Christopher Saunders

More advertisers are turning to technology to save money and to track their campaigns, according to a new report by Forrester Research and the Association of National Advertisers. A recent survey by Forrester of the New York-based ANA’s membership — who represent the major U.S. advertisers — indicated that 47 percent plan to spend more […]

The government landed three guilty pleas in its investigation into the accounting and advertising practices of Homestore.com , as reports continue to point to AOL Time Warner’s role in the scandal. Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that John Giesecke, the firm’s former chief operating officer, and […]

The Internet could be ripe for an increase in controversial direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical marketing, as a recent DoubleClick study suggests that the medium is particularly suited to the model and advertising researchers are gearing up to better track the practice. New York-based DoubleClick and its online ad agency, Beyond Interactive, said a recent study conducted on […]

WebSideStory is aiming to up the ante in the market for systems used by marketers to analyze and fine-tune their online sales operations, with the latest release of its HitBox Commerce ASP. Version 2 of the San Diego-based firm’s enterprise-class e-tail product continues the trend among site analysis players by delivering more advanced tools for […]

Coca Cola Co. is looking to continue to cash in on its sponsorship of Fox’s “American Idol” television phenomenon with an online effort that will offer prizes from the series and pop-music-related giveaways. Beginning Sept. 30, the three-month-long campaign will urge young consumers to buy specially-marked Coca-Cola bottles for a chance at receiving a bottle […]

The concept that the online, at-work audience represents an attractive demographic gains still more backing, as new findings from Avenue A support what’s become a major selling point for the beleaguered Web ad industry. The Seattle-based Web media buying agency said a recent survey of more than 3,000 Web users suggests that consumers who browse […]

A new study by DoubleClick calling online direct marketing practices into question is released, following on the heels of a list misappropriation scandal that raised concerns about security in the industry. For one thing, list hygiene appears to be suffering. Bounce-backs — e-mails sent to abandoned, falsified or otherwise non-working addresses — have reached an […]

Following the lead of rivals America Online and Yahoo! , Microsoft’s MSN has become the latest major Internet portal to beef up its rich media advertising capabilities Through partnerships with Eyeblaster and Point-Roll, the Redmond, Wash.-based ISP and Web publisher said it plans to increase the number of, and the efficacy of, interactive advertisements on […]

Harmonic, a startup backed by Japanese agency giant Dentsu, is set to unveil its cross-media optimization software, amid growing interest for tools promising better ways to track and fine-tune marketing spending. San Francisco-based Harmonic’s Engine for Marketing 2.0 serves as a data warehouse and analysis tool — combining client customer data with information from third-party […]

Personal Digital Assistant manufacturer Palm is aiming to better address the market for handheld computers by rolling out new products rebranded to appeal to different customer segments. The Milpitas, Calif.-based firm said its two new trademarked product brand names — Tungsten and Zire — would highlight the differences in products tailored to different segments of […]

Toyota is planning a high-flying “extreme” adventure event to promote its new 2003 4Runner sports utility vehicle, and is turning to the Web to help get the word out. Starting next month, the automaker’s U.S. sales unit, based in Torrance, Calif., is planning to promote the 4Runner with print, TV, outdoor and online ads in […]

Rich media ad firm Unicast is announcing the results of its months-long, behind-the-scenes negotiations with online publishers, agencies and advertisers to begin using only certain sizes of its formats — paving the way, it says, for standardization in animated and interactive advertising. The New York-based firm has been working with Web sites and large online […]