Marketing Bites

Famonimous

2006-03-13T11:47:00.000Z

I've googled the word and received zero search results. Google asked me: did I mean "anonymous"? Nope, I meant the brand spanking new coinage that conflates famous and anonymous - perfectly suited to all those well-known but pseudonymous bloggers out there.

You read it here first, folks: famonimous.

UK Companies not buying .eu domain

2006-02-02T11:07:00.000Z

British businesses are lagging behind the Germans in the rush for the new .eu European domain. In the first 50 days since the registration period officially opened on 7 December 2005, the European domain name registry has received a total of 166,232 applications of which 52,636 originated in Germany. British businesses are lagging behind the Germans, Dutch and French having submitted just 15,819 applications.

Battle lines have been drawn for disputes over thousands of online trademarks. Of the 166,232 .eu applications, 121,985 were unique requests. The remaining 44,247 are potential domain name disputes where two or more parties have claimed they have a prior right or trademark to use that domain. NetNames, the UK's leading domain name specialist was one of the first accredited registrars for .eu, and is urging British businesses not to lose out to competitors and cybersquatters across Europe.

'The disputes have the potential to be very costly for the companies involved,' says Jonathan Robinson, business development director, NetNames. 'Many companies across Europe could have equal claim to a specific domain name but it's a case of first come, first served. Failure to get in before anyone else could result in a costly retrieval process.'

Registration for the .eu domain name is currently only open to trademark and prior rights holders in the European Union. Applicants are required to submit documentary evidence of their right to the domain within 40 days of an application being made.

NetNames manages the domain name portfolios for over 30 per cent of the FTSE 100 companies and is an accredited registrar for the new .eu European domain name. The new .eu European domain name costs £35 per annum.

European .eu top ten:

Germany 34.7%2.
The Netherlands 15.6%3.
France 13.4%4.
United Kingdom 10.4%5.
Italy 5.7%6.
Belgium 5.6%7.
Sweden 4.4%8.
Spain 3.9%9.
Austria 3.2%10.
Switzerland 3.2%

Ten Signs of a Cheap Blog | Performancing.com

2005-12-31T02:55:00.000Z

Ten Signs of a Cheap Blog | Performancing.com: "I was thinking about blog design as i trawled around with nothing much todo late last night, and thought i'd try to make two lists. This one, what makes a blog look cheap, and what makes a blog look professional - negative one first eh? Here's what for me, makes a blog look cheap and nasty..."

IMRG launches home delivery trust scheme

2005-12-07T11:48:00.000Z

James Roper, chief executive of IMRG, the e-retail industry body responsible for the IDIS (Internet Delivery Is Safe) scheme, said: "The delivery experience is key to the success of online shopping, and the fact that UK consumers are spending more than £2 billion per month on the internet shows that most people are generally satisfied with the service. However, some internet retailers' services are now far better than others." More.

Case study on how to test website design

2005-12-07T07:06:00.000Z

"Have you ever been stuck in a debate with your Web design team?

Some people think you should boost image sizes -- put huge hero shot graphics on home and product pages. Others buck for text- heavy pages the search engines will like. And still others want to push your special offer harder to improve conversions.

Great eretail design is a balancing act. Here's a Case Study about one online retailer who conducted multivariate tests this fall to find the best answers." More.

For Sony, a pain in the image

2005-12-03T08:30:00.000Z

"Still, the debacle is likely to add to pressure on Sony to become more responsive to customers, says Stahlman. 'I suspect that the end result of this will be: This rootkit event will accelerate internal company changes,' says Stahlman. In September, Sony announced it will implement major cost reductions, dispose of non-core assets, and try to modernize its corporate culture.

Indeed, the boycott is bringing into focus the various gripes consumers have voiced about Sony for years -- over a range of issues, from the quality of the company's electronics to poor customer service to its insistence on using proprietary technology. Although the company will be more open with its upcoming PlayStation 3 gaming console, the old wounds might take longer to heal now that the rootkit issue has spawned the Boycott Sony movement.

And Sony's reputation might have been tarnished. 'We're living in a world where corporate reputations are ever more delicate,' says Nick Shore, CEO of New York-based branding consultancy The Way Group, whose clients have included tech giants Motorola (MOT) and Intel (INTC). 'The public, in a post-Enron era, is more cynical and critical. It's possible that little things can trigger firestorms.'" More.

