New Media Age articles from June 2005

New Media Age archives from June 2005

Mobile content industry joins in criticism of Jamster model.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... The mobile content industry is calling on regulators and operators to address the harm it believes ringtone provider Jamster is doing to its reputation. The company's Crazy Frog ringtone, a version of which entered the singles chart at...

THE BACKLASH AGAINST JAMSTER.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... The furore surrounding Jamster includes a class-action law suit made in the US in April, over 400 complaints to the ASA over its TV advertising, an online petition of 100,000 in Germany urging MTV to stop showing its ads, which take up 25% of...

Brands exploit lack of iTV ad control.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Brands are increasingly exploiting the lack of regulation surrounding interactive TV advertising to promote their products in a censor-free environment, claim industry insiders. Communications watchdog Ofcom currently has no direct power...

NUJ to target portals after AOL recognition.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Online businesses are to become the focus of a renewed campaign from trade unionists, after the National Union of Journalists gained official recognition at AOL last week. Recognition at the ISP and portal firm marks the first time this...

Chrysalis plans on-air mobile music downloads.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Chrysalis Radio next week launches the first stage in a strategy that will see listeners able to buy full-track music downloads of songs heard on-air via their phone. Chrysalis station Galaxy is launching an on-air promotion, in...

UK cinemas move towards digital films.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... UK cinema operators are due to gather in London next week in an important next step for the film industry's move towards a digital future. The UK Film Council last week revealed the first 209 cinemas that will make up the new Digital...

Channel 4 and IDS look at ways to launch iTV ads on Freeview.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Channel 4 and Flextech/UKTV sales house IDS are drawing up plans to launch interactive TV ads on Freeview. Both are keen to extend the reach of their existing iTV campaigns beyond Sky's 7.7m satellite subscribers to an additional 4.6m...

3 Under fire for high BB streaming costs.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... 3G operator 3 has launched live streaming of Big Brother at a cost of 75p a minute, a pricing level that some industry watchers believe could have a negative effect on consumer confidence in mobile video. The price differs from that of...

UK operators say up to 70% of revenues come from off-portal.
June 2, 2005... The market for mobile content outside operator portals is exploding in the UK, with operators reporting that up to 70% of revenues are being driven from outside the portal. The news is significant for a market that has long viewed the...

Virgin Money uses caricature ads for new online push.
June 2, 2005... Virgin Money is using original caricature in its latest online campaign to support its 'Plastic surgery' TV ads. The aim to create financial services ads that can cut through the rising clutter on financial and lifestyle sites. Virgin...

ITV appoints MIG as it plans to launch mobile Internet portal.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... ITV is on the verge of launching its first direct-to-consumer mobile Internet portal. The move follows the appointment of Mobile Interactive Group (MIG) - which has been created out of the team from O2's dismantled commercial services...

Ted Baker runs its first mobile campaign.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Fashion brand Ted Baker has launched its first mobile marketing campaign with the aim of building a mobile marketing database. The in-store mobile campaign is running as part of the brand's travel themed 'Going anywhere nice' summer...

Big Mouth Media to provide search for Live8.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Big Mouth Media has won the account to provide search marketing for Bob Geldof's Live8 concerts in July, the successor to Live Aid. The campaign is likely to focus on natural search at first. The deal follows the search marketing firm's...

Penguin hopes to put book extracts to music.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Penguin books has launched a new competition to get musicians to sample extracts from its books and put them to music. The company has set up a site, penguinremixed.co.uk, which has downloadable audio extracts from 30 of the publisher's...

Virgin Megastores to give away Oasis tracks.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Virgin Megastores has teamed up with The Daily Mirror to distribute 2.7m free multimedia CDs featuring preview tracks from Oasis's latest album Don't Believe the Truth. Running on 4 June, the multimedia CD will feature four tracks from the...

Framfab creates pharmaceuticals division.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Digital agency Framfab has created a new pharmaceutical division to target companies across Europe that use the Internet to sell to doctors. It will help firms set up secure locations on the Web with details of medicines, pharmaceutical...

Splendid picks up two new Web site accounts.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Digital agency Splendid has picked up two new accounts from the worlds of fashion and finance. It has been chosen by design duo FrontFrench to build a new Web site around the label's new collection. Meanwhile, Splendid will also be...

Louis Vuitton to keep ATG for online storefronts.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Luxury retail brand Louis Vuitton has reselected Art Technology Group's (ATG) Customer Experience Platform for its online storefronts such as the US eLuxury site. Louis Vuitton will use commerce and marketing elements of the ATG platform to...

