New Media Age articles from March 2004

New Media Age archives from March 2004

ISPs use low prices to push broadband uptake.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... The UK ISP industry is throwing its weight behind low-entry broadband strategies. This week BT and Telewest launched 512Kbps and 256Kbps products respectively at low prices for first-time subscribers. The industry seems convinced low-cost...

Nectar relaunch moves loyalty scheme online.
March 4, 2004... Loyalty card Nectar is relaunching as a multi-channel scheme, and is hoping to push account holders online to ensure they're communicated with effectively. The loyalty scheme launched in September 2002, but admits customer "misconceptions...

Guardian has lucrative hopes for digital editions.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... The launch of digital editions of The Guardian and Observer has again thrown the spotlight on the debate over inclusion of electronic newspapers within headline print sales. Guardian Unlimited has unveiled plans for the commercial launch of...

EBA launch attracts limited support from UK bookies.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... The European Betting Association has got off to a difficult start, considering refusing membership to betting exchanges wanting to join, while many of the firms it would like to sign up are steering clear. The newest body pushing online...

Check M8 vows to shake up ad server tech market.
March 4, 2004... The ad-server technology market is set to get its biggest shake-up for several years, with the entry of a new competitor to the dominant Dart and OpenAd Stream technologies in the UK. Israel-based Check M8, a business better known for its...

Vodka brand adopts viral campaign.
March 4, 2004... Vodka brand Stolichnaya has launched its first online viral campaign, designed by Skive Creative. The campaign is based around a microsite, stolibrides.com, which mimics online Russian bride services. Users who forward it to others will be...

BBC hopes broadband role will be considered by Graf.(BBC Online Review)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... BBC director of new media and technology Ashley Highfield has stated his hope that the impending Government review of the Corporation's online activities takes into account the vital role that the organisation has to play in driving UK...

Shazam ditches consumer brand.
March 4, 2004... Mobile music recognition service Shazam has confirmed it has abandoned attempts to build a consumer brand, concentrating purely on providing white-label services. It has launched white-label services in more than 15 countries to date....

Static founder becomes chairman of Optimistic.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Jasper Smith, founder of interactive TV developer Static 2358 and creator of Play Jam, has become executive chairman of The Optimistic Network, the company behind a proposed series of iTV channels, recently set up by former Channel 4 director...

Chrysalis launches in-bound MMS.
March 4, 2004... Chrysalis Radio has become the latest media owner to launch inbound MMS services. The group's Galaxy radio is the first to launch, encouraging listeners to send in photos via MMS to be published on its Web site. The company views MMS...

House of Fraser launches new non-transactional Web site.(Breaking)
March 4, 2004... House of Fraser is launching a new Web site this week, but has decided against making it transactional. The site has been designed by interactive agency DNA and will be used to encourage a multi-channel experience between the retailer's high...

Rank to tailor MeccaGames site to its audience.(Breaking)
March 4, 2004... Online gaming group Rank Interactive is considering changes to its MeccaGames.com bingo site after being surprised by the type of audience it has attracted. The service was launched in October last year to appeal to women, with content like...

Andrew Pinder offers to stay until new e-Envoy found.(Breaking)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Andrew Pinder has offered to stay on as e-Envoy until the new head of e-government has been appointed, avoiding a gap of several months during which the Government would have had no one spearheading its online efforts. Pinder's contract ends at...

Figleaves to run marketing push with P&G brands.
March 4, 2004... Figleaves has launched a new marketing campaign after signing a cross-promotional deal with Proctor & Gamble. The lingerie site will give a 5 [pounds sterling] discount on orders of 15 [pounds sterling], via a voucher on nearly 3m packs of...

Ingena to launch 3m [pounds sterling] fundraising drive.
March 4, 2004... Online publishing firm Ingenta is planning a 3m [pounds sterling] fundraising drive to build on strong demand for its services. The firm specialises in creating sites for academic and professional publishers. It has won new business worth 2m...

Virgin Mobile launches online ad to back up promotion.
March 4, 2004... Virgin Mobile has launched an exclusive online ad to support its latest promotion. The ad, a viral by Digital Media Communications, is an East End gangster spoof created by Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R. Microsite scorchinggirls.com supports...

Samsung becomes IWF funder.
March 4, 2004... Samsung has become the first mobile manufacturer to join the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) as a funding member, following the recent extension of its remit to cover mobile content. The handset maker will aid the IWF in protecting children...

