Which celebrities do Americans trust most? Tom Hanks and Oprah. What celebrities do Americans see as the most trend-setting? Oprah again, followed by Halle Berry, then Beyoncé Knowles. So says the Davie-Brown Index, a new tool for brand marketers and agencies to determine a celebrity’s marketing influence. For a membership fee of $20,000, DBI members gain access to a dynamic database, updated weekly, ranking celebrities in key areas: appeal, notice, trendsetting, influence, trust, endorsement, and aspiration. “Our company is the largest purchaser of celebrity talent for corporations,” says Jeff Chown, president of Davie-Brown Talent. “Our …

When new jersey Nets fans ascended to their sections a few months ago, they may have noticed something new: Cushman & Wakefield placards affixed to the steps.

In delivering on-demand content, publishers often face an either/or bind: Either give away ad-backed content for free or charge for it. Ultramercial has an alternative course: a patent-pending video-on-demand solution that allows online viewers to “pay” by agreeing to view ads from selected sponsors in lieu of cash. Ultramercial’s ViewPass integrates VOD programming and the sponsor’s commercial, and is designed as a one-stop interface for advertisers and media buyers. Ultramercial handles all formatting, ad-serving, and delivery. The service also provides reporting and analytics. Paul Grusche, senior vice president of marketing, Ultramercial, says, “Publishers get a new …

Newspapers: you almost have to feel sorry for them. Once pillars of democracy that created presidents, won wars, and tried villains, lately they're besieged by circulation and editorial scandals, radical restructurings, layoffs and weak advertising, and they face an onslaught of new technologies. The Internet, in particular, has taken a whack out of the once almighty gazettes.

While the bandwidth battle rages in cable and broadband, the movie-rental service MovieBeam made news earlier this year by bypassing those pipes. MovieBeam delivers complete, ready-to-watch Hollywood titles to homes in 29 American markets via “datacasting” — sending digital content over spare PBS airwaves. A $200 set-top box decodes and stores 100 film titles, with 10 new releases delivered each week. Viewers can watch films on-demand for $4 each ($5 for high-definition titles). Datacasting isn’t MovieBeam’s only ace. The set-top boxes, co-branded with Cisco’s Linksys, include Ethernet and USB ports, and starting in the fall, broadband will …

Where do stressed-out executives go to get away from it all? The golf course, of course. But they can't get way from advertising: LinkServ Golf is targeting affluent executives with ad messages on golf screens.

Dinner in front of the TV isn't just for the home anymore. A study by the National Restaurant Association says that many eateries plan to add tableside TV and Internet access.

Think only complicated games can enrapture players and drive traffic? Guess again. Online versions of sporting events are grabbing eyeballs and emotions ? and perhaps changing the way advertisers think about games. During the 2006 Winter Olympics, for example, nbcOlympics.com drew big numbers with rather simple, essentially unpromoted games such as "Bode Miller Skiing."

Giant, an entertainment magazine for young men, is offering co-branded ads as a way to lure marketers seeking unique product placement opportunities. Several VTech brand experience ads, produced by the magazine’s creative team, have boasted original interviews with up-and-coming musicians and an editorial feel, though the word “advertisement” appears on the page. Hip-hop artist Beat Konducta of Stones Throw Records appeared in one ad, while writer/director Jason Reitman discussed his film “Thank You for Smoking” at the Sundance Film Festival in another. “It was a full-circle sort of production,” says publisher Michael Provus. “We had …

In the market for one more cool gadget? Sony is gearing up to introduce its sliver-sized Sony Reader. It's a digital book device less than a half-inch thick and weighing under nine ounces, so it should fit nicely next to such digital brethren as iPods, Treos, and the like. The Reader holds up to 80 eBooks and can process PDF files, blogs, newsfeeds, and jpeg images. The reader is priced at $400, and Sony plans to offer nearly 10,000 titles for download from an online store. The best part: The device is about the size of a …