Revolution articles from October 2006

Revolution archives from October 2006

Letter from the editor.(Editorial)(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... It is impossible to stop the clock on the rise of digital. Just when you think it has reached a defining time - whether that be a year, a month or even a moment - it moves again. It's a race that seems never set to finish. Nonetheless, in...

Campaign of the month.(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... To push its new BLS model in Europe, Cadillac wanted something different for the key, UK market and focused online. Background: When launching its new BLS model in the European market, Cadillac wanted to take a slightly different marketing...

Gucci Group refreshes identity with full-motion video web site.
October 25, 2006... Gucci Group has revamped its online corporate identity and launched a new web site featuring full-screen video and motion graphics. The new-look Guccigroup.com aims to bring to light all of the luxury brands under the group. These...

Revolution invites award entries online.
October 25, 2006... Entries for the 2007 Revolution Awards, celebrating their 10th anniversary, are invited online (www.revolutionawards.co.uk). This year, new categories have been introduced that recognise the growing maturity of digital marketing. These...

Vodafone runs digital push for UEFA tie-in.
October 25, 2006... Vodafone is to launch a major online initiative to promote its sponsorship of the UEFA Champions' League. The operator plans to run online ads and promotions during the UEFA championship, with activity to be scaled up in November as the...

Deals: The Sun teams with ROO to launch new online service.
October 25, 2006... The Sun has teamed with internet broadcaster ROO to launch an innovative online TV and video service on TheSun.co.uk. The online video player will feature original Sun and ROO content such as news, music, film, comedy, sports and gaming...

Deals: Google and eBay sign deal.
October 25, 2006... Google and eBay have signed a deal to provide text-based and click-to-call advertising services. The deal makes Google the exclusive text-based ad provider for eBay outside the US. The deal also launches 'click-to-call', which uses Skype and...

Deals: Yahoo teams with Bango.
October 25, 2006... Yahoo has teamed with mobile platform provider Bango to deliver search marketing products and services to the mobile market. Businesses can establish a mobile presence and create search campaigns on Yahoo's mobile search platform.

Deals: EMI Music and T-Mobile join with Rhythm NewMedia to conduct trial.
October 25, 2006... EMI Music and T-Mobile have joined with mobile ad firm Rhythm NewMedia to conduct a trial of ad-supported mobile video. The service gives customers access to free mobile video content, which is embedded with TV-style advertising. Coca-Cola...

Deals: BBC Worldwide and BBC World link with Amazon.com.
October 25, 2006... BBC Worldwide and BBC World have linked with Amazon.com in the US to provide content for Amazon Unbox, a new digital video download service. The deal will see BBC programming, including comedy, drama, science fiction, documentaries and news,...

Deals: Clear Channel Outdoor sign deal with Magink Display Technologies.
October 25, 2006... Outdoor ad company Clear Channel Outdoor has signed a deal with Magink Display Technologies, the digital ink display firm, to launch an outdoor digital ink billboard network in London. Ten of the billboards will be launched this year, which can...

Deals: Channel 4 partners emuse.
October 25, 2006... Channel 4 has partnered emuse to launch the broadcaster's interactive ads on TV. The deal, which will see C4 use emuse's DSat ad platform, includes the film4, more4, and E4 channels.

Deals: Accord Holdings buys Netizen.
October 25, 2006... Accord Holdings, the direct-response ad agency, has bought web site design and online travel marketing firm Netizen for an undisclosed sum. Netizen will merge with the group's paid-search marketing division, Accord Search Marketing (ASM), and...

Deals: Vodafone strikes a deal bith BT.
October 25, 2006... Vodafone is to offer fixed-line broadband access to customers after striking a deal with BT. They have also sealed a deal to let users switch calls between their fixed-line phones and mobiles.

Deals: UKTV signs deal with MSN UK.
October 25, 2006... UKTV has signed a deal with MSN UK to provide print and broadcast editorial. The two-year deal will see UKTV provide the portal with 20 three-minute video clips from UKTV Food and UKTV Style channels, which will run on the new MSN Video...

Carlton looks global after viral success.
October 25, 2006... Australian beer brand Carlton Draught is considering launches in the UK and other international markets following the success of a viral ad campaign. According to sources, Foster's-owned Carlton & United Beverages is investigating how it...

HP promotes new server via online forum.
October 25, 2006... Hewlett-Packard has launched a web-based community to back the launch of its C-Class BladeSystem as part of a long-term international campaign. It represents the first time the firm has invested in creating a community online. The key aim...

