BizReport : April 2007 Archive

April 2007 Archive

Research | April 30, 2007

Online travel consumers prefer user-generated content

Consumers want travel brands to embrace consumer generated reviews, and in response travel innovators are transforming their web presence into social platforms. >>

Advertising | April 30, 2007

Click Quality Council releases click quality principles

The Click Quality Council has put forward eight principles it feels are key to producing quality clicks. >>

Advertising | April 30, 2007

Yahoo buys RightMedia outright for $680 million

Yahoo already has a 20 percent stake in RightMedia, the online advertising exchange. Now they are set to acquire the remaining 80 percent in a move that will expand their advertising network reach. >>

Advertising | April 30, 2007

Joost signs up major advertisers ready for launch

Joost, the soon-to-be-launched internet television service, has signed up major advertisers including Nestlé, IBM, Electronic Arts and Intel. >>

Trends & Ideas | April 30, 2007

Google, Intel create marketing toolkit

Tech giants Intel and Google have teamed up to create a virtual marketing storefront. The new platform is said to be aimed at helping small businesses get a better foothold in the online world. >>

Research | April 30, 2007

37% would buy a brand seen in the virtual world

The virtual world has never been so open to advertisers. The question is, should marketers jump on the virtual world bandwagon while the world is still being built? >>

Search Marketing | April 30, 2007

Get in front of local search results for a price

Advertisers wanting to get the most bang for their paid search buck might want to check out a new placement program from Local.com. The new placement platform guarantees ad placement above the placement of organic search results. >>

Advertising | April 27, 2007

YouTube video content expected to include ads

Pre-roll and post-roll ads are expected to begin appearing in YouTube video content later this year, said a spokesman for Google. >>

Social Marketing | April 27, 2007

By 2011 80 percent of internet users will have a virtual life

It has been predicted that in five years time 80 percent of active internet users will have a “second life” in a virtual world, and marketers should be investigating this channel. >>

Research | April 27, 2007

More consumers paying bills online

Online bill payments have exceeded payments by check for the first time, according to a new survey by Harris Interactive and the Marketing Workshop. >>

Trends & Ideas | April 27, 2007

Advertisers opt-out of some RSS content

With the buzz about blog and RSS advertising why would a marketer opt-out of advertising on such platforms? Because of the inability to control what publishers put on their pages and the fear that the content might offend or annoy potential customers. For advertisers who want to take back control of ads placed on blogs and RSS feeds, RSS feeder FeedBurner is offering a new control. >>

Research | April 27, 2007

Web 2.0 use increases in the U.S.

American web surfers are more likely than ever to surf to web 2.0 portals like Wikipedia, MySpace and YouTube. That, according to research released earlier this month. According to the research, web 2.0 portals accounted for 12% of all traffic in the United States. >>

Search Marketing | April 27, 2007

Ask.com to launch contextual ad platform

Move over simple search, Ask.com is getting ready to launch a new advertising platform for contextual ads. The platform is expected to launch in mid-May. >>

Social Marketing | April 26, 2007

Sony to launch video-sharing site in Japan

Sony is rumoured to be launching a video-sharing site in Japan this Friday, prior to a global roll-out later this year. >>

Trends & Ideas | April 26, 2007

Cingular considers widgets

Not to be outdone by other mobile platforms, Cingular is toying with the idea of widget advertising. The mobile provider is teaming up with Freewebs, a multimedia advertising and publishing platform, for a new multi-faceted ad campaign. >>

Advertising | April 26, 2007

Advertisers choose ads you can hear

For advertisers, it's all about the ears. At least that is the hope behind a new advertising innovation that targets ads right to a consumer's eardrums. >>

Research | April 26, 2007

Food and beverage industry chooses online ads

Forget weekly circulars for consumer packaged goods advertisers. More CPG advertisers are spending more of their food and drink ad budgets on online advertising efforts. >>

Research | April 26, 2007

U.S. Wikipedia users are wealthy and well-educated

Despite concerns about accuracy and reliability, Wikipedia remains a popular online source of information, as a study from the Pew Center for American Life Project recently revealed. >>

