New Media Age articles from August 2008

New Media Age archives from August 2008

COI virtual teams to aid digital media integration.
August 7, 2008... The COI has set up virtual teams to work across projects combining creative and media in a bid to respond better to cross-platform briefs. The teams will work on projects that require input from both the media and creative departments,...

MasterCard in social media play.(MasterCard International Inc.)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... MasterCard has unveiled a social media play as part of a significant strategic marketing shift to create bespoke branded content online. The payment services giant has doubled its online budget to around #1m in the UK alone to push its...

Setanta doubles online budget to up awareness of football coverage.(Setanta Sports UK)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Setanta Sports has launched its largest online marketing campaign to date in a bid to better utilise its most efficient acquisition channel. The broadcaster has doubled its online budget, investing #1m in a display, search and affiliate...

Thinkbox rolls out online tool to promote interactive TV ads.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Thinkbox, the marketing body for UK commercial broadcasters including ITV and Sky, has launched a tool to promote interactive TV ads. The online calculator aims to help advertisers estimate the cost of red- button ad campaigns as part of...

Emma Lloyd made head of mobile at Sky.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Emma Lloyd, ex-MD of BT Movio, is to replace Tim Satchell as head of mobile for Sky. Lloyd was responsible for BT Movio's wholesale DAB mobile TV service, which was adopted by Virgin Mobile in September 2006 but scrapped last month. ...

Pepsi Football offers plug-in version for Chinese market.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Pepsi has launched a plug-in version of its Pepsi Football application for Chinese football fans ahead of next week's Olympic Games. Pepsi Football launched in the UK in March backed by star players including Thierry Henry, David Beckham...

UGC sites reject recommendations of government report as unrealistic.(User-generated content)
August 7, 2008... User-generated content (UGC) sites have rejected government allegations that they're playing host to the internet's 'dark side'. A report last week by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee accused social networks and video-sharing sites...

Mars Food targets adventurous cooks via web.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Mars Food UK has launched an online campaign to promote the launch of its PurAsia brand, a range of ingredients for adventurous cooks to make Asian food at home. A product site features details of the range including nutritional...

ITV premium-rate arm tenders mobile work.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Interactive Telephony (ITL), the premium-rate services division of ITV, has kicked off a pitch for a new messaging provider. The division, which was set up in response to last year's voting scandals (NMA 17.07.08), has begun a tender...

Myla seeks strategic partners to boost visibility of new site.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Luxury lingerie brand Myla is to overhaul its website as part of a major strategic push online. The company is also increasing search and affiliate spend in the autumn, and is seeking partnerships with key online destinations to attain...

TV viewers are growing to like being in control.
August 7, 2008... Accenture's Consumer Broadcast Survey 2008, 'Television in Transition', looked into the habits of TV viewers. It involved interviews with 7,000 people in eight countries (the UK, US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil and Mexico) between...

Online spend on DVDs, books and music to reach over #2bn by 2009.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... UK online sales of DVDs, books and music are set to grow to #2.02bn in 2008, according to Jupiter Research. Its research into European commerce forecasts online sales of DVDs, books and music in the UK will increase by #320m from #1.7bn in...

Value of UK mobile games market to top #80m by 2012.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... The UK mobile games market will grow by #22m over the next five years to reach a total value of #80.5m in 2012, according to research by media analyst Screen Digest. The research found the UK pay-per-play market was worth #1.5m in 2007....

Over 90% of parents monitor their children's internet use.(Survey)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... A study into children's internet activity has revealed that 63% of parents have installed control software on their computers. The research by YouGov for Broadband Choices found that 84% of parents believe a verbal agreement is the most...

ANALYSIS: Sky shows red-button ads boost brand buying.
August 7, 2008... As brands begin to look again at running interactive TV campaigns, research from Sky showing the positive impact of red-button ads on consumption can only help Interactive TV advertising may be set for a resurgence after recent research by...

COMMENT: Don't give up on the red button just yet.
August 7, 2008... Interactive TV advertising is the poor cousin of grown-up interactive advertising. Back in 2000, we used to argue in the NMA office over whether the red button or mobile would triumph as the challenger to online as an ad medium. I backed...

Digital media investment drop since Q1 no cause for concern.
August 7, 2008... Library House has published its quarterly data on venture capital investment in Europe during Q2 2008, including a breakdown of the digital media, or mediatech, sector. When examining all venture capital deals across Europe, the data shows a...