BMW links with C4 to promote new 3 Series via film shorts.
October 25, 2006... BMW has joined with Channel 4 to promote its 3 Series Touring model through a series of short online films. The three films, about the highs and lows of a team undertaking The Three Peaks Challenge within 24 hours, feature the BMW 3 Series...

Good month/bad month: It was a good month for user-generated sites.
October 25, 2006... While YouTube topped the Revolution Power 50, several, including The Guardian's CommentIsFree blog site and Channel 4's Four Docs, made it on to the shortlist for the Association of Online Publishers' annual awards. ASOS.com, the online...

First Choice embarks on online reposition as a premium brand.
October 25, 2006... First Choice has launched an online campaign as part of its ongoing effort to reposition itself as a premium tour operator. The ads, which will run for six weeks from the end of September, promote the travel brand's recently revamped...

YouTube duo are digital's 'influencers'.(2006 Revolution Power 50)(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, have been named the most influential people in digital marketing in the 2006 Revolution Power 50. The two ex-PayPal executives have revolutionised online video consumption on Youtube.com, which...

MySpace UK unveils first brand ad profile.
October 25, 2006... MySpace has launched its first UK branded community - a brand profile space for advertisers - for Unilever's Lynx Boost. The MySpace profile (www.my space.com/towelboy) is based on the Lynx Boost Towelboy character. Users can interact with...

Just breaking: Top 10 breaking banners by impressions (1-31 August 2006).(Chart)
October 25, 2006... 1. BT BT Total Broadband is a complete broadband experience 2. Sky Six months' free Sky Sports or Sky Movies 3. eBay eBay & Skype = faster answers 4....

Phones 4u takes TV ad characters online.
October 25, 2006... Phones 4u has launched a web marketing campaign in a bid to create standout in the cluttered mobile market. The brand push aims to position Phones 4u as a straightforward service in the 'confusing' mobile marketplace. The campaign...

Owen on digital media: RIP Windows 98, its disappearance has lessons for us all.
October 25, 2006... When Microsoft called time on its Windows 98 software this summer, many a geek came over all misty eyed. It was the operating system that really ushered in mass internet access, but, eight years on, the software is obsolete. It would be hard to...

Account wins.
October 25, 2006... Digital marketing agency Global Beach has been hired by high-end audio systems manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins to provide digital communications strategy and services. It will redevelop and promote Bowers & Wilkins' web presence. Asda has...

Mercedes in digital drive for new model.
October 25, 2006... Mercedes is supporting the launch of the 'new generation' Mercedes-Benz E-Class with an interactive digital campaign by Agency Republic. It aims to communicate the innovative technologies and improvements that have been added to the new...

Ribena promo aims for brand interaction.(Ribena)(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... Ribena is to launch an online brand campaign to raise awareness of the drink and position it as a healthy adult beverage. The interactive push, running in October, will use brand recall to measure effectiveness. Created by digital...

Tracker: About IPT.
October 25, 2006... IPT is a supplier of email marketing data and services, with brands such as MyOffers and OK-mail providing permission-based data to advertisers every quarter. IPT's low-cost managed email-delivery service, EmailBureau, sent more than 190...

Enjoyengland adds interactive features.(Enjoyengland.com )(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... England's official tourism site Enjoyengland.com has received a facelift as part of a campaign to encourage Britons to look closer to home for their next trip and interact with other holidaymakers online. The overhaul coincides with an...

UpMyStreet channel covers 'green' living.(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... Local information web site UpMyStreet has launched a new channel to meet growing consumer interest in green issues and ethical living. The 'Smarter Living' channel will feature articles, tools and testimonials, aimed at helping users to get...

Logitech uses movie viral to push webcam.
October 25, 2006... Logitech has launched a viral film in an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the computer hardware brand. The film, Our Secret, depicts a couple chatting online using a Logitech webcam and aims to promote the ease of internet video...

Griffiths on mobile: Mobile TV takes off with a plethora of radical new offers.
October 25, 2006... Recent interest in mobile TV, launched over 3G about a year ago, has been significant. But, it has been followed by TV-over-DAB (from BT), UK trials of DVBH (O2/Archiva/Nokia) and the recent announcement of trials of MediaFlo (Qualcomm/Sky),...

ITV embarks on interactive push for autumn season.
October 25, 2006... ITV is launching an interactive campaign to promote its autumn drama season, which it is banking on to help revive declining audiences. The new campaign, developed by digital agency Play, aims to expose the great British talent that feature...

LA Fitness rolls out first online campaign to attract members.
October 25, 2006... LA Fitness has launched its first web campaign in a bid to recruit new members for its gyms. A promotional offer of a free month's membership is being used to encourage people to join up. The online campaign features Flash and banner...

