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Vol 2, #22, June 1, 2010 |
Rogers Radio launches iPhone application Rogers Digital Media announced today that it has launched an iPhone application for its 52 radio stations. The Rogers Radio iPhone app is available for free and exclusively to Rogers Wireless and Fido customers. The Rogers Radio iPhone app provides users with the ability to access some of the best and most recognizable brands in music, sports and news radio including 98.1 CHFI, SONiC 102.9, JACK FM, News1130, 680News, The FAN 590 and The FAN 960. Featuring the ability to search by Genre, by Station, by City or by "Near Me", the Rogers Radio iPhone app quickly gets listeners to their favourite station and allows them to try other stations close to them or across the country. Fans can also request a song, get details on the last 10 songs played, link to the station website and share their favourite station with friends via email. " Rogers is committed to connecting with our listeners on all platforms. The Rogers Radio iPhone application allows us to reach our listeners no matter where they are," said Claude Galipeau, SVP & GM, Digital Media, Rogers Media Inc. "This application complements our popular iPhone and BlackBerry applications from 680News, 660News and News1130." Top of Page CNW has added a nimble new web video service to its well-established multimedia production and distribution offering, becoming the first and only newswire to provide its clients with same-day web video for inclusion in social media releases. "Newsrooms are under enormous pressure to break news online and to support those stories with multimedia," said Carolyn McGill-Davidson, CNW President and Chief Executive Officer. "To address this need, CNW developed its Social Media Release as a way to package news release text and related multimedia assets and deliver it to online audiences. In doing so, we saw the need for a quick and affordable solution for made-for-web style videos." Web video is any video prepared in a format that is easy to view and share online. This ease of use is what makes it possible for videos to go "viral" on the web. From Shoot to Share in two hours CNW's Same-Day Web Video service is perfect for breaking news, outdoor events and pre-lit venues. But why pay a full crew for a half day when you only need a 30-second clip? "We asked ourselves the same thing," said Tim Griffin, Director Multimedia for CNW. "Then we developed our same-day web video solution by stripping down to the highest quality essentials." Those essentials included one professional videojournalist, one HD camera and one portable edit suite. Quick to set up and quick to shoot, CNW's videojournalist will expertly edit and post the finished video on the web - without ever leaving location. Only CNW can create web video as quickly and only CNW can distribute it as broadly. Distribution using CNW's popular Social Media Release is included with every web video production. A social media release is an online solution that packages news release text and photo and video files in an easy-to-share format, along with optional social media tools such as comments. CNW distributes every social media release using its dedicated newswire, RSS and Twitter feeds. In addition, all CNW Social Media Releases are hosted at smr.newswire.ca and all included web videos are individually posted to video sharing sites, including YouTube, Dailymotion and Vimeo. Each CNW Social Media Release is followed up with an analytics report describing how many times the page was viewed and how often multimedia files were downloaded. CNW's MediaVantage platform can then capture online mentions and news coverage generated by the announcement. Know your audience's audience Multimedia has become one of the most important assets in media, communications and public relations today. A recent PR Week survey on the current media landscape demonstrated the growing importance of video and multimedia in newsrooms; a sentiment echoed by journalists and industry experts on the cutting edge of news innovation at CNW's spring Breakfast with the Media series. "Journalists are not looking for just a print press release now. They're going to be asked by their editors for multimedia - whether there is a photo, or a video and what is the potential for social media. You need to think about this when putting out a package for reporters," said Scott Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Canwest News Services, at CNW's Breakfast with the Media event in Toronto last April. Video adds clarity to any story, whether in demonstrating how a product is used or describing a company's latest financial results. The recent PR Week media survey revealed that 34% of journalists used supplied multimedia to better understand the story and another 19% said their organization regularly uses supplied