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Chinese Blogger Slams Microsoft
By Kevin PoulsenSHANGHAI, China -- Twenty-eight floors above the traffic-choked streets of China's most wired city, blogger and tech entrepreneur Isaac Mao sums up his opinion of Microsoft and its treatment of the Chinese bloggers with one word. "Evil," says Mao. "Internet users know what's evil and what's not evil, and MSN Spaces is an evil thing to Chinese bloggers." CLICK HERE to continue reading....
T-Mobile teams up with Google for mobile Internet
By Boris Groendahl BONN (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom's mobile
arm T-Mobile will use Web search leader Google as the starting point
for surfing the Internet on its mobile phones to promote Internet
usage, T-Mobile said on Wednesday. T-Mobile, Europe's
second-largest mobile operator, is moving to provide full Internet
access on its phones, abandoning the unpopular "walled garden" concept
in which operators give access to their own choice of Web sites.
CLICK HERE to continue reading...
Sorting Through the Numbers: How to Evaluate Online Marketing and Advertising Programs
By: Julie Mason
Kellysearch.com
julie.mason@reedbusiness.com
Online advertising and marketing is a tricky business. We all struggle
with the varied metrics to justify ad buys and e-marketing campaigns.
Selecting metrics is never easy, particularly when the industry is
lacking in standardized definitions and parameters.
Click-throughs, unique visitors, visitors, page views, total Web
traffic, hits, etc., etc., etc. The more fragmented online traffic
proof point terminology gets, the more difficult choosing the best
online options as well as justifying these
programs will become. Internal and external audiences are tiring of
hearing this myriad of terms, turning a skeptical eye and ultimately
making life more difficult for you as the marketer (both strategically
and from a budgeting view).
There’s no doubt that online programs are worthwhile investments, so how to get a grip on tangible results?
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
High Court Deals Blow To P2Ps, Adware Companies
by Wendy Davis
IN A CLOSELY WATCHED CASE that pitted Hollywood against online file-sharing companies, the U.S. Supreme Court Monday unanimously ruled that peer-to-peer networks can be held liable for intentionally luring users to pirate copyrighted movies and videos. "One who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright ... is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties," wrote Justice David Souter in an opinion for the court.
CLICK HERE to continue reading...
Record Industry Embraces Web Ads
by Shankar Gupta
TO PREPARE FOR TUESDAY'S RELEASE of
Keyshia Cole's debut album, "The Way It Is," her record label,
Interscope, is launching a three-week online ad campaign on sites such
as IGN, SparkNotes, and the Gorilla Nation ad network. The rich-media
effort features streaming music video clips and audio samples from
Cole's new album, as well as the option to enter a contest to win
jewelry, a direct link to Cole's Web site, and a function to IM the ad
to a friend. The ads are run on rich media company Klipmart's platform,
and produced by Interscope's agency of record, Deep Focus. Similar
campaigns for other music acts--including Black Eyed Peas and
Tupac--started in April, and have run for three weeks.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
New MSN Browser Reportedly Will Include Expanded RSS Features
by Shankar Gupta
MICROSOFT IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE today
at the Gnomedex Conference in Seattle its new support for RSS in its
new browser architecture. Dave Winer, an RSS developer who also writes
the Weblog ReallySimpleSyndication.com, posted in a Thursday blog entry
that MSN will likely demonstrate a deeply integrated RSS in the
upcoming version of the Explorer browser at today's conference.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
What Will Erode Confidence in Online Next? Try Click
Fraud
By Mark
Naples
Let's see
now...consumers are so dismayed and frustrated with how online marketers track
them around the internet, they download programs to sweep their hard drives of
any programs they're unfamiliar with, including the harmless cookies that we use
to quantify our campaigns, and their results.
[Read More!]
One-fifth of Web users prefer online news - Nielsen
By Lisa Baertlein SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Nearly one-fifth
of Web users who read newspapers now prefer online to offline editions,
according to a new study from Internet audience measurement company
Nielsen//NetRatings. The first-time study from
Nielsen//NetRatings found that 21 percent of those Web users now
primarily use online versions of newspapers, while 72 percent still
read print editions. CLICK HERE to continue reading....
