New Media Age articles from May 2008

New Media Age archives from May 2008

Virgin Radio partners with Endemol for web TV series.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Virgin Radio has revealed plans to become a "multi-media network" after partnering with international production company Endemol to produce a weekly online TV series. The move, the first time Endemol has worked with a radio brand,...

Bacardi ignites global digital plan.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Bacardi Global Brands has launched a global digital strategy with a central hub featuring portals for brands such as Martini and Bacardi. The strategy is the result of a two-year digital realignment of the brand. The "digital engine room"...

Microsoft overhauls Live Search to prove value.
May 1, 2008... Microsoft has overhauled Live Search and AdCenter to convince advertisers and consumers it remains a major player in the search market. The technology giant has admitted it has failed to drive the traffic figures that agencies wanted. ...

Sky to produce TV programme listing guide for UK viewers.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Sky is to launch an online electronic programme guide (EPG) to provide UK viewers with a comprehensive TV listings service. The Online Sky Guide has more than 600 channels and up to seven days' advance programme listings, along with...

Coca-Cola develops Facebook application for its Fanta brand.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Coca-Cola is to run a Facebook application for its Fanta brand following the success of its Burn Alter Ego application. Stafford Green, head of interactive marketing for Coca-Cola Europe, said it was developing an interactive application as...

Totaljobs.com sponsors GMG radio site.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Totaljobs.com, the online recruitment group, has signed a deal to sponsor the listen live functionality across GMG Radio's Smooth, Century and Real brands. The deal covers the GMG radio stations' websites, which have relaunched with media...

Times Online to join forces with WSJ to monetise US readership.
May 1, 2008... Times Online plans to collaborate with News Corp's newly acquired Wall Street Journal website to monetise its huge US-based readership. Times bosses believe there are opportunities to cross-sell advertising between the two newspaper...

Nestle to reveal Senses site as part of wider overhaul.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Nestle is set to reveal the digital element of the Kit Kat Senses brand launch following the overhaul of its wider Kit Kat site. Next week the brand will unveil the site for Senses, which has been heavily promoted on TV and in the press in...

Popbitch adds radio station and e-zine to its online brand.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Popbitch has launched a radio station and e-zine as the pop culture and gossip site extends its online brand. Radiopopbitch.com includes more than 20,000 tracks, which listeners can vote for to create a user-generated playlist. ...

Second-hand car dealers buy into mobile.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Second-hand car dealership network Mercedes-Benz Approved Used has started using mobile across its portfolio to boost sales. Second-hand vehicles in the manufacturer's network of showrooms were tagged with a unique code last week, which,...

Virgin Media seeks mobile partner for its display advertising offering.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Virgin Media, which sells advertising for Virgin Mobile, searching for a partner to see it become the last major operator to offer display advertising on its portal. The announcement, which follows recent moves from 3, O2, Orange,...

Carling goes wild as it tries to pull in visitors to revamped site.(Carling Brewing Co.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Carling has rolled out its first through-the-line campaign to encourage people to visit the recently relaunched Carling.com. The campaign is focused around the Wild West-themed TV spot, which premieres this week, as well as an email...

Reebok extends global reach via mobile.(Reebok International Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Reebok is to use mobile as a key part of its global digital strategy. The sportswear manufacturer, which soft-launched its website designed by Carat International last week (NMA 24.04.08), is to integrate mobile across the site to reach...

Londonelects.com will be first to reveal new mayor.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Londoners will be able to watch the mayoral elections live online tomorrow morning (2 May) at the London Elects website and be the first to know the winner. The site, Londonelects.com, will receive a live feed from City Hall throughout the...

Northcliffe Media gets personal as it aims to engage online readers.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Northcliffe Media, one of the UK's biggest publishers of local newspapers, is to roll out user-generated content, personalisation and local tools on its sites up and down the country. The company, which owns all the This Is sites, except...

Asda FS outsources search and display ad campaign.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Asda Financial Services (AFS) has launched a search and display campaign for its loans and credit cards, after outsourcing its media for the first time. AFS and its partners, GE Consumer Credit Services and GE Capital Bank, appointed TBG...

Channel 4 plans to put nation's favourite eateries on the map.(Channel 4 Television Co.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Channel 4 is to launch an online project to compile a user-generated resource of the nation's favourite local food places. The Big British Food Map, which launches next week, aims to generate a community of users who will contribute...

