• Firing SQAD: Data Firm Sets 'CPM' As Online Ad Metric by Joe Mandese

    In a move that will likely align the ROI of online advertising more closely with that of traditional media such as television, an influential source of media marketplace data this morning announced it will use Madison Avenue's long-standing CPM, or cost-per-thousand, metric as the "currency" for tracking online advertising. The announcement by Tarrytown, NY-based SQAD, comes as other influential industry source are trying to reshape online media in the image of television, and as online industry insiders wage their own debate about the best metrics for evaluating the efficacy of their medium. ...Read the whole story

  • Chemistry.com Sponsors Lesbian Ad Network by Tanya Irwin

    Industry veteran Mark Elderkin, the founder/CEO of Gay Ad Network, today is launching Lesbian Ad Network. Chemistry.com and Switzerland Tourism are on board as the vertical online ad network's inaugural partners. Lesbian Ad Network comprises the world's leading lesbian brands and offers a unique platform for reaching the lesbian market across branded content sites and blogs, with custom editorial sponsorships, viral widget syndication and video advertising, Elderkin said. ...Read the whole story

  • video Online Video Extends TV Campaign Reach by Laurie Sullivan

    Utarget.FOX will unveil results today from a study measuring how online video extends the reach of television campaigns. The research, conducted with U.K. cable operator Mediacom Communications, is the first in a series of studies the News Corp. company will engage in this year to help advertisers better assess the return on investment for online video. ...Read the whole story

  • Rep. Frank Betting On Revised Net Bill's Odds by Wendy Davis

    Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) plans to introduce a bill to legalize Web gambling, his spokesperson confirmed Monday. The new measure, which the lawmaker expects to unveil next month, will likely be similar to a bill he unsuccessfully introduced in 2007, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act. ...Read the whole story

  • email Study: Email Strengthens Brand Image, Generates Sales by Gavin O'Malley

    Over time, consumers receiving a retailer's permission-based email become more likely to do business with--and develop a more favorable opinion of--that company, according to new research from direct marketing agency Epsilon. And, while the deck is clearly stacked in favor of company-friendly consumers, the research still proves that email only strengthens bonds between brand and consumer, according Kevin Mabley, Epsilon's EVP of strategic services. ...Read the whole story

  • video Nielsen: Video Viewing Up Across Three Screens by Mark Walsh

    The appetite for video continued to grow in the fourth quarter as U.S. consumers watched more programming across television, the Internet and mobile devices in the fourth quarter than the prior quarter, according to Nielsen's latest A2/M2 Three Screen report . ...Read the whole story

  • Microsoft Wants To Be Less Hard: Unveils Initiatives To Reduce 'Friction' For Advertisers, Publishers by Joe Mandese

    Microsoft unveiled initiatives to develop new versions of its online advertising systems for publishers and advertisers during a keynote Monday at the Interactive Advertising Bureau's annual conference in Orlando. The initiatives--presented by Scott Howe, corporate vice president of the company's Advertiser & Publisher Solutions Group--include a small, influential group of online publishers that will literally design the next phase of Microsoft's online publishing platform. ...Read the whole story

  • gaming AT&T, Microsoft Seek Inner Rock Star by Laurie Sullivan

    AT&T wants to give aspiring musicians a chance to realize their dreams. With help from Microsoft, the telecom carrier has launched the Lips Open Mic Contest, named after the Xbox game, Lips. The grand prize winner's song will be turned into a free downloadable karaoke tune for the Xbox 360 game and an original score for the Zune MP3 player. ...Read the whole story

  • IAB Launches Efforts To Boost Ad Creativity, Ad-Buying by Mark Walsh

    The Interactive Advertising Bureau has unveiled a set of new initiatives aimed at bolstering both the creative and business sides of online advertising. Among the steps announced at its annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., the IAB has created an advisory panel of a dozen top digital agency executives to help promote the creative potential of interactive media. ...Read the whole story

  • Pure Play Web, Mobile Expected To Grow by Gavin O'Malley

    Albeit at a slower rate than once thought, pure-play Web and mobile services are still expected to grow by 9.1% this year, according to a mid-term forecast report released Monday by private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson. This year's revised growth rate is down from the original of 15.5%, and 11.6% last year, according to VSS. ...Read the whole story

  • 'Real Simple' Web Site Gets a Makeover by Gavin O'Malley

    Time Inc. lifestyle brand Real Simple today is expected to relaunch its Web site with additional content channels, features and video content. In January, RealSimple.com garnered 17.6 million page views--up 35% over the 2008 monthly average--and 2.1 million unique visitors in January 2009--up 19% over the 2008 monthly average, according to Omniture. ...Read the whole story

  • Obama May Follow Bush's 'Tracks' In Pursuing File-Sharing Lawsuit by Wendy Davis

    The Obama administration is considering whether to side with the recording industry in a lawsuit against an alleged file-sharer, as the Bush administration did in 2007. Last week, the Justice Department filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania requesting a March 25 deadline to decide "whether to intervene in this matter to defend the constitutionality of the statutory damages provision of the Copyright Act." Judge Cynthia Rufe granted that request Friday. ...Read the whole story

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