Revolution articles from February 2004

Revolution archives from February 2004

Letter from the editor.(Editorial)
February 9, 2004... Ah, escapism... at the very heart of all entertainment - from music to film to TV - and the internet is a great channel in which to get away from it all. That's why the idea of a virtual world appeals and why avatar-driven community sites, like...

McDonald's gives consumers Wi-Fi with fries via BT deal.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... McDonald's has teamed up with BT to offer fast-food fans Wi-Fi services in more than 500 of its restaurants. BT Openzone access points will allow diners to log on to the internet using wireless broadband if they use a Wi-Fi-enabled laptop...

1Xtra drives digital radio on microsite.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The BBC's black music station, 1Xtra, has launched a microsite to raise awareness of the benefits of DAB (digital audio broadcasting) radio. The microsite (www.bbc.co. uk/1xtra/dab), created by magneticNorth, is part of a wider digital...

ANM features P&O cruise prizes online.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Associated New Media is giving users of web sites femail.co.uk and thisistravel.co.uk the opportunity to win holiday cruises. P&O Cruises is offering the trips following a cross-platform campaign in conjunction with ANM's web site, Mail on...

DEALS: Nielsen//NetRatings to buy RedSheriff.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Online research group Nielsen//NetRatings has announced plans to buy rival web researcher RedSheriff for some dollars 12 million (pounds 6.6m). Nielsen wants the site-centric measurement firm to boost its client offering and product portfolio....

DEALS: Thomson integrates database.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Thomson Directories is to integrate its database of 30,000 web advertisers with Yahoo! Web Search (yahoo.co.uk/search). Search results on the portal will give details of up to four related businesses from Thomsonlocal.com's Business Finder...

DEALS: Specialist microsite created.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... A specialist microsite will be created from a cross-promotional agreement between Guardian Newspapers and The AirMiles Travel Company. The Journeys of the Mind campaign promotes 'stimulating and inspiring' travel on an exclusive microsite...

DEALS: Channel 4 links with AOL.(America Online Inc)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Channel 4 has linked with AOL to offer a special version of the broadcaster's primary school GridClub web site to two million AOL members. GridClub targets seven- to 11-year-old children, offering them games and activities, which are mapped out...

DEALS: Ebay provider on Auctions Channel.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Ebay has become sole content provider on Freeserve's Auctions Channel and will back the ISP with integrated advertising. Users logging on to Freeserve Auctions will be automatically redirected to the eBay site. Under the terms of the agreement,...

DEALS: OctopusTravel.com to provide services.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Online travel firm OctopusTravel.com is to provide Freeserve's 4.8 million customers with services and access to its hotel, apartment and tour portfolio. Users of the ISP can search a global offer of more than 19,000 hotels in 3,300 cities. The...

DEALS: Brit public to vote by SMS.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... At this year's Brit Awards, the public will be able to vote and snap up downloads by SMS for the first time as the UK music awards is partnering with O2. Fans will be able to vote for five of the 16 different categories via SMS and take...

DEALS: Hamleys.com joins with First Great Western.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Toy store web site Hamleys.com has joined forces with First Great Western, the train operator, to run a prize draw on firstgreatwestern.co.uk. Top prize will be a child-sized Hamleys Own Ferrari Enzo, with a price tag of pounds 399.99. The...

DEALS: Press Association works with FIBA.(International Basketball Association)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... News agency The Press Association is working with the world basketball body, FIBA, to provide a range of content and editorial services for its site, fiba.com. The PA will supply a weekly service of basketball news from some 38 countries,...

Tango unveils online digital voucher push.(PlayStation 2 )(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Tango has joined PlayStation 2 and games retailer Game for an online instant-redemption campaign, backed by a pounds 1 million media spend. The Play4Real drive will see some 36 million Tango drinks offering consumers a pounds 2 voucher off...

Coca-Cola to charge 80p a music track.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Coca-Cola is to offer tracks for 80p on its ground-breaking new music download web site, Mycokemusic.com. The site, launched on 19 January, debuted with an exclusive download of the first Tears for Fears' track to be released in 13 years....

EmpireDirect spends big to improve web site accessibility.(EmpireDirect.co.uk )(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Electrical e-tailer EmpireDirect has spent more than pounds 500,000 on redeveloping its online presence to make it easier to navigate and more accessible for visually-impaired users. The retailer said that Empire Direct.co.uk now has larger...