CNN extends with video Google gadget.
May 1, 2008... CNN International has signed a deal to expand its strategy of pushing online video by launching a video-enabled Google Gadget that will sit on iGoogle. The move follows what the firm claims is the success of its YouTube channel. The...

Kinder drops child-focused UK site for parental advice and activities.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Confectionery brand Kinder has gone live with an adult-focused site for its UK users following concerns about targeting children with its pan- European site. Kinder-UK has been developed as a replacement for British users of the...

NMA opens vote for individual contribution to new media 08.(Awards list)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Voting has opened for the Greatest Individual Contribution to New Media category in the 2008 NMA Effectiveness Awards. The shortlist consists of: 1. Wayne Arnold, chairman, IPA Digital & European CEO, Profero; 2. Matt Brittin, UK...

Admob plans first London office.(Admob is to open its first European office in London )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Off-portal mobile ad network Admob is to open its first European office in London along with a set of analytics tools. The company, which served its 20 billionth ad last month, has its headquarters in California. Admob said the move...

Colgate plans major digital push as it looks to increase online spend.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Toothpaste brand Colgate is preparing for a major push in digital marketing as it looks to increase its online spend. The company will launch three campaigns this year, kicking off with a Colgate Total promotion in August. This will be...

MoD uses online to drive Veterans Day.(ministry of defense )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The Ministry of Defence has launched an online campaign to help make Veterans Day on 27 June as respected as Remembrance Sunday. The COI campaign, which includes online ads directing people to a website, is intended to help make the...

Weetabix targets schools with online healthy eating promo.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Weetabix has rolled out a major online project as the breakfast cereal looks to promote healthy eating and exercise in schools. The Weetabix School Sports campaign is centred around a comprehensive campaign site, which includes...

3 Revamps news portal to improve experience.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Mobile operator 3 has revamped the news and information service on its Planet 3 portal. The News Agent service, managed by Momac, went live last week and gives visitors the opportunity to subscribe to premium content from a range of...

Rock Sound magazine makes video content central to site.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Alternative music magazine Rock Sound has relaunched its site with a focus on online video. The independent monthly magazine has introduced online video onto the site for the first time. It's working with internet TV platform Brightcove...

Consumers are ready for mobile shopping.(Survey)
May 1, 2008... Lightspeed Research has just surveyed 1,000 UK panellists to evaluate the likely take up of mobile shopping. Following a recent trial by Tesco on Valentines' Day and Mother's Day allowing customers to order flowers directly from their...

Half of UK internet users claim to have never clicked on a banner ad.(survey)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Half of British internet users (50%) have never clicked on a banner ad, according to research. Just 6% of respondents said they click on banner ads several times a month while one in 20 (5%) said they do it daily, online survey provider...

For facebook success brands must stand out.
May 1, 2008... Brands should operate caution before rushing to launch applications on Facebook. Standing out in a crowded marketplace is tough, but engaging users is even harder. Last week NMA highlighted poor levels of user take up for branded...

Brands see value of global digital vision.
May 1, 2008... It may very well be called the world wide web but the approach to the internet by many brands has been far from global. The last few years have seen digital becoming an increasingly crucial element of a brand's marketing and business...

Wide online distribution gives publishers the upper hand.
May 1, 2008... The case of motor racing [FIA] president Max Mosley and his liaison with five prostitutes has generated plenty of column inches of late. The case has not only aroused the interest of News of the World readers but it has also whipped up...

LETTER: Relevancy is essential for vertical search.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... From Janak Mistry, UK country manager, NetBooster Universal search has been around since June 2007, however many people are still unaware that specialised (vertical) search facilities are out there. Much has been said about integrating...

LETTER: The right communication for Facebook apps.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... From William Makower, MD, Panlogic Our experience developing branded apps is rather contrary to your article (NMA 24.04.08). The NSPCC's Facebook app received over 26,000 downloads and was responsible for over 30% of the traffic to its...

LETTER: Innovative thinking to beat credit crunch.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... From Richard Rowley, head of media sales, ATM:ad Could the continued squeeze on marketing budgets herald a new era of smarter thinking and see more marketers and planners exploring the UK's wealth of non-traditional media as a way of...

