New Media Age articles from June 2009

New Media Age archives from June 2009

Microsoft bets on UK agencies in search gamble.
June 4, 2009... Technology giant flies in senior execs to drum up support for Bing in #100m bid to crack search By Will Cooper Microsoft is to launch a high-profile UK agency and advertiser roadshow to convince brands to invest in its new search...

Mobile is perfectly placed to support the rise of e-books.
June 4, 2009... To return to a recurring theme, it's becoming clear as the year goes on that if 2009 isn't the mythical Year of Mobile, it's certainly getting closer. It's getting a bit tiresome to repeat but it's all down to Apple. The iPhone has caused a...

BREAKING NEWS: Steak New York's Chrysi Philalithes joins (RED).(appointment of Chrysi Philalithes as global director at AIDS awareness organisation )(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Global AIDS awareness organisation (RED) has appointed Chrysi Philalithes as global director of digital strategy and marketing. The former Steak New York MD, who was a founding member of search network Espotting, joins former colleague Seb...

BREAKING NEWS: Kellogg's partners with CondeNet for diet push.(Conde Nast Publications Inc.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Breakfast cereal brand Kellogg's is kicking off an online content- sharing initiative with publisher CondeNet for its ShapeMate campaign. The integrated campaign for the brand's diet plan, which kicks off today, involves Kellogg's featuring a...

Penguin to open digital catalogue to iPhone users.(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Book publisher's partnership with Mobcast kicks off with app enabling iPhone and iPod Touch users to read digital editions Penguin plans to enable UK iPhone users to download its entire digital catalogue as book publishers renew their...

Sky's Xbox Live deal will drive VOD on games consoles.(Video-on-demand)
June 4, 2009... Industry recognises that games consoles are the next platform to for on- demand content as more get connected to the web Sky's move to launch its TV-on-demand service Sky Player on Microsoft's Xbox Live platform will help kick-start a rush...

Crown copyright body pledges to work with Pact and IPA.(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... The body responsible for crown copyright has said it will work with trade bodies to establish easier measures for enabling public sector digital work to be reused. The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI), part of the National...

Mobile TV and video unlikely to reach the masses by 2010.
June 4, 2009... Mobile TV and video is unlikely to reach mass-media status by the end of 2010, according to a report by research company Mintel. The research found just 8% of people watch TV or videos on their mobile once a week, with a further 5%...

IASH decision to abandon independent chair causes mixed reaction.(appointment of James Aitken and Julia Smith at Internet Advertising Sales Houses)(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... IASH is to appoint a new chair from among the current members of the ad network trade body, despite calls to appoint an independent chair. It's looking to replace Richard Sharp, MD of media and head of trading at ValueClick, who has been...

Chocolate brand seeks strategy advice from online customers.
June 4, 2009... Fairtrade chocolate brand Divine Chocolate is to enlist its active online consumer base to advise on marketing and product strategy with the launch of a community platform. The confectionary company is launching a series of community...

MasterCard uses film campaign to back The Big Lunch event.(MasterCard International Inc.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... MasterCard has launched a creative film campaign to promote its sponsorship of upcoming national event The Big Lunch. The credit card company has partnered with independent film organisation Raindance to enlist its network of filmmakers to...

Stardoll to launch video channel with comedy series.(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Teenager's fashion virtual world Stardoll is to launch a video channel led by comedy series Chelsey:OMG! Swedish-based Stardoll, which has more than 31m global members, is expected to launch the channel this August, with the second series...

Holding on to users helps attract bigger advertisers.
June 4, 2009... Alex Burmaster Communications director, EMEA, Nielsen Online Our recent insights on how Twitter performs at retaining its audience, measured by the percentage of a given month's visitors who come back the following month (nma 7 May),...

IAB UK Social Media Council to define ad metrics.(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... The IAB UK Social Media Council is to release a white paper defining social media advertising metrics in a bid to encourage advertisers to integrate social media into more campaigns. The moves follows the US IAB's release of a similar...

Dell Outlet hopes for UK Twitter result.(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Dell is hoping to emulate the $1m (#610,000) in revenue referred through Twitter to its US online discount store with the launch of a UK equivalent. Twitter.com/DellOutletUK will feature voucher codes and special offers on products to buy...

Airline alliance launches series of travel videos.(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... An alliance of airlines has launched a series of online videos in a bid to promote the brand to frequent flyers. American Airlines, BA and Qantas are among the ten airlines in the Oneworld Alliance, which provides frequent-flyer benefits,...

