The full extent of Facebook’s reliance on Zynga was revealed this week, with the social network receiving 12% of its revenue from the games maker last year. In its S-1 regulatory filing Wednesday, Facebook reported that it received 12% of its revenue in 2011 from Zynga, whose social games such as CityVille and Mafia Wars have drawn several hundred million players to Facebook over the years. Zynga launched its own IPO in December. With $3.7 billion in total annual revenue for Facebook, that translates to roughly $444 million in direct payments from Zynga.

03/02/2012

Continue reading "Revealed: Zynga accounts for 12% of Facebook’s revenue" »

The number of online radio listeners in the UK rose 16.4% during 2011, accounting for 29.1% of the total audience, according to the latest RAJAR figures. Although both internet radio, now 3.4% of the market, and digital TV, 4.5% of the market, have recorded healthy gains the main factor fuelling this growth has been the growing popularity of DAB radios which now command 71% of all listening. FM/AM listening continued its decline, hanging onto an overall listening share of 64.1%, down 2.9% year-on-year.

03/02/2012

Continue reading "Digital accounts for nearly a third of UK radio audience" »

Amazon has launched an ecommerce site in India, marking the entry of one of the world's largest online retailers into the $550 billion retail market. The website, called Junglee.com, will offer more than 12 million products and more than 14,000 Indian and global brands, Amazon said in a statement. India has more than 100 million internet users and online shopping has been growing rapidly.

03/02/2012

Continue reading "Amazon debuts 'Junglee' ecommerce site in India " »

Facebook announced it will make the Timeline profile mandatory for all users in coming weeks, inciting mixed reactions from users. The Timeline offers a linear, chronological display of activity and makes archived Facebook data readily available.

03/02/2012

Continue reading "Facebook Timeline a concern to users- survey" »

Cable and Wireless plans to end its fixed-line dial-up internet service in Guernsey before the end of the year. The ISP said there were about 380 households that still use the service, which will end on 30 November.

03/02/2012

Continue reading "Beggining of the end? Cable and Wireless to axe dial-up internet service in Guernsey" »

Facebook has unveiled plans for its much-aniticipated stock market flotation, seeking to raise $5bn (£3.16bn), about half the amount many analysts expected. The move has also revealed the social network's complete user figures and revenues for last year. Despite lowering analyst expectations, the initial public offering (IPO) is still expected to be the biggest sale of shares by an internet company.

Continue reading "Facebook $5bn float plans lower expectations- revenues revealed " »

UK ad watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ordered TripAdvisor to rewrite some of its marketing claims, following complaints by hotels that the site had said that its holiday reviews could be "trusted". The ASA said it was concerned that consumers might be fooled by fraudulent posts since the entries could be made "without any form of verification".

02/02/2012

Continue reading "Trip Advisor forced to drop ‘trust’ claim from website " »

Sainsbury's has bowed to a social media campaign urging the supermarket to rename its Tiger Bread to 'Giraffe Bread' on the advice of a 3-year-old girl. The new Giraffe loaves went on sale this week, eight months after toddler Lily Robinson sent a letter to the supermarket suggesting the splotches on the bloomer's crust resemble more a giraffe's pelt than that of a tiger.

02/02/2012

Continue reading "Sainsbury's renames Tiger bread to ‘Giraffe bread’ after social media buzz " »

The high-profile launch of Apple’s iPhone 4S in autum had an enormous impact on the proportion of smartphone owners who chose an Apple iPhone, according to new research from Nielsen. Among recent acquirers, meaning those who said they got a new device within the past three months, 44.5 percent of those surveyed in December said they chose an iPhone, compared to just 25.1 percent in October.

02/02/2012

Continue reading "US: Apple closes gap on Android in smartphone market" »

Google continued to lead the US as the most visited site in December, with women’s network iVillage the highest riser, according to new data from comScore.

Continue reading "Top 50 US websites " »

A doubling in UK sales of its Kindle ebook reader failed to stop Amazon - the world’s biggest online retailer - suffering a profits slump. The Seattle-based group said sales rose 35% to $17.4bn (£11bn) in the final quarter of 2011 as the number of Kindles sold worldwide rose 177% in the last nine weeks of the period.

02/02/2012

Continue reading "Amazon profits dip despite Kindle boost " »

The co-founder of Bebo has denied claims the social networking site has shut down, following the site going offline on Monday night. According to reports Bebo has been taken offline because of technical problems. Founded in 2005, Bebo was the most popular social networking site in Britain until 2007, whereupon it was overtaken by Facebook. But since it was bought by AOL in 2008 for £540 million the site rapidly lost users and value.

01/02/2012

Continue reading "Bebo dampens shutdown rumours after site goes offline " »

Nintendo has announced Nintendo Network, an online service that will span the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, providing personal user accounts and the ability to purchase downloadable content. Nintendo knows it must take a “bold attempt” in establishing a robust online ecosystem for Wii U, and simplifying DLC shopping is key to that plan, the company’s president has said.

01/02/2012

Continue reading "Nintendo gets serious about online gaming and downloads" »

While 73% of consumers now access websites on mobile devices, only 20% of companies have a mobile-optimised site, according to new research. The study, from EPiServer, reveals the extent to which UK companies are failing to meet consumer expectations for mobile website browsing.

01/02/2012

Continue reading "80% of UK firms ‘don’t have a mobile website’ " »

This month saw payday lender Wonga pull a section of its website which suggested payday loans could be viewed as an alternative to making use of a student loan, following mass outrage. The firm said the main purpose of the content was search engine optimisation (SEO). Julia Kukiewicz, editor of consumer site Choose.net, looks at why there is no such thing as 'SEO content' in the eyes of consumers.

31/01/2012

Continue reading "Wonga: when SEO goes bad" »

Facebook has increased its lead in the US display ad market, accounting for 28% of impressions in 2011, according to new data. The findings, from comScore, indicate that Facebook had 21% of impressions - the number of times an ad is presented for viewing - in the previous year.

31/01/2012

Continue reading "Facebook 'accounts for over a quarter of US display ads'" »

Broadcaster BSkyB is to launch an online television service to non-Sky customers to combat a sharp slowdown in growth of its customer base. The channel will launch the online TV service in the first half of 2012, giving users access to Sky movies and eventually Sky Sports, on flexible tariffs, without signing a contract. The new Sky internet TV service will stream content to computers, tablets, mobile phones, games consoles and smart TVs.

31/01/2012

Continue reading "Sky to launch online TV for non-subscribers" »

In an example of how good customer service can pay dividends, Sainsbury’s response to a three-years old’s letter about renaming Tiger Bread has gone viral. Lily Robinson, who is "age three and a half" wrote to Sainsbury's last May, even drawing a picture of her imaginary dog Beaky at the bottom.

31/01/2012

Continue reading "Customer service from Sainsbury’s goes viral on Facebook" »

Channel 4 is set to report a loss during 2012 as the broadcaster looks to invest in creative talent at the expense of profits. CEO David Abraham said the broadcaster is "planning for a reported deficit in the 12 months of 2012”, its first full-year loss for more than a decade, as it steps up investment to “grow the UK creative economy”.

