This week’s movers and shakers in the digital marketing industry: Crunch | Nestle | SapientNitro | Yell | eModeration | Arena Media | eCircle | Moneydashboard | Two-Way Media | AudienceScience | Mulbaloo | Webcredible | ‘Hormone Horoscope | Shazam | NextiraOne | 7digital | NCR | Glam Media | Code Computerlove | OgilvyAction | ConsumerChoices | Stibo Systems | Budget | JiWire | VideoPlaza
Accounting site Crunch offers annual accounts ‘compiled within seconds’Accounting sire Crunch.co.uk is offering customers a service that compiles their annual accounts ‘within seconds’. Crunch’s accountancy team currently takes on average between four and five hours to complete each customer’s annual accounts – already beating the traditional accountant, which can take up to two weeks. The new system will be able to compile the accounts, using a customer’s inputted invoices, expenses, receipts and transactions, within seconds.
The accountancy team will then check the accounts and, once approved by the customer, will be submitted to Companies House and HMRC. As it does now, Crunch will inform customers when their final tax bill needs to be paid having already detailed how much they need to put aside throughout the year.
www.crunch.co.uk
Nestlé Cereals debut augmented reality game campaign
Following the success of the augmented reality game integrated into Chocapic and Nesquik cereal packs launched in France at the end of 2009, Dassault Systèmes has deployed leading-edge know-how and experiential 3D technologies to support the marketing strategy of Nestlé France Breakfast Cereals with the roll-out of a new immersive virtual reality application The promotion is timed to coincide with the launch of Luc Besson’s latest movie Arthur 3 – The War of the Two Worlds,
From October, 4.2 million packs of Chocapic and Chocapic Duo, Chocapic Pepites, Nesquik, Cookie Crisp,Cheerios and Chokela, cereals featuring the 3D offer will be available in stores in France for a period of nine weeks. Once they have put on their 3D glasses equipped with a “magic square” featuring one of the heroes from the movie, Arthur fans simply switch on their webcam and go to www.arthurcourse.com to plunge into the stereoscopic 3-D immersive experience. The webcam detects the magic square, eliminating the need for a keyboard, mouse or joystick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGdSslAJRwM
http://www.3ds.com/ukisa
4.5 Billion Social Media Users Challenged to Shutdown Networks
Autism charities in more than 40 countries are joining forces to launch a global campaign challenging the world’s 4.5 billion social media users to shutdown their networks just for one day. Developed by SapientNitro in Australia, the Communication Shutdown campaign encourages social media users to make a donation and receive a charity app, or CHAPP, that will signal their support and intention to opt out of Facebook and Twitter on 1 November.
Social communication is one of the biggest challenges for people with autism and by volunteering to shutdown the world will have some idea of what this is like. For a $5 donation, the CHAPP will connect with the user’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and place a shutdown badge over their profile picture. The Communication Shutdown CHAPP will be available on the campaign website. The site will also host a global mosaic where supporters can see their profile pic next to celebrities who have signed up. A number of high profile people are involved with famous names including Mat Rogers, Ryan Shelton and Miranda Kerr ready to shutdown.
www.communicationshutdown.org
Yell expands online consumer reviews to benefit charities
Yell has announced a major online initiative that will drive consumer reviews and ratings of local businesses and services on its website, and at the same time generate donations for national and local charities. The move is a significant development in online consumer reviewing of small businesses in the UK, and follows the integration with Yell.com of TrustedPlaces. Yell acquired the local review site earlier this year.
Yell.com users now have the opportunity to give their view on local businesses such as restaurants, hairdressers and beauty salons, with the service soon to be extended to plumbers and accountants. Users first select the charity they wish to support, with every review they write resulting in a 25p donation from Yell to that charity. Yell is now developing a network of national and local community charities that consumers can select from. The first charities to partner with Yell.com under the initiative are Oxfam; leading UK conservation charity the Woodland Trust, which Yell has supported for more than a decade; and veterinary charity PDSA.
www.Yell.com
eModeration launches live events social media management package
Interaction with social media has become an intrinsic part of staging a live event, and in response to this, eModeration has launched a live events social media package. The modular Live Events package includes Live chat moderation, incorporating text-to-screen moderation, Twitter moderation, and Live audio moderation.
