First Marketing - Hot Topics in the Consumer Technology Industry

For the week beginning May 24, 2004

"Wi-Fi Phones May Help Cut Calling costs." This article discusses that since Wi-Fi "hot spots" have grown into broader neighborhood "hot zones," the trend of Wi-Fi phones and accessories that will send conversations over the Internet for free is just around the corner. WASHINGTONPOST.COM, May 10, 2004, pp. 1-3. http://www.washingtonpost.com

"Email Click-Through Rates Rise, According To Bigfoot." The click-through rates for permission-based email campaigns have risen in the first quarter according to a new study by Bigfoot Interactive. MEDIAPOST.COM, May 19, 2004, p. 1. http://www.mediapost.com

"At Last, You Can Ditch The Phone Company: VoIP Lets You Make Clear, Fast Calls Over The Net, Using A Plain Phone." This article highlights the benefits of Voice over Internet Protocol. BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE, May 17, 2004, pp. 1-2. http://www.businessweek.com

"Cable Digital Sub. Growth Slows Despite VOD, HD." Despite the increased push to draw basic cable customers to digital tiers, the industry has experienced slow digital growth in the first quarter of 2004. This article also includes a chart comparing the number of digital video subs for the top operators in 2003 and the first quarter of 2004. BROADBAND-DAILY.COM, May 13, 2004, pp. 1-2. http://www.broadband-daily.com

"Telecoms Focus On Services, Not Price, To Reduce Churn." CRM, May 2004, p. 18.

"The Changing Face Of Online Users." This article offers statistics on who is online: by gender, education, income, and Hispanic market and broadband users. INTERNET RETAILER, May 2004, p. 56.

"Communities Share The (Wireless) Wealth." Neighborhood groups are setting up Wi-Fi networks and delivering access for free. INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY, May 20, 2004, p. A5.

For the week beginning May 17, 2004

"DSL Forum Near Update To Push Modems Toward Retail." This article announces the release of a new test plan that will increase DSL performance. TELEPHONYONLINE.COM, May 7, 2004, p. 1. http://telephonyonline.com

"Media Giants: Bleeding." This article examines the financial standings of 10 major media companies. BROADCASTINGANDCABLE.COM, May 10, 2004, pp. 1-4. http://www.broadcastingcable.com

"Marketers Look To Agencies For Strategic Help." Marketing clients place a premium on the creative work and strategic ideas coming from their agencies. BTOBONLINE.COM, May 3, 2004, pp. 1-2. http://www.btobonline.com

"Wooing Minorities? Use Ethnic Media To Get More For Ad Dollars." RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS: BUSINESS BRIEFING, May 3, 2004, p. B2. And, "Marketing To Hispanic Customers: 4 Tips," which include: Locate the right data; know your customer; don't just translate marketing materials, make them relevant; and use direct mail, p. B2.

"Generation Y And Its Buying Power." Generation Y is emerging as a powerful consumer group. As a group, those teenagers are opening their wallets at twice the speed the baby boomers did when they were teens. FIRST DRAFT, July 2004, p. 17.

For the week beginning May 10, 2004

"10 Hottest Technologies For 2004." Telecommunications� magazine lists picks for the 10 hottest telecommunication technologies in 2004. TELECOMMAGAZINE.COM, April 2004, pp. 1-12. http://www.telecommagazine.com

"Broadband Among Multicultural Consumers." This article gives a brief summary of a study on the state of broadband and urban consumers. MEDIAPOST.COM, March 25, 2004, p. 1. http://www.centerformediaresearch.com

"Broadband Services Among Latino, African-American And Asian Consumers." This article briefly summarizes a study that has tracked the growth in cable, satellite and high-speed Internet services among urban consumers. MEDIAPOST.COM, May 5, 2004, pp. 1-2. http://www.mediapost.com

"What Women Do, What Women Want, What They Will Buy: Study Sheds Light On Women's Attitudes Towards Cable And Broadband Services." "Gender and ethnicity play role in the successful marketing, positioning and selling of cable services to women." HOROWITZASSOCIATES.COM, March 30, 2004, pp. 1-4. http://www.horowitzassociates.com

