News round-up: 13th April 2011

This week’s movers and shakers in the digital industry: AVG | Tradedoubler | Amaze | Baidu | Mobile Interactive Group | Tagman | ADTECH | Skive | Nectar | Onepoint | Turn | Return Path | Nugg.ad | Nominet | Stardoll | Two Way Media | MCM EPiServer | Code Computerlove | SAY Media | CNS | 123-reg | Kenshoo

AVG launches “LiveKive” cloud-based storage
AVG Technologies, one of the leading providers of Internet and mobile security software, today launched AVG LiveKive a cloud-based storage, sync and share solution. It offers consumers a way to access their personal information, data, files and digital content online, via multiple channels and devices. AVG LiveKive has been developed to adapt to the multi-platform needs of consumers, who need to backup and store personal data and digital content remotely for seamless, anytime, anywhere access. AVG LiveKive offers consumers a reliable and sophisticated alternative to archiving, and makes information instantly accessible. The automated syncing functionality works on both Apple and Microsoft platforms. Data can be viewed and shared from any web enabled device, including Android, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices. AVG LiveKive offers consumers three tiers of secure encrypted storage options, ranging from a free 5GB offering, as well as two paid versions providing either 25GB or unlimited storage.
www.avg.com/avg-livekive
Lastminute.com expands TradeDoubler affiliate marketing agreement across Europe
TradeDoubler, the pan-European performance marketing company, announced that lastminute.com has renewed and expanded its contract for affiliate marketing services across Europe. Under the new two year contract, TradeDoubler will be promoting five brands for lastminute.com in 19 programmes across 9 European countries. TradeDoubler is now working with all five brands across Europe – including lastminute.com, Holiday Autos, Resfeber, Travelocity and Allhotels.com – with exclusivity in the company’s five major markets. With its extensive reach in 18 countries across Europe, TradeDoubler delivers 32 billion impressions per month, reaching 154 million unique users and generating 10 million leads every month. The group offers unrivalled access to more than 75% of the European online audience through its publisher networks, which comprise more than 138,000 active website publishers and in excess of 1,900 advertisers.
www.TradeDoubler.com
Unilever appoints Amaze for global website support
Global FMCG corporation, Unilever, has appointed leading integrated marketing and technology company, Amaze, following a competitive six-way pitch. Amaze’s brief includes the support of 68 websites across 104 countries, building a consistent global digital presence for the corporation. In addition to the creation and rollout of localised content in line with each market’s individual needs, Amaze will also produce centralised brand content and strategic co-ordination and implementation support across Unilever’s global digital operation. Project management, training and 24/7 technical support all form part of the service provided by Amaze to Unilever’s global Website Editors and Corporate Communications team.
www.amaze.com
Baidu to launch licensed music service in May
Baidu, China’s top search engine, will launch a licensed music search service in May, in a move to legitimize its current music search that critics say enables music piracy. Baidu will launch Baidu Ting sometime in May, said Kaiser Kuo, a Baidu spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday. The service will allow users to stream, download, create libraries of licenced music and will have a social-networking aspect. Music piracy in China has cost record labels hundreds of millions in profits. Most of the music available through Baidu’s current Mp3 search service is copyright infringing. Baidu is the dominant search provider in China with more than 70 percent of the market by revenue. Last week, Baidu said it reached an agreement with the Music Copyright Society of China (MCSC) to pay fees to MCSC for every song downloaded using Baidu Ting. The licenced music service will be supported by advertising. The agreement covers publishing rights and Baidu will compensates lyricists and composers through MCSC. The firm is still working toward a more comprehensive agreement that will cover performance rights as well. Baidu is also in talks with major international record companies such as Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group for a similar agreement.
Mobile Interactive Group integrates Interactive Broadcast Platform with Facebook
Mobile Interactive Group (MIG) today announces the integration of its Interactive Broadcast Platform (IBP) with social platform Facebook, enabling more than 500 million users to interact and vote worldwide. Having worked with Facebook and various broadcasters over recent months, MIG has successfully integrated the IBP with Facebook, giving fans of some of the world’s most popular participation TV shows the ability to place real-time votes, enter polls, and competitions (sweep stakes) using their Facebook Credits (Facebooks virtual currency).
