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GOOGLE THIS MORNING CLOSED ON its $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick just hours after EU antitrust regulators cleared the deal without imposing any conditions. The company intends to use DoubleClick’s display ad platform to “bring to market advances in technology and infrastructure that will dramatically improve the effectiveness, measurability and performance of digital media for publishers, advertisers and agencies, while improving the relevance of advertising for users,” CEO Eric Schmidt said in a statement.
In approving the deal, the European regulators wrote that the merger posed no antitrust threat. “The Commission’s in-depth market investigation found that Google and DoubleClick were not exerting major competitive constraints on each other’s activities and could, therefore, not be considered as competitors at the moment,” wrote the European Commission.
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — TV networks are trying to get viewers excited about some of the most boring things on the air: reruns.
ABC has spiced up week-old episodes of “Lost” by running onscreen commentary that offers viewers more background on the action taking place and even points out a few clues to the story that might go unseen by the untrained eye.
A rose by any other name, the sages tell us, would smell as sweet. In that spirit, Coming Soon has a story noting that the McG-helmed, Christian Bale-led fourth film in the Terminator franchise, previously known as Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, will now have a wholly different title. It will, of course, still be a wholly unnecessary extension tacked on to the first two films; it will still be directed by McG; it will still have almost nothing to do with James Cameron’s original vision for the films; it will lack Arnold Schwarzenegger; however, it will not be called Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. No replacement title has yet been announced.
In order to provide metrics and analysis of consumer behavior across both traditional and digital platforms, TNS announced Tuesday it is combining its North American operating units into one company.
The company, called TNS Media, will include TNS Media Intelligence, which tracks advertising expenditures across media; TNS Media Research, which produces TV ratings based on set-top box data; and newly acquired digital media research firms Cmfony and Compete. Full Story
TVGuide.com ran a poll ranking the Top 12American Idol finalists. While you can click on the link to check out the full list, and their percentages, I have to ask if it’s really as cut and dry as that list makes it out to be. A couple of years ago, Taylor Hicks was an early fan favorite, never appearing in the bottom and always polling high like this, but even he didn’t garner nearly half of all votes like a certain Star Search winner.
NEW YORK - Forget the traditional radio premiere: R.E.M.’s new album, “Accelerate,” is set to debut on the social networking application iLike.
The roll-out, the first of its kind for a major act, will allow fans to stream and share “Accelerate” in its entirety beginning March 24, a week ahead of the album’s April 1 U.S. release date.
In our increasingly Web-dependent economy, I am rarely surprised by the back-to-back innovations, inventions and fads that tap into the ever-increasing trend of online integration. Search Insider David Berkowitz recently wrote about the Samsung See’N'Search, which uses the program guide of your cable or satellite dish along with the closed caption metadata to suggest existing Internet content related to the TV show and allow viewers to browse the Web on their TV screen.
This really got me thinking. I am fascinated by Samsung’s See’N'Search technology and how it will undoubtedly play an integral role in the future of search. This product is both an invention and an innovation. It is an unprecedented solution that also builds upon the foundation of search.
Sam Roberts is judging a special boxer vs. wrestler match at NYSWF’s April 5 event at New Rochelle High School. iTVX Total Entertainment interviewed him, however, on product placement. For more on the match, check out nyswfwrestling.com
PONY IS BACK. THE BROOKLYN, N.Y. shoe brand that had its heyday in the ’70s and ’80s is relaunching this week with a national multilevel marketing push called “Back In the Game.”
The company, now based in San Diego, Calif., and which once had Muhammad Ali and Reggie Jackson among its sponsors, will go piede à piede with Nike and Adidas as a fashion, casual play and performance brand.
The company is creating three collections for 2008: Vintage, Performance and Play. Marketing efforts, via San Diego-based independent Fishtank Brand Advertising, will include integrated TV, print, digital and retail ads. The company is also launching a new Web site that includes video, blog commentary, via POD Post-Digital.
DUNKIN’ DONUTS MAKES FRESH COFFEE and tasty treats daily. Now it plans to serve up morning news and sports, too. The retailer has signed a deal with the Internet search giant Yahoo to co-brand a social network site and video programming with content from many of the top networks and agencies.
The deal makes Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin’ Donuts the exclusive advertiser on the co-branded online video player airing news clips from ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, the Associated Press and Reuters. A module on Yahoo News will promote morning programming. Yahoo also will provide additional co-branded media across its online properties to drive viewers to the sites.
