Revolution articles from June 2008

Revolution archives from June 2008

Letter from Revolution.
June 19, 2008... This month has been dominated by the ongoing and ever-complex dynamic between the holy trinity of online business - Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft. Just when it seemed that Microsoft's takeover bid for Yahoo! had fizzled out, Microsoft...

Yahoo! joins forces with WPP to improve advertising targeting.
June 19, 2008... Yahoo! has announced a long-term alliance with WPP's online media shops to combine WPP's ad serving platform 24/7 Real Media with Yahoo!'s trading exchange Right Media. This came on the same day as a shareholder revolt led by Carl Icahn...

Gareth Jones joins Revolution as editor.
June 19, 2008... Gareth Jones, news editor of Marketing, is this month joining Revolution as editor. Jones will be responsible for the print title and for building the brand online via its website and weekly email. Revolution's expanding portfolio...

Business hails South West in online push.
June 19, 2008... Business leaders from Intel and Ecotricity are promoting the benefits of investing in the South West in an online campaign for the region's development agency. 'South West Stories' was launched last month for the South West England...

Deals: CBS Corporation to acquire CNET Networks.
June 19, 2008... CBS Corporation is to acquire CNET Networks, which owns websites including CNET, ZDNet, Gamespot.com and TV.com, for dollars 1.8bn (pounds 922m), which CBS claims will make it one of the 10 most popular US websites. The deal will give CBS a...

Deals: Plaxo is sold to Comcast.
June 19, 2008... Social networking company Plaxo has been sold to cable and broadband company Comcast for between dollars 145m (pounds 74.3m) and dollars 175m (pounds 89.7m). The two companies estimate that combining Plaxo with Comcast could create an...

Deals: Ask.com to buy Lexico Publishing Group.
June 19, 2008... IAC-owned search engine Ask.com is to buy Lexico Publishing Group, owner of Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com and Reference.com, in an all-cash transaction. Ask.com plans to monetise Lexico's sites, which comScore claims receive more than half a...

Deals: AOL completes acquisition of Bebo.
June 19, 2008... AOL has completed its dollars 850m (pounds 417m) acquisition of Bebo, which will become the centrepiece of AOL's newly created business unit, People Networks

Deals: Qtrax signs deal with Universal Music Group.
June 19, 2008... The ad-funded file-sharing service Qtrax has signed a deal with Universal Music Group to offer free music downloads of tracks from the record label's artists. The deal is understood to cover only the US initially, and includes publishing and...

Deals: Fox Networks signs global contract with AdTech.
June 19, 2008... Fox Networks, the News Corp-owned online advertising network, has signed a global contract with AdTech for ad-serving. AdTech will replace the incumbent online advertising platform, Helios IQ, and will deliver all premium inventory across...

Deals: I-level sells majority stake to ECI.(Engineering Consultants Inc.)(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... I-level has sold a majority stake to ECI, the UK mid-market private equity firm, in a deal that values the digital media agency at more than pounds 45m. ECI will take a 60 per cent stake in the company, with the remaining shareholding being...

Deals: Dennis Communications signs one-off deal.
June 19, 2008... Dennis Communications has signed a one-off deal with Everything But The Music (EBTM.com), an online retailer of music-inspired fashion, to produce a digital product catalogue that will be sent out via email. The free catalogue will promote...

Deals: Gyro International consolidates activity into new unit.
June 19, 2008... Integrated agency Gyro International has consolidated its digital activity into a new unit called Mighty Mouse Digital. The new business employs 50 staff and plans to offer digital services including online marketing, search engine...

TalkTalk moves digital strategy beyond DR.(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... TalkTalk is to unveil an online awareness campaign following significant digital investment. The home phone and broadband division of Carphone Warehouse is teaming up with Channel4.com to broadcast six online programmes. The aim is to...

Castrol leverages Euro 2008 deal with online statistics.
June 19, 2008... Castrol, one of the sponsors of the Euro 2008 finals this month, has developed an online statistical index to accompany the tournament as part of its sponsorship programme. The Castrol Index (www.castrolindex.com) is an interactive...

