What I love about having a vested interest in companies on the share market is it makes it easy to follow. When I was a kid all the numbers and numbers in (brackets) didn't mean anything. I had no idea how some shares were worth $25 and others 2c.
Which I why I find following the listed digital agencies in Australia so interesting. I can compare EBDIT's, profile ratios and billings with the others and my own.
While the DOTCOM boom maybe over people are still forking out wads of cash and people are still losing money, CEO's are being fired, companies liquidated, assets written off, profits not being met and much more.
It's sad to say there hasn't been a success case. There isn't any shining light to say this is how it's done. I'm basing my opinons purely off the share prices. Some companies may be running very well but for investors it's been painful.
All this is happening while digital is in a boom with money pouring into the sector from the other mediums.
I first covered this in January of this year and maybe I should have gone on record as things have gone downwill for every major player.
Here's where the shares were as of Jan 3, 2008. (approx)
I just found the IAB Australia Youtube channel with the Great Place to work videos. Google and Yahoo! battle it out for the most produced video while the others go home made. I'm not sure if the winners has been announced but you can view the entries here for yourself.
11 Days in Cannes and I'm exhausted! This is what Paris Hilton must feel like partying every night. But a great time was had by all and compred to what you normally see outside a bar at 4am the atmorephere was one of happiness.
2,757 entries in Cyber were submitted this year and as always a few good entries feel through the cracks and some not so special ones were chosen. There was also a slew of trends and themes from this years entries.
I'm going to give my round up that will go a little more in depth than my twitter feed did. I'm so glad to not have to Twitter anymore. It's one way to make any occasion a chore.
The 2008 Cyber Lion winners have been announced. I'm going to do a bit of visualisation when I get back to graph the trends of entries as there were some real big trends that came out this year.
Webcam, crazy characters, blow into webcam, upload face (still going strong), PR and live events.
It begins now. After a short flight from London, we (Ashley from Soap & Ashadi from RMG Connect) have arrived in Cannes, checked into our hotels and collected out our delegate passes. We're ready to start coverage of all things Cannes, but with a distinct digital skew! Aside from posting the work here, we'll also be live blogging the entire festival using some new & familiar tools. We've put all these tools into a commentary box, which you'll see floating on the site homepage shortly.
From here you'll get a peak into the going's on be it the work, awards, seminars, people and of course - parties. Paul will also be here from Tuesday as well and will no doubt be sporting some quality Bannerblog apparel as well. Assuming our delivery of T-Shirts ever turns up, we've got a few t-shirts to give out, and if you happen to be Rupert Murdoch or part of his entourage, we'll set one aside for you mate!
Got Photo's or Video's from the festival?
Post them to the Bannerblog Facebook page. We want to put faces to some of the work we've been posting over the past 3 years!
I'll be twittering from Canees for News this year. Keep up to date with every detail here. More info and links to the other jury's Twitter accounts here.
This is a great addition to Youtube. You can see advertisers scrambling to be the first to create something big with this. Right now it seems to be card tricks and this cup and ball demo that are filling up the most viewed videos.
Here's how to add your own annotations to a Youtube video.
It certainly opens up a new dimension to Youtube videos.
This new site Picnic Wrestling for Picnic is great. Plays on the ugly theme quite well. Although I got up too early in the morning to find anyone online to play. The art direction is fantastic. And the voice acting is spot on.
Orange and POKE launch "World's First Internet Balloon Race"
The folks at Orange are at it again, launching a "Balloon Race" across the internet.
Users can create "balloon animals" and race across sites that sign up to be part of the course (as we have here at Banner Blog.) Entrants stand to win a range of prizes, and of course there's the requisite viral component with bonus points coming from getting the "support" of friends.
Winning the battle against boring banners by easing content integration.
New York, New York (April 16, 2008) - Eyeblaster, the global leader in integrated digital marketing solutions, and Dapper, a leader in the emerging content mashup space, announce a strategic partnership to create the next generation of online ads. MashupAds will enable campaigns with dynamic content from external sites. Providing a platform for the delivery, management and analysis of the new MashupAds, Eyeblaster once again shows its commitment to deliver a complete range of ad campaign management services to its clients.
Until now, the only way advertisers could integrate content into online ads was using XML feeds. XML, however, requires coding on both ends - content provider and ad designer. Because of this limitation, most of the Web's content was not readily available and integration was often costly, lengthy and risky.
With MashupAds, designers will be able to make advertising dynamic in ways never thought possible using powerful, user-friendly mashup tools. Ad creators can move text, images and even interactive forms from existing websites into online ads and:
- Integrate advertiser's content into the ad.
- Include third party content into ad.
- Contextualize the mashup by analyzing the data to target the ad.