Good month/bad month.(Rivals Digital Media's acquisition ; WHSmith's finance; Orange, O2, Virgin Mobile, T-Mobile International AG und Company KG, Vodafone Group PLC and 3's regulations)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Good news for the British inventor of the worldwide web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who received a knighthood in the New Year's honours list. The inventor and academic reportedly said that it felt strange, but he was honoured by the award. It...

JUST BREAKING: Top 10 breaking banners by impressions - (1-31 December 2003).(Illustration)
February 9, 2004... 1 Amazon Need inspiration for Christmas? 2 Dell Computer Corporation Are you serious about games? 3 Hewlett Packard Shoot it, Select It, Share it 4 Tesco Half-price...

Record Christmas for e-tailers as consumer spend soars.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Online retail in the UK had a record festive season as consumer spend rose by more than 70 per cent to pounds 1.3 billion in December, according to IMRG (the Interactive Media in Retail Group). Combined internet sales for November and...

Experian joins with TBG to boost surveys.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Experian has selected London-based digital-marketing services agency TBG to increase response to its online surveys. The initial phase includes media planning, buying and creative. Experian has been running online surveys for some time,...

Lastminute.com in First Option buyout.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Lastminute.com has purchased UK hotel-booking agency First Option Hotel Reservations for pounds 12.1m in a deal designed to broaden its UK hotel offer. Lastminute issued a trading update as it announced the deal, reporting good business in...

BUPA International ups online spend.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... BUPA International is planning to spend more than half its pounds 1 million marketing budget online over the next three years. The specialist global division of UK healthcare giant BUPA has awarded its ad and marketing communications...

Account wins.
February 9, 2004... Bmi has awarded the design of its flybmi.com web site to Euro RSCG Interaction after a three-way pitch. The site lets customers book flights, check existing bookings and routes, and locate fares. The redesign aims to improve navigation. Bmi's...

OWEN ON DIGITAL MEDIA: The BBC would do well to use the talent that exists.(British Broadcasting Corp.'s online services)
February 9, 2004... In the debate surrounding the role of BBC Online, much of the focus has been on the impact that the corporation has had on the commercial publishing sector. The BBC is used to this sort of criticism. To date, this has mainly come from magazine...

MarketPlace offers service to ISP users.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The MarketPlace at Bradford & Bingley has teamed up with Freeserve to offer the ISP's users a mortgage, personal loan and credit-card broking service. Provided by The MarketPlace, the dual-branded service takes the form of a fully...

Hellomagazine.com unveils horoscopes.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Hellomagazine.com has a new horoscope section, provided by astrologer Jonathan Cainer. The new section (www.hello magazine.com/horoscopes) will have daily forecasts from Monday to Friday, and a week-ahead prediction on Saturdays. ...

TRACKER: Travel web sites, January 2004.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Traffic to UK sites - 80% Average session duration - 6 mins 10 secs Methodology: Data produced by Hitwise, which claims to monitor 32 per cent of all UK internet traffic through its ISP partnerships (www.hitwise.co.uk) Following...

Times Online makes brand promo debut.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Times Online is launching its first brand-marketing campaign on the internet. Running throughout January and February, the promo will focus on three key areas of the web site: travel, appointments and business. The first part of the...

Warp to offer digital music downloads.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Warp Records has chosen the Designers Republic to design the site for its new digital download service, Bleep.com. The electronic music label's entire back catalogue, including albums and singles by Aphex Twin, will be available for digital...

Home Office helps kids to be safe online.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The Home Office has launched a new campaign aimed at raising awareness of child protection on the web and the dangers of paedophiles in chatrooms. Profero, the digital communications agency, developed the promo, which runs until the end of...

GRIFFITHS ON MOBILE: The joke's on the providers if they cut out the comedy.(trends for wireless communications services)
February 9, 2004... Video services are now being rolled out by a number of network operators in the UK, but they're only available to the limited number of users with the right high-end handsets. Quite simply, the challenge for network operators is to find...

TIME THIEF: John Ankers, director, e-Seek, takes us through his day.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... 40% Finding requested items I use email, phone calls, web searches, forums and my specialist sources around the world. Sometimes it's just a question of lateral thinking - knowing where and how to look. I once found a stuffed lion for sale...

Peugeot launches second iTV promo with mini-DAL.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Peugeot is launching its second iTV campaign. Interactivity will be used across all its 206 and 307 above-the-line ads on Sky channels and ITV2. Users click through to a mini-DAL (dedicated advertiser location) from interactive ads and...