Bands, audience connect via text messaging

2005-12-03T08:22:00.000Z

"Kevin Wall, CEO of Network Live and executive producer of the Live 8 concerts, says interactive text-messaging will soon become as commonplace at concerts as T-shirt sales.

'The location-based SMS business is at a primitive stage, but will be incorporated into shows in a lot of different ways,' Wall says. 'Two years from now, it'll just be a standard thing to do.'" More.

How newspapers can survive the internet

2005-11-30T19:15:00.000Z

"Instead of treating their Web sites like unwelcome stepchildren, newspapers should turn them into their primary method of news delivery -- and teach their reporters, editors, and ad sales people how to work effectively with this new -- to them -- medium." More.

Is Craigslist killing off newspaper classifieds?

2005-11-30T03:49:00.000Z

In the beginning, Craigslist was a casual e-mail sent to friends. Could it end by turning newspaper classifieds to ashes? More.

Blogging with a wooden tongue

2005-11-29T14:32:00.000Z

"The result of officialdom's embrace of the blog format is that the wooden tongue has reached blogging. You can spot a wooden-tongue blog by the following telltale signs:
* The content claims to be written by someone powerful who's obviously too busy to write a blog. It reads like it's been phoned in. Who's really writing this, you wonder, the secretary? Are there ghostbloggers now as well as ghostwriters?" More.

'Beta' becomes a long-term label

2005-11-29T04:28:00.000Z

For Some Technology Companies, 'Beta' Becomes a Long-Term Label: "Betas also have become a marketing device in a fiercely competitive industry, allowing software and Internet firms to release new products or services sooner and cultivate early buzz. Betas, which once had been quietly distributed, are trumpeted in press releases and at news conferences.

'I deplore it as a consumer; I admire it as a marketing professional,' said Peter Sealey, a marketing professor at the University of California at Berkeley and former chief marketing officer at Coca-Cola Co. 'I can't come up with anything else in the entire marketing world where marketers knowingly introduce a flawed or inadequate product [and] it helps grow your user base.'" More.

Note: It's also another sign of the "casual" culture so prevalent in the 21st century. We're into transparency, works in progress, warts and all, reality TV, unvarnished image, etc. Well, we're into all that in theory. In reality it's not quite so: we still expect our "beta versions" to be nicely packaged and to work straight out of the box, as it were.

UK turns to eBay for Xmas bargains

2005-11-28T22:40:00.000Z

However, 89 per cent of people said that when they abandoned a transaction at the shopping basket, no-one at the company had ever got in touch with them about it. Only 3 per cent had ever been contacted by the company trying to find out what went wrong. Only 8 per cent had been contacted by the company with another offer to entice them back to the site.

Jones comments, “I was shocked by the frequency of shopping basket complaints. Turning consumers away once they have made the decision to buy is commercial suicide. Although specific steps of a transaction may fail to complete, in most cases the web site itself is still functioning, so unfortunately it is likely that many online managers are completely unaware of the problems.” More.

Google's new Click-to-Call

2005-11-24T01:43:00.000Z

We're testing a new product that gives you a free and fast way to speak directly to the advertiser you found on a Google search results page – over the phone.

Here's how it works: When you click the phone icon, you can enter your phone number. Once you click 'Connect For Free,' Google calls the number you provided. When you pick up, you hear ringing on the other end as Google connects you to the other party. More.

Google gives advertisers more options

2005-11-23T11:46:00.000Z

Google has launched a separate content bidding for AdWords, as the search giant aims to expand its paid-for search services.

The move lets advertisers place one bid for ads that run on content sites and a separate bid for ads that run on search sites within the Google Network.

The move could give advertisers greater control in maximising return on investment from search campaigns. More.

New book on Google's rise

2005-11-22T07:46:00.000Z

Search Me: The Surprising Success of Google by Neil Taylor.

"In 'Search Me' Neil Taylor goes, appropriately enough, on a search to find the essence of Google. It’s a relaxed, sometimes serendipitous journey, and that is a style that Google has made familiar to us. Along the way he explores questions about the nature and the limits of branding, relevant to any modern business." Buy it here.

