New Media Age articles from July 2006

New Media Age archives from July 2006

BT Vision creates package of iTV ad formats ahead of launch.
July 6, 2006... BT Vision, the soon-to-launch TV-over-broadband service, has declared itself open for business to brands with the creation of a package of interactive advertising opportunities. The telecoms giant is to start introducing the UK's biggest...

Universal to stream ads with videos.(Universal Music UK)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Universal Music is to offer brands the chance to serve personalised advertising to people viewing the 10m music videos it streams each month from its roster of artists' Web sites. Ads will be tailored to each user depending on personal...

Social site regulation could scare kids off.
July 6, 2006... The Government has warned that the security measures being put in place to protect children on social networking sites like Bebo and MySpace could, without sufficient education, drive children to unregulated services. Annie Mullins,...

IPA's director general warns of skills deficit in digital sector.(Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, Hamish Pringle)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... The director general of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) has admitted that the organisation is struggling to keep up with demand for digital specialists in the agency sector, despite there being as many as 200 roles...

Glue London uses video ads for introduction of Coke Zero brand.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Glue London has created an online video campaign for the launch of Coke Zero under the strapline 'Life without the downsides'. The Aegis-owned agency has shot 16 executions showing how great things in life could be made even better, such...

Ebay Express direct-sale site set to open in UK this October.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Ebay has announced the UK launch of Ebay Express, its direct sale, fixed-price offering, as a move to "create Britain's largest virtual high street". The site, to launch in October, is intended to be a marketplace for small businesses and...

O2 LookAtMe heralds common channel for users' mobile video.
July 6, 2006... O2 has become the second mobile network operator in the UK to launch a user-generated mobile video channel letting consumers get paid each time their video is watched. The move is set to lead to the establishment of a common...

Bacardi-Martini ups strategy with appointment of global digital head.(Ian James)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Drinks company Bacardi-Martini has redoubled its drive into digital media with the appointment of a global head of digital. The company has appointed interactive veteran Ian James from media group Chrysalis to spearhead its adoption of...

Northern & Shell bulks up Web sites to rival competitors' titles.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Richard Desmond's publishing firm Northern & Shell is investing heavily in the expansion of the Daily Express, Daily Star and OK! online in an attempt to take on some of the UK's biggest digital media owners. The latest phase of its...

BREAKING: IAB to hold meeting over late ad copy charges.(Interactive Advertising Bureau)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Agencies and media owners are preparing to thrash out the terms of the Internet Advertising Bureau/Association of Online Publishers (IAB/AOP) charges for late delivery of ad copy. The IAB is holding a meeting for media owners and...

BREAKING: Guardian picks Affilinet to drive subscriptions.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... The Guardian is using affiliate network Affilinet to promote and drive traffic to four areas of its online offering, as well as to increase subscriptions. The partnership will see Affilinet provide programs to generate sign-ups to the...

BREAKING: Serco keeps gym-goers in touch with text service.(contracts with Incentivated)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... A fitness management company with more than 100 fitness clubs is launching an SMS service for the first time, keeping gym members up to date with training regimes and special offers. Serco, the government- appointed organisation, has chosen...

BREAKING: Timberlake single gets first release as ringtone.(Justin Timberlake )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Justin Timberlake has launched his comeback single 'SexyBack' as a ringtone edit first. The ringtone can be downloaded from the singer's mobile Internet site, developed by digital agency Graphico. The site can be accessed by texting...

IN BRIEF: Locker Sports and 3pin combine for full service.(3pin Marketing )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Online sports marketing company Locker Sports has acquired 3pin Marketing to position itself as a full service online agency. The newly renamed company, Locker Room Media, will be headed by 3pin's Justin Brookfield and Locker Sports' Iain...

IN BRIEF: WDMP wins first purely digital account.(from Notonthehighstreet and appoints Aaron Savage)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Integrated agency WDMP has landed its first standalone digital account since it launched its digital division earlier this year. It will devise a Web strategy for independent retail site Notonthehighstreet specialist, delivers online...

IN BRIEF: Woolworths extends site to sell cars online.(teamed with Freeway Cars)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Woolworths has teamed up with car finance site Freeway Cars to sell cars as part of its drive to expand its online portfolio. By accessing the Cars section through woolworths.co.uk, users are given an offer number and a link through to the main...

Domino's Pizza uses TV ads to attract users to online ordering.(contracts with Team Saatchi)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Domino's Pizza is embarking on an above-the-line marketing strategy that will see it use TV to promote its online ordering and delivery service. The fast-food company will roll out a high-profile TV campaign this week featuring two...

