News Hotline

• OMMA Social: Macy's Looks To Social For Connection
  by Karl Greenberg 18 minutes ago

  The company also had success with its integrated "Bobbi Brown" content at eponymous retail spaces at Macy's stores. Jennifer Kasper, VP of digital media and multicultural marketing, says the videos are adjacent to the counter where consumer engagement with video took off. ...

• Gmail Hangouts Disable Google Voice
  by Laurie Sullivan 20 minutes ago

  Google's new version of Hangouts for Gmail eliminates Google Voice features. The move is frustrating heavy users, many of whom disconnected landline phones in exchange for Internet calling. The disconnect follows Google's recent rollout of Hangouts for mobile and Google+, though the change brings Google's video chat in ...

• Digital Boost: Ziff Davis Acquires NetShelter
  by Gavin O'Malley 24 minutes ago

  Ziff Davis announced the acquisition of content network NetShelter from ad platform inPowered. The NetShelter community includes more than 150 consumer and business tech sites, including AndroidCentral.com, MacRumors.com, Neoseeker.com, SlashGear.com and TechSpot.com. ...

• Initiative Wins Amazon's Global Media Account
  by Steve McClellan 34 minutes ago

  Interpublic Group's Initiative has won global media duties for e-Commerce giant Amazon.com after a review. The company's estimated global ad spending is close to $500 million. In the U.S., the online retailer spent nearly $300 million on ads in 2012, per Kantar. ...

• The Tweet Smell Of Success
  by Joe Mandese 36 minutes ago

  If Sidney Falco, the PR guy played by Tony Curtis in the 1957 classic "The Sweet Smell Of Success," wanted to get his story out today, he most likely wouldn't do it with a press release, or even a power lunch. He'd tweet it. That's essentially what Guy ...

• LikeableAds.com Launches, Focus on Social Media Ads
  by Gavin O'Malley 39 minutes ago

  To keep up with growing demand from Madison Avenue, the social marketing consultants at Likeable Media debuted a media and planning department. Dubbed LikeableAds.com, the unit will specialize in crafting, placing, optimizing, and analyzing social ads for clients. Tim Bosch, former strategy director at Likable, was named director ...

• Volatri Gears Up For Performance-Based Models, Releases SecondClick Tech
  by Tyler Loechner 88 minutes ago

  While real-time in mobile hasn't seen the explosive growth online has, the technology is catching up. After officially announcing their mobile RTB platform last week, Voltari, a predictive analytics solutions provider for mobile, today launched SecondClick, which allows brands to target consumers beyond their initial click in real-time. ...

• Yahoo To Ramp 'Native' Ads On Tumblr
  by Mark Walsh 2 hours ago

  With its $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo on Monday made clear it plans to allow the blogging service to continue to operate as a separate business and brand. That includes no Yahoo branding on Tumblr. At the same time, the Web portal will look for ways to ...

• Mars Contract Suit Against Y&R Continues
  by Steve McClellan 3 hours ago

  A New York Judge has denied a request by WPP's Y&R to toss out a breach of contract suit filed against it earlier this year by shopper marketing specialist Mars Advertising. But Judge Colleen McMahon of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan did sharply narrow the scope of ...

• Sony Debuts Marketing Campaign For 4K TV Sets
  by Wayne Friedman 3 hours ago

  Though U.S. TV programming networks are not close to transitioning to the new 4K TV technology, Sony Electronics has started a marketing campaign for its new 4K Ultra HD TV sets. Sony profiled filmmaker Garth Davis, who made a 4K film shot on new Sony professional cameras. ...

• Dish TV Expands On-Demand

  Dish Network, which has allowed subscribers to watch live TV on mobile devices for some time, is expanding access to on-demand content from networks and its Blockbuster-branded offering. It will be available on certain Android and Apple devices. ...

• 4 Types Of Marketing Cultures: How Fast Is Yours?

  A new report from Forrester says the trait shared by companies that are either the most successful innovators, the fastest, or both is knowing exactly what kind of marketing culture they already have, and what kind they hope to build. ...

• Gigya Improves Marketing, Adds 21 Social, Tech Partners

  Social services startup Gigya on Monday is expected to announce the addition of 21 social and marketing tech partners to its NEXUS Partner Ecosystem. Gigya is hoping to give businesses more ways to market their products and services with social network data from Facebook, Google's G+ and Linke ...

• Health/Wellness Shop Diversifies Into Happiness, Launches Platform To Fuel It

  The CementBloc, a spunky New York-based agency specializing in health and wellness marketing, is diversifying into happiness. The spinoff, which will be unveiled Wednesday evening during the agency's Internet Week event in New York's Union Square, will launch a new platform for people to track, manage and boost ...

• Former IPG Exec Pahade Named Poptent CEO

  Nick Pahade, the former North American CEO of Interpublic Group's Initiative, has been appointed CEO of crowdsourced video advertising specialist Poptent effective June 3. Pahade will be based at Poptent's Philadelphia headquarters. ...

• United Expands Loyalty Program To Businesses

  United Airlines is launching the MileagePlus Small Business Network, the first U.S. travel loyalty program that enables businesses to earn and redeem miles. Participating businesses earn award miles by purchasing goods and services from more than a dozen of the program's vendor partners, including leading providers of printing, ...