DaimlerChrysler pushes Jeep via new iTV ad.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... DaimlerChrysler is launching an interactive TV ad campaign to promote the launch of its new Jeep Grand Cherokee. The red-button push will use an audio prompt to direct viewers to a DAL featuring the full range of information on the off-road...

Auto Trader claims 65% increase in Web traffic.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Auto Trader is claiming its current Perfect Partners multimedia campaign has helped increase Web site traffic by 65% year on year. In April its Web site attracted an all-time high of 4.2m unique users who performed over 45m searches across...

Unilever spends #6.5m to build relations for Carte D'Or brand.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Foods giant Unilever is planning to build relationships with ice cream lovers online in a new #6.5m campaign for its luxury Carte D'Or brand. Competition in the ice cream sector is always intense in the summer, but this latest campaign...

IBM develops Shot Tracker to show Wimbledon on the Web.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Tennis fans will be able to watch every shot from Centre Court at this year's Wimbledon tennis championship on the Internet for the first time. Ball-tracking technology known as Shot Tracker has been developed by IBM and will be...

Profero appoints Chris Morley to board.(appointments)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Independent digital agency Profero is strengthening its senior management team with a series of appointments designed to strengthen its account and media planning capability. It has appointed media industry veteran Chris Morley to its board...

Tango Clear targets office workers with online campaign.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Britvic is supporting the launch of its new health-conscious Tango Clear brand with a microsite targeting women in their early-20s that uses online video and Flash animation. The site, designed by Grand Union, integrates with a parallel TV...

GMG transposes Jazz FM into standalone online radio station.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Guardian Media Group is relaunching jazzfm.com as a standalone online radio service with high net-worth advertising opportunities. The move to develop the site into a separate entity follows the decision to rebrand the 102.2 Jazz FM...

Fish4 gets #4m of ad space for local newspaper push.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Fish4 is to launch a marketing campaign from next week with a media value of #4m, to push its three sites. Much of the ad space will be given free to the company by its owners, which are four of the UK's largest newspaper companies:...

Nokia looks to turn Club Nokia into handset tutorial service.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Nokia is to relaunch its Club Nokia brand as a customer relationship programme to educate consumers on how to use the higher functionality of their phones, such as picture messaging. The company is currently trialling the concept in the...

Guernsey opens up borders to e-gamers.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... The Channel Islands have boosted their credentials as a base for online gambling after Guernsey announced it would now allow e-gaming operators. The State of Guernsey, which also includes Alderney, said it will bring in legislation to...

IN BRIEF: MSN creates maze to push search facilities.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... MSN claims to have created central London's first ever maze as part of the promotional campaign for its search engine, launched earlier this year. The MSN Search Maze in Regents Park is part of the company's multi-million-pound cross-media...

IN BRIEF: Online media buyers in support of ABCE figures.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... The vast majority (94%) of online media buyers claim that independently verified site traffic figures are 'critically' important to validating the claims made by media owners. The research, carried out on behalf of ABC Electronic, highlights...

IN BRIEF: Cricket Foundation targets school kids.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... In its attempt to lure the PlayStation generation to the crease, the Cricket Foundation has launched a Web site supporting its campaign to revitalise competitive cricket at state schools. The site is intended to be an information resource...

IN BRIEF: Pod1 designs new site for Pucci Petwear.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Pucci Petwear, a designer animal-wear company, has unveiled a new site designed by digital agency Pod1. As well as redesigning the site, the full service agency has created a back-end ecommerce and order tracking system. Pucci Petwear was...

IN BRIEF: Mark Pinkerton takes partner role at Logan Tod.(appointed Mark Pinkerton as partner.)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Web agency Logan Tod - not I Want One Of Those as reported in NMA last week - has appointed Mark Pinkerton as partner. He will take charge of running the I Want account, which Logan Tod has just won. logantod.co.uk Copyright: Centaur...

Sony Ericsson uses interactive to drive sponsorship of tennis.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Mobile handset manufacturer Sony Ericsson is to use interactive services to push its six-year sponsorship of the Women's Tennis Association. The company has unveiled a new global Web site called The Girls on Tour, developed by digital...

Lastminute picks frontman for Manchester-focused campaign.(Bez)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Lastminute has signed up Bez, the former Happy Mondays star, to front a marketing push in Manchester, its first localised campaign outside London. The online travel company has also set up a microsite with content tailored to customers...