NBA signs basketball content-sharing site deal with the BBC.
June 19, 2008... Highlights of NBA basketball games will be delivered daily via the BBC website throughout the rest of the year, in a deal announced last month. The NBA daily highlights will include the 2008 play-offs and finals, daily game recaps and the...

Good month/bad month.(Telegraph Media Group)(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... All key digital operations at Telegraph Media Group have been combined into a single department headed by Michael Moore (he joined the Telegraph last year from AOL), who is now general manager, digital Moore will spearhead revenue growth from...

Digital direct: Let research lead you to all the right answers and ROI.
June 19, 2008... Insight and research do not have to cost a fortune and the returns can be excellent. Asking users what works for them is a simple but effective way of increasing ROI, reducing negative brand impact and delivering messages that work for...

Mothercare and ELC target parents online.
June 19, 2008... Mothercare and Early Learning Centre (ELC) are planning the first co-branded e-CRM campaign since Mothercare's pounds 85 million acquisition of ELC in April 2007. Inbox, part of the Digital Marketing Group, was appointed last month...

Direct Stats.
June 19, 2008... Email marketing is not yet sophisticated, despite its popularity, according to Alterian's latest Online Assessment. Alterian studied more than 700 marketers, agencies and marketing services providers' email strategies and activities, and...

Philips targets consumers with gaming technology website.
June 19, 2008... Philips is developing a new consumer website and online advertising for its amBX technology following the appointement of eCRM agency Underwired. A homepage is live at www.ambx.com. It has been created to appeal to consumers, while the old...

Future gazing at Revolution's July conference.(Conference news)
June 19, 2008... Emma Jenkins, head of interactive marketing at Procter & Gamble, will predict the future of digital marketing at Revolution's conference, The Best of Digital Marketing, in July. Jenkins will talk on changing developments in the digital...

NHS launches youth recruitment campaign.
June 19, 2008... NHS Careers has launched a digital campaign to highlight the diversity of job opportunities in the National Health Service to teenagers. The campaign is part of the wider 'Step into the NHS' initiative aimed at 14 to 19 year olds in...

Just breaking: Top 10 breaking banners by impressions (1-30 April 2008).(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... 1 The National Lottery Who's next? Play online and we'll tell you if Lotto 19,753,311 you've won 2 Churchill 5,939,040 Challenge Churchill: Roll over to play 3 JCB (Dealerships) Own a new JCB 8014... from only pounds 67...

Owen on digital media: Subtlety is key when brands move into the entertainment world.
June 19, 2008... Product placement is a hot topic all of a sudden. The European Parliament is preparing to vote on a bill that will bring US-style freedoms to TV advertisers in the EU. At the same time, separate UK legislation could extend the current TV...

Chevrolet sends up dancing robot car.
June 19, 2008... Chevrolet has launched a spoof viral and mini website as part of its launch campaign for the Aveo, under the theme 'get real'. Strawberryfrog Amsterdam has created a spoof viral of the award-winning 2004 Citroen C4 'Transformer' ad by Euro...

Account wins.
June 19, 2008... Travel company Ocean Village has appointed Yucca to manage its six-figure search account following a pitch. Ocean Village offers cruises and is targeting 30 to 50 year olds and first-time cruisers. HotelConnect has hired TradeDoubler to...

BDO creates Second Life island.(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... BDO Stoy Hayward, the accountancy firm, has launched an island in virtual world Second Life in a bid to open its services to a wider audience. The launch was backed by three short films by BDO on tax investigations, premiered in Second...

Virgin Media overhauls its travel channel.
June 19, 2008... Virgin Media, the broadband, digital TV and content provider, has ramped up its travel channel with new content in a bid to attract consumers to the site and drive e-commerce. Travel and entertainment content provider Whatsonwhen has...