30/01/2012

Continue reading "C4 to report first loss in ten years: Invests in creative talent " »

Google is set to distribute 27,000 Chromebook machines to US schools across 41 states, as the internet giant looks to take on Apple in the lucrative education market. The move will help raise awareness of the devices and prepare the market base for when Google thinks it can try to compete with Wintel slates and notebooks.

30/01/2012

Continue reading "27,000 Google Chromebooks sent to US schools " »

Netflix has seen profits drop, but its UK launch has exceeded expectations, according to its latest financial figures.The US-based DVD rental and video streaming service posted fourth-quarter net profit down from $47.1m a year ago to $40.7m.

30/01/2012

Continue reading "Netflix UK launch ‘beats expectations’ " »

Google has changed its privacy policy, streamlining it across its multiple services including search, email, video and social networking sites, following privacy concerns from regulators over its social networking sites. The main change applies to users who have Google accounts. When signed in, a user’s data will be shared across Gmail, YouTube, Google+, Maps and search. Google said the new policy will give people more relevant search results and help advertisers find customers.

27/01/2012

Continue reading "Google privacy changes: A boost for advertisers? " »

Rovio has anounced that Angry Birds will launch on Facebook next month, as the Finnish game developer company looks to take on the likes of Zynga’s Farmville on the market leading social network. The news comes in the form of a Facebook Event entry titled “Angry Birds coming to Facebook!”

27/01/2012

Continue reading "Angry Birds makes Facebook debut on Valentine’s Day" »

The Daily Mail’s Mail Online has become the world’s most-read online newspaper, attracting 45.3m unique users in December to leapfrog the New York Times (44.8m), according to new research. Figures from comScore, indicate that USA Today, the US-based Tribune newspapers and the Guardian filled the remaininjg top five spots in December 2011.

27/01/2012

Continue reading "Daily Mail pips New York Times as most read newspaper site in the world" »

Video-sharing website Vimeo has launched a new look as it aims to take on YouTube and improve the "discoverability" of its content. Vimeo has invited existing users to join a closed pilot while the final touches are fine-tuned. The site attracts 65 million unique users a month. By comparison, YouTube deals with four billion video views every day.

27/01/2012

Continue reading "Vimeo takes on YouTube with site revamp" »

The majority of marketers in India are in favour of a code of conduct to tackle to growing issue of email spam, according to new research. Octane.in, an email service provider and creator of India’s first on-demand multi-channel marketing campaigns platform, has commissioned their second annual research report to help guide India marketers as they look to boost their return on investment in 2012 by linking their email marketing efforts to social media.

27/01/2012

Continue reading "Email marketing: Indian marketers seek anti-spam regulation to boost reach" »

Nielsen surveyed US consumers' attitudes towards different types of advertising. 76% said they trusted recommendations from personal aquaintances, 49% trusted opiions posted online, and 40% trusted "emails that I sign up for".

Continue reading "Who do comsumers trust? (US)" »

Online search engines are the first place that people look when searching for news about a company, closely followed by online news services.

Continue reading "Where do people go for news about a company?" »

O2 is facing a privacy backlash from users after reports emerged that the company was sharing subscribers' mobile numbers to websites they visit over a 3G connection. The info leak was highlighted yesterday by O2 customer Lewis Peckover, who set up a web tool that displays all the HTTP header information sent to sites by connecting web browsers.

26/01/2012

Continue reading "O2 leaking customers’ mobile numbers to every website visited?" »

The European Commission has launched a controversial bid to force web giants such as Google or Facebook to give users more control over their personal data or face fines. The proposal pushed by EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding would force web companies to get consent from customers to collect their data, explain how it will be used, and allow users to totally erase their information.

26/01/2012

Continue reading "The right to disappear from the Web? EU could fine websites for privacy lapses" »

Technology giant Apple has reported its best quarter ever for revenue and earnings as it sold more iPhones, iPads and Mac computers than in any three-month period in its history. The company smashed Wall Street projections with net income of 13.06 billion dollars on revenue of 46.33 billion dollars in the three-month period ended December 31, over 7 billion dollars more than analysts had expected and a 74 percent increase over its quarterly revenue from a year earlier.

26/01/2012

Continue reading "iPhones and iPads drive record sales at Apple " »

Yahoo has posted declines in profit and sales this week, as the struggling internet giant looks to turnaround its fortunes under new Chief Executive Scott Thompson. Thomson was hired to lead the Internet company through a turnaround effort amid continued cost cutting and stagnant financial performance. Yahoo said net earnings for the fourth quarter ended in December fell to $295.6 million, or 24 cents a share, from $312 million, or 24 cents a share in the year-earlier period.

26/01/2012

Continue reading "Yahoo display ad sales dip as new CEO takes charge" »

UK middle managers are feeling the squeeze as a result of the economic downturn, according to new research. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) quarterly Employee Outlook survey of 2,000 employees examines UK employees opinions of and attitudes towards working life. Almost half (49%) of middle managers say they are under excessive pressure either everyday or once or twice a week, compared to a survey average of 37%.

26/01/2012

Continue reading "Middle managers ‘under most pressure’ at work- poll" »

From September to November 2011, 72.6% of US mobile subscribers used text messaging, 44.9% used downloaded apps and 44.4% used the browser software. This data reflects the increasing popularity and usage of smartphones.

Continue reading "Mobile phone usage: US" »

Twitter has acquired Dasient, a web security firm that helps protect ad networks and publishers from malicious ads. Twitter said in a message that "Dasient is joining the flock!", and referred to Daswani's blog post. Financial details were not disclosed. Dasient, which describes itself as a cloud-based Web antimalware technology company, introduced in 2010 a service to protect advertisement networks and publishersfrom malicious ads.

25/01/2012

Continue reading "Twitter beefs up ad security with Dasient buy" »

Google has incorporated rail information into its UK mapping tools, following a partnership with TheTrainLine. The new partnership brings 2,500 mainland train stations to the Google Maps desktop and mobile apps, alongside 8,000 bus stops and over 250 tube stations. Users can plan journeys that combine walking directions, bus timetable information and train routes, as well as picking and choosing the transport options that suit them best.

25/01/2012

Continue reading "Google Maps adds UK rail info" »

Last November's public sector strikes resulted in the biggest online shopping day of the year, according to new research. The study, from BT, found that this year bucked the trend for online shopping, as people logged on earlier than usual to do their Christmas shopping.

25/01/2012

Continue reading "Public sector strikes ‘a boost for online retail’ " »

Demand for consumer technology will soar in 2012, with streaming video and cloud storage being two major tends this year, according to Deloitte. Deloitte’s State of the Media Democracy (sixth edition) survey assesses media consumption preferences of nearly 2,000 consumers, ages 14 to 75 years old in the US, revealing significant trends including increased access to content driving consumption, smartphones continuing to challenge other devices and the role of DVRs in preserving consumers’ cable and satellite television subscriptions.

25/01/2012

Continue reading "Deloite’s top digital trends for 2012: Smaller devices, web TV, cloud computing and ‘big data projects’" »

Groupon has bought US-based social shopping company Mertado for an undisclosed sum. The move marks Groupon’s second start-up purchase in the social commerce space over the past month. Mertado helps consumers discover new products though social networks, including Facebook.

