Schibsted acquires majority in leading Irish online classifieds site
Press release: Schibsted acquires majority in leading Irish online classifieds site
Schibsted Media Group has agreed to acquire 50.09 per cent of DoneDeal.ie, the leading online classifieds site for cars and generalist in the private market in Ireland.
DoneDeal.ie had revenues of around EUR 2 million in the first half of 2011. This was a growth of approx 70 per cent year over year. The company has positive EBITDA.
Schibsted has a right to increase the ownership up to 90.1 per cent in two years and up to 100 per cent in five years. This will be done at market valuation.
DoneDeal.ie fits well in among Schibsted Classified Media’s operations in established phase. The site has many similarities with the Blocket concept, and is a clear market leader within generalist and cars for privates. DoneDeal.ie is the third most visited online site in Ireland (source: DoubleClick AdPlanner), and has a strong brand in the country. DoneDeal.it has a listing fee of EUR 3 per advertisement.
DoneDeal.ie was established in June 2005. The founders are Fred and Geraldine Karlsson. Fred Karlsson will continue in the management of the company and as a shareholder.
- We are very happy to include DoneDeal.ie into the family of online classifieds sited in Schibsted. A strong number one position and good profitability means that Ireland will be our fifth country with online classifieds sites in established phase. The acquisition will be another contributor to continued good profitable growth for online classifieds in Schibsted, Terje Seljeseth CEO of Schibsted Classified Media says.
Contact person:
Stein Yndestad, CFO Schibsted Classified Media. Mobile: +47 916 86 696
Oslo, 30 September 2011
SCHIBSTED ASA
Ben Foote appointed CareerOne Marketing and Communications Director
Ben Foote appointed CareerOne Marketing and Communications Director
CareerOne Chief Executive, Michael Harvey today announced the appointment of Ben Foote to the role of CareerOne Marketing and Communications Director.
Effective immediately, Ben joins CareerOne with extensive management experience and a proven track record in driving business-to-business and consumer acquisition marketing programs that drive business results.
He will head the company’s marketing department and oversee the strategy and development of the CareerOne brand.
Most recently, Ben was Managing Director of SingTel Optus subsidiary PPS. “We are delighted to welcome Ben to the team. He is a senior executive who brings invaluable knowledge and skill to drive our business forward.”
“Ben joins us at a pivotal time for the company as we gear up for significant growth and launch a suite of premium recruitment products and employment solutions.”
“His appointment will be instrumental to ensuring we build on the success to date and capitalise on our innovative and sophisticated offering,” Harvey said.
“The opportunity to strategically contribute to the long term evolution of a company like CareerOne is an exciting challenge,” said Foote.
“It has a strong foundation to drive major growth to be a clear challenger to Seek in the core jobs market and lead the way with many new innovative recruitment solutions.”
Prior to PPS, Ben was Marketing Manager of Optus Pre-paid Mobile offerings and was Marketing Manager at ihug. Ben has an MBA from Barcelona and holds a Bachelors of Commerce and Law from The University of Canterbury. For more information contact:
Kate McQuestin – CareerOne Mobile | 0419 591 150 Email | kate.mcquestin@newsdigitalmedia.com.au
Cars.com Expands its Lineup of Resources for the Mobile Shopper with All-New iPad(r) App
*Cars.com Expands its Lineup of Resources for the Mobile Shopper with All-New iPad® App*****
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CHICAGO – Cars.com, a leading online resource for buying and selling new and used cars, announced today that it has launched an all-new iPad app
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“Mobile car shoppers are a highly engaged and well-informed audience, and our iPad app is the latest innovation we’ve introduced to capture those shoppers no matter what mobile device they use,” said Sharon Knitter, senior director, Mobile. “Because iPad is a completely new way to connect with consumers, we examined the traffic to our site and apps to understand how iPad users differ from other car shoppers. The result is an app that delivers the entertaining and interactive experience iPad users demand, customized for the unique way they shop for vehicles.”****
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The new app includes:****
**· **High-definition videos and photos accompanied by information on hundreds of new vehicles****
**· **“My Showroom” feature, enabling users to save vehicles for later review and comparison****
**· **Expert vehicle reviews from Cars.com’s editorial team****
**· **Facebook and Twitter integration, allowing users to share vehicles with their social networks****
**· **Side-by-side “drag-and-drop” comparison of up to three vehicles, including a “ghost compare” option that suggests other vehicles for consideration based on the user’s selections****
**· **Links integrated throughout the app that transition shoppers to www.cars.com, where they can access new and used car inventory, Dealer Reviews and all of the other resources available through Cars.com****
“Recent research conducted by Burke Inc., a leading research and consulting firm, reveals that consumers feel tablets, like iPad, fit what they know about Cars.com more than any other brand in our category. I believe that speaks directly to our reputation as an innovator that understands the mobile car shopper,” said Knitter. “The launch of our new iPad app underscores our commitment to being the leader in mobile automotive search and a proactive partner to our dealer customers.”****
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Lexus, which also sponsored Cars.com’s iPhone app when it was released in the first quarter of 2010, has signed on as the iPad app’s inaugural sponsor. The automaker is featured throughout the application in interactive custom ad units featuring rich media technology, including prominent free-form vehicle ads that users can swipe to view 360-degree spins. Other units are integrated throughout the browsing process that, once activated by the user, expand to full screen and feature additional content such as videos, sound and photos.****
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*ABOUT CARS.COM*
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Cars.com was recently named the “Best Overall Customer Experience” by Keynote Systems, the world’s leading Internet usage research company. Cars.com is an online destination for car shoppers that offers information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With price listings, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions. ****
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Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC., which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (N.Y.SE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (N.Y.SE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (N.Y.SE: MNI), Tribune Company and the Washington Post Company (N.Y.SE: WPO).****
American Lawyer publishes Global 100 survey, finds past data questions necessity of going global
*The American Lawyer** Publishes Global 100 Survey, *
*Finds Past Data Questions Necessity of Going Global*
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*****NEW YORK****** – September 29, 2011 – *Along with its annual Global 100 survey of the world’s largest law firms, the October issue of* *ALM’s *The American Lawyer*, also available on americanlawyer.com, includes a 12-year historical analysis suggesting that international expansion is not a requirement for increased firm profitability.****
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“For our top 50 firms in 1999 — the first year that we published profits per partner data for what was then the Global 50 — the proportion of lawyers employed outside each firm’s home****
