Spot Runner Scores $51M from Publishing and Other Media Firms

Video ad creation firm Spot Runner has secured $51 million in financing elicited from firms like Daily Mail, General Trust, Grupo Televisa, and Legg Mason Capital Management. The inclusion of the Daily Mail suggests Spot Runner may use its "war chest" to explore opportunities in print.

Posted: Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

Online Channels Work Well for Large Retailers, Less So for Others

Consumers cite the web as the fastest-growing retail channel by a 2-to-1 margin. They are also starting to expect more from businesses, including the ability to order products in one place and pick them up — or have them delivered — elsewhere, according to a Retail Systems Research (RSR) report, MarketingCharts writes. Large retailers (those […]

Posted: Tuesday, May 6th, 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

AP to Launch Ad-Supported Mobile News Network in Q2

The Associated Press (AP) is teaming with Verve Wireless, a wireless publishing platform, to power the public foray of its AP Mobile News Network. The service gives mobile users a central space for local, national and international news and is "tailored to smart phones," according to the AP. The beta program was announced just recently; it […]

Posted: Friday, April 25th, 2008

Marchex Inks Liaisons with Panoply of Niche Review Sites

Online ad firm and local content publisher Marchex has closed partnerships with a number of niche location-based content sites, including Yelp, Frommer's, Priceline and Avvo. The relationships add over five million user reviews and ratings to the engorged Marchex network, bringing its total to eight million nationwide. Content will be integrated into the Marchex local network, […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 4/22/08

Ad Networks and Analytics: Increased targeting, and reasonable prices (compared with direct buying), play roles in the growth of ad networks amidst a crippled US economy. The Travel Ad Network, which has several high-profile publisher partners, raised $15 million in its first big round of financing. IdentifiedHits is a new ad network on Facebook that does for […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Newspaper Ads Drive Online Research, In-Store Purchases

Print newspaper ads reach people at all stages of the buying cycle, inspiring web research at the beginning, and prompting in-store/web purchases at the end, said the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), citing a Google study (via MarketingCharts). Clark, Martire & Bartolomeo conducted the study for Google. "Newspaper advertisements drive readers to the web, where they search, […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Influential Online Hispanic Consumers: Super 'E-fluentials'

Influential online consumers ("e-fluentials") among Hispanics use the internet to connect with friends and family, as well as share views about products and brands — often in higher proportions than other e-fluentials, according to a Burson-Marsteller study, writes MarketingCharts. Below are key findings from the study. Online Interaction High "Hispanic-fluentials" spend more time interacting with others online […]

Posted: Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

How To: Understanding - and Leveraging - Your Tech Team

With different backgrounds, approaches to business and equally porky superiority complexes, it may seem impossible to get exactly what you want from a team of web developers and designers. But with web 2.0 technologies a growing priority among businesses, interactive marketers must find a way to work well with tech — and more importantly, coax them […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008

Amazon, Rockstar Sell MP3s in 'Stolen' Cars — Via GTA IV

Rockstar Games and Amazon are setting foundations for a new way to sell music: inside console-based games like Grand Theft Auto IV, which debuts at April's end. When players hear an appealing song in a car they've stolen within GTA IV, they can earmark the MP3 by dialing ZIT-555-0100 from an in-game mobile phone, reports Yahoo […]

Posted: Monday, March 31st, 2008

Borrell: Local TV Station Ad Revenue Continues Growth

A report from Borrell Associates finds ad revenue from local TV websites is growing, reports MediaPost. According to Borrell, revenue from ads on local station websites grew 72 percent in 2007, to reach $772 million. That growth is expected to continue with a slightly smaller 45 percent increase predicted for 2008. According to the report, advertisers who […]

Posted: Monday, March 31st, 2008

Wachovia Puts Creative, Media Account into Review

Wachovia's $145 million creative and media account, currently managed by Mullen and Carat, is now up for review. The company is seeking a search consultant to manage the process. Director Art Smith of Global Brand Marketing will oversee it, Advertising Age reports. Wachovia is the fourth-largest bank-holding company in the US. Mullen and Carat have managed its […]

Posted: Monday, March 31st, 2008

YouTube Launches Free Analytics Tool for Video Publishers

YouTube has debuted YouTube Insight, a suite of analytic tools that provide audience trends on videos that publishers have uploaded. YouTube already offers comments, ratings and a ranking for each clip. Insight adds context to where viewers come from and when they watched a given video. Because publishing a video on YouTube is so simple, the tool […]

Posted: Friday, March 28th, 2008

Financial, Banking, Credit Institutions Top DM Ad Spenders

US banks and credit institutions spent $13.4 billion in 2007 on direct marketing advertising. These efforts generated $178.8 billion in sales, and total returns is forecast to hit $286.2 billion in 2012, according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), MarketingCharts reports. Those findings are from a new DMA report, "Direct Marketing Facts and Figures in the Financial […]

Posted: Friday, March 28th, 2008

Alternative Media Poised for Strong Growth in '08, Despite Slowing Economy

Spending on alternative media in the US jumped 22.0 percent from 2006 levels to reach $73.43 billion in 2007. That rapid growth is expected to continue in 2008 despite a slowing economy, according to a new report from PQ Media, MarketingCharts writes. Alternative media, including 18 digital and non-traditional media segments, accounted for 16.1 percent of […]

Posted: Thursday, March 27th, 2008

Netflix May Use Xbox 360 to Stream Movies to TV

Online movie rental house Netflix is surveying subscribers to gauge their interest in getting movies streamed to TVs through the Xbox 360 gaming console. Spokesman Steve Swasey declined to say if this was representative of a new partnership. He only said the company was interested in getting its movies to consumers' TVs " in as many […]

Posted: Wednesday, March 26th, 2008

Online Shopping Shapes Offline Expectations: Haggling is Back in Vogue

The effects of the economic downturn is being found in big box stores across the US. Consumers are embracing the ancient strategy of haggling — talking down prices of TVs, gadgets and more at stores like Best Buy, Circuit City and even clothing retailers like Polo Ralph Lauren. Big-ticket items aren't the only ones getting the treatment. […]

Posted: Monday, March 24th, 2008

Cellular South Digitizes Retail Store

Cellular South is updating its Ridgeland, MS retail store to push web offerings in an effort to emphasize its updated business strategy, reports DM News. The new store is designed to mirror the layout of the website. There will be a total of 26 computer terminals, and 23 employees will guide customers through the process of […]

Posted: Friday, March 21st, 2008

CBS Sets Up Ad/Content Network for Local Bloggers

CBS is rolling out the CBS Local Ad Network, aimed at blogs that provide local coverage in areas with a CBS owned-and-operated TV station. Publishers in the network place a widget, which displays updates from CBS News, on their sites. Ads sold by CBS run within the widget; publishers get a cut of the profit. The CBS […]

Posted: Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

Amazon Brings Giver, Grapevine Apps to Facebook

Amazon has officially hopped aboard the Facebook train with the release of two apps: Amazon Giver and Amazon Grapevine. Giver imports user Amazon wishlists to their Facebook profiles. Friends can buy listed items for each other without having to go to Amazon's website. The app also makes suggestions based on user interests listed in the profile. Giver […]

Posted: Thursday, March 13th, 2008