The Full Circle of RSS Marketing Powerby Rok Hrastnik
RSS is a many-in-one marketing & publishing tool, although
unfortunatelly most marketers still fail to understand this powerful
concept.
While RSS does provide a number of benefits when used for each
individual marketing function, best results are achieved when it is
fully integrated in your internet marketing strategy. In more simpler
terms - when you use it to power most of your marketing online.
[Read More!]
Can eBay Be Saved?
By Shelly Palmer
There was a time, not
too long ago, when you could post an auction on eBay and have a reasonable
expectation that the person buying from you was a vetted member of the eBay
community. Much more importantly, there was a time when you had a reasonable
expectation that sending money to someone with a bunch of positive feedback was
a good idea. You could reasonably expect to receive the merchandise within a
reasonable period of time. And, for the most part, the goods would be more or
less what you were expecting.
That was then.
[Read More!]
EFF Issues Bloggers' Guide
by Shankar Gupta
THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION, A San
Francisco-based civil rights group, recently issued a set of guidelines
detailing the legal issues facing bloggers. The offering, "Legal Guide
for Bloggers," addresses issues such as libel law, copyright law, and
political advocacy, according to the EFF's Web site. Kurt Opsahl, a
staff attorney for the EFF, said the foundation drafted the guide in
response to a handful of instances in which bloggers found themselves
in trouble based on what they had written on the Web. "There were a lot
of issues coming up in the news that seemed to suggest that some
guidelines and FAQs would be very helpful to the blogging community to
understand their rights, and if necessary, defend them," said Opsahl.
"Freedom of speech is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and
citizen bloggers who are out there expressing their thoughts are a
vital and important part of that debate."
CLICK HERE to continue reading...
Yahoo! Launches Search For Subscription Sites
by Gavin O'Malley
YAHOO! TODAY IS EXPECTED TO launch
a beta version of Yahoo! Search Subscriptions to make it easier for
users to search sites they subscribe to. From a single search box,
subscribers to The Wall Street Journal Online to The New England Journal of Medicine
to Factiva can find the information they're looking for, without having
to be on such publishers' sites. Search access to the "deep web," which
includes millions of access-restricted sites that search engines
typically can't reach, will improve user search results significantly,
according to a Yahoo! spokeswoman.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Google developing online payment system: CEO
By Lisa Baertlein SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Web search leader Google Inc.(GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research)
is developing an online payment system but not a direct rival to eBay
Inc.'s PayPal, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Tuesday.
Schmidt spoke after several days of heated speculation over reports
that Google was working on a potential rival to PayPal, eBay's popular
online payment system.
CLICK HERE to continue reading...
Your ISP as Net watchdog
By
Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
The U.S. Department of Justice is quietly shopping around the
explosive idea of requiring Internet service providers to retain
records of their customers' online activities.
Data retention rules
could permit police to obtain records of e-mail chatter, Web browsing
or chat-room activity months after Internet providers ordinarily would
have deleted the logs--that is, if logs were ever kept in the first
place. No U.S. law currently mandates that such logs be kept.
CLICK HERE to continue reading...
Immediate Release
WHO LET THE BIG DOGS OUT?June 22,
2005
With the little dogs getting all the glory lately,
the big dogs decided it was time to take back the throne!
WHO LET THE BIG DOG'S OUT?
ALBUQUERQUE, NM June 21, 2005
– While sitting and watching television with my mom last week my
favorite channel, Animal Planet, she suddenly decided to do that thing humans do and start changing channels. I don't get the channel changing thing, especially away from Animal Planet, but she did end up on a program on dogs on MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8133310/
The only problem is the little dogs keep winning everything. I want to know what happened to the real dogs! So I decided to hold a contest on my blog http://www.bark-n-blog.com
taking the throne back to the big dogs. I'm a Neo Mastiff after all and I'm just doggone tired of the little dogs winning everything!
[Read More!]
