Hey guys, this is what I am doing…….

Pls enjoy the following article written by CARTER CRAMER.

Mom Jeans. It’s all about Mom Jeans. Laugh as you may, but these much-mocked, high-waisted denim trousers are likely to be part of every stylish girl’s wardrobe come fall.

Don’t believe me? Well, just recall your initial reaction to leggings. “Ew,” you balked, when photos circulated of Sienna Miller and Lindsay Lohan donning the kindergarten staples a couple years back. Now, chances are you — or at least 50 girls you know — own a pair.

And what about the resurrection of Converse Chucks? I know many of you who currently rock the high-tops sneered at their re-debut in the mid-nineties. Today, however, you sneer no more c9 and own a pair in white, green and black.

Yes, indeed, trends are tricky little phenomena. They’re elusive, and it’s hard to tell what’ll fly or flop.

But where do they start? Who “births” what will become the hottest new brand or the season’s must-have hue? Where can one locate the Arbiters of Trends — those very special creatures who serve as precursors to the “Next Big Thing?”

Over the past two decades, an entire sector of the economy has been conceived to answer these very questions. Such corporations call themselves trend-spotting agencies, and their livelihood and mission is predicated upon just that: spotting the latest trend.

Among the first such business venture was The Zandl Group, founded by Irma Zandl, the creator of “trend-spotting.”

Irma began her career by monitoring teens and young adults — the most common demographic early adopters or “alpha consumers,” a term coined by Zandl — as they roamed the streets of Soho and other “hip” New York neighborhoods. She also draws inspiration from what she views on MTV, and from the youth she regularly stops to talk to and “Polaroid” in the streets.

But what do Irma — and other “cool hunters,” as such professionals are known — have to offer the broader market economy? Apparently quite a lot.

With the information and images collected on the streets of New York, Stockholm, London and Tokyo — a few particularly fashion-forward metropolises — trend-spotters compose weekly or monthly trend reports that are subscribed to by major corporations. The Zandl Group’s bi-monthly “Hot Sheet” is purchased by Disney, General Motors and Coca-Cola, to name a few power-players.

These major conglomerates send these reports to their business analysts and marketing and production teams to aid company officials in determining what moves to make next.

The use of trend-forecasting companies has become so popular in recent years that major companies themselves, like Coca-Cola, have created in-house “cool hunting” divisions to garner information about what’s hip and what’s not. The goal, of course, is to predict an upcoming trend before it reaches the mainstream population; if the trend has already been embraced by the masses, then its shelf life has elapsed.

To do the job of prediction-before-proliferation, companies once again look to those innately ahead of their time — most commonly a city-dwelling, teenage demographic. Both major conglomerates and trend-spotting agencies themselves will recruit 14- to 18-year-olds for interviews about what these young-adults are currently consuming.

In some cases, companies might even give the teens a couple hundred dollars, sending them to the streets to buy what they think is “cool.” From these purchased items, further trend forecasting can be made.

This recent emphasis on predicting trends before they’re trends should come as no surprise. With the competitive environment of our current economy, companies must ensure that they are always one step ahead of rivals, churning out the next must-have product while the current one is just now reaching its apex.

And because today’s population — especially teens and young adults — tire of product offerings at an increasingly rapid rate, the trend-spotting industries have been able to thrive.

Moreover, with the rise of the Internet and the plethora of sites devoted to fashion and lifestyle interests, trend-spotting has expanded an even greater deal. Now anyone can visit Web pages like http://TheSartorialist.com or even http://Style.com to read up on the latest covetable crazes.

But don’t expect to see companies like Zandl’s phasing out anytime soon. In a developed nation populated with consumers who have disposable income, the next trend is always rearing its elusive head; it’s just a matter of being the first to see it.

