--London-based digital TV company ITV Digital has declared bankruptcy and is in the midst of selling off its remaining assets. In addition to selling of such items as circulation lists and computer equipment, included in the sale are 100 knitted monkey dolls that are replicas of the company's mascot used in its ad campaign. The company is also selling off direct marketing materials.
--This month IDG's CXO Media, Boston, launched its newest publication, CSO magazine. The magazine, aimed at executives in charge of their companies' computer security issues, launched with a 76-page issue with 35 ad pages. The publication has a controlled circulation of 25,000; its editorial is overseen by Lew McCreary, who is also editor in chief of CSO's sister publication CIO.
--DDB Worldwide, New York, eliminated 19 positions following its loss of the Qwest Communications ad account last month. DDB won the Denver company's $100 million account in April, but the account was pulled from the agency in August and given to FCB Worldwide, New York, the runner-up in the review. DDB had formed a subdivision, DDBq, to handle the account. It is believed most of the layoffs came from that subdivision. DDB will retain Qwest's Spanish language portion of the account.
--Competitive Media Reporting, New York, issued its half-year measured media ad spending report. According to the report, total ad spending declined 0.2% compared to the same period last year. CMR estimated that total ad spending for the first half of the year was $53.7 billion, compared to $53.8 billion in the first half of 2001. Technology ad spending during that period is estimated at $1.0 billion.
--Forbes.com has launched a new advertising service it guarantees to increase brand awareness. The program, called 'Forbes.com Brand Increase Guarantee,' is designed to measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns on the Forbes.com Web site. Each advertiser that invests a minimum of $100,000 over 60 days will have its campaign measured by Forbes.com using the ad index brand metrics research tool created by Dynamic Logics. After 60 days, if the ad campaign has not shown a statistical increase in brand awareness, Forbes.com will pay back the advertiser's investment.
--Business Week and CNET Networks launched a new partnership for future technology editorial projects. Under the terms of the deal both parties will collaborate to publish Business Week's eighth annual Technology Buyer's Guide in November. The online version of the buyer's guide will be available at both CNET.com and Businessweek.com. The guide will also be a subject of Business Week's syndicated TV show-Business Week Money Talks. The buyer's guide is expected to be read by 5.6 million readers.
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