country doubled by 2010, while profits per partner more than doubled,” writes ALM senior international correspondent Michael D. Goldhaber. “But whether there is a causal relationship between global expansion and financial success is unclear. Star performers may be found among the most stubborn homebodies, like Slaughter and May, and the most persistent imperialists, like Allen & Overy.” Nevertheless, expansion has been the rule, with only 28% of the extant 1999 firms remaining “homebodies” (defined as no more than 10% of lawyers practicing outside their home country) compared to two-thirds at the time.****
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The new Global 100, ranked by gross revenue, is topped by U.S.-based Baker & McKenzie, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and DLA Piper, but UK-based Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and Allen & Overy fill slots five through eight. In terms of profits per partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Sullivan & Cromwell lead, with only the **UK**’s Slaughter and May in eighth place preventing a ****U.S.**** sweep of the top 10.****
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Though none of the Global 100 are Icelandic, that nation’s lawyers are the focus of a major feature in *The American Lawyer*‘s October issue – “Ice Storm” by Julie Triedman – chronicling in detail their extraordinary efforts, aided by some foreign bankruptcy lawyers, to shepherd the banks that failed so spectacularly in 2008 toward an orderly restructuring.****
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*About ALM*
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ALM, an integrated media company, is a leading provider of specialized business news and information, focused primarily on the legal and commercial real estate sectors. ALM’s market-leading brands include *The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel*, GlobeSt.com, Insight Conferences, Law.com, Law Journal Press, LegalTech, *The National Law Journal* and *Real Estate Forum*. Headquartered in ****New York City****, ALM was formed in 1997. For more information, visit www.alm.com.****
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Oodle launches Freecycling on Facebook to encourage Zero Waste
*Oodle launches Freecycling on Facebook to encourage Zero Waste*
*Partners with Recology and Earth911 to promote the launch in its Marketplace*
SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE http://www.businesswire.com/)–Oodle
San Francisco has the highest recycling rate in the nation
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the average American throws out 1,600 pounds of stuff each year. Mixed in with the trash are reusable items of all sorts — from computers and couches, to old doors and building materials. Oodle’s FreeCircles leverage the largest social network in the world to provide a creative, safe and economical alternative to unnecessary waste.
According to environmental thought leader Paul Hawken, when you give an old couch to a neighbor, you are not only keeping 100 pounds from a landfill, but you are also saving the 3,200 pounds of waste that would have gone into making a new couch.
“Finding a way to reuse items you no longer need, before you start
Recology
“Oodle’s Marketplace has always promoted reusing items,” said Mark Robins, VP of Community at Oodle. “Today we’ve made the process a lot easier. Once you join your local FreeCircle, you can search for and claim free stuff, get rid things you’re not using, or post a message requesting something that you are looking for. And with the Marketplace mobile app, you can photograph an item directly from your phone and offer it to your neighbors in under a minute.”
Oodle has launched FreeCircles in 25 cities around the San Francisco Bay Area including Palo Alto
Oodle also introduced tools to help moderators of existing Freecycle, ReUseIt, FullCircles, Freegle, and other freecycling groups on Yahoo! Groups. They can now grow their membership using the new “Promote My Group” feature on Marketplace. This functionality publicizes the group’s listings to local Marketplace users, customers of Recology, and users of Earth911’s directory. Promote My Group is free and takes just a few minutes to set up. To find out more about Promote My Group, go to http://blog.oodle.com/promote-my-group
“FreeCircles leverages Facebook to more broadly promote my freecycling community,” said Srihari Yamanoor, leader of Palo Alto Free, the largest freecycling Yahoo! Group in Palo Alto, CA with over 3,600 members. “I strongly encourage other freecycling moderators to take advantage of this opportunity to fuel the zero-waste movement.”
*About Oodle*
Oodle is a pioneer in social commerce and brings a social experience to the local online marketplace. Users can easily buy, sell, lend and give with friends, friends-of-friends, and other people in their local community. Oodle’s Marketplace, which has over 13 million unique monthly users, is available on Oodle (www.oodle.com
Wave2, Brainworks integrate self-service app
Wave2 Media Solutions and Brainworks announce a new strategic alliance involving both systems integration and a sales partnership. The two companies have been working together at Scripps Media on a companywide rollout, seamlessly integrating AdPortal’s self-service advertising capabilities into the Brainworks advertising system.
Beginning in 2008 with the industry’s first Small Business Retail self-service solution, Wave2′s iPublish AdPortal solution has been expanded to include all newspaper ad categories. Working with Brainworks, Wave2 will be able to offer to all Brainworks’ customers the full range of iPublish AdPortal products in a smooth, seamlessly integrated environment. Specific AdPortal categories such as Retail, Celebrations, Obits, Real Estate, Autos and Legal Notices can be implemented to augment Brainworks’ classified web order entry. Using Brainworks’ advanced Robot middleware, AdPortal supports all of the Brainworks features such as ad entry, ad rating, change orders, and ad kills. Adportal ads are then output within Brainworks pagination. The complete suite of AdPortal functionality has been integrated to work within the Brainworks advertising system.
“We’ve been very impressed with Wave2′s success in the market,” stated John Barry, President of Brainworks. “We’re equally impressed with their technology and ease of integration with the AdPortal platform. By teaming together we will be able to offer our customers a more robust solution for self-service and add valuable new revenue streams to existing and new Brainworks and Wave2 customers.”
“Wave2 is excited about working with Brainworks”, said Brian Gorman, Vice President of Sales and co-founder of Wave2, “We see Brainworks as the emerging leader in the advertising system space. Their win at Scripps along with their other recent wins at The Journal Register Company, Philadelphia Enquirer and others have positioned them as the emerging leader in the industry. We’re happy to be associated with Brainworks and are excited about providing an industry best advertising solution for our shared customers.”
This new relationship will involve both integration of the respective systems and also sales and marketing cooperation. It will enable Wave2 to go to market with a preferred partner who is willing to devote the resources to completely integrate Wave2′s self-service into their ad system’s database.
*About Wave2*
Wave2 Media Solutions was formed in late 2006 specifically to develop a range of self-service solutions for the newspaper industry. With an impressive installed base around the world, Wave2′s mission is to provide tools that will enable newspaper publishers to both save costs and to generate new ad revenue.* *
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*About Brainworks*
Brainworks software has been installed at over 1000 North American newspapers over the past 35 years. Products include fully integrated classified and display advertising, circulation, billing, accounts receivable , contract and credit management, classified pagination, ROP ad layout, and a state-of-the art Sales Force Automation system supporting Web, iPad and SmartPhone platforms.
