Chinese search engine Baidu is shutting down Youa, its e-commerce subsidiary, giving existing merchants have one month to migrate to either Rakuten China or Yaodian 100.
Ad giant Interpublic reveals stake in Facebook
Advertising group Interpublic has revealed in its annual report that it owns a stake in social networking site Facebook.
Virtual worlds back in vogue? Habbo Hotel owner makes record profits
Finnish group Sulake, owner of the Habbo Hotel virtual world, said it made a record net profit of €1.6m in 2010, on revenue up 20% at €56.2m, driven by sales of virtual goods and games.
Guest comment: Should you pay consumers to ‘like’ your brand?
Just how valuable is positive social media buzz… and is it worth paying for? Richard Jackson, director at Session Digital examines the effectiveness of social commerce used by brands to offer incentivised referrals to online customers at the check-out.
Ford hires comedy talent for social media puppet campaign ‘Doug’
Car giant Ford has embarked on a new social media campaign, featuring a puppet named Doug and some of the talent behind major US comedy shows, including The Simpsons, The Office: An American Workplace and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Top tips: Boosting customer experience- Helping those who help themselves
As web users become ever more demanding, are brands doing enough to meet their needs and turn browsers into buyers? Geoff Galat, Vice President, World Wide Marketing, at Tealeaf, offers a guide to boosting online customer experience…
Right to reply: We’ll foot the bill for the music industry’s digital failings
As the likes of Sky, Virgin Media and BT prep their latest music streaming ventures in a bid to tackle piracy, is it a case of too little, too late? Neil Hawkins at ChooseISP asks if record labels, ISPs and consumers could ever work in harmony when it comes to online music…
Right to reply: We'll foot the bill for the music industry’s digital failings
As the likes of Sky, Virgin Media and BT prep their latest music streaming ventures in a bid to tackle piracy, is it a case of too little, too late? Neil Hawkins at ChooseISP asks if record labels, ISPs and consumers could ever work in harmony when it comes to online music…
Right to reply: Google’s mobile credit card plans on the money?
Google is said to be considering a move into mobile phone credit card payments, according to sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal. But can they beat Apple in this potentially lucrative new area of mobile banking? SEO firm Queryclick takes a closer look.
Online publishers ‘value travel brands most for online ads’
Publishers are most interested in promoting advertisers from the travel industry, with 73 per cent citing this as one of the most important sectors for their online advertising, according to a new study.