Revolution articles from March 2008

Revolution archives from March 2008

Letter from Revolution.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... If you could name one sector that's been irrevocably changed by the digital revolution, it would arguably be music. The internet has empowered millions of people to exchange not only views, but images, music and video. With the arrival of...

Auto Trader updates image with pounds 15m integrated marketing push.
March 14, 2008... Auto Trader is embarking on its first major rebrand in 30 years, supported by a pounds 15 million integrated marketing campaign. The relaunch will see a brand new logo and a redesigned magazine and website, with opportunities to grow the...

New database strategy for football club.
March 14, 2008... Manchester United is overhauling its supporter relationship strategy, using segmentation to manage and boost digital communications. Man Utd has appointed technology company smartFOCUS to analyse global database content and segment...

Ponti's revamps site before brand refresh.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... Ponti's, the family-owned Italian restaurant group, is overhauling its digital strategy, as a precursor to moving the brand upmarket. The re-branding programme follows on from a strategic review of the business. Newly appointed chief...

Deals: Mastercard extends sponsorship of Brit Awards.
March 14, 2008... Mastercard has extended its official sponsorship of the Brit Awards, teaming up with Virgin Radio to sponsor its online coverage of the event. The deal will see a Mastercard presence on all of Virgin Radio's Brit Awards content online,...

Deals: WooMe receives financing.
March 14, 2008... WooMe, the live introductions platform launched in November 2007, has received a pounds 1.5m bridge round of financing. The investors are led by Mangrove and include previous investors Atomico and Klaus Hommels. WooMe has also brought in Oliver...

Deals: LoveFilm buys Amazon Europe's DVD rental business.
March 14, 2008... LoveFilm, the DVD rental company, has bought Amazon Europe's DVD rental business in the UK and Germany, and Amazon has become the company's largest shareholder. The deal sees Amazon Europe make a cash investment in LoveFilm

Deals: 3 and O2 join forces to launch EyeVibe.(O2 Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... 3 and O2 have joined forces to launch EyeVibe, a mobile video community that combines their SeeMeTV and LookAtMe! services into a single community, allowing any UK mobile subscriber with a video-enabled handset to share and earn money from...

Deals: EMI Music Publishing teams up with Huge Entertainment.
March 14, 2008... EMI Music Publishing has teamed up with Huge Entertainment to create new interactive content services. The joint venture partnership will enable EMI Music Publishing to expand its income streams through maximising the potential offered by...

Deals: LBi acquires Netrank.
March 14, 2008... LBi has acquired organic search specialist Netrank for an undisclosed sum. LBi has recently made a string of acquisitions in a move to build a full-service proposition following its merger with Oyster. Netrank had already worked with LBi for...

Deals: IGA Worldwide announces further series B funding.
March 14, 2008... IGA Worldwide, the in-game advertising provider, has announced further series B funding from international investors, as demand within gaming and media markets in Japan, Korea and China surges. The latest deal brings IGA's total funding to...

Deals: MSN Music teams up with NME.com.
March 14, 2008... MSN Music, Microsoft's online music channel, and NME.com have teamed up to create a more content-rich music destination. The partnership means extra content at www.music.msn.com, including news and reviews from NME.com, adding to existing MSN...

K-Swiss creates new site for Ariake launch.
March 14, 2008... K-Swiss is supporting its new 'free running' trainer launch with a pan-European viral and website. Perfect Fools, the Sweden- and US-based international digital agency, has created an interactive viral website for the launch of Ariake -...

Save the Children links donors to beneficiaries.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... Save the Children, the international children's charity, is trialling new web technology in its largest ever global campaign. The campaign to help children living in Kroo Bay, Sierra Leone, will have an online presence from the local...

Subway mimics Scrabble to boost product awareness.
March 14, 2008... Sandwich chain Subway has launched a nationwide digital campaign based on Scrabble to boost sales and increase product awareness. Dog Digital was tasked with developing and designing a promotional website, online game and email marketing...

Good month/bad month.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... Good news for music fans, because the pop music title NME has opened a major online shop and download store. NME store is the latest online service for NME.com users. It will run as a standalone site and will also feature on the site's...

Hammersmith and Fulham puts council tax video on YouTube.
March 14, 2008... Hammersmith and Fulham Council has turned to YouTube to publicise that it has cut its council tax by three per cent for the second year in a row. It is thought to be the first local authority in Britain to have used the video site in its...

New job site for Revolution readerbase.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... Revolution has launched a dedicated job site for the digital sector. Revolutionjobs.co.uk offers the latest job-seeker functionality including email alerts, RSS feeds, online applications and the ability to save searches. Recruiters can...