*FOR MORE INFORMATION*
For further information on Wave2 please contact:
Wave2 Sales and Marketing Wave2 Media Solutions LLC 114 Turnpike Road Suite 203 Westborough, MA 01581
Tel 781-366-6383 e-mail: sales@wave2media.com www.wave2media.com
For further information on Brainworks please contact:
Brainworks Software 100 South Main Street, Sayville NY 11782 www.brainworks.com email: sales@brainworks.com 800-755-1111
For further information on Wave2 Media Solutions, please e-mail info.us@wave2media.com or call for a personalized on-line presentation (508) 366-6383.
Atex names new CEO, MDs for EMEA
Atex announces new structure for Europe, Middle East and Africa
Reading, UK— Atex has announced its new management structure, which will strengthen the business’s position as a leading software company selling solutions for media-rich industries and support its accelerated growth into the digital marketplace.
Jean Paul Chauvet has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and will oversee operations in the region, while continuing to be responsible for global sales and marketing. Chauvet is a consummate executive with more than 17 years’ experience of building international sales and marketing teams and forging strong relationships in the digital publishing business.
Atex has also established new zones and appointed managing directors to lead each region.
HomeGain Inducts 9 Agents Into Its Commissions Based Award Clubs
*HomeGain Inducts 9 Agents Into Its Commissions Based Award Clubs *
HomeGain inducts nine new real estate agent members into its elite commissions based award clubs; Total club membership reaches 1,026, each member earning at least $50,000 in commissions from HomeGain’s Agent Evaulator Program
Emeryville, CA – September 27, 2011 – HomeGain, a leading website that connects REALTORS® with home buyers and sellers, today announced that it is inducting nine new members into its commission based award clubs. The total number of award clubs members now stands at 1,026.
“We are delighted to induct nine new members to our AgentEvaulator Awards Clubs and we salute their achievement,” stated Louis Cammarosano, General Manager at HomeGain. “Over 1,000 agents using HomeGain’s AgentEvaultor program have made at least $50,000 using the program which is solid proof of the effectiveness of the program.”
Since the second quarter of 2011, HomeGain has inducted the following real estate club members:
- One new HomeGain Diamond Club member (totaling 28 members who have earned $500,000 or more in gross commissions) – Five new HomeGain Platinum Club members (totaling 393 members who have earned $125,000 or more) – One new HomeGain Gold Club member (totaling 315 members who have earned $75,000 or more) – Two new HomeGain Silver Club members (totaling 279 members who have earned $50,000 or more)
There are currently two members in the HomeGain Million Dollar Club.
AgentEvaluator® is an online marketing program for real estate agents who are looking to connect with home buyers and sellers.
About HomeGain
HomeGain is a leading provider of online marketing solutions that connect real estate agents and brokers with home buyers and sellers. HomeGain offers free services to find and compare real estate agents, research home values, and view homes for sale. Since 1999 REALTORS® have used HomeGain’s real estate marketing programs to connect with consumers, promote their services and grow their business. HomeGain.com has been a top visited real estate website since 1999. HomeGain is your real estate connection.
Memphis Shows 13% Hiring Gain, Double Digit Losses in Miami, Hartford, and Philly
*Memphis Shows 13% Hiring Gain, Double Digit Losses in Miami, Hartford, and Philly, Says New CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index*
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CARLSBAD, CA/RICHARDSON, TX (September 27, 2011) – Managerial recruitment activity failed to gain any traction this month, sliding 5 points in September, according to the new CareerCast.com http://www.careercast.com//JobSerf Employment Index. The September 2011 Index, which measures managerial hiring activity online, fell to 102.6, down from 107.6 in August 2011. ****
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“The good news is that these are the strongest September hiring levels since we started the Index in 2008,” says Jay Martin, COO, JobSerf. “Even with the economic turmoil in the U.S. and Europe, managerial hiring has held up fairly well.”****
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“Without business growth, job opportunities remain highly competitive,” says Tony Lee, publisher, CareerCast.com http://www.careercast.com/. “Candidates who want to make it past the first cut need to stay on top of the latest tests, profiling and assessment tools used by hiring managers to screen out applicants.”****
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Memphis showed the greatest improvement in managerial hiring, with a 13% gain in September. The only other cities to show any improvement were Nashville (+3%), Milwaukee (+2%) and Chicago (+1%). Unfortunately, hiring activity dropped double digits (10%) in Miami, Hartford and Philadelphia. Losses were also seen in Boston (-9%), San Diego (-8%), and Denver (-8%).*** *
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The CareerCast.com http://www.careercast.com//JobSerf Employment Index per capita hiring levels for U.S. cities in September are:****
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1. Washington, DC – 165****
2. Boston – 137****
3. San Francisco – 111****
4. Seattle – 102****
5. Chicago – 91****
6. Atlanta – 88****
7. Nashville – 85****
8. Baltimore – 84****
9. Denver – 74****
10. New York City – 74****
11. Cleveland – 68****
12. Hartford – 66****
13. Dallas – 65****
14. Milwaukee – 64****
15. Philadelphia – 64****
16. Minneapolis – 63****
17. Pittsburgh – 61****
18. Houston – 60****
19. Louisville – 60****
20. Indianapolis – 59****
21. Cincinnati – 52****
22. Phoenix – 50****
23. St. Louis – 50****
24. Los Angeles – 49****
25. San Diego – 49****
26. Detroit – 46****
27. Memphis – 45****
28. Miami – 43****
29. Tampa – 42****
30. Riverside – 21****
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The CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index is an exclusive barometer showing managerial hiring activity based on the number of jobs posted online nationally. The Index reveals the differences in job listings by month, and offers valuable trends and forecasts using proprietary employment data hand-counted by a team of researchers.****
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To read the full report and get more information on the best and worst cities to find a job, visit www.careercast.com/career-guidance/employment-trends.****
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*About JobSerf *JobSerf, Inc. (www.jobserf.com) is a privately held Texas-based corporation that pioneered the job search outsourcing (JSO) industry with its revolutionary ‘Find & Apply’ service. The company’s patent-pending process provides for an affordable means to both ‘find & apply’ for jobs on behalf of clients. For more information, visit the website at www.jobserf.com.****
** ** About CareerCast.com****
CareerCast.com http://www.careercast.com/, created by Adicio
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Editor’s Note: Historical hiring data is available upon request.****
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Media Contact: Beth Brody, Brody PR****
609-397-3737****
“World’s Fastest Car Show” Original Video Series Debuts on eBay Motors and Mobile
“World’s Fastest Car Show” Original Video Series Debuts on eBay Motors and MobileHOSTED BY JUSTIN BELL, THE SERIES CHRONICLES A FAST-PACED LIFESTYLE, FROM JAY LENO’S GARAGE TO LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY
SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE http://www.businesswire.com/)–eBay* *today announced the debut of the “World’s Fastest Car Show”
“This is going to be the ultimate car show on the web and on mobile – quick, exciting, insider access”
“We know car fans are also avid mobile users, with 2,600 cars and 117,000 parts purchased on eBay mobile apps every week,” said Steve Yankovich, vice president of mobile at eBay. “Our goal is to interact with these enthusiasts on an even deeper level by providing compelling, meaningful content within the app itself, and also through the eBay Motors website. The World’s Fastest Car Show is not only an entertainment vehicle, but also signals eBay’s commitment to engaging the automotive community.”