multimedia to enhance the online version of the story. Top of Page New site helps plan trips to Canadian Rockies Visitors to the Canadian Rockies now have the ultimate source for planning a trip in and around Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. The all new ExploreRockies.com site features leading-edge trip planning elements, including scenic live webcams, high definition videos, traveler photos of wildlife sightings, plus information and online booking capabilities for must-do activities, attractions, sightseeing and much more! Travel companies and individuals can also benefit from the site through an ExploreRockies.com affiliate program, which pays commissions to affiliate partners on sales made through the website. ExploreRockies.com features a fresh, award-winning visual identity designed by Southern California advertising agency Hunter | Johnsen. The logo, which represents a modern, slightly abstract depiction of the Rocky Mountains, was recently honored by the American Advertising Federation with a Silver ADDY award in the category of “Elements of Advertising – Logo”. With over 60,000 entries annually, the ADDY Awards are the world's largest and arguably toughest advertising competition. The ADDY Awards represent the true spirit of creative excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from media of all types, creative by all sizes and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world. The American Advertising Federation, a not-for-profit industry association conducts the ADDY Awards through its 200 member advertising clubs and 15 districts. It is the only creative awards program administered by the advertising industry for the industry. “We are thrilled that the new identity for our Explore Rockies.com brand has been recognized by the professional advertising community.” says Michael Hannan, President of Brewster Inc. “We think the logo represents the vision and personality of Brewster’s businesses as we move into an exciting new time in the company’s development.” About ExploreRockies.com ExploreRockies.com, a division of Brewster Inc., features a collection of the best activities in the Rockies, including the Banff Gondola, Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience, Minnewanka Lake Cruise, Brewster Sightseeing Excursions and ExploreRockies.com In-Resort Activity Centres. For more information, visit Brewster.ca or ExploreRockies.com. Top of Page Virtual, mobile gift cards hit Facebook platform Transaction Wireless (TW), leading provider of virtual and mobile gift cards, today launched a new gift card solution for social gifting. TW’s gift card “store” built on Facebook Platform allows friends – especially ones who routinely count on Facebook’s birthday reminders – to create fun, customizable messages with instant delivery or a time-select option to arrive during a party, event or other special occasion. The card is delivered directly to the “always with you” mobile phone and an email address for printing options. Best of all, gifting on Facebook Platform increases the fun factor of social media and also helps ensure important birthdays and anniversaries are never forgotten. TW’s Facebook application is available immediately and is launching with Bass Pro Shops, America’s premier outdoor retailer. Gift recipients don’t have to be on Facebook to receive the card – delivery is made to mobile, email and via Facebook, simultaneously – catching the birthday boy, bride, recent grad and more wherever they happen to be. The application can be seen at http://transactionwireless.com/basspro/ “Gifting on Facebook is super convenient and easy but until now the gifts have been virtual or a gift that must be delivered – taking days in the mail to arrive and with extra shipping expenses,” said Bruce Springer, president and CEO, Transaction Wireless. “With our Facebook store offering, the delivery is instant, totally customizable with voice, video or text messages and, if you choose, you can announce to the rest of your friends on Facebook what you’ve just sent or received.” While consumers enjoy the ease of use and unique customization features, retailers benefit from being able to offer their gift cards on their Facebook Pages with virtually no ramp up time or dedicated resources and can tailor messages to leverage the viral marketing aspects of social gifting and Facebook’s more than 400 million active users. Millions of Facebook users return to the site each day, providing unparalleled distribution potential for applications and the opportunity to build a business that is highly relevant to people's lives. “Our gift card platform solutions have been incredibly well received by retailers,” continued Springer. “The willingness to add virtual and mobile card offerings for their customers is growing quickly, especially with our turnkey program that can be implemented