New Media Age articles from September 2007

New Media Age archives from September 2007

Associated reveals major online investment plan.(Associated Newspapers Holdings PLC and Northcliffe Newspapers Group Ltd. signed up Conchango)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Associated Newspapers and its sister company Northcliffe Media have revealed fresh plans for major online investment. The publishing group has tasked digital agency Conchango with developing new ways of accessing news content throughout...

Burger King shifts spend online.(signs up Crispin Porter and Bogusky)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Burger King is planning to shift a significant proportion of its marketing budget into digital from TV. The brand has instructed its ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky to place digital at the core of all its campaigns, following the huge...

Advertisers to cash in on Adobe Media Player.(from Adobe Systems Inc.)
September 6, 2007... Advertisers look set to capitalise on a behavioural targeting ad model within Adobe's much-anticipated Media Player, which is set to launch later this year. The Adobe Media Player, which was announced in April, will allow publishers to...

Otto reveals plans for high street shops for Oli brand.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Otto UK, the parent company of Grattan and Freemans, has revealed that it's considering high street branches of its pure-play fashion brand Oli. Otto UK CEO Mike Hancox said that the company was using Oli, which launched in July (NMA...

ISBA calls for advertisers to take responsibility for online.(Incorporated Society of British Advertisers)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... ISBA director general Mike Hughes has called on media owners and advertisers to take responsibility for online advertising. Hughes called on advertisers to show self-restraint and for media owners to take a more active policing role. The...

Handbag appoints natural search agency.(Cybercom)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Handbag.com has appointed Irish digital agency Cybercom to run its natural search ahead of its relaunch next week, working alongside its PPC agency Greenlight. The appointment comes as it prepares for the relaunch of the portal, a move...

BBC programmes unite to promote user content project Memoryshare.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Horizon, Radio 1 online and Radio 4's Today programme are to push a major new BBC project in user-generated content. BBC Memoryshare, which asks visitors to share their memories from 1900 to the present day, represents a significant...

Chris Clarke takes top role at Digitas.(Digitas London)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Chris Clarke, the executive creative director of Digitas London has been appointed president of the agency, replacing Norm Johnston who left the agency in July. Clarke will assume the role in addition to his duties as executive creative...

High-end men's mags prepare for prime online investments.(Gentlemen's Quarterly, Esquire)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Britain's two biggest high-end men's magazines GQ and Esquire are gearing up for a major battle online. Both publications are in the process of planning significant investment in their sites following ABCs published a fortnight ago which...

Debenhams to build online relationships.(developed by MCBD)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Debenhams is to launch an online campaign in a move to get users to engage with the brand online. The online activity will extend Debenhams' 'Styling the Nation' brand positioning, created by advertising agency MCBD, into the digital...

Faceparty plans major redesign in bid to push its market position.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Social network Faceparty is to overhaul its site in an effort to retain its market position. The site is currently in development phase, with plans to overhaul its design and usability over the next few months. Commercial director...

SweatyBetty appoints Harvest Digital to double online income.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... SweatyBetty, the women's sports retailer, has appointed Harvest Digital to manage its search account as the company looks to increase its online revenues. SweatyBetty, which operates 25 stores nationwide, is to focus on online marketing...

Digital music tutorials website launched.(NowPlayIt site)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... A new website has launched that plans to use music tutorials from famous artists as a scheme to encourage digital downloads. EMI and V2 are the first labels to agree to allow their artists to contribute with the three other majors set to...

Telegraph ties up with MSN in Rugby World Cup deal.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The Telegraph has tied up with MSN Windows Live Spaces to promote its Rugby World Cup coverage. The campaign runs from this week until 20 October and will take in targeted promotional activity including demographically targeted editorial...

HMV's online sales under threat from Guernsey VAT investigation.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... HMV is facing a serious threat to its online sales following a Guernsey government investigation. A loophole currently allows the retailer to sell cheap CDs and DVDs from the Channel Island. The troubled retailer set up a distribution...

Barclays appoints TouchClarity for behavioural work.(Omniture TouchClarity )(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Barclays has appointed Omniture TouchClarity to run onsite behavioural targeting. The bank is looking to increase conversions in what it believes is an increasingly competitive online marketplace. Barclays.co.uk will see Omniture...

We Are What We Do uses web to inspire younger supporters.(selected Glue Media)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... We Are What We Do, a global movement aiming to inspire people to change the world, is to begin a move online to reach a younger audience. We Are What We Do is the organisation behind best selling book Change the World for a Fiver and the...