LETTER: Search and display are interdependent.(Letter to the editor)
August 7, 2008... From Rupert Staines, European VP, Specific Media Your News Analysis and Leader (NMA 03.07.08) discussed how the credit crunch will affect digital media spend, and it didn't make particularly comfortable reading. The analysis in particular...

LETTER: Finally getting our house in order over privacy.(Letter to the editor)
August 7, 2008... From Nick Fuller, consultant, Jaywing The issue of privacy is firmly back in play and the results of NMA's survey (NMA 18.07.08) can't come as a surprise to most. It's good to see the discussion is supported by real action in the form...

LETTER: What impact will end of BPF have on clients?(Letter to the editor)
August 7, 2008... From Simon Price, head of search, Yucca Your news item 'Agencies expect landgrab as Google BPF ends' (NMA 24.07.08) was very accurate in its identification that search agencies are on alert for new accounts, but what are they doing to...

OPINION: Broadcasters need to broaden their offer to what users want.
August 7, 2008... From the shows broadcasters are making available online, you'd think online TV is firmly in the mainstream. All of the UK's most popular shows - mostly soaps and British dramas - can be seen on catch-up services from the main terrestrial...

AD WATCH: Orange floats above the rest with cross-site balloon race.
August 7, 2008... Finally, we're about to witness a change in the world of digital advertising. No longer is the campaign site king of the hill. Now it's about being where your customers are, rather than expecting them to come to you. The four campaigns I'm...

AD WATCH: Orange.
August 7, 2008... Brief: Create an engaging brand experience to announce the launch of Orange's animal tariffs to a social networking-savvy youth audience. Increase awareness and dramatise the choice that's now available to pay- as-you-go customers ...

PROFILE - NICK JONES: Public engagement.(Central Office of Information )
August 7, 2008... The COI's recently appointed director of interactive services Nick Jones is well versed in the issues around communicating to the public, finds Justin Pearse If it wasn't for Nick Jones, this magazine might not exist. Fourteen years...

JAKOB NIELSEN: Lone voice.
August 7, 2008... After ten years preaching the importance of usability, is Jakob Nielsen still being listened to or do designers just tune out his one-note message, asks Greg Brooks The web's evolution from its early commercial beginnings as brochureware...

JAKOB NIELSEN: Nielsen on mobile.(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Mobile is also on the horizon for the NNG. Jakob Nielsen sees the rise of mobile as "inevitable", with a lot of the future success being laid at the door of Apple's iPhone - the second time Apple has changed a market, according to Nielsen....

NMA MOBILE: Building plans.
August 7, 2008... For mobile to be a serious channel for advertising, it needs a robust media planning structure, reports Alex Farber Operator association the GSMA is expected to roll out a measurement system for mobile advertising later this year. For...

NMA MOBILE: Innovating now will give best chance of surviving crunch.
August 7, 2008... The credit crunch is upon us and the end is nigh. At least, that's what seems to be blaring from headlines everywhere. It's possible we'd have been able to weather the gathering clouds of escalating food and oil prices while our houses are...

NMA MOBILE: Tesco knows its audience and keeps mobile upgrade simple.
August 7, 2008... Tesco Mobile http:/tesco.txt4content.com Agency Infomedia Tesco Mobile relaunched its portal this month and its joint venture with O2 continues to enjoy increasing market share, particularly in the pre-pay mobile marketplace....

NMA MOBILE: Appy days.
August 7, 2008... The iPhone App Store provides a whole new way to get mobile applications onto a handset, one that cuts operators out of the revenue loop, finds Heather McLean First Apple shocked the mobile industry with the iPhone. Then it added 3G...

MOVES: Hotels.com.(appointment of Matt Walls )(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Hotel booking site Hotels.com has promoted Matt Walls to director of marketing operations for EMEA. He had previously been head of marketing since 2003. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Iris Digital.(appointment of Tori Winn )(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Full service digital agency Iris Digital has appointed Tori Winn as creative director. She joins from StrawberryFrog where she was executive creative director. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Mailtrack.(appointment of Gary Powell)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Digital marketing agency Mailtrack has hired Gary Powell as head of sales and customer relations. He joins from marketing agency LBM Direct Marketing. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Guardian News & Media.(appointment of Caroline Little )(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Guardian News & Media has appointed Caroline Little to the role of special advisor to its US division. She was formerly CEO and publisher of Washington Post Newsweek Interactive, the digital division of the Washington Post Company. ...

