Articles of the Day
New Facebook, MySpace Ad Programs Prompt FTC Complaint - Advocacy organizations Center for Digital Democracy and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group plan to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission over new ad programs on social networking sites. The groups specifically question whether these programs–Facebook’s, as well as MySpace’s expanded targeting–inappropriately focus on minors.
Facebook Quietly Opens New York Office - So where exactly are Facebook’s New York digs? A recent post on the Silicon Alley Insider blog identified 551 Fifth Avenue as the location of Facebook’s New York outpost, where it rents 5,350 square feet at $65 per square-foot. A Facebook spokesman wouldn’t confirm those details, but says the office is located on Fifth Avenue.
Social Researchers Get Brands to Leverage Info - A survey reveals that about 65% of shoppers are social researchers–or consumers who “always” read reviews before making a purchase in-store, online or via catalog, and invest a significant amount of time in the process. They read reviews “always” or “most of the time” prior to making product decisions. “Social researchers are making their decisions based on info from other consumers, not what the manufacturer or retailer spoonfeeds them,” the research firm president says.
Publicis Chief Warns Against Relying On Internet Ad Revenues - Too many new media companies are chasing too few advertising dollars, one of the advertising industry’s most senior executives warns, reported The Financial Times Limited. “Everyone is seeing advertising as the manna,” says Maurice Lévy, chairman and chief executive of Publicis, one of the world’s largest marketing groups. “Far too many people are building plans based on advertising, and they may well be disappointed because there is not enough money for everyone.”
Analytics Widely Adopted Across Industries - While the digital revolution is applying tremendous pressure to certain industries–forcing changes in the processes of print media organizations, for example– it is also contributing to the rise of others, analytics being a prime example.
Online Ad Growth Rate Ebbs In Q3, But Continues To Outpace All Major Media - The rate of online ad spending growth continues to ebb, but continues to outpace that of every other major medium, expanding at 25.3% - or by $1.1 billion - during the third quarter of 2006, according to figures released this morning by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. While marketing a slowdown from the third-quarter 2006’s 33% rate of growth, online ad spending continues to expand on a sequential basis, with third quarter 2007’s ad dollar volume rising nearly 3% over the second quarter of 2007.
Facebook Ads: Old, New Or Irreverent? - Everything old is new again: Facebook’s advertising system is a new take on an old concept. Paul Lazarsfeld and Elihu Katz, authors of the influential 1955 media classic “Personal Influence” argued that marketers actually target certain individuals in their media messages, called “opinion leaders” rather than mass audiences. These individuals are today referred to as “influentials” because it is they who virally disseminate information.
Is Facebook Building a Search Engine? - Facebook has a new search bar allowing people to search for advertising pages. VentureBeat says the development marks “a steady creep in search options,” suggesting Facebook aims to challenge Google’s sacred territory. For now, no. Facebook search only includes tabs for searching people, groups, events, applications, and anything else you can find only within its network. The social network is not indexing the Web. Where would it get the search results? Microsoft.
Diller: We’re Interested in AOL - Last week, CEO Barry Diller announced that he was splitting IAC, the Internet empire, into five separate public companies. Critics said the move was proof that the media conglomerate approach doesn’t work in the digital age. Ticketmaster, Lending Tree, home-shopping channel HSN and time-share travel business Interval International are branching off on their own. The rest, which includes search engine Ask.com, dating site Match.com and CitySearch, will continue to fall under the IAC brand.
