October 27, 2005
Google Jagger Devalues Homepages?
George McDaniels alerted me to the fact Google Blogoscoped can no longer be found when searching for [Google Blog], at least not among the first few results like it had been for a long time. Also, I noticed entering [Google Blogoscoped] I get a sub-page in the archive here... [MORE]
Attack of the Blogs
Sure, the name is a bit Lucasian....but the article in the current edition of Forbes makes some good points about the wrath of the blogosphere.
Attack of the Blogs [Forbes]
Online Offers Best Revenue Hope For Newspapers
: And newspapers face fierce competition, yadayada -- you know the drill. This AP story about a panel at the Associated Press Managing Editors annual conference going on this week in San Jose is chock full of the obvious from very earnest, bright people and precious little that advances... [MORE]
TiVo is blogging
TiVo has launched a blog, written by a user/evangelist, to talk about the joys of using TiVo. Right now, it doesn't seem to consist of much more than a Welcome message. But at this point, it looks like the site is more intent on being a big sounding board for TiVo lovers, not so much a place to foster genuine discussion between TiVo and its users, to try and make the product better.
We're hoping (as longtime TiVo users) that this site will mature and attempt to make a more genuine connection (i.e. take some of the bad with the good, foster true feedback and discussion with their user base, etc.) with this new communication channel. While it's really cool to have a blog and all, using it to push fluffy content to your users isn't necessarily what it's all about. TiVo -- if you need good corporate blogging examples, GM is a pretty good place to start.
In the meantime, if you're looking for tips and tricks for your PVR, make sure to check out the excellent PVRblog.
TiVo Blog [TiVo.com]
Fuse and MySpace team up
Fuse TV (the music video channel that ACTUALLY plays music videos) has teamed up with MySpace on a campaign that invites unsigned artists to submit their videos via MySpace for playlist consideration on Fuse. The promotion solicits videos online, then on Nov. 7, Fuse and agency Deep Focus will select five finalists, from which MySpace members will pick the winner.
MySpace was recently acquired by Fox Interactive Media, and is about to celebrate its second anniversary.
Fuse's MySpace Promo Solicits Band Videos [Adweek]
Dodge, P&G feeling Ripe
RipeTV launches on Friday, and they've just announced that Dodge and P&G will be on board as advertisers for the first run of content. RipeTV is the Los Angeles-based interactive TV group that's got deals in place with Comcast to distribute its brand of interactive or "immersive" advertising, targeted at the young male demographic. More on this, as it develops.
Dodge, P&G Ads for RipeTV Web Launch [MarketingVOX]
September 08, 2005
Rupert goes shopping again...brings home IGN
Coming on the heels of the acquisitions of Intermix (MySpace) and Scout Media (Rivals.com), Fox Interactive Media (FIM) has announced another big buy--they've snatched up the young male-targeted IGN (formerly Snowball.com) for the plump sum of $650 million. IGN's properties include GameSpy, TeamXBox and AskMen.com, amongst others.
And judging by the post-sale rumors, it sounds like Fox and Rupert Murdoch are anything but done with their interactive buying spree. The latest talk circling is that FIM is looking for a home--something in a nice big portal to start compiling their many properties in. But don't be shocked if they can't find one (unless TimeWarner sells AOL to them, who would they buy that would be BIG enough to serve as the overarching FIM portal?) and wind up using Fox.com as the umbrella under which all FIM properties reside.
September 07, 2005
Say hello to the Blog Manager
Via Poynter:
The Blog Studio provides a rough outline of a new job title: the blog manager.
Essentially, a blog manager is a contractor or an in-house employee who uses his or her skills in traffic building, search-engine optimization, advertising, and affiliate management to improve a blog's overall performance and revenue. In an ideal setting, the blog manager handles all business and technical issues, thereby allowing bloggers to do what they do best: create content.
September 02, 2005
Searching the blogosphere for TV-ratings tea leaves
From Friday morning's Marketing VOX:
Media shop Initiative Media claims its new analytic tool, dubbed PropheSEE, is able to mine and analyze online buzz to determine how the new fall TV lineup will fare, reports MediaPost. The tool has apparently combed through 15 million blogs and online chat groups from May to July 2005 to gather data that reveals attitudes toward plot developments, loyalty or dislike for TV characters, and viewers' various other opinions.
