Revolution articles from May 2005

Revolution archives from May 2005

Letter from the editor.
May 6, 2005... It doesn't take a genius to realise the web is a great place for breaking news. Yet, even the biggest and brightest in media have struggled to grasp the web's full importance - as both an opportunity and a threat - to established media...

Orange utilises online work to give Star Wars promos variety.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Orange is initiating its online strategy at a group level for its promotion of the release of the new Star Wars film with a campaign microsite (www.starwars.orange.com). Mobile services and content have been created around the film, but...

Eurostar turns to Wheel for web revamp.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Eurostar is planning to relaunch its web site in July after appointing a new digital agency. Wheel won a 10-way pitch to redevelop the information architecture, copywriting and design of the site as the rail operator gears up for a major...

Churchill begins first banner ad campaign.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Churchill Insurance has begun its first banner ad campaign. The Royal Bank of Scotland-owned insurer is running a series of pop-ups and banners to push its products, with a special focus on travel insurance. The campaign aims to use a...

Deals: Napster signs deal with Channel 4.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Music download service Napster has made its first move into video downloads by signing a deal with Channel 4 to distribute a series of programmes about pop and rock musicians, starting with a documentary on Garbage, fronted by Shirley Manson....

Deals: Reporo and Active Hotels join forces.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Mobile shopping service Reporo and web hotel reservation company Active Hotels have joined forces to allow business users and leisure seekers to make same-day bookings on their mobiles. Consumers can search for and book hotels through...

Deals: Overture and Lycos Europe extend and expand agreement.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Overture and Lycos Europe have extended and expanded their European agreement. Yahoo!-owned Overture Services has extended its search-distribution relationship with Lycos Europe in a long-term deal. It includes Overture products in six European...

Deals: Manchester City Football Club extends partnership.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Manchester City Football Club has extended its partnership with mobile services provider Opera Telecom by enhancing its Interactive Voice Response (IVR) call-handling platform to support its hospitality, conferencing and banqueting services. It...

Deals: Pipex signs shirt-deal with Fullham FC.(Fulham Football Club )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Pipex has signed a pounds 2m two-year shirt-sponsorship deal with Fulham FC - the biggest commercial contract in the Premiership club's history. The ISP's logo will appear on the team's home and away shirts from the start of the 2005/06...

Deals: Usability Company merges with WebAbacus.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The Usability Company has merged with web analytics agency WebAbacus to provide online analytics and usability consultancy as a single, managed service. The name of the new agency will be announced in early May.

Deals: BT partners with Square7.(British Telecommunications PLC)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... BT has partnered with Square7, which distributes Wi-Fi, VoIP and Bluetooth services, to offer the BT Openzone roaming network and also resell BT Openzone pre-pay vouchers and subscription vouchers to its SME and Enterprise User base.

Deals: THUS joins Teletex.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... THUS has joined Teletex to power the new Teletext Cars service, where dealers can advertise new and used cars. THUS's service converts 0845 numbers to relevant dealer's contacts.

Deals: Limone Media and MMI joins up with Dog Digital.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Digital marketing agency Limone Media and new media agency MMI have joined together to form Dog Digital, which includes Tennent's Lager on its list of clients. It also works for AirMiles, Doritos and Jim Beam.

Kraft uses internet in global ad rethink.(Kraft Foods Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Food giant Kraft has unveiled a web site focused on healthy eating as part of its global plan to change the way it markets its products, especially to children. The firm joined food brand peers including Coca-Cola and McDonald's in January...

Tiscali boosts film link with DVD rental.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Tiscali is ramping up its association with films and entertainment by offering its users a DVD rental service through Lovefilm. The ISP, which launched its CinemaNow partnership in September, is also sponsoring the Raindance film festival...

Nike targets European users with Free footwear campaign.
May 6, 2005... Nike is launching a web site and online ad campaign for its new natural-fit footwear, Nike Free. A rich-media ad campaign, developed by agency AKQA, will target audiences across Europe and drive users to a bespoke web site. The online...

Good month/bad month.(Wippit Ltd. growth)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... It's thumbs-up for film fans as Wippit, the London-based digital music service adds film downloads to its archive of music tracks on offer. Movie lovers can download videos starting at 99p and tracks from 29p. Wippit CEO and founder...