Yell.com enters phase two of year-long web marketing push.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Yell.com is launching the second phase of its year-long web-based marketing push. The main aim of phase two is to widen the overall reach of the online campaign and its creative in order to strengthen brand positioning and drive usage. ...

John Armit Wines adds e-commerce.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Fine wine merchant John Armit Wines has hired E3 Media to develop an e-commerce site. Its first foray into online trading is part of a strategy to widen brand appeal and its customer base. The site will be integrated into the firm's new...

Smarties game ties in with Smash Hits!(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Nestle Smarties is launching a viral game as part of an integrated offline and online communications push for the new Smarties bars. The game, Supa-Snooper (www.smarties.co.uk/game/) links with the Smarties Schools Tour, in association with...

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 1 December - 31 December 2003, 8am - 8pm.(Illustration)
February 9, 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...

GAFFNEY ON AMERICA: Rumours of an IPO for Google is good news for everyone.
February 9, 2004... Believe it or not, a lot of the big buzz in the States at the moment concerns internet stocks. Stock-picking newsletters are making a new run. And (insert your own gasp!) we all can't stop hypothesising Google's IPO (initial public...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at Napster.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Napster has made Leanne Sharman vice-president, business development. Based in London, she is Napster's first European executive and will spearhead its expansion out of the US. She reports to vice-president worldwide business development, Brad...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at DoubleClick.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... DoubleClick has hired Pete Krainik as chief marketing officer. He joins the team from Siebel Systems, where he was vice-president and general manager of the consumer goods division. In his new role, he will be responsible for global marketing...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at Ask Jeeves UK.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Ask Jeeves UK has made Myles Runham director of strategy and Shobhit Kakkar head of research. Runham will develop and implement strategic business planning for Ask.co.uk. He joined Ask Jeeves UK in 2001 as head of research in the marketing...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at Unique Digital.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Online marketing agency Unique Digital has hired three new staff. Richard Dance joins the agency's strategy and planning team as media manager, having previously been online media planner in the central marketing unit at Yahoo! Europe. Joe...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at ITN.(Independent Television Network Inc)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Alex Gatrell is to head up ITN's push into video news on mobiles. He has six years' new-media and broadcast experience, and joined ITN in 2000 as an ITV online producer. He then became editor of the Channel 4 News online service, working across...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at Lloyds TSB Group.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Matthew Timms becomes internet channel director at Lloyds TSB Group, responsible for driving web strategy. He brings more than eight years' experience in developing online/offline initiatives in blue-chip firms, including General Motors Europe...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at Swamp.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Swamp, the digital marketing agency, has made Ben Price marketing manager, heading up its marketing operations. He will be responsible for all marketing communications and branding strategy, as well as coordinating new business. Swamp's clients...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at Itraffic.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Itraffic has appointed Ilana Abrahams from mOne New York as media director. She will head up the media planning and buying team at itraffic, overseeing the interactive media strategies of clients such as British Airways and Hilton...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at Channel 4.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Channel 4 is combining its two interactive divisions - commercial and editorial - into one unit, 4Interactive. Andy Taylor, who joined the channel from Victoria Real this year, will run the department as head of interactive, reporting to...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at Holler.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Digital design and strategy consultancy Holler, whose clients include Morgan Stanley, has recruited Ben Swindell as head of client services. He previously worked at Staging Connections, managing events for clients including Air New Zealand.

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at News Group Newspapers.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... News Group Newspapers has promoted David Roddick to the newly-created position of digital sales director. For the last three years he has headed strategic sales and new media in the NGN ad team, responsible for The Sun and News of the World. In...

MOVING ON UP: Appointment at EHS Brann.(Brief Article)(Interview)
February 9, 2004... Matt Atkinson has been appointed managing director of direct communications agency EHS Brann. He joins from Saatchi & Saatchi, where he was head of integration. Prior to that, he was chief executive at DM agency Interfocus and, earlier,...

London Olympic bid plans campaign site.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The London 2012 Olympic Games bid company has hired internet services firm syzygy to design and build London 2012's new campaign web site. Syzygy was appointed alongside ad agency M&C Saatchi to assist London 2012 in its bid to bring the...

Screen Pages lands Carluccio's contract.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Italian food and gift chain Carluccio's has chosen Screen Pages to design, build, host and service an e-commerce site. It will replace the company's existing site, carluccios.com. The web site will have four main aims: to increase brand...