Also included are Live Chat Selective moderation, and community management and moderation before, during and after the event. eModeration’s hosting services include multilingual 24/7 event hosting of Twitter feeds and Facebook Pages (especially useful when events may be during unsocial hours for the regular brand team). At the planning stage of an event, eModeration’s live event team will also offer consultancy to the brand staging the event, including an analysis of what levels of management or moderation might be needed, and an assessment of the level of risk in live streaming.
http://www.emoderation.com/services/live-events.
Norwegian tourist board hires Arena Media
Media buying and planning agency, Arena Media, is working on a multimedia campaign for the Norwegian Tourist Board, Innovation Norway, encouraging London commuters to experience the famous Northern Lights this winter. The campaign, comprising outdoor, print and digital created by creative communications agency Mr H, positions Northern Norway as the ultimate tourist destination to see the Aurora Borealis. Arena’s strategy centres around creative elements designed to ‘lighten up’ waiting times between Tube journeys with enticing images of the Aurora Borealis. Outdoor activity is purely London Underground based: a combination of 16 sheet posters and digital cross-track advertising featuring 20-second videos showcasing the best of what Northern Norway has to offer.
These ads will run during peak afternoon commuting times – between 4 and 7 pm – in 17 underground stations. The digital component of the campaign includes a tie in with the Norway Travel and Culture section of the National Geographic website, as well as display ads – including an XXL MPU (a 990×600 pixels ad). This is complemented by sponsorship of Telegraph.co.uk’s online travel videos and in-text advertising – targeting associated keywords through Vibrant Media – and targeted ads on the Lonely Planet and Teletext Holidays websites. Relevant users will also be targeted via solus email. In print, a series of ads will appear in key national newspaper travel supplements over the next few weeks, including The Times, The Sunday Times, Evening Standard, Time Out, and The Daily Telegraph. Creative assets comprise two different campaign ads – one showing the lights, and another featuring husky dog sledging – illustrating additional exciting outdoor activities on offer, to differentiate Norway in the fiercely competitive travel market. The campaign’s target audience is ‘prosperous adventurers’ – consumers aged 35-64, with disposable income who enjoy off the beaten track, cultural holidays. The campaign will run across all platforms this autumn.
www.arena-media.co.uk
www.visitnorway.co.uk
eCircle launches newsletter Facebook app
eCircle, the leading pan-European email marketing company, has launched a new Facebook application, ‘Facebook2Subscribe App’, making it one of the only ESPs currently offering a social media lead generation application. The innovative application, developed in-house by eCircle’s Product Development team, installs an application on the client’s Facebook page, which then allows their customers to sign up for newsletter updates quickly and easily via a tab button on the social media site: http://www.facebook.com/eCircleUK?v=app_4949752878&ref=ts.
The ‘Facebook2Subscribe App’ has been designed to respond to the increasing demands for online efficiency strategies alongside the rise of social media channels. The application gives clients the opportunity to effortlessly multiply their email database with customers that are already interested in their brand and services and ultimately making email marketing campaigns more effective. The application is shown as a ‘Newsletter’ tab across the top of the company’s Facebook page. A link to the application can also be copied onto the company’s Facebook page directly. A customer visiting the page will simply have to click the ‘Newsletter’ link and the option to join the newsletter is offered. If accepted, the user will be added to the client’s email database directly via eC-messenger, eCircle’s email marketing software.
www.ecircle.com
Moneydashboard rewards referrers with £1 per customer
Online personal finance site Money Dashboard has set a £1 bounty for every single user acquired through its latest affiliate challenge. With no upper limit, the prize could potentially reach into tens of thousands of pounds for agencies or individuals who drive the highest number of new sign ups.
