— The Wall Street Journal reports, that there may be some doubt about the social media giant, Facebook. Facebook Incorporated has built a $3 billion-a-year advertising business, by convincing marketers, to buy new forms of advertising designed to create buzz around their brands. But some advertisers with big spending accounts are wondering whether they’re getting their money’s worth. The doubt lingers as bankers and prospective investors decide how to value Facebook, for an initial public offering planned for May 18th. For its part, Facebook has made repeated attempts to quell marketers’ concerns about the effectiveness of its ads. Last year, the company began working with research firms comScore and Nielsen, to offer tools that let big brands track their social media campaigns on the site. Research firm eMarketer said that “while measuring followers and Facebook ‘likes’ provides marketers with a hard number, no one yet knows how those numbers translate into a quantifiable return for brands.” Some ad executives further caution that a calculation of monetary returns, is an incorrect way, of viewing Facebook ads.
–Bloomberg reports, that five people “associated with Occupy Cleveland” were arrested in a federal sting operation, in which FBI agents provided fake explosives to suspects allegedly intending to bomb an Ohio bridge. The self-proclaimed anarchists, were arrested on charges of conspiracy and attempted use of explosive materials. Occupy Cleveland organizers stated that “While those arrested were “associated with Occupy Cleveland, they were in no way representing or acting on behalf” of the protest movement. The FBI chose to use an informant to infiltrate the group, based on an initial report of potential criminal activity involving anarchists. A spokeswoman for the FBI stated that “This was not an Occupy movement plot,” She confirmed that the undercover agent, who had infiltrated the group during the last few months was in control of the situation, and the explosives, adding “that at no time was the public ever in danger.”
–Reuters reports, that YouTube is bankrolling 100 new channels, distributing roughly $100 million among 100 content producers last year. The funding serves as an advance on the advertising revenue that the channels are expected to generate. The success of the channels, will test whether YouTube, a division of Google Incorporated, can evolve from a popular hub for home videos into an influential player in the entertainment industry’s big leagues. Today, YouTube will promote the new slate of original channels, to big-brand advertisers in New York, hosting for the first time a splashy “upfront” event where marketers preview upcoming television shows and allocate ad dollars. The company joins a growing crop of other Internet services, from Hulu, AOL and Yahoo, also trying to lure TV dollars, to their own growing menus of online video programming. Analyst estimates for YouTube’s revenue this year range between 2 billion and 3 billion dollars. These efforts are being closely watched by Google investors, eager for the search company, to tap new sources, of revenue.
— The Wall Street Journal reports, that there may be some doubt about the social media giant, Facebook. Facebook Incorporated has built a $3 billion-a-year advertising business, by convincing marketers, to buy new forms of advertising designed to create buzz around their brands. But some advertisers with big spending accounts are wondering whether they’re getting their money’s worth. The doubt lingers as bankers and prospective investors decide how to value Facebook, for an initial public offering planned for May 18th. For its part, Facebook has made repeated attempts to quell marketers’ concerns about the effectiveness of its ads. Last year, the company began working with research firms comScore and Nielsen, to offer tools that let big brands track their social media campaigns on the site. Research firm eMarketer said that “while measuring followers and Facebook ‘likes’ provides marketers with a hard number, no one yet knows how those numbers translate into a quantifiable return for brands.” Some ad executives further caution that a calculation of monetary returns, is an incorrect way, of viewing Facebook ads.
–Bloomberg reports, that five people “associated with Occupy Cleveland” were arrested in a federal sting operation, in which FBI agents provided fake explosives to suspects allegedly intending to bomb an Ohio bridge. The self-proclaimed anarchists, were arrested on charges of conspiracy and attempted use of explosive materials. Occupy Cleveland organizers stated that “While those arrested were “associated with Occupy Cleveland, they were in no way representing or acting on behalf” of the protest movement. The FBI chose to use an informant to infiltrate the group, based on an initial report of potential criminal activity involving anarchists. A spokeswoman for the FBI stated that “This was not an Occupy movement plot,” She confirmed that the undercover agent, who had infiltrated the group during the last few months was in control of the situation, and the explosives, adding “that at no time was the public ever in danger.”
–Reuters reports, that YouTube is bankrolling 100 new channels, distributing roughly $100 million among 100 content producers last year. The funding serves as an advance on the advertising revenue that the channels are expected to generate. The success of the channels, will test whether YouTube, a division of Google Incorporated, can evolve from a popular hub for home videos into an influential player in the entertainment industry’s big leagues. Today, YouTube will promote the new slate of original channels, to big-brand advertisers in New York, hosting for the first time a splashy “upfront” event where marketers preview upcoming television shows and allocate ad dollars. The company joins a growing crop of other Internet services, from Hulu, AOL and Yahoo, also trying to lure TV dollars, to their own growing menus of online video programming. Analyst estimates for YouTube’s revenue this year range between 2 billion and 3 billion dollars. These efforts are being closely watched by Google investors, eager for the search company, to tap new sources, of revenue.