LETTER: PRS's move brings realism to industry.(Letter to the editor)
June 4, 2009... Anthony Ackenhoff, CEO, Frukt As an agency constantly seeking to bring music to consumers in the most innovative formats and platforms, we're pleased with PRS's decision to drop the rate for streaming music, both for artists and brands...

LETTER: Don't leave in-banner advertising out of online video equation.(Letter to the editor)
June 4, 2009... Mark Connolly, commercial director, Adconion Media Group Christina Goodman's Analyst Speak column, 'Finding the best length for online video ads needs further research' (nma 14 May), has some great insights into what people want from...

LETTER: Budget controllers fail to understand online.(Letter to the editor)
June 4, 2009... Benn Achilleas, account and sales director, Neoco So the Deloitte report came out and unsurprisingly TV is listed as the most influential media for consumers (nma 30 April). Even less surprising are the old-school media people scoffing at...

COMMENT FROM NMA.CO.UK: Confidence in online ad innovation remains low.(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Innovation in digital advertising formats may not actually be what's required and may even be counter-productive. Users find innovative formats invasive and annoying and these only serve to distract from the content of the site. Where...

NMA TV: Hitting the right note.
June 4, 2009... What do broadcasters need to do to convince users their sites are the place to go for the content they want to watch? What draws people to watch TV online: Susan Boyle or itv.com? Like any broadcast channel, ITV's online brand is...

MOVES: British Interactive Media Association.(appointment of Justin Cooke as its chairman)(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... The British Interactive Media Association (Bima), has appointed Justin Cooke as its chairman. He has been MD of Fortune Cookie since he founded the digital agency in 1997. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Huzu.(appointment of Graeme Harvey as client services director)(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Social media technology company Huzu has recruited Graeme Harvey as client services director. He joins from Harper Collins where he was digital publisher for the Collins Language Division. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

MOVES: Omobono.(appointment of Declan Burns and Tom Kelly as digital project managers)(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Digital communications agency Omobono has hired Declan Burns and Tom Kelly as digital project managers. Burns was previously online editor for the Australian FHM website, while Kelly was project manager at digital agency Stickee. ...

MOVES: Maxymiser.(Tim Brown )(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Online content optimisation company Maxymiser has appointed Tim Brown as CEO. He was formerly CEO of behavioural targeting specialist Touch Clarity. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Meteorite.(James Stevens )(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Integrated marketing agency Meteorite has appointed James Stevens as senior communications planner. He joins from charity fundraising and communications agency Bluefrog where he was a communications planner. Copyright: Centaur...

MOVES: FremantleMedia.(Richard Vargas, Andrew Pillar and Damien Marchi )(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... International production company FremantleMedia has promoted Richard Vargas to senior VP of production and development for its central new media division FMX. Andrew Pillar takes on the role of commercial director of FMX, in addition to his...

SITE INSPECTION: Can You Hear Me Europe?(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... caneuhearme.eu Owner MTV Networks International Agency VBSI Content 20/25 Usability 23/25 Branding 17/25 Monetisation n/a Total 60/75 This MTV site gives its audience an...

SITE INSPECTION: National Lottery.(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... national-lottery.co.uk Owner Camelot Agency in-house Content 16/25 Usability 19/25 Branding 17/25 Monetisation 20/25 Total 72/100 Feeling lucky? Now might be the time to...

SITE INSPECTION: Lacoste.(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... lacostered.com Owner Lacoste Agency Megalos Content 15/25 Usability 10/25 Branding 21/25 Monetisation 10/25 Total 56/100 I kept on misreading the unfortunate URL for this...

FULFILMENT: amazon.co.uk.(Brief article)
June 4, 2009... Selection The leading etailer sells books, CDs, electronics, clothes and more. It also provides a marketplace for users to sell their own goods. Navigation The home page shows a long search bar and lists of categories, with items...

Bookseller to launch digital newsagent as e-zines increase.
June 11, 2009... High street bookseller Borders is to launch a digital newsagent to sell magazine downloads as the popularity of e-zines continues. It said it was in the early stages of building an e-zine service to complement its in-store range of...

Does online advertising need to blow its own trumpet?
June 11, 2009... Safe. Familiar. Comforting. And, proponents of TV as an advertising medium would have you believe, effective. This week TV marketing body Thinkbox launched its first TV campaign. As a man on a therapist's couch sings some of the more famous...

