Comcast Play for NBC Universal Is a Bet on Future of Advertising†

Union Would Allow Experiments in DVR, Addressable Campaigns

Advertising Age, November 9, 2009 — Comcast Corp. is looking to take a 51% stake in NBC Universal, surely a sign of the durability of cable networks, since NBCU owns a bunch of top-tier ones. But there's more going on here: It's also a calculated move to seize the reins in shaping future TV-viewer behavior and a bid to assume the lead in figuring out how to advertise to the new-media consumer.

Corporate America Finding Tweet Smell Of Success On Twitter

Investors.com, August 12, 2009 — Corporate America is all a-twitter.

From agriculture giant Monsanto (MON) to the Starbucks (SBUX) coffee chain, outfits of all stripes have added Twitter to their mix of communication tools. Just in the past three or four months, use of Twitter for marketing has boomed, says Forrester Research analyst Emily Riley. "Marketers are looking for free ways to reach influential audiences, especially in a bad economy," Riley said.

Target Offers Taste of DailyCandy†

Retailer's Site Will Feature Product Picks, Articles From Newsletter's Editors

Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2009 — Target has its bull's-eye on a new venture: online media.

On Tuesday, the retailer plans to formally announce a partnership with DailyCandy.com, the email newsletter and Web site owned by cable operator Comcast that covers fashion and culture for a mostly female audience.

The venture, called Red Hot Shop, will be a special section of Target.com that will feature products from up-and-coming designers selected by DailyCandy editors, along with articles and artwork by the DailyCandy team. It is part of a broader ad deal in which Target is paying to advertise with DailyCandy; neither side would disclose the value of the deal.

Twitter Goes Mainstream†

A lot more people -- and businesses -- are finding new ways to tweet

Wall Street Journal, October 27, 2008 — One of the hottest technologies in Silicon Valley is also one of the simplest.

The online service from Web start-up Twitter Inc. prompts users to do one thing: answer the question, "What are you doing?" in 140 characters or less. People type these brief updates, known as "tweets," into Twitter's site or send them to Twitter as text messages. Friends and colleagues can then check the site to monitor each other's updates.

When the service first appeared a couple of years ago, its appeal seemed largely limited to narcissists who wanted to let everybody know what they were doing in real time. But, like blogs and social-networking sites, Twitter is starting to cross into the mainstream, as a wide range of people find interesting uses for the brief notes.

Victory!†

Comcastmustdie.com Has Shamed Comcast Into a Modicum of Respect for Its Customers

Advertising Age, July 30, 2008 — Comcastmustdie.com, the blog, began a mere 11 months ago with this simple preamble:

Actually, I have no deathwish for Comcast or any other gigantic, blundering, greedy, arrogant corporate monstrosity. What I do have is the earnest desire for such companies to change their ways. This site offers an opportunity — for you to vent your grievances (civilly, please) and for Comcast to pay close attention.

Griping Online? Comcast Hears and Talks Back

New York Times, July 25, 2008 — Brandon Dilbeck, 20, a student at the University of Washington, was complaining recently on his blog, Brandon Notices, about Comcast’s practice of posting ads in its on-screen programming guide. He assumed he was writing for his own benefit. “It feels like nobody ever really reads my blog,” he said. “Nobody has left a comment in months.”