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	YouTube are to "reward creativity" by sharing advertising revenue with the creators of the video clips uploaded to the site Brand Republic Jan 29

	"The digital decade is happening" so said Bill Gates as he outlined his vision for the connected future. At the Consumer Electronics show he told delegates that "connected experiences" were now the most important part of new technologies. BBC, January 8

	The Tiscali TV Trends Report 2007 has revealed that nearly two-thirds of UK adults would prefer to use a broadband connection to watch on-demand programmes on their television sets. January 5, Revolution

	BT began the new year by announcing it had smashed its broadband targets and had broken through the ten million connections barrier. The Guardian, January 3

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2006 was the year that user-generated-content became the watch-words on the lips of media owners, agencies and marketers. The major challenge in 2007 would seem to be finding a way to monetise this sea change in consumer behaviour. YouTube's announcement that they intend to share ad revenue with the creators of videos uploaded to their site is a clear statement of intent that they are looking to start capitalising on the video sharing sites' phenomenal popularity. February's comment piece looks at what YouTube's 'creative reward' scheme means for the future of the website and what it means for online advertising.

Kind regards



Guy Phillipson
IAB, CEO

YouTube: Rewarding creativity of monetising their popularity? YouTube have recently announced plans to share advertising revenue with the creators of the most popular video clips uploaded to their site. The IAB looks at the potential ramifications of YouTube's plans to create a money-making model to tap into the massive popularity of user-generated-content. Get the full story on the IAB website

The online audience

BBC give kids their own Second Life Following on from the success of Second Life the BBC have announced plans to build a virtual world which children can inhabit and interact with. Just like in Second Life, CBBC World avatars can be built and content can be created and shared. A BBC spokesman said "It will give children a chance to move around a safe, secure world where they can not only interact with familiar characters but have an opportunity to make that world a more fascinating place with their own imaginations." BBC, January 23 For more on CBBC visit the BBC I predict a diet The internet even makes losing weight easier. OK well not quite, but January 2007 saw a 6% increase to health and fitness sites compared to the same month last year according to Hitwise research. I'd imagine all those good intentions are long forgotten by now. Netimperative, January 5 Visit Netimperative for more information on the online health and fitness boom

Social media

Wikipedia becomes wigipedia as US judges embrace the online resource Wikipedia is fast becoming the encyclopedia of choice for judges in America. More than a 100 rulings have cited the internet community-built site since 2004 according to a New York Times search of court decisions. The Guardian, January 30 For more about Wikipedia's effect on the US judicial system visit the Guardian (reistration required) Linden Lab release Second Life code Linden Lab the creators of Second Life have taken the bold step of releasing some of its code to the open source community. The initiative will enable residents to have more input into new developments in the virtual community. Linden Labs have heralded the move as the most important it has made in the seven year history of Second Life. BBC, January 9 For more on the Second Life code visit the BBC The teenager's disposable online identity Regular BBC columnist Bill Thompson wrote an interesting article in January about how young internet users regard their numerous online accounts. Despite placing such an emphasis on personalising their online presence, say on MySpace, many don't fret if they forget their log-ins. They simply create a new profile. So despite being a way of expressing their personality, it would appear that a teenagers' social networking identity is fairly disposable. Now there's quite an indictment about the modern teenager. BBC, January 5 For more on the teenagers' disposable online profiles, please visit the BBC

Entertainment

Music

Golden oldies return to the hit parade under new chart rules The New Year brought with it new singles chart rules. Where the old system only allowed new releases to chart, all downloads are now eligible to enter the hit parade. The first chart after the change saw a number of old favourites ranging from Snow Patrol to the Proclaimers making re-entries. Media Guardian, January 5 For more on the single's chart shake-up visit the Media Guardian (registration required) Mini Koopa make maximum impact The new chart rules had an immediate impact by enabling an unsigned punk band called Koopa to reach number 31 with a download only single. By encouraging fans to pre-order the single by SMS and by using PR, Koopa smashed into the top 40 and made a little piece of history. The Guardian, January 16 The Media Guardian has more on the Koopa story (registration required)