24/01/2012

Continue reading "Groupon buys social commerce firm Mertado " »

Research in Motion has seen its two co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis step down, as the Blackberry smartphone maker struggles to compete with Apple and Google’s Anrodi in the smartphone market. RIM has named Thorsten Heins as its new CEO following the management shake-up.

24/01/2012

Continue reading "RIM bosses resign: Can Blackberry compete with Apple and Android?" »

Katie Price surprised her Twitter followers this weekend when she came up with bizarre rants about the global economy and politics, as part of a new Snickers social media campaign. At the weekend, Price tweeted from her @MissKatiePrice account, which has around 1.5 million followers, about the Eurozone debt problems and China's GDP rating, before revealing that she hadn't been herself because she was too hungry.

24/01/2012

Continue reading "Snickers Twitter stunt sees Katie Price rant about global politics" »

Cyberlocker service Filesonic has disabled all file-sharing functions on its site, and shut down its affiliate rewards program, following the Megaupload shutdown and arrests last week. According to an announcement by the site, all file-sharing functionality has now been disabled, leaving current users only with access to files that they have personally uploaded.

24/01/2012

Continue reading "Cyberlockers under threat: Filesonic axes file-sharing tools after Megaupload arrests" »

Toy-maker Lego has launched a new social network called ReBrick, aimed at fans looking to showcase their work and swap ideas. ReBrick is currently in an open Beta and serves as a hub for various existing fan-made Lego sites (such as MOCPages, Brickshelf and Brothers Brick) and for creations people post on YouTube and Flickr.

24/01/2012

Continue reading "New Lego social network lets fans show off creations" »

China is closing in on the 1 billion mobile connections mark, which it will likely surpass before the end of March, according to new research. The findings, from Wireless Intelligence report, indicates that China is poised to grow further as its huge population is now embracing mobile data services.

24/01/2012

Continue reading "China reaching 1 billion mobile connections: Smartphone use soars" »

Online sales in the UK are predicted to increase 14% and continue to hit high streets, according to new research. The study, from shopping search engine Kelkoo, indicates that online shoppers spent nearly £1,500 each on products last year, totaling £50bn in 2011. UK online retail trade made up 12% of total spending, the highest in Europe according to a report.

24/01/2012

Continue reading "Ecommerce sales reach £50bn: Brits spent £1,500 each online in 2011" »

The much-criticised Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act have both been officially postponed, following high-profile protests from a number of websites including Wikipedia and Google. The head of the US House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Lamar Smith, says that they have taken the critic's concerns on SOPA "seriously" and will put the legislative bill on hold "until there is wider agreement on a solution."

23/01/2012

Continue reading "Internet protest wins: US puts SOPA and PIPA piracy bills on hold " »

Of the 379.4m Europeans who went online in November 2011, nearly half (47.8%) visited at least one newspaper site,, with a considerable number visiting the top 5 newspaper sites preceded by a visit to Facebook, according to new research. The study, from comScore, assessed Internet usage in 49 European markets aggregated into the European region. The Daily Mail attracted the largest online audience with 20.1m unique visitors, followed by the Guardian at 15.7m unique visitors.

23/01/2012

Continue reading "Half of all European web users visit newspaper sites: Facebook links driving growth" »

Twitter has bought social news application Summify, for an undisclosed sum. The Summify app manages news stories from different social feeds from the likes of Twitter and Facebook to collate them in one place for the user. Formed in Romania, Summify moved to Vancouver as a Bootup Labs project. It initially started as an email summary format before being developed for iPhone.

23/01/2012

Continue reading "Twitter snaps up social news startup Summify" »

Apple is tapping into the lucrative textbook industry with the new iBooks 2 application, with which users can download interactive textbooks to their iPad. The iBooks 2 app, the second generation app to Apple's iBook, which allows users to download electronic books to their iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, educates students through interactive textbooks on the iPad.

23/01/2012

Continue reading "Apple swots up on education: iBooks 2 app offers alternative to student textbooks" »

Google increased turnover by 27% in the final quarter of 2011 to $10.6bn and net profits lifted by 6.4% to $2.7bn, but this was not enough to its share price tumbling 10% as the results fell short of investor expectations. Expectations had been higher but the chief executive of Google Larry Page defended the results, saying: "Google had a really strong quarter ending a great year. I am super excited about the growth of Android, Gmail, and Google+, which now has 90 million users globally - well over double what I announced just three months ago."

23/01/2012

Continue reading "Google profits fall short, despite ‘90m Google+ sign-ups’" »

Online retailer Play.com is considering the introduction of a payment-on-delivery offer for its customers, according to a news report. Retail Week reports that the service is commonplace in Japan, and the site’s new Japanese owners Rakuten are keen to make Play.com the first to offer it in the UK. The idea is to attract customers who are uneasy about the notion of paying online.

Continue reading "Play.com mulls ‘payment on delivery’ option " »

Hacker group Anonymous struck down government and industry Web sites this week, in what they claim was their biggest operation yet. The group, known for their high-profile ‘hacktivist’ protests, targeted the US government and copyright organisations following the shutdown of the Megaupload file-sharing website. The Department of Justice (DoJ), FBI and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) among others have been bombarded with internet traffic. The DoJ announced on Thursday that it had taken action to force Megaupload and related domain names offline, and had charged the firm's co-founders and others with violating piracy laws.

20/01/2012

Continue reading "Biggest hack yet? Anonymous takes down US Govt. sites to protest Megaupload shutdown" »

Wikipedia’s 24 hour blackout to protest new anti-piracy bill in the US has been hailed a success by its founders. The online encylopedia was joined by a number of other popular websites, including WordPress, Firefox-owner Mozilla, user-generated news site Reddit and the blog Boing Boing. The websites effectively shut down for 24 hours from 5am on Wednesday 18th January.

20/01/2012

Continue reading "SOPA protests in numbers: Wikipedia hails blackout “a success”" »

Facebook has reached the top spot in the Brazilian social networking market following a year of exceptional growth, according to new research. The study from comScore shows that in December 2011, Facebook.com attracted 36.1 million visitors – representing an increase of 192 percent in the past twelve months – to surpass Orkut as the leading social networking destination in the market.

20/01/2012

Continue reading "Facebook overtakes Orkut to become top social network in Brazil" »

eBay posted strong revenue and earnings gains this week, as its online sales rose 10% in the crucial holiday season. The online marketplace said its revenue rose 35% to $3.38bn from $2.5bn a year earlier, while profits more than tripled to $1.98bn from $559m a year ago. Despite the growth in sales, the company's main boost came from the sale of its remaining stake in Skype.

20/01/2012

Continue reading "Skype sale helps eBay enjoy bumper Christmas" »

Figures from PayPoint.net published today show that retailers are experiencing a softer post-Christmas landing than last year, after a busy festive period. The online payments provider recorded significantly higher levels of both consumer spend and transaction volumes in the first two weeks of January 2012, compared with the same period in 2011. Spend increased by 24 percent and volumes grew by 21 percent.