There will be two versions of each weekly episode, one produced for the eBay Motors mobile application, and the other produced for the eBay Motors website. Episodes will feature segments such as automotive adventures, celebrity interviews and car collections, road trips, and a Mystery Car segment where viewers will be given clues to a car, the identity of which will be revealed at the end of the show.
The series is produced by Swirl.net in partnership with Justin Bell Productions and directed by Nicolai Iuul of Ammo Productions.
“This is going to be the ultimate car show on the web and on mobile – quick, exciting, insider access,” said Justin Bell. “It’s not about stats and facts. It’s about fun on four wheels. Going places, meeting people and sharing the excitement that cool cars can ignite. Within the speed limit, of course!”
“eBay Motors was already a great automotive content destination – just ask those who stay up all night feasting on cars, parts and accessories listings,” said Martin Lauber, founder, Swirl.net, and Co-Creator, Executive Producer of the World’s Fastest Car Show. “Now, with the success of the eBay Motors Mobile app, enthusiasts want to ‘snack’ on content anytime, anywhere. With this in mind, we created The World’s Fastest Car Show to help meet that demand. It’s entertainment and information that leads to conversation, with eBay facilitating the dialogue.”
In addition to the video series, a host of new features for the eBay Motors mobile application are now available in the latest release, including:
- *Updated Car Cards* – Users can select their own photo to represent their Car Cards, which, similar to baseball cards, represent information and photos of vehicles they’ve stored within the app. – *Share Car Cards* – Users can now share their Car Cards with friends via email, Facebook, and Twitter. – *Simpler Search* – It’s now easier for users to sort through search results to find what they’re looking for even faster.
In 2010, eBay’s global mobile gross merchandise volume (GMV) — the value of all goods sold — was nearly $2 billion. eBay expects to generate more than $4 billion in global mobile GMV in 2011.
*About eBay Inc.*
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc
*About Justin Bell*
Former world champion race car driver Justin Bell is the host of “The World’s Fastest Car Show.” Justin has also been a TV host and pit-lane reporter for the Speed Channel since 2008, and is a correspondent for “Jay Leno’s Garage.” Justin has been behind the wheel or in front of the camera since he started racing in 1988. He grew up in England as the son of five-time Le Mans champion Derek Bell, but Justin made his own mark on racing, winning the FIA GT2 World Championship in 1997 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1998. He also had second-place finishes in Le Mans and Daytona and a pair of SCCA Trans-Am wins. He’s raced for major car manufacturers such as Porsche, BMW, Dodge and Chevrolet.
*Forward Looking Statement*
This announcement contains forward-looking statements about the future performance of eBay’s businesses that are based on its current expectations, forecasts and assumptions. These statements include future growth in mobile commerce for eBay’s Mobile applications and involve risks and uncertainties – actual results may differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause such differences include consumer acceptance and use of eBay’s mobile applications.
AutoTraderClassic + Mustang = donation
*AutoTrader Classics Donates 1969 Ford Mustang for Hot Rod TV Rebuild; Proceeds From Sale of Car to Benefit Alliance of Auto Artisans*
ATLANTA, Sept. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — AutoTrader Classics, the nation’s leading online resource for car collectors and classic car enthusiasts, donated a 1969 Ford Mustang Fastback to be rebuilt and then sold on AutoTraderClassics.com, with the proceeds benefiting a worthy non-profit organization.
The Mustang rebuild will be featured in an episode on Hot Rod Television and then posted for sale on AutoTraderClassics.com, with the proceeds from the sale benefitting the Alliance of Auto Artisans student mentoring program. The episode will air this Saturday, Sept. 24 at 8:30 a.m. ET on Speed TV.
“At AutoTrader Classics, we know how important it is to pass on the love of classic cars to the next generation, which is why we chose to partner with Hot Rod TV and Gateway Classic Mustang for this project,” said Marcus Dame, director of AutoTrader Classics. “The Alliance of Auto Artisans’ student mentoring program is a great way to reach out to the next generation of hot rodders, and by donating the Mustang and the subsequent proceeds of its sale to the organization, we are hoping to make a real impact on future classic car enthusiasts and builders.”
The episode will show how the Alliance of Auto Artisans and Gateway Classic Mustang transformed a 1969 Ford Mustang Fastback into a pro-touring beast packing modern 5.0L Coyote V8 power. The Alliance of Auto Artisans gave two very deserving high school students from the program the chance of a lifetime to help transform the Mustang.
After the episode, the Mustang will be listed for sale on www.autotraderclassics.com , and the proceeds from the sale will go to the Alliance of Auto Artisans.
About AutoTrader Classics
AutoTrader Classics, launched in 2008 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet’s leading automotive classifieds marketplace dedicated to the classic vehicle sector, with more than 14,000 listings of classic cars and trucks, as well as parts for those vehicles. Utilizing the same innovative merchandising functionality as found on AutoTrader.com, AutoTrader Classics unites classic car enthusiasts with the vehicle of their dreams. It is a true destination for the classic car enthusiast who can connect with those who share the same passion. AutoTraderClassics.com community members can show off their classic cars, find or list events in the calendar section, or read through a large selection of editorial content including how-to information. AutoTraderClassics.com provides visitors with a one-stop shop for resources on how to select, appraise, finance, purchase, transport and maintain a classic car. For more information, please visit www.autotraderclassics.com .