Apple iTunes rated highly in brand survey.
October 25, 2006... Apple's iTunes is the biggest mover in Revolution's exclusive annual survey of the best thought-of digital brands in the UK, conducted by GfK NOP. The music download service, which Apple boss Steve Jobs last month announced would be...

Time thief: Jamie Galloway, director of digital media at the COI, outlines his day.
October 25, 2006... 5% - Hectic start to the day An action-packed morning of getting my daughter ready for nursery and dropping her off on my way to work. 20% - Internet habits I mainly rely on the web when collating reports or presentations, and use...

Time Out London in e-commerce move.
October 25, 2006... Time Out London is to add an e-commerce function to its site as part of an ongoing strategy to improve user experience and monetise the revamped site. It will introduce an online shopping functionality that lets users purchase and download...

Gaffney on America: To safeguard kids on the web, we need a mini-MySpace.
October 25, 2006... Being a wisecracking Yank is only a sideline. My real job is trying to parent an 11-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy. The 11-year-old is the bigger challenge. She loves me; she hates me. Loves school; hates school. Loves Zac Ephron; hates...

Performance index.(Industry ranking)(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... 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 month, and the worst performing...

Moving on up: Appointment at National Geographic.(Interview)
October 25, 2006... Sandra Brown has joined National Geographic as head of business development, digital media, UK. She will help to develop mobile and broadband business for the brand as it expands its digital offerings in the UK - news, maps, images, online...

Moving on up: Appointment at MIVA.(Alan Burge appointed as MIVA)(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... MIVA has appointed Alan Burge as deputy managing director of UK & Europe. He will work alongside group MD Adam Poulter to drive the strategic development and overall leadership of the company's pan-European network. Burge joins MIVA from...

Moving on up: Appointment at Nielsen//NetRatings.
October 25, 2006... Nielsen//NetRatings has hired Louise Ainsworth as managing director of its European business. She joins from OgilvyOne Worldwide in London where she was managing partner, consulting and planning. She previously held positions at Ogilvy...

Moving on up: Appointment at ValueClick.
October 25, 2006... ValueClick has promoted Carl White to chief executive officer of ValueClick Europe. He will report direct to ValueClick Inc chairman and CEO James Zarley. White will be responsible for the overall management and growth of all the European...

Moving on up: Appointment at Play.(Jon Sharpe has been appointed creative director of Play)(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... Jon Sharpe has been appointed creative director of Play, the agency he founded with M&C Saatchi and former itraffic colleagues Matt Gorzkowski and Ethan Segal. Sharpe was previously managing director of the agency. The reorganisation will see...

Moving on up: Appointment at The London 2012 Organising Committee.(London 2012 Organising Committee has appointed Alex Balfour )(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... The London 2012 Organising Committee has appointed Alex Balfour as head of new media. He is responsible for London 2012.com, as well as the creation, development and management of online structures and facilities for the event. He was...

Moving on up: Appointment at BD-NTWK.
October 25, 2006... BD-NTWK has appointed Phil Latham as project director, working on Coca-Cola, Orange, United Biscuits and eBay. He was most recently production director at Industry and has previously held roles at Imagin Associate and Virtual Publishing. Lisa...

Moving on up: Appointment at ad 2-one.(Deirdre Kelly appointed as head of business development and client services)(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... Online advertising network ad 2-one has hired Deirdre Kelly as head of business development and client services. She was previously ad director at Reed Business Information and was one of 12 new staff who joined last month. Among them were two...

Moving on up: Appointment at Mook.(new appointments)(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... Mook, the digital agency, has hired two new staff. Darren Simpson joins as design director, responsible for the agency's overall design and art direction. He leaves Digit, where he was art director. Mike Jones joins as head of development,...

Moving on up: Appointment at MSN.
October 25, 2006... MSN has appointed Alastair Lee-Jones as retail shopping category manager. He brings a wealth of retail market experience, having previously worked at Pricerunner, Kelkoo and Yahoo. MSN has also boosted its UK agency sales team with two new...

Moving on up: Appointment at Neo@Ogilvy.(Richard Wheaton appointed as a CEO of Neo@Ogilvy)(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... Richard Wheaton has been appointed as UK CEO of Neo@Ogilvy, OgilvyOne's digital and direct marketing arm. Wheaton will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the UK business, where he will build the client base and further integrate Neo...

Yahoo forum teams up with Sainsbury's.
October 25, 2006... Yahoo has signed Sainsbury's as the first UK advertiser on Yahoo Answers to capitalise on the success of the social search service, which has gained 50 million users in seven months. Sainsbury's will sponsor the Food and Drink section of...

