New Media Age back issues from March 2006:
3 Earns more than #1.2m from user-generated video content.
Mar 02, 2006 ... 3G mobile operator 3 has earned over #1.2m in just four months from its See Me TV channel of user-generated mobile video content. The operator revealed this week that it has seen over 4m downloads of the 30,000 videos sent in by customers. The figures are a ...
Philips runs World Cup branding drive.(Philips U.K. Ltd.)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Electronics giant Philips is launching a multi-million-pound global online marketing offensive, giving consumers the chance to win tickets to the World Cup final in Germany. The digital drive forms part of a major through-the-line branding campaign. Its aim is to make Philips - ...
Anger as late ad copy charges arrive early.(Association of Online Publishers )
Mar 02, 2006 ... A row erupted this week between agencies and media owners over plans to fine media agencies for delivering online ad creative late. ITV and Wanadoo began sending out letters this week informing media agencies that they intend to fine them for late copy in the future. ...
Amex expands tourist podcast after Turin Olympics success.(American Express Co.)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... American Express is to roll out a multi-million-pound tourist 'Travelcast' campaign to cash in on the podcasting phenomenon, after trialling it at the Turin Winter Olympics. The financial services giant will allow tourists to download maps and videos to MP3 players via Amex ...
Directgov plans make-or-break campaign to raise awareness.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Directgov, the portal set up to become the central point for citizens to access government services, is launching a make-or-break ad campaign this month to meet its target. Despite being launched almost two years ago, Directgov is only the fourth most visited central ...
BA appoints first dedicated email agency.(British Airways PLC, e-dialogue)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... British Airways is bolstering its commitment to online marketing by appointing e-dialogue as its first dedicated email services provider. The move is part of a radical overhaul of BA's marketing strategy, sparked by a staff reshuffle following the departure of global head of ...
AKQA's launch of mobile arm throws down gauntlet to rivals.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... AKQA has become one of the first major interactive agencies to launch a mobile arm, a move that could see mobile marketing further adopted by brands such as Nike and Sainsbury's. The launch of AKQA Mobile is likely to have a significant impact on the UK market, increasing the ...
Wanadoo and Orange to integrate campaign offers.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Brands and media agencies will soon be able to run integrated online and mobile ad campaigns across portal Wanadoo and operator Orange. Wanadoo is preparing its ad sales teams to work across Web and mobile following its rebrand to Orange later this year by parent France ...
Auto Trader boosts online ad spend to reach new audiences.(Auto Trader Systems Ltd.)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Auto Trader is boosting its online ad spend by a quarter, to #12.5m, in an effort to establish itself as the leading online brand for new and used cars. It plans to use online to aggressively grow its share of key new markets, including women, the gay community and older ...
BBC pushes public to Creative Archive.(British Broadcasting Corp.)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... The BBC is spearheading the rollout of the next phase of the Creative Archive Licence, an online scheme whereby content from the BBC, the British Film Institute, Channel 4 and the Open University is made available to the public. Activity will centre on a competition that ...
BREAKING: Conservatives produce manifesto Web sites.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... The Conservative Party has launched six Web sites covering the six key challenges that new party leader David Cameron feels the UK faces. The sites cover economic, social justice, quality of life, ...
BREAKING: EasyMobile link puts handsets on high street.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... EasyMobile.com, part of easyGroup, is making its debut on the high street through a tie-up with mobile retailer The Link. The move will mark the first time the company's phones have been ...
BREAKING: MSN Messenger hosts Pink Panther campaign.
Mar 02, 2006 ... 20th Century Fox is running an MSN Messenger campaign to promote the release of the new Pink Panther film, starring Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau. The deal sees a raft of ...
BREAKING: Hypertag announces international campaigns.
Mar 02, 2006 ... Interactive mobile outdoor ad company Hypertag has announced a series of international campaigns with Adidas and Ford. France will be using Hypertag in JC Decaux posters along the Champs Elysees letting consumers download ringtones from its TV campaign. In Belgium Hypertag will be used ...
IN BRIEF: HP appoints Proximity London in deal worth $6m.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... HP, the electronics giant, has appointed marketing agency Proximity London as marketing services agency for its preferred partner network. The deal, worth $6m (#3.44m) a year, will see Proximity make ...
IN BRIEF: Three MPs to release regular podcasts.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Three MPs are following in the footsteps of George W Bush and Ricky Gervais by releasing regular podcasts. Ed Vaizey (Con, Wantage), Shahid Malik (Lab, Dewsbury) and Jo Swinson (Lib, East Dunbartonshire) are the first British MPs to produce their own podcasts on a regular basis. The ...
