ClickZ News Blog

Marketo Shares Jump 57% in IPO

Melanie White — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:17:45 -0400

Marketing automation software provider, Marketo, leaped onto the Nasdaq today with shares jumping by as much as 57 percent after the company raised $79 million in its initial public offering (IPO).

Google Maps Gets a Brand New Look

Jennifer Slegg — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:14:13 -0400

Google has announced a revamping of Google Maps and it is much more than a few changes. It is a reworking of the entire Google Maps interface from the group up, designed to make Maps more intuitive for users. Advertisements also have a new look.

New Shopping Tool Poaches Deals for Online Checkout

Mary Lisbeth D'Amico — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:07:32 -0400

PoachIt claims it can simplify the online shopping jungle with an intelligent tool designed to find the best deals.

Dunkin' Donuts Hops on Twitter's Vine for Latest Campaign

James Dohnert — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

The campaign will see Dunkin' Donuts engage consumers through a Vine-based contest.

ABC Joins Nielsen Trial to Measure Effectiveness of Mobile Apps in Ad Campaigns

James Dohnert — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:54:00 -0400

ABC executives report that the program will help them see the overall success of their advertising efforts.

Jack Link's Beef Jerky Coming to a Gas Tank Near You

Mary Lisbeth D'Amico — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:05:04 -0400

Jack Link’s “Messin’ with Sasquatch” TV spots - which usually show 20-something outdoorsy types playing practical jokes on a Big Foot character - have drawn a cult following since they were introduced in 2006. Starting this week, selected consumers will see the beef jerky ads closer to potential point of sale—at the gas pump.

Google's Future Focuses Around More Closely Aligned Services

Matt Kapko — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:49:00 -0400

Google continues to tighten up and organize various services into key focus areas at its sixth annual developer-focused conference.

Pandora Launches e-Business Ad Integration for Simpler Media Buying

Melanie White — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:23:00 -0400

Pandora has revealed a new e-Business advertising technology solution that it claims will allow for frictionless planning and buying for media buyers.

GE Celebrates Tech and Science Discovery With Wonderground App

Matt Kapko — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:21:00 -0400

GE Wonderground, a new desktop and mobile game released for the iPhone last month, is designed to inform or reintroduce consumers to the 121-year-old company’s long history in science, design and industrial technology.

Hanes Uses Destruction to Send Soft Message

Susan Kuchinskas — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:13:19 -0400

Yeah, Hanes undies are cuddly, but the best way to get that message across to an audience of Millennial men, the company decided, was to blow stuff up. A new video campaign from 360i says that the ComfortBlend line of crew, v-neck, brief and boxer briefs can "soften the blow."

VIDEO: SapientNitro Pushes Digital Into Physical Places

Melanie White — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:35:00 -0400

Chris Cobb, creative director at SapientNitro talks to ClickZ about some of the work the agency has been doing recently.

Old Spice Takes Over YouTube in Viral Marketing Push

James Dohnert — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:31:00 -0400

Old Spice has launched a digital video campaign that will see the company leverage YouTube to sell its latest shave gels.

Bing Adds Direct Facebook Interaction to Social Sidebar

Thom Craver — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:02:57 -0400

You will now be allowed to directly engage with your Facebook friends right from Bing's search results pages. The new tool will allow you to ask questions or provide comments or answers on posts that are relevant to the search.

Women's Health Mag Promotes Challenges via Facebook

Mary Lisbeth D'Amico — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:59:00 -0400

This week, Women's Health Magazine, in conjunction with Facebook, is seeking to harness the motivational power of social media with the launch of an online campaign timed to coincide with National Women's Health Week (May 12-18) that urges women to live healthier.

Mobile Marketing on Pace to Surpass $400 Billion in U.S. by 2015

Matt Kapko — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:00 -0400

The mobile marketing ecosystem is projected to generate more than $400 billion to the U.S. economy by 2015, representing an annual growth rate of 52.5 percent.

BloomReach Gives View of Content Quality

Susan Kuchinskas — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400

BloomReach released a new interface on its marketing analytics dashboard that helps companies identify web pages that aren't doing a good job.

ComScore: E-Commerce Sales Up 13 Percent for Q1 2013

James Dohnert — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:02:08 -0400

The report found that retail e-commerce sales produced over $50 billion dollars last quarter and that e-commerce sales have seen double-digit growth for 10 consecutive quarters.

LinkedIn at 10: Identity Crisis?

Susan Kuchinskas — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:00 -0400

LinkedIn wants to become a content publishing platform. Will this transformation destroy its value to advertisers and turn it into a Facebook clone?

