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Turning training into action means keeping abreast of the changing landscape, so whether it's mobile or social, search or creative, this month's edition has news or research based on the modules in your digital training.
Your data charts this month include top Apps, costs of a Facebook Sponsored Story, the (ridiculously complicated) social media landscape, and as always full stories and videos are on click-through, along with the special report on India.
Best from all @ Digital
Danny Meadows-Klue
President
Digital Training Academy
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Facebook
After the IPO, GM pulling their ads from FB, and aggressive investor reaction, we have equally important news for marketers about new approaches for ads, the automated 'Premium Ad' system, and their new mobile tools for fan pages.
Digital regulation
To top up your training, there's news on the frustrating EU cookie law, and then the UK last minute watering-down (video below) - an approach we expect several other countries to adopt. The UK U-turn simply changes the wording from 'explicit consent' to 'implied consent' - which reverses much of the meaning - good news for marketers.
Google
Google's news includes videos from Zeitgeist and their driverless car, but Google's power is increasing further, with their entry into the mobile device market complete (the $12.5bn Motorola Mobility deal) and Google+ getting strengthened with a 'Hangouts' webcam community.
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In August 2011, the UK Internet population spent 3.4 billion hours online. If we distilled all usage into a single hour, it would look like this...
10/05/2012 | Full story...
Apple is the most valuable brand in terms of dollar value, while Facebook is the fastest growing brand, making it to No. 19. This infographic looks at the key stats behind the biggest brands in the world.
29/05/2012 | Full story...
Apple is remains the most valuable brand in terms of dollar value, while Facebook is the fastest growing brand, making it to No. 19. The world's biggest brands have continued to grow in value during the current economic uncertainty, according to WPP company Millward Brown's annual BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study.
23/05/2012 | Full story...
Google's Chrome browser has surpassed longtime frontrunner Internet Explorer as the most popular browser in the world, accoding to new data. The results have been contested by Microsoft, which claims the findings are based on flawed data.
23/05/2012 | Full story...
Most consumers believe the internet as we know it would 'disappear' without ads, but most want want more information about the online ads they see and only 1 in 10 are willing to pay for advertising-free content, according to a new survey. The study, a report being published by the IAB UK and ValueClick, was based on 2,000 interviews carried out by Kantar Media - 650 face-to-face and 1,350 online.
15/05/2012 | Full story...
Microsoft is reportedly testing a version of its upcoming Internet Explorer 9 browser for its Xbox 360 games console. Sources speaking to technology blog The Verge understand the software would be compatible with the Kinect system, meaning users could browse the web using hand gestures rather than mouse cursors or touch screen devices.
14/05/2012 | Full story...
The average American watches nearly five hours of video each day, 98% of which they watch on a traditional TV set, according to a new report. The Nielsen Cross-Platform Report found that although this ratio is less than it was just a few years ago, and continues to change, the fact remains that Americans are not turning off. They are shifting to new technologies and devices that make it easier for them to watch the video they want, whenever and wherever they want.
11/05/2012 | Full story...
The age of the 'lurker' is over, according to a new BBC report which debunks the widely accepted '1% rule' of the Internet, which asserts that just 1% of users create content and 10% engage with them, while the rest of the world sits back and watches. The broadcaster has carried out extensive research which it says shows this model is outmoded. Participation is now the rule rather than the exception: 77% of the UK online population is now active in some way. 60% of the UK online population now participates in some way on the web, from sharing photos to starting a discussion.
09/05/2012 | Full story...
The Asia-Pacific region is the best place for broadband, with the US and Europe training behind, according to new research. According to Akamai's State of the internet report, 69 of the top 100 cities were placed in the Asia-Pacific region, followed by 24 cities in the United States and seven in Europe.
03/05/2012 | Full story...
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In February 2012, 13% of internet visits were related to social media, the second largest amount of visits after entertainment.
28/05/2012 | Full story...
Digital marketing budgets continue to rise in tough times while a lack of in-house expertise leaves business relying on agency insights, according to the results of a new UK survey looking at the search marketing industry. The report, from Netbooster and Econsultancy, also indicated that UK marketers were yet to get to grips with Google+ as a marketing tool, with businesses typically doing little to exploit opportunities for increased visibility.
25/05/2012 | Full story...
Slow running and unreliable websites are still a major gripe for British Internet users, causing over a third of customers to never come back, according to new research. The study, from 1 and 1 Internet, With 71 per cent of UK web users regularly inconvenienced by slow running websites, they continue to cause negative emotions.
