Watch out Facebook. Google is on your tail...

Google alliance to roll out OpenSocial system
The New York Times
Google, in collaboration with Salesforce.com, Oracle and other firms, will introduce an open system that enables Web programmers to create and embed applications in multiple social networks without the need to customize the codes. The OpenSocial system is intended to compete with Facebook, which recently invited developers to create applications to run on the Facebook site.

Who wins...the consumer!
Awesome.
When are we going to get a TV show that talks of the riveting back stabbing, oneupmanship, jumping ship sagas, trials and tribulations of the online media platforms??

I don't really care about this stuff. It just means a better outcome for the consumer and that's what matters.
In the end, if your target is on Orkut, you'll buy there. If there on Facebook too, you'll go there.

Opting out of tracking?

AOL to allow users to opt out of tracking
The New York Times
AOL is set to announce plans to create a user-privacy database similar to the FTC's "do-not-call" list that protects people from unwanted telemarketing solicitations. Users would be able to decline to receive advertising that's based on their demographic and behavioral information. The move comes in advance of a two-day FTC forum dealing with online privacy that kicks off tomorrow.

Bad move or not?
This is tricky. Phone calls actually invade your life. A banner ad is just a peripheral on a screen.
I think 3 types of users will arise:

1. Most users won't even know they can opt out and behavioural targeting will remain
2. The smart users who are aware will realise that it will actually serve them better. If they opt out, the ads will still be there and more annoyingly because they won't speak to them specifically. If they keep the opt in option, users will see more value in receiving tailored messaging.
3. There will be the typical bunch of crazy users who opt out. These are the 5 people who complain about a visual of some upper thigh in a G rated timeslot. These people have nothing better to do with their spare time

AOL is making an interesting move. They are following the surge of "openness" recently shared through the Facebook scenario. By Facebook becoming an open/free platform to users, we saw a positive response and surge towards the medium. It is a platform for the people by the people. And it works.
Who else is doing it...Google, Apple... these guys are big players.
AOL is really opening up to their consumer. The gesture implies that they care about their user. They don't want to rub them the wrong way and want to give their base an option. Consumers respond more warmly to this approach.
That's why I think, in the end, most of the AOL user base will continue to opt in to tracking.

A MUST READ ARTICLE

It's Not the Media That Matter, but the Modes
Tune In: Understand the Mind-Sets That Drive Consumer Behavior
We've all read stories heralding the death of advertising as we know it. But have consumers really abandoned advertising? The answer, it seems, rests on the shoulders of the people who buy our brands and recommend them to others -- not with advertisers, marketers or consultants
AdAge

Seriously- read this article
Rick Milenthal has got it going on!
Consumer research has always been a bit warped. Asking a question to a consumer in a focus group and then going to their home- they do say and do different things.
People are often speaking of their aspirations. It's a psychological, motivational need that all people subscribe to. If someone asks me what I do at night, I'll say I'm really social and active. I'm actually not a slob who sits on a couch watching reruns of ANTM...

The point is, is people are watching TV, utlising media where they do take note of advertising. We in the industry are the ones with the ability and know how to create advertising of some use, rather than it be some annoying background noise (like those bloody Wendy's ads).

Different sources are breaking down this new behaviour in different ways. Take it all in and apply your own model to your specific target. After all we live in an age of "diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks".

Traditional aint dead yet

VSS: Don't Count Out Old Media Yet In Digital Future
by Gavin O'Malley
Don't count out media's old guard in the battle for the new media landscape, said John Suhler, founding general partner and president of private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson.

This is true...
For a while yet in any case. At least until the generations who have grown up on TV/radio/print go into a phase out. And I can't imagine any sort of household existing without some format of TV, regardless of what screen it comes through.

No matter what happens, mass broadcast advertising will continue to exist. The networks will integrate brand content, but they still expect some form of buy in which is how they make their money- through the 30 second spot.
Not to mention that advertisers need some sort of reach building messaging. How will they be doing that in the future? TV is still a mass reaching medium.
Time shifting, DVRs, downloads....it's here to stay!

Exploiting kids for new platforms

MTVU Taps College Kids in Search of Next Mark Zuckerberg
The cable net and Cisco dangled $100,000 in front of young developers with a good idea. Here's who they found.