Hi-Tech Crime Unit calls on businesses for training aid.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... The chief of the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) will be asking businesses to assist with specialised technology training for his agents this year, to help develop the skills profile of the Unit. Detective chief superintendent Len Hynds...

BBC prepares enhanced service for Mozart drama.
March 4, 2004... The BBC has embarked on one its most ambitious enhanced TV music projects to date, with two new series on BBC2 and BBC4 looking at the life and works of Mozart. Viewers of a three-part drama-documentary, The Genius of Mozart, airing on...

Mobileway set for acquisition drive.
March 4, 2004... Mobile aggregator Mobileway is currently closing its fourth round of funding and plans to use the proceeds for acquisitions. The company also announced its intention to float this year. The news heralds the long-awaited consolidation in the...

Sainsbury's sells appliances online.
March 4, 2004... The Web division of Sainsbury's has launched a kitchen appliance shop which it claims is part of a strategy to move further into nonfood online retail. The new channel can be accessed through the Sainsbury's To You site and offers a...

Government drops UKonline site in favour of DirectGov.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... The Government has revealed plans to drop the UKonline brand from its consumer and business portals. The e-Envoy Andrew Pinder unveiled the new DirectGov site on Monday, which will eventually replace the current public-targeted UKonline...

Ex-C4 iTV head sets up interactive consultancy.
March 4, 2004... Peter Good, the former head of interactive at Channel 4 who was behind the pioneering interactivity around Big Brother, has set up his own consultancy following his decision to step down from his previous role at the end of last year. Good...

Pepsi premieres latest Beckham ad on Web site.
March 4, 2004... The new Pepsi TV push, featuring football stars David Beckham, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldinho dressed as leather-clad gladiators, has gone live on the Web ahead of its first broadcast later this month. The full two-minute commercial will...

Ali adds punch to Adidas iTV campaign.
March 4, 2004... Adidas's latest iTV ad campaign has made its debut this week on Sky and ITV channels. As revealed in NMA last month, the ads put boxing legend Muhammad Ali and his pugilist daughter Laila in the ring together, and feature other Adidas...

Visionik to supply iTV games to Discovery and Nickelodeon.
March 4, 2004... NDS-owned interactive TV games developer Visionik has partnered with the Discovery Kids channel in the UK and Nickelodeon and will provide both broadcasters with a range of iTV games. Discovery made its iTV games debut earlier this year with...

Flybe works with BT to offer low-cost global Web access.
March 4, 2004... Flybe, the UK's third-largest low-cost airline, has teamed up with BT to create a system called BTb-line, which is aimed at giving travellers access to fixed low-cost Internet access around the world. The BTb-line system is designed to enable...

Tate Online offers online art study courses.
March 4, 2004... Tate Online has launched the first in a series of online art study programmes, giving users a recognised qualification at the end of each course. Rich-media content based on the gallery's collection introduces users to works of artists...

Times Online launches revamped travel site.
March 4, 2004... The Times Online has relaunched its travel site, offering improved information divided by country, city and type of holiday. The site includes content from the travel sections of The Sunday Times and The Times along with its own editorial...

RIM reveals Sony Ericsson deal for P900 smartphone.(Technology)
March 4, 2004... Research in Motion (RIM), the company behind Blackberry, is expanding further into the business mobile market. It has unveiled a number of key partnerships at the 3GSM Congress in Cannes. The wireless developer will be enabling Blackberry...

Landmat unveils mobile blogger.(Technology)
March 4, 2004... Mobile service provider Landmat unveiled its mBlog application. which enables mobile users to create and receive multimedia blogs through MMS, at 3GSM in Cannes. The application is intended to help mobile operators generate greater average...

M&S integrates real-time reporting on buying trends.(Technology)
March 4, 2004... Marks & Spencer is integrating a new e-commerce reporting tool into its retail Web site to help improve its reaction time to customer shopping behaviour. The e-Commerce Module has been developed by Web analytics firm Nedstat and will...

BT Wholesale launches Mobile Directory Back-up service.(Technology)
March 4, 2004... BT Wholesale has launched a Mobile Directory Back-up service in partnership with Phonesync, which allows mobile users to save their phone directory content to a service provider's Web portal. The service uses SyncML, a synchronisation protocol...

CNN International to offer 24-hour news stream for mobile.(Technology)
March 4, 2004... CNN International has announced a 24-hour live news stream for mobile users, following the rollout of a new wireless service provided by the Yard Broadcast Network (YBN). The service will launch in March on Mobilkom Austria, where UMTS users...