23/05/2012 | Full story...
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The Indian online advertising market, including classifieds, will grow by a huge 54% in the next 12 months, according to new data. The research, from the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB, found that as of March 2012, the industry was worth Rs 2,851 crores in annual revenue.
24/05/2012 | Full story...
India is the third biggest country in terms of internet users in the world, with a highly social and mobile audience. This snapshot takes a closer look at India's digital consumer, and the key trends driving the country towards a digital future. It's estimated as many as 121 million Indians are logged onto the internet. It is a sizeable number, but still a relatively small proportion of the country's 1.2 billion population.
This video from Nielsen demonstrates how digital is going to change the way Indian consumers are connecting and engaging with each other, and what it means for marketers.
23/05/2012 | Full story...
The use of the mobile Web is set to overtake fixed-line Internet in India by the end of the year, as the country's mobile revolution continues at full speed, according to new data. Statistics from statcounter indicate that India's mobile Web usage is just under 50% as of the second quarter of 2012. Meanwhile, wired access is steeply falling.
22/05/2012 | Full story...
In India, women spend the same amount of time on their smartphones as compared to men. However, there are sharp contrasts in how they use their phones, according to new research. The study, from Nielsen Informate Mobile Insights notes that men spend 50 percent more time browsing the web on their smartphones than women. Conversely, Women spend 3 hours more on calls every month as compared to men, and 4 times the amount of time men spend on Instant Messaging (Chat) applications.
11/05/2012 | Full story...
 The massive Indian market is changing fast. Internet access is mainstreaming among professionals and the use of mobile is intensifying. Our Digital Intelligence special report on India gives a sense of the scale of change we've seen so far and implies the scale of what is coming.
For
the deep dive click here...
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Our researchers and journalists build snapshots of markets, companies and digital trends based on what you're interested in. Vote and tell us what brands, sectors and countries you would like us to focus on next.
Vote now...
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Facebook is considering another post-IPO acquisition, this time expanding its facial recognition technology through the acquisition of Tel Aviv-based based Face.com, according to new reports. Israeli business publication Calcalist reports that the social networking giant is close to purchasing face recognition technology company Face.com. Meanwhile, Newsgeek reports that the deal size is between $80 million and $100 million.
30/05/2012 | Full story...
Facebook has floated on the US stock market with a market worth of $104bn, in the highest ever first-day valuation of a US public company, ahead of the likes of Amazon, Disney and Kraft. The valuation comes despite concerns about the company's long-term money making potential. The $38 a share price tag means Facebook would trade at over 100 times historical earnings versus Apple's 14 times and Google's 19 times.
Watch Mark Zuckerberg's pitch to investors below in this Bloomberg video:
18/05/2012 | Full story...
The long-rumoured 'Facebook Smartphone' could finally become a reality next year, as the social network looks to boost revenue from the mobile sector, according to news reports. The New York Times cited unnamed sources, including Facebook employees, suggesting that the network had been hiring several smartphone engineers.
29/05/2012 | Full story...
Facebook has launched a Page Manager app, letting page owners keep their fans up to date while on the go. The Facebook Page app for mobile has always had the ability to manage Facebook pages, but not with the same features, and often with numerous bugs when it came to properly posting content.
28/05/2012 | Full story...
Facebook has launched its own photo creation and sharing app, simply called 'Facebook camera', just weeks after buying Instagram. As well as the option to take, edit, group and filter photos, the free iOS app features a news feed of friend's photos (and the option to switch to just the user's) and nothing else. From the news feed display, users can take your own photographs or pull shots from their 'camera roll' to tweak and upload.
28/05/2012 | Full story...
Facebook advertising formats are changing again, and so is the way you buy them. As the social network continues to evolve, the premium Facebook advertising formats can now be bought online through simple self-service tools. Facebook will only unlock greater monetisation of its ad platform if it removes the bottleneck, and this is a good example of thinking more smartly. More on the Facebook advertising formats...
25/05/2012 | Full story...
Facebook's short life as a public company has been tumultuous, with its share prices plunging by about 13% on Tuesday. This means that its founder Mark Zuckerberg, who made $19bn on Friday, has lost $2.055bn in the three days since. Now the social network is facing lawsuits amid accusations of insider trading.
24/05/2012 | Full story...
Facebook has acquired gifting application Karma, marking the social network's first move as a publicly traded company. The move comes as founder Mark Zuckerberg changed his status to 'married' in a surprise wedding, capping off an extraordinary week for the 28-year-old. Karma offers a free app, available for Apple and Android, which uses Facebook to remind users of their friends' birthdays and other special occasions. The tool then lets them purchase and send gifts like champagne and chocolate along with personalized messages.
