Tag Archives: bigmouthmedia

Bigmouthmedia Welcomes The New Search Partnership Between Yahoo And Microsoft’s Bing Search Engine, Stating That The New Arrangement Could Rejuvenate Competition In A Market Currently Dominated By Google

Although details of the deal are as yet unclear, reports from numerous credible news outlets worldwide suggest that after many months of negotiation, the global giants are set to unveil an agreement that will see Yahoo sell search ads under Microsoft’s nascent Bing brand. While estimates of the global market share the partnership will hold vary from 12% to 30%, Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency believes that the news will have a positive impact upon the industry.

“It’s been 18 months since the rumour mill first started touting the possibility of a deal involving Yahoo and Microsoft, and the industry as a whole will be delighted to see what’s become the search business’ longest-running soap opera finally approaching a conclusion. The devil will be in the detail, but given the alarming dominance that Google has held over the market for so long, the prospect of a serious challenge to their position is good news for everyone,” said Lyndsay Menzies, Chief Operations Officer at bigmouthmedia.

“Although the impact in the UK will be minimal, with the combined entity still only accounting for a market share of around 5%, competition in any market is good for consumers. If the partnership succeeds in growing their market share still further, the renewed challenge could force Google to become more competitive.”

With the precise details of the agreement still a closely guarded secret, the news that Yahoo has finally succumbed to Microsoft’s advances has spawned widespread speculation over the deal’s possible ramifications. While the prospect of a serious competitor to Google’s Adwords system is being touted as a move that could help push PPC advertising prices downwards, other commentators have suggested that the deal could force the search giant to reconsider its policy against paying commission to partner agencies.

“There are still more questions than there are answers about this deal, but If Yahoo’s paid search ads are powered by Bing then we will have another credible search engine to consider for paid search budgets. That may result in some instability as bid management platforms adapt to cope with the new landscape, but it will help keep cost-per-click prices down,” said Andrew Girdwood, bigmouthmedia’s Head of Search.

“But if Bing is only going to supply Yahoo with organic results then it still means Yahoo is out of the search game. They’ll not be developing their search engine, are unlikely to return to it and will in essence become an ad management platform – the long term effects of which remain to be seen.”

About bigmouthmedia
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest and most experienced digital marketing agency and was rated the UK’s #1 Search agency for Search Engine Optimisation and PPC in the 2009 NMA Marketing Services Guide.

Bigmouthmedia’s 200+ online marketing experts across 12 international offices maximise online brand exposure for our clients by means of integrated digital strategies incorporating SEO, PPC, Social Media Marketing, Affiliate marketing, Display Advertising, Online PR and Copywriting.

Bigmouthmedia’s multilingual digital solutions deliver outstanding ROI for over 300 world leading brands including British Airways, Tesco, ebay, Sky, Cisco, BT, Comic Relief, Barclaycard and Europcar.

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Proposed European Legal Move Planned To Regulate The Use Of Cookies Could Have A Profound Negative Impact Upon Some Of The World’s Biggest Businesses

Bigmouthmedia has warned that a proposed European legal move to regulate the use of cookies could have a profound negative impact upon the some of the world’s biggest businesses.

In a move that threatens affiliate marketing, bid management and web analytics, proposed amendments to the 2002 European Communities Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications would mean that in future, websites would only be able to place cookies on visitors’ computers if they give their express consent.

“This is a proposal that would strike at the very heart of what the digital economy is all about. The ability to measure, track and improve the site experience for visitors is key to the success of e-commerce, and given the potentially damaging effect this could have on a multi-billion pound business channel, suggests legislators don’t quite appreciate the havoc they could cause,” said Andrew Girdwood, Head of Search at bigmouthmedia.

“This isn’t really a privacy issue. More often than not, cookies only contain data to measure the success of keywords or affiliates. We support attempts to raise awareness of privacy issues and provide internet users with more control but believe these functions would be better provided by the browser than the website. This would give users even greater flexibility and more consistency.”

Many areas of the digital marketing business could be seriously affected if the proposed legislative changes come into effect, with big names from Amazon to Google likely to be hit. Services dependent on using user data to track sales such as affiliate marketing would suffer significantly, while pay-per-click advertising services would be forced to ask permission to place a cookie every time a user attempted to follow a link.

If the amendments go through, commercial web sites may be forced to run multi million pound search campaigns without having a detailed understanding of how well the strategy is performing. Most modern forms of web analytics, meanwhile, would also be threatened by the European proposal.

The experience of visiting commercial websites could also be badly affected. Sites may be forced to display a pop-up message – commonly associated with invasive advertising – in order to seek the visitor’s permission before any tracking could be used. Over all, the loss in transactions combined with the cost of implementation would stretch to many millions of Euros in lost revenue each month for online retailers, travel and finance sites.

Full details of the proposed legislative change and its possible ramifications are available through bigmouthmedia’s digital news service.

About bigmouthmedia
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest and most experienced digital marketing agency and was rated the UK’s #1 Search agency for SEO and PPC in the 2009 NMA Marketing Services Guide. Bigmouthmedia’s 200+ online marketing experts across 12 international offices maximise online brand exposure by means of integrated digital strategies incorporating SEO, PPC, Social Media Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Display Advertising, Online PR and Copywriting. Bigmouthmedia’s multilingual digital solutions deliver outstanding ROI for over 300 world leading brands including British Airways, Tesco, Sky, Cisco, BT, Comic Relief, Barclaycard and Europcar. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news.

