Revolution articles from May 2008

Revolution archives from May 2008

Letter from Revolution.
May 1, 2008... Innocent has to be one of the success stories of the late 90s. Establishing yourself as a warm, friendly brand that is actually 'doing no evil', is a difficult task, but the nine-year-old company has managed. Not only has it married the...

TK Maxx uses Facebook to push daily deliveries stock message.
May 1, 2008... High-street retailer TK Maxx is poised to launch a new Facebook application as part of its spring/summer campaign to promote daily deliveries of designer stock to stores. From 1 May 2008, Facebook users will be able to download and create...

3V Transaction Services plots web activity.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Online secure payment provider 3V Transaction Services has appointed specialist digital agency Sugar to take on all of its online marketing and advertising work in the UK, Ireland and Germany with immediate effect. The company behind the...

Online presence for Sustainable Scotland.
May 1, 2008... Sustainable Scotland, the organisation committed to sustainable development in Scotland, has unveiled its online presence. Sustainablescotland.com is a community web resource providing information on greener living to support a community...

Deals: Yahoo! Search Marketing partners Media Corporation.
May 1, 2008... Yahoo! Search Marketing has partnered online media company Media Corporation to provide ads and search results across its publishing network, providing an additional revenue stream. Media Corp's network includes www.gambling.com,...

Deals: iCrossing acquires 3GNet.
May 1, 2008... Global digital marketing company iCrossing has acquired German digital marketing agency 3GNet for an undisclosed sum, marking its entrance into the European market. 3GNet, which provides natural and paid search marketing, as well as affiliate...

Deals: Hachette Filipacchi UK buys Digital Spy.
May 1, 2008... Independent entertainment news website Digital Spy has been bought by magazine publisher Hachette Filipacchi UK for an undisclosed sum Hachette launched its digital division last year with ElleUK.com and Sugarscope.com, and will now share...

Deals: Yahoo! acquires IndexTools.
May 1, 2008... Yahoo! has acquired analytics provider IndexTools, also known as Tensa Kft, for an undisclosed sum, marking its entry into the analytics market more than a year after rivals Microsoft and Google began to offer analytics technology. The sale is...

Deals: Sellaband secures funding.(Prime Technology Ventures)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Music website Sellaband has secured dollars 5 million (pounds 2.5 million) of funding from Prime Technology Ventures. Sellaband, which is based in Amsterdam, will use the funding to launch a push into the US market. The site allows music fans...

Deals: Fox Networks acquires majority stake in Utarget.
May 1, 2008... Fox Networks, the online advertising network launched by Fox International in April, has acquired a majority stake in Utarget, the European ad network and video specialist. The new unit will be rebranded as utarget.Fox, and will operate a video...

Deals: Brightcove signs distribution deals.
May 1, 2008... Brightcove, the web video business, has signed distribution deals with five social networks, allowing clients to make their content available on Bebo, Veoh, Slide, RockYou and Meebo. Brightcove's clients have the option to extend deals with...

Deals: Trinity Mirror acquires Rippleffect Studio.
May 1, 2008... Trinity Mirror has acquired web design and development agency Rippleffect Studio, for about pounds 5.8 million. The newspaper business bought Rippleffect based on its expertise in sport, leisure and retail sites, as it looks to grow revenues...

GSK's Breathe Right unveils UK website.(Website overview)
May 1, 2008... GlaxoSmithKline has launched a UK website for its Breathe Right brand, with plans to localise the brand presence across European markets in the future. GSK recently bought the Breathe Right brand from CNS, a US-based consumer healthcare...

Lloyds Finance Group targets emerging international markets.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Lloyds Finance Group is poised to launch a strategic online marketing campaign, targeting emerging markets in Europe and Asia. Lloyds Finance Group, a global provider of financial products and services, has a presence in all the major...

Churchill integrates 'challenge' campaign with TV sponsorship.
May 1, 2008... Churchill, the insurance company, has launched the second digital phase of its 'Challenge Churchill' campaign, integrating its online activity with television sponsorship. Churchill is the key sponsor for the launch of new ITV programme,...

Good month/bad month.
May 1, 2008... Good times for social web application developers, as the internet giants came together to set new industry standards. Yahoo!, Google and MySpace have formed the OpenSocial foundation as an open, community-governed organisation to offer...

Digital direct: Social media means brands will need to learn some manners.
May 1, 2008... Is it really possible to introduce social media into the marketing channel strategy? It's not a question of choosing between Facebook, Bebo or MySpace for your banner ads. It's all about recognising that these properties reflect a...