Government looks into single online point of contact.(science and technology policy of United Kingdom Cabinet Office)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... The Government is looking at reviving plans to provide a single online point of contact for citizens wanting to tell different arms of Whitehall about changes of personal details. The Government first looked at providing an online change...

Diffiniti wins digital account for RedCats.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... RedCats - which owns home shopping brands including La Redoute, Empire Stores, Vertbaudet, and Daxon - has handed its #2m UK digital media account to Diffiniti, following a competitive pitch. Diffiniti, part of the Aegis-owned Isobar...

Feref splits out digital business and staffs up for new film work.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Feref, the film and games focused agency, is splitting out its digital business into a new division, Feref Digital. Chris Kinsella, MD of the agency, will head the new digital arm as well, which is expected to make several new appointments...

ANALYST SPEAK: Discount MVNO offers are coming full circle.(mobile virtual network operator)(industry forecasts)
June 2, 2005... The one-stop shop concept is on its way to the mobile sector. Just imagine, if you're thinking of starting your own mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) - a complete, ready-to-go discount provider, packaged and put in a carrier bag all...

IN BRIEF: Advanced Messaging cuts NHS DNA costs.(Addenbrooke Hospital)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Patient communications services provider Advanced Messaging has won an SMS patient-reminder contract from Cambridge's Addenbrooke's Hospital after helping one of its departments to slash its do not attend (DNA) rate among outpatients. Around...

IN BRIEF: Deepnet signs browser deal with Wellton Way.(Deepnet Technologies)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Web technology firm Deepnet Technologies has signed a deal to include its living room browser in multimedia centre software distributed by Sweden's Wellton Way. Deepnet's browser will be completely repurposed to enable users of Wellton Way's...

WebTrends enables cookies to increase accuracy of user data.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Web analytics firm WebTrends has updated its software to enable built- in support for first-party cookies and improve the accuracy of its data. The company said the new software will enable marketers to avoid the inaccuracies caused by...

COOKIE COMPARISON.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... First-party cookies are downloaded directly from a Web site to a user's PC while they're visiting that site. For example, an online retailer may use cookies to track what customers purchase so that it can make customised recommendations. In...

Addirect confirms theatre deal for 100 interactive AddMirrors.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Ambient media company Addirect has confirmed a year-long deal with media giant Clear Channel Entertainment in which it will install 100 of its interactive AddMirrors in UK theatres. The 21 theatres in the deal include the Lyceum, Dominion...

Dynamic Logic adds comparison feature to MarketNorms 2.0.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Market research company Dynamic Logic has added a new console to its online ad planning tool MarketNorms which it claims gives advertisers the ability to make their own detailed comparisons of campaign performance against sector benchmarks....

IN BRIEF: Online shoppers are put off by bad experiences.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Online shoppers are being put off making purchases by sites that do little to provide smooth shopping experiences, claims research company Keynote. Over a quarter (27%) of purchasers felt frustrated when they were forced to register in order to...

IN BRIEF: Number of SMSs sent a day up a fifth in a year.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Mobile users in the UK sent a fifth more text messages in April 2005 compared to the same period last year, according to the latest figures from the Mobile Data Association (MDA). 2.52bn SMSs were sent throughout the month. The MDA predicts...

IN BRIEF: US Agencies employ behavioural targeting.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Over three-quarters of US digital agencies use behavioural targeting across their clients' ad campaigns, claims a study from iMedia and Ponenom Research. 64% of agencies used online ad targeting to determine a person's interests, to then...

Freeview viewers will overtake Sky's audience within a year.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... More people will watch digital TV via Freeview than Sky within a year, claims Forrester Research. Its 'Digital TV's Next Wave' report says that Freeview accounted for almost a third (31%) of the UK's digital TV households in 2004,...

Genes Reunited site sparks UK interest in online genealogy.(market share of websites)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... The popularity of Genes Reunited, the family history Web site from school reunion portal Friends Reunited, has rejuvenated Briton's interest in online genealogy, claims Internet research specialist Nielsen//NetRatings. A study shows that...

Advertisers should look to over-50s for new revenue.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Advertisers should take note of opportunities to digitally market to older generations, according to research from over-50s Web site 50Connect. The research says this is due to a demographic shift, with ever- increasing numbers of...

Agencies face shake-out from COI roster.(United Kingdom Central Office of Information's contract with advertising agencies)
June 2, 2005... The COI is planning to combine its two current agency rosters into one, as the sector consolidates. What do agencies think this will do for their chances of winning work? Government agency the COI's recent announcement that it plans to...

