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New Media News Every Morning

Google Buys Teracent to Make Banner Ads Less Annoying

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TeracentIf the big honking banner ads on your favorite sites suddenly get less annoying over the coming months, here’s why: Google is buying display advertising startup Teracent.

How is this different from Google’s purchase of display advertising stalwart DoubleClick? As is usually the case, Google buys companies for their technology more than anything else. Whereas DoubleClick provides the best display ad marketplace on the planet, Teracent provides new ways to target display advertising. [Read more…]

Originally posted on November 24, 2009 @ 3:34 pm

Windows 7 House Party Parody

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I knew the brilliance of the I’m a PC and Laptop Hunters ads couldn’t last. Reverting back to their usual retarded marketing style, Microsoft is now telling people to throw house parties in celebration of the Windows 7 launch — complete with horrible actors in a ridiculously awkward promo video.

Fortunately, by bleeping out the right words, you can turn the promo video from awkward to hilarious. The party suddenly sounds a lot more interesting.

Originally posted on October 21, 2009 @ 1:19 pm

Is Google trying to maintain its position in the British psyche?

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google_logo.jpgPerhaps you’ll forgive this thought dump as I make a few personal observations about Google and its place in Britain.

Maybe you have your own thoughts about how Google is trying (officially or otherwise) to maintain its position as premier search engine.

Recently I’ve noticed a trend on TV ads where, instead of providing a direct web address, they invite the viewer to “search online for…”. However, they don’t specify which search engine you should use — merely that you should go online.

Obviously, this approach means that they’re fairly confident that the proposed search term will bring up their website. I wonder if they’re also assuming that most people will use Google?

Last week I saw for the first time a direct ad for Google. At the end of an advert for a pet insurance company, a Google page appeared on screen with the voiceover “Search on Google for Pet Plan”. [Read more…]

Originally posted on October 15, 2009 @ 6:52 am

Annoying Tech Ads

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Why does the tech industry produce some of the worst ads in the history of advertising? Do geeks spend so much time with their computers that they have no idea how to convey ideas to agency guys? Do agency guys misunderstand geeks so badly that their creations come out crap?

Whatever the reason, Brian X. Chen compiles a list of eight outrageously annoying tech videos. This is why normals will never understand geeks: our ads suck.

Originally posted on September 28, 2009 @ 10:23 am

Users Triple Time, Advertisers Double Spend on Social Networks and Blogs

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Spending too much time on Facebook? You’re not alone. A new study from Neilsen shows that Americans have tripled the time they spend on social networks and blogs. Even has-been MySpace is getting a lift from the rising tide. On average, you spent seventeen percent of your online time on social networks and blogs in August 2009, up from six percent the year before.

When it comes to online media, advertisers are often slow to go where the audience goes — but in this case, they’re definitely catching up. Advertisers increased their spending on social networks and blogs by a whopping 119%, up to $108 million in August 2009 from $49 million the year before.

Now you won’t feel so guilty about goofing off on Facebook. Even Madison Avenue’s starting to hang out there.

Originally posted on September 26, 2009 @ 6:37 am