20/01/2012

Continue reading "Consumer online spend in January up 24% on previous year" »

UK online fashion retailer ASOS has assuaged fears of a slowdown, posting a 46% third quarter year-on-year jump in sales, boosted by sales overseas. The increase was mainly driven by international sales, up 93% in the final three months of 2011, while the 10 per cent rise in UK sales was still ahead of market expectations of 5%. The FTSE AIM company’s revenues rose 45% year-on-year to £150.5 million, while its retail gross margins increased 3%.

20/01/2012

Continue reading "ASOS boosted by international sales" »

British consumers spent more online last year than any other country in Europe, according to new research. The data, from the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), found UK online sales topped £50bn in 2011, up 11% year-on-year, and accounted for almost a third of online spending in Europe.

20/01/2012

Continue reading "Brits ‘biggest online spenders in Europe during 2011’" »

Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang has quit the company he founded almost two decades ago, raising hopes that the former internet darling may be sold or split up. Yang formed Yahoo with David Filo in Silicon Valley in 1995 and served as chief executive between June 2007 and early 2009. Although a popular figure among Yahoo! employees, Yang had alienated shareholders by turning down a $47.5bn takeover offer from Microsoft in 2008. Yang is severing all formal ties with the company by resigning all positions including his seat on the board of directors.

19/01/2012

Continue reading "Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang quits company after 18 years" »

‘Social business’ is one of the big business buzzwords of 2012, but how many people actually know what it means? Global Dawn has traced the history of social business over the past thirty years to show it’s not just a 2012 fad. Charting back to the 1980’s this infographic maps all the routes business have travelled in order to become more social. Not just focusing on social media, the infographic also about looks at values, customers, collaboration, involvement and engagement.

19/01/2012

Continue reading "Infographic: 30 years of ‘social business’- 3 paths to shared value" »

Brands are continuing to invest in Facebook advertising and focusing on fan acquisition, with spend in social media advertising is now additive to existing budgets rather than subtracting from other digital media channels, according to new research. The report examined digital marketing trends across the US in the fourth quarter 0f 2011. It found that brands continued to acquire Facebook fans at 9% per month.

19/01/2012

Continue reading "US marketing trends: Brands ‘focusing on getting Facebook fans’, investing in mobile search" »

Collective has launched a private marketplace to offer media buying agencies and advertisers real-time bidding (RTB) access to its premium video platform. Combining Adap.tv’s RTB technology with Collective’s audience data, Collective’s private exchange will offer pre-roll video advertising space across targeted audiences and premium publishers in real-time auctions. Publishers include IPC, WWE, The Independent, Sony Music and iVillage.

19/01/2012

Continue reading "Sony and IPC amongst brands first to sign to Collective’s premium video ad exchange " »

Google and News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch have become embroiled in a war of words after the media tycoon accused the internet giant of being a ‘piracy leader’. The News Corporation chairman tweeted that Google "streams movies free" and "sells [adverts] around them". In response, Google said that it fought pirates and counterfeiters "every day".

18/01/2012

Continue reading "Google hits back at Murdoch’s ‘piracy leader’ jibe" »

Foursquare is rolling out its own search engine, called Explore, as the location-based social network looks to expand its audience. The firm descibed Explore as a product to add “an ‘interesting’ layer to the whole world, tailored just for you.”

18/01/2012

Continue reading "Foursqaure debuts personalised search engine ‘Explore’" »

The number of internet users in China has surged past half a billion and online citizenship continues to grow fast, according to latest figures. The China Internet Network Information Center report also shows the use of social media sites – Twitter equivalents called weibo – has greatly expanded among the country's 513 million web users. The number of microbloggers expressing themselves in the relative privacy of cyberspace has exploded – quadrupling from 63 million in 2010 to just over 250 million in 2011, or half the entire internet population, the figures show.

18/02/2012

Continue reading "China: Micro-blogging craze pushes web audience over half billion mark" »

Over the festive period in the UK, paid search ads generated 50% more transactions than last year, resulting in a 26% rise in revenues from the medium, according to new research. The study, from digital marketing software provider Kenshoo, illustrate the UK’s transition into a nation of online shoppers, increasing click costs of search advertising in the U.K. and the profitable nature of UK search advertising.

18/01/2012

Continue reading "Christmas ecommerce report: Paid search gets 50% more transactions" »

Wikipedia has become the latest site to announce its plan to go offline Wednesday in protest of the controversial US Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA.) The user-generated news site Reddit and the blog Boing Boing have also said they will take part in the "blackout". However, Twitter has declined to take part in the shutdown. The sites' webmasters are opposed to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) being debated by Congress.

17/01/2012

Continue reading "Wikipedia joins 1 hour shutdown protest to combat US anti-piracy bill" »

From the first tradeshows to the birth of smartphones, there have been many innovations that profoundly influenced the way businesses reach, engage and educate buyers. This infographic from Eloqua and creative agency JESS3 spotlights 26 disruptive innovations that have re-shaped B2B marketing, tying them to specific milestones. The research has been used to promote the firm’s latest product — Eloqua Engage for iPad — a product in which four "disruptions" (email, tablets, marketing automation and revenue performance management) converge.

17/01/2012

Continue reading "Infographic: The history of 'disruptive innovations' in B2B marketing" »

The average number of promotional email campaigns by top retailers in the US hit an all-time high during 2011, rising 16% on the previous year, according to new research. The study, from email solutions provider Responsys found that Retailers sent their subscribers nearly 15 email campaigns a month on average.

17/01/2012

Continue reading "Promotional email campaigns reach record high in 2011 " »

YouTube attracted 606m visitors in the UK in December, one in four visits to social networks and gaining ground on market leader facebook in the process, according to new research. The study, from Experian Hitwise, indicate that YouTube was the fastest-growing website in the social category. However, Facebook remains the largest social website by some distance, generating more than 1bn visits per month and a market share of over 50%.

17/01/2012

Continue reading "YouTube gains ground on Facebook in UK" »

Apple was the top smartphone handsey maker in the US last year in terms of market share, according to new research. The study, from Nielsen, indicates that 295 of all smartphone owners in then US own an Apple handset, followed by 21% for Android and 17% for Blackberry.

17/01/2012

Continue reading "Top 5 smartphone makers in 2011: Apple leads way in US" »

The head of a consumer online privacy watchdog says US regulators should look into Google's new personalised search to see whether there are antitrust or privacy issues. "Google is an entrenched player trying to fight off its challenger Facebook by using its market dominance in a separate sector," Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), told the Los Angeles Times. "I think that should trouble people."

16/01/2012

Continue reading "Google could face privacy probe after launching social search results" »

US-based video streaming site Hulu will debut its first original scripted series, the political docudrama Battleground, next month. The move marks another step for HUlu to becoming a full-fledged alternative to cable television. Launching on February 14th in the US, the show stars a cast of mostly young unknowns, the show chronicles a hardscrabble primary campaign for the Wisconsin senate.

16/01/2012

Continue reading "Hulu takes on US cable networks with first original TV show" »

Microsoft’s Bing search engine now ranks second behind Google in the Internet's most lucrative market, according to new figures. The findings, from comScore, indicate that Bing and Microsoft's other websites fielded 2.75 billion search requests in the U.S. during December, catapulting in front of Yahoo for the first time.

