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JetBlue launches iPhone app, redesigns web and mobile sites

JetBlue Airways redesigned its website and mobile site, and has also launched an iPhone application, all with the intent of personalizing and simplifying the customer experience, the airline said on Feb. 6.
 

Facebook hires first CMO

Facebook has hired Rebecca Van Dyck, SVP and CMO at Levi's to join the social network as its first head of global marketing, according to reports.
 

Facebook files for $5 billion IPO

Facebook filed for a $5 billion initial public offering (IPO) just after 5 p.m. on Feb. 1. The company said in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it will use the ticker symbol "FB" and detailed its offerings for advertisers and marketers.
 

Facebook expected to file for IPO today

Facebook is widely expected to file a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after the markets close on Feb. 1, the first step in going public, according to multiple reports that cite sources familiar with the matter.
 

Google's new privacy policy will share user data across products

Google's new overarching privacy policy will allow the company to share user data gathered from services including YouTube, Gmail, Picasa and the Google search engine, the company said in a new privacy statement.
 

Twitter buys Web security company Dasient

Twitter has acquired a Web security startup company called Dasient, in a deal whose terms were not disclosed.
 

Verizon Wireless revenue up

Verizon Wireless reported record growth in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2011, with a 7.7% year-over-year increase to $28.4 billion compared with Q4 2010, the company said in a Jan. 24 earnings statement. Revenue for the year rose 4% to a total of $110.9 billion, compared with the same period in 2010.
 

New RIM CEO appointed following executive shuffle

Company insider Thorsten Heins has been named president and CEO of Research In Motion, Inc. (RIM), the company that markets the Blackberry, said Paul Carpino, RIM's VP of investor relations, on Jan. 23 in a conference call. Heins said RIM is currently in the process of recruiting a new CMO.
 

DAA debuts consumer education campaign for online behavioral advertising

The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) debuted on Jan. 20 the first phase of a multistage campaign designed to educate consumers about online behavioral advertising.
 

Google revenue up 29%, marketing spend increases 62%

Google generated $37.9 billion in revenue during 2011, a 29% increase compared with the previous year. Revenue from advertising also increased 29% year-over-year to total $36.5 billion, contributing 96% of Google's overall revenue. The company increased its spending on sales and marketing by 62% compared with the previous year to $4.5 billion.
 

Volkswagen centers Golf R campaign around iPad app

Volkswagen has launched a campaign and an iPad app to drive sales for its 2012 Golf R model, said Charlie Taylor, the car company's general manager of digital marketing, on Jan. 19. Volkswagen worked with digital agency AKQA to create the app.
 

Survey: 75% of marketers to grow social spending in 2012

Three-quarters of marketers plan to increase their marketing spending on social media this year, according to a global survey of more than 700 marketers conducted last November by social marketing firm Wildfire.
 

Adobe: Tablet users spend 54% more than smartphone shoppers

Tablet users who visited e-commerce websites in 2011 spent 54% more per purchase than smartphone visitors and 21% more than desktop or laptop visitors, according to a Jan. 19 report by Adobe Systems.
 

Twitter hires ex-Google ad sales exec

Twitter hired Rob Goulding as its national inside sales manager, Twitter spokesperson Matt Graves confirmed on Jan. 18. The hire took effect yesterday.
 

Study: Lower CPCs for ads that keep consumers within Facebook

Marketers running Facebook ads that don't drive a consumer outside of the social network have seen cost-per-click rates (CPC) drop by up to 45%, according to a study released by Facebook marketing firm TBG Digital on Jan. 16.
 

Zappos data breach exposes names, email addresses

A criminal accessed Zappos consumer account information, the online retailer said in a Jan. 15 blog post.
 

Study: U.S. search spend up 14%

U.S. marketers spent 14% more money on search advertising in the fourth quarter of 2011 than they did during the prior year's final quarter, according to a study by digital marketing firm Efficient Frontier.
 

X+1 names Peter Massey president, COO

Audience-targeting firm X+1 named Peter Massey president and COO, the company said on Jan. 12. Massey said he started with X+1 on Jan. 9.
 

Facebook rolls out Featured Ads for News Feeds

Facebook started pushing Featured Ads to consumers' News Feeds on Jan. 11, a company spokesperson said via email.
 

Publishers Clearing House acquires mobile firm Liquid Wireless

Direct marketer Publishers Clearing House has acquired mobile marketing company Liquid Wireless. Publishers Clearing House CEO Andy Goldberg said the acquisition closed "before Christmas" but declined to disclose terms.
 