BREAKING NEWS: De-construct takes on Cake's Paul Glossop.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Isobar-owned creative agency de-construct has appointed Cake's head of digital Paul Glossop as director of business development. Glossop, whose previous roles include being an account director at Glue, will work alongside de-construct...

BREAKING NEWS: Daily Mail moves into shopping comparison.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... The Daily Mail has become the latest publisher to launch a shopping comparison site. MailCompare allows users to search for and compare prices of financial products including car insurance, credit cards and mortgages. The publisher provides a...

Online ad currency validated by tie-in with Touchpoints.
June 11, 2009... Plans to integrate UKOM data into IPA's respected Touchpoints initiative increases validity of single online common currency The IPA is to integrate UKOM data into its influential Touchpoints initiative, giving the long-awaited single...

Vodafone uses location tracking of black cabs in Formula 1 promotion.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Operator uses sponsorship of McLaren Mercedes team as basis of campaign for its 3G network using teams of London cabbies Vodafone is promoting its GPS and 3G network via an online fantasy racing game as part of its sponsorship of the...

Bundling best way to get people to pay for on-demand TV.
June 11, 2009... Research finds viewers are getting used to on-demand video being free, but would consider paying via subscriptions Subscription models that bundle digital entertainment with broadband packages could be content owners' best chance to...

Turner revamps Cartoon Network site with social media and gaming.
June 11, 2009... Turner Broadcasting's Cartoon Network is to launch a community site in a move to allow its young audience to interact safely. The relaunch of cartoonnetwork.co.uk on 16 June will provide the brand's target audience of 7-11-year-olds with...

What Car? gets publisher's biggest digital investment to relaunch site.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Car buying guide What Car? has relaunched its site to create a more streamlined and relevant experience for users and advertisers. The site, which attracts 1m unique users a month, has launched new content and features, as well as more...

LoveFilm trials video ads as it looks to provide films on demand.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Online film rental specialist LoveFilm is to begin testing pre- and post-roll video ads ahead of an increase of video-on-demand content on its site. The company, which new media age understands will launch film streaming services in the...

Brands turn to nostalgia in difficult times.
June 11, 2009... One of the defining features of this recession is the number of brands immersing themselves in utterly self-indulgent nostalgia trips, in an attempt to curry favour with increasingly cynical consumers. Hovis was first out of the traps...

Google denies rise in bidding prices is intended strategy.
June 11, 2009... Changes to AdWords algorithm have pushed up brands' costs and lowered response, finds IPA research, but who's to blame? Google has denied changes to its AdWords algorithm were intended to push up prices, after research by the Institute of...

Nokia loses exclusivity as Trinity Mirror adds second ad sales house.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Trinity Mirror has ended its exclusive mobile ad deal with Nokia in a further blow to the troubled ad sales house. Trinity Mirror has agreed a second deal with rival network 4th Screen Advertising to represent inventory on its network of...

Mama Group to add streaming music across venue sites.(Music and Media Assets)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Music and Media Assets (Mama) Group is to stream music across its online properties including MeanFiddler.com. The company, which runs venues including the Hammersmith Apollo and Jazz Cafe, and publishes music magazine The Fly, aims to make...

Yorkshire Tea seeks to build brand image through #3m digital push.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Tea brand Yorkshire Tea has launched a #3m integrated campaign to inject personality into the brand, centred around a website. The campaign, created by Beattie McGuinness Bungay, centres on a site which the brand hopes will become a place...

Canvas promises to change how TV viewers around the world watch.
June 11, 2009... Sarah Johnson Analyst, Screen Digest Project Canvas, which would vie for attention with the existing 13m pay- TV homes in the UK, could radically change the TV landscape as an alternative to the existing broadcast network, capable of...

Broadcasters agree with BBC Trust call for more on Canvas.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... The BBC Trust's decision to delay its second consultation on the proposed Project Canvas joint venture by the BBC, ITV and BT, to request more information about the IPTV service, has been welcomed by broadcasters. In a statement last...

White Label Dating opens matching site for women.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... White Label Dating is targeting women with a direct-to-consumer dating site, datingagency.com. The site, launched this week, plans to boost its female user base as it claims dating sites predominantly attract more men than women. ...

Karen Millen ups marketing spend on affiliate work.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Karen Millen has launched its first affiliate activity as part of a shift in marketing budget towards channels with proven return on investment. The women's fashion brand, part of the Aurora Fashions group, is upping its online marketing...

Online consumers more brand savvy.(Report)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Research has found online consumers have stronger relationships with brands than those offline, but brands argue it's time to view all people as digital consumers. The research by Millward Brown found digital consumers' relationships...

