| Wednesday, Apr 25, 2007 |
What's inside:
Today's Media News
1. Report: WPP Eyes Online Ad Giant 24/7 Real Media by Joe Mandese
2. Broadcast Erosion: Many Culprits, Few Solutions by Wayne Friedman
3. Lifetime: Readies New Shows, Touts Niche Audience Reach by David Goetzl
4. Real Estate Classifieds: The Roof Caves In by Erik Sass
5. Scarborough Bows New Quarterly Report for Newspapers by Erik Sass
6. McClatchy 1Q Revs Tumble, Classifieds Collapse by Erik Sass
7. MyNetworkTV Nixes Upfront Presentation by Wayne Friedman
8. Paper Tigers: NYTCO Shareholders Rebel, Want Structural Changes by Erik Sass
Commentary
9. Brandtique: Skyy by David Goetzl
News Briefs
10. Denuo Partners With Visible World, Hanlon Joins Board
11. Goldstone Becomes Prez DDB Healthcare
12. CBS Radio To Create Streaming Ads
13. Denver Post Offers 90 Newsroom Buyouts
14. Mercedes-Benz Adds Sirius To 2 More Lines
15. Correction: Nielsen Ratings Pool Versus TiVo
Today's News
1. Report: WPP Eyes Online Ad Giant 24/7 Real Media
by Joe Mandese
Mere weeks after Google's agreement to acquire online ad giant DoubleClick, one of the world's biggest ad agency holding companies is rumored to be in talks to acquire one of its oldest competitors. WPP Group has emerged as one of the suitors to acquire 24/7 Real Media, according to a report in today's New York Post.
Citing unnamed analysts, the paper estimated 24/7 Real Media could "fetch upwards of $600 million, or at least three times the company's annual revenue," though it said the asking price could be a lot higher, based on recent deals for Internet advertising companies. Coming on the heels of Google's $3.1 billion offer to acquire DoubleClick, the sale of 24/7 Real Media could spark a feeding frenzy, and consolidation within the online advertising services industry.
Founded in 1995 as Real Media, the company was among the seminal advertising representatives that emerged during the early days of the online advertising marketplace that forged online advertising networks, online ad serving platforms and production and distribution systems, and analytics for tracking and measuring the results of online advertising buys.
Although 24/7 Real Media has been an also-ran trailing the market dominance of DoubleClick, the company has sought to leverage Google's deal to acquire it by promoting itself to disaffected DoubleClick customers. A blatant link on 24/7 Real Media's home page reads: "Congratulations To GoogleClick Nation! Defectors, click here," and jumps to a registration page to sign up as a customer.
Shares of 24/7 Real Media closed Tuesday at $8.47 on Nasdaq, about halfway between their 52-week range of $6.72 and $10.89. The company's stock once traded at a high of $306.87 in January 2000, but was battered during the dot-com bust.
It's been a while since WPP Group made a major acquisition, but Chairman-CEO Martin Sorrell has been very vocal about his plans to restructure WPP in three key areas: Fast-growing emerging markets like China; research and other diversified marketing services; and online and other digital interactive advertising services.
Although WPP Group has been making a number of strategic investments, the company's last major acquisition was Grey Global Group in 2005 for $1.2 billion.
2. Broadcast Erosion: Many Culprits, Few Solutions
by Wayne Friedman
This season's surprising dip in broadcast ratings has many analysts digging deeper into the reasons, exploring type of programming, DVR usage, the Internet and even the usual suspect, cable TV.
Live-only broadcast ratings are down anywhere from 11% to 15%--a steep fall off from the last three years, when broadcast viewership has been basically flat versus the seasons before.
Just a handful of network prime-time shows have seen ratings improvements over a year ago, such as "House" and "America's Funniest Videos." But the list is long on the other side of the ledger. Shows like "24," "Desperate Housewives,' "Lost," and "CSI" have taken sizable dips.
Previously in the 1990s, broadcast viewership regularly dipped 3% to 5% per season--with cable networks getting the benefit. Some analysts say the huge drop this year isn't all going to cable.