The £1 Challenge is simple – drive traffic, get visitors to register and then login to use the service and Money Dashboard will pay a round pound for each and every user. To get the ball rolling, they will double the reward for all users acquired during November. It is the first time that Money Dashboard has set such a challenge. Money brings a person’s bank accounts, credit cards and store cards together on one screen, giving a clear up to the minute picture of their personal finances, making it easier to budget and save. As part of the competition, Money Dashboard is keen to see inspiring campaigns and ideas that will appeal to its core users – young families and individuals facing tight budgets in the run up to the holiday season.
http://www.moneydashboard.com/challenge.
Two Way Media debuts X-Factor and Family Fortunes red button games
Two Way Media and talkbackTHAMES digital have launched two new games on Virgin Media’s interactive red-button platform based on FremantleMedia brands Family Fortunes and The X Factor. An interactive pay-to-play version of Family Fortunes has recently launched on both Two Way Media’s and ITV’s red button services. The game closely follows the TV format, with players shown a series of questions based on surveys and asked to find the top answers. They score points for each question answered correctly and bonuses for finding all the top answers. There are four rounds including ‘Double Money’ and ‘Big Money’.
Meanwhile, the interactive quiz game for The X Factor . The game was released to coincide with the start of the 2010 series and features questions about the show which are updated as the programme runs and new stars emerge. Players score points for answering questions correctly; the faster they answer the more points they will score. Anyone who scores more than 6,000 points are entered into prize draws to win money-can’t-buy tickets to the live shows, The X Factor tour tickets and branded merchandise.
www.twowaymedia.co.uk
Sift Media Appoints AudienceScience for targeting push
AudienceScience, a global online advertising technology company driving digital marketing success, announces that leading UK online B2B publisher, Sift Media, has adopted its integrated data management and audience targeting platform, The AudienceScience Gateway, to deliver advanced targeting solutions across its portfolio of sites that include AccountingWEB.co.uk, PublicTechnology.net and MyCustomer.com.
The company has over 500,000 business professionals using its leading titles every month and is adopting AudienceScience’s targeting platform, The Audience Gateway, to help drive the commercial success of its brands and give its advertisers more sophisticated ways to define and reach their key audiences. Until now, Sift Media has offered agencies and advertisers selected targeting criteria based on location, job role and previous browsing history. Now, using AudienceScience, it will be offering a whole suite of targeting options that includes extensive user behaviour; frequency, search terms and registration data for example.
www.AudienceScience.co.uk
Mubaloo and The Carphone Warehouse deliver store finder app
The UK’s leading corporate app developer, Mubaloo, has worked with The Carphone Warehouse to develop the ultimate in store finders. With over 800 locations, The Carphone Warehouse needed to ensure their stores are easy to find amongst all the high street competition. Mubaloo were quick to respond with an app that uses Augmented Reality and Google maps to locate the stores and their distance from the user.
The app also provides full details for each store within the area, up to fifty miles away, and directions to guide the user to the store. In the rapidly developing smartphone market, customers can now easily locate Carphone Warehouse stores for accessories, repairs, changes to contract and upgrades.
www.mulbaloo.com
Towergate Insurance selects Webcredible for usability testing
Webcredible, the user experience consultancy, today announced its appointment by Towergate Insurance for a user research and usability testing project on its website. The project is designed to help Towergate better cater for the requirements of its users and upgrade the user experience of the key site pages and user journeys, as well as the quote and buy process. Towergate entered the insurance market in 1997, and has since grown to become Europe’s largest independently owned insurance intermediary turning over more than £2 billion of gross written premium across its companies. The work with Webcredible is designed to help optimise the user experience of Towergate’s website for both consumer and business customers.
