Cynopsis: DIGITAL
03/01/12
Good morning. It’s Thursday, March 1, 2012, and this is your first early morning digital briefing. If you would like to read this or any other Cynopsis editions online, click here.
Facebook has rolled out Timeline and new premium ad units for brands and marketers. The Timeline designed for brands mimics the one that is currently available to users, including a giant banner image at the top as well as the ability to document the company’s entire “story” on the social network. Other changes include the removal of default landing tabs; photos, “likes” and apps have been pushed up to the top of the page; the ability to pin posts to the top of the page for one week; a new admin panel; and the ability to send/receive private messages to/from users. Timeline for brands is available immediately and can be tinkered with until March 30. As for advertising on the social network, it has been revamped to be more “social,” meaning brands will be able to turn a regular post into an ad that users can interact with by “liking” and commenting on it. The ad offering will extend to Facebook’s mobile site and apps. Advertisers will also now pay for distribution through Facebook’s new Reach Generator, which the company says will significantly increase the number of fans who see a brand’s post.
Microsoft unveiled a “consumer preview” version of Windows 8, which is a comprehensive redesign of its flagship operating system, at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona. Among the features: the horizontally scrollable, tile-based Metro user interface from Windows Phone will now be powering the operating system on all devices, which means it will also replace the old Start Menu; a collection of “Charms” hidden off to the side of the screen that will give users access to system commands, including an option to return to a new Start Menu-based interface; a built-in app store; Xbox Live integration; a split keyboard for improved typing on mobile devices; and many, many, more. For a complete look at the overhaul, go here.
MTV, in partnership with digital agency AQKA, has unveiled “MTV Under the Thumb,” a new social TV service for the European market that will allow users to watch MTV content on their mobile devices, according to Adweek. The way this social viewing tool differentiates from other second-screen services is primarily through a new feature: community virtual viewing, as in multiple can watch this content without having to be in the same room together. A built-in live chat will enable viewers to have conversations while they are watching MTV programming. This service will be rolled out in March for both the iOS and Android platforms to MTV subscribers in Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Italy and Switzerland. Viewers will also be allowed to connect their mobile devices to a web browser to access a larger screen, which then would turn the mobile device into a remote control, according to the report. The service will be available with different types of subscriptions; some content will be ad-supported and offered for free, others will require payment and would feature less advertisements. Adweek indicates that availability of such a service for the U.S. market is still very much in the discussion stage.
At an investor this week, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said the company believes it is capable of reaching as much as 80% of U.S. homes, which could double or triple HBO’s distribution reach, per MediaPost. “Our brand is broader,” said Hastings at the event. “HBO’s strength… is that they stand for a very particular type of content.” That makes sense for a linear channel, said Hastings. “But if you’re a personalized service without a linear feed, you can be multiple types of content for multiple demographics.” In addition to the estimate, Hastings believes the next trend in programming will be the rise of “internet networks,” which would include current broadcast and cable networks that choose to take a full step into the digital arena. In essence, “The TV you buy in the next couple of years is basically like a giant iPad,” said Hastings. And in that vein, as networks evolve, Hastings says he could see Netflix partnering with MSOs to bundle it with their programming packages, further solidifying it as an HBO-like network.
Speaking of HBO, Engadget is reporting that the company will bring its popular HBO Go streaming app to the Xbox Live on April 1, just in time for the second season premiere of Game of Thrones. To access the app’s library of past and current seasons of HBO programming, one will need to be an Xbox Live Gold member, as well as have a subscription to HBO through his or her regular cable package.
As part of a Facebook marketing campaign designed around its social soccer game I AM PLAYR, We R Interactive is offering physical goods for the game’s fictional soccer squad to players via an F-commerce storefront powered by Zibaba. Through the storefront, players can purchase official Nike-branded River Park FC (the fictional team) apparel, including team shirts and scarves. As an added incentive for players, those who post pictures of themselves wearing the apparel to the game’s Facebook page will receive free game coins, as well as a virtual “Superfan” trophy. This integration builds on We R Interactive’s partnerships with other global brands, such as Red Bull and Alfa Romeo, which are woven into the game’s narrative. In fact, Red Bull has sold more than 1 million cans in the game. Zibaba is a Facebook “preferred developer.”
Apple is working to rectify a flaw in iOS that allows some apps to copy a user’s entire photo and video library, without providing any warning or notification. The problem arises when a user gives an app access to location information for photos and videos. The Verge reports that Apple has been made aware of the issue and will most likely provide a fix with the next update to iOS.
