In keeping with other analysts and forecasters (see Forecasts), Merrill Lynch has downgraded its ITV revenue forecasts citing “growing evidence of advertiser cutbacks or switching” in the TV advertising market. Merrill now forecast ITV revenue growth at -12.3% to September 2001 and see no reason to expect a recovery until around April 2002. Growth for… Continue reading Merrill Lynch Downgrades Spell Further Misery For ITV

More than half of the UK’s internet users are willing to pay for premium content, possibly paving the way for the widespread introduction of paid -for events and information. According to a new survey by technology consultancy iSTRAT, 52% of respondents said that would be willing to pay for good quality information; 80% of these… Continue reading More Than Half Of UK Web Users Willing To Pay For Premium Content

Although the US has the largest base of mobile phone users in the world, less than $4 billion will be spent on shopping and travel via internet-enabled mobile phones in 2006. This is less than 2% of all online shopping, according to new wireless research by Jupiter Media Metrix (JMM). The survey reports that consumers’… Continue reading Consumer Apathy Hinders Wireless Transactions Growth

The economic downturn and the well-publicised failure of dotcoms have dented the share of those who see the internet as ‘an engine of, economic growth’, down slightly from 82% in October 2000 to 75% in June 2001. However, there has been no significant change in the share of the US public that has a positive… Continue reading Internet Viewed Positively Despite Dotcom Failures

Global marketing communications group, Cordiant, has bought 92.6% of International Business Information (IBI), a leading business communications consultancy in Japan, for Y1.3 billion (£7.5 million). IBI is based in Tokyo and has more than 100 employees. Its business deals with domestic and international clients in the areas of investor relations, public relations and corporate communications… Continue reading Cordiant Acquires Japanese Communications Consultancy

The IPA released it’s Q2 2001 Bellwether report today which drew unsurprising conclusions about UK marketing spend. Leaving aside the much-discussed move away from television (see Forecasts) the IPA reveal a shift towards ‘below-the-line’ activities when decisions are made about marketing spend. Investment in direct marketing in particular showed a significant increase in 2000, taking… Continue reading Q2 Bellwether Report Is Thin On Optimism

The applications server software platform (ASSP) market continued to grow strongly last year, despite the expectations of many that growth would begin to moderate, according to research from IDC. In 1999, worldwide revenues grew by 110% to $957 million. In 2000, revenues grew another 128% and reached almost $2.2 billion. Strong growth is expected to… Continue reading ASSP Market Growth Stronger Than Expected

Internet call waiting, a feature introduced just three years go, now faces serious threats from broadband technologies, according to research from IDC. Internet call waiting allows users who access the internet via a telephone dial-up line to be alerted when another call is incoming. However, broadband access services, such as DSL, use a separate technology… Continue reading Internet Call Waiting Technology Threatened By Broadband

By the end of 2005 half of all UK households will have Digital TV (DTV) and more people will use interactive TV (iTV) to connect to the internet than PC’s, according to the latest Internet Audience Measurement report from Jupiter MMXI, released today. The report shows that of the current 7 million homes that have… Continue reading Half Of UK Homes Will Be Digital By 2005, Says Jupiter

German television advertising growth outperformed the market there during the first half of the year, in stark contrast to the UK TV market, the performance of which is set to be the poorest media sector in Europe (see Insight Analysis: Ad Downturn Could Get Worse Before It Gets Better). According to ACNielsen data analysed by… Continue reading German TV Outperforms Ad Market In First Half