OPINION: From unknown and unwanted online finally comes of age.
May 1, 2008... A lot of water has passed under the bridge since 1998. It's strange to think that New Labour took to power before the internet began to rattle through more than a handful of the nation's phone lines. But, just as in politics, ten years is a...

AD WATCH: Pot Noodle's cut-price viral film proves a hit with viewers.
May 1, 2008... Is it pushing boundaries? Does it represent a new dawn in the way consumers interact with brands? Is it different, innovative or otherwise going to set the technorati's tongues wagging? Questions we at Republic ask ourselves daily. For want of...

PROFILE - FEARGAL SHARKEY: Maintaining composure.
May 1, 2008... From music maker to saviour, Feargal Sharkey is determined that musicians should still receive royalties as the industry goes through turmoil. Michael Nutley reports Feargal Sharkey faces a seemingly impossible task. The former singer for...

OUTSOURCING: Expert advice.
May 1, 2008... Outsourcing is no bad thing for the industry as client, agency and digital specialist can all benefit. But is it always a win-win situation? Jennifer Whitehead finds outs In last year's NMA Top 100 Interactive Agencies Guide, the entrants...

OUTSOURCING: GT's 3D expansion.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Creative agency GT works on Christian Aid's digital account. As part of last year's Christian Aid Week, it came up with the concept of a website that would encourage people to donate, not necessarily in huge amounts, but at a level where...

DIGITAL THINKERS: Against the tide.
May 1, 2008... Author and entrepreneur Andrew Keen delights in challenging digital media trends. He talks to Michael Nutley about the death of Web 2.0 and the future of the industry Andrew Keen is the self-styled "antichrist of Silicon Valley". A former...

MOVES: Twentysix London.(appointment of Joe Sinclair at Twentysix London )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Full service digital agency Twentysix London has appointed Joe Sinclair as new business manager. He joins the agency from a similar role at Upfront Business Development. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: iCrossing.(appointment of Tamsin Hemingray at iCrossing )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Digital marketing agency iCrossing has recruited Tamsin Hemingray as content and media strategist. She joins the team after more than four years leading the online editorial team in the Home Office Corporate Communications Unit. ...

MOVES: Incentivated.(appointment of Eleanor Ryan at Incentivated)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Mobile marketing agency Incentivated has boosted its team. Account manager Eleanor Ryan joins from Mediadeck. Also, Jo Cotton who joined the company in 2006 as account manager has been promoted to account director. Copyright: Centaur...

MOVES: Stream:20.(Raffaele Paria appointed at Stream:20 )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Online marketing consultancy Stream:20 has made two key hires. Raffaele Paria joins as senior online marketing consultant from AOL while Jay Shah starts as online marketing consultant from Media Contacts. Copyright: Centaur...

MOVES: Online Media Group.(appointment of Mark Solway and Giles Hunt)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Internet advertising company Online Media Group (OMG) has appointed two directors. Director of research Mark Solway was formerly OMG's head of IT development. Meanwhile, Giles Hunt has been promoted to IT director from senior developer. ...

MOVES: MarketingNet.(appointment of Michael Pope, Rachel Goth and Dominique Alder)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Web agency MarketingNet has appointed three recruits to its team. Michael Pope, previously with Acturis, joins as web developer focusing on the 3M account. Designer Rachel Goth starts from Net Revenue while account executive Dominique Alder...

MOVES: World Archipelago UK.(David Jones appointed at World Archipelago UK)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... David Jones has been appointed divisional director for World Archipelago UK, he was previously head of new business UK in WAI. Russell Douglas also starts as divisional director for WAI Property, he joins from Black Sun. Meanwhile, the agency...

SITE INSPECTION: Vogue.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Vogue.com Owner: CondeNet International Agency: In-house Content 23/25 Usability 19/25 Branding 16/25 Monetisation 21/25 Total 79/100 I don't know anything...

SITE INSPECTION: I love design.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... ilovedesign.com Owner: Quark Agency: Neoco Content 17/25 Usability 16/25 Branding 22/25 Monetisation 14/25 Total 69/100 While the most-talked about social networks...

SITE INSPECTION: Subaru Impreza.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Subasonic.com Owner: Subaru Agency: Elvis Content 15/25 Usability 14/25 Branding 23/25 Monetisation 16/25 Total 68/100 This site contains wonderful copy like: 'The...

