Revolution articles from November 2004

Revolution archives from November 2004

Letter from the editor.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Sony Ericsson is one of those brands that is shining a light on the true potential of digital marketing. This might seem strange as the latest figures on the online advertising sector are extremely positive: the IAB reports some pounds 468.8...

New look radiotimes.com aims to be number one for listings.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... The Radio Times is aiming to be the top online guide for TV, radio and film with the relaunch of its web site on 26 October. The new-look radiotimes.com allows users to personalise programme listings and there are plans to introduce email...

Peugeot opts for a digital pre-launch.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Peugeot is using digital and its first full-scale SMS work, to tee up next year's 1007 launch. The automotive manufacturer is investing in pre-launch activity for the first time and will be using text-response, outbound SMS and email to...

Bradford & Bingley debuts e-account.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Bradford & Bingley is offering its first online-only account. The bank has developed the eSavings account with an introductory offer of 0.25 per cent, backed by an integrated marketing campaign. 'It is the first time we've done...

Deals: Kelkoo joins forces with IMRG.(Interactive Media in Retail Group )(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Kelkoo has joined forces with the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) to become an exclusive shopping-search partner for the government-backed merchant accreditation Internet Shopping is Safe (ISIS) scheme.

Deals: Qflicks signs partnership.(Qflicks)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Online DVD rental company Qflicks has signed an exclusive partnership with MasterCard, giving new and existing MasterCard customers offers on the service. MasterCard and Maestro holders will receive subscription offers.

Deals: ipoints partners rental names.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Online rewards scheme ipoints has partnered online DVD rental names moviechoices.com and choicesdirect.com, both owned by Home Entertainment Corporation. Customers will be given the chance to earn points as they buy or rent DVDs or videos...

Deals: Motorola and T-Mobile seal agreement.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Motorola and T-Mobile have sealed a marketing agreement with music group The Black Eyed Peas. It incorporates a series of new wireless and online ad radio promotions, which will include competitions to win concert tickets when purchasing a...

Deals: Web Diversity form partnership.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Search engine marketing company Web Diversity has formed a partnership with e-commerce provider Screen Pages to provide SEM and online analytical sales services. The deal will allow both companies to offer an advertising service across search...

Deals: Buongiorno Vitaminic signs deal.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Multimedia design and production company Buongiorno Vitaminic has signed a mobile distribution deal with cult rap and hip-hop record label Death Row. The partnership will allow fans to access mobile truetones, wallpaper and videos of various...

Deals: Olive sets up deal.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Olive magazine, the food and travel title produced by BBC Magazines, has set up a deal with Handbag.com whereby Olive will provide content to the women's web site. Editorial, including Simple Suppers, Food in Season and restaurants from Olive's...

Deals: Google links with Multimap.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Google has linked with online mapping provider Multimap to make Google's advertising model, AdWords, available on multimap.com. Google's Adwords ads will appear whenever a map is shown and are targeted to the specific location shown on the map....

Direct Line boosts web spend to pounds 7m.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Direct Line Insurance plans to up web marketing spend by 50 per cent to pounds 7 million next year. The brand said it was looking at how the new money will be spent, but is committed to pouring more media spend online. Currently, half...

Good month/bad month.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Good news for site owners hoping to buy URLs with the suffix .eu after the EC signed contracts with EURid, the firm licensed to run the new name. Talks can now begin with ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) to build .eu...

Nivea invests in 'first brand push' online.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Nivea is launching an online campaign to push its sponsorship of Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason. The move, which associates its skincare range with the film, is claimed to be the first time Nivea has invested in a brand-based push. ...

Kelkoo.com names new group MD and aims to boost growth.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Kelkoo.com has appointed Jean-Fabrice Mathieu as group managing director. It follows Pierre Chappaz, chief executive officer of Kelkoo.com, and Dominique Vidal, Kelkoo group managing director, taking the lead of Yahoo!'s consumer...

Just breaking: Top 10 breaking banners by impressions - (1-30 September 2004).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 11, 2004... 1 dial4aloan - Looking 4 a loan? 2 udate.co.uk - Chat to UK singles 3 Sainsbury's Bank - Great summer rates 4 T-Mobile - Put your money where your mouth is 5 esure.com - esure fever is sweeping the nation 6 Lombard Direct - Low cost...