A big key in broadcast's drop could be DVR users, who now represent 14% of all U.S. TV households. Sources say that fully 40% of DVR users time-shift. That in itself could result in a 5% drop or more, according to one network executive. "That's huge," says one executive. "Among DVR users, the highest-rated TV show in every half hour in prime time is DVR playback. I'm shocked we are not down more."
As for Internet usage, networks said early on that online viewing didn't affect regular viewership of certain shows--meaning consumers weren't foregoing the traditional prime-time airing. However, if they are watching "Desperate Housewives" on their computers in prime time, "they are not watching something else on TV."
Still, programming on the networks' Internet sites has skyrocketed to some 250 shows versus a year ago, when only a handful could be viewed on computers.
Other executives complain about the high number of serial drama programs, which frequently take long multi-week breaks between original episodes. That makes viewers apathetic, pushing them to go elsewhere.
But DVRs and the Internet may not be the only reasons. Jack Wakshlag, chief research officer for Turner Broadcasting, says when looking at live-plus seven days of DVR viewership, cable is up 3% in ratings over a year ago. This compares to some lower broadcast erosion than just live-only numbers--8% for the six networks, 5% for the four networks.
If this season appears rougher for the broadcast networks, he says, it's because it comes after an Olympic year, which typically witnesses a big hit in ratings. Whatever the reasons, many media executives are still worried--mostly because broadcast erosion got such attention this year.
Former Carat USA research executive Rob Frydlewicz, who is president of RAF, says: "With college TV ratings, engagement and commercial ratings to consider, some of the day-to-day information is being ignored. I think it has a lot of do with staffing at the agencies. There is just a limited amount of work agencies can do."
3. Lifetime: Readies New Shows, Touts Niche Audience Reach
by David Goetzl
To inject some oxygen into its sagging ratings, Lifetime is going back to basics--trying to create more compelling programming. En route, the female-targeted network says it is raising its development budget by 31%, although it declined to cite any hard figures.
A would-be foundation launches this summer with a Sunday three-hour drama block--"Army Wives," about spouses left behind in wartime; "Side Order of Life," about a magazine photographer in the midst of life-changing event; and "State of Mind," about a therapist who struggles with her own issues. The announcement came during an upfront event Tuesday before a packed house in New York.
However, in advance of the upfront, advertisers appear primed to press for evidence that their spots are not only run, but resonate. To that end, Lifetime said it will launch "live hosted interactive gaming interstitials," allowing "viewers to engage with advertisers on a deeper level." Lifetime will continue to diversify its revenue streams with a re-launch of Lifetimetv.com in June. New mobile and VOD initiatives are also teed up.
Still, the focus Tuesday was the proposed new shows. Lifetime entertainment president Susanne Daniels touted niche programming and said with its female target, Lifetime reaches "the largest niche there is," with women making up 51% of the population. (The catch: if a large portion of the audience is 50-plus, that may or may not be a positive.)
The success of "Army Wives" with Kim Delaney ("NYPD Blue") and "Side Order" with Jason Priestley ("Beverly Hills, 90210") partly hinges on the pair resuscitating their careers. ("Wives" also has Catherine Bell, who had a long run on "JAG"). "State of Mind" is from the executive producers of TNT's smash "The Closer," a show that Lifetime's Daniels memorably praised in a Wall Street Journal article.
On the development slate and likely scheduled during the broadcast September-May season are dramas "Burnt Toast," which is adapted from "Desperate Housewife" Teri Hatcher's memoir; and "Mile High," which continues the run of programs with British roots. It focuses on the cabin crew at a fledgling airline.
In the reality genre, coming series include "How to Look Good Naked" (another show with British roots) where Carson Kressley of "Queer Eye" helps women of all shapes and sizes look good unclothed, and "Going for Broke," where four debt-laden women compete to have their debt eradicated. The latter is produced by Reveille, a hot production house headed by Ben Silverman, which has a first-look deal with NBC. Lifetime says it made its arrangement on the show before the NBC deal was made.