The number of Google TVs that are in use might be under a million, according to research from GigaOM. Citing Android Market data provided by Google itself, which reveals the active install base of apps for Android devices, GigaOM finds that each app that comes pre-installed on Google TVs is currently on only 500,000 to 1 million devices. These include Google TV-specific apps like the TV and Movies app, which serves as a programming guide for the TV product. GigaOM notes that this does not necessarily translate to sales numbers, as people who have purchased Google TV devices might have not turned them on yet, and Android Market does not collect data for devices that haven’t uploaded the Google TV 2.0 update. It’s not all bad news however; the report believes the upcoming release of the second generation of Google TV devices from other manufacturers, using ARM chips instead of Intel, could lower prices for the product, thus boosting sales.
Worldwide social networking, which includes social websites beyond just Facebook and Twitter, will reach 1.5 billion internet users by the end of 2012, according to a new forecast eMarketer. As of December 2011, eMarketer estimates that over 1.2 billion people around the globe used a social network at least once per month, which was a 23.1% increase in growth over 2010. This double-digit growth is expected to continue, though eMarketer expects the rate of change to decrease as the market matures. Broken down by region, the largest number of social network users in 2012 will be in Asia/Pacific (615.9 million), almost half of which will come from China, where there will be almost double the number of social network users than in the U.S. The rankings of top social networking countries change depending on the metric on which they’re based. In 2012, the U.S. and Canada will be the top two countries in terms of percentage of total population that uses a social network (49.9% and 49.3%, respectively). However, in terms of share of internet users, developing markets such as Brazil (87.6%) and Indonesia (87.5%) come out on top. And finally, the fastest growth in social network usage will be in India, where it will increase by 51.7%.
Spending on virtual goods in the U.S. rose to more than $2.3 billion in 2011, according to a new survey from PlaySpan, a Visa-owned company, and Frank N. Magid Associates. On average, gamers spent $64 each on virtual products, which is a 28% increase over 2009. In terms of gender and age, nearly 50% of males 24 years of age and under bought a virtual good in 2011. In comparison, only 15% of females in the same age group indicated the same. In a bit of a surprise, the report says females between the ages of 35 and 44 were most likely to have purchased a virtual good, at 23%. The top motivation for buying among gamers who made a purchase was “to be able to do more” (59%); only 10% did so “to show off a brand.” Among those who did not purchase a virtual good, the report found 70% are willing to do so in the future. Among those who did purchase a virtual good, the top two sources are through a connected game console (48%) and in-app (42%).
BBC News is now available on the Pulse news reading app for iOS and Android devices. BBC News on Pulse will feature breaking news from across the globe, easily accessible on the app that has been honored by Apple as one of the 50 to be included in the App Store Hall of Fame. This availability is in response to “BBC” registering as the second-most searched term on Pulse in 2011.
BLiNQ Media has made two new additions to its executive team. Miles Dennison will be the social advertising and technology company’s new Chief Revenue Officer. Based out of New York City, he will lead BLiNQ’s sales efforts to Fortune 500 advertisers and agencies, while overseeing the sales team and its relationships with trading desks, DSPs and networks. David Rollo has been appointed to Chief Strategy Officer. At his new position, he will help drive social media results for some of BLiNQ’s largest customers and prospects, says the company’s CEO Dave Williams.
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE
In my never-ending quest to find a quality iPhone app for G-chat, I think I may have finally found “the one”: Tap to Chat, from Osmosis Apps. Available on all iOS devices, the apps provide you a slick, easy-to-use and visually pleasing interface. While I’m admittedly a stickler for that kind of thing, my favorite feature is actually a really simple one: the choice of whether you want the app to sign you off when you minimize it on your device. Other free apps with great visual aesthetics that I’ve tried have been very unreliable in this regard. This one has allowed me to stay connected to friends and multi-task without a hassle (yet). Other features include the ability to re-size fonts, message notifications, color themes, voice-over support and seriously, a really nice visual design (online friends appear with their own pictures in a grid-like set-up similar to the iPhone’s home screen). Tap to Chat is also available for Facebook Chat; will be coming soon for AIM and MSN Messenger, and has premium versions for $1.99.
Later – Sahil
Sahil Patel, Associate Reporter for Cynopsis Digital
03.01.12
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Cynopsis CLASSIFIEDS – For More classifieds, visit the Cynopsis.com classifieds page here .