AOL UK helps NCH children's charity event.(America Online Inc)(National Coalition for the Homeless)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... AOL UK is the official online media partner for children's charity NCH's fundraising event, Give it up for Children! The event involves people making a positive change for themselves and also for the children, young people and their...

PANKHURST ON DOTCOM LIFE: Social networks run on trust, as do we at Friends Reunited.(services)
February 9, 2004... We saw a lot of changes in 2003 on Friends Reunited, particularly in the services we offer users, but there has also been a big change in my working life. As you know, relatively early on we decided to hold on to the site but bring in a new...

DIGITAL DIRECT: Direct and digital can combine to save resources.(analysis of marketing strategies)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... It is increasingly hard to find a client who isn't using some form of direct marketing in their business. Likewise, it's hard to find one who hasn't embraced some form of digital communication. But what amazes me is that these are seen as...

PC World rolls out business e-brochure.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... PC World is launching a dynamic electronic brochure to support its email and direct-marketing campaigns to businesses. The e-brochure, downloadable from the PC World Business site (www.pcwb.com/ebrochure), will be updated in real time with...

DIRECT STATS: Use of marketing databases.(Direct Mail Information Service)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... This month - E-commerce firms use marketing databases for many tasks, according to The Direct Mail Information Service. More than eight out of 10 e-commerce firms have a marketing database, according to The Direct Mail Information Service,...

Multimap.com hosts ads for new M6 Toll.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Midland Expressway is using Multimap.com, the online mapping firm, to back its ad campaign for the new M6 Toll road. The regionally-specific push uses banners that click through to m6toll.co.uk, which provides information on the road, its...

VITAL STATISTICS: Recruitment sites.(survey)
February 9, 2004... This month - How popular are online recruitment sites with job seekers and what do users find useful? One thing that makes digital media stand out is its measurability. ABC Electronic is carving out a niche for itself as the...

BHF urges smokers to give up online.(British Heart Foundation's new year campaign)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The British Heart Foundation's (BHF) new year campaign urging people to quit smoking is being backed by an online marketing push and microsite. The charity wants people to quit smoking as a New Year's resolution and is highlighting the...

ANALYSIS: Digital reaches new ad landmark.(internet advertising's market share)
February 9, 2004... Things are looking up for digital. The IAB's target of two per cent market share for online advertising has been reached, according to data published with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Meanwhile, the Q4 2003 Bellwether Report, surveying marketing...

ANALYSIS: FMCG brands find new direction.(Fast Moving Consumer Goods' advertising)
February 9, 2004... Not long ago, the world was awash with opportunities for FMCGs online. In the early part of this millennium it was felt that an FMCG brand, be it a soft drink, washing powder or cereal, could stretch its brand to provide information,...

ANALYSIS: Job sites unite for advertisers.
February 9, 2004... When it comes to responding to advertiser demand for accountability and transparency, it's fair to say the recruitment sector is showing the way online. January's third annual National Online Recruitment Audience Survey (NORAS) shows how...

VOX POP: Is digital doing enough to counter negative publicity?
February 9, 2004... How is the industry reacting to recent concerns about its use? The internet has had a tough time PR-wise of late, with concerns over spam, online fraud and, that most serious of issues, child safety. But, Ian Price, chief executive of...

EDITORIAL: Innovation wakes from hibernation.(marketing strategies)(Editorial)
February 9, 2004... Innovation is a word that has become tarnished, if not downright dirty, in certain new-media circles. In the last three years, since the worm first started turning in the financial sector, we've seen a steady trend of businesses and brands...

COMMENT: Time for online to address how and what it trades.(trends of Internet advertising)
February 9, 2004... Recent months have seen some good news for the interactive ad sector, but there is still a struggle to convince many advertisers that online media, and the web, has a major role to play in delivering effective campaigns. With expenditure...

SHOPPING: Review - My phone calls but no-one's home.
February 9, 2004... It may be stretching the point somewhat, but internet shoppers often fall into one of two categories. Some choose the channel because it is more direct, convenient and cheap. Others find the impersonal log-on to a site less frustrating and...

SECTOR CHECKER: Beauty sites looking good with full, quality ranges.
February 9, 2004... Handbag.com's Nancy Cruickshank finds a wealth of products at garden.co.uk, from health and beauty products to handy travel accessories. Web www.garden.co.uk Developer smartdecision.net Spending winter in an air-conditioned office...

UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK: Universal Cool.
February 9, 2004... Universal Pictures UK's latest marketing tool is a virtual room offering exclusive content for film fans, as Rupert Fleming tells Emily Booth. Miss Cool is wandering about a very, well, cool, loft apartment. There's a cityscape looming...

