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The Silicon Kingdom: Disney Invests in Tech Startup Program

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 18:49

Disneyland could be the next Silicon Valley with its new program to jumpstart tech companies. Disney is getting into the accelerator business, sprinkling investments like pixie dust on a select group of startups. The company announced its Disney accelerator program today in Los Angeles. Techstars, a prominent force in early-stage investing, is a partner in the Disney program. Disney has been taking steps into the tech world for years—it bought Pixar, which was founded by Steve Jobs, who also sat on the Disney board before he died.

Virtual Goods All Grown Up

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 17:43

Stickers may seem like child’s play but in the mobile messaging world they’re big business. They’re also are a way for brands to get in the texting conversation. Third-party messaging app Line made about $25 million in the fourth quarter from virtual goods—accounting for 20 percent of its revenue from its almost 350 million users.

Virtual Goods All Grown Up

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 17:43

Stickers may seem like child’s play but in the mobile messaging world they’re big business. They’re also are a way for brands to get in the texting conversation. Third-party messaging app Line made about $25 million in the fourth quarter from virtual goods—accounting for 20 percent of its revenue from its almost 350 million users.

Be Mine: Parallels Between Digital Advertising and Online Dating

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 17:35

Dating and advertising. Both are booming in the online realm—flipping the traditional relationship and ad stories upside-down. With that, our insights, actions and results are also evolving. Understanding the numerical and emotional elements of human behavior is imperative in both the online dating world and digital advertising, as machines alone are not enough to bring out the power of big data. The human element is necessary across both phenomena.

Protest to Stop NSA Surveillance Generates 85,000 Calls to Congress

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 16:42

Never underestimate the newfound digital power of advocacy groups to lobby lawmakers. Tuesday's protest against government surveillance, dubbed The Day We Fight Back, generated more than 85,000 phone calls and 175,000 emails to members of Congress, thanks to more than 6,000 websites that agreed to host a banner to direct voters to act. Twitter hashtag #StoptheNSA got plenty of play, both by activists and lawmakers such as Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep.

Ad of the Day: Love Is in the Details in the Year's Most Romantic Commercial

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 15:50

What's more difficult than making a commercial that's funny or sad? Making one that's earnestly romantic. As we're reminded each year in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, marketers are practically incapable of conveying love without falling into a handful of stereotyped scenarios and coating them in a thick lacquer of cloying cheese. For a refreshing alternative, check out this two-minute spot by BBDO Germany for European hair-coloring product Schwarzkopf Nectra Color.

FCC Backs Off Study of Newsroom Editorial Practices

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 14:37

The Federal Communications Commission is quietly changing course on a controversial study after parts of the methodology were roundly criticized by GOP lawmakers and commissioner Ajit Pai for encroaching into editorial decisions and content at TV stations. The Multi-Market Study of Critical Information Needs, which aimed to help the commission figure out how to lower entry barriers for minorities in broadcasting, may now be on hold. At the very least, the controversial sections of the study will be revisited under new chairman Tom Wheeler and incorporated into a new draft.

Here Are the 2014 Products of the Year

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 14:00

Quick—what do the Xbox, Eggland's Best eggs and Adams flea and tick spray have in common? For the record (and before your mind wanders too far) they’re a few of the 23 winners of the annual Product of the Year honors. Yes, we know, a nice bonfire could be had with all of the awards and trophies out there. But getting named one of the POY is actually a very big deal for a brand—not only for the boasting rights, but for the marketing. The winners will appear on the cover of Parade magazine, and the halo effect of a POY translates to an average sales bump of 10-15 percent.

Olympics Viewers Don’t Like Celebrity Endorsements

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 12:01

Winter Olympics will be glad to know that people who watch the games are 9 percent more likely than the general public to buy from companies that sponsor sporting events, but beware of celebrity endorsements—viewers are 43 percent less likely to buy products that celebrities use, according to Experian Marketing Services. Meanwhile, multitasking during the games is on the rise, with three-fourths of those planning to watch the Winter Games plan to use more than one device while doing so, per Arnold Worldwide.