Estimated value: $30,000
Ad Networks and Analytics:
- Cost-per-lead firm Pontiflex launched AdUnit X, custom cost-per-lead banner ads. A screenshot is available on the Pontiflex CPL Blog.
- Online ad prices have reportedly fallen for the third consecutive month.
Agencies and Marketing Execs:
- Agencies have cut back on across-the-board ad spend since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to the ever-insightful Telegraph.
- NeverBlue made Mark How its VP of Sales and Business Development. How previously worked with DivX and ACD Systems.
- North American Scientific appointed Robin Gibbs to VP of Marketing.
Biz Buzz:
Legal, Government and Regulation:
- Antitrust officials from the US Department of Justice are issuing subpoenas for information about the sponsored search deal between Google and Yahoo.
- Amgen shall pay $200 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit with Johnson and Johnson. The latter accused Amgen of anticompetitive marketing efforts for cancer medication.
Online Content:
- "Obama HOPE," a media print by artist Shepard Fairey, is up for bid at CharityBuzz, an online auction house. The estimated value is $30,000; the current bid is $60,000. The auction, which ends July 24, supports Art for Life, which supports disadvantage urban youth.
- To generate interest in the HBO premier of True Blood, Campfire — which orchestrated online marketing for The Blair Witch Project — seeded YouTube with a series of online videos. True Blood is about a synthetic blood serum that enables vampires to stop feeding on humans. The online campaign mostly features vampires pleading for the right to live among humans without prejudice.
- LL Bean has added Bazaarvoice ratings and reviews to its website, llbean.com. The company reportedly garnered 13,000 in five days, following its first email promo effort.
- Search engine optimization firm ChaosMap was chosen by Spill.com, an animated movie review site owned by MIVA, to improve traffic, branding and social media expansion efforts.
Publishing:
- Print media groups in Asia, Europe and the US — which lost money to internet publications — have begun to outsource copyediting work to companies like Mindworks in India.
Search:
- To protect its sponsorship deal with Yahoo from further scrutiny, Google testified Monday that the relationship would not expand its already-sizeable lead in search traffic. "We think we'll make money, of course," the executive added with haste.
Social Networks:
User Experience:
- Sojern Inc. partnered with five airlines to place local advertising on printable online boarding passes. Participants include Delta Airlines and Continental. "We expect to make a nice profit while delighting customers," said spokesman Mark Bergsrud for Continental in Houston.