Clever in theory
Nice MTV. Nice.

The reason kids are developing this stuff is because they get it. They get how new marketing works. But they get it in a vacuum.

They don't see growth, they don't see traction. They don't see drivers.

I'd see what happens before I award someone $100K

Privacy and the consumer

While privacy advocates agitate for strong FTC rules to safeguard consumer information online, online privacy has yet to become a hot-button issue among Web users, according to experts cited in this article.
Advertising Age

No biggie
Some initial comments:

• Advertisers can't see a user's profile.
• A user needs to give away some information in order to opt in to the platform.
• You can't compare using a book to the internet. They're different. Please. Comparing apples with oranges isn't exactly valid.

Ultimately, a consumer knows what they're getting into. If an ad can be tailored to their needs in a more efficient manner, based on a couple of tracks, I don't think it's a big deal.

Of course some people will cry, but we're living in an age where consumers know if they want something for free, they will have to give something back in return.

False and Misleading Data Devalues Facebook

Facebook's Map Might Lead Advertisers Astray
Ad Age
Facebook's user info may not be kosher for advertisers. For one thing, you can't always trust online users--especially young online users--to provide accurate information. There is an awful lot of role-playing on the Web, but to a larger extent, social network users like to fib. A Pew study says that 56% of teens post false items on their social networking profiles. That, by the way, includes MySpace founder Tom Anderson, who's been lying about his age to his hundred million-plus friends since day one. Anderson's profile says he's 32, but reports claim he's pushing 40. That puts him in another demo, altogether.

Mmm and this is a surprise?
Users have been misusing their profiles since the beginnings of a user profile.
You say what you aspire to, not what you actually are. This is why it's coined a virtual world.

Google to shake up cell-phone industry

Can a Google Phone Connect With Carriers?
Google is expected to introduce in the coming weeks new applications that would enable cell-phone manufacturers to bring Google-powered units to market by mid 2008, according to this article. The search giant is aiming to lessen the control of wireless carriers over what programs can be accessed on mobile devices.
The Wall Street Journal

OMG- Yes PLEASE!
America's mobile offering is bad. Real bad. The consumer is considered last in the equation. The bottom line, is of course, first.
I've worked with Telcos. I know they really do only care about the bottom line. I've heard them say it. But they know, they're going to make money regardless. So moving forward, telcos need to keep their customers happy and give them what they want, otherwise they will simply leave to another carrier.
A termination fee is a hassle, but it's better than staying where you aren't getting what you pay for.

In the US market, the telcos have a stranglehold on the market. I keep waiting for a shakeup like this. It will work too. I've seen it happen. The consumer voice works. And the Google move is the first step to the change.

And further down the track - VoIP. The telcos should be very careful with what they are doing and where they are headed. Once VoIP hits the people with a solid platform, telcos are going to be scrabbling for pieces of the pie as other platforms go into decline.
They're all in development, but at present, value for money isn't worth it. And once the new companies arise, the archaic telco models probably won't fit.

TV ad targeting on the horizon

Targeted television ads three years away
Financial times

As the heading of the article suggests...
This is good.
Prediction: less TV ads and at a premium.

If it works properly, there will be less wastage...
Although it doesn't mean that consumers will be receptive to the ads. The buy is still determined by the client and the planner.
Our data will be richer, but will the impact still be the same?

We are in a marketing revolution

Millard Predicts Digital Revolution
by Erik Sass
Revolution is in the air. And Wenda Harris Millard, president of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, sees huge changes coming in the digital space. To survive, magazine companies must adjust to changing dynamics

I like Wenda Harris Millard
This lady is on my wavelength.
And I quote "The media world has changed more in the last five years, in the head end, than it has in the previous 50, and it will change that much again in the next five years."
That's right kids, marketing as we knew it, is Finished. Finito. Fini.

And if we continue to think the way we have, we will also be finished.
That means don't think about "what's new? I need my client to be in the space that has hype", more about "how can my client facilitate their users". That is what the new marketing age is about.