Woot!media sets sights on gaming sector.(partners with Elysium Gaming)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Niche digital ad sales house Woot!media has partnered with consultancy Elysium Gaming to help it fully break into the gaming sector. The partnership will see the consultancy work in-house with Woot! advising on how to win more gaming...

Five CEO Lighting hits out at lack of regulation surrounding Google.(Jane Lighting)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The chief executive of broadcaster Five has hit out at the lack of regulation surrounding the rise of Google as a competitor to media companies. Jane Lighting told NMA that if the company was a traditional broadcaster then it wouldn't have...

Virgin Megastores aggregates databases to target customers.(uses software of Neolane)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Virgin Megastores is to shore up high street sales with a web-led initiative using data to target customers. It's using a system created and hosted by software company Neolane to unify its databases so it can more effectively target...

Dating Channel and Gaydate TV roll out mobile video offer.(Broadcaster Euro Digital Corporation)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The Dating Channel and Gaydate TV are extending their reach onto mobile by rolling out a standalone video dating service. Broadcaster Euro Digital Corporation's new system, powered by D2See, allows singles to record and upload video...

Sega shifts more marketing spend online to gain from word of mouth.(Sega Europe)(Outside Line is creating ads)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Sega Europe is revamping its digital strategy for big game releases as it starts shifting more spend online. The games publisher is planning to expand its online activities across Europe following the success of a digital campaign for...

Royal Television Society to create social network.(selected Stickee Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The Royal Television Society has commissioned agency Stickee to create a social network. The site will attempt to become a user-generated platform to allow young people who work in TV to use it as a showcase. It will also feature...

Former Microsoft mobile boss launches local info community.(Joel Brazil launched Tipped)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The former head of mobile at Microsoft UK, Joel Brazil, has launched an online community called Tipped. The site currently offers information about a wide variety of entertainment venues, such as pubs, restaurants and shops. Brazil is set...

Drivepm set to expand into Western Europe.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Ad network Drivepm is to expand across Western Europe following parent company aQuantive's recent acquisition by Microsoft. It will roll out its pay for performance (PFP) and behavioural targeting offering Selector across Europe from...

British Heart Foundation opens site for direct online donations.(developed by Foresite)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The British Heart Foundation has launched a website that enables visitors to donate directly to the charity as a gift for family or friends. The site, developed by full service web design and development agency Foresite, allows users to...

ANALYST SPEAK: Online TV may reverse declining audiences.
September 6, 2007... In recent years traditional broadcasters have seen their audiences become increasingly fragmented. They have found themselves competing for viewers' leisure time with DVDs, games consoles and PCs. Broadcasters are moving content online in an...

Six in ten UK homes are now online.(National Statistics Omnibus Survey report)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The number of homes with internet access has risen by nearly 1m since 2006, according to the latest National Statistics Omnibus Survey. The figures indicate that 15.23m, or 61% of UK households, can now surf the web at home, an increase...

Banks bad at online customer service.(survey)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Banks are failing to provide an acceptable level of online customer experience, according to research. Service provider Transversal found that almost a third (30%) of banks don't offer customer service via email, and of those that do the...

UK online ad spend predicted to rise 25% to top #2.5bn in 07.(Opera Media research)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... This year will see UK online ad revenues surpass #2.5bn, according to the latest forecast by Opera Media. The healthy state of the industry will reportedly continue, with predictions of online revenues increasing by 25% during 2007. This...

ANALYSIS: Lads' mags resign to following audience online.
September 6, 2007... Latest ABC figures show print sales falling but online audiences rising in the lads' magazine sector. But print isn't dead yet, find the higher- end men's titles. Magazines' latest ABC figures were released two weeks ago and the sector...

COMMENT: True convergence is about a unified brand.(internet protocol television)(Editorial)
September 6, 2007... True convergence was never going to be easy. The melding of discrete communications with media services and content has long been touted as offering potent benefits for both consumers and companies alike. But developments this week show both...

Advertising isn't the best way to put across a brand's big idea.(Column)
September 6, 2007... Richard Huntington is author of Adliterate.com; huntingtonr@mac.comBig brand ideas are currently big news in marketing land. I mean, really big brand ideas, not short-lived creative ideas that sparkle momentarily and then fizzle away as fast...