Online blow for mail order shopping

2005-11-22T07:06:00.000Z

Mail order catalogues are suffering their worst year for a decade with sales down £273m, new research showed. Tough competition in the weak retail market, particularly from the internet, is behind the decline which is now in its third year, market analysts Verdict said. More.

Sotfware market being transformed by Net

2005-11-18T20:23:00.000Z

"What is going on? This is a time of seismic shifts in our industry. The internet is disintermediating the status quo, and old models of software cost and complexity are being replaced with new models of affordability and ease of use ... This transformation goes by many names: On-Demand, Web 2.0, Software as a Service. But they all point to the same conclusion: The era of the traditional software "load, update, and upgrade" business and technology model is over. It is time for "The Business Web." More.

Times Online signs search deal with MSN

2005-11-18T13:08:00.000Z

MSN.co.uk has just announced an exclusive partnership with Times Online to power its user web queries through MSN Search. The six-figure deal goes live today and will see the Times Online ‘Search the Web’ toolbar MSN branded, driving Times Online users to the MSN Search Homepage. The deal, which runs until June 2006, was negotiated by McCann Eriksson.

An expert guide to mobile marketing

2005-11-18T12:46:00.000Z

"Mobile is one of the most effective channels for marketing your business and communicating directly with your customers. It's instant, targeted and gets results. More businesses are turning to mobile, and not just to target the youth market. The sector is growing and there are many areas where we've only just scratched the surface." More.

More on Google Base

2005-11-18T01:37:00.000Z

"If Google eventually charges for listings, or if advertisers find they get adequate results posting directly on Google and can bypass paid listing services aggregated by Google, the economic implications will be dramatic." More.

Google Base threat to classifieds

2005-11-18T01:23:00.000Z

"Is Google yet again hiding its real intentions? With Google Base, the company may also be launching an assault on classified ads, even though it has explicitly stated that it has no such intent in mind. But when I went to Google Base for the first time, my thought was to sell something. Google's huge audience of users gives me an easy way to sell my wares." More.

How blogs are changing marketing

2005-11-17T21:42:00.000Z

"Shel Israel, co-author (with Robert Scoble) of the upcoming book Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers, talks about the impact of blogging on marketing and advertising." More. Buy it here.

Microsoft mulls ad-supported software

2005-11-17T19:04:00.000Z

"An MSN strategy paper points to the success of Google's ad-supported Gmail. The paper suggests non-targeted ads for low-cost services, and targeted ads - based on 'an exchange of user information' - for high-cost services, citing adware firm Claria, which claims ad rates 6-20 times those of traditional web advertising because of its ability to target." More.

Yahoo copies Google 'self-serve' ads

2005-11-17T18:56:00.000Z

"Yahoo has joined Google in offering self-serve RSS ads, writes Adam Kalsey. Participants in the Yahoo Publisher Network can place Yahoo Search Marketing ads in their RSS feeds.' The ads that appear may be relevant to a specific article or post, or to your content in general,' according to an email sent by Yahoo to member publishers." More.

IMRG investigates dual pricing

2005-11-17T12:29:00.000Z

"IMRG recognises the complexity of the arguments for and against dual pricing practices, but IMRG, on behalf of its membership intends to ensure that any such practices, should they persist, are lawful and not unduly prejudicial to smaller reputable online retailers." More.

Podcasting still mainly men

2005-11-17T00:20:00.000Z

"What she found at the conference was a world overwhelmed by male voices and male exhibitors. Malley said she didn't experience any other incidents she perceived as sexist, but she was nonetheless struck by the dearth of female faces. Just 15 percent of the 2,000 attendees were women, show organizer Tim Bourquin said." More.

Tesco's email marketing blitz

2005-11-16T09:34:00.000Z

"This email carpet bombing exceeds all of its supermarket rivals combined and is sent to 4m consumer email addresses, offering shoppers everything from flower bouquets to the Chronicles of Narnia." More. See also.

Sony 'blocks' internet bargains

2005-11-16T09:06:00.000Z

"Sony has been accused of trying to stop shoppers buying its products cheaper on the internet. The electronics giant is allegedly charging web retailers up to 15% more for its wholesale products than High Street outlets." More.