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Affiliate Marketing Agency bigmouthmedia Announces Jason Dale And One Little Duck as the Winner of the B.A.B.E. Award

The bigmouthmedia affiliate blogging excellence award (the B.A.B.E. award) was founded as a way to highlight the importance of the affiliate community within the United Kingdom and to reward those who contribute the most to it.

Affiliate marketing is most productive and effective when affiliates are empowered to contribute significantly and safely to merchant sales. Successful affiliates are rewarded with commission on sales, leads and actions but bigmouthmedia launched the blog competition to extend the reward structure to those affiliates who help others.

Jason Dale’s One Little Duck blog was first nominated by the affiliate community – receiving nominations through the affiliate agency’s voting form and mentions on Twitter – and then selected as the final winner by bigmouthmedia’s judges.

“One Little Duck is a great blog,” said Jen Brain, senior affiliate manager at bigmouthmedia, “We thought Jason provided useful reading for affiliates of every level. The blog is community focused and integrates with Affiliates 4 U’s ‘back me’ voting system for individual blog posts, MyBlogLog f r o m Yahoo, the ShareThis widget and sports a good collection of recommended WordPress plugins.”

On winning the award, Jason Dale said: “I’m still in shock but I am very pleased and truly honoured that One Little Duck has been chosen as the B.A.B.E Award winner, especially as there are many high quality UK affiliate bloggers. Thanks to the judges and nominators, as well as to everyone who reads One Little Duck. A big thanks also to bigmouthmedia for the awards initiative. I hope it will become an annual event and that more affiliates are encouraged to share their experiences with others via their own blogs”.

The competition allowed affiliates to step up for nomination by talking about the award on Twitter. Bigmouthmedia recorded several hundred tweets and retweets about the competition as affiliates spread the news.

About bigmouthmedia 
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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Bigmouthmedia Has Welcomed The Launch Of Microsoft’s Bing Search Engine For Introducing Renewed Competitive Impetus And Consumer Choice To A Marketplace Currently Dominated By Google

bing

Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency praised the new service, due to be unveiled on the back of a reported $100million promotional campaign, as a potentially crucial landmark in the online search sector’s development. Citing Microsoft’s pan-European approach and collaboration with key agencies in advance of the launch, bigmouthmedia believes that Bing  could add a refreshing new dynamic to the industry.

“Competition is always welcome. It has been some time since the search industry had a realistic alternative to Google, and if Microsoft’s new engine can provide that then it will be of obvious benefit to both digital marketers and consumers alike,” said bigmouthmedia CEO Steve Leach.

“Only time will tell how successful Bing will be, but if Microsoft can show the average household searcher that there really is an alternative, then this could be a pivotal moment in our industry’s evolution.”

Praising Microsoft for its willingness to work closely with key SEO agencies in advance of the launch, bigmouthmedia expects the Redmond giant to get a number of things right. While services such as Yahoo do not treat large parts of Europe as distinct territories, Bing is expected to see its European launch followed by the introduction of a range of country-specific services. Similarly, it is expected that we will also see Bing evangelists active in Europe and not just the US.

Bigmouthmedia’s initial assessment of the new service is that in its initial incarnation Bing will do enough to generate coverage and interest but be familiar enough not to scare users away. Microsoft also clearly understands the importance of searcher confidence in relation to the perception of good search results.

“While the search sector is excited by the prospect of a new service, only time will tell if Bing is to have a permanent impact. The industry has seen numerous new engines launched over the years – including several by Microsoft – and it’s fair to say they haven’t been hugely successful,” said Andrew Girdwood, Head of Search at bigmouthmedia.

“There are some tough questions that Microsoft has to answer. Just how are they going to get average household searchers to try Bing for the first time, and how long will the company be willing to support their current Bing strategy if progress is slow? Until we know the answers, the jury will still be out on this one.”

About bigmouthmedia
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search Engine Optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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Bigmouthmedia Unveils British Business Top Social Networking Executives

A new bigmouthmedia survey has identified the UK market’s biggest business users of online social networking tools.

Following extensive research, Carnival Cruises’ John Heald and On Holiday Group CEO Steve Endacott have been revealed as the business leaders trading in Britain that have most readily adopted services like LinkedIn, Facebook and twitter as part of their essential marketing tool kit.

“Social networking may have become one of the most talked about trends in the online world, but until now there has been little hard evidence showing to what extent the business community has embraced these tools. Our research shows that while many leading executives are now deriving measurable benefits f r o m this rapidly developing channel, some of the UK’s most prominent organisations have failed to get to grips with this important trend,” said Lyndsay Menzies, bigmouthmedia Chief Operations Officer.

While the social media has been one of 2009’s most hyped phenomena, little evidence exists as to what extent businesses are deriving benefits f r o m the plethora of available services. In order to gauge real-world attitudes to the tools, bigmouthmedia assessed the online networking performance of 50 CEO’s & senior marketing executives selected f r o m the FTSE100 and the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.

