New Media Age articles from May 2005

New Media Age archives from May 2005

P&G and Unilever take battle of the detergent brands online.
May 5, 2005... FMCG giants Unilever and Proctor & Gamble are stepping up their detergents' brand rivalry on the Web in a bid to raise awareness and to drive purchase intent. P&G brand Ariel is to launch an online campaign in the next few weeks...

Tesco.com eyes up movie downloads.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Tesco.com is considering movies as the next strand of content for its download store, following considerable success with its music offer. The retailer is planning to ramp up its digital entertainment offer after claiming to capture one...

Peperami runs online ads before TV push.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Peperami will this week unveil a new snack that combines noodles with slices of Peperami sausage and has chosen the Web to kick off a #3m integrated marketing campaign. It represents the first time the Unilever brand has targeted...

UltimatePoker plans massive emarketing push for UK.(UltimateBet.com)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... UltimateBet.com, the fifth-largest online poker room, is planning to spend the vast majority of its $30m (#16m) marketing budget on the Web when it launches in the UK this year. The launch of UltimatePoker.com is being jointly backed by...

Labour first party to use Flashtalking video streaming.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Labour this week became the first political party in the UK to employ online video in a general election, in a last-minute drive to sway wavering voters before polling closes today. The campaign, which uses Flashtalking video streaming,...

UpMyStreet relaunches with major brands in new ad deals.
May 5, 2005... AOL, British Airways and Norwich Union Direct have all signed significant new advertising deals with UpMyStreet, to coincide with the site's relaunch this week. The local information site, which was bought by Uswitch two years ago, has...

Nike kicks off first worldwide mobile strategy with Showdown.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Nike has become one of the biggest global brands to launch a standalone mobile Internet site. The launch comes as the company embarks on the creation of a global mobile strategy. This is being put together by Nike over the next three to...

Gambling.com set for brand campaign within the next year.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Specialist search engine Gambling.com is eyeing up a brand advertising campaign later this year, following its #11m acquisition by Gaming Corporation over the weekend. Tim Rosenberg, Gambling.com MD, said it would be looking to launch an...

BBC Worldwide shifts revenue focus from Web ads to content.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... BBC Worldwide is trying to reduce its reliance on online ads as a revenue stream with a major push into content syndication over the coming year. The Corporation's money-making division has created a position within the new media sales...

Vauxhall runs iTV ad for hatchback rollout.
May 5, 2005... Car manufacturer Vauxhall is rolling out an interactive TV ad campaign to promote its Astra Sport Hatch. The red-button push gives viewers the chance to get closer to the model by providing them with information on features, performance...

Ware Anthony Rust undergoes MBO.(Management Buyout )(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Cambridge-based integrated marketing agency Ware Anthony Rust (WAR) has undergone a management buyout (MBO) which sees chairman Robert Ware step down as chairman after 20 years in the role. The MBO was led by managing director Alison Meadows...

Blinkx extends search tool via London TV deal.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Contextual search engine Blinkx has extended its video search tool blinkx.tv via a deal with London TV. Blinkx.tv will index London.tv's entire video content catalogue to allows users to search through broadcasts on events and attractions in...

UK firms beat off rivals at Webby Awards.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... UK firms picked up several gongs at the prestigious Webby Awards in New York as NMA went to press. Digital agency Poke won in the fashion category for Alexander McQueen and in the celebrity fan category for Jamie Oliver. Virgin Radio also...

MSN creates new senior commercial role in UK.(Appointed Michael Steckler as Head of Sales and Commerce)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... MSN has announced the creation of a new senior commercial role as part of its strategy to double its UK sales team. The portal has appointed Michael Steckler as its first head of sales and commerce. Steckler, who previously headed the direct...

Desktop Peter Snow exceeds download target.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The BBC said it's exceeded its target for the number of downloads of its animated Peter Snow election alert service. Anthony Sullivan, product manager for BBC News Interactive, said he had set a target of 25,000 downloads, but the figure had...

Scottish Life relaunches Web site to match offline.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Scottish Life has relaunched its Web site to bring its look and feel in line with new offline brand guidelines. The new design, which incorporates colour-coding for easier navigation, was carried out by London and Edinburgh based e-business...

Honda develops Web-based TV service to drive brand values.
May 5, 2005... Honda is shifting the focus of its marketing strategy online with the launch a branded broadband TV channel targeting consumers in dealerships across the UK. The Japanese car manufacturer is developing the Web-based TV service to enhance...

