Archive for July 18th, 2008

Glam Media, the fast-growing online publishing network, has launched a new way to connect advertisers with its female audience with the rollout of Glam Today, a free, daily e-newsletter.

The newsletters contain links to content generated by the contributors in Glam Media’s publishing network, whose more than 500 members are mostly blogs, with a handful of online editions of magazines such as Nylon and Eating Well. Each weekday, the newsletter focuses on a different topic, from fashion/shopping on Monday to health and wellness on Friday.

To hook new subscribers, Glam Today is entering them into a contest to win a Chloe handbag and $5,000.

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Fox continued to hint that it is planning to make changes to American Idol when it returns in January in order to recapture some of the audience it lost in early episodes last season. But Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly told reporters at the summer TV Critics Assn. press tour that judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul will all be back. Conspicuous by his absence in the list of announced returnees was Idol host Ryan Seacrest, who clashed frequently with Cowell last season. In May, Cowell, who is also a producer of Idol, told reporters to expect “a big shake-up” in the show next season, arousing immediate speculation that the $12.5-million host of the talent contest may be getting the hook himself. Also on Monday, Reilly expressed concern about the current state of TV comedy. “I can’t even go to the platitude of ‘it’s cyclical, it’s going to come back,’” he said. “A lot of confidence has left the creative space on a day-to-day basis. I see really talented people coming in, very skittish, not knowing what to pitch and what will sell. I see executives trying to figure out where is that nerve to hit.”

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Good news for the growing number of ad-supported video services popping up online: The majority of digital video consumers will find the inclusion of advertising a “reasonable” expectation for accessing free online video content.

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The coffee wars have a new combatant: Subway.

As Dunkin Donuts and McDonald’s go after Starbucks, a Washington-area franchisee is testing a Subway café concept. While it’s a relatively small step for the sandwich chain, the coffee push could pose a big threat if Subway ever decided on a rollout.

According to Ron Paul, president of Technomic, Subway could quickly become a player in the coffee wars based on the convenience factor alone. The chain has nearly 22,000 U.S. locations — far more than any other fast-food chain. “Trial would be pretty high,” he said. “They’re going to be a value player, and it’s surely going to have an impact.”

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TM Advertising chief innovation officer James Hering has left the shop to join independent The Richards Group.

Hering, 45, will lead new business efforts at Click Here, the digital unit of Richards. He spent 18 years at IPG’s TM in Dallas, where he led its online marketing, digital content and eCRM efforts. As chief innovation officer, Hering led a 60-person practice.
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The behavioral targeting market has taken off for online display ads. Upstart Web video network Veoh sees the opportunity to do the same for video.

The San Diego-based company is rolling out a system that lets advertisers target ads to nine different audience segments, such as gaming fans, based on what videos people have watched, their searches and other behavior on the site. It will also build custom segments for advertisers.

The move is part of an effort to take the traditional TV model, based on aligning ad messages with content, and complementing it with one based on audience behavior. This will help better match advertisers with video content, said Mike Henry, svp of ad sales at Veoh.

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Sony’s PlayStation 3 video game console continues to be the primary catalyst for sales of Blu-ray Disc movies, according to the Entertainment Merchants Assn.’s 2008 annual report.

The PS3, which features a Blu-ray Disc drive, is expected to drive the high-def packaged media market through 2009. Thereafter, standalone Blu-ray players will proliferate throughout the market in greater numbers, according to the report.

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Internet Ad Growth Percentage High, But Traditional Ad Dollars Higher
The IDC Digital Marketplace Model and Forecast shows total worldwide Internet advertising to be $65.2 billion in 2008, growing to $106.6 billion in 2011.

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On Tuesday, General Motors unrolled a new tourniquet to stem the flow of red ink. The company–whose sales were off 18% last month and 16% year-to-date through June–is making across-the board cuts to shore up cash to weather a market that is likely to stumble this year to around 14 million units, the worst numbers in a years.

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Warner Bros. and Capcom are traveling to “Lost Planet.” The studio will distribute a pic based on the hit vidgame that will be co-financed by the Japanese publisher.David Hayter, who is coming off the Zack Snyder-directed WB pic “Watchmen,” will pen the screenplay.

Project is set to be announced today at the E3 videogame confab held in downtown L.A.

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