Google Trends offers look at search patterns

Google Trends offers look at search patterns: The Internet Knows What You'll Do Next

Google Trends, a new feature that allows any Web user to track the popularity of search terms, could change the business of marketing by giving companies immediate feedback on the popularity of products and services, according this analysis.

The diary as resume

The diary as resume >

The Diary of a somebody for recruiters, blogs offer a unique window into job candidates: Successful, enterprising bloggers who have already monetized their sites can be an attractive catch for employers, but bloggers who wade in the seamier side of the blogosphere can damage their prospects.

Google scares rivals, but why?

Google scares rivals, but why? Is it because So Much Fanfare, So Few Hits?

Despite its unquestioned dominance in the field of online search and search engine advertising, Google's forays into other Web sectors have not produced a long list of market leaders.

Though its maps and online e-mail offerings are widely used, they are still outmatched by rivals in terms of usage. Other niche offerings like its finance site and blog search are less popular.

E-mail versus RSS

E-mail versus RSS > A World Without Spam? Can't believe it though.

While Real Simple Syndication feeds offer some advantages that e-mail lacks, including the ability for marketers to push updated information without worrying about spam filters or other delivery issues, it is not without its downsides.

RSS is relatively easy and inexpensive, but is less useful than e-mail in terms of targeting likely prospects and offering personalization, writes OMMA Magazine's Lynn Russo.

Companies seize podcast opportunity for marketing

Companies seize podcast opportunity for marketing > Companies Tap Podcast Buzz To Sell Contact Lenses, Appliances

Such companies as Johnson & Johnson, General Motors Corp. and Whirlpool Corp. have been tapping into the podcast buzz to target specific consumers.

Corporate programs on podcasts, or free audio programs for downloading onto portable music players or computers, are said to be responsible for boosting brand awareness of products such as Johnson & Johnson's Acuvue brand contact lenses, according to Naomi Kelman, president of the J&J unit responsible for Acuvue.

Mobile phone driving as bad as being drunk

The researchers used a driving simulation device for their study, published in the summer 2006 issue of Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Is a Mobile phone driving as bad as being drunk? Just like many people who have been drinking, the mobile phone users did not believe themselves to be affected, the researchers found.

NBC dials up YouTube for online distribution

NBC dials up YouTube for online distribution, NBC and Web-video hosting site YouTube have announced a partnership in which NBC will get a branded page on the YouTube site that will feature promotional content related to NBC TV shows.

While the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, there was a price for YouTube, it announced it would be more aggressive in deleting user videos that contain copyrighted material used without permission.

Read this NBC to Team With YouTube and this NBC Taps Popularity Of Online Video Site
While video posted by users is compelling, it is not going to pay the rent, the company said.

Google's new concept: Computer "hears" TV, serves up content

Google's new concept: Computer "hears" TV, serves up content: Listen to This: Google Plan Lets Laptops Hear Your TV

Under a new interactive concept being tested by Google, a computer could "listen" to its user's TV, and serve up social networking, editorial and ad content relating to what's being watched.

The system is not based on new technology, but instead uses a computer's microphone to receive the TV audio and match it to a database that serves up the related content.

Group maps out guidelines for mobile Web sites

Group maps out guidelines for mobile Web sites: Tech companies agree on mobile Web rules

The Worldwide Web Consortium, a group that includes Nokia, Vodafone Group and Google, said it has set up guidelines for developers to design Web sites for the mobile Web.

Among other things, the guidelines suggest developers design sites with minimal graphics and with content appearing at the top of the screen.

CBS goes mobile with Weathernews

CBS goes mobile with Weathernews: CBS Broadens Mobile Video Push

CBS has inked a deal with Weathernews Inc. to supply weather and sports content from 10 of its owned-and-operated CBS stations to Sprint mobile subscribers.

The CBS video will appear in Weathernews' "LiveLocal" package, which costs subscribers $4.99 per month.

Google to test online payment system

Google to test online payment system: Google Gets Ready to Test GBuy, A New Online-Payment Option

Reports indicate that Google is set to test GBuy, an online payment system that will challenge eBay-owned PayPal. Merchants who agree to use GBuy will have a special symbol next to their text ads and listings on the Google search engine.

