Booz Allen: Internet Is Source of Half of all Hires

U.S. companies’ primary source for hiring employees is the internet, producing 51 percent of all hires, according to a Booz Allen Hamilton study conducted for the DirectEmployers Association, reports B to B (via MarketingVox). In 2005, corporate websites accounted for the largest share of hires (21 percent), followed by general job boards (15 percent), niche job boards (6 percent), social networking sites (5 percent) and commercial resume databases (4 percent), according to the study.

Blue Collar Comedy Meets Redneck Revolution

Nashville Star, USA Network’s top-rated country music series, will see Grammy award-winning Gretchen Wilson and Billboard’s 2005 Comedy Artist of the Year Larry the Cable Guy appearing in the second episode, it was announced today. Season four of the series begins on Tuesday, March 14 at 10 p.m., and the second week’s episode will be themed Redneck Revolution. Wilson will sing an opening performance of her highly-anticipated next single. The contestants will perform various songs with similar redneck themes, and Larry the Cable Guy will contribute some blue collar comedy from the judge’s table alongside show veterans Anastasia Brown and Phil Vassar.

Nashville Star is created by Reveille and executive produced by Ben Silverman (The Biggest Loser, The Office) and H.T. Owens (The Restaurant, 30 Days).

Ford Signs on as Reggaeton Radio Show Sponsor

Ford has agreed to become the exclusive automotive sponsor of the new national radio show from Daddy Yankee syndicated by ABC Radio Networks, reports Mediaweek (via Billboard Radio Monitor). The show will premiere March 4 and reach six of the top 10 Hispanic markets in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, Dallas, and Phoenix.

BzzAgent Launches Word-of-Mouth Media Channel

Word-of-mouth marketing and media firm BzzAgent has launched a word-of-mouth media channel that will enable advertising, marketing and public relations firms to purchase access to BzzAgent’s community of some 130,000 consumer volunteers (”buzz agents”) - similar to the way they would buy time on a broadcast network or space in a publication. “Our dedicated agents are eager to join more word-of-mouth campaigns,” said Dave Balter, founder and CEO of BzzAgent.

Average American Not Whole Hog on Blogs

A new Gallup poll says the average American is not wild about blogs, MarketingVox reports. Blog readership hasn’t increased over the past year or so, even though Americans are spending more time online, writes Al Tompkins at PoynterOnline, citing Gallup’s annual Lifestyle survey (sub req.), conducted Dec. 5-8, 2005. Some 9 percent of internet users say they frequently read blogs, another 11 percent read them occasionally, 13 percent say they rarely read them, and 66 percent say they never read them.

‘Playboy’ to Feature ‘Girls from MySpace’

Playboy magazine’s website plans to publish a photo spread of “Girls from MySpace,” featuring women from the social and blogging site, according to Mediapost. While Playboy has often tapped into pop culture for photo spread features - having published in the past photo spreads on Enron, Starbucks, and the Ivy League - the move is not necessarily a happy one for MySpace.

HD Radio Gets Dedicated Website

The HD Digital Radio Alliance today announced the launching of HDRadio.com, which is touting itself as “the new epicenter of consumers’ digital radio lifestyle.” HD radio promises to be the next big thing in radio and a challenge to satellite, thanks to its CD-quality sound (on FM, at least), the ability for radio stations to multi-cast channels, and the fact that it’s free.

Time to Finally Let Loose Officepirates.com

Time Inc. is expected to finally launch online men’s magazine Office Pirates on Feb. 22, after several years of development - and hype - reports MediaWeek (via MarketingVox). The irreverent site is expected to be a veritable treasure trove of videos and off-color jokes; for now, officepirates.com merely boasts a logo (a skull and crossbones wearing a tie) and a warning: “Prepare to be boarded.”

Fearing Backlash, DMA Passes on Utah Brief

John A Greco Jr., president/CEO of the Direct Marketing Association, announced February 9th that the DMA would not join in an effort to stop the Utah Child Protection Registry Act, fearing that participating would cause a backlash harmful to the association’s public image, writes DM News. Greco did not want the DMA accused of attacking efforts to protect children.

Product Integration Trend Speeds Decline of 30-Second Spot

A continuing trend in advertising, product integration, has companies abandoning 30-second commercials to intertwine their products into the plots and dialogues of some of TV’s prime-time shows, reports The Los Angeles Times. Nielsen Media Research has been tracking product placements and reports that the number of placements and the new integration rose 30 percent last year to 108,261.