New Media Age articles from January 2007

New Media Age archives from January 2007

Retailers call for transparency in online sales figure reports.
January 11, 2007... Retailers have called for greater transparency in the reporting of online sales, to generate a true picture of the size of the etail market compared to the high street. While the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) claims that online...

Social sites cash in on users via etail.
January 11, 2007... Social networking sites are turning to etail in order to cash in on their millions of young users. Bebo has become the first major social network to sell products online, while Piczo will start selling goods by the end of this quarter....

Utarget wins #2.5m for video ad network.
January 11, 2007... Digital ad specialist Utarget has secured #2.5m in funding to launch a pre-roll online video ad network to go head to head with companies like Eyeblaster and Advertising.com. The bulk of the investment, from Foresight Venture Partners,...

ITV joins model agency in using Islandoo to find future stars.(Models 1)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... ITV and model agency Models 1 are tapping into the social networking boom to recruit potential stars. They've signed deals with Islandoo, a social network created by interactive agency Mint Digital, for users to apply to become models...

Goodtechnology picked as sole online agency for Christian Aid.(Christian Aid Mission)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Charity Christian Aid has appointed digital creative agency Goodtechnology as its sole interactive agency, following a four-way pitch involving LBi, Profero and Underwired. Specific details regarding the budget and contract length are still...

Etribes provides communities for brands.(get contracts with Confetti and The Number (UK) Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Wedding site Confetti and directory service 118118 are seeking to create communities around their brands via social networking platform Etribes. Etribes will provide Confetti with a platform for couples to use as a hub for their wedding...

Maxim offers Little Black Book across print, web and mobile.(Dennis Publishing contracts with Maxim magazine's Little Black Book)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Dennis Publishing has chosen Maxim magazine's Little Black Book franchise for its first move into true multi-channel publishing. The launch of Little Black Book, which features profiles of non- professional models, has been developed from...

HP puts interactivity into pan-European viral ad for laptops.
January 11, 2007... Computer firm Hewlett-Packard has launched a pan-European viral campaign to position its business laptops as mobile and versatile. Modem Media, HP's lead interactive agency, has created a viral video called 'Tearunning'. It features a...

Warburtons turns to iTV to build on branding goal of offline ads.
January 11, 2007... FMCG brand Warburtons is running its first interactive TV campaign, to promote itself as a family company. The campaign on Sky lets users compete in an interactive quiz and access recipes when they press red. Warburtons' chairman...

Lycos hosts official 'Neighbours' forum.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Lycos has launched a channel dedicated to Australian TV show Neighbours, which will also act as the programme's official community site. The site went live this week and includes a forum, a live chat console and a video section for users...

BREAKING: Second Life releases code for viewer control.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Online virtual world Second Life has turned to the online community to assist its development by making its first move into open source. Linden Lab, the company behind Second Life, has released the code for its Second Life Viewer, the...

BREAKING: Bounty launches podcast for pregnancy support.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Bounty, the online resource and community for parents, has launched a podcast of its Your Pregnancy guide. The podcast is available from Bounty.com and iTunes. bounty.com Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

BREAKING: 2020 London wins work for Stolichnaya vodka.(V/O Sojuzplodoimport)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Vodka brand Stolichnaya has appointed 2020 London as its worldwide digital agency. Its first task is to relaunch the company's website and develop an online marketing campaign to heighten its brand presence. 2020london.com stoli.com...

IN BRIEF: Nexus/h to relaunch Suzuki's website.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Car company Suzuki has relaunched its UK website to promote its new range of vehicles, including flagship model the Grand Vitara, targeting men and women between the ages of 35 and 50. The site has been developed by Nexus/h, which handles all...

IN BRIEF: Pure revamps site for The Soil Association.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... The Soil Association has appointed email marketing company Pure to push its relaunched website whyorganic.org and reach a wider audience. The Soil Association is responsible for certifying three-quarters of the UK's organic produce, and...

IN BRIEF: Kontraband takes Vaseline TV ad online.(UnileverUK contracts with Seventh Chamber)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Unilever brand Vaseline has hired viral agency Kontraband to promote its latest TV campaign online. Kontraband's seeding agency The Seventh Chamber has guaranteed to Unilever that the film behind Vaseline's 'Keep skin amazing' campaign will...

IN BRIEF: Cheeze wins Travelowl's media account.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Digital direct response agency Cheeze has picked up the strategy and media account for travel community site Travelowl.co.uk. The agency will be working with Travelowl on strategic consultancy through to media planning/buying, to help grow the...

