Microsoft adCenter Analytics Closes

Not long after adCenter Analytics beta launched some new featured for Excel 2007, Microsoft have decided to close their Web analytics program.
They offer a list of alternatives (which incidentally includes Google and Yahoo!).
There was a strange sentence in the blog post which announced the discontinuation of the product:

“despite the end of life plan, the beta was very much a success”

Weird… they successfully determined that the project was not commercially viable… not sure I would phrase it as a success.
However, if you don’t test anything that has a potential for failure, then you limit your growth.

Posted: March 16th, 2009 under Web Analytics - No Comments.

Google Launch Interest-Based Advertising

It looks like Google are updating their AdWords/AdSense model to take into account behaviour and personal preferences of their users.

It is astonishing when you look at how much data Google has, and in real terms, this will affect at least 80% of people in the UK (whether they know it’s happening or not!).

Anyone who uses the Google search engine for a start, but then there are the other properties that the big G owns – meaning anyone who uses iGoogle, Google Docs, Gmail, Blogger, Feedburner, etc will also be affected.

Google says that this new Interest-based advertising will allow advertisers to display ads based on a user’s previous interactions with them, such as visits to advertiser website and also to reach users based on their interests (e.g. “marketing”).

It looks like this will apply to the content network (i.e. anyone who displays Google AdSense on their website), but I’m sure they will be using it for search.

So… other than privacy, can you see any other issues that you would be concerned about here?

Well, what if you share a PC, and are buying a present for your spouse, or you have an ‘adult interest’. Your partner notices the adverts are a bit more risky than normal, and she now knows what you plan on getting for her birthday.

On the other hand, and the reason I am happy that this privacy nightmare is coming into place -

1. As a user, I get more relevant adverts shown to me
2. As a marketer, I waste less money

Fingers crossed, Google isn’t evil…

Posted: March 13th, 2009 under Online Marketing, Paid search marketing - No Comments.

Sony Digital TV Recorder With Extra Megabites & Pixels

I don’t condone excessive bad language… except in this video where it is the key to making you cry with tears of laughter.

Thanks to Simon for distracting me at work with this fantastic video from The Onion:

I actually have one of these at home, I bought it from a bloke on ebay…

Posted: February 10th, 2009 under Off Topic, Technology, Viral Marketing - No Comments.

Marketing To Young People

I was uploading a presentation to slideshare, and I stumbled upon this great piece of advice:

It’s often easy to generalise based on your vision of your target audience – without actually asking them.

For example, I was helping out in my dad’s framing shop recently, and many of his customers were in their 70′s. It must be about 6 years since the last time I was helping out, and based on my experience then, I assumed that most of the elderly customers would not have had email addresses. However, on asking – there was only one person I spoke to during the day who didn’t have one – and he was only in his 40′s.

This highlights the dramatic changes in lifestyle and adoption of technology, but it also highlights that even when you research your target audience, you may still be wrong about them if you’ve not spoken to them recently. Because the data you have about them today may be different in the next 6 months.

Posted: December 3rd, 2008 under Online Marketing - No Comments. Tags: Marketing

OK, slightly off on another tangent…

We’re having an event at my brothers new Art and Framing gallery to launch it on Saturday 22nd November in Marple.

I’ll be there helping out, and we’ll have :

• face painting & balloons
• lots of original paintings
• hand made greetings cards by Jane Forster & Margaret Steeden
• 20% off everything in store & all framing orders on the day (Except on original art)
• a free prize draw for £100 to be spent in the Gallery (drawn at 4pm sharp)

The framing will be done at the Hazel Grove Lazy Daisies Gallery where my sister, Christy, who is a specialist in framing & computerised mount cutting, manages the workshop.

Christy entered 2 frames into The North West Fine Art Guild framing competition & her entries came first & third… Did I mention I was proud?!

Anyway, if you’re in the area, please pop by.

The new gallery is here:
Lazy Daisies III
38 Stockport Road, Marple, Stockport
SK6 6AB
0161 449 9229

Posted: November 18th, 2008 under Off Topic - No Comments.

iTunes Playlists For Podcasts & Video Podcasts

I found this great tip and thought I would share, Majortk has written instructions on how to set up playlists in iTunes to include all video podcasts that you’ve not watched or all podcasts that you’ve not listened to.

Here’s the link to his instructions.

Posted: October 30th, 2008 under Off Topic - No Comments.