And hype...I'm sick of hype. It is advertising's case of peer pressure. Facebook, Hulu...they're around and they're new, but if we don't know how the consumer responds and how to leverage/integrate effectively, there isn't much point being there. And by integrate, I don't mean no banner ad.

Focus on your client, their target and their objectives. If you start from there you'll see better results, I personally guarantee it.

Hulu foreva?

Forrester: Hulu should please advertisers, viewers
by Gavin O'Malley
Under the tightest controls, Hulu.com emerged from the lab on Monday to generally favorable reviews--or review, given that its creators had only briefed one analyst. Forrester analyst James McQuivey was impressed with both the design features and business strategy behind the joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp., noting that it has found "the best way to please advertisers is to maximize viewing of content."

Today is going to be a busy day for the Digestif...
Today is a good day, there is a lot going on. I like today.

Hulu is definitely making waves. Media waves are one thing, performance is another. We're still a long way off from seeing any result. So don't be too hasty.
Although...I think Hulu will be successful with a certain type of audience.

The Reasoning - the consumer space is so fragmented that users will go where, they as an individual, get the most value. I think the TV audience drop, niche blogs, niche anything are coming into their own and are a sign of things to come. Audience bases will get smaller. A few hundred thousand as a base will eventually be considered a healthy number.

They're my thoughts. Anyone out there got anything? Come on, give me some love!

Google tries something else

Google loses Facebook but tries something else
Google may have lost out on a piece of Facebook, but the Web giant is now responding by moving headlong into the territory of Facebook and MySpace. Google plans to incorporate social media features into all of its applications, using them as the glue that sticks each application together. The initiative goes by the name "Maka-Maka" and borrows heavily from Facebook.

"Maka-Maka" has much more to it, of course. Google ultimately aims to "out open" Facebook's platform by letting programmers have access to Google's social graph--which includes data from Orkut, Gmail and Google Talk-to create programs that operate with any or all Google apps and services. The "Maka-Maka" initiative will be unveiled in stages; the first is slated for around Nov. 5

Hmmm....
Google, you're sneaky. AND you always come out with good stuff and shake things up. I don't know what to make of this.
A major issue I'm already seeing, is that most users never made profiles with a network - eg I have a flickr which is now owned by Yahoo and a blog with blogspot, now owned by google, email on hotmail (for trash and owned by msn) and email with gmail (for other stuff).
So something like netvibes is handy, because no matter what I use, I can make a central port, with no restrictions and all my daily site visits are centralised. Buzz word people like to call it hyper-aggregating.

Now I'm even more perplexed because Google has iGoogle!
I guess we'll just have to wait and see how good it is, or if it's even good at all...

The changing face of music

If it's retail, is it still Rock? NY Times
From forging CD distribution deals with Starbucks to licensing songs for commercials and partnering with video game producers, declining record sales have forced artists to find different ways of promoting their music. "The barriers are changing and we as artists are making less and less money, and we have to get creative," said former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan, whose current band, Velvet Revolver, has licensed its music for use in a Victoria's Secret ad, among other ventures

I've worked on a music client. It's hard. The game has totally changed.
Music is still as hot a commodity as it's always been. The advent of new technologies has just made it easier to get product to the consumer. Commentators have been, well, commentating, for ages that record companies and artists need to change the model and the revenue system.
I think the best model to apply to this is the whole music like water theory put together by 2 guys, Dave Kusek and Gerd Leonard in a book entitled The Future of Music. If you haven't read it yet, do.
Even if you aren't in the music biz it gives great insight in to changing digital IP for the future and how to get revenue out of a credible digital product.

Finally some real statistics on WOM

AdAge
More than 60% of consumers now look for user-generated product reviews online, according to a new survey by Deloitte Consulting. The poll also found a third of respondents were motivated by recent product recalls to pay greater attention to descriptions and warnings on packaging and 18% were motivated for the same reason to seek out information online.

Digestif reveals some truth to the matter
I just asked a rep about this today. I'm continually seeing stats which say 98% of users find user reviews and WOM helpful in their purchases. This is great, but it really only tells me what I already know. I missing the initial step of the break down of the total population looking for online reviews.
So thank you Deloitte. I can tick that off my list.