Social Marketing | April 26, 2007

QVC.com's customers embrace rating and review feature

Just weeks after QVC.com employed Bazaarvoice’s user review and ratings system, it had users rushing to post feedback on their purchases. >>

Email Marketing | April 25, 2007

Email advertising is still viable

Advertisers should not write off email advertising just yet. The news from a recent Forrester Research study is that email marketing is still putting advertisers and consumers together. >>

Social Marketing | April 25, 2007

Users like branded personal pages

Social networking has become a more trusted advertising medium for many consumers. That is the word from a new study from Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions and MetrixLab. The study indicates that branded personal pages are the best way to connect online. >>

Mobile Marketing | April 25, 2007

66% of mobile TV viewers are male

Young males are the current target market for mobile television advertisers, but don't expect this to always be true. According to a new study from comScore, interest in mobile TV is growing across all segments of the population. >>

Search Marketing | April 24, 2007

Most SEM money spent with Google, Yahoo

Look for the two biggest dogs in the search engine marketing pound to get bigger over the next few years. According to a new report from eMarketer, the majority of SEM dollars are already going to Google and Yahoo and you can expect that to stay the same for the foreseeable future. >>

Research | April 24, 2007

Nielsen, comScore respond to audit request

Advertisers wondering what exactly a search share is or why their logs differ from measurement reports may have another tool to figuring that out soon. It appears as if the Interactive Advertising Bureau will get it's wish: more transparency among web metrics firms. >>

Search Marketing | April 24, 2007

NearbyNow pulls local retailers into mobile search

With the addition of several more cities to it's national network, NearbyNow is enticing more local retailers to become a part of local search campaigns. There are now retailers in 27 cities across America participating in the national mall advertising network. >>

Research | April 24, 2007

Google ranked top brand in the world

Internet giant Google has surpassed Microsoft to become the world’s top-ranked brand, according to findings released this week. >>

Research | April 24, 2007

Forrester unveils "Social Technographics" report

A new report by Forrester Research has grouped social network users into six categories based on their level of participation, enabling marketers to develop more effective social marketing strategies. >>

Email Marketing | April 23, 2007

Email marketing continues to elicit high response levels

Email marketing is still a valuable part of the e-marketing mix, according to new data from marketing services company, Epsilon. >>

Research | April 23, 2007

IAB asks for an audit of web metrics firms

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is not content with the status quo of current web measurement, and is asking two of the largest metrics firms - comScore and Nielsen//Netratings - to make a few changes. Chief among them, being audited themselves. >>

Search Marketing | April 23, 2007

EPIC files FTC complaint against Google/DoubleClick merger

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) wants the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the ramifications of a Google/DoubleClick buyout before the merger is complete. >>

Research | April 23, 2007

Watch, view and read in new content player

A new online video player could change the way some websites look at online video and other content resources. The AdMatch Player from Mochila allows companies to brand video, text and images on their websites. >>

Advertising | April 23, 2007

Ad campaign targets concerned DoubleClick clients

Interactive agency 24/7 Real Media has launched an ad campaign to attract marketers who aren’t happy with Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick. >>

Internet | April 23, 2007

Google's Q1 figures exceed all expectations

Google’s first quarter figures have been announced and, true to form, the internet giant has exceeded all expectations. >>

Research | April 20, 2007

B2B advertisers prefer direct response

A recent survey indicates that tried and true advertising methods are preferred for business-to-business advertisers. According to research from the Direct Marketers Association, direct response advertising takes up more than 42% of marketing budgets. >>

Social Marketing | April 20, 2007

Revenue is the key to social network success

Social networks have some tough decisions in their future, according to research from In-Stat. With competition ramping up in the social atmosphere, new research indicates monetization may be the key to which social networks survive and which networks disappear. >>

Research | April 20, 2007

Maps leads travel destination sites

Online travel is a fast-growing industry. More users are planning trips, buying tickets and reserving hotel or vacation rental space online. But new research shows that mapping websites are actually the leading draw for travel planners. >>

Email Marketing | April 20, 2007

Datran Media launches first online market exchange

The first real-time market exchange, that enables advertisers to bid for CPA email distribution, has just been launched. >>