How to Get Directories to Submit Your Site - With This 5 Step Guide!by Lakhya Pukhan
So you have completed that new site and want to start your site promotion campaign by getting listed in some directories?
Well, definitely a good idea, because those directories will provide
you the initial thrust needed for visibility of your web site. But then
how do you find those directories to submit your site to?
[Read More!]
What is Wiki?by Sharon Housley
Wiki is web server software that allows users to contribute content.Collaboration is the key to Wiki, which is designed as a powerfulsystem for online communities to build web pages and web sites. Unlike
blogs and forums, all users are allowed to contribute and edit existing content. Wiki is derived from the Hawaiian term 'wiki wiki' meaning
'quick'. The concept behind a Wiki is that collaboration on projects will move it along quicker.
[Read More!]
Radio ROI Shown To Be Greater Than TV
A new study, conducted by Millward Brown and Information Resources Inc. (IRI), examined four pairs of Radio and television campaigns in a range of product categories over a six-month period and the findings established that Radio's ROI was 49% higher than television's.
[Read More!]
AOL to Blog From European Music Circuit
by Avida Landau
STARTING TODAY, AMERICA ONLINE'S TEEN-ORIENTED AOL
RED will begin hosting "Rob's Blog," a blog dedicated to
reports--including behind-the-scenes video footage--from this summer's
rock concerts in Europe. The roving correspondent responsible for the
posts is 24-year-old Rob Czar, who will spend the summer backpacking
through Europe by train and sleeping in tent cities, while squeezing in
backstage interviews with musicians from groups such as U2, Coldplay,
Green Day, and Garbage. Along with a producer, Czar will visit major
festivals including Pinkpop in Holland, the UK Homeland Festival, and
the UK Download Festival.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Userplane Offers Bloggers Ad-Supported Feedback Tool
by Gavin O'Malley
USERPLANE, WHICH PROVIDES NETWORKING SOFTWARE for
the likes of MySpace and Friendster, on Monday began offering its live
"chat" application free to anyone with a Web site and a vocal fan base.
So, while large players will still have to shell out for Userplane's
software, individual bloggers and amateur Web hosts can now download
the "Webchat Instant-Install" as long they're willing to accept
Userplane's ad network along with it.
CLICK HERE to continue reading...
Chinese Target Web's 'Prohibited Language'
By Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer
Chinese Censors Scold Internet Users Who Input Taboo Words, Like 'Freedom' and 'Human Rights'
SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- Chinese bloggers,
even on foreign-sponsored sites, had better choose their words
carefully -- the censors are watching. Users of the MSN Spaces
section of Microsoft Corp.'s new China-based Web portal get a scolding
message each time they input words deemed taboo by the communist
authorities -- such as democracy, freedom and human rights. CLICK HEREto continue reading....
Yahoo!, Sprint To Offer Premium Wireless E-Mail
by Gavin O'Malley
HOPING TO CAPITALIZE ON THE ballooning
wireless data-service market, Sprint on Wednesday said it enlisted
Yahoo! to provide paying customers with an improved e-mail service for
mobile devices. The premium service, which will use a new Yahoo! Mail
for Mobile client, costs $2.99 a month, but is faster and easier to
access, and it features a PC-like interface. Also, an optional
instant-messaging feature is being offered at standard text-messaging
rates, Sprint representatives said.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Google readying Web-only video search
By
Stefanie Olsen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Google is expected to unveil a search engine for Web-only video
this summer that will let people preview media clips from its Web site,
CNET News.com has learned.
Google's planned service will let visitors find free short-form
videos such as the popular "Star Wars" video spoofs, according to
sources who asked to remain anonymous. The engine will complement the
search giant's existing experimental site
that lets people search the closed-caption text of television shows
from PBS and CNN, among others, and preview accompanying still images.
The new capabilities will let people watch roughly 10 seconds of Web
video clips for free before shuttling visitors to the video's host
site, sources say. CLICK HERE to continue reading...
A Search Tool for Your Online Passwords
By Chris Sherman, Associate Editor
Here's a interesting
twist: A search toolbar that can be configured to use your favorite
engine, and securely manages all of your online login details and
passwords to boot.
