In 2005 Dutch online media spend has grown explosively

In 2005 the Dutch overall media spend grew by 1.6% to 4.3 billion euro. This was the first increase in four years, bringing total spend close to the previous high in 2000. Largest growth was in online: +46.5%. In 2006 the amount of money spent online will surpass the 100 million euro mark. This clearly illustrates the maturity of the medium. Though when comparing it to the higher amounts in the US and the UK, it also illustrates that a lot of Dutch marketers still have to get used to internet as a marketing medium. After all, it is a lot easier to spend 2 million euro on TV and outdoor than to spend it online.

Source: Nielsen, Jaarboek Netto Mediabestedingen. Read the full article.

 

Open this Box

Music addicts get ready for a big box of goodies.

Sick of constantly being fed sponsored tunes by the Man? Ever get the feeling that while you love being able to try out music in your own living room with iTunes or another similar programme, you miss the insights of your favourite employee at the local CD shop?

You don't know what you are about to get into.

(Read more...)

Keywords: Music,marketing,Pandora,music,streaming,music,genome,project

 

Achtung!

You probably heard the joke about the world's three thinnest books: English Cuisine, French War Heroes and German Humour. Well, after reading this article on Guardian Unlimited, I think we can safely burn that last book. "(...) the idea of our [English] comedic superiority soon begins to fade. It is a mansion built on sand."

Basically, it's mainly due to the languages that English and German humour seem incompatible: "The flexibility of the English language allows us to imagine that we are an inherently witty nation, when in fact we just have a vocabulary and a grammar that allow for endlessly amusing confusions of meanings." And: "The German language provides fully functional clarity. English humour thrives on confusion."

So, the Germans do not only have a good sense of humour after all, their language turns out to be superior to English as well...

 

In 2006 women will surpass men in time spent online

The first ever pan-European insight into women’s attitudes and interaction with the internet has revealed that in 2006 they will be online more than men if current growth trends continue. Whith growth figures last year of TV and Radio (+12%), Newspapers (0%) and Magazines (-4,5%) internet is by far the fastest growing medium (+24%).

(Read more...)

 

Importance of online marketing is growing

(Read more...)

 

Wedsites

My life has suddenly become all about one thing: planning my wedding. And actually, I am quite enjoying it. The idea of bringing together all of those special people from our past – just to bask in the glory of the fact that we happened to bump into each other one evening – is really satisfying.

All the more reason not to let those opportunists out there try to milk you for all you are worth just because you have a spring in your step and a blush to your cheek. They can make the entire process just plain annoying. The web is filled with virtual weasels, and you don’t want to be spending your time and your budget figuring out if they actually have something to offer or if you should be warding them off with a click. So I thought I’d give a few tips to those considering creating an online web site focusing on their wedding.

Cookie-cutters.
There are a few cookie-cutter sites popping up that offer fully-hosted, pre-designed packages with some useful features such online RSVPs, password protection, electronic invites and thank you’s…and a lot more.

Such sites range in price and flexibility and can actually be very useful, particularly to those with tech knowledge between the level of MS Word and My Space. But there is one big downfall: The designs ring a bit too much of a romance novel. None of the ones I have found offer any options to alter the basic design.

Of the English-language sites, I found the following the most worth looking into (in this order):

1. www.wedquarters.com. This happens to be the best deal, being the least expensive whilst still being quite dynamic and user friendly. Eg, you can use multiple passwords throughout the site in order to block access to various pages – useful when you have invited different people to different events and you don’t want to offend anyone. Unfortunately, there are very few neutral designs to choose from amongst the plethora of Barbie dream-house options. If you can handle a floral theme, require a bit of control over the site management, and have a mid-sized wedding, this is for you.

2. www.ewedding.com. This site is less dynamic – for example, it has only one password option and the one events page publishes information about all the events for anyone who is logged in. However, it does have a large selection of more neutral-looking designs, though a few that are just plain scary. So if the look of your site is more important than the password option, this is best for you.

3. www.weddingwindow.com. The most dynamic site, but the most expensive option. The site offers a lot of site management possibilities (which can be labour-intensive), but you do have a lot control. Many password options, detailed RSVP’s, and a bit more freedom with photos and text. This is a web site that goes all out in many ways, and is thus more appropriate for larger, more complicated weddings.Designs are a bit more neutral and classic. But you van pay twice the price.

I suggest you take advantage of their trial offers (usually for about a week) to see if it is really worth the dough.

Wed Blog.
For those with smaller budgets, a bit of blog knowledge, and a lot of imagination there is always the option to just pick one of the many free or low-cost blog services on the net.

Here’s an example of a true wedding blog I particularly like: www.brianandruby.org

Blogging in the name of ‘Geek Socialist Love’, these guys have opted for an open source web site.

To quote their entry: ‘Although we find many aspects of the traditional patriarchal idea of marriage objectionable, we hope to help redefine the institution by showing there's another way to be "husband and wife." One of the reasons to get married, and not just live in a committed domestic partnership, is that declaring our union in such a public way signifies the importance of the community in our relationship.’

'All my ex-es live in Texas'
And finally, for those of you who really want a wedding that is ‘out there’, how about getting married in cyberspace? Apparently in Texas you can say your 'I do's' with a keyboard and a screen: http://weblogs.about.com/b/a/193241.htm

Hmmm. I see a market for divorce sites...

 

Free calls to mobile and landlines in North America

Skype recently announced that they are cutting the costs of calling domestic calls within North America. Although this is "only" until the end of the year. This may sound too good to be true, but some of their competitors have been doing this for a while. So, it was just a matter of time.

There are no subscriptions, no prepayment, no minimum use, no monthly fee, no nothing. The only thing you need to do is to physically be in North America and then download Skype and start dialing.

Read the whole press release.
Download Skype for Windows, OSX, Linux or mobile.

 

Typography in football

Linotype has made a list of football clubs and what font or similar font they are using. Very interesting to see how typography resembles what the team stands for.

See all jerseys.

Keywords: typography,football,soccer,jerseys,typeface,font,world,cup,argentina,crespo

 

Service with a Smiley

It seems that a certain low-cost hyperstore in the US believes that they are the true owners of that notious 'smiley'.

You know which one I mean: the one that reportedly was invented by a happy Frenchman in the late sixties.

Walmart is currently involved in legal dispute over using the said happy yellow smiley face on staff uniforms and promotions in the US.

So keep up to date - that emoticon collection you have so proudly assembled may wind up being free advertising.
Read more on the BBC

Keywords: smiley,trademark,emoticon,copyright,Walmart,french

 

FIFA World Cup 06 art posters

In the latest issue of Designweek the headline news item is about a campaign that Germany, the host of this years World Cup in football are holding. It's a campaign that consists of 14 pieces of art that are football related. The goal of this campaign was that football isnt only kicking a ball around, there is a whole culture behind it.

Dr Renate Bauer of Brands United had the task to invite a number of artists, from which Joseph Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA hanpicked 14 artists. These posters can be purchased signed and unsigned, after the originals will be held for an exhibition in the German parlament, even these will be sold.
View the posters in a larger scale (Read more...)

 

New Media Catalyst website!

We launched our new website today.

w00t!

UPDATE - 29.05.06
I just heard that our new site was featured on the Standout Website Awards on May 26th. Not bad!

 

Amazing, the World didn't end!

A once in eternity event happened at 1am, 2 minutes and 3 seconds this morning. The time was: 1:02:03 4/5/6. Amazing! I reconfigured my menu bar clock and took a commemorative screenshot to mark the event...

Then I danced around the room in celebration, singing a song in latin in honour of Galileo