Research | April 20, 2007

Marketers failing to use online for lead generation

A new study by Clash-Media and e-consultancy has revealed that that almost half of internet marketers fail to use the internet to generate leads. >>

Research | April 20, 2007

Pay-per-click fraud rises to 14.8 percent

Pay-per-click (PPC) fraud figures, from the Click Fraud Index, were released this week. A modest rise in click fraud rate has pushed the latest figure to the highest in any quarter since tracking began a year ago. >>

Mobile Marketing | April 19, 2007

TellMe will influence mobile search

Mobile marketers may have a new friend in the search wars. With Microsoft's purchase of TellMe, the company has another free local business search engine, this one with voice capabilities. >>

E-commerce | April 19, 2007

American Politicians may end tax-free e-commerce

E-Tailers may soon have a new obstacle to cross: taxing the Internet. Several United States senators and governors are teaming up on an initiative that would require online stores to charge sales tax on out-of-state purchases. >>

Research | April 19, 2007

Viewer engagement longer than originally thought

A new study from Accela Communications is muddying the waters of viewer engagement with online video. According to the study, most viewers are actually engaged for 4.6 minutes, but according to other studies, engagement lasts for only 10.8 seconds. >>

Internet | April 19, 2007

Experian purchases Hitwise for $240 million

Internet marketing information company Hitwise has been purchased by Experian Group Ltd. >>

Trends & Ideas | April 19, 2007

IAC plans ethnic website to cater for all U.S. blacks

Ethnic websites have been successful in bringing relevant and topical information to the U.S.’s 40 million African-American community for some time. IAC is planning a website which aims to cater to all black-skinned U.S. inhabitants. >>

Email Marketing | April 19, 2007

Visual email identification raises open rate by 67 percent

A leading provider of visual email identification solutions has released results of a recent study into whether emails are more likely to be opened if accompanied by a “certified” logo. >>

Search Marketing | April 18, 2007

Yahoo revenue falls in Q1

Revenue reports are in for Yahoo's Q1, but the results aren't quite what was expected. According to company reports, net income fell 11% in Q1 of 2007. >>

Advertising | April 18, 2007

Google AdWords launches new bid control feature

Google AdWords has a new feature. It’s called “preferred cost bidding” and it’s aimed at saving advertisers time and help manage their budgets. >>

Research | April 18, 2007

Security is key for online banking consumers

A recent study from Forbes.com and ForeSee Results gives new insight into online banking consumers. According to the results, those who engage in online banking are more satisfied with their overall banking experience. >>

Research | April 18, 2007

Tax season impacts web traffic

Three popular websites are still tops for online destinations, but a few surprises hit the Top 100 list of most-visited websites in the past week. According to research from HitWise, tax preparation websites inched into the list. >>

Social Marketing | April 18, 2007

Coke is Second Life's newest corporate customer

Coke has expanded its brand-awareness activities in to the realm of virtual worlds with the next phase of its “Virtual Thirst” contest being promoted in Second Life. >>

Social Marketing | April 18, 2007

Fraction of Web 2.0 website visitors participate

New research appears to show that Web 2.0 sites, where users can upload their own content, are full of lurkers, not participators. >>

E-commerce | April 17, 2007

More online stores offering non-traditional payment methods

Slowly, but surely, online stores are beginning to offer non-traditional methods of payments on their websites. >>

Research | April 17, 2007

More teens using legal online music download services

The number of American and Canadian teens downloading music from legal online music services has increased, says a new report. >>

Research | April 17, 2007

72 percent rise in digital revenue for U.K.'s online publishers

A recent survey has found that the U.K.’s digital publishers can expect 72 percent growth in 2007, double what they were forecasting this time last year. >>

Blogs & Content | April 17, 2007

"Splogosphere" growing faster than ever

For about the blogosphere, the fastest growing segment of the Internet is now the splogosphere. According to the latest State of the Blogosphere report, between 3,000 and 7,000 splogs are created every day. >>

Research | April 17, 2007

Customer satisfaction is the key to online growth

The customer is always right. This has been the Golden Rule for retailers for years, but with the growth of online business and the seemingly endless pool of customers, the old standby may be losing its punch. It shouldn't, according to a new study from comScore. >>