Quartz Interactive continues to build on recent business wins.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Paid search marketing specialist Quartz Interactive has said it's to continue to aggressively chase market share after announcing #6m of new business wins in the first half of 2006. Quartz's 17 new clients include media recruitment agency...

Superman comes to iTV.(Warner Bros and Picture Production Company promoting its movie 'Superman Returns' via mobile marketing)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Warner Bros and Picture Production Company have launched an iTV ad campaign to promote the cinema launch of summer blockbuster Superman Returns next weekend. The DAL allows digital satellite viewers to use their remotes to access information on...

Sport Relief rallies potential charity runners via mobile.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Sport Relief is using mobile as a key element of its Sport Relief Mile initiative, which aims to get as many people as possible each running a mile. People keen to run are encouraged to text in their postcode to receive a URL for the...

Chrysalis Radio to shoot videos for 3 as it extends ads to mobile.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Chrysalis Radio has struck one of its biggest cross-media deals to date, to create a made-for-mobile video series for 3G operator 3. It has also launched a separate initiative offering brands that advertise on its radio stations an...

Beggars combines online with outdoor interactivity for album release.(Thom Yorke's album 'The Eraser')(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Independent record label Beggars has created an online and outdoor campaign for the launch of Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke's debut solo album The Eraser. The outdoor activity involves an 8ft tall listening post in the shape of 'the...

Blue Barracuda hires Agency Republic's media head Moore.(Bradley Moore)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Full service digital marketing agency Blue Barracuda has hired Agency Republic's media director Bradley Moore to run its media division. Moore, who grew Agency Republic's digital media department from one to 16 people in five years, will...

King of Shaves commits to further viral.(contracts with digital marketing agency Kempt)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... King of Shaves has committed to a series of viral games following the success of its Winter Olympics game. Its first foray into viral marketing, by agency Kempt, resulted in over 100,000 visits a day. It has now commissioned Kempt to...

IN BRIEF: Loot.com adds subs list to TMN Media database.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Loot.com has struck a deal with email list management company TMN Media that will see the Associated Newspapers-owned classified ads site add its fully opted-in subscriber list to the TMN Media database. The move will see 581,000 Loot.com...

IN BRIEF: Refresh Mobile offers mobizines to 3 users.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Mobile magazine specialist Refresh Mobile has signed its first deal to launch its service on an operator portal, making its range of 'mobizines' available on 3's portal. 3 users can sign up for unlimited access to the portfolio of mobile Java...

IN BRIEF: Expedia promotes new-look site with #2m push.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Expedia.co.uk has launched a #2m marketing campaign running across TV, outdoor and press to coincide with a complete overhaul of its site. The campaign runs under Expedia's existing tagline 'Let yourself go'. expedia.co.uk ...

IN BRIEF: Latest NMA podcast reports from Cannes.
July 6, 2006... NMA's July podcast has gone live. Sponsored by Conchango, it features a review of the 53rd Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, an interview with the IPA's Hamish Pringle and a look at the future of mobile advertising. Subscribe...

Fujifilm runs multiple banner ads as it shifts ad spend online.
July 6, 2006... Photography giant Fujifilm is rolling out its first major digital marketing drive as part of an ongoing attempt to divert money away from above-the-line advertising. It's investing in an integrated campaign to raise awareness of the new...

Handbag.com signs up leading FMCG brands to run campaigns.
July 6, 2006... Women's lifestyle portal Handbag.com has signed up a wave of big-brand advertisers including Mars, Paul Smith and Chanel. While many larger brands, in particular FMCG brands, have been reluctant to spend a significant proportion of their...

Navman sponsors browser cursor on Top Gear site pages.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Navman, the portable satellite navigation specialist, is to sponsor the browser cursor for pages on the Top Gear Web site as part of an increase in the brand's online presence. The campaign, developed by media planning/buying agency...

American Express backs Stones tour.(is supporting Rolling Stones 'A Bigger Bang' tour )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... American Express is supporting the Rolling Stones' 'A Bigger Bang' tour by offering exclusive footage of the band and running online competitions via a new campaign site. The credit card company, which is sponsoring the Rolling Stones'...

Smile runs first viral game to coax people to switch banks.(contracts with Graphico New Media Ltd.)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Internet bank Smile has commissioned its first ever viral game, from interactive agency Graphico, to encourage people to switch to its services. The project - also the first that Graphico has handled for the bank - has been created to...

Analyst Speak: How effective are video ad formats?
July 6, 2006... Video ads are big right now, with many publishers' inventory completely sold out. So marketers are looking for guidance on how to incorporate the newer ad formats into their online media plans. Dynamic Logic's AdReaction Study 2005 found...