The initial research phase will involve desk research and visits to call centres to get a better understanding of the needs and expectations of Towergate insurance customers. Following this, Webcredible will work collaboratively with Towergate to develop wireframes for a new website and then carry out usability testing on these wireframes. The usability testing will consist of 12 participants (four caravan owners, four jet ski owners and four holiday home owners) who have all previously purchased insurance online. Analysis and recommendations will then be communicated to Towergate Insurance, based on the results.
www.webcredible.com
Daily “Hormone Horoscope” app offers way to predict their day
More women than ever want to get in touch with the ups and downs of their hormones, prompting a slew of new iphone apps to track their monthly cycles. The recently-launched website goes one step further—it gives women a daily “Hormone Horoscope”, a horoscope based entirely on their monthly hormones. These colorful, science-based horoscopes accurately predict what a woman’s mood, energy, libido, chattiness, shopping habits, memory, cravings and more will be based on which week she is on in her monthly cycle.
MyHormonesMadeMeDoIt.com.
Shazam App to Feature at Launch of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7
Shazam, the mobile discovery provider, today announced that its popular mobile discovery application will be available on phones supporting Microsoft’s new Windows® Phone 7 operating system, which launches today in some European markets. Users of Windows Phone 7 devices will be able to download a free version of Shazam from the Windows® Phone Marketplace with unlimited tagging as part of the launch offer.
Shazam has been available to Windows Mobile users, who are among the now 75 million total Shazam users around the world, since 2009. During the initial launch period, Windows Phone 7 users will enjoy unlimited tagging. Users will also be able to purchase tagged tracks direct from the Zune Marketplace.
www.shazam.com
Sick Children Continue Education through Video Networking
NextiraOne, Europe’s leading expert in communications services, has teamed up with IP security camera company Axis Communications Benelux to provide support for Bednet in its mission to provide children with long-term and chronic illnesses with the ability to continue their schooling and remain in contact with their classmates via an Internet connection between their home or hospital ward and their classroom.
The extremely clear images from the network cameras (Axis 215 PTZ) transform a virtual presence in the classroom into a realistic feeling of attendance. The camera is easy to operate and the children are therefore able to control the camera from home or from hospital. This allows them to enlarge the image or pan the camera around the classroom so that they do not miss anything that is happening in the classroom. NextiraOne is responsible for the delivery, maintenance and repair of the network cameras.
http://www.nextiraone.eu
7digital Powers Samsung’s GALAXY Tab Music Service
7digital and Samsung have partnered to develop a unique digital music experience on the new Samsung GALAXY Tab. Developed using 7digital’s API, the native music application enables users to easily search, discover, preview, purchase and download tracks via the store’s powerful user interface. The store is optimised for the GALAXY Tab’s 7-inch screen and Android 2.2 operating system. The store application will be pre-installed on devices in 30 European countries and North America. Tracks are available in the MP3 format with the standard format being 320kbps MP3.
http://www.7digital.com
NCR acquires Mobiqa to expand global mobile self-service platform
NCR Corporation has acquired Mobiqa − a global pioneer and market leader in the delivery of mobile optimised content − and provider of tickets, boarding passes, downloadable applications and coupons in the travel, entertainment and retail sectors. Terms were not disclosed. The acquisition enables NCR to establish a global mobile centre of excellence, which will initially focus on the travel industry, where NCR and Mobiqa expect to realise synergies from their existing solutions.
Located in Edinburgh, Scotland, the mobile centre of excellence will complement NCR’s existing R&D facility in Dundee and enable NCR to extend existing mobile offerings across multiple industry sectors.
www.ncr.com
E! Online hires Glam Media for digital push
Glam Media has been appointed by E! Entertainment to maximise commercial revenues for its website E! Online across the UK, German and French markets under an exclusive contract. Glam Media will serve advertising to the E! Online sites and help capitalise on emerging commercial opportunities to the benefit of both partners. The substantial increase in unique users and page views in Glam’s entertainment channel means brands targeting this burgeoning audience will have an even greater reach to this impassioned audience.