Carnival’s Senior Director John Heald emerged as the clear winner in the FTSE100 category. He uses a combination of Facebook and blogging to reach out to past, present and future customers.

“The internet has changed the way that people want to communicate with companies, and even the FTSE100 has to come to terms with that. Customers have become accustomed to a certain level of transparency and informality in their dealings with business and even large-scale enterprises need to adjust their marketing strategies accordingly.”

Heald’s use of social media proved to be a relative rarity amongst the FTSE100 executives sampled. Only 25% of them engage in any form of online networking, compared to 80% of senior players f r o m Fast Track companies.

Topping the table f r o m the fast growth companies listed in the Fast Track 100 is On Holiday Group CEO and founder Steve Endacott. The former MyTravel chief employs a range of tools including Facebook, LinkedIn, twitter, Plaxo and Xing to promote his travel company and believes that they are an essential part of the modern business toolkit. “I believe that these are tools every business has to get to grips with. There’s a generation of consumers growing up with social media, and unless you truly understand the culture there’s a real danger of losing touch with them,” he said.

LinkedIn emerged as the senior executive’s networking tool of choice. Half of those surveyed use the service, while 80% of the FTSE100 managers that engage in online networking use it as their only application.

“Social media is simply about listening and interacting with your customers, using channels that many staff will already be familiar with, such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Digg. It is common sense, and it’s perhaps unsurprising that the majority of the FastTrack companies are ahead of the curve in this respect,” commented Econsultancy’s Chris Lake.

“What’s needed is a shift in mindset. Firms should embrace customer feedback and act on it. By engaging with customers you increase satisfaction, which is a proven way of generating repeat business and referrals. Why wouldn’t you want to do that? “

About bigmouthmedia 
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. The bigmouthmedia on Twitter, bigmouthmedia on Mobile Twitter and bigmouthmedia on friendfeed services provide constant up to date digital marketing news to ensure subscribers are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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New Research By bigmouthmedia Reveals Changes In Search Behaviour As Users Abandon Brand Name Searches In Favour Of A More Sophisticated Approach To Searching For Goods And Services Online

Despite online shoppers using the search box to access brand sites and browsers like Firefox and Chrome offering a single bar for both navigation and search, navigational keyword usage in Europe is down this year. Conducted by bigmouthmedia’s international offices in Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, France and the Nordics region, the research simultaneously reveals a growing tendency amongst users to employ increasingly complex search terms when looking for information online.

According to the survey, the steady increase in numbers of consumers using the web for entertainment has seen the percentage of keywords accounted for by navigational search fall, while the vast majority of European consumers now use two and three word search phrases to deliver more targeted results when surfing.

“Over the past few years consumers have become far more savvy about search, and as the recession drives people to hunt for the very best available deals, we’re seeing them adopt a sophisticated approach with the majority now employing more complicated phrases to find their way around the web,” said Andrew Girdwood, Head of Search at bigmouthmedia.

The research demonstrates a range of differing approaches from country to country. Web users in Italy, Great Britain and Germany were found to demonstrate the most complex search behaviour, topping the table for four-word phrases, while almost a quarter of consumers in France and Spain still rely on a single keyword when tracking down information, goods and services on the internet.

Girdwood added: “Clearly, the way that users approach the search landscape is changing. As consumers continue to become more comfortable with the technology and the sheer volume of online information proliferates it will be interesting to see how this trend develops over the next few years and how it may force many big brand companies to reassess their digital marketing strategies.” 

About bigmouthmedia 
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news along with a series of bigmouthmedia tools to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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Bigmouthmedia Extends Collaboration With Microsoft Germany

In the wake of a successful collaboration with Microsoft Germany, bigmouthmedia, Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency, plan to extend the 2B-Found Project by offering a range of SEO tools to the software giant’s sales network. Providing a range of services to the manufacturer and its partners, the new framework will afford access to a set of analysis and optimisation modules designed to help members fine tune their websites for search engines.

bigmouthmedia

“Having worked with Microsoft for the last 18 months, we have developed a very strong relationship with them. It is the next logical step to extend our collaboration. We are very excited to be working more closely with Microsoft and look forward to developing 2B-Found further. For their part, Microsoft are pleased with the results and to have the recommendation of such a major software player is a fantastic endorsement,” said Lyndsay Menzies, Chief Operations Officer at bigmouthmedia.

The deal follows the success of bigmouthmedia’s search engine optimisation campaign promoting the Microsoft Dynamics brand across Germany. Since launching in early 2008 the team promoting the software manufacturer’s enterprise products has achieved rapid results, doubling the percentage of search engine traffic to the Dynamics site.

“These results have exceeded our expectations. Bigmouthmedia has quickly and clearly increased our traffic and the visibility of our Microsoft Dynamics brand, so we have therefore decided to expand our cooperation further and make the know-how of the company’s SEO experts available to our distribution partners”, said Antje Reichelt, Audience Marketing Manager at Microsoft Dynamics.

The Microsoft Dynamics brand is one of the world’s largest providers of enterprise software. Distributed through partners, its products are used by 300,000 corporate clients across the globe.

