Platform-A Offers Canadian Advertisers and Agencies a Full Suite of Marketing Solutions Powered by the Web’s Most Advanced Advertising Technologies

TORONTO – AOL announced the launch of Platform-A in Canada, offering advertisers access to one of the largest online advertising networks with the most comprehensive suite of marketing solutions and the Web’s best ad technologies. With this launch, Platform-A clients in Canada (http://www.platform-a.ca) now have a single point of contact to purchase and manage activity across Platform-A’s multiple digital marketing channels, improving the strategic impact of online campaigns.

Platform-A Canada aligns AOL’s existing Canadian advertising operations including: Advertising.com, one of Canada’s leading ad networks; and the AOL Canada media network, which includes AOL-owned properties and a number of third-party sites such as Canadian Driver, a leading online automotive magazine. This combination positions Platform-A’s ad network as the leader in Canada with an audience of 22.5 million unique visitors per month, reaching more than 93% of the online audience in Canada.*
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BANGKOK – Studio Magenta has announced the introduction of Immedium, a platform for creating and managing live banner ads – rich media Internet advertising with dynamically changing content.

Although the concept of live banners has been around for some time, Immedium is believed to be one of the first tools that empowers marketers with the ability to edit and update the content of banner ads on the fly, without the need for technical skills. The technology paves the way for a host of new advertising applications that exploit the powerful animation and multimedia capabilities of authoring tools such as Adobe® Flash® with dynamic content that reflects the marketing opportunities of the moment.

“The response we’ve received from everyone that has seen Immedium is outstanding,” said Dennis Cookson, managing director of Studio Magenta, a visual communications firm established in 2003 to serve clients in Asia and around the world. “When they see how easily and quickly they can update the content of rich media ads they begin to imagine campaigns that were previously unthinkable.”
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DUBLIN, Ireland – Research and Markets has announced the addition of eMarketer’s new report “Newspapers in Crisis: Migrating Online” to their offering.

The outlook for newspaper publishers is grim. Their business model is broken and advertisers are bailing. Newspaper advertising revenues in the US declined 16.4% in 2008 to $37.9 billion. By 2012, spending will slide to $28.4 billion. Is there hope for this proud medium?

The Newspapers In Crisis report analyzes the trends that are contributing to a historic downslide in newspaper revenues and readership.
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AdNectar Releases First of its Kind Study by Vizu Revealing Virtual Gifts are the Most Effective Way to Market to Social Networking Audiences
PALO ALTO, Calif. – March 9, 2009 – AdNectar, a pioneer in customized social gifting and branded virtual goods campaigns, released a whitepaper today that combines third-party and company data making a compelling case for why virtual goods may be the most effective form of advertising on social networks to date.

As the advertising industry tries to tap the growing number of people using social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, the answer may lie in a little box of Godiva chocolates. This is no ordinary box of bonbons. Although it has aroused the appetites of millions of people, it can never be eaten. Its ingredients do not consist of cocoa or milk, but of bits of code. This box of Godiva chocolates exists only on the Internet and was recently promoted by the famous chocolatier as part of a recent campaign through AdNectar.
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Concerns Raised Over Hidden Charges

BOSTON – The Strategy Analytics Wireless Media Lab report, “US Consumers Willing to Accept Mobile Advertising Despite Concerns Over Hidden Charges,” looks at willingness to accept mobile advertising, and questions what consumers want in return, identifying preferred modes of delivery.

Strategy Analytics found that the majority of mobile users would accept some form of mobile advertising as long as:

* no hidden charges are associated with participation,
* they receive something in return, and
* the level of intrusion is limited.
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DUBLIN, Ireland – Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “CDN Account Verticals and Revenue Performance: 2006 – 2010” report to their offering.

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) posted $1.16 billion in 2008 revenue, notching 30% improvement over 2007.

The U.S. market made up an estimated 57% of the global tally; combined geographies are forecast to grow at 19% in 2009.

Revenue attached to audiovisual verticals including professional video, video advertising, video advertising networks, CMS platforms, online music spins, UGV and podcasting totaled $550 million, or 47.3% of total billings.
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- Global Traffic Network Announces Closing of Its Purchase of the Unique Broadcasting Company Limited from UBC Media Group
Global Traffic Network, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNET), a leading provider of custom traffic and news reports to radio and television stations outside the United States, today announced that its United Kingdom subsidiary, Global Traffic Network (UK) Limited, has completed its acquisition of the commercial division of UBC Media Group plc (LSE: UBC.L), which supplies traffic and travel information to approximately 230 radio stations and entertainment news information to approximately 120 radio stations in the United Kingdom in exchange for commercial airtime inventory that is then sold to advertisers. The acquisition was effected through a purchase of the entire share capital of The Unique Broadcasting Company Limited, the UBC subsidiary that housed the commercial division operations. UBC’s commercial division has approximately 700,000 radio commercials available for sale on an annual basis. In addition to the radio networks, The Unique Broadcasting Company has approximately £3 million pounds of tax losses that Global Traffic Network expects to be able to utilize against future earnings of its U.K. operations.
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Innovator in Fitness, Nightlife, and Family Venues Cements Leadership Position with Backing of ABS Capital Partners

NEW YORK – Zoom Media & Marketing (Zoom), a leading provider of targeted & digital out-of-home media and promotional programs for brand advertisers in the United States announced that it has raised $30 million through the sale of a minority equity position in the company with a Series A financing to ABS Capital Partners, a leading later-stage growth company investor. The proceeds will be used to continue to expand the Company’s digital networks and make strategic acquisitions.

“Digital trumps everything and given the sea change occurring in media, this is the ideal time to expand our digital offerings” said François de Gaspé Beaubien, Chairman & CEO of Zoom Media & Marketing. “We are extremely pleased to welcome ABS as a partner. They have been a pioneer in digital Out Of Home networks and we are fortunate to be able to rely on their backing and expertise as we continue to grow.”
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