The Lifetime network (the company also operates Lifetime Movie Network) has hit some bumps in the road recently. Prime-time ratings in its target female 18-to-49 demo are down 9% this broadcast season to an average 425,000.
Its prime-time median age has also climbed over the same period (September through April 8) to 52.2--up from 51.6 at the same point a season ago. Lifetime, however, says the tide is turning, and the median age this month has dropped to 49 from 52 in April 2006. Still, 49 is at the ceiling of its 18-to-49 sweet spot.
Revenues have taken a hit, too, according to TNS Media Intelligence, which shows ad revenues in 2006 declining by 7% to $769 million. To illustrate how difficult it is to get exact figures on network revenues, Lifetime cited figures from Kagan showing that its 2006 ad revenues were $537 million, which are projected to grow to $582 million in 2007.
Network officials were also stung by a cover story in Broadcasting & Cable that charged: "Lifetime is a network in peril." Among the reasons it noted were "fundamental programming misfires and weak marketing." The trade magazine also characterized CEO Betty Cohen as distant and "often MIA around the office." (Cohen appeared confident and ebullient at the event Tuesday, and said the network has momentum on all fronts.)
At the same time, the B&C article said Lifetime's ad sales business remains strong under the leadership of Lynn Picard. On Tuesday, the highly regarded Picard told the roomful of advertisers that working together and linking with the Lifetime equity give the network a leg up in the coming upfront. "It's critical to partner with a brand that's a proven winner, and Lifetime is that brand," she said.
4. Real Estate Classifieds: The Roof Caves In
by Erik Sass
These days, newspaper companies are running for shelter--but they're not finding it in a traditional stronghold: real-estate classified ads.
Based on a deep drop in March home sales, according to figures from the National Association of Realtors, first reported by CNNMoney.com, newspapers are feeling the heat. In March, sales of existing homes fell 8.4%, compared to February, the steepest month-to-month drop in 18 years. On top of newspapers' other woes, the reversal in a key classified category posting positive results in 2006 signals an acceleration of the medium's already rapid decline.
Real-estate classifieds were, until recently, one of the few areas where newspapers were enjoying revenue growth. But beginning in the fourth quarter of 2006, they joined the automotive and job-recruitment categories in posting year-over-year losses. According to the Newspaper Association of America, overall real-estate classified revenue slipped 2.26%, down markedly from a 10.5% growth rate in the third quarter.
The March drop to an annualized rate of 6.12 million home sales exceeded even the pessimistic predictions of economists, who had forecast a 3.5% decline from February's 6.68 million, ending at about 6.45 million. The largest one-month drop since January 1989, when the housing market decline heralded a widespread recession, the March malaise is sure to squeeze newspaper real classified listings, which deal almost entirely in existing homes.
According to analysts, the housing market slump is due to a tightening of standards from lenders, in particular heavier scrutiny of so-called "subprime" mortgages--riskier loans made to home buyers with problematic credit histories, which have suffered a growing default rate. Housing market insecurity is also evident in the latest figures released by the Conference Board on Tuesday, recording a sizeable drop in the consumer confidence index.
"With the housing slump deepening in spring--the traditional jump-start of the home-buying season--that means newspapers' real-estate woes could continue for another year, contributing both to print classifieds decline and online growth slowing," says Ken Doctor, a newspaper analyst with Outsell. He says it's unlikely that the market will turn around--and advertising pick up--until spring of 2008.
During that period, Doctor forecasts more online competition as various sites struggle for a piece of a much-reduced pie. He thinks newspapers should look for real-estate sites like Zillow and Trulia to ramp up their Web sites, offering more interactivity and local data. That way, when the market's back in force, he adds, newspaper sites and services will be ready.
However, the current problem is underlined by a decline in new home sales, which serve as a bellwether for existing home sales, as families sell their old houses. Big home builders are reporting more new homes remaining in inventory and markedly lower sales than last year. CNNMoney.com said D.R. Horton, the nation's second-largest homebuilder, saw new home sales fell 37% in the first quarter of 2007, compared to 2006.