Research | April 17, 2007

Web design is growing in importance

As online advertising budgets grow, so do the budgets to create or build an online web presence. According to a recent Forrester Research survey, more top companies are increasing the amount of money they are putting toward websites. >>

Research | April 16, 2007

Identity theft worries are high for American consumers

E-tailers and email marketers who think their campaigns have begun to falter may be right. But flagging sales may not be because of bad advertising copy or outdated email lists. According to a recent Zogby study, identity theft worries are keeping many users off of the Internet. >>

Research | April 16, 2007

Target young for online video

Online video is quickly becoming the new buzzword for online marketers, but few have figured out how to harness the power. Should they target boomers? News hounds? Entertainment gurus? The answer, according to a new study, is no. To all of the above. >>

Email Marketing | April 16, 2007

Can authentication save email marketing?

Authenticating email has been touted as the savior for businesses wanting to contact established customers, but what about marketers trying to reach those first consumers? Could email authentication be the right tactic for email marketers? >>

Research | April 16, 2007

Rise in consumers purchasing auto insurance online

Consumers are beginning to buy auto insurance policies online, whereas in recent years they went no further than obtaining online quotes. >>

Research | April 16, 2007

Cookie-based metrics inflating website audience figures

Data released today by comScore shows the degree to which cookie-based measurement of unique visitors is skewed by users deleting cookies from their PC’s. >>

Internet | April 16, 2007

DoubleClick sold to Google for $3.1 billion cash

Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick, announced last Friday, will see the largest forces in online advertising merge together to control virtually the entire market. >>

Research | April 13, 2007

Blogs, social networks used by the wealthy

Marketers wanting to make inroads to wealthy clientele should target blogs and social networks. That, according to a new study which indicates that the wealthy in America are interacting on social networking sites and reading blogs more than the general public. >>

Email Marketing | April 13, 2007

Companies take longer to respond to user emails

A new study sheds disturbing light on email practices within some companies. According to research from Hornstein Associates, companies take longer to respond to consumer email now than they did five years ago. >>

Advertising | April 13, 2007

Nielsen launches new tools for advertisers

Two new tools from Nielsen could help advertisers increase the ROI from different campaigns. The first will map out brand DNA; the second will rate out-of-home television viewing. >>

Social Marketing | April 13, 2007

Bud.tv struggling to attract visitors

Bud.tv started to lose its fizz not long after the Super Bowl hype, and figures out for March show little sign of a turnaround. >>

Social Marketing | April 13, 2007

Traffic increases for re-launched USATODAY.com

USATODAY.com has seen an impressive increase in registrations and unique visitors since its re-launch in March. >>

Research | April 13, 2007

British companies reaping benefits of SEO

A new report by market research firm e-Consultancy and Neutralize (*\*) has revealed that U.K. companies are reaping the benefits of paid search engine optimization. >>

Email Marketing | April 12, 2007

Spam volume to exceed legitimate emails in 2007

Research firm IDC has released results of a new study which forecasts that 2007 will see the volume of spam email overtake legitimate person-to-person email messages. >>

Search Marketing | April 12, 2007

PPC a favorite for e-tailers

Online retailers are finding that pay-per-click (PPC)and SEO programs are the best way to maximize their return on investment for advertising. According to a new study, e-tailers are pushing more of their advertising budgets into PPC advertising. They are also hoping that organic search results will boost revenue. >>

Advertising | April 12, 2007

Monster to power broadcaster's job listings

Advertisers have another option when it comes to marketing on broadcast television websites: job listings. A new partnership will provide Monster.com job listings to Internet Broadcasting websites. >>

Mobile Marketing | April 12, 2007

Will mobile users accept commercials?

