Digital Intelligence

Just days before the most anticipated initial public offering in history, new data looks at how powerful the 901 million-member Facebook platform is for big brands looking to expand their global footprint and penetrate emerging markets. The study, from social media analytics provider Socialbakers, found that Kraft had the fastest growing brands globally, with three products (Halls, Trident and Chiclets) in the top 5 movers.

16/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: brands Brazil digital companies Digital Intelligence digital marketing digital trends Facebook FMCG global Kraft Latin America marketing Proctor & Gamble South America Telecom Unilever

Ross Levinsohn, global media chief at Yahoo, has been named interim CEO after Scott Thompson resigned over the weekend. In this leaked staff memo he aims to raise morale by highlighting how “In spite of the very bumpy road we’ve traveled, we are achieving genuine and meaningful successes in the marketplace every day and heading in the right direction.”

16/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence media portal recuitment US Yahoo

Old Spice has become a byword for successful viral marketing since its 2010 YouTube campaign racked up over 40 million views and a 107% sales uplift for the deodorant brand. This follow up introduces Champion, the brand's newest addition to its product range. See why it’s our video viral of the week below…

16/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: advertising digital companies Digital Intelligence digital marketing FMCG marketing Pharmaceutical and healthcare TV and radio video viral marketing YouTube

Japanese mobile network operator NTT Docomo has bought Italian mobile Internet content and apps provider Buongiorno, in a bid to strengthen its platform businesses overseas. The Milan-based firm was founded in 1995 and has grown to provide a combination of games, music and other media related services in 57 countries across four different continents.

16/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: applications (apps) digital companies Digital Intelligence DoCoMo; mobile Italy Japan smartphones

In the digitally advanced markets, social is moving ahead of directories as the main way small businesses get new customers. Latest research in the UK shows the scale of the channel shift, with more than a third of small firms are using Facebook for marketing (vs 27% using local directories). Twitter is also playing a growing role, with around a sixth of firms claiming they actively use it to recruit customers. The newness of social channels for small firms is under-researched in most countries, but findings from the UK could be indicative for other digitally advanced markets.

16/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: classifieds digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends Facebook global search social media and social networking Twitter UK

Apple is set to replace Google Maps with 3D mapping software developed in-house, as the rivalry between the two digital giants intensifies, according to a news report. The move, reported by technology blog 9 to 5 Mac, could see Apple swap Google’s mapping technology for its own new maps application using 3D mapping technology by C3 Technologies, which the company acquired in 2011.

Watch a video below demonstating how C3 technologies mapping system works. This 3D map of Hoover Dam is calculated directly from high-resolution aerial photography.

15/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Apple applications (apps) digital companies Digital Intelligence Google images local Maps mobile smartphones

Facebook is testing a new ad format aimed at individuals and small groups, offering promoted posts for just $2. By paying a small fee users can ensure that information they post on the social network is more visible to friends, family and colleagues. The new ‘highlight a post web page’ lets users pay to promote their posts for as little as $2, payable by Paypal or credit card.

15/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: advertising digital companies Digital Intelligence Facebook marketing New Zealand social media and social networking user generated content

Google is in talks to buy messaging app, Meebo, for as much as $100 million, according to reports in US media. If the deal goes through, Meebo could be used to boost Google’s “+1″ sharing button, which is akin to Facebook’s “Like.” Meebo also helps users create ‘interest profiles’, which could be in tune with Google’s social targeting marketing strategy.

15/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: advertising behavioural targeting digital companies Digital Intelligence Google IM social media and social networking

Most consumers believe the internet as we know it would ‘disappear’ without ads, but most want want more information about the online ads they see and only 1 in 10 are willing to pay for advertising-free content, according to a new survey. The study, a report being published by the IAB UK and ValueClick, was based on 2,000 interviews carried out by Kantar Media - 650 face-to-face and 1,350 online.

15/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: advertising digital companies Digital Intelligence digital marketing ecommerce IAB UK paid content UK Valueclick

Apps are driving the lions share of engagement on mobile usage in the US, representing 82% (over 4 in every 5) of mobile media minutes, according to new research. The study, from comScore, looked at smartphone users age 18 and older accessing from iOS, Android and RIM operating systems.

15/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: applications (apps) digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends internet use mobile mobile marketing smartphones time spent online US

Yahoo's Chief Executive Officer Scott Thompson has stepped down after just four months at the helm, following claims his CV featured a computer science degree that he never received. After a board meeting the company announced that Thompson would be immediately replaced by former News Corp executive Ross Levinsohn.

