Articles of the Day
Google To Target Mobile Web And Social Network Players In China — Google is looking at investments in Chinese social networking and mobile web companies, a senior executive tells The Wall Street Journal. Kai-Fu Lee, president of Google’s Greater China operations, says Google would like to become a top player in China’s internet search within five years. Lee would not give details on potential investments or targets. Google recently said it would revamp its web portal in China, where it competes with well-established market leader Baidu. Last Jul, it invested USD1m in social network technology provider Comsenz. It has also invested USD5m in video and game downloads portal Xunlei Network and owns an undisclosed stake in networking site Tianya.cn.
Disney’s SOAPnet Adds To The Ad Net Glut — Another day, another media company forms an ad network… Disney’s (NYSE: DIS) SOAPnet is the latest to start its own vertical ad net. Disney plans to announce Wednesday that the companion site for cable net SOAPnet has deals with 45 smaller, similar sites, which will run SOAPnet’s videos and news and allow it to sell ads for them as well, according to WSJ, which uses the news to highlight the ad net glut. Lehman Brothers analyst Doug Anmuth posited last week that media companies are making a smart decision in starting ad nets. Doing so enables them to take advantage of rising online ad spending. It also helps them extend the reach of their brands, though some, like WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive and ESPN have not felt the value as much and have backed off the ad net model. With that in mind, small publishers have little to lose by handing their ad inventory over to larger brands to sell on their behalf. However, the ever-rising number of ad nets - WSJ estimates there are 300 “majors” in operation—the overlap is becoming so great among various ad nets that some are selling the same ad slots. As a result of the crush, ad nets may be starting to experience reduced sales—which means consolidation is around the corner.
Complex Media Expands To Create Dedicated Digital Unit — Buoyed by the tremendous growth of its vertical ad network, Complex Media is launching a dedicated business unit for digital advertising and content. The young men’s lifestyle brand (parent company of Complex magazine) has brought in Mike Golden, former CEO and president of Home Décor Products, to help lead the expansion, in addition to making key hires in the technology, content development and digital production divisions. Golden, whose experience includes entrepreneurial and leadership positions at Organic (prior to the Omnicom acquisition) and Global Sports Interactive (now GSI Commerce), will share the title of co-CEO with Complex Publisher Rich Antoniello.
Washingtonpost.com Deploys Apture’s Text Link Technology — Washingtonpost.com has rolled out a new text link platform called Apture on two of its blogs. When readers mouse over the Apture links, a window containing related videos, images and articles appears, and they can browse the info without leaving the original page. The links can currently be found on the political blog “The Fix,” as well as “Celebritology,” an entertainment column. Washingtonpost.com plans to deploy San Mateo, Calif.-based Apture’s technology throughout its entire roster of blogs, articles and databases in the coming months.
BigString Unveils Self-Destructing IM Service — In the interest of privacy and safety, BigString Corp. today is set to unveil a self-destructing instant messenger service. The patent-pending technology leaves no trail or copy of the IM on any server once the message self destructs. Target users are anyone who uses IM as a real time communication, especially those who worry about confidential information, said BigString CEO Darin Myman. That includes employees at financial institutions, colleagues exchanging information or everyday casual conversation. The time for self-destruction is set by the sender, and can range fromf seconds to an hour. The sender can also choose a number of visual effects for the self-destruction, and will literally see the message disappear in real time.
WorldNow Taps KickApps For Niche Social Web Sites — Technology and sales company WorldNow has tapped white-label widget maker KickApps in an effort drum up new online revenue opportunities for local TV stations. Per the deal, WorldNow will create and help manage custom deployments of KickApps social media applications for its over 320 media clients, including ABC, Cox Enterprises, Time Warner Cable, and TribuTribune. “The creation of niche social media Web sites offers an opportunity for local TV stations to tap into a broad group of advertisers that may or may not already be advertising on TV,” said KickApps CEO Alex Blum.
Naspers To Exit Greek pay-TV Business For USD760m — South African media group Naspers has reached a conditional deal to sell its Greek and Cypriot pay-TV business, NetMed, for USD760m. Greece’s second-largest broadband operator, Forthnet, will acquire the company, which owns digital satellite platform Nova. The deal hinges on Forthnet’s ability to raise EUR60m (USD95m) in debt funding and on shareholders’ approval to fund part of the sale. Forthnet may use the acquisition to extend into triple-play services to fend off increasing competition from Vivodi and On Telecoms. These broke Forthnet’s monopoly on pay-TV last year by launching IPTV services, with incumbent OTE expected to follow suit, says ScreenDigest. The research firm says competition is likely to heat up as the digital terrestrial TV sector gains pace. Forthnet has approximately 200,000 broadband customers, while Nova’s satellite service claims about 340,000 subscribers. Greece does not have cable TV.