IN BRIEF: Utarget to expand into Germany and Australia.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Online ad specialist Utarget is expanding its operations to Germany and Australia in a bid to capitalise on these countries' emerging contextual advertising markets. The company will launch its behavioural targeting product Utcontextual in Germany and its Utarget portfolio, which includes ...
IN BRIEF: Yahoo! boosts content with two new recruits.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Yahoo! Europe has hired two directors to develop its online services. Simon Gunning joins as director of entertainment and games from Celador International where he was director of interactive ...
Pact warns solution to digital media rights could take a year.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Broadcasters and independent producers could take up to a year to reach a workable agreement over digital media rights, according to TV industry trade body Pact. This could cause the UK's biggest commercial players to lose millions of pounds if they're forced to delay the ...
OFT targets Internet scams.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... The Office of Fair Trading has hired former Bad Girls actress Claire King to launch an international 'Scam awareness' campaign. The government agency is conducting a sweep of the Internet with consumer ...
Agency Republic staffs up for expansion.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Agency Republic has snatched ten new staff from rival agencies as part of the expansion of its media, creative and technical teams. Republic's new talent director, Mark Ridley, has wasted no time stamping his brand of management on the agency by luring staff from rivals Glue ...
IF.com uses online campaign to push mortgage range.(Dialogue DLKW)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Halifax Bank of Scotland's direct banking arm, IF.com, is launching an online campaign to promote its mortgage range. The campaign, costing around #100,000, will focus on offset mortgages and targets both new and existing customers with a series of animations developed by ...
Nectar commits 20% of total marketing budget to Internet.(Blue Barracuda)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Loyalty scheme Nectar has increased in its commitment to the Internet by shifting 20% of its total ad budget into online marketing this year. It's also planning to syphon part of the increased budget into a customer acquisition drive for eStores, the online redemption scheme ...
Good Technology founder back with mobile video play.(Ontheterraces)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Good Technology founder Richard Davies has resurfaced after leaving the agency last summer, with a new mobile service offering video services on the O2 and 3 networks. Ontheterraces is the first offering from Davies' agency Vexed and offers users the chance to send video clips ...
Virgin Money plugs credit card as part of #7m+ digital spend.(Virgin Money Personal Financial Service Ltd.)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Virgin Money and its online creative agency, Glue London, have launched an online campaign to promote the Virgin Credit Card, accompanying the current offline push. Launched today, it follows the 'Say yes' TV campaign and is part of the bank's massive digital marketing spend ....
iPod video mag launches interactive ads.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Mooky, the iPod video magazine, has become one of the first UK podcast services to launch interactive advertising, with online retailers Boystuff and Koyono the first advertisers. Viewers on any computer can click an ad as it plays to be taken to its accompanying Web site ....
IN BRIEF: IPA restructures Digital Marketing Group.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... The IPA has restructured its Digital Marketing Group, rebranding the interactive arm IPA Digital to focus more closely on issues shaping the sector. The move is designed to position the IPA as a more ...
IN BRIEF: River Island launches Flash ecommerce site.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... High street clothing chain River Island is launching its first ecommerce Web site built completely in Flash. The site, created by Bumblebee Design, employs Flash throughout the ...
IN BRIEF: Ebookers and Travelbag target new advertisers.(Travelbag Holdings)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Online travel agencies Ebookers and Travelbag are launching a campaign site aimed at encouraging marketing directors and media agencies to advertise with them. Created by digital marketing agency Halpern Cowan, the site will be supported by ...
IN BRIEF: Martin King joins DNA.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... DNA, the digital agency acquired last year by Avenue A/Razorfish, has appointed Martin King as its new head of media client services. King joins from his own media consultancy and will oversee the media side of the business. dna.co.ukNMA will publish its first ever guide to ...
Trouble extends Web presence to let viewers influence shows.(Trouble TV)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Flextech-owned youth TV channel Trouble has become one of the first broadcasters to extend its brand with the launch of a Web-based user- generated content (UGC) network. The Homegrown initiative will let viewers go online or use their mobile to upload video content to be ...
PointRoll arrives from US to pep up UK rich-media market.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... US rich-media specialist PointRoll has formally opened for business in the UK and Europe, promising to shake up the UK online ad industry with its emphasis on creativity. PointRoll has been quietly signing up clients in the UK since last year. It claims to be working with UK ...
Preloaded rejigs for offline client work.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Digital agency Preloaded is making its first move offline, working with Esure to extend the insurance brand's Mr Mouse marketing character. The agency has restructured to underline its shift of focus from online games to large Web projects for clients such as Esure and Ikea. ...
