Targeted Widgets

I hear the word widget at least 7.3 times a day. Most of the people who use it know what it is I believe. Google have helped with the launch of Gadget Ads. In a sense, these ads are a combination of other, already available formats to which are added contextual, geographic and demographic targeting elements.

The ads can combine data feeds, images, video and Flash elements into a single execution and can be created in either an HTML or Flash environment.

Advertisers can also optimize their campaigns based by tracking "dozens of actions" within the ads, Google said. You can see an example of a widget above - more can be found here.

Innovative Outdoor

This projection on to a Frankfurt tower block was removed after 3 days because of complaints that it was distracting to traffic. Mini/BMW continues to lead the category in smart ideas...

CRM & Social Media

A growing number of sessions at this year's Gartner CRM Summit are dealing with the impact of social computing on CRM. Web 2.0, and the power of unhappy customers who voice their complaints to the world via blogs, have changed the way companies need to manage the complete customer spectrum. The social and collaborative techniques of Web 2.0 provide a framework upon which to provide rich CRM services that are customized to the individual visitor. Integrating the two worlds is a first step - LoyaltyLabs, a San Francisco-based company that provides customer management for consumer brands, announced it had created Gimme Love an application that application connecting CRM applications to Facebook. One customer, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM is using the application to link its Fresh Rewards loyalty program to the popular social networking site.


CRM = Customers Really Manage.

White Space

The furore surrounding Adblock Plus (mainly generated it seems from this NY Times article) is to be expected. However, considering the effectiveness of this kind of advertising, what is the real impact? I suppose it's better not to see the ads you weren't going to click on anyway. My favorite description of the true impact comes from Nicholas Carr over at at Rough Type:

“Imagine that somebody has been yelling into your ear for so long that it’s come to seem normal. Now imagine that the person suddenly shuts up. That’s the effect of ad-blocking.”

More evidence that the on-line advertising model is still out there somewhere.... while the on-line relationship marketing model is starting to come into focus isn't it?

Media & Technology

Deloitte’s Media & Entertainment practice has just released the results of its first comprehensive media consumption survey, providing a generational "reality check" on how American consumers between 13 and 75 years of age are using media and technology today — and what they want in the future.


The whole report is interesting (found here), some of the particularly fun marketing/advertising tidbits are:

• 76% of all consumers find Internet ads more intrusive than print ads, and 64% pay more attention to print ads than those online.


• 28% of all consumers would pay for online content to avoid seeing ads.


• While offline advertising is effective in driving web traffic, 84% of all consumers visit a website after finding it through a search engine and 82% do so because of a personal recommendation.


• 87% of all consumers continually frequent the same websites, but 56% are constantly in search of something new.

Where To Spend

According to a recent study from Burst Media, more than three-quarters of Internet users in the United States turn to the web for health information.

• The web leads other sources – including healthcare professionals – by a wide margin as the primary source for household healthcare information.
• Women search more frequently than men for healthcare information online – and turn to a greater variety of online resources.

Of this audience, more than one-third researched health topics online before visiting a medical professional. After a medical appointment, 43.5% of respondents went online to learn more.

The conclusion drawn is that as pharmaceutical companies launch products aimed at specific medical conditions, more of their ad spend should go to the web both in terms of search marketing and in ensuring that they have a meaningful and engaging presence.

Omniture Takes Offermatica

Web site analytics and optimization firm Omniture is spending $65 million to acquire Offermatica, a company that sells subscription-based A/B and multivariate site testing tools. My company has long (and successfully) partnered with Offermatica and we wish them continued success.

More here...

Microsoft Search

Microsoft has released a new search service - Tafiti is powered by Silverlight, Microsoft's answer to flash. It's beautiful interface also has some cool features such as saving and tagging searches. The "shelf" on Tafiti allows you to drag search results that you want to save for later. Other features include a secondary filter (to refine searches) and different display formatting for results from the Web, books, news sites, and RSS feeds.

The Rise & Fall Of The TV Empire

Oftcom - The UKs communications watchdog reveals (mostly expected) findings in its annual Communications Market Report for 2007.


The key points from the study are:

• the amount of time people spend watching TV has dropped 4% from 2005, to 3 hours 36 minutes a day,


• radio usage fell 2% to 2 hours and 50 minutes


• fixed line phone usage fell 8% to 7 minutes,


• Internet usage increased to 36 minutes a day,


• mobile phone usage increased to 4 minutes

Anecdotally, the report adds that 542 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube, equivalent to 22 television channels broadcasting continuously. The acceleration of the decline of TV continues...


The full report is here...