Content Management Matters ™

In an effort to save advertisers, who are predicted to "waste" an estimated 4.5 billion dollars US on paid search advertising in 2008, WebTrends has released WebTrends Ad Director. In fact it was Ad Director who helped predict the very estimation it is poised to prevent.

Where women go, advertising follows. The web is no exception.

As we've mentioned before, women appear to outnumber men online, with many writing, reading or otherwise contributing to blogs. And advertisers are finally getting hip to their jive.

ComScore results, as highlighted in a recent New York Times article, indicated that advertisers served up "4.4 billion display ads on women’s Web sites in May" and that women’s sites had recorded 84 million visitors in July 2008.

Traditionally reserved for awarding the best in television advertising, the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival awarded a Grand Prix for a viral online video, as well, as a cyber campaign. And a groundbreaking Japanese online effort for a clothing retailer won the most coveted creative prize of all, the Titanium Grand Prix.

What has happened to television advertising? It's gone online and become interactive, that's what.

The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) has announced a deal for several programs to be streamed on the Hulu Web site. Among the shows featured will be “Nova,” “Wired Science,” “Carrier” and “Scientific American Frontiers” along with a 30-second advertisement before each program. Revenues will be split between Hulu and PBS.

PBS, being a not-for-profit, citizen funded television network has embraced the Internet despite a previous hesitation. Due to constraints affecting copyrights and affiliate connections, PBS has been weary of venturing in distributing their shows online; would consumers be more or less likely to donate during pledge drives if they can access the shows through other media outlets?

The Internet is the place to be, where ever you are. But if you happen to be in Europe, then the Web really is a great place to advertise.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB Europe) released the findings of its annual advertising expenditure survey for 2007. Considered to be THE guide to the size and value of the European online advertising industry, its results showed that online advertising continues to grow, grow, grow, with "an average growth rate of 40% year-on-year."

The Web isn't just for news anymore. Not that you thought it was.

Cable television is eager to capture their share of the Internet with a more targeted attempt to create original programming rather than just borrow from what was broadcast on television.

Six Apart has just announced the creation of Six Apart Media and Six Apart Services divisions. The real news here is the Media bit. The Media operation is an advertising network -- not unlike Federated Media -- that will open up to participation from some percentage of the blogosphere, regardless of what technology the typing monkeys are using. As part of the news, 6A have nabbed NYC-based consultancy, Apperceptive. The acquisition forms the basis of Six Apart Services, which is really not about traditional consulting services, rather it's about helping bloggers monetize and grow their properties, while 6A Media gets a long term cut.

Hey, hey, look what they've done...it's Vox flipped inside out.

A recent report by eMarketer has everyone scratching their heads. It seems that the Web is set to buck another trend -- the rumored economic recession. The report projects that online ad spending is supposed to rise by 23 percent this year (which, keep in mind, is slightly lower than what eMarketer projected in October 2007).