New Media Age articles from September 2006

New Media Age archives from September 2006

ITV and Sky square up over web coverage of Champions League.
September 7, 2006... Sky and ITV are going head to head with plans to broadcast live UEFA Champions League matches over the internet for the first time. The UK's two largest commercial broadcasters will battle for revenue when they extend their coverage of...

Dr Martens builds branded social site.
September 7, 2006... Dr Martens has invested in an ambitious social networking project that marks one of the biggest brand ventures into the sector to date. The Airwair-owned shoe brand has created an all-Flash social networking site with MySpace-like...

IASH admits auditing isn't rigorous enough.(Internet Advertising Sales House)
September 7, 2006... Members of the Internet Advertising Sales House (IASH) have admitted the committee's auditing methods for online ad networks will not go far enough to ensure clients' ads won't end up on disreputable websites. ABC Electronic will be...

Kate Burns takes charge of AdLink's search plans.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Former Google UK MD Kate Burns has resurfaced at digital media group AdLink, where she will be spearheading the group's entry into the search market. Burns, who left Google in June, will be working across the UK and 15 markets in Europe...

Affiliate networks claim broader service hindered by industry perception.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Affiliate network companies that provide complete online ad services are being held back by a perception within the industry that they only run affiliate networks, according to TradeDoubler COO Will Cooper. His comments come as...

Colgate aims to make viewers smile with mobile campaign.(Colgate-Palmolive Co. contracts with Channel 4 Television Co.)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Colgate-Palmolive is giving consumers the chance to appear on TV with the launch of an integrated mobile and red-button campaign. In an attempt to promote its Oral Health Month, the FMCG giant is asking viewers to use their mobile phones...

Sony puts web in front line of console war against Nintendo.(Sony (U.K.) Ltd)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Sony is to give the web a major role in its battle against arch-rival Nintendo as both gaming companies prepare to launch their latest consoles before Christmas. Global entertainment giant Sony sees online as a perfect platform for...

Full Circle fashion brand overhauls site in etail move.(contracts with Golley Slater Digital)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Fashion brand Full Circle is to sell clothes online for the first time, as part of a new online strategy that will see it overhaul its existing web presence. The revamped Full Circle site will see the brand make the transition from...

Nike invites customers to beat sports heroes in Air campaign.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Nike has launched an interactive marketing campaign supporting its 'Festival of Air' initiative based at its flagship UK store in London. The five-week campaign celebrates Nike Air's 27th 'year of innovation' by challenging customers to...

AOP announces shortlist for 2006 awards.(Association of Online Publishers)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... The rise in user-generated content in 2006 and its influence in digital media has been reflected in the shortlist for the annual UK Association of Online Publishers (AOP) awards. BBC.co.uk/radio1, Guardian.co.uk, NewScientist.com,...

BREAKING: Aegis reveals digital takes 19% of ad spend.(Aegis Group PLC)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Global ad network Aegis has revealed that digital marketing accounted for 19% of its overall revenue in the first half of 2006, up from 13% in the same period last year. Announcing its interim financial results, the company said that its...

BREAKING: The Sun revamps site with 24hr video service.(contracts with Enpocket)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... The Sun is to offer mobile display advertising on its off-portal WAP site Sun Mobile, in an exclusive deal with mobile marketing company Enpocket. Ads supplied by Enpocket will appear as text links and graphical banners that users can click...

BREAKING: Euro RSCG KLP creates campaign for TDA.(Training and Development Agency For Schools)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Marketing communications agency Euro RSCG KLP has created a new interactive digital marketing campaign for the Training and Development Agency For Schools (TDA), to boost teacher recruitment. The campaign takes users of the teach.gov website on...

IN BRIEF: Agent Provocateur to stream films on new site.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Agent Provocateur has redesigned its website to promote its latest ranges of designer underwear. The site, made by Large, will also stream a series of short films starring supermodel Kate Moss. The Mike Figgis- directed The Four Dreams of Miss...

IN BRIEF: Bacardi launches 2006 online DJ contest.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Bacardi is launching the 2006 version of its interactive music mixer with an online DJ contest and MP3 downloads. Bacardi DJ is offering aspiring DJs the chance to win the 'life of a DJ for the weekend', Numark DJ equipment and the chance to...

IN BRIEF: LA Fitness goes online to attract new members.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Gym chain LA Fitness has launched its second online ad campaign, exclusively aimed at attracting new members. The campaign will run throughout September with targeted advertising across MSN Mail, Yahoo! Mail and the ANM network by media agency...