Article Source:
http://media.www.jhunewsletter.com/media/storage/
paper932/news/2007/04/12/Features/
Spotting.Trends.The.New.Business.Trend-2841268.shtml

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today a definitive agreement to acquire DoubleClick Inc., a global leader in digital marketing technology and services, for $3.1 billion in cash from San Francisco-based private equity firm Hellman & Friedman along with JMI Equity and management. The acquisition will combine DoubleClick’s expertise in ad management technology for media buyers and sellers with Google’s leading advertising platform and publisher monetization services.

The combination of Google and DoubleClick will offer superior tools for targeting, serving and analyzing online ads of all types, significantly benefiting customers and consumers:

• For users, the combined company will deliver an improved experience on the web, by increasing the relevancy and the quality of the ads they see.
• For online publishers, the combination provides access to new advertisers, which creates a powerful opportunity to monetize their inventory more efficiently.
• For agencies and advertisers, Google and DoubleClick will provide an easy and efficient way to manage both search and display ads in one place. They will be able to optimize their ad spending across different online media using a common set of metrics.

“It has been our vision to make Internet advertising better – less intrusive, more effective, and more useful. Together with DoubleClick, Google will make the Internet more efficient for end users, advertisers, and publishers,” said Sergey Brin, Google’s Co-Founder & President, Technology.

“DoubleClick’s technology is widely adopted by leading advertisers, publishers and agencies, and the combination of the two companies will accelerate the adoption of Google’s innovative advances in display advertising,” said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google.

“This transaction will strengthen our advertising network by expanding our access to publisher inventory and enabling us to serve the needs of a broader set of advertisers and ad agencies,” said Tim Armstrong, Google’s President, Advertising and Commerce, North America.

“Google is the absolute perfect partner for us,” said David Rosenblatt, Chief Executive Officer of DoubleClick. “Combining DoubleClick’s cutting edge digital solutions for both media buyers and sellers with Google’s scale and innovative resources will bring tremendous value to both our employees and clients.”

“When we acquired DoubleClick in July 2005, we saw an opportunity to partner with a great management team to further enhance the company’s capabilities and growth trajectory,” said Philip Hammarskjold, Managing Director of Hellman & Friedman. “This transaction affirms the successful transformation of DoubleClick, positions the firm for the future, and greatly benefits our investors.”

Both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, and is expected to close by the end of the year.

Article Source:
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070413005593&newsLang=en

If you follow this blog you will realize I touched on women consumers shopping online quite often sometime back, yes, they are on the rise.

Here is a report to confirm my prediction was correct.

Who are the biggest shoppers for Cosmetics? Women. Yes, you are right too, more and more men are buying cosmetics product by bulk. ) Another market to pay attention to.

New market research has found that female beauty consumers are now using the Internet more than the average person, and suggests cosmetic brands should follow three simple steps in order to capitalize on this growing trend.

The report ‘Marketing Beauty With The Internet Beast’, by Mary Beth Kemp of Forrester, shows how the average beauty consumer is now favouring online media portals as the way to view product descriptions for beauty and cosmetic products as opposed to more traditional media.

And with just under half of those browsers taking the step from merely ‘window shopping’ to buying, this news will no doubt be encourage cosmetic manufacturers to step up internet campaigns.

In order to benefit from the increased usage the study encourages the manufacturers to embrace the trend by, advertising and selling online, keeping in regular relationship driven contact with consumers, and to try ‘new’ moves to add value to products.

With 42 per cent of internet beauty buyers allegedly sharing and telling friends about products discovered, the ‘word of mouth’ marketing tool is key to the increased sales of cosmetic products.

The study highlights that in order to reach these particular consumers, brands must become aware that advertising and selling online clearly works, stating that ‘fashion conscious consumers expect to see ‘their’ brands present when they are on the Internet, and welcome the communication.

This is possibly due to the fact that beauty consumers are considered to be commercially aware, and are said to receive more commercial emails and newsletters than the average.

Indeed, these emails are the basis to building a beneficial relationship between the consumer and brand, with up-to-date exclusive news being an enticing content offer for fashion fans.