I also want to participate in the Hulu debate

New York Times
NBC and Fox hope the commencement today of beta testing of their jointly owned Web video venture, Hulu.com, will silence critics who have questioned the ability of big media to launch a rival to YouTube and other video channels. The New York Times

Digestif swig
Looks pundits (a, b, c or d), I'm not a member of the blog club, or the blog honour roll, if you will and I'm not placing my money anywhere.
I applaud NBC for taking a stab at entering the new media market place. Good on them for trying.
The model may work, it might not, but at least ALL OF US will learn something from the experience.
You may not think it's an educated platform, but stranger things have happened and who knows, it just might work...

Ooh, ooh, ooh...the mobile medium is getting good viewership

eMarketer

Eight million US mobile users watched video on their handsets in August 2007, according to M:Metrics. Despite mobile video sharing and growth, the foundation for ads is still under construction.

Digestif
Well- the stats are sweet. We're starting to see serious growth. %s are pretty crap, but at least volumes look good.
Mobile will definitely be a useful medium. Once we have a grasp of where the masses are headed (it's still early days), we will be able to harness the capabilities of the medium.
A cautionary note: I don't think it will be through banner ads!

Facebook fans take things to a new dimension

Some good insights into how the 'kids' are using facebook, in a familiar song format.

MySpace users: 3 hrs and 13 mins (per month) V Facebook users: 3 hrs 33mins per month

Is MySpace Running Out of Time to Deliver?
Business Week
Facebook may be ubiquitous, but rival MySpace is still three to four times the size of Mark Zuckerberg's white-hot social network. It's also older, too, which means the pressure on parent News Corp. to turn the 100 million member-plus social network into a money-making machine is building. Analysts and investors are waiting.

However, any day now, MySpace parent Fox Interactive Media is set to unveil a new targeting advertising system that takes advantage of its users' demonstrated behaviors, likes and dislikes. Whether this helps display ads become more effective is an open question. Not everyone is convinced.

The Digestif reflects
All this social network stuff is getting on my nerves.
It's hoopla, it's rubbish, it's a storm in a teacup.
Bottom line is- different users use different sites for a reason....they're different types of users.
Some of your target will fit the mySpace profile, others the facebook and others still the Bebo or Pownce profile.
It's up to marketers and planners to discern which is the most appropriate.
A 70million user base and a 42million strong user base are both equally impressive (granted there may be overlap). But, if you disregard the data, the facts and the real numbers in relation to a campaign then they don't mean nothing!

Does Apple exploit their young advocates?

Amateur ad gets big league attention

A new spot for the Apple iPod Touch, set to air on Sunday, is the brainchild of 18-year-old student Nick Haley. His short YouTube video featuring the product set to the music of Brazilian band CSS attracted the attention of Apple's agency, TBWA/Chiat/Day, which produced a professional, high-definition version of Haley's spot.
The New York Times

The Digestif applauds

I like these kinds of happy endings.

Who wins??

• Apple- get a cool ad for cheap
• CSS - great band. Get a nice cheque I presume
• TBWA - they still get to charge the client and make $$. But are they shooting themselves in the foot?
• Nick Haley? - well he gets his 15 seconds, but I have a feeling he isn't getting all he deserves. Think how much it costs to make a 30 second through an agency. Think how much Nick probably spent. I'm guessing one is about 90% bigger than the other.
  

How to work a social net-work which works

People register in droves at the office
by Gavin O'Malley
It looks like NBC managed to make a good thing better when it attached a stylized social network to its popular series "The Office."

Digestif likes 'to take the edge off' after a hard day at the office
This works because NBC has taken a product and reworked it for the current consumer need.

Consumers have changed and they no longer want to just watch a TV show, or just use your service. They want to interact and get more value out.

The Office has the advantage of being a great offering. There is so much NBC can work off in order to create a functional utility in which users get value. Furthermore, it's a natural fit because the Office has seen the opportunities available to them and allowed their consumers to tap into the benefits associated with the program.

This can be done for every brand, every product and every service. It doesn't have to be a social network and it doesn't have to be forced. If you can't see the fit and you want help with something, send me a line...