16/01/2012

Continue reading "Bing finally overtakes Yahoo! Search in the US" »

The relationship between former search partners Twitter and Google has become more frosty this week, with the two web giants locked in a war of words over the increasingly important role of social search. The row follows Google’s recent “Your World” update means users will see more links to Google+ when they search the web, including in part of the results page usually set aside for advertising.

13/01/2012

Continue reading "Google and Twitter clash over social search " »

High street bookshop Waterstone's is dropping the apostrophe from its name to make it more "versatile" for online use. Managing director James Daunt said the amendment was a "more versatile and practical" spelling of the name for the digital world. The book shop has also reinstated the Baskerville serif font with a capital W, which Daunt said "reflects authority and confidence".

13/01/2012

Continue reading "Internet killed the grammar star? Waterstone’s scraps apostrophe to boost search engine rankings" »

Google sites, including YouTube, accounted for over 91% of all searches in UK in December 2011, according to new research. The study, from Hitwise, also found that the firms video-sharing site YouTube accounted for a quarter of visits to social networking sites during the same month.

13/01/2012

Continue reading "Google sites accounted for 9 in 10 UK searches in December" »

Microsoft has scrapped its plans to launch an online video streaming service, following poor reception, according to a news report. The software giant has been trying to set up its own video streaming service for well over a year. Reuters reports that the firm has shelved those plans following a less than enthusiastic response from the big media content studios.

13/01/2012

Continue reading "Microsoft axes web TV plans " »

The European Commission (EC) intends to double e-commerce sales and the internet's contribution to European GDP by 2015 in order to help drive job creation and mitigate the ongoing economic crisis. The institution said that at present while online e-commerce sales were strong there were numerous obstacles preventing further growth including uncertainty around relevant laws, a lack of transparency around online offers and conflicting payment and delivery models.

13/01/2012

Continue reading "European Commission sets out 16 point plan to double e-commerce sales in three years" »

Google has begun offering users ‘personal results’ alongside its standard search results, as the internet giant continues its efforts to rival Facebook as the dominant social media destination. From this week in the US, Google will pluck only the results most relevant to each user, not just from billions of Web pages but from the personal information shared with contacts on its Google+ social network.

12/01/2012

Continue reading "Google search now offers ‘personal results’ from users’ social contacts" »

After a year of technical innovations, most notably the emergence and rapid adoption of smartphone and tablet technology, the shopper-seller relationship has changed dramatically. In this article, Rakuten, one of the world’s top 3 E-commerce and Internet service companies by revenue, who recently acquired eBook company Kobo and Play.com in the UK, announces its industry predictions for 2012.

12/01/2012

Continue reading "Top 6 online retail trends for 2012" »

The consumption of recorded television and Internet-delivered programming is quickly surpassing live TV viewership, according to new research from TiVo. Nearly two-thirds of the viewing on web-connected TiVo units is now delayed television or on-demand video via broadband (OTT).

12/01/2012

Continue reading "Just 38% of TiVo users now watching live TV- research" »

Businesses, charities, communities and other legal entities are being urged to act fast to avoid missing out on the internet domain name legislation, which comes into effect today (Thurs 12th Jan 2012). From, 12th January, ICANN, the body that regulates internet naming conventions, will open its doors to applications to operate almost any characters after the ‘dot’, replacing conventional domain extensions such as .com, .org or .net with almost anything from .dog, .london, .gaga and .football to .housesales or even .missiontomars.

12/01/2012

Continue reading "Brands urged to register for new ‘.anything’ domains" »

The online travel industry is relying less on seasonal peaks to boost sales, according to new research from Hitwise. Traditionally, travel always been a very seasonal industry online. Each year summer and winter holidays produce two clear and defined periods of online activity.

12/01/2012

Continue reading "Online travel industry ‘relying less on seasonal peaks’" »

Facebook developers can now reward consumers who complete advertisers' offers with app-specific virtual currency as an alternative to Facebook Credits. Consumers can perform actions such as registering for a Flixster account or getting approved for a Discover credit card in exchange for in-app currency.

11/01/2012

Continue reading "Facebook rewards users with ‘in-app currency’ for engaging with advertisers" »

BSkyB has bought a 10% stake in social TV network Zeebox in a move that grants the broadcaster exclusive rights to use the two-month-old start-up’s technology in its own apps. Zeebox allows viewers to see what others are watching and connect with them via Twitter or Facebook, find information about programmes, buy products seen on-screen and search popular topics.

11/01/2012

Continue reading "Sky to offer social TV after $15m Zeebox deal " »

Microsoft is offering a browser version of mobile hit game Cut The Rope, with a set of special levels accessible only to people who use IE9 and pin the game to their Windows 7 taskbar. The game will be used the highlight the ‘pinning’ function between its operating system Windows 7 and new browser Internet Explorer 9. The popular app will be made available for all HTML 5 browsers, with access the specially created extra levels only available to users who ‘pin’ the game.

11/01/2012

Continue reading "Microsoft promotes HTML5 with exclusive ‘Cut The Rope’ levels for IE9 users" »

German telecom operator Deutsche Telekom and the daily deals company Groupon have struck a deal to offer its European mobile customers coupons. As per the alliance, Groupon's coupons will be made available to Deutsche Telekom's mobile customers (including T-Mobile customers in the UK) across Europe beginning in the first half of 2012.

11/01/2012

Continue reading "Groupon strikes mobile coupon deal with T-Mobile-owner" »

US-based firm Netflix has launched in the UK and Ireland, offering a new rival to Amazon-owned Lovefilm in the online video streaming arena. Netflix launched in 2007 and now has more than 20 million online subscribers in 47 countries. Films will be available on a variety of platforms, including games consoles, smartphones and tablets.

10/01/2011

Continue reading "Netflix takes on LoveFilm with UK and Ireland launch " »

Nielsen has reviewed the top online video destinations visited during 2011, with YouTube getting more than three times more visits than its nearest rival Vevo. During 2011, 111.2 million U.S. people, on average, watched video content on YouTube from home and work computers.

10/01/2012

Continue reading "Top 10 video sites of 2011: YouTube and Vevo top list in US" »

Amazon-owned LoveFilm has signed new streaming deals with ITV and the BBC, as the online video service looks to boosting its UK television archive ahead of Netflix’s launch in the UK. The deals mark the biggest two TV content agreements signed by LoveFilm to date and covers hundreds of recent and archive titles.

10/01/2012

Continue reading "LoveFilm to stream ITV and BBC shows" »

The winter months have seen a major rise in NHS patients going online to get health information with many people preferring the web than telephone services as a way to get medical advice, the Department of Health has announced. The department said this equated to 133,000 more visits a day, with 368,000 people using the website daily to find advice on issues like the winter vomiting bug, flu jabs, skin problems, abdominal pain and sexual health.

10/01/2012

Continue reading "NHS patients flock online for medical advice" »

As 2011 came to a close, Nielsen reviewed the top social media sites during the year, with Facebook getting three times more visits than its closest rivals Blogger and Twitter. During 2011, 137.6 million U.S. people, on average, visited Facebook from home and work computers.

