Billy Crystal has turned down the invitation to host the 78th Academy Awards, as has host of last year’s awards Chris Rock, according to EarthTimes.org. Crystal cites the opening of the Broadway show, 700 Sundays, along with other projects that are keeping the actor busy, as a reason for turning down the invitation.
The British Phonographic Industry and a charity called Age Concern found in a recent survey that the over-50 population in the U.K. seems to be driving the music industry in a big way, according to VIP Loan. Of 10,000 people over age 50, as much as 59 percent had bought a CD in the previous three months, and 20 percent bought six or more in a year. This may be a boon for the record industry, but the research shows that this group is also comfortable with digital music and gadgets such as MP3 players, and that of those who don’t already own digital music players, nearly 25 percent intend to purchase one.
Most in this age group like classical music, while 64 percent like rock. Forty-five percent listen to BBC Radio 2, and 53 percent listen to local radio.
Standalone email application service provider Responsys re-emerged as a leader after overhauling its platform and corporate strategy, according to a report by Forrester Research, which single out the company for top honors in email marketing, writes DM News (via MarketingVox). Responsys is better as an application service provider than as a full-service solution, Forrester said, “so marketers seeking an e-mail agency should look elsewhere.”
Sony’s PlayStation Portable has launched an outdoor advertising campaign in major cities such as San Francisco, Miami, and New York, paying building owners to paint ads directly onto outdoor walls, the Washington Post reports. It’s part of a growing trend in which brands such as Time magazine have begun to use street art to get the word out and generate buzz.
Earlier this week, ClickZ’s Zach Rogers asked some “big brains” to provide their thoughts on what the next year might hold for online marketing, including creative, RSS, video, search, and mobile, MarketingVOX reports. John Rich, Interactive Creative Director at TM, points to greater consumer influence and also foresees “a huge impact” by Flash 8. Dick Costolo, CEO of FeedBurner, sees greater sophistication in the tools for managing and measuring RSS subscriptions and reach; also, he says, look for a breakout campaign using podcasts.
Chris Young, Klipmart CEO, sees a greater shift from TV: “We’re going to see a lot of video assets move online.” And the in-stream video ad inventory shortage will remain a problem, he tells ClickZ.
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A new magazine, Related, published by SoBe News, is entering the high-end luxury market, The New York Times reports. The magazine, being introduced in February, plans to print only 25,000 copies and distribute them exclusively to current and prospective owners of condominiums developed by the Florida-based Related Group, which builds units in the range of $1 million to $10 million.