IN BRIEF: Microsoft expands Office with conferencing tools.(RoundTable)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Microsoft has added a conferencing tool, RoundTable, to its Office Communications Server 2007 and Exchange Server 2007 releases. RoundTable uses a 360-degree camera allowing remote users to view all participants in a meeting. Other products...

IN BRIEF: Ericsson IPX puts WAP purchases on phone bill.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Ericsson IPX, the Internet payment exchange service from the telecommunications specialist, has launched a cross-network WAP billing platform. The service enables users to buy content from WAP sites charged directly to their phone bill, rather...

IN BRIEF: IMRG revamps site.(Internet Measurement Research Group)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... IMRG, the etailing industry body, has used ecommerce specialist e- InBusiness to revamp and develop its online presence. The site includes forums, business data and analysis, white papers and information about industry strategy and best...

IN BRIEF: Unica unites online and offline customer data.(introduced Affinium NetInsight)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Marketing management software specialist Unica has rolled out a Web analytics application called Affinium NetInsight. The tool allows users to bring together Web data with offline customer information quickly, providing them with more in-depth...

Reading Room and Tridion join to make accessibility attainable.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Digital creative agency Reading Room has announced a partnership with content management specialist Tridion to provide content and communication platforms for its clients with a specific focus on accessibility. The move comes a month...

Trinity Mirror introduces online vouchers to verify ad placings.(Trinity Mirror Digital Media Ltd. contracts with Thomson Intermedia)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Trinity Mirror has become the first publisher to provide e-vouchers to advertisers across its entire regional newspaper portfolio, providing immediate proof that booked ads have run. The service, developed by industry specialist Thomson...

Fernhart to create adjustable games.(Fernhart eGambling contracts with Finsoft)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Fernhart eGambling, a subsidiary of Web build and iTV agency Fernhart New Media, has signed a deal with software provider Finsoft to provide betting games for use on gambling sites like Bet365 and Stan James. All games will be Flash...

UK e-shoppers growing less tolerant of complicated sites.(Survey)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Three-quarters of Britons now shop online despite 78% of them complaining of bad service. Research by site testing specialist SciVisum found that less than half of online shoppers would give their favourite Web sites more than two...

Mobile games most popular among women in the US.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... In the US, women comprise 59% of those who play games on a mobile. US research firm Parks Associates found women to be enthusiastic players of mobile phone games, making up 61% of gamers who play between one and four hours a month. The...

YouTube triples market share as users flock to video sites.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... YouTube's market share has tripled in the past three month and continues to rise, securing its place as the number-one video-sharing site. Research by Hitwise reveals that almost 63% of all visits to video- sharing sites in June were to...

IN BRIEF: Eastern Europe catching up on Asia for broadband.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... The Asia-Pacific region claims 40% of the world's 229m broadband lines. A report by broadband research company Point Topic revealed that while the region had a steady majority hold, markets across Eastern Europe, such as Romania, Slovakia...

IN BRIEF: Internet top source for home-delivery orders.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Over half of all home-delivery shoppers say they place orders online, compared to under a quarter two years ago. The findings come from a report by retail authority Verdict Research into the home-delivery business. The #37bn business has...

IN BRIEF: Agencies wising up to use of Web for branding.(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Online is witnessing a greater acceptance as a branding medium, according to findings from qualitative research by the Association of Online Publishers. Results showed agencies previously sceptical of online branding are now keen to use...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Digital seeks a place at cannes ad festival.(Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival)
July 6, 2006... Digital media seem finally to be taken seriously among the traditional advertising community. But that doesn't mean online's place is clear- cut, as attendants discovered Walking around the 53rd ad festival at Cannes, you wouldn't believe...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Flat year for UK Cyber Lions.(Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... It was a solid rather than spectacular year for digital creativity. Judges awarded 87 Cyber Lions in total, the same as last year. In a slightly disappointing year for UK digital agencies, the UK won just 12 Cyber Lions, despite a higher number...

COMMENT: Digital agencies move away from traditional model.
July 6, 2006... It's the elephant in the corner of every advertising agency office, so it's refreshing that it's the director general of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising who's talking about it. But in our Profile on page 18, Hamish Pringle...

Best investments in a UGC age are the sites that show the way.(user generated content)
July 6, 2006... A lot of fuss is being made about the rise of user-generated content. Whether it's personal page-driven sites like MySpace, FaceBook and Bebo, or video sites like YouTube, their apparent near-spontaneous growth suggests there's a pent-up...

