Microsoft, MLB Call off $40MM Content Deal

Microsoft and Major League Baseball are calling it quits half-way through their super-expensive $40 million internet content deal, according to PaidContent. Microsoft stole the deals for MLB content from a series of small sports-oriented sites that previously held the rights,... continue reading »

MarketWatch Vet to Head Tacoda Sales

Targeting technology firm Tacoda hired former MarketWatch sales executive Matt Arkin to start up a direct network brand ad sales division of Tacoda's Audience Networks. He will head the sales group for the behaviorally-targeted network of site inventory out of... continue reading »

Spammer's 9-Year Jail Sentence Put off for Appeal

A Virginia judge sentenced a convicted spammer to nine years in jail, although the sentence was suspended pending appeal. The jury recommended the sentence, adopted without modification by the Loudoun County circuit judge. Defendant Jeremy Jaynes' lawyer complained that the... continue reading »

Carat Interactive Pushing Brands to Blog

Carat Interactive is distributing blogging "starter kits" to clients like Tivo and Pfizer, encouraging the brands to create enthusiast blogs to help channel positive customer energies, according to MediaPost. "Controversy is not a goal here," said National Media Director John... continue reading »

Campaign to Integrate Big Blue's 'Other,' Human Side

Online ads and a microsite are part of an integrated effort by IBM to introduce potential business consulting and services clients to "The Other IBM." ClickZ writes that the effort is part of Big Blue's move beyond its image as... continue reading »

Time Inc. Taps Flytxt for Foray into Mobile

In what may be the largest mobile initiative by a traditional media company, Time Inc. is bundling mobile interactivity into its People and Teen People titles, ClickZ reports. Time is in talks with advertisers to integrate their campaigns with the... continue reading »

Massive Effort to Place Products in Videogames

Videogame advertising network Massive has just announced signing 12 advertisers and is slated to place ads in 40 titles, reported MediaPost. [More...]... continue reading »

Weblogs' New Banners Give Voice to Consumers

Weblogs, Inc., the largest publisher of professional blogs, is offering advertisers online "Focus-Ads," which give readers the option to publicly comment on an ad or product, writes iMedia. The ads have been running for several weeks on some of Weblogs'... continue reading »

USPS Files for 5.4% Rate Increase

In a move that might prompt direct and other marketers to consider spending more of their budgets elsewhere, the U.S. Postal Service on Friday filed a request for an across-the-board 5.4% rate increase with the Postal Rate Commission. [More...]... continue reading »

Major Agencies Finally Acquiring Mobile Ability

Major agency players, including WPP Group, Aegis and Omnicom, are on the prowl to acquire or partner with mobile marketing agencies, according to a post in paidContent.org, citing a New Media Age report. Already, WPP Group has sent out a... continue reading »

AOL Search to List Ingenio Pay-per-Call Ads

Ingenio will begin providing pay-per-call ads on AOL's search results pages this week, reports MediaPost. The listings will appear at the very top of AOL's search results page, above other sponsored listings - provided by Google - and the organic... continue reading »

Mass. Buzz Bill Limits Youth Recruiting

A bill introduced in the Massachusetts House of Representatives aims to protect teens from online buzz marketers, reports ClickZ. The legislation is designed to ensure that youth under 16 who are recruited by marketing campaigns, such as word-of-mouth promotions, can... continue reading »