Revolution articles from April 2004

Revolution archives from April 2004

Letter from the editor.(Editorial)
April 21, 2004... There is so much potential for business in the mobile sector and so much is promised by marketing as a discipline, that it is very easy to get excited when the two worlds collide in a major project. Of course, one Holy Grail of this union...

Paramount's site seeks out comedy talent for broadcast.(www.comedyisparamount.com/glue)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Paramount, the Pay TV comedy channel, is launching a web site to capture content from budding comedians and animation artists with the promise that it will air the best. Paramount's site, called Glue, allows potential comedy stars to...

Google adds local search to US engine.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Local search has been integrated into Google.com, with the launch of Google Local. The facility lets users search for local information, drawing data from Google.com, including business listings, maps and relevant web pages. It has...

Tesco.com enters DVD rental market.(Digital videodisks)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Tesco.com is entering the movie rental market with its own online DVD offering, which goes live at the end of March. The new service will see Tesco providing site visitors with more than 15,000 titles to rent. It will be going head-to-head...

Deals: Flybe.com partners with BTb-line.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Flybe.com, the low-cost carrier, has partnered with BTb-line, a system created to give travellers access to fixed low-cost internet calls and text messages across 48 countries. The new venture is marketed as a button on Flybe.com, with weekly...

Deals: Lastminute.com extends partnership with TheTrainline.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Lastminute.com, the online travel and leisure company, has extended its partnership with UK rail retailer TheTrainline to cross-promote accommodation and travel bookings. Under the deal, customers booking train tickets on TheTrainline will be...

Deals: BT strikes deal with BA.(British Telecommunications PLC deal with British Airways PLC)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... BT has struck an exclusive deal with British Airways to install BT Openzone access-points using Wi-Fi technology in 80 of its main customer lounges around the world. Travellers will be able to use the wireless broadband service in executive...

Deals: OctopusTravel.com partners Freeserve's Travel Channel.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... OctopusTravel.com, the online travel company, has partnered Freeserve's Travel Channel and will feature its accommodation product on the ISP. The deal aims to broaden the ISP's online presence in the travel market and OctopusTravel.com's reach....

Deals: IPT acquires stake in Allegran.(Interactive Prospect Targeting)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Interactive Prospect Targeting (IPT), the data-collection firm, has acquired a 24.9 per cent stake in Allegran, which uses gaming site Loopy Lotto, dating service Loopy Love and points-collection site Eurmiles to collect consumer information...

Deals: BA signs up to Visa.(British Airways to use Visa EU's new payment card-protection system)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... British Airways has signed up to Visa EU's new payment card-protection system, Verified by Visa, to protect its site (www.ba.com). The service is provided to BA by electronic-payment and risk-management service CyberSource in conjunction with...

Deals: AOL and Monster renew partnership.(America Online)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... AOL and careers network Monster, part of Monster Worldwide, have renewed a partnership to provide AOL subscribers in the UK, France and Germany with career-management tools and services. The two-year deal means Monster will continue to power...

Deals: AA signs up Press Association.(Automobile Association Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... The AA has signed up the Press Association (PA) to supply content on new car road-tests to its site (www.theAA.com). The road-tests will be added every month to the AA's online database.

Deals: Radio Times web site teams up with MPP Global Solutions.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Radio Times web site (www.radiotimes.com) has teamed up with web-to-mobile services company MPP Global Solutions to offer a text-reminder service. It will enable subscribers to request reminders to be sent 24 hours, one hour or 15 minutes...

Deals: Clarification.(Correction Notice)
April 21, 2004... In last month's story on Lynx Touch (Revolution, March, p4), we referred to a promotion on Maxim magazine's UK web site. Unfortunately, the url mentioned was for the US version of the title. The correct url for Maxim's UK web site is...

Sainsbury's Bank upgrades net offer.(www.sainsburysbank.co.uk enhanced)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Sainsbury's Bank has relaunched its web site (www.sainsburysbank.co.uk) to capitalise on a rise in its popularity over the last three years. Designed by interactive marketing and technology agency, Agency.com, the new site aims to make it...

T-Mobile to bring music to handsets.(services)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... T-Mobile is launching a mobile music service that lets users download tracks to their phones. It has partnered Sony Music and Universal Music to enable 2.5G and 3G handset owners to download a Mobile Mix format that is designed for...

Good month/bad month.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... It has been a good month for 3G in the UK. According to Hutchison Whampoa, the firm that launched the 3 network here, subscribers increased by 72 per cent last Christmas. It said new customers were enticed by cut-price calls and its...