E! Online in the UK has seen the largest growth of all E!’s international websites since its launch in January 2008 and now receives more than 400k unique visitors a month (comScore August 2010). It is the source for the latest daily entertainment news and celebrity inside information delivered in a fun, irreverent tone. E! Online presents up-to-the-minute news, gossip, music and movie reviews along with video from E! Entertainment Television.
www.GlamMedia.com
GMG Radio appoints Code Computerlove for Smooth FM web revamp
To support the national roll out of Smooth Radio, Guardian Media Group (GMG) Radio has appointed digital marketing agency Code Computerlove to re-design the Smooth Radio website www.smoothradio.co.uk Code has been tasked with working with the GMG Radio Digital Team to provide a new creative design, online brand guidelines and support the development of new user information architecture. The agency has also undertaken in-depth research and competitor benchmarking to develop content and functionality ideas which will be developed on the site.
In addition to listen live and listen again features, the site is a valuable source of news, sport, music, competitions and offers, event details and presenter and show information. GMG has already launched its new offline marketing campaign, being handled by KLP and MediaCom, which is being fronted by its listeners and will span TV, press and outdoor. The digital work will help to reinforce Smooth’s marketing drive and transformation into a UK wide station. Earlier this year Smooth Radio launched an iPhone, iPad and iPod mobile app. The new-look website is due to be launched in January 2011.
www.CodeComputerlove.com
New head of social at OgilvyAction
OgilvyAction, the brand activation arm of the Ogilvy Group and experts in consumer activation marketing, has appointed Matt Gierhart as its head of social, a newly created role. Over the last four years, Matt has managed his own boutique social agency, The New Celebrity, run from London and New York handling global briefs. He worked in partnership with other large agencies and directly with brands such as Panasonic, Ford, Harcourt, and the Democratic National Convention.
Matt started his career in the marketing sector in the US as a creative consultant at The Texas Department of Transportation, working on an initiative named Don’t Mess with Texas. His role focused on trends monitoring and forecasting and advising the Department’s roster of ad agencies. In addition to his work as a strategist and creative, Matt has a strong interest in education and economic development. He has worked in association with the Texas Board of Education to help rethink the way school districts and local communities communicate through digital channels. He has also partnered with the International Economic Development Summit to leverage local and small businesses’ social media marketing techniques to target specific economic growth. Matt’s main remit at OgilvyAction will be to explore how social media fits within customer activation, understanding the social shopper and how he/she makes purchase decisions.
www.ogilvyaction.com
Consumerchoices.co.uk supports Propertywide.co.uk’s move into household utilities
Consumerchoices.co.uk, a leading provider of comparison sites and services, today announces its partnership with Propertywide.co.uk, part of the Countrywide Group. Through its partnership with Consumerchoices.co.uk, Propertywide.co.uk will add broadband, phone, TV and mobile broadband comparison services to its property listings website.
The partnership enables Propertywide’s buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants to view and compare the best broadband, mobile broadband, home phone, and digital TV offers. This is the first time Consumerchoices.co.uk has entered the property market, cementing the group’s position as an established communications comparison service.
www.Consumerchoices.co.uk
Stibo Systems and Spindrift unveil best practice guide for ecommerce platforms
Stibo Systems, a master data management firm and Spindrift, the ecommerce solutions provider, today announce a new partnership which sees both companies join forces to create a best practice guide for enterprise strength ecommerce. Targeting a cross section of consumer facing companies, the solution is designed to give businesses greater scalability within their ecommerce platforms.
One of the areas where ecommerce initiatives can improve their revenue numbers is time to market of new product. Spindrift’s experience is that it may take up to four weeks from the moment new products are introduced into a company system to then make them available for sale – a timeframe which if reduced, could result in significant revenue benefits for a business. Combining Spindrift’s multichannel ecommerce reference architecture and Stibo System’s deep insight into Product Information Management (PIM), the best practice guide will help businesses introduce new products to digital channels faster including ecommerce, mobile and in store. Effective Product Information Management (PIM) is the bedrock of a business helping them manage large product catalogues with millions of items while supporting multiple ecommerce sites and channels to market. In such a competitive and increasingly global commercial environment, there is a real need for a more agile and scalable ecommerce architecture that helps businesses launch and manage individual products while also creating a much faster time-to -market to help maximise profitability.
