Micro-Hoo Round 2

I remember remarking recently about a PR instance involving a large Irish beverage company – just when it seemed that the worst thing possible was going to happen the company came out with a “new” plan to reduce the loses while still achieving it’s goal of restructuring. I wondered was plan A ever an actuality or was it a precursor to plan B so as to soften the blow?

So I wonder here, did Microsoft make a bid for the whole company knowing it would not succeed, to be able to come back with a lesser offer which suddenly seems far more acceptable to both parties? Did Microsoft ever want anything more then search?

I doubt it. If this move is successful, Microsoft will jump to second place and become the second most powerful search engine marketing and optimisation company, only next to Google. Suddenly its competition would now be directly with the leading firm, giving it the opportunity to climb the ladder faster than it could do competing with two more powerful companies.

So, with bated breath, we wait. What wil Mr. Yang and his board do. Either way I think a speedy decision will be made considering all the internal and external pressures.

Virtual Real-ity Shopping

A new deal signed with Ikea and H&M sees a whole range of Sims2 products set for launch this summer. Through an online content package, The Sims 2 Ikea Home Stuff will be available in late June, and H&M, which signed on with the game last year to provide The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff, will feature 'Sims 2'-themed products in stores, complete with themed hang tags and in-store signage.
"It really is the ultimate in brand engagement," said Steve Seabolt, VP-global brand development for "The Sims," an Electronic Arts label game. "It really is a way to bring a product or a service into your virtual life, become familiar with it, play with it and, hopefully, incorporate it into your real life."

The collection is the result of a contest held by "The Sims," in which players could create items and showcase them in online fashion shows. The winning piece will be featured in several hundred stores around the world.

Ikea aren't planning a competition to see "Sims" products in Ikea stores, however, the partnership does provide players with virtual versions of 60 of Ikea's well-known products.

Last year Ford also put in place a similar deal which saw Sims2 become the largest Ford dealer in the world, having sold 2.5 million vehicles.

Four Ideals to Work

One of my favourite illustartors (and designers) Anthony Burrill, has taken the theme of 'World of Work' and created four stunning covers for June's Wallpaper edition. Based on Burrill's famous poster, the pieces are unmistakable and in my humble opinion, both striking and beautiful.

Google Automatch

Tomorrow, May 20 2008, when you log into your adwords account there will be a new option. Google’s new ‘Automatic Matching’ feature will sit as a new checkbox (as with google content it will be pre-checked and auto-enabled) ready to use.You have probably heard about this or at least seen initial discussion floating around the blogosphere but how much thought have you actually given it?

Google ‘Automatic Matching’ will do the follow: Automatching shows your ads on search queries not already captured by your keywords by analysing the landing page, ad, and keyword contents and shows your ads on search queries relevant to this information. The algorithms continually monitor the performance on these queries and adjust accordingly. The aim is to show your ads on queries that yield high CTRs and CPCs lower than your ad group's current average CPC. Of course your spend cannot exceed your budget, and it also won't affect the traffic you're currently receiving.

So in short….. well to be honest, I don’t know. It sounds good on paper but I’ll need to wait to see the actual performance before making any real decisions.

The Open Screen Project

Early this month, Adobe launched The Open Screen Project. The project aims to increase the proliferation of Flash and Air installations across all platforms and devices, both mobile and stationary. Part of this also involves the removal of all licensing fees for their next release of players.
Currently project supporters include “Adobe, ARM, Chunghwa Telecom, Cisco, Intel, LG Electronics Inc., Marvell, Motorola, Nokia, NTT DoCoMo, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics Co., Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Verizon Wireless, and leading content providers, including BBC, MTV Networks, and NBC Universal”.

Adobe says, “The Open Screen Project is dedicated to driving consistent rich Internet experiences across televisions, personal computers, mobile devices, and consumer electronics.”

Specifically, this work will include:

• Removing restrictions on use of the SWF and FLV/F4V specifications
• Publishing the device porting layer APIs for Adobe Flash Player
• Publishing the Adobe Flash® Cast™ protocol and the AMF protocol for robust data services
• Removing licensing fees – making next major releases of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR for devices free

For everyone working across the digital landscape this is exciting news.