Microsoft wins over Google in the Facebook deal

by Gavin O'Malley
Microsoft will invest $240 million for a 1.6% stake in Facebook (valued at $15B)--a deal that values the hot social network at a staggering $15 billion. Beating out Google on Wednesday, Microsoft also won exclusive global rights to sell third-party banner ads on Facebook.

Digestif NEEDS a drink
Oh my. Well it's no longer speculation. $15B. A big number.

As I said in my previous post, lets see how it pans out before we start asking for ticker tape parades.

When is the facebook battle going to end?

Google, Microsoft Fight For Facebook Stake
New York Post
A major investment in the social network Facebook will be announced in the next day or two, the only question is who the lucky winner will be: Microsoft or Google. The Post expects the search king to walk away with the lucrative stake, worth between 5% and 10% of the social network.

The stakes for a seat on the Facebook board are high. The social network has a massive and growing loyal audience, with huge ad potential. Next week, Facebeook is expected to unveil a new behavioral advertising program, possibly in conjunction with the investment. If Google outbids Microsoft, you can expect Microsoft's ad serving deal with Facebook to dissolve soon thereafter, most likely replaced with Google Search and some iteration of AdSense.

Of course the biggest winner in all this is Facebook; investors value the company at close to $15 billion, which means that Google and Microsoft are looking at an astronomical $1.5 billion for a 10% stake or $750 million for a 5% stake -- incredible money for a company set to pull in just $150 million this year.

Everyone just stop and have a reality check

Has anyone seen any good campaigns on facebook yet??
By good I mean successful with proven results?
I certainly haven't.

Although, I've seen one, but it was more a personal challenge, rather than a paid for ad.

Facebook is a great medium and a platform with lots of stickiness. BUT, it's still so new. No one has worked out how to use it properly.
If you can't advertise on it effectively then what is the point?

If Google and Microsoft have ulterior motives for wanting Facebook then good luck to them. Let's see what they can do.

Yahoo wants to do what?

Yang pledges new openness for Yahoo!
Yahoo! is aiming to separate itself from rivals Google and Microsoft by becoming an "open" platform that helps users solve problems on its own channels or links them to other Web sites, according to CEO Jerry Yang. "Openness is upon us," Yang said Tuesday, at a conference in Half Moon Bay, Calif. "There is an opportunity for Yahoo! as a huge publisher to play the open game and do that as a strategy."
The Hollywood Reporter/Reuters

Digestif: I've drunk it all in and I'm still sober...

I read the little blurb, I read the article. I'm confused. The 2 don't match up.

"Openness"? What does that actually mean. Not much in this case. I feel Yahoo is just saying words to give a sense that they're doing something different.
Their behavioural stuff is great. I love that, but this openness palaver? I don't really get what they're saying.

I mean, don't all these apparent 'open' platforms exist already?
I think they call it web 2.0?

I just don't get gaming

Center for Media research: Advergaming

DFC Intelligence estimates that:

• Over 40% of households have a video game console system
• Over 120 million people play video or computer games in the U.S.
• Personal Computer Gamers are expected to reach 80 million in 2007 and up to 99 million in 2012
• Console/Online gamers is expected to reach 6.9 million in 2007 and up to 18.5 million by 2012
  

A simple 'wtf' will do here

Where do people find the time???
How do they multi task everything?? Gaming is so involving, when you play something you are totally absorbed into the medium.
And I'm still totally baffled as to why women 30-54, or whatever they are, are the biggest growing segment in the gamer profile?

Gaming is surging. It is m-a-s-s-i-f.

If your targets are into it, and by the numbers, they probably are, you should start thinking about how you can get gaming on your media plan.

The key word here is involvement. Finding ways of properly integrating into gaming platforms rather than being display ads or pre rolls, are definitely the way to go. This will ensure proper integration and 100% involvement and attention from the consumer.

Words of warning- don't go for tenuous links or stretch the idea too thin. Wait for something that fits and go with that. In the mean time, let's get some developers on the phone and see what we can carve out.

Virtual worlds not going down, but up?

While Second Life gets a lot of media attention, virtual worlds like IAC/InterActive-owned Zwinktopia and Ganz USA's Webkinz are attracting more users. Marketers are increasingly looking to establish footholds on these and other Web-based virtual worlds.

