A look at the technical restrictions we discovered during our last social media campaign
We ended 2009 with an eight week social media campaign for a client. The client wanted a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a YouTube channel to drive traffic to and raise awareness of their campaign site.

by Brian Solis
One of the greatest challenges I encounter today is not the willingness of a brand to engage, but its ability to create. When blueprinting a social media strategy, enthusiasm and support typically derails when examining the resources and commitment required to produce regular content.

Gannett, Omnicom and Publicis Sign on With Adap.tv, but Will It Drive Down Rates? by Michael Learmonth
For years, online advertisers have used online ad exchanges to buy display advertising. But now exchanges are also coming to the more complex and fractured world of online video.

The Changing Agency-Media Ecosystem Is Finally Working for Brand Advertisers by Troy Young
Video advertising sales are strong. A number of sellers in the space showed impressive gains in 2009 and our business is up substantially. Rumor has it that the large home-page display units on YouTube are sold out through 2010. The industry's growth is not just about pre-roll, though maturation of the streaming video market is a strong driver growth.

Creative Efforts Often Don't Suit Digital, Neglect Research by Philip W. Sawyer
In 2005, CNET undertook a series of landmark online-advertising-effectiveness studies with Starch Communications to identify the best approaches to online advertising. CNET made the research public, offering presentations throughout the country and on its website.

by Kirby Winfield
I had an epiphany the other night. For many brand advertisers, display advertising is a lot like giving your teenager the car keys for the first time. They tell you exactly where they’re going, who they’re going to be with, what kind of activities and/or environments are expected, how much money they need and what time they’ll be home.

Sixty-nine percent of media planners and agencies now use online advertising networks as part of their digital ad buys - a 24 percent increase in the past 18 months, according to a new study conducted by Adify Media.

Marcel Lee Pereira, editor of iMedia Connection Asia, met Admax Network's Gilbert Lo at a recent workshop for digital publishers, and got some advice on how websites can best deal with unsold ad space.

"Hey Frankie - have you heard? Brand safety solutions are the rage!"
Within the recent demand-side platform (DSP) trend where advertisers effect buying strategies across multiple supply sources - and potentially hundreds of websites -, a growing list of companies and products is emerging to alleviate the risk of placing an ad on a page deemed inappropriate for the brand. Known as "risk management", it would be more accurate to identify the new category as "brand risk management."

by Meg Carter
Professional online video is growing. But how do you make it pay? Do you take the safe free option, go for ad-based offerings and hope to expand your viewer base, or gamble with a subscription model? Or are hybrid models based on current TV offerings inevitable?

eMarketer analysts give you their perspective
Video: More marketers will increasingly embrace online video advertising, supported by the twin boom of video streams and video ad networks. Further support for video ad growth will come from sites that offer a deeper catalog of professional video content—such as whole seasons of TV shows (both present and past), exclusives of entire sports events and other premium content.

SingTel Digital Media's inSing.com has added to its lifestyle offering by providing a dedicated ‘NightOut' section. The new section provides details about all the things to do in Singapore after 9pm like places to shop, restaurants, parties and events.

By Liz Ross
Looking ahead: It's that time of year again. Only a couple weeks ago, honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes, and fighting with hoards of people over $15 DVD players in the aisles of Wal-Mart was all the rage. And although the holidays are now behind us, two types of articles are still in season -- the first being the much anticipated and expected lists of the "best" and the "worst" campaigns, products, and songs of the year past. The other common article type consists of predictions and proclamations for the year ahead. This is one of the latter.