Papa John's unveils database campaign.
June 19, 2008... Pizza delivery company Papa John's is using a mobile promotion to develop its database, offering consumers the chance to win a year's supply of pizza. The campaign invites consumers to 'Txt the Papa,' with a call to action on Papa John's...

RNLI unifies local web activity.(Royal National Lifeboat Institution)(Walker Digital)(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has appointed Walker Digital, the digital arm of the Walker Agency, to create a unified web presence for the charity. About half of the charity's 234 local lifeboat stations have their own websites,...

Griffiths on mobile: Politicians have long seen the potential for mobile technology.
June 19, 2008... The use of mobile technology to influence politics has been with us for some time. One of the earliest examples in 2001 saw a lightning campaign that rallied hundreds of thousands into the streets of Manila in the Philippines resulting in an...

Website revamps for Novus Leisure brands.
June 19, 2008... Novus Leisure is relaunching the websites for its portfolio of 33 bars, including Tiger Tiger, Strawberry Moon and Ludo, as it seeks to build on strong growth in online bookings over the past two years. The sites are being revamped by...

Performance index.(top ten sites )(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... The Revolution Keynote Performance Index measures the performance of 20 representative sites from across the digital economy in terms of speed of loading and availability. The top ten sites are featured each month and the worst performer...

Moving on up: Appointment at Media Equals.
June 19, 2008... Media Equals, the newly launched online trading platform for off-line media, has poached ValueClick's European marketing director, Gary Goodman. Goodman will oversee the business development, sales and marketing divisions at MediaEquals...

Moving on up: Appointment at Blyk.
June 19, 2008... Christopher Bennett has joined Blyk, the ad-funded mobile network for young people, as commercial director. Reporting to UK chief executive Shaun Gregory, Bennett will be responsible for the delivery of advertising strategy and revenue...

Moving on up: Appointment at Bray Leino.
June 19, 2008... Patrick Furse, former interactive European creative director at Sapient, has joined Bray Leino as head of digital brand experience. With more than 12 years' digital experience across a wide range of clients, including the BBC, BSkyB, The...

Moving on up: Appointment at Flame Digital.
June 19, 2008... Flame Digital in Manchester has appointed Kate Towey to head its new online PR division. Towey has worked for PR agencies Freud Communications, Henry's House and Weber Shandwick on clients including Nike, T4, Virgin Mobile and Lynx Towey...

Moving on up: Appointment at Redweb.
June 19, 2008... Digital agency Redweb has hired Angela Barnard as content editor. She will be responsible for managing all website content including copy, video and rich media for Redweb clients including Unite, Nationwide Autocentres and E.ON. Barnard...

Moving on up: Appointment at Cravens.
June 19, 2008... North East-based creative communications agency Cravens has recruited Gary Jobe, formerly technical director at Ogilvy-Interactive, as head of digital and web services. Jobe returns to his native North East with 12 years' digital sector...

Moving on up: Appointment at Dow Jones.
June 19, 2008... Dow Jones, the News Corp-owned business news provider, has appointed Tristan Leaver to the newly created position of director, business and audience development at The Wall Street Journal Digital Network (EMEA). The hire is a move to develop...

Moving on up: Appointment at Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw.(Graeme Noble)(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... Integrated agency Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw has appointed digital art director and designer, Graeme Noble, as digital creative director, following the launch of its integrated digital service offer in February 2008. Noble joins from Tullo...

Moving on up: Appointments at The Search Works.(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... Digital marketing agency The Search Works has appointed a new European management team in advance of its expansion across Europe. Ben Gibson, previously regional vice-president Asia-Pacific for sister company The Technology Works, will...

Moving on up: Mel Alcock leaves Jetix to join iCrossing.
June 19, 2008... Mel Alcock has left his post as senior vice-president at Disney's Jetix, Europe, to become chief client officer, UK, at digital marketing company iCrossing. Alcock will be responsible for the delivery of all commercial revenues across the...

The Ting Tings pay visit to Habbo Hotel.
June 19, 2008... The Ting Tings has appeared in avatar form in Habbo Hotel to promote their new single and album to a young audience. The Habbo team created bespoke avatars of band members Jules de Martino and Katie White, which toured rooms in the virtual...