Enticed by promotional tools more commonly found on Internet sites, such as free product samples and product coupons, 46 per cent of female consumers are apparently more likely to purchase products than if they had they seen the same advertisement in a print publication.

With cosmetic and beauty products being of such significance on the internet, coming in as third behind books and clothing as the most common products researched and bought online in the last three months, it seems that a personal relationship is the key to successful marketing.

 The study advises manufacturers to ‘get to know the online consumer’ by trying new concepts to add value to products and ‘initiating a conversation’.

For example collaborative and interactive decision tools that allow the consumer to relate personally to the site, such as Maybelline’s initiative to allow buyers to upload a photo so they can test the cosmetics.

Many cosmetic giants have already altered their marketing strategies accordingly to captilize on these beneficial browsers, with companies such as CoverGirl from Procter and Gamble offering online chats with beauty consultants.

However, manufacturers are now being advised that, to take their brands further, they need to ‘deepen the dialogue’ and to profit from the female consumers willingness to communicate.

Virtual cosmetic wardrobes are mooted as the way forward, suggesting that they would allow women to ‘try on make up and share’, before ultimately buying the cosmetics brand.
Article Source:
http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/news/ng.asp?n=75732-procter-internet

The Browser has reported that Google draws 64% of US search queries.

Below is the extract from the report. 

This piece was originally published by DMW Media based on Mark Cuban’s blog and I found it interesting though I might not agree to everything he said. I have extracted the article for your pleasure reading.

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Its fun to watch all the discussion, hyperbole and hopes associated with Apple TV. Once again Apple has come out with a well designed, functional product. Unfortunately for Apple, it may be too little too late.

Lets face some facts. The era of the desktop PC being the home for exciting change and enhancement are long gone. I wrote this for the first time 2 years ago, and nothing has changed since then.

Then in January of this year, I asked why people are so concerned about getting internet video from PCs to HDTVs , rather than taking traditional video from existing sources and distributing it to PCs. Basically saying that its a lot easier to get from TV to PC via any number of existing DVR and other devices than the other way around.

Yet Apple and others still seem to think that simplifying internet video through a PC to a device to an HDTV is the way to go. Is this the future of home entertainment.

Please. Its shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic. Its a waste of time.

There is an old saying that when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Right now the hammer is internet video and everyone wants to find a way to make it the future. Its old news people. Its a mature product in a mature environment.

Now don’t get me wrong. Youtube, despite its copyright problems that could shut it down (i had to slip that in there , has been a marketing miracle. They have done the completely unexpected and aggregated 10s of millions of monthly users. The same could be same of Myspace. They deserve a ton of credit for what they have accomplished. But the operative word is marketing. Embedded music and video was a catalyst for both. How long has the opportunity to embed videos in an html page been around, 8 years ? No original technology, but a new application of old features is what great ideas and great marketing thrive on.

That is what has made Web 2.0 so interesting. Web 2.0 isnt about technology. Its about ideas implemented around simple applications that have been around for years. The maturity of the technology makes the implementation of ideas simple. That is the key to success in Web 2.0. The technology always works. It may sound crazy to some, but thats the reality. The internet as a connectivity utility and the browser are mature application platforms.

So where will the change come ? What will the be the host for new applications ? Its right in front of our faces, literally. Its the HDTV that you will be buying in the future.

Remember when you would buy a new PC every couple years to keep up and you would buy a new TV every decade ? Well thats about to reverse itself. You no longer feel the need to get the latest and greatest desktop PC, but you are about to get in the habit of upgrading your TV every couple years as new and original features and applications are developed for it.