in minutes without a need for significant resources or costly integration fees. In this economic climate, retailers can now take their gifting and marketing programs to the next level with the incredibly robust Facebook community. More than 1.5 million businesses have an active presence on Facebook and this is a great way to monetize those relationships.” When retailers sign up for TW’s turnkey program, installation is a matter of minutes since no retail resources are needed for implementation. A gift card tab is immediately added to the corporate Facebook fan page or corporate website, allowing consumers to quickly send virtual gift cards via email or text message, as well as traditional plastic, redeemable both online and in-store. TW’s proprietary technology allows for fully customizable virtual/mobile cards with audio, video, text and pictures. With the Facebook application, the gifting experience is fully integrated into wall posts, news feeds, photo albums and friend lists, giving almost unlimited customization options and making each gift card purchase an “event” in and of itself. Recipients aren’t required to be a part of Facebook however, so customizable gifts can be sent directly to any email address or mobile phone. Retailers are able to customize and brand their storefront with unlimited card art and images, create tailored marketing campaigns with each gift purchased and reward their valued customers on Facebook fan pages. By using the virtual or mobile solution, retailers can also realize significant cost savings – eliminating production, postage and packaging of plastic cards. While TW does continue to support retailers’ plastic card offerings, the virtual/email options allow for instantaneous delivery and customization. Top of Page Free wireless AMBER alerts now on Canadian cell phones Canada 's wireless telecommunications industry, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and AMBER Alert agencies across the country, today introduced Wireless AMBER Alerts. The new initiative, hosted and powered in-kind by MyThum Interactive (www.mythum.com), allows customers of most Canadian wireless service providers to opt-in to receive free AMBER Alerts as text messages on their cell phones. Wireless AMBER Alerts add a valuable new method to assist AMBER Alert agencies in providing the public with immediate and up-to-date information about a child's abduction, and to solicit the public's help in the safe and swift return of the child. "Our government is committed to building stronger and safer communities," said Vic Toews, Canada's Minister of Public Safety. "Through cooperation between the RCMP and wireless service providers, this initiative will demonstrate how technology can help fight serious criminal activity and make the most vulnerable citizens in our society safer." "Canadians have been turning to their cell phones for safety and security for 25 years now," said Bernard Lord, President & CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA). "And now, if one of our most precious citizens is abducted, Wireless AMBER Alerts can put the immediate power to help in the hands of Canada's 23 million cell phone customers". The completely free Wireless AMBER Alerts program is available to cell phone users in all 10 provinces and three territories. Subscribing is easy to do either online at www.WirelessAMBER.ca or directly from your wireless device. Top of Page Business intelligence meets social mediaFPinfomart.ca, the essential electronic resource for comprehensive Canadian news and business information products, today announced the addition of social media monitoring to its stable of business intelligence tools. “Business leaders understand the influence that social media can have on brands and reputations,” said Warren Cable, Vice President FPinfomart, Canwest Digital Media. “The real challenge is finding a way to manage the volume and turn it into business insight. FPinfomart Heartbeat does just that.” FPinfomart Heartbeat, powered by Sysomos, is a cost-effective real-time tracking and measurement resource, and represents a powerful new addition to the FPinfomart arsenal of business intelligence services and solutions. This fully-featured business resource allows users to:
Understanding who is in on the conversation can be as important as the opinions expressed, and FPinfomart Heartbeat provides sociodemographic information on participants offering greater insight into what moves perception on a company’s brands and products. The database, featuring billions of social media conversations, is continually refreshed by actively indexing blogs, social networks, micro-blogging services, wikis, message boards, video sharing sites and news sources. Updated snapshots of the on-line chatter are presented using easy to read graphics. Access to up-to-the-minute online conversations, chatter and mentions allows users to monitor for brand impact, corporate reputation, and competitive analysis that can be leveraged and actioned immediately. Top of Page McAfee Inc. to acquire Trust Digital McAfee, Inc. has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately owned Trust Digital. Trust Digital is a leading technology provider of enterprise mobility management and security software targeting Global 2000 companies and is deployed by a growing number of businesses to deliver mission critical data to the point of service using Apple iPhones and iPads. McAfee expects that Trust Digital's strong foot-hold in the mobile security market will extend McAfee's endpoint market, addressing a wide range of mobile operating systems including iPhone OS, Android, Web OS, Windows Mobile, and Symbian. IT organizations rely on Trust Digital to secure, rapidly deploy and centrally manage smartphones, as well as a new generation of always-available line of business applications and services. Following the completion of this proposed acquisition, McAfee(R) expects to couple Trust Digital's enterprise mobility management solution with McAfee's endpoint protection capabilities to deliver the industry's first comprehensive mobile security solution. Customers will benefit from centralized management and reporting of the integrated technologies through the McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO(TM)) console. With the proliferation of smartphones in the enterprise, paired with an increase in demand for real-time access to information via these devices, the ability to manage and support security policy that enables productivity is a significant priority for CIOs today. Rapid adoption of smartphones has changed how users in industries like healthcare, pharmaceutical and financial services work. Secure, immediate access to critical information on mobile applications is a core component enabling a productive workforce. Enterprises want to increase revenues, profits and productivity through empowering their workforce, without compromising their security. The proposed transaction will bring together best-in-class technologies:
"The acquisition of Trust Digital's industry-leading enterprise mobility management solutions will extend the current McAfee security portfolio beyond the traditional endpoint, addressing the rapidly expanding mobile security market," said Dave DeWalt, president and chief executive officer, McAfee. "Once completed, Trust Digital's industry leading enterprise mobility management solutions combined with leading McAfee antivirus, antispyware, host intrusion prevention, policy auditing and firewall technologies, will enable McAfee to address the mobile workforce by mitigating the risks associated with vulnerable or malicious mobile applications downloaded by employees. Through this acquisition, we believe McAfee can expand its reach into new markets, secure new platforms and strengthen its leadership position." Trust Digital's enterprise mobility management for smartphones provides a Web services platform to manage and secure smartphones and mobile tablet devices regardless of device manufacturer. This robust management platform addresses the nuances of smartphone technology while also providing tools similar to those used by IT to manage and secure laptops and desktops. "Business users are thrilled by the capabilities of iPhones, smartphones and tablets and are quickly adopting them as their handheld computers, but their IT counterparts must now find tools to effectively secure and manage them," said Mark Shull, chief executive officer, Trust Digital. "The integration of Trust Digital with McAfee will enable enterprises to rapidly deploy new mobility devices such as smartphones across diverse mobile environments cost effectively and with the highest level of security. Together, we will enable IT to say yes to the iPhone and Android." The acquisition is expected to close by June 30 of 2010. Top of Page FoodNetwork.ca's first online cooking show goes live KitchenAid, the brand synonymous with at-home chefs, presents Food Network.ca's first online exclusive cooking show "Cooking Moments," giving viewers access to some of Canada's favourite celebrity chefs. The first two "Cooking Moments" episodes launched mid-May and will run on Foodnetwork.ca until the end of 2010. Canadians can watch as KitchenAid Celebrity Chef Rob Rainford invites special guests - and fellow KitchenAid Celebrity Chefs - husband-and-wife duo Anna and Michael Olson and healthy-eating maven, Rose Reisman, into his kitchen. This partnership is not only a first for Food Network.ca, but also an expansion on KitchenAid brand's advertising strategy. "We were looking to broaden beyond the traditional TV media buy into the evolving digital space in an effort to break through the clutter," says Kim Astley, brand manager, KitchenAid