Mobile devices

Swiss army phone? The mobile phone seems set to displace the dog as mans' best friend. A BBC article in January made some predictions for the future of the mobile phone that will see it become the ultimate personal organiser. From giving you directions to work to controlling your heating the mobile phone is expected to become even more essential. Ahh, but will you still be able to make calls on it? BBC, January 10 For more on the future of the mobile phone, visit the BBC Channel 4 have head in the Cloud for wi-fi radio service Channel 4 and wireless company The Cloud have signed a deal that enables 4Radio programmes to be broadcast via wi-fi to people using PlayStation Portables. By walking into a Cloud hotspot, PSP owners can select which 4Radio programme they wish to hear for free. Revolution Magazine, January Visit the Revolution magazine website for more on the Channel4/ Cloud collaboration

News

56m new readers staring at the sun online The Sun website claims it added 56m new global readers in 2006 - the equivalent of adding an audience the size of the UK population! The addition of user generated content features, such as MySun has proved an instant hit and a further redesign including extra features is also in the works. Brand Republic, January 11 For more on the Sun's audience increase visit the Brand Republic site

Blogging

The blog is mightier than the major corporation A blog-arranged boycott of the Bank Of America has cost the financial institution $1million in closed accounts. The boycott was begun after the bank had clothing salesman Matthew Shinnick wrongly arrested for incorrectly believing he was attempting to cash a fraudulent cheque. He then had to pay $14,000 in legal fees to clear his name. The editor of BoingBoing.net whose bloggers were leading participants in the movement believes the outcome shows how powerful blogs have become. BBC. January 22 For more on the power of blogs visit the BBC

Online Creative

Online campaigns

Tiger serves as your guide to the year of the pig February 18 2007 marks the start of the year of the pig and to honour Chinese New Year, Tiger Beer have created an online guide to help consumers understand the traditions behind the occasion. Tiger Beer has a large base in China and is owned by Asia Pacific Breweries. Brand Republic, January 26 Brand Republic has more on Tiger Beer and the year of the Pig Hilary Clinton uses online to 'chat' her way back into the White House Hilary Clinton announced her presidential ambitions in January and put online at the heart of her strategy to get talking to voters. Clinton intends to harness the internet to woo voters directly. Just a few days before Hilary got chatting online John Edwards' presidential campaign intentions were unveiled on YouTube. January 23 For more on Hilary Clinton's online foray, visit the BBC

Online awards, events and polls

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The winner of December's Creative Showcase Awards is Agency Republic for the Mercedes R-Class campaign. The Mercedes R-class microsite was developed to allow consumers to engage with the vehicle in an inspirational manner, and takes the user through 'six journeys' written by six writers. Each presents their own unique take on the car, accompanied by audio and illustrations tied into the narrative with the aim of producing a thought-provoking consumer experience. You can now enter for February's Creative Showcase. For more details visit the Creative Showcase site

Internet World 1-3 May 2007, Earls Court, London, UK Learn about the latest trends and developments in the world of online and meet the companies who can help you implement these into your online strategy. Over 250 exhibitors spread across dedicated zones will cover areas including Search Marketing, Email Marketing, Ecommerce, Hosting & Managed Services, Content Management, Analytics, Web 2.0, Usability, Mobile Marketing, Affiliate Marketing & Online Advertising Register here now for FREE entry MediaGuardian Changing Media Summit 2007 Are you ready to play in the age of personal media? Thursday March 22 2007, London This one-day forum brought to you by MediaGuardian will debate and outline the essential strategies for commercial prosperity in a digital age. Building on the success of last year's event, this multi-stream summit will bring together senior executives grappling with the business challenges created by user-generated content, consumers in control and the implications of internet, mobile, wireless, and digital TV and music. To attend this year's event book online today here Corporate podcasting summit 19-20 March 2007 Copthorne Tara Hotel London Kensington, Scarsdale Place, London, W8 5SR COSTS: 2-day IAB member rate: £495 Hosts of the Corporate Podcasting Summit have commissioned a 3-part podcast series on the value and application of podcasting. The London summit confirms case histories from first direct, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Alcatel-Lucent and Edelman. IAB members can attend the conference at a reduced rate of £495. Just quote "IAB" in the discount code box here View the pre-event podcasts here

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