Author Archives: adverblog

Yahoo! will buy Overture… and then?

Yahoo! will buy Overture. I’m telling you no big news. But as a blogger I’m “committed” to provide you with further information and perspectives so… Here a two articles published today that present the possible consequences of the fact above mentioned. One is on Business Week and talks about Yahoo! and its competition with Google (Why Google Should Be Worried) and the other is on IAR and focuses on how will MSN affected by Yahoo!’s move on the market (Yahoo! Overture Combo could hurt MSN). Of course, you can get it all in one, just go on Reuters: Overture Deal Raises stakes for Google and Msn.

File under: msn, overture, portals competition, search engine competition, Yahoo!

Automakers drive online

Do you want to boost awareness and consideration and, by the chance, are you an automaker? Then advertise online! As Adage says today, the automobile industry is increasingly investing in online advertising. It’s the case of Toyota, but also of Volvo, Lexus, Audi and, of course, of BMW. A part from simply advertising, automakers and automarketers are focusing more and more on Web communication in general, by setting up Web site to appeal consumers engaging them in a unique experience with the brand and with the car. I believe cars can be considered to some extent an “experience good”, so it’s important for automakers to make people feel how a car is and how the driving experience could be. It’s an emotional approach to online communication, that more and more brands are trying to create, in a way, it’s a form of advertainment.

File under: auto makers, branding online, building awareness, emotional branding

The Guardian online: that’s marketing fairness

Ok, first of all I have to say that my reflections these days are very much influenced by the fact I’m now taking a marketing course… Anyway, with this post I’d like to point out The Guardian’s fairness in addressing its readers. Recently they have decided to start charging for some parts of their information Web site, today they’ve published an article explaining how and why the came up with such a decision: Log on, fork out. I liked this explanation. Too many of us it might sound kind of obvious, but I’d like to add that N not everybody is working with a contact with the online industry, and not everybody knows that it’s hard to base a business model for a Web site only on advertising revenues. Talk to people, they will listen, they will understand.

File under: guardian online, marketing fairness, online content, pay-per-content

Half-page ads: a good deal?

The New York Times Online has been the first Web site to introduce half-page ads, then several others online publications have followed. After several months of practicing this format, it’s interesting to read Zach Rodgers’s (looks like he’s becoming one of my favourite authors article on Turbo Ads presenting agencies opinions. Audi is happy with it as McKinney’s Interactive Supervisor Erin Bredemann says:

We felt it was a great way to highlight Audi brand while also increasing awareness of dealers in area”.

In general, experts in the industry seem to agree this is an interesting tool for online brand promotions, however it’s still early to say whether it’s really effective. Personally, as a user, I’m not annoyed by this format, because most of the times it’s just nice to look at it. There has been a lot of creative work on it and it focus on brand promotion, not on hard selling. I mean, it’s a pleasant user experience. As for pop-up windows, if they’re placed in context and graphically nice, I believe they will prove as an effective tool for online strategists.

File under: effective tools, half-page ads, half-page units, online branding, pop-up

AdSense vs Martina (Act 2)

I thought the game was over with Google defeating me when a couple of days ago I received this message:

Hello Martina, Thank you very much for your interest in Google AdSense. However, due to VAT restrictions, we are currently unable to accept web publishers in Italy into the AdSense program. We hope to make AdSense available to you in the future. You have already received an email notifying you that your application has not been accepted and we are keeping track of your application. When AdSense becomes available for web publishers in Italy, we will re-evaluate your application. Sincerely, The Google Team

Ok, I said to myself, I have to blame the Italian Government if Google doesn’t accept me in AdSense program. I was a little bit disappointed, but that was it, at least I had a reply. Then I received a message from an Italian reader, Maurizio, who runs this web site that has been accepted in the program… then I found out that also Paolo, a blog-friend that lives less than 50 km from me has been accepted in the program… What’s wrong with me????? Why they don’t want me????? Gimme one good reason! Read Adsense vs Martina Act 1

File under: against google, google ad sense

Online advertising in Italy

IAB Italy has recently released a report with some interesting numbers concerning the development of online advertising in “my” country. In the first quarter of 2003 online advertising spendings have raised of 7.7%. In particular, it appears that clothing, beverages and self care industry, together with public institutions have strongly started investing in the Internet as promotional media. Sponsorships are the preferred kind of advertising covering 21.6% of total investments. Email advertising is also on the rise (9.8%) while mobile advertising through SMS has suffered of a strong slowing down (-28.5%). If you want to know more about what’s going on in Italy, drop me a line, I’ll translate some more data for you

File under: email marketing, italy, online advertising, sponsorships

Chrysler Deploys Interactive for Crossfire

The new Crossfire sports coupe is coming out and Chrysler has decided to promote it with a massive use of interactive media. As IAR reports, Chrysler is increasing its commitment to interactive marketing, using banner ads, a newly developed Web site, a Cd-rom and a TiVo showcase promotion. The article on IAR is particularly interesting to read, since it explains the different aims of promotional features employed in this campaign and the media in which it will be run.

File under: cd-rom, chrysler, interactive marketing, mini-site, online campaign, TiVo

Location based services in Europe

Location based services are a good thing not only for marketers, but also for rescuers. As explained on Fullpress.it (sorry it’s in Italian), on July 24th, a new law will come into effect in Europe that will oblige mobile operators to offer location based support to rescuers for calls to emergency number 112. According to a British statistic, 60% of the people calling for help are not able to provide exact information about their location. The technology solution provider will be Openwave.

File under: location based service

Publicis Dedicates Unit to Fiat

This news isn’t exactly about online advertising, however I think I “have to” report it since it involves one of the main Italian brands. I’m talking about Fiat, the automakers, which is not doing very well in the market but in the last years have came out with nice advertising. Now they have appointed Publicis and Publicis will open a new office in Turin to fully support its client. If you want to learn more about this and you have a subscription to the Wall Street Journal (which btw I don’t have you might want to have a look at today’s article on the fact.

File under: advertising agency, fiat

Practicing MMS campaigns

It’s nice to find online articles published on paper as well, and it surely helps when you’re a blogger I was actually reading this morning the last issue of New Media Age, thinking about posting a reference to new MMS campaigns going on here in the UK. I say here in the UK since I’m currently living in London, for about three weeks attending the Summer School in Marketing at the London School of Economics… All right, enough with me, to get back to MMS, I’ll suggest your reading the article on NMA, since it provides you with a few good examples of big brands like Coca-Cola, starting the first major trials of MMS ad campaigns.

File under: big brands, mms campaigns, mobile branding, mobile campaigns