AOL UK appoints sponsorship manager to offer bespoke ads.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... AOL UK is aiming to boost ad revenue by offering advertisers more bespoke packages, including sponsorships and promotions. The portal has just appointed its first dedicated sponsorships and promotions manager. Stephen Campbell, senior sales...

Welcome Car Finance appoints Tamar.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Welcome Car Finance has appointed interactive media agency Tamar to run a natural search engine optimisation campaign to boost its position on Google and MSN Search. The company specialises in offering monthly credit on used cars and...

O2 Ireland pushes MMS with movie clip competition.(Multimedia Messaging Service)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Mobile operator O2 Ireland is promoting its picture messaging service with an online competition offering consumers the chance to win a trip for two to Hollywood. Digital house Agency Republic has created 'Director's Cut', an...

Telewest Broadband set to trial Blueyonder TV for 24/7 viewing.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Telewest Broadband is launching a Web-based TV service providing high- speed Internet users with free access to a range of round-the-clock programming. Blueyonder TV, which is available to anyone with broadband, is currently being...

BBC to revamp its broadband portal.(British Broadcasting Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The BBC is promoting the benefits of broadband Internet access following a rapid increase in the number of high-speed connections in the UK. The Corporation is revamping its broadband portal in an effort to showcase the availability of BBC...

ANM in deal to add behavioural targeting across site portfolio.(Revenue Science)(Associated New Media)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Associated New Media is to offer advertisers behavioural targeting opportunities across its network of sites, including Daily Mail Online, This is London and Find a Property. The Web publisher has secured a deal with Revenue Science that...

Fremantle looks for mobile video partner.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Production firm Fremantle Media is searching for a partner to launch its brands, including Baywatch and Benny Hill, on mobile video in the UK. The mobile video initiative, called ThumbDance, was formed as a joint venture with Mobliss in...

Teletext expands into digital car buying guide.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Teletext is expanding its portfolio of information services with the launch of an interactive car buying guide for digital satellite viewers. Technology provided by NDS will refresh a database of both new and used cars on a daily basis,...

Pioneer and ViaMichelin link for navigation push.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Hi-tech manufacturer Pioneer is launching an online ad campaign to raise awareness of its new satellite navigation system AVIC-X1R. The company has partnered with online mapping site ViaMichelin in an exclusive deal which includes co-branded...

Radio Times to feature Cityvisitor on Web site.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Online city guide provider Infoserve has bagged Radio Times as another client for its Cityvisitor local business search facility. The BBC magazine will feature Cityvisitor on the home page of its Web site. Infoserve claims it now has the most...

Screensavers increase radio listening at Queens.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Screensaver ad network Oxigen is claiming to have massively increased listeners to Queens Radio, the online campus radio station for Queen's University Belfast. A month-long campaign last February on Oxigen screensavers on 500 PCs across the...

Hitchhiker's Guide film promoted via viral games.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Buena Vista International has launched a series of viral games to promote the global release of cult film The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Digital agency Preloaded took themes from parts of the movie and tried to create unbranded sites...

Findaproperty.com has first official ABCE audit.(ABC Electronic)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Findaproperty.com is attracting over 1.1m unique users a month, according to its first officially audited figures from ABC Electronic. The figures also show that the property portal had over 66m page impressions during the month of February....

Haven finds SMS success for brochure requests.(Short Messaging Service)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Holiday brand Haven has reported a jump in response rates of 20% by adding SMS as a response mechanic to its New Year ad campaign. Consumers could text their name, house number and postcode to be sent a brochure. The mobile element was run by...

Opera announces voice shortcodes service.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Opera Telecom has officially announced its voice shortcodes service, five-digit SMS shortcodes that can be used to deliver mobile services such as ringtones and games. The service is aimed at the highly mobile- literate 15-24-year-old...

At The Races plans live mobile video streaming of horseracing.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... BSkyB-owned horseracing company At The Races is on the verge of launching the first ever fully interactive 3G streaming video content. The new mobile service will enable users to dial a five-digit number to view live streaming of...

Bookmakers hope to win with online backgammon launches.(Game Account)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Online bookmakers have opened up a new area of competition, with a number of sites launching live multi-player backgammon. Paddy Power, Sportingbet and Game Account have all launched online backgammon games in recent days, with the hope of...

3M pushes brand in video-based game.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... 3M is reinforcing its brand position as a diversified technology leader with a campaign which tries to show that its patented technology is prevalent in everyday life. The campaign, created by agency AKQA, integrates interactive video...

