Grok Blog

Amazon to Sell Ads on Kindle Fire Welcome Screen

Uh, does anyone remember how well this worked when Apple tried this with iAd? Just sayin’

“Amazon is pitching ads on the device’s welcome screen, according to an executive at an agency that Amazon has pitched. The company has been telling ad agency execs that they must spend about $600,000 for any package that includes such an ad.”

via Amazon to Sell Ads on Kindle Fire Welcome Screen | Digital – Advertising Age.

GM to Stop Advertising on Facebook

The hits just keep coming today…bad news before the IPO (understatement of the day)

“General Motors Co. plans to stop advertising on Facebook after the company’s marketing executives determined their paid ads had little impact on consumers, people familiar with the matter said, a move that comes as more companies question the effectiveness of advertising on the social networking site.”

via GM to Stop Advertising on Facebook – WSJ.com.

Facebook Needs To Take Marketing Seriously

“Somehow Facebook still hasn’t stumbled upon a model that’s proven consistently successful for marketers, or that brings in the massive revenues to match the site’s massive user base. (The company made less than $4 in ad revenue per active user in 2011.)”

via Facebook Needs To Take Marketing Seriously | Forrester Blogs.

Poll: Half of Americans call Facebook a fad

Rut-ro…

Half of Americans think Facebook is a passing fad, according to the results of a new Associated Press-CNBC poll. And, in the run-up to the social network’s initial public offering of stock, half of Americans also say the social network’s expected asking price is too high.

via Poll: Half of Americans call Facebook a fad – Yahoo! News.

Hard Time: Liquor Advertising Pours Into TV

Smells like desperation by broadcasters to loosen their restrictions…bad news for print/digital, for now.

Almost ready for prime time...

“Jägermeister followed what lately has seemed like a stampede of liquor brands to TV as marketers seek broad awareness for product launches or to build new buzz on old brands.”

via Hard Time: Liquor Advertising Pours Into TV | News – Advertising Age.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Why We’re Definitely in a Bubble

 

 

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Why We’re Definitely in a Bubble | Betabeat — News, gossip and intel from Silicon Alley 2.0..

Foursquare Hitches Its Wagon to the Coupon Trend

 

 

Of course, a new advertising method doesn’t automatically guarantee loyalty from either local businesses or potential new users. The WSJ also notes that many people still have a ”special hatred reserved for Foursquare location check-ins,” a problem that not even a 20-percent-off sushi coupon can solve.

via Foursquare Hitches Its Wagon to the Coupon Trend | Betabeat — News, gossip and intel from Silicon Alley 2.0..

It Exists! MIT Creates Tech For Moving Files Across Devices With A Swipe

 

 

Swÿp gathers information such as your phone and iPad’s approximate location (available via WiFi) and account details (via sites like Facebook or Gmail), then ties that information to a real-time gesture, the swipe (or Swÿp). Hold up two Swÿp-enabled devices next to each other, and they’re able to communicate in a language both understand: a hybrid of the digital and physical worlds.

via It Exists! MIT Creates Tech For Moving Files Across Devices With A Swipe | Co.Design: business + innovation + design.

Pinterest’s Hype Bubble Has Burst, And Now It Is Actually Losing Users

 

 

After its growth slowed in March, it looks like photo-sharing/collecting site Pinterest is actually losing users in April.

Most Pinterest users sign-up to the site using their Facebook accounts, and AppData, which monitors how often users of third-party apps and Web sites interact with Facebook, says the number of Facebook-connected Pinterest users has declined precipitously the past 50 days.

Monthly active users are down from 11.3 million on March 1 to 11.15 million on April 1 to just 8.3 million today.

Here’s a chart showing the 3/21 to 4/20 portion of this 25% decline:

via Pinterest’s Hype Bubble Has Burst, And Now It Is Actually Losing Users – Business Insider.

Nick Denton wants to turn the online media world on its head

 

 

What’s interesting about Denton’s vision is that plenty of media sites both traditional and digital-only talk about how the “conversation” is the important thing, and how engaging the reader is a valuable tool for uncovering the truth, something that has been accepted wisdom since The Cluetrain Manifesto was published over a decade ago — but very few sites actually follow through on this promise.

via Nick Denton wants to turn the online media world on its head — Tech News and Analysis.