LETTER: Mobile advertising can score from World Cup.(Letter to the editor)
July 6, 2006... I was interested to read your article debating whether online would benefit from greater advertising around the World Cup (NMA 15.06.06). I agree that traditional ad spend is migrating online. However, I would go further and argue that mobile...

LETTER: Media companies always take on new technology.(Letter to the editor)
July 6, 2006... NBC's move to start working with YouTube (nma.co.uk 28.06.06) isn't a surprise. While they've been assiduous in protecting their content, the US networks, major movie studios and others who own large vaults of content have also been...

OPINION: Why we're still missing the cross-channel opportunity.(multi-channel consumer interfaces)
July 6, 2006... Multi-channel consumer interfaces have been the hot topic for years. Everyone's running a series of offerings on the Web, mobile, iTV and even the good old telephone. But in many ways we're still missing the point about how these services...

AD WATCH: Lunarstorm spoof site shows upside of social networking.(advertising campaigns)
July 6, 2006... This month's Ad Watch in some ways charts the history of modern advertising from the broadcast to the post-broadcast age, taking in the classic fodder of ad land: a good old FMCG, one of the oldest toy brands, a blue-chip charity and the...

PROFILE - HAMISH PRINGLE: Reflecting on digital.(Institute of Practitioners in Advertising's director general)(Interview)
July 6, 2006... As director general of the IPA, Hamish Pringle is passionate about the future of advertising and in particular the growing role of digital, Nic Howell discovers Behind the imposing stucco of the Institute of Practitioners in...

SOCIAL NETWORKING: Community leaders.
July 6, 2006... As the UK is gripped by social networking fever, Clare Goff talks to the top sites, and some of their young users, to learn what's hot and what's not in online communities Adults trespass in a teenager's bedroom at their own peril. If...

SPORTS BROADCASTING: Rising players.
July 6, 2006... New media is enabling non-traditional broadcasters like mobile operators and bookmakers to start showing sports events, reports James Bainbridge Last March the world of darts saw an epic battle between Raymond van Barneveld and Phil...

Moves: Wheel.(appoints Simon Gill)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Interactive specialist Wheel has announced the appointment of Simon Gill as head of design. He joins from TMG and has previously led design teams for clients Apple, Unilever and Cisco. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Moves: buy.at.(Warrick Lambert, Paul Newton, Ian Wilson and Jimmy Dixon )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Affiliate network buy.at has announced the promotion of several team members. Warrick Lambert is to become senior account manager, Paul Newton will be finance manager, Ian Wilson is promoted to lead developer and Jimmy Dixon to developer. ...

Moves: Auto-Europe.(promoted Simon Terry )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Online car hire company Auto-Europe has announced the promotion of Simon Terry to European MD. He takes the role seven months after becoming MD for UK and Ireland. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Moves: Chemistry.(promoted Jason Foo )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Marketing agency Chemistry has promoted Jason Foo to deputy MD. This comes after the decision to split his previous role as client services director to reflect the agency's focus on growth and development. Copyright: Centaur...

Moves: Freestyle.(appointed David Steel, Jim Woodhead, Laura Monaghan and Martin Payne)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Digital marketing company Freestyle has hired a range of digital specialists following a series of business wins. They include account director David Steel, account manager Jim Woodhead and project managers Laura Monaghan and Martin Payne. ...

Moves: Agency.com.(appointed Mark Hopwood )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Mark Hopwood has been appointed head of technology at Agency.com. Having led the agency's technical team in previous years, he is one of ten people who have returned to the agency in the past year. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

Moves: Euro RSCG 4D.(promoted David Brown and Mike Watson )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Digital agency network Euro RSCG 4D has announced that David Brown is to be promoted to creative director while Mike Watson will become head of copy. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Moves: Musicbrigade.(appointed Carl Lachmann, Fredrik Soderstrom and Mabel Mangus)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Digital music specialist Musicbrigade has announced several new hires. Carl Lachmann joins as senior VP of marketing and sales, Fredrik Soderstrom joins as European sales director and Mabel Mangus joins as regional manager. Copyright:...

Moves: HMPJ.(appoints Mark Hooper )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Former associate editor of Esquire Mark Hooper has joined HMPJ as site editor of channel4.com/music. HMPJ provides all editorial content for Channel 4's music site as well as owning Holy Moly! and Pop Justice. Copyright: Centaur...

Site inspection: Andy Murray.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... andymurray.com Owner: Andy Murray Agency: Airlock Content 22/25 Usability 20/25 Branding 18/25 Monetisation 15/25 Total 75/100 Since tennis ace Andy Murray said he would...