Comment: Advertising under scrutiny as child audience grows.(regulation of online advertising)
June 2, 2005... The question of marketing to children has long been vexed and cuts to the heart of what we think about marketing itself. Most marketers work on the basis that the people they're trying to target know that they're being marketed to and...

Optimisim is high for a summer of interactivity.(forecasts about interactive advertising)
June 2, 2005... SHELDON ON CONSUMERS Generally this is the time of year to get excited about consumers interacting with their TV sets. The summer ushers in a series of TV 'events' that encourage participation, whether through manipulating different...

Letter: Embracing online into the agency bosom.(Letter to the Editor)
June 2, 2005... I was frankly flabbergasted by the assertion of Steve Vranakis that "you'll never have a traditional above-the-line team that only does TV giving any respect to a digital team" (NMA 19.05.05). I'm not sure what agencies Steve has worked in,...

Letter: Cutting the time to video-on-demand.(Letter to the Editor)
June 2, 2005... Your Strategic Play on Telewest certainly highlighted the progress it has made since emerging from its complex financial restructuring (NMA 19.05.05). It was interesting to read further details on how it's following our lead with its...

Letter: Time to throw search abusers out of town.(Letter to the Editor)
June 2, 2005... There seems to be a distinct profusion of confusion around what is ethical and non-ethical search engine optimisation. Unless the industry cleans up its act, the fall-out from the public becoming familiar with this dilemma could be...

OPINION: Web Analytics Association sets out to make site metrics count.(services)(Column)
June 2, 2005... When I first tripped over the Internet in 1993, no one could tell me what made a Web site good, better or best. At leading events and conferences, I was frustrated by the lack of knowledge. No speakers presenting on usability, no white papers...

AD WATCH: Peperami Noodles puts fun at the heart of online campaign.
June 2, 2005... Peperami has an idea. Rarely for online, it has a campaign idea. Even rarer still for online, it has its very own little movies. You know, like 30-second TV ads but for the Internet. I could say these films about a Scottish nutter in the PNA...

Profile - RICHARD FOAN: Standards bearer.(Biography)
June 2, 2005... Richard Foan of the ABCE is passionate about the power of online. But he's adamant that for companies to survive they must adopt standardisation. Nic Howell asks why Online may be winning a greater share of ad budgets, but selling this...

STRATEGIC PLAY - STELLA ARTOIS: Movie star.
June 2, 2005... Stella Artois has long been associated with film, through its cinema and TV ads. It's now using this link to drive audiences to its movie Web site, finds Sean Hargrave Stella Artois has had a long association with film, so it will come...

PAY-PER-CALL: Hanging on the telephone.
June 2, 2005... Pay-per-call was introduced so small businesses could generate online leads without having to run a Web site. But big firms are finding it useful too, says Susie Harwood Pay-per-call is being touted as the killer application that will...

HOW DOES PAY-PER-CALL WORK?(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Pay-per-call operates much the same as pay-per-click search marketing. Advertisers pay a fixed fee each time a customer responds to an ad, in this case by phoning rather than clicking through to a Web site. The first company to launch...

WIRELESS: Making your mark.(usage of third generation wireless technology)
June 2, 2005... 3G mobile is a prime opportunity for brands to get themselves in front of an audience that, for once, seems happy to see them. And there are no losers, discovers Nic Howell Online and offline, branded content is everywhere, and one of the...

WIRELESS: THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT FOR BRANDED CONTENT.(telecommunications policy of United Kingdom)
June 2, 2005... It's not just the fact that 3G creates new ways to get your brand in front of a consumer that's generating interest in the medium. It's also the belief that, for the time being, the channel offers the chance to do this without the same...

Great mobile content is useless without equally great marketing.(Column)
June 2, 2005... BARRACK ON WIRELESS There's a much-used adage in mobile: content is king. And who am I to argue? Okay, that means that I'm going to argue a little bit. The traditional view of marketing focuses on the four Ps: product, price, place...

SITE REVIEW: Levi's WAP site misses the target for brand impact.
June 2, 2005... Levi's Europe Eu.levi.com Client: Levi's Agency: Lateral Platform: WAP As one of the most creative high-street brands, and one that has stood the test of time in the volatile youth market, Levi's has become synonymous...

