• Forstall Out In Apple Shake-Up
    Apple on Monday announced Scott Forstall, who leads software development for the iPad and iPhone, and John Browett, head of its retail operations, are leaving Apple, in a management shake-up. As part of the changes, the responsibilities of the two executives will be spread among others including Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi. Cue, Apple’s SVP of Internet software and services, will assume oversight of Siri and Maps, placing all the company’s online services in one group. The launch of Apple Maps under Forstall to replace Google Maps in iOS 6, in particular, has proven …
  • "Anderson Live" to end
    Second year syndication talker, "Anderson Live" , from Warner Bros. Brand Networks, has called it quits. Just earning around a Nielsen 1.3 million viewers on average for the first month and a half of the season, it hasn't been able to grow viewership despite a number of format/title changes. It'll finish out the season and stop in the summer of next year. The Monday through Friday show hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper couldn't make up ground against existing shows, and through the first month and a half of this season was well behind …
  • Zinio Debuts Windows 8 App
    Digital newsstand Zinio is among the latest to introduce an app for Windows 8 following the formal launch of the Microsoft platform on Thursday. The app, designed to run on PC and the Microsoft’s new Surface tablet, will allow users to subscribe to magazines in Zinio’s catalog of 5,500 titles as well as save and share individual articles. Specific features for Windows 8 include quick recovery of magazine libraries purchased on other platforms; the ability to pinch and stretch views via the touchscreen; offline reading and auto-downloading on Wi-Fi and the ability to bookmark pages or pin magazines or articles …
  • GMR Marketing Opens Moscow Office
    GMR Marketing, the London-based global sports, entertainment and lifestyle marketing agency, has opened an office in Moscow. The expansion into Russia and Central Eastern Europe Middle East & Africa comes as a response to the market's continued emergence as a global stage and, correspondingly, interest among the agency's top brand clients to strategise around it. The effort, a move that is further widening GMR's already-extensive international footprint, will be led by Russian marketer Julia Scherbakova.
  • MMA Names ePrize 'Premier Member'
    The Mobile Marketing Association has named ePrize, a marketer specializing in digital and mobile sweepstakes, direct marketing and promotions, as a North America Premier Member. The program represents the highest tier regional membership and includes benefits such as sponsorship of MMA events. Other Premier Members include Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and InMobi. Read more here.
  • Smartphone Shipments Up 45% In Q3
    Samsung comfortably maintained its perch atop the smartphone market in the third quarter while one-time leader Nokia dropped out of the top five. According to the latest data from IDC, Samsung had a 31.3% share of global smartphone shipments, followed by Apple at 15%, Research in Motion (4.3%), ZTE (4.2%), and HTC (4%). This is the first time since the fourth quarter of 2009 no single manufacturer has held more than 31% market share, with Samsung and Apple dominating the category. The rise of those companies, along with high-growth players like Huawei in China, pushed Nokia out of IDC’s …
  • Half Of Users Seek Customer Service In Social Media
    A new report from NM Incite, Nielsen’s social media arm, offers insight into how social media is affecting brands’ customer service operations. Among the key findings: -47% of all social media users actively seek customer service through social media.   -30% of social media users prefer to reach out to a brand for customer service through a social channel compared to the phone. -71% of those who experience positive “social care” (i.e., a quick and effective brand response) would be likely to recommend that brand to others, compared to just 19% of customers that don't receive any response. -The …
  • Apple Sells 27M iPhones In Quarter
    Apple said Thursday it sold 26.9 million iPhones in its fiscal fourth quarter--slightly above recently reduced estimates of about 25 million to 26 million—but its profit of $8.2 billion, $8.67 per share, fell short of Wall Street’s expectations. Revenue came in at $36 million for the quarter, up from $28.3 million a year ago and $35 billion in the prior quarter. Analysts on average estimated Apple would report a profit of $8.84 per share on revenue of $35.9 million. Apple sold 14 million iPads in the quarter, 4.9 million Macs, and 5.3 million iPods. The tech giant announced earnings …
  • 10% Of Campaign Donors Texting Funds
    The Federal Elections Commission in June for the first time allowed political campaigns to accept campaign contributions via text message. So what has that meant for the presidential campaigns? According to a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 13% of all adults have donated to President Obama’s or Mitt Romney’s campaign in this year’s election. Within that 13%: -67% donated in person, over the telephone, or through the mail -50% donated online or via email -10% donated by sending a text message from their cell phone or using a cell phone app That …
  • Zynga Posts Q3 Loss, Bets On Real-Money Gaming
    Struggling social games maker Zynga on Wednesday reported a loss of $52.7 million, or 7 cents a share. That compares to a profit of $12.5 million, or break-even, a year ago. Revenue, however, was up 3% to $317 million, higher than the $300 million to $305 million the company had forecast in a pre-earnings disclosure on Oct. 4. The earnings report comes a day after Zynga announced the layoffs of 150 employees, or 5% of its staff, and the closing of studios in Boston, Japan and the U.K to reduce costs. It also pulled the plug on 13 underperforming …
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