Latest Articles
i-design 08 - 3D to 5D
The first panel discussion broached the topic of 5D, the developing area of immersive design that touches on themes around sensory experience, virtual reality environments and design that is not just digital and not just virtual, but rather a hybrid of the two.
moreOnline Advertising Bucks Flagging Market
The industry received a welcome boost this week with the news that Internet advertising revenues rose significantly in the first half of 2008, despite tough economic conditions. NMK quizzed the industry on what we can expect for the next year.
moreITV’s Overlay Advertising Trial Panned
Troubled ITV is experimenting with ‘automatically placed overlay advertising’ to help revive flagging revenues. NMK’s Chris Lee canvassed opinion from around the new media industry about the move.
more- More Web 2.0 Needed In Schools
- UK Council for Child Internet Safety Launches
- US Presidential Election Gets Social
- i-design 08 - Brendan Dawes, My Interactive
- i-design 08 - Simon Waterfall
- YouTube gets into Top Gear
- Goldfarming for Fun and Profit
Related Articles
Media Landscape vs. Media Ghetto
Katie Streten argues that even now, digital media is viewed as a poor relation to other media, but that digital professionals are partly to blame for this state of affairs. more
Approaching the Crossover
Crossover is a series of ‘innovation labs’ for creative professionals from a diverse range of backgrounds: game developers, tv and film producers, web designers, animators, theatre practitioners and others. more
Bloggers Face Jail
A new report has revealed how governments around the world are continuing to clamp down on bloggers. Bloggers risk facing jail by governments which feel threatened by the growing influence of bloggers according to the World Information Access (WIA) report by the University of Washington. more
Winning the Vote on the Web
In the US presidential election, the Web has changed how candidates operate. Tim Hoang reports on how social media has influenced the race for President. more
Bloggers Lost in Legal Fog
On May 28, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 laws will come into force and cause some corporations to reassess their use of social media marketing techniques. more
Related Events
What Happens to Newspapers?
Location: Zigfrid von Underbelly, 11 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6NU
Price: Reduced to £25.00 if you are eligible for a discount.
Social Media for Business
Location: University of Westminster
Price: £175.00 Reduced to £150.00 if you are eligible for a discount.
Beers & Innovation 12: Clients in the Wild
Location: The CC Club, The Trocadero, London
Price: Reduced to £25.00 if you are eligible for a discount.
Blogging 4 Business (Retail Events)
Location: Marriott, Grosvenor Square, London
Price: Reduced to £346.63 if you are eligible for a discount.
Beers & Innovation 6: Social By Design (NMK)
Location: Albannach, 66 Trafagar Square, London WC2N 5DS.
Price: Reduced to £15.00 if you are eligible for a discount.
Most Senior Tech Execs Blog
StumbleUponThe merits of business blogging are still widely debated amongst those that operate in the online space and their offline contemporaries. However, a new worldwide survey by Eurocom Worldwide, the global PR network, in association with UK member agency, Six Degrees, has found that the majority (53 per cent) of senior technology execs contribute to a blog.
The Eurocom Worldwide Annual IT Confidence Survey showed that exactly half of the bloggers did so to improve interaction with the public or their customers. One in five (21 per cent) blog to participate in industry debate and issues and a similar figure (19 per cent) used blogging to raise their own profile. Search engine optimisation was cited as a goal of blogging by only 10 per cent of respondents.
Of those that do not blog, the main reason given was that they do not see the value in blogging with 42 per cent highlighting this as a concern. Nearly a third (32 per cent) also feel that blogging is an exercise which is too time consuming. According to Jennifer Janson, Managing Director at Six Degrees, businesses are still not fully taking advantage of the potential of blogging.
"The jury seems to be still out on the merits of corporate blogging as a tool," commented Janson. "Corporate blogging requires dedicating time and resource, as well as a commitment to transparency, which may not sit well with many traditional companies. However, its value in terms of search engine optimisation and interaction with the public is potentially enormous."
Conrad Bennet, technical service director at marketing intelligence and web analytics specialist, WebTrends agrees.
"Blogging is much more than a "nice to have" in business today - whether you’re a growing SME or a corporate behemoth. Corporate blogs have become increasingly effective communication tools within or on behalf of a corporate community. Conversely, more businesses are paying greater attention to what those 100 million consumer bloggers are saying about them. A dissatisfied customer airing negative views can damage reputations faster than Gerald Ratner can call his own jewellery crap," he said.
However, blogging in the business environment is different from personal blogging, according to Simon Wharton of search marketing agency PushON and director of Manchester Digital, and business should have guidelines in place.
"There should be an agreed and understood policy on blogging between staff, the company and clients. A best practice policy should be discussed, written down and distributed freely to all concerned parties. Corporate blogs are not about ego. They are not about the managing director’s image," commented Wharton. "Those that use blogging for sales will not last long. Those that use it to showcase their ability, passion and are willing to interact with their peers and other interested parties will succeed."
The survey also revealed how the majority of the 350 senior technology executives who took part in the study felt that search was the most important development in marketing in the last ten years. Four out of five executives (79 per cent) highlight the importance of search engines and their impact on corporate communications and marketing.
The majority of respondents expect their company to increase expenditure on Internet advertising in 2008 and rated Internet marking as the best value for money (43 per cent of respondents). The was closely followed by Public Relations (42 per cent) and well ahead of traditional technology industry marketing tactics such as trade shows and exhibitions (13 per cent).
"The Eurocom Worldwide survey shows that corporations and businesses around the world are going through a fundamental shift towards embracing the Internet as an engine for marketing," said Network Director Mads Christensen, Eurocom Worldwide. "This applies across all sectors from business-to-consumer (B2C) to business-to-business (B2B)."
The University of Westminster is a charity and a company limited by guarantee.
Reg. No: 977818 England. Reg. Office: 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW
© 2008 New Media Knowledge.
Site created by Green on Black and designed by Imagination
Comments
You must be logged in to comment.