09/01/2012

Continue reading "Top 10 social networks of 2011: Facebook three times bigger than rivals in US" »

India and China have the most active social media users, while web users in the US, Europe and Japan are less likely to post information on social networks, according to a new report. The global survey by Forrester Research, found that three out of four Chinese and Indian web users write blog posts or upload pictures and music. The online survey collected from 95,000 Internet users in 18 countries.

09/01/2012

Continue reading "India and China ‘most active social media users’- are marketers missing a trick? " »

An internet-connected car could become the norm, with features including speech recognition, and internet connection with Wi-Fi and 3G, according to a new industry survey. The poll of 200 car executives, conducted by KPMG, found more than a third (37%) believe "infotainment" in cars is nearly as important as car safety. Car manufacturers are expected to continue joining forces with music, telecoms and IT companies.

09/01/2012

Continue reading "Web-connected cars ‘to become the norm’" »

Online shopping sales are forecast to grow between 18% and 22% during Christmas 2012, exceeding the rate of growth in 2011, according to a new report. According to Logan Tod & Co.'s 6th Annual Online Future Shopping Index, 26% of online shoppers are indicating that they plan to spend even more online in December 2012. This represents the highest measurement of intent to shop online since the survey was launched in December 2006.

09/01/2012

Continue reading "Tablets to drive bumper Christmas in 2012- report" »

Google was the most-visited U.S. Web brand, while Facebook held its lead among social networks and blogs, according to new data from Nielsen. During 2011, 153.4 million U.S. people, on average, visited Google sites from home and work computers.

06/01/2012

Continue reading "Top US web brands of 2011: Google Facebook and Yahoo top list" »

Internet body ICANN is to continue with plans to expand the number of possible website addresses despite criticism from industry and concerns from some law enforcement groups. ICANN’s goal is to allow more innovation in website addresses and to open the space to the non-Latin alphabets. It has pledged a quick take-down for trademark violators under the new system. The body decides who gets to manage .com, .net and other domains to the right of the period in a URL.

06/01/2012

Continue reading "ICANN to go ahead with .brand domains despite concerns" »

Continue reading "Starbucks lets UK customers ‘pay by app’ " »

Google has acquired over 200 mobile-related patents and patent applications from IBM, as it looks to press further into the mobile device market while shielding itself from litigation from rivals such as Apple. Google acquired 187 patents and 36 patent applications from IBM at the end of December, according to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records. The acquisition comes after Google purchased more than 1,000 patents from IBM last summer.

06/01/2012

Continue reading "Google boosts mobile with 200 patents from IBM" »

Yahoo has appointed Scott Thompson, the president of online payments firm Paypal, as its new head, as the embattled internet media giant looks to turn around its fortunes. Thomson will fill the vacancy left by Carol Bartz, who was dismissed as chief executive in September. Yahoo is currently undergoing a strategic review as it has failed to keep up with rivals such as Google.

05/01/2012

Continue reading "New Yahoo CEO: PayPal president to lead embattled online giant" »

Facebook and apps from Google like Gmail and the Android Market are the most popular smartphone apps among Android owners 18 years and older in the U.S. according to new research. The study, from Nielsen, ranks mobile apps by active reach (the percentage of Android owners who used the app within the past 30 days).

05/01/2012

Continue reading "Top Android apps by age: Angry Birds more popular with older users" »

Groupon outperformed its rivals in November 2011 in the US, increasing revenue while its closest competitors posted declines, according to a new report. The study, from deals aggregator Yipit, found that Chicago-based Groupon's overall billings from its online daily deals rose 6% from October. The figure is triple the 2% increase in the overall November billings for the industry in North America.

05/01/2011

Continue reading "Daily deals sites: Groupon sales outpacing rivals" »

Google sites remained the most visited property online during November 2011, but retail sites thrived in the build up to the festive period, according to new data. The study, from comScore, indicated that millions of Americans began their holiday shopping in November, driving most of the Web activity during the month.

05/01/2011

Continue reading "Top 50 US sites: Retail sites thrive " »

UK Internet users broke online records this Christmas as 13 million hours were spent shopping online on Boxing Day, according to new research. The research, from Hitwise, indicates that online retail websites received an astonishing 96 million UK Internet visits yesterday, 19.5% more than on Boxing Day last year (80.5 million visits).

04/01/2011

Continue reading "Boxing Day bonanza: Brits spend record 13m hours shopping online" »

The Wikimedia Foundation has raised a record $20m in private donations to fund its Wikipedia community sites in 2012.The non-profit running foundation has seen donations increase 444% since 2008, defying the standard ad-funded and subscriber-based revenue models for paid content online. Over 2011, the non-profit that operates Wikipedia, collected funds from more than a million donors in nearly every country across the globe.

04/01/2012

Continue reading "Wikipedia publisher raises record $20m from donors" »

US consumers are using their Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii devices to stream movies and TV shows in growing numbers, according to a new survey. The poll of 3000 people in the US, conducted by Nielsen, found that streaming video accounted for 14% of the average time spent using Microsoft 's Xbox 360 in October, up from 10% a year earlier. For Sony's PS3, the share of streaming video was 15% this year, up from 9% last year. The shift was even more dramatic for Nintendo's Wii, which jumped to 33% from 20%.

04/01/2012

Continue reading "Games consoles becoming ‘entertainment hubs’ " »

Music sales have continued to fall in the UK, despite growth in digital downloads, according to figures released by the BPI. Combined sales of digital and physical albums fell overall by 5.6% to 113.2 million in 2011. According to the BPI figures, the CD remained the favoured format for UK album buyers in 2011, accounting for 76.1% of total sales compared with a 23.5% market share for digital and 0.3% for vinyl.

04/01/2012

Continue reading "Digital downloads rise, but overall music sales fall over 5%" »

Social networking was the most popular online activity of 2011, with Israel leading the way for user engagement, according to new global data. The study, from comScore, found social networking accounted for nearly one in every five minutes spent online globally in October 2011, ranking as the most engaging online activity worldwide.

03/01/2012

Continue reading "Social networking most popular online activity of 2011" »

The top ten U.S. search terms included four variations on Facebook - Facebook.com, Facebook, Facebook login and www.facebook.com – marking the second year the social networking giant has had four top ten slots, according to new research.

03/01/2012

Continue reading "Facebook ‘most searched for keyword in 2011’" »

Firefox maker Mozilla said it has agreed a three-year contract extension for Google to remain the default search provider on the web browser. Mozilla, the maker of of Firefox, announced on Tuesday that it has struck a new three-year deal with Google for it to remain the default search engine in the browser.

03/01/2012

Continue reading "Google wins Firefox default search status" »

There are now over 700,000 Android devices activated every day, according to a new announcement from Google.

Continue reading "Growth of Android statistics – Activation rates leap" »

Facebook is to allow advertisers to buy space in the social network’s main news feed, rather than just on the right hand column of the main page. Beginning this month, Facebook ads will now appear within your primary news feed as well, emerging sporadically between other, more legitimate posts from friends.

