Even in the midst of the current economic downturn, online research firm Jupiter Research has predicted that local online advertising will prosper in 2008, growing 12% by 2012. An interesting prediction, especially when you consider the current financial troubles at Yahoo! as it struggles to recover from a loss of earnings and compete with Google in the search arena. Still, if you think about it, it does make sense. More often than not, if I am looking for a particular product, service, or experience in my neighborhood or those surrounding, I will search the product name, the service, or the type of experience I am seeking (i.e. sushi restaurant, vintage clothing stores, yoga classes), along with the city name or zip code to denote the area in which I am looking. More than half of the time I will visit one or more of the local businesses that come up … Continue reading
Happy “Data Privacy Day.”
It’s Monday, January 28th, 2008. The start of a new workweek for many, the end of a workweek for some, and just another day for so many young twenty-somethings in Los Angeles who, uh, “don’t work.” You know who I mean. That being said, it is also “Data Privacy Day,” according to a representative of the Bush Administration, and the IAPP. What is the IAPP, you ask? Good question. I had never heard of it until today, which is curious, considering that I’ve been working in the online sphere for quite some time, and have blogged about the topic of online privacy on more than one occasion. At any rate, perhaps I am just late to the party on this one (or perhaps not). The IAPP is the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Their mission, according to their website, is as follows: ” The mission of the IAPP is to … Continue reading
Hey, Hulu…I want my MTV.
Hulu.com. Some of us have heard of it, many have not. The brainchild of media conglomerates NBC and Fox, Hulu started beta testing their site towards the end of last year, and I recently received my beta login. My feelings are mixed. First of all, no, I am not one of those elitist writer types who is going to sit here and pretend I don’t watch TV. I do. And despite the claims of critics over the last year or so (the folks at Google/YouTube reportedly dubbed it “Clown Co.“), I think Hulu is a great idea. As someone who recently ditched their cable box in favor of a DVD-by-mail service, only to find myself watching more TV than I did when I had cable (umm, what??), Hulu is a great way to catch some of my favorite network shows (Family Guy, Grey’s Anatomy, House, The Simpsons, etc.). I’ve only … Continue reading
The Politics of the Web.
Most people probably do not consider a presidential candidate’s stance on Internet security, online privacy, or the hotly debated “net neutrality” when deciding whom to vote for this November. I do. Maybe it is because I am a writer who thinks about these sorts of things, maybe it is because I blog, or maybe it is because I am a politics junkie and just plain curious. Maybe it is all of these things. Either way, now that the results of the 1st few US primary elections are in, it seems like a good time to do a little investigation into what our presidential candidates think about the Internet. Last year, SaveTheInternet.com posted an article detailing the candidates’ then current stance on net neutrality, but I haven’t heard much about it lately. I also found it a tiny bit odd that when I Googled “presidential candidates’ views on the Internet,” all … Continue reading
Google Loses Top Talent.
Did Google start yet another trend? Power-players shifting roles is par for the course in the business world. Top executives and creative talent leave their well-respected posts at the companies that have allowed them to flourish to engage in new ventures, taking their knowledge, flair, and passion with them. Nevertheless, lately, Google has seen a virtual exodus of some of its top talent. Often referred to as the “godfather” of AdSense, developer Gokul Rajaram left Google in November 2007, curiously declining the opportunity to stay on board for the pending DoubleClick acquisition. Former “head of special initiatives” Chris Sacca left the company last December, after playing a large and somewhat controversial role in making Google’s presence known in the wireless world, and Nathan Stoll, former Product Manager for Google news, announced his departure just a week ago. This time, it’s Kevin Fox on the go, who announced in his blog … Continue reading
Wpromote Launches New Site
Greetings, and happy new year! It is the first day back to work after the holidays and the office is already buzzing with activity. I love it. Not only is this the start of an exciting new year for Wpromote, we are also celebrating the launch of our new website, which went live over the weekend, thanks the the tireless efforts of our web development team, who worked throughout the weekend to ensure a timely launch. Thanks, guys! Please take a look and let us know what you think in the comments sections below. We are looking forward to your feedback. In addition to celebrating the new year and the new site, we are also celebrating the launch of MarketLocal, a forward-thinking marketing service that promises to become an integral tool for business owners looking to maximize their online presence in a fast, cost-effective, and creative way. The first and … Continue reading