| by Les Luchter, Tuesday, Aug 21, 2007 6:00 AM ET |
| ZAGAT SURVEY HAS EXTENDED ITS three-decades-old, user-generated-content franchise to mobile with Monday's launch of Zagat.mobi. Visa Signature, in a deal arranged by AKQA and sold by Interep's Winstar Interactive Media, signed on as exclusive sponsor for the first two months of the mobile site, which is compatible with all Web-enabled phones. AOL's Third Screen Media is Zagat.mobi's ad-serving partner, and Zagat worked with Starcut to design and develop the site, and has licensed the Starcut Media One platform. The free service provides users with basic restaurant, nightlife and hotel content for all major U.S. cities, London and other select international destinations. The content includes listing info such as addresses, phone numbers and hours; links for directions, movie times, airline sites, etc.; and such features as "send to a friend via SMS" and "find nearby." Paid subscribers to Zagat.com will also receive ratings and reviews of the listed businesses. Later this year, Zagat also plans to use the mobile site to launch its first-ever shopping service, giving consumers the ability to buy lifestyle products, fashion, gourmet products and entertainment, revealed Nina Zagat, co-founder and co-chair of Zagat Survey. Visa Signature's deal with Zagat.mobi extends the brand's recent relationship with Zagat that also includes the sponsorship of ZAGAT.com menus, ads on the weekly ZagatBuzz online newsletter, and the giveaway of "Zagat to Go" software for smartphones. Visa Signature is also the default credit card on Zagat.com. "We are especially excited about devices like the iPhone, for which ZAGAT.mobi is optimized," Zagat said. "We are delivering mobile advertisers highly motivated and active consumers who use their phones constantly to accomplish tasks for both work and play. That's a great environment for any marketer." |
Showing posts with label Visa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Visa. Show all posts
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Zagat Goes Mobile With Visa As Sponsor
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Wieden & Kennedy: The New Global Powerhouse
Shop Lost Nike Running, but It Nabbed Nokia and Is Growing in India, China SAN FRANCISCO (AdAge.com) -- Wieden & Kennedy is back on track.
After being dealt an ego blow by losing Nike's running account, the shop in less than a month has scooped up an astounding $400 million in new billings. It added to its coffers Careerbuilder.com, Visa International's World Cup sponsorship, and the global creative and strategic duties for the Nokia brand.
"If anyone still doubts that Wieden is a global force as a network, wake up," said Neil Christie managing director of Wieden's London office.
As if to underscore the point, the agency is opening its sixth global office, in Delhi. Dave Luhr, global chief operating officer, said that "India is an incredibly important market in the world today. Clearly, clients want to take advantage of the opportunity."
He said the new office, like other Wieden offices and unlike the branch offices of major agencies, will be developed from scratch and will not involve the purchase of another shop. He expects to have between 20 and 30 employees there by the end of the year.
A wide net
Wieden already has two offices in China (Shanghai and Beijing), in addition to Tokyo, London, Amsterdam and New York. Because an agency based in Oregon has no illusion of growing with local clients, he said, it has to extend a wide net. "There's some advantage to being in Portland," Mr. Luhr said.
The Nokia win adds to Wieden's roster, which already includes major global brands such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Honda in Europe. Through 2006, Wieden reported global billings of $1.4 billion with 750 employees worldwide. The agency grew 40% in the past three years, Mr. Luhr said.
The Wieden-style "micro" ad network is what budget-conscious clients desiring great creative want, observers said. "This is what marketers are looking for today -- creativity -- and they don't want to pay the overhead of a gigantic network," said Russel Wohlwerth, principal, Ark Advisors, Los Angeles, an agency consulting firm. "Wieden's micro network is clearly for today's times."
Other consultants, however, aren't convinced Wieden has solved the integration and new-media issues that led to the loss of the running portion of the Nike business. "They're limiting their future by not being sufficiently integrated," said one consultant. "It's the Achilles' heel for them."
Link to AdAge Article
After being dealt an ego blow by losing Nike's running account, the shop in less than a month has scooped up an astounding $400 million in new billings. It added to its coffers Careerbuilder.com, Visa International's World Cup sponsorship, and the global creative and strategic duties for the Nokia brand.
The Nokia win adds to Wieden & Kennedy's roster, which already includes major global brands such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Honda in Europe.
"If anyone still doubts that Wieden is a global force as a network, wake up," said Neil Christie managing director of Wieden's London office.
As if to underscore the point, the agency is opening its sixth global office, in Delhi. Dave Luhr, global chief operating officer, said that "India is an incredibly important market in the world today. Clearly, clients want to take advantage of the opportunity."
He said the new office, like other Wieden offices and unlike the branch offices of major agencies, will be developed from scratch and will not involve the purchase of another shop. He expects to have between 20 and 30 employees there by the end of the year.
A wide net
Wieden already has two offices in China (Shanghai and Beijing), in addition to Tokyo, London, Amsterdam and New York. Because an agency based in Oregon has no illusion of growing with local clients, he said, it has to extend a wide net. "There's some advantage to being in Portland," Mr. Luhr said.
The Nokia win adds to Wieden's roster, which already includes major global brands such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Honda in Europe. Through 2006, Wieden reported global billings of $1.4 billion with 750 employees worldwide. The agency grew 40% in the past three years, Mr. Luhr said.
The Wieden-style "micro" ad network is what budget-conscious clients desiring great creative want, observers said. "This is what marketers are looking for today -- creativity -- and they don't want to pay the overhead of a gigantic network," said Russel Wohlwerth, principal, Ark Advisors, Los Angeles, an agency consulting firm. "Wieden's micro network is clearly for today's times."
Other consultants, however, aren't convinced Wieden has solved the integration and new-media issues that led to the loss of the running portion of the Nike business. "They're limiting their future by not being sufficiently integrated," said one consultant. "It's the Achilles' heel for them."
Link to AdAge Article
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