Revolution articles from April 2006

Revolution archives from April 2006

Letter from the editor.(advertising executives)(Editorial)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... This month's issue is all about winners. One imagines Sir Martin Sorrell has won most of the mind games he has played in his career and - by all accounts - he's a half-handy cricketer too. However, a fresh challenge faces the architect of the...

Deals: EW Scripps buys uSwitch.
April 25, 2006... Online utility comparison service, uSwitch has been bought for pounds 210 million by EW Scripps, a US-listed media group and the owner of Shopzilla.

Deals: 3 agreement.
April 25, 2006... MSN Messenger and Hotmail will be available on mobile network 3. The agreement allows access to services from a browser or via downloaded and pre-installed software on handsets.

Deals: LB Icon merge.
April 25, 2006... Framfab is to merge with Stockholm-based LB Icon to create one of Europe's largest digital-marketing agencies with revenue of over pounds 115m. The combined company will operate in 10 countries with 1,200 staff. Framfab will absorb LB Icon,...

Deals: Falk acquired.
April 25, 2006... DoubleClick, the online ad-technology firm, has acquired rival Falk eSolutions to build its presence in Europe. Falk's AdSolution will merge with DoubleClick's Dart ad-management system, with the best features incorporated in future versions.

Deals: Parship.co.uk partner.
April 25, 2006... Parship.co.uk, the UK arm of Europe's psychometric online dating service, has become Metro's exclusive web-dating partner. It will appear on Metro's site and be promoted in the newspaper.

Deals: Sportal.com deal.
April 25, 2006... Sports web site, Sportal.com has signed a deal with the Voice Commerce Group to offer sports enthusiasts free voice calls and video messages online.

Deals: HitDynamics acquired.
April 25, 2006... Hitwise, the web intelligence service, has acquired HitDynamics, which combines search campaign management, search marketing reporting and conversion-tracking in a single interface. Initially, HitDynamics will operate independently and continue...

Deals: Scene7 partners ATG.
April 25, 2006... Scene7, the on-demand rich-media platform, has partnered e-commerce services provider Art Technology Group, (ATG). The two companies will combine their sales and marketing activities.

Deals: Tennis partnership.(Tennis Properties)(broadcasting rights)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... Tennis Properties, the host broadcaster of the ATP Masters Series, has entered a three-year partnership with Premium TV to exploit and market its global digital media rights. Premium TV will deliver exclusive content from all ATP Masters events...

Deals: NeoMedia buys Sponge.
April 25, 2006... Mobile marketing firm Sponge has been bought by US firm NeoMedia Technologies. The deal is worth up to dollars 17.4m (pounds 9.9m), with NeoMedia paying dollars 6m in cash and the rest in shares. An extra dollars 4.35m will be paid if Sponge...

Deals: JPM signs deal.
April 25, 2006... JPM Interactive, sister firm of JPM International, has signed a two-year deal with OpenTV's PlayJam channel to deliver interactive TV gaming to 10 million Sky Digital, ntl: and Telewest Broadband viewers in the UK. JPM will offer three games,...

ITN Archive shortlists creative agencies to overhaul web site.
April 25, 2006... ITN's digital arm, ITN Archive, has shortlisted agencies for the redesign of its web site to handle the distribution of film footage from its archives. A digital creative agency will be appointed in April to work on a new site, which is...

Digital wages increase amid skill shortage.
April 25, 2006... AKQA was named Agency of the Year at the Revolution Awards last month, where it picked up a total of three awards and one high commendation. The agency's work for Nike won Best Integrated Marketing and Best Use of Email, while its project...

Dulux promo leads with online activity.
April 25, 2006... Dulux aims to bring its range to life with an integrated ad campaign featuring characters for various colours. Online advertising will kick off on 1 April, followed by TV and press activity. Agency.com, Dulux's digital agency, has created...

Amazon signs first third-party network.(marketing contracts)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... Amazon is aiming to expand its vast global affiliate-marketing programme after signing its first deal with a third-party network. The online retailer, credited with inventing the affiliate marketing model, already has hundreds of thousands...

Good month/Bad month.(online services)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... Fantastic news for philatelists - the Royal Mail is letting customers personalise stamps online. Users can choose a favourite design on Royalmail.com, which could include the picture of a newborn to adorn the envelope of a Christening card. The...

WPP unveils a new direction for interactive.
April 25, 2006... WPP, the marketing services group led by Sir Martin Sorrell, is embarking on a new strategy to manage its digital operations and investments. The network, which owns ad agencies JWT, Ogilvy and Media-edge:CIA, is expected to rebrand its...