FULFILMENT: bbemusic.com.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Founded Site launched 1998 Selection Founded by two London DJs, this record label focuses on hip-hop and dance with some reggae thrown in. As well as vinyl and CDs, the site offers clubbing merchandise such as T-shirts. ...

Legal trouble looms for brands in bidding deals.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Brands could be facing massive fines for flouting competition laws by entering into 'gentlemen's agreements' following the lifting of Google's trademark bidding restrictions, according to legal specialists. NMA understands that many...

Broadsheets up social media plans.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Two of the UK's leading quality newspapers are readying themselves for major plays in the social media space this summer. The Guardian and The Telegraph are finalising plans to bring in elements of personalisation, user content and...

Combined online and TV ads are most effective.
May 8, 2008... Marketing campaigns that combine online and TV advertising can increase brand perception and the likelihood of consumer purchase by up to 50%, research has found. The findings from a joint research project by the Internet Advertising...

Sony and Sky plan July beta launch of PSP VoD service.(PlayStation Portable video-on-demand service)(Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC )(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Go!View, the PlayStation Portable video-on-demand service from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and BSkyB, will see its long-awaited launch in beta this July. Sony and Sky will launch a dedicated website and user interface in July to...

Camelot takes cross-platform approach to boost online sales.(Camelot Group PLC)(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... The National Lottery operator Camelot has launched a cross-platform campaign in an attempt to boost online ticket sales. The objective behind the five-figure promotion is to boost sales from infrequent online players. The 'It's not...

ConstructionSkills drops TV ads for online.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Careers quango ConstructionSkills will drop all TV advertising in favour of online social media in its next campaign targeting young people. The Positive Image campaign, which aims to get young people interested in careers in...

Ford extends online lifestyle show Bite with user-generated activity.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Ford has extended Bite, its online lifestyle show promoting its Fiesta and Ka brands, in association with Channel 4, to include user-generated content and social networking activity following the success of its first series earlier this...

Innocent uses web to support second tree-planting drive.(Innocent Drinks )(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Innocent Drinks has launched a major online campaign, 'Buy one grow one tree', to support its sustainable tree-planting initiative. The campaign, created by digital agency Soup, is the follow-up to last year's 'Buy one get one tree'...

Revlon pushes Charlie brand to teen girls across platforms.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Cosmetic giant Revlon has begun a ten-month cross-platform marketing campaign to push its Charlie fragrance to teenage girls. The campaign will run across several online destinations including GirlLand, MySpace, MTV and a dedicated...

DirectGov prepares mobile site reshuffle.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... DirectGov plans to overhaul its mobile site and launch a major mobile marketing push. The public information service is setting up its first mobile shortcode. This will feature on the DirectGov website and its ad campaigns to send...

Canon launches digital drive for sponsorship of Euro 2008.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Canon has launched a digital campaign as part of the electronics company's sponsorship of the UEFA Euro 2008 football tournament. Developed by digital shops Grand Union and Skive, it centres around a campaign site, You Can't Keep A Good...

Age Concern puts LifeBook online.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Charity Age Concern has made a major digital push with the launch of its online LifeBook service. The move comes in response to the increased use of the internet by the elderly. The LifeBook service lets users collate and store...

Fashion retailer East starts search for agencies to push online store.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Women's fashion retailer East is seeking a search and affiliate specialist following the unveiling of its first transactional site. The mid-range retailer said it wants the site to be as significant a sales outlet as its core stores by...

YouthNet charity uses viral films to push festival guide.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... YouthNet, the online charity for young people, has launched a series of viral films to promote its new online guide to helping them survive the music festival season. The guide is available through the charity's website TheSite.org,...

Universal Music plans major web overhaul for three labels.(The Creative Corporation )(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Universal Music is to redesign the sites of three of its major record labels. The sites for Island, Mercury and Polydor will be overhauled in a bid to increase interaction with fans. Digital branding agency The Creative Corporation...

Multimap GM takes mapping at Microsoft.(Multimap general manager)(appointment of Jim Cruickshank )(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Multimap general manager for B2C Jim Cruickshank as been appointed Microsoft EMEA director of mapping, local and shopping. Cruickshank, who joined Multimap in July last year - five months before the mapping specialist was bought by...

