Execs & Accounts for December 1, 2003

Digital Media Communications (DMC) has deployed an online viral campaign to pre-launch a Christmas TV commercial featuring a naked Busta Rhymes for client Virgin Mobile. The campaign is being sent to DMC’s online influencer network, as well as being featured on music and lifestyle Web sites.

“We’re using DMC’s online viral and buzz marketing expertise again, this time to pre-launch ‘Butt Naked’ on the Web before its mainstream TV release… so we can widen brand awareness among the culture-driving, technology-savvy online audience,” said James Kydd, brand director for Virgin Mobile.

Digital marketing agency Euro RSCG Circle launched Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (WPI) undergraduate admissions Web site. The assignment, awarded to Euro RSCG Circle in April, was completed in advance of the 2003-2004 academic year, and will be used by the university in its marketing efforts.

“Euro RSCG Circle not only has a sophisticated understanding of the current state of marketing communications, but knows how to leverage that insight to connect with our target audience and clearly articulate the advantages of a WPI education,” said Kevin Kelly, associate VP of enrollment management.

VentureDirect Worldwide has been awarded management of Northstar Travel Media’s group of opt-in email and postal lists. The lists include subscriber and directory files, offering precise targeting of executives and decision-makers in corporate and consumer travel planning, meetings and conventions coordination, and hotel sales and management.

“We’re very pleased to be representing Northstar’s complete suite of postal and opt-in email subscriber files,” says Richard Baumer, president of VentureDirect. “There will be no shortage of opportunities to maximize list rental revenue for each of these files.”

NTL Home, a U.K. broadband ISP, has agreed to license Real Media’s Insight XE Web analytics solution. NTL Home will use the solution to record clickstream data on its Broadband Plus Web presence and to analyze behavioral pattern information across the site.

“Insight XE was the most impressive of the solutions we benchmarked when selecting an analysis tool,” said Chris Bunyan, head of core Internet service at NTL Home.