Award season is in full swing—and Stream Companies has brought home an impressive 8 AVA Awards for 2011!

The AVA Awards is a global competition that recognizes outstanding achievements by creative professionals involved in the concept, direction, design, and production of media.

Interestingly enough, if you turn the number 8 on its side, it becomes the symbol for infinite.

And infinite is Stream’s appreciation for our creative team’s amazing, award-winning work seen below:

Platinum Award Winners:

“Jack Williams 82nd Anniversary Sale” – Jack Williams Tire and Auto Service Centers

Jack Williams Tire & Auto Center – … Continue Reading

I will admit it.

I watch a lot of television.

No, really, A LOT.

And, as many of my family members and friends know, I am that (annoying) person who moans and groans after seeing certain spots. But instead of ranting and raving about bad ads, (copyranter and AdScam/The Horror! already do that incredibly well!) I want to do a series of “Spot-on Spots” – ads that are just standouts among the extremely professional term–“crap”.

First up – When Weird Works

We’ve all seen them, laughed at them, cringed while watching them, and … Continue Reading

Can YouTube clips and mobile websites replace test drives and in-person experiences?

Increasingly car shoppers are using online resources to find their ideal vehicle.  In a recent interview, Kimberly Stonehouse, automotive industry development manager at Google, shared her perspective on some of the factors currently influencing auto shoppers’ behavior.

The internet is an essential source of information for car shoppers. While test driving vehicles remains an important part of the process, a car dealer’s website is ever more crucial in the buying process.  Web searches also … Continue Reading

Usage and interest build slowly

According to some predictions in 2009, mobile couponing was ready for takeoff. While relatively few mobile users had redeemed a coupon through their phone, many were interested, and Yankee Group predicted an increase in the number of mobile coupons redeemed in North America in 2010 from 200,000 to 2.3 million.

But consumers have been slow to get on board. According to a September 2010 survey conducted by OnePoll for mobile transaction network mBlox, fewer than 15% of US mobile subscribers have redeemed a mobile coupon…. Continue Reading

Facebook is now offering deals from nearby merchants and brand marketers such as Starbucks, Gap or McDonald’s for users who share their locations in status updates.

Facebook launched “Deals” as an extension of its Places feature where users are able to check into locations such as restaurants, bars, or malls. The Deals service was launched with 22 big brand partners including Starbucks, McDonalds, H&M, and Gap as well as 20,000 smaller businesses.

Merchants create a Facebook page where there is an option for choosing the kind of deal they would like to offer: individual, loyalty, friends or charity. Individual and loyalty offers are digital … Continue Reading

The NPD Group recently published its latest report on smartphone OS market share, where Android remained the clear winner when compared to last year’s results.

The report focused on data concerning Q3 2010 which indicated that Android has seen substantial gains, while Apple’s iOS remained flat and Blackberry continued its fall from the top.  

In Q3 2009, Android held only 3% of the market. However, since 2009, Android has skyrocketed to the number one position with 44% of US smartphone sales. RIM moved into third place with just 22% of … Continue Reading

The use of digital coupons is growing quickly, up 60% this year, according to a report from Kantar Media.

A growing number of manufacturers are using digital coupons and fine-tuning their use, as well as working with retailers on initiatives, said a report by Marx, a Kantar consumer promotion unit.

The number of manufacturers who distributed digital coupons also rose 23% among websites tracked by Marx.

Digital coupons are not yet poised to overtake print FSIs, which also saw nearly 11% growth, but retailers are using both vehicles more aggressively, said Dan Kitrell, VP … Continue Reading

High click rates for social media don’t tell the full story

According to Chadwick Martin Bailey, three-quarters of web users are likely to share content with their friends and family, an activity brands are watching closely in their attempts to leverage the influence of brand advocates.

SocialTwist reported that email was the most common channel used to share content via the company’s Tell-a-Friend widget. Email accounted for more than half of all referrals while social networks made up for less than a quarter of shares.

But shares on … Continue Reading

Diana Pouliot, the director of mobile advertising at Google revealed that one-third of all Google searches via the mobile web pertain to an aspect of the searcher’s local environment.

Paul Feng, Google’s mobile-ads group product manager, spoke on Google’s efforts to make their advertising reach as local as possible. According to Mr. Feng, “We think of location as a hugely important signal.”

The mobile industry seems to agree and some analysts now project that location-based mobile spending will top $4 billion in 2015. That’s a huge increase from the $34 million spent just last … Continue Reading

The text-based aesthetic of search engines we’ve come to know so well has just been changed. But this time it’s Yahoo, not Google who’s creating new developments. Yahoo recently introduced a new look for search results using display-like inventory which is said to provide more entertainment for viewers.

These changes mean search results will be displayed in what the company calls an “accordion module”. For now most search results won’t display the new interface; however, entertainment, trending news, musicians, movies and similar search topics are currently up and running with the new … Continue Reading