News Hotline

• DirecTV Names York Chief Content Officer
  by Wayne Friedman 9 minutes ago

  DirecTV has made a major change regarding the crucial position of its top programming executive. Former AT&T and InDemand executive Dan York will take a new position as executive vice president of programming and chief content officer. He replaces Derek Chang EVP of content strategy and development, who ...

• Anthony Bourdain Leaves Travel Channel For CNN Gig
  by Phyllis Fine 18 minutes ago

  Outspoken TV chef Anthony Bourdain is moving from the Travel Channel to CNN with a TV show set to air in 2013. He will also appear on other CNN program possibly as early as this fall, writes Marisa Guthrie. Bourdain's untitled show will follow a similar eat-in-exotic-places format ...

• KMB Acquires Predictys, Expands Data-Based Marketing
  by Gavin O'Malley 20 minutes ago

  Expanding its global footprint, KBM Group, Young & Rubicam Group's database marketing agency, has agreed to acquire France-based Predictys. With its database -- including information from 140 million opted-in consumers from among more than 25 co-op partners -- Predictys serves various clients from Snapfish, a Web-based photo-sharing and ...

• Breeders' Cup Launches Integrated Campaign
  by Karl Greenberg 26 minutes ago

  The campaign, via Conover Tuttle Pace, the Breeders' Cup AOR since 2006, is out of the gate with online and email advertising, with other elements, including traditional media, getting added to the mix in the Southern California market leading up to the event. ...

• Tracking The Backlash Against Photoshopping
  by Phyllis Fine 31 minutes ago

  In an age when "everybody" is photoshopping images -- from advertisers to magazine editors to women posting head shots on Facebook  -- why is the practice now attracting regulatory oversight, both in the U.S. and such countries as Israel and the U.K.? "Multiple factors include escalating product claims, ...

• Freshness Reshaping Food Culture
  by Karlene Lukovitz over 1 hour ago

  Consumers' demand for freshness is driving trends in restaurants and in aisles throughout grocery stores (not just produce and meat sections), according to a new report from Packaged Facts and strategic food and beverage agency CCD Innovation. ...

• Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook Move To IPv6
  by Laurie Sullivan over 1 hour ago

  Some of the world's biggest Internet companies will switch from Internet protocol version 4 to Internet protocol version 6, or IPv6, next week in an effort to make the Web accessible to more devices. IPv4 standards had limitations on the number of IP addresses it could support. Beginning ...

• Benefits Of Paid-Search Labeling
  by Laurie Sullivan 2 hours ago

  Search marketers last month gained a new way to organize AdWords keywords -- ad copy, ad groups and campaigns with Google Labels -- that offers insight into more sophisticated reporting, bidding and automation, according to Joy Barberio. Labeling became a strategic tactic at Rimm-Kaufman in 2003. Barberio serves ...

• How To Ease Stress From SEO Myths
  by Laurie Sullivan 2 hours ago

  Rand Fishkin identifies 10 SEO myths, from keyword density to reciprocal links, that might scare even experts but shouldn't. He tells marketers not to stress the small stuff like keyword density being too high or too many links connecting to the site from one domain, but rather focus ...

• How Search Semantics Change SEO
  by Laurie Sullivan 2 hours ago

  Search marketers need to pay more attention to the string of keywords and word choice as engines continue to tweak algorithms and move more toward serving up semantic search results. Bill Slawski points out that keyword phrases have become more than a string of words -- they are ...

• Kinetic Scores 'Positive' Results WIth NFC-Enabled Outdoor Ads

  WPP out-of-home ad shop Kinetic and OOH vendor JCDecaux revealed results of their first joint large-scale test of ads enabled with so-called near field communications technology. They said 78% of the participating consumers reported having a "positive" experience, primarily citing the ease-of-use of the NFC technology, while more ...

• Florida Campaign Dangles Tourism Packages

  The sweepstakes-focused campaign dangles a grand prize of three Florida vacation packages, but there are nine other single-vacation prizes. People can enter daily through the end of June on Visit Florida's Facebook page, or at a VisitFlorida.com microsite. ...

