MediaPost | Around the Net In Online Marketing

Samsung One-Ups Apple With Jay-Z Promo

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:38:36 -0400

What’s one way for Samsung to steal cool points from Apple? Feature Jay-Z in an ad, and then give away 1 million copies of the rapper’s next album 72 hours ahead of its official release date on July 4. “The users are to receive the music through an app they’ll receive later this month,” The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy blog reports. “Samsung paid $5 apiece for the albums,” it writes, citing a source.

Digg Preps RSS Aggregation Service

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:34:10 -0400

Remember Digg? The social news pioneer, which was acquired by Betaworks last year for a half million dollars, is preparing to launch a very Google Reader-like service. Opportunistically, “It looks like it'll arrive just ahead of the final days of Google's RSS aggregation service,” Engadget reports. “The service, which uses the same API as Reader, is planning a public beta starting on June 26th.”

Yahoo Could Pay $50M For Qwiki

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:33:04 -0400

With no end in sight to its shopping spree, Yahoo is reportedly close to dropping as much as $50 million on app maker Qwiki. Born as a multimedia search offering, Qwiki has recently gained traction with an iPhone app that lets users turn their photos, music and videos into short movies. “We want to be the first real storytelling app,” Qwiki CEO Doug Imbruce told AllThingsD in February.

Microsoft Bowing Windows 8 Ad Format

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:27:49 -0400

Microsoft today is expected to debut new native ad formats for Windows 8 “The new ads … will revisit what a banner can be on Windows 8 devices, whether they're desktop computers, tablets or mobile phones,” AdAge reports. The ads were apparently developed with the help of brands and agencies, including All Saints, Dell, Universal McCann and VML.

Samsung Plans Faster Galaxy S4

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:01:31 -0400

Samsung says it will soon launch the world's first smartphone with a network connection boasting ultra-fast LTE-Advanced speeds. It is a variant of the company's Galazy S4, a new report says. J.K. Shin, Samsung's head of mobile business, per Reuters, said Samsung would be the first manufacturer to launch a smartphone with "advanced 4G." He did not give a date, but said it could be on sale as early as this month.

Apple Tries To Clear Its Name

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:37:25 -0400

Trying to make good with consumers in the wake of reports that technology companies cooperated with government surveillance efforts, Apple is trying to prove that it never gave the NSA free access to its servers. “Apple said the requests came from federal, state and local authorities regarding both national security matters and criminal investigations,” The New York Times reports.

Netflix Taps DreamWorks To Dream Up Original Shows

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:35:35 -0400

Partnering with the makers of "Shrek" and "Kung Fu Panda," Netflix on Monday announced multi-year deal with DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. “The agreement is Netflix's largest for original programming,” Reuters reports. “DreamWorks said the deal, which involves 300 hours of new programming, is a cornerstone of a major initiative to expand its television production and distribution,”

Instagram Adding Video?

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:34:21 -0400

Later this week, Facebook will reportedly add a video feature to Instagram. “On June 20, a source says Facebook will unveil that Instagram … will begin to let people also take and share short videos,” TechCrunch reports. “Call it the Vine effect,” it adds, referring to Twitter’s popular video-snippet-sharing service.

Boxee Seeking Investment, Buyout

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:39:07 -0400

Web TV startup Boxee is reportedly ready to raise a lot of money, or sell the farm to a willing buyer. “Boxee wants some help,” AllThingsD reports. “It has been looking for cash or an exit since February, when it hired media banker Allen & Co., according to people familiar with the company.” To date, the company has raised roughly $30 million since 2008.

Microsoft Setting Up Shops In Best Buy

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:38:22 -0400

Embracing brick and mortar like never before, Microsoft plans to open 500 “special stores” within existing U.S. Best Buy locations. As Reuters reports: “The world's largest software company, which already has a chain of 70 or so of its own Microsoft Stores and kiosks within shopping malls, said … the initiative would add more than 1,200 Best Buy Microsoft-trained sales associates to help customers.”

