New Media Age back issues from April 2009:
FMCG worries add to mixed ad spend outlook for 2009.(fast moving consumer goods)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Despite the IAB's report on the growth of online ad spend, brands are waiting for a clearer picture FMCG brands - the biggest spending global advertisers - remain the hardest to attract to digital, despite the IAB this week announcing online ad spend in 2008 rose 17.1% to ...
There's more to viral success than just being interrupted.
Apr 02, 2009 ... I love cute animals. Everyone loves cute animals. But lovable bunnies and dancing chicks weren't the only reason Samsung Mobile's viral campaign for its new Ultratouch phone won campaign of the month in Ad Watch this week (page 18). The creative perfectly illustrated and sparked ...
BREAKING NEWS: H&M launches global site for spring collection.(H&M Hennes & Mauritz A/S)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... High street fashion retailer H&M has launched a global site for its spring collection. Users can select and view outfits on models as they walk down a virtual catwalk ....
BREAKING NEWS: Paramount Comedy becomes Comedy Central.(ComedyCentral.co.uk )(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... ParamountComedy.com is relaunching as ComedyCentral.co.uk next Monday as it bids to become the definitive UK comedy portal. The site will feature exclusive online clips, games ...
Yahoo commits to mobile with huge marketing drive.
Apr 02, 2009 ... An estimated #250,000 is being spent by Yahoo on efforts to drive traffic to its newly designed mobile home page Yahoo is preparing a pan-European mobile marketing push, with a spend believed to be #250,000, to drive traffic to its new mobile home page. The ...
NSPCC and MySpace kick off competition for third Dubplate Drama.(National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children )(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Sponsorship trailers for the interactive TV series will appear on Channel 4 and MTV Base featuring winners from the contest The NSPCC and MySpace have kicked off a major online competition to find aspiring rappers to feature in ads for the third series of interactive TV show ...
AOP Census finds publishers remain optimistic for 2009.(Association of Online Publishers)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Despite worsening economic conditions, the Association of Online Publishers finds the industry is diversifying to survive The Association of Online Publishers (AOP) annual census, released this week, has shown optimism among publishers despite the worsening economic conditions ....
BBC Learning uses online Blast project to stimulate youth job market.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... BBC Learning is using online to stimulate the UK job market for young people after overhauling its teen creativity project Blast. The flagship BBC Learning initiative, aimed at 13-19-year-olds, is designed to buck the trend of the currently bleak jobs market by fostering talent ...
Consumers show positive attitude to behavioural targeting.(Survey)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Marketers underestimate consumer positivity to behavioural targeting despite almost half of people saying they would welcome the practice, according to new research. A Coremetrics report, which polled 1,000 UK consumers and 100 UK marketers, revealed that 66% of marketers ...
The Brits exhibit rare optimism at SXSW event.
Apr 02, 2009 ... SXSW, or 'South By' as the regulars refer to it, is a ten-day media festival that takes place every March in Austin, Texas with an interactive conference that leads into a film conference and culminates in a music conference and festival. For many years, this is where the record labels ...
Channel 4 removes home-page ads in major site overhaul.(Channel 4 Television Co.)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Broadcaster has completed a year-long revamp of its site to make it into a more authoritative programme information source Channel 4 has completed a year-long overhaul of its online identity by unveiling an ad-free home page and completing the rebrand of its online catch-up ...
MSN to launch in-house music store as Nokia deal terminated.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... MSN is to launch an in-house UK music store in May having terminated its agreement with existing service provider Nokia. Beta versions of the download and streaming store are slated to go live in five European countries from this month, according to MSN. The ...
Yell.com adopts multimedia in online revamp.(Financial report)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Yell.com is revamping its entire online identity in a bid to become a major information portal for local firms. It's creating detailed, multimedia information pages for each business listing, expanding from its current text-based format. Content will be uploaded by the ...
Endemol still confident of finding ads for online drama.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Endemol has said it's confident that online thriller Section 8 will be able to secure advertisers and distributors despite tough market conditions. Created and part-funded by Paramount Digital Entertainment and film company Gaumont, the supernatural short-form series has ...
GHD launches social media campaign to encourage repeat visits.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Hairstyling brand GHD has launched a social media campaign to stimulate interaction with consumers after acknowledging a lack of repeat visitors to ghdhair.com. It has rolled out Street Style, an online video partnership with beauty brand Benefit, which follows 'style ...
BLM Quantum establishes dedicated mobile division.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Media agency BLM Quantum is to launch a dedicated mobile division following success with mobile campaigns for Setanta, Pathe Films and T- Mobile. The division, led by Gavin Reeder, head of digital strategy at BLM Quantum, is intended to help increase the number of mobile ...
Advertising on trusted websites brings greater rewards.(Survey)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Trevor Vagg Director BMRB I believe there are four key elements for trust online: credibility, reliability, a set of shared values with the audience, and protection of privacy. The importance of this last element was clearly shown when Facebook attempted to change the terms ...
Digital is key for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer plea.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Breakthrough Breast Cancer has turned to digital to breathe new life into its annual Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC) campaign. The charity has made digital the primary channel for the campaign, which launches on 6 April, following fears its original tactic of printing ...
Toptable updates site ahead of global expansion.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Toptable, the restaurant booking service, has redesigned its site ahead of a global expansion. The site has undergone a complete overhaul, allowing users to localise the home page to show only restaurants in their town. The focus on allowing customers to personalise ...
Stannah grows online identity via Holst work.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Stannah is to increase its online presence after appointing Holst Digital to manage its global digital communications. The mobility specialist has begun a campaign site for its Think Again Fund, a community site which encourages over-50s to discuss their dreams and fulfil ...
Publishers vow to keep content free.
Apr 02, 2009 ... Mail Online, Trinity Mirror and Future Publishing have said they will remain subscription-free, despite news that The Independent and Times Online could charge for content. The publishers have spoken out against implementing a subscription model, already used by the likes of ...
Adidas uses Bluetooth in football promo.(adidas-Salomon AG)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Adidas has kicked off a mobile marketing campaign designed to boost sales of its latest football boots. The sporting goods giant has rolled out a Bluetooth campaign in its flagship Oxford Street store which directs shoppers to download an application to discover what kind of ...
Scope overhauls digital presence with new agency.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Disability charity Scope is to overhaul its web presence after appointing Enable Interactive to manage its digital marketing. Enable Interactive, which won the account following a four-way pitch against undisclosed agencies, will be responsible for building the charity's ...
LETTER: Revenues depend on the value of content.(Letter to the editor)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Daniel Wilkinson, search director, Jellyfish The arguments for free content versus subscription models have been around pretty much since online publishing began (cover story, nma 26 March). But with this sector showing signs of struggling in the current downturn, it's now more ...
LETTER: Mobile apps need to find their place in the mix.(Letter to the editor)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Mark Hawkins, communications manager, MX Telecom There's clearly a gathering pace and excitement surrounding mobile applications with the phenomenal success of Apple's App Store and some exceptionally useful and entertaining apps (nma mobile 11 March). But, as the TV ad says, ...
LETTER: Targeted ads aren't the evil some believe.(Letter to the editor)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Paul Smith, joint MD, Eyeconomy I'm at odds with the recent open letter by the Open Rights Group, which urged seven UK online companies to boycott Phorm's advertising technology (nma.co.uk 24 March). Phorm is a reputable company that has signed up to the Internet ...
Comment from nma.co.uk.(Website overview)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Re: Farber on Mobile It's critical that the packaging of mobile content is done in a way that's usable and has value to the user. Look at easycar.com from your mobile browser. It enables you to search for and book car rental simply. Peter Deane Mobile ...
Branded content reaps rewards for direct response campaigns.
Apr 02, 2009; ... Steve Sponder MD Five by Five I've always found it strange why people initially wanted to position the internet as purely a direct response channel. Don't get me wrong, I know how effective it can be for DR activity, but I'm surprised at how many wanted to pigeonhole it as ...
AD WATCH: Samsung makes the product stand out in cute viral.
Apr 02, 2009 ... "Bloody brilliant." "Great, clever ad." These are just two of the comments left on the Tic Tac YouTube page. "This is really shite. They had an chance to do something good with this. Shame the creatives let the opportunity slip with this lackluster effort," was another. The fact is, ...
PROFILE LOUISE MULLOCK: Fresh approach.
Apr 02, 2009 ... Filling the head of online marketing role at BSkyB is a big challenge, one Louise Mullock is already proving herself more than capable of Whenever you ask Louise Mullock for figures to help illustrate what she's achieved in her first eight months as head of online marketing at ...
PROCUREMENT: Buying advice.
Apr 02, 2009 ... With digital marketing now so important to many businesses, what value can procurement specialists bring to the mix? Procurement has come to play an increasingly important role in media and marketing in recent years. As budgets shift towards digital, the role of this hotly ...
PROCUREMENT: Efficio ensures efficient digital media buying.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Procurement consultancy Efficio made its mark in 2006 when a major UK insurance group called on it to help consolidate its numerous digital media agencies. "It was estimated by Billetts to be the largest digital media pitch in the UK at the time and was a great example of how marketing ...
MOVES: IGN Entertainment.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... IGN Entertainment has appointed Chris Ellis as international senior VP and MD. He'll be responsible for all non-US operations, including IGN.com, Rotten Tomatoes, AskMen and other IGN Entertainment sites. Prior to the move, Ellis developed commercial operations for MySpace across ...
MOVES: TheLadders.co.uk.(appointment of Virginie Beauvois and Philippe Oger )(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Careers site TheLadders.co.uk has appointed Virginie Beauvois as marketing manager, analytics and customer insight, and Philippe Oger as online marketing analyst. Beauvois joins from ...
MOVES: Worth.(appointment of Will Robertson, Mandi Sherratt and Kate Storey )(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Digital communications agency Worth has recruited Will Robertson and Mandi Sherratt as producers and Kate Storey as senior account manager. Storey joins from Poke where she was senior ...
MOVES: ArtScience.(appointment of Dan Worrell as Managing Director and partner)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Creative agency ArtScience has hired Dan Worrell as MD and partner. He was previously senior account director at Bartle ...
MOVES: DBD Media.(appointment of Lara Simitci as pay-per- click account director)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Search marketing agency DBD Media has appointed Lara Simitci as pay-per- click account director. She joins from ...
MOVES: Tonic.(appointment of Christian Giordano as technical director and Tal Woolf as junior Flash developer)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Digital branding agency Tonic has appointed Christian Giordano as technical director and lead creative technologist, and Tal Woolf as junior Flash developer. Giordano was ...
MOVES: Fireworks International.(promotion of Jonathan Ford as executive vice presidents)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Fireworks International, the TV distribution arm of ContentFilm, has promoted Jonathan Ford from senior to to ...
SITE INSPECTION: Share My Playlists.(Website overview)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... <Pre> sharemyplaylists.com Owner UK Offer Media Agency Eire Studio Content 17/25 Usability 23/25 Branding12/25 Monetisation 5/25 Total 57/100 </Pre> I've never really gone in for playlists, either creating my own or ...
SITE INSPECTION: Manx Graduates.(Website overview)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... <Pre> manxgraduates.im Owner Isle of Man government Agency PDMS Content 11/25 Usability 18/25 Branding15/25 Monetisation10/25 Total 54/100 </Pre> The Isle of Man: tax haven, yes, but recruitment heaven? I liked the ...
SITE INSPECTION: FreeGreenMarket.(Website overview)(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... <Pre> freegreenmarket.com Owner FreeGreenMarket Agency Mustard Technology Content 11/25 Usability 10/25 Branding15/25 Monetisation12/25 Total 48/100 </Pre> It's not always easy being green, so I'm interested in any site ...
FULFILMENT: rapha.cc.(Brief article)
Apr 02, 2009 ... Selection Cycle clothing, books and accessories with a stylish, slightly retro appeal. The Rapha range aims to mix fashion, subtle detailing and performance, with prices to match. Navigation It's easy to browse the site and drill down into product ...
Brands on twitter.
Apr 09, 2009 ... British Airways Twitterfeed: British_Airways Established: December 2008 News and promotions-only channel at present which posted just nine tweets within its first month. Comparethemarket.com Twitterfeed: Aleksandr_Orlov ...
This may not be the Year of Mobile but don't give up yet.
Apr 09, 2009 ... new media age signed off before Christmas with the radical prediction that this year was not going to be the Year of Mobile. As we wade through the economic morass of 2009, this prediction is being borne out. Although every year has been tipped as the Year of Mobile since phones lost ...
BREAKING NEWS: Bo Hellberg joins Tribal DDB Paris.(appointment of Bo Hellberg has joined Tribal DDB Worldwide as executive creative director)(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Bo Hellberg, former creative director of Ogilvy Interactive, has joined Tribal DDB Paris as executive creative director. He left Ogilvy after five years as part of a wave of job losses ...
BREAKING NEWS: Ebay hosts shop for The Sun's Help for Heroes.(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Ebay is to launch an online shop in support of The Sun's Help for Heroes charity. It will enable people to sell items through the auction site while donating a percentage to the cause. The Sun will also auction celebrity items from Ricky ...
Yahoo Music plans to roll out Artist Pages in Europe.(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Service launches in US, allowing users to aggregate content and information from top sources like Amazon, iTunes and YouTube Yahoo is looking to bring its Artist Pages service to Europe to enable Yahoo Music users to customise pages with products and content from the likes of ...
Sky drops Diffiniti from natural search account as it realigns strategy.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC contract with Bigmouthmedia ltd.,)(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Bigmouthmedia picks up Sky's natural search account as the media company looks to create integrated marketing tactics Sky has appointed Bigmouthmedia to the natural search account for its Online Sales and Marketing (OSM) division, ending its 18-month search relationship with ...
