bengreen.com

My friends at Metalink launched Loudtalks Cloud today.   If you haven’t tried Loudtalks yet, you should.  What is Loudtalks?   A groundbreaking online push-to-talk service.   Think of it as a combination of a Nextel phone, Skype, and Google Talk.   Loudtalks allows users to communicate with each other by voice, in sound bites which can be stored and replied to on demand, just like a standard IM client, only with sound.  Loudtalks is an open network, where anyone can speak to anyone. Loudtalks Cloud is a closed network for your group or organization only.

Read more at the Loudtalks Blog

An overabundance of online impressions on major content venues alongside the effects of a recession-induced advertising slowdown have resulted in a precipitous drop in CPM rates.   While some in the industry have been adversely affected, others see opportunity in a reshaped price structure and online advertising landscape.  Read the full story from Advertsing Age.

CMS powerhouse Interwoven has been acquired by Autonomy for $775 million USD.  According to Autonomy’s web site, “…The combination of the two companies will redefine how global 2000 corporations, leading law firms and government regulators will discover, analyze and manage information and interactions…”

Read the full story from Information Week.

The tenuous relationship between YouTube and “big media” took an interesting turn yesterday with the exclusive announcement on TechCrunch that YouTube will soon allow major content partners to serve their own ads within YouTube.   Up until now, this capability has been available to only a handful of content providers such as CBS.  Read the full story at TechCrunch.

Not long ago I switched from XP Pro to Windows Home Premium, not so much by choice but because it came pre-installed on my new laptop.   On the first day I used it, the planning for a switch to Vista “Ultimate” (whatever that means   ) got underway..and having accomplished that over the Christmas/New Years lull I am now planning on trying out Windows 7, which is now in available in beta.

Given the fact that Microsoft layed off 5,000 this morning, they could definitely use some positive buzz, maybe Windows 7 will help them put the shine back on to some degree.  Developing….

Windows 7 Beta is available here.

Advertisers participating in the initiative  include All State, Applebee’s, Capital One, Nestle, Purina and a couple that have not been disclosed, who will get rights to purchase the first new inventory that will be made available with the new format, but otherwise, the goal is to simply improve the effectiveness of online advertising for the industry, and the quality of the viewing experience for consumers.  Read it all at MediaPost.

Great article on GreenBiz.com about Coke’s facility in SC which recycles containers made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into fleeces, t-shirts, tote bags and other forms of swag, not to mention containers for Coke or Dasani and other beverages which it sells.

Is this a sustainable “green” initiative?   I think not.   Here’s how it works:  bottles are gathered from sources up and down the East coast such as NASCAR events, entertainment venues like Madison Square Garden or Gillette Stadium.  Coke even gathers recylable containers from the Pepsi Center in Denver haha.   They are then transported to the Spartanburg location and converted into PET chips for resale to other Coke affiliates.   There are a couple of things to consider here – one is the carbon footprint size of the operation necessary to move the bottles from their waste dropoff points to the center in SC.  Most likely these are diesel or gasoline-powered tractor trailers.    How does the plant get its power?   In the interviews I have seen with Coke, no one has asked this question.   In all likelihood it is powered by electricity from coal-fired power plants in the SC area.

Why am I blogging this?   My take is that one of Coke’s primary objectives in launching this high profile initiative is to benefit from the marketing buzz associated with such a massive undertaking.   I got the news through one of my LinkedIn groups, and there is demonstrable traction among social marketers in generating traffic from Green initiatives.   In the long term, Coke hopes to turn a profit from its endeavour.   You can read the full article at GreenBiz.com.

~ CMI

Google and One True Media–the parent company of online video ad creator SpotMixer–today are expected to publicly launch a self-serve video ad creation service for Google AdWords customers to produce and distribute cable television ads via Google TV Ads.

Google has offered this service to a subset of beta advertisers since last September. Based on positive response, Google has launched this do-it-yourself ad creation solution for any advertiser to access directly in their AdWords account when they create a TV campaign.  Read the full article at MediaPost.

ESPN has partnered with online classifieds vendor Raceway Media to launch a free, consumer-targeted classifieds section on ESPNOutdoors.com.  Read the full article from MediaWeek.

According to the New York Times, AOL “…counts more than 75 sites in its publishing portfolio and plans to add 30 more in the coming year.” Our take is that despite its ongoing struggle for market share (not to mention an identity), AOL is continuing a strategy established nearly 10 years when AOL acquired Netscape, Winamp, CompuServe, and other interactive channels. The focus today, obviously – is on content.  Here’s a look at some of AOL’s recent acquisitions – which include technology-centric properties such as engadget.com as well as music channels like Spinner (for rock) and TourTracker for (lists live events).

This diversified approach has resulted in the formation of a new business unit within AOL, called MediaGlow.  The full Times article is here.