“Following our collaboration, Microsoft Dynamics is now showing a significantly greater proportion of prominent placements in search engine rankings. In just a few months we have been able to reach the first places in searched terms at Google for Microsoft’s most important keywords, a ten percent increase in comparison to its competitors,” said Isabell Wagner, Managing Director of bigmouthmedia Germany.

“We are pleased that project’s success means the continuation of our cooperation, which means that Microsoft’s partners will also now benefit from our services.”

About bigmouthmedia
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search (SEO, PPC, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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Bigmouthmedia Reports That Further Changes Unveiled By Google To Its International Trademark Policy Could Cost The World’s Major Companies Millions In The Short Term As They Struggle To Protect Their Brands Online

While not unexpected, Google’s decision to allow anyone to bid for trademarked keywords in a total of 194 countries including Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Russia is widely predicted to lead to price rises in the markets affected. However, evidence from the UK – where the policy change was first rolled out in 2008 – indicates that while bidding on some brand terms could increase by as much as 500% in the short term, the impact is unlikely to be permanent.

“While dropping trademark protection didn’t send costs skyrocketing to the extent many feared in the UK, during the initial scramble to bid on competitor brand terms we saw cost-per-click (CPC) prices rise by an average of 400-500%. Those levels proved unsustainable in the long term however, and we would expect any spike in keyword prices to normalise within a matter of weeks, “said Lyndsay Menzies, Chief Operations Officer at bigmouthmedia.

“Our international offices have been working with such a system in the US and UK for years and we know how to deal with it, but the news is likely to precipitate changes in some international markets as brands move budgets about within digital channels to maximise return.”

Bringing the new territories into line with its North American and UK businesses, Google will now allow open keyword bidding on all terms in 194 countries worldwide. This means it is now possible for more than one advertiser to appear in the list of sponsored links that appears after a user has typed in a search query using a trademarked term.

Experience from the UK indicates that successful legal challenges to the rule changes seem unlikely, although commentators will note that Google has yet to relax restrictions in France, Italy or Germany, where copyright laws are particularly robust.

While bad news for major brands, the move is likely to be good news for smaller competitors looking to close the gap. The announcement is also likely to have a profound effect on all affiliate partners, with the ability to bid on competitor keywords greatly increasing the scope and range of their operations.

“While brands might be tempted to bid on competitor keywords in the newly opened markets, Google’s rules mean that while they are allowed to bid on brand terms they can’t use them in their advert copy, something that frequently results in a low quality score and a high average CPC. They are also likely to experience poor conversion rates, because the fact of the matter is that if a customer searches for a particular brand name, that’s the one they’re interesting in buying,” said Robin Richmond, bigmouthmedia’s Head of Pay Per Click (PPC).

“Google’s revised rules will add new layers of complexity to the search landscape though. Look at affiliate marketing and PPC: many brands restrict their affiliates from brand bidding but these policies may now need to be reviewed if they wish to protect their real estate from direct competitors.”

About bigmouthmedia 
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff across 12 offices in 10 countries, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: PPC and search engine optimisation, Online Media Planning, Affiliate Marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

Leading the digital marketing strategies of a third of the UK’s most trusted brands, bigmouthmedia services over 300 big-brand customers globally including: Hilton, British Airways, Tesco, Air Berlin, Barclays, Sky, British Telecom and Wall Street Institute.

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Bigmouthmedia Has Been Named The UK’s Number 1 SEO And PPC Agency In The New Media Age Marketing Services Guide 2009

Widely regarded as the definitive guide to Britain’s digital marketing landscape, the NMA league table is ranked on income, with bigmouthmedia’s range of big brand client wins, cross-channel expertise and experienced management team cited as being key to the company’s industry-leading status.

“Like every industry the search sector has faced a lot of challenges recently, but despite difficult economic circumstances the blend of effectiveness and measurable ROI that online marketing provides is still proving a winning combination,” said Lyndsay Menzies, bigmouthmedia’s Group Chief Operations Officer.

“There are many factors behind our success, but the most important is the dedicated, skilled and passionate bigmouth team that underpins everything we do.”

Highlighting the international expertise offered by bigmouthmedia’s offices in the UK, US, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, France and Spain, New Media Age attributed the company’s success to an unequivocal impact on clients’ bottom lines: “The increased investment in search during the recession reflects the drum beaten by specialists and search pioneers over the past decade: that it’s an incredibly effective, cost-efficient and wholly trackable marketing discipline.”

Citing the latest available research, the guide’s editors expect to see further growth in the year ahead. According to the recently published 2009 UK Search Engine Marketing Benchmark Report, half of Britain’s senior marketers are set to increase their online budgets over the next 12 months.

The 2009 guide pointed to bigmouthmedia’s retention of British Airways’ combined PPC and SEO campaign – together with winning both the Sky and Europcar accounts – as the highlights of another successful year for the UK business. Editors also noted the launch of the agency’s Online PR division and a raft of high profile executive appointments.

About bigmouthmedia 
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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Bigmouthmedia Uncovers Britains Missing Millions

Bigmouthmedia reports Britain’s top companies stand to lose out on a raft of sales in 2009 after an analysis of the FTSE 100’s digital marketing activity revealed that some of the country’s biggest brands are missing out on a potential online revenue stream worth over£370million.