C4 sees CBB downloads surge due to ad-funded mobile clips.(Channel Four Television Company Ltd., Celebrity Big Brother)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Channel 4 has experienced a ten-fold increase in mobile downloads for Celebrity Big Brother since introducing ad-funded clips. The broadcaster revealed it has seen hundreds of thousands of downloads since it swapped to an ad-supported...

Ask tests new search engine to offer a 'genuine alternative'.(Ask.com Internet Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Ask has begun tests of a next-generation search engine as it seeks to become the 'genuine alternative' search engine in 2007. Myles Runhan, Ask's general manager for Europe, said the company is currently testing Ask X, a search platform...

O2 strikes mobile deal for theatre show.(O2 UK Ltd., Kevin Wallace and De Wynters)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... O2 has struck a deal to provide exclusive mobile content for the upcoming Lord of the Rings theatre production, part of a new strategy to target the theatre sector. The operator has formed a partnership with production company Kevin...

Tiscali segments users by behaviour.(contract with Wunderloop)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Tiscali is venturing into behavioural targeting for the first time with the appointment of behavioural targeting network Wunderloop. Wunderloop's iCRM product will organise Tiscali UK's 6.8m users into 150 audience segments based on their...

Aviva to ramp up use of mobile and affiliate marketing for 2007.(Online Media Group UK)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Aviva, owner of Norwich Union and the RAC, is planning to ramp up its use of mobile and affiliate marketing significantly this year. "We've dabbled briefly with mobile marketing before, but nothing substantial," said Jody Beazley, Aviva's...

Western Union runs branding campaign with top names.(contracts with Times Online and Lastminute.com)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Money-transfer company Western Union is tying up with Times Online and Lastminute.com for its first online branding campaign. It will be sponsoring a channel on the Times Online site called Diverse Nation, which explores how immigration...

UK digital industry under strain as talent is lured to Australia.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... UK digital experts are being lured to high-profile jobs in Australia, putting more pressure on the skills shortage. According to Australian media recruitment consultancy The Ladder, two- thirds of the senior positions on its books are...

GCap's Jazz station offers free downloads.(Jazz FM partnered with eMusic)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... GCap's new DAB digital radio station The Jazz has partnered with digital music service eMusic to offer free music downloads to subscribers. Under the deal, listeners to The Jazz will get the chance to download 35 free tracks from some of...

IN BRIEF: Precedent takes on Neil Davis as strategy director.(Precedent Communications)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Digital creative agency Precedent Communications has appointed Neil Davis as the first holder of its newly created director of strategy role, at the same time as the company announced the opening of a Cardiff office. Davis joins from Reading...

IN BRIEF: STA Travel to review affiliate marketing role.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... STA Travel has launched a review of its affiliate marketing scheme following the appointments last year of Celia Pronto as marketing director and John Constable as MD. While the company said that affiliate channels remain a central aspect of...

IN BRIEF: 'Countdown' to launch as mobile game.(Dynamo Games and Granada Ventures)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Countdown, Channel 4's classic words and numbers gameshow, has launched as a mobile game. Developed by game developer Dynamo Games and Granada Ventures, the show's licensor, gamers have to make the longest words from a string of nine...

IN BRIEF: AOL launches online interactive TV guide.(AOL (UK) Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... AOL has launched an online interactive TV guide allowing users to search for TV programmes and video clips across the internet. The portal has appointed TV Genius to power its AOL TV Guide beta, offering internet users a fully online programme...

Cheapflights appoints online ad agency to boost brand image.(contracts with Bostock and Pollitt)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Travel search company Cheapflights has appointed Bostock and Pollitt as its first online ad agency as it seeks to invest in brand ads for the first time. Until now Cheapflights has spent nothing on brand or offline advertising,...

The People's Web to use #5m VC funding for national roll-out.(venture capital)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Online shopping service The People's Web is close to finalising a #5m funding round to launch the site on a national scale. The group is in talks with a VC firm that plans to invest #5m with the aim of turning The People's Web into a...

24/7 Real Media appoints UK MD.(Ed Stevenson, managing director)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Ed Stevenson, director of search at 24/7 Real Media, has been promoted to the role of UK MD after Rob Wilson, the previous incumbent, was made European MD. Stevenson said that his mission for 2007 is to clarify where 24/7 Real Media...

Harvest to work with Bluestreak for RSPB.(Harvest Digital, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Full-service agency Harvest Digital and marketing technology company Bluestreak have jointly won the email advertising account for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The win comes as the companies revealed they will work more...