Tixmob ties up with Virtualfestivals.com.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... Tixmob, the festival ticketing specialist, has partnered with Virtualfestivals.com, the UK's largest online community of festival-goers. Under the deal, tixmob and Virtualfestivals.com have created a 360-degree model whereby live music...

Just Breaking: Top 10 breaking banners by impressions (1-31 January 2008).(Statistical table)(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... 1 KLM: Escape Amsterdam from pounds 80 return inclusive winter 2 ING Direct Open an account online in minutes 3 Gamesys Free pounds 10 for every new member 4 E.on There's no need to worry about your energy...

Digital direct: It's a fine line and we must be careful not to overstep it.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... Traditionally, marketing has been divided by a line. We either work above it, below it or through it. We are on or off it. But the time has come to draw a line under that line and to accept that in today's fragmented marketplace it is no...

GMTV uses desktop to boost interactivity.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... GMTV is launching a new web-based broadcast communication channel from elertz, to engage with its growing online audience and drive more people to its website. The ITV breakfast show has been looking at interactive media as a way of...

Direct Stats.
March 14, 2008... Email is being underused in conjunction with other direct media, claims the Direct Marketing Association. Hayley Pinkerfield reports. The latest annual National Client Email Marketing Survey from the DMA calls on marketers to fulfil email's...

Titchmarsh unveils portal for fanbase.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... Alan Titchmarsh, the television and radio personality, is turning to the web to generate new revenue streams and to reach the public. Spungold TV has appointed Sugar following a three-way pitch to completely rebuild and overhaul his fan...

Account wins.(BMI Healthcare)
March 14, 2008... BMI Healthcare, the private hospital division of the General Healthcare Group, has handed its digital marketing account to Soup. The win followed a pitch against undisclosed agencies, which was handled by the Haystack Group. Diffiniti has...

Owen on digital media: Clicks aren't a good measure of response - so why use them?
March 14, 2008... As online marketing gets more sophisticated, it's easy to make assumptions about high industry standards. It's equally easy to believe the hype and to forget that even the best agencies don't always use best practice. In this context, it's...

Mintz on China: Brands can expect huge opportunities in the Year of the Rat.
March 14, 2008... Welcome to the Chinese Year of the Rat, a period of renewal and opportunity. While the West fears economic insecurity, China looks to prosper and there are positive signs both online as well as on the street. It won't surprise you that...

Domino's launches UGC recycling push.
March 14, 2008... Domino's Pizza has embraced user-generated content with an environmentally friendly recycling campaign, encouraging users to post videos on MySpace. Entitled 'Think Outside the Box', the initiative by BLM Quantum encourages Domino's...

Performance index.(Statistical table)(Brief article)
March 14, 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...

GMC uses interactive media for teaching.
March 14, 2008... The General Medical Council (GMC) is using interactive media to bring its guidance to medical professionals and the general public. Created by Cimex, the rich media microsite (www.gmc-uk.org/online/gmp_in_action) aims to bring to life the...

O2 develops mobile fashion magazine.
March 14, 2008... Mobile network O2 has launched Fashion Fix, a mobile fashion magazine, to all of its UK customers. Delivered as two-minute weekly shows, Fashion Fix is targeted at women aged between 18 and 34 with a passion for style and shopping. It...

Vital statistics.
March 14, 2008... Balanced reviews and product ratings inspire the greatest trust in UK online shoppers, with 70 per cent of shoppers reading them when planning a purchase, according to a recent report from Jupiter Research and Bazaarvoice. Hayley Pinkerfield...

Moving on up: Appointment at twentysix.
March 14, 2008... Ian Kerrigan, the digital creative head of Arc Worldwide and Leo Burnett London, has joined digital agency twentysix as creative director. Kerrigan has worked for numerous highly regarded British and Australian agencies, and picked up a...

Moving on up: Appointment at TradeDoubler.(Caroline Taylor in digital marketing)(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... TradeDoubler, the pan-European marketing company, has appointed Caroline Taylor as group marketing director, following its acquisition of The IMW Group last year. Taylor was previously marketing director at The IMW Group. In her new role,...

Moving on up: Appointment at WhiteLabelDating.
March 14, 2008... WhiteLabelDating, the software provider enabling brands to create their own dating sites, has hired Barry Frost as technical director. In the newly created role, Frost will lead the company's web development and various web 2.0 projects. He...

Moving on up: Appointment at Inbox Digital.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... Digital communications agency, Inbox Digital, has made a string of new hires spanning account management, business development, creative and systems development. Elizabeth Glaze-Brook joins client-services director Laith Clark's team as an...

Moving on up: Appointment at Sponge.
March 14, 2008... Jon Beverley has been appointed business development director at mobile specialist Sponge. He brings 14 years of digital media experience, including time as founder and chief executive of Scan Mobile, with clients including Argos, Orange,...