Mothercare's social site hits next phase.
May 1, 2008... Mothercare's social networking site, Gurgle.com, is launching into its second phase with a raft of new tools to attract parents. New features, added and tested since soft launch last October, include a baby gallery, a 'baby of the month'...

Direct Stats.(survey on teenagers using the internet )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Almost 80 per cent of teenagers globally use the internet to instant message their friends, and email has become less popular among this group. This claim comes from Habbo's Global Youth Survey, which had a major focus on how teenagers...

Fanta launches online gaming season with Weebl's Stuff.
May 1, 2008... Fanta is teaming up with cult animation and games website Weebl's Stuff to launch an online gaming season. The six-week campaign will coincide with the launch of the site's new gaming content, sponsored by Coca-Cola drinks brand Fanta. ...

Banham Locks breaks into online market.
May 1, 2008... Banham Locks, the home security company, is launching a new website with an e-commerce function as it looks to achieve greater brand recognition outside its core customer base. Banham has hired digital agency Unite Form to develop the...

USwitch's Holloway joins Yuuguu team.
May 1, 2008... Barry Holloway, former marketing director at uSwitch, has joined Yuuguu as chief marketing officer. Holloway was part of the team that founded price-comparison business uSwitch in 2000. As a board director, he was part of the executive...

Just breaking: Top 10 breaking banners by impressions (1-31 March 2008).(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... 1 Reebok: 14,358,735 Watch their moves and submit your move 2 Be Wiser Insurance: Best policy; find out more here; free RAC 12,549,092 breakdown cover 3 Virgin Media: Go to Virgin Media Jobs Channel ...

Warner unveils home for heritage movies.
May 1, 2008... Warner Bros Movies has launched a campaign to drive sales of its classic titles and build on its 85-year film heritage. Central to the 'Movies that Matter' campaign is a website - www.warnermtm.com - which users can search for films by...

P&V Holidays plans online launch for UK.
May 1, 2008... Pierre & Vacances Holidays has appointed online marketing agency Harvest Digital to manage online media for its launch into the UK market. The campaign will aim to increase awareness of P&V Holidays in the UK and position the brand as the...

Project watch.(Breast Cancer Care )(charity's website )
May 1, 2008... Last month, Revolution met with Breast Cancer Care to discuss the charity's website overhaul. Enable Interactive was awarded the site relaunch brief, but how have staff and users been involved in formulating strategy to date? The new site...

Maxim extends brand into dating website.(Website overview)
May 1, 2008... Dennis Publishing has launched a dating website for its men's lifestyle title, Maxim, following the February launch of a dating site for its Bizarre brand. Dennis has again partnered with WhiteLabelDating.com, a software company that...

Account wins.
May 1, 2008... Shell has appointed TwentySix London to its global digital roster, following a pitch that saw more than 20 companies short-listed to eight, with three making it on to the roster, including the two incumbents, Digitas and Iris. Debenhams...

Owen on digital media: Why online marketing success isn't always about getting it right.
May 1, 2008... If marketing in the digital age is about delivering experiences rather than communicating messages, what happens when a brand provides an experience that doesn't quite work? It's a tricky question because doing things differently will...

Griffiths on mobile: Is the digital industry looking at mobile TV in the right way?
May 1, 2008... I read with interest the recent news that high-speed mobile internet connectivity spectrum is to be made available by Ofcom following its decision to sell off a chunk of the radio spectrum currently used for analogue TV. Interest in...

EasyJet redesigns to aid budget travellers.
May 1, 2008... EasyJet is transforming its online customer experience, moving from straightforward ticket distribution to a more intuitive website. The budget airline has briefed digital agency Splendid to overhaul the portal so that it offers greater...

Performance index.(Brief article)
May 1, 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 Lateral.(Jonathan Moore )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Jonathan Moore has joined digital communications agency Lateral as head of planning. Moore was involved in the digital launches of Dazed & Confused, New Scientist and The Guardian. He then spent three years at DNA Group (now Avenue A/Razorfish)...

Moving on up: Appointment at Kangaroo.(Ashley Highfield )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Ashley Highfield has left his job as the BBC's director, future media and technology, to become chief executive officer at Kangaroo, the three-way joint venture between BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4 Highfield takes over from Lesley...