If you're
like most people, you've got tons of login names and passwords for
various web sites. Security experts constantly admonish us to construct
our passwords using difficult to remember strings of numbers and
letters, to change them often, and to use different passwords on
different sites.
Yeah, sure. CLICK HERE to continue reading....
5 New Internet Marketing Opportunities Through RSS
by Rok Hrastnik
When it comes to new internet marketing opportunities for your business, RSS just might be the answer you were looking for. Here are just some of the new opportunities it can provide you with …
1. PODCASTING AND VIDEOCASTING
[Read More!]
OMMA Keynote: Online World Unprepared For Influx Of Marketing Dollars
by Wendy Davis
SAN FRANCISCO--MARKETERS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN an
"exodus" from television that will lead, "obviously and inevitably," to
more ad dollars spent online, Bob Garfield said Monday at OMMA West
here. And, he said, the online world isn't prepared.
"The collapse of the old marketing model will unleash vast forces, and
it will be coming at you," Garfield, an editor-at-large at Advertising Age,
told the audience at a keynote address. "The marketing world isn't
ready yet. The agency world isn't ready yet. Hollywood isn't ready yet.
The online universe certainly isn't ready yet." CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Online ad sales may top $11 billion
Google gets another $330 price target
By Bambi Francisco, MarketWatch
AN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- If online advertising
revenue continues to grow as quickly as it did in the first quarter,
the industry could see advertising sales above $11 billion this year.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Podcasting Demystified
by Joel Gehman, Refinery
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, people from all corners of our agency have been pinging me about podcasting. Alas, my attempts to ignore them have failed. What follows is an overdue response to their queries, plus some observations about how strategic marketers might put podcasts to work.
[Read More!]
Web Publishers Aim For TV Audiences
by Shankar Gupta
IN HOPES THAT TELEVISION VIEWERS aren't
getting enough of "Desperate Housewives" and "The Apprentice," major
Internet companies like Yahoo!, MSN, and CNET increasingly are offering
TV-related content. The latest example happened Thursday, when CNET
launched TV.com, which will be a clearinghouse for television reviews,
episode guides, and trivia. Last month, MSN announced a deal with Mark
Burnett Productions to create a site and host extra Web-exclusive
content for his new reality show "Rock Star," and Yahoo! has a similar
relationship with the reality-TV impresario for "The Apprentice" and
"The Contender."
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Over the weekend, Chris Gaither wrote an interesting and entertaining piece in the LA Times about the role of the Google Maximizers.
These are the folks who help (mostly large) advertisers improve their
campaigns and CTRs on Google. At the SME end of the spectrum is
Google’s Jumpstart (beta) program, which hasn’t really been promoted. CLICK HERE to continue reading....
SBC to cut high speed Internet price
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - SBC Communications (SBC.N: Quote, Profile, Research),
the second-largest U.S. telecommunications company, plans to slash its
price for high-speed Internet service by 25 percent, upping the ante in
its rivalry with cable competitors. SBC said on Wednesday it
would offer broadband service for $14.95 per month to new customers who
sign up online, $5 per month less than its previous lowest price. The
deal, which requires a one-year contract, makes SBC competitive with
many dial-up Internet services and is among the lowest prices for
broadband in the United States. CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Now Serving More Free Classifieds
By Enid Burns
Knight
Ridder Digital has lifted fees for ads placed in its online classified
section for merchandise-category goods in 22 of its 27 online markets.
The company is betting that giving away some listings will allow it to
make money in other categories. The
merchandise category includes items like appliances, music and sports
and fitness gear. Previously, users placing classifieds to sell
merchandise over $200 had to pay fees. Other sections, including
automobiles, real estate and help wanted, are still paid placements.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Does anyone outside of your network know who you are? Are your
marketing efforts limited to people who already know you? How would you
like to reach people eager for affordable business help?
If these questions apply to you, I offer an easy, inexpensive
solution.
[Read More!]