Ubisoft promotes forthcoming 'Rocky' game with viral push.(UbiSoft Entertainment)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Ubisoft's newest console game, Rocky Legends, is being pushed online via a viral game starring Sylvester Stallone's fictional boxing hero Rocky Balboa. Agency New Media Maze has developed the campaign after being appointed by Ubisoft to...

Digital brands square up for BIMAs 2004.(British Interactive Media Association)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Celador's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and the Science Museum are battling it out on the shortlist for the BIMAs' Best Use of Broadband Award. The winner, to be announced at the awards on 23 November at the Royal Hospital Gardens,...

Hackney Empire refurbishes online.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... The Hackney Empire theatre in London is overhauling its web site to support a refurbishment following a multi-million pound fundraising effort. The venue has been revamped after enlisting the help of The Friends of the Hackney Empire, a...

Working Title puts filmography online.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... The production company behind hapless singleton Bridget Jones has launched a new web site in collaboration with Universal Pictures International. The web site will showcase the full range of Working Title Films' past and present movies....

Account wins.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... New and used-car firm Auto Trader has chosen children's Whizz-Kidz as its 'charity of the year' and will donate 10p for every online ad taken on autotrader.co.uk until Friday 5 November. Ntl and Telewest have hired 24/7 Real Media to handle...

Owen on digital media: Awards of merit or a recognition you've lost perspective?
November 11, 2004... As I write, the deadline is looming for entries to the 2005 Revolution Awards. It is only a month or two ago that we were preparing our submissions for the BIMA Awards and the MSN Gallery. These, in turn, came hot on the heels of Cannes, D&AD...

Janet Reger boosts site for Christmas.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Janet Reger, the lingerie and nightwear brand, is launching a new e-commerce site in time for the Christmas run-up. Janetreger.co.uk, launching in November, will feature seasonal ranges and have special offers on the homepage. A...

NSPCC uses video capture for promo.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Children's charity the NSPCC is using video-capture overlays in its latest online campaign. By Agency.com, the promotion marks the charity's first bid to drive donations online, aiming to attract a younger audience who will donate monthly....

Tracker: Shopping web sites, September 2004.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Traffic to UK sites: 81.5% Average session duration: 7 mins 17 secs Methodology - Data produced by Hitwise, which claims to monitor 32 per cent of all UK internet traffic through its partnerships with ISPs (www.hitwise.co.uk) FAST...

Honda uses viral to push diesel engine.(Honda Motor Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Honda has launched an online game as part of an integrated campaign by agency Wieden + Kennedy, promoting its new, 'quiet' diesel engine. The viral game, called Grrr..., built by agency Unit9, enforces Honda's message that if you hate...

Web Liquid opens New York office.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Web Liquid, the UK agency set up by former itraffic executives last November, has lured two itraffic senior staff from the US to found its New York office, claiming two unnamed media-entertainment clients as its founding accounts. UK...

Barclays in prize game through ATMs.(Automated teller machines)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Barclays is launching a 'print to win' game on its cashpoint machines in its first promotion using its ATM network. The game, which ties in with the bank's sponsorship of the Premiership, will be backed by a pounds 1.5 million mixed media...

Griffiths on mobile: Don't cripple the 3G opportunity before it really gets going.
November 11, 2004... Following the launch of 3G datacards from several UK operators, much press furore over the past few weeks has concerned itself with who will, and who won't, be launching 3G consumer propositions in time for Christmas. The current cards enable...

Time thief: Tim Faircliff, general manager, Telegraph.co.uk, outlines his day.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... 35% Internal relations Encouraging newspaper depts that telegraph.co.uk can add value and extend print activities - it's key to developing the publishing model for the group. As we are now 10 years old, the message is getting easier. ...

Branson looks to the web to push Galactic flights.(Sir Richard Branson)(Virgin Galactic)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Sir Richard Branson is to promote Virgin Galactic, the firm the entrepreneur hopes will be flying the first 'space tourists' across the final frontier before the end of the decade, online. Digital consultancy Conchango, which specialises in...

Napster signs Dixons to sell pre-paid download cards.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Napster has signed a deal with electronics retailer Dixons to sell pre-paid cards to people who want to download music but don't have a credit card. The pre-paid cards will contain a unique code which users can use to redeem against...