While the majority of the UK’s leading companies run successful affiliate marketing campaigns responsible for increasing internet sales on average by 15%, many major corporations are still failing to exploit the channel. Now, after extensive research bigmouthmedia has revealed that based on available figures, a raft of household names stand to lose potential affiliate revenues of £376.3 million in the next year alone.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. The research focused solely on FTSE100 operations, but if Britain’s biggest companies are failing to capitalise on such a lucrative revenue stream, the amounts being lost across the entire UK business spectrum could be quite remarkable,” said Lyndsay Menzies, Chief Operations Officer at bigmouthmedia.

Lyndsay continued, “Affiliate marketing is a well established and proven digital channel, and the fact that so many leading companies continue to ignore it is remarkable in light of the current economic situation.”

Online FTSE100 revenues were calculated using recent British Retail Index estimates that 15 pence in every pound is now spent online. Figures included only income derived from goods and services sold direct to consumers.

In the interests of accuracy, only FTSE listed companies trading with the public were included in the analysis. Due to the current unpredictable nature of the savings and loans sector, banking organisations were similarly discounted.

Although there is broad industry consensus that affiliate marketing campaigns that are run according to best practice guidelines can boost online revenues by up to 15%, bigmouthmedia calculated the listed companies’ potential 2009 income from the channel based on a more conservative figure of 10%.

“Affiliate marketing is a pay for performance model – you can see exactly where your pound is being spent. It’s a proven channel for acquiring new customers, driving incremental sales and getting brand exposure on sites that you would not necessarily traditionally target through other online marketing strategies,” said Jen Brain, Affiliates Manager at bigmouthmedia.

Jen concluded, “The low financial risk associated with the affiliate channel makes it an ideal marketing tool in the current economic environment and one that all transactional websites should look to invest in.”

About bigmouthmedia 
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff across 12 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Affiliate marketing, Social Media Planning, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news, to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

Leading the digital marketing strategies of a third of the UK’s most trusted brands, bigmouthmedia services over 300 big-brand customers globally including: MTV, Adidas, BT, Hilton, AOL, British Airways, Cisco, Tesco, Aer Lingus, BP, Barclays, Fasthosts, Jumeirah, Top Man, Debenhams, Air Berlin and Wall Street Institute.

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Bigmouthmedia Summit To Map Out Finance Sectors Online Battleground

Bigmouthmedia reveals that one of the UK’s leading online business experts is set to tell an audience of financial sector executives that the digital media will be a key battleground in their fight to beat the downturn.

Speaking ahead of the bigmouthmedia finance summit in April, Econsultancy CEO Ashley Friedlein believes that the finance industry faces a fight on two fronts over the coming year. In addition to coping with an uncertain market, he says the beleaguered sector will also be forced to come to terms with the explosive growth of social media.

“While the financial sector faces an unprecedented crisis of consumer confidence, it is also operating in an era where the way that businesses interact with the public is changing at a breakneck speed. The remarkable popularity of social networking applications such as twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook has taken many businesses by surprise, but the medium has already become a key commercial communications channel,” said Friedlein, “Coming to terms with these new channels and keeping pace with the rapid developments within them will be one of the critical challenges facing businesses in the months ahead.”

Drawing upon Econsultancy’s wealth of industry research, Friedlein plans to use the event to demonstrate how businesses can effectively engage the social media. Joining a line up of some of the UK’s best known online finance specialists, his presentation will contribute to an agenda designed to take participants through the key marketing strategies recommended to help businesses prosper in the current economic climate.

He will be joined by Senior Head of Financial Services at Google UK Ian Morgan and Tom Pearman, Finance Manager at Microsoft Advertising. Comscore’s Paolo Barbesino, Yahoo Finance Category Director Jeremy Fawcett and Will Cooper from New Media Age will also be presenting.

“It may be a tough time for the finance sector, but there are still opportunities for smart, successful companies working towards the recovery,” said Chris Cathcart, Senior Finance Strategist at bigmouthmedia.

He continued, “We designed this summit to highlight the positives, and the attendees can look forward to an exciting event focused on successful strategies, informal networking and a chance to speak directly with the people at the forefront of online finance in the UK today.”

The bigmouthmedia Finance Summit takes place in London on 8th April and is a free event aimed at senior marketing and ecommerce executives. Places are limited, but those wishing to attend can call 0845 130 0055 or email hello@bigmouthmedia.com for an invitation.

About bigmouthmedia 
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: PPC and Search Engine Optimisation, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics.

Leading the digital marketing strategies of a third of the UK’s most trusted brands, bigmouthmedia services over 300 big-brand customers globally including: Adidas, Hilton, British Airways, Tesco, Aer Lingus, BP, Barclays, Castrol, Conrad International, Dorling Kindersley, Early Learning Centre, , Fasthosts, Jumeirah, Canon, Samsung, Starbucks, Top Man, Debenhams, Which?, Lacoste, Euler Hermes and Wall Street Institute.

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Bigmouthmedia has announced the appointment of Lyndsay Menzies as its new Chief Operations Officer

Bigmouthmedia, Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency, has announced the appointment of Lyndsay Menzies to Chief Operations Officer (COO).