Nivea in three-week sponsorship deal for Race for Life on iVillage.(Nivea France partnership with iVillage Inc.,)(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Skincare brand Nivea has signed a three-week content partnership deal with women's portal iVillage. The Beiersdorf-owned brand has agreed to sponsor the Get Fit area of iVillage as the focal point of its Do Something Beautiful campaign....

Lycos upgrades chat and email services with Web 2.0 features.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Lycos will upgrade its chat and email services with Web 2.0 applications as part of a move to bring its communications hub up to date. Lycos, which positions itself as an entertainment and lifestyle portal, is to expand the two services...

Ad network EType opens Irish office.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Ad network EType has opened an office in Ireland to take advantage of the country's booming web market. EType, whose clients include Amazon and Ministry of Sound and Miniclip, has also revealed plans to set up an office in Germany this...

Amnesty looks to utilise social media in latest global campaign.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Amnesty International is to launch a multi-language online ad campaign as the human rights charity ups its digital activity. The international campaigning group has appointed search agency Propellernet to manage its natural and paid...

MySupermarket personalises service via loyalty points deal.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... MySupermarket.co.uk, the grocery shopping comparison service, is to personalise its service for users as it looks to strengthen its recognition as an ecommerce site. The company, which allows people to compare prices from Asda, Ocado,...

Paramount puts Iron Man in Second Life.(Paramount Pictures International )(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Paramount Pictures International has launched an interactive campaign in Second Life to promote the release of Iron Man. The campaign has brought the comic-book character to life in the virtual world through the creation of an avatar,...

Harrods uses QR codes for designer campaign.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Harrods is using mobile quick-response (QR) codes for the first time as the London store aims to broaden its target audience. Harrods has placed QR codes - coded graphics that link consumers directly to mobile sites when scanned by a...

Lifeboat charity applies site templates for brand uniformity.(Walker Digital appointed at Royal National Lifeboat Institution )(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Life-saving charity the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has appointed Walker Digital to handle its brand online. The charity, which puts its annual running costs at #122m, relies solely on voluntary contributions, corporate...

ANALYST SPEAK: Hotels must up their game for online users.(Survey)
May 8, 2008... The internet has revolutionised much of the travel industry. Airlines have restructured the way they sell their product as well as the product they sell, and independent high street travel agents have disappeared while Expedia and...

Majority of online shoppers bypass ecommerce sites' home pages.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Consumers spend an average of three minutes visiting an ecommerce site, research by Pindar Graphics has concluded. The design and build agency measured site performance across more than 60 ecommerce websites that it hosts. Just four...

ANALYSIS: UK papers must decide their audiences' value.
May 8, 2008... With latest ABCE figures showing much of UK newspaper sites' readership is overseas, how can papers monetise this audience, or should they even be trying? Last week it emerged that Times Online was looking into potential tie- ups with...

COMMENT: Trademark bidding gets off to flying start.
May 8, 2008... Fresh from last month's announcement of its investigation into price fixing by the UK's four big supermarkets, the Office of Fair Trading may have a new challenge on its hands. NMA has discovered that a number of gentleman's agreements not...

The campaign is just the start of customer communications.
May 8, 2008... I spent some time recently with some great digital work from Asia and there was one piece that, for a couple of outrageously big reasons, stood out from the crowd. A campaign for Pepsi was, on the face of it, a pretty run-of-the-mill...

LETTER: Email marketing fulfils users' needs no longer.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2008... From Steve Morris, CEO, Elertz Tricia Robinson-Pridemore makes an interesting observation in her sponsor's foreword to your Customer Contact Special (NMA 14.02.08). Organisations do need to regain consumers' trust. But can they when 43%...

LETTER: Branded content needs to offer users more.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2008... From Dan Williamson, head of content, Cimex Media Mark Maddox makes a great case for the value of branded content in an increasingly ad-averse climate (Profile, NMA 17.04.08), but it's important to note just how easy it is to get content...

LETTER: Maximise the benefits of being online.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2008... From Andy Wood, MD, GI Insight Your report on research from Global Reviews into credit card websites (NMA 17.04.08) exemplifies the problem with online customer management and advertising. We know there's a steady transfer of marketing...

OPINION: Use podcast advertising to meet an engaged audience.
May 8, 2008... Internet video is white hot and advertisers are finding ways to incorporate their messages into the streams. Podcasting - untethered audio and video content on portable devices such as iPods, iPhones and MP3 players - also continues to grow...