VERB Newsletter

VERB The Latest Word
March 2003 Issue
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VERB™ The Latest Word
March 2003
(VISUAL: Department of Health and Human Services logo and CDC logo)
This is the second installment in a series of VERB newsletters providing the latest and greatest on how the VERB campaign is getting kids off the couch and into life. Read on…

VERB Scoop

Results just in: VERB connects with tweens! According to the latest research conducted and analyzed by Westat and Levine Research, the tracking results “demonstrate current and growing levels of awareness for VERB.” The exposure of those aware of VERB via television is nearly universal. Two-thirds or more of tweens aware of VERB agree that it “is for all kinds of kids,” “believe kids can do what they set out to,” and “gives ideas for lots of activities.”

(VISUAL: Telemundo logo and Radio Unica logo.)
VERB partnered with the Spanish language television and radio networks Telemundo and Radio Unica. VERB is the charter sponsor of the first Spanish language broadcast of NBA games on Telemundo. Radio Unica, with the help of one of its key on-air personalities, Dra. Isabel, led a discussion on the importance of Hispanic and Latino tweens’ involvement in physical activity. The first program generated more than 190,000 listeners and 3,500 callers!

Asian tweens welcomed the Lunar New Year and said goodbye to inactivity in the Houston and Los Angeles markets! More than 270,000 children and parents were exposed to VERB at the Asian New Year festivals. At these events, 27,500 kids and parents visited the VERB Zone, where they participated in a variety of activities, including shooting hoops, jumping rope, and tossing baseballs. Asian celebrities, such as Chinese singer A-Ya, Filipino megastar Gary V, and Kieu Chinh (Joy Luck Club), showed their support for the campaign by spreading the VERB message to children while performing on stage and at the VERB Zone and by signing VERB premiums.

(VISUAL: Teen People logo.)
In Teen People’s annual April feature, “20 Teens Who Will Change the World,” music artist Bow Wow promoted the benefits of physical activity and his passion for VERB!

VERB Connections

Despite fewer days to spare in February, and with spring fever beginning to hit, we kept VERB top of mind by reaching 88% of tweens an average of nine times each. Parents, who are also feeling the crunch of winter, have been exposed to and inspired by the VERB campaign. VERB has reached 65% of moms almost three times a month.

During February, children visiting VERBnow.com learned cool snowboarding lingo from Olympic Gold Medalist Kelly Clark through an interactive game. Tweens also printed out instructional exercises that will help improve their skills on the slopes.

VERB is making quite an impression! For the month of February, more than 52 million publicity impressions were generated through print placements, found in Daily News (L.A.), Greenville News, and Tomahawk Leader (Tomahawk, WI). Ethnic print placements included Philadelphia Tribune, International Daily News (L.A.), and El Dia (Houston). In addition to print, VERB logged 22 minutes of television interviews, bringing our year-to-date total to just over five hours!

VERB Outreach

VERB was out in full force in our local markets. Columbus: Friday Night Meltdown and Family Skate Night. Green Bay: 2nd Annual St. Vincent Parent Expo, Green Bay’s Gamblers Hockey Team, Treasure Hunt, and “Record Fitness Challenge” at Eastside & Westside Boys & Girls Clubs. Greenville: Healthy and Safe Kids Day, Decorating of schools and community centers, Greenville Growwwl, YMCA Step Show, VERB aerial banner, and Michelin’s Invention Convention. Houston: Lunar New Year Festival, VERB Float at the Houston Livestock Rodeo Parade, and Healthy Family Day. Los Angeles: Tet Festival, Hollywood Lunar New Year Parade & Festival, VERB Surprise at Vans Skatepark in Orange County and Griffith Park, and Multicultural Murals. Miami: Black Light Dance, Sunday On The Mile, Carnival Miami, Copa Latina (Soccer Tournament), Treasure Hunt, Miami Heat Games, and Calle Ocho.

VERB O-Meter

(VISUAL: Pyramid of blocks topping off with contests and beginning with online.)