Wanadoo increases number of MPU ads.
May 5, 2005... Wanadoo is to increase the number of bigger formats it offers advertisers on its UK site, due to growing demand. The portal added a messaging plus unit (MPU) format to its home page for the first time in January, but limited it to running...

SunSail adopts viral strategy to push beach club holidays.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... SunSail, the holiday company best known for its sailing activities, is to run a viral marketing campaign to push its land-based beach clubs. The campaign, which has been developed by digital agency Lawton eMarketing, is due to go live...

Analysis is only as good as its interpreter.(marketing)
May 5, 2005... ANALYST SPEAK: Suzanne Moorey-Denham, Dynamic Logic Given that online advertising is under the spotlight for being 'answer rich, question poor', it's vital to avoid the marketers' occupational hazard: paralysis by analysis. What this...

Amplified announces service with Beam.TV.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... On-site TV company Amplified, which was set up by ex-Carlton TV chief executive Martin Bowley, has announced its first in-house service in association with Beam.TV. Amplified Captive Television Networks is designed to provide businesses with...

Agency Republic joins Segala M Test for O2 work.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Agency Republic is partnering with accessibility experts Segala M Test to ensure that work carried out for client O2 is fully compliant with Web accessibility standards. Segala M Test will work with the agency to ensure that design projects...

Lycos UK heightens email security to stop phishing.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Lycos UK is ramping up its email security in a bid to prevent phishing attacks, which it claims rose by 366% in the last six months of 2004. Its new Protek-On service will verify sender's identities for every mail and block messages sent by...

Pipemedia brings in new features on VoIP service.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Pipemedia is introducing a series of new features on its Pipecall voice- over-IP (VoIP) service, which it hopes will make it appeal to SMEs. The new services will allow customers to redirect numbers, implement time- of-day call routing,...

Crystal Semantics offers new versions of Textonomy solution.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Contextual ad technology firm Crystal Semantics is making a further challenge to keyword-based contextual systems with the launch this week of client, server and ASP versions of its Textonomy.advance solution. Textonomy incorporates...

Adprecision launches dynamic search engine for travel firms.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Search technology company Adprecision has launched what it claims is Europe's first dynamic search engine advertising platform. Adprecision ESP (Enhanced Search Performance) is designed to help travel companies improve the ROI of their...

ReadSpeaker ups user-friendliness of text-to-speech tool.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... ReadSpeaker has updated its text-to-speech platform with a new interface that it claims will make the tool more user-friendly and help make Web sites more accessible. The new version, ReadSpeaker XT, gives users greater control by allowing...

Number of mobile TV viewers to grow sharply over five years.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The number of broadcast mobile TV users worldwide will grow massively over the next five years, says Informa Telecoms and Media's latest report. The analyst's 'Mobile TV: Broadcast and Mobile Multimedia' report predicts that 124.8m...

Half of Web users get phishing emails.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Almost half of UK Internet users have received phishing emails, according to a study by AOL and YouGov. 48% of the 2,000 people surveyed claimed to have been sent emails asking for personal financial information. 5% said they had lost...

30% Of UK mobile users would buy low-cost items via phones.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Almost a third of UK mobile users would use their phones to pay for low- value items, according to a new study. Research company TNS surveyed 1,000 people and found 30% would be interested in paying for things like vending machine goods and...

Consumers give up on online car insurance.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... One in three consumers applying for car insurance quotes online abandon the process before getting a price, claims new research from online sales and research consultancy Foolproof. Although almost two-thirds (63%) of consumers intend to buy...

Mobile users choose Web over call centres.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The majority of mobile customers would prefer to manage their mobile accounts online or through their handsets, according to new findings from communications company Netonomy. A survey of 2,000 people revealed that 59% wanted to check...

Online users say amount of spam has increased.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Two-thirds of online consumers worldwide say the amount of spam they receive has increased over the past year, according to a survey by market research company GMI. The majority of spam received in the UK over the past 12 months (34%) was of a...

Switching TV advertisers on to interactive.(British Telecommunications PLC's joint venture with Channel 4 Television Co.)
May 5, 2005... BT's deal with Channel 4 to use mobile phones as a return path for interactive TV ads shows how major brands are looking beyond the 30- second spot to engage viewers An increasing number of big-budget TV advertisers are looking beyond...