Why Waze Sold To Google

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:37:31 -0400

Months before Google agreed to buy Waze, the CEO of the social mapping service gave an indepth interview to Forbes about Google, and why the companies would make such a good fit. Forbes, however, didn’t publish the interview until this week. Tellingly, CEO Noam Bardin said back in January that Google was the best company positioned for a mobile world.

NYC Embraces Neighborhood Network Nextdoor

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:36:27 -0400

New York City is embracing Nextdoor in a big way. Yes, the Big Apple plans to use the San Francisco-based social network for neighbors to “push” notices into -- and pull information from -- roughly 1,800 individual neighborhoods. “Nextdoor … will be fully integrated with New York government departments, to be used by police, fire, utility, and other agencies,” Wired reports.

Microsoft Ad Pushes Products And Services

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:28:33 -0400

Microsoft debuted a new ad this week that is designed to reflect the company’s increasingly focus on devices and services. “Called ‘Windows Everywhere,’ the spot shows off how devices and services, including Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Skype, Office 365, Surface, Bing, Internet Explorer and Xbox Music & Video,” ZDNet reports. Said a company spokesperson, the spot shows how the services, "give consumers one experience across devices for everything in their lives.”

Yahoo Buys App Maker, Conference Call Service

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:25:33 -0400

Continuing its acquisition spree, Yahoo just picked up two separate startups in the span of about 24 hours. “Yes, Yahoo followed this morning’s purchase of iOS photo app maker, GhostBird Software, by making a play into the enterprise conference calling space,” TechCrunch reports. “Yep, users of 6-year-old free conference calling service, Rondee, were tonight informed via email that the startup has been acquired by Yahoo.”

Twitter Opens Analytics To All

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:18:11 -0400

Twitter is slowing rolling out its analytics services to the public, The Next Web reports. “Until now, the advertising dashboard for Twitter has been aimed primarily at businesses who want to pay to display their tweets in front of a specific audience,” it writes. “Coupled with the ability to promote the user’s account, it’s an obvious and lucrative way for Twitter to monetize its service.”

Apple Mulling More Samsung-Like Phones

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:17:20 -0400

Facing ever more competition in the mobile arena, Apple is reportedly considering iPhones with larger screens, along with cheaper models in various colors. “The moves, which are still under discussion, underscore how the California-based firm that once ruled the smartphone market is increasingly under threat from [Samsung],” Reuters writes.

'WaPo' Launches Opinion Page Ads

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:21:31 -0400

The Washington Post this week is rolling out “Sponsored Views” -- a new ad format that will let “organizations” post commentary related to, or in response to, content from the paper’s Opinion section. “Washington Post president and General Manager Steve Hills says the ads’ placement ‘enables participants to provide their perspectives with unparalleled contextual relevance, while still keeping the lines between news and sponsored messages crystal clear.’” Poynter reports.

"Stickers" Reshape Mobile Messaging

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:17:06 -0400

The Wall Street Journal investigates the spread of "stickers" -- cartoonish images that young smartphone users are increasingly relying on to share their sentiments with others. “The trend has set off a stickers arms race,” WSJ writes. “Startups such as Path Inc., a San Francisco social network, compete with Silicon Valley giants [including Facebook] to deploy sticker arsenals.”

Zuckerberg: Facebook Fit As Ever

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:15:58 -0400

Mark Zuckerberg, in case you were wondering, thinks Facebook is doing just fine. Nothing "has made me really think that the fundamental strategy is wrong or that what we're building isn't valuable," the young CEO said Tuesday during the company’s first shareholder meeting since its IPO last May. Still, as Reuters reports, a number of investors expressed frustration over the fact that they have so far been unable to recoup their original investments in the social network.

Why Google Bought Waze

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:15:13 -0400

Why did Google just spend a reported $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion on social mapping service Waze? TechCrunch counts the ways. For one, the search giant most likely didn’t want Waze’s other suitors -- including Facebook and Apple -- to have establish any competitive advantage in online mapping. With Waze, Google is also getting a talented pool of engineers, and a ton of fresh data. “Waze doesn’t consider itself a ‘Mapping Company,’ but a ‘Big Data Company,’” TechCrunch notes.