Stepping into a key group role, Menzies takes top-level operational control across the agency’s ten international territories. Responsible for driving the continued integration of bigmouthmedia, she will also oversee an anticipated expansion of operations following bigmouthmedia’s planned 2009 growth programme.

“As the company continues to grow, ensuring that each new acquisition successfully dovetails with the existing offices requires a dynamic leader capable of implementing best practice across the group, driving synergies and maximising the benefits of our international footprint,” said Steve Leach, Group CEO.

Having indentified the requirement for a COO, bigmouthmedia’s board initially ran a pan-European search for potential recruits, but quickly indentified Menzies as the outstanding candidate.

“It pays to keep a winning team together and, having worked with Lyndsay for over ten years, I have first-hand experience of her tenacious attention to detail and refusal to rest before a job is done. Under her management, bigmouthmedia UK has consistently outperformed expectations, and I am delighted that she will now be bringing her unique mix of passion and expertise to this important international role,” added Leach.

The promotion to COO follows Menzies successful tenure as Managing Director ofbigmouthmedia UK, during which she has driven four consecutive years of exponential growth and seen the company named Britain’s fifth most rapidly growing firm in Deloitte’s Fast 50 Awards. Prior to taking up the role in 2004 she was the agency’s Operation Director, having joined in 1998.

“I’m looking forward to this challenge, particularly at a time when the economic situation is throwing up a whole new set of opportunities and obstacles. I’ll be working hard to ensure that the group’s international footprint and increasing cultural diversity are fully exploited, and am delighted that I will be taking a senior role in the company’s aggressive plans for acquisitions and growth,” said Menzies.

“As bigmouthmedia expands into new territories the heads of our international offices will be coping with many of the same issues we once faced in the UK, and that experience should allow me to provide them the support they need to progress,” said Menzies.

About bigmouthmedia:
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

Leading the digital marketing strategies of a third of the UK’s most trusted brands, bigmouthmedia services over 300 big-brand customers globally including: Adidas, Hilton, British Airways, Tesco, Aer Lingus, BP, Barclays, Castrol, Conrad International, Dorling Kindersley, Early Learning Centre, Fasthosts, Jumeirah, Canon, Samsung, Starbucks, Top Man, Debenhams, Which?, Lacoste, Euler Hermes and Wall Street Institute.

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Cdiscount Has Appointed Bigmouthmedia To Lead Its Search Marketing Strategy For The Launch Of Its UK Operation

Cdiscount, the French online retailer which opens for business in the UK this month, selected bigmouthmedia, Europe’s largest digital marketing agency, to run its search engine optimisation (SEO) campaign following a competitive pitch.

Cdiscount is launching with a range of aggressive offers it claims undercut the competition by up to 50% and the company intends to challenge the dominance of the British market’s biggest e-commerce brands.

“The credit crunch has created a real opportunity for online retailers. Value for money is what really matters to consumers right now, and our launch campaign will be led by a series of very strong offers designed to challenge the established UK players on price, service and quality,” said Arfan Sabir, Online Marketing Manager at Cdiscount UK.

Bigmouthmedia‘s international reputation, together with their proven track record in the retail space, made them the natural choice of partner for the crucial opening phase of our launch in the UK.”

Three times bigger than Amazon in its native France, Cdiscount has a ten year European sales history with a product range spanning fashion, furniture, home entertainment, electronics, gaming, computing and IT, sport and more.

“We’re delighted to be working with Cdiscount at this critical stage of their development. If anything, the current economic climate has given fresh impetus to the online retail sector, and this promises to be an exciting campaign,” said Finlay Clark, Senior Retail Strategist at bigmouthmedia UK.

About Cdiscount:
Cdiscount is the one stop multi-specialist discount superstore selling top quality brands up to 50% cheaper than the rest (Retail Week June 2008). The Cdiscount range includes fashion, furniture, home entertainment, electronics, gaming, computing and IT, sport and leisure, quality wines and much more. The company prides itself on quality, product range, price, service, delivery, after sales support and offers customers interest free finance options on orders over £75.

Cdiscount was established in 1998 and is part of the Casino Group. With more than 10,000 stores, the Casino group is one of the largest global retail and distribution organisations. As a group, it consists of companies such as Géant, Casino Supermarkets, Casino Cafeteria, Monoprix and Franprix/Leaderprice.

About bigmouthmedia:
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia are leaders in digital marketing, with a team of over 200 staff across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents the company maximizes return and exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: PPC and Search engine optimisation, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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Bigmouthmedia Has Predicted That 2009 Will Be A Critical Year For The Digital Marketing Industry

Bigmouthmedia, Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency, has revealed that the next twelve months will have a pivotal role in shaping the digital marketing sector, with analysts citing factors ranging from challenging trading conditions to advanced technology combining to make 2009 a landmark year in the industry’s development.

While the economic downturn will continue to have an impact on every sector, digital marketing businesses will focus on digital’s cost benefits and demonstrable ROI (Return on Investment) in an effort to buck the trend. Trading conditions will seriously impact upon vulnerable agencies however, and a period of industry consolidation seems inevitable.