UK record label uses intelligent robot and IM to push rock band.(Ninja Tune contracts with Pop Levi band)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... UK record label Ninja Tune has developed an artificially intelligent online robot to push glam-rock band Pop Levi. Robopop, developed by the label and web design company Kleber Design, has been programmed to chat about the band's...

Analyst Speak: Online retail goes from strength to strength.
January 11, 2007... If early trends hold, online retailers will report record high traffic and transactions this Christmas season. As early as mid-October, pundits started to predict not only that consumers would abandon high street shops and move their spend...

IN BRIEF: ROK TV expands mobile service to Symbian.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Mobile entertainment specialist ROK has made its ROK TV video streaming technology available for handsets using the Symbian 3 operating system. ROK claims that ROK TV can stream video content over 2.5G GPRS at a faster frame rate than any...

IN BRIEF: Netgear reveals Digital Entertainer set-top box.(Digital Entertainer HD, high defination television)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Netgear, the online hardware specialist, has unveiled the Digital Entertainer HD, a Wi-Fi-enabled set-top box that can stream high- definition content from a computer to a TV. The Digital Entertainer HD also doubles as a video recorder that can...

IN BRIEF: Microsoft teams with Ford for dashboard system.(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Microsoft and Ford have announced the Sync system, which links dashboard entertainment systems with mobile phones and music players. A built-in web connection can also pick up internet broadcasts, while a voice-playback system can read out...

IN BRIEF: New online gaming community site launches.(Sploder)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Sploder, an online community based around games, has launched in public beta. Users are able to use Sploder to create Flash games to publish on the web. A drag-and-drop function enables them to make games without having to understand coding....

Miva launches self-service PPC product for smaller publishers.(pay-per-click)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Miva is aiming to make pay-per-click ads more accessible to small businesses through the launch of the Miva Monetisation Center, an automated self-service product that is set to go live next week. Miva Monetisation Center works in a similar...

Foviance upgrades analytics to track social media usage.(WebAbacus 5.2)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Usability and analytics company Foviance has upgraded its analysis software to enable clients to track the use of social media like podcasts, video streaming and social networking profiles. WebAbacus 5.2 monitors how users interact with...

Nokia announces Skype deal at CES.(Consumer Electronics Show)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Nokia has announced the launch of a raft of new services and products at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The telecoms giant unveiled the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet, its latest multimedia device, which includes a...

Competition brings broadband prices crashing down in the UK.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Broadband prices in the UK dropped significantly throughout 2006, according to research firm Screen Digest. The overall cost of broadband fell throughout the year, mainly as a result of fierce competition between suppliers, which ended in...

EasyJet is second most visited airline website in the UK.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Low-cost airline easyJet is the UK's second most visited airline site, after BA, for internet users looking to book their main holidays, found a report from Continental Research. The popularity of the site for those looking to book trips...

Tiscali finds 63% of UK adults want on-demand TV via web.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... 63% of UK adults would prefer to watch on-demand programmes via their broadband connection rather than waiting for them on traditional TV, found a report from Tiscali. The broadband and media company commissioned the research, of over...

IN BRIEF: Chinese search engine revenues to hit #299m.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Revenue from China's search engines will reach RMB4.521bn (#299m) by 2010, according to Analysys International. The growth is credited to an increase in the online population as the country's economy accelerates. The findings also illustrate...

IN BRIEF: Over 7.5m mobile music downloads in Q4 2006.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Mobile music technology provider Groove Mobile reported over 7.5m music tracks were downloaded across its platforms in Q4 2006. In October 2006 Groove Mobile was responsible for powering music across eight of the world's top-ten-selling...

IN BRIEF: One in ten US mobile users have music phones.(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... One in ten US mobile subscribers have phones with integrated music players, found research from Telephia. The region currently boasts up to 23.5m music-enabled phone subscribers, five times more than there were in 2005. Q3 of last year saw 20%...

Music downloads shake up singles chart.
January 11, 2007... The inclusion of all digital downloads in the Official UK Singles Chart has already seen past hits return to the top ten, forcing labels to rethink how they market new releases From 1 January, digital music downloads without a physical...

COMMENT: Channel identity is vital for integration.(Editorial)
January 11, 2007... In recent years, integration has emerged as one of the cardinal virtues for interactive operations. In the dotcom days, the prevailing wisdom was that to capitalise on new media, what was needed was a new operation, unhindered by links to...