Umbro boosts web identity as part of new digital focus.(revamps website)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Umbro has revamped its web site as part of a new focus on digital channels, with the aim of positioning itself as the ultimate global football brand. The sportswear brand worked with digital agency swamp to redesign umbro.com, which has...

Just breaking: Top 10 breaking banners by impressions - (1-29 February 2004).(Illustration)
April 21, 2004... 1 Screen Select Click now for Free Trial 2 BT Get pounds 50 discount when you sign up online 3 AA Breakdown Cover from just pounds 41 4 Freeserve...

Starbucks teams with RSA to raise social awareness online.(Starbucks Coffee Company UK Ltd.)(The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufacturers and Commerce)(Coffeetropolis.com designed by Atticmedia)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Starbucks has partnered The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufacturers and Commerce (RSA) in a web campaign to raise social awareness among young people. The not-for-profit web promotion is running alongside the Starbucks...

New-look FHM site adds five advertisers.(FHM.com)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... FHM.com is relaunching with five major advertisers onboard. Coca Cola, BT, Hugo Boss, Mazda and UIP will sponsor the music, mobile, grooming, gadgets and movies sections of the site, respectively. The new site will feature a new...

Mykindaplace joins with teen publisher.(mykindaplace.com for ad and cross-promotional partnership)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Hachette Filipacchi UK, publisher of teen magazines Sugar, tvhits! and ELLEgirl, has signed an exclusive ad and cross-promotional partnership with teen site mykindaplace.com. The deal enables both firms to offer advertisers fully integrated...

ANM signs six-figure Virgin Money ad deal.(Associated New Media)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Associated New Media (ANM) has signed with Virgin Money in a six-figure online ad deal. The 10-month agreement between ANM, digital arm of Associated Newspapers, and Virgin Money will run until November. Virgin Money will advertise...

Account wins.
April 21, 2004... Glasgow City Council (GCC) has linked with communications services firm THUS in a pounds 42 million agreement to make government services available online. THUS will be responsible for upgrading and replacing the government communications...

Owen on digital media: If users can't see the wood for the trees, chop some.
April 21, 2004... In a usability study the other day, I watched as a user searched in vain for a link on a web page. 'Why can't she find it?' I thought. 'It's right there at the top navigation bar. She's moving her cursor over it now...' But, no, she'd...

Littlewoods Casino moves to rebrand.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Littlewoods Casino has teamed up with digital marketing agency TBG in a rebranding push to attract new players to the online betting service. Campaigns to push the new-look Littlewoods Casino software and site (www.littlewoodscasino.com)...

Shanks gives kids lessons in recycling.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Shanks Group, the international waste-management firm, is targeting children with an online game about recycling. The game focuses on household recycling, differentiating between organic, glass and metal waste. Kids can ask the site's...

Barratts relaunches site to boost sales.(www.barratts.co.uk)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Retailer Barratts aims to drive more consumers to its stores via its relaunched web site. The site (www.barratts.co.uk), created by property and retail software provider Comgenic, offers up-to-date information on new product lines and is...

Footballers star in milk's digital push.(The Dairy Industry Association partner with Professional Footballers Association. )(www.footballerslovemilk.co.uk developed by Campaign Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... The Dairy Industry Association is using digital media for the first time to boost milk sales following confirmation of its new partnership with the Professional Footballers Association. Its new site (www.footballerslovemilk.co.uk), which...

BT adds 3D avatars to internet kiosks.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Consumers will be able to send 3D animated avatars to mobiles by MMS from BT Internet kiosks thanks to a new deal with DA Group, a technology firm that produces 'stylised mobile messengers' called StereoTypes. Users will be able to send a...

Murphy's to sponsor sport news on web.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Murphy's has signed a 12-month sponsorship of skysports.com's Live Scores Centre. Murphy's 'Why Wait' campaign will be used as branding on skysports.com's Nationwide League and Rugby Union channels. The drinks brand's message will be that,...

Griffiths on mobile: Mobile operators recognise the need to focus on users.
April 21, 2004... Every March sees the opportunity to compare notes with 35,000 members of the mobile industry at 3GSM in Cannes. Of course, there may be other good reasons to be in the South of France at this time of year, but, for 2004, the mobile world...

AOL offers its members a broadband 'millionaire' quiz.(AOL UK Ltd. and Celador International)(broadband video version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... AOL UK has teamed up with Celador International for a special broadband video version of the TV quiz Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Available exclusively to AOL broadband members in the UK (www.aol.co.uk), the game is likely to run for at...

