Things worth reading for January 3rd:
Ad Execs Gaze Into 2011 Crystal Ball – WSJ.com – Another round of predictions…
Google Digital Newsstand Aims to Muscle In on Apple – WSJ.com – I’d love to get Doug Weaver’s take on this. “Google Inc. and Apple Inc. have stepped up their battle to win over publishers, as the two companies vie to become the dominant distributor of newspapers and magazines for tablet computers and other mobile devices.Google is trying to drum up publishers’ support for a new Google-operated digital newsstand for users of devices that run its Android software. With the effort, it is chasing Apple, which already sells digital versions of many major magazines and newspapers through its iTunes store.”
Borders Delays Payments to Publishers – WSJ.com – Cue the spooky music. “The nation’s second-largest bookstore chain by revenue, behind Barnes & Noble Inc., said the delays were part of its efforts to refinance its debt and that it had notified the publishers with which it is seeking to restructure payments.”
Smarter Than You Think – When Computers Keep Watch – NYTimes.com – Long but worthwhile: “A computer-vision system can watch a hospital room and remind doctors and nurses to wash their hands, or warn of restless patients who are in danger of falling out of bed. It can, through a computer-equipped mirror, read a man’s face to detect his heart rate and other vital signs. It can analyze a woman’s expressions as she watches a movie trailer or shops online, and help marketers tailor their offerings accordingly. Computer vision can also be used at shopping malls, schoolyards, subway platforms, office complexes and stadiums.”
Goldman Invests in Facebook at $50 Billion Valuation – NYTimes.com – “Facebook, the popular social networking site, has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and a Russian investor in a deal that values the company at $50 billion, according to people involved in the transaction.
“The deal makes Facebook now worth more than companies like eBay, Yahoo and Time Warner.
“The stake by Goldman Sachs, considered one of Wall Street’s savviest investors, signals the increasing might of Facebook, which has already been bearing down on giants like Google.”
New Geomentum CEO Sean Finnegan Thinks Brand Marketers Looking For Engagement In 2011 – Worth a read… and very quick.
R.I.P Pete Postlethwaite – Deadline.com – “What a depressing way to start 2011. Actor Pete Postlethwaite has passed away at age 64, losing a long fight with cancer. The British actor had his Hollywood breakout with an Oscar-nominated turn as Guiseppe Conlon, the working class Irish father who shared a prison cell with son Gerry in 1993’s In The Name of the Father. He played good guys and bad guys in equal measure and turned in memorable performances in The Usual Suspects, Romeo + Juliet, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and two current Oscar contenders: The Chris Nolan-directed Inception and the Ben Affleck-directed The Town. The latter performance, as the florist/vicious Boston gangster Fergie, was a showcase for his considerable talent. He’s survived by wife Jacqui and his son, Will, and daughter, Lily.”
Why Marketing’s Big Guns Head to Consumer Electronic Show – Nice overview.
IDEO Reimagines the Music Player | Brain Pickings – “After reimagining the book, design innovation powerhouse IDEO is after the music player. c60 is an RFID-based interface that reintroduces physicality to music, something lost with digitization and the move to the cloud.”
Trends in Consumers’ Time Spent with Media – eMarketer – “The average time spent with all major media combined increased from about 10.6 hours in 2008 to 11 hours in 2010, according to eMarketer. TV and video (not including online video) captured the lion’s share of all media time, about 40% each year. The internet’s share of media time increased over the same period, from 21.5% to 23.5%, as did mobile’s share, from 5% to 7.5%. The share of time spent with magazines and newspapers fluctuated between 10% and 7.5%, while radio and all other media—video games, movies in theaters and outdoor media—declined.”
MediaPost Publications Online Ad Revenue to Grow 10% in 2011, S&P Predicts 12/30/2010 – “Combining S&P’s percentage-growth figure for 2011 with a separate 2010 estimate from eMarketer, that means total online ad revenues will grow from $25.8 billion this year to just under $28.4 billion next year. According to these predictions, the rate of increase will slow slightly in percentage terms — down from 13.9% this year — as well as actual dollar amounts (from a $3.14 billion increase in 2010 to a $2.6 billion increase in 2011).”
Top 10 Digital Advertising Innovations of 2010 – Nice piece.
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