Government stays clear of morals for junk food ad ban.
January 11, 2007... Barring any further wriggling by the Government, the 'ban' on advertising junk food to children will begin in March. Governments used to legislate on moral issues - like no shagging or swearing before the watershed because it's bad for...

LETTER: Email should balance science and creativity.(Letter to the editor)
January 11, 2007... From Sarah Farr, marketing manager, Premiere Global Services Your news item 'Click-through rates drop as communication increases' (nma.co.uk 01.12.06) brought to light the need for fewer emails and increased relevancy in email marketing...

LETTER: Guarding the copyright of user-generated content.(Letter to the editor)
January 11, 2007... From Richard Spalding, MD, Kontraband The world of user-generated virals has always been seen as a bit of a free-for-all. Once content's on the web then it's fair game, the rules seem to say. This needs to change. Just as the Mechanical...

OPINION: Current broadcast models will not work once IPTV gets going.(IP television)
January 11, 2007... When a business space matures to the point where one starts to feel the law of diminishing returns take effect, it's time for a rethink. Take email marketing. We now have specialist companies that track where on a marketing email people's...

PROFILE - MARK CURTIS: Match maker.(Flirtomatic)(Interview)
January 11, 2007... Proving that social networking can be both multi-platform and attractive to advertisers is dating site Flirtomatic. CEO Mark Curtis tells Michael Nutley how both can be done Amid all the fuss about advertising on social networks and around...

VENTURE CAPITAL: Money talks.
January 11, 2007... The continuing shift in ad spend from traditional to new media is turning investors' attention to online opportunities. Sean Hargrave asks top VCs what's in their sights The money men are back. Major internet players like Microsoft and...

CPA AND SEARCH: The right clicks.(Google Inc. developing cost per click modal)
January 11, 2007... As Google beta-tests a cost-per-acquisition model across its AdSense network, the affiliate industry is preparing for the fallout. Clare Goff examines what's happening The blogosphere was buzzing with intrigue last year when it emerged...

Moves: uSwitch.com.(appointed Aron Thompson)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Comparison and switching service uSwitch.com has hired Aron Thompson from Insurancewide.com to be a product manager in the personal finance team. He was previously marketing manager. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Moves: StepStone.(appointed Dave Mutton)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... E-recruitment software and services provider StepStone has announced that Dave Mutton will take on the role of marketing director. He joins from Third Aspect, an internet service consultancy he founded in 2004. Copyright: Centaur...

Moves: Two Way TV.(appointed Duncan Campbell)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Two Way TV has appointed Duncan Campbell as head of US sales to build the presence of its text-to-TV technology Simcast in the US market. He joins from games network GSN, where he was executive producer. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

Moves: Amino Technologies.(appointed Keith Todd)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Broadband network software and systems company Amino Technologies has appointed Keith Todd CBE as non-executive chairman and director. He's currently chairman and CEO of software and services company FFastFill and non-executive chairman of...

Moves: e-Dialog.(appointed Simon Green)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Email marketing solutions provider e-Dialog has appointed Simon Green to the newly created role of director of database, strategy and data services. Prior to this he ran 3RM Strategic Marketing. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

Moves: Mobile Streams.(appointed Jarno Salmivouri)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Mobile production service provider Mobile Streams has appointed Jarno Salmivouri as its executive VP for the Asia-Pacific region. He joined Mobile Streams last year when it acquired his company Mobilemode. Copyright: Centaur...

Moves: The Technology Works.(appointed Ben Gibson)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Media solutions business The Technology Works has appointed Ben Gibson as client services director. He will head a team of six search technology experts and oversee the client services team. He previously launched and ran the company's French...

Moves: Fantastic Media.(appointed Dan Phillips)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Former Green Communications employee Dan Phillips has joined full service marketing agency Fantastic Media as client services director, with responsibility for developing clients' strategic marketing activities. Copyright: Centaur...

Moves: The Motley Fool.(appointed Ed Bowsher)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Financial comparison site The Motley Fool has promoted investment writer Ed Bowsher to editor. He has held a number of editorial roles at Citywire and Breakingviews. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Moves: Trader Media Group.(appointed Nick King)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Specialist multimedia group Trader Media Group has appointed Nick King as its new media business intelligence director. He joins from Diffiniti/Carat Interactive, where he was director of research. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

Moves: Chinwag.(appointed Deidre Molloy)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Online new media community Chinwag has appointed Deidre Molloy as editor. She has held a number of senior editorial roles, most recently as editor of NMK. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Moves: Community Channel.(appointed Adam Perry)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... DTT and online broadcaster Community Channel has recruited Adam Perry as its head of programmes and campaigns. He was most recently creative director at World of Wonder. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

SITE INSPECTION: World Wrestling Entertainment.(Website overview)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Wwe.com Owner: WWE Agency: in-house Content 18/25 Usability 14/25 Branding 21/25 Monetisation 25/25 Total 78/100 The sight of spandex-clad men hitting each other over the head with...

