Thoughts on Search, Advertising, Technology and anything else I find interesting

Archive for January, 2009

Snuggie gets a warm embrace from pop culture - USATODAY.com

The Snuggie, an oversized fleece blanket with sleeves, stars in a ubiquitous TV ad so cheesy it’s practically art, and apparently wildly entertaining. The ad shows people wearing Snuggies at a sporting event, cheering and high-fiving each other while dressed … sort of like medieval monks.

On Alice, Tik Tok, Marketing, CES, and Finding The Ground - John Battelle’s Searchblog

But here we stand, ready to do the work. That is what I sensed at CES. The journey will be difficult, there are losses still ahead, and we’ll be continually be tested. We will be forced to question our assumptions and deal with situations which on their face might be challenging, or even preposterous (a Cheshire Cat? Forests of Metal?!). But we can either hide from this new reality, or embrace it as an important narrative upon which we must embark.

PR Communications: Mobile Technology Marketing Insights From Tamara Gruber

Frankly, I think mobile technology companies face greater challenges than an internet service or enterprise software company. To start, you have such disparate technologies that you need to bridge…be it a thousands of handsets, various operating systems, or multiple network protocols. That requires a tremendous amount of expertise and support. Next, there are many factors that you just can’t control. For example, we are still dealing with carriers that want to create “walled gardens” of content and make it challenging for companies addressing the mobile consumer or business needs. Then, you have the lifespan of a mobile phone. As hot as it was, a year after the launch of the Apple iPhone, Blackberry was still the number one device used for accessing the mobile web. It takes time, and a number of pricing factors controlled by the network, to achieve critical mass.

I hope this brings up the stock price. A LOT.

Yahoo to Name Bartz as CEO - WSJ.com

Yahoo Inc. is expected to announce that Carol Bartz, former chief executive of software company Autodesk Inc., has accepted an offer to become the Internet company’s next CEO, according to people familiar with the situation.

Fox Interactive Media To Shut Down Flektor And SpringWidgets

In an effort to control costs and consolidate products, MySpace parent company Fox Interactive Media is shuttering the SpringWidgets (which launched in 2006) and Flektor (acquired in 2007) widget platforms. Twenty five employees are affected.

Search Biz: Yahoo-MSFT Update; Google’s 20% Time Changing & Google Router Coming Soon?

The latest twist in the Yahoo-Microsoft saga comes from TechCrunch, which reports that a new group is trying to takeover Yahoo … with Microsoft’s money. The group is made up of investment bankers and Silicon Valley big-wigs, and Microsoft would loan the group the money to make it happen. If it sounds a bit complicated, it probably is; TechCrunch says the current economic situation demands creative financing on big merger deals like this. If the report is accurate, and if it happens, the new group would sell Yahoo’s search and search marketing business to Microsoft. TechCrunch says the proposal is in Microsoft’s hands right now, but in a Bloomberg report, a “person familiar with Microsoft’s plans” denied that any talks were taking place.