Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
Yahoo! Bull Found
Martin Peers of The Wall Street Journal discusses the recent benefits of the Microsoft search deal to Yahoo! and suggests that it may be in a good position to capitalize on display. Peers says that “although Yahoo is taking the risky step of losing control of its destiny when it comes to search, management will at least be able to focus exclusively on trying to crack the lucrative code for display advertising.”
Blog Reviews and Regulation
Stephanie Clifford of The New York Times looks at blogs that pose as innocent, even-handed review blogs but, in fact, are supported by the same company whose products are being reviewed. This practice is getting the attention of regulatory bodies as well as state Attorneys General according to Clifford who is told by C. Lee Peeler, CEO of the National Advertising Review Council, “One of the issues of advertising in new media is, is it clear that it’s paid-for advertising, or does it look like something else?” Something else!
Similar to the theme of The New York Times story, DM Confidential discusses “the recent decision by Yahoo to ban all ads that either directly or indirectly point to non-branded diet and teeth continuity programs.” Have we seen the last of the jiggling belly fat ads? Time will tell. After reading the DM Confidential article, we’re not sure they know how difficult it will get for fake blogs.
Comscore Expands In Great White North, Eh?
Comscore’s Ad Metrix service which provides rich demographic and ad spend information for their Ad Metrix Publisher, Ad Metrix Advertiser and Ad Metrix Advertiser product lines is now available for Canadian entities according to a release.
The Razorfish M&A History
The Deal takes a look at the new Publicis agency’s M&A history that goes back to 1995 and an un-air conditioned East Village apartment in New York City. (I can confirm that, since that time, East Village apartments have gained A/C.). After the Internet bubble burst in late 2000, Razorfish was sold for only $1.70 a share, or $8.2 million – a far cry from the $530 million it sold for on Sunday.
Traditional Media and Online Video
Variety is reporting about a new study by Deloitte and YouGov that says online video is benefiting traditional TV companies’ websites in the UK more than online-only businesses. Digital media is your friend, traditional media! According to the study, viewers are more aware of the BBC’s video available online than video services from YouTube and iTunes. It makes sense in that the BBC has a great brand – it will be interesting to see if other companies can do the same such as the NY Times or the U.S. TV networks whether it’s Hulu or their own sites.
eMarketer Study Says Online Video Ad Dollars Lag
A new eMarketer report says that when it comes to budget allocation between online and traditional video (i.e. TV), online video is taking few, if any, dollars away from its traditional counterpart. David Hallerman, eMarketer senior analyst says, “In 2009, for example, for every $100 advertisers spend on television, they will spend only $1.60 for video ads. Even by 2013, that number will only reach $5.50.” Read more.
WPP Close To Winning Vodaphone
After news of losing the $200 million Monster account yesterday, there there, WPP fans, The Times Online is reporting that WPP will win the media buying for Vodaphone across “key markets”. Nokia’s spend is valued at about “£800 million a year on advertising in television, billboard, print, radio and online campaigns.”
The Sign’s So Bright, You Need To Wear Shades
Digital signage proponents are having a tough time getting their fancy and powerful new signs approved in the Los Angeles area. The digital out-of-home opportunity is thought to be TOO distracting. MediaPost’s Eric Sass has the full-story and writes that any lasting ban on the signs will have little hope of succeeding. Read more.
ClearSaleing Wins Award
ClearSaleing was the winner of the Search Engine Watch Award for the “technology platform search marketers can’t live without,” according to a tweet by Kevin Newcombe, Managing Editor of Search Engine Watch/Incisive Media. More on the platform on the ClearSaleing blog.
Gov Cookies Run Afoul Of Privacy Advocates
The Washington Post’s Spencer S. Hsu and Cecilia Kang report that “The Obama administration is proposing to scale back a long-standing ban on tracking how people use government Internet sites.” Using “cookies” on government sites is thought to assist with integration into the rapidly growing world of social networking in which many Americans are engaged. Read more.
Writing Around Town
Super-seller Bennett Zucker of Tacoda, Right Media and Acerno fame has begun blogging again and gives his thoughts on the secondary channel for display as well as privacy concerns on Media Tech Business.
ICON media exec Jim Meskauskas discusses media buyer clout, or the true lack thereof, in his latest column on iMedia Connection. Meskauskas states, “A cost-centric view of media is what will keep media planning and buying outfits in the transactional ghetto, with ideas coming only from creative shops.” His point is well-taken: media buying needs to be creative with big ideas leading.
Pygmy Goats Large and In-Charge In DOOH Campaign
Gail Chiasson of Daily DOOH reports on a new digital out-of-home campaign featuring pygmy goats from mobile company TELUS in Canada. You can see the jumping, little goats on digital “subway screens in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, and in Sporting Life retail stores in Toronto and Collingwood, Ontario.” See pictures.
Attribution Is The Marketer’s Friend
Forrester analyst Emily Riley discusses the idea of marketers getting bigger budgets in the near term – as in this year. She suggests that among the keys to making the case for a bigger budget will be “attribution” metrics that show impact for each tactic in the marketer’s toolkit that leads to a conversion or success metric. Read more.
Record Profit and New CFO For InterCLICK
InterCLICK reported record revenues for the second quarter of 2009 although breakeven on a net income basis. Read the release. Better yet, InterCLICK raised its guidance for all of 2009 to “$44 million, an increase of at least 96% compared to 2008. Previously, the Company forecast that revenue would exceed $40 million.”
InterCLICK also announced a new CFO. He is Roger Clark, former Vice President, Office of the Chief Financial Officer at IAC/InterActiveCorp. Find out more.
