Online Advertising

Facebook to Place In-Your-Face Video Ads in News Feeds
December 19, 2012

Facebook plans to launch video advertising that will autoplay in users' news feeds some time next year, but it's not yet clear whether they'll be more like silent movies or talkies. Advertisers reportedly will have the chance to buy targeted video ads in the first part of next year. The ads will be capped at 15 seconds in length, and the video portion will make use of the autoplay function. Adding audio autoplay is still being discussed.

Fans Willing to Pony Up for M&M's Tasty Advergame
December 17, 2012

Those delectable M&M's characters seen in commercials are making their way to the iPhone. An advergame app titled "M&M's Brand Chocolate Factory" recently became available on iTunes for $0.99. While many M&M's commercials involve the six characters in social situations trying to avoid being eaten, the new game has the group -- and all M&M's -- in peril of being dropped into hot milk chocolate.

AOL's Marketing Shuffle May Reflect Brand Uncertainty
December 15, 2012

AOL is shifting toward decentralization of its marketing efforts. The online company this week named Allie Savarino Kline as chief marketing officer of its Advertising.com unit. In the newly created position, she will have global oversight of Advertising.com and will handle marketing strategy for the group's advertising solutions for publishers, advertisers and agencies.

Pandora Slides Toward Fiscal Cliff
December 05, 2012

Speculation about Pandora's future is running high again with the company's release of its Q3 earnings and, more importantly, guidance for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013. For the third quarter of fiscal 2013, Pandora posted total revenue of $120 million, a 60 percent year-over-year increase. Advertising revenue was $106.3 million, a 61 percent year-over-year increase.

Facebook May Win Sponsored Stories Settlement - but the Ads Don't Work
December 05, 2012

A U.S. district judge has given preliminary approval to Facebook's attempt to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the company violated members' privacy rights by using their images in Facebook's Sponsored Stories ad format. The settlement would give $10 each to those who objected to their images appearing in the ads. Privacy advocates were less than enthused.

Social Media Ripe for Savvy Advertising
December 04, 2012

In just a few short years, social networks have become deeply entrenched as a means for consumers and businesses to connect online. Consumers spend more time on social networks than on any other category of sites, according to the latest social media report from NM Incite/Nielsen. That amounts to roughly 20 percent of their total time online using personal computers and 30 percent using mobile devices.

European News Outlets Nipping at Google's Hand
November 17, 2012

Later this month, German legislators will take up debate on a bill extending copyright protection to snippets of news articles that appear in search engine results. Google has warned both Germany and France -- which has proposed similar legislation -- that it is not willing to play along, and will simply black out media outlets that try to levy such fees.

Demandbase Finely Hones B2B Targeted Marketing
November 12, 2012

Demandbase is extending beyond its Web analytics and sales roots with a new platform that allows B2B advertisers to target and personalize display ads for specific companies. Demandbase Company-Targeted Advertising, which has been incorporated by Eloqua within its own marketing automation application, represents a shift for Demandbase.

Ad, Content Combo Lifts AOL to Profit in Q3
November 07, 2012

Investors sent shares of AOL sharply higher after it reported higher-than-expected earnings and growth in advertising revenue. The company reported a third-quarter profit of $20.8 million, or 22 cents per share, on revenue of $531.7 million. That beat expectations of $521 million and marked a turnaround from last year's net loss of $2.6 million during the same time period.

Google and Rosetta Stone Settle, Consumers Win
November 02, 2012

Google and Rosetta Stone reached a settlement in a trademark infringement case this week, ending a three year legal battle with a promise to work together to fight the misuse of trade names. In a 2009 lawsuit, Rosetta Stone claimed that Google allowed rival language software companies to use Rosetta Stone keywords and language in sponsored ads.

Mojiva Stakes a Claim in Tablet Ad Territory
October 16, 2012

Mojiva has rolled out Mojiva Tab, a new mobile ad network for tablets only, as advertisers flock to this hot piece of digital real estate. In 2011, there were an estimated 3 million tablets on Mojiva's mobile ad network. By January 2012, that number had increased to 25 million. As of June 2012, the network was boasting access to 40 million tablet devices.

Facebook Scans Private Conversations to Pad Likes
October 05, 2012

It isn't too hard to see what Facebook users Like, but on Thursday reports surfaced online about something few if any users would find likeable. It appears that sending links via private messages through the social network results in extra Likes for the link targets -- never mind that the link you're sharing may concern something you abhor. Call it a case of Like fraud.

Microsoft Takes a Stab at News Gathering
October 02, 2012

Microsoft is moving deeper into a strategy of content generation as part of its launch of Windows 8. The company is planning to create a news organization that will provide MSN.com with a steady stream of original content. As it releases its latest operating system designed to help it compete in the evolving mobile marketplace, the redesign of Microsoft's Internet news hub reveals another focus for the software giant.

F-Commerce: Business Boom or Bust?
September 29, 2012

Discussions on Facebook's IPO and inability to market successfully have been a topic of discussion for months. Sure, Facebook has a reach of nearly a billion users, but until it can be successfully monetized, is investing in Facebook commerce a boom or a bust? The real discussion is whether Facebook is a good vehicle for marketing.

Facebook Jettisons Phony Likes
September 28, 2012

As promised last month, Facebook is beginning a purge of so-called fake Likes from its social network. These are Likes that have been generated by malware, fake accounts or bulk purchase services. When Facebook announced its initiative last month, it theorized that less than 1 percent of Likes on any given Facebook page would be removed.

Twitter Travels to the Beat of a Different Drum
September 27, 2012

If Twitter were a child, it would be the last one at the dinner table, eating its food on its own schedule -- never mind that everyone else had finished. To wit: Not too long ago it was still resisting pressure to roll out advertising until it was good and ready. Now, that same stubbornness is on display again. The microblogging site has no plans to go public or put itself up for sale.

EPIC Worries Facebook Could Follow You to the Mall
September 25, 2012

Facebook came under fire again on Monday as a privacy advocate called for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the social network's relationship with data marketer Datalogix. This wasn't just another instance of what have become typical privacy concerns with Facebook.

Facebook's Poor Aim May Cost It Display Ad Lead
September 20, 2012

Google is poised to climb past Facebook and be this year's top earner in display ad revenue, according to new research from eMarketer. Google is expected to earn $2.31 billion in display ad revenue this year, a 38.5 percent jump from last year, just ahead of Facebook's expected $2.16 billion in earnings, up 24.4 percent from a year ago.

Live From Hulu Japan: It's Sunday Morning!
September 19, 2012

In an apparent effort to thwart TV show piracy, Hulu Japan, a subscription streaming site, will show episodes of Saturday Night Live mere hours after the show airs on U.S. television. Hulu, which is based in the U.S. but also operates in Japan, struck a deal not with NBC, the network that broadcasts SNL, but with Broadway Video, the company that produces the show.

Twitter Helps Advertisers Home In
August 31, 2012

Twitter is rolling out new ad-targeting capabilities that will allow marketers to identify and send messages to consumers based on their interests or likes. So, a consumer who has indicated an interest in gardening would be shown ads for gardening and outdoor-living products.