Google Tool for Crisis Management

The Internet is at the center of many of the crises that prompt clients to call me these days, specifically the ease by which negative information proliferates online and how challenging it can be to both track and counter the negative.

However, Google Tool for Crisis Management is apossible remedy.

When you look at a broader term, e.g., "crisis management," once again the results aren't what one might expect.The top three languages in which the term is searched the most often are Greek, Tagalog and Finnish. English is fourth.

When you look at the top 10 cities, the first U.S. city is ranked 8th (Washington, D.C.), with the top ranked being Athens, Greece.And when you look at the regional rankings, the U.S. doesn't even make the top 10, which starts with Pakistan and ends with Indonesia.

Google explains the ranking system as follows. Read more, click the link provided above.

Niche new-media sites find financial backing

Niche new-media sites find financial backing: Bloggers Find Financial Backers For Their Independent News Sites

Rafat Ali's paidContent.org and Om Malik's GigaOm.com are just two of the highly focused new-media blogs that have attracted not just an attentive online audience, but investor dollars as well.

While the dollar amounts involved are small, the trend suggests that the specialized audiences drawn to small, online niche publications are increasingly of interest to advertisers.

European trademarks vs. Google

Google, Vuitton battle over trademark, open Net: European trademarks vs. Google.

A French appeals court ruling on whether Google violated the trademark of Louis Vuitton Malletier, a unit of LVMH, by allowing online ads for competitors and knockoffs to appear when the luxury leather goods maker's name is searched, demonstrates the conflict between protecting marketing images and maintaining an open Internet.

A lower court last year ruled in favor of Vuitton's claims of trademark counterfeiting, unfair competition and misleading advertising, ordering Google to pay $250,000 in damages.

Gas prices, inflation don't have to be scary

Gas prices, inflation don't have to be scary. Many Small Business Owners Are Optimistic

Rising inflation, gas costs and interest rates aren't bad news for all small-business owners, and many entrepreneurs stand to benefit from, or at least will be insulated from, recent trends.

Executives at some firms are turning to alternate delivery methods or increasing order sizes to mitigate costs.

Google tests new ads

Google tests "cost-per-action" ads.

In this article Google tests new ads Google is experimenting with a new advertising model in which marketers are only charged for an advertisement that leads directly to a sale or a sales lead. The cost-per-action method provides marketers with protection against click fraud that is not available in cost-per-click advertising.

And in this article Google Makes Commercial Videos Available Free Online Google makes commercial videos available for free: Google has begun offering free, ad-supported videos of some TV programs and films, which had sold for between 30 cents and $14.99. The online giant said it would continue to sell downloads of shows such as CBS Corp.'s "Survivor."

'Millennials' Big for Media Biz

"Millennials" outnumber baby boomers.

The so-called Millennial generation, the 79 million Americans aged 9 to 28, regularly consume 20 hours of media per day, all of which is crammed into seven hours of actual clock time.

That means they are surfing the Web, watching TV, listening to music and playing video games simultaneously, making it difficult for marketers to reach them amid the general clutter.

Are you one of them? Find out here > 'Millennials' Big for Media Biz

U.S. tops in online category for Cannes fest

U.S. tops in online category for Cannes festival.

According to this report U.S. agencies show their prowess in online category In the online category of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, U.S. shops dominated the international competition, by snaring the most trophies, 25, including two best-in-show Grand Prix.

However, in print, the biggest category of the competition, American agencies fell short, winning just four Lions.

Adobe, Google ink deal to distribute toolbar

Adobe, Google ink deal to distribute toolbar

Adobe signs toolbar deal with Google Under a new multiyear pact, Adobe Systems Inc. will distribute Google Inc.'s search engine toolbar for Web browsers.

Adobe said it expects to gain "significant revenue" from the deal, which will pair the Google toolbar with its Macromedia Shockwave Player software.

Oh, that Smart Google again!

What is the future of mobile video?

What is the future of mobile video?

Well, here is the full report > Analysts Predict Small, Successful Niche For Mobile Video

Two studies examining the future penetration of video services among mobile device users come to very different conclusions. While ABI Research predicts mobile video will attract 500 million users worldwide by 2011, a Jupiter Research study estimates that video will reach only 12 million U.S. mobile subscribers by 2010.