This is the question many companies are asking. With more users downloading and listenting to music on their phones, advertisers wonder if downloading commercials with music is the right way to monetize the medium. >>

Research | April 12, 2007

'Third Agers' are tech-savvy online shoppers

Third Agers are a formidable presence on the internet, new research has revealed, and they aren’t the stereo-typical technophobes many perceive them to be. >>

Social Marketing | April 12, 2007

Travel marketers should embrace social networking

The recent TravelCom/Res-Expo, held in Las Vegas, saw keynote addresses by many ecommerce experts, and many were encouraging those in the travel industry to embrace social networking tools and user-generated content. >>

Search Marketing | April 11, 2007

Google leads March search queries

Industries seeing a large burst of traffic should thank Google. Not only did Google lead the search-query pack in March, but the search engine is also the leading factor for visits to key industry websites. >>

Search Marketing | April 11, 2007

Search spend to increase 25% in 2007

New research indicates a large growth spurt for search engine marketing throughout 2007. More than 25% of companies with annual revenues over $50 million say they plan to increase their search spend by 25% or more this year. >>

Research | April 11, 2007

Can opt-in ads boost online video revenue?

People are watching. According to numerous studies, more and more users are logging on to the Internet for video - entire television shows, movie trailers and user-generated content are a few options. However, online advertisers have yet to come up with a tried and true method of monetizing that content. Could there be one? >>

Research | April 11, 2007

Females account for over half U.S. online population

Over half of the U.S. online population is female, according to new research by eMarketer, and big businesses are developing content and services directed purely at their female audiences. >>

Trends & Ideas | April 11, 2007

Wilfers waste time on the web

The internet has spawned a new group of individuals who aimlessly wander the web and who are not quite sure what they logged on for. >>

Search Marketing | April 11, 2007

Yahoo closing click-through-rate gap on Google

While Yahoo’s click-through rates for search ads have risen in recent months, Google’s have fallen, suggesting Panama is paying off. >>

Advertising | April 10, 2007

What to consider when choosing an ad network

Recent surveys have pointed to the growth of online advertising in nearly every sector, but few have hit on how advertisers are increasing their spending. Very few are taking the do-it-yourself approach of buying direct from websites and publishers. >>

Research | April 10, 2007

"Visits Per Visitor" changes web-rankings

The new visits metric from comScore is beginning to distinguish return visitors from one-time visitors. This, in turn, is changing how long-time online favorites look to the online audience. >>

Research | April 10, 2007

Website teaches behavioral targeting secrets

Advertisers who are just getting into behavioral targeting may be missing out on crucial bits of information for their campaigns. A new website is trying to teach behavioral targeting secrets for automotive advertisers. >>

Search Marketing | April 10, 2007

Search function on social networking sites is popular with visitors

Marketers should not underestimate the importance of social sites as a marketing tool as around 4 out of 5 social site visitors use site's search function. >>

Search Marketing | April 10, 2007

Yahoo search ad descriptions to be shortened

From June this year, Yahoo will be setting a new cut-off point for the number of characters allowed in its search ad descriptions. Yahoo currently allows an ad entry with a maximum of 190 characters per ad, but this will be more than halved to 70 characters. >>

Search Marketing | April 10, 2007

Google, AOL launch new search advertising solution

Advertisers will be able to use Google's advertising system to buy ads targeted specifically to AOL sites such as MapQuest, Moviefone and the AOL.com portal under a program AOL launched on Monday this week. >>

Internet | April 05, 2007

MSNBC.com launches brand campaign

For the first time ever, msnbc.com is launching a branding campaign to focus attention on its depth of news coverage and entertainment channels. >>

Research | April 05, 2007

Are online travel sales declining?

A new report from eMarketer indicates a slowdown for the U.S. online travel industry. According to the report, sales will remain strong but the growth rate of online travel sales will begin to decline in the coming years. >>

Research | April 05, 2007

White papers: Content that works

Marketers wanting to better connect with customers should look into content. That is the word from a new KnowledgeStorm and Marketing Sherpa study. According to researchers, 71% of technology buyers look to white papers first for information. >>

Trends & Ideas | April 05, 2007

NBC leads broadcasters' websites

Network television websites are fast becoming an online favorite. Whether users want the latest news or show information, they are logging on faster than ever. >>

E-commerce | April 05, 2007

Google's Website Optimizer now available worldwide

Google has announced that its Website Optimizer™ application is now available to AdWords advertisers across the globe. >>