Axe campaign has fans collaboratively write graphic novel online

Unilever launched a campaign with digital agency Razorfish to promote a new line of Axe body spray called Anarchy. The campaign centers around a YouTube-based graphic novel that is being written in real time, which the company is promoting through its Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.
 

Facebook adds in-app currency offers

Facebook developers can now reward consumers who complete advertisers' offers with app-specific virtual currency as an alternative to Facebook Credits, the company said on Jan. 6.
 

Dell to expand CMO's role

Technology company Dell will expand the role of SVP and CMO Karen Quintos to include responsibility for the company's public and large enterprise and consumer and small- and medium-sized business marketing teams. The new responsibilities will take effect on Feb. 1 when Dell begins its fiscal year, a company spokesperson told Direct Marketing News on Jan. 6.
 

Upromise settles with FTC over data collection charges

Upromise agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over charges that the Sallie Mae-owned rewards program collected consumers' personal information "without adequately disclosing the extent of the information it is collecting," the federal agency said on Jan. 5.
 

Millennial Media files for $75 million IPO

Mobile ad network Millennial Media filed for a $75 million initial public offering (IPO) on Jan. 5.
 

Apple taps new head of iAd

Apple hired Todd Teresi to head its iAd business, according to reports.
 

Levi's taps Wunderman as first global digital agency

Levi Strauss & Co. named Wunderman its global digital marketing agency for the Levi's brand after a review, Wunderman confirmed Jan. 5. The account was previously split between multiple agencies.
 

Former PayPal president named Yahoo CEO

Yahoo has named PayPal president Scott Thompson its CEO, effective Jan. 9, according to a company statement. Thompson will replace Carol Bartz, who was ousted in September. Tim Morse, who has been leading Yahoo in the interim, will return to his position as CFO.
 

Reports: Google Chrome campaign violates Google's paid link policy

A sponsored post campaign for Google's Chrome browser violated the company's paid link policy, according to reports.
 

Dunkin' Donuts social giveaways urge customers to stay engaged

As part of its ongoing "Get Dunk'd" social media marketing program, Dunkin' Donuts is launching new promotions to get customers tweeting and Facebook chatting about the brand.
 

Google testing search ads featuring email opt-ins

Google is testing an ad unit that would allow consumers to opt in to email newsletters within the ad, according to reports.
 

Visa's Facebook app lets users draft 10 friends for the Super Bowl

Visa teamed up with the National Football League (NFL) and digital agency AKQA to create a Facebook app intended to help promote its brand during the Super Bowl.
 

Dunkin' Donuts targets Groupon deal to first-time buyers

Dunkin' Donuts launched a daily deal through Groupon on Dec. 30 that is aimed toward first-time Groupon customers, said Jessica Gioglio, public relations and social media manager at Dunkin' Brands Inc.
 

HGTV kicks off 'dream home' digital marketing push

Scripps Networks kicked off a new digital marketing campaign to promote its HGTV Dream Home sweepstakes, in which consumers can enter to win a custom built dream home near Park City, Utah.
 

Orville Redenbacher's augments reality with Facebook game

Popcorn brand Orville Redenbacher's launched a Facebook game on Dec. 28 that features augmented reality. The brand worked with its digital agency of record, Possible Worldwide, on the game.
 

Esurance launches integrated campaign

Car insurance company Esurance has launched an integrated ad campaign in conjunction with its agency Leo Burnett that attempts to "elevate" the online car insurance shopping conversation, a company spokesman confirmed in an email.
 

Report: Navigational keywords dominate consumer searches

Marketers creating search campaigns should keep in mind the popularity of navigational search and the power of Google's predictive text, said Matt Tatham, director of media relations at Experian Hitwise, which released its annual report analyzing the top search terms and websites.
 

Facebook testing private messages for Pages

Facebook is testing a mechanism for brands to communicate privately with consumers via their Facebook Pages, said a Facebook spokesperson on Dec. 19.
 

eBay, retailers partner on shopping promotion

Retailers Toys R Us, Aeropostale and Dick's Sporting Goods have partnered with eBay to reward online shoppers with coupons to be redeemed in-store. The initiative launched Dec. 16 and runs through Dec. 19.
 

VerticalResponse acquires social marketing firm Roost

Self-service marketing company VerticalResponse acquired social marketing firm Roost, the company said on Dec. 15. VerticalResponse CEO Janine Popick said the acquisition closed yesterday but declined to disclose terms.
 

Facebook testing coupons in ads

Facebook is testing an ad unit that would allow brands to deliver coupons via display ads, the company said on Dec. 15.
 

Nexage develops private mobile ad exchange

Mobile advertising company Nexage has developed a private mobile advertising exchange that will let publishers and app developers select which companies can access their mobile inventory, the company said on Dec. 14.
 