03/01/2012

Continue reading "Facebook advertising in feeds – new tools for marketers" »

An audit of Facebook’s privacy policies by the Irish data protection commissioner has concluded the social network must go further in warning users how it and third-party apps handle personal information, following concerns that it was illegally creating “shadow profiles” of non-members.

03/01/2012

Continue reading "Facebook privacy policy concerns – Social media data protection " »

Viewers of YouTube logged more than 1 trillion playbacks on the online video site in 2011, according to new figures from owner Google. The news comes as the video sharing site unvieled the most popular videos of the year. The staggering figure amounts to 140 views for every person on the planet, Google said.

22/12/2011

Continue reading "Top YouTube videos of the year: Video site attracts 1 trillion views in 2011" »

In a boost to firms looking to track online marketing success, media monitoring firms Nielsen and comScore have settled their long standing patent disputes, and will now enter a cross-licensing agreement. The deal will see comScore acquire ownership of the four Nielsen families of patents asserted in litigation, a portfolio with many U.S. and international patents.

22/12/2011

Continue reading "Nielsen and comScore to share data after settling patent disputes" »

The NFL has struck a landmark agreement with US TV network NBC to stream next years Super Bowl online and through mobile phones. The deal will see NBC broadcast the next Super Bowl on 5 February through NBCSports.com and NFL.com. The broadcast will only be available to residents in the US. The Super Bowl, which last year attracted a record US audience of more than 100 million, will also be streamed through the NFL Mobile app on mobile phone network Verizon.

22/12/2011

Continue reading "Super Bowl streamed live on mobiles for first time" »

Microsoft has sold its product search and customer reviews engine Ciao to LeGuide.com for an undisclosed sum. Microsoft purchased Ciao back in 2008 for $486m. LeGuide, a European publisher that owns several similar online properties, will use Ciao to expand its current business platform.

22/12/2011

Continue reading "Microsoft sells shopping search engine Ciao to LeGuide" »

Yahoo! has expanded the number of its websites around the world that let visitors automatically share what stories they read with Facebook friends. A feature added in September to Yahoo! News in the US has been extended to 26 more of the California Internet pioneer's websites around the world.

22/12/2011

Continue reading "Yahoo! shares more website content with Facebook" »

To round off the year, we bring you the top 100 stories that shaped the digital landscape. It was an amazing year, with the continued speed of change towards a more digitally centric society: the rise and rise of social, the migration to mobile, the rising value of online businesses and the growing regulation to manage the digital economy. The stories show big rewards for getting the strategy right – and brutal realities of failing to innovate.

Warmest holiday wishes

Continue reading "The year in digital: Top 150 stories of 2011" »

The internet will be the biggest contributor of new ad dollars to the global market, accounting for 52.9% of the growth in total expenditure until 2014, according to new research. The data, from ZenithOptimedia, found paid search will take the largest share of online adspend during that period, contributing 25.6%, followed by display at 22.6%, with classified at a much lower 4.7%.

21/12/2011

Continue reading "Global adspend by medium: Internet to grow 16% by 2014" »

UK shoppers will spend more than £550m online over the two-day holiday period of Christmas and Boxing Day this year, according to new research. The report, from the IMRG, forecasts that Brits will spend £186.4m on Christmas Day itself, while the figure will surge to £367.8m on Boxing Day. Total online spend over the two-day period will represent a 12% year-on-year rise with the increased number of smartphone and tablet devices generating the bulk of the demand, according to the IMRG.

21/12/2011

Continue reading "Brits ‘to spend £550m online on Christmas and Boxing Day’" »

Zynga shares fell 13% below their IPO price this week, as the online games maker went into its second trading session since its IPO. The slide comes as investors worried about the online game publisher's growth prospects. The fall following the initial public offering at $10 per share on Thursday, mirrors the double-digit stock decline of Japanese game maker Nexon since it went public last Wednesday in Tokyo.

21/12/2011

Continue reading "Zynga shares slide 13% in second trading session" »

2011 was a great year for viral marketing case studies. The entertainment bar is getting ever-higher, making viral marketing briefs among the toughest that any creative agency can receive. For a viral to really travel it needs the combination of a brilliant creative idea, the right timing for its audience and the right seeding. That’s why we collated together a few of our favourite viral marketing case studies from this year which clearly checked all the boxes. Grab a coffee, leave the browser open, sit back, relax, and enjoy…

Continue reading "Viral marketing case studies – the best virals of 2011" »

The most popular hashtags of 2011 have been revealed, illustrating how Twitter spans diverse topics from politics to celebrity gossip. Top of the list was #egypt, followed by #tigerblood. The first refers to the unrest in Egypt during the spring of 2011 while the second references a comment made by actor Charlie Sheen, following his sacking from a hit US comedy.

20/12/2011

Continue reading "Top 10 Twitter hashtags of the year: #egypt and #tigerblood top list" »

MySpace has fallen out the UK's top ten most visited social networking sites for the first time ever, according to new research. The data, from Experian Hitwise, indicates that discovery engine Stumble Upon leapfrogged MySpace to claim tenth place based on web traffic data from November, pushing MySpace down to eleventh.

20/12/2011

Continue reading "Top 10 social networks in UK: MySpace drops out" »

Saudi billionaire Prince bin Talal has paid $300m to take a “strategic stake” in Twitter. Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding investment vehicle has major stakes in groups including News Corp and Apple, and the new purchase gives the billionaire a stake in an online forum that was widely used by activists in this year's Arab uprisings.

20/12/2011

Continue reading "Saudi Prince buys $300m stake in Twitter" »

Over the next three years nearly half (48%) of all the world’s growth in ad expenditure will come from just ten developing markets, including China, Russia, and Indonesia, according to new research. The study, from ZenithOptimedia, predicts that the four BRIC markets alone (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are forecast to account for 33% of global growth.

20/12/2011

Continue reading "Developing markets 'to deliver half global adspend growth'" »

iTunes has launched its much-anticipated ‘Match’ service in the UK, letting users store and stream their music collection online by matching owned songs with those already existing in Apple’s music library. iTunes Match scans a users’ iTunes library, including songs acquired from other MP3 download sites or ripped from CDs. Users can register up to 25,000 songs.

20/12/2011

Continue reading "iTunes Match launches in UK for £22 a year" »

Social games maker Zynga has raised $1bn in its initial public offering, pricing the shares at the top of the marketed range. The developer of games such as “CityVille,” “FarmVille” and “Mafia Wars” sold 100 million shares for $10 each, Zynga said in a statement. This would value the company at $7bn. The firm intends to use the money generated for game development and marketing.

19/12/2011

Continue reading "Online gaming giant Zynga valuation: $7bn (but is it worth it?)" »

Global ad expenditure (including digital) will defy the economic downturn to grow 3.5% to $464bn this year, with USA, Japan and China leading the way, according to new research. The study, from ZenithOptimedia predicted global adspend will then accelerate to $486bn in 2012, marking a 4.7% growth, despite the continuing slowdown in Europe and fears that its debt crisis will get much worse. The firm expects ad expenditure to grow 5.2% in 2013 and 5.8% in 2014.