Tool Probes Blogosphere to Foretell TV Lineup Future [Marketing VOX]
August 31, 2005
Google selling print ads?
From MarketingVOX:
Google is testing the print ad market in an attempt to capture traditional advertising dollars and take a significant step toward becoming a one-stop shop for both online and offline ad sales, writes CNET. Google recently bought ad pages in tech magazines, including PC Magazine and Maximum PC, and is reselling those pages, in quarters and fifths, to its AdWords advertisers.
Google Now Selling Print Ads. Say What? [Marketing VOX]
July 15, 2005
Community Sites See Ad Surge
Community Web sites, which generally feature a large amount of user-generated, and often unfiltered content, are beginning to show signs of an ad revenue surge.
In June, general community Web sites enjoyed the largest overall ad revenue increases among measured categories, according to Nielsen/NetRatings' AdRelevance service. The "general community" category saw spending soar by 214 percent to exceed $33 million during the month, capping a solid first half of the year for the category.
July 11, 2005
Search Ad Costs Slow
Separate surveys by investment banks SG Cowen and Piper Jaffray found the price of keywords advertising was mostly flat in the second quarter..
SG Cowen, which tracks 3,300 search terms, said prices declined 1.7 percent compared to the first three months of the year.
Piper Jaffray said pricing was "mostly stable," with some rises for search ads from Google.
The reports buttress figures released last week by Fathom Online, a San Francisco search agency, which said it found keyword pricing in June rose slightly for most industries it tracks.
July 05, 2005
Cingular Campaign Uses Consumer Content
Cingular Wireless plans to launch a campaign next week that encourages consumers to create their own takes on its brand.
The "Take a Shot" campaign uses Web and print ads to encourage customers to use their camera phones to submit photos via multimedia messaging of Cingular's "five bars" theme in real life. Cingular will award a weekly $500 prize for the best submission and a $50,000 grand prize. Photographer Robert Clark will pick five finalists for the top prize, which will be voted on by text messaging from consumers.
June 21, 2005
Majority of Search Users Unaware of Ads
More than half of Internet users surveyed in a poll did not know the difference between natural search engine results and advertising listings.
The Harris Interactive survey of 2,000 Internet users was commissioned by New York search engine marketing agency iCrossing. It found that 56 percent of Internet users said they did not know the difference between "sponsored (paid) and natural (non-sponsored) search engine result listings."
Product Search Comes to Banner Ads
A new ad network is bringing product-search listings to banner ads, in an attempt to offer publishers an alternative to Google AdSense and similar banner ad services.
Marlborough, Mass.-based Chitika has introduced eMiniMalls, a new ad unit that shows product-search listings based on the content of the Web page. For example, a visitor to a page about online music could see a banner with listings for iPods, along with prices from different merchants, product descriptions and reviews. Users can change the product shown by using a search box included in the banner.
Shopping.com, recently purchased by eBay, is supplying the product information.
Chitika CEO Venkat Kolluri said he is in talks with other comparison search engines and other online shopping sites. Initial publishing partners include Upromise.com, an affiliate program that gives consumers rebates for shopping with participating merchants, and some smaller Web publishers. Kolluri said the product should appeal to small and medium-sized Web publishers as an alternative to running AdSense-style text listings, low-priced banner ads or manually selecting product listings through affiliate programs.
"It's not advertising in the traditional sense," Kolluri said. "Were not advertising the merchant but the product the advertiser is offering."
In tests, Chitika claims its product listings got a 1 percent click-through rate, more than double the less than 1 percent industry average for online ads reported by DoubleClick.
Chitika allows publishers to insert code for which product listing to show, or let its system determine the best product. Kolluri said Chitika would allow advertisers to keep between 60 percent and 80 percent of the revenue generated each time visitor clicks on a product listing.
ContextWeb Gets $9 Million Funding
Ad network ContextWeb said it closed a $9 million round of venture financing, bringing its total backing to more than $12 million.
Updata Partners led the Series B round, joining Draper Fisher Jurvetson Gotham Ventures, which led ContextWeb's $3 million Series A funding that closed in September. Conor Mullett, general partner at Updata, has joined ContextWeb's board of directors.