LETTER: Search for best video ad format isn't over.(Letter to the editor)
September 6, 2007... From Blake Chandlee, commercial director, Yahoo! UK & Ireland The noise around the introduction of video overlays on YouTube, and the subsequent demise of pre-roll ads, has been a surprise to me. While there's little doubt that online...

LETTER: Building on existing trust in online bookies.(Letter to the editor)
September 6, 2007... From Adrian Murdock, new media editor, Betfair Betfair's new community-based website, betting.betfair.com, will enhance and develop existing trust created during our first seven years, not start it from scratch as suggested by your recent...

LETTER: Giving search agencies guidance.(Letter to the editor)
September 6, 2007... From Amanda Davie, head of search, i-level and chair of the IPA Search Steering Group I'd like to build on some points raised in your News Analysis 'Industry bodies pin down search best practice' (NMA 23.08.07). It's true that the...

LETTER: Mobile is a medium in its own right.(Letter to the editor)
September 6, 2007... From Isam Khalaf, MD, Kinzna Content providers are still treating the mobile internet as an extension of the PC-centric internet itself, rather than recognising that mobile is a media with its own merits, as different from the fixed web as...

Who will fill the gap between Second Life and Club Penguin?
September 6, 2007... Nic Brisbourne is a partner at VC firm DFJ EspritAny doubt that virtual worlds for kids are good business was put to rest by Disney's recent $350m cash plus $350m earn-out acquisition of Club Penguin. According to reports, Club Penguin is...

AD WATCH: Gillette Fusion spy game looks good but could be sharper.
September 6, 2007... Seb Royce is creative director, Glue LondonI really love reviewing new digital work. There's always something that catches the eye and shows what's possible nowadays. Sadly not here, however. On the whole the work is unexciting,...

PROFILE - MIKE HANCOX: Happy shopper.(of Otto UK)(Biography)
September 6, 2007... Otto UK has several strong mail-order brands, but was slow to transfer them online. CEO Mike Hancox changed all that, and is now keen to go further, finds Will Cooper When Mike Hancox became CEO of Otto UK, the parent company of Freemans...

RUGBY WORLD CUP: Set for conversion.
September 6, 2007... Will ITV's rights to the Rugby World Cup on TV prove a boon to its online service given the wealth of rich coverage from other media owners? Ed Dorrell reports The Rugby World Cup, starting this week, could be more than an opportunity to...

RUGBY WORLD CUP: The IRB branches out into video.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... As well as selling World Cup rights to media owners, the International Rugby Board is using digital media to push content outside the UK. Rugby World Cup, a wholly owned offshoot of the IRB, announced at the end of July that it had signed a...

MOVES: Conchango.(appointed Chris Gannon and Leigh Brett)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Design agency Conchango has expanded its interactive media department with two recruits. Chris Gannon has joined from AKQA as senior designer, while Leigh Brett starts as art director, having previously worked at Thames Graphics, SLS...

MOVES: Cicero.(Cicero Consulting appointed Warren Gaskell and Ewa James)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Business-to-business marketing agency Cicero has appointed Warren Gaskell and Ewa James as creative director and group account director respectively. Both join from McCann Erickson, where Gaskell was group head while James was account director....

MOVES: Agency Republic.(appointed Tim Gardiner)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Tim Gardiner has joined Agency Republic as producer/editor to bolster its internal film and video production department. He has previously worked on dramas for the BBC. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Tamar.(appointed Lesley Oliver)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Search conversion agency Tamar has recruited Lesley Oliver as client service director. Prior to joining, she was international client services director for Ogilvy & Mather. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Bluhalo.(appointed Michael Brandreth)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Full service digital agency Bluhalo has appointed Michael Brandreth to its senior management team as account director. He has worked in the digital and media sectors for over ten years, most recently at Dare. Copyright: Centaur...

MOVES: ChannelAdvisor.(appointed John Hayes for UK)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... John Hayes has joined ecommerce and online marketplace management software and services provider ChannelAdvisor in the new role of UK marketing manager. He was previously head of ecommerce for insurance mediator UGD J. Copyright: Centaur...

MOVES: CBS Outdoor.(appointed Russell Boyman)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Transport advertising firm CBS Outdoor has appointed Russell Boyman to the newly created position of head of digital trading. He was most recently director of UK media and business services at corporate trade company Active International. ...