Moving on up: Promotion at MySpace.
March 14, 2008... Social networking site MySpace has promoted Jeff Berman to the newly created role of executive vice-president of marketing and content. Berman will be responsible for spearheading the development and implementation of marketing initiatives...

Moving on up: Appointment at Cheapflights.
March 14, 2008... Cheapflights, the UK and North American travel comparison business, has appointed John Clare as non-executive chairman. Clare was formerly chief executive of DSG International (formerly Dixons Stores Group)

Moving on up: Appointment at Virgin Media.
March 14, 2008... Virgin Media has appointed Alex Green as managing director of portal, to develop the company's online presence and growth. Green, who previously led digital strategy at Johnston Press, will report to Malcolm Wall, Virgin Media's chief...

Moving on up: Firminger latest senior figure to quit Yahoo!
March 14, 2008... Richard Firminger, regional sales director for Yahoo!, Northern Europe, is the latest senior figure to quit the company. Firminger has left with no job to go to, and is believed to be taking time out before re-entering the internet sector....

Moving on up: Anthony Lukom, MySpace.
March 14, 2008... Anthony Lukom is the UK country manager at MySpace, tasked with driving UK business growth and operations. Before joining MySpace, Lukom held the positions of director, strategic alliances group and head of search commercial strategy at AOL...

Volkswagen launches revamped website.
March 14, 2008... Volkswagen has unveiled its new consumer site, designed by Tribal to be a critical driver of purchase. 'Our brief was create the best automotive site on the internet - quite a challenge,' said Tom Roberts, VW site account director at...

Guardian in Reuters US advertising deal.
March 14, 2008... Reuters and Guardian News & Media have struck a deal that will see Reuters market The Guardian's growing American online audience to US-based advertisers. Reuters will sell all online advertising that targets the American audience of...

Mintel turns to SEO specialist for online push.
March 14, 2008... Market research company Mintel is targeting new digitised audiences as consumer research moves to a predominantly online model. Mintel has appointed Altogether Digital, the full-service digital marketing agency and part of marketing...

Griffiths on mobile: Does a lack of buzz mean the mobile sector is maturing?
March 14, 2008... Last month, the mobile industry held its largest annual jamboree, the Mobile World Congress (previously badged 3GSM, riding on the 3G technology wave) hosting more than 55,000 delegates from around the world. An initial view of the...

Analysis: What model for music downloads?
March 14, 2008... The times they are a-changing. Back in January, the US internet company Qtrax unveiled plans for a music download service that would be funded by advertising and offer 25 million free tracks. As it turned out, Qtrax had a few contractual...

Analysis: Has the net grown out of 'poking'?
March 14, 2008... In January, LinkedIn, the online network for professionals, announced it was expanding into Europe with the opening of a London office and the appointment of Kevin Eyres as managing director, Europe. You might not find anyone...

Vox pop: What is the next big thing for mobile marketing?
March 14, 2008... Mobile marketing is now on the map, but the devil is in the detail. When key players from throughout the mobile industry gathered in Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress in February, the question 'When will mobile finally take off?'...

Analysis: Yahoo! and Microsoft: who wins?
March 14, 2008... Announcing its dollars 44.6 billion offer for Yahoo! on 1 February, Microsoft chief executive Steve Balmer grandly stated that the deal was part of the computer company's plans to transform itself by embracing online services and investing...

Quotes of the month.
March 14, 2008... 'We have established a strategic partnership with Yahoo!; this is more than just working together. We believe we can have a longer and deeper relationship' - Hamid Akhavan, T-Mobile's chief executive, explaining to the Mobile World Congress in...

Editorial: The web isn't a popularity contest.(Editorial)
March 14, 2008... Word that price-comparison site BeatThatQuote.com has outdone Facebook to become the fastest growing site of 2007 cast out ripples of surprise, not to mention some relief from the relentless reports of the latter's success. The financial...

Comment: Affiliates are evolving the consumer relationship.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... AOL's purchase of buy.at shows that the major media players have recognised that an important part of future online advertising lies in the affiliate CPA (cost-per-action) model. AOL has no doubt been attracted by the increasingly...

Sector checker: Car brands on the web - high performance or old bangers?
March 14, 2008... Jeremy Hill from Circus Street motors through the offerings from the automotive sector, and finds that while some brands are using the web well, others are not. When some European city eventually builds the Museum of the Internet, the cars...

Shopping: Review - Keep Able takes care of customers.
March 14, 2008... I wasn't surprised when my husband said that he would prefer to work from home while he recuperated from an operation rather than watch daytime TV. To help make life easier for him I decided to purchase a few items including a bed tray, which...