AUDIENCE FRAGMENTATION MEANS TV ADS MUST WORK HARDER.
May 5, 2005... The latest industry estimates show that TV ad revenue grew by 13% year on year during the first quarter of 2005. However, audiences are moving away from terrestrial channels. BARB data shows that ITV saw its average number of hours viewed dip...

COMMENT: Honesty is the only policy when the truth will out.(technology adoption by politicians)(Column)
May 5, 2005... The recent NMA survey of attitudes to political parties' use of interactive media to communicate with voters (NMA 21.04.05) raised some important questions. Why, for example, have politicians in this country have been so slow to adopt the...

Content owners continue trying to stamp out illegal filesharing.(entertainment industry's suit against information technology services industry)
May 5, 2005... DE FREITAS ON THE LAW The latest round of battles over the legality of peer-to-peer file sharing networks is set to come to a head with imminent rulings from the US and Australian courts. On the face of it, the issue at stake is whether...

Letter: FMCGs must realise the power of online ads.(Letter to the Editor)
May 5, 2005... There's no doubt that FMCGs are the holy grail for online advertisers. The recent IAB research results, which show this sector is still reluctant to jump on board the digital bandwagon, will surely have rattled the cages of those already...

Letter: Online advertisers must stick to deadlines too.(Letter to the Editor)
May 5, 2005... Susie Harwood's article on the plans by major online media owners to impose late-copy charges (NMA 21.04.05) has highlighted what has become an endemic problem within the online space - that is, many agencies and advertisers spend months...

OPINION: Usability specialists should broaden their field of testing.(Column)
May 5, 2005... The Web analytics market is going through a period of significant change. Online marketing is creating a clear need for measurement technologies, but a high proportion of organisations are struggling to make the most of the capability...

AD WATCH: Nintendo has the touch for ads that engage and inform.(Nintendo Company Ltd.)
May 5, 2005... Glue has produced a campaign for the Royal Navy to raise awareness of its aviation units. The key message here is, 'You can fly with the Navy too, not just the RAF', and the creative aims to highlight the aircraft and skills required to fly...

PROFILE - LAURA WADE-GERY: Delivering the goods.
May 5, 2005... Tesco.com is the undisputed leader in grocery home delivery. But why stop there, says CEO Laura Wade-Gery? There's much more it could be selling, she tells Nic Howell Minutes matter to Laura Wade-Gery. A keen athlete, she once beat her...

STRATEGIC PLAY - WANADOO: Going for the treble.(internet service povider plans)
May 5, 2005... Wanadoo is moving from being purely an access provider, with ambitions to become the first ISP with broadband, VoIP and VoD. Sean Hargrave asks if the UK is ready As the battle between the ISPs has moved from dial-up to broadband, the...

AGENCY IP: Fixed ideas.(intellectual property, survey)
May 5, 2005... As digital advertising gets more creative, agencies need to protect their ideas, finds Nic Howell, especially if their pitches include a technological solution It's hard enough for music and film industry behemoths to police intellectual...

DIGIT HOLDS ON TO ITS 'SOUND GRAFFITI' TECHNOLOGY.
May 5, 2005... It's not only possible to retain the IP on digital creative but also, if it's sufficiently different, negotiate for its re-use, as London- based agency Digit learned last year. It created an interactive installation called MotoGlyph for...

Portable telly.(mobile television in the market)
May 5, 2005... Mobile TV is still a small sector in the US, but it's ahead of Europe and developing apace. Elizabeth Biddlecombe examines the birth and prospects of TV on the go Europe has for so long believed itself ahead of the US in mobile content...

SITE VIEW: Maxim is first to market but updating the offer is essential.(evaluation of web protals)
May 5, 2005... Maxim mobile portal maxim-magazine.co.uk Client: Maxim Agency: Mobile Media International Platform: WAP Billing/infrastructure: Bango As one of the country's leading lads' mags, Maxim is perfectly positioned to take...

OPINION: Finish playing with what we have before seeking new toys.(usage forecasts of third generation wireless technology)(Column)
May 5, 2005... As the mobile industry deserted the shores of Cannes in February, heads awash with the possibilities of video and super-fast Internet browsing over mobile, it really was starting to feel like Groundhog Day. Another year, another 3GSM,...

The ball starts rolling.
May 5, 2005... The traditional advertising community is finally waking up to mobile marketing. But will their entry elbow out the specialist agencies? Justin Pearse reports Life was sweet for the mobile marketing industry this time last month. After...

