TweetBucks is a new service that makes affiliate linking through shortened urls easier. The way it works is basically thus, you use bit.ly to shorten a link to a third party site, let’s say 1-800-FLOWERS, and post it to Twitter or Facebook. TweetBucks scans its database of merchants for affiliate programs matching the destination site. If they are able to match your link to an affiliate program and someone clicks through your shortened url and generates a sale you keep 70% of the commission.
Industry News
YouTube is testing pre-roll ads before content provided by some U.K. partners including Channel 4, BBC Worldwide, National Geographic and Discovery Networks. In the trial content owners are allowed to select which content will be opened to advertisers and YouTube’s sales staff sell ads against it on a CPM basis.
Industry News
Ad Age published an interview with Nick Denton of Gawker Media in which he discusses the under-40 set’s preferences for Gossip Girl over NBC Nightly News, original news vs regurgitated blog posts and new ad formats.
Maybe the most interesting thing Denton shares in the interview is that a Nielsen Research report found that nearly 34% of Gawker readers have their own blogs.
Industry News
Hulu is has succeeded to inspire at least one advertiser to try brand-building on the fledgling online TV platform. Pepsi produced 15 second retro commercials to promote their new retro Throwback drink which they are running against TV shows from 70′s and 80′s on Hulu.
I expect this is a very exciting vote of confidence for the people at Hulu. When I watch their programming I notice a large percentage of their ad slots filled with PSA’s.
Creative, Industry News, Trends
One of the more subtle consequences of GM’s plan to shutter 1,100 dealers is the huge amount of ad dollars that will be disappearing from the local markets they serve. Many small to midsize agencies specialize in and depend on work from car dealers. Admittedly, these commercials are universally obnoxious but the fallout in the media industry will be much worse.
Economic Meltdown, Industry News
Navteq, who enjoys a near-monopoly on embedded maps, has launched an ad network in Europe offering advertisers a chance to target users of navigation devices and mobile phones based on their location. The Nokia-owned company is calling the new platform LocationPoint. Ads on the platform can offer users real calls to action, for example: click to search, click to call, click to navigate and click to coupon.
LocationPoint offers a new way for clients to license Navteq’s map data greatly expanding the company’s pool of potential clients.
Industry News
General Mills has launched a new website, MyBlogSpark, that helps them distribute free products and coupons to bloggers who frequently run giveaways for their audiences. MyBlogSpark currently has more than 900 bloggers, more than 80% of which are mothers.
Bloggers are seen by some as wildcards, amateur journalists with no formal code of ethics or editorial integrity. General Mills is asking members of MyBlogSpark to consult with the site before posting negative reviews. From the site: “If you feel you cannot write a positive post regarding the product or service, please contact the MyBlogSpark team before posting any content.”
Even if its approach is somewhat flawed, General Mills is ahead of the curve for a company of its size. MyBlogSpark is an interesting experiment to watch, and if it works, one to copy.
Industry News, Trends
Marketers typically expect teens to keep spending in spite of economic turn-downs. Their parents often provide the essentials making all their spending discretionary. Ad Age breaks it down for you.
Economic Meltdown, Industry News
Quantcast has launched a new product called Quantcast Marketer that caters to a segment largely ignored by the website analytics company in the past. Marketer promises to help agencies and their clients apply Quantcast’s audience profile data to inform marketing buys.
You can get more info on Quantcast’s site, including case studies from Kia and Virgin.
Industry News
Yahoo announced that it will lay off 5% of its workforce as part of a drastic cost cutting effort. Yahoo’s 2009 Q1 net income declined 78% from last year. The latest round of layoff’s will be the company’s third round in about a year.
Economic Meltdown, Industry News