The Wall Street Journal

Digestif 's 2 cents

Well. I knew Webkinz was big. But these other things don't make too much sense. Just think about your user for a second (disregarding the kids using Webkinz):

• Your audience needs a lot of spare time
• They have to consistently be excited and able to interact with the elements of the virtual world
• They need to maintain a continual presence.
• They need to care about their virtual persona in order to maintain a connection with the virtual world
  

What kind of user are you after? If your product fits, great. And unless you have some real world/virtual world element like WebKinz, I wouldn't recommend using this vehicle.

Proud of my friends at Spiralfrog

SPIRALFROG, INC., The free ad-supported Web-based music experience, announced a licensing agreement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, to make Sony's collection available on the SpiralFrog Web site.

Link

Digestif ecstatic.

Having previously worked with a record label as a client, I know how hard it is to get these guys to crossover to the new playing field. They won't relinquish their power on something which they refuse to see is falling apart.
Excuse the upcoming analogy, but the game has changed and it won't take long before the labels either step up to the plate and really take some offensive action. Or, they simply fade out of the game, using the same strategy and tactics which everyone knows and quite frankly, it's boring and doesn't work.
The key is meeting consumer need. Need in terms of how habits change, what consumers now believe to be advertising and how you will make them feel valued to be a part of your brand. That's where you will find the most success.

Good one Spiralfrog. Good one!

Social networking phase out by 2012??

"The social-networking category will continue its rapid growth through 2009, but could level off by 2012, according to a new report by U.K.-based Datamonitor."

Link

Digestif swig
I don't know about this.
From reading the article, I think, maybe the new generations will find something else. But then again the email giants just keep attaining new members. New users just sign up to what is.
However social networks could go the other way. The new generation of users will just sign up to Facebook because it is what it is. It's the general hub and you go elsewhere for your niche user-ship.

I think it's hot air, not smoke. Nothing to worry about yet.

The end of free speech blogging as we know it

"Ricardo Franco Levi, Prodi’s right hand man , undersecretary to the President of the Council, has written the text to put a stopper in the mouth of the Internet. The draft law was approved by the Council of Ministers on 12 October. No Minister dissociated themselves from it. On gagging information, very quietly, these are all in agreement.

The Levi-Prodi law lays out that anyone with a blog or a website has to register it with the ROC, a register of the Communications Authority, produce certificates, pay a tax, even if they provide information without any intention to make money."

Beppe Grillo's blog

Digestif in shock
What?
Are they serious?
If this actually happens, which I doubt (I envision some form of community uproar), there would be a snowballing of this type of irrational behaviour.
Blogging actually changed the scape of media, by allowing the average Joe their own soap box. News services have become more accountable, companies became more transparent and fact checking even more important.

Why are people so afraid of progress? Actually, why are governments, large corporations and those in control afraid of anyone else having a turn at the reigns?

Nice and good and friendly

Can e-mail borrow social networking's mojo?

E-mail is the most-used Web application, but it may seem a little old-school to the generation that is coming of age using social networks like Facebook and MySpace to keep in touch with their friends. Big Web portals that supply e-mail accounts to users, notably Yahoo! and MSN, are beginning to incorporate social-networking features into their offerings.

The Wall Street Journal

Digestif feels all warm and fuzzy
I don't know how many times I tell people: Marketing has changed, advertising isn't what it used to be, consumers don't want to be sold to purely so the advertiser can make money.
Consumers want to feel like they are a part of something.
They opt in to a product and they expect an array of utilities and facilities in return.
I'm not saying a product like a toothbrush should get into the mix. I don't expect my toothbrush to have a mobile site where I find my latest tooth hot tips. But, I do expect my heavily based user service products to step up to the plate and deliver to my needs. Making my life more convenient in the process.

As studies find that Facebook users are using their in boxes more frequently, it's good to see mail providers go in to the game from the reverse angle.

Some TV viewing stats for statisticians

TV is on eight hours a day in average U.S. home

Television viewing levels are holding steady, with Nielsen Media Research data indicating that, on average, a television was on for eight hours and 14 minutes per day in U.S. households from Sept. 18, 2006 to Sept. 23, 2007, a figure unchanged from the previous year.
Mediaweek

Digestif chases its tail
I think TV will stay steady. It may even grow.