Site inspection: Isabella Oliver.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... isabellaoliver.com Owner: IsabellaOliver Agency: eOne Group Content 16/25 Usability 17/25 Branding 16/25 Monetisation 20/25 Total 69/100 Celebrities and high-fashion...

Site inspection: Royal Navy.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... royal-navy.mod.uk Owner: Ministry of Defence Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Interactive and Box UK Content 15/25 Usability 18/25 Branding 20/25 Monetisation 15/25 TOTAL 68/100 ...

FULFILMENT: accessorize.co.uk.(Product/service evaluation)
July 6, 2006... Founded: 2004 Selection As you would expect, a vast range of bags - from beach, boutique, clutch and evening - hats, hair accessories, shoes and jewellery. Technical problems: None. Navigation Easy to get around, with a...

ITV reports major success for red-button sponsorship deals.
July 13, 2006... ITV is cornering the market for interactive TV sponsorship just months after kickstarting an ambitious strategy to force its broadcast rivals out of the fledgling sector. Figures released exclusively to NMA by the UK's largest commercial...

World Cup puts mobile TV on the map.(3 )(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... 3G mobile operator 3 has revealed that there were more than 3.6m viewings of its World Cup mobile TV programming, more than the number of people who watched this week's debut of ITV reality show Love Island. The success of 3's World Cup...

Ad bodies fall out over late-copy charges.
July 13, 2006... The row over the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Association of Online Publisher's (AOP) late-ad-copy policy has deepened with the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) branding it a "dog's dinner" that's confusing the...

Camelot runs first dedicated red-button ads for new lottery.(Camelot Group PLC contracts with Weapon7)(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... National lottery operator Camelot is launching its first dedicated interactive TV ad campaign this week, ahead of the launch of a new draw- based game this weekend. The three specially commissioned ads, created with the help of specialist...

Inside appoints Hilton as joint MD for client-side experience.(James Hilton, marketing director )(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Mobile marketing agency Inside, set up by former Carat media director Dusan Hamlin, has announced the appointment of Weight Watchers Online marketing director James Hilton as joint MD. Hilton, who managed an online media spend of #1m a...

Comedy Hub in talks with agencies to repeat World Cup podcast success.(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Podcasting outfit The Comedy Hub is in discussions with a number of agencies, including Agency.com, about sponsorship of comedy podcasts for the Premiership, by their clients. The company has been highly successful during its...

Ask's plans for localised search uncertain as US retakes control.
July 13, 2006... Ask.com's strategy to become a leading localised search engine has been thrown into doubt with its handing UK departmental control back to parent IAC/InterActive in the US. Ask has lost two more senior executives this week: Adrian Cox,...

Offline and digital given equal weight in Peugeot 207 push.(Peugeot contracts with Euro RSCG London for Peugeot 207 digital marketing)(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Car manufacturer Peugeot is unleashing a major digital campaign as part of an integrated drive for the launch of its new 207 model. London agency Euro RSCG 4D Digital has created a campaign site based on the idea that we're caught on CCTV...

Sony to preview next Bravia TV ad online as digital spend rises.(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Sony Bravia plans to premiere its next ad campaign online, reflecting a massive increase in digital spend following the success of last year's 'Balls' ad. Sony UK invested just under 5% of its #14.8m marketing spend on new media in the...

Unanimis's Ibrahimi becomes IASH chair.(Internet Advertising Sales House, Khalil Ibrahimi )(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... The Internet Advertising Sales House (IASH) association has appointed sales house Unanimis's MD Khalil Ibrahimi as its new chair, as Advertising.com finally joins the body. Ibrahimi's remit is to push through the new code of conduct and...

BREAKING: Media Run wins search work for chocolatier.(Neuhaus Chocolate )(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Belgian chocolate company Neuhaus Chocolate has appointed Media Run Search to drive volume sales, increase brand recognition and build long- term sustainable natural results in support of its new UK franchise. neuhaus-chocolate.com ...

BREAKING: Tangent acquires C360.(Tangent Communications)(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Tangent Communications, the digital marketing group set up by former Carlton chairman Michael Green, has acquired digital agency C360 for #4.5m. The acquisition will give Tangent skills including campaign tracking, email and Web marketing,...

BREAKING: Travelbag launches new site for dream holidays.(contracts with Dialogue DLKW)(Delaney Lund Knox Warren)(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Online travel agency Travelbag is expanding its holiday offering with a specialist site aimed at travellers booking their dream trip. It has appointed digital shop Dialogue DLKW to create a niche site for its 'boutique' travellers in search...