Nestle seeks agency to link its range with a healthier lifestyle.
April 25, 2006... Nestle is hunting for a digital agency to build a new site that associates its chilled drinks with wellbeing. The brand wants to position its Munch Bunch probiotic kids' yoghurt drinks alongside exercise, possibly cycling, and the new site...

Just Breaking: Top 10 Breaking Banners by Impressions - (1-31 February 2006).
April 25, 2006... 1 Utralase - WIN Laser Eye Treatment worth up to pounds 3,000 2 Brunel Franklin & Company - www.endowmentuk.com 3 British Telecommunications - Go wireless with BT Broadband 4 O2 - Only from O2 5 National Savings & Investments -...

Npower trebles search budget as marketing spend increases.
April 25, 2006... Npower has further increased its web marketing budget and plans to treble spend on pay-per-click search this year. The energy provider, which recently doubled its ad budget for 2006 from pounds 10 million to pounds 20m to compete more...

AKQA scoops Agency of the Year accolade.(awards)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... AKQA was named Agency of the Year at the Revolution Awards last month, where it picked up a total of three awards and one high commendation. The agency's work for Nike won Best Integrated Marketing and Best Use of Email, while its project...

Email favoured most for communication.(communications survey)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... Digital has emerged as the dominant channel for all written communications, according to the new TouchPoints survey from the UK Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. It found that almost half (49 per cent) of written communication is...

Levi's asks users to influence ad creative.(clothing advertising)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... Levi's has unveiled an integrated pan-European push, which lets users influence the online advertising creative. Banner ads on Hotmail will target 15 to 24-year-olds with executions based on the idea of 'Moonbathing' and the things people...

Account wins.
April 25, 2006... BRITISH GAS has named Wheel as its sole digital agency after it beat Agency.com, Framfab and DNA in a second-round shoot-out. Wheel's focus will be to overhaul House.co.uk. INTERNET-BASED insurance firm Swiftcover.com has hired Harvest...

Owen on Digital Media: IPA's digital group had to divide to conquer problems.
April 25, 2006... There is no surer sign of the success of the digital marketing sector than the recent surge in attendance at the IPA's Digital Marketing Group meetings. During the past several months, while the IPA's offices received an overhaul, we took...

Moving on up: Appointment at British Heart Foundation(BHF).(Bertie Bosredon of British Heart Foundation speaks on his appointment)(Interview)
April 25, 2006... Bertie Bosredon, online manager at the British Heart Foundation(BHF), is moving to Breast Cancer Care to set up a new digital division. He will join the charity, which offers practical help and emotional support to people affected by the...

Moving on up: Appointment at Samsung Electronics UK.
April 25, 2006... Anthony Marsella been hired as chief marketing officer at Samsung Electronics UK. Dr Marsella will manage communications and marketing across the UK divisions, focusing on exploiting digital convergence and channel opportunities. He joins after...

Moving on up: Appointment at Modem Media.
April 25, 2006... Digital agency Modem Media has poached Wheel's creative director, Chris Clarke, as its new senior VP and creative executive for Europe. Clarke was formerly creative director at Swedish agency Abel & Baker, acquired by Wheel in 2002.

Moving on up: Appointment at Agency.com.
April 25, 2006... David Eastman, MD of Agency.com's London office, has been named as its new chief executive officer. He will be responsible for all aspects of global operations, with an immediate focus on European expansion. Meanwhile, Dave Johnson, managing...

Moving on up: Appointment at Honda UK.
April 25, 2006... Honda UK has appointed Jeff Dodds as head of marketing for its UK car operation. He leaves his current role as head of marketing for Honda UK Power Equipment business.

Moving on up: Appointment at Travelodge.
April 25, 2006... Travelodge has made Rachel Dawson head of marketing. She will be responsible for all marketing activity and e-commerce, and drive the budget hotel firm's price-cutting campaign. The role was created following the promotion of sales and...

Moving on up: Appointment at UpMyStreet.com.
April 25, 2006... Luke Hayter has been appointed as commercial manager at UpMyStreet.com. Hayter, who joins from Quintessentially magazine, will work with agencies and clients directly to plan brand campaigns and geographically targeted advertising. He will...

Moving on up: Appointment at The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday.
April 25, 2006... Johnston Press, owner of The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday, has hired Alex Green as director of digital publishing. Green, who previously worked at News International as directory of strategy, will be responsible for overseeing digital...