Watch a video explaing how the Karma app works below (source: CNET)
22/05/2012 | Full story...
Last week, General Motors pulled all of its $10 ad budget from Facebook citing the 'ineffectiveness of paid ads.' But some analysts, and rival car-maker Ford, have been quick to jump to the social network's defence, implying that GM wasn't getting the most it could from the platform. The shock decision from GM came ahead of Facebook's historic $104bn IPO, and has caused jitters in the marketing community, with some analysts fearing that other big brands could follow suit. But this is apparently not the case if bigger rival Ford is anything to go by.
21/05/2012 | Full story...
More than two out of three Americans that were active online visited Facebook during March 2012, equalling roughly 152 million unique US visitors, according to new research. The findings, from Nielsen, found that internet audiences in Brazil, New Zealand and Italy were even more engaged than in the US, underscoring Facebook's transcendence of borders around the world - and on the world wide web.
21/05/2012 | Full story...
India is forecast to overtake the US as the world`s largest Facebook market by number of users as early as 2015, according to a new report from Gartner. The report attributed the growth to a rapidly increasing internet penetration in India, combined with high rates of growth in mobile connections.
18/05/2012 | Full story...
In a shock move ahead of Facebook's IPO this week, General Motors is reportedly pulling all of its $10m- worth of ads from the social network saying that paid ads are 'ineffective' on the platform. The report, from The Wall Street Journal, cites people familiar with the matter Facebook, saying the car giant still intends to do marketing through Facebook but that's not going to put any money in Facebook's pocketbook.
17/05/2012 | Full story...
Ahead of Facebook's historic IPO this week, Experian Hitwise and Techlightenment have provided 10 key data points about the social network's UK usage, and a further five points about the way users interact with brand Pages.
17/05/2012 | Full story...
Just days before the most anticipated initial public offering in history, new data looks at how powerful the 901 million-member Facebook platform is for big brands looking to expand their global footprint and penetrate emerging markets. The study, from social media analytics provider Socialbakers, found that Kraft had the fastest growing brands globally, with three products (Halls, Trident and Chiclets) in the top 5 movers.
16/05/2012 | Full story...
Facebook is testing a new ad format aimed at individuals and small groups, offering promoted posts for just $2. By paying a small fee users can ensure that information they post on the social network is more visible to friends, family and colleagues. The new 'highlight a post web page' lets users pay to promote their posts for as little as $2, payable by Paypal or credit card.
15/05/2012 | Full story...
Facebook's Instagram deal could be delayed by as long as a year after a federal agency launched an investigation into the $1bn purchase.According to a report by Reuters, the US Federal Trade Commission has reached out to Google and Twitter to look into the acquisition. It was not immediately clear what specific information the FTC was looking for, Reuters quotes a source as saying.
14/05/2012 | Full story...
The top 10 Facebook content providers reach more than half of the total gaming audience on Facebook. Social network games are currently experiencing exponential growth that is expected to continue through 2014.
11/05/2012 | Full story...
Facebook has launched its own app store, offering apps personalised to users' entertainment habits, as the social network looks to prove its mobile credentials ahead of its much-anticipated stock market flotation. The move will put the social network in competition with Apple, Google and Amazon in the growing app store wars. For the first time software developers can sell apps to consumers directly on Facebook.
11/05/2012 | Full story...
As Facebook ads grow in popularity amongst big brands, are advertisers getting better exposure for their money than they would on other mediums? This infographic from the Wall Street Journal takes a look at what money invested in a Facebook Sponsored Story could buy you instead...
08/05/2012 | Full story...
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Google is launching its much-hyped 'Hangouts On Air' feature on its Google+ social network, offering users a webcam community that lets groups broadcast and share video live. The new platform lets users broadcast live video to anyone with a mobile phone, live from major events or even their own living rooms. Other services, such as Ustream or Qik, already have similar features that stream live video from a phone or computer. However, these services are not paired with YouTube like Google+.
Watch a video outlining how to use the service below:
10/05/2012 | Full story...
UK consumers find social content, such as friends' recommendations and consumer reviews, twice as important as traditional information sources such as recommendations from sales assistants or advertising when making a purchase, according to new research.
24/05/2012 | Full story...