IN BRIEF: Steel appoints director of strategic planning.(Jagruti Vasanji )(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Digital agency Steel has appointed Jagruti Vasanji as its new director of strategic planning. She will focus on combining emerging technologies with suitable online strategies to best assist the company's clients. Vasanji has worked on the...

HMV revamps download store to take on supermarket rivals.
September 7, 2006... HMV is relaunching its music download store to offer a more bespoke service, in order to take on rival offerings from supermarket chain Tesco and internet giant MSN. The move comes exactly one year after HMV first unveiled its music...

Virgin Games widens online offer to include sports betting.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Virgin Games is to ramp up its online gaming service to offer punters a full range of betting games. The company currently offers poker, casino, bingo and skill games, but is planning to increase its offering to include sports betting and...

Londoners' email community relaunches.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... London by London, the weekly email connecting Londoners, is being relaunched as a social network. The 15,000-strong community has been renamed Fridaycities:London and plans to roll out localised versions in New York, Sydney, Glasgow and...

National Geographic Channel adds first red-button content.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... National Geographic Channel is launching an interactive TV service that will allow digital satellite viewers to press red during its programmes for the first time. The broadcaster is making its most significant foray into iTV with an...

P&G makes sport-based digital drive for Gillette Fusion range.(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... P&G has launched a major digital drive across multiple territories to promote its new Gillette Fusion razor, including a branded 'Locker Room' campaign site for UK audiences. The Locker Room features news and information about English...

UKTV Food sees surge in traffic to Local Hero website.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... UKTV Food's first 360-degree commission, Local Hero 2006, has increased traffic to the channel's website by more than 100%. The broadcaster claims the launch of a user-generated web directory aimed at finding Britain's ultimate food hero...

Yahoo! looks at adding visual element to Answers service.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Search giant Yahoo! has hinted that it may add a visual element to its Yahoo! Answers service, which launched across Europe earlier this week. Yahoo! Answers allows users to ask and answer questions on any topic without relying on an...

Cosmos joins AffiliateFuture's network.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Cosmos, the UK's largest tour operator, has made its first foray into affiliate marketing by joining AffiliateFuture's network of web publishers. Both Cosmos and its sister brand Cosmos Tourama, which specialises in escorted touring...

IN BRIEF: Niall FitzGerald to speak at IAB's Engage 2006.(Internet Advertising Bureau)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has signed former Unilever chairman Niall FitzGerald to speak at its online marketing conference, Engage 2006. FitzGerald, who is now chairman of Reuters, worked at Unilever for over 30 years and instigated...

IN BRIEF: Reading Room prepares to open New York office.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Digital creative agency Reading Room is looking to open an office in New York as part of a company-wide expansion. CEO Margaret Manning has recently been in the city scouting potential locations and possible partner companies. She is clear...

IN BRIEF: OTP Media opens London office amid client wins.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Oxfordshire-based online ad network OTP Media is opening its first London office and has announced two client wins. OTP Media's Soho Square office opens this week with a four-strong sales team. The move coincides with two new client wins:...

Heart radio appoints internet controller for website overhaul.(Samantha Fanning)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Chrysalis-owned radio brand Heart is investing heavily in overhauling its portfolio of websites to be more like MySpace and YouTube. The company has appointed Samantha Fanning to the newly created role of internet controller. She will...

Capita searches for interactive agency to boost digital offering.(Capita Group PLC)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Billion-pound outsourcing firm Capita is looking to buy an interactive agency to work with its learning and development department as it looks to ramp up its web and mobile services. The company said that it's seeking a design and build...

AOL UK sells gig tracks on iTunes.(AOL UK is teaming up with Apple's iTunes Music Store)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... AOL UK is teaming up with Apple's iTunes Music Store to offer music tracks from its AOL Sessions gigs. From this week, a live version of indie rock band Muse's new single 'Starlight' will be available to buy on iTunes for 79p. Similarly,...

Five sets prices for download service.(FiveTV)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Five will charge web users between #1.49 and #2.49 to download episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation when it launches its video-on-demand (VOD) service later this month. The UK commercial broadcaster has partnered with BT, Entriq,...

First ABCE email audit shows consumer response to medium.(ABC Electronic)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... ABC Electronic has completed its first audit of an email campaign for personal finance site Interactive Investor, to show how people react to emails. The ABCE and Jicwebs audit tested two targeted email campaigns sent by Interactive...

