Package-Goods Titans Talking Tough on Network TV Upfront

A more-buoyant economy and strong scatter prices seem to signal a seller's market for what could be an $8.26 billion TV upfront, but heavyweight spenders Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser are sending a far different message: We have credible alternatives to traditional TV advertising, and we're not afraid to use them.

Unilever is saying that its level of participation in the upfront will depend in large part on how pricey the market looks, noting that its success stories from other media, particular digital, give it plenty of options for putting money elsewhere. Helping further the point, several Unilever executives will be making a field trip to Silicon Valley this week to visit all of its major players, not just as a learning experience but also in hopes of making deals, said newly minted Chief Marketing Officer Keith Weed.