Dont agree ? Think about the last analog set you bought and what it looked like, could do and cost and compare it to the new HDTV you either just bought or are considering buying. Which has experienced the greatest technological change. The leap from your last analog TV to your next TV or your last PC to your current or next PC ?. The price performance of HDTVs are going to continue at the pace we saw for PCs in the late 90s and early 2000s. In 3 years the mainstream TV will be 70″ and cost less than $1500. In 5 years, it could be 100″ for $2500 dollars . Yes, you will make room for it. You will redesign the family room or your bedroom to make room.

The price performance curve will drive competition for incremental features as well.

We are getting to the point where features that would have been added to PCs in the past will be added to your HDTV. Advances in wireless technology will be more important to your new TV than your desktop PC once your TV has an IP address and internet connectivity, which is right around the corner.

New and unique applications will be developed for your TV ahead of your PC once every HDTV has a browser built in starting in 18 - 24 months.

If you want to see where exciting software is being developed, its not web 2.0. Its being developed for OCAP, Directv and Dish Networks interactive platforms among many. You probably didnt even realize that many of these development platforms are already being built into HDTVs and applications are starting to be released for them.

Its time for everyone to realize that the internet is old news. Its a mature utility, which is the greatest compliment you can give it. The desktop PC is old news. File it next to DVD players: useful and boring with obsolescence right around the corner. Web 2.0 is pleasingly boring.

If the question is “Whats Next “, the answer begins with “Watch TV”.

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Article Source:
http://www.blogmaverick.com/2007/01/19/computer-to-tv-shouldnt-it-be-the-other-way/
http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2007/04/11/apple-tv-may-be-too-little-too-late

Broadcaster Viacom has announced an exclusive deal for Yahoo! to provide search and display adverts across its broadcast platforms.

Initially this will involve Yahoo! running the advertising for Viacom´s 33 leading websites - including mtv.com and vh1.com - with the expansion onto another 140 websites also possible in the future.

The financial details of the deal have not been publicly disclosed, but it is known the exclusive agreement will last for several years and will take advantage of Yahoo!´s new Panama search marketing system.

“This far reaching partnership brings together world-class content and technology for the benefit of users and advertisers alike. Yahoo! has made impressive strides with its new search marketing system,” said Philippe Dauman, president and chief executive of Viacom.

“As a global leader in content for every screen and platform, we couldn´t be more pleased to have them as a partner and we look forward to growing our relationship even more over time,” he added.

The move to agree exclusive terms has been seen as a boost to Yahoo!, which traditionally has lagged behind its great rival Google in providing search and advertising functions to large companies.

Article Source:
http://www.equimedia.co.uk/Yahoo-and-Viacom-agree-online-ad-deal-2007-04-11.htm

 Search engine marketing firm iProspect today announced the publication of the iProspect Social Networking User Behavior Study, resulting from a survey sponsored by iProspect and conducted by JupiterResearch. The study reveals that approximately 1 in 4 adult Internet users regularly visited the most popular social networking sites in the past year, including MySpace, YouTube, and Amazon.com. In addition, the study also revealed that 1 in 3 Internet users report that their purchase decisions are influenced by sites that contain social content, with Amazon.com being the most influential of all.Fielded in January of 2007 with over 2,000 respondents randomly selected from the U.S. online adult population, the survey that served as a basis for this study focused on user behavior on popular social networking sites. For purposes of this study, iProspect defines a “social networking site” as one that allows Internet users the ability to add user-generated content such as: comments, review, feedback, ratings, or their own dedicated pages. It’s because of its use of user-generated content, for example, that Amazon.com - a site which many see as a purely ecommerce site - was included in this survey.

Counseling some of the largest marketers in the world, search engine marketing firm iProspect commissioned this study - a first of its kind — in an effort to gain insight on social networking sites for its clients, and to share the insights gained with the online marketing community as a whole. The key findings all speak to the growing importance of social networking sites as an online marketing channel that marketers should assess, monitor, and embrace. Overall, the findings should be of significant interest to both online marketers, as well as the social networking sites themselves, as they speak to a number of opportunities for both constituencies. Search engine marketers, in particular, should take note of the detailed findings and recommendations within the study.