MOVES: iVillage.(appointment of Vino Vethavanam)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Women's website iVillage has appointed Vino Vethavanam as its editor-in- chief. She joins from Sony Europe, where she was editor-in-chief of Sony's 34 European websites. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Human Factors International.(appointment of Robert Gillham )(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Human Factors International, a software usability and user experience design company, has hired Robert Gillham as project director. He joins from a consultancy background, having led usability and user-centred design and research projects in...

MOVES: Simple Thinking.(appointment of Darrell Ireland)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Digital communications agency Simple Thinking is strengthening its creative department with the appointment of Darrell Ireland. He joins as a junior creative from Planet Interactive Arts. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors...

MOVES: Propertyfinder.(appointment of Natalie Mead )(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... UK property site Propertyfinder has hired Natalie Mead as marketing and products director. She has over 18 years' experience in consumer marketing, ten of which were in online services, and she's a former marketing director of MSN. ...

MOVES: Canon UK & Ireland.(appointment of Clare Want)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Imaging and information technology company Canon UK & Ireland has appointed Clare Want as marketing director. She was previously global marketing director at healthcare product maker Johnson & Johnson. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

MOVES: e-Inbusiness.(appointment of Nikola Goger )(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Full service multi-channel commerce and marketing agency e-Inbusiness has appointed Nikola Goger as its first creative director. She joins from PXP in Vienna where she was also creative director. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

MOVES: Starcom MediaVest.(appointment of Richard Hartell)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Brand communications group Starcom MediaVest has appointed Richard Hartell as chief strategy officer for the UK and he will join the UK board. He has worked within the Starcom MediaVest Group for eight years in a broad range of roles. ...

SITE INSPECTION: Virgina Hayward.(Website overview)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Virginiahayward.com Owner Virginia Hayward Ltd Agency Imaginet Content 25/25 Usability 22/25 Branding 23/25 Monetisation 25/25 Total 95/100 The recent good weather has come...

SITE INSPECTION: BlueBlindFold.(Website overview)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Blueblindfold.co.uk Owner UK Human Trafficking Centre Agency MadeByPi, Principles Content 20/25 Usability 20/25 Branding 24/25 Monetisation 20/25 Total 84/100 This...

SITE INSPECTION: Mirror.co.uk.(Website overview)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Mirror.co.uk Owner Trinity Mirror Agency in-house, Cases i Associates Content 23/25 Usability 15/25 Branding 19/25 Monetisation 15/25 Total 72/100 The Daily Mirror has...

FULFILMENT: buycosmetics.com.(Website overview)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Founded: 2002 Selection An odd mix of big-brand cosmetics and products like 'snoring solution' SnoreWizard, exercise flip-flops and vein erasers. Navigation Easy, with items sorted into clear menus and large images and...

Broadcasters bring back premium-rate phone-ins.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Five and MTV are to reintroduce their premium-rate phone-ins and interactive competitions as they bounce back from last year's vote- rigging scandals that saw broadcasters fined up to #5.6m. The channels' re-entry into the market follows...

Absolut localises digital for UK.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Absolut Vodka is to launch its first UK-specific digital branding campaign as part of a major strategic marketing shift to develop digital content for local markets. The Swedish vodka brand, part of the Pernod Ricard group, has appointed...

First Facebook applications ad network opens.
August 14, 2008... The first ad network letting brands run campaigns across Facebook's 33,000 applications has been launched in the UK. US-owned Adknowledge - which last year bought UK ad network MediaRun (NMA 08.11.07) - has set up the network, which can...

Fashion etailer Oli follows its customers and focuses online.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Otto UK's fashion etailer Oli has dropped catalogue sales and is moving more spend online to reflect its customers' habits. Oli, sister company to the Freemans and Grattan brands, has also dropped its menswear and children's ranges in a...

AdMob makes mobile inventory available through Accelerator.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... AdMob has agreed an ad sales deal with eType sister company Accelerator as the mobile ad network looks to attract more advertisers. Accelerator, the performance-based online ad network from Media Initiatives Group (MIG), will benefit from...

Hotel directory opens site to advertising.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Boutique hotel directory brand Mr & Mrs Smith has introduced advertising on its web site as it looks to ramp up its revenues. The travel publisher and hotel booking service has appointed Unanimis to handle its online advertising. The...