JOB OPENING: SR. PUBLICITY MGR-DIGITAL ENT & GAMES/BBC AMERICA/LA: Devlop/implment comms stratgy to raise profile of division. 4+ yrs proven track record gaming/dig ent comms. Knwldge of currnt/futre gaming trnds [email protected] (3/8)
JOB OPENING: JR. ANALYST, RESEARCH/Music Choice/NYC: Sales, mktg & prog research across multiple platforms. BA/BS, plus 1 yr relevant linear/VOD media research exp required, preferably with NPower/Rentrak [email protected] (3/8)
JOB OPENING: CP/NFL/LA: Oversee new morning show. Periodically work overnight shifts. Knwldg of NFL or news prod and 5 yrs working in live sports/news TV and line producing studio shows required. Please apply www.nfl.apply2jobs.com (3/8)
JOB OPENING: MGR, SCHED & ACQ/History/NY: Manage all aspects of sched for all non-prime dayparts on History & History digital platforms.3+ yrs exp inschedin a tv/cable environment. To apply: www.aenetworks.com/careers.html (3/8)
JOB OPENING: SR. RESEARCH ANALYST/OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network/LA: 2-3 yrs exp in TV Research, detailed oriented, knowledge of Star & NPower required. Apply at: http://careers.own.tv/ (3/8)
JOB OPENING: PRODUCTION COORD/NYC: 3 mo. Proj. Apr-June; 7 day/wk show centered on hockey-passion/knowledge for sport required.Coordinate footage, personnel, etc. Prior experience, references req. Rez to [email protected] (3/8)
JOB OPENING: LINE PRODUCER/NYC: Full-time, exp in prod commercial shoots, docs and other long/short form content.Travel required. Rez to [email protected] (3/8)
JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST SPORTS/Univision NY: Research support for Univision Deportes. 1+ years Nielsen exp. Resume to [email protected] (3/7)
JOB OPENING: SR. RESEARCH ANALYST SPORTS/Univision NY: Research support for Univision Deportes. Nielsen exp a must, advanced systems (NPower). Resume to [email protected] (3/7)
JOB OPENING: DIR SPORTS RESEARCH/Univision NY: Manage research support of Univision Deportes. Nielsen exp a must. Report/analyze ratings, experience with estimates preferred. Resume to [email protected] (3/7)
JOB OPENING: MGR, DIGITAL MKT & BIZ DEV/Qubo/NY: Develop and Support Digital Business Activities, including online, social media & internet. Exp in Kids media, a plus. Apply [email protected] EOE (3/7)
JOB OPENING: TRAFFIC COORD/CurrentTV/SF: Resp for assigning comml instr, editing bdcst logs & ensuring ad sales concerns are addressed during live prog. Min 1-3 yrs traffic exp. Knowledge of Orion preferred. [email protected] (3/7)
JOB OPENING: SALES OPS ASST TEMP/TV ONE/NY: Copy & order entry, data validation entry; crspond w/clnts. Attn detail MS Suite min 2 yrs office exp req’d. Brdway Sys; Ad Sales/Sales exp a+; Sal $22 per hr. Visit www.tvone.tv (3/7)
JOB OPENING: MARKETING ASST/TEMP/CABLEVISION MEDIA SALES/NYC: Min 2 yrs office exp. Microsoft office, Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark, Adobe Suite. Assist dept in presentations. More info/apply at www.cablevision.jobs req id 16912BR (3/7)
JOB OPENING: DIGITAL AE’S/NY & CHICAGO: 3+ years industry ad sales exp in digital, agency & client contacts req, established properties, not a start up, trl and ent required, good benefits send resume to [email protected] (3/6)
JOB OPENING: VP, RESEARCH & MKTG SVCS/NYC: Lead qualitative & quantitative research/analysis; Sr-Level position; Proactive; 10+ yrs exp w/ primary research, test+control data & applied research; Resumes: www.lodgenet.com/careers (3/6)
JOB OPENING: SSE/SALES PLANNER/Current TV/LA: Seeking exp planner to oversee TV and digital sales plan creation for sales team. Target new biz, create presentations and manage developmental account list. [email protected] (3/6)
JOB OPENING: SENIOR ANALYST, OXYGEN NETWORKS, SALES RESEARCH/NBC Universal: Experience with Nielsen NetRatings and ComScore Media Metrics. Please apply at www.nbcunicareers.com Job#4413 (3/6)
JOB OPENING: VP MARKETING, DAILY CANDY/NBCU/NYC: 10+ yrs Mrktg exp. w/in Media/Direct/CRM, Strng Knwlg of DC brand, trends & digital marketplace, Strng Email Mrktg skills, Database Knwlge Apply: www.nbcunicareers.com Job# 4525BR (3/3)