There are so many conflicting arguments to this debate, I'm struggling to get my views in order.

However, the biggest things to think about are the new generations developing their 'new media habits', and sorry to the +55s out there, but you guys phasing out.
The new generations' standard media platforms are different to what once was. TV is a monolith. A big flat screen is sexy, but when are they actually home to watch it?
Handheld TV devices will escalate.
The only concern is, will these new audiences change their habits once they hit the lifestage of family+kids? Or will life stage continue to be a major factor, contributing to levels of home consumption increases once users have families??

Think it out.

Free TV shows may air on cellphones

Mobile-phone users will be able to tune into free, digital-quality local broadcast television on their mobile phones after the switch to all-digital broadcasts in 2009, if a plan by broadcasters takes effect. The plan involves beaming a special digital signal designed to fit the small screen that could be played by mobile devices equipped with TV tuners.
USA Today

What does the Digestif object to?

Nothing really. This is a pretty good idea.
I hear rumours that there is a feeling in the market, that American carriers extort their users. Yes, extort.
It's a hard truth, but that's the feeling. I just tell it like it is.

Once this launches it will be interesting to see what CTRs are like. My standing on the whole mobile/internet banner issue is that it is ineffective. A 1.5% average click through is not a good statistic. 98.5% of people are ignoring your ad. We aren't aiming for wastage campaigns, are we?

The model is still developing on both of these media. The model may even be something which is fluid. And we're beginning to see that the model is dictating targeting your specific audience, having fewer impressions, less reach but getting at least a 40% click through rate.

Call me crazy. I am. I won't mind.

The iPhone takes leaf out of the facebook-book

Apple Will Open iPhone To Outside Applications

APPLE IS OPENING THE IPHONE for third-party applications, CEO Steve Jobs said in a posting on the company's Web site Wednesday.

Digestif commentary
Sweet. This is going to shake things up a little.
And it's good to see Apple recognise the need to give the consumer what they ask for.
We'll probably end up seeing applications that take the existing users by storm.
Once we hit critical mass, then they'll be even newer applications which reach out to the mass consumers.
My obvious recommendation- be ahead of the curve on this one. You'll be drinking celebratory champagne till the cows come home!

Address Book 2.0: The Future of Social Media?

Wired
Wired says that the Web 2.0 iteration of the popular address book will be one of the main topics of conversation at this week's Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco. Address Book 2.0 refers to technology that knows where you are and what you're doing on the Web.

It's an advertiser's dream, allowing the company who controls it to finally deliver on the promise of behavioral targeting. Imagine if wherever you are, your friends and contacts would know how communicate with you through the best available means: email, cell phone, IM, SMS, etc. The Web 2.0 Address Book would enable this simply by clicking on a contact's name.

http://www.wired.com/software/webservices/news/2007/10/web2walkup

The digestif is knocked for 6

Holy jesus!
This is unbelievable for a user. Contact you really where you are, knowing what you're using.
For advertisers, it may be a bit evasive. But, lets keep an eye on it

Silicon Valley Start-Ups Awash in Dollars, Again

Link

By Ross Fadner,The New York Times

Silicon Valley bubble talk is bubbling up once again. The action this time is taking place in the private sector, leaving the public somewhat safer; even so, a wider bubble burst could drive inflation and send the economy into recession. The telltale signs are there: Internet companies with funny names, little revenue and few customers are commanding high prices. And once again, Internet advertising is being seen as a bottomless trough of cash on which to base one's business model.

Worryingly, audience inflation--not revenue--is driving up prices for Web firms, the very thing that brought about the first Internet bust. The social network Facebook is a good example; valuations of $15 billion are absurd. That's nearly half the market cap of Yahoo, a company earning 32 times Facebook's expected 2007 revenue.

The digestif spin

Some of these peeps have drunk a little too much Absinth.

i.e. delusional

I feel the reasons everyone is going nuts over these platforms is because the internet is a mess. TV is a mess, radio is a mess. There is still no tracking for outdoor...
We are battling for the consumers' attention, and if Facebook becomes the stickiest site in the market, well then, the demand will be greater and the squabbles better!