How to Protect Your Twitter Account From Hackers

Shaun Nichols — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:00 -0400

Breaches affecting Associated Press, Onion, and Sex and the City author show need for extra security measures on firms' social sites.

New Orleans 'Follow Your NOLA' Campaign Seeks Adventurous Travelers

Mary Lisbeth D'Amico — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

A new interactive media campaign is helping New Orleans introduce people to the city beyond the French Quarter and Mardi Gras.

AT&T's Cute Kids Are Back for Mother's Day

Melanie White — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:09:00 -0400

AT&T is taking a break from phones and giving some cute love to moms for Mother's Day.

Study: Major Brands Cling to Instagram

James Dohnert — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:55:00 -0400

About 67 percent of Interbrand's Top 100 Brands use Instagram, according to a recent study by Simply Measured.

YouTube Launches Paid Channels, Subscription Fees Start at $0.99 Per Month

Greg Jarboe — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:15:00 -0400

YouTube is launching a pilot program for a small group of partners that will offer paid channels on YouTube with subscription fees starting at $0.99 per month. Paid channels will become available to more qualifying partners in coming weeks.

Roadside Ads to Be Part of Integrated Campaigns

Susan Kuchinskas — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:25:00 -0400

G5 Sponsorships is offering companies the opportunity to drive brand awareness on the nation's highways.

75% of Consumers Use Mobile for Personal Finances

James Dohnert — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

A recent study from mobile ad network firm Mojiva has discovered that consumers are now more willing to use their mobile devices for financial services.

AOL First Major Company to Certify Sales Staff With IAB Exam

James Dohnert — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:42:00 -0400

AOL will now require its entire sales team to pass the IAB Digital Media Sales Certification exam.

Smartphone-Empowered Shopping Is the New Norm

Matt Kapko — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:13:00 -0400

A new study about the impact of smartphone use on in-store shopping concludes that smartphones are transforming the shopping experience.

VIDEO: An Interview With Omnicom Digital and Critical Mass

Melanie White — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

ClickZ speaks to Jonathan Nelson, chief executive of Omnicom Digital, and Dianne Wilkins, chief executive of Canadian- based ad agency, Critical Mass.

Yahoo Attempts to Exit Microsoft Search Deal for Google Partnership

Rosalie Marshall — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:47:00 -0400

Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer rumored to be trying to end 10-year partnership.

Facebook Appoints EMEA Chief Nicola Mendelsohn to Replace Joanna Shields

Rosalie Marshall — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:37:00 -0400

Mendelsohn is likely to take up her role with the social networking giant in mid-June.

Kayak Launches First Global Ad Campaign

Susan Kuchinskas — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:00:00 -0400

With a large international presence and the recent launch into Canada, Kayak, the travel meta-search service, is launching its first global TV commercial.

YouTube Reveals Leaderboard of Top 10 Most Watched Ads in April

Melanie White — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

YouTube has released its leadership board listing the top 10 most watched video ads in April. Leading the way with over 44 million views in less than one month is Evian: Baby&Me / The New Evian Film.

Child Abuse Ad Uses Lenticular Tech to Deliver Hidden Message

Melanie White — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:09:00 -0400

Spanish foundation, Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk (ANAR) has joined forces with the Grey Group Spain ad agency, to create an innovative campaign that delivers a hidden message to children suffering from abuse.

YouTube Adds Email Notifications for Greater Privacy

Jessica Lee — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:36:00 -0400

YouTube has announced new functionality, including an email notification system, alerting users when the video is done processing, and the ability to control when the video is published, keeping it private until it's deemed "ready" by the user.

How to Be a Successful Marketer Without Being a Jerk

Matt Kapko — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:42:00 -0400

An interview with entrepreneur and small business evangelist Peter Shankman on why the era of successful jerks in business and marketing is over.

Sharethrough Introduces Mobile Native Ad Platform

Mary Lisbeth D'Amico — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:14:00 -0400

The company says that its new Sharethrough Mobile platform allows brands to promote sponsored content within the stream of a publisher's mobile site, automatically giving the ads the look and feel of each site they appear on.

KFC Solicits 'Ate the Bones' Reactions

Lisa Lacy — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

KFC is asking fans to submit photos and videos of their best "I Ate the Bones" faces.

Intel YouTube Contest Draws Record Conversion Rates

Greg Jarboe — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:37:00 -0400

Intel launched a five-month series of time lapse photography and slow motion videography contests, supported by TrueView ads and Promoted Channels. The campaign resulted in the highest conversion rate from ad to response the team had ever seen.

BrightRoll Allies With comScore on Enhanced Video Viewability Metrics

James Dohnert — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:31:26 -0400

BrightRoll will use comScore's validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) product suite to better show digital video campaign insights.