SOURCE AutoTraderClassics.com
Trulia Optimistic about Long-Term Housing Demand as 80 Percent of Homeowners Plan to Buy Again
*TRULIA OPTIMISTIC ABOUT LONG-TERM HOUSING DEMAND AS 80 PERCENT OF HOMEOWNERS PLAN TO BUY AGAIN* *Latest Survey Findings Say 59% of Renters Aspire to Be Homeowners, But More Than Half Of Those Who Wish To Buy A Home At This Time Say Saving Enough for a Down Payment Is a Big Obstacle*
SAN FRANCISCO, September 20, 2011 – Trulia today released the results of its biannual American Dream survey, which has tracked American attitudes towards homeownership since 2008. Harris Interactive conducted this online survey on Trulia’s behalf between August 30 to September 1, 2011 among 2,207 U.S. adults aged 18 and over.
*KEY FINDINGS:*
- *Homeownership Remains Central to the American Dream:* According to the survey, 70 percent of Americans said homeownership is part of achieving their American Dream. This remained unchanged since January[1]
· *Short-term Obstacles Creating Uncertainty for Most Homebuyers:* Falling home prices
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– *American Dream Shifts Away From McMansions and Suburban Living:** *Reflecting the change in consumer spending habits, homebuyer preferences in today’s post-bubble economy have become more practical and less aspirational. Among Americans who said homeownership is part of their personal American Dream, only 6 percent said their ideal home size is more than 3,200 square feet – a 36.5 percent decrease from 9 percent in 2010[2]
*PRE-APPROVED QUOTES*
· “Despite the slow and weak economic recovery and stumbling housing market
· “From saving enough for a down payment to qualifying for a mortgage
*MULTIMEDIA*
- To listen to a replay of Trulia’s Chief Economist Jed Kolko discussing the results of the survey and other insights into the real estate market (available after 9/20), click here
*SURVEY METHODOLOGY*
The August 2011 survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive via its Quick Query omnibus product on behalf of Trulia between August 30 – September 1, 2011 among 2,207 adults (aged 18 and over), of whom 1,392 were homeowners and 758 were renters.
The January 2011 survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive via its Quick Query omnibus product on behalf of Trulia between January 20-24, 2011 among 2,079 adults (aged 18 and over), of whom 1,339 were homeowners and 683 were renters.
The July 2011 survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive via its Quick Query omnibus product on behalf of Trulia between July 22-26, 2011 among 2,055 adults (aged 18 and over), of whom 1,345 were homeowners and 663 were renters.
Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. These online surveys are not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodologies, including weighting variables, click here http://info.trulia.com/index.php?s=56.
*ABOUT TRULIA, INC. *Trulia http://www.trulia.com/ is the fastest growing online real estate http://www.trulia.com/resource, empowering buyers, seller and renters with smarter tools to help them find the right home. Trulia gives you the inside scoop to find you find the best place to live. Our smart and personalized real estate search experience brings together vital local information, community insights, market data and national listings all in one place. Trulia is headquartered in downtown San Francisco and is backed by Accel Partners http://www.accel.com/ and Sequoia Capital
*ABOUT HARRIS INTERACTIVE *Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, and European offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us — and our clients
New York Law Journal relaunches NYLJ.com
*New York Law Journal Launches New NYLJ.com*
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* ******NEW YORK****** – September 22, 2011 –*ALM’s *New York Law Journal*has relaunched its website NYLJ.com with expanded and personalized content, diverse new platform capabilities and a user-friendlier design.****
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Major new features include:****
- A personalized homepage**** – Personalized email alerts**** – Content sorted by practice area and law firm**** – Enhanced search tools**** – ****Mobile**** and tablet friendly design**** – Twitter feed for the ****New York**** legal community**** – More content updated daily****
** **“Our readers spoke, and we listened, “ said New York Law Journal Editor in Chief Kris Fischer. “Our new site is cleaner, better organized, more intuitive and easy to access on desktops as well as mobile devices. And now attorneys can personalize the site to meet their own needs and practice. We offer readers one-stop shopping for breaking news, expert opinions, court decisions, judges’ profiles, law firm business and more, all embedded with hyper links to provide broader access to legal information.” ****
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“We understand that the ****New York**** legal community expects a lot from its newspaper and website,” said New York Law Journal Publisher Stephen Lincoln. “We’re proud of the new NYLJ.com, but the innovation won’t stop there. Our job is to connect subscribers, users, followers – customers — to the information they need in the most convenient way that technology allows.”****
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*About ALM*
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ALM, an integrated media company, is a leading provider of specialized business news and information, focused primarily on the legal and commercial real estate sectors. ALM’s market-leading brands include *The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel*, GlobeSt.com, Insight Conferences, Law.com, Law Journal Press, LegalTech, *The National Law Journal* and *Real Estate Forum*. Headquartered in ****New York City****, ALM was formed in 1997. For more information, visit www.alm.com.****
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Glam Media to Acquire Ning, the Leading Platform for Creating Social Networks and Owned Brand Fan Websites
*Glam Media to Acquire Ning, the Leading Platform for Creating Social Networks and Owned Brand Fan Websites*
*Silicon Valley Pioneer Marc Andreessen to Join Glam Media’s Board of Directors*
*Acquisition Will Create One of the Largest Social Media Content Companies with over 240 Million Users & 100,000 Publishers —Creating the First Paid, Owned & Earned Media Platforms for Brands*
BRISBANE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE http://www.businesswire.com/)–*Glam Media, Inc. *(www.GlamMedia.com
“Together, Glam and Ning will address important challenges that currently exist for marketers by enabling social media-activated brand campaigns to run in contextual environments that go beyond the few large social networking sites that exist today.”
“Ning is the clear leader for creating custom social websites and communities. Acquiring Ning adds a natural extension to our social media platform, new distribution channels and a talented Silicon Valley team, all of which support our aim to connect brands with engaged, passionate audiences,” said *Samir Arora, Chairman and CEO of Glam Media*. “With the addition of Ning, Glam Media will truly become the first next generation media company in the post-social world.”
