InsWeb Cuts DM Spend And Revenue Drop Follows
Talk about calibrating marketing efforts to results: Online insurance firm InsWeb cut its direct marketing budget by 70% between first-quarter 2008 and first-quarter 2009. What was the upshot? A 73% decline in revenue first-quarter 2009 revenue....
Small B-to-B Firms Bullish On Digital DM
Ad spending contraction may be a fact, but it’s hardly universal. Take small business-to-business firms: Three quarters of them are either increasing spending over 2008’s level or keeping it at the same rate...
Expedia Focuses On Growth
Online travel firm Expedia Inc. generated $635.7 million for itself while racking up $5.23 billion in bookings for hotels around the world during first-quarter 2009. ...
Hulu.com Gaining Ground as Online Video Stop: Report
Hulu.com, the commercial-supported Web site that offers TV shows and movies, is coming up fast in the ranks of Internet destinations for video...
IAC Takes First-Quarter Loss
IAC, which runs a variety of Internet businesses, took a $28.4 million loss during first-quarter 2009, compared with $52.8 million in net income during first-quarter 2008. The company’s revenue dropped from $370.7 million to $332 million during the same period....
Chinese Search Engine Firm Sees Profit, Revenue Gains
Baidu, a Chinese-language search provider, generated the equivalent of $118.6 million during first-quarter 2009, up 41% from first-quarter 2008’s level. ...
Marketplaces Weak, But Payments, Skype Strong For Ebay
Ebay generated $2.02 billion in revenue during first quarter 2009, down from the $2.91 billion it pulled in during first quarter 2008. More, along with The Eavesdropper's Take, follows....
Overstock Cuts Loss, Considers Higher-End Offerings
Shed no tears for Overstock.com’s revenue drop. While the company pulled in $187.4 million during first-quarter 2009, down from $202.8 million a year earlier, it trimmed its net loss from $4.7 million to $2.1 million during the same period. More, along with The Eavesdropper's Take, follows....
Acxiom, Privacy Vaults Launch Online Child Registry
Acxiom Corp. and Privacy Vaults Online Inc. (Privo) have joined to launch the Protect My Child Registry....
Soap Opera Year For Valuevision As Finances Suffer
Valuevision, which sells merchandise through TV- and Internet-based channels, had a year right out of a daytime drama. Put aside its net loss: 2008 saw it dismiss a newly hired CEO, fail to generate interest from outsiders interested in purchasing it and revamp its product mix. More, along with The Marketer's Take, follows....
Site Revenue Up, AdSense Revenue Off For Google
Google Inc. generated revenue of $5.51 billion during first quarter 2009, a 6% increase over first quarter 2008 revenue of $5.19 billion but a 3% decrease from fourth quarter 2008 revenue of $5.7 billion. ...
Cindy Marshall Joins Pace Communications
Cindy Marshall has joined the Pace Communications as president of the E-Commerce division. ...
Food Delivery Marketer Home Bistro Suspends DM Operations
Home Bistro, a company that sells gourmet prepared food through its catalog and the Internet, has suspended its operations. In late March, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization protection....
Digital Agency Organic Promotes Two Senior Execs
Organic, Inc., a digital communications agency, has promoted Conor Brady from VP of creative to senior VP and chief creative officer. Separately Steve Kerho, who had been vice president, was named senior VP of analytics, media and marketing optimization...
Yahoo Exec Joins Online Ad Firm
Jeff McCombs has joined Tumri, an online ad-serving company, and will serve as chief financial officer. ...
Social Media For The Holy Days
The impending Easter and Passover holidays serve as quiet reminders that (perhaps especially in troubled economic times) a little faith isn’t a bad thing. Two Web sites are harnessing the power of social media......
Positive Signs For E-Commerce In March: Coremetrics
Marketers who sell health and beauty items or jewelry online shouldn’t be faulted if they are overheard asking “What recession?” More, along with The Cynic's Take, follows....
Elisa Steele Named CMO of Yahoo
Elisa Steele has joined Yahoo Inc. as chief marketing officer, effective March 23. ...
Consumers And Advertisers Outstrip Media Firms In Digital Savvy
Media companies are lagging consumers’ and advertisers’ embracement of digital formats, according to a new study....
Loss Widens for Autobytel
Autobytel, a lead generation company for vehicle sellers, generated $71.2 million during its fiscal 2008, down from $84.4 million a year earlier. More, along with The Observer's Take, follows....
Longer Search Terms Becoming Popular
Search queries consisting of four to six words have become more popular, while one-, two- or three-word searches declined in popularity, according to a study from Hitwise. More, with The Opportunist's Take, follows....
Impairment Charge Damps ValueClick’s Earnings
ValueClick took a $322 million impairment charge, leading to a net loss. Details, and The Analyst's Take, follow......
FaceTime Strategy Acquires Concise Data
FaceTime Strategy, a Washington, digital marketing company, has acquired Concise Data Management Inc., a Dallas-based direct marketing agency....
Court Halts Alleged Online Payday Lending Scheme
A federal court has ordered a halt to certain practices by seven U.S.-based companies and an individual that allegedly operated as part of an international Internet payday lending operation, according to the Federal Trade Commission....
Market Leader Becomes Authorized Keyword Reseller for Google
Market Leader Inc. has signed an agreement with Google to become an authorized reseller of advertising keywords used for generating Web site traffic, search engine marketing and lead generation programs....