TUC teams up with Tiscali to supply employment content.(Trades Union Congress)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... The TUC's web site WorkSmart (www.worksmart.org.uk) has joined up with Tiscali to provide content on employment issues. Tiscali's jobs channels now incorporate WorkSmart and contain information on health at work, money and employment...

TradIndex.com gives Profero digital brief.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Financial spread-betting business TradIndex.com has appointed digital communications agency Profero to handle its full service digital advertising. It will handle strategy, creative, and planning and buying for all digital platforms,...

Time thief: Abigail Chisman editor of Conde Nast sites like vogue.com tells us her day.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... 40% live content - Making sure interactive content works. I review updates on our four daily sites from 8am and take an objective tour to find ways to improve user experience and see what else is out there. - 15% external meetings -...

William Hill delivers the odds by SMS.(Short messaging service)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... William Hill is to deliver time-sensitive betting odds and information to sports fans in a major mobile-marketing initiative. Julian Graham-Rack, head of business development at William Hill, told Revolution: 'It's all about speaking to...

Performance index.(Web sites )(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... The Revolution Keynote Performance Index measures the performance of 20 representative sites from across the digital economy in terms of speed of loading and site availability. The top 10 are featured each week, and the worst performing web...

Sterne on web ROI: A quick, fool-proof guide to tracking online success.(Return Of Investment)
April 21, 2004... It has finally happened. After using calculators since birth, we've lost the ability to count over 10, unless barefoot. That's my explanation for my difficulty in finding any companies adept at measuring the success of their web sites. I divide...

Moving On Up: Appointment at BT Wireless Broadband.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Chris Clark has been made chief executive officer at BT Wireless Broadband. He leaves BT Global Services wholesale business, where he led the integration of its carrier businesses with the former Concert ICS.

Moving On Up: Appointment at ITV.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Peter Birch is the new head of interactive at ITV, while Colin Ramsay joins as head of online sales. They will report to Gary Digby at ITV sales. Both previously held similar roles. Ramsay moves from Granada Enterprises and Birch from Carlton...

Moving On Up: Appointment at BBC Learning.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... BBC Learning, the corporation's interactive education service, has appointed Nick Ware to the newly created role of creative director. He will commission, develop and deliver high-profile creative campaigns and events. Ware reports to Liz...

Moving On Up: Appointment at 2Wire.(Karen Edwards, board director)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... 2Wire, provider of broadband service platforms for DSL, has appointed former Yahoo! marketing chief Karen Edwards to its board of directors. She has 20 years' experience in marketing.

Moving On Up: Appointment at MSN EMEA.(Mark Charkin has promoted to European pan-regional agency sales manager)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... MSN EMEA has promoted Mark Charkin to European pan-regional agency sales manager. He joined the pan-regional sales unit in 2001 and was UK agency sales manager at Lycos.

Moving On Up: Appointment at Mazda.(appointed Steve Jelliss as customer relations manager)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Steve Jelliss joins Mazda as CRM manager, with responsibility for strategy, the Mazda site, all e-marketing, direct mail and integration of personalised customer communications. Jelliss has worked at Ford and marketing services company iSKY.

Moving On Up: Appointment at Moving Brands.(Geoff Linsell joined with Moving Brands as client partner)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Geoff Linsell has joined Moving Brands, which develops brands for multi-platforms, as client partner. Former head of brand at Telewest Broadband and recently at the Land Registry, he will work with a client list that includes Vodafone and...

Moving On Up: Appointment at ABC Electronic.(Adam Reed, head of new business)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Adam Reed is head of new business at independent auditors ABC Electronic. His remit includes building long-term relationships with clients, new business and responding to organisations interested in advancing independent standards for digital...

Moving On Up: Appointment at Betfair.com.(Ian Winton, director of marketing communications)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Online betting firm Betfair.com has made Ian Winton director of marketing communications, responsible for all marketing communications. He was managing director of Black Cat Direct, now owned by ad agency WPP, and produced online campaigns for...

Moving On Up: Appointment at Good Technology's GT Network.(appointed Almira Mohamed as director)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Digital agency Good Technology's GT Network has signed up Almira Mohamed, ex-marketing director of American Express, as new business director. Good Technology's achievements include the multi-award winning Audi site and clients include Bentley,...

Moving On Up: Appointment at Broadband Communications Europe.
April 21, 2004... Petra Gobel has been made creative director at digital agency Broadband Communications Europe and will develop clients' long-term digital marketing proposals. She is an award-winning creative consultant who has worked for some top London...

