Christopher Saunders

Greater-than-expected losses are prompting Swiss ad sales giant PubliGroupe to rethink its online operations in the U.S., particularly its New York-based ad network and server, Real Media. Lausanne, Switzerland-based PubliGroupe said it would be restructuring Real Media to help compensate for losses — due in large part to online advertising woes — that brought the […]

As Hewlett-Packard executives defend their decision to purchase fellow PC maker Compaq, the firms’ chief rival in the business consulting and computers space — none other than IBM Corp. — is busy establishing a new sales and marketing channel, by way of a partnership with online auction site eBay. Through the agreement, Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM […]

In a vast new content-sharing arrangement, Microsoft’s MSN Web portal will host online content from ESPN.com — promoting the sports site on MSN — but will exact several significant marketing benefits in return. Beginning Thursday, New York-based ESPN.com will be the exclusive sports content provider for MSN’s sports channel — dubbed on MSN’s front page […]

New York-based DoubleClick, which runs the Web’s largest media network and ad serving business, is striking out into a new area: providing online media buying tools to agencies, after purchasing the technology to do so from startup Adgile Interactive. The agreement with San Francisco-based Adgile cedes to DoubleClick its Web-based software application, Adgility, which assists […]

Another major entertainment company is tapping the out-of-banner ad format to promote upcoming offerings, with HBO joining the list this week in an advertising effort for “Band of Brothers.” The company, which is owned by New York-based AOL Time Warner, is running an ad on Weather.com to promote the 10-week mini-series, which begins Sunday. When […]

Just weeks after losing funding from its New York-based parent, 24/7 Media’s European division is closing down. The division’s main company, 24/7 Media Europe N.V., filed for bankruptcy Wednesday and laid off its entire staff. Earlier this week and last, 24/7 Media Europe’s local companies in the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany also filed […]

Web publisher SportsLine.com is acquiring privately-held fantasy sports site Sandbox.com, in a bid to beef up its own online marketing capabilities. Under the terms of the agreement, a maximum of 1.6 million shares of SportsLine.com common stock and a maximum of $1 million cash will be exchanged for all outstanding shares of Sandbox.com — all […]

Lions Gate Films is using rich media and out-of-banner ads in its promotion for the film “O,” in conjunction with online ad network L90. Los Angeles-based L90 said its Marketing and Creative Services group developed a customized campaign for Lions Gate that uses traditional ad units — skyscrapers and banners. But the campaign, which is […]

It’s a mixed bag from the online ad industry-watchers at Merrill Lynch: based on promising quarterly reports from some companies, the investment bank is raising its estimates for this year’s online ad market, even though it now sees recovery further off than it did back in March. First, the good news. Merrill’s Henry Blodget, Lauren […]

Online business directory Switchboard Inc. is debuting a new ad campaign designed to promote its yellow pages — and ending its media relationship with Viacom’s CBS, in the process. The upcoming “Electrified” campaign, designed by the Newtown, Penn.-based Garfield Group, aims to describe the Switchboard.com site as the successor to the offline yellow pages, and […]

Measurement is the name of the game, as online marketing players Mediaplex and Personify join forces to sell a combined ad delivery, tracking and retargeting product. Through the deal, the two companies will both promote Mediaplex’s online ad and e-mail products with Personify’s e-business analytical software. In the ideal setup, an advertiser would deliver ads […]

New York-based interactive shop Razorfish continued its efforts to cut costs, this time by closing its three-year-old London office. “It’s just part of our overall move to return to profitability as quick as we can, and this does involve aggressive cost-cutting that unfortunately caused us to close some of our offices,” said a spokesperson for […]