Paid Search to Grow 41 Percent in 2006; Google Stock to Reach $600

Paid search, which generated an estimated $10 billion globally in 2005, is expected to grow 41 percent in 2006, or more than $14 billion, with market leader Google increasing its lead - and net revenue by more than 58 percent - during the year, according to research notes by Piper Jaffray senior research analyst Safa Rashtchy, reports ClickZ (via MarketingVox). In 2005, Google held 64 percent market share. Rashtchy also raised the one-year price target for Google’s stock from $445 to $600, citing its market dominance and new initiatives such as Google Base.

British Watchdog: ‘50 Cent’ Billboard Condones Violence

A billboard for American rapper 50 Cent’s latest album has come under fire from British watchdog group the Advertising Standards Authority because the billboard could be seen as condoning the use of weapons, according to the AP (via the Kentucky Herald-Leader). The Authority, which regulates the industry, issued a report on the billboards after 17 people called to complain.

CBS Strongest Network, Deserves Its Giant Slice of Advertising Pie

CBS is the strongest and most balanced of the broadcast webs, proving that advertiser confidence - shown by the $2.5 billion that Madison Ave. bet during the upfront market last spring - was well founded, writes Variety. According to Nielsen figures of non-sports for the first 14 weeks of the season, CBS leads in adults 18-49, 25-54, and total viewers, despite having lost the top-rated Everybody Loves Raymond.

Values of Direct Marketing Mergers Up

The estimated value of direct marketing-related mergers rose by 69 percent in 2005 over 2004, but there were 16 percent fewer such transactions, reports B to B. According to Petsky Prunier, 17 marketing related deals happened in December; 12 of them were marketing technology deals.

In December, Petsky Prunier reported that marketing-related mergers and acquisitions had risen 66 percent in the first nine months of 2005, compared with the same time period in 2004.

Modern Postcard Launches New List Products at CES

Modern Postcard will be announcing a series of new products at CES this week, including 3D Direct Mail, Network Mailer, and new list technology enhancements, along with new direct mail printing and service offerings. 3D Direct Mail is a new medium that gives recipients an “interactive experience” and can boost open rates to almost 100 percent, the company claims.

Google Pay-Per-View Video in Works

Google may be preparing to charge for streaming video from its site, writes MediaPost (via MarketingVox). It cites an apparent hiccup in a couple of videos that allowed a peek yesterday into what might be behind-the-scenes goings on; a message superimposed on the videos, asking users to pay if they want to view the full-length versions, even though those versions were available without charge.

Chicago Priest Finds Stern Ads ‘Disrespectful’

Two billboards touting Howard Stern’s switch from terrestrial to satellite radio have come down in the Chicago area, after a Catholic priest complained that the ads were insensitive to African Americans, according to The Chicago Defender. The ads featured a stylized, cartoonish fist raised in the air along with the caption, “Let freedom ring. And let it be rung by a stripper.” The fist is in black on a white background.

Super Bowl Snags Record Ad Prices

Sources close to ABC are saying that 30-second Super Bowl XL spots are selling for $2.5 to $2.6 million which, if true, marks record prices for Super Bowl ads, CNN reports. Last month, reports said that the ads were going for $2.4 million - the same price tag as last year’s game, which more than 86 million people in the U.S. watched, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.

Havas Denies Seeking New Chief Executive

Havas has denied the report in today’s Daily Telegraph that Vincent Bollore, chairman and major shareholder of the company, has asked the head of its media buying and planning division to take over the role of chief executive, Reuters reports. The story in the Telegraph reported that Bollore asked Fernando Rodes Vila - whose father, Leopoldo Rodes Castane, is a Havas board member and whose family is a large shareholder - to become the group’s chief executive.

Banker Philippe Wahl is currently CEO. The Telegraph story reports that Vila’s supposed appointment would help forge business links between Havas and Aegis, a company in which Bollore now owns over 25 percent.

‘Playboy’ to Publish in India

Playboy will publish a magazine in India, which will include its usual content minus the name and nudes, according to the New York Times. Prompting the move is the fact that, as profits are flattening in the West, shrinking 1 percent in 2004, foreign revenue grew by 13 percent from 20 overseas editions.