Advertising | April 05, 2007

DoubleClick launches advertising exchange

DoubleClick has begun a limited test in the U.S. of an ad exchange that it expects to roll out worldwide by the end of the year. >>

Research | April 04, 2007

Report: Women watch less online video than men

A new report by eMarketer finds that there are less men online than women, but more men are watching online video. >>

Search Marketing | April 04, 2007

Top 10 SEO ranking factors

SEOmoz have just released version two of their Search Engine Ranking Factors Guide. A panel of thirty-six search industry experts contributed to this year’s study in which they voted, and commented, on various ranking factors that make up Google’s ranking algorithm. >>

Social Marketing | April 04, 2007

XLNTads: Tapping creative consumers for advertising content

The consumer is king, and now consumers could be your ad agency too. Taking consumer-generated content and using it to promote brands is becoming more and more popular online. >>

Research | April 04, 2007

Report: Don't ignore mobile, new media

Advertisers ignoring new media and mobile advertising platforms may be missing out on increased revenue. That, according to a report from Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive at WPP. >>

Mobile Marketing | April 04, 2007

Mobile advertising standards to be defined

A global trade group is forming a committee that will set standards and practices for the mobile advertising industry. Backed by the GSMA, the committee will define measurement tactics and establish rules for mobile marketers. >>

Internet | April 04, 2007

Both Microsoft and Google bid for DoubleClick

Microsoft now has some competition in their bid for online advertising firm DoubleClick. With Google reportedly in the picture, the final cost of the ad server could go through the roof. >>

Research | April 03, 2007

$85 million wanted from comScore IPO

Online measurement firm comScore has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering (IPO) of common stock. >>

Advertising | April 03, 2007

Google, EchoStar to launch automated TV ad service

The rumor of Google's plan to enter the television advertising market seems to have legs. The company announced this week that they were entering into a deal with EchoStar Communications to launch an automated television ad service. >>

Social Marketing | April 03, 2007

Woolworths (UK) appoints Reevoo to manage customer reviews

Woolworths (UK) is incorporating social marketing elements in to its U.K. website, appointing Reevoo to collate and publish customer product reviews. >>

E-commerce | April 03, 2007

Survey: Merchants to focus on targeting

The E-Tailing Group has released the results of their 6th Annual Merchant Survey. According to the survey, better targeting is the key to improved conversion rates and Return on Investment (ROI). >>

Mobile Marketing | April 03, 2007

British teens have mobile ad preferences

A recent study by Q Research shows that just 32 percent of 11-20 year olds want ads on their mobile phones, but those numbers rise when participants are given different scenarios. >>

Advertising | April 03, 2007

Compete.com launches new web metric

As the internet evolves, so must web metrics, and the most recent addition to the web measurement toolbox is “Attention”. >>

Loyalty Marketing | April 02, 2007

PostPoints rewards readers for reading

The Washington Post has launched a loyalty marketing scheme allowing off- and online readers to earn points while they do what they already do - read the newspaper. >>

Mobile Marketing | April 02, 2007

DeepFish launched by Microsoft

Microsoft isn't just sitting idly by, while competitors Yahoo and Google launch their own mobile browsers. This past week, the company launched DeepFish, an online browser that mimics traditional web pages. >>

Research | April 02, 2007

Study: Hispanics multitask online

A recent study from Yahoo and Simmons Market Research indicates that Hispanic Internet users are more tuned in than other demographic groups. >>

Loyalty Marketing | April 02, 2007

Washington Post bets "stuff" will build loyalty

Read stories, collect points, get stuff. That is the premise behind the Washington Post's new loyalty program. The more stories readers read online, the more points they build up and the more things they can get with those points. >>

Advertising | April 02, 2007

ZenithOptimedia announces revisions to global ad spend outlook

Online ad spending will overtake radio a year earlier than previously forecast, says ZenithOptimedia in today’s announcement, in which they revised their global ad spending outlook. >>

Research | April 02, 2007

NAA: Newspaper websites boost readership

The latest data from the NAA’s NADbase, which combines total audience readership with Nielsen//NetRatings’ and Scarborough Research’s print and online data, has shown that newspaper websites are contributing to rising readerships. >>