Craigslist founder bashes old media

2005-11-16T01:25:00.000Z

"Newmark said that the mainstream media isn't trustworthy, nor accountable to the public any longer. And he suggests that emerging community journalists on the Internet should counterbalance the short-sightedness of publishers that kow-tow to big business or powerful political interest groups." More.

Amazon tries its hand at tagging

2005-11-16T01:18:00.000Z

"The idea, apparently, is to slowly experiment with tags and to give users some power over how certain Amazon products--books, for example--are categorized." More.

AOL, Warner launch free TV service

2005-11-15T01:42:00.000Z

"Time Warner Inc.'s AOL said on Monday it planned to launch a free Internet television service by early 2006, in one of the technology and media industry's most ambitious designs to reach TV viewers online." More.

Google launches web traffic analysis

2005-11-14T16:33:00.000Z

"Google has officially launched Analytics, a robust new web analysis system that provides site owners with traffic metrics and massive amounts of useful marketing data." More.

Ed: Buddy, can you spare a click?

2005-11-13T21:24:00.000Z

I hope this blog is proving useful. Obviously, it's still very early days and we'll see how things pan out. Your feedback is most welcome. My original aim has been to provide generalist marketing subject matter, albeit skewed towards all things online. But if you think there is a particular niche I could serve better then do let me know. More.

Ed: Another way to view this blog

2005-11-11T18:40:00.000Z

In response to overwhelming demand (well, at least two people!) I have published a Site Feed on this blog - in the “Links” section just below my Profile. Click the link, copy the URL (website address) of the web page that appears, and then paste it into your RSS Reader.

Ten trends for online ad market in 2006

2005-11-11T15:06:00.000Z

"[24/7 Real Media] forecasts that search engine marketing will 'reinvent itself as a lead-generation channel' along with continuing to drive significant advertising revenue. In addition, Podcasting, blogging and mobile applications will become more attractive to advertisers, as demand for behavioural targeting increases." More.

Budget's blog

2005-11-10T16:13:00.000Z

"If a company starts blogging in a dull way, it's not a big problem. The blogosphere will soon take care of creating a much more interesting conversation." More.

Ed: The above extract is from an article about Budget Car Rental's new blog. But perhaps just as instructive is the way in which I came across the article itself ... More.

Technology treadmill

2005-11-10T12:50:00.000Z

"You think technology benefits you because it gives you an easier row to hoe? Bollocks. The ease it provides is illusory. It has trapped you, made you a slave to things you don't even need but suddenly can't live without. So you rot in a cubicle trying to get the money to get the stuff, when you should be out walking in a meadow or wooing a lover or writing a song." More.

Ex-FT editor scorns print, praises web

2005-11-09T23:10:00.000Z

"'Working in print, pure and simple, is the early 21st century equivalent of running a record company specialising in vinyl,' Mr Gowers said.

'The future lies with the internet, and those newspapers that survive will be those that produce truly original content and learn fastest how to translate it into the all-encompassing, all-singing, all-dancing new medium of the web.'" More.

Internet kills the video star

2005-11-09T22:26:00.000Z

"Blockbuster said that its performance during the quarter had been adversely affected by the persistent downturn in the video rental industry." More.

CBS, NBC to offer downloaded TV shows

2005-11-08T18:37:00.000Z

"CBS and NBC have announced deals to offer replays of prime-time programs for 99 cents per episode, shifting television toward a sales model that gained popularity with downloaded music." More.

Ed: Shameless self-promotion!

2005-11-08T10:51:00.000Z

"Robert knows the business inside-out and his blog should be well worth a read." Full article.

(And I swear no money changed hands in the making of that endorsement! Many thanks to Modern Marketing for your kind words and, of course, the plug!)

Ready for the fifth estate?

2005-11-08T10:45:00.000Z

"Media professionals have tended to write off Citizen's Media as amateur and poor quality, and of course a lot of it is. However, enthusiasm for these new media tools is infectious and many amateurs are striking cords among their audiences in ways that traditional media struggles to do." More.

Yahoo & TiVo merge web & TV

2005-11-07T20:27:00.000Z

"Yahoo Inc. and TiVo Inc. are teaming up to blend some of their services, a move that further fades the lines between offices and living rooms, TVs and PCs." More.