DEVELOPING BRANDED MOBILE CONTENT.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... 3G opens up a wealth of opportunities for brands, not least of which is that current hot topic in marketing circles: branded content. 3 has already had success with its Pete Tong music show. Now the company behind this, Inventa - a joint...

Moves: VCmedia.(Appointed Katy Knight as Sales Manager)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Online ad sales house VCmedia has appointed Katy Knight as sales manager. Formerly at AdLink Internet Media, she will be responsible for leading VCmedia's sales strategy and growing new business. Knight has ten years' experience in marketing,...

Moves: Associated New Media.(Martin Corke appointed)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Associated New Media, the digital publishing division of Associated Newspapers, which publishes The Mail Online and This is London, has appointed Martin Corke as commercial director. He will be responsible for revenues across all of ANM's...

Moves: NetBooster.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... NetBooster, the search marketing specialist, has recruited Pascal Chevalier as CEO and Stephane Darracq as CFO. Chevalier was formerly the UK MD of French telecoms provider Prosodie, before joining industrial software company Brightrivers as...

Moves: Mforma.(Appointed Jonathan Sacks as President and Chief Operating Officer)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Mforma, publisher and distributor of mobile entertainment, has appointed Jonathan Sacks to the post of president and chief operating officer. He was formerly president of AOL Interactive Services. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

Moves: Reading Room.(Appointed Eugene Reisch as Art Director)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Eugene Reisch has joined digital agency Reading Room as art director. He moves from interactive house AKQA, prior to which he held the post of art director at both Exposure and Wheel/Foresight. Reisch will be responsible for expanding the...

Moves: DGM.(Alex Kahn appointed)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Independent online marketing group DGM has recruited Alex Kahn as sales director. Previously he spent two years as head of agency sales for Yahoo! UK & Ireland. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Moves: Swamp.(Appointed Lyn Cordon as Account Director)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Digital marketing agency Swamp has appointed Lyz Cordon as account director. She will oversee the Umbro account, driving its online marketing strategy. Cordon joins from McCann Erickson Manchester, where she was interactive project director and...

Moves: IconZest.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Public sector Web communications consultancy IconZest has made six senior appointments. Mat Woolf becomes principal consultant; he was previously technical director at Razorfish and founder of Pogo. Niclas Ljungberg also takes the post of...

Site inspection: Mankind.(evaluation of websites)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Mankind mankind.co.uk Owner: Mankind Agency: in-house/Unsuitable Content 22/25 Usability 22/25 Branding 20/25 Monetisation 22/25 Total 86/100 Male grooming has become increasingly fashionable...

Site inspection: DTI Renewables.(evaluation of United Kingdom. Department of Trade and Industry's new website)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... DTI Renewables dti.gov.uk/renewables Owner: DTI Agency: Nykris Content 21/25 Usability 22/25 Branding 20/25 Monetisation n/a Total 63/75 The Department for Trade and Industry's new Web...

Site inspection: RNID.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... RNID rnid.org.uk Owner: RNID Agency: Interesource Content 22/25 Usability 20/25 Branding 19/25 Monetisation 19/25 Total 80/100 The RNID Web site, relaunched last month, provides a wealth of...

Fulfilment: travel4less.co.uk.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... travel4less.co.uk Site founded: 2002 Selection: Owned by Lastminute.com, this is essentially a portal for a series of '4less'-branded sites offering holidays, hotels, flights, cruises and travel insurance, plus car hire from...

ITV creates consumer division to lead the way into digital age.
May 12, 2005... ITV has kickstarted a strategy to reinvent itself as a totally digital broadcaster capable of reaching audiences on demand through emerging interactive platforms. The UK's largest commercial TV network has appointed Jeff Henry to head...

Mobile TV trial assigns first channels.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... BSkyB, Cartoon Network and Discovery Channel are among the channels to be announced on the UK's first trial of live digital TV to mobile phones. The trial is being run by O2 and NTL Broadcast, which announced the first details of the...

HP triples online spend for record attempt.
May 12, 2005... Hewlett-Packard will triple its online ad spend over the next six months to promote its attempt to win a Guinness World Record for holding the largest photo exhibition ever. The company has just kicked off a new brand awareness campaign in...

PokerStars in cross-media campaign for Europe launch.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... PokerStars.com, the world's second largest poker site, is preparing a massive cross-media campaign to mark its launch in Europe within weeks. The budget for the launch will be in the tens of millions of pounds and will be the first...