BizReport : December 2007 Archive

December 2007 Archive

E-commerce | December 28, 2007

Online spending spikes during final holiday week

Having only a few days left to order gifts to arrive by Christmas day didn't stop shoppers from hitting the 'Net. Rather than hurrying off to the local mall, more shoppers logged on to the Internet to grab those last minute gifts. >>

Email Marketing | December 28, 2007

Study: 9 in 10 delivered emails are spam

Spam isn't just clogging up personal email inboxes any longer. According to the latest research from ProofPoint, 9 in 10 emails delivered to business email addresses in November were spam. Which means workers are spending more and more time with email than ever. >>

Viral Marketing | December 28, 2007

Study: Consumers are more engaged with online video

A recent study from the Simmons branch of Experian Research indicates that consumers pay more attention to video ads viewed online than ads that are viewed on television. Researchers found that people are 47% more engaged with ads seen online than on television. >>

Search Marketing | December 27, 2007

Searchers turn to Google for holiday finds

As the holiday shopping season ramped up in November, more users continued to turn to Google to find holiday deals and gift ideas. The latest research from comScore finds that Google accounted for 58% of November searches. >>

E-commerce | December 27, 2007

Coupons, offers may keep etailers seeing green

With the busy holiday season past and the big return season in full swing, etailers may not be feeling the pinch yet. But that could happen soon. According to a recent study from CoinStar and Kelton Research, many consumers will be feeling the post-holiday pinch in the coming weeks and will be cutting back on many luxuries. >>

Viral Marketing | December 27, 2007

ChoiceStream: Users aren't watching television only

Television isn't the only game in town. At least not any longer. According to The ChoiceStream 2007 Survey of Viewer Trends in TV and Online Video, users are still watching television programming but more and more are turning to alternative devices to watch their favorite shows. >>

Search Marketing | December 26, 2007

MerchantCircle offers search to local advertisers

Local advertisers have a new outlet for online advertising. MerchantCircle, a network of local business with an online presence, has developed a suite of advertising platforms designed with local businesses in mind. >>

Research | December 26, 2007

IAB issues rich media guidelines

Advertisers may rest a little easier in the New Year thanks to guidelines from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) regarding the measurement of rich media advertising platforms. The guidelines determine how and when rich media ads are counted as a click, which could help marketers better prepare for new ad campaigns. >>

Mobile Marketing | December 26, 2007

America Movil, Yahoo partner for Latin America mobile search

Search giant Yahoo is reaching out to mobile users via Latin American mobile provider, America Movil. The two are partnering for a mobile search platform serving users in 16 Latin American countries and the Caribbean. >>

E-commerce | December 21, 2007

U.K. traffic to Google Checkout exceeds PayPal

The battle of the payment systems continues to rage in the U.K., as demonstrated by Hitwise’s recently gathered data. While the two major players are competitors, data shows that their traffic comes from rather different sources. >>

E-commerce | December 21, 2007

Online sales surge as delivery deadlines loom

Bricks and mortar stores may currently be working extra hard to attract shoppers in off the street, but online e-tailers saw a surge in online sales at the start of this week. >>

Advertising | December 21, 2007

Can ad networks help save newspapers?

Earlier this year Merrill Lynch predicted that newspaper advertising revenue would drop nearly 4% by the end of 2007. With circulation dropping, as well, many newspapers have begun looking in a new direction to help stem the tide: online ad networks. Can ad networks help newspapers rebound? >>

Viral Marketing | December 21, 2007

How advertisers can take advantage of the viral video trend

Teens may be downloading online video like crazy but when it comes to uploading favorite clips or user generated content, boys are tops. According to a recent report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project about 19% of teenage boys have uploaded a video clip while only 10% of teen girls have done the same. >>

Advertising | December 21, 2007

Hola Networks extend to reach nearly 5 million users

After launching their Hispanic-targeted online advertising network, the first of its kind, just a few months ago Hola Networks reports expanding their reach to nearly 5 million unique users. The fast growth is thanks in part to new relationship with publishers including the Hispanic version of CareerBuilder.com and HogarLatino.com, a home improvement site focused on the Hispanic market. >>

Research | December 20, 2007

Majority of online shoppers very satisfied with service

Online shoppers have, overall, been very happy with the customer support they received during the holiday shopping season this year, finds Nielsen Online. >>

Research | December 20, 2007

TV viewers turning to Internet

Watching television shows online is becoming very popular, with Internet users demanding more professionally produced content and interest in user-generated content waning. >>