Analyst Speak: UK consumers maintain resolve amid travel woe.
September 7, 2006... In one of the busiest months for holidaymakers, the travel industry was hit hard by an averted terrorist plot and the ensuing stories and images of queues at the major airports. Anxious travellers were then hit with threats of a strike at...

IN BRIEF: Freeserve founder offers trail-free browser.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Ajaz Ahmed, founder of Freeserve, has launched a free web browser that claims to protect the privacy of its users by not leaving a history trail. Browzar automatically deletes its cache, history, cookies and auto-complete forms. It's...

IN BRIEF: Commodore launches multimedia player.(Commodore International Ltd., Gravel In Pocket)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Digital media entertainment company Commodore has announced the launch of its Gravel In Pocket multimedia player. The In Pocket player is a multimedia device that can play all major audio and video file formats. It comes with 1Gb or 2Gb of...

IN BRIEF: Operative opens second European office in France.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Online ad software specialist Operative is opening an office in France next month, with plans to roll out hubs in Germany and Spain from next year. The Paris office will open with two UK executives at the helm: technical account manager...

Qode technology enables fast linking to the mobile internet.(NeoMedia Technologies)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... NeoMedia Technologies has launched its patented Qode technology, which connects mobile phone users directly to information on the mobile internet via a barcode or keyword. The downloadable Qode Reader software automatically links to an...

Babble provides low-cost VoIP via preloaded memory stick.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... VoIP specialist Babble is set to take on market leader Skype with the launch of the BabbleStick, a USB memory stick that comes preloaded with Babble's VoIP software. When plugged into a computer, the 256Mb memory stick automatically...

Google releases OCR engine that reads handwriting.(optical character recognition)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Google has announced the release of an optical character recognition (OCR) engine that can read and translate pages of handwritten text. Currently the Tesseract tool can only translate English-language text and struggles with anything...

Brands tap into popularity of viral but fail on creative content.
September 7, 2006... The popularity of viral content among brand advertisers is fuelling a move towards creative conservatism in the sector, according to a report from viral seeding agency Kontraband. Large corporations and financial institutions are cited as...

IN BRIEF: Asia-Pacific and Europe to lead mobile gambling.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Asia-Pacific and Europe will take a clear lead in the mobile gambling market, according to forecasts from Juniper Research. The Asia Pacific region is expected to take $8.8bn (#4.62bn) in revenue by 2011, through a combination of casino,...

IN BRIEF: British youngsters happy to receive mobile ads.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Almost half of all 16-25-year-olds are happy to receive ads through their mobile phones in exchange for content, according to findings from mobile content provider Pitch. Of the 1,700 Britons who took part in the survey, young people were found...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Sky reviews ad policy after iTV research.(Sky Television PLC)
September 7, 2006... Following the first findings from its Sky View audience measurement panel, the broadcaster is considering upping the number of iTV ads during commercial breaks Sky is reviewing its policy of only running one iTV ad during commercial breaks...

COMMENT: The need to yield to community control.(Column)
September 7, 2006... "Online communities built by brands are like the company towns of the industrial age. We tried them a few times in the US and they don't work." This was the view expressed by blogger and author Shel Israel at NMK's Content 2.0 event...

Harsher consequences needed for denial-of-service attacks.
September 7, 2006... In the first case of its kind, an employee has been convicted under the Computer Misuse Act (CMA) 1990 for a denial-of-service attack. This is when an action or series of actions consumes so much of a system's available resource that it can...

LETTER: Virals survive through adaptation and change.(Letter to the editor)
September 7, 2006... Equating viral advertising to its biological counterpart is an interesting analogy (Mike Pearson's Opinion, NMA 10.08.06), not least because it has more in common than a simple propensity to spread itself around in an organic fashion....

LETTER: Mobile TV covered by existing licensing.(Letter to the editor)
September 7, 2006... John Hemming MP's question about whether or not you need a TV licence for your mobile phone (NMA 03.08.06) can easily be answered. In the UK you need to be covered by a valid TV licence to use any device (including mobile phones) to...

OPINION: Consumers need easing into the world of mobile internet.(Column)
September 7, 2006... There's a lot of talk about the open internet - how mobile phone networks are merely pipes and the future fruits of the mobile experience are all growing in the more mature pastures of the internet. It makes a great deal of sense. Why reinvent...

AD WATCH: Excitement and stimulation from the unlikeliest of places.
September 7, 2006... It's a typically broad and varied bunch of campaigns up for review this month, from local council services to the BBC Proms. I'm genuinely hoping that the creativity is as eclectic and original as the clients that have commissioned the work....