June 20, 2005
Site-Targeted Ads Available via Google
Google said all advertisers could now run site-targeted graphical ads on its network of third-party sites.
The Site-Targeting option, which Google introduced in April, allows advertisers to run image ad units on sites within its AdSense for Content network. Advertisers can target static or animated banner ads to groups of sites or specific venues in Google's network of thousands of Web sites, rather than showing text listings targeted by keyword. Advertisers set a maximum cost-per-thousand impressions price, instead of the cost-per-click method used for text listings on its search and content networks.
June 15, 2005
DoubleClick Sells Software Unit
DoubleClick, which was acquired back in April by San Francisco-based Hellman & Friedman for $1.1 billion dollars, has begun divvying up its assets.
The New York-based Web advertising technology firm announced that it has sold its enterprise marketing solutions unit to Aprimo. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Upon completion of the sale, Aprimo will acquire DoubleClick's marketing software products, SmartPath and Ensemble.
By moving away from campaign management software, DoubleClick appears to be focusing on its online marketing analytics and ad serving businesses, pending any other moves by its new owners. According to DoubleClick, the sale of its EMS business unit, which is separate from its own recent sale, will be completed in the third quarter of 2005.
June 13, 2005
Gannett Buys PointRoll for $100 Million
Gannett said it has struck a deal to buy Internet rich media technology company PointRoll.
The deal brings PointRoll's rich-media formats, which include floating and expanding ad units, to the publisher of USA Today. Sources pegged the transaction price at $100 million in cash. The Jordan Edmiston Group advised PointRoll on the acquisition.
May 24, 2005
Brand Effects Differ for Web Video Units
A study of three online video formats found they have different effects on branding objectives.
Viewpoint, a New York rich media company, found "pre-roll" Web commercials that play before a user watches video content were most successful at driving brand awareness and favorability, compared to transitional ads that plays between content pages and in-banner promos. Transitional Web commercials were deemed most successful at driving online awareness, brand favorability and purchase intent, according to Viewpoint.
"It makes the case for saying that no one solution solves the problem," said Jay Amato, Viewpoint's CEO, who believes advertisers should complement pre-roll ads with other formats.
Dynamic Logic conducted the study over eight weeks by surveying 4,000 users and comparing the results to its database of Internet advertising campaigns.
Combined, the three video units showed increased metrics across the board, according to Dynamic Logic, with the most success in increasing message association and online ad awareness.
The study found relatively low annoyance levels in response to online video ads. Pre-roll video annoyed 22 percent viewers, while in-banner video annoyed the most, 30 percent. Viewpoint executives said the annoyance levels are encouraging, considering TV ads were measured to annoy 57 percent of viewers, according to a Havas study released in the fall.
"Consumers are willing to be exposed to advertising online with much more open-mindedness than on television," said Allie Savarino, vice president at Viewpoint.
Online video advertising has grown in popularity with advertisers as nearly half of U.S. households have broadband connections. According to Jupiter Research, Web video ad spending will grow 64 percent this year to $198 million.
May 02, 2005
Online Ads Seen Hitting $13 Billion in 2005
After offering a sneak peak at revised spending projections during last week's Ad:Tech conference in San Francisco, industry watchdog eMarketer has officially upped its estimate for online ad spending in 2005 to $13 billion, an increase of nearly 34 percent.
That would top the 33 percent increase seen in 2004, according to last week's updated report from the Internet Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers that recorded $9.6 billion in online ad spending in 2004, a figure which exceeded the spending levels seen in the height of the online ad boom in 2000.
The 34 percent growth figure for 2005 would seem feasible given the recent stellar earnings announcements from Web giants Google and Yahoo. "The reported results from Yahoo and Google showed that I was being a little too conservative about the Web search advertising those companies have popularized," said eMarketer senior analyst, David Hallerman in a statement.
EMarketer's new forecast predicts that paid search advertising will continue to exceed the growth of the general market, increasing 40 percent year over the year to $5.4 billion. Yet unlike during the recent ad recovery, search is no longer carrying the market, as branding and display advertising continues to exhibit healthy growth, according to eMarketer.