Moving on up: Appointment at Tribal DDB.
April 25, 2006... Tribal DDB has boosted its client services team with the appointment of Craig Morgan as client services director to oversee the account management team. He leaves Arc Worldwide, where he was interactive director for Western Europe on P&G.

Moving on up: Appointment at Match.com.
April 25, 2006... Online dating site Match.com appointed marketing consultant Matthew Welch as chief marketing officer, international, with responsibility for the brand as it expands globally. Based at the firm's London office, Welch will oversee a...

Moving on up: Appointment at Framfab.
April 25, 2006... Digital agency Framfab has hired Frances O'Reilly and Jane Austin, the founders of interactive design agency Recollective, to work on major brand projects. The Recollective team has worked with a variety of high-profile clients such as The...

Moving on up: Appointment at WARL evolution.
April 25, 2006... Full-service agency WARL evolution is taking on two new staff to handle its rising level of new and existing business. Navdeep Punia joins as senior project manager on the Clothing at Tesco account while Anna Bosworth becomes project manager...

Moving on up: Appointment at Yahoo!
April 25, 2006... Yahoo! Europe has expanded its media team by hiring Simon Gunning and Lloyd Shepherd to develop relevant and engaging content for European users. Gunning joins as director of entertainment and games from Celador International, while Shepherd...

Moving on up: Appointment at Vividas.
April 25, 2006... Developer and provider of video-streaming technology Vividas has hired Richard Collins, as chief executive. He leaves WPP-owned search agency mSearch, where he was global CEO.

T-Mobile advertises on game hoardings.
April 25, 2006... T-Mobile has become the first UK brand to advertise in the new online version of driving game Trackmania. The mobile operator has signed a deal to advertise on virtual track-side hoardings within the game for one month. Game developer...

DEFRA aims climate campaign at teens.(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)(environmental target marketing)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (DEFRA) is targeting 10 to 18-year-olds on the web to raise awareness of climate change. The campaign, run by COI, aims to educate the nation's youth with a competition on...

Win free place at European online show.(trade shows)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... Revolution is offering 15 free delegate places, each worth 65 euros, to this year's Online Marketing Europe show (www.ome2006.com) in Palma, Mallorca, on 14-16 June. In its second year, the show will bring together European advertisers,...

Gaffney on America: To recommend or not recommend... that's the question.(advertising services)
April 25, 2006... The hottest thing in business that I've seen in this country since Bill Clinton was president is The Ultimate Question. No, not another cheesy American reality show. This is a legit business book by Bain & Co partner and customer-loyalty...

Digital direct: Bright brands could realise how to cut out the middleman.(direct marketing)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... Mobile is revolutionising direct marketing. It works off the back of TV, radio, press, on-pack and outdoor promotion. It provides a sound, measurable return on investment; offers a cohesive marketing message; and facilitates one-to-one...

VSO hires Panlogic for email strategy.(Voluntary Service Overseas)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) has appointed Panlogic to handle its email and online marketing. Panlogic replaces incumbent Underwired after winning a three-way pitch. The agency will work with Laura Solomon, VSO head of...

Direct Stats.
April 25, 2006... This month - Open rates for acquisition and retention email campaigns stabilised in 2005, says the UK Direct Marketing Association. Susie Harwood reports. The Q1-Q3 2005 National Email Benchmarking Report found the fall in open rates was...

Stella Artois backs tennis event online.(sports broadcasting)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... Stella Artois is launching a microsite for the Queen's Club tennis championships in partnership with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). The microsite (www.stella artoistennis.com) will provide live scores and the latest news...

Dept of Culture aims film site at children.
April 25, 2006... The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) digital division, Culture Online, has commissioned a project to engage children on the web. Culture Online funded charity First Light's project, Film Street (www.filmstreet.co.uk), which...

Vital statistics.
April 25, 2006... This month Search engine ranking is still valued most by users, even above relevancy. Susie Harwood reports. A quarter of experienced web users believe search engine results are skewed by advertisers paying to top results, according to a...

Analysis: Unilever ITV deal points the way.
April 25, 2006... When Unilever's contract came up for renewal with ITV, it was an opportunity for one of the world's biggest advertisers to adapt to the fragmentation of TV audiences. The FMCG giant has signed a new four-year deal worth pounds 200 million,...

Analysis: All-Flash site fails on accessibility.(River Island launches website)
April 25, 2006... River Island's new all-Flash web site (www.riverisland.com) has drawn strong criticism from accessibility experts. Barrie O'Neil, managing director of the fashion chain's digital agency Bumblebee Design, said on the site's launch: 'Flash...