Orange opens site to lure stakeholders.(Orange has launched a web forum )(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... Orange has launched a web forum as part of a strategy to engage with the market and share key research findings. The Orange Future Enterprise Web Forum aims to provide a community-based platform to encourage dialogue with stakeholders on...

Macmillan to rerun coffee round promo.(Macmillan Cancer Support)(Squeeze Digital)(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... Macmillan Cancer Support has hired Squeeze Digital to push its World's Biggest Coffee Morning online initiative for the second year running. It includes an interactive 'coffee personality test' and a game-show-style viral complete with...

Murphy on dotcom life: Just because you can doesn't mean that you should.(Michael Murphy)
October 25, 2006... We may no longer be a bedroom start-up, but we still run a pretty lean team, with just two developers on the main Friends Reunited site, for example. This approach has interesting implications for how we make decisions. A lot of internet...

Digital direct: A game of snakes and ladders for online marketers.
October 25, 2006... This is a story of amateur scriptwriters, blog mania and Hollywood hype. Snakes on a Plane, a consumer-led blockbuster, is our latest lesson in interactive marketing, showing the influence of social networks on a brand. It all began with a...

Monarch backs web check-in with email.
October 25, 2006... Low-cost airline Monarch is to launch an email marketing programme to raise awareness of its new online check-in facility. It will use email to contact people using particular routes. The emails will target those flying between Manchester...

Direct Stats.
October 25, 2006... This month The email services market will grow 20 per cent to pounds 178m by the end of 2006, says E-consultancy. The 2006 Email Marketing Platforms Buyer's Guide reveals the email marketing platforms and services market was worth pounds...

BT unveils PodShow tailored to UK users.
October 25, 2006... BT has launched BT PodShow, a UK version of the hugely popular US PodShow Network, to give users a place to share their audio and video content. BT has teamed with PodShow founders Ron Bloom and Adam Curry to create a show that has been...

Tesco backs school club with online ads.
October 25, 2006... Tesco has rolled out online ads and an interactive web site to promote its Sport for Schools & Clubs scheme. Now in its second year, the scheme offers Tesco customers the chance to acquire sports equipment, kit and professional coaching...

Vital statistics.
October 25, 2006... This month Viral marketing has entered the mainstream, with 73 per cent of the UK population aware of it. The Kontraband Viral Marketing Industry Report 2006, which surveyed 3,500 UK consumers, revealed that viral has become a recognised ad...

Analysis: Only training can solve skills crisis.(Internet Advertising Bureau)(Institute of Practitioners in Advertising )(Institute of Direct Marketing )
October 25, 2006... The industry focus on training intensified last month as the Internet Advertising Association kicked off its new 'IAB Progress' initiative. The recruitment crisis continues in digital marketing. Expertise is lacking and there is a...

Analysis: AdLink hires Burns in search move.(Kate Burns appointed as head of search in AdLink )
October 25, 2006... AdLink has appointed former Google sales chief Kate Burns as head of search as part of a strategy to round off its online media services and launch into the search market. While it maintains that no final decision on a search service has...

Vox pop: Is there reason for concern the second time around?(Barry Malony)(Dela Quist)(Tim Brown)(Andy Hobsbawm)
October 25, 2006... Is the current digital boom built to last or should we worry? The entire industry is talking about the second dotcom boom. But, as ad revenue soars, new web business models emerge and the investment community takes a renewed interest in...

Quotes of the month.
October 25, 2006... 'If broadcasters are going to be pigeons scrapping under the table, with the Googles and MySpaces on top, tucking into a banquet, that's not a nice picture' - Ashley Highfield, director of new media at BBC, wades into the online publishing...

Editorial: It's time for ITV to tune into digital.(Editorial)
October 25, 2006... ITV's problems come down to a lot more than its digital strategy, but, as advertisers look for help in reaching consumers that are increasingly disappearing from scheduled TV programming, a better reputation for innovation wouldn't go amiss....

Comment: Mobile channels mean less chat, more action.(Mobile advertising )
October 25, 2006... Mobile advertising isn't new. We've all been talking about it for what seems like years. Now we've stopped talking and started doing. We are offering ad space on our WAP portal, Orange World, and we're getting a better insight into some of the...

Shopping: Review - Toy joy off the beaten track.
October 25, 2006... Buying children's toys can be both a fun and frustrating experience. Wandering through loud, crowded department stores only to find the specific model airplane little Joey wanted is not in stock is every parent's nightmare. So, it's...

