BizReport : March 9, 2008 - March 15, 2008 Archive

March 9, 2008 - March 15, 2008 Archive

Research | March 14, 2008

More net users in China than U.S.

Continued economic growth and improved broadband infrastructure have driven the number of Internet users in China to new heights. >>

Loyalty Marketing | March 14, 2008

Coupons: From clipping to clicking

A new service launched today by AOL could signal the end of coupon clipping and the beginning of coupon clicking. >>

Research | March 14, 2008

Community category added to OPA reporting

A fifth category has been added to the Online Publishers Association’s Internet Activity Index which reflects the importance of social networking websites. >>

Research | March 14, 2008

Younger news readers don't read newspapers

The generation gap for newspapers continues to grow, and that is not good news for marketers focused on print publications. According to a recent comScore report, younger news readers are not getting their news fixes from newspapers. They are reading news online. >>

Mobile Marketing | March 14, 2008

Mobile video ads to be served on The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel (TWC) is adding two new advertising sources for online marketers. First, video ads are being added to their mobile offerings for the coming year; then a new ad placement offering is available for local advertisers. According to TWC these placements should result in higher ROI for mobile marketers. >>

Social Marketing | March 14, 2008

AOL/Bebo buy could create second-largest social platform

In a move that should help them secure a bigger slice of the social networking world, AOL has entered into an agreement to purchase social platform Bebo. The social platform boasts 40 million unique users worldwide; once joined with AOL's AIM and ICQ systems AOL that number will grow to 80 million uniques. >>

E-commerce | March 13, 2008

Online auto insurance policy sales up

More consumers than ever are researching and purchasing their auto insurance online, according to a recent report from comScore. >>

Advertising | March 13, 2008

Google announces Ad Manager

Just one day after the completion of the $3.1 billion DoubleClick Inc. acquisition, Google has announced a new, and free, ad serving platform. >>

Research | March 13, 2008

Former AOL, Microsoft execs sign on with self-serve ad platform

Small and medium sized businesses may get some indirect help from two heavyweights in the online advertising world. This week, self-service advertising platform AdReady announced that former AOL Vice-President Mark Feldman and former Microsoft Direct of Project Management Saleel Sathe have joined their firm. >>

Advertising | March 13, 2008

ANA: Marketers need to concentrate integration efforts

With so many advertising opportunities - print, radio, television, online, mobile, online video, search and the list goes on - many marketers are becoming well-versed in cross-channel campaigns. Integrating their marketing messages so that only one message is hear is crucial for advertisers but according to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), more integration efforts need to be made. >>

Research | March 13, 2008

68% of Americans feel "disconnect anxiety"

Americans are quickly becoming a nation of always on consumers, making the Internet an even more viable option for a number of marketers. According to a recent study from Solutions Research Group, 27% of Americans feel "acute" anxiety when disconnected from the Internet or their mobiles; 68% feel some level of anxiety. >>

Search Marketing | March 12, 2008

Yell.com launches netReach ad network

Britain’s leading directory publisher, Yell.com, will launch its own ad network this month to provide their clients with an expanded web presence. >>

Research | March 12, 2008

Silver surfers serious about online security

In light of their uber-use of technology, you’d assume that younger generations of Internet users would be savvier than older, less technologically-submerged age groups. But are they? >>

E-commerce | March 12, 2008

Increase payment methods, increase sales

More and more Americans are opting to use alternative payment methods online, according to a recent survey by Forrester Research, and retailers should be aware that implementing multiple payment methods could increase sales. >>

Mobile Marketing | March 12, 2008

Large grocer signs on for mobile coupons

Packaged goods companies are beginning to adopt a more proactive stance to the mobile realm. With the help of CellFire, a mobile coupon company, many CPG brands including General Mills and Kimberly-Clark are testing a system which will deliver coupons to Kroger consumers via their mobiles. >>

Advertising | March 12, 2008

Marketers cannot only target kids through television

Forget about catching a kid's attention with Saturday morning cartoons or after-school sit-coms. Today's marketers needs to do more because today's kids are superior multi-taskers and can often be found watching television, surfing the Internet and chatting on their mobiles at the same time. >>

Social Marketing | March 12, 2008

Wealthy consumers surf the social networks

Targeting a wealthy consumer base may be simpler than some online marketers realized. According to a recent WealthSurvey from the Luxury Institute about 60% of wealthy consumers visit social networks. >>

Research | March 11, 2008

Does online ageism exist?

Is web content aimed at all ages or is it being targeted mainly toward younger users? Recent data from Burst Media has the answer. >>

Email Marketing | March 11, 2008

Spammers crack Gmail CAPTCHA

Mechanisms put in place by Gmail to prevent bots creating new accounts being opened and used by spammers have been cracked, leading to a surge in spam. >>

Research | March 11, 2008

Digital magazine readers pay ads more attention

Consumers pay more attention to ads in digital magazines than they do their print counterparts, according to recent research, and most are very or extremely happy with their digital magazine experiences. >>

Research | March 11, 2008

Auto dealerships increasingly web savvy

Auto dealerships are becoming savvier in their use of the Internet and are spending more of their ad dollars online, according to a recent Kelsey Group survey. >>

Blogs & Content | March 11, 2008

comScore: Bloggers consume high rates of online information

Here is one more reason to target bloggers or to advertise on highly trafficked blogs: turns out bloggers don't just provide content. They consume it. According to a recent comScore study, bloggers are heavy consumers of news and entertainment content. >>

Viral Marketing | March 11, 2008

Jivox launches video ad platform for small businesses

A new self-serve ad platform is now available for small and medium sized businesses interested in online video. The platform, from Jivox, offers users the ability to create and target ads with one buy. >>

Advertising | March 11, 2008

PQ Media: branded entertainment grows 14%

Though the economy in the US is slowing, one advertising category is not. According to a recent report from PQ Media, branded entertainment grew more than 14% in 2007 to reach $22.3 billion. >>

| March 10, 2008

AdWords: Load time metric confirmed, exclusion tool expanded

After much online chat about Google’s addition of page load time to Quality Score metrics, the search engine confirms and explains its moves, while also making another change to their services. >>

Research | March 10, 2008

Survey: Many TV viewers double-dip

Watching television and surfing the Internet is something that many people do, but at the same time? Yes, according to a new survey by Harris Interactive on behalf of video search outfit Blinx. >>

Research | March 10, 2008

BrandGames, Deloitte partner to teach kids

Reaching teens on the Internet seems to be solid business practice in the past few years. Now Deloitte & Touche USA and BrandGames are trying to reach teens on the Internet about business. The platform allows teens to create an avatar and interact with real-world business problems and solutions. >>

Mobile Marketing | March 10, 2008

M:Metrics to track mobile ads in the UK

M:Metrics, a leader in measuring mobile advertising, is taking mobile measurement one step further for UK mobile marketers. M:Ad is a new tracking service for mobile advertisers so that they can better understand what effect their ad campaigns are having on users. In an initial report, researchers found that nearly 40% of all UK mobile ads are being placed by Electronic Arts, Glu and Ebay. >>

Advertising | March 10, 2008

March Madness promises ad boon

As the NCAA's major basketball conferences gear up for their tournaments, advertisers are also gearing up. Once the final conference tourney's are completed later this week, the NCAA Selection Show takes center stage and after that the 19-day event basketball fans know as "March Madness". >>

Mobile Marketing | March 10, 2008

Marketers test mobile coupons

This year could be the year that mobile coupons play a more prominent role in driving traffic and sales, and several bigwigs have already put their money where their cell phone is. >>