• Newspaper Revs Sink 6.9%, Auto Ads Brake

  The latest figures for the newspaper industry show no evidence of a rebound or even stabilization in advertising revenues. According to the Newspaper Association of America, total ad revenues dropped 6.9% from $5.5 billion in the first quarter of 2011 to nearly $5.2 billion in the first quarter ...

• Does Facebook IPO Foretell Tech Bust

  Recalling Internet bubbles and vast overvaluations, some are suggesting that Facebook’s IPO could send the tech sector into a millennium-style tailspin. “The Facebook fiasco has spooked a lot of tech investors, especially those holding shares of recently launched social media companies with similarly unproven earnings streams,” writes Forbes. ...

• Apple Makes Nice With Washington Elite

  Continuing to pave his own path at Apple, CEO Tim Cook paid his first visit to Capital Hill, last week. “The low-key visit [involved a handful of meetings with congressional leaders] was in keeping with the company's traditional approach to Washington,” according to Fortune. “But the fact that ...

• Omnicom Shareholders Reject NYC's Diversity Proposal

  Omnicom shareholders voted against a proposal from the Office of the Comptroller of New York City to disclose the company's EEOC filings that report annually a comprehensive breakdown of the company's workforce by race and gender across all employment categories. The proposal was defeated by a margin of ...

• GM Ad Work Tied To CFO's Wife

  General Motors failed to disclose that it paid $600,000 for work done by an advertising agency where the wife of GM's chief financial officer works, the automaker said in a regulatory filing on Friday. Pernilla Ammann, who is married to GM CFO Dan Ammann, is chief operating officer ...

• Million Miler Sues United

  A Chicago frequent flier is suing United Airlines for taking away some of his lifetime perks as a "Million Miler," someone who has flown 1 million miles with the airline. He says United breached a contract with him when the airline combined its frequent-flier program with that of ...

• Kroger Doubles Fuel Rewards

  Kroger is doubling the limit on its fuel reward program from $1 per gallon to $2 per gallon between May 27 and Sept. 30. Under the fuel reward program, shoppers earn 100 points for every $100 spent at most Kroger Co. stores, with 100 points translating to a ...

• Facebook Building Phone

  Facebook has reportedly been working on a mobile operating system for its own phone since 2010. The social network, which is assembling the core applications needed for a successful smartphone operating system, has rolled out "Facebook Camera." The app loads straight to Facebook. The company also has launched ...

• Google: Business 360 To Profile Christian Group

  "Matthew 25: Ministries" ships food, medical supplies and personal care items to more than 11 million poor people or disaster victims each year from its facility. The nonprofit charity will become the next local operation to have its inner workings featured in Google Business Photos. The new program ...

• Bathrooms Replace Kitchens As Most Popular Remodels

  Bath projects, up 17% in the last two years, have become the most common remodeling jobs, says a survey this month by the National Association of Home Builders. Nearly a third of Americans, or 31%, want to remodel their baths compared with 25% who seek the same for ...

• Ice Cream Crazy

  Odd ice cream flavors will be big this year, but they tend to drive people to vanilla, chocolate or strawberry. "Crazy flavors get the buzz started," says Ray Karam, senior tastemaster at Cold Stone Creamery. Some examples: Sushi cupcakes topped with Swedish Fish candy; watermelon chip, a watermelon ...

• LG Focuses On Users In 3DTV Effort

  In a new digital and print advertising campaign, LG Electronics USA uses the expressions of people watching their 3D TVs to illustrate the effect the screens have on the overall viewing experience. ...

• Global Mobile Payments To Hit $171 Billion This Year

  Worldwide mobile payment transactions will surpass $171 billion in 2012, up 62% from $106 million last year, according to Gartner. The number of mobile payment users will reach 212 million, up from 160 in 2011. Global mobile transaction volume is projected to grow 42% annually between 2011 to ...

• Mobile Apps To Help NBC Widen Olympics Reach

  As part of NBCUniversal's massive cross-platform coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics Games in London, two apps for smartphones and tablets will feature live streaming and featured highlights. ...