Weather site hires OTP to boost profits.(WeatherOnline)(OTP Media Ltd.)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Weather site WeatherOnline has hired marketing agency OTP media to exclusively represent it for ad sales. OTPmedia will sell the site to media buyers and clients as an advertising destination in a bid to generate new revenue. The web...

Heinz embarks on pounds 10m Soup push.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Heinz is relaunching its Soup range with a bespoke site as part of a pounds 10 million integrated advertising campaign. The site (www.heinzsoup.com) pushes the two key messages of the relaunch: that the improved range of Heinz Classic Soups...

Performance index: 1 September - 30 September 2004, 8am - 8pm.(Illustration)
November 11, 2004... Rank Site Performance Availability (secs) (per cent) 1 Google.co.uk 0.32 99.87 2 bbc.co.uk ...

Gaffney on America: Web sites should be tailor-made to suit the customer.
November 11, 2004... More than ever over here, we're having the classic debate between tight content and bright presentation. Do you want the quick, colourful vacancy of USA Today or the dense and increasingly conservative Wall Street Journal? You want women's...

Moving on up: Yahoo!(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Yahoo! Europe has hired Pierre Chappaz as president and Dominique Vidal as chief operating officer. Both join from Kelkoo, which Yahoo! bought for pounds 317.9m in April. Chappaz will lead the European operations of Yahoo! and Kelkoo, which he...

Moving on up: Espotting Media.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... At Espotting Media, Matthew Colebourne has been promoted to senior vice-president and general manager. He leaves the role of vice-president of operations. In the newly created role, Colebourne will head the European division, integrate...

Moving on up: lastminute.com.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Mike Remedios has been made chief information officer at lastminute.com, managing the global team. He moves from Star Solutions in the US. He reports to CEO Brent Hoberman. Mathew Hart has been appointed as UK marketing director, reporting to...

Moving on up: The Raft.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Digital marketing agency The Raft has appointed Tracey Phillips as client services account manager. Phillips moves from the position of senior account manager at marketing agency Insight Marketing & Communications.

Moving on up: Profero.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Nick Blunden has been appointed as client services director at Profero. Previously, he was broadband product and marketing manager at Energis and replaces Simon Burgess, who has joined Unique Digital, taking the same role.

Moving on up: GT Network.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... GT Network has expanded its client services team with the appointments of David Hopper as project manager, working on the Financial Times and Victor Chandler, and Karen Heldoorn as new senior account manager, handling the Audi and Premier...

Moving on up: Manning Gottlieb OMD.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Manning Gottlieb OMD has promoted Phil Nunn to joint managing director, alongside Robert Ffitch and Neil Hurman. Nunn moves from his position of director of digital and direct at the company.

Moving on up: Press Association.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Asha Oberoi has been hired as head of multimedia editorial at the Press Association. She will work with commercial and editorial teams to exploit the agency's content, and reports to editorial director Tony Watson. She leaves RealNetworks where...

Moving on up: O2.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Russ Shaw is joining the O2 UK senior team and board as marketing director in January 2005. He leaves mobile services provider MobileWay, where he was chief executive officer. With more than 20 years' experience, Shaw has held senior marketing...

Moving on up: ITV broadcasting.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Karen Rossiter is the new head of ITV Online at ITV broadcasting. Rossiter was publishing account manager in ITV online sales.

Moving on up: Nielsen //NetRatings.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Dan Healy has been hired as associate director at Nielsen //NetRatings. He will provide clients like CNN, BP, Shell and Norwich Union with a research team. He leaves the new media section of NOP World Research where he was senior research...

Moving on up: Sponge.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Mobile services firm Sponge, has hired Phil Trelease as company director. He was previously managing director of TV production company Action Time.

Moving on up: HMV.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Mark Bennett has been appointed head of digital at HMV, where he will be responsible for the project management and launch of the retailer's digital downloading service. Bennett joins from Warner Music UK, where he had been commercial manager...

DaimlerChrysler in digital game promo.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... DaimlerChrysler is pushing the new forfour Smart car online in an exclusive game and competition to win one with Times Online (www.timesonline.co.uk). The game, Smartlings, is being advertised in the driving section of the site and in its...