Among its key findings, the iProspect Social Networking User Behavior Study revealed that the most popular social networking sites, including MySpace, YouTube, and Amazon.com, are visited on at least a monthly basis by approximately 25% of the U.S. online adult population. Many sites attract specific “communities” of visitors whose demographic and psychographic characteristics closely match those of specific audiences targeted by marketers. This illustrates a real advantage that these sites can offer marketers: namely, the ability to participate on sites whose frequent visitors share a predominant set of traits that effectively define them as a community. This affords marketers the opportunity to engage with highly targeted communities of users, which is a key benefit not yet available in the major search engines.

“Sure, everyone knows that people are going to social networking sites,” said Robert Murray, President, iProspect, “but this study demonstrates - unequivocally - that social networking sites are not just a cultural fad.” Murray explained, “We’re talking about a potent marketing channel. In the end, that could translate into a lot of potential revenue or lost opportunity. If you’re an online marketer and you haven’t assessed the value of social networking sites, it’s time you ‘got religion’.”

But Murray warned, “While this is a viable channel, marketers need to realize that participation on these sites is not one-size-fits-all.” Murray elaborated, “Like any other channel, each site needs to be assessed for fit. Don’t jump in blind. Marketers need to ask themselves, ‘Does it fit with my target audience? ‘Does it fit with my marketing strategy? Does it fit with my business?’ Ultimately, it’s got to make sense. Business sense.”

Despite the relatively early development of social networking sites, the study also revealed that nearly one third of Internet users report that they are taking advantage of sites containing user generated content, and that their purchase decisions are influenced by visiting these sites.

“It’s human nature — people trust people like themselves,” said Murray. “So when it comes to recommendations, they tend to trust the input of fellow consumers much more than corporate marketing. Given this behavior, it’s easy to understand how such sites are influencing the purchasing decisions for so many of the users who visit them.” Murray explained, “In short, this spells opportunity for marketers. To capitalize on this trend, marketers should identify sites that possess a high level of influence, and find ways to connect with the site’s community. But keep in mind that each of these communities has its own unique culture, along with unwritten rules on what is or isn’t acceptable marketing practices. Marketers must be sensitive to this. Failing to do so could prove disastrous.”

But despite the above findings, social networking sites are far from replacing the major, traditional search engines in terms of quantity and frequency of visits.

“While social networking sites are a growing and important online channel for marketers to leverage, they are still early stage,” noted Murray. “When it comes to quantity and frequency of visits, these sites are not even in the same ballpark as the major search engines. Even MySpace — the most popular of the social networking sites included in this study - is dwarfed by the likes of Google or Yahoo!. Smart marketers will explore social networks, yet continue to invest in being found in the major search engines. The sheer numbers dictate as much.”

The study goes on to address the following findings and their impact on marketers as well:

• Roughly 1 in 5 visitors do not perform a search once they arrive at a social networking site.
• Visitors primarily arrive at social networking sites through direct navigation/bookmarking, Google search, Yahoo! search, and links in emails.
• Internet users who perform a search on social networking sites do so for a variety of reasons including: for entertainment, to connect or network with others, to research a product or service.
• The majority of visitors to social networking sites have not posted comments on those sites.
• The 18-24 year old age group is more prolific at visiting social networking sites and the major search engines weekly, as well as at posting content on social networking sites.

About iProspect
iProspect® is the Original® Search Engine Marketing Firm. The company helps many of the world’s most successful brands maximize their online marketing ROI through natural search engine optimization, paid inclusion management as a Yahoo! Search Submit Certified Ambassador, pay per click advertising management via their own patent-pending bid management agent called iSEBA®, and Web analytics through their own SEM-configured version of WebTrends™.

Article Source:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/04/prweb517241.htm
http://www.iprospect.com/about/
researchstudy_2007_socialnetworkingbehavior.htm