FT starts new search strategy to drive newspaper and site.(Financial Times Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The Financial Times has hired a search-marketing agency to promote both the newspaper and FT.com through natural and paid-for search listings. The company has appointed bigmouthmedia to handle a six-figure campaign, aimed at driving users...

Heinz pushes low-carb food on new site.(H.J. Heinz Co.)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Heinz has launched a site to push its new low-carbohydrate food range, Heinz Carb Check. The web site (www.heinzcarb check.co.uk) is aimed at users interested in a low-carb diet, and offers a system that lets them monitor their intake. ...

Focus DIY overhauls its email marketing.
May 6, 2005... Focus DIY is launching a new email-marketing strategy after appointing an agency to target customers with the latest offers on its DIY and gardening items. The chain has hired email-marketing provider CheetahMail to run its new strategy....

Just breaking.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Top 10 breaking banners by impressions (1-31 March 2005) 1 Wanadoo Broadband - From 17.99 a month 2 Expedia.co.uk - Book Together For Less - Screen Trade - Fast and Easy Car Insurance 4 Meetic - Love at First Click 5 Tiscali - Reader...

Eyeblaster reveals new b2b campaign.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Eyeblaster, the rich media technology provider, is relaunching its online marketing campaign after media owners rejected one of the original executions. The new ad shows an image of a rotating turkey, with the tagline 'Eyeblaster. ...

Owen on digital media - The internet works, but not everyone is able to see that.
May 6, 2005... During a month in which the internet overtook radio to scoop the fifth-biggest share of ad spend in the UK, it seems odd that there is still a widespread reluctance to view it as a genuine advertising medium (see p25). Last year, the vast...

Account wins.(contracts)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... United International Pictures (UIP) has selected Vividas Group to premiere footage of new film War of the Worlds, released on 17 June. Vividas' video technology will be used to showcase a trailer of the Steven Spielberg blockbuster via banner...

Nickelodeon brings new show to users.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Kids TV channel Nickelodeon has embarked on a major online push to support the launch of a new show, Unfabulous, starring Emma Roberts, niece of Julia. Rich-media executions aim to raise awareness of the launch and encourage interaction on...

Subbuteo trains up players on the net.(HAsbro Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Hasbro has unveiled a new site to support the relaunch of its iconic football game, Subbuteo. The web site aims to introduce both experienced players and new gamers of all ages to the spirit of the game, and it is part of a rebrand for the...

20th Century Fox in Classic films push.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... 20th Century Fox is to promote its new Studio Classics range of DVDs and accompanying site through a campaign by agency Greenroom Digital. The dedicated web site (www.foxstudioclassics.co.uk) will offer details on each of the 70 films in...

Chevrolet in promo with Chemistry site.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Chevrolet is backing its European push with a sponsorship deal on the Chemistry dating site, as well as the service's offline events. The deal, which will see cars offered as prizes and the opportunity to book test-drives, is Chemistry's...

Wise departs from Hilton International.(Jerome Wise resigned)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Hilton International's director of channel marketing, Jerome Wise, is leaving at the end of April and plans to set up his own online marketing consultancy. Wise, who joined Hilton two years ago, will hand responsibility for the hotel...

Orange hunts new creative web agency.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Orange has issued requests for information (RFI) to interactive agencies for its creative online account, having recruited i-level for its pounds 8 million media-buying and planning task last month. The RFI, which had a deadline of 22...

Griffiths on mobile - Peer under the sink for the real drivers of mobile take-up.(Hugh Griffiths)
May 6, 2005... While many people are used to pinging email back and forth on their PDA, few use them for anything else. In fact, it's fair to say that when most people think of mobile data, they think 'mobile email' and envisage a businessman on a train or in...

Renault targets sports car enthusiasts with viral push.(Regie Nationale des Usines Renault)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Renault has launched a viral campaign to promote its sporty Megane Renaultsport 225 as part of an online push across its entire range. The viral video (www.testof character.co.uk) shows a rally driver crashing during a fast-lap at Brands...

Rooster advertises new single with interactive online game.(Rock band Rooster )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Rock band Rooster is promoting new single 'You're so right for me' through an online game. In the game, called 'You're surf right for me', fans pick their favourite band member and attempt to crowd-surf them for as long as possible, using...

British Library tidies up its online shelves.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The British Library has relaunched its site and reorganised more than 5,000 pages of content. The site (www.bl.uk) holds a vast range of data and is used as an online resource by teachers, students and the public. The national...