Vox pop: Is it too late for food brands to polish their image online?
April 25, 2006... Can 'junk food' firms build credibility via healthy messages? McDonald's has launched a new web site promoting a healthier lifestyle to consumers in a bid to turn around its falling sales. Mcdonaldsmenu.info lets visitors calculate...

Editorial: Old guard gather enemies closer.(Editorial)
April 25, 2006... The big guns are being rolled out by various publications, ours included, as last month saw Sir Martin Sorrell (p20), Rupert Murdoch and Bill Gates all offer their views on our digital future. Encouragingly for their thousands of employees,...

Comment: As digital rises, so will demand for skilled people.
April 25, 2006... The continual fast growth of the digital market means there are simply not enough digital marketers and sales people out there to fill the increasing number of vacancies. However, it's not just the digital sector that is struggling to find...

Sorrell plans for new world order.
April 25, 2006... WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell tells Philip Buxton why the rise of digital means some tough decisions for traditional media companies, including his own. What is it that sets Sir Martin Sorrell apart? Generally viewed as a money...

Internet World Show: Internet World Show Preview.
April 25, 2006... This year's Internet World show is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever, finds Susie Harwood. As trends like blogging, podcasting and IPTV create a renewed buzz in the marketing community around all things web-based, this year's...

The Revolution Email Marketing Report, sponsored by emedia: Email needs help to boost its value.
April 25, 2006... Business users prefer email as their primary means of communication over the telephone and post. More than 60 per cent are online for their entire working day, and, with UK adults spending an average of 11 hours a week using the web, whether...

The Revolution Email Marketing Report, sponsored by emedia: Time for change?
April 25, 2006... Marketers are looking to new pricing models as email begins to mature as a thriving marketing channel, says Suzy Bashford. Email has long enjoyed the reputation of being an extremely cost-effective channel for acquiring new customers,...

The Revolution Email Marketing Report, sponsored by emedia: How to put zoom into your email.
April 25, 2006... Careful planning and execution of email marketing campaigns has reaped dividends for Mazda, as Emma Rigby discovers. When the CRM team at Mazda look at the results of their email marketing, they can congratulate themselves on a job well...

Masterclass: The Revolution Masterclass on in-game advertising.
April 25, 2006... Having shaken off its 'geek' image, gaming now offers an audience that is bigger than cinema and receptive to advertising, says Suzy Bashford. Ten years ago, the word 'gamer' conjured up the image of a teenage boy barricaded in his...

Campaign of the month.(Channel 4 Television Co.)
April 25, 2006... Campaign: Invasion Client: Channel 4 Agency: Mook Background: Channel 4 wanted to build hype for its new series, Invasion, and asked Mook to develop a digital campaign that captured the intrigue of the show. The push was a...

Creative Review: Anson Harris creative director, MEME.
April 25, 2006... Harris launched MEME two years ago with Faraaz Marghoob and Matt Gee. Since then, the agency has grown from four people to 22. As well as overseeing creative output, Harris is involved in all aspects of running the company and has won lots...

Terminator 1: 'Thin-slicing' offers the answer to life's little conundrums.
April 25, 2006... 'I do love gingers', 'Pickle', 'My coffee cup's empty', 'Splitzen', 'Charles Worthington isn't soap', 'I need a drink'... Emails are curious animals. People type things they might not say if they had time to think about it. After a gallon of...

Terminator 2: Zen's man gets shorty in battle of the geeks.(Telewest Business)(Zen Internet)(Be Unlimited)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... The eighth Annual UK Internet Service Providers' Association Awards were enlightening. First off, congrats to all the winners in categories like Best Uncontended Service, won by Zen Internet - presumably the only entrant - and we liked the...

Terminator 2: For sure, this girl's story was a bit of a turkey.
April 25, 2006... It's rare for true romance to be based on a load of cobblers. Or gobblers in the case of Rob Forshaw of Grand Union. Over lunch with Revolution (whose editor is currently on his honeymoon), the conversation turned to how couples meet. In...

Terminator 2: A broken body is nothing to metal Nicky.(Nick Hynes of The Search Works)(Brief article)
April 25, 2006... Nothing will get between Nick Hynes, CEO of search marketing firm The Search Works, and the latest developments in the sector. Not even a dramatic spill on the ski slopes, the aftermath of which is pictured above. Those who know him...