yesterday’s announcement also included the news that J.C. Penney expects to open 250 new stores over the next five years and renovate approximately 300 stores by the end of 2011.

— Posted by Chantal Todé

Industry Brains threw a bash at the Ava Lounge, located in New York’s
Dream Hotel on 55th street.

I saw a lot of familiar faces partying it up - Joe Moran, Elke Wong and
Michael Mire to name a few. The party started at about 6:30 pm, but
people started pouring in a lot earlier than that.

It was open bar, so imagine how fast people “got loose.”

Pizza was passed around and the music was blasting.

The Ava Lounge is really very nice. It is located on the top floor of
the hotel and has a phenomenal view.

People were having a good time dancing, mingling and enjoying the view
from the balcony which wraps around the side of the lounge.

All-in-all it was great fun and I would like to thank Industry Brains
for including me! (Thanks Elke!!)

– Posted by Giselle Abramovich

I attended an invitation-only party last night at the Manhatten Penthouse. I was invited by my friends at Range Online Media (Thanks, Sarah, Misty).

The mingling/networking began at about 7 pm, as everyone walked around with a drink in hand. Everyone except Mickey, that is.

I saw a lot of familiar faces there, Amanda Watlington, Bill Tancer, Heather Meeker (my twin), Phil Stelter and more.

At approximately 9 pm, we all entered the dining area, where we were given champagne and cheese and were guided through which champagne goes with what cheese.

Next, we were given tickets for the Chinese auction and I won a radio! That was very exciting!

I am waiting for my colleague to send me some pictures and as soon as I get them I will be posting them on the blog, so do check for them.

They held a “wrestling match

The show floor is open and the halls are packed to the brim with marketers, vendors and retailers looking for new ways to better their search programs.

The sessions at the show are a little long, at an hour and a half and it makes for a rotating door kind of feel throughout. However, all kinds of topics have been addressed and the attendance has been packed, so it’s not a waste. One interesting thing that was discussed yesterday was Second Life, which I thought was a bit far from search, but apparently not. Especially since one of the buzz words at this show is integration. I guess even the search industry knows the value of mixing the on and the offline world to communicate with consumers.

And that integration includes campaigns in Second Life, like a Starwood Hotels campaign in the virtual world to create a dialog between the announcement of a new line of hotels and the three years it’ll take to create the product.

In the Second Life version of the hotel, visitors can suggest decor ideas, which may be infused into the real design, as the hotel gets built. The search words play a role, as when Second Lifers hear about the trend, they may search it first. These searches lead to landing pages that promote the hotel and the game in Second Life, double engaging the consumer for the real and the virtual brand.

-Dianna Dilworth

Buried in its results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year that came out today, Restoration Hardware also made mention of the fact that it will launch a Restoration Hardware Bed & Bath catalog this month and a Restoration Hardware Kids catalog next year.

The company also said that its business will become increasingly driven by direct sales as a result of its multichannel merchandising and marketing strategies.

Today’s financial results support this statement. For the fourth quarter ended Feb. 3, Restoration Hardware (www.restorationhardware.com), Corte Madera, CA, reported net revenue increased 27 percent for a total of $243 million while direct revenue increased 59 percent and same-store sales rose 9.1 percent.

Net revenue for the fiscal year increased 23 percent for a total of $712.8 million while direct revenue rose 52 percent and same-store sales gained 5.8 percent.

The new bed and bath catalog will offer a comprehensive collection of bath fittings and bed linens with the intention of establishing Restoration Hardware as the authority in this category.

The company’s entry into the children’s category is currently in development and will be launched with a premium positioned line of children’s home furnishings that will be offered in a catalog and Web site scheduled to make their debut in the spring of 2008.

Other direct initiatives reported today include the recent launch of an interactive Web site for Brocade Home at www.brocadehome.com, the complete redesign of the Restoration Hardware catalogs to showcase the quality and dominance of its assortment, an increase in the page count for the Restoration Hardware Outdoor catalog as well as an expansion of the Outdoor assortment online and in stores.

РPosted by Chantal Tod̩