IKEA UK has begun a new email and social media campaign that utilises Pinterest to promote its new Indian-inspired 'True Blue' collection. Interest in the campaign, which is also using giant social network Facebook, will initially be driven by an email to members of the IKEA Family Loyalty scheme which will direct recipients to an independent micro-site.
22/05/2012 | Full story...
Twitter has agreed to offer Do Not Track requests to grant users more control over their privacy, and potentially opt of some advertising messages. By choosing not to be tracked at browser level, some websites will no longer allow third parties to note what websites a user visits and when to inform advertising and analytics.
21/05/2012 | Full story...
This infographic from Buddy Media illustrates how complicated the social media ecosystem has become, with a myriad of management, analytics, gaming and advertising tools available for advertisers.
21/05/2012 | Full story...
Social media 'pinboard' Pinterest has won $100m (£63m) in funding from Japanese internet retailing giant Rakuten and existing investors. Rakuten, one of the world's top 10 internet companies, said the money would be used to improve Pinterest's service and expand its user base.
18/05/2012 | Full story...
In the digitally advanced markets, social is moving ahead of directories as the main way small businesses get new customers. Latest research in the UK shows the scale of the channel shift, with more than a third of small firms are using Facebook for marketing (vs 27% using local directories). Twitter is also playing a growing role, with around a sixth of firms claiming they actively use it to recruit customers. The newness of social channels for small firms is under-researched in most countries, but findings from the UK could be indicative for other digitally advanced markets.
16/05/2012 | Full story...
LinkedIn has bought online presentation tool SlideShare for £74m as the business-based social network looks to improve engagement and features on its site. SlideShare lets users upload presentations publicly or privately, which can be embedded on blogs, websites, company intranets and shared across Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Watch a Slideshare presentation announcing the deal here:
LinkedIn and Slideshare
View more presentations from LinkedIn
09/05/2012 | Full story...
Last month, Facebook announced the $1 billion acquisition of photo sharing app Instagram. This is a landmark deal for the acquisition of an app but Instagram became the 10th most visited social network in the UK in March 2012, showing the increasing appetite for photo sharing online. According to research from Experian Hitwise, Instagram received almost 13 million UK Internet visits in March 2012, a massive increase from the 300,000 visits it received in March 2011.
02/05/2012 | Full story...
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Google has been warned about manipulating search results for its own gain by the European Competition Commissioner and given a matter of weeks to find remedies for the problems outlined in the large anti-trust inquiry into the search company's business. In a letter to Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, the EU's anti-trust chief, Joaquin Almunia, outlined for the first time four areas of concern that have arisen through its lengthy investigation into the company. Almunia said the company must now "offer remedies" swiftly.
28/05/2012 | Full story...
Google has increased its dominant position in the UK search market, accounting for more than 9 in 10 of all searches, according to the latest data. The research, from ComScore, indicates that UK Internet users made 2.2 billion visits to search engines in April 2012, up by 89 million visits compared to April 2011. The increase in search activity represents a 4.1 per cent year-on-year increase.
21/05/2012 | Full story...
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More than two-thirds (64%) of smartphone owners are now using their mobile device to shop online, a number that had quadrupled in just two years. The research, from eDigitalResearch and Portaltech Reply, track the growth and development of smartphone devices in mobile retail commerce.
30/05/2012 | Full story...
Yahoo has launched a search tool that its claims will offer users a better way to search the internet on their iPhone or iPad or on a desktop browser. Yahoo Axis displays search results without users having to leave their current web page, and provides a preview of the pages that results link to in an effort to overhaul the modern method of search.
Watch a video explaining how the tool works below:
25/05/2012 | Full story...
UK satire website The Daily Mash has appointed 4th Screen Advertising as its exclusive mobile advertising sales partner. The Daily Mash, which launched in 2007, is the UK's biggest current affairs satirical website, with a readership which can be generally categorised as male, intelligent, educated, and affluent and who frequently make purchases online.
25/05/2012 | Full story...
Google has finally completed its $12.5bn acquisition of Motorola Mobility after regulators in China gave the deal a seal of approval over the weekend. Having announced the bid back in August 2011, it has taken nearly a year of negotiations and fending off inquiries from authorities to complete the move. It had been claimed Google would keep its Motorola subsidiary at arm's length, but the appointment of long-time Googler Dennis Woodside as CEO of Motorola Mobility suggests a more inclusive operation.
24/05/2012 | Full story...
Ad technology firm The Rubicon Project has acquired Mobsmith, a mobile advertising platform for an undisclosed sum. Mobsmith provides a mobile platform for publishers to directly sell their mobile web and in-app ad inventory on leading mobile devices. The deal will see Rubicon Project combine its real-time trading platform REVV with Mobsmith's mobile solution.