14/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence Facebook Google media portal recuitment US Yahoo

Facebook's Instagram deal could be delayed by as long as a year after a federal agency launched an investigation into the $1bn purchase.According to a report by Reuters, the US Federal Trade Commission has reached out to Google and Twitter to look into the acquisition. It was not immediately clear what specific information the FTC was looking for, Reuters quotes a source as saying.

14/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence Facebook government images Instagram mobile regulation smartphones social media and social networking US

Online property portal Zoopla has bought Upmystreet.com, one of the original local information sites from the dotcom goldrush era, for an undisclosed sum. Launched in 1998, UpMyStreet.com was one of the first property websites in the UK. Recent figures from independent website monitoring firm, Nielsen, show that in March UpMyStreet.com attracted over 600,000 unique users.

14/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence digital marketing Findaproperty local Maps marketing property UK Zoopla

Microsoft is reportedly testing a version of its upcoming Internet Explorer 9 browser for its Xbox 360 games console. Sources speaking to technology blog The Verge understand the software would be compatible with the Kinect system, meaning users could browse the web using hand gestures rather than mouse cursors or touch screen devices.

14/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Bing digital companies Digital Intelligence games Internet Explorer Microsoft Nintendo Playstation windows Xbox

Smartphone owners now outnumber feature phone owners in the US, as mobile users switch to more web-friendly devices, according to new research. The study, from Nielsen, indicates that in March 2012, a majority (50.4%) of U.S. mobile subscribers owned smartphones, up from 47.8 percent in December 2011.

14/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Android Apple digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends internet use iPhone mobile smartphones time spent online US

The top 10 Facebook content providers reach more than half of the total gaming audience on Facebook. Social network games are currently experiencing exponential growth that is expected to continue through 2014.

11/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Data Digital Intelligence digital trends EA Facebook games mobile Playdom social media and social networking Zynga

Facebook has launched its own app store, offering apps personalised to users’ entertainment habits, as the social network looks to prove its mobile credentials ahead of its much-anticipated stock market flotation. The move will put the social network in competition with Apple, Google and Amazon in the growing app store wars. For the first time software developers can sell apps to consumers directly on Facebook.

11/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Amazon Android Apple applications (apps) digital companies Digital Intelligence Facebook Google mobile smartphones social media and social networking

Google has unveiled the latest hands-free photo features from its Project Glass augmented reality glasses. The glasses also have a camera built into the arm - used by project leader Sebastian Thrun to capture a picture of his son. As the Project Glass team points out, the head-worn camera is ideal for “the types of moments you’d capture if you didn’t have to wait to pull out a camera or your phone.”

11/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: augmented reality Clothing digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends Google images social media and social networking technology

Online music streaming services, including Spotify and We7, will have their own top 100 chart starting from this Monday (May 14th). The new rankings have been created by the Official Charts Company with the support of the Entertainment Retailers Association and record label organisation The BPI, to reflect the new way in which consumers listen to music.

11/05/2012  |  Full story...

The average American watches nearly five hours of video each day, 98% of which they watch on a traditional TV set, according to a new report. The Nielsen Cross-Platform Report found that although this ratio is less than it was just a few years ago, and continues to change, the fact remains that Americans are not turning off. They are shifting to new technologies and devices that make it easier for them to watch the video they want, whenever and wherever they want.

11/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: demographics Digital Intelligence digital trends games mobile Nintendo Playstation tablets TV and radio US video Xbox

In India, women spend the same amount of time on their smartphones as compared to men. However, there are sharp contrasts in how they use their phones, according to new research. The study, from Nielsen Informate Mobile Insights notes that men spend 50 percent more time browsing the web on their smartphones than women. Conversely, Women spend 3 hours more on calls every month as compared to men, and 4 times the amount of time men spend on Instant Messaging (Chat) applications.

11/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Digital Intelligence digital trends IM India internet use mobile mobile marketing smartphones time spent online

Nielsen surveyed global consumers' attitudes towards different types of advertising. 92% said they trusted recommendations from personal acquaintances, 70% trusted consumer opinions posted online and 50% trusted "emails that I signed up for".

10/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: advertising brands Digital Data Digital Intelligence digital marketing digital trends ecommerce email Nielsen Privacy security TV and radio user generated content

Google is launching its much-hyped 'Hangouts On Air' feature on its Google+ social network, offering users a webcam community that lets groups broadcast and share video live. The new platform lets users broadcast live video to anyone with a mobile phone, live from major events or even their own living rooms. Other services, such as Ustream or Qik, already have similar features that stream live video from a phone or computer. However, these services are not paired with YouTube like Google+.

