Own the Podium
Ringing the Bell at the New York Stock Exchange gives companies an opportunity to showcase their brand on a global stage.
Courtesy NYSE Euronext
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E-mailAt the New York Stock Exchange, rich in history and tradition, one wouldn’t expect to see a lot of characters or celebrities wandering around. Think again. Among those spotted there recently: a large pink bunny beating a drum, Olympic snowboarder Shaun White and four rock stars wearing a lot of makeup. All came to ring the Bell. Market participants have been ringing The Opening Bell® and The Closing Bell® at the NYSE since the 1870s, but only recently has there been the fanfare seen daily on business news networks such as CNBC. “The Opening and Closing Bells are synonymous with our brand and the unique value proposition we extend to our customers,” says Marisa Ricciardi, NYSE Euronext senior vice president of global marketing and branding. “We use our brand assets to help listed companies promote their businesses.”
You name the day, there’s something to celebrate. Macy’s Inc. (M) shoots mini-fireworks from the podium every year close to the Fourth of July; Time Warner Inc. (TWX) sends models from the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition to mark the issue launch in February. Last July, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell touched down on the floor to celebrate their achievements in space travel, almost 40 years after Aldrin landed on the moon. The two were featured in an ad campaign for LVMH (PAR: MC), and Daniel Lalonde, president and CEO of Louis Vuitton North America Inc., was on hand to ring the Bell.
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If the Exchange wants to cover an event happening far from Wall Street, it will coordinate a remote Bell ringing, as it did for the opening of the Vancouver Winter Olympics with corporate sponsor Visa Inc. (V). “We’ve made a conscious effort to leverage the NYSE brand for our customers. With assets such as the Bell, the Trading Floor and a media presence including television networks, photographers and reporters, it comes together in a unique way for companies to gain important visibility,” says Richard Adamonis, NYSE Euronext senior vice president of communications.
“Companies have got a built-in, one-stop global media opportunity.”
— Richard Adamonis, SVP of Communications, NYSE Euronext
Taking full advantage of that opportunity in January was Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (DPS), which re-created its 1970s “I’m a Pepper” ad on the Trading Floor with David Naughton, who sang in the “I’m a Pepper” ad, to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the soft drink. The jingle, which AOL Inc. (AOL) recently ranked among the 10 Commercial Jingles We Can’t Forget, jogged the memory of some traders, who stood singing along as dancers followed Naughton across the Floor. The company also brought along members of the rock band KISS, who are part of the current Dr Pepper ad campaign. Says Greg Artkop, Dr Pepper Snapple Group director of corporate affairs: “Since Dr Pepper is the nation’s oldest major soft drink, we wanted to do something that had never been done before at the Exchange.”
Last August, Energizer Holdings Inc. (ENR) celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Energizer Bunny by handing out pink rabbit ears to traders. Energizer CEO Ward Klein and the Bunny (Bill Fox, vice president and treasurer of Energizer, wore the suit) traveled from the company’s St. Louis headquarters for the event. “The exposure is good, and it’s free publicity in a very positive way,” says Jacqueline Burwitz, Energizer vice president of investor relations.
The same month, Gap Inc. (GPS) set up a “mini Gap store” to promote the launch of its 1969 Premium Jeans in honor of Gap Brand’s 40th anniversary. “I was blown away by the response of traders and NYSE employees who signed up to receive a pair of our new jeans,” says Olivia Doyne, director of engagement marketing for Gap.
“It was a field trip for our executives who hadn’t been there before.”
— Jacqueline Burwitz, vice president, Energizer Holdings Inc.
The day of the event, Doyne was in New York to observe the trading activity, while Marka Hansen, president of Gap Brand, and board member Bob Fisher, as well as fellow founding family members John and Bill Fisher, flanked by 1,000 employees, rang The Closing Bell; from San Francisco via remote feed. The company says the launch was its biggest campaign of the year, and having it on the Floor “added a lot of energy,” Doyne says. “Gap is a part of American culture, and jeans are our birthright. It felt right to celebrate our 40th anniversary by dressing the entire Floor in jeans for the first time ever.”
With 25 domestic and international outlets reporting from the Exchange on a daily basis, including the AP, Bloomberg, CNBC and CNN, ringing the Bell is “a chance for global coverage,” says Adamonis. “Companies have got a built-in press conference. It’s a one-stop global media opportunity.” And not just in the U.S., he adds. NYSE Euronext has extended and renewed the practice to its exchanges in Amsterdam, Brussels, Lisbon and Paris.
Energizer Holdings’ Burwitz says her company’s visit to the floor was a chance for executives to “get a peek behind the curtain” and meet with the designated market maker who trades the company’s stock, as well as Floor traders buying and selling securities on behalf of investors. “It was a bit of a field trip for our executives who hadn’t been there before,” she says. “It was a learning experience.”