Universal rolls out viral game for McFly.(Universal Island Records UK)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Universal Island Records has launched a viral game to push boy band McFly's latest single, Room on the Third Floor. The game has been developed by design and strategy agency Holler. In the video for the single, made by Academy Films,...

Unique Digital hired for Otto six-figure push.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Catalogue group Otto UK has hired Unique Digital for a six-figure campaign to push its Freemans and Montage brands online, having appointed the agency to the Kaleidoscope account last month. Unique said the push, which runs before Christmas...

Pankhurst on dotcom life: Why it pays to keep it simple and keep your users happy.
November 11, 2004... Friends Reunited has been getting awards. We've even received a gong from Revolution's sister title PR Week for the way we built our profile using the press and media. Now, normally, I don't go to many industry events - there can be a...

Digital direct: More relevance needed as control moves to the user.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Digital channels are changing the way consumers behave. But we have more than customer insight; we have data that can address individuals in detail, not just wider patterns of behaviour. At Proximity, we have a sizeable team analysing...

Age Concern to quiz over-55s by email.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Age Concern is targeting the over-55s with a nostalgic email quiz, encouraging them to visit its web site and interact. The campaign, labelled A Walk Down Memory Lane, is the charity's first viral email marketing push and will launch in...

Direct Stats.(Europe, Middle East and Africa)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... This month Email performed for brands, but fell slightly in delivery and open rates across Europe, writes Philip Smith. Email delivery rates fell slightly to 89.5 per cent, compared with the same period last year, reports DoubleClick in its...

Chrysler and Jeep plans digital move.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Automotive giant Chrysler and Jeep is looking to drive its dealer and customer relationships through new channels including email and SMS. It runs its marketing initiatives and controls brand and marketing materials for its dealerships...

BHF adds email and SMS to its activity.(British Heart Foundation)(Short messaging service)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... The British Heart Foundation is using email and SMS to propel wave two of its anti-smoking campaign, which has benefited from a pounds 5m cash injection from the Department of Health. Eight months after the charity first pushed its...

Vital statistics.(broadband market)
November 11, 2004... This month With new players entering the broadband market, Emma Rigby looks at the potential repercussions. Next year will mark the start of a new competitive price war among alternative broadband providers to BT products, which includes...

News Analysis: Agencies attract new investors.
November 11, 2004... Interactive agencies are again the subject of mergers and acquisition activity, and, as with all things digital, the changes appear to be producing a more - rather than less - complex landscape. In October, Agency.com finally rolled...

News Analysis: Why marketers need to serve customers better.
November 11, 2004... The cliche about every good business is that it puts the customer first. This is true of digital and marketing; the aim most online businesses say they have in common is the mission to ensure a good 'user experience'. But, even if a...

Vox pop: What do we do next to drive Broadband Britain forward?(Broadband Stakeholder Group)
November 11, 2004... What should be done to boost broadband take-up in the UK? The Government's advisory body on high-speed internet take-up, the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG), has launched a new push to drive the next phase of broadband growth. It...

Editorial: Bigger rewards mean bigger risks.
November 11, 2004... Just look how much he's grown. Just over 10 years ago, there was no online advertising market to speak of. Now it's worth more than the pounds 266 million (in the six months which ended in June this year). We've known for a while that the...

Comment: It's all in the name for brands selling online.
November 11, 2004... The global success of major e-tailers and widespread use of the web by major brand owners has firmly established that a domain name is a valuable intellectual property asset. However, as we approach what should be the busiest Christmas ever for...

Shopping: Review - A good night's sleep - at last.(urchin.co.uk)
November 11, 2004... Even proud fathers can struggle with all the stuff babies need, but thankfully a cot is a fairly obvious piece of equipment. My daughter, Indiana, and her parents need their beauty sleep after all. In search of the ultimate baby sleeper, we...

Shopping: Shopping stats - Retailers delay on transactional sites.
November 11, 2004... Retailers are seeing what the competition does before pouring money online. Financial concerns are preventing retailers without a transactional web site from moving online, according to shopping expert Zendor. Looking at 50 top retailers,...

Sector checker: Tammyfashion is all dressed up with nowhere great to go.
November 11, 2004... Tristan Marshall finds Tammy's fashion site might not offer the inspiration teenage girls look for online and advises a rethink for this audience. Web: www.tammyfashion.co.uk Developer: explosive Tammyfashion.co.uk, newly designed...