• Companies Lack Coherent Digital Strategies

  Less than 10% of companies say they have a "highly evolved" digital marketing strategy, according to a new survey by the CMO Council. The study, involving more than 200 global marketing executives, found that more than a third (36%) admit their digital model amounts to a collection of ...

• Yahoo Pulls Plug On Livestand Tablet App

  Only six months after introducing a personalized news aggregation app to the iPad, Yahoo announced its intention to discontinue the Livestand project. Regardless, the company claims that it is pursuing a mobile-first strategy. ...

• And The Award For Best Social Media Extensions Goes To MTV

  The word "TV" still dominates its name and identity, but beginning today, MTV will introduce a variety of so-called "second screen" experiences leading up to and running through its annual "MTV Movie Awards" on June 3 that may cause some users, er viewers, to question which screen is ...

• Connecticut's Push: 'Revolutionary' In Multiple Ways

  This year, the tourism industry has a new hero: Gov. Dannel P. "Dan" Malloy, who's made good on a 2010 election campaign promise by marshaling legislative support for a two-year, $27 million tourism branding/marketing initiative. ...

• Popeyes Re-releas'n "Rip'n Chick'n" With Interactive Plug-In

  Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is celebrating the return of its Rip'n Chick'n by releasing a bookmark plug-in for Internet browsers that will replace the "-ing" on any site with an 'n. Developed by Popeyes' digital agency Campbell Mithun, it allows users to alter their Web browsing in an entertaining ...

• High Airfare, Gas Prices Prompt More Staycations

  About 7 out of 10 plan to spend the same or more on vacation as they did last year. They are focusing on "staycations" at home due to high airfare and gas prices, and instead are planning to visit local amusement attractions including water and theme parks. ...

• No Time, Money For Vacay? Try 'Nearcay'

  First, there was the "vacation." Then there was the "staycation." This summer, indoor water park resort proprietor Great Wolf Lodge will be splitting the difference, looking to catch the burgeoning trend of "nearcations." ...

• Q&A: Philly Focuses On Parkway

  Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of the GPTMC, talks to Marketing Daily about the Barnes, the new campaign, the revitalization of the Ben Franklin Parkway, and the big tourism picture in the City of Brotherly Love. ...

• 'Why Vermont?' Beefs Up Mobile, Digital

  Not quite a year after Hurricane Irene pulverized the Green Mountain state, Vermont is sharpening its summer tourism efforts, with a "Why Vermont?" campaign that includes mobile, video, and a special pitch to Boston Red Sox fans. ...

• Google Aggressive In Tracking Down Scam Ads

  Google continues its fight against scam paid-search ads. The company on Friday released statistics on advertising scams across its company sites and those of AdSense partners. In 2011, Google shut down 824,000 advertisers, as well as disapproved 134 million ads for violating policies. ...

• RealNetworks Settles Deceptive Marketing Charges For $2.4 Million

  RealNetworks has agreed to pay $2.4 million to settle allegations that it deceived Web users by offering "free" trials of Rhapsody and other products, but enrolled them in paid subscription plans. It also promised to make it easier for Web users to cancel subscriptions. ...

• Why Networks Are Moving Low-Rated Shows To Fridays

  Friday isn't just a dumping ground for ratings-challenged shows, according to Andy Fixmer and Edmund Lee. "Fridays offer networks a chance to turn the commercial-skipping DVR to their advantage," they write. "The idea with the schedule shift is that viewers, especially the younger ones marketers like, catch up ...

• Rodale Brings 'Best Life' Back To Life

  Rodale is resurrecting its men's luxury lifestyle pub Best Life, which went belly-up three years ago. "Rodale is being cautious this time around; Best Life will come out as a 300,000-circulation SIP (special-interest publication) priced at $5.99 for three months starting Oct. 23," according to Lucia Moses. ...

• Social Media Gives Additional Push To TV Ratings

  Social media's influence continues to significantly add value to some shows -- especially those that don't have the biggest ratings. The largest gains for this 2011-2012 broadcast season went to Fox's "Glee," Comedy Central's "South Park" and MTV's "Jersey Shore," per Optimedia's Content Power Ratings. ...