PROFILE - WILL COOPER: New horizons.
September 7, 2006... Will Cooper of TradeDoubler has seen the company grow beyond its affiliate marketing origins. Now he wants the FMCG and auto sectors to take notice. Will Cooper reports Looking out from TradeDoubler's new, not-quite-finished offices on the...

FULFILMENT: More to door.
September 7, 2006... While the ecommerce sector rests on efficient delivery, customers are more interested in knowing when an order will arrive than getting it quickly, reports Sean Hargrave Although some consumers may have been confused at the Post Office...

FULFILMENT: Reaction to Royal Mail's price changes.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Opinion on the Royal Mail varies greatly. Mark Chapman, MD of photo print and accessories site, Photobox, believes the national institution offers unrivalled service. "It's much maligned but we've used it since day one and currently use it for...

DIGITAL THINKERS: Social connections.(Get Back in the Box: Innovation from the Inside Out)(Book review)
September 7, 2006... In his latest book, media theorist Douglas Rushkoff says that it's our need to connect with one another, to gain 'social currency', that brands should understand and feed Douglas Rushkoff is an author and teacher who has written ten...

Moves: Touch Clarity.(promoted Mike Harris )(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... On-site behaviour specialist Touch Clarity has promoted Mike Harris to the position of VP Sales, EMEA. The role will see Harris take a particular responsibility for growing the sales team across the continent. He was previously sales director....

Moves: Sophos.(appointed Fraser Howard )(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... IT security specialist Sophos has appointed Fraser Howard as principal virus researcher. He joins from McAfee where he managed anti-malware researchers across the EMEA region. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Moves: H30 Media.(appointed Claire Bloxham )(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Brighton-based full service digital agency H3O Media has appointed Claire Bloxham as new business development manager. She joins from GCap, formerly Capital Radio Group. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Moves: Salesforce.com.(appointed Lindsey Armstrong)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Salesforce.com has recruited Lindsey Armstrong as co-president EMEA. She previously held senior positions at Veritas and most recently at Symantec as senior VP. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Moves: National Geographic.(appointed Sandra Brown )(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... National Geographic has appointed Sandra Brown to take up the newly created role of head of business development for digital media. Brown joins from Hutchison 3G, where she was entertainment product manager. Copyright: Centaur...

Moves: The NewsMarket.(promoted Romina Rosado)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... The media's online source for video, The NewsMarket, has promoted Romina Rosado to MD for Europe. Since joining in 2002, Rosado has worked with Adidas, Google and Motorola. She previously headed the New York-based clients and media relations...

Moves: Play.(appointed Jon Sharpe and promoted Matt Gorzkowski and Darren Navier)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Ad agency Play has announced the appointment of Jon Sharpe as creative director. He had held the position of MD since co-founding the company in 2002. Former client services director Matt Gorzkowski will now become MD, and former creative...

Moves: Initiative.(Initiative Media London appointed Neil McMonagle and Doug Chisholm)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Initiative has announced the appointment of Neil McMonagle as online media executive, to work across the Tesco and Johnson & Johnson accounts. He joins from Tribal DDB. The full service agency has also announced the promotion of former...

Moves: Digimedia.(appointed Steve Baker )(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Steve Baker has been appointed MD of Leeds-based new media agency, Digimedia. Baker has three years' experience in new media. He joins from Bloom Media where he was business development manager. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

Moves: Global Beach.(appointed Jackie Lawton )(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Former national retail CRM manager for Mercedes-Benz Jackie Lawton has been recruited by Global Beach. She will head the digital marketing group's CRM department. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Site inspection: Talksport.(Website overview)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Talksport.net Owner: Talksport Agency: UTV Content 15/25 Usability 18/25 Branding 20/25 Monetisation 23/25 Total 76/100 For UK sports fans Talksport needs little introduction, with its strict late-night discussion format...

Site inspection: Christy.(Website overview)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Christy-towels.com Owner: Christy UK Agency: Code Computer Love Content 20/25 Usability 19/25 Branding 21/25 Monetisation 13/25 TOTAL 73/100 Christy calls itself the UK's leading brand for bath towels, with a heritage...

Site inspection: The X Factor.(Website overview)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Xfactor.tv Owner: Fremantle Media Agency: @www Content 22/25 Usability 18/25 Branding 24/25 Monetisation 6/25 Total 70/100 ITV's The X Factor returns for a third series with an accompanying website as brash, bold and...