MashupAds are an extension of Dapper's proven core feed-creation engine at dapper.net. Through a simple, point-and-click online interface, advertisers and publishers can "unlock" their content to create live feeds that are used to create relevant, compelling ads with no programming. The end result is an ad that behaves like a site feature, combining the advertiser's site functionality with a publisher's context. MashupAds make the difference for advertisers because they:
- Increase relevance through live, updated content beamed directly into the ad.
- Increase interaction, conversion, CTR and ROI.
- Build higher brand awareness.
"Content plays a big role in brand advertising. But content alone cannot connect a brand to its audience," said Gal Trifon, co-founder and chief executive officer at Eyeblaster. "MashupAds will deliver relevant, engaging content closer to the consumer by taking it from the website to an interactive ad campaign."
"We are very excited at this opportunity to work together with a global leader such as Eyeblaster. MashupAds will transform display ads into becoming more engaging, interactive and relevant, and most importantly, enhancing the end-user's browsing experience" said Eran Shir, co-founder and chief executive officer at Dapper.
About Dapper:
Dapper is a U.S. company with offices in Tel Aviv, Israel. Founded by Eran Shir and Jon Aizen in late 2005, Dapper aims to make it easy and possible for anyone to extract and reuse content from any website. By doing so, Dapper hopes to allow others to realize their creativity and implement new and exciting services and applications. For more information, please visit http://www.dapper.net.
About Eyeblaster
In 1999, Eyeblaster was among the pioneers in rich media communication. Today, Eyeblaster extends its inventive heritage in digital advertising through Ad Campaign Manager (ACM). ACM enables interactive agencies, advertisers and publishers to manage campaigns across digital media channels, including online, mobile and in-game, and a variety of formats, including rich media, in-stream video, display and search. ACM is a robust, integrated and easy-to-use platform that allows customers to focus on campaign strategy, creativity and media efficiency without having to worry about the technical complexities associated with managing global advertising campaigns online.
In 2007, Eyeblaster delivered campaigns for nearly 7,000 brand advertisers serving approximately 2,500 ad agencies across over 2,500 global web publishers in over 40 countries worldwide throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.
20th Century Fox Australia held a flash mob/ social experiment in Sydney's Pitt St Mall on the weekend which tied into their new film from M. Night Shyamalan called The Happening.
There is a Freeze Sydney happening next month along the same lines as the Fronzen Grand Central stunt done while ago.
You read right. Bannerblog is now available in t-shirt format. We've taken Web 2.0 and blended it with a fine American cotton to create what could only be called T-Shirt 2.0.
Why you ask?
T-Shirt 2.0 is a cost effective medium to reach a highly targeted but fashion conscious advertising audience"
Seriously..
Blatant self promotion. We (Ashley (judge), Ashadi (delegate) and Paul (delegate) ) will be cruising the Croisette in a anything-but-limited-edition series of Bannerblog T-Shirts during the Cannes Advertising Festival.
We're using Red Bubble who digitally print excellent quality American Apparel t-shirts on demand. You can find out more here, they really do rock and like us they're also Australian (use them for your next campaign!).
We've got 3 designs to choose from, with a selection of t-shirt colours, cuts and sizes (measurement details here). All cost approximately $20 USD plus a few dollars for shipping (effectively the base price RedBubble charge us). Shipping takes between 5-15 days depending on your shipping destination. So you better hop to it if you want your t-shirt in time for Cannes!
Not attending Cannes? You can always wear it to improve your agency's digital cred. Wearing a t-shirt with a blog URL on it will instantly make you the dude that's down with this whole digital thing . While everyone else around you is wearing $100 designer t-shirts, you'll be the pixel pusher pushing all the right buttons for a mere $20 USD.
Buy 2 or more, and you've got yourself the beginnings of a t-shirt social network ;)
UPDATED DEADLINE: Entries are now due by June 10th, 2008
Want to have your work showcased on Bannerblog and win a full boxed copy of CS3 Web Premium worth $2800!
We're running a competition in conjunction with Adobe to create a single banner (or campaign) for Variety, the Children's Charity. Read below for the full brief and entry details.
The winning ads will be served through Eyeblaster on the News Digital Network.
Client: Variety Children’s Charity Brief:
Conceive and produce a single banner ad/ campaign for Variety Children’s Charity.
The ad should promote awareness of the new ‘Heartbeat’ regular giving campaign for Variety, the Children’s Charity and drive people to Variety’s website to become a monthly giver.
Overview – Heartbeat Regular Giving
In May 2008, Variety will launch a regular giving campaign which will encourage people to support our work by giving a donation via direct debit or via their credit card on a monthly basis.
Variety will encourage people to give a minimum of $10 a month to support their work in helping disadvantaged children. People will have the option to give a greater amount if they would like to do so.