Although the NAA hasn't released industry-wide numbers for the first quarter of 2007, individual companies, including Tribune, Gannett, and NYTCO, are all reporting weakness in real-estate listings. The industry-wide dip in fourth-quarter 2006 resembles the 1.8% in auto classifieds in fourth-quarter 2003, and the 16.9% drop in recruitment classifieds in first-quarter 2001. Both declines reversed a long period of healthy year-over-year growth--and were followed by long-term declines, which continue to the present day.
5. Scarborough Bows New Quarterly Report for Newspapers
by Erik Sass
Scarborough Research is giving a boost to the beleaguered newspaper industry with a new quarterly "Newspaper Audience Ratings Report" that gives the advertising and marketing community "more information about newspaper audiences," says Gary Meo, Scarborough's newspaper-services analyst and division leader. The new report--featuring separate numbers for print and online readership, as well as an "integrated audience" figure combining those two in an unduplicated measurement--highlights newspapers' growing online audiences in the midst of a general print decline.
The new report is part of a general push orchestrated by the Newspaper Association of America to raise the profile of newspapers, particularly their growing online reach. It includes NAA's NADBase and the inclusion of Scarborough's unduplicated total audience numbers on the Audit Bureau of Circulations' newspaper reports.
For media buyers, the report helps synthesize reach.
It lists newspapers geographically by DMA, detailing actual audience sizes for print and online for each publication, then translates these into a percent "coverage" figure, based on the DMA's total size. For example, in the first DMA described, the New York metro area, the New York Daily News had an average weekly print audience of roughly 4.5 million, giving it 29% coverage; its Web site attracted a weekly audience of 421,000, for 3% coverage. The New York Times had a smaller weekly print audience, with over 3.7 million and coverage of 24%. But the Grey Lady had a larger online share, with 1,390,000 unique visitors equaling 9% coverage.
"The newspaper companies have made a tremendous investment in their Web products, and those investments are beginning to pay off in terms of increasing Web audiences," said Meo. "It's a growth story for them, and they want to tell it as loudly as they can."
Newspapers are enjoying big jumps in online audience figures, according to the NAA, which released first-quarter numbers from Nielsen//NetRatings on Monday. The online measurement firm says more than 59 million people, representing 37.6% of active U.S. Internet users, visited newspaper Web sites during the first three months of 2007. That's a 5.3% jump over the first quarter of last year. March saw the largest number of unique visitors in history, at 59.5 million.
Newspapers' online revenue continued to grow as well in the first quarter of 2007, but the percentage rate of growth is slowing on a year-over-year basis. The total online revenue base remains small, while declines in print revenue appear to be accelerating, according to newspaper industry observer Ken Doctor, an analyst with Outsell, Inc.
"Online growth is slowing at the time the print revenue decline is deepening," Doctor notes. "Those revenues are declining fairly rapidly, and newspaper executives have been hoping the pace of online growth would pick up, rather than slow down." What does the future hold in this gloomy scenario? "As newspaper companies revamp their operations, they will emerge as significantly smaller companies," Doctor predicts.
6. McClatchy 1Q Revs Tumble, Classifieds Collapse
by Erik Sass
The litany of bad news for newspapers continued Tuesday with the release of first-quarter results by McClatchy Co., which saw earnings tumble 67.5% to $9 million from $27.7 million a year ago.
Overall revenue more than doubled, due to McClatchy's acquisition of Knight Ridder properties in 2006. However, calculating revenues based on the acquired newspapers' previous results, total ad revenue still dropped 5.3% to $477 million, compared to the first quarter of 2006.
Chairman and CEO Gary Pruitt conceded: "In the first quarter of 2007, we faced the toughest advertising climate we have seen in a number of years. In particular, real estate and automotive advertising were hurt by the continuing declines in sales of both homes and domestic vehicles."
Adjusting for the acquisition of Knight Ridder properties, McClatchy saw total classified ad revenue drop 12%, with automotive down 10%, real estate down 18.6% and job recruitment down 12.7%. Adding insult to injury, national ad revenues dropped 12.4%. Retail was the only bright spot, with revenues up 4.2%.
