Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Mon, Jul 20 1992 Date: Mon, 20 Jul 92 04:12:10 EDT Message-ID: 07-20 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update July 20, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network BAYER TO JOIN NON-ASPIRIN TREND: Bayer aspirin marketer Sterling Winthrop Inc. is coming out with new line extensions and increasing ad spending to keep up with trends in the $2.3 billion-plus analgesics market. Next year, Sterling will introduce non-aspirin Bayer and double the brand's $24 million ad budget, industry executives say. (For more, see special Bayer package below.) U.S. TRAVELERS NEED MORE CASH: "Everything's gotten a lot more expensive!" That's what U-S travelers to Europe will be saying this year because the U.S. dollar has been pounded on currency markets. It's already down 17% against the German mark. An example of what it will cost: A 50-franc bottle of French wine would have cost $8.50 last year. But now, it costs $10.40. CANCER CURE RATES SOAR: Children's cancer cure rates have soared from 30% to 70% in the last three decades; there will be 210,000 adult survivors by the year 2000, the American Cancer Society says. A new study shows childhood cancer survivors may suffer emotional problems at least into their 40s. Findings of survivors treated up to 35 years ago showed they are less likely to marry and less likely to have kids. VIRUS TAKES DEADLY TURN: Some disturbing news has come out about AIDS. A report in the current Newsweek says researchers have found about a dozen people - six in the USA - who have all the symptoms of AIDS but, as far as any test can find, are not HIV-infected. This could mean there's another AIDS virus, or that a variety of infectious agents can destroy the human immune system. BIG BOOSTS SEEN IN LEISURE: Many industries concerned with leisure-time activities will record double-digit percentage increases in ad spending this year, according to forecasts by Schonfeld & Associates. Schonfeld has issued the 16th edition of its annual study, "Advertising Ratios & Budgets," covering more than 5,600 companies and more than 400 industry sectors. CLINTON GETS MORE IN HIS CORNER: Bill Clinton is enjoying the best post-convention polling bounce of any presidential candidate since 1968. A USA TODAY:CNN:Gallup poll over the weekend shows support for Clinton doubled after last week's Democratic Convention and Ross Perot's exit - from 28% to 56%. And 69% say he has the honesty and integrity to be president - up from 56% before the convention and 15% in mid-June. MONEY FUND YIELD LOWEST EVER: Money market mutual funds are the lowest since the funds were created in 1973. The average yield hit high a of 16.82% in 1981. That dropped to 7.71% in 1985. Since then, money market mutual fund yields have steadily declined. IBC:Donoghue's Money Fund Reports are now at 3.51%. MORTGAGE RATES FALL: Buying a house is looking better and better these days. The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation reports mortgage rates fell again last week, to an average 8.09% on 30-year fixed-rate loans from 8.13% a week earlier. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON BAYER: ASPIRIN SALES DOWN: Aspirin-free Bayer is being introduced in response to a continuing sales decline for all aspirin-based products, which are losing out to acetaminophen- and ibuprofen-based pain relievers. Advertising Age reports market share for all aspirin-based pain relievers is now less than 35% of the total analgesics market, down from 40% in 1989. BAYER'S SHARE DROPS: Bayer's share now stands at 6.6% of the analgesic category in food and drugstores, down from 6.7% last year, according to Nielsen Marketing Research. By comparison, competitors such as Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Excedrin have managed to grow market share through non-aspirin-based line extensions. All Excedrin products now command a 7.1% share, up from 6.9%. BRANDS MORE SPECIALIZED: Both Excedrin PM and Therapy Bayer are representative of the growing category trend toward niche positioning. Julie Wolfe, senior consultant at Kline & Co. says, "Tylenol is becoming more associated with arthritis, while Nuprin has targeted sports enthusiasts." This summer, Sterling is introducing Midol PM Nighttime Formula "the menstrual relief specialist." (End of package.) Trends & Marketing Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM