New Media Age articles from April 2009

New Media Age archives from April 2009

FMCG worries add to mixed ad spend outlook for 2009.(fast moving consumer goods)
April 2, 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...

There's more to viral success than just being interrupted.
April 2, 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...

BREAKING NEWS: H&M launches global site for spring collection.(H&M Hennes & Mauritz A/S)(Brief article)
April 2, 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. Shoppers can create a personalised fashion show based around their own...

BREAKING NEWS: Paramount Comedy becomes Comedy Central.(ComedyCentral.co.uk )(Brief article)
April 2, 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 and quizzes, as well as information about shows such as South...

Yahoo commits to mobile with huge marketing drive.
April 2, 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...

NSPCC and MySpace kick off competition for third Dubplate Drama.(National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children )(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

AOP Census finds publishers remain optimistic for 2009.(Association of Online Publishers)
April 2, 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...

BBC Learning uses online Blast project to stimulate youth job market.(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

Consumers show positive attitude to behavioural targeting.(Survey)
April 2, 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...

The Brits exhibit rare optimism at SXSW event.
April 2, 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....

Channel 4 removes home-page ads in major site overhaul.(Channel 4 Television Co.)(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

MSN to launch in-house music store as Nokia deal terminated.(Brief article)
April 2, 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,...

Yell.com adopts multimedia in online revamp.(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 2, 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....

GHD launches social media campaign to encourage repeat visits.(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

BLM Quantum establishes dedicated mobile division.(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

Advertising on trusted websites brings greater rewards.(Survey)
April 2, 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...

Digital is key for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer plea.(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

Toptable updates site ahead of global expansion.(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

Stannah grows online identity via Holst work.(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

Publishers vow to keep content free.
April 2, 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...

Adidas uses Bluetooth in football promo.(adidas-Salomon AG)(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

Scope overhauls digital presence with new agency.(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

LETTER: Revenues depend on the value of content.(Letter to the editor)
April 2, 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...

LETTER: Mobile apps need to find their place in the mix.(Letter to the editor)
April 2, 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...

LETTER: Targeted ads aren't the evil some believe.(Letter to the editor)
April 2, 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...

Comment from nma.co.uk.(Website overview)(Brief article)
April 2, 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. ...

Branded content reaps rewards for direct response campaigns.
April 2, 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...

AD WATCH: Samsung makes the product stand out in cute viral.
April 2, 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...

PROFILE LOUISE MULLOCK: Fresh approach.
April 2, 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...

PROCUREMENT: Buying advice.
April 2, 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...

PROCUREMENT: Efficio ensures efficient digital media buying.(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

MOVES: IGN Entertainment.(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

MOVES: TheLadders.co.uk.(appointment of Virginie Beauvois and Philippe Oger )(Brief article)
April 2, 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 Renault UK where she was manager of internet development and...

MOVES: Worth.(appointment of Will Robertson, Mandi Sherratt and Kate Storey )(Brief article)
April 2, 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 project manager, Robertson from Code Circus where he was...

MOVES: ArtScience.(appointment of Dan Worrell as Managing Director and partner)(Brief article)
April 2, 2009... Creative agency ArtScience has hired Dan Worrell as MD and partner. He was previously senior account director at Bartle Bogle Hegarty and head of account management at Karmarama. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: DBD Media.(appointment of Lara Simitci as pay-per- click account director)(Brief article)
April 2, 2009... Search marketing agency DBD Media has appointed Lara Simitci as pay-per- click account director. She joins from GroupM where she was search operations manager. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Tonic.(appointment of Christian Giordano as technical director and Tal Woolf as junior Flash developer)(Brief article)
April 2, 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 previously head of rich application development at Conchango, while Woolf...

MOVES: Fireworks International.(promotion of Jonathan Ford as executive vice presidents)(Brief article)
April 2, 2009... Fireworks International, the TV distribution arm of ContentFilm, has promoted Jonathan Ford from senior to to executive VP of digital acquisitions and distribution. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

SITE INSPECTION: Share My Playlists.(Website overview)(Brief article)
April 2, 2009... sharemyplaylists.com Owner UK Offer Media Agency Eire Studio Content 17/25 Usability 23/25 Branding 12/25 Monetisation 5/25 Total 57/100 I've never really gone in for...

