Overstock Deserts, Amazon Sues, New York State

Amazon has filed suit against New York in response to a new law requiring online retailers to collect tax from buyers in the state. Rival Overstock took a less complex measure: it has canceled relationships with its 3,400 New York-based affiliates, reports The New York Times. "We can’t afford to have our New York affiliates up online […]

Posted: Friday, May 16th, 2008

How-To: Launching and Monetizing a Facebook Application

Now that Facebook applications can be put on any website, the time is now to create an app, whether to promote a brand or for your own tactical reference. This is intended as an introduction to researching, creating, launching, advertising, and making money from Facebook applications. Researching your app Be sure to do the proper research on […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Most Gay-Friendly Brands: Bravo, Apple, Showtime, HBO, Absolut, Levi's

Bravo, Apple, Showtime, HBO, Absolut and Levi's are the gay-friendliest brands. In contrast, Wal-Mart, Dunkin' Donuts, Cracker Barrel, Exxon Mobil and Samsung are the least gay-friendly, according to (pdf) the 2008 Prime Access/PlanetOut Gay and Lesbian Consumer Study, MarketingCharts reports. Two-thirds (68 percent) of gay and lesbian consumers say they are more likely to buy from […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

New Rules Added to CAN-SPAM

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued four new rules pertaining to the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. In the wake of the new rules, DirectMag.com says the FTC decided not to shorten the time marketers must honor opt-out requests from 10 days to three. The opt-out honor window remains at 10 days. The new guidelines follow thus: - […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Nokia to Reposition as 'Internet Company'

At Nokia's shareholders meeting last week, CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo told investors the company would like to act "more like an internet company" than a "traditional manufacturer." "Companies such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft are not our traditional competitors, but they are major forces that must be reckoned with," Kallasvuo added. According to Ars Technica, the handheld-centric firm […]

Posted: Monday, May 12th, 2008

Phorm Still Has a Lot of Public Relations to Do

Despite Phorm's self-styled aggressive stance on user privacy, UK customers remain adamantly distrustful of the service, reports ISPreview. A survey of 1090 ISPreview readers found 57 percent would leave their ISP if it partnered with Phorm to serve targeted advertising. Phorm works with ISPs to track online activity, then creates unique profiles of users interests. Relevant ads […]

Posted: Monday, May 12th, 2008

Photo Retoucher Defends Integrity of Dove 'Real Beauty' Campaign

A quote from a photo retoucher for Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty has generated questions about how "real" any of the beauties actually were. In the May 12 issue of the New Yorker, Pascal Dangin — photo retoucher for Annie Leibovitz, who created the Real Beauty ads for Dove and Ogilvy — said this with regard […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Facebook Soups Up Security, Partners with 49 Attorneys General

To buttress users against inappropriate conduct and content, Facebook has joined ranks with 49 Attorneys General. "Building a safe and trusted online experience has been part of Facebook from its outset," said Chief Privacy Officer Chris Kelly. "We are proud to join 49 states and the District of Columbia in affirming our commitment to these principles." Per its […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Halo 3, HBO Voyeur, Whopper Freakout Honored at One Show

The One Club hosted its annual One Show ceremony last night at Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York. The ceremony honors outstanding ads and campaigns across radio, TV, online and in theatres. HBO/Voyeur, which included an outdoor installation as well as TV and online efforts, won Gold Pencils for Integrated Branding Campaign, Innovative Use of Marketing […]

Posted: Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Comcast Launches 'Feedback Loop' for Email Marketers

With help from Return Path, Comcast has launched a complaint feedback loop. feedback.comcast.com forwards mail reported as spam back to firms that mass-mail Comcast customers. The loop also enables admins to receive copies of complaints that originate from their networks. The system helps filter spammers that send objectionable material to many inboxes. And senders can view how many […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

IAB Releases Video Ad Guidelines

The Internet Advertising Bureau has released its final set of guidelines for digital video advertising. The standards were prepared to ease the video ad buying and submission process. A standardized marketplace may make video ad investment more attractive to skeptical advertisers. If the guidelines are observed, advertisers will be able to create a single video ad for […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

One Decade and Many Markets Later, eMusic Sets Sights on Canada

eMusic, whose catalog includes 3.5 million DRM-free tracks and audio books, went live in Canada this week. "We are excited to introduce the most diverse catalogue of independent music in the world to Canadian music fans," gushed president and CEO David Pakman. eMusic launched Stateside in 1998, in Europe in '06 and in Asia in '07. It […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

How-To: 10 Tips for Launching a Solid Podcast

Campaign studies by Podtrac and TNS found podcast advertising is three times as effective as "traditional" online advertising, and seven times more so than TV ads. In 2007, podcasts served 18.5 million users in the US — a figure projected to rise to 65 million by 2012 (eMarketer). These tips for launching an engaging podcast will help […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Mobile Marketing Guidelines to Include Sections on Video, Advergaming

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) shall add mobile video to the formats covered in its global mobile ad guidelines. Topics shall include: Appropriate ad dimensions for maximum compatibility The maximum recommended file size Platform-agnostic file types Mobile gaming will also be covered. Whichever format you choose, the MMA recommends ads that require clicking be delivered either before or after an […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

CRM Suite Helps SMBs Better Address Disgruntled Yelpers

Yelp has launched a set of tools that enable firms to nurture relationships on the popular review site — whose sip-and-tell clientele have likely burned as many small businesses as they have helped. The suite is available at biz.yelp.com. Business owners may: - Update business information - Directly message users that have reviewed their business - Set alerts for […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Subject Line, 'From' Address Crucial to Email Marketing

An email's subject line and "from" address are "the most important factors" for getting users to open an email. The revelation was made by Louise Rijk of Advanced Media Productions, writing for the UK-based Worcester Business Journal. She advised subject lines be eye-catching and less than 70 characters. As mentioned in MarketingVOX's "13 Tips for Effective Email […]

Posted: Monday, April 28th, 2008

NJ Court Determines Web Users Have the Right to Privacy

A New Jersey court has ruled internet users have the right to expect their online activity will be private, reports MediaPost. During the case, which dealt with a criminal matter, the court ruled a user's IP address cannot be disclosed to police by an ISP without a grand jury subpoena. It likened IP information to […]

Posted: Friday, April 25th, 2008

Global Mobile Ad Guidelines Published by Mobile Marketing Association

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), which presides over 600 companies in the mobile marketing space, has published a set of industry ad guidelines (pdf). Designed to protect customers while encouraging global advertisers to explore the space, the guidelines include the following: Recommended aspect ratios are 6:1 (default) and 4:1 (extended) Recommended banner widths are 120, 168, 216 and […]

Posted: Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Fractured European IAB to Unite, Form Single Charter

European chapters of the Interactive Advertising Bureau will be meeting next month to discuss the possibility of forming a unified body. There are currently 15 independent IAB groups across Europe. The divided sects aspire to create a constitution redefining the organization's purpose. One item on the agenda will be to expand the IAB's reach into […]

Posted: Thursday, April 24th, 2008

How-To: Using Twitter to Build Brand Integrity

Enterprise blogging has been lauded for its ability to "humanize" a company and make distant executives feel available to ground-floor customers. Twitter can serve the same purpose much more quickly. Twitter spearheads the "microblogging" trend, where people air thoughts and share information in real-time while observing a 140-character limit. Here are tips for getting the most […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008