• Yahoo To Buy Tumblr For $1.1 Billion

  The Yahoo board has agreed to acquire popular blogging site Tumblr for $1.1 billion in cash, according to reports Sunday. The deal, first reported by tech blog AllThingsD, is expected to be announced as soon as Monday. The acquisition would mark Yahoo's most ambitious move yet to revitalize ...

• Traditional Radio Revs Flat, Digital Revs Up 9%

  Radio advertising revenues were flat at $3.5 billion in the first quarter of 2013, unchanged from the same period in 2012. Total spot advertising revenue, long the mainstay of the radio business, was down 2% to $3 billion, while digital revenues increased 9% to $179 million and off-air ...

• Original 'Voice' Judges Return

  The original quartet of coaches for "The Voice" will return for the fifth season this fall. Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton will be back as the show continues to draw strong ratings and serve as a cornerstone for NBC. ...

• Van Wagner Partners With CineSport For Online Video

  Van Wagner Communications' Sports and Entertainment division is joining forces with CineSport, partly owned by Van Wagner, to create and distribute original sports video content. Over 100 digital publishers lined up for the syndicated service, including newspaper Web sites from the 'New York Post,' 'Los Angeles Times,' 'Boston ...

• Weather.com Develops Real-Time Data Ad Targeting

  Weather.com has begun using audience segmentation data from Lotame to develop real-time targeting services based on weather conditions, time and interests for companies like Home Depot, Toyota, Disney and others. The platform relies on the potential of weather data as a powerful predictor of consumer purchase intent. ...

• Champs Taps Westbrook For Ad Push

  The effort features a 30-second television commercial in which a high school basketball player picks up Jordan brand gear at a Champs Sports store and "becomes" Westbrook: when he dons the outers, he looks into a mirror and sees Westbrook looking back. ...

• Strategic Vision: Domestics' Strong Showing In Quality

  Chrysler's Town & Country minivan, Dodge Dart, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and Ford Fusion made the top of their segments in Total Quality. VW has been on top at the corporate level for the past eight years. Audi, its luxury division, tied with Lexus for the best individual ...

• MetroPCS Drops Challenge To Neutrality Rules

  T-Mobile's newly acquired MetroPCS withdrew its challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules on Friday. But Verizon, which also challenged the rules, is continuing with its appeal. ...

• 'Geo-Conquesting' Drives Higher Mobile Click Rates

  The practice of conquesting -- running advertising for a brand or product near editorial content about a competitor's offerings online or in print -- is nothing new in the world of marketing. A more recent twist is the extension of the tactic to mobile location targeting by advertising ...

• 'Idol' Falls, 'Bang' Leads Thursdays

  The TV broadcast network environment is definitely shifting -- as evidenced by the last major night of the broadcast season, Thursday, where a number of high-profile season and series finales aired. Fox's "American Idol" final episode of the season expectedly took a steep dive -- down 44% to ...

• Cox-Backed, Skyword Raises $6.7 Million To Enhance Content Creation

  Skyword, a Boston-based provider of online social marketing content, has raised $6.7 million in venture capital funding led by existing backer Cox Media Group. The Skyword platform automates critical steps in the content creation and publishing process. It assesses search engine optimization services using a scorecard to ensure ...

• Sapient Revs Up 12%, Optimistic About 2013

  Marketing services company Sapient reported first-quarter revenues of $292.6 million -- up 12% from the same period a year ago -- with net income of $6.6 million, down 26%. The profit slide was partly the result of investments the company is making to expand overseas in markets in ...

• Ford, Jeep, Chevy Top Digital Auto Brands

  On the digital proving track, Detroit is beating out the competition. Ford, Jeep and Chevrolet were the top three auto brands based on an analysis of their Web site, digital marketing, social media and mobile efforts over the last year. ...

• KSE Finalizes Outdoor Channel Buy

  An entity controlled by sports entrepreneur Stan Kroenke has finalized its acquisition of the Outdoor Channel after a lengthy bidding war. The group also owns 50% of the World Fishing Network, offering some potential synergies. ...

• 'Tonight' Still King Of Late-Night TV

  While NBC proceeds to set up its late-night changes for next year, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" continues to grab steady top results -- just ahead of the competition. ...

• Choosing Sides: VivaKi Backs comScore; ABC Throws In With Nielsen

  In a battle to control the future of the ad industry's currency, Nielsen and comScore each added to their sides this week, with comScore tilting more in Madison Avenue's favor -- at least a big chunk of it. On Thursday, one of its biggest buyers of media, Publicis' ...

• Athenos Unleashes 'Cooking With Yiayia' Campaign

  The campaign is the latest creative evolution for Yiayia, who has amassed quite a fan base -- and helped drive substantial sales lifts for the brand's hummus and feta products -- since Athenos and agency Droga5 unleashed her on the world in early 2011. ...

• U.S. Open Going Cable-Only, Moves To ESPN

  After decades on the network that saw stars from Ashe to Navratilova to Federer win, the U.S. Open is leaving CBS. As part of an 11-year deal effective in 2015, ESPN will become the exclusive TV outlet for the tournament. ...

• Gen Y's Favorites: JCPenney, Target, Walmart, Kohl's

  For all of Gen Y's ballyhooed love of techno-shopping, it turns out that retailers have little to fear: Detailed research from the Urban Land Institute reveals that Millennials are crazy about shopping in real live stores. ...