CIQ Headlines for April 27, 2007

CIQ Headlines

Joost Out with a Bang— (MediaPost) The YouTube competitor has lined up 32 heavy-hitter advertisers for its launch. It is providing innovative ad units and, “unlike video-sharing sites like YouTube, which are dominated by short clips, Joost specializes in long-form, high-quality content provided by the likes of Viacom, Warner Music, National Geographic, and Endemol.” CIQ: YouTube says it will have ads this summer. But advertisers are clearly insatiable to make the leap from dying TV to hot online video.

Vision for New Video World— (MediaPost) Tech pioneer Jeremy Allaire lays out a vision with an explosion of content creation. In this world where users will be “snacking” on content, he says, advertising must be tethered to the content in much shorter pre-roll and some mid-content roll. CIQ: Right on, brother. Most publishers, however, are stuck in a drive-people-to-my-site world, and are unwilling to fragment and distribute their content.

Glam.com Gives Reebok Flexibility–(WSJ) Glam.com worked with Reebok on more than just banners. The ad buy wove throughout the site, including advertorial-type features with spokes-actress Scarlett Johansson and extended to 300 related parner sites and blogs. CIQ: Take heed, publishers. Advertisers want this kind of innovation and cooperation.

CIQ Headlines for April 26, 2007

CIQ Headlines

CPGs to Increase Online Spending 37%–(eMarketer) While CPGs have cut every other category in 2007, online is growing. They are seeing performance and realizing consumers are looking for healthy food choices online. CIQ: CPGs traditionally have been slow to the party, with J&J and P&G as notable exceptions. More internal and agency expertise is necessary for CPGs to successfully navigate the online space.

DoubleClick-Google Impact on Banners–(Business Week) This editorial writer notes that, “when we ran banner ads our search campaigns performed better and when we didn’t run banners our search yields declined.” The Google-DoubleClick merger may breath life back into the lowly banner ad. CIQ: We wonder when Google will make the leap to showing images/banners alongside search results.

Ruling: Buying Competition’s Trademarks in Paid Search Is Okay–(CNet) The ruling involved Zales jewelry stores and a competitor. The court reaffirmed that buying a competitor’s trademarks as keywords is ok. But using the trademark in the text link or any other display ad is not. CIQ: We wonder how many CPG brands words are being purchased by smaller, savvier competitors– CPGs being unsophisticated players in search.

CIQ Headlines for April 25, 2007

CIQ Headlines

Create Your Own Wiki–(WSJ) A review of a new product, Wetpaint, that allows average users to create wikis. It also is easier for contributers to figure out how to post. CIQ: Further democratization of publishing. Lots of spaces could use wikis. Especially travel.

Agency to Buy Real Media? –(NY Post) Ad agency WPP is sniffing around to buy 24/7 Real Media. CIQ: Interesting and perplexing that an agency would buy an ad-broker/ad-server company. Another “cats sleeping with dogs” example from the front lines of changing media.

Industry Cited for Measurement Errors— (Mediaweek) The IAB said that huge discrepancies between audited traffic, Nielsen/NetRatings & comScore’s traffic were “unacceptable.” CIQ: Web measurement has been trouble for years. It’s the pink elephant in the room. Cheers for the IAB for its public stance on the matter.

CIQ Headlines for April 19, 2007

CIQ Headlines

Crackberry Withdrawl–(NYT) Five million of the 8 million Blackberry users were left without service for 10 hours yesterday. Said one of the affected, “I quit smoking 28 years ago, and that was easier than being without my BlackBerry.” RIM, maker of the device, did not disclose the cause of the problem. But speculation is that the recently added 2 million users over the last year has stressed the system. CIQ: With all the hype about YouTube and MySpace it’s interesting we don’t hear about Berrys so much until there is an outage. A 33% growth in 1 year, devoted, even addicted users who joke about 12-step programs: The Berry proves a simple device that allow for a basic connection is still the “killer app.” 

Video Engagement is Over 4 Minutes–(Media Post) In this study produced by a provider of rich-media technology, users engaged with rich banners whose content could be 10 minutes long for a full 4.6 minutes on average. CIQ: We have long been curious about the “ideal length” of new forms of internet content. Our guess is 5-7 minutes. Nice to know it’s supported by this data point.

The Net Impact On Local TV–(CNet) Is online video a threat to local TV? Some cited in this article are refreshingly platform-agnostic. “It’s silly to focus on which formats or mediums are better,” said Diane Sutter, CEO of MyTv, Boston. “We should be focusing on enhancing viewer experience using broadcast, Internet, podcasts and whatever else we can.” CIQ: Right on. Click on an audio file at the New York Times and it says, “from New York Times radio.” Those who stay wedded to a delivery mechanism will suffer in the shifting media environment.

Of Blackberries, Pond Crossings, and the Life-Work Divide

CIQ Headlines

Yesterday, I saw a New York City bus carrying a full-length ad for Continental Airlines. It had a description of the new flat-bed seats business class travelers can enjoy on long-haul trips. The slogan, “Work Hard. Fly Right.”
 
Having just returned from Europe myself, I thought: Most Europeans, and certainly Mediterraneans, would think the ad firm was soon to be fired. You’re advertising beds and working hard in the same sentence?

It’s repeated often: Americans live to work. work to live. Nothing makes that more evident than the Blackberry outage yesterday. In one of our headline articles from the New York Times, untethered Berry users talked about feelings of relief and freedom, and compared it to that sense many business travelers describe of getting on  a plane: Despite the grime, cramped quarters, and crankiness of airline travel, at last!—a respite from constant connection. One can even read a book.

Corporate trainers, meeting leaders, and life-partners all describe the same thing: You think you have the attention of the ones around you. And then they dip their heads and surreptitiously thumb out an email. I have taught ninth grade. And I have also run large-scale corporate meetings. Guys (and it is mostly guys), you’ve got a lot to learn from the 14-year-olds. They are much better at note-passing than you are. You’re not fooling any one. And P.S.—It’s rude.

Interesting, though, the alignment with Europe that the Berry reveals. I, myself, described earlier in the week that Americans are on the Internet, and Europeans are pecking out text messages on cell phones. And yet, with the popularity of the Berry, we look very much like them—thumbing away. Though, perhaps more typical of culture this side of the pond, the Berry is a work device, the cell phone personal.