Since launching the first social blog community in 2005, Glam Media has experienced tremendous success, growing from just seven publishers and 12 authors to more than 2,500 publishers and 4,000 authors globally today. The company has trusted relationships with more than 1,000 leading brand advertisers and is a Top 10 web property with more than 85 million monthly unique visitors in the U.S. and more than 200 million globally.
Combining Ning’s world-class technology and deeply engaging social platforms with Glam Media’s super premium advertising solutions and reach will accelerate the company’s vision of bringing brand marketers online by helping them to engage with passionate social communities across all digital mediums.
Glam Media together with Ning will set the standard for the future of media by providing their clients with the reach of portals, the deep connections and interests of Facebook, and the influence of trusted conversations.
“Social media is transforming the way brands are reaching their audiences. The Ning platform and its Network Creators, combined with the power of Glam’s advertising solutions, will ignite the delivery of our Brands+Social integrated programs at significant scale,” said *Fernando Ruarte, CTO & EVP Platform & Products at Glam Media*. “Together, Glam and Ning will address important challenges that currently exist for marketers by enabling social media-activated brand campaigns to run in contextual environments that go beyond the few large social networking sites that exist today.”
*Ning*
Founded in 2004, Ning is the world’s largest custom platform for social communities and networks. The company has experienced explosive growth since it successfully moved to a subscription-based business model led by CEO Jason Rosenthal. Since 2010, Ning has increased the number of paying customers from 17,000 to more than 100,000 and grown its revenue by over 500 percent. Today, Ning has more than 100 million registered user social profiles and reaches more than 60 million monthly unique visitors. The company’s customers are the most active champions of brands, causes and organizations seeking to make an impact in the world using social media.
Ning makes it easy for brands of all sizes to build custom and powerful social brand fan pages and web sites as diverse as Linkin Park’s fan social network, Martha Stewart’s mentorship community, Scott Brown’s virtual campaign office and the collaborative hub for the Peace Corps. More than 50 percent of Ning sites are integrated with social applications such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+, which helps to amplify messages across each member’s social graph.
Ning will operate as a new business unit within Glam Media. *Jason Rosenthal, Ning’s CEO*, will join Glam as EVP Social Media & General Manager of Ning, and will be a member of the Glam Media executive team.
“Our passion at Ning has always been to make social and mobile core to every web experience, and to leverage the power of community to change the world and drive value for customers,” said *Jason Rosenthal, CEO of Ning*. “Connecting our customers with super premium brand advertisers has been a core part of our vision from the earliest days of the company and joining with Glam Media – which shares our roots and belief in the power of social – delivers on that promise.”
Additionally, *Marc Andreessen *will join Glam Media’s board of directors, joining the top venture firm investors in Glam — Accel’s Thereisa Ranzetta and DFJ’s Tim Draper — as well as Co-Founder of Glam Media Fernando Ruarte, Dr Marcel Reichart from print media leader Hubert Burda Media, and Glam Media Founder & Chairman Samir Arora. Marc is a Silicon Valley pioneer who created Mosaic, the first web-browser and was the co-founder of Netscape Communications. In 2009, Marc created the venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz, with Ben Horowitz that invests in leading edge technology companies. He currently serves on the boards of Facebook, HP, eBay and other leading technology companies.
“Glam Media is one of the most dynamic companies in the digital media space, and I am excited to help guide their further expansion,” said Marc Andreessen. “With the fusion of Ning’s leadership and social networking technology, and Glam’s solid stake in the world of digital advertising, publishing and content creation, there’s no limit to where we can take the company.”
*Platforms and Products for Brands and Publishers*
Ning joins Glam Media’s suite of next-generation advertising, social, and content platforms, which include:
- *GlamAdapt* – super premium ad serving platform – *GlamMobile* – full-scale mobile advertising, content and social platform – *GlamCreate* – content creation management platform – *GlamEnable* – content platform to enable mobile sites and applications
- *GlamConnect* – first social networking platform for professional authors and bloggers
The acquisition of Ning will allow Glam Media to provide its 2,500 publishers and 4,000 authors with even more innovative ways to connect, create and broadcast authentic content across multiple mediums and social streams – all in one place. Glam publishers will be able to leverage new services that enable them to grow their audiences on desktop, mobile and video and increase frequency, leading to higher levels of engagement.
Additionally, Ning Creators running active online communities will have new opportunities on desktop and mobile devices to monetize their sites and grow successful businesses.
For more information about Glam Media, visit: www.glammedia.com
*About Glam Media*
Glam Media is the pioneer of vertical media that connects the world’s top brand advertisers with targeted vertical audiences online. Glam invented the first commercial blog network in 2005 to harness the power of Social Media for brands. Since then, it has grown to a reach of 85 million unique monthly visitors in the U.S. and more than 200 million globally, and is #1 for women and is a Top 100 US Web Property. Glam Media has more than 2,500 publishers organized across multiple vertical categories online including: Glam.com for Women, Glam Entertainment for Adults, Brash.com for Men and Bliss.com for health and wellness seekers.
Glam Media has headquarters in Silicon Valley, New York, and London, with offices in Brisbane in California, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Tokyo, Pune, Mumbai and Paris. Glam Media’s investors include Information Capital, Accel, DFJ, Walden Ventures, Hubert Burda Media, GLG, and Aeris.
*About Ning*
Ning is the leading online platform for the world’s organizers, activists and influencers to create social experiences that inspire action. For brands of all shapes and sizes, Ning makes it easy to build custom and powerful social websites. Ning Networks span categories like politics, entertainment, small business, non-profits, education and more, connecting millions of people every day around the topics they are passionate about. Palo Alto, Calif.-based Ning was co-founded in October 2004 by Chairman Marc Andreessen and Gina Bianchini. For more information, visit www.ning.com
Scripps consolidates all digital efforts into a single organization
Scripps consolidates all digital efforts into a single organization *Symson to lead digital and mobile businesses for all Scripps newspapers and television stations* Mon, September 19, 2011
The E.W. Scripps Company today launched a reorganization of its digital operations, pulling all resources under one umbrella in a move to accelerate the launch of new products and services for quickly evolving digital platforms.
“We’re reorganizing and focusing our resources to ensure that our digital-platform consumers and advertisers in Scripps markets across the country are offered the very best products and services,” said Rich Boehne, Scripps president and chief executive officer. “This new structure will result in better products, faster development, more efficiencies and improved financial performance while staying true to the Scripps mission of building value through enterprise journalism and public service.”