ITV to run in-house sales house and comparison site to revive revenues.(ITV PLC)(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... ITV is set to launch its two most significant online initiatives this year as it looks to achieve its #150m online revenue target by 2012. It's to build its own online ad sales house in a move that could drive #3m a year in revenues. And...

IAB plans to bring in online video ad metric next year.(Internet Advertising Bureau )(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) is to introduce a metric for online video ads next year. The industry body's move follows the release last week of standards for online video ads (NMA 07.08.08). While these have been largely...

Global Beach drops eight staff following loss of Jaguar account.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Global Beach has been forced to lay off eight of its 50 UK staff following the loss of its key Jaguar account. Managing partner Prakash Patel was among the cuts as the agency adjusted to May's announcement that Jaguar had appointed creative...

Honda invites user content in online push for updated Jazz.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Honda is launching a user-generated content campaign for the update of its Jazz model. 'Pass the Jazz' will ask drivers to upload stories about how the car features in their lives. Five stories will be selected and made into...

Skechers opens international website to raise global profile.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Skechers has unveiled its first international site as the US footware brand uses online to boost its profile. The site runs across 11 countries, including the UK, Canada and Brazil, and features ranges of footwear for men, women and...

Union seeks protection for teachers online.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), has called on social networks to take a more robust approach to how their sites are used by young people. The union - which has been calling on the Government to...

MediaCom unveils new creative and content department.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... MediaCom has ramped up its digital creative output with the launch of a creative and content department. The integrated media agency has formed a 15-strong creative team that will work with existing and potential clients, such as T-Mobile...

Trend to merge digital and offline marketing queried by specialists.
August 14, 2008... Online media specialists have expressed doubts over the effectiveness of the current market trend of brands merging digital divisions into their central communications. Media agencies and advertisers have questioned the tangible benefits...

Regent Inns puts Bluetooth terminals into pubs.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Regent Inns, parent company of the Walkabout and Jongleurs bar chains, is installing its 300 venues nationwide with Bluetooth terminals. Advertisers will be able to target consumers who visit the pub chain - which also owns Belushi's,...

Boots adopts Bebo as online home for its 17 teenage make-up brand.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Boots' teenage make-up range 17 is to make Bebo its online home as it adopts social media as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations. Boots has created a Bebo community to give young consumers a place to engage with the 17 brand away...

Shortlist hands online ad sales to Ad2One after site overhaul.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Free men's magazine Shortlist has appointed Ad2One to handle ad sales on its website. Ad2One will exclusively manage all third-party ads across the site, which was launched last autumn. It will focus on selling standard display formats as...

EyeWonder hires for major push into UK.(appointment of Daniel Philpot)(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Rich-media and digital advertising platform EyeWonder is looking to expand aggressively into the UK having hired sales specialist Daniel Philpot from DoubleClick. The US company is aiming to challenge the likes of Eyeblaster and Tangozebra...

Electronic Arts makes move into social networks to test game popularity.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Electronic Arts (EA) Europe is launching its first casual game on Facebook to test the popularity of gaming on social networks. The European arm of the games giant has added word game Word Whomp Dash to Facebook. It's keen to emulate the...

Vogue.com in exclusive deal with Calvin Klein to premiere risque ad.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Vogue.com has signed a one-month exclusive partnership with Calvin Klein to launch the latter's fragrance Secret Obsession in the UK. As part of the integrated ad deal, Secret Obsession will sponsor Vogue TV, giving UK users a first peak...

Danone to make websites central to yoghurt brands' health promotion.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Danone is ramping up digital activity for its Activia and Actimel brands, with the website for each undergoing major overhauls this year. The FMCG giant has appointed digital marketing agency Graphico, following a competitive pitch, to...

WWE plugs wrestling event cross-channel.(World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.)(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has launched a cross-platform campaign promoting next weekend's SummerSlam event. The brand hopes to drive traffic for the pay-per-view event on 17 August. It has also booked its first mobile ad...

Motor show produces podcasts to push sales.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Motor show MPH featuring Top Gear Live has launched a series of podcasts in the run-up to the event. The automotive show, to be held at London's Earls Court and Birmingham's NEC in October and November, will roll out eight video podcasts...

