Insights

Source:  eMarketer June 22, 2011 Daily deal sites Groupon and LivingSocial saw their audiences approximately triple in the year to April 2011, with gains of 250% and 182%, respectively, according to comScore’s “State of the US Online Retail Economy in Q1 2011” report. But while both play in the same space, differences have emerged in [...]

We’ve worked with College World Series of Omaha, Inc for many years. In fact, our involvement goes way back to the beginning when one of our founders and a group of Omaha businessmen convinced the NCAA to bring the tournament to Omaha. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a labor of love for everyone [...]

A J.Crew advertisement gaining lots of blog buzz this week shows a mom painting her son’s toenails pink with the caption “Lucky for me, I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink.” The ad features a photo of J. Crew President Jenna Lyons painting bright pink polish on her young son’s toenails. [...]

I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a TV ad campaign as much as I do Swiffer’s “What About Love” campaign. The term ‘clever’ has gotten kind of a bum rap in our industry. Why everyone knows that ‘clever’ copy has no substance to it – it’s just a cheap joke and nothing more. [...]

Yahoo has unveiled Search Direct, a feature it will integrate into select Yahoo sites, giving searchers answers to questions and lists of trending topics as queries are typed. The feature rolls out in the U.S. first, and later this year, internationally. Yahoo Search Direct predictive-search technology comes several months after Google Instant. The feature is [...]

Starting last week many online companies launched “Ad Choices” (Advertising Option Program). This program is part of an industry wide effort to implement consumer-friendly principles and enforcement standards regarding Online Behavioral Advertising (OBA). This program was initiated to provide consumers with a better understanding of and greater control over ads that are served to them [...]

New peaks in spending each year through 2014 After 2009’s downslide, US online ad spending in 2010 will rise by 13.9%, reaching a record $25.8 billion. And in that same vein, internet ad spending will hit new peaks in each of the following four years, passing $30 billion in 2012 and breaking the $40 billion [...]

Snuggie, the much-mocked but also much-purchased blanket with sleeves, will spend an estimated $12 million on holiday advertising this year. The brand spent $34.8 million in advertising throughout 2009, according to Kantar Media – and the marketing is apparently paying off: by the end of 2010, Snuggie will have sold 25 million units, reports The [...]

DVR Penetration Means Time-Shifted Viewing Is Up Television time-shifted viewing is growing this season — for almost all shows. NBC’s “The Office” is the most time-shifted program; in terms of its overall percentage, it grabbed 38.8% more viewers — up to seven days of time-shifting. Overall, NBC comedy was also first in 2009, with 37.5% [...]

Growth in spending on online display ads will outstrip that for paid search through 2014, eMarketer forecasts, though search will continue to take the greater share of dollars. In 2010, both search and display will see increases greater than the rise in total US online ad spending, estimated by eMarketer at 13.9%. But between 2011 [...]