Gossip Girl machinisodes
headed your way
Ad Networks and Analytics:
- Ad widget maker Clearspring secured $18 million in its third round of financing, which could help turn it into an influential player as widget advertising matures.
- Out-of-home ad network Channel M gets a digital upgrade, thanks to a new Park Media deal that adds digital distribution to its operations.
Agencies and Marketing Execs:
- Comcast selected a new CEO for its nascent interactive ad platform, but the CEO's identity will not be announced until June 1.
- Mochi Media drew Carol Weaver away from MySpace to serve as its VP of sales.
- Publicis acquired Chinese digital agency EmporioAsia and will rename it EmporioAsia Leo Burnett.
- Pontiflex added two new executives: Chris Halvorsen for business development and Jeff Gottesman for national sales.
- Littleton Entertainment named Thomas S. Warner its corporate VP, Domestic Syndication.
- Gorilla Nation appointed James Eppinger Senior Sales Manager, and Amy Bernacki Sales Manager, in the ad network's London office.
- Dan Smith was hired by Playboy to serve as SVP of digital marketing.
Biz Buzz:
- Niche publisher Sugar Inc bought StarBrand Media, a service that allows people to find and buy the clothing and other fashion items they see worn on TV.
- Ad revenue at Current TV dropped in Q1 of 2008, worsening its debt situation and likely impacting its planned IPO later this year.
- Yahoo will probably lose its ad deal with Bebo now that the social network's purchase by AOL has been finalized.
- Gigantic Entertainment has been purchased by online media services shop MediaPass.
- Yandex, the biggest search engine in Russia, raised $2 billion from its IPO.
Cross Media:
Legal, Government and Regulation:
- The City of Chicago took time away from digging up airports to sue StubHub and parent company eBay over StubHub's failure to collect city taxes, which might total $16 million.
Mobile Marketing:
- Virgin Mobile chose AOL's Platform-A to sell and manage banner ad inventory on its mobile sites.
- Simplicity and cross-media were emphasized at a discussion of mobile marketing best practices, as well as the importance of making sure ads are formatted correctly for certain mobile devices.
Online Content:
- Guardian News & Media has joined Mochila's content distribution stable. It will syndicate content from the online repository and avail its own material for syndication.
- CNBC video content will be syndicated to AOL Money & Finance, extending the reach not only of its shows but of its advertisements.
- Hit British show Bonzai will enjoy exclusive online distribution for 30 days through MySpace, which cut Bonzai's handful of shows down to about two hundred four-minute clips.
- Comcast's Fancast video hub will offer complete episodes of Comedy Central shows, including The Daily Show and South Park.
- Howcast's stable of how-to videos will be available through AOL, Metacafe, Bebo and other sites thanks to new distribution deals.
New and Improved:
- Forbes is planning the launch of the Executive Women's Network, a social network where professional women can discuss Forbes' magazine content.
- The Economist has revamped its website. Some people don't like it.
Signs of What's to Come:
- Chrysler CMO Deborah Wahl Meyer told a roomful of cable execs that if they don't get their act together and deliver better ads on TV, the carmaker will take its dollars to greener pastures.
- The president of Cox Communications said the cable industry has itself to blame if cannot honor Meyer's demands by 2010.
Research and Stats:
- A study from Crawford, Johnson and Northcott says TV network websites are among the most popular sources young people turn to for info on the presidential race and other current news, with comedy shows and other sites much farther down the list.
Tools and Software:
Virtual Worlds:
- The CW has been filming short "machinisodes" for the network's popular show Gossip Girl within Second Life. Scripted and created by the show's writers, they will debut on CWTV.com later this year.
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