PacketVideo and AutoTools to provide mobile video software.(Technology)
March 4, 2004... PacketVideo and AutoTools have teamed up to offer mobile video monitoring software, which enables the easy delivery of video streaming to mobile devices. The technology was unveiled at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes last week. It can be...

New site for Island Records.(Agencies)
March 4, 2004... Digital design and strategy consultancy Holler has completed work on the new Web site for Island Records, part of Universal Music. The islandrecords.co.uk site features a complete artist roster and cross-referencing of release dates, artist...

JPMH unveils Winalot site.(Agencies)
March 4, 2004... Integrated agency JPMH has conceived and developed a new site for Winalot as part of a 12m [pounds sterling] multimedia relaunch of the dog food brand. JPMH, which holds the European Web management and business for Winalot owner Nestle Purina...

Starcom Digital.(Agency Wins)
March 4, 2004... Starcom Digital has won a 3m [pounds sterling] plus account to manage all online media for online financial aggregator Moneynet. Starcom won the account in a three-way pitch and is appointed with immediate effect. The agency will initially...

Thoughtbubble.(Agency Wins)
March 4, 2004... Independent agency Thought-bubble has won the contract to redevelop lotterygood-causes.org.uk on behalf of lotteries distributor The New Opportunities Fund. The agency, which also counts the BBC, Department for Education and Skills, and Channel...

itraffic seeks new staff to cope with rising workload.(Agencies)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Digital marketing agency itraffic has become the latest agency to announce a staff expansion drive, with a clutch of new appointments and the launch of regular recruitment open evenings. Over the last few weeks, several digital agencies...

TBG recruits TV experience to win broadcasting clients.(Agencies)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Digital marketing agency TBG has bolstered its team with several senior appointments, including ex-CNBC sales director Sue Clements, who has taken on the role of business development director. She will be responsible for identifying new...

Fifth Dimension buys Third Planet.(Agencies)
March 4, 2004... Multimedia design and production agency Fifth Dimension has bought creative communications firm Third Planet International as it aims to strengthen its association with online and offline youth marketing. Fifth Dimension, which has created...

Diesel includes online in worldwide ad campaign.(Marketing)
March 4, 2004... Diesel has launched a new ad campaign entitled 'Love Nature While It Lasts'. The above-the-line campaign includes online advertising activity in 18 countries worldwide on more than 80 sites. The online ads were developed by The Airlock and the...

Halifax promotes Regular Saver product via online ads.(Marketing)
March 4, 2004... Halifax is launching an online campaign to promote its Regular Saver product. Ads will run on the home pages of MSN and Yahoo! as well as on a number of finance sites. New media agency DLKW Dialogue is behind the activity, which will also...

Video Island and Figleaves sign partnership deal.(Marketing)
March 4, 2004... Video Island, the DVD rental service, has signed a partnership deal with lingerie retailer Figleaves. Figleaves will have an on-site presence and feature in Video Island's subscriber newsletters, email marketing and DVD packaging. The two firms...

Cancer Research backs up TV 'all clear' ads online.(Marketing)
March 4, 2004... Cancer Research UK has launched an online marketing campaign to back up the 'all clear' activity currently on TV and radio. Creative agency DNA Connect has developed the online ads, with Media.Com responsible for the buying. As well as...

WSPS staffs up to meet search marketing demand.(Marketing)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... The momentum behind search engine marketing has continued through the first quarter of the year, with WSPS opening a new office in central London and taking on 40% more staff. The firm says the new staff are necessary to meet the increasing...

UKTV uses Skinkers agent for programme reminders.(Marketing)
March 4, 2004... UKTV, the satellite and cable TV joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Flextech, is to promote its programmes with a new desktop agent. The technology behind it comes from Skinkers Communications, the first time it has been involved in...

Homemade look for Pot Noodle.(Marketing)
March 4, 2004... Unilever Bestfoods has launched a new Web site for its Pot Noodle brand in a bid to appeal to more 16-25-year-olds. It's the first work for the company by new media agency Glue London, which won a pitch for the account late last year. ...

Business broadband access revenues to soar by 2007.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Revenues from European business broadband access will rise by 65% by 2007, predicts analyst Datamonitor. It estimates that the business broadband market will be worth $43bn (23bn [pounds sterling]) over the next three years, rising from its...

Broadband leads to rise in home networking.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Over half of UK home broadband users will have a home networking system in place by the end of the year, according to research by AOL. It shows that while more than a third of broadband users already have some form of home network--where games...