MOVES: Visit London.(appointed Chris Sainsbury)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Visit London has appointed Chris Sainsbury to the newly created role of information architect/ producer. He moves from development agency Exponetic. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: AdTech.(appointed Lawrence Chmara)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... AdTech, provider of ad server technology, has taken on Lawrence Chmara as sales manager for the UK and Ireland. Prior to joining, he was senior account manager for US daily newspaper USA Today. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

MOVES: Eyeconomy.(Eyeconomy Holdings PLC appointed Belinda Jauns)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Online advertising solutions network Eyeconomy has bolstered its trafficking and optimisation team with the addition of Belinda Jauns, who joins as account executive. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

SITE INSPECTION: Phillips Aurea.(Seductionbylight.com)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Seductionbylight.com Owner: Philips Agency: Tribal DDB Content 18/25 Usability 15/25 Branding 20/25 Monetisation 17/25 Total 70/100 Convincing the public of the...

SITE INSPECTION: Gojo.(campaign site for the disabled)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Mygojo.co.uk Owner: Disability Rights Commission Agency: Cimex Content 23/25 Usability 17/25 Branding 18/25 Monetisation n/a Total 58/75 Rush hour on the Tube isn't...

SITE INSPECTION: Welovelocal.(provides information about businesses in your local area)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Welovelocal.com Owner: eMomentum Agency: eMomentum/Mutado Content 10/25 Usability 20/25 Branding 15/25 Monetisation 15/25 Total 60/100 Welovelocal aims to be...

FULFILMENT: jileon.com.(which markets clothes)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Founded: 2005 Selection Everything you need for a typical British summer: wellies, umbrellas, hats, scarves and gloves, as well as bags, body jewellery and bamboo ducks, among other things. Essentially, slightly alternative takes on...

GCap shuns social network trend.(GCap Media PLC)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... GCap has rejected the development of a social network as part of the overhaul of its 43 regional station websites, which will go live at the beginning of next month. Refusing to board the bandwagon, the radio network decided against...

Utarget first in the UK to sign video ad deal with Blinkx.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Utarget has become the first UK ad network to provide advertising on video search portal Blinkx. The ad network will offer clients including Coke, Halifax, Shell and Smirnoff the chance to insert video ads into content on Blinkx. ...

Barclaycard uses interactive video site to push OnePulse.(created by LBi)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Barclaycard has launched an interactive video campaign site as part of a #4m marketing push for its new OnePulse card. The site, created by digital agency LBi, is a first for Barclaycard. It features video sequencing and interactive...

Mobo chooses digital to spearhead bid to become major music brand.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Mobo, the black music awards ceremony, is to develop its online presence as part of a new strategy to become a major music brand. The brand's independent owners are to expand the temporary awards website into a portal, with merchandising,...

Cadbury launches text-to-win promo.(created by Elvis)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Chocolate company Cadbury is launching a text-to-win promotion offering prizes ranging from digital album downloads to top-price Las Vegas show tickets. The 'Prize and a half' campaign, which runs until the end of March next year,...

Online gaming and gambling firms to invest more in SEO.(search engine optimisation)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Online gaming and gambling companies are to invest more in SEO as the sector looks to respond to increasing restrictions in the digital space. SportingBet, 888.com and Virgin Games have all said that they see SEO as a key battleground...

UKTV and Eve to launch UGC boutique list.(user-generated content)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... UKTV is partnering with Eve magazine to launch a user-generated content directory of fashion boutiques. The site, which will form part of uktvstyle.co.uk, will feature ratings and reviews of visitors' favourite local boutiques or online...

EMI's Angel Music turns to online community to discover new talent.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... EMI label Angel Music Group has unveiled its new website, complete with a fully integrated music-based community A&R system. Hopeful musicians now have a route to get their music heard by the A&Rs, which control a roster that includes...

Tacoda to use Content Watch in bid to create trust in online ads.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... AOL-owned Tacoda has become the latest ad network to outline actions to protect itself amid problems enveloping the sector. The behavioural targeting firm is to begin using Content Watch in the UK, a product capable of scanning URLs and...

London Elects appoints Start Creative.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... London Elects has appointed Start Creative to develop the site for the London elections in May next year. The site will feature advice on how to vote, where to vote and how the voting system works. It may also include video...

Precedent scoops Reading Room for Crimestoppers work.(Precedent Communications)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Precedent Communications has won the business for Crimestoppers, the crime-prevention organisation, from incumbent Reading Room, with a new site planned for November. NMA understands that the contract followed Neil Davis's move from...