REVOLUTION AWARDS 2004: Is your name on the final list of entries?
February 9, 2004... We reveal the shortlist for the Revolution Awards 2004, in association with Yahoo! UK & Ireland. Are you there? This year's Revolution Awards, in association with Yahoo! UK & Ireland, will be the seventh time that Revolution has held its...

BANKING: Online makes financial sense.
February 9, 2004... More consumers have online accounts as the traditional banks aim to expand their digital services. Can the internet and digital media transform a sector? Just count the number of new digital brands that have established themselves on the...

CUSTOMER DATA: Clean up your digital data act.(database management)
February 9, 2004... Firms that keep their databases up to date can boost customer profiling and offer them what they want, reports Holly Acland. There's nothing like the story of a company mailing someone after they have died and causing distress to their...

THE REVOLUTION EMAIL MARKETING REPORT: Sponsored by Frontwire - Fortune shines on email marketers.
February 9, 2004... The UK legislation on email marketing that came into force in December appears to have had minimal impact on my inbox. This is, perhaps, hardly surprising since most of the spam in it comes from overseas, beyond the reach of our nation-state...

THE REVOLUTION EMAIL MARKETING REPORT: EC Directive - Ask, don't take.
February 9, 2004... The EC Directive aims to take a tough stand against spam, but will legitimate e-marketers lose out? Colin Grimshaw finds out. The EC Directive on email marketing, which became law in the UK on 11 December 2003, presents e-marketers with...

THE REVOLUTION EMAIL MARKETING REPORT: Can TV ads bring an inbox to life?
February 9, 2004... There's an argument for using re-purposed TV content in marketing emails. Robert Gray finds out if it can really increase response. The best TV commercials are considered mini works of art. Cue the Guinness horses riding the breaking surf...

SHOW PREVIEW: Technology For Marketing.
February 9, 2004... Stuart Derrick takes a look at what exhibitors at February's Technology for Marketing show at Olympia, London, will have to interest digital marketers and sales professionals. Marketing used to be viewed as the business process most...

ONLINE MEDIA PLANNING MASTERCLASS: The Revolution Masterclass on online media planning.
February 9, 2004... It isn't just about great creative. Careful planning can make all the difference in whether an ad campaign is successful, reports Philip Smith. Working with a strong brand and creative idea is all well and good, but it is the audience it...

TRAILBLAZER: Pop sounds.
February 9, 2004... Raf McDonnell tells Philip Smith how Coca-Cola is using a music download service to connect with consumers. In many people's eyes, and ears, rock 'n' roll should be celebrating its 50th birthday this year, but the link between soft-drink...

CREATIVE REVIEW: Beverley Sullivan - design director, Precedent.(advertising campaingns)
February 9, 2004... Sullivan oversees the design of all traditional and digital media at Precedent for a range of private and public sector clients such as Regus, Bluewater, Middlesex University and the Improvement and Development Agency. 'At Precedent, we're...

CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH: Merrill Miner.
February 9, 2004... Campaign: Merrill Miner Client: Merrill Lynch Investment Managers Agency: Profero Background: MLIM's Natural Resources Team comprises five members who have nearly a decade of experience of working together and a combined 45 years'...

TERMINATOR 1: Viewing the latest flicks in my very own room of cool.
February 9, 2004... I was impressed by Universal Pictures UK's Cool Room interactive channel (see p30) set to launch at the end of January. Digital is at its best when it's creating an alternative space to the real-world environment; a place where you can browse,...

TERMINATOR 2: hhm... unveils its not-so-sweet transvestite.(adverting campaign)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Each and every year, the arrival of Revolution's magnus opus, the Creative Portfolio, showcasing digital's wide range of new-media agencies and suppliers, is eagerly anticipated, even if we do say so ourselves. However, as the dust settles...

TERMINATOR 2: Committed to waking up the big web world.
February 9, 2004... As we all know, web hosting is essential for digital businesses, but it can be a difficult service to explain. Particularly to the target market of time-poor, living-on-the-edge, digital marketers and e-commerce chiefs in need of a reliable...

TERMINATOR 2: Looking back on a wicked way with words.
February 9, 2004... It is quite heartening to think that, as we look back on 2003, there were quite a few worthy quotes that put a smile on our faces throughout the year. Well, at least two of them are worth repeating As ever, Stephen Fry got us off to a great...