Impact to Date - 3,192,977
Contests - 2,884
Tours - 306,100
Sweepstakes - 19,528
Added Value - 623,500
Online - 2,240,578
VERB has touched over 3 million children and parents to date

VERB on the Move

It was a busy month for the Wild & Crazy Kids Tour as it ramped up in the following four markets and reached out to more than 5,000 tweens.

(VISUAL: Connecting dots between each paragraph.)

Miami: The Wild & Crazy Kids Tour hit the American Airlines Arena February 12th. Tweens tried a variety of VERB activities including a VERB obstacle course, shuttle run and vertical jump. Local organizations like the YMCA encouraged tweens to show off their soccer and basketball moves. Eco Adventures demonstrated kayaking and scuba diving, and the Hip Hop Kidz got tweens to try out the latest dance steps. The Miami Heat’s Xtreme dunking team showed off its skills, while the team mascot “Burnie” helped warm up the audience. Even the Miami Heat’s Alonzo Mourning made an appearance. Pre-event exposure included an eye-catching VERB spotlight on the AA Arena.

Green Bay: On February 20th, The Wild & Crazy Kids Tour took over the Weidner Center. Tweens from all across Brown County attended and showed off their VERBs in the VERB Maze. Stepping in as official scorekeeper and slime candidate was Nate Wayne of the Green Bay Packers. To promote the event, the local street team flooded the newsrooms and covered the entire perimeter of the Brown County Veteran Memorial Stadium with a VERB wrap. The massive wrap drew coverage from the local NBC affiliate WGBA.

Los Angeles: The Grand Olympic Auditorium hosted the Wild & Crazy Kids tour February 27th. Tweens experienced the VERB pre-event by trying out basketball, soccer, a VERB obstacle course and a variety of other fun activities. The LA Sparks hip hop group demonstrated the hottest dance moves as tweens joined in on the fun. Also, everyone grooved to the music with our very own live radio remote! Nikki Teasley of the LA Sparks served as the official scorekeeper.

Houston: Tweens got a chance to show just how wild and crazy they could be when the Wild & Crazy Kids Tour took over the Verizon Wireless Theater March 5th. Monica Lamb of the WNBA served as the official scorekeeper and slime candidate. Pre-event promotion included street team appearances at local newsrooms.

VERB Chatter

(VISUAL: Six tweens jumping up)
Tweens want to get more physically active!


With the culmination of the Most VERBable Player Award in January, the grant winners will be announced shortly. The entries poured in from third through eighth graders located in 40 states and D.C. In reviewing the entries, the majority requested funding for physical activity programs and equipment. These excerpts were taken directly from grant submissions.

The entries reflect how important physical activity is to tweens, and how they need help from organizations and adults within their communities, which is exactly what VERB is all about!

“The money from the grant could be used to build our school a new playground.”

“All I want is for us to have a good time and to be in shape.”

“Please help our school and kids to exercise more than what we do now.”

“I think our school could really use that grant for new sports equipment and uniforms.”

“Adults are always saying we need to exercise more, but at our school we don't have any playground equipment.”

Fast Forward

Coming up on the VERB horizon…

Next up for The Wild & Crazy Kids Tour is Columbus 3/19, Greenville, S.C., 4/8, and Washington, D.C., 5/7.

Continuing the tour circuit, the L.A. VERB Action Day is scheduled for April 12th.

(VISUAL: Head shot of Kelly Clark.)
Stay tuned to the new TV spot debuting pro snowboarder Kelly Clark in “Spin.”

Watch out for VERB’s sponsorship of the Spanish language broadcasts of two upcoming NBA games, Philadelphia vs. New Jersey on 3/16 at 1p.m. and Minnesota vs. Phoenix on 4/5 at 3:30p.m.

The long-anticipated winner of the Screenvision Reel Rookies contest will be announced in the April issue of the VERB newsletter. The panel of judges includes Adam Pascale, star of the hit Broadway play “Aida”; Emmy Award winning director Sue Speigel; and Saatchi & Saatchi's creative whiz, Dave Shea. All three judges convened during the week of March 10th for some intense deliberations. Stay tuned…

This publication is produced by the Publicis Groupe.

 

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