Social Marketing | December 20, 2007

Pew identifies social networking gender split

Social networks are fuelling the rise in number of teenagers with personal information online, according to research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. >>

Research | December 20, 2007

Rise in search for gift cards

Gift cards are becoming increasingly popular and acceptable which is just as well because, according to recent Hitwise figures, there are a lot of people searching for them online. >>

E-commerce | December 20, 2007

Online shoppers turn to departmental sites and share their experiences

More shoppers are turning to online venues in 2007 but you may be surprised who is benefiting the most. Department store websites, according to a recent report from online analytics firm Cormetrics, have seen the largest growth year over year. Department store ecommerce sites grew 37% YoY. >>

Advertising | December 20, 2007

Forecast: B2B online budgets will rise in '08

Business to Business advertisers will likely increase their online ad budgets for 2008. According to a recent survey from BtoB online, events and direct advertising categories will see the largest increases. >>

Social Marketing | December 20, 2007

Social marketers may benefit from "Sonar" platform

Advertising on blogs is still relatively knew in the online advertising world. Many advertisers and brands have been reluctant to incorporate these platforms because of the lack of control. A new platform from RelevantNoise could change that by giving advertisers more control. >>

Research | December 19, 2007

Pew says 'Google yourself regularly'

Phew! I’m normal. It seems I’m not alone when it comes to Googling my name to see what information pops up. >>

Social Marketing | December 19, 2007

Social media use to take off

Three-quarters of all broadband users will use social media in 2012, forecasts Strategy Analytics, as user-generated content increasingly competes with professional media. >>

Advertising | December 19, 2007

Target teens with Alloy's new ad network

If teens are your target audience, you might want to consider taking a look at a new advertising network which claims to have the highest concentration of teens online. >>

Trends & Ideas | December 19, 2007

Alloy, Zwinky team for teen ad network

Zwinky, an online avatar making hub targeting the teen market, and Alloy Media + Marketing have teamed up to create an online advertising network focused on the teen market. Teen.com launched earlier this month and allows marketers to target teens with display ads. >>

Advertising | December 19, 2007

AdReady secures $10 million more in funding

It looks as if self-service advertising platform AdReady is here to stay. This week the company announced they had received an addition $10 million in funding. Since the company's launch in October, marketers have logged on to create their own accounts - and their own ads - in large numbers so that they would have more control over the ad product and their ad dollars. >>

E-commerce | December 19, 2007

Survey: 89% of consumers prefer online shopping

A recent survey from online retailer Safe Home Products sheds a little light on the increase in online shopping this holiday season. According to survey respondents 89% prefer online shopping over in-store shopping. >>

Social Marketing | December 18, 2007

WOM absent from communication strategy

The importance of word-of-mouth is being seriously underestimated by many communicators and is often overlooked as a valuable component to a communications strategy, finds an annual survey by Ketchum. >>

Email Marketing | December 18, 2007

Phishers net more victims during 2007

A new survey conducted by Gartner has found that the number of successful phishing attacks in 2007 rose, although the average amount lost per consumer decreased. >>

Social Marketing | December 18, 2007

More socializing for TopShop

In March this year, one of Britain’s largest fashion stores, TopShop, entered the world of social networking with a profile page on MySpace. The success of this move has led the fashion store to explore another big social network. >>

Social Marketing | December 18, 2007

eMarketer: Social marketing to surpass $2 billion in '08

One trend that is likely to continue into 2008 is the social marketing trend. According to a recent eMarketer report, social network advertising will nearly double in 2008 to reach more than $2 billion for the year. >>

E-commerce | December 18, 2007

EBay tops e-tailer list in '07 holiday season

Forget about brick-and-mortar stores drawing in the most online shoppers. Most online shoppers are focused on online auctioneer EBay this holiday season, albeit by a slight margin. According to a new report from Nielsen//Netratings, the auction site is the most visited etailing hub for the week ending December 9th. >>

Research | December 18, 2007

Industry heavyweights make 2008 predictions

As we rapidly approach the end of 2007, big names in the online advertising industry are beginning to make their predictions for 2008. Among the predictions are an increase in user-generated content and increases in consolidation for online marketers. >>

Advertising | December 17, 2007

Paramount using transactional banner ads

Back in July, Tailgate launched a fully transactional web 2.0 banner ad system. It enables consumers to make a purchase by entering their credit card details directly into an interactive “transactional banner ad”. >>