Moves: Reuters.(appointed Dean Wright as managing editor for its consumer news services.)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... News service Reuters has appointed Dean Wright, former editor-in-chief of MSNBC.com, as managing editor for its consumer news services. He will oversee editorial operations and programming for consumer services on online, mobile and iTV...

Moves: Unanimis.(appointments)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Interactive agency Unanimis has taken on four new staff. Sam Pattison, formerly account director at job site Workthing.com, takes the post of sales manager, while Natalie Perry becomes client and agency sales manager. She was previously an...

Moves: Interactive University (IU).(Interactive University appointed Malcolm Payton as head of foundation programmes.)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Interactive University (IU), the e-learning and international education specialist, has recruited Malcolm Payton as head of foundation programmes, where he will oversee e-learning programme Scholar. He was most recently an internal...

Moves: Eteach.(Eteach appointed Kulvinder Maingi as head of information and communications technology.)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Kulvinder Maingi has joined education recruitment site Eteach as head of information and communications technology. He moves from IBM, where he worked as a technology consultant and manager on the company's major new media accounts. Prior to...

Moves: Halpern Cowan.(Halpern Cowan appointed Chris Lonie as creative director.)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Integrated agency Halpern Cowan has appointed Chris Lonie as creative director. He has nearly 15 years' marketing experience, having held posts at agencies Craik Jones, Rapier and Wheel. For the last he worked across a raft of accounts...

Moves: The NewsMarket.(appointments)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... The NewsMarket, distributor of broadcast-standard video clips to journalists over the Internet, has appointed Jon A Petrovich as chief media strategist and Kathleen Goodwin as VP of marketing. Most recently, Petrovich was executive VP of...

Moves: MusicNet.(appointed Blair Schooff as director of partner and label relations.)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... MusicNet, the B2B digital music service provider, has appointed Blair Schooff as director of partner and label relations. He will be responsible for managing the company's UK-based distribution partner and record-label relationships. He joins...

Moves: Folk.(Folk appointed Angela Birtwell as a designer.)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Creative marketing agency Folk has hired Angela Birtwell as a designer. She previously worked for JKS Communications. Folk's clients include mobile content company Bango and the Lawn Tennis Association. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

Site inspection: Hermitage Hotel.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Hermitage Hotel hermitage-hotel.co.uk Owner: Hermitage Hotel Agency: DSM Design Content 22/25 Usability 22/25 Branding 20/25 Monetisation 20/25 Total 84/100 The Hermitage bills itself as one...

Site inspection: NewScientistSpace.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... NewScientistSpace newscientistspace.com Owner: New Scientist Agency: in-house Content 24/25 Usability 20/25 Branding 20/25 Monetisation 17/25 Total 81/100 This site is New Scientist's attempt...

Site inspection: Injection TV.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Injection TV injection.tv Owner: Dunlop Tyres Agency: Agency.com Content 21/25 Usability 20/25 Branding 21/25 Monetisation n/a Total 62/75 Dunlop will disagree, but tyres are, frankly, the...

Fulfilment: pcworld.co.uk.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 2, 2005... pcworld.co.uk Selection: A full range of stock from the high street PC retailer, from full PC systems to accessories, along with a number of Web exclusive deals. Technical problems: None. Navigation: Good. A sensible category...

Sky offers advertisers ways to personalise ads for PVR users.(Personal Video Recorder )
June 9, 2005... Advertisers could soon be able to target digital satellite viewers with personalised TV commercials, under plans being considered by Sky. The satellite broadcaster is exploring the potential of technology that will allow brands to use its...

P&G pushes technology to save TV ads.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... FMCG giant Procter & Gamble has warned that there could be a shift of spend from traditional TV spots to other types of promotion if advertisers fail to take advantage of new interactive technologies. Speaking to NMA this week, Bernard...

Vodafone launches 'friendly off-net portal'.
June 9, 2005... Vodafone is to finally launch its 'friendly off-net portal', providing access to a range of content providers beyond the main Vodafone Live! mobile portal. The launch, first revealed by NMA last year (NMA 24.02.04), is yet another sign...

UCI and Odeon launch mobile strategy for movie content.(United Cinemas International )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Cinema chains UCI and Odeon have launched a mobile content strategy that will enable consumers to view film content and information on their mobiles before purchasing tickets. The new strategy will see consumers signed up to a mobile club...

Media Contacts wins #3m Lottery account.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Media Contacts has been handed the media planning/buying account from the National Lottery operator Camelot after winning a six-way pitch. The account has an annual media value of #3m. The account had previously been jointly held by...