Yahoo!'s purchase of Blue Lithium to form basis of wider ad strategy.
September 13, 2007... Yahoo!'s acquisition of behavioural targeting specialist Blue Lithium last week represents a significant acceleration in the media company's off-portal expansion. The media company purchased the behavioural targeting specialist for...

Greggs rolls out second phase of online activity.(created by Propaganda)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Leeds-based agency Propaganda has launched the second instalment of a through-the-line campaign for Greggs the Bakers. The agency has created a series of interactive ads running across the Advertising.com network. This second phase...

Freewebs offers widgets to UK brands for social networking.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Widget-building and consumer website construction company Freewebs has opened its first UK office as it focuses on British marketing. The company said the office will encourage more brands to use the site to build microsites and widgets....

Ad networks given last chance to question Google-DoubleClick deal.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... British ad networks have expressed strong concerns to the EU over the $3.1bn (#1.53bn) Google buyout of ad serving giant DoubleClick. As the deadline for responding to the European Commission's Directorate on Competition draws near, the...

Department for Transport gets kids thinking about road safety.(created by Sugar)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... The Department for Transport has unveiled a road safety campaign site aimed at 9-11-year-olds. The site, developed by online marketing agency Sugar, lets visitors choose a character to help get home by completing one of two quizzes, for...

Tribal DDB builds Budweiser Ireland's first web presence.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Tribal DDB has been appointed digital ad agency for Budweiser Ireland. Budweiser.ie went live last week to provide more information about the Bud Rising festival. Tribal built the site, which marks the first foray into digital...

Disney to relaunch UK site ahead of more online work across Europe.(Walt Disney Co.)(Pilot Interactive)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Disney is set to relaunch disney.co.uk in December as the global entertainment giant looks to reinvigorate its online identity. It's understood social networking and games will play a prominent role. The UK relaunch, which is being...

Marvellous creates Java application for Peugeot 308.(Marvellous Mobile)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Marvellous Mobile has rolled out a mobile application for Peugeot. A TV campaign instructs viewers to text a shortcode to receive a Java application with further information about the Peugeot 308. It marks the sixth time the car...

Photobucket plans to expand beyond US to boost ad sales.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Photobucket, the most-used photo-sharing site in the UK, has revealed plans to launch in the UK. Co-founder and CEO Alex Welch said he planned to extend the ad-funded site overseas. "It would be an advantage to have people in local...

ITV Mobile extends deal with 4th Screen.(4th Screen Advertising)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... ITV Mobile has extended its exclusive sales contract with 4th Screen Advertising to the end of 2008 following a six-month trial. EA, Lynx, Nokia, Orange, O2 and Samsung are among the ad clients the mobile ad sales house has recruited on...

Sony Pictures hooks into viral videos for comedy film promo.(Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Sony Pictures has unveiled a nanosite for Superbad, its smash-hit US comedy, on viral site Bore Me ahead of the film's UK release on Friday. The nanosite, which will appear for a week, sits partly visible at the bottom of a video as a...

Seeing the brand value of Facebook groups.
September 13, 2007... Last month, over 1,900 retailers received traffic from Facebook. Our data shows the site is an increasingly important source of traffic for online retailers like Amazon, ASOS, Ebay and Play. Facebook attracts an older (a third of its...

Online ads and websites second only to TV for brand engagement.(report by Internet Advertising Bureau)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... The latest Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) study has found online ads and associated websites are the second most important ad medium for brand engagement after TV for haircare brands. The research, in conjunction with Carat Insight,...

Pure-plays best at customer service.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Pure-play brands are beating high street retailers at providing the best online customer satisfaction. Pangora, provider of product search and online technology, found online retailers Amazon and Play topped the list of online...

Web users need protection as harassment cases reach 1.9m.(research by the consultancy 1871)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Online Britons need to be given further protection as a report found that there were 1.9m cases of online harassment during 2006. Online security firm Garlik reported that, with 57% of adults surfing the internet, a large proportion of...

ANALYSIS: Government consults on child safety online.
September 13, 2007... As the Government announces a review into children's safety on the internet, no one is denying there's an issue. But who's best placed to control what kids can see? Last week the Prime Minister revealed at his monthly press conference...

COMMENT: Lack of action to get its comeuppance.(loopholes in the advertising code)(Editorial)
September 13, 2007... In the interactive ad industry, the best strategy to adopt when under pressure from government and regulators to clean up your act is to bury your head in the sand and hope everyone will just leave you alone. At least, that appears to be the...