Moving On Up: Appointment at Wheel:Group.(Phillip Ludgate appointed as media director)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Phillip Ludgate has joined digital communications agency Wheel:Group as media director. He was previously managing director of Brinc, which builds sites targeting public sector staff with discounts on high-street brands. The site involved...

Moving On Up: Appointment at i-vu.(appointed Liza Harrington as project manager)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... London-based i-vu, the media owner, which supplies personal interactive LCD screens to the UK's top hair salons, has made Liza Harrington project manager. Previously a project manager at Carlton Active, she launched interactive services on the...

Moving On Up: Appointment at Overture, Europe.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Stephen Taylor is the new managing director of Overture, Europe. Taylor, previously the European commercial director, reports to international president Brian Steel, based in California, US. Taylor brings experience of marketing, management and...

Amazon to provide UK video content.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Amazon.co.uk is offering onsite exclusive video interviews with a range of authors. The Authors' Lounge (www.amazon.co.uk/authors-lounge) premiered with an exclusive interview with Lynne Truss, whose book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero...

BBCi Films directs film fans to its site.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... BBCi Films' new web site will allow budding Peter Jacksons to make a 60-second film and showcase it online. One-Minute Movies (www.bbc.co.uk/films) will give users the chance to learn about film-making. They can access free downloadable...

Avro to offer scheduled web flights.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... UK charter flight operator Avro is to offer scheduled flights online for the first time. Its revamped site (www.avro.co.uk) will offer fares from some 70 scheduled airlines, besides Avro's traditional charter routes from 12 UK airports to...

Pankhurst on dotcom life: Making a business work is a marathon and not a sprint.
April 21, 2004... I'm still running. Forgive my reminder but, with my hamstrings at the moment (I've just run my first half-marathon), running is very much on my mind. It is relevant, though, in a way because, even at this early stage, it's clear that trying to...

Digital direct: The tools are there to deliver what our customers want.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Digital direct marketing can be the most powerful form of commercial communication in the media mix. However, too often, it is let down by key areas of the campaign not functioning properly together. There are four key areas: communication...

Experian buys to boost email offer.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Experian's email clients - from EMI and ebookers to egg, will receive access to new technology and services following the direct-mail giant's purchase of CheetahMail in March. Now branded as CheetahMail UK, an Experian company, the firm was...

Direct Stats.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... This month Brands may know what they want emails to do, but can recipients subscribe easily? Philip Smith reports. It is one thing to have an aim in mind for your email, but another to achieve it. Nielsen Norman Group's study on email...

Barnardo's runs viral marketing initiative.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Barnardo's has launched a viral-marketing push to inspire people to run marathons and raise cash for the children's charity. The humorous campaign was emailed to Barnardo's 5,000 staff and coincides with its banner ads on Realrunner.com....

Cricket Board plans spring site relaunch.(England and Wales Cricket Board )(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is relaunching its site to promote the official services it offers to fans and the cricket community. The ECB has signed up the Press Association (PA) to manage editorial for the web site, which...

Vital Statistics: This month.(Broadband transmission)
April 21, 2004... Last year saw record levels of global growth in broadband take-up. Emma Rigby checks out the figures. More than one million homes and businesses signed up for digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband in the UK last year. This pushed the...

Analysis: Marketing promise of social sites.
April 21, 2004... There was a time when fads and fashions dominated the digital world, but while things may be different now, phenomena like blogging can appear from nowhere and have a real impact. Other, older ideas, such as 'social networking', which is...

Analysis: MMS begins to justify its billing.(Multimedia messaging service)
April 21, 2004... When MMS became a reality, it was almost a case of the egg arriving before the chicken. A year ago, the penetration of enabled handsets lagged behind the technology, and cross-network incompatibility made it costly for users. But, this...

Analysis: Why writing for the web is an art.
April 21, 2004... Much time is often spent on site design and branding, but how often are the words the focus of good design? Copywriting is an established art offline, but there are issues online where, arguably, words are more important. One site that...

Vox Pop: What do digital papers bring to the online marketplace?
April 21, 2004... National newspapers are starting to launch digital editions. Emma Rigby finds out why. Both The Guardian and The Observer have introduced paid-for digital editions of their newspapers in the UK. Other nationals, such as The Times and...

Editorial: Business has a duty to educate.
April 21, 2004... One of the very positive signs of change in the digital sector has been the rise in the number of companies striving to push standards and issues forward. It is a given that any sector should promote best practice, particularly in a sector that...