"Nextel Extends Hispanic Marketing Campaign." Nextel Communications is expanding its Spanish-language advertising campaign, zeroing in on Hispanic customers in Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and San Diego. WIRELESSWEEK.COM, April 12, 2004, p. 1. http://www.wirelessweek.com

"Cable Reports Channel Discontent." The Yankee Group of Boston has reported that "fewer than one in six cable customers say they are getting their money's worth, while just one in four say they believe cable companies deserve their loyalty." BOSTONHERALD.COM, March 24, 2004, p. 1. http://www.bostonherald.com

"Cable Is King, But D.S.L. Gains." A study has found that cable companies still dominate the high-speed Internet market, but telephone companies are marketing D.S.L with new vigor. NYTIMES.COM, April 12, 2004, pp. 1-3. http://nytimes.com

For the week beginning May 3, 2004

"Into Thin Air." "Phone calls now flit over Wi-Fi networks at little or no cost to the callers. It is the story of the telecom industry -- hundreds of billions of dollars are evaporating into the ether." FORBES, April 26, 2004, pp. 98-102, 104.

"Bush: Broadband For The People By 2007." "In a rare foray into technology topics, President Bush has lent his support to a broad set of proposals that include a deregulatory approach to wiring America with fast Internet connections." CNET NEWS.COM, April 26, 2004, pp. 1-2. http://news.com.com

"Getting On-Line, On The Road: WiFi Access Points Are Becoming More Abundant, But They Are Not Always Openly Advertised." This article offers advice, and reviews on Web sites that locate WiFi Internet access when you are away from home. WASHINGTONPOST.COM, April 25, 2004, pp. 1-5 http://www.washingtonpost.com

"Cell Phones: Who's Calling The Shots?" Phone brands aren't what they were. Nokia and Motorola may not like it, but the shift in power is good news for consumers. It means more competitors can rise up to challenge the giant handset makers. BUSINESS WEEK, April 26, 2004, pp. 48-49.

"Battling The Cable Guy -- Bells Join Race To Offer TV." Small, independent phone companies in the United States, Canada and elsewhere have led the charge in tapping advances in digital subscriber line Internet technology and video compression to offer TV and movies on demand to customers. They are doing this over ordinary copper phone lines, which once were seen as too low-tech for such services. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, April 29, 2004, pp. B1-B2.

"Hook Up With A 'Web Ring' To Rope In More Business." Web rings are linked collections of Web sites with a common theme, industry or product business. By banding together an assortment of smaller merchants or services, it will help the entire group compete more effectively online and build Web traffic. RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS: BUSINESS BRIEFING, April 5, 2004, p. B3. And "Online Resource," which suggests you check out http://dir.webring.com to find available Web rings, p. B3.

"The Battle Between Good E-Mail And Bad E-Mail: Legitimate Marketers Fight Spammers For Control Of E-Mail. The Outcome Is Uncertain, But CAN-Spam And More Refined Marketing Techniques Can Help The Good Guys." INTERNET RETAILER, April 2004, pp. 16-27. http://www.internetretailer.com

For the week beginning April 26, 2004

"By The Numbers: U.S. Carriers-2nd Tier." This list contains comparisons of the 19 largest regional wireless operators in the United States. Information that is included is: amount of subscribers; technology used/spectrum bands; revenue; average monthly churn; average revenue per user and populations covered. RCR WIRELESS NEWS, April 5, 2004, p. 8.

"Interactive Boom Predicted For 2004: TechTV, DirecTV, GSN, Among Those With ITV Initiatives In The Works." TELEVISION WEEK, April 5, 2004, p. 24.

"Hispanic Market Draws More Ad Spending." THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, April 20, 2004, p. B3.

"Web Plays Vital Role In Marketing Push -- Online Component Extends Reach." For businesses of all sizes, from a new product launch to a brand revival, the Web is the key pivot point in marketing initiatives. MARKETING NEWS, April 15, 2004, pp. 15-16.