Moving on up: Appointment at Hachette Filipacchi UK.
May 1, 2008... Anna Jones, head of marketing for Hachette Filipacchi UK, has been appointed acting digital director to oversee the company's digital operations, as well as management of the marketing function. Jones will manage the editorial and technical...

Moving on up: Appointment at Sup.(Annelies van den Belt)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Annelies van den Belt, the managing director of ITV.com, is leaving to run Sup, the Russian online publisher that bought blog network LiveJournal last December for an undisclosed sum. As general manager at Sup, she will be in charge of...

Moving on up: Appointment at Eurosport.
May 1, 2008... Eurosport, the European sports site, has appointed Arnaud Maillard as its new internet director, with responsibility for leading the company's new media teams including development/marketing, editorial and multimedia production. Maillard joins...

Moving on up: Appointment at BLM Quantum.
May 1, 2008... BLM Quantum has hired Carat's Jim Gyngell as its first head of digital commercial operations. Gyngell is tasked with developing new advertising models for existing and emerging digital channels. The agency's clients include Domino's Pizza,...

Moving on up: Promotion at Cheapflights.
May 1, 2008... Mo Bulbrook has been promoted from senior vice-president to head of international at Cheapflights, taking over from Hugo Burge. Bulbrook, who has been with the company for seven years, assisted with the launch of Cheapflights' North American...

Moving on up: Appointment at Web-Trends.(Daniel Stickel)(Sheryl Sandberg)(Ethan Beard)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Web analytics company Web-Trends has appointed former Google executive Daniel Stickel as its chief executive. Three other Google executives have also left the company recently - Sheryl Sandberg, former vice-president of global online sales and...

Moving on up: Jamie Galloway.(Interview)
May 1, 2008... Jamie Galloway, the former director of digital media at COi, has left the government body to join digital consultancy Circus Street. Galloway spent more than eight years at COI, and oversaw a significant transformation that saw the public...

Rubik's Cube targets new generation online.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Rubik's has ramped up its digital offering with the launch of a new-look website. The brand, famous for its iconic Rubik's Cube, felt that the website needed to be updated in order to reach a new wave of Rubik's Cube fans, while retaining...

Bravissimo revamps.
May 1, 2008... Bravissimo, the lingerie, swimwear and clothing retailer for big-breasted women, is working with McCann-i to ramp up its web strategy, kicking off with a re-designed website. Lifestyle photography rotating between lingerie, swimwear,...

Abercrombie & Kent hires Greenlight.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Abercrombie and Kent (A&K), the luxury adventure travel company, has appointed specialist search agency Greenlight to handle its search marketing activity following a competitive pitch. The account was previously held by PHD. The agency...

Mintz on China: Advertisers need to be quick to keep up with consumers.
May 1, 2008... One of the major challenges in China is educating advertisers in how to use new platforms, such as mobile, effectively because of the speed at which the Chinese people have adopted them compared to other markets. The Chinese have always...

Analysis: Internet adspend to overtake TV.
May 1, 2008... Internet advertising expenditure in the UK has risen by 38 per cent in the past year to reach pounds 2.8 billion, according to a report released by the Internet Advertising Bureau last month. Impressive as these figures are, the best may be yet...

Analysis: Brands miss out on over-50 market.
May 1, 2008... By 2015, the majority of the UK's population will be over 50, so there's no denying that the market holds value for marketers, but do digital brands target the 'silver surfers' as much as they should? Regan Maloney, digital planner at...

Vox pop: What does Google's new trademark policy mean?
May 1, 2008... How will Google's new policy on trademarks affect brands, asks Hayley Pinkerfield. This month, Google announced that it would be scrapping its trademark policy on keyword bidding, allowing UK advertisers to bid against each other for...

Quotes of the month.
May 1, 2008... 'Teenagers may say they're experimental consumers but at the end of the day, they stick with the brands they know' - Emmi Kuusikko, director of user and market insight for Sulake, commenting on the Global Habbo Youth Survey 2008, which found...

Editorial: There's nowhere for brands to hide.(Editorial)
May 1, 2008... The furore around the Olympics and the farce surrounding the torch procession has highlighted what brands have known for a long time: the attitudes of consumers are now turning on a mass scale to ethics and environmental values. China may...

Comment: Online time overtakes television viewing in Australia.
May 1, 2008... A new milestone is about to be reached in the annals of TV in Australia because, for the first time, according to Nielsen, weekly online viewing has surpassed TV viewing. On average, viewers are online for 13.7 hours per week compared to 13.3...