Advertising | December 17, 2007

IPC Media adds to Premium Publishers Network

European clients and agencies that place digital campaigns with the Premium Publishers Network now have more reach as a major magazine publisher joins the network. >>

Research | December 17, 2007

Younger adults use technology to catch up

A recent study from Nielsen//Netratings indicates that adults are more likely than ever to use technology, especially the Internet, to stay up to date with their television habits. For advertisers this is also an indication that webcast advertising will become more important in the months to come. >>

Research | December 17, 2007

More users choose New York Times websites

The most recent research from Nielsen//Netratings indicates a few changes for online users. While more users continue to search via the Google search engine, users spend the most time on Microsoft websites and nearly 50 million users logged on to a New York Times Company website. >>

Advertising | December 17, 2007

More auto ad dollars are moving online

Through 2011 automotive advertising will hold steady at about $40 billion per year. However, according to a new survey from The Kelsey Group more of those ad dollars will move online in the coming years as the audience continues to shift online. >>

Social Marketing | December 16, 2007

Social-networking - approach with caution

The buzz surrounding social-networking, along with the mega-successes of the likes of Facebook, MySpace and Bebo, is hard to ignore, but a new report suggests that businesses take a step back and not get swept along in the crowds clamoring to take advantage of this new channel. >>

Search Marketing | December 14, 2007

AdSense gives publishers more ad control

Google AdSense is rolling out a new feature for AdSense accounts that will give publishers even more control over which ads appear on their websites. >>

Email Marketing | December 14, 2007

Make opting-out a positive learning process

While many email marketers adhere to opt-out laws, many aren’t taking the opportunity to garner feedback and potentially retain a customer by engaging them in an exit conversation, found a recent survey by Lyris. >>

Social Marketing | December 14, 2007

Can commercial messages seep deeper into social?

Users of social networking sites may be coming round to the idea of commercialization if the results of a recent American Marketing Association survey are considered. >>

Advertising | December 14, 2007

Quigo launches Ad Links

Advertising network Quigo has launched a new segment of its AdSonar platform. Called Ad Links Plus the platform offers contextually targeted and graphically targeted ads for marketers. >>

E-commerce | December 14, 2007

"Green Monday" sees ecommerce surge of $881 million

Black Friday, Cyber Monday and now Green Monday. These are the so-called Big Three; the days during the holiday shopping rush that will see the largest amounts of money spent. The term refers to the second Monday in December and it was certainly green this year - metrics firm comScore reports that $881 million (US) were spent on Green Monday 2007. >>

Social Marketing | December 14, 2007

Outsell: Social marketing spend to top $80 million

It appears that social networking isn't just for users any more. According to a new report from Outsell Insights, marketers are pushing more advertising dollars into the social space. >>

Viral Marketing | December 13, 2007

Top 5 viral video ads of 2007

Viral video ads that make the grade can attract millions of viewers and generate a buzz that rockets around the online world. Here we list those that are considered the best viral video ads of 2007. >>

E-commerce | December 13, 2007

Online shopper satisfaction levels up

Shoppers are more satisfied with their online holiday shopping experiences this year than they were in 2006, finds the latest ForeSee Results Holiday Retail Benchmark. >>

Search Marketing | December 13, 2007

Google continues to dominate search

With the holiday shopping season in full swing across the United States, more and more consumers are conducting searches to find those last few gifts. And most of them are turning to Google for their information. >>

Research | December 13, 2007

Why marketers should target newspaper readers

Marketers who want to tap in to the vast resources of a group of online users called Influencers may want to pay more attention to newspapers. That is because, according to a recent study from Millward Brown, readers of online newspapers are more like to influence the purchasing decisions of consumers >>

Mobile Marketing | December 13, 2007

MSN launches mobile display ads

Add another platform to the MSN network, a network trying to capture a larger part of the online advertising market. The company has launched both text and display ads for US mobile users. >>

Search Marketing | December 13, 2007

Top spots key to brand advertising

Until now, the effect of having your brand appear in the number one spot on Google has always been assumed to be a positive one. Kelowna-based Enquiro Research recent conducted a Google-commissioned study that supports that assumption. >>

E-commerce | December 12, 2007

Brits break online spending record

British online shoppers broke records on Monday as lunchtime spending saw them part with the most money ever online in one minute, according to Retail Solutions. >>