24/05/2012 | Full story...
Apple and Samsung are holding two days of talks that will try to find a way to end the many legal rows between the rivals. Over the last year, the firms have been embroiled in patent arguments that have spilled over to courtrooms around the world over who invented or has to the right to use particular technologies.
22/05/2012 | Full story...
To make it into Apple's lucrative 'top free 25 list', apps require approximately 38,400 daily downloads, according to new data. The research, from app tracking firm Distimo, used the company's monitoring tool to calculate apps downloaded. The study found that approximately 38,400 daily downloads are needed to make it onto the top 25 free apps chart.
18/05/2012 | Full story...
The Kindle Fire, introduced to the market in November 2011, has seen rapid adoption among buyers of tablets in the US, according to new research. The data, from comScore, also indicates that the larger 10" tablets have a 39% higher content consumption rate than 7" tablets.
18/05/2012 | Full story...
Sainsbury's has launched a mobile version of its online grocery shopping website, letting shoppers buy all of Sainsbury's products from their phones and handheld devices. A total of 20,000 Sainsbury's grocery products are available on the site, including everyday food items from wines and Champagne, to household staples like bread and butter.
17/05/2012 | Full story...
Japanese mobile network operator NTT Docomo has bought Italian mobile Internet content and apps provider Buongiorno, in a bid to strengthen its platform businesses overseas. The Milan-based firm was founded in 1995 and has grown to provide a combination of games, music and other media related services in 57 countries across four different continents.
16/05/2012 | Full story...
Apps are driving the lions share of engagement on mobile usage in the US, representing 82% (over 4 in every 5) of mobile media minutes, according to new research. The study, from comScore, looked at smartphone users age 18 and older accessing from iOS, Android and RIM operating systems.
15/05/2012 | Full story...
Smartphone owners now outnumber feature phone owners in the US, as mobile users switch to more web-friendly devices, according to new research. The study, from Nielsen, indicates that in March 2012, a majority (50.4%) of U.S. mobile subscribers owned smartphones, up from 47.8 percent in December 2011.
14/05/2012 | Full story...
ITV and FremantleMedia have launched two new ways for viewers to vote for their favourite Britain's Got Talent contestants via their mobile phone. Viewers will be able to vote via their iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch directly from the Britain's Got Talent app, which has already received over 500,000 downloads across the series and seen peak traffic of up to 130k users per episode interacting via the 'buzzer'.
09/05/2012 | Full story...
Smartphones will outperform the overall market for mobile phones, growing by 24.9% to reach 1.7 billion units by 2017, according to Ovum. Predictions show Android as the dominant operating system over the next five years as handset vendors rush to make it their primary smartphone platform.
09/05/2012 | Full story...
Samsung leads the way as the top smartphone seller in the world, followed by Apple, according to new research. The data, from research firm IDC, indicates that Samsung sold 42.2 million smartphones worldwide during the first quarter of 2012, earning it a 29.1% market share. Apple sold 35.1 million iPhones, helping it to secure a 24.2% market share.
04/05/2012 | Full story...
Samsung is selling the most smartphones worldwide, but Apple is making the most money, according to new research. The study, from Juniper Research, indicates that almost 60% of the 139 million smartphones shipped worldwide in the first quarter of this year were either Apple (35.1 million) or Samsung (46.9 million) devices.
02/05/2012 | Full story...
Email readership on mobile devices is on track to surpass both webmail and desktop by the end of 2012, according to new research. The study, from email certification firm Return Path, tracked mobile platforms' impact on email viewership.
02/05/2012 | Full story...
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The US accounts for nearly a quarter of all display ad impressions in the world, followed by China and Japan, according to new data revealed by Google. The research, from Google's display ad properties, including DoubleClick for publishers, the DoubleClick ad exchange and the Google adsense network.
30/05/2012 | Full story...
Nielsen surveyed global consumers' attitudes towards different types of advertising. 92% said they trusted recommendations from personal acquaintances, 70% trusted consumer opinions posted online and 50% trusted "emails that I signed up for".
10/05/2012 | Full story...
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands can experience a return of almost three dollars in incremental sales for every dollar spent in online advertising that has been precisely delivered using purchase-based information, according to new research. The study, from Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) was based on the correlation between online advertising and offline purchase. The findings indicate a turning point for the digital medium as marketers seek to better leverage their advertising budgets across multiple channels.