Sector checker: Regional newspapers embrace the global reach of the web.
May 1, 2008... Local newspapers are fighting back against amateur bloggers and classified sites, as Giles Colborne from cxpartners finds. Site: www.hamiltonadvertiser.co.uk Developer: In-house A great regional newspaper has to have a strong...

Shopping: Review - Customer services fail to impress.
May 1, 2008... The colours on our cathode ray tube TV had seen better days, so it was time to invest in an LCD TV. After reading the Which? report, asking friends, Googling and making local store visits, I drew up a shortlist. I used several...

Shopping stats: Consumers continue to be satisfied online.
May 1, 2008... Customer satisfaction remains high and online research before in-store purchase grows, reports Hayley Pinkerfield. Overall customer e-retail satisfaction remains high this quarter at 78 per cent, the same as during October, according to the...

Innocent: Good for you.
May 1, 2008... Innocent drinks' Ted Hunt worries less about ROI and more about the positive impact his brand can have on the world. It's all rather refreshing, says Adam Woods. Innocent drinks is a modern success story based on old-fashioned principles....

Digging for gold.(internet services)
May 1, 2008... The internet can be an excellent source of leads for marketers, because websites gather good quality information from their visitors Trevor Clawson investigates. You can almost hear the collective groan as the householders of Britain pick...

The team works.
May 1, 2008... As online marketing gets more technical and applications become more complex, can agencies do everything in-house, or is outsourcing the way ahead? 'It's hard being a brand these days,' says Tim Moore, managing director of brand equity...

A can of worms.(social networking )
May 1, 2008... Social networking looks like a great way to generate buzz. But as a medium, it holds a number of challenges with regard to metrics and regulation. Kim Benjamin investigates. Few digital marketers can be in any doubt about the impact social...

Search: Search gives mobile a shot in the arm.
May 1, 2008... The mobile internet is evolving and the numbers beginning to pick up, thanks to the power of search. If anyone ever feels nostalgic for the early days of the internet, before its features had evolved, its corners had been knocked off and...

Games: Gaming gets going.
May 1, 2008... Many people are reluctant to get into mobile games at a fiver a piece. Brands have a real opportunity here, as Gareth Jones reports. More people than ever before are playing mobile games, thanks to a new generation of internet-enabled...

Creative review: Chris Clarke executive creative director and president, Digitas London, BIMA member for four years.
May 1, 2008... Chris Clarke is a multi-award winning creative with Cyberlions, LIAA, Clio, Revolution, Campaign Direct, Campaign Digital and D&AD awards to his name, working for clients including Vauxhall, Shell and HP. 'UK agencies need to work harder to...

Campaign study.(Cadbury Ltd.)
May 1, 2008... Campaign: Here today, goo tomorrow Client: Cadbury's Creme Egg Agency: CMW Interactive Background: After using the 'How do you eat yours?' campaign for Creme Egg for some ten years, the confectionery manufacturer Cadbury decided on a...

The Revolution Masterclass on web analytics.
May 1, 2008... Web analytics are a vital tool for understanding how consumers use your site, but there is a danger of data overload. What better way to start the day? A strong cup of coffee, a brief look at the morning paper and then a trawl through the...

Terminator: General social media gives way to special interest networks.
May 1, 2008... I've been following the widely reported decline in Facebook users with interest. Most commentators are calling this the death of Facebook or social networks in general, but I have another theory. Rather than reflecting a decline of social...

Terminator: A black day on the slopes for Adconion duo.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... After the European Sales Summit in Solden, Austria, Adconion's Frank Martin and Yiorgos Hadjiandrea from the UK sales team stayed on to practice their newly acquired skiing skills. After only two days on the skis for the first time in their...

Terminator: Good clean fun or a pile of ...?(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... They say that shit floats, but news that a collectables range based on faeces is now a high-flying investment commodity still came as a surprise. The Turds is a range of characters comprising such scatological delights as Harry Plopper,...

Terminator: Porcine prod for DoubleClickers.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... DoubleClick staff had a less-than-tasty treat when they logged on to Facebook on 25 March. On signing in, DoubleClickers were greeted by a cartoon image of an obese pig, wallowing in mud and accompanied by a 'special' message: 'Hi...

Funny money.(investment internet TV channel iBall)
May 1, 2008... Finance can be fun, appears to be the motto of investment internet TV channel iBall and its founder Steve McDowell. Those hungry for financial and investment content tend to turn to familiar, trusted sources. The pink pages of the Financial...