Amazon wades into the US video streaming market
Amazon has announced a new partnership with Viacom which allows Amazon Prime members and Kindle Fire owners to stream unlimited television onto their devices.
Extending Amazon's partnership to include streaming puts them ahead of the race against Netflix and the new Verizon and Redbox partnership as the retail giant looks to capitalize on a market wanting more TV on demand.
Sky's sound social media advice hijacked by brand police
Last night the Guardian released details of an email sent to Sky News employees that outlined new social media guidelines.
Of course, the most sensational part of this - that staff now seem to be banned from retweeting rival "journalists or people on Twitter" - has been highlighted by many amid cries of ‘they just don’t get it’.
Klout moves into mobile with Blockboard acquisition
Social influence measurement company Klout is moving into the mobile space, acquiring Blockboard for an unknown sum.
Blockboard says that it "uses technology to connect neighbours and build stronger neighbourhoods". Its mobile app features a bulletin board that users can use to post messages for their local community to view and interact with.
How brands lost the Super Bowl race for the second screen
Here in New York last week, digital media and advertising commentators were all talking about the role that digital and in particular, social media, was going to play during the Super Bowl TV ad breaks. With advertisers paying about $3.5 million for a slot, this has been another record year for TV ad revenue and the show was the most watched TV event in American History.
Sunday night was going to be #Hashtag-Heaven, we were told – or at least a #FacebookFrenzy, with brands falling over themselves to drive people off their 47 inch flatscreens and onto their other devices – the so-called ‘second screen’. So you’d think that the ad execs would have thought the web in all its forms - mobile, tablet and laptop - would be the place to go make sure they extended the reach and level of audience engagement worthy of such an expensive commodity.
You’d be wrong.
Amazon overtakes HMV as UK's top entertainment retailer
Amazon is now the UK’s number one entertainment retailer in terms of market share, according to new figures from Kantar Worldpanel.
The company took 22.4% of the market for videos, games and music in the 12 weeks ending December 26 2011, while HMV had a 17.5% share.
StuffPal allows users to swap books, DVDs and games via Facebook app
Continuing our covering of the collaborative consumption trend, we’ve found another example in the form of StuffPal.
This Facebook app from Los Angeles-based Loconuts is designed to facilitate the sharing of books, DVDs and video games among friends.
Unruly study sees brand recall improve with social video recommendations
Social video platform Unruly has today released findings that suggest viewers are far more likely to recall a brand name and engage with an ad’s message if a brand-led video has been recommended to them.
Carried out by Decipher Research, the study spoke to 976 18-34 year olds online, discovering that brand recall and association rose 7% among viewers who had been recommended the videos versus viewers that found them by browsing.
Amazon rumoured to be opening shop on the high street
Amazon is said to be opening a trial brick-and-mortar store in Seattle to see if a chain of shops could be profitable.
Though this might seem like a step backwards for Amazon, the need to give its tablets and e-readers a physical shop window seems to be the main motivation.
Will relationship building cost newspapers too much?
The New York Times is giving pay wall skeptics reason to reconsider their skepticism. Despite questions about the company's paywall strategy, the daily has managed to lure some 325,000 paying subscribers.
That's good news for a newspaper that some believed might not survive.
Verizon and Redbox create new partnership to rival Netflix
Today Verizon and Coinstar's Redbox service have announced their joint venture combining streaming content with physical media rentals.
This new venture will launch the second half of 2012. Though you don't have to be on Verizon to use this product, this combined service will be marketed to Verizon's 109 million wireless and 9 million broadband customers as well as Redbox's 30 million rental customers.
That's what makes this partnership so powerful.