Fulfilment: unsaleable.com.(Website overview)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Founded: June 2005 Selection An eclectic mix of vintage Polaroid instant cameras, film and accessories, Vienna shoulderbags from Austria and belts with LED buckles. Technical problems None on a Mac using Safari. ...

Industry fails to protect kids from inappropriate advertising.
September 14, 2006... Children have been directly exposed to fast food and gambling ads due to the online industry's inability to effectively target ads. An NMA investigation found the UK's top two social networks, MySpace and Bebo, have exposed under...

Tesco plans for online clothes sales.(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Tesco is set to take the multibillion-pound supermarket clothing battle online as it looks to make its clothing ranges, including its high- profile Florence+Fred brand, available for sale on the web. Currently none of the major grocery...

Digital-only music singles to count in Chart.
September 14, 2006... Digital downloads without a physical release will be included in the Official UK Singles Chart by Christmas, ploughing more money into the download market and online advertising. "If the Singles Chart is to be what it's meant to be -...

Warner Music reveals new interactive site for Muse.(contracts with Splendid)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Warner Music has unveiled the official website for British indie-rock band Muse, centring around an interactive feature called MYMU that allows users to customise their own content and web pages. Users can add their own photos, pictures...

Sky Media interactive head Robert Leach to step down.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC. Sky Media)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Sky Media's head of interactive services Robert Leach is leaving the company after nearly a decade to join a broadcast sales house in Australia. Leach's decision to step down is expected to spark a game of musical chairs within the iTV...

PUIG uses online to push Mango perfume.(Mango Delirium)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Beauty company PUIG UK has launched an online campaign to promote its latest perfume brand, Mango Delirium. Marketing agency Media Contacts has been appointed to handle the online strategy for the Mango fashion brand, which will run...

Emap relaunches FHM site as part of global brand extension.
September 14, 2006... Emap is relaunching FHM on the web as part of a long-term strategy to establish its flagship men's lifestyle magazine as a global digital brand. The publishing company is attempting to reposition FHM.com as a leading social network for...

MRM staffs up to handle redesign of Intel's global site.(MRM Partners Worldwide)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Intel has awarded the contract to rebuild its main global website to the London arm of full-service digital agency MRM Worldwide. The computer chip giant has handed MRM the full redesign and structuring of the site - a UK first, according...

Vodafone first to knock down final part of walled garden.(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Mobile operator Vodafone has embarked on a three year strategy to fully integrate its mobile portal Vodafone Live! with its third party business providing wholesale services for content providers. The move sees the final breakdown of the...

BREAKING: Ben Drury to sit on Entertainment board.(Entertainment Retail Council)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Ben Drury, MD of 7Digital, will be the first head of a purely digital retail company to sit on the board of UK trade organisation the Entertainment Retail Council, formerly known as BARD. Drury will join some of the UK's most high profile...

BREAKING: Duncan Dunlop to join Oodle as first UK GM.(general manager)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Oodle, the local classifieds search engine, has appointed Duncan Dunlop as its first UK general manager. Dunlop was previously head of new product development at Associated New Media, the online arm of the Daily Mail, following roles at...

IN BRIEF: Dennis Woodside to replace Burns at Google.(Kate Burns)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Google has announced the appointment of Dennis Woodside as the company's new MD for UK, Ireland and Benelux. Woodside had previously been Google's MD of emerging markets, EMEA, and replaces Kate Burns, who recently joined digital media group...

IN BRIEF: Sony PlayStation runs MMS campaign.(multimedia messaging system)(Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Sony PlayStation has launched a campaign encouraging consumers to take photos with their camera phone of images featuring in a multimedia campaign and send them into a shortcode to win prizes. The campaign, for the Gangs of London PSP game,...

IN BRIEF: Recruitment consultant Purple revamps website.(contracts with Bostock and Pollitt and Chapter Eight )(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Recruitment consultant Purple has appointed interactive design agency Bostock and Pollitt and technology consultancy Chapter Eight to redesign its website. For the first time since its launch in 2000, Purple is going through a total re-brand...

IN BRIEF: US ad network Tacoda to open up a London office.(Tacoda Systems Inc. appoints Paul Goad)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... US behavioural targeting ad network Tacoda is launching a London office and has appointed Teamtalk Media's ad and sponsorship director Paul Goad to run the operation. Goad, who has also worked for digital sales houses Ad Pepper and...

Yahoo! supports mobile paid search ads with Bango tie-in.
September 14, 2006... Yahoo! has boosted its mobile paid search advertising business via a partnership with mobile content and billing specialist Bango. The company is looking to increase its paid search activity after recording increasing activity on mobile,...