Leading the new organization as vice president, chief digital officer will be Adam Symson, 36. Reporting directly to Boehne, he will continue to be based in Cincinnati while working with corporate resources as well as digital leaders of the company’s 13 daily newspapers and 10 television stations.
Symson began his career as a journalist. He was an investigative producer at CBS stations in Chicago and Los Angeles as well as the Scripps ABC affiliate in Phoenix before joining the Scripps corporate office in 2003 to be the director of investigative reports and special projects in the television division. He later became the division’s director of news strategy and operations before being named director of content and marketing in the Scripps interactive media division (which was spun off as part of Scripps Networks Interactive in 2008)
He was then named vice president of interactive for the Scripps television division, where he has helped the company’s stations develop the design, content and financial performance of their Web sites. He has led numerous other digital initiatives for the stations, including devising strategies for the stations’ mobile apps. Less than two weeks ago, Symson announced that Scripps would be the first operator in the country to offer group-wide live streaming through mobile apps.
“We have very talented people running the interactive activities at our newspapers and TV stations, and I’m eager to spur the kind of collaboration that gets real results,” said Symson. “We’ll continually improve our current news sites and apps while also pursuing a few initiatives that aren’t tied to our core businesses. We have the drive and the people to tackle big ideas, and I think this combined organization will help Scripps make a lot of noise in the digital arena.”
*About Scripps*
The E.W. Scripps Company is a diverse media enterprise with interests in television stations and newspapers. For a full listing of Scripps media companies and their associated Web sites, visit http://www.scripps.com/.
Sundrop Mobile Releases Card-less Loyalty Integration to Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System
*Sundrop Mobile Releases Card-less Loyalty Integration to Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System*
Today, Sundrop Mobile announced the integration of its Mobile Loyalty solution into Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS), heralding Sundrop’s entrance into the retail market. This integration allows retailers using the RMS point of sale system to operate Sundrop’s mobile and social loyalty program complete with customer purchase tracking, individually keyed coupon validation, closed-loop marketing services, and SKU-based data collection after every transaction.
In cooperation with POS Unlimited, an Atlanta-based value-added reseller for Sundrop Mobile, Sundrop has secured its first multi-unit customer for the solution: a 5-unit beauty supply retailer based in the Atlanta area. “We’re excited about running Sundrop Mobile loyalty in our customers’ stores; we anticipate seeing Sundrop’s same high participation rates, viral social expansion, and positive consumer response as they generate in restaurant environments, “ says Tae Kang, President of POS Unlimited.
“After our demonstratable success in the hospitality vertical, expansion into specialty retail is a logical next-step for Sundrop,” says Travis Priest, Sundrop CEO. “Not only do many of our existing channel partners serve multiple verticals, but our solution fills a void for mobile- and social-based loyalty programs in specialty retail. Collection of SKU data with the transaction enables us to offer manufacturer-sponsored loyalty programs that are particularly easy for retail outlets to administer using our platform infrastructure.”
Sundrop Mobile Loyalty removes the friction of loyalty participation for the merchant and the customer by replacing plastic loyalty cards with customers’ mobile phone numbers, dramatically boosting participation while eliminating merchant administration. This drives customer engagement which in turn boosts top line revenue. Merchants can focus solely on registering customers into their loyalty program at the point of purchase, while Sundrop manages the remainder of customer data collection. In addition to collecting customers’ mobile numbers, Sundrop automatically connects businesses with their customers via Facebook and Twitter, and collects email addresses, which enhances email-based programs.
About Sundrop
Sundrop Mobile is a mobile marketing and loyalty solutions provider pioneering the “Social POS.” Sundrop’s “card-less” mobile loyalty program, uses a consumer’s mobile number as their “loyalty card,” text messaging with email for data collection and communication, and seamlessly integrates social media and location-based services. Sundrop introduces merchants to their customers by helping merchants rapidly build large, opt-in customer databases at the point of sale and then enables merchants to market to these customers with targeted SMS text, email, voice, and social media communications while fully measuring the ROI of every campaign. www.sundropmobile.com
New Site Takes The Stress Off Searching For Online Coupons
New Site Takes The Stress Off Searching For Online Coupons
0 inShare
Lake Charles, USA – CouponCode.net is a site that has made online shopping easier and more economical for an average consumer. The internet has changed many things in our lives, including the way we shop. Gone are the days when shopping meant standing in long lines at the checkout counter, walking around for hours and driving all around town just to find aright store. The internet has made it possible to do all shopping right from home. If you simply do not have time to head out to a mall, online shopping makes it possible to browse hundreds of products and stores right from the comfort of your own home. CouponCode.net now makes the online shopping experience even better by offering a way to take advantage of many online coupons and coupon codes.
Discovering the Discounts
Many people know that online shopping can be fast and convenient in many different ways. What many people may not realize is that there are literally hundreds of ways to save by using online coupons. Most online vendors provide either hidden links or secret codes so that customers can get discounts or free shipping on their purchase. From the vendor’s point of view, these coupons make a lot of sense as they provide a strong incentive for the customer to return. From the consumer’s point of view, these discounts mean savings each time you shop online. Unlike shopping in the real world, these discounts will show up immediately.
If there is a drawback to online coupons, it is probably the fact that there are so many of them out there. If you thought sifting through magazines and newspapers for discounts was tedious, the internet poses a much bigger problem. The internet is a huge place and almost every vendor offers these kinds of discounts and savings. Searching for them on your own can be an extremely overwhelming task. This is where CouponCode.net comes in. This site collects and consolidates the different coupons that are out there, complete with important information on expiry dates. Instead of looking all over cyberspace for great bargains, you just have to check a single site for all your savings.
Learning to save
CouponCode.net does not just provide information on online coupons, but also provide information for novices on how these discounts work. If you have never shopped online before, the site will explain how these codes and links work as well as what you should keep in mind when using them. The site is updated on a regular basis. It welcomes tips and feedback from its users. In this way, the site is able to provide relevant discount information on a regular basis. You can find discounts either by category or by store. You can also browse the top codes of the day, new listings as well as codes that are about to expire soon. A blog section is also available to provide extra tips on shopping online.
Learn more about online coupons and free shipping offers and start saving now by visiting the site www.couponcode.net. You can also leave feedback, ask a question, or leave a suggestion on the Contact Us page on the site.