www.migcan.com
www.facebook.com
Shop Direct Group picks TagMan for online campaign management and tracking
Shop Direct Group, the UK’s biggest home shopping business, has appointed and implemented smart container tag management and real-time attribution system TagMan across its entire portfolio of e-commerce brand websites. The company is using the technology across all its e-commerce brands – Choice, Additions Direct, K & Co, Littlewoods, Very, Isme and Woolworths – to implement and manage online campaign tracking technologies like paid search and affiliate marketing more efficiently. The system enables the tags for all these technologies to be managed in one place – tags are the pieces of code that are placed on web pages to enable online campaigns to be launched and tracked. In a recent study into the costs of website tagging,
TagMan found that most digital marketers implement more than 20 different tags on their websites every year and that all but one per cent of them faced problems with their implementation and management. But, as well as tag management, Shop Direct will be able to de-duplicate – that is optimise the commissions it pays to online partners like affiliate networks by being able to tell exactly which partner provided the click that led to a sale. Research has shown that duplication of these commissions means at least £385m of sales are credited wrongly by online retailers. TagMan provides this insight by enabling path-to-conversion reporting, that is the ability to see which online campaigns appeared precisely where in any customer ‘s path to buying from a website.
www.tagman.com
ADTECH unveils Canvas rich media ad tool
ADTECH, AOL Advertising’s global ad serving platform, has today launched ADTECH Canvas, the latest rich media tool available for digital ad designers. ADTECH Canvas not only allows designers to build unique, creative ads, but facilitates quick and easy execution of interactive online campaigns that grab attention and engage target audiences. Designers are free to use the tools they are comfortable with to produce exciting, innovative designs without the restrictions of templates and rigid build processes. The only requirement is inclusion of a simple, lightweight component to ensure that the ad behaves and tracks correctly when served live. ADTECH Canvas supports Flash as well as HTML5.
www.adtech.com
Skive unveils first digital work for new global Carlsberg campaign
Digital agency Skive has unveiled the first work in support of Carlsberg’s new global brand repositioning, which is being rolled out in over 140 markets starting this week. The campaign is Carlsberg’s first global digital effort, and features integrated rich media online ads and specially created content for YouTube and Facebook, building on the new ‘That Calls for a Carlsberg’ strapline. Among the innovative elements of the digital content is a Facebook application allowing users to send messages from the moon to their mates, using text-to-voice and face mapping. There’s also a Carlsberg YouTube brand channel takeover, extending the TVC’s landmark moments in history theme and giving them a surprising twist. The campaign also includes television, print and point-of-sales activity, created by Fold7. As well as a new positioning, the brand identity has been refreshed and a product-led campaign will run alongside focused on making Carlsberg a more valuable asset within the company’s brand portfolio. Skive has also produced online ads and Facebook content to integrate this work.
www.skive.co.uk
Nectar forms new partnership with ClickThrough Marketing
Nectar, the UK’s leading coalition loyalty programme has appointed ClickThrough Marketing to assist nectar.com’s online marketing activity. ClickThrough Marketing, based in Lichfield hopes to increase Nectar’s online presence, traffic and affiliate sales by aligning SEO and PPC strategies respectively. The main focus of the activity will be around increasing sales outside their brand, increasing awareness of Nectar’s online toolbar powered by Yahoo! as well as its app for the iPhone . Working with some of the biggest UK brands and charities including Peugeot and Comic Relief, ClickThrough prides itself on being experts in all areas of online marketing from social media marketing to creating unique SEO and PPC strategies for its clients.
www.nectar.com
OnePoint Mobile App Embeds Feedback Tools into Existing Apps
one point has launched the OnePoint App Interface, an innovative mobile app interface that allows companies, for the first time, to embed engaging, interactive feedback tools into existing mobile apps without incurring new programming costs or compromising existing “app share” through new app downloads. OnePoint leads the worldwide market in mobile survey technologies and services, and this new capability takes their offerings to a new level by creating a seamless, cost-effective way for brand owners to engage and stimulate immediate and relevant insights from both new and established app users. The OnePoint App Interface is a smart mobile research solution that delivers more engaging, interactive and experiential market research, in-location and in real-time.
www.onepointsurveys.com
Experian picks Turn for web integration
Experian Marketing Services has stuck a strategic partnership with Turn to provide data and media management technology that enables Experian to integrate its direct marketing capabilities into other web applications. Through the agreement, Experian Marketing Services is one of the first marketing services provider to apply direct marketing capabilities to an online environment through its Audience IQ(SM) product. Powered by the Turn Platform, Audience IQ enables advertisers to potentially access offline direct marketing data from almost every U.S. household, which will provide an expansive addressable audience that can be accessed across the digital advertising landscape.
www.turn.com
http://www.experianplc.com.
Return Path takes email authentication tools to China
Return Path, igning on China’s two largest Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Tencent/QQ, and Sohu, to use Return Path Certification, the largest global whitelist of certified, legitimate email senders. As part of this expansion strategy, the company is also unveiling a new report for digital marketers called “Email Marketing in the New China,” which analyzes user behaviors, identifies market opportunities and details best-practices for email marketing in China. With the addition of Tencent/QQ and Sohu, Return Path Certification reaches more than 2.1 billion inboxes globally. Return Path Certification ensures that legitimate, permissioned email senders are given preferential treatment toward inbox placement at the world’s top ISPs and filtering companies. Global ISPs like Yahoo! and Hotmail already employ Return Path’s Certification program, and offer additional benefits to certified senders, including automatically enabled links and images.
www.returnpath.net.