SITE INSPECTION: Lipstixandgearstix.(Website overview)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Lipstixandgearstix.com Owner: Lipstixandgearstix Agency: Enigma Interactive Content 15/25 Usability 19/25 Branding 17/25 Monetisation 15/25 Total 66/100 Type 'women drivers' into...

SITE INSPECTION: Young Direct Marketing Awards.(Website overview)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Ydma.co.uk Owner: DMA Agency: Iris Content 11/25 Usability 13/25 Branding 18/25 Monetisation 12/25 Total 54/100 Old-school direct marketing (DM) pros will tell you the longer the...

FULFILMENT: howies.co.uk.(Website overview)(Brief article)
January 11, 2007... Founded: November 2004 Selection Howies' site sells its own range of outdoor clothing with an eco- friendly emphasis, primarily aimed at skaters, surfers and mountain bikers, both men and women. Technical problems: None. ...

ONLINE SECURITY: Critical concerns.
January 11, 2007... As online becomes an ever more central part of companies' business operations, so the need to protect them from outside attack becomes more crucial, says nMA editor Michael Nutley The growing importance of the internet is forcing...

ONLINE SECURITY: Viruses.
January 11, 2007... Computer viruses have mutated from destroyers into thieves, siphoning off your business information. Greg Brooks explains how to fight back Viruses have been around for a long time but their nature has changed over the last few years....

ONLINE SECURITY: Hacking.(customers need to trust for online business deals)
January 11, 2007... Customers need to trust that their dealings with an online business are safe from outside attention. Greg Brooks finds how to gain that trust The biggest fear of any Internet user is that their credit card details or identity will be...

ONLINE SECURITY: Hosting.
January 11, 2007... Real-world as well as virtual attacks have required data hosting firms to develop their services into new areas. Greg Brooks looks at the changes The London bombings of 7 July 2005 didn't just wreak human tragedy. They also brought a...

ONLINE SECURITY: Wireless security.(Wireless technologies offer users convenience and mobility with security risks)
January 11, 2007... The nature of a wireless connection makes it more prone to external access, but that doesn't mean it can't be secured, says Ross Bentley Wireless technologies offer users convenience and mobility, but they also come with security risks....

ONLINE SECURITY: Legal issues.(legislation governing use and security of information given online )
January 11, 2007... Vinod Bange of law firm Addleshaw Goddard provides an overview of the legislation governing use and security of information given online In the UK various laws have been introduced to promote the concept of trust and security within the...

Warner turns artists into media channels.(Warner Music UK Ltd. contracts with Refresh Mobile for Hard-Fi mobizine channel)(Brief article)
January 18, 2007... Warner Music has launched a mobile magazine as the cornerstone of the mobile strategy for the launch of Hard-Fi's follow-up to their number- one album Stars of CCTV. The record label views the launch as a core example of its ongoing plan...

PlayerX to extend video offer after #5m funding round.(Nordic Venture Partners, Long Acre Partners and Arts Alliance)(Brief article)
January 18, 2007... PlayerX, the mobile media company, has secured second-round funding of #5m as it prepares to expand its mobile video offering in an increasingly competitive mobile content sector. The funding, from VC firms Nordic Venture Partners, Long...

Piczo secures backing as it plans international expansion.(gets second-round funding from US Venture Partners and Mangrove Capital)(Brief article)
January 18, 2007... Social networking site Piczo has won $11m (#5.64m) of second-round funding as it looks to take the battle for the youth audience to new markets. Piczo has received backing from San Francisco-based US Venture Partners and Luxembourg...

Mark Warner to boost online marketing.(contracts with Steel and Unique Digital Marketing Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 18, 2007... Mark Warner, the winter skiing and summer activity holiday company, is boosting its online marketing strategy with the appointment of digital agencies Steel and Unique Digital to handle all of its online media work. "The way the travel...

Cadbury rolls out online and mobile ads for Easter promotion.
January 18, 2007... Confectionery giant Cadbury has launched its largest online and mobile campaign, promoting its flagship Creme Egg product in the run-up to the crucial Easter sales period. Cadbury kicked off the Creme Egg online campaign, to support the...