1.5bn [pounds sterling] of SMEs' software spend is going to waste.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... SMEs are wasting 1.5bn [pounds sterling] a year on software they never use, a survey from business software developer Benchmark reveals. Over a third of 400 UK SMEs questioned had purchased software but never used it. 89% said that it had been...

Users interacting with dTV ads triples in three months.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... The number of adults interacting with digital TV ads has more than tripled since August last year, new research from Continental reveals. The report shows that 16% of those with digital TV now respond to iTV advertising, compared to 5% six...

Majority of mobile device users worried by security.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Over four-fifths of Japanese consumers using wireless devices are concerned about mobile security, says US security solutions company Network Associates. Nearly half (44%) of those questioned who owned mobile devices, such as smart phones...

GSM phone users reach 1bn globally.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... One in six people worldwide now uses a GSM mobile phone, according to the GSM Association. 1bn people in 200 countries own a GSM handset, only 12 years after the launch of the first networks. The GSM Association says that four-fifths...

Rich-media ads double in number.(Trends)
March 4, 2004... The number of rich-media ads shown on the Web in the EMEA region has almost doubled over the past year, says DoubleClick's Ad Serving Trend Report for Q4 2003. Data from the marketing solutions company shows that richmedia ads--pop-ups,...

Half of firms hit by viruses.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Half of UK businesses have suffered virus attacks in the past year, a new report from the DTI reveals. The Information Security Breaches survey of 1,000 firms showed the number of businesses being hit by viruses or denied access to services...

3G will come to those prepared to wait.(Analyst Speak)
March 4, 2004... Could 2004 be the year 3G makes a widespread appearance in Western Europe? The major operators seem to think so, but then again they announced in 2001 that 2002 would be the year of 3G. It didn't happen prompting the revision of launch dates to...

Mobile players agree that 3G is just round the corner: 3GSM World Congress 04 saw consensus on the arrival of 3G this year, but discord between operators and media owners.(News Analysis)
March 4, 2004... Mass-market 3G services will be here this year. That was the key message from last week's annual 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, a global gathering of nearly 30,000 members of the mobile industry. Operators, handset manufacturers and...

Today's growth arises from more realistic expectations.(Leader)(Editorial)
March 4, 2004... The much talked about new media recovery is gathering strength, with NMA reporting every week on new media agencies staffing up to meet rapidly increasing demand for work. In fact, a couple of senior agency people I've spoken to recently have...

Get the right facts on pop-up popularity.(Letters To The Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
March 4, 2004... Justin Kirby, MD, Digital Media Communications I keep hearing claims that despite interruptive ads being despised by end users (which arguably should be reason enough for media owners to get rid of them if they want to encourage repeat...

All must agree on audience additions.(Letters To The Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
March 4, 2004... Chris Boyd, chief executive, ABC Following your reporting on the AOP's response to the issue of e-publications (NMA 12 February) and ANM's move to offer these digital editions (NMA 26 February), I felt a need to clarify the situation. ...

How new media returns power to the people.(Mitchell on marketing)
March 4, 2004... This is my last column for a while so, at the risk of making a fool of myself I'm going to outline my 'big picture' take on what new media really means for business in the long term. Nearly a 100 years ago Henry Ford created a new model of...

Online loyalty is alive and kicking.(Opinion)
March 4, 2004... According to Andy Wood in a recent NMA opinion piece, "The latter part of last year resounded with the death knell of e-loyalty" (NMA 29 January). Does he work in online loyalty? I think not. From what I can see, it has exploded over the past...

Made to measure: Martin Filz: understanding how people use the Internet and putting that knowledge to use for commercial gain has led Martin Filz of Red Sheriff to really appreciate the true value of technology.(Interview)
March 4, 2004... What has prevented Martin Filz from becoming a multi-millionaire could be that he's always worked in what he calls "bleeding-edge technology". A cynic might say that such firms suffer because they try to solve problems which customers don't yet...

BT.(Moves)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... BT has appointed Chris Clark as CEO of BT Wireless Broadband. He will begin his new role on 1 April, as current CEO Dave Hughes becomes BT Retail's CTO. Clark joins from BT Global Services' wholesale business, while Hughes' new responsibilities...

cScape.(Moves)
March 4, 2004... cScape, the provider of Microsoft-based e-solutions, has taken on Matthew Fox as business development manager. He joins from content management specialist Content and Code, where he held the post of business development director. Fox will be...

Eckoh Technologies.(Moves)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Gary Perry has joined speech application service provider Eckoh Technologies as manager of the media broadcast division. His appointment follows Eckoh's recent contract to supply ITV with interactive voice services. Perry has 20 years'...