Zillow Chief Economist Testifies Before Senate Banking Subcommittee on Ways to Address Foreclosure Glut
News Release Issued: September 20, 2011 3:16 PM EDT Zillow Chief Economist Testifies Before Senate Banking Subcommittee on Ways to Address Foreclosure Glut
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Leading real estate information marketplace Zillow® (NASDAQ: Z) today published the testimony of Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries, who testified before the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development this morning. The hearing was titled “New Ideas to Address the Glut of Foreclosed Properties.”
Humphries encouraged the members of the subcommittee to advocate for policy that does no harm to the housing market and does not disrupt the natural process of economic recovery.
“Forces in the housing market are at play that will lead to long-term stabilization,” Humphries said in his written testimony. “But it’s a delicate balance that should be well-understood before the government steps in to help it along.”
Humphries’ full written testimony is available in the blog section of Zillow Real Estate Research, at www.zillow.com/blog/research. A shorter version of that testimony was delivered verbally in front of the subcommittee.
*About Zillow, Inc.*
Zillow (NASDAQ: Z) is the leading real estate
Zillow and Zillow.com are registered trademarks of Zillow, Inc. Postlets is a trademark of Zillow, Inc.
SOURCE Zillow Inc.
[Adicio] Paralegal, Accountant and Loan Officer Top List of Most Underrated Jobs
*CareerCast.com Reports on Most Underrated Jobs** *
*Paralegal, Accountant and Loan Officer Top the List*
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CARLSBAD, CA, USA/AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (Sept. 20, 2011) From elementary school on, we were told to aim high in our careers and strive for such prestigious jobs as doctor, lawyer, pilot and even President. In CareerCast.com http://www.careercast.com’s new report on the most underrated jobs, the excitement those jobs promise typically sounds a lot better than the reality. According to CareerCast.com
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“While terms like flashy, glitzy, glamorous and prestigious aren’t typically associated with our list of underrated jobs, these careers have some great advantages that are often overlooked,” says Tony Lee, publisher, CareerCast.com http://www.careercast.com. “They’re professions that don’t woo people with the high salaries or notoriety, but instead have characteristics that make them especially worthy.”****
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CareerCast.com’s http://www.careercast.com most underrated jobs typically have median-to-higher income levels, lower stress, lower environmental dangers and lower physical demands. And even in this tight economy, all share one great attribute: a lower than average unemployment rate. ****
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“I have the best of both worlds. I get to do the work that I want, but I don’t have the high demands that a lawyer does,” says Jennifer Dahms, a paralegal at a Milwaukee law firm, the career that took top honors in the CareerCast.com http://www.careercast.com ranking. “I wouldn’t say that my job is underrated. I would say it’s equally balanced. I get to take vacations, leave work and have a life.”****
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While the paparazzi may not be knocking down their doors, the following jobs are worth a look if you’re considering changing careers. They also apply if you’re a recent graduate looking for a career that will reward you for years to come.****
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CareerCast.com’s http://www.careercast.com Most Underrated Jobs:****
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1. Paralegal/Legal Assistant, average income $47,153.00****
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2. Accountant, average income $60,174.00****
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3. Loan Officer, average income $55,239.00****
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4. Market Research Analyst, average income $62,229.00****
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5. Software Engineer, average income $87,140.00****
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6. Computer Systems Analyst, average income $77,153.00****
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7. Insurance Agent, average income $46,342.00****
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8. Dietician, average income $52,127.00****
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9. Dental Hygienist, average income $67,107.00****
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10. Civil Engineer, average income $76,139.00****
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11. Physical Therapist, average income $74,104.00****
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12. Chiropractor, average income $68,358.00****
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CareerCast.com editors reviewed our in-depth Jobs Rated data to identify the most underrated jobs based on a range of criteria, including income, stress, danger, physical demands, and outlook. To read the full report, visit www.CareerCast.com.****
** ** About CareerCast.com ****
CareerCast.com http://www.careercast.com/, created by Adicio
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Telstra unveils major brand evolution
Telstra unveils major brand evolution
19 September 2011
In the biggest change to the Telstra brand since its transition from Telecom Australia in 1993, Telstra has unveiled a new colourful identity that captures the diversity of its products, services and customers.
The new brand identity reflects the changes that have been happening at Telstra over the past two years, as the company moves to focus on customer service, sales and marketing while continuing its great legacy of engineering excellence.
Telstra Chief Executive Officer, David Thodey, said the changes to Telstra’s visual identity were designed to create a stronger and more emotional connection with Telstra’s customers.
“The time is right for a new look and feel for Telstra,” Mr Thodey said. “We’ve been busy changing behind the scenes to better connect with our customers, and our new brand identity reflects this fresh approach.”
“Our changes are more than skin deep and come after the introduction of new customer service initiatives such as 24 hour sales and support and on Twitter, weekend appointments with technicians, free calls to Telstra help lines and the launch of simple pricing summaries so customers have the key information they need in plain English.
“Other customer service initiatives include a new customer service facility in Facebook and a new online community called CrowdSupport where customers help customers. Service improvements soon to be introduced include shaping on domestic mobile data usage to help consumers avoid unexpectedly high bills and a new simpler design to customer bills.”
The Telstra logo will continue in its current shape, and will feature a new colour palette incorporating orange, green, turquoise, blue, purple and magenta. The new look will be used for all customer groups including consumer, business, enterprise and government. It will be applied across thousands of applications from uniforms to service vehicles to packaging over the course of the coming months. Telstra has minimised the costs associated with rolling out the new brand identity by employing a gradual approach that aligns with scheduled cross-company programs of work.
DDB Group’s specialist brand agency, Interbrand, worked with Telstra on the brand identity and along with DDB Sydney launched a new Telstra advertising campaign featuring the new look brand through TV and press last night.
Marty O’Halloran, Chief Executive Officer, DDB Group said: “Telstra is one of Australia’s biggest, most recognisable brands. Our challenge was to maintain that familiarity, while also encouraging customers to re-evaluate what Telstra is about.
“Aspects of people’s lives are not any one colour, so injecting the existing branding with a full colour wardrobe means that we can take the Telstra brand to customers in a recognisable, relevant and engaging way.”
For more information on the changes, or a look back at some of the Telstra advertisements over the years head to www.telstra.com/colour.
* Best Australian Brands 2009 valued the Telstra brand at $9.7 billion
*Media contact: * Craig Middleton Mobile: 0400 931 772 Email: media@team.telstra.com
Reference Number: 270/2011