Email Marketing | December 12, 2007

Surge in spam continues

The fight against spam continues yet, despite throwing technology at it from all angles, the rates of spam continue to rise, currently representing 95 percent of all email sent. >>

Social Marketing | December 12, 2007

Social shopping blogs taking off

Online shoppers are increasingly making use of new “social shopping” blogs this holiday season, finds new analysis by Nielsen Online. >>

E-commerce | December 12, 2007

Online avenues help offline store performance

It appears the pre-holiday forecasts may have been mistaken. Before the full shopping rush hit, many online forecasts predicted that etailers and advertisers would see a decrease in online sales. With a Cyber Monday online shopping total of $4 billion, it appears those forecasts were wrong. >>

Mobile Marketing | December 12, 2007

Intercasting, Piczo partner for mobile social platform

Teens will soon have a new place to share their own user generated content. Recently Intercasting Corporation and Piczo announced they would partner on a new mobile social space for the 13 to 18 year old set. >>

E-commerce | December 12, 2007

TrueTag tracks online sales

Do you ever wonder what consumers are actually buying on your website? A new offering from Channel Intelligence may keep you in the know, even more finalized sales figures are in for a particular season. >>

Search Marketing | December 11, 2007

Content networks see largest increase in click fraud

It isn't just paid search advertisers that are feeling the pinch from click fraud. Content networks are also feeling the pinch. According to a recent Click Forensics report, click fraud on content networks increased 28% in Q3 2007. >>

Research | December 11, 2007

Global news intrigues online users

Consumers don't log on to newspaper and content sites simply to catch up on their neighborhood news. According to a recent Nielsen//Netratings AdRelevance report, global news and events are a big draw for many consumers. >>

Advertising | December 11, 2007

Report: Political spending to reach $4.5 billion in 2008

With the next Presidential Election looming in the US, a new report expects the political spend to grow nearly 65%. The increase in spending is expected in part because there is a larger than usual number of candidates in the race for the Presidential office. >>

Research | December 11, 2007

Local online ads set to rise in 2008

Pure-play Internet companies have, for the first time in 2007, cornered a bigger share of local advertising budget than their traditional counterparts, concludes a recent report from Borrell Associates. >>

E-commerce | December 10, 2007

U.K. email response times up on 2006

The amount of time taken for companies to respond to email enquiries has risen in the last twelve months, according to new research carried out in the U.K. by Transversal, and consumers are finding it quicker to pick up the telephone. >>

Research | December 10, 2007

Women more likely to impulse buy online

Online retailers should look at gender differences when it comes to the buying process, as differences between how U.S. men and women shop online are revealed in a new survey. >>

Social Marketing | December 10, 2007

User reviews - scary or necessary?

According to the results of a recent Bazaarvoice survey, marketing professionals should not be scared of incorporating user reviews online because the majority are positive. >>

Viral Marketing | December 10, 2007

Online video consumption increases 37% year over year

More users are catching on to online video. According to a recent study from Horowitz Associates, online video consumption increased 37% from 2006 to 2007. The report found that 6 in 10 adults in the US have now downloaded a video once each week. >>

Research | December 10, 2007

Nielsen: Parents talk products online

Before they head to a mall or department store to buy goodies for the kids' Christmas wish lists, parents are discussing those buys online. That is the word from a recent Nielsen//Netratings report, and is another indication that companies need to be in touch with the social applications on the web. >>

Social Marketing | December 10, 2007

WIDGNET offers social networking ad service

As the social space continues to heat up, marketers are looking for new ways to tap in to the marketplace. A new ad platform from Advertising.com could be part of the solution. Called WIDGNET, the platform hooks social networkers up to the Advertising.com ad network. >>

Email Marketing | December 10, 2007

10 tips for your welcome emails

A new subscriber adds their name to your mailing list and, at that very moment when you’ve got their attention and interest, you send them a brief tech-speak email to confirm their name has “been added”. Not a great first impression, is it? >>

Email Marketing | December 10, 2007

Bring home the Bacn

You know that bunch of email addresses you cull from your customer emailing database every six months or so because they haven’t responded for a certain period of time? Don’t be hasty because those contacts may not be as dead as you think. >>

E-commerce | December 07, 2007

Holiday Dashboard allows marketers to predict shopping revenue

With Cyber Monday bringing in $4 billion online, many marketers are hopeful that a better holiday shopping season is afoot. I you're curious about how your online ad campaigns are performing so far this holiday season, look no farther that PM Digital's new Holiday Dashboard. The tool that tracks how campaigns are performing now and will even predict - based on prior years - how your revenue will shape up for this shopping season. >>