JOB OPENING: DIR SALES DEV/MLS Digital Properties/NYC: Lead daily sales dvlpmnt efforts for MLS Dig Properties. 7+ yrs in integrated media envir with client & agency relationships @ sr levels. Exp mngng a team. [email protected] (3/2)
JOB OPENING: MGR PR/MLS Digital Properties/NYC: Mng daily relationships with our Digital Network Partners. 5-7 yrs in strt-up enviro with success in building a scalable bus. Hispanic mkt knwldg a +. [email protected] (3/2)
JOB OPENING: PROGRAMMING EXEC/The Hub/Burbank, CA: Temporary position. Hourly no benefits. scripted exp. Dev exp. Live action animation & game shows. Apply: www.hubworld.com (3/2)
JOB OPENING: PUBLICIST, ENT, ONLINE & SOC. MEDIA/Showtime Networks/NYC: Dvlp/implement media campaigns for ntwks orig prgrmng slate. Handle dig media outreach for publicity campaigns. 2+ yrs exp. More info/apply: www.sho.com/careers (3/2)
JOB OPENING: WEB DEVELOPER/BBC America/NYC: Conceptualize, build, and maintain projects focusing on show support for BBC America programming. 3+ yrs exp w/ PHP, WordPress, MySQL, and HTML/CSS. Rez to [email protected] (3/2)
JOB OPENING: LEAD DIGITAL PRODUCER/BBC America/NYC: Lead Digital Prod team on BBC America’s digital platforms. 5+ yrs exp w/web prod & editorial. Deep knowledge of digital best practices. Exp w/ WordPress. [email protected] (3/2)
JOB OPENING: DIR CORP COMM/BBC WORLDWIDE/NYC: Effective director needed for high impact internal/external corp and divisional press/PR campaigns. 7+ yrs exp. in Comm/PR/trade publicity w/ a media company. Rez: [email protected] (3/2)
JOB OPENING: RESEARCH MANAGER/NBC Universal/Sprout/Philadelphia, PA: Experience with competitive digital research measurement tools such as comScore and/or Nielsen NetRatings is a must. Apply at www.nbcunicareers.com Job#4530 (3/2)
INTERNSHIPS – These positions are for credit only – nobody gets paid here. These ads are always posted for free, and students work for school credit only. For more information on the specs for posting an Internship ad, email Trish at [email protected].
SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: PR INTERN/ILLUME PR/LA: Gain experience in digital media, gaming & tech PR by assisting agency on projects. Should be interested in tech & social media w/ strong writing skills. Send resume: [email protected] (3/2)
SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED … There is no charge for placing your Situation Wanted ad … for more information contact Trish Pihonak at [email protected].
SITUATION WANTED: Jeanne Intile Burns, VOICE-OVER ARTIST/VOICE COACH, Cell: 845-721-9681, E-Mail: [email protected], Web Links: www.castingnetworks.com/jburns, http://jburns.voices.com, www.allegro-music.com (“American Biographies”) (3/7)
SITUATION WANTED: MULTI CAMERA REMOTE CAMERA OPERATOR: Experience with, Basketball, Football, Racing, Sports etc… I can Travel to VA, MD, DC, NC, DE, KY, NJ, NY, TN, WV, Contact [email protected] (3/7)
SITUATION WANTED: DEVELOPMENT PRODUCER/LA BASED: Reality/Ent/Docs. Specializes in talent, tape, paper and packaging, agency and network savvy, runs on Batteries. [email protected] (3/6)
SITUATION WANTED: Dedicated & Experienced ADV. SALES PLANNER/NYC: Sales proposals, resolving client discrepancies, quarterly post analysis, special sales service projects, expert computer skills. Contact- [email protected] (3/6)
SITUATION WANTED: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT: position film/TV (NY) 10 years experience: Interned for a President, Executive Assistant to SVP/VP/film director/celebrity [email protected] (3/3)
SITUATION WANTED: SALES ASSISTANT/(CHI): Interned at Comcast SportsNet in Ad Sales, Works as Sales Assistant at NBCUniversal. Has B.A. from DePaul in PR/Advertising. Resume upon request. Contact [email protected] (3/3)
E-mail [email protected] or call Trish Pihonak at 203.381.9096 for rates and specs for Job Openings.
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