Nugg.ad offers ‘audience insights’ tool
Webtrekk GmbH has partnered with nugg.ad to lauch with their new product “Audience Insights” by. The Berlin-based company Webtrekk has entered into a partnership with nugg.ad, the leading provider of predictive behavioural targeting solutions, which will enable its customers to immediately obtain detailed socio-demographic insight into their users the moment they access the website. Because information on socio-demographics and product interests has been integrated by nugg.ad in Webtrekk’s real-time web analysis, website operators will gain a better insight into the visitors to their website. The process involves filling in any missing data via high-quality statistical predictions based on nugg.ad’s proven technology. The product “Audience Insights” is fully integrated into Webtrekk’s reports. The findings delivered by “Audience Insights” and Webtrekk enable the optimisation of the first visit to the site, leading to increased conversion in addition to the expected service life and re-visit rate of a website. Using “Audience Insights”, can reduce spending on focus groups, surveys and other market research tools, and avoid media disruptions.
www.nugg.ad
Nominet launches Internet Awards 2011
Nominet, the not-for-profit organisation responsible for .uk Internet infrastructure, today announces that entries for the Nominet Internet Awards 2011 are open. These annual awards, now in their fifth year, recognise and raise awareness of UK companies, charities, individuals and other public and private sector organisations that are making a difference on, or through, the Internet. he Awards highlight work which embraces the web and tackles the challenge of making the Internet a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for all. Winners will gain international exposure to parliamentarians, academics and the wider Internet community. The awards are run in partnership with Nominet Trust, which supports initiatives that contribute to a safe and accessible internet.
The award categories are:
– Building a networked nation
– Making the Internet safer
– Opening the world of knowledge
– Empowering young people and citizen
– Nurturing powerful local partnerships
Entry is free. The deadline for all entries is 28th April 2011.
Entries can be submitted online at http://www.nominet.org.uk/go/internetawards.
Stardoll Reaches 100 Million Members Worldwide
As the website celebrates its fifth birthday, Stardoll announced it has reached a major milestone in its development: 100 million people are now members of what has become the world’s largest website for young women and girls. Stardoll marked the occasion by offering its members 100 free StarDollars, 100 million themed items for sale in its StarPlaza – including tables, lamps, sofas, cushions, sundress, t-shirts and hoodies – and 100 extra days of new annual SuperStar memberships. As a result of this promotion over the last few days Stardoll reported its highest ever sales figures in many of its top markets worldwide. Stardoll is growing at a rate of roughly one million new members every week. The site is now available in 21 languages; with its largest market the United States accounting for around a quarter of its overall user base. Some additional statistics on Stardoll’s growth are below:
www.Stardoll.com
Two Way Media launches social game for Fox
Two Way Media has produced The Deal with FOX International Channels (FIC), the company’s first social game created exclusively for Facebook. The narrative-led game is inspired by FIC’s psychological TV drama, The Booth at the End, which is produced by Michael Eisner’s independent studio, Vuguru, and distributed by Content Digital, a division of Content Media Corporation. In keeping with the premise of the TV series, the player’s aim is to complete tasks set by ‘The Man’ in order to fulfil desires. Along the way players can collect items to receive rewards, and answer daily dilemmas to test their moral values. Players can interact with each other through messaging and chat to complete tasks and discuss dilemmas they are faced with. The ability for players to engage with each other is instrumental in developing the overall narrative of the game, creating a unique playing experience.
http://apps.facebook.com/thedealgame
www.twowaymedia.co.uk
MCM Net and ChildLine release ‘Street Striker’
MCM Net has announced the release of ‘Street Striker’, a brilliant new football game for ChildLine. The addictive online game tests your football skills to the max as you try to control your player to kick his football into objects like bins or a skip. You must avoid other objects that try to obstruct your aim, or use them to help you hit your target! The game also features exciting bonus levels that can be unlocked once you have achieved at least two Street Striker stars in each of the first 6 levels. ChildLine wanted a mini game to appear on the website that appealed to an audience of 14-17 year old teenage boys, whilst not excluding existing users. MCM Net has created a fun and exciting game that incorporates street football scenes and an outdoor theme that is perfect for the age group.
http://www.childline.org.uk/Play/Games/Pages/StreetStriker.aspx
EPiServer Brings Web Content Personalisation to marketers
EPiServer has launched a new version of the EPiServer platform that combines personalisation across content, community, commerce, and communication. EPiServer now empowers digital marketers to deliver targeted and personalised content on websites, commerce sites, and online communities based on users’ demographic information and online behaviour. Unique and relevant content can be served to visitor groups based on virtual roles, such as potential or current customers, new or returning visitors, press, influencer/analyst job seekers, and others created and customised by the marketer. Demographic and behavioural data such as location (geo-ip), number of visits, pages viewed, references, search terms, and more are used to easily and clearly identify visitors and assign them within the pre-defined roles. Digital marketers and content editors can use EPiServer to automate content delivery to target segments and move them further down the sales funnel, surface content that a visitor might otherwise not seek out, and identify high profit customers and make them more profitable.