Right-brain, left-brain advertisingCommentary: Online businesses head for showdown
By Bambi Francisco, MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- If you want to be a
marketing manager in the Internet world, consider getting a doctorate
in mathematics.
That's because advertising on the Internet involves millions of
keywords, billions of Web pages, and millions of irrational and
ephemeral surfing patterns conducted by millions of people.
Translation: Successful online advertising isn't just about a clever campaign; it's about mathematical computations. CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Goldman Sachs Predicts $12.3 Billion Online Ad Market In '05
by Wendy Davis
GOLDMAN SACHS HAS JOINED THE ranks
of online marketing observers predicting a bullish year in 2005. In its
third annual Internet usage study, released this week, the financial
firm said that 2005 could be the "breakout year" for online
advertising, and that the market would increase by 28 percent to reach
$12.3 billion. The report, based on 2,000 surveys fielded by Synovate,
also predicts that online advertising could account for as much as 7
percent of total ad spending by 2009--up from between 4 and 5 percent
last year--and that search will represent more than 50 percent of all
online ad dollars. "Top 200 advertisers have transitioned from testing
online advertising to making it a permanent component of their
marketing mix," stated the report.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
What Podcasting May Be
By Shelly Palmer
Remember Razzles? Back
when I was a kid (when the Earth was cooling), they had a wonderful advertising
campaign that asked the question: "...is it a gum or a candy?" Razzles were
truly unusual. They were a bizarre cross between a sucking candy and chewing
gum. Nobody knew how to describe them, so the advertising agency decided to
forego classical benefit-oriented advertising concepts and focus on the
confusing feature set. The campaign turned the product's weakness into its
strength (very Sun Tzu). The results were excellent, because the product was
excellent. The ad promoted sampling and once sampled, the product sold itself.
[Read More!]
Study: Gens X, Y Want Music Via Cell Phone
by Shankar Gupta
MOBILE PHONE SERVICE PROVIDERS WOULD be
wise to offer users the ability to receive video and audio files,
according to a study scheduled to be released today by The Management
Network Group, a management, marketing, and technology consultancy. The
study, based on a March online survey of 13- to-34-year-olds, found
that more than 37 percent of mobile phone users are interested in
receiving broadband multimedia content. For young men ages 13-24, that
rate increases to 40 percent.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Buzz Off, Blogger
According to a Pew Internet & American Life Project, in conjunction with
BuzzMetrics and Dr. Michael Cornfield, blogs are hot. In addition, two Pew
surveys conducted in early 2005 show that 16% of U.S. adults (32 million) are
blog readers.
[Read More!]
Listen to Your Computer (for Tunes)
According to the latest MusicLab report from The NPD Group, even though
radio, audio devices, and music videos on television dominate overall music
listening behavior, the computer is an increasingly significant medium for music
listening. Computer listening behaviors are all on the rise compared to last
year, with listening to music on a portable music player, streaming music online
and listening to music on a computer showing the most notable increases.
[Read More!]
Fans Flock to Firefox Flix
By Robert Andrews
First they reinvented the browser, now they're rewriting the rules of
advertising -- Firefox's guerilla marketing has gone straight to video,
and it's taking over the web.
The collaboratively-written application has now celebrated over 50 million downloads, primarily by word of mouth advertising.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Nani Aki Linder Author of Trial By Fire: A True Story Of Hope to donate her proceeds
from the sale of her book to the National Work at Home Mom Association
Nani Aki Linder will be hosting a book fundraiser for the National Work at Home Mom
Association beginning on June 6th. The fundraiser will run for a 48 hour period. Nani will be donating all of her proceeds (royalties) from the books that sell during that 48 hour period
The publisher has also agreed to discount the book 20% making it only $12.76. (Retail $15.95). Please call 877-BUY-BOOK (toll free) to place your order today
(please reference code #SUB08686).
[Read More!]