Sony Ericsson connects on the web.(Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB)(Europe, Middle East and Africa)
November 11, 2004... Digital marketing is playing a key part in winning the mobile brand new customers, marketing director Ben Padley tells. Two major brands - one big company. Or so you might think from Sony Ericsson's success with its handsets in the mobile...

The Revolution Search Engine Report sponsored by bigmouthmedia: The benefits of an ethical stance.(search engine marketers)
November 11, 2004... Search marketing has finally taken its place on the wider stage. The industry is buoyant; in many places it's like a virtual gold rush, with companies falling over themselves to achieve search-engine dominance. Yet, many firms are...

Insurance: Insurers explore the power of digital.
November 11, 2004... How can insurers target customers who only shop online once a year? Emma Rigby finds out. It's not an exciting way to spend your hard-earned cash, but the best things in life need to be insured. Your house, holiday, car and pet Labrador...

Video: Video stars on the net.
November 11, 2004... Technology is still opening up marketing opportunities. Philip Buxton discovers video is playing to massive, sought-after crowds on the web. As actor Colin Firth discusses his new thriller, the video cuts to a trailer of the movie and at...

Search ROI: How effective is search?(Search marketing)(Return On Investment)
November 11, 2004... What can marketers do to improve their returns from search? By Philip Buxton. Myth has it that the Sphinx's riddle went like this: 'What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon and three legs in the evening?' The answer was...

Trademarks: The rules of the name game.
November 11, 2004... How can companies protect their brand trademarks from being infringed? It's not that clear cut, finds Stuart Derrick. Type the word 'Jacuzzi' into a search engine such as Ask Jeeves and you'll see a list of sponsored web sites offering you...

Web hosting: How are you being served?
November 11, 2004... In choosing a web host, it doesn't always pay to go for the cheapest option, says Suzy Bashford. The best advice to bear in mind when looking for a web-hosting provider is that, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. With...

Electronic CRM masterclass: The Revolution Masterclass on electronic CRM.(customer relationship management)
November 11, 2004... Effective customer relationship management is essential for brands, but digital can boost the benefits and improve your focus, says Emma Rigby. Brands that have a good relationship with their customers have a better chance of selling more....

Trailblazer: Broadband appeal.(In The Box Media)
November 11, 2004... Football fans don't just want to watch Manchester United or Arsenal. Peter Lewinton wants to show other matches on the internet, he tells Emma Rigby. With the dawn of a new season, football is everywhere it seems, but not if you are a...

Creative review.
November 11, 2004... 'If we stay focused on coming up with great creative ideas that absolutely deliver on brand, business needs and target audience, then we are perfectly capable of producing messages in the digital space that are every bit as powerful as the best...

Campaign of the month.
November 11, 2004... Telewest Broadband wanted to raise awareness of all its services and increase subscribers online. Campaign: Telewest Sabotage Client: Telewest Broadband Agency: Arnold Interactive Aims: Arnold Interactive created a campaign to...

Terminator 1: Flashmobbers do it with pillows; we do it with great ideas.
November 11, 2004... Maybe it was the Flashmobber who forewarned us about the 150-person pillow fight outside St Paul's Cathedral. Perhaps it was the clearly angry member of the audience who had a verbal pop at the DMC's Justin Kirby about the 'dangers' of digital...

Terminator 2: Mook ends the tears over who makes the tea.(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... What really makes you angry? Pop-ups? Digital luddites? The fact that the mainstream media still keeps referring to the number of 'hits' on a web site? Well, they all get Terminator's goat. But, what's really annoying is when people...

Terminator 2: Am I sexy 2nite and other vital questions..(Any Question Answered)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... Hello you... are you wondering if the person next to you would like to have sex later? Before you set yourself up for a hearty slap up the bracket, it's actually possible to get the answer from a great new digital service. ...

Terminator 1: Party on with your own iPod from Quantum.(Quantum Media Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 11, 2004... You're no-one in new media unless you're celebrating a significant anniversary it seems. As we pointed out, way back in December, this year marks the 10th anniversary of web advertising. The Daily Telegraph's online presence is also a...