To receive a free copy of the ‘How to build Enterprise Strength ecommerce’ White Paper please email Stibo-UK-ideas@stibo.com.
Budget boosts online marketing
Following the conclusion of its agency roster review, leading car rental company, Budget UK has announced an increase in its online marketing presence. The Bracknell-based firm has committed an additional 25% of marketing spend into digital, focusing on digital creative, online media buying and paid-for search. As part of the review of its marketing operation, Budget UK has taken on three new digital agencies, each with a clear remit to develop the firm’s online marketing strategy. Creative agency Acknowledgement will help drive Budget’s creative digital solutions, Webliquid will be focusing on its online media buying strategy, and Unique Digital will be tasked with boosting Budget’s paid-for search offering.
The new agency hires are in addition to the existing relationship Budget has with Shiny Red, The Red Consultancy’s digital arm, which oversees the brand’s social media activity. The agencies will be working closely alongside each other to launch two new online campaigns for Budget this autumn.
www.budget.co.uk
JiWire expands location-based media channel to UK
JiWire. a leading location-based media company reaching the On-The-Go Audience in the US, is launching JiWire Europe, its first overseas operation based in the UK. The specialist Wi-Fi media channel, which has exclusive partnerships in the US with AT&T, T-Mobile and Boingo has been appointed by BT Openzone, who will work closely with JiWire Europe to deliver targeted third-party advertising across nearly 185,000 Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the UK including premium venues such as cafes, leading hotels, airports, and wireless cities.
JiWire will offer its unique set of advertising programmes, including ‘Captive Display’, which provides brands highly visible presence whenever a person connects, and ‘Ads for Access’ which is a guaranteed engagement program for deep brand interaction. The UK platform enables advertisers and their agencies to reach the UK’s growing ‘On-The-Go’ audience, which is increasingly accessing internet via Wi-Fi on their laptops, mobile phones, iPads and other devices during the course of a day. Advertising can be targeted to the point of connection by location, venue type, and by device. In the US, JiWire has enabled over 100 premium brand advertisers, including Microsoft, Jeep, Virgin America, Hyatt Place, and Buick to reach millions of people on the move. BT Openzone will be the first wireless internet service provider to work with JiWire Europe. BT has established an extensive high-speed public wireless network of nearly 2 million public Wi-Fi locations across the UK and Ireland providing Wi-Fi connectivity in a variety of premium venues including Starbucks, Welcome Break, Roadchef Motorway Services, American Airline lounges, Thistle, Ramada Jarvis, Forestdale and Menzies hotels.
www.JiWire.com
Videoplaza enters Belgian market
Videoplaza, an ad serving technology firm for managing and monetising online video today announced an innovative partnership with Belgian RTL Newmedia, its first client in the country. In addition, Richard D. Titus, entrepreneur, investor and strategic adviser, joins Videoplaza’s Board of Directors. The partnership between Videoplaza and RTL Newmedia will allow seamless integration of advertisements into online videos and radio for the Belgian publisher, as well as providing a robust platform that can deliver to multiple devices. Videoplaza takes over the contract from Adswizz.
RTL Newmedia, part of RTL Belgium, the country’s largest TV, radio and production company, will be using Videoplaza’s ad server platform for to monetise online video, live radio and radio-on-demand, an approach that will help the company increase revenue streams from its online offering. Videoplaza will also work with the broadcaster to develop an iPhone app to take its services multi-platform to harness the opportunities presented by mobile technology. The partnership is also Videoplaza’s first foray into applying its technology to enable pre- and mid-rolls for online radio. Bringing radio ad serving capabilities to the company’s offering provides existing and potential clients with the opportunity to apply Videoplaza’s products to different channels to create greater value from the online audience.
http://www.videoplaza.com