“Digital marketing has several key advantages when it comes to trading through a recession, but the downturn will wipe some of the smaller players off the map. Agencies reliant on one or two key clients will be particularly vulnerable, and I expect to see a rash of acquisitions and company failures radically reshape the industry over the course of 2009,” said Steve Leach, CEO of bigmouthmedia.

“In the UK, Google’s decision to end BPF (best practice funding) will also have a big impact. The loss of the commissions paid to agencies who recommend their clients spend with the search giant will badly hurt companies who have built their business model around this income stream.

“There are still plenty of opportunities out there, but this isn’t a back bedroom sector anymore. Major clients increasingly require partners with international scale and, as the downwards pressure on costs continues, small scale agencies are going to struggle to cope.”

However, set against a backdrop of steadily increasing corporate use of social media, video and online PR, bigmouthmedia predicts that 2009 will also see increased investment in digital marketing as cost conscious companies seek to improve the quality of commercial content and access new channels, such as mobile marketing.

In search, 2009 is also expected to be a defining year. With the free PPC (Pay Per Click) management tools provided by the major engines expected to continue improving, commercial, third party technologies could be under threat.

“This will be a Beta Max year for the technology underpinning search marketing,” said Leach.

“Until now, while search engines have provided technology to run the PPC marketplace, it has often made a lot of sense to go to a third party for a technical solution to enable automated PPC bidding and management. Will that continue to be the case in 2009? It’ll be a hard year to sign long term search contracts on this issue as it increasingly looks like the search engines are giving better automated solutions away for free.”

About bigmouthmedia 
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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Bigmouthmedia Appoints Phil Stelter To The New Position Of Head Of Client Strategy

Bigmouthmedia has appointed Phil Stelter to the new position of Head of Client Strategy.

A leading search marketing professional with over a decade of experience, Stelter will play a key role in the company’s continuing expansion strategy. Charged with heading up the strategy team and driving initiatives to increase campaign integration and reduce client costs, the Californian expert will operate out of bigmouthmedia‘s London offices.

“The internet marketing business is rapidly maturing. As the sector continues to develop clients will increasingly demand greater integration between the various strands of their digital campaigns, not to mention even greater return on their investment, and agencies must be ready to meet the greater challenge,” said Stelter.

He continued, “They will need a blend of industry-leading techniques and international perspective that very few companies actually offer, and I believe bigmouthmedia is perfectly positioned to provide it.”

Formerly Director of Business Development for Texas-based Range Online Media, Stelter is a recognised digital marketing expert and regular conference speaker in the US, where he developed new service offerings and innovative online strategies for several Fortune 1000 companies.

In addition to experience with agency search engine optimisation campaigns across the travel, government, health care and retail sectors, he managed a variety of site and product developments at BizRate.com (now Shopzilla) for over four years and has been a representative on various IAB committees and the DoubleClick Client Advisory Board.

We’re delighted to have Phil on board. In the current economic climate the focus is on getting clients more bang for their buck, and by leveraging his experience of cross-channel strategies we expect him to lead integrated digital campaigns that deliver even greater levels of ROI,” said Lyndsay Menzies, Managing Director of bigmouthmedia UK.

“As the digital marketing sector’s nature becomes increasingly international Phil’s experience in the US will also be telling. He is a well-known industry figure in America and will spearhead the expansion of our activities there.”

About bigmouthmedia 
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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Bigmouthmedia Appoints David Hardy As The Search Marketing Group’s International Sales And Marketing Director

David Hardy has joined bigmouthmedia as the search marketing group’s International Sales and Marketing Director.

Stepping into a key strategic and operational post, Hardy will play a lead role in the delivery of the group’s growth and expansion programme. Charged with strengthening the company’s sales and marketing operations across 13 international offices, Marks & Spencer Money’s former Head of Online Marketing and Ecommerce expects to hit the ground running.

“It’s a tremendously exciting time to be joining bigmouthmedia. This is an industry-leading company that operates in a constantly shifting marketplace, and every day brings a fresh set of challenges,” said Hardy. “That generates the kind of pace and atmosphere it’s impossible to avoid getting caught up in.”

Prior to his stint driving Marks & Spencer Money’s highly successful ecommerce strategy, Hardy served as Online Retailing and Marketing Director at Hilton Hotels International. A highly experienced marketing professional, he previously occupied senior roles at American Airlines and HSBC.

“After over 13 years client side this is my first role with an agency – I was convinced to cross the line because of the strengths of the bigmouthmedia operation and its plans for the future,” added Hardy.

“After several years working with bigmouthmedia as a client I’m in a good position to know this. Whilst the view is slightly different on the agency side, it’s an exciting and dynamic time to be in e-commerce irrespective of whether you’re an agency or client, and I’m fortunate to be in a position to see both perspectives.”

Bigmouthmedia Group CEO Steve Leach added: “We’re delighted to be working with David. He brings a wealth of international business experience to the senior management team that I’m confident will deliver real benefits as we continue to drive the group forward.”

About bigmouthmedia
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

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Bigmouthmedia selected by Europcar to drive its natural search strategy across Europe

Europcar, the number one car rental company in Europe, has selected Bigmouthmedia to drive its natural search strategy across Europe.

