360i News

360i has been named a Leader in the January 2009 Forrester Wave: US Search Marketing Agencies, Q1 2009 report due to “its research-based approach to search marketing and its social media aptitude.” The Wave report was designed to help enterprise marketers evaluate leading digital agencies offering search marketing solutions.

In addition to its position as a leader, Forrester gave top marks to 360i for its campaign planning, social media, keyword management and executive vision. The report states that “Research powerhouse 360i has the most searcher-centric keyword development process and also more advanced social media applications for aiding search results and improving collaboration with its clients.” Further, the report adds 360i’s “experience and buzz monitoring capabilities make it a strong partner for media firms and big brand marketers.”

For the report, Forrester evaluated seven vendors against 72 criteria, using a combination of data sources for its assessment, including vendor surveys, scenario-based demos, client interviews and careful review of client results. Participating vendors were limited to agencies offering a balance of paid search and SEO offerings and focused on delivering solutions to enterprise clients with over $1 billion in revenues.

David Berkowitz, 360i’s Director of Emerging Media and Client Strategy, has been elected to the Standards Board for the newly formed Social Media Advertising Consortium (SMAC). The not-for-profit Consortium is comprised of advertising, communications, brand management and social media executives with the goal of creating a common vocabulary, standard buying units, and uniform measurement methods for social media.

Through publisher partnerships and involvement with SMAC, WOMMA and other industry organizations, 360i plays an active role in establishing best practices to foster the advancement and adoption of social media as a critical marketing channel.

We’ll continue to post updates here on the blog as the Consortium develops and progresses towards its goals of creating standards for social marketing.

The iPhone App Store has been open for less than four months and has already recorded more than 200 million application downloads. With such rapid consumer adoption, where do marketers fit in? The latest POV sent to 360i clients today tackles this in detail. First, it examines how marketers are using branded applications and reviews best practices. Then it explores advertising opportunities, along with a case study about an ad-supported app.

POVs are delivered regularly to 360i’s clients. If you’re interested in more information, please contact editor@360i.com.

by Bryan Wiener
CEO, 360i

In October 1998, one month after a fledgling new internet company named “Google” set up shop in a Menlo Park garage, an agency named 360i opened in Atlanta, Georgia with the mission to help marketers navigate the fast-moving Internet ecosystem. Since then, 360i has grown into one of the largest independent digital agencies in North America, has won industry recognition as a leader in search and social marketing and is poised to lead digital marketing innovations over the next decade.

Some of 360i’s recent milestones include:

• Selected as a Top 5 “Next Generation Agency” by Adweek
• Named one of the “Hottest Digital Agencies Around” by Advertising Age
• Awarded multiple WebAwards from the Web Marketing Association for Web site experiences designed on behalf of adidas and Marvel
• Honored as OMMA’s Search Agency of the Year

One constant throughout our ten year history is our focus on innovation. Whether it’s creating centers of excellence around new media channels as they emerge, or streamlining processes so our people can focus on more ‘value add’ strategic services for our clients, innovation is at the heart of why we exist

We are currently living in an exciting era for media and marketing, one that will shape the future of our industry for generations to come. The definition of ‘media’ is fundamentally changing and it’s no longer a simple ad buy. Rather, it’s about finding the right channels for engaging specific audiences, driving desired actions and creating consumer experiences that fundamentally shift brand perceptions. That’s no easy task, especially when the online landscape continues to grow and become more fragmented.

At 360i, we’re motivated by this challenge. We see the changing landscape as a huge opportunity for marketers to build brand equity and increase market share by engaging customers in new and exciting ways. We are honored to work with some of the smartest and most innovative clients and partners in this industry. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to help you grow your business and your brands over these last ten years.

Here’s to the next decade! 
 
>> View our digital timeline, created in honor of the ten year milestone.

David Berkowitz, 360i’s Director of Emerging Media, will be speaking at OMMA Social in New York City on June 23rd.

David will be speaking on a panel at 11:30 a.m. entitled Media Plans: Additive or Core Ingredient? Putting Social Media in the Mix.

OMMA Social is designed to guide marketing and media professionals through the terrain of social media. The one-day conference will address social marketing challenges and provide insights into how to make social networking work for companies now, and in the future.

For more information about the event, please visit the OMMA Social Web site.

To see more events featuring speakers from 360i, please visit the 360i Events page.

Bryan Wiener, CEO of 360i, is featured in Adweek today discussing Google and Yahoo’s recently announced search advertising pact and the potential impact for marketers:

Adweek
Yahoo! Turns to Google for Help

Yahoo! bets search ad deal won’t undermine its market position

By Brian Morrissey
NEW YORK Yahoo! announced last week that it had struck a search advertising deal with rival Google, betting it can increase revenue through the arrangement and still pursue its strategy of marrying search and display advertising.

Yahoo! executives have said they believe the search and display ad markets will converge in the near future…The danger for Yahoo! lies in attempting to have it both ways, said Bryan Wiener, CEO of 360i, a New York digital agency. Google’s share of searches is already 62 percent, according to comScore, but Wiener said, among 360i’s large-company client base, its share of search advertising dollars is much greater than that. Yahoo! draws about 17 percent of searches. If it falls much below 15 percent, it will no longer be efficient for advertisers to participate in it, effectively giving Google a near-monopoly in the vital search ad market.

“This partial outsourcing is going to be greeted by marketers as a confusing message about whether they’re in this for the long term,” Wiener said. “It hurts the perception of them being an integrated search and display platform.” Read complete article

Bryan Wiener, CEO of 360i, is featured in today’s New York Times discussing Google and Yahoo’s recently announced search advertising pact:

New York Times
Ad Accord for Yahoo and Google

By Miguel Helft
SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft’s four-month-long courtship of Yahoo has finally thrown Yahoo into the arms of their biggest common rival, Google.

Google and Yahoo said Thursday that they had reached an agreement under which Google would deliver ads next to some of Yahoo’s search results and on some of its Web sites in the United States and Canada.

The nonexclusive deal is aimed at giving a lift to Yahoo’s finances, and the company said it would generate an additional $250 million to $450 million in operating cash flow in the first year.

The agreement will also strengthen Google’s dominance over the lucrative search advertising market. Read complete article…