As they say in the movies, there are no small parts. Every scene or part has to matter to the viewer. For this reason, it was great to see Admerasia playing an important role in the extensive, five-page cover story on Roger Crandall, president and CEO of MassMutual in the American Executive, the reputable monthly magazine for executives.

This role was the appearance of Admerasia’s Chinese Lunar New Year print ad from 2009, which features MassMutual honoring a Chinese sublime art form. As shown here, the red couplet calligraphy conveys the message, “prosperous in many things in life.”

What do couplets do? They are glued on doorframes by the Chinese to bring good wishes for the coming year, which the headline also addressed: “May your wishes come true this New Year and for years to come”

The body copy reads: “As you write down your aspirations for this Lunar New Year, let MassMutual’s financial strength and over 157 years of experience providing innovative insurance products and financial services help you plan for the future wisely.”

The Chinese Lunar New Year ad is just one of many ad campaigns MassMutual is doing with the leading Asian American advertising agency to address a vastly growing diverse country.

Says Crandall, “As an industry, we need to make sure that we look like the country around us, and MassMutual is at the forefront of these efforts.”

MassMutual’s multicultural efforts have also made an impact in its recruitment of diverse talent. It reportedly employed 15% of financial professionals in 2009 from multicultural backgrounds.

To read the Crandall story in full, see link below. Online link does not have the Lunar New Year ad, which was featured in the printed version of American Executive:
http://www.americanexecutive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7376&Itemid=31

NEW YORK–If you’re looking to win big in Las Vegas, skip the table games for later and head to the MGM Grand Hotel on May 20-21, 2010 for the highly anticipated Asian American Marketing Conference of the prestigious Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF).

“This is not going to be just all Powerpoint decks and charts. We’re going to have a more entertaining and lively presentation of data, insights and awards that both clients and industry people will find very helpful and useful,” says Tommy Ng, general manager of Admerasia and vice president of 3AF.

The federation is composed of the most influential Asian advertising, media and research practitioners. Ng himself represents Admerasia, one of the leading Asian American advertising agencies based in this city.

The conference will put Asian America advertising agency executives, media partners and advertisers, researchers as well as its most creative people in one grand hotel like never before, giving everyone a chance to network and learn how they can maximize their marketing spend in 2010 and beyond.

“If there is any event to meet and learn more about the Asian American advertising industry, this is it,” says Ng.

At the conference, insights and perspectives from top Asian creative directors will be interspersed with lively talks by Jennifer 8. Lee, former New York Times reporter and author of the best-seller, “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles” as well as Park-Jin Young, founder of JYP Entertainment, who is responsible for the international mega hit acts, The Wonder Girls and Rain.

The 3AF will be capped by a Creative Awards program featuring the best work of various Asian American advertising agencies.

Register early at www.3af.org. Registering before or on April 2, 2010 is $395 (for 3AF members) and $495 (for non-members). After April 2, the conference price goes up to $495 (for 3AF members) and $595 (for non-members).

The 3AF has negotiated a special, reduced room rate at the MGM Grand Hotel of $89 per night. Please contact the hotel directly and ask for the “3AF Conference rate.” You may also book your hotel via online travel websites, but please be sure to let the 3AF and the hotel know so your room can be included in the 3AF room block.

Hurry, space is limited. For more information, updates or questions, please contact Genny Hom-Franzen, 3AF executive director, at ghomfranzen@3af.org.

Tokyo — Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that, to enhance its marketing efforts, it will establish a company that will primarily handle marketing within Japan (hereinafter: “new domestic marketing company”), and a company to carry out and assist global marketing as well as coordinate and assist the marketing activities of TMC affiliates (hereinafter “new marketing assistance and coordination company”). The companies will be established later this year and begin operations on January 1, 2010.

The aim is to carry out marketing activities that also bear in mind ways to contribute to TMC’s product development and sales innovation by promptly and accurately gauging the needs of customers and then providing prompt feedback to TMC.

Source: http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/09/0728_3.html

On a side note, Madison Ave. is reportedly alarmed. Click on link: http://adage.com/globalnews/article?article_id=138310

Is Twitter something that is in its infancy, something that is just a media darling or has it already experienced its 15 minutes of fame?

In a study done by LinkedIn Research Network/Harris Poll, half of advertisers (45%) said Twitter is something is in its infancy and its use will grow exponentially over the next few years, while one in five (21%) believe Twitter will not move into the mainstream and is something mostly young people and the media will use. Just under one in five advertisers (17%) believe Twitter is already over and it’s time to find the next best thing while 17% of advertisers say they don’t know enough about Twitter to have an opinion on it.

Among consumers it is a different story altogether, as over two-thirds (69%) say they do not know enough about Twitter to have an opinion about it. Just over one in 10 say it is just at its infancy (12%), 12% also say it is just something that young people and the media will use and 8% of consumers say it is already over and it’s time to find the next best thing.

The study covered 1,015 advertisers from agencies or corporations involved in the advertising decision-making process who were surveyed online between June 22 and 30, 2009 and 2,025 U.S. adults who were surveyed online between June 24 and 26, 2009. Grab the entire study at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/pubs/Harris_Poll_2009_07_23.pdf –dennis clemente