Bigmouthmedia, Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency will direct the company’s SEO activities across its portfolio of corporate websites. Designed to inject fresh impetus to the firm’s digital marketing strategy, the campaign will be responsible for boosting traffic to Europcar’s sites in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Portugal.

“This promises to be a challenging campaign. Aimed at a highly competitive market and requiring our team to work using a variety of languages, it’s the kind of contract you can really get your teeth into and we’re looking forward to meeting it head-on,” said Lyndsay Menzies, Managing Director of bigmouthmedia UK.

Guirec Grand-Clement, Global Sales & Marketing Director at Europcar International commented, Search Engine Optimisation is an ever-changing area that requires a special blend of skill and experience. Europcar selected Bigmouthmedia for its industry-leading status and unique multilingual capabilities which make them the perfect partner to help move us forward online.”

This partnership further develops the reputation of bigmouthmedia which currently leads the digital marketing strategies of a third of the UK’s most trusted brands. In addition to Europcar, Bigmouthmedia now services over 300 big-brand customers globally including: Hilton, British Airways, Tesco, Aer Lingus, Barclays, Conrad International, Dorling Kindersley, Early Learning Centre, Fasthosts, Jumeirah, Canon, Samsung, Starbucks, Top Man, Debenhams, Which?, Euler Hermes and Wall Street Institute.

About Europcar
Owned by the French private equity firm
Eurazeo, Europcar is the European leader in passenger car and light utility vehicle rentals. The company serves business and leisure customers throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. Excluding franchise operations, in 2007 Europcar signed more than 10 million rental contracts, with 7,700 employees and a fleet exceeding 215,000 vehicles. In September 2008, Europcar and the leading player in North America, Enterprise Rent a Car, joined forces in a strategic alliance which forms the world’s largest car rental network, with more than 1.2 million vehicles and 13,000 locations in 162 countries.

About bigmouthmedia
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning,
Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

 

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Bigmouthmedia Has Been Named The Uks Fifth Fastest Growing Company In The Deloitte Fast 50 2008

Bigmouthmedia has been named as the UK’s fifth fastest growing company in the Deloitte Fast 50 for 2008.

Bigmouthmedia, Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency made the list of major winners after another successful year of exponential expansion. Recording a growth rate of 3357% over the past ten years, the company’s inclusion was cited by the judging panel as evidence of the online sector’s growing influence.

In a unique double, bigmouthmedia’s Munich office is also celebrating after coming second in the Rising Stars category in Deloitte’s German awards programme.

“We’re delighted to have received this honour and are obviously happy that bigmouthmedia’s continued success across the group has been recognised. It’s a great boost for the entire team and underlines what a talented group of people we have here,” said Lyndsay Menzies, Managing Director of bigmouthmedia UK.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 50, one of the UK’s foremost technology award programmes, is a ranking of the country’s fastest-growing technology companies based on percentage growth over five years. Now in its eleventh year, the programme honours business growth, technological innovation and UK entrepreneurial spirit.

David Halstead, Partner TMT practice and Fast 50 Chairman, Deloitte said: “The large number of software and digital marketing companies in the 2008 Deloitte Fast 50 reflects the growing maturity of online enterprises. The web is approaching the next stage of its evolution, and successful business models are becoming entrenched.”

About bigmouthmedia
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe’s largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, Affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

Leading the digital marketing strategies of a third of the UK’s most trusted brands, bigmouthmedia services over 300 big-brand customers globally including: Hilton, British Airways, Tesco, Aer Lingus, Barclays, Conrad International, Dorling Kindersley, Early Learning Centre, Fasthosts, Jumeirah, Canon, Samsung, Starbucks, Top Man, Debenhams, Which?, Euler Hermes and Wall Street Institute.

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Bigmouthmedia Sounds Cautious Welcome To The Google About-Turn On Paid Search Advertising For Gambling Websites In The UK

Bigmouthmedia has sounded a cautious welcome to the news that Google is set to make a dramatic u-turn tomorrow when it lifts its ban on paid search advertising for gambling websites in the UK.

The decision, which overturns the search giant’s policy of refusing to carry AdWords advertisements for gambling operations such as online bingo and casino sites, is expected to presage an online gold rush as bidders hurry to tap into a potentially lucrative new sales vertical.

In addition to opening up a new keywords bidding war, the move could also have a substantial impact on Yahoo. The search engine has until now profited from the PPC revenue from gambling advertisers barred from using Google, but with the field now open stands to lose a considerable chunk of its turnover.

“This is another sudden change that has taken most of the sector by surprise. It will certainly lead to a big switch in the way that advertisers and agencies manage search engine optimisation campaigns for gambling sector clients and opens up a potentially lucrative new vertical for the industry,” said Lyndsay Menzies, Managing Director of bigmouthmedia UK.

She continued, “While many will welcome the addition of a new and highly competitive advertising platform for gambling advertisers, it remains to be seen what impact the move will have on other services. Competition is good for business, and it would be a great shame if this were to further weaken Yahoo’s hold on the market.”

When it first introduced the ban 16 months ago, Google was heavily criticised by gaming and gambling companies for not providing them with evidence that its users wanted the ban. The company, which claims that the change has been under review for some time, says that it consulted the Gambling Commission prior to changing its policy.

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