BT unveils branded entertainment site.
June 19, 2008... BT has launched BT Podshow, a website hosting more than one million hours of podcasts, as it aims to strengthen its position as an entertainment provider. BT PodShow (www.btpodshow.com/) allows users to collect and share videos and music,...

Eyre takes up chair at Rapid Mobile Media.
June 19, 2008... Former ITV chief and IAB chairman, Richard Eyre, has been appointed chairman at Rapid Mobile Media, the mobile advertising and application provider. Eyre brings more than 30 years of media experience to the post, having previously served...

Mintz on China: Text is a powerful force in the hands of 600 million people.
June 19, 2008... The combination of mobile phones and the Chinese population is a powerful force not to be underestimated. With nearly 50 per cent of China's population - or to put it more bluntly, 574 million people - using mobile phones, the market must...

Analysis: Web search war is far from over.
June 19, 2008... The collapse of takeover talks between Yahoo! and Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer last month saw Yahoo!'s share price plummet by 15 per cent and the Financial Times crown Google chief executive Eric Schmidt victorious in the battle for online...

Analysis: Pandering to the digital generation.
June 19, 2008... The news that ITV is planning online extensions, including social networking elements, for new series Britannia High will come as no surprise to followers of its March launch of US import Gossip Girl (see boxout), or to others targeting the 14-...

Vox pop: Do brands need a BSI web standards framework?
June 19, 2008... Is the internet suitable for a British Standards specification? The British Standards Institution (BSI) and UK web compliance company Magus have launched Publicly Available Specification 124, which they claim will improve the effectiveness...

Project watch: Next stage of charity's web.(Website overview)
June 19, 2008... Continuing the ongoing story of Breast Cancer Care's digital strategy overhaul... A week in the life of new media at Breast Cancer Care - Monday 21 April Meeting with the brand team about potentially tying in roll-out of the new...

Comment: Word of mouth is a powerful tool.(Column)
June 19, 2008... There is an old Chinese proverb that says: 'Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand.' It is this understanding that is critical to brand success in this hyper-fragmented, radically transparent...

Sector checker: Streaming video sites - a nice steady flow or a mere trickle?
June 19, 2008... Jeremy Hill from Circus Street finds that streaming video sites vary enormously both in quality and design. Site: www.blinkxbbtv.com Developer: In-house Blinkx BBTV is the latest development to come out of Blinkx and Suranga...

B&Q: DIY goes virtual.
June 19, 2008... B&Q has always been quick to explore the possibilities of the web The task facing Jonathon Brown now is to fully integrate its online presence with its retail network, reports Adam Woods. Among large retailers, B&Q has always been quick on...

Shopping: Review - Fridge order leaves a warm feeling.(Viewpoint essay)
June 19, 2008... The fridge was on its last legs and we needed a new one. I hadn't used the internet for any kind of white goods action before, so this was a good opportunity to try. First stage was research, which was pretty straightforward to be honest -...

Shopping: Shopping stats - Online growth outstrips bricks and mortar.
June 19, 2008... Online retail shows no signs of slowing down, with growth in sales and market share forecast to continue, reports Hayley Pinkerfield. Online retail continues to power ahead, amid signs that the economy and retail sales are slowing,...

Client structures: Let's work together.
June 19, 2008... As consumers spend ever more of their time online, Melanie May wonders whether clients are giving digital the prominence it deserves. From shopping and banking to research and entertainment, we are increasingly getting everything we need...

Digital sales houses: Meeting of minds.
June 19, 2008... Companies seeking to promote themselves online are turning to digital sales houses, but choosing the right one isn't a particularly easy task, discovers Alex Blyth. When Cadbury wanted to create an online buzz around its new campaign for...

Masterclass: The Revolution Masterclass on selecting a search agency.
June 19, 2008... Choosing a search agency is more arduous than you'd think, but the right one will have a positive effect on business, says Andy McCormick. The UK search market is buzzing. Recent changes, most often imposed by Google, have been frequent...