Research | December 07, 2007

IMMI: Japanese auto ads perform better

According to a recent report from IMMI, Japanese carmakers are hitting US automakers where they live: advertising revenue. According to the report Japanese ads are much better targeted than American ads and thus are performing better. >>

Search Marketing | December 07, 2007

Search tools could help marketers with campaign performance

Once a marketer has purchased paid search terms, their job is only beginning. A pair of new tools from Hitwise could make the job of the search marketer simpler, though, by offering more in-depth analysis of search campaigns. >>

Advertising | December 06, 2007

Forecast: Ad outlook is improved

A revised forecast from ZenithOptimedia is a bit more buoyant that forecasts released earlier this year. According to their revised research, advertising will continue to see steady increases, especially in the US, as companies gear up for the Olympics, the 2008 elections and in Europe, Euro 2008. >>

E-commerce | December 06, 2007

Survey: Shoppers want recommendations from etailers

Online shoppers don't simply want products. According to a recent survey by Choice Stream, shoppers also want etailers to provide recommendations about products. This is another indication that adding social features - reviews, message boards, blogs - to retailing websites is a must. >>

Advertising | December 06, 2007

Marketing tool matches behaviors to users, websites

If you think online advertising is 75% luck and 25% planning you aren't alone. Many marketers feel the same way when trying to predict which websites will gain the best campaign ROI or which ad consumers will engage with or react to. A new marketing tool from Compete, Inc. may change that. >>

Advertising | December 05, 2007

TurnHere to create video ads for SuperPages.com

Another online directory is pulling out all the stops to help consumers and gain a bigger portion of the revenue gained from Internet Yellow Pages. Superpages.com and TurnHere are partnering to provide online video ads to users. With the agreement, the 18 million businesses who list within the Superpages site will be able to offer video ads as well as typical online directory information. >>

Advertising | December 05, 2007

Undertone Networks gives advertisers homepage experience

Advertisers using a new platform from Undertone Networks may find users are more engaged with ads. According to the company the new "Homepage Experience" targets both content channels and categories across Undertone's top content websites. >>

Search Marketing | December 05, 2007

Google remains atop search heap

Small inroads are still being made by other search engines but according to the latest data from Nielsen//Netratings, Google remains atop the list. In October the search giant led the pack by nearly 3 billion searches. >>

Research | December 04, 2007

More workers "commute" via computer

It seems more and more workers in the US aren't traveling the highways on their way to work. Instead, they are traveling the information superhighway - the World Wide Web - on their daily commute. A recent survey from Citrix Online shows that 23% of American workers work from a computer rather than a physical office. >>

E-commerce | December 04, 2007

European etailers show 5% YoY growth

Even before the holiday shopping rush began, European e-tailers were showing a nice improvement over 2006 traffic numbers. According to metrics firm comScore in October online retailers saw an increase in traffic of 5%. >>

Viral Marketing | December 04, 2007

New ad platform links brands to user interests

Real Time Matrix has released a new advertising solution that is said to make connecting with interested users much simpler. The platform, called Vortex, links branded video, audio and text ads with specific consumer interests. >>

Email Marketing | December 03, 2007

Return Path tackles European email deliverability with 4 more providers

European email marketers may increase deliverability rates for email marketing campaigns in the New Year. That is because four more email providers have joined Return Path's "Sender Score Receiver Alliance". >>

E-commerce | December 03, 2007

comScore: Holiday spending tops $4 billion

The first official shopping week during the 2007 holiday shopping season was a good one for online retailers according to metrics firm comScore. comScore research indicates that online shopping topped $4 billion in revenue for the week of November 26th. >>

Advertising | December 03, 2007

Study: Consumers respond to direct mail online

Direct mail may have a larger response rate than advertisers think. According to a recent Vertis Communications study users who read direct mailings are more apt (21%) to respond to offers via mailers websites. >>

Research | December 01, 2007

More evidence of gift card popularity

U.S. consumers would rather give than receive, and if a present must be bought for them they’d prefer it to be a gift card or cash, according to BIGresearch’s recent American Pulse Survey. >>

Email Marketing | December 01, 2007

Reclaim time with autoresponders

Reclaim some valuable business development time by cutting down on the number of emails you, or your customer service staff, have to personally address, while at the same time ensuring your customers are being appreciated and acknowledged. >>