“www.episerver.com.
Berghaus Aims To Take Sales To New Heights With Digital Campaign
Outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment brand Berghaus has taken a new creative route to promote its performance clothing range, the Extrem ® Asgard collection. The new campaign area on Berghaus’ site has been designed and created by Manchester-based digital marketing agency Code Computerlove. Berghaus’ new collection gets its name from one of the world’s most challenging mountains, Mount Asgard in the Arctic Circle, where clothing prototypes were put through their paces by Berghaus climber Leo Houlding and his team during the Asgard Project. As part of its ongoing investment in its digital marketing approach, in partnership with digital agency Code Computerlove (Code was appointed last year as Berghaus’ digital partner), Berghaus has created a campaign area – www.berghaus.com/asgard/ – that enables customers to explore the new collection. It not only provides detailed product information and excellent e-commerce functionality, but really brings to life the technical know-how and testing behind the products.
www.codecomputerlove.com
SAY Media appoints Giles Ivey to head up UK office
SAY Media today announced it has appointed Giles Ivey, former Director of Sales for Sky Digital Media, to head up its rapidly expanding UK office. In his role as Managing Director, Ivey will lead the London-based team, expanding the business to meet growing demand and driving European expansion plans. The power to shape opinion is shifting from established media to individuals with real expertise and enthusiasm. SAY Media is accelerating this shift by delivering publishing technology and media services to influential creators and passion-based communities across key consumer interest areas such as family, sports, entertainment and technology.
www.saymedia.com
CNS debuts IT ‘compliance as a service’ for all industry standards
CNS specialist IT security and networking consultancy, today launches its COMPLIANCEngine managed service, addressing the increasing levels of IT compliance regulation across all industries with a managed service, which audits any network to assess its level of compliance. The CNS COMPLIANCEngine works for any industry or in-house standard by automating compliance-specific functions such as build validation, log management (SIEM), vulnerability assessment, configuration and patch management. As a highly accredited consultancy, (PCI DSS (QSA), CESG CHECK & CLAS) CNS is then able to work with in-house IT teams to resolve the issues raised. CNS has developed the services using its own scripting engine. It is completely customisable with customers’ applications, systems, IT estate and risk management methodology. Most recently, CNS has used the CompliancEngine with managed hosting provider NetBenefit, to ensure its continued compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), a significant piece of regulation in the retail sector.
www.cnsuk.co.uk
123-reg launches a compatibility survey to find a suitable spouse for Prince Harry
In the month the nation gets set to celebrate the Royal nuptials of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, 123-reg the UK’s biggest domain registrar, launches a fun compatibility survey where participants can learn how well matched they are with Prince Harry. There are 11 questions in the survey which test how participants behave in certain situations relating to Prince Harry, including how to handle a flirty situation with the third in-line for the throne, what wedding gift you would choose for Kate and Wills and what would be your tipple of preference. The results of each question are scored depending on how well the respondents’ answers match with the profile of Prince Harry. At the end of the survey, participants are then given a percentage compatibility score – illustrating how suitable they are. They can then share their results and an image through Facebook and Twitter and even choose a wedding-themed domain name from 123-reg.
www.canimarryharry.com
Kenshoo hires Microsoft’s Head of Strategic Accounts to develop New Business programme
Kenshoo has appointed Microsoft’s Karl Knights as New Business Director in its UK office. Karl will join Kenshoo on 4 April 2011 and head a team responsible for building new business relationships with major advertisers and agencies. With more than 13 years experience in digital marketing, Karl will bring deep industry insights and customer relationships to drive Kenshoo’s new business programme and extend the footprint of the organisation. Currently five of the top 10 global retailers and eight of the top 10 global advertising networks are powered by Kenshoo. One of Kenshoo’s key differentiators is the willingness to understand and work with its customer’s unique business needs. With 10 different bid algorithms, 12 options for keyword building, and 14 integration partners, Kenshoo works closely with advertisers and agencies to use its technology and tailor a programme that will maximise results and drive sales.
www.Kenshoo.com