SITE INSPECTION: Manx Graduates.(Website overview)(Brief article)
April 2, 2009... manxgraduates.im Owner Isle of Man government Agency PDMS Content 11/25 Usability 18/25 Branding 15/25 Monetisation 10/25 Total 54/100 The Isle of Man: tax haven, yes, but...

SITE INSPECTION: FreeGreenMarket.(Website overview)(Brief article)
April 2, 2009... freegreenmarket.com Owner FreeGreenMarket Agency Mustard Technology Content 11/25 Usability 10/25 Branding 15/25 Monetisation 12/25 Total 48/100 It's not always easy being...

FULFILMENT: rapha.cc.(Brief article)
April 2, 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...

Brands on twitter.
April 9, 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.
April 9, 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...

BREAKING NEWS: Bo Hellberg joins Tribal DDB Paris.(appointment of Bo Hellberg has joined Tribal DDB Worldwide as executive creative director)(Brief article)
April 9, 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 across Ogilvy Group UK in January. Previously he worked...

BREAKING NEWS: Ebay hosts shop for The Sun's Help for Heroes.(Brief article)
April 9, 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)
April 9, 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...

Sky drops Diffiniti from natural search account as it realigns strategy.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC contract with Bigmouthmedia ltd.,)(Brief article)
April 9, 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...

Premium content devalued as online ad rates plummet.
April 9, 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...

Offline media may be forced to match online's accountability.
April 9, 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...

Struggling to find a way to make content pay.
April 9, 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...

Britain's Got Talent offers intelligent targeting ad spots.(Brief article)
April 9, 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...

Comedy Central to launch paid search around top TV shows.
April 9, 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...

Metro assigns six-figure sum to site revamp to boost range of content.(Brief article)
April 9, 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...

Sony Ericsson shows off new phone's location features.(Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB)(Brief article)
April 9, 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...

Subscription model proves sustainable for MMOGs.(massively multi-player online games)
April 9, 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...

IASH to standardise how ad networks evaluate websites.(Brief article)
April 9, 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...

UK searches for Formula 1 down on 2008.(Brief article)
April 9, 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...

Playboy makes ad-funded content central to lifestyle push.(Playboy Channel)(Brief article)
April 9, 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,...

Trinity Mirror ups natural search to reach jobseekers.(Trinity Mirror Digital Media Ltd. contract with DBD Media )(Brief article)
April 9, 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. ...

Freesat takes on BIO Agency for digital push.(Brief article)
April 9, 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...

Honda plans to centralise all online content.(Honda Motor Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 9, 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...

LETTER: Social sites are not the place for police work.(Letter to the editor)
April 9, 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...

LETTER: Subscription content not that easy to bring back.(Letter to the editor)
April 9, 2009... Jason Dormieux, managing partner, MEC Interaction If anyone needed it, the recent story 'Publishers forced to revisit pay barriers' (nma 26 March) showed that content is still king. But with the deluge of non-commercial content flooding...

LETTER: Technology can't replace people skills.(Letter to the editor)
April 9, 2009... Ben Foster, search planner, LBi Bidding technology is only as good as the people who are pulling the strings. Contrary to the opinion of some, technology is not the answer to every paid search account performance issue; it's merely a...

Comment from nma.co.uk.(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Re: FMCG worries add to mixed ad spend outlook for 2009 Kara Clarkson, head of planning at Coca-Cola, said, "Online faces significant challenges in measuring the effects of building brand engagement online." Of all media, online is the one...

As media goes digital, agencies need to get with the programme.
April 9, 2009... Paul Frampton MD MPG and Media Contacts In case you hadn't noticed, the world has changed, but not all agencies have changed with it. It's now a bit of a cliche, but digital has changed everything: the role of media, our understanding of...

PROFILE RICHARD GALE: Lifestyle change.(Interview)
April 9, 2009... Playboy's marketing director Richard Gale talks about how he achieved the unachievable by shifting strategy to become an ad-funded lifestyle site When Playboy's marketing director Richard Gale announced in September that the company was...