MMG Worldwide acquires Ypartnership, forms MMGY Global

Digital travel marketing company MMG Worldwide acquired Ypartnership, a travel research services company, both companies said Dec. 14. The agencies have merged to form MMGY Global, a full-service travel marketing agency.
 

PayPal to launch mobile deals in 2012

PayPal will begin to roll out a mobile deals service in the "next few weeks," said PayPal spokesman Anuj Nayar on Dec. 14. The eBay-owned company is partnering with approximately 200 U.S. merchants for the service, which be will opt-in only, he said.
 

Google buys restaurant recommendation firm

Google acquired personalized recommendation company Clever Sense, the company said on Dec. 13. A Google spokesperson declined to disclose terms of the acquisition.
 

Digiday 2011: Integrate digital media, brand advertising

​Brand marketers who favor creative ads that run at scale should not believe digital media to be the domain of direct-response advertisers and ignore the channel's capabilities, said the heads of two industry trade organizations at the "Digiday Agency" event on Dec. 12 in New York.
 

Google, Visit Florida partner on digital travel marketing co-op

Google and Visit Florida, the state's official tourism marketing organization, have partnered on a digital marketing cooperative program that spans display, video and mobile, the companies said on Dec. 12.
 

comScore names VP of marketing solutions

Marketing research and digital analytics firm comScore, Inc. has named Bert Miklosi VP of marketing solutions for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, effective immediately. He will report directly to comScore executive chairman Gian Fulgoni.
 

AOL promotes Norton to head of sales

AOL promoted Jim Norton to head of AOL sales on Dec. 9. Norton previously served as SVP of AOL Advertising's advanced sales team.
 

Sprint taps Digitas Chicago to handle digital

After four years with Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Sprint Nextel Corp. has tapped Publicis Groupe-owned agency Digitas Chicago to handle all digital advertising, brand strategy, offline media, digital buying and analytics, both companies said Dec. 7.
 

Twitter to offer brand pages

Twitter will join Facebook and Google in offering brand pages that allow advertisers to get more of a handle on the content their followers see and how that content is displayed in an effort to broaden the microblogging site's appeal, the company said Dec. 8.
 

American Express offers card members deals on Seamless

American Express has partnered with Seamless, an e-commerce provider for restaurants, to offer discounts to members of American Express' Blue Savings Program, both companies said Dec. 8.
 

Performics promotes insider to worldwide CEO

Performance marketing company Performics has promoted Daina Middleton to worldwide CEO, the company said on Dec. 8. Middleton previously served as Performics' U.S. CEO.
 

Carvel taps Brandmovers for website redesign, online campaigns

Ice cream company Carvel will work with newly-appointed digital AOR Brandmovers to develop its digital strategy and planning, including search engine marketing, online and mobile media buying and social media management, said Alberto Pages, VP of global business development at Brandmovers, said on Dec. 8.
 

Study: 40% of October mobile ad campaigns targeted

Only 40% of mobile advertising campaigns that ran in October were targeted despite the channel's ability to target consumers based on criteria such as geolocation, according to a study released by mobile advertising network Millennial Media on Dec. 8.
 

Study: Tablet owners turn to devices for holiday shopping

Eighty-seven percent of tablet owners will be using their device for holiday shopping this year and will spend an average of $325 for purchases on the device, according to a survey released by Zmags on Dec. 8.
 

Yahoo CMO to depart

Yahoo CMO and EVP Elisa Steele will be leaving the company on Dec. 9, a Yahoo spokesperson confirmed via email.
 

Groupon alleged to have altered merchant agreement

Online home improvement marketplace BidMyCrib.com filed a lawsuit on Dec. 6 against Groupon that alleges the daily deals company altered its merchant agreement without notifying the merchant or soliciting consent to the changes.
 

Amazon launches promo to lure customers from retail

Amazon.com will launch a promotion on Dec. 10 to entice consumers shopping in brick-and-mortar retail stores to purchase products through Amazon at a discount.
 

24/7 Real Media boosts video ad offerings with Panache acquisition

WPP-owned digital marketing firm 24/7 Real Media acquired digital video advertising firm Panache, said David Moore, founder, chairman and CEO of 24/7 Real Media on Dec. 6. Moore declined to disclose terms of the acquisition.
 

Hertz to target concertgoers with Live Nation partnership

Car rental company The Hertz Corp. and Live Nation Entertainment will enable consumers to book car rentals while purchasing concert tickets on LiveNation.com or Ticketmaster.com beginning in January.
 

