Articles of the Day
FTC Told Regulation Could Harm Online Ad Industry - Google, Microsoft, and Facebook joined a host of other Web companies at an FTC Town Hall meeting Thursday to argue that they already fully protect users’ privacy interests and said that additional regulations could harm the online advertising industry.
MySpace Joins Google’s OpenSocial - Eager to challenge Facebook’s rising star, MySpace has joined the Google-led initiative to court Web developers with an open system for creating social networking applications.
Specific Media Will Use $100 Million To Fund Acquisitions - As one of the few remaining independent ad networks, Specific Media would seem to be more the prey than the hunter these days. But with a fresh infusion of $100 million in venture capital funding, the company plans to go on a buying spree of its own.
WebTrends Shakes Up Senior Management Team - WebTrends quietly replaced CEO Greg Drew with board member Bruce T. Coleman this week in a management shakeup that comes amid rapid consolidation within the Web analytics industry.
AOL’s ‘Do Not Track’ Effect - AOL is giving Internet users greater control over the ads they see by offering a service similar to the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Registry that prevents telemarketers from calling registered consumers at home. The “do not track” service links consumers directly to opt-out lists run by large advertising networks. Signing up does not actually stop ads, but it prevents advertisers from tracking surfing habits. The service also explains the benefits of behavioral targeting.
Web 2.0 Greater in Theory Than Budget - More than three-quarters of US marketing professionals surveyed think that social media marketing—also known as Web 2.0—can give them a competitive edge, according to Coremetrics’ “Face of the New Marketer” study. The same respondents said that only 7.75% of their online marketing spending went to such tactics.
Pressure Mounts on Facebook Ad System - As Facebook prepares to wow the world with its new social advertising system, BusinessWeek reminds us of a startling reality: “the truth about online ads is that precious few people actually click on them.” Worse, the percentage of those who do click on standard banners at highly trafficked destinations like Yahoo shrunk considerably in 2006–from 0.75 percent to just 0.27 percent, according to the advertising services firm Eyeblaster. So how, pray tell, does Facebook plan to reverse the trend?
FTC Chief Floats Online Ad Restrictions - Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Jon Leibowitz indicated that the organization might be preparing sanctions on the online advertising industry with regard to its user-tracking practices. “When you’re surfing the Internet, you never know who is peering over your shoulder or how many marketers are watching,” Leibowitz said during an FTC online privacy forum. He added that industry self-regulation has been inadequate.
Time Warner to Offload AOL Unit - CNBC’s David Faber has the scoop (although by now it’s not necessarily a surprise) that Time Warner is indeed preparing to split apart some of its properties in order to focus more on its media and movie businesses. Among those to be split is AOL, although Faber says Time Warner only plans to offload “parts” of the Web portal/online services firm.
FCC in First ‘Net Neutrality’ Test - Consumer organizations, it seems, are more concerned with their Web-surfing freedom than seeing too many ads. A coalition of legal scholars and watchdog groups on Thursday filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over Internet service provider Comcast’s admitted interference with subscribers’ file-sharing.
Dentsu Buys Digital And Design Shop Attik - Dentsu America has purchased digital and design shop Attik. The San Francisco-based shop is expected to remain a separate operating unit within the Japanese agency’s domestic operations.
Beyond Media of Pensacola, Fla. has acquired Intent MediaWorks Inc - Beyond Media of Pensacola, Fla. has acquired Intent MediaWorks Inc., an Atlanta-based digital media distribution company. No financial terms were disclosed. Intent MediaWorks has raised over $11 million in VC funding from firms like Allen & Co., SoftBank Capital, Bertelsmann Capital Ventures, Greycroft Partners, Menemsha Capital Partners and IMW Partners.
IPG Buys Branded Entertainment Agency - Interpublic Group has acquired Translation Consulting + Brand Imaging, a 45-person shop founded by former Interscope Records executive Steve Stoute. Translation’s clients include Chevy, Crest and McDonald’s. Rumored to be between $10 and $15 million.