Pinterest Continues Global Expansion

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:12:16 -0400

Pursing further global growth, Pinterest this week debuted a new site for French users. “The French version is being launched simultaneously on Web, iOS and Android, and follows news in May of Pinterest in the UK, the site’s move into international waters,” TechCrunch reports. “The big challenge for Pinterest now is to use its position not only to stay ahead of the pack, but to take things the next level.”

How Upworthy Is Taking Web By Storm

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:11:23 -0400

Is Upworthy the fastest-growing media site in history? So Fast Company says of the site, which is dedicated to re-sharing stories with social impact. “Upworthy, which MoveOn founder Eli Pariser started in March 2012, clocked 8.7 million monthly unique visitors within its first six months and now garners more than 10 million uniques a month.” What’s its secret? In FC’s words, by being a sort of “soulful Buzzfeed.”

News Publishers Triple Online Ads

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:09:58 -0400

Year-over-year, news publishers are running three times more ads, according to new survey results from DoubleClick. Citing data from Google’s ad service, paidContent notes that news publishers are also relying increasingly on automated real-time exchanges to sell their ads. Also of note, 40% of the video ads that ran between January and March of this year were from first-time video advertisers.

Entertainment Biz Sees Digital Dominating Revenue By 2015

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:08:39 -0400

By 2015, media and entertainment companies expect a majority of their income (57%) to come from digital sales, according to a new report from Ernst & Young. “The digital transition isn't this thing of tomorrow to keep in the back of the mind, it's here,” John Nendick, Ernst & Young's global head of media and entertainment, tell The Wrap.

BuzzFeed Hires Foreign Editor

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:08:08 -0400

As part of a broader effort to establish itself as a respectable news outlet, BuzzFeed has hired the Guardian’s Moscow bureau chief, Miriam Elder, to be its foreign editor. “BuzzFeed is in the process of a rapid-fire evolution from banal list site to serious news player,” paidContent reports. “Its hiring of a senior Guardian journalist also reflects its enviable financial position.”

Nonprofit News Sites Struggle With Business Models

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:06:41 -0400

Despite their increasing popularity, nonprofit news Web sites are struggling to establish sustainable business models, a new study from the Pew Research Center finds. “When asked their greatest need, more of the sites talked about business and marketing help rather than writers or editors,” Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

Are Celebs Misusing Social Media With Product Plugs?

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:05:55 -0400

The government is starting to scrutinize product endorsements that celebrities broadcast to their massive social media networks. “Under F.T.C. guidelines, companies and the celebrities they are sponsoring risk being deceptive by not noting that these endorsements are advertisements,” The New York Times’ Bits blog writes, citing comments Mary Engle, associate director of the advertising practices division at the Federal Trade Commission.

Google "Very Close" To Waze Acquisition

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:04:51 -0400

Following months of similar rumors and speculation, AllThingsD insists that Google is “very close” to acquiring social navigation startup Waze. “While no deal has been inked yet, the acquisition is likely to be finalized in the coming days,” it reports, citing sources. “The deal could reach upwards of $1.3 billion, according to Globes, which first reported the news of the impending acquisition.”

Is Google Wallet A Boondoggle?

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:52:14 -0400

Google is no stranger to financially dubious endeavors, but Google Wallet is reportedly proving to be a business disaster. “The mobile software that allows Android users to pay for purchases online and in stores with their phones … has become a money pit,” according to Bloomberg Businessweek. “The company has dedicated hundreds of developers to Wallet and spent about $300 million to acquire digital payment startups to help develop the app.”

Yahoo Wants Address-Book App Maker Xobni

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:50:57 -0400

Yahoo is reportedly close to buying address-book app maker Xobni. “The two companies have been talking for a while, but a deal appears more imminent now,” AllThingsD writes, citing sources. “Xobni could be a fit for Yahoo’s mail and productivity tools, as it neatly creates automated profiles for each email contact with correspondence history and social network data.”