Shopping: Shopping stats - Holiday e-tailers focus on relationships.
October 25, 2006... Online holiday sellers are moving away from price-based offers to building relationships with their customers. By Danielle Long More online retailers are using relationship-marketing initiatives such as email and search to understand user...

Sector checker: Bennetts offers bike owners a fun-packed ride online.(Norwich Union)(Sheila's Wheels)
October 25, 2006... MSN UK's Katy Adelson takes a look at bike insurer Bennett's web site and finds it offers its clearly male target audience a fun ride online Web www.bennetts.co.uk DEVELOPER TAMAR Motorbike insurance specialist Bennetts leaves...

Can digital help rejuvenate ITV?
October 25, 2006... ITV consumer chief executive Jeff Henry tells Susie Harwood that perceptions of ITV's digital approach are wrong. The entrance lobby at ITV's Grays Inn Road office in London is undergoing a major renovation. Judging by the broadcaster's...

Top 40 digital brands: Amazon top of the digital brands.
October 25, 2006... Revolution's survey of the top 40 digital brands sees iTunes leap up the rankings. By Philip Buxton. Apple's dominant music-download service iTunes is the biggest mover in Revolution's exclusive annual survey of the best thought-of digital...

The Revolution Search Marketing Report sponsored by Web Gravity.
October 25, 2006... Brands that work at search will win. Are you conspicuous by your brand's absence from the search engine results pages? If you've just launched a significant multimedia campaign, yet you can't be found by your brand terms within the search...

Rise of the new media barons.(MySpace.com Inc.)(Alistair Williams)(Jeremy Verba)
October 25, 2006... With social networking sites experiencing a massive boom, Danielle Long finds that power in the new media landscape will be shared. The latest digital trend has a lot of names: social networking, connection marketing, social media, social...

Sport Relief: How Sport Relief stayed afloat.
October 25, 2006... Due to good planning, the charity's web site managed to cope under pressure and helped raise more than pounds 12 million, finds Adam Woods. For a charitable event that derives much of its character from a message of good health and...

Regional agencies: Life on the outside.
October 25, 2006... Stigma remains attached to agencies outside London. But Philip Buxton finds digital talent is not restricted to the capital. Just using the term 'regional agency' suggests condescension towards those agencies that don't happen to be based...

The Revolution Search Marketing Report: Is adCenter a Google beater? - Sponsored by Web Gravity.
October 25, 2006... In August, MSN made the leap into the search advertising market, challenging Google and Yahoo with its own platform, but does it offer anything new? Susie Harwood takes a look. Microsoft doesn't do things by halves, so when it announced...

Integrating search: Search makes the top table.
October 25, 2006... Brand owners are learning the benefits of integrating search with above-the-line ad activity, reports Victoria Furness. Advertising straplines such as 'Because I'm worth it' and 'Make the most of now' are synonymous with L'Oreal and...

Masterclass: The Revolution Masterclass on Web accessibility guidelines.(Scott Forbes)
October 25, 2006... Clients face legal requirements to make their web sites accessible, but, as Suzy Bashford finds, the guidelines are both complex and daunting. Clients are confused and apprehensive about the guidelines on web accessibility. One client, who...

Trailblazer: Digital vision.(Julian Smith)
October 25, 2006... MEC Interaction's new insight and research director, Julian Smith, outlines what his job involves to Danielle Long. 'All agencies are going to need someone like me. It's the kind of role every agency is going to need to have soon,' says...

Creative review: Adam Roberts digital creative director bd-ntwk.
October 25, 2006... Adam Roberts is responsible for the creative direction, including planning and concept, of every digital project that bd-ntwk produces. He works across clients such as eBay, Orange, Coca-Cola, Peugeot and the London Design Festival. Before...

Terminator 1: Tonight I'm flirting on a global scale and I can't stop.
October 25, 2006... Like a lot of people, I've heard about them. I know what they are. I know teens like them. I know viral marketers think they are cutting edge in infiltrating them. But, I've never actually spent time on one. I've way better things to...

Terminator 2: AN Digital cleans up at Spain's big tomato fling.(Brief article)
October 25, 2006... There's no better feeling than smashing a tomato into your boss' face. We assume that was the thinking when AN Digital was brainstorming a way to celebrate the launch of its new ad sales division. Commercial director Martin Corke felt...

Terminator 2: Hey Gromit, is this cheese real Wensleydale?
October 25, 2006... Last month it was peas, now it's cheese. Wensleydale Dairy Products has launched a blog campaign to protect Real Yorkshire Wensleydale. Protect cheese? From what? Are giant mice terrorising Yorkshire? Apparently, the blog...