MSN Joins Google In Melding Satellite Imagery With Search
by Shankar Gupta
LESS THAN ONE WEEK AFTER Google
announced it intended to launch "Google Earth," a satellite
imagery-based tool, MSN unveiled its own mapping and local search
offering that features satellite imagery. MSN's new product, "Virtual
Earth," unveiled at the "D3: All Things Digital" Conference in San
Diego Monday, will be available mid-summer. "It's an extension of our
broader search strategy that extends local search into a deeply
immersive search experience," said Tom Bailey, MSN's director of sales
for Microsoft's MapPoint. "Users can literally dive into the map to
explore, share, and plan activities with respect to a particular
location."
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Agenda Item - Keeping Our Ads Off Unapproved Sites
By Tom
Hespos
Maybe you've had an
experience like this...
Your client gets a well-written e-mail through the customer support address
listed on their Web site. The writer is usually a loyal customer, as evidenced
by the first two paragraphs of their e-mail, which describes how they've been
buying your client's product or service for years and have always been
satisfied. And this loyal customer is writing your client to try to understand
why they're advertising on a porn site.
[Read More!]
Nani Aki Linder Author of Trial By Fire: A True Story Of Hope to donate her proceeds from the sale of her book to the National Work at Home Mom Association.
Nani Aki Linder will be hosting a book fundraiser for the National Work at Home Mom Association beginning on June 6th. The fundraiser will run for a 48 hour period. Nani will be donating all of her proceeds (royalties) from the books that sell during that 48 hour period.
The publisher has also
agreed to discount the book 20% making it only $12.76. (Retail $15.95). Please call 877-BUY-BOOK (toll free) to place your order today (please reference code #SUB08686).
[Read More!]
Apple Bolsters Podcasting
by Gavin O'Malley
APPLE COMPUTER IS CURRENTLY WORKING to
update its iTunes software so it will support increasingly popular
podcasts, said Steve Jobs, chairman and chief executive, this weekend.
Within a few months, Jobs remarked at the "D3: All Things Digital"
technology conference in San Diego, Apple will launch iTunes version
4.9, allowing users to find, download, and subscribe to the uploaded
audio feeds with one click. And while Apple is designing iTunes to
traffic in the recorded audio shows, the majority of podcast
subscribers already use the ubiquitous iTunes software together with a
third-party program to find, download, and transfer the programs to
their iPod or MP3 players.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Much to Do About Firefox
By Seana
Mulcahy
Its tag line is rediscover the Web. Just think about that for a moment. We are all so used to going online. It is part of our daily lives. We have our favorite sites bookmarked, we subscribe to music download sites, e-mail groups, instant messenger clients, etc. We search or look up anything and everything from restaurant reviews to movie listings to booking airline tickets and checking local weather reports.
[Read More!]
Viewpoint: 'Pre-Roll' Proves Best For Branding
by Wendy Davis
ONLINE VIDEO ADS THAT ROLL immediately
before the video content are better branding vehicles than other types
of online video ads--but "transitional" formats, where ads stream
between page views, are more likely to drive purchases, according to
new research by rich media company Viewpoint and Dynamic Logic,
scheduled to be released today. For the study, dubbed "All Things
Video," Viewpoint streamed 40 million 30-second online video
impressions for four separate campaigns, across a variety of sites
including About.com, CBS News, CBS SportsLine, America Online, ESPN,
iVillage, and Weather.com. The ads, streamed over a period of eight
weeks, included "pre-roll," in which ads stream before content,
"in-page" formats, in which ads stream next to static text, and
"transitional" formats, where ads stream between page views. Dynamic
Logic then surveyed about 3,800 online viewers who were exposed to the
ads.
CLICK HERE to continue reading....
Apple iPod to catch podcastsReport: iPod will get recording tools, too
By Frank Barnako, MarketWatch
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Apple Computer's iPod is going to become more podcast-friendly.
Chairman Steve Jobs said Sunday night that support for the
radio-like programs downloaded from the Internet will be included in
the next version of the iPod software, iTunes, due within 60 days.
Jobs made his announcement at "D3: All Things Digital," a technology conference sponsored by the Wall Street Journal
(DJ:
news,
chart,
profile)
in San Diego. His remarks were reported by several technology journalists in the audience.
The Apple
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