On the Internet front, McClatchy's online revenues rose just 5.4%--a lackluster performance in an area where other newspapers are posting double-digit gains. McClatchy blamed the slow Web growth on its decision to cut its stake in CareerBuilder.com, an online job-recruitment network co-owned by Tribune Co., Gannett and McClatchy, following the latter's purchase of Knight Ridder. After the deal, McClatchy sold about half its stake to Tribune and Gannett for $284 million--giving them 42.5% each, while it retained 15%.
McClatchy also blamed its weak first-quarter results on losses incurred during the sale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which cost the company $5.5 million. Beyond the immediate financial repercussions, the sale of the Tribune was a humiliating retreat for McClatchy. The company purchased the newspaper for $1.2 billion in March 1998, but sold it in December 2006 for just $731 million.
7. MyNetworkTV Nixes Upfront Presentation
by Wayne Friedman
MyNetworkTV won't offer up a big splashy upfront presentation in May.
Instead, the wannabe network, which has had a rocky start, is taking a more personal route. It will have its chief advertising sales executive, Bob Cesa, who is also executive vice president of ad sales for Twentieth TV, set up private agency-by-agency meetings in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
MNT is also staging a comeback--of sorts. The net is planning a return move of its telenovelas to Tuesday nights in September. Since arriving in January, MNT President Greg Meidel has drastically changed the lineup to include male-target sports, like ultimate fighting, theatrical movies and reality shows, which have lifted the network's dismal ratings somewhat over its initial debut of an all-telenovela prime-time lineup.
8. Paper Tigers: NYTCO Shareholders Rebel, Want Structural Changes
by Erik Sass
A surprisingly large number of New York Times Co. shareholders withheld their votes in the annual election of the company's 13-member board of directors on Tuesday to protest the company's dual-share structure, which allows the Ochs-Sulzberger family to maintain a management monopoly.
Forty-two percent of shareholders withheld their vote--a big increase from last year's election boycott, when 28% withheld their ballots. Despite the growing dissent, the Ochs-Sulzbergers seem determined to hold on to the existing share structure, which allows them to elect nine board members, versus just four for regular shareholders.
In an official statement from NYTCO, chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said he sympathized with shareholders dissatisfied with NYTCO's lagging stock price. But he promised it could be remedied without leveling the share structure, thereby giving regular shareholders an equal voice in management elections. "We understand shareholder frustration as reflected in today's vote. At the same time, many shareholders have expressed to us that we are pursuing the key actions needed to improve performance and returns to shareholders," said Sulzberger.
From a high of $26.25 in February, NYTCO stock sunk to just above $23.83 by close of business Tuesday, a 9.2% drop. The stock's performance won't be helped by the company's weak first-quarter results, released last Thursday. They showed print ad revenue declining 3.4%, compared to the same period last year, as total profit fell 9.9% to $54.5 million. Internet revenue rose 21.6%--but this marks a slowdown from total annual growth of 39% in 2006.
The vote boycott followed almost two years of public criticism of NYTCO management by Hassan Elmasry, a Morgan Stanley Investment Management fund manager based in London. He has advocated boycotts both last year and this year as a way for shareholders to register their dissatisfaction. Morgan Stanley owns about 7% of NYTCO's "Class A" shares, which confer less voting power than the "Class B" shares owned by the Ochs-Sulzbergers. The Ochs-Sulzbergers own about 89% of the Class B shares and 19% of the Class A shares.
Elmasry also suggested in a letter to the NYTCO board that the dual-class share structure was being abused "to entrench [Ochs-Sulzberger] family control and employment." In February, the Ochs-Sulzbergers retaliated by withdrawing their personal investments from Morgan Stanley management.
This year, Elmasry was joined by Institutional Shareholder Services, which advises organizations that hold stock in major companies. In a letter to clients released earlier this month, ISS wrote: "Shareholders are left with few avenues through which to voice their opinion other than by withholding from Class A directors."
