Marketwise

Crocker has signed up Carmen Electra for yet another season at a cost of $500,000.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
DETRACTORS OF Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who are critical of his comfortable life style and addiction to expensive hobbies such as collecting rare pens, might be surprised to discover that there is a pen he can only look at but in all likelihood cannot afford to take home. Encased in 18 karat gold and studded with diamonds, the pen is valued at €1.2 million. It will be displayed for the first time in Israel by the Inbar Studio at Jovella at the Fifth International Jewelry Exhibition in Israel at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds from July 1-3. Organized by the Stier Group, which is one of Israel's leading trade fair organizers, the fair was coordinated at an investment of NIS 5 million. In addition to Israeli exhibitors, there will be jewelry displays from Italy, Germany, Greece, Brazil, Thailand, Turkey, China and India. Some 15,000 visitors are expected to attend. ALL FOREIGN diplomatic missions in Israel are engaged in marketing their countries. The best way to do this is via the Internet so that surfers interested in history, politics, tourism, economics and culture can quickly access whatever it is that grabs them. The Ethiopian Embassy has launched a new Web site (www.ethioemb.org.il) with information about investment and trade opportunities, as well as tourist attractions. It also gives information about visa and consular matters. It's interesting to compare the different diplomatic Web sites not only to see the information they are marketing, but also to compare the manner in which they have been designed. Some are extremely user friendly, whereas others are so unfriendly that it's hardly worth the effort. SUPERSOL TEAMS up with various social welfare organizations and institutions by raising money through its customers, who are often asked at the check-out counter whether they want to contribute to a particular cause. With the exception of a gold heart from Variety, contributors get nothing in return - not even a separate receipt. But when the proceeds are transferred, Supersol gets all the credit. This time however, customers can come away with tangible evidence of their contributions. Supersol has teamed up with Millennium, and together they are currently supporting The Israeli Society for Autistic Children. Autistic children and adults, many of whom are extremely artistic, both musically and with regard to the visual arts, have painted coffee mugs that are being sold at Supersol stores for only NIS 10 each. In selling them, Supersol is not only marketing a need but also the compensatory talents of those who will benefit from the proceeds of the sales. In May, Supersol also had a fund raising campaign for Alut - the Hebrew acronym for the Society for Autistic Children, asking customers to contribute NIS 5 each. The proceeds on that occasion went to early childhood day-care centers for autistic children. Campaigns of this kind bring numerous social welfare organizations to public attention, but a lot of customers resent being solicited at the check-out counters, or in restaurants and banks, because they believe they should be able to go to these places to do whatever business they came to do without being pestered for hand-outs. Solicitations are not tolerated at the main Jerusalem branch of Kupat Holim Meuhedet, where a receptionist firmly refused a man soliciting donations (and providing a receipt) permission to continue what he was doing. The man protested that he wasn't doing any harm, but she made the point that people don't come to the health clinic because they want to, but because they have to, and they don't need to be hassled on top of any illness they might have. She insisted that he leave the premises, and though he continued to argue, she remained firm in her resolve and literally ushered him out. RESIDENTS OF Sderot and the Gaza Strip periphery, though under the constant threat of Kassam rockets and living in the most traumatic of circumstances, have been comforted to a large extent by the outpouring of solidarity from Israel and abroad. Busloads of people from all over the country regularly travel to Sderot so that passengers can support the economy there by making purchases. A lot of people make a point of doing their Shabbat shopping in Sderot, and for those who want to do Shabbat shopping there, but find it physically inconvenient for any number of reasons, there are now pick-up points in various parts of the country, where people can buy hallot and other baked goods. Now there's yet another avenue for support for Sderot residents and businesses. This one, called Otfim (www.otfim.org.il), comes via the Internet and offers long-term solutions for a vast array of problems. VERY PLEASED with having Tara Leigh Patrick, professionally known as Carmen Electra as its presenter, Crocker has signed up the American celebrity model and movie and television actress for yet another season at a cost of $500,000. Electra will present Crocker's winter collection for 2008/09. The Crocker advertising campaign will be handled by the Inbar Merchav Shaked agency and will include a clip to be shown on Channels 2, 10 and 24. According to Crocker CEO Etti Levy, contracting Electra, who has appeared in Playboy and is one of the stars of Baywatch, had excited a lot of media interest in Israel, which in turn sparked greater customer interest in Crocker, resulting in an appreciable upsurge in sales.