29/05/2012 | Full story...
Ad viewability and hover time are more strongly correlated with conversions (defined as purchases and requests for information) than clicks or total impressions, according to new research. The research, from ad technology firm Pretarget and comScore suggests that buyer conversion is more highly correlated with ad viewability and hover than with clicks or gross impressions.
28/05/2012 | Full story...
Yahoo has unveiled a new tool for online advertisers designed to take advantage of the company's experience with big data analytics to improve the effectiveness and reach of targeted campaigns running on the portal's network. The Genome solution is built to help marketers organise significant quantities of unstructured data, combining datasets from interclick - Yahoo's marketing solution platform - as well as Yahoo's various media assets, user data and third-party data partnerships.
17/05/2012 | Full story...
Nikon Coolpix is the first brand in Europe to implement an online advertising campaign using Vibrant Image, the newly launched in-image ad format from contextual marketing technology provider Vibrant. Through their media agency TED@MediaCom, Nikon's three-month campaign uses Vibrant Image as well as display placements to promote the COOLPIX series of compact digital cameras.
02/05/2012 | Full story...
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Less than half of the UK's top retailers offer a click and collect service, according to new research. IVIS Group's first annual multi-channel maturity benchmark report found that only 44% of retailers currently allow shoppers to reserve or pay for products online and collect in-store.
30/05/2012 | Full story...
Online retail sales in the UK grew 9% in April as the country experienced the wettest April since records began. Conversely, UK retail sales fell the most in more than a year last month as poor weather and consumer caution on spending curbed demand at stores.
10/05/2012 | Full story...
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In March, 46.9 million Internet users in Germany viewed at least one video online, marking an an increase of 2.3 percent over the previous year, accoridng to new research.
30/05/2012 | Full story...
Nike's football tournament ads have become something of an event in themselves in recent years, but the new "My Time is Now" YouTube ad could be their most successful online venture yet. See why it's our video viral of the week below...
29/04/2012 | Full story...
Old Spice has become a byword for successful viral marketing since its 2010 YouTube campaign racked up over 40 million views and a 107% sales uplift for the deodorant brand. This follow up introduces Champion, the brand's newest addition to its product range. See why it's our video viral of the week below...
16/05/2012 | Full story...
In 2010, Tipp Ex's A Hunter Shoots a Bear' viral was one of the first (and still the best) interactive YouTube virals ever. This follow up offers a 'timeless' new twist on the formula, and has already racked up over 9m YouTube views in less than a month. See why it's our video viral of the week below...
10/05/2012 | Full story...
Most people in Britain with a connected TV actually lead a very disconnected TV existence, with web access not being a 'key driver' for consumer purchases, according to new research. Kantar Media's futurePROOF study of consumer looked at take up and usage of digital devices and media.
04/05/2012 | Full story...
Last month, Procter & Gamble embarked on the company's biggest campaign in its 174 year history, using its Olympic sponsor status to push an emotive message celebrating mothers worldwide (a key demographic for the FMCG brand). See below why it's our video viral of the week...
View the video below:
02/05/2012 | Full story...
Google has launched a video version of its AdWords search system, aimed at small businesses that want to utilise the video medium but can't afford TV commercial slots. Previously, connecting ads to videos in YouTube based on search terms has been restricted to large companies with big marketing budgets. The new service sees Google open the "do it yourself" system to videos.
Watch a video outlining the service below:
01/05/2012 | Full story...
As connected TVs start to go on sale, new research reveals that 68% of viewers noticed the ad placements and 1 in 3 of those clicked through. The research, from Rovi Corporation, looked at Smart TV advanced advertising, conducted in the UK with Decipher Research, evaluated connected TV audience segments, platform familiarity and usage, as well as advertising effectiveness and engagement.
01/05/2012 | Full story...
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Spotify rival Rdio has launched its popular online music streaming service in the UK and France. According to reports, Skype, the owners of Rdio, made no official announcement of the music service being available in the UK, instead a buzz of interest appeared on social networks like Twitter.
Watch a video outlining how the service works below:
08/05/2012 | Full story...
Spotify is embarking on a new funding round that would value the online music streaming service at up to $4bn, according to a new report. The New York Times reports that the streaming company is on track to raise about $220 million and global investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs is reportedly to lead the round with around $100 million.
22/05/2012 | Full story...
Online music streaming services, including Spotify and We7, will have their own top 100 chart starting from this Monday (May 14th). The new rankings have been created by the Official Charts Company with the support of the Entertainment Retailers Association and record label organisation The BPI, to reflect the new way in which consumers listen to music.