Watch a video outlining how to use the service below:

10/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: brands digital companies Digital Intelligence Google Google Plus marketing social media and social networking US video

Over 2 in 5 (42%) of people in the leading 5 European countries played a game on their mobile device during February, with the UK leading the way, according to new research. The study, from comScore, looked at mobile gaming behaviour across the five leading European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) using the comScore MobiLens service.

10/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Digital Intelligence digital trends Europe France games Germany Italy mobile smartphones social media and social networking Spain UK

In 2010, Tipp Ex’s A Hunter Shoots a Bear’ viral was one of the first (and still the best) interactive YouTube virals ever. This follow up offers a ‘timeless’ new twist on the formula, and has already racked up over 9m YouTube views in less than a month. See why it's our video viral of the week below…

10/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence FMCG social media and social networking video viral marketing YouTube

PayPal has teamed up with Japanese web giant Softbank to launch a joint venture to pursue online transactions business in the country. The two companies said they will each invest AY=1 billion (US$12.5 million) in the newly established firm PayPal Japan which will be a 50:50 joint venture.

10/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends ecommerce financial services iPhone Japan PayPal SoftBank Yahoo

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has approved a license for Google’s self-driving car. Google's self-driving car has been a project the company has long been working on, with a motor vehicle already having covered 140,000 test miles in California, including a trip across the Golden Gate bridge. But Nevada is the first state in the US to approve a self-driven vehicle license.

Watch this video from Sebastian Thrun, who helped build Google's driverless car,explaining how the car works below;

10/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: automotive digital companies Digital Intelligence Google local Maps regulation technology US

Online retail sales in the UK grew 9% in April as the country experienced the wettest April since records began. Conversely, UK retail sales fell the most in more than a year last month as poor weather and consumer caution on spending curbed demand at stores.

10/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Digital Intelligence digital trends ecommerce retail uk

In August 2011, the UK Internet population spent 3.4 billion hours online. If we distilled all usage into a single hour, it would look like this...

10/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Digital Data Digital Intelligence digital trends ecommerce email Entertainment internet use newspapers social media and social networking sport time spent online Travel

LinkedIn has bought online presentation tool SlideShare for £74m as the business-based social network looks to improve engagement and features on its site. SlideShare lets users upload presentations publicly or privately, which can be embedded on blogs, websites, company intranets and shared across Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Watch a Slideshare presentation announcing the deal here:

09/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence LinkedIn social media and social networking

The age of the ‘lurker’ is over, according to a new BBC report which debunks the widely accepted ‘1% rule’ of the Internet, which asserts that just 1% of users create content and 10% engage with them, while the rest of the world sits back and watches. The broadcaster has carried out extensive research which it says shows this model is outmoded. Participation is now the rule rather than the exception: 77% of the UK online population is now active in some way. 60% of the UK online population now participates in some way on the web, from sharing photos to starting a discussion.

09/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: BBC blogging digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends internet use social media and social networking time spent online user generated content

A new London School offering pupils as young as 14 with digital qualifications alongside standard GCSEs is due to open this September. Hackney Universal Technical College has been developed to prepare students for the digital economy. Located near Old Street’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ area (also known as 'Tech City'), the school’s cirriculum has been created in collaboration with a number of technology companies in the Hackney borough.

09/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends education recuitment UK

ITV and FremantleMedia have launched two new ways for viewers to vote for their favourite Britain’s Got Talent contestants via their mobile phone. Viewers will be able to vote via their iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch directly from the Britain’s Got Talent app, which has already received over 500,000 downloads across the series and seen peak traffic of up to 130k users per episode interacting via the ‘buzzer’.

09/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence Entertainment ITV media mobile smartphones TV and radio UK

O2 has partnered with Costa coffee shops to offer free wi-fi to its customers, as the mobile network operator looks to expand its broadband services. The news follows a similar deal between the mobile operator and McDonalds last month.

09/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: broadband digital companies Digital Intelligence mobile O2 retail smartphones tablets wi-fi

Smartphones will outperform the overall market for mobile phones, growing by 24.9% to reach 1.7 billion units by 2017, according to Ovum. Predictions show Android as the dominant operating system over the next five years as handset vendors rush to make it their primary smartphone platform.

09/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Android Apple blackberry Digital Intelligence digital trends Microsoft mobile Nokia smartphones windows 7 mobile

As Facebook ads grow in popularity amongst big brands, are advertisers getting better exposure for their money than they would on other mediums? This infographic from the Wall Street Journal takes a look at what money invested in a Facebook Sponsored Story could buy you instead…

08/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: advertising blogging digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends Facebook Google magazines marketing media media planning media sales social media and social networking TV and radio US Yahoo

Spotify rival Rdio has launched its popular online music streaming service in the UK and France. According to reports, Skype, the owners of Rdio, made no official announcement of the music service being available in the UK, instead a buzz of interest appeared on social networks like Twitter.