Ed: Tesco the technophobe

2005-11-07T18:22:00.000Z

"Perhaps someone from Tesco would like to come on here and tell me why the UK's biggest loyalty card scheme has such a problem with technology (not to mention consumer feedback!)" More.

Evaluating website success

2005-11-07T16:38:00.000Z

Jim Sterne: "Measuring the success of anything is impossible without a clear goal. A simple enough dictum. But measuring the success of a website - and using a web analytics system to do it - is impossible without a rather well considered series of goals. Not quite so simple." More.

Business sales surge online

2005-11-06T23:19:00.000Z

"The value of Internet sales by businesses rose to £71.1bn in 2004, marking an increase of 81% on the 2003 figure of £39.3bn." More.

Fear & loathing in blogland

2005-11-06T12:11:00.000Z

"So, I can understand that blogland can seem like a dark, strange place if you have spent the last 40 years in the world of command-and-control marketing, but really it's best just to test the waters and recognise it for what is - progress." More.

"Just Googling it" scares companies

2005-11-06T11:02:00.000Z

"In Google, Wal-Mart sees both a technology pioneer and the seed of a threat, said Mr. Breyer, who is also a partner in a venture capital firm. The worry is that by making information available everywhere, Google might soon be able to tell Wal-Mart shoppers if better bargains are available nearby." More.

Online ad spend up 62%

2005-11-06T02:11:00.000Z

The bi-annual IAB/ PwC adspend study shows online advertising has overtaken outdoor advertising and is set to break the £1bn barrier in 2005.

Ed: This blog goes global!

2005-11-04T14:00:00.000Z

(Try saying that after a few glasses of wine!)

Welcome to readers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, the US ... and mysterious readers from somewhere called "? Satellite Provider".

(This entry has been updated several times; country-spotting is seriously addictive!)

Ed: Prosumers change media landscape

2005-11-04T13:19:00.000Z

"Advertise your company's logo on my baby's onesie/hat."

This recent eBay auction, in which a mother auctioned off advertising space on her baby's clothes, has now been followed by an ongoing auction for the same on his brother's clothing ... This kind of "prosumer" behaviour - where consumers are acting more like professionals - shows how fundamentally society is changing. More.

UK usability awards 2005

2005-11-04T12:30:00.000Z

These took place last night in London as part of World Usability Day (Slogan: "Making It Easy!"). The winners were: BA (for its online check-in), Google Local, Flickr, JohnLewis.com, Firefox and iPod (for its clickwheel interface). More details here.

Enpocket makes Mike Baker chief

2005-11-02T16:05:00.000Z

Enpocket, a global mobile media company, today announced that Enpocket’s President and COO Mike Baker has been named CEO. Peter Larsen, previously CEO, has resigned his position as an officer and director of the company to pursue other interests.

PR industry risks being left offline

2005-11-02T13:51:00.000Z

"Public Relations Online launches as first-ever organisation to share information and exchange new ideas, methodologies and best practice in online PR" More.

Follow the customer's lead

2005-11-01T16:34:00.000Z

Jim Sterne: "Senior executives from the UK's major corporations are getting wise to the business of customer personalisation and want to know how it can help their business." More.

Web measurement showcase

2005-11-01T16:12:00.000Z

E-consultancy is also taking bookings for its web measurement and analytics solutions conference “Our last showcase on web analytics was over-subscribed so if you do want to come to this, our final Showcase of 2005, book your free place now.” Taking place on 8 December 13.30-17.30. Presentations from: Site Intelligence, Foviance (WebAbacus), Scientific Computers (NetTracker), Nedstat, Speed-trap, eVisit Analyst.

Ad serving solutions showcase

2005-11-01T16:02:00.000Z

E-consultancy says: “If you're involved in online advertising and want to hear about the latest trends and developments in online ad serving solutions, then come along (for free) to our Ad Serving Solutions - Supplier Showcase which is next Thursday 10th November in central London (13:30-17:30 at 76 Portland Place, London, UK, W1B 1NT)." Presentations from leading players such as 24/7 RealMedia, DoubleClick and Accipiter.

Going places online!