Odeon cinemas to be kitted out with Bluetooth over summer.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... All Odeon cinemas will be equipped with Bluetooth over the next two months to deliver content, vouchers and promotions to cinemagoers. Cinema advertising agency Digital Cinema Media (DCM) has appointed mobile marketing agency Bluepod Media...

Fashion title produces web and mobile editions.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Fashion quarterly magazine Wound is to produce a multi-platform issue incorporating print, online and mobile, with fashion house LVMH the first advertiser on board. The magazine, which covers art, fashion, architecture and design, will...

LETTER: Research shows women are a key online audience.(Letter to the editor)
June 11, 2009... Louise Osilaja, insight manager, IPC Media It was encouraging to see the article 'Women more attractive to advertisers as they become lead web users' (nma 21 May). IPC Media has long been aware of the value women online present to...

LETTER: New search engines have the same old problems.(Letter to the editor)
June 11, 2009... Guy Walker, CEO, FindsYou The recent launches of Microsoft's Bing and Wolfram Alpha have garnered much publicity, if only to see whether anyone will emerge to topple Google or even scratch its shell. We may be promised more relevant...

LETTER: Keeping careful track of ad placements.(Letter to the editor)
June 11, 2009... Jonathan Barrowman, group account director for the COI, i-level With reference to the recent article about advertisers appearing next to unsuitable content on Facebook (nma 14 May), I would like to set the record straight on behalf of the...

Comment from nma.co.uk: Microsoft bets on UK agencies in search gamble.
June 11, 2009... We don't need much persuasion to use a new platform. The fact is the volumes coming through MSN search (whichever name you give it) are too small to warrant the overheads. The success of Bing hinges on one thing only: increasing user...

Targeting mums is about reaching the person as well as the parent.
June 11, 2009... Jens Bachem MD Digital Outlook Mums are the key decision makers on most day-to-day purchases, and with 84% now logging on, according to Forrester - nine out of ten every day, reports SPA & Microsoft Advertising - it's an important...

PROFILE FIONNUALA DUGGAN: Deeper reading.
June 11, 2009... Fionnuala Duggan is the driving force behind book publisher Random House's determination to bring the humble book into the 21st century in a way that's truly interactive When Fionnuala Duggan joined the Random House Group in 2005, its...

VIDEO AD ENGAGEMENT: Easily distracted.
June 11, 2009... Despite attracting bigger shares of brands' marketing budgets, online video advertising has yet to prove its ability to hold viewers' attention Online advertising has always suffered from an abundance of data. When it comes to the role...

NMA MOBILE: Stay lucky.
June 11, 2009... While mobile gambling may not have been the huge earner it was initially predicted to be, those who have stuck with it are in profit and keen to develop new ways to reach punters The days when mobile gambling was feted as a potentially huge...

NMA MOBILE: MOST COMMON HANDSETS AMONG GAMBLERS.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... When Probability recently released a chart of the ten most popular handsets used to register with its mobile casinos, it threw up some surprises. Several older handsets made the list, including the Sony Ericsson K800i, which went on sale in...

NMA MOBILE: Mobile offers brands a fun way to gain users' regard.
June 11, 2009... Branded entertainment is the hot new thing for a string of players in the advertising, brand and content worlds. It's often linked to digital channels, and that's where a lot of the most innovative work is found. For mobile advertising, this...

NMA MOBILE: Virgin Media's mobile portal has all content you could want.(Virgin Media Group Ltd.)
June 11, 2009... Virgin Media http://m.virginmedia.com Agency Que Pasa Virgin Media's portal claims to bring users the best of the mobile internet. There's all the news, sport, travel, dating and adult stuff you'd expect from a portal, and a...

NMA MOBILE: App watch.(Your Reebok)(Product/service evaluation)
June 11, 2009... Jonathan Mew Head of mobile, IAB Your Reebok Developer Inside Mobile Availability Apple App Store The Your Reebok iPhone app lets you create an entirely customised pair of trainers and buy them via your phone for just under...

NMA MOBILE: Store wars.(Interview)
June 11, 2009... Nokia has joined the mobile apps market with the opening of its Ovi app store. But can it take on the might of Apple? What should brands and developers expect from Ovi it it's to rival the success of Apple's App Store? Ralph...

MOVES: (RED).(AIDS awareness organisation to hire Chrysi Philalithes )(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... AIDS awareness organisation (RED) has hired Chrysi Philalithes as director of digital strategy and marketing. The former launch MD of Steak NYC and a founding member of search network Espotting (rebranded as Miva) joins former colleague Seb...