Watch a video outlining how the service works below:

08/05/2012  |  Full story...

Apple is the biggest company trading on the US stock market, with its 2011 sales generating $128bn (higher than 160 different nations’ gross domestic products), according to this new infographic.

08/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Apple digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends ecommerce iPad iPhone, iPod and iTunes mobile retail smartphones technology US

Cloud service Present.me has launched this month, offering an online presentation platform that combines synchronised content and video, viewable on-demand. Present.me enables individuals and organisations to create and share presentations online, so that the viewer sees both content (slides, photos or documents) and the presenter (via webcam or uploaded video) side-by-side, on-demand.

08/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence video

AdInsight has received £1.6M investment ($2.6M) in its first round of venture capital funding, to boost its call tracking and call analytics solutions. The prominent technology investment company, Eden Ventures, has made the initial Series A investment.

08/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: advertising analytics behavioural targeting digital companies Digital Intelligence

Samsung leads the way as the top smartphone seller in the world, followed by Apple, according to new research. The data, from research firm IDC, indicates that Samsung sold 42.2 million smartphones worldwide during the first quarter of 2012, earning it a 29.1% market share. Apple sold 35.1 million iPhones, helping it to secure a 24.2% market share.

04/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Apple blackberry digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends global HTC iPhone mobile RIM Samsung smartphones

Most people in Britain with a connected TV actually lead a very disconnected TV existence, with web access not being a ‘key driver’ for consumer purchases, according to new research. Kantar Media’s futurePROOF study of consumer looked at take up and usage of digital devices and media.

04/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Digital Intelligence digital trends Entertainment internet use media technology TV and radio UK

RBK Money, one of the top payment platforms in Russia, have chosen London to base its new European operations. RBK Money is an electronic payments company that offers online payments via e-wallet, credit and debit cards, instant money transfers, as well as services for online businesses. The service has been used in Russia for a decade and is linked to a number of leading Russian banks and 40,000 Russian post offices.

04/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence eBay financial services Russia UK

Customer relationship management firm Salesforce.com has bought real-time online collaboration platform company Stypi for an undisclosed sum. Stypi is described as a real-time editor that allows multiple users to make changes to a single document at the same time, by sharing the URL to the document. Users collaborate with others online to do a variety of things, including editing source code and tweaking website copy.

04/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: CRM digital companies Digital Intelligence digital marketing marketing salesforce.com

miiCard has won a further £1.6m in funding to boost its ‘digital passport’ online identity verification service. The firm, founded just half a year ago, has finished a second seed funding round, securing £1.6 million angel and venture capital from a mix of investment groups including New Wave Ventures, IQ Capital and Par Equity.

04/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence security

A number of Microsoft products, including Windows 7 OS, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and the Xbox console have been banned from sale in Germany, following an extraordinary ruling declared this week in a Mannheim court. The shock ruling is due to Motorola Mobility, a phones company which Google is in the process of acquiring, today being granted an injunction against the distribution of key Microsoft products in Germany.

03/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: digital companies Digital Intelligence games Germany Google government Internet Explorer Microsoft motorola regulation windows Xbox

Spotify has finally launched its highly anticipated iPad app, featuring HD graphics and AirPlay support to use on compatible devices. The free app allows premium Spotify subscribers to access the company’s huge portfolio of music, stream tracks and playlists, and share songs.

03/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Apple applications (apps) digital companies Digital Intelligence iPad music paid content Spotify tablets

Social media newcomers Pinterest and Instagram joined internet stalwarts such as Facebook and the BBC in being honoured at the 16th annual Webby Awards this week, frequently dubbed the ‘Internet Oscars’.

03/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: BBC digital companies Digital Intelligence digital trends Entertainment Instagram internet internet use media mobile Pinterest smartphones social media and social networking video

The Asia-Pacific region is the best place for broadband, with the US and Europe training behind, according to new research. According to Akamai's State of the internet report, 69 of the top 100 cities were placed in the Asia-Pacific region, followed by 24 cities in the United States and seven in Europe.

03/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: Asia Pacific broadband Digital Intelligence digital trends Europe global internet use South Korea technology time spent online UK US

Analytics technology provider Teradata has bought Cloud digital marketing firm eCircle for an undisclosed sum. The move will see the firm integrate eCircle’s digital messaging tools with its Aprimo Integrated Marketing Management offering.

03/05/2012  |  Full story...  |  More about: agencies digital companies Digital Intelligence digital marketing email marketing

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