2005-11-01T12:46:00.000Z

The first entry on this blog was a case study about MyTravel. Now read the following extract from today’s trading statement by MyTravel:

“In view of the continuing growth of our internet sales - UK internet bookings reached 16% in October this year, compared with 9% in October 2004 - the Board has decided to bring forward its planned realignment of its distribution channels and close 110 Going Places shops in November 2005.”

Pretty conclusive proof, if proof were needed, that the internet is taking the marketing world by storm.

Google removes agency commissions

2005-10-31T19:26:00.000Z

Comment by Matt Trimmer, Managing Director of ivantage.co.uk: "By removing commissions, I think Google is not only 'levelling the playing field' for those companies that do not use agencies, but paving the way for a new era of professional search marketing where the quality of service is more important than the Dollar." More.

Technology for Marketing 2006 Show

2005-10-31T17:05:00.000Z

To be held on February 7-6 at London’s Olympia, TFM claims to be the UK’s premier event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge marketing-related and CRM technology solutions.

“Whether you’re in marketing, customer service, sales, IT or corporate management, a new user investigating marketing-related and CRM technology for the first time, or more experienced and tackling the latest developments, Technology For Marketing delivers all the solutions,” explains Simon Mills, Event Director. For more information visit the event website.

Web-centric marketing

2005-10-31T14:50:00.000Z

"I contend that the switched on marketers will soon no longer think online or offline but 'Inside Out'. Namely, that my web presence is at the centre and I therefore know my customer which means I am able to drive my customer to me, through offline communications such as direct mail, radio or TV and pick up and walk the customer through to my website through search.comonline. Now that to me is the true holy grail of marketing." More.

Ed: The debatable power of branding

2005-10-31T11:18:00.000Z

If I’m honest, the part of me that enthusiastically signed up with Amazon as an affiliate did not even consult the side of me that is still simmering from its recent lack of consideration – I would go do far as to say rudeness - to me as a longstanding customer. So, branding has bought Amazon a degree of time. The question is, how much? More.

Online agencies seek higher status

2005-10-27T17:45:00.000+01:00

"'It is unreasonable to expect an agency to provide consistent work and not give anything back,' she says. 'As an industry we have not had the confidence to do something about it due to the bust. But now agencies are in a position to refuse projects if the price isn't right. It is something we need to do together.'" More.

SafeBuy addresses e-tailer concerns

2005-10-27T17:05:00.000+01:00

"Richard Jones of the SafeBuy Assurance Scheme said, 'In the world of the Internet, many people are deterred from buying online by concerns about who they are dealing with and whether they are reputable. It is our mission is to allay their fears.'" More.

Ed: Le roi est mort, vive le roi!

2005-10-26T13:47:00.000+01:00

(... at the risk of sounding un peu egotistical!)

Welcome to all readers of my final "Online" column in Marketing Week magazine (see entry below this one). After five and a half happy years of print punditry, I hope to continue writing about similar subject matter online. So please bookmark this humble blog and check back for frequent updates. I'll also gladly take ideas on what sort of content would be helpful to you. Interactivity is the name of the game.

Ed: My final Marketing Week column

2005-10-26T09:07:00.000+01:00

"Every time a consumer gives you feedback on your website you should A) thank him for his free consultation, B) involve him in the process of fixing the problem and C} reward him for his time and effort." More.

Weblog usability: top ten mistakes

2005-10-21T15:14:00.000+01:00

... according to usability guru Jakob Nielsen.
"Weblogs are often too internally focused and ignore key usability issues, making it hard for new readers to understand the site and trust the author." More.

MyTravel turns to affiliate marketing

2005-09-19T11:53:00.000+01:00

"Just over five months into the programme, affiliate marketing now accounts for a significant percentage of MyTravel's online bookings and is still growing." More.

Ed: Just another Joe Bloggs?

2005-09-18T00:38:00.000+01:00

"Are you familiar with something called MSM? Do you like fisking? Do you frequent the Blogosphere?

No, I'm not referring to exotic sexual practices in a subterranean night club. I am in fact talking about the most exciting area of the Internet right now - by a long shot.

I've referred to web logs ('blogs') many times before but something seminal has just happened. And this really is hot off the press, as it were." More.