Digital Pulp Blog

We’ve watched year after year the slow, painful decrease in click-through rates of traditional ad banners. And actively encouraged clients to opt for a rich media campaign using the ad banner as a branding vehicle to measure engagement over click through. Well MSNBC.com has taken it a step further and done away with the banner and replaced it with a rich sponsorship:

“With the redesign, the media company hopes to be able to sell large, customizable ads and put an end to the “pageview” metric, focusing more exclusively on user engagement such as time spent on pages … As many as 30 different ad combinations are possible with the new design, with a flexible layout that is based on the sponsorship, says Charlie Tillinghast.”

At least one major agency has approved of the new approach but we’ll have to wait and see if other sites will follow MSNBC’s lead.

Read more here:  MSNBC.com Redesigns, Does Away with Pageview Metric

Apple has done it again. The lines stretched for miles (well, not miles but you know what we mean) in front of Apple stores across the country. All were in wait for the opportunity to walk away with the new iPhone 4. Our own Gene Lewis (@glewtion) was up at 5:30am on the corner of 14th st and 9th ave in New York City along with 400 hundred others looking to buy the new phone.

Curious? See more at CNet’s live blog.

We have always been a strong proponent of web standards. Without them we couldn’t execute our designs perfectly across browsers. So recently hearing and seeing the possibility of HTML5 and what that could mean for us as a digital agency was very exciting…

• Visually arresting typographic layouts… that are search engine friendly
• Videos that play on any site… or mobile device seamlessly

The realities, however, are slowly coming to light. Streaming Media released a study showing that less than 50% of publishers were ready to implement HTML5 video and by implementing the standard there are some drawbacks to the flexibility of display. And then Apple released an HTML5 showcase that dazzled us for sure but only two of the demos actually use HTML5. There will be more to this story for sure.

So where does that leave us?

Well the good news is we know it’s coming and can plan accordingly. Every client should be thinking about their digital experience and how it works across browsers, on mobile devices like the iPhone and Android as well as the up-and-coming iPad. So we may continue to see some Flash development in the short run but as HTML5 matures Digital Pulp will be looking to leverage the best of these new web standards to help our clients take advantage of the best of what’s possible.

A fued between Adobe and Apple has been brewing for awhile and has finally come to blows with a blistering attack from Apple CEO, Steve Jobs followed by a very expensive ad campaign from Adobe.

Adobe with 98% penetration of PC’s connected to the net should have big influence but Apple’s choice to not support Flash on the iPhone or iPad could signal the beginning of the end. Provided HTML 5 gains steam on the web and users move to mobile devices for more of their internet information and fun.

The stakes are high since 75% of online videos are wrapped in Flash. Digital marketer’s are already posting videos to YouTube to compensate for iPhone users. We’ll see how this all shakes out. To read more…

Steve Job’s letter to Adobe: Thoughts on Flash
Adobe’s Ad Campaign Response: We Love Apple

This Monday Twitter fixed a pretty terrible bug that allowed people to force you to follow them. By simply tweeting “accept nytimes” the New York Times would be added as your follower. After the bug was resolved, for a brief moment everyone’s follower count went to zero. It made celebrities think Twitter had been hacked and digital marketer’s all over feel like they were having a heart attack. But rest easy everyone, you’re followers are back. Can you believe how far Twitter has come to get this reaction? We can.

Read More: Zero Followers? Twitter Fixes ‘Force Follow’ Bug

“ShoreBank, America’s first and leading community development and environmental bank, today announced the launch of its new website, “Discover Your Possibilities,” www.sbk.com. Designed to offer increased access to responsible, affordable financial services and product information, the new online resource reflects ShoreBank’s commitment to providing consumers with access to the financial services and information that can help reinvigorate lives and stabilize underserved communities.

The “Discover Your Possibilities” website, designed by Digital Pulp, will make online banking simpler and more convenient. It features new state-of-the-art technology that makes it easier for visitors to quickly locate the information and services they need. Whether learning about obtaining a ShoreBank Rescue Loan or saving money through an online savings account, the website’s goal is to help customers increase their financial knowledge and get the most out of life’s possibilities.”

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“Rochester, NY-based Bausch & Lomb kicked off a multimillion-dollar online marketing campaign on June 26 promoting
the US launch of its SofLens daily disposable contact lenses to 25- to 34-year-old consumers. Campaign elements include banner ads, paid search, site sponsorships, content partnerships and a dedicated microsite. Digital Pulp handled the creative, and Ionic Media handled media.”

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The consumer Web site for Bausch & Lomb’s Multi-Focal contact lenses was recently awarded a “Best in Class” honor in the Healthcare category of the 2009 Interactive Media Awards (IMA). The site, at www.goodbyereaders.com, was honored for its feature functionality, usability, cross-browser compatibility, design, and overall content.

The prestigious “Best in Class” award is the highest honor bestowed by the IMA. It represents the best in planning, execution and overall professionalism of a Web site. In order to earn this award, www.goodbyereaders.com had to successfully pass through a comprehensive judging process, achieving high marks in all judging criteria. The Bausch & Lomb Multi-Focal site, created by web design and development firm Digital Pulp, scored a total of 482 points out of the maximum of 500.

“As the leader in multi-focal contact lenses, we felt that it was essential for us to educate patients and help eye care practitioners communicate the many advantages these lenses provide,” says Lisa VanDeMark, vice president, Brand Marketing, U.S. Vision Care. “Not only has the Goodbye Readers campaign and web site led to double-digit sales increases for the Bausch & Lomb multi-focal business in the U.S., but we’ve also received an abundance of positive consumer sentiment testifying to the lifestyle benefits of these lenses.”

“Rochester, NY-based Bausch & Lomb on Friday announced the kickoff of a multimillion dollar online marketing campaign to promote the US launch of its SofLens daily disposable contact lenses to 25- to 34-year-old consumers. Campaign elements include banner ads, paid search, site sponsorships, content partnerships and a dedicated microsite. Digital Pulp handled the creative, and Ionic Media handled media.”

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“The Make-A-Wish Foundation has tapped iNSPIRE agency to create collateral that will woo Spanish-speaking volunteers.

The win comes as part of a larger agreement between the Make-A-Wish Foundation and iNSPIRE’s parent agency Moroch Partners, which was signed this week to develop national public service announcements for the charity. INSPIRE will create Spanish-language Web content and print, radio and TV ads at a reduced price for the nonprofit.

…Work by Moroch and iNSPIRE is the latest in a spike of Make-A-Wish Foundation outreach efforts. Earlier in June, the Foundation launched a new Web site specifically for high-volume donors. The Wishes Forever portal, created by interactive agency Digital Pulp, offers a personalized account of where and how a donor’s money is being used.”

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