Clearing the path to the checkout.
June 19, 2008... Few things frustrate shoppers more than having to register personal details on a website in order to make a purchase. Is it really worth insisting, Kim Benjamin asks. It's all too easy to turn your site's checkout into a chuck-out. Having...

Multi-channel: Two sides of the same retail coin.
June 19, 2008... Customers are now using in-store and web interchangeably to seek out the best shopping experience, but retailers can find it hard to keep up. It is easy to imagine that online customers and in-store customers are entirely different, but...

The Revolution Essays: Affiliate Marketing - Clearly cost-effective.
June 19, 2008... As we find ourselves facing straitened economic circumstances, those holding the purse strings of online marketing campaigns will further scrutinise the cost-effectiveness of all their activity. It stands to reason that any channel placing...

The Revolution Essays: Travel - Journey under their skin.
June 19, 2008... Travel is about the anticipation of pleasure. The holiday experience starts long before departure, as thoughts turn to two precious weeks of pampering, adrenalin, sight-seeing, or some happy combination of the three. Our decade of building...

The Revolution Essays: Search - The evolution of search.
June 19, 2008... At a time when 'convergence' is bandied about as a key to the future of technology and media, it's not surprising that search engines have moved to break down their silos of information too. With the implementation of universal search - or...

The Revolution Essays: Web Analytics - New need for analytics.
June 19, 2008... With the growing plethora of online touch points, customers have unprecedented access to brands and propositions. Customers, or website visitors, can access site content using a multitude of devices, from PCs, PDAs, mobile phones or...

The Revolution Essays: Social Media - Matchmaking on the net.
June 19, 2008... Many brands both online and off, are faced with a financial crossroads. The need for fundamental change and visionary leadership has never been greater, and this is driven by the need for both an improved marketplace and financial...

Creative review: Andrew Henning, chief executive officer, Redweb, BIMA member for four years.
June 19, 2008... Andrew Henning, a designer by trade, founded the agency 11 years ago. It has a staff of 48. Redweb works for clients such as Center Parcs, Identity and Passport Service, BSkyB and Unite the Union 'Creativity within the industry is currently...

Campaign study: Commando recruitment.
June 19, 2008... Campaign: Commando recruitment Client: Royal Marines Agency: Twentysix London Background: At the beginning of 2007, applications to become a Royal Marines Commando were 10 per cent below target. Although the previous campaign, '99.9%...

Trailblazer: Media interest.
June 19, 2008... James Booth was a pioneer in digital marketing, so it is no surprise that he's making new strides in online content. James Booth is not afraid to break new ground. In 1996, he co-founded digital marketing solutions provider Tangozebra,...

Terminator: We need to get more emotional about web behavioural targeting.(Viewpoint essay)
June 19, 2008... A few months ago I stumbled across a presentation on ted.com - the website for the annual Technology, Entertainment, Design conference - in which New York artist and so-called 'internet anthropologist' Jonathan Harris attempted an archaeology...

Terminator: BIMA's Walsh proves to be a prize Twitter.(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... BIMA is hunting a new PR person or agency, and BIMA chair Paul Walsh is taking a novel recruitment approach to snare the ideal candidate. Applicants need not labour over application forms or CVs. Instead, Walsh wants prospective candidates...

Terminator: Handbags at eventing dawn.
June 19, 2008... Word of a catfight has spread westwards from the streets of Earl's Court, with the battle cries clearly audible from Revolution's Hammersmith home. When Reed Exhibitions announced that it is to launch a new digital show co-locating with...

Terminator: Loch, Box and Silicon Valley.(Robert Loch and Scott Rutherford founders of RecommendBox.com)(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... Last month, Web Mission 2008 flew 20 UK web entrepreneurs out to Silicon Valley. Networking was the game and drinks were high on the itinerary. Among them were Robert Loch and Scott Rutherford, founders of RecommendBox.com, a site where...