MOVES: Digital Agency Search International.(appoints Andrew Allen)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Digital Agency Search International (DASI), a pitch broker specialising in the digital sector, has restructured its management team following the appointment of Andrew Allen as MD. He was previously innovation director at Tradewind London....

MOVES: Untitled.(appoints Adrian Wilcox as client services director)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... London digital creative agency Untitled has taken on Adrian Wilcox as client services director. He joins from digital agency @www where he was an account director. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Clusta.(appoints Charlie Spencer as account director)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Digital creative agency Clusta has hired Charlie Spencer as account director. He joins from Jaguar Cars' global communications division where he was senior key account handler. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Research Now.(appoints Emel Mohammadally as client development director and Steve Groom and Tony Glover as associate directors)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has bolstered its sales division by appointing Emel Mohammadally as client development director and Steve Groom and Tony Glover as associate directors. Mohammadally joins from Ciao where she...

MOVES: Base One Group.(appoints Ann-Maria Guard as media director)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... B2B marketing agency Base One Group has appointed Ann-Maria Guard as media director, planner and buyer. She joins from Chemistry where she was group account director and media director, prior to which she was media director at Worth. ...

MOVES: Exalead.(appoints Mike Hobson as sales director)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Search and information access software company Exalead has appointed Mike Hobson as sales director for the UK. He was previously UK sales director at Autonomy. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Iris Worldwide.(appoints Kathryn Pritchard as global talent director)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Integrated marketing agency Iris Worldwide has hired Kathryn Pritchard as global talent director. She was head of organisational development and design at BT. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Nimbuz.(appoints Neal Fullman as chief marketing officer)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Mobile social messaging company Nimbuzz has appointed Neal Fullman as chief marketing officer. He was previously international communications director at Fring. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

SITE INSPECTION: GTI Project.(www.gtiproject.com )(Website overview)
June 11, 2009... gtiproject.com Owner Volkswagen UK Agency Tribal DDB Content 22/25 Usability 23/25 Branding 23/25 Monetisation 22/25 Total 90/100 I don't drive so I'm not interested in...

SITE INSPECTION: Just-Eat.(www.just-eat.co.uk )(Website overview)
June 11, 2009... just-eat.co.uk Owner Just-Eat Agency in-house Content 5/25 Usability 15/25 Branding 7/25 Monetisation 22/25 Total 49/100 Ordering takeaway doesn't need to be glamorous or...

FULFILMENT: ubergear.co.uk.(Website overview)
June 11, 2009... Selection Owned by mountain sports specialist Spike Outdoors, UberGear is dedicated to the German Vaude brand of tents, backpacks, clothing and camping equipment. It has live updates from Vaude's own stock management systems. ...

Digital Britain: What does it mean for you?
June 18, 2009... Proposals to make UK lead digital economy focus on regulation, advertising models and beating piracy The Government's Digital Britain report has been welcomed by the online industry after it acknowledged the role of self-regulation,...

Balance of power favours ISPs more than record labels.
June 18, 2009... The most striking point about this week's announcement from Virgin Media and Universal Music about the launch of a subscription service is that it has taken so long. Virgin Media says it'll offer unlimited downloads for around the cost of...

BREAKING NEWS: Evans plans dedicated site for Ditto Collection.(Brief article)
June 18, 2009... High street brand Evans is to launch a dedicated site to promote the Beth Ditto at Evans Clothes Collection. The transactional site will promote the Gossip singer's clothing range, which launches on 9 July, to a younger audience than the...

BREAKING NEWS: Last.fm appoints Yahoo to handle European ads.(Brief article)
June 18, 2009... Last.fm has signed a deal with Yahoo for the sales house to represent its ad inventory in Italy and Spain. The music streaming service, which claims to have 37m monthly unique users worldwide, is seeking to grow revenues across Europe with...

Etailers expect rise in sales despite fall in consumer spend.(Survey)
June 18, 2009... nma research finds fewer people planning to shop online than in January, while Ebay reports retailers upbeat for next quarter Online retailers are confident of continued growth over the next few months, despite the second new media age...

Travel site launch lets users earn money from giving their holiday tips.
June 18, 2009... Simon Seeks, from the founder of Moneysupermarket.com, gives contributing users a share of revenues from bookings Moneysupermarket.com's founder Simon Nixon today launched a travel website that lets users write and upload travel guides in...