11/05/2012 | Full story...
Spotify has finally launched its highly anticipated iPad app, featuring HD graphics and AirPlay support to use on compatible devices. The free app allows premium Spotify subscribers to access the company's huge portfolio of music, stream tracks and playlists, and share songs.
03/05/2012 | Full story...
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A controversial new series of online privacy rules have come into effect within the European Union's 27 member countries, requiring companies to receive consent to track individuals' actions online. In a surprise move, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has changed the wording of the laws, moving from needing 'explicit consent' to 'implied consent' from website users.
Watch a video from the ICO outlining the changes to the EU cookie law below:
28/05/2012 | Full story...
Pakistan has restored access to Twitter after briefly blocking the microblog over the weekend, die to "blasphemous" posts about a Facebook competition involving caricatures of Prophet Mohammed. The website was blocked Sunday by the telecoms authority on the orders of the IT ministry amid accusations it refused to remove messages about the Facebook contest.
21/05/2012 | Full story...
Internet providers in the UK have been forced to stop their users accessing The Pirate Bay file sharing site. The Swedish website hosts links to download mostly pirated free music and video. Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media must all prevent their users from accessing the site. A sixth ISP, BT, requested "a few more weeks" to consider their position on blocking the site.
01/05/2012 | Full story...
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Over 2 in 5 (42%) of people in the leading 5 European countries played a game on their mobile device during February, with the UK leading the way, according to new research. The study, from comScore, looked at mobile gaming behaviour across the five leading European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) using the comScore MobiLens service.
10/05/2012 | Full story...
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The UK's top bookseller Waterstones is to sell Amazon's Kindle book-reader and launch other Kindle digital services. Waterstones says the deal will be integrated with its current store refurbishment scheme, which is creating dedicated areas for digital books, free wireless internet and new coffee shops.
23/05/2012 | Full story...
Amazon is considering selling ads on its new Kindle Fire tablet homescreen, according to a newspaper report. According to an AdAge report, the retailer is meeting with various advertisers. The deal would result in a prime placement slot on the popular tablet. According to AdAge, the advertisers will have to pay $600,000 for the slot.
22/05/2012 | Full story...
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Google could face further legal action for using its Street Cars to harvest data from resident's unsecured WiFi networks. The details were revealed in a recent US Federal Communications Commission report that found the company's Street View cars not only photographed streets but recorded wi-fi network details, as well as "names, addresses, telephone numbers, URLs, passwords, email, text messages, medical records, video and audio files" back in 2010.
29/05/2012 | Full story...
Google's annual Zeitgeist conference has kicked off, with the web giant defending accusations that its social network is a 'ghost town', promoting its augmented reality glasses and admitting its search 'was astoundingly bad five years ago'. Google's current big bets are autonomous cars and augmented reality glasses, which Page was wearing on stage at Zeitgeist. Those projects might seem ridiculously far-reaching, but Page said Google's previous big bets that are now reality include Android, Chrome, YouTube and language translations.
Watch Larry Page on stage at the Zeitgeist event below:
25/05/2012 | Full story...
Yahoo has finally reached an agreement with Alibaba Group for a phased sell off of its stake in China's biggest internet group, following years of negotiation. The deal will consist of a first phase, that will see Alibaba buy back half the 40% stake owned by Yahoo for $7.1bn, made up of at least $6.3bn in cash proceeds and up to $800m in newly-issued Alibaba preferred stock.
22/05/2012 | Full story...
Ad giant WPP has become the first foreign advertising group to invest in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) since Western sanctions were lifted. New York-based Ogilvy & Mather, part of the WPP group, said on Monday it had agreed to buy a stake in Myanmar's leading ad agency Today Advertising.
22/05/2012 | Full story...
Yell has bought DIY website and online shop builder Moonfruit for £18m as part of its ongoing strategy to become a leading provider of local eMarketplaces. Moonfruit.com was launched in 2000 for consumers and businesses to build their own sites. Customers building Moonfruit sites can add a commerce option, Facebook stores, and a mobile presence from the same platform.
Watch a video explaining how MoonFruit works here:
17/05/2012 | Full story...
Ross Levinsohn, global media chief at Yahoo, has been named interim CEO after Scott Thompson resigned over the weekend. In this leaked staff memo he aims to raise morale by highlighting how "In spite of the very bumpy road we've traveled, we are achieving genuine and meaningful successes in the marketplace every day and heading in the right direction."