Campaign Concepts
Just $10 a month can buy an Australian child a taste of the everyday
Just $10 a month can make a child smile
Have a heart and become a regular giver and help our children’s lives better
Do you have the wellbeing of Australian children at heart? If so, become a regular giver today.
It’s the little things in life that give the most pleasure. Like a place to have fun with friends. Or the opportunity to give parents some time on their own. Variety is dedicated to helping the lives of children and their families. All it takes is the little sum of money of $10 a month. A little bit of money can make a big difference
Requirements The ad should fit within one or more of the following ad sizes 728x90, 300x250, 468x60 or 120x600 and be under 100k.
Adobe Flash 8 with no automatic sound.
Rich media and expanding ads will also be accepted as long as fit within the sizes above.
Rich Media ads will eventually be served through Eyeblaster but for the competition should be provided as single file demos.
Taglines - ‘When you help a child, you help a family. And when you help a family, you help a community.’
‘Do you have the heart to become a regular giver?’
How to Submit:
Email your entry to submit@bannerblog.com.au along with your name(s), a single contact number and either your agency or school/university/college you are currently studying at.
Rules
Entry is free and there is no limit to the number of entries.
The competition is open to people working or studying in Australia and New Zealand only.
All others may enter but will be ineligible to win the prize.
Entries can be submitted by a single person or a group. Entries can also be submitted by agencies. Competition opens Wednesday 7 May 2008 and last entries will be received 11.59pm June 10, 2008. Winners will be announced June 15, 2008.
Winners will be judged on creativity, originality, craft and appropriateness to the brief by the Bannerblog editorial team and a representative from the Variety Children’s Charity.
About Variety Children’s Charity
Variety enables children with special needs to live, dream, and laugh through acts of goodness.
Every year Variety raise valuable funds through numerous events. These funds are channelled in a straight forward and transparent manner into our Grants Programs which provide specialised equipment and services for children, hospitals, community groups, schools and organisations.
Variety provides around 1 million dollars a month in assistance to special needs children, but much more is needed to reach all the children that need our help. Each month we have to turn down worthy appeals because we do not have enough money.
These are just some of the items that Variety provides funding for; wheelchairs, walking frames, special beds, bathing equipment, hoists, vehicle modifications, sensory equipment, communications devices, special feeds, splints and Sunshine Coaches.
Whilst a dollar figure can be put on funding of equipment and services by Variety, there is no way to measure the value of experiences which Variety also provides for children.
Grants for assistance fall into three national categories, referred to collectively as the Challenge Program:
1. Freedom Program provides mobility and communication devices such as wheelchairs, Liberty Swings and Sunshine Coaches.
2. Future Kids Program providing for disadvantaged children in the areas of education, and developmental needs. The Variety Scholarship Program provides grants for children to realise their potential in the areas of sport, arts and drama, music and academia.
3. Care for Kids Program supports NSW health services such as supporting an Insulin Pump Program at the Westmead Children’s Hospital, two Neonatal & Paediatric Emergency Transport Service Ambulances, and refurbishment of a neonatal transport crib at the John Hunter Hospital.
The winning ads will run across the News Digital Media Network with media generously donated by NDM.
All winning ads will be showcased on the Bannerblog site with the winning ads being served across the News Digital Media network later in the year.
For thos who don't have the software available to complete an entry you can get a free trail DVD delivered free if you order before the 16th of May. Order Here
We've revisited our facebook presence, and have opted for a 'Fan' Page rather than a Group (which we'll now close). Fan Pages weren't around when we first got on the FB bandwagon and overall we found updating the group too much of a hassle. With the arrival of Fan Pages, comes application support and therefore closer integration between the website and Facebook page thanks to RSS. As a result, you can now :
See the latest Banners posted.
See the latest News & Jobs headlines.
See a calendar of the upcoming Award Shows.
Post your latest campaign (we'll treat this as we do email submissions)
Share Videos, News, Photos and Create Events.
We'll likely do alot of our Cannes coverage from here as well, so add us today and make sure you don't miss out!
AdPolice on
Kotex Beaver Ad
sam on
Red Bull Flugtag Sydney
Ash on
Red Bull Flugtag Sydney
purplesimon on
Red Bull Flugtag Sydney
peterm on
Unfortunate ad placement for Virgin Blue
Kieran Ots on
Earth Hour. Less Hype, More Fact.
Pete on
Transport Campaigns
thor on
Kotex Beaver Ad
elQueFaltaba on
I'm on the Cannes Cyber Jury 2008.
on
see something. feel something.
on
Dentsu Elevator Pitch
on
Gmail Russia
Kevin Ng on
NAB Super Mario ATM
Pace on
NAB Super Mario ATM
DrJones on
Happy Banking
If only Sandra Sully would read the Bannerblog news. She's hot!
Yeah Sandra wouldn't return my calls. Koshie said he'd do it but I never even asked him.