• Major League Eating (!) Extends Deal With ESPN

  Yes, we checked, and there really is a Major League Eating, which has extended its deal for Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest through 2017. Financial terms were not disclosed. Great seasonal story, huh? ...

• Ad Diversity Challenged In New Ad, 'Pitch'

  AMC and multicultural shop Muse Communications are about to turn up the volume on the discussion about the ad industry's lack of diversity. A new spot blasts the industry and is featured in AMC's "The Pitch." ...

• Buffett To Buy More Newspapers

  Warren Buffett isn't done buying newspapers. Berkshire Hathaway may acquire more newspapers in the next few years, according to the Omaha investment mogul, fresh from the acquisition of 26 daily newspapers and 37 weeklies and community papers from Media General. ...

• Muse's Forceful Diversity Ad Will Air During 'Pitch'

  In what's a spot-on, perfectly targeted media buy, "one of the most succinct skewerings of the ad industry's lack of diversity" (according to writer Ken Wheaton) will run during this Sunday's episode of "The Pitch," the show in which two ad agencies compete to land a campaign. Wheaton ...

• Display Ads' Quality, Numbers Rising On Key Sites

  In some much-needed good news, display ads on Yahoo's home page appeared strong through the first half of the year. Per Macquarie Securities, sales of oversized and custom ad units on Yahoo's main page were up substantially year-over-year. AOL's home page display trends appeared largely stable, but with ...

• 'American Idol' Turns Live TV Into Tweet Fest

  The "American Idol" TV live season finale generated more than 1 million social comments, contributing to the 5.9 million for the season. A Flock to Unlock campaign on Twitter in real-time pushed the numbers higher compared with prior shows. ...

• Groupon Testing Payments Service?

  Potentially expanding its commerce offerings, Groupon is reportedly testing a payments service. Seeking an edge over existing services offered by eBay’s PayPal, Square and Google, Groupon is apparently offering an iPod Touch and card reader to merchants free of charge. “The other [services] provide only the readers for ...

• Why Facebook Needs Another Photo App

  Dubbed Camera, Facebook just released an iPhone app that lets users take photos, add filters to them, and share them on the social network. Naturally, Web watchers are asking why the company needs another photo app after expressing an interest in buying Instagram for about $1 billion. “To ...

• Fox Wins TV Season, NBC Jumps To Third Place

  Fox won another TV season, in the viewing metric that matters most to advertisers: 18-49 viewers. But the race was a lot closer, as CBS -- in second place -- came within two-tenths of a rating point. ...

• Search Marketers Can Hide The Bodies

  Major improvements in a company's campaign can be accomplished by either doing great work to raise the bar, or mediocre work on a badly broken program. That's one of the four reasons George Michie gives for not putting much faith in case studies. He also tells us that ...

• Updating The Beginner's SEO Guide

  From Pengiun to Panda to social sharing, SEO strategies have gone through an evolution during the last year. Considering all the changes, SEOmoz has updated its guide to include a new definition, why search engine optimization can be important to a Web site, social sharing techniques, link-building strategies, ...

• More On Google's Penguin

  SEO best practices are not clearly defined, and there are no safe shortcuts to improve a site's search engine ranking. Deceptions or attempts to shortcut the goal of serving Web site visitors and customers could drop a business from search results. Virgnia Nussey give marketers advice on serving Google ...

• Using Discount Vouchers To Drive Web Traffic

  What are the pitfalls to driving Web site traffic with online discounts? For starters, losing money. If the campaign catches on through Facebook, Twitter and other social tools, it can quickly turn a small promotion into a major ordeal. Kevin Gibbons serves up tips on voucher codes, mailing lists, ...

• Unilever Retains Mindshare For Media-Buying Duties

  Unilever will keep WPP's Mindshare as its media-buying agency in the U.S., the first shoe to drop in a $6 billion global review by the client. However, the media planning portion of the account is still up for grabs. ...

• IPG Shareholders Keep Roth, Exec Compensation In Place

  Interpublic shareholders met Thursday in New York and voted overwhelmingly to re-elect all members of the company's board of directors including chairman and CEO Michael Roth. ...