Time thief.
May 6, 2005... 50% Meetings, meetings, meetings... Co-ordination with producers, broadcasters, service providers, licensees, sponsors, etc, etc. 15% Emails I get a panic attack whenever my inbox is longer than a page. The solution? I...

Hotgroup to focus on key job brands.
May 6, 2005... The Hotgroup is relaunching its recruitment sites to offer a more client-focused Workthing.com and a network of five niche services, including Planet recruit and Hotrecruit. In May, the group will start to promote the new offers and brands...

Gaffney on America - Business should be in awe of the guy who doesn't get it.(advertising)
May 6, 2005... Remember that hugely popular film of about 17 years ago, called Big? Tom Hanks plays a 12-year-old kid who wants to be big. He gets his wish: a man's body, a girlfriend and a job in a toy company. The defining moment has him in a convoluted,...

Performance index.(websites rankings)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... 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...

Moving on up: Promotion at Lycos Europe.(John van Vroenhoven )(Brief Article)(Interview)
May 6, 2005... John van Vroenhoven has been promoted at Lycos Europe to managing director for the portal and content. Angeles Sanchez Lopez becomes MD for sales after the departures of former joint-MDs Nicole Morse and Duncan Dunlop. Van Vroenhoven joined the...

Moving on up: Appointment at IAB Europe.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... IAB Europe has hired former IAB UK chief exec Danny Meadows-Klue as chief executive. He helped to found IAB Europe in 1998 and IAB UK in 1997, and has more than 10 years' experience in online publishing and interactive advertising. Previous...

Moving on up: Appointment at Associated New Media.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Associated New Media (ANM) has appointed Ed Couchman as head of display advertising. He will be responsible for managing the eight-strong team who sell display and advertising for all ANM brands, including The Mail online, This is London, This...

Moving on up: Appointment at Syzygy UK.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Agency Syzygy UK has made Gareth Phillips managing director, replacing Stephen Priestnall. Phillips, who departed Syzygy UK seven months ago to manage the Microsoft UK business at MRM Partners, will return to the agency to take up the post in...

Moving on up: Appointment at Sponge.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Mobile applications agency Sponge has appointed Murray Beckett to the newly created position of general manager. He moves from marketing agency Liquorice, where he worked as e-business director for two years.

Moving on up: Appointment at Energy Saving Trust.(Matthew Wright appointed )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The Energy Saving Trust has hired Matthew Wright as director of marketing. He takes over from interim marketing director, Janet Morris in May. He was previously business development director at Unilever where he had responsibility for all sales...

Moving on up: Digital Outlook.(has recruited Dino Burbidge as creative director)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Interactive marketing agency Digital Outlook has recruited Dino Burbidge as creative director. Dino moves from Jetix Europe (formerly Fox Kids Europe), where he was head of creative technology, working on the pan-European development and...

Moving on up: Appointment at Conchango.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Conchango has appointed Mark Ferguson as head of retail sales. His remit will include helping retailers to boost sales and reduce costs through efficient business processes. He has more than 20 years' experience in sales and marketing...

Moving on up: Appointment at Shazam Entertainment.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Shazam Entertainment, the mobile music recognition firm, has appointed Andrew Fisher as CEO. He brings 14 years' experience in mobile and online entertainment, and will oversee the growth of the global business. His remit will also include...

Moving on up: Appointment at Arc Worldwide London.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Agency Arc Worldwide London has promoted technical director Jim Mullen to the role of head of interactive. He replaces Mark Reardon, who left the office in January to set up the Latin American division of the Arc Worldwide network. Mullen will...

Moving on up: Appointment at Dynamic Logic Europe.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Marketing research company Dynamic Logic Europe has hired Kate Maloney as regional manager, sales, and Cecile Lescat as account director. Maloney joins from research firm TNS, where she was business development director of the TNS World panel....

JJB Sports plans to debut online sales.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Sports retail chain JJB Sports is to sell its products on the web for the first time after hiring fulfilment specialist Zendor to develop an e-commerce strategy. The firm announced in its results last month that it planned to offer a range...

Kelkoo launches UK fashion category.(enhanced web site )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Shopping web site Kelkoo has launched a new UK fashion category that allows women to search for clothes and matching accessories. The new service, which Kelkoo claims offers more than 150 brands, will be extended to shoes and men's fashion...

