Ikea Employs User-Generated Video in New Campaign— (Media Post) Ikea is offering $5000 to the user who submits the best video on making a bed. CIQ: Great marketing idea! But they still have one of the lousiest ecommerce sites around.

Times Company Bleeds Red Ink–(NYT) The New York Times company said it was writing down the value of its two New England newspapers by $815 million due to sluggish sales. Executives say revenue from its online properties is expected to grow by 30% this year. But in 2007 online revenues represented only 8% of the total. CIQ: Will print be able to (a) make the transition to online fast enough? (b) survive as technology wrings the bloat out of the print industry?

 AOL Revenue Up 49%–(New York Post) Refocusing the company’s strategy to the ad-sponsored content model is producing results that commentators call “stunning.” CIQ: As with Apple, it’s a fun exercise to count the number of times the media has announced the death of AOL.