ISS was careful to note that it did not advocate the removal of any of the Class A directors. Members of the Ochs-Sulzberger family, however, were fair game. ISS pointedly observed that Michael Golden, NYTCO vice-chairman and a family cousin, "is among the most highly compensated executive officers of the company," yet isn't accountable to NYTCO shareholders.
Brushing aside his family's role in Tuesday's boycott, Sulzberger focused on its approval of the four directors elected by Class A shareholders following the annual meeting: "Institutional Shareholder Services, a proxy governance firm, said in a recent report that it did not advocate removal of the Class A nominees, and we are very pleased that our directors have agreed to remain on the Board."
Commentary
9. Brandtique: Skyy
by David Goetzl
When a bottle of Skyy vodka made an appearance in the season premiere of the HBO comedy "Entourage," the marketers behind the spirits brand had to be (and pardon the banal, overwrought pun) in great spirits.
It was hard not to notice the distinctive blue-hued bottle that may give Absolut's clear vessel a run for its money in terms of reflexive consumer recognition. Besides the couldn't-miss presence April 8, the "Entourage" audience no doubt dovetails with Skyy's target consumer. The brand positions itself as a high-end favorite of the glitterati, a fixture at film festival parties and the Gansevoort ultra-chic bar in the sky (Skyy?) in New York's Meatpacking District.
"Entourage," with its inside-baseball humor and esoteric story lines, has a particular appeal among the industry folks in L.A.--and those who know the length of Graydon Carter's hair. And the series gets that crowd talking. More broadly, it's on a premium channel, with an upscale profile and presumably trendsetting audience.
Classify the Skyy integration as one a media planner could use as the basis for a raise. It was brand exposure that unavoidably reached a sizable sector of the marketer's wheelhouse. Another plus: the integration (one of the top product placements of the week, according to measurement firm iTVX) was a paradigm of what's known as organic product placement--industry lexicon for slotting a product into the flow of a show without a gaudy, overcooked presence that can turn viewers off.
Perhaps the biggest boon of all: Ostensibly, it didn't cost Skyy a cent, save the charge for FedEx-ing some bottles and other brand regalia to the producers.
In a neat twist, Skyy's appearance on "Entourage"--the series HBO is counting on to continue its "Sex and the City"-"Six Feet Under"-"Sopranos"-propelled momentum--meant weaving the brand into the story line, where it offered a satire of product placement itself.
Here's how it went down:
The hangers-on of lead character Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) are planning his birthday bash, but are short on cash. One of the clingers, Turtle (Jerry Ferrara)--the lead dog on the planning--concocts the idea to get sponsors to foot the bill. "I got help from some friends," is the way he puts it, as Chase & Co. arrive at the event agog at the crowd size and panache.
One entourage member expresses frustration at the commercialism, as the camera offers a shot of a sign reading "Victoria's Secret wishes Vince a very sexy birthday."
Turtle's retort: "Hold off on your judgment 'til you see the whole thing." And it really is quite the affair, partly thanks to Skyy, which makes an appearance in the ensuing scenes. There's a shot of a Skyy-decorated bar and branded trays carried by servers in the background. But those are mere lead-ins to the crème de la crème: Vince--the super-hot Hollywood luminary, so hot he won't "sell out" and do endorsements--is holding a Skyy bottle for a flood of paparazzi.
Just as he preps to blow out his candles on a massive cake, Turtle says, "Whoa--don't blow anything out yet, mind holding this up while you do it?" Enter the distinctive blue bottle, as Vince flashes his million-dollar smile while displaying it excitedly.
If Skyy were to pay for the product-placement windfall, the price would no doubt be (pun coming) sky-high. But if HBO is to be believed, Skyy got it gratis. The commercial-free network claims it accepts no money for brand insertions, product placement or any in-show commercialism. "We feel that since we are advertiser-free, from a philosophical point, product placement is another form of advertising, and we do not do it," an HBO rep reportedly told The Chicago Tribune.
HBO produces some of the best programming ever, and does product placement pretty well, too. Nike, for one, received a nice, organic plug in a previous "Entourage" season. In addition, "The Sopranos" has offered up Nissan SUVs, Tropicana containers and other brands over its run. In fact, on a recent "Sopranos" episode, the script even mentioned a Skyy competitor with one of the characters telling Tony (James Gandolfini) he's scored a stash of the premium Imperial brand for him.