Robin Hood Airport opens new web site.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Robin Hood Airport, the UK's first international airport for 30 years, is offering a transactional site to coincide with the departure of the first flight on 28 April. The web site (www.robinhood airport.com) will promote the...

Top Dog acquisition makes light work of our new jobs offer - Pankhurst on dotcom life.
May 6, 2005... It is up there with the big, unanswerable questions such as 'how long is a piece of string?', but at Friends Reunited we are asking ourselves once again about the strength of our name and wondering how far we can continue to stretch the brand....

Digital direct - Spammers render blacklists useless in 'zombie' attack.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... An estimated 75 per cent of all email sent over the internet is 'spam'. This is predicted to rise to 95 per cent by 2006 if nothing is done. The problem is a little-publicised breach of one of internet service providers' (ISPs) primary defences...

FedEx in web first to back DM campaign.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Delivery firm FedEx is marrying the web with a below-the-line campaign for the first time. In the pan-European push, by agency CWA, customers and prospects will be sent a DVD-style container that promotes FedEx's ability to deliver...

Direct Stats.(email marketing)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... This month Email delivery rates are on the increase, according to the first annual report from DoubleClick, which looks at primary email marketing data. Delivery rates and interaction with content are on the up. John Nugent, director of...

Hasbro puts pounds 120k into web presence.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Toy brand Hasbro has spent pounds 120,000 on a new web site and online marketing push. The company, which owns the licences for toys like My Little Pony and Transformers, is set to launch a revamped site (www.hasbro.co.uk) in the summer....

Havas agencies link digital platforms.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Euro RSCG Interaction has merged with EHS Brann Digital to create a new digital arm for the Euro RSCG ad group. Ben Langdon, chairman of Euro RSCG Worldwide UK, announced the integration of the two agencies - both owned by Havas - to form...

Vital statistics: This month.
May 6, 2005... The popularity of digital entertainment is propelling web use to record levels. Emma Rigby reports. Music and photography have helped to spark new growth in internet use, with digital cameras and music players becoming essential...

Analysis: FMCG opportunities open up.(Fast Moving Consumer Goods )
May 6, 2005... Advertisers are spending four times more online than they were at the height of the dotcom boom, but one big fish remains unhooked - FMCGs. The IAB's latest figures show that pounds 653.3 million was spent online in 2004, with impressive...

Analysis: Armed forces find recruits on net.
May 6, 2005... The sheer diversity of careers in the armed forces - from a caterer in the RAF to a helicopter observer in the Royal Navy - brings challenges in marketing to which online offers answers. For example, to recruit new pilots, the Royal Navy...

Analysis: DMA voices email frustrations.(Direct Marketing Association )
May 6, 2005... The peace between internet service providers and email marketers seems to be on the verge of breakdown as the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) reveals the ISP Association (ISPA) pulled out of a meeting to discuss the issue of marketing emails...

Vox pop: Can the web influence how the public votes in the Election?
May 6, 2005... Political parties are using digital in their campaigns, but will it help? One in 10 people will not vote in this General Election, but almost half (46 per cent) of those would be more likely to if they could vote online, according to...

Editorial: Innovation key to brands' future.(Editorial)
May 6, 2005... Ancient Chinese curses should no longer apply. It is clear that digital is no longer in 'interesting times'; we can genuinely feel unchallenged when we lay claim to be at the start of something very exciting indeed. It is easy to be...

Comment: BSI wants your views on web site accessibility.(British Standards Institution)(Disability Rights Commission )
May 6, 2005... Disabled people find many sites difficult to use, but it hasn't always been like this. When Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, he hoped it would provide a level playing-field for everyone. 'The power of the web is in its...

Shopping: Review - A sports site on the right track.
May 6, 2005... It is undignified for a man of a certain age to go around wearing replica football tops. In fact, it's pretty undignified for a man of any age to wear shirts for the sake of tribal loyalty that would be rejected by a colour-blind cyclist in the...

Shopping stats: Convenience factor helps financial sites.
May 6, 2005... New research says sales of financial services will soar online in 2005, as Emma Rigby reports. Online consumer buys of financial services are set to increase by 27 per cent on 2004's figures, according to research from NOP World Finance...