Facebook acquires Gowalla, shuts app

Facebook has acquired location-based social network Gowalla, both companies said Dec. 5. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
 

Twitter offering limited access to self-service ad platform

Twitter provided a "handful" of advertisers access to its self-service ad platform in November, Twitter spokesperson Matt Graves confirmed via email on Dec. 1. The company's chief revenue officer Adam Bain had mentioned the roll-out during in an interview at the Business Insider "Ignition 2011" conference on Nov. 30.
 

Discover to sponsor holiday-themed Zynga game

Discover Financial Services will sponsor a holiday-themed expansion of social gaming company Zynga's "FarmVille" game. The sponsorship, which enables consumers to earn gifts by completing virtual challenges, will go live to the public on Dec. 5.
 

Yahoo to limit DSP access to inventory

Yahoo will limit demand side platforms' (DSP) access to Yahoo Network Plus inventory on the company's Right Media Exchange (RMX) beginning in January, said Seth Dallaire, Yahoo's VP of sales, on Dec. 1.
 

Marketers mum on Android patent lawsuit

Amanda Green

Although Oracle's lawsuit against Google for infringing on Java patents to develop the Android operating system has the potential to drive up costs for marketers who use the platform, most are keeping their concerns to themselves as the litigious saga continues.
 

Is Groupon righting its ship?

Groupon's initial public offering (IPO) last month raised $700 million, the largest IPO by an Internet company since Google's in 2004 generated $1.7 billion. Many are now questioning, in spite of the IPO's success, whether the daily deals site will continue its upward trajectory or if this is simply a honeymoon period before reality sets in.
 

Brands weigh premium price tag of rich media tablet ads

AOL, Apple and Yahoo each reportedly charge up to six figures for brands to run interactive ads for tablet devices. While ad rates equivalent to home prices may seem obscene, industry experts say tablet advertising can be worthwhile for luxury brands targeting the tablet market's affluent owner base.
 

Marketers add location-based strategies to digital arsenal

Location-based advertising has become an integral component of overall communications strategies. This month, several major brands introduced programs that leverage geo-local information to offer consumers more relevant content.
 

Adobe to acquire Efficient Frontier

Adobe Systems Inc. has agreed to acquire digital marketing firm Efficient Frontier, the company said on Nov. 30. The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of Adobe's 2012 fiscal year. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
 

WordPress.com's WordAds to rival Google's AdSense

Web development company Automattic has developed a display advertising product for its WordPress.com blogging platform. The first WordAds will appear during the first quarter of 2012 and will run on desktop, mobile and iPad.
 

Facebook settles with FTC over privacy violations

Facebook agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Nov. 29 over charges that it violated the Federal Trade Commission Act by making public to advertisers consumers' private information.
 

Study: Small businesses are all about digital

Preliminary data from local media and advertising analysts BIA/Kelsey suggests that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are ramping up their usage of digital and social media, especially in the lead-up to Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the lesser-known Small Business Saturday.
 

Silverpop launches charity Facebook sweepstakes for marketers

Marketing email vendor Silverpop launched a Facebook "marketing innovations" sweepstakes campaign in which marketers can win prizes while Silverpop makes donations on their behalf to charity: water. The nonprofit organization seeks to bring clean, safe drinking water to developing nations.
 

EBay acquires recommendation platform Hunch

EBay has acquired recommendation platform Hunch. The acquisition closed on Nov. 21, eBay spokesperson Johnna Hoff said via email.
 

Pandora expands ads' geo-targeting for political campaigns

Internet radio company Pandora expanded on Nov. 18 advertisers' location-targeting abilities to include targeting by congressional district among other geographical areas.
 

WWE picks SapientNitro for site redesign

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) hired digital agency SapientNitro to redesign the sports and entertainment company's website, WWE publicist Kellie Baldyga told Direct Marketing News on Nov. 18.
 

Yelp files for $100 million IPO

Local business reviews site Yelp filed for a $100 million initial public offering (IPO) on Nov. 17. The company plans to go public in 2012, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
 

NASCAR hires SapientNitro as media consultant

NASCAR hired digital agency SapientNitro to serve as media consultant for the NASCAR Media Group, Nascar VP of digital media Marc Jenkins said on Nov. 16. The hire took effect during late summer, he said.
 

Dell Services loses marketing VP

Atul Vohra, VP of marketing at Dell Services, has left the company, Dell spokesperson Cathie Hargett confirmed to Direct Marketing News via email on Nov. 16.
 

Ford to debut SUV via Zynga game

Automotive manufacturer Ford Motor Co. will unveil the 2013 Ford Escape on Nov. 15 via social game developer Zynga's "Words With Friends" game. Ford is working with its ad agency Team Detroit on the initiative.
 

