Digital Marketing Blog

Google redefines ROI, misleads marketers

Lots and lots of people use Google AdWords, and have more recently layered Google Analytics over the top. But the search giant has confused these users by re-defining a well-defined business metric: 'ROI'.

This has led to confusion within companies - and at worst, caused Google AdWords users to think their campaigns are more profitable than they are, and thus pump more money into Google while decreasing their own business' profitability.

So has Google 'done evil' this time?

by Deri Jones 07 February 2007 13:36pm 1 comment

Last.fm signs deal with Warner Music

Last.fm has teamed up with Warner Music Group in its first deal with a major music company.

The agreement will see Warner's music catalogue made available to the Last.fm's listeners. It will initially roll out in the US, with Europe to follow shortly after.

by Graham Charlton 07 February 2007 13:06pm 0 comments

Google makes its email service available to all

Google has announced that its free, web-based email service Googlemail will now be universally available, rather than invitation only, as it has been since 2004.

From today, any UK will be able to sign up for an account. Google is also launching a new, downloadable version of Googlemail for use with mobiles.

by Graham Charlton 07 February 2007 12:46pm 0 comments

Q&A: AKQA's Ajaz Ahmed on internet marketing

Ajaz Ahmed co-founded the agency AKQA some 12 years ago. Last week AKQA revealed that private equity group General Atlantic had bought a majority stake, for a rumoured $250m.

We caught up with Ajaz to ask him about the investor situation and also to chew the fat on a range of internet marketing issues and trends.

Read on for the full interview...

by Chris Lake 06 February 2007 13:38pm 0 comments

Vinny Lingham's incuBeta bags funding, eyes USA

Congratulations to Vinny Lingham and the team at incuBeta, the Cape Town-based internet marketing group, which has secured a £1.75m investment from HBD Venture Capital.

by Chris Lake 06 February 2007 13:32pm 0 comments

Bebo embraces European Safer Internet Day

Bebo has announced that it is conducting a series of workshops to raise understanding among teachers and schools staff about social networks and the internet.

These 'Knowledge Transfer Workshops' are part of the campaign to highlight the risks of internet use, and coincide with today's European Safer Internet Day.

by Graham Charlton 06 February 2007 12:53pm 0 comments

Yahoo! launches Panama in quest for relevance

Yahoo late last night flipped the switch on a new search marketing system it hopes will help it close the gap on sector leader Google.

Codenamed "Panama", the new model gives sponsored ads higher billing based on keyword matches to page content. In the old approach, ads were ordered only by which marketers bid most.

A new user interface and dashboard was already being tested by customers before Yahoo! yesterday launched what senior engineer Awa Awadallah called the "quality-ordering marketplace".

by Robert Andrews 06 February 2007 11:37am 0 comments

Apple vs Apple: Jobs and McCartney bury hatchet

All they needed was love. Now Apple and The Beatles have kissed and made up - and it could see The Fab Four's catalogue added to iTunes.

The band's Apple Corps. label last year lost a High Court lawsuit in which it had claimed Steve Jobs' computer company had reneged on a prior agreement not to confuse matters by entering the music business using the "Apple" name.

by Robert Andrews 06 February 2007 11:30am 0 comments

The Times unveils £10m website redesign

The new look Times Online site launched yesterday, ditching the old black and white design, in favour of colour-coding, though the site has been experiencing teething problems so far.

The Times' website, which was redesigned in-house by Tomaso Capuano and Jon Warden, now features lime green in the masthead, and green, blue and grey throughout the rest of the site. The information architecture was designed by Melissa Fleck.

Times Online revamps website

Obvious font issues aside, we think it looks pretty good...

by Graham Charlton 06 February 2007 10:59am 0 comments

Sales of virtual goods stopped by eBay

Auction giant eBay has prevented the sale of virtual goods for online games such as EverQuest and World of Warcraft on its site.

All listings related to these virtual goods, which include currency, characters, weapons, and online game accounts are being removed by eBay due to legal concerns.

by Graham Charlton 05 February 2007 17:48pm 0 comments