Premium content devalued as online ad rates plummet.
Apr 09, 2009 ... Premium content publishers concerned by low CPM rates as media agencies and clients place cost above content quality Social media sites and ad networks are devaluing online inventory as they undercut the market to offer rock bottom prices. Premium publishers such as ...
Offline media may be forced to match online's accountability.
Apr 09, 2009 ... The internet can continue to build on its record share of total ad spend, as revealed in the latest IPA Bellwether report, according to sector specialists. The report for Q1 2009 from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising showed that online now accounts for 10% of ...
Struggling to find a way to make content pay.
Apr 09, 2009 ... Last month US writer and thinker Clay Shirkey posted a blog entry about the future of newspapers. His conclusion: they don't have one. Shirkey's argument is that the circumstances that once inextricably linked journalism and newspapers have broken down. The internet has ...
Britain's Got Talent offers intelligent targeting ad spots.(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... New site for FremantleMedia's hit TV talent show will allow advertisers to target audiences via themed content packages FremantleMedia Enterprises has launched intelligent targeting on the Britain's Got Talent website, enabling advertisers to target audiences via themed ...
Coca-Cola adds iPhone app to build on the popularity of TV campaign.(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Coca-Cola is to launch its Happiness Factory campaign on mobile via the release of an iPhone app to build on its most successful ad. The move comes as the full global campaign rolls out, after kicking off in the UK last month. The first version of Happiness Factory ...
Comedy Central to launch paid search around top TV shows.
Apr 09, 2009 ... Comedy Central has become one of the first broadcasters to launch paid search campaigns based around its shows as it looks to become the top online comedy portal in the UK. The Viacom-owned channel, which rebranded from Paramount Comedy (nma 2 April), is to bid on brand terms ...
Metro assigns six-figure sum to site revamp to boost range of content.(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Associated Newspapers' Metro is to overhaul its site as it looks to significantly boost its content. Metro is investing a six-figure sum in the redesign, which marks its first revamp since the free paper launched more than three years ago. It has appointed design ...
Sony Ericsson shows off new phone's location features.(Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB)(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Sony Ericsson and Vodafone are to launch interactive content about London to mark the launch of the Sony Ericsson W715 Walkman. A site will launch on 16 April to push the handset's benefits, with interactive content illustrating what the phone can do. The content is ...
Subscription model proves sustainable for MMOGs.(massively multi-player online games)
Apr 09, 2009; ... Piers Harding-Rolls Head of games Screen Digests Screen Digest recently completed a study into the subscription market for massively multi-player online games (MMOGs) and concluded the sector had grown a respectable 23% during 2008 to $1.4bn (#756m based on an average ...
IASH to standardise how ad networks evaluate websites.(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... IASH, the ad network trade body, is to introduce an independent centralised site-vetting system in a bid to bring greater transparency to the sector. IASH is in talks with a number of independent vetting firms to develop a centralised database to classify websites for ad ...
UK searches for Formula 1 down on 2008.(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... UK internet searches for Formula 1 content were down year on year in the first week of the 2009 F1 season, according to Hitwise. Findings from the research company revealed UK internet searches for 'BBC F1' were 6.5% lower than searches for 'ITV F1' during the equivalent week ...
Playboy makes ad-funded content central to lifestyle push.(Playboy Channel)(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Playboy is to place ad-funded bespoke content at the centre of marketing activity for its website, which relaunched in February as a lifestyle portal for men. The media company has launched pitches for several ad-funded content packages, totalling 200 hours. The ...
Trinity Mirror ups natural search to reach jobseekers.(Trinity Mirror Digital Media Ltd. contract with DBD Media )(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Trinity Mirror Digital Recruitment (TMDR) is to ramp up natural search activity for its 14 brands, including Fish4jobs.com and Totallylegal, in a bid to increase visibility to potential clients and job hunters in the challenging market. The newspaper publisher's recruitment ...
Freesat takes on BIO Agency for digital push.(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Freesat, the free-to-view satellite offering from the BBC and ITV, has appointed The BIO Agency as its digital creative agency as part of an increase in marketing activity. BIO will overhaul the Freesat site to focus more on channel and programme content, and will advise on ...
Honda plans to centralise all online content.(Honda Motor Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Honda UK has completed a major redevelopment of its website as it looks to centralise all online content. The move is part of a wider digital strategy from the car manufacturer as it looks to pull its online sales and branding into one portal. Honda claims it will ...
LETTER: Social sites are not the place for police work.(Letter to the editor)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Rob Marcus, director, Chat Moderators The police published the picture of the suspect on the Manchester police website so they can investigate the reports presented to them. The trouble with using social networks to track down criminals is that you're potentially putting other ...