E-READERS: Learning from the iPhone.(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... The portable platform that offers one of the best user experiences, the iPhone, is being harnessed by the e-reader market. Apple has turned phones into entertainment devices and magazine publishers have already moved into this market. John...

NMA MOBILE: Out of pocket.
April 9, 2009... Is mobile actually making anyone any money? The major mobile marketing push announced by Yahoo last week (nma 2 April) was a welcome fillip at a time when questions are being asked about the profitability of the platform. The mobile...

NMA MOBILE: Operators diversify to hold on to customers.
April 9, 2009... Jessica Sandin Associate partner Thinktank There are still discrepancies in mobile coverage across the UK, but overall mobile call and text services are becoming just as commoditised as fixed-line telecoms - perhaps even more so given that...

NMA MOBILE: Cash converters.
April 9, 2009... As payment firms bring contactless payment cards to market, they're also talking to operators to finally fufil the promise of mobile wallets The much-touted promise of people using their mobile phones to pay for everyday goods is drawing...

NMA MOBILE: Browsing habits.(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... The last year has seen the mobile internet mature rapidly as larger screens and devices like the iPhone have made browsing easier. This is reflected in the number of people accessing web search, having almost doubled during 2008. Although there...

NMA MOBILE: BBC Mobile beta perfect example of how to present content.(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Maani Safa Head of mobile Telegraph Media Group BBC Mobile bbc.co.uk/mobile/betahome With more carriers offering 'all you can eat' data plans and technology giants like Apple and Google throwing their hat into the ring, 2009 is...

NMA MOBILE: App watch.(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Jonathan Mew Head of mobile, IAB Lastminute Talking Phrasebook Developer Coolgorilla Availability Apple App Store You're on holiday abroad and after a few glasses of Montepulciano you feel a little peckish. You could try...

MOVES: AKQA.(appointment of Jim Rossman as president and Chief Operating Officer)(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Digital marketing agency AKQA has appointed Jim Rossman as president and COO. He is currently COO of Digitas, Publicis Groupe's direct and digital marketing agency. He will be based in New York and will work with AKQA globally, reporting...

MOVES: 2CV.(appointment of Nicole Strada as associate Vice President )(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Integrated research business 2CV has appointed Nicole Strada as associate VP of qualitative research. She was formerly digital strategy director at TBWA\London. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Tamba.(appointment of Andy Simpson, Duncan Cooper and Akvile Seseikaite )(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Viral and digital marketing agency Tamba has promoted Andy Simpson to technical director and hired Duncan Cooper as technical services engineer and Akvile Seseikaite as a 2D/3D artist illustrator. Simpson was previously lead web developer,...

MOVES: WFCA.(appointment of Rebecca Crook as marketing director)(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Full-service ad and marketing agency WFCA has appointed Rebecca Crook as new business and marketing director. She joins from Tangible where she was head of business development. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Tourism Australia.(appointment of Alasdair Farrimond as marketing manager)(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Tourism Australia has appointed Alasdair Farrimond to marketing manager for the UK, Ireland and Nordic region. He was previously marketing director at Travel 2. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Twentysix.(appointment of Pete Petrella as creative director, Haydn Kerr as senior copywriter and Marcos Moret as a senior project manager)(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Full service digital agency Twentysix has appointed Pete Petrella as creative director, Haydn Kerr as senior copywriter and Marcos Moret as a senior project manager. Petrella was previously at Proximity London, where he was creative director...

MOVES: MMT Digital.(appointment of Charlotte Brett as senior account manager)(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Digital communications agency MMT Digital has hired Charlotte Brett as senior account manager. She joins from Big Picture Interactive where she was an account manager. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

SITE INSPECTION: Fruit shoot.(Website overview)(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... fruitshoot.com Owner Britvic Agency Euro RSCG KLP Content 24/25 Usability 22/25 Branding 22/25 Monetisation 13/25 Total 81/100 The first thing that strikes you about the...

SITE INSPECTION: Yourfamily.(Website overview)(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... yourfamily.org.uk Owner NSPCC Agency Redwood Content 15/25 Usability 16/25 Branding 20/25 Monetisation 10/25 Total 61/100 Here's a different take from the NSPCC, the charity...