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New Media News Every Morning

Pudding Media delivers free calling by delivering fun, entertaining and valuable information and offers

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thepudding.jpgPudding Media today announced its pioneering technology that will speed the transition to free calling by displaying fun, entertaining and valuable information and offers on any computer or handset screen or inbox based on relevant keywords spoken in a phone call.

Pudding Media is building a platform that opens new advertising real estate, allowing consumers to immediately receive and respond to offers related to topics they are discussing. At the same time, Pudding Media’s technology allows any communications provider – mobile carrier, Internet telephony service, even web publisher – to offer new ad-supported calling plans.

Users can experience a beta version of these calls in a web site that showcases how the Pudding Media platform displays interesting, timely information and offers during a conversation. Consumers can simply visit ThePudding.com, enter a phone number and make a free call to any number in North America. When certain keywords are spoken, interesting and timely news, entertainment, and offers are displayed on the screen. For example, a
consumer talking about movies may see links to trailers, reviews and show times for nearby theaters. A sports fan talking about a favorite team may see commentary and game statistics on a computer or handset screen.

Advertisers can select from tens of thousands of keywords that when spoken will generate promotional advertising, or the sending of
entertainment and information directly to a consumer. Marketers will have opportunities to display offers as well as information about their brand or service to consumers during their conversations. By creating a personalized, immersive and engaging experience that consumers can “show off” to friends and family, Pudding Media’s platform promotes quantifiable brand benefits, increased brand awareness and ultimately increased sales.

Eventually, Pudding Media will support any call – fixed line, VoIP and mobile – enabling advertisers to send location-specific offers in real time.

Originally posted on September 24, 2007 @ 4:31 pm

Rocketboom joins Blip.tv

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rocketboom.jpgBlip.tv announced that Rocketboom is joining its expanding roster of serialized web shows. Rocketboom will launch on blip.tv with a sponsorship by the 2nd season of Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program.

In joining blip.tv, Rocketboom will be featured alongside shows such as Wallstrip, The Burg, Treehugger, Alive in Baghdad and Goodnight Burbank, among others.

“We are thrilled to partner with blip.tv, which has established itself as one of the premier networks for video on the web,” said Rocketboom founder Andrew Baron. “And with blip.tv taking care of a great deal of our advertising sales, at Rocketboom we can continue to focus on creating content.”

Blip.tv brokered the sponsorship of Rocketboom through New York-based advertising agency Deep Focus. As part of the sponsorship, Rocketboom will run the first ever clickable overlay ads on QuickTime versions of the show, a technique pioneered by blip.tv. The ad campaign will also feature postroll videos and additional components.

Originally posted on September 24, 2007 @ 10:48 am

Virgin Mobile sued for using Flickr image in ad

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virgin-mobile.jpgVirgin Mobile is facing a lawsuit for using an image from Flickr of a Dallas teenager without any consent, in its marketing campaign “Are You With Us Or What?”

According to The Dallas Morning News, the photo of Alison Chang flashing a peace sign had appeared in a printed ad with the caption “Dump your pen friend” and was seen in Adelaide, Australia. The Herald Sun also cited that another caption “Free virgin to virgin” was placed in a different ad.

The lawsuit includes invasion of privacy, damage to reputation, and for “suffering humiliation, severe embarrassment, frustration, grief and general mental anguish damages, all of which, in reasonable probability, will subsist in the future.”

Virgin Mobile could not be reached for comments. Two words for Virgin – Paid Models! Are you with me or what?

Originally posted on September 21, 2007 @ 11:10 am

Google AdWords introduces Google Gadget Ads

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Google Inc. is introducing Google Gadget Ads, a new interactive ad format that is currently in an expanded beta with a select group of AdWords advertisers worldwide. According to Google, Gadget ads not only enable advertisers to target audiences in a flexible and timely manner via regular updates within the ad unit, but also allow users to engage with ad content in a way static ads haven’t facilitated in the past.

Gadget ads can incorporate real-time data feeds, images, video and much more in a single creative unit and can be developed using Flash, HTML or a combination of both. Designed to act more like content than a typical ad, they run on the Google content network, competing alongside text, image and video ads for placement. They support both cost-per-click and cost-per-impression pricing models, and offer a variety of contextual, site, geographic and demographic targeting options to ensure the ads reach relevant users with precision and scale. Gadget ads are also built on an open platform, allowing anybody from individual advertisers to agencies to set up and run ads on the Google content network. Gadget ads will not command any serving or hosting costs.

In addition, users can build active communities with gadget ads by sharing them with each other and placing them on nearly any webpage, including personalized iGoogle pages. These portability and sharing capabilities simultaneously generate additional free traffic and help foster a sense of community between advertisers and users. Detailed interaction reports allow marketers to track dozens of actions within the creative unit and optimize toward their goals.

Here is an example of a Gadget Ad from Google.

Originally posted on September 19, 2007 @ 7:36 am

HandHeld Entertainment launches ZVUE Networks

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zvue.jpgHandHeld Entertainment, Inc., a global digital entertainment company, announced the launch of ZVUE Networks, a premium online video advertising network created to monetize its growing library of professional and user-generated video content.

For advertisers, ZVUE Networks will provide extensive reach to online video through pre- and post-roll video advertisements, in-stream flash overlay advertisements, and banner and other alternative rich media advertisements. ZVUE Networks also will provide advertisers with access to specific psychographics and includes vertical categories such as music, entertainment, and video games.

With the closing of the proposed acquisition of eBaum’s World, Inc., ZVUE Networks will become the sixth largest online video provider in the world and is expected to deliver more than 24 million daily unique visitors per month and serve nearly 3.5 billion page views and video streams annually by the end of 2007. The acquisition will further establish ZVUE Networks as one of the premier online video networks for advertisers wishing to reach the 18- to 34-year-old male demographic, typically one of the most sought after target audiences for advertisers.

Originally posted on September 13, 2007 @ 12:14 pm