Shopping: Shopping stats - Older shoppers are best area for growth.
March 14, 2008... Online shopping in 2008 is set to exceed the record figures seen last Christmas, says Hayley Pinkerfield. E-tailers enjoyed a record-breaking rise in Christmas shopping online last year (2007), according to the latest figures from the IMRG,...

Just connect.(Interview)
March 14, 2008... Live Nation's Mark Yovich has a scheme to repackage the music industry in the image of the internet, using every ounce of connectivity it can turn up, he tells Alicia Buller. 'Music execs are getting together in Cannes this week to panic...

Internet television: Future vision.
March 14, 2008... Video-on-demand is set to bring about a brave new world of personalisation. Alex Blythe looks at what this means for brands and advertisers. Internet TV has finally arrived. In the three weeks after Christmas 2007, a million people watched...

First impressions.
March 14, 2008... Advertising high fat, salt and sugar foods to young children is in breach of Ofcom rules, but are food brands cynically dodging the issue by using online? Question: When is an ad not an ad? Answer: When a consumer-facing business creates a...

The Revolution Masterclass on mobile marketing.
March 14, 2008... Marketing to mobile users by location is without doubt a brilliant idea. How it works in practice is a whole other problem, finds Victoria Furness. Unlike the PC, our mobile phones tend to accompany us wherever we go That's what makes...

Luxury brands: Viewpoint - Can luxury ever shine online?
March 14, 2008... Luxury brands have been slow to find a way to harness online marketing, fearing a loss of cachet if they do. Is there a way ahead for them, asks Gerry McCusker. For most companies, the birth of the internet presented a golden opportunity...

Paid search faces up to social media.
March 14, 2008... Web 2.0 sites such as Facebook are looking to challenge the big search engines. But Google and its ilk are ready for a fight, reports Gareth Jones. Paid search has long been the backbone of UK internet advertising, accounting for well over...

Creative review: Steven Bennett-Day, Soup.
March 14, 2008... Steven Bennett-Day is the creative director of Soup, an independent digital agency. Member of BIMA for eight years. Bennett-Day's team works on projects for Innocent Drinks, Sky, Ladybird books, Fujifilm, RAC and COI. Bennett-Day's career...

Conspire to climb.
March 14, 2008... Consumers are much more likely to click on natural search results, being sceptical of the value of paid listings. But how do you get to the top of the rankings, asks Adam Woods. Travellers from ancient times wouldn't find much familiar...

Campaign study: VXR Racing Driver of the Year.
March 14, 2008... Campaign: VXR Racing Driver of the Year Client: Vauxhall Agencies: Digitas London BACKGROUND: Motor racing has traditionally only been accessible to the rich and privileged. Vauxhall aims to break that tradition with its...

The Revolution Search Marketing Report: Search grows up.
March 14, 2008... The growth of the search market has been impressive to watch over the past five years. Now marketers have many ways to ensure their site is at the forefront of a user's search. But as the market matures, the myriad complexities of search...

The Revolution Search Marketing Report: The science of search.
March 14, 2008... Despite growing online consumer spend, many organisations in finance, travel and retail are finding that their paid-search campaigns are starting to plateau. With escalating online marketing costs and the rest of the search engine market...

Trailblazer: Geek guru.
March 14, 2008... Charlie Muirhead's chief product is inspiration - in the form of interviews with remarkable people. Hayley Pinkerfield reports. Charlie Muirhead was destined to be a technology entrepreneur. An early bloomer, he handled his first management...

Terminator: You don't need to guild the lily to keep outsiders guessing.
March 14, 2008... One of my first jobs was as a picker at a chicken farm. It involved walking into a chicken shed, picking up six chickens, walking out of the shed and putting them into a crate. As a job it had its limitations - but a major advantage was that it...

Terminator: Valentine totty inspires very warm response.(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... It was the contest that set the digital industry alight last month. Revolution's selection of the industry's most eligible drew hundreds of nominations and featured on several blogs, meaning our eligibles are as good at marketing themselves...

Terminator: IPhone on its way to winner.(survey for Apple Inc.'s Iphone)(Brief article)
March 14, 2008... Last month, Revolution sent out a survey to its RevMail subscribers, incentivised by a much-coveted Apple iPhone for one lucky participant. Terminator extends its somewhat envious congratulations to Gary Bristow, a Bristol-based designer....

Terminator: Kylie goes back to studying.
March 14, 2008... Getting one's head down to some serious studying can be difficult. A plethora of distractions await, but if ever there was a reason for knuckling down to revision, it's the potential of bumping into pop superstar, Kylie Minogue. So what if...