Betfair.(Moves)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Online betting firm Betfair has appointed Ian Winton as director of marketing communications. He was founder and MD of marketing agency Black Cat Direct, now part of J Walter Thompson. Winton will lead Betfair's marketing department.

Receptional.com.(Moves)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Lisa Newman has joined Internet marketing consultancy Receptional.com as resident psychologist. She has been given the role to bring a fresh dimension to the company's marketing services, based on the principles of social psychology. Prior to...

Newsweaver.(Moves)
March 4, 2004... Newsweaver, the email newsletter software provider, has appointed Marcus Dillon as a business development manager. He will be responsible for identifying and developing business opportunities, and previously worked in the corporate business...

Telefonica UK.(Moves)
March 4, 2004... Telecoms company Telefonica UK has recruited James Waterworth as regulatory and government affairs manager. In this newly created role, Waterworth will provide support for the company's wholesale ISP and corporate product development process....

JailDog.(Moves)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... JailDog, the games marketing agency, has appointed Matt O'Dell as an artist. O'Dell joins from Xerox where he was icon designer and usability specialist. He will be responsible for art production, and bolstering the usability and technical...

Domino Systems.(Moves)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Web agency Domino Systems has recruited Daniel Chandler as interaction designer. He will focus on working with the company's blue-chip clients.

Ticketing finds a new platform: with competitors shunted out of the way, TheTrainline is steaming ahead with its ambitions to make ticket-buying available over mobile and iTV.(Strategic play: TheTrainline)
March 4, 2004... TheTrainline's merger with Qjump last month was not only a tactical move to ensure the Virgin-owned site had the rail ticketing market to itself, it was also a prerequisite for the company to feel strong enough to launch a year of new media...

A stronger blend: a rival platform to Java for developing mobile content has arrived in Europe, touting easier cross-network integration.
March 4, 2004... Earlier this month the Americans came to town. A heavy-hitting collection of operators, media companies and technology providers gathered in London to try and convince the UK of the benefit of a mobile content enabling platform called Brew. ...

Sporting chance: online could be onto a winner as the European Commission investigates sales of sports rights to new media companies and 3G operators, to find out if they're unfairly losing out to the TV broadcasters.
March 4, 2004... Despite the marketing efforts of mobile operator 3, I expect you haven't watched too many goals on your mobile phone yet. And you probably opted for your TV over your PC monitor when it came to watching the Rugby World Cup last year. All...

The format from another world.(NMA Advertising)
March 4, 2004... In January some of the world's biggest brands, including McDonald's and Pepsi, launched trials of a new technology, developed by Unicast, enabling 30-second TV ads to run between Web pages. The ad downloads while a page is being read, then is...

Milk marketing on MSN.(Case Study)
March 4, 2004... Client: The Dairy Council BACKGROUND: Milk is such a part of everyday life that no one gives it much thought as it's poured over cereal or into cups of tea. The Dairy Council, along with the European Community and the Milk Development...

Victor Benady, CEO, Randommedia.(Ad Watch)
March 4, 2004... Gone are the days of asking how many Valentine's cards you got this year. Nowadays Valentine's e-cards are de rigeur. Worse are Valentine's e-cards used to push products. Teletext Holidays has taken such a route. You can send an e-card showing...

How adverts let down online advertising.(Opinion)
March 4, 2004... In virtually every category, particularly high-consideration products and services, more and more customers are going online to perform critical tasks and meet their needs throughout the sales cycle. In 2002, 63% of Web users researched...

Top ten viral campaigns: February 2004.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... 1 MG ROVER Pump Creative: Hoppner & Walsh Planner/buyer: DMC, TTR2i Downloads: 65,721 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 UNILEVER (LYNX) Touch It Creative: Dare Digital Downloads: 32,273 [ILLUSTRATION...

Top ten new campaigns: February 2004.
March 4, 2004... 1 VODAFONE Advertiser: Vodafone Creative: Tonic Timing: 20 January-23 February 2004 Placement: BT Openworld, Dotmusic, Maxim, MTV, Yahoo! Ad impressions: 135,226,000 2 SKYBETVEGAS.COM Advertiser: Sky Bet Vegas...

Top searches: 25 January-24 February 2004.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... FINANCE 1 Finance 2 Mortgage 3 Credit card 4 Car loan 5 Loan 6 Savings 7 Cheap mortgages 8 Debt 9 Personal loan 10 Home loan RETAIL 1 Books 2 DVD 3 Furniture 4 Digital...