About the only downside for Skyy had absolutely nothing to do with the company.
"Entourage" seems to be lacking, to borrow a phrase from another HBO hit, some zsa-zsa-zou this season. While the writing remains crisp and witty, the dramatic fulcrums are ho-hum. Thus far, the only notable one being whether Vince will return to the agent (played by show-stopper Jeremy Piven) he dismissed last season. But top comedies such as "Friends" have dipped before in the middle of their run, only to make strong recoveries.
There have also been complaints about HBO's scheduling of the half-hour comedy. While it's understandable that the network wants to use the lead-in from "The Sopranos" at 9 p.m. to drive viewers to "Entourage" at 10, it's frustratingly incongruous. The lighthearted comedy simply doesn't work after the pulsating, weighty drama. "The Sopranos" takes time to digest; a slower-moving hour-long drama works better in its wake, instead of the 23 minutes of waggish "Entourage."
Of course, HBO on Demand allows devotees of both shows to watch them in any order and time they choose--and as often as they please.
It's likely the Skyy marketing team is taking advantage. But for another reason--to view its close-up again and again.
News Briefs
10. Denuo Partners With Visible World, Hanlon Joins Board
Publicis' Denuo Tuesday said it finalized a "partnership" with Visible World, and that Denuo Senior Vice President Tim Hanlon has joined the advisory board of the cross-platform video advertising company. Visible World, whose backers already include WPP Group, has developed sophisticated digital asset management systems enabling advertisers and agencies to digitally produce multiple versions of targeted TV commercial on the fly, and some see it as a solution to the growing complexity of addressable TV and multiple video advertising platforms on conventional, mobile, broadband and digital out-of-home television. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
11. Goldstone Becomes Prez DDB Healthcare
DDB Worldwide has tapped Mark Goldstone for president of DDB Healthcare. DDB is a division of Omnicom Group. Previously, Goldstone was executive vice president of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group. He reports directly to CEO Chuck Brymer. A healthcare marketing professional, Goldstone also led healthcare practices for Euro RSCG and Interbrand Wood, another Omnicom company. --Amy Corr
12. CBS Radio To Create Streaming Ads
CBS Radio is partnering with TargetSpot, a company that allows businesses to create, buy and place radio ads within streaming radio airplay. The deal involves 140 CBS stations. It was announced along with a new round of funding for TargetSpot from Union Square Ventures, CBS and Oddcast Inc. The technology allows advertisers to create customized audio, video and banner ads with their own sound content, as well as an array of stock jingles, sound effects and visuals. Buying ad space online, clients can target audiences demographically, by location, or through a specific radio station's Web site. --Erik Sass
13. Denver Post Offers 90 Newsroom Buyouts
The Denver Post offered voluntary buys Monday to 90 news staffers. The newspaper will accept as many as 37 by June. There are now 268 works in its newsrooms, the newspaper reports. In 2006, the Post also offered buyouts, eliminating more than 12 news positions.
14. Mercedes-Benz Adds Sirius To 2 More Lines
Mercedes-Benz USA is adding Sirius Satellite Radio to two additional models this year: the S-Class and CLS, available at dealerships later this year. Sirius is currently standard in Mercedes-Benz's SL-Class and CL-Class model vehicles, and all AMG and 600 model vehicles.
15. Correction: Nielsen Ratings Pool Versus TiVo
On Tuesday, a MediaDailyNews story entitled "Interpublic Signs TiVo Ratings Deal, No Comment From Nets" wrote that a sample of 20,000 TiVo homes for measuring second-by-second data was based on "a considerably smaller sample than the Nielsen national pool." In fact, Nielsen ratings are based on a pool of homes that is about half that size. However, the TiVo StopWatch service gauges behavior from a universe of 4 million-plus homes, compared to Nielsen's attempt to produce ratings for all American TV homes.
Wednesday, Apr 25, 2007
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