In the future, these sites will be the sites that deliver the most accuracy in targeting. It is crazy that some corporations are paying astronomical prices, but they see the future.
The only issue is picking the cream of the crop.

MySpace Will Host Sony BMG In Next-Generation Deal

Link

by Gavin O'Malley
MySpace has signed a new licensing agreement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment to host the label's various offerings. The deal marks MySpace's first partnership with a major record

Digestif view

This is great for mySpace. And it's great for meeting consumer demand.

At least one record label is back on the wagon.

I can see the PR helping artists and it's good that Sony is going to see some revenue through advertisers, but is it enough to come through the decimation of the old model?

The New Advertising Outlet: Your Life

Link

Nike continues to reduce its marketing allocation for traditional ads, earmarking 33% of its $678 million U.S. ad spend last year for TV and major media, vs. 55% a decade ago; the athletic shoemaker instead is placing a greater emphasis on building its presence on the Net and in-person events. "We're not in the business of keeping the media companies alive," Trevor Edwards, Nike's corporate VP for global brand and category management, said. "We're in the business of connecting with consumers."

What the digestif thinks

This is what I'm talking about!

Nike is at the top of the game.

If you need some guidance, follow Nike. Otherwise, just ask me for help!

Nielsen's New Online, Mobile Units Promise 360-Degree Insights

Link

Good one Nielsen, good one.

I just hope that you will be able to cross analyse all media consumption. I mean, after all, we don't consume each media platform in isolation...

Group accuses Unilever of ad hypocrisy

Link

OMG!

GIVE.ME.STRENGTH.

Why are people so silly? And act so naive?
Unilever is a massive corporate with interest in the bottom line. They don't give a smack's bang if the marketing campaigns of 2 products are contradictory, as long as product comes off the shelves.

I don't think Axe buyers will care. The marketing totally talks to them and they lap it up.
Dove purchasers may be a bit sympathetic and there might be problems here. I reckon with good PR it's salvageable.

Cool music video

An interactive music video Sweet- just play with it.
It's cool

Why didn't radiohead do it??

Dove's New 'Onslaught' Ad a Triumph - Garfield's Ad Review

Link

Oh Dove, the new media darling.

It is great- a great community for beauty. It still doesn't advertise any product.

There is also the disconnect between the fact that it is a beauty company. So what exactly are they trying to sell?

I do enjoy the ads. They're great. I feel glad that one company in the beauty industry recognises inner beauty. But where does that put Dove?

I'm still confused. I feel like a dog chasing its own tail.

How Radiohead Is Rewriting Rules of Online Revenue

Link This is what I'm talking 'bout!

I believe the future of advertising/media is meeting the consumer need and demand.
Consumers are beginning to get used to the idea that they make the choices. They pick the information/entertainment/product they are after and not only when they want it, but how they want it.

It's not worth pissing consumers off with silly tactics and ploys. A happy customer is a good customer! It needs loyalt first, but giving your consumer what they need is the path to that loyalty.

Radiohead proves it.

Facebook Grabs Fed-Up MySpace Users, Lifting Value

Link

Facebook, Facebook, Facebook.

That's all I ever hear, that's all I ever read.

From $1B to $10B, from developers to widgets, to migration. Great, great, great.

The thing is, I'm a bit sick of it. I think others are too and they're looking for the next hot social thing.

OR- is it just that Facebook serves some simple communication need in my life and it's fulfilling it in a simple way? It doesn't need to be 'whizz bang', it just needs to be functional.
The only improvements to be made on Facebook are those that make communicating to friends and your life easier?

Hmmm.... something to ponder

Internet creators say it's outdated

Link
These are smart fellas. I think I know what they're talking about.
My favourite line is from Roberts talking about what does and doesn't work: "I know because I designed it."

This new internet sounds feasible. The demand for better facilities, utilities and user experience will see a natural progression towards better internet.

It is only a matter of time and the only way I see it working is through some staggered migration program.

The new play doh bravia

And here is the finished version of the Bravia Ad.
I think this is the best one yet...

Sony Bravia | Play-Doh (via Yerom)

The new bravia ad

Sony Play Doh Teaser (via dalageli)

Bravia's new ad. Set to launch Friday.