Comment: We still need firmer foundations for best practice.
April 21, 2004... As a new-media channel goes mainstream, it is critical that it builds on strong foundations. In the case of the web, we need to ensure our product portfolio is right. While audiences have soared, simplifying our ad products is still a...

Shopping: Review - Smaller site with the big answer.
April 21, 2004... There are times when it seems that buying a book from somewhere other than Amazon is as socially acceptable as watching a reality TV show on Five. It just isn't done or, if it is, it isn't admitted. There are a few reasons - the brand may stand...

Shopping stats: Digital TV users go for games and data.
April 21, 2004... Interactivity is rising on digital TV, though shopping is not the most popular service. Philip Smith takes a look at the sector. There has been much research into shopping on the internet and figures for Christmas from the IMRG show the...

Sector checker: RBS could try harder in its sponsorship of rugby site.(Royal Bank of Scotland)
April 21, 2004... Cxpartners' Giles Colborne kicks off with the Royal Bank of Scotland-sponsored 6 Nations rugby web site and finds some missed opportunities. Web: www.rbs6nations.com - Developer: Clipstream/Tangozebra As any coach will tell you,...

Orange: Mobile, camera, action!
April 21, 2004... Film buffs are set to get a revolutionary two-for-one mobile offer Niamh Byrne tells Emily Booth the future of UK cinema could be Orange. Wednesday isn't always seen as the best day of the week (I'm thinking of people with a face 'like a...

Revolution Awards 2004: Chairman of the Revolution Awards judging panel.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... It might not feel like 12 months has passed since last year's Revolution Awards but, I can assure you, a lot has happened in that time. The joke that everything in digital moves at internet speed thanks to technology - and the rapid rate of...

The Revolution Awards 2004: The judges.
April 21, 2004... Lorraine Twohill is director of European marketing programmes for Google UK and is responsible for promoting the business in Europe. She joined Google from Opodo, where she was head of sales. - Carl White, European managing director of...

The Revolution Awards 2004: The Revolution award.(Arc )(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Fiat Ulysse Towel Client: Fiat Agency: Arc Not only is it a clear winner in its category, but for pushing the boundaries in such a new category it is a worthy winner of the Revolution Award. Other highlights in Fiat's marketing...

The Revolution Awards 2004: Best online advertising.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Yell.com Online Advertising 2003 Client: Yell.com Agency: AKQA/i-level (joint-submission) The aim was to drive traffic and educate consumers about its services. The brand's powerful Yellow Pages heritage was used to achieve...

The Revolution Awards 2004: Best integrated marketing campaign.
April 21, 2004... Colour My Dyson Client: Dyson Agency: in-house Launched in March 2003 with the aim of creating the first Dyson on the net, the campaign is on target to raise pounds 1 million for the charity by 2005. The focus of the promotion...

The Revolution Awards 2004: Creative award.
April 21, 2004... Lynx Pulse Client: Lever Faberge Agency: dare Media: Bartle Bogle Hegarty The distinctive Pulse dot-star logo was made to transform into a dancing 'dot-man'. As in the TV ad, girls joined him, but this time they were hand-drawn...

The Revolution Awards 2004: Best consumer marketing.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... BT Broadband Client: BT Agency: Agency.com (creative) Media agency: i-level A marketing campaign to consumers aimed to boost take-up and BT's image. The challenge was to educate consumers and create demand, and create sales for...

The Revolution Awards 2004: Best online retailer.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Figleaves Shock Absorber Client: in-house Agency: in-house Figleaves opened a US dollar site in November 2003 and integrated with Amazon.com to become the only non-US firm in its Apparel & Accessories store. The campaign for the...

The Revolution Awards 2004: Most innovative digital business.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... Hitwise Real-Time Competitive Intelligence A provider of online intelligence services, Hitwise uses internet measurement information to provide unique business insights to around 600 clients. Following its UK launch two years ago, the...

The Revolution Awards 2004: Best brand building by an online business.(Brief Article)
April 21, 2004... COMMENDED Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Suite Launch Client: Virgin Atlantic Agency: Start Creative The airline invested pounds 50m in developing a 'first class cabin at a business class price' and wanted to advertise the fact. ...

The Revolution Awards 2004: Best digital direct campaign.
April 21, 2004... Fiat Ulysse Towel Client: Fiat Agency: Arc A combination of direct mail and electronic DM was used to segment the market into 'hot' and 'warm to cold' prospects. In this way, Arc could produce a DM piece for the hot prospects,...