Duck and Cover revamps site to engage users via Web 2.0.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Fashion brand Duck and Cover is to overhaul its global site in a bid to increase consumer engagement. The new-look site, created by digital marketing agency Neoco, will introduce community and Web 2.0 elements, including a YouTube channel,...

Small base but fast rise for mobile advertising.
August 14, 2008... It's hard to escape the deafening media coverage of the global iPhone 3G launch. But this isn't only about pushing a gadget; it's also about lending credibility to mobile as a content consumption, browsing and advertising platform. ...

Ad spend on UK social networks to top #100m this year, but trailing US.(advertising)(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... Advertisers will spend over #100m pushing their brands on UK social networks this year. According to eMarketer, ad spend will grow by 76.9% from #65m in 2007 to #115m by the end of this year. It predicts this figure will increase to...

Quarter of UK households viewing video online.(Survey)(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... The proportion of UK households accessing video via the web has risen six percentage points in six months, according to Deloitte's Digital Index. It found 23% of households regularly accessed video online in July 2008, up from 17% in...

IAB metrics will show value of online video ads.(Internet Advertising Bureau)
August 14, 2008... The IAB's industry-wide standards for online video ads have been welcomed by the majority. But some are concerned that limiting online's freedom is the wrong move The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has issued a set of industry-wide...

COMMENT: Are we ready to trust premium rate again?
August 14, 2008... ITV chief Michael Grade will this weekend join hundreds of teenage wannabes in praying the return of The X Factor can turn their lives around. He may not be after a #1m record contact, but he will be hoping the show helps cushion a predicted...

Ad targeting's only hope is to convince people by the results.
August 14, 2008... The online ad industry, and by extension the online content industry, is poised on the edge of challenging times. But it's not all to do with the economic climate; a big part of the problem is entirely of our own making. Research...

LETTER: In support of Yahoo!'s position in search.(Letter to the editor)
August 14, 2008... From Jon Myers, associate director and head of search, MediaVest I read with concern your article 'Yahoo! share of UK search spend drops further' (NMA 31.07.08). This year, Yahoo! has proved a beneficial search partner for MediaVest and...

LETTER: Google take on branded content makes sense.(Letter to the editor)
August 14, 2008... From Udi Regev, creative director, etv Media Group The dust had yet to settle over the future of branded content on British TV before Google made a stab at ad-funded programmes last month. Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy, was drafted...

LETTER: Dockers site in ongoing development.(Letter to the editor)
August 14, 2008... From Bruno Vanden Abeele, MD, Duke UK Thanks for covering the new European website Duke UK has developed for Dockers (NMA 31.07.08). Unfortunately, there are minor details in the article that may be confusing readers. The first step...

IPA TouchPoints shows the way to a fuller picture of media use.(Institute of Practitioners in Advertising)(Column)
August 14, 2008... I was asked recently by the IPA to speak at the launch of its TouchPoints research. This is a single-source survey of more than 5,000 people's media habits. Research like this doesn't usually grab headlines as it doesn't answer a specific brief...

PROFILE - BARRY HOULIHAN: Covering all bases.(Mobile Interactive Group)
August 14, 2008... Having tasted success with his mobile agency MIG, CEO Barry Houlihan is now branching out into a more all-encompassing digital role. Alex Farber reports Having taken MIG to the top of the mobile agency league, CEO Barry Houlihan now has...

BOOKMARKING SITES: Recommended reading.(Website overview)
August 14, 2008... Getting your content shared on a bookmarking site can produce a big boost to site traffic. But can those new readers be made more permanent? Clare Goff finds out It's not enough now for online content to be merely read. Any self-...

BOOKMARKING SITES: Nuts and Wii get picked up Globally.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... IPC Ignite's men's weekly Nuts created an online game called Topless Wii, in which bare-chested women played a game on the Nintendo console and viewers had to guess from their actions which game it was. After getting picked up by Digg...

NMA SPECIAL: Gambling.(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... You can't talk about gambling without talking about rules, and two pieces of UK legislation are having a big impact on remote gambling. First, last summer's smoking ban provided a big boost to online bingo. Then, September's Gambling Act...

GAMBLING: Clickety click.
August 14, 2008... Why are so many high street consumer brands setting up their own online bingo sites? Greg Brooks looks at the rewards it can bring and why such ventures are spreading What do Woolworths, Butlins, The Sun and Ann Summers have in common?...