19/12/2011

Continue reading "Top 10 ad markets: US, Japan and China top list" »

The total number of online purchases driven by search advertising increased 17 percent on last year, while search adspend increased 7%, according to new research.The study, from digital marketing software provider Kenshoo looked at core online search advertising data gathered from transactions over the period of 1st November to 12th December, 2011 and compared against 2nd November to 13th December, 2010.

19/12/2011

Continue reading "UK shopping searches up 17% this Christmas" »

What do ‘iPhone 5’ and ‘What is scampi’ have in common? Yep, both made the list of top Google search terms here in sthe UK. Find out what else people were hunting for, see the real language their using, and ponder why scampi is such a mystery in our island nation…

16/12/2011

Continue reading "Top Google search terms: Winners and losers online revealed" »

Facebook has begun rolling out its much-anticipated new timeline layout worldwide, offering a new, deeper profile which allows users to 'fill in' more of their life pre-Facebook. Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg described timeline as lettting you 'tell the whole story of your life on a single page'. Timeline was released to developers in September, and more than one million people signed up for the beta.

16/12/2011

Continue reading "Facebook’s most radical redesign yet: Social network rolls out ‘Timeline’ layout" »

It’s tough being a portal these days, and particularly if you’re under the thumb of analysts who have lost faith in the business model of portals. The latest battering for the Yahoo strategy comes from Goldman Sachs, but their verdict has implications far beyond Yahoo. Here’s what they said and why it matters…

16/12/2011

Continue reading "Yahoo strategy doubts grow at Goldman Sachs " »

US adults currently spend more time on mobile devices each day than they do with print media, according to new reseach. The study, from eMarketer, found time spent with the internet and mobile phones was up by 7.7% and 30%, respectively, from 2010. The research also indicated that time spent watching traditional TV is also increasing, despite industry fears of online encroachment and consumer "cord-cutting."

16/12/2011

Continue reading "US adults ‘spend more time on mobiles than on reading’" »

As the centre of gravity for social media switches to mobile, Facebook is in countdown mode to a major mobile strategy launch in March. In the Facebook mobile social media strategy watch out for heavyweight location based services, augmented reality layers and hopefully some open Facebook location APIs. And our extra bet is that the Facebook mobile social media strategy will include a head-on attack to knock Twitter and FourSquare out of the net and off the iPhone…

16/12/2011

Continue reading "Facebook mobile social media strategy push: Countdown to March" »

Continue reading "Top 5 internet portals for global ad spend: Facebook to overtake Microsoft " »

Online payment service Paypal is to enter to increasingly lucrative discount coupon market, taking on the likes of Groupon and Living Social in the process. The eBay-owned business is aiming to launch the service in the US before April 2012. Speaking to news agency Bloomberg, Paypal's president, Scott Thompson, said the firm would use its knowledge of its 103 million members' past purchases to tailor offers.

15/12/2011

Continue reading "Paypal takes on Groupon with daily deal coupons " »

Directory enquiry service 118 118 will be giving out free rides for Londoners in their fleet of 118 118 branded cabs. The ten taxis, which have been emblazoned with the memorable number, will be taking to the streets between 6pm and midnight tonight (Thursday December 15). Anyone lucky to flag one down will get a free ride to anywhere in zones 1 and 2. The initiative will be featured in press ads in The Metro and on tube escalator panels on December 15th and is also being supported by a Facebook campaign.

15/12/2011

Continue reading "118 118 Facebook campaign gives away free taxi rides in London" »

US revenue and budgets associated with paid search advertising increased throughout the holiday season to date, but Thanksgiving Day activity skyrocketed, according to new research. The study, from digital marketing software provider Kenshoo, includes an infographic and analysis that document year-over-year (YoY) growth of total sales revenue for retailers driven by search advertising (22 percent), search budgets (29 percent) and average order size (5 percent).

15/12/2011

Continue reading "Infographic: Search-driven shopping up 22% this Christmas" »

Facebook has revealed the 40 most popular 'shared' stories by its US users in 2011, including celebrity deaths, natural disasters, and a father-daughter dance medley video. Topping the list by the social networking site was a New York Times article showing satellite photos of a section of the Japanese city Sendai before and after March's devastating tsunami. The top 40 articles came from just six online news sources, largely led by Yahoo! and CNN. Ten of the top 40 most shared articles were from CNN, second only to Yahoo, with 12.

Continue reading "Top 40 most 'shared' news stories on Facebook in 2011 " »

Online gaming firm Upstream has designed an online challenge to help recruit candidates for its open marketing campaign manager positions. The challenge is designed to take a maximum of 60 minutes and leads candidates through a series of seven timed missions that relate to specific aspects of the Marketing Campaign Manager positions.

14/12/2011

Continue reading "Upstream uses online game to recruit new staff" »

Global consumer spend on online video has exploded in 2011, reaching $3.5bn in total for the year, according to new research. The study, entitled Global OTT Video Forecast: Q4 2011, from Strategy Analytics, found that subscriptions rather than one-off transactions will drive the growth over the next few years.

14/12/2011

Continue reading "Consumers spent $3.5bn on online video services in 2011- report" »

US shoppers are flocking online this holiday season, spending nearly $25 billion so far, up 15% on the same period last year. The study, from comScore found that the most recent week (week ending Dec. 9) reached $5.9 billion in spending, an increase of 15 percent versus the corresponding week last year, with 3 days surpassing $1 billion.

13/12/2011

Continue reading "US online holiday spending up 15% to $25bn " »

Over two-fifths (43%) of Brits have ordered goods online to be delivered by parcel delivery services when under the influence of alcohol, according to a new poll. The survey from price comparison site Kelkoo also found that 39 per cent admit they will do some of this year's Christmas shopping after a few drinks.

13/12/2011

Continue reading "Shoppers warned not to 'drink and click' this Christmas" »

Measuring the offline effect of online marketing has been one of the biggest challenges in consumer insight data and analysis since the start of online marketing. As the research giants become more focussed on digital, they’re picking up the big contracts. Dunnhumby is the latest to announce wins of Reckitt Benckiser and Danone – and here’s why…

13/12/2011

Continue reading "Consumer insight data - Reckitt Benckiser and Danone turn to Dunnhumby" »

Smartphones now account for two-fifths of all mobiles in Canada, with Blackberry is the most device, according to new research. The study, from comScore, indicated that Apple is the second most popular smartphone, while Android is the fastest growing, doubling its market share in the past 6 months.

13/12/2011

Continue reading "Canada: Smartphone adoption reaches 40% " »

The death of Osama bin Laden, the Super Bowl and the trial and acquittal of accused child-murderer Casey Anthony were the most-discussed topics in the world on Facebook this year, according to new data released by the social-network. Facebook released its annual “Memeology” report this week, illustrating what topics, trends and celebrities earned the most attention.

09/12/2011

Continue reading "Facebook charts top 10 trends of 2011" »

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Senior researcher: Ben Le Foe

Ben moved into online in 1999 as a channel producer for AOL. His work began with the creation of content and quickly expanded to include the development and nurturing of communities in a pioneering publishing model we now know more familiarly as 'Web 2.0'. Ben joined Digital in 2001 and has been researching and writing for Digital Intelligence ever since.