LBi acquires Mr Youth

LBi International acquired social media marketing agency Mr Youth for approximately $40 million to $50 million, Luke Taylor, CEO of LBi, told Direct Marketing News.
 

Report: Local social media ad spending to hit $2.3 billion by 2015

U.S. local social media advertising spending will increase from $400 million in 2010 to $2.3 billion by 2015, according to a report released by research firm BIA/Kelsey on Nov. 14.
 

Sam's Club to launch iPad app

Sam's Club will debut an iPad app in the "next few weeks," said Matt Martin, senior marketing manager at the Wal-Mart Stores-owned retailer, during a session at the ad:tech New York conference on Nov. 10.
 

Chevy pushes test drives via Klout Perks

Automotive brand Chevrolet launched a promotion on Nov. 9 that lets consumers use their social media influence for a chance to win a three-day test drive of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic sedan. Chevy partnered with social analytics company Klout on the initiative.
 

Spike TV to launch 'Flip Men' sweepstakes

Spike TV will launch a sweepstakes campaign on Nov. 15 to promote the TV series "Flip Men," said Todd Ames, VP of consumer marketing at the cable network. Spike will leverage the sweepstakes to create an online community centered on the program and collect data to market the series and cross-promote other products.
 

Brands must evolve, says Coca-Cola SVP

Brands need to keep up with the pace of innovation and consumers' interests to retain and build value, said Wendy Clark, SVP of integrated marketing communications and capabilities at The Coca-Cola Co., during a keynote address at the ad:tech New York conference on Nov. 10.
 

No plans to put ads in Google+, says Google executive

Google has no plans to run ads within its Google+ social network, said Christian Oestlien, head of social advertising products at Google, during a keynote address at the ad:tech New York conference on Nov. 9.
 

Social marketing should be integrated, says Facebook VP

To maximize social marketing impact, brands should use Facebook ad products such as Pages, Ads and Sponsored Stories in concert, David Fischer, VP of advertising and global operations at Facebook, said during a keynote address at the ad:tech New York conference on Nov. 9.
 

DAA should partner with browsers on Do Not Track, says FTC chairman

The Digital Advertising Alliance should work to implement its online behavioral advertising opt-out mechanism on a browser level, said Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman Jon Leibowitz on Nov. 8.
 

DAA expands data collection principles

The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) debuted a set of principles on Nov. 7 that would extend the organization's governance beyond data collected to target online behavioral ads (OBA) to include any online behavioral data collected from a unique computer or device across non-affiliated sites.
 

Mountain Dew launches a Facebook sweepstakes for gamers

Mountain Dew launched a Facebook sweepstakes on Nov. 7 to promote its partnership with Activision's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" videogame, said Jenny Danzi, assistant marketing manager for Mountain Dew at PepsiCo. Mountain Dew worked with digital agency RFI Studios to create the "Mega Fan Experience" sweepstakes.
 

Barnes & Noble campaign for Nook tablet to be company's largest

Barnes & Noble will launch a campaign on Nov. 14 to promote the Nook tablet that will be the "largest campaign in Barnes & Noble history," Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch said on Nov. 7 during a company event in New York.
 

LinkedIn's marketing products revenue up

LinkedIn's marketing products generated $40.1 million in revenue for the third quarter, a 113% increase compared with the prior year, the company said Nov. 3. The segment delivered 29% of LinkedIn's total revenue for the quarter, which rose 126% to $139.5 million.
 

IAB issues new ad verification guidelines

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) issued new guidelines designed to ensure a common set of methods and practices for ad verification, the company said in a Nov. 3 statement.
 

AOL ad revenue up while search slides

Advertising generated $317.7 million in revenue for AOL in the third quarter, an 8% increase compared with the prior year. The segment accounted for 60% of the company's total revenue, which dipped by 6% year-over-year to $531.7 million.
 

Yahoo to acquire Interclick for $270 million

Yahoo agreed to acquire advertising technology firm Interclick for $270 million, the company said on Nov. 1. The acquisition is expected to close by early 2012.
 

Adobe acquires Auditude

Adobe Systems acquired video ad management firm Auditude, both companies said Nov. 1. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
 

Brands put spin on traditional channels with new tech tools

Several technology vendors introduced products in October that put fresh twists on display advertising, videos and Web analytics that help marketers use new digital tools to enhance traditional marketing.
 

Steve Jobs' effect on marketing

While not unexpected, the death of Apple cofounder and CEO Steve Jobs in October triggered an avalanche of reaction from media and businesspeople.