Canada. "KitchenAid is a brand for those who love to cook, so the FoodNetwork.ca partnership seemed a perfect fit." "The site is a treasure trove for cooking enthusiasts; the "Cooking Moments" show, not only represents value-added content for our loyal visitors to enjoy, but it also leads the charge on media innovation," says Joe Strolz, vice president, sales and operations, Canwest Digital Media. The first two episodes include special spring recipes, plus expert tips and tricks that can be executed by any aspiring or experienced at-home-chef. Additional episodes will air at Thanksgiving and the holiday season with new, unique and delicious recipes. "We asked the chefs to share some of their favorite dishes, leveraging seasonal ingredients, and of course, the innovative features of our KitchenAid appliances, many of which the chefs already use at home," continues Astley. "Our objective for each episode was to showcase the magic of connecting through food, and share authentic recipes that viewers can bring to life themselves." For several years, Chefs Michael and Anna Olson have been ambassadors for the KitchenAid brand. "Anna and I see the kitchen as the heart of our home and we really enjoy sharing our passion with fellow cooks," says Michael. "We love KitchenAid products because they combine professional performance with the form, function and style that Canadians want in their kitchens." The KitchenAid "Cooking Moments" program was created and managed by KitchenAid's media buying agency of record MediaCom. "For years, KitchenAid has engaged consumers with exclusive culinary demonstrations by some of Canada's top chefs," says Anthony Hello, director of content, MediaCom Beyond Advertising. "The 'Cooking Moments' idea arose from a desire to bring the essence of those experiences to cooking enthusiasts across the country." The total media buy will roll-over 17 weeks and is accompanied by seven months of online brand advertising with Foodnetwork.ca. Food Network is a Canwest Broadcasting channel. Canwest D71 department produced the production of the episodes. Publicis created the "Cooking Moments" logo. The first two episodes are available for viewing at foodnetwork.ca/cookingmoments. Cross Media Toronto has major industry support Building on the success of their sold-out inaugural Cross Media NYC (crossmedianyc.com), Jumpwire Media is launching Cross Media Toronto on July 21st, 2010. Partnering with the Mars Centre and the Canadian Film Centre’s (CFC) Media Lab, CROSS MEDIA TORONTO (crossmediato.com)will feature heavyweight media industry executives discussing perspectives on how transmedia content will be produced, distributed and consumed in a cross media environment, specifically looking at ways to incorporate cross media into business models. CROSS MEDIA TORONTO will focus on providing attendees with real tangibles on how to monetize cross media opportunities in the various sectors. Scheduled events at CROSS MEDIA TORONTO include a super panel of key cross media personalities, 3 demonstrations of emerging cross media technologies, two industry focused case studies and a debate on a pressing cross media issue of the day, all designed to give attendees a more direct and personal understanding of how cross media can be implemented successfully. Founder of CROSS MEDIA TORONTO Gavin McGarry said: “We are excited about bringing the event to Toronto. The city has a vibrant start up community and Canada is one of the world leaders in cross media content creation.” CROSS MEDIA TORONTO’s Advisory Board includes a roster of industry insiders including Alistair Mitchell, VP of Multimedia Integration, RIM, Andrew Lane, Director, Digital Engagement, Weber Shandwick Canada, Asif Khan, Principal, ARK Consulting, Barnaby Marshall, CEO & Editor In-Chief, Rockpeaks.com, Bill Mohri, CEO/MD/Director, M Consulting, David Kruis, President & CEO, Metranome, Jed Schneiderman, Director, On-line Product Marketing, Bing.ca, Mary Ellen Anderson, Executive Director/Producer, MSN.ca, Mclean Greaves, VP, Interactive Content, ZoomerMedia, Shawn Omstead, Vice President, Consumer Product Solutions, Bell Canada, Dr. Siobhan O'Flynn, Canadian Studies, University of Toronto & Transmedia Consultant and Tom Purves, Technology Director and Futurist. Conference founder, Gavin McGarry is a veteran digital media executive. He was part of the global content team at web video start up JOOST, and former head of Cross Platform Business Development for ENDEMOL. Currently McGarry runs Jumpwire Media, a cross media agency that helps companies profit from the emerging digital platforms. Conference co-founder, Jennifer Harkness has been in the media and event business for over 20 years. Prior to launching CROSS MEDIA NYC and TORONTO Jennifer was the Executive Director of the Banff World TV Festival. Top of Page |
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