16/05/2012 | Full story...
Apple is set to replace Google Maps with 3D mapping software developed in-house, as the rivalry between the two digital giants intensifies, according to a news report. The move, reported by technology blog 9 to 5 Mac, could see Apple swap Google's mapping technology for its own new maps application using 3D mapping technology by C3 Technologies, which the company acquired in 2011.
Watch a video below demonstrating how C3 technologies mapping system works. This 3D map of Hoover Dam is calculated directly from high-resolution aerial photography.
15/05/2012 | Full story...
Google is in talks to buy messaging app, Meebo, for as much as $100 million, according to reports in US media. If the deal goes through, Meebo could be used to boost Google's "+1? sharing button, which is akin to Facebook's "Like." Meebo also helps users create 'interest profiles', which could be in tune with Google's social targeting marketing strategy.
15/05/2012 | Full story...
Yahoo's Chief Executive Officer Scott Thompson has stepped down after just four months at the helm, following claims his CV featured a computer science degree that he never received. After a board meeting the company announced that Thompson would be immediately replaced by former News Corp executive Ross Levinsohn.
14/05/2012 | Full story...
Online property portal Zoopla has bought Upmystreet.com, one of the original local information sites from the dotcom goldrush era, for an undisclosed sum. Launched in 1998, UpMyStreet.com was one of the first property websites in the UK. Recent figures from independent website monitoring firm, Nielsen, show that in March UpMyStreet.com attracted over 600,000 unique users.
14/05/2012 | Full story...
Google has unveiled the latest hands-free photo features from its Project Glass augmented reality glasses. The glasses also have a camera built into the arm - used by project leader Sebastian Thrun to capture a picture of his son. As the Project Glass team points out, the head-worn camera is ideal for "the types of moments you'd capture if you didn't have to wait to pull out a camera or your phone."
11/05/2012 | Full story...
PayPal has teamed up with Japanese web giant Softbank to launch a joint venture to pursue online transactions business in the country. The two companies said they will each invest AY=1 billion (US$12.5 million) in the newly established firm PayPal Japan which will be a 50:50 joint venture.
10/05/2012 | Full story...
The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has approved a license for Google's self-driving car. Google's self-driving car has been a project the company has long been working on, with a motor vehicle already having covered 140,000 test miles in California, including a trip across the Golden Gate bridge. But Nevada is the first state in the US to approve a self-driven vehicle license.
Watch this video from Sebastian Thrun, who helped build Google's driverless car, explaining how the car works below;
10/05/2012 | Full story...
Apple is the biggest company trading on the US stock market, with its 2011 sales generating $128bn (higher than 160 different nations' gross domestic products), according to this new infographic.
08/05/2012 | Full story...
Cloud service Present.me has launched this month, offering an online presentation platform that combines synchronised content and video, viewable on-demand. Present.me enables individuals and organisations to create and share presentations online, so that the viewer sees both content (slides, photos or documents) and the presenter (via webcam or uploaded video) side-by-side, on-demand.
08/05/2012 | Full story...
Customer relationship management firm Salesforce.com has bought real-time online collaboration platform company Stypi for an undisclosed sum. Stypi is described as a real-time editor that allows multiple users to make changes to a single document at the same time, by sharing the URL to the document. Users collaborate with others online to do a variety of things, including editing source code and tweaking website copy.
04/05/2012 | Full story...
miiCard has won a further £1.6m in funding to boost its 'digital passport' online identity verification service. The firm, founded just half a year ago, has finished a second seed funding round, securing £1.6 million angel and venture capital from a mix of investment groups including New Wave Ventures, IQ Capital and Par Equity.
04/05/2012 | Full story...
A number of Microsoft products, including Windows 7 OS, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and the Xbox console have been banned from sale in Germany, following an extraordinary ruling declared this week in a Mannheim court. The shock ruling is due to Motorola Mobility, a phones company which Google is in the process of acquiring, today being granted an injunction against the distribution of key Microsoft products in Germany.
03/05/2012 | Full story...
Social media newcomers Pinterest and Instagram joined internet stalwarts such as Facebook and the BBC in being honoured at the 16th annual Webby Awards this week, frequently dubbed the 'Internet Oscars'.
03/05/2012 | Full story...
Analytics technology provider Teradata has bought Cloud digital marketing firm eCircle for an undisclosed sum. The move will see the firm integrate eCircle's digital messaging tools with its Aprimo Integrated Marketing Management offering.
03/05/2012 | Full story...
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