Modem Media wins global GSK account.(GlaxoSmithKline PLC)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... GlaxoSmithKline has chosen a global online ad agency to work across such brands as Aquafresh and Sensodyne. It's believed to have appointed Modem Media to the account, which is likely to involve a spend of several million dollars on global campaigns. Neither GSK nor ...
Cheeze opens new division to exploit next generation of Web.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Media agency Cheeze has launched a division to capitalise on the rise of Web 2.0, to help clients cash in on phenomena such as blogging. Web 2.0 is the ongoing transition of the Internet from a collection of Web sites to a computing platform serving Web applications to end ...
Analyst Speak: Poker sites must learn to keep their customers.
Mar 02, 2006 ... With the recent news that leading online poker provider PartyGaming is severing all partnerships with its white-label operators and making major acquisitions, including Empire Online for #250m earlier this year, intense competition is expected to develop among poker sites. ...
IN BRIEF: Homechoice speeds up entry-level broadband.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Homechoice is doubling its entry-level broadband speed for customers to 2Mbps. The increase in speed will happen for existing customers ...
IN BRIEF: Pitney Bowes appoints Intercea for extranet.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Office supplies company Pitney Bowes has chosen technical agency Intercea to develop an extranet for its Secap dealer channel. Dealers ...
IN BRIEF: MSN launches streaming video-only channel.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... MSN has launched a dedicated streaming service, MSN Video, targeted at affluent customers and technology enthusiasts. The new channel is a self-contained video-only portal but ...
IN BRIEF: Call for dedicated radio band for mobile TV.(Broadcast Mobile Convergence Forum)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... The Broadcast Mobile Convergence Forum, which comprises mobile handset makers, operators and broadcasters, has asked the EU to help establish a specific radio band for mobile TV services throughout Europe. Analogue ...
IN BRIEF: New tools for Vista OS.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Microsoft will include new search tools and parental controls with its Vista operating system, due later this year. It will integrate ...
Ofcom to boost consumer trust in voice-over-Internet services.(Office of Communications)
Mar 02, 2006 ... The voice-over-IP (VoIP) industry has welcomed the move by Ofcom to introduce a set of guidelines for consumer VoIP services in the UK, to boost confidence in the service. Ofcom is holding a consultation on VoIP services with the aim of proposing a code for service providers to ...
Lycos launches iQ search tool with results supplied by users.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Lycos has launched a community-based search tool, Lycos iQ, which invites users to ask questions and submit responses to form a database of answers. The tool went live in the UK this week and is set to roll out across Europe in the next few weeks. Results from iQ ...
UK Net Guide aims to make reviewed sites searchable.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Online consumer guide UK Net Guide has begun indexing its database to build a walled garden of family-friendly, human-reviewed Web sites. The aim is to offer UK Net Guide's 1.1m unique monthly users a search- based method of accessing content on 380,000 reviewed sites. ...
Information sites most likely to be visited by over-50-year-olds.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... The highest proportion of users of etail and financial service sites are in their 30s, while information sites are visited most by the over- 50s, according to a report by Nielsen//NetRatings. The study examined audience composition for a wide range of sites, highlighting the ...
Mobile data revenues overtake fixed-line as MMS use rockets.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Revenues from mobile voice and data services overtook those from fixed- line telephony for the first time in 2005, reaching #13bn in the UK, according to mobile aggregator Netsize's 2006 guide to the mobile industry. 3G services accounted for 9% of overall UK mobile revenues ...
IN BRIEF: Winter Olympics boosts Web searches for sports.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Searches for 'curling', 'skiing' and 'ice hockey' have rocketed as a result of the Winter Olympics, according to research by Hitwise. 'Curling' saw the most pronounced increase, with five times as many searches taking place than two weeks ago, while 'skiing' ...
IN BRIEF: Pirate downloads shift to quality over currency.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Nip/Tuck was the most pirated TV show in January and Elizabethtown the most pirated film, figures released by BayTSP show. The most pirated software was Microsoft Office XP. The ratings are based on the number of copies available for download on the FastTrack, eDonkey and BitTorrent ...
IN BRIEF: Third of US users still on dial-up connections.(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Almost two in every five Internet users in the US still go online via a dial-up connection. A study by research company Yankee Group revealed that almost half of those on dial-up regard broadband as too expensive, while almost a third don't want a speedier ...
NEWS ANALYSIS: Charges for late ad copy anger agencies.
Mar 02, 2006 ... As media owners begin to warn agencies that they're to start charging for ad copy delivered late, debate rages over whether it's the creative or media agencies at fault A row erupted this week over the decision to blame media agencies for late delivery of online ad copy. It ...