Sector checker: Cranks makes a healthy pitch but could cook up a lot more.
May 6, 2005... MEC Interaction's Jeff Hyams takes a trip down memory lane with Cranks' new site, which looks and feels good, but still misses the odd trick or two. Web www.cranks.co.uk Developer Caffeine I've regularly used Square Meal to search...

Reuters: Straight from the source.(Reuters Group PLC)
May 6, 2005... Reuters is embracing the web to directly target users with news and insight, says Alisa Bowen, head of the UK site. Reuters has been through the mill in the past few years. Tom Glocer's first major step when he became group chief executive...

Female users: Women want more online.
May 6, 2005... Female-focused brands are finding online offers growth opportunities for both web specialists and magazines. Women buy magazines for many reasons, but online satisfies a deeper hunger and is growing fast. The launch of Conde Nast Online's...

Self-help for users.
May 6, 2005... Web self-service can help customers solve their problems faster while freeing up call centres and saving businesses money. Jane Bird reports. Phoning a call-centre for service and support can be frustrating for customers who end up stuck on...

Awards round-up: Spotlight shines on digital stars.
May 6, 2005... A night of digital success and Jimmy Carr. Yes, that's the Revolution Awards. Emma Rigby reports. The most revered and respected names in digital marketing gathered on Friday 18 March for a day of two halves. It was all about...

How to get ahead in search results.(online marketing )
May 6, 2005... In the world of online marketing, what could be more important than search? Well, not much. With 33 million people in the UK with internet access - the majority using services that are provided by search engines - and 50 per cent of all online...

Google: 'Google power' under fire.
May 6, 2005... What are the wider implications for marketers of Google's dominance? Robert Gray takes a look. Californian search engine Google has become a byword for search. It is now even a verb. Miles ahead of its rivals, it attracts users in...

Search engine specialists: Agencies seek higher returns.
May 6, 2005... Rebrands at search marketing companies point to an evolving sector and an approach to client strategy that involves more than the top spot of listings. Just as web search becomes part of daily life for consumers and online marketers, so...

Retail web sites: The Revolution Masterclass on retail web sites.
May 6, 2005... A high number of users leave sites without buying, so how can e-tailers make sure that shoppers don't get confused online? The customer is always right, but sometimes they need a helping hand. Research revealed by Matthew Tod, chief...

Trailblazer: Credit control.
May 6, 2005... Richard Duvall and Dave Nicholson tell Emma Rigby about their scheme to bring together potential borrowers and lenders online. Consider two things. One, the web is good at creating communities and, two, people like to control their cash....

Creative review.(Start Creative Ltd.)
May 6, 2005... Julian Wild creative director & head of digital media, Start. Wild has been with Start, the new media agency, since 2001, after moving from the US, where he worked for DDB. With a background in design and advertising, Wild enjoys the...

Campaign of the month.(Maybelline NY)
May 6, 2005... Campaign: Dream Matte Mousse Client: Maybelline NY Agency: Panlogic Maybelline scored its most successful web campaign to date with a mix of Eyeblasters, Skyscrapers and banner ads. Background: L'Oreal Group's Garnier and...

Terminator 1 - Beware identity fraudsters and the dumpster divers.
May 6, 2005... The staple of many a Hollywood blockbuster, identity theft is becoming a daily reality in Britain. It is estimated to cost the economy pounds 1.3 billion a year and affect 100,000 individuals. Thankfully, we are well behind the US, where...

Terminator 2 - The perfect bird waits for you at MailOrderChick.(marketing of Christian Aid Mission)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Adopt a chick with personality on the web. That's a hen, rather than a foxy lady. It's all part of a viral promotion from Christian Aid, which aims to highlight the scandal of foul trade rules. Cheap, frozen chickens from Europe are...

Hands up if you love that crazy little hopper.(new single created from Crazy Frog ringtone )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... You're all delighted to hear, of course, that the Crazy Frog ringtone has spawned a new single, to be released on 2 May by Gusto Records. The details: German clubmeisters Bass Bumpers have taken the Jamster ringtone and merged it with Axel...

Galaxy comes up roses with toilet humour.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... When Nobel created dynamite, he had good intentions but, as it turned out, it was used for bad things. In the same vein, digital marketing is mostly a powerful tool used for decent reasons, but sometimes it turns evil. The result? Leeds'...