COMMENT: Those who fail to innovate will become extinct.
Mar 02, 2006 ... Triple and quadruple play was the talk of this year's 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona last month. The ability to offer broadband, cable TV and telephony, whether mobile or fixed or both, is increasingly seen as the perfect formula to attract and retain customers. Attract, because it ...
Will the Budget offer a stable environment for innovation?
Mar 02, 2006 ... The Budget is less than a month away and behind the scenes Chancellor Gordon Brown is burning the midnight oil in Number 11, crunching figures as the days pass until 22 March. The lights are also burning long into the night in Hollywood for a very different reason: it's awards' season ...
LETTER: We must educate users on behavioural targeting.(Letter to the Editor)
Mar 02, 2006 ... I was surprised that your article 'Following footsteps' on behavioural targeting (NMA 16.02.06) didn't mention the potential pitfalls. Many Internet users are increasingly uneasy with such forms of highly targeted marketing. I believe that our community has a duty to come ...
LETTER: BIMA closest to all-round digital representation.(British Interactive Media Association)
Mar 02, 2006 ... At the last count, back in 2004, there were about 54,000 people working in the UK interactive industry. No doubt this figure is far larger now. Most of these people work in small or micro companies, about 85% full time (source: Skillset). Most of these companies do an eclectic mix of ...
OPINION: Providing satisfaction is the key to consumer loyalty today.
Mar 02, 2006 ... The Internet allows people to search, communicate and compare, to find the best service, the best deal, the best price. But this very nature of new media has the potential to undermine brands and discourage customer loyalty because it encourages us to switch. Becoming a savvy shopper ...
AD WATCH: COI employs stalking smiley to reach kids where they hang out.(Central Office of Information)
Mar 02, 2006 ... This month we have a mix of blackcurrants, German cars, scary stuff online and sex. Well, halfway to pornography, to be perfectly honest. Naturally I'm referring to the latest contribution to the Agent Provocateur range of viral titillation. It's a beautifully shot piece by ...
PROFILE - STEPHEN BALKAM: Perpetual notion.(Internet Content Rating Association )(Biography)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Getting sites to rate their content is a never-ending task for ICRA's Stephen Balkam. Clare Goff asks him if technology's speed of change makes it an impossible mission This month a loophole was found within certain mobile phone networks which allowed children to access ...
EMAIL MARKETING: Special delivery.
Mar 02, 2006; ... With Yahoo! and AOL opting to charge brands for delivering emails, Ben King finds out how this will affect the future of email marketing for brands, agencies and users When AOL and Yahoo! recently revealed plans to charge companies to deliver emails to their users, they drew a ...
EMAIL MARKETING: Citroen tracks online behaviour.(Citroen U.K. Ltd.)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Citroen has been sending its customers emails for years, but felt it could do more than just build brand awareness. More than 80% of car buyers research their purchases online, so by tracking their site visits, Citroen could learn about them and send emails to help cajole them through ...
WIRELESS: One to watch.
Mar 02, 2006 ... Everyone's excited by mobile TV. But rather than worrying about how it's provided, operators and channels need to focus on producing content consumers want to view At this year's 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, most of the buzz in the content zone was around mobile TV. Every ...
BARRACK ON WIRELESS: 3G could benefit from adopting broadband pricing.
Mar 02, 2006 ... At the 3GSM World Congress last month, Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin identified handset costs as a barrier to the adoption of 3G. He may have a point, but there's another problem that's more fundamental. A famous TV commercial described 3G as being 'almost like broadband on your ...
SIT REVIEW: Guardian news service goes for Java over mobile Internet.
Mar 02, 2006; ... Guardian guardian.co.uk/on2go Client: Guardian Unlimited Platform: Java Guardian Unlimited's mobile news service scores highly for content, but will its chosen platform reach a wide audience? Using On2go's Java application, Guardian Unlimited has made all of its news ...
WIRELESS: New directions.
Mar 02, 2006; ... Already popular in Japan, the use of mobiles for getting local and travel information is set to take off here. Michael Fitzpatrick asks if this is the end of the travelbook Technology is coming to the aid of tourists, with pioneering mobile travel guides on videophones and PDAs ...
Moves: Vividas Group.(appoints Richard Collins)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Richard Collins has been hired as chief executive of Vividas Group, the video streaming developer. Previously he was global CEO of search ...
Moves: Modem Media.(appoints Paul Richardson-Owen)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 2006 ... Paul Richardson-Owen has joined digital marketing agency Modem Media as media planner, supporting Gareth Mulryan and Neil Vincent. He'll mainly work with client LloydsTSB and ...