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AOL launches gaming resource for parents

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AOL announced the launch of PlaySavvy.com, a site that targets parents of children ages 5-17 and helps them decipher the world of games, both PC and console. PlaySavvy also helps parents stay aware of their kids’ entertainment choices including assisting them in making informed decisions about buying games for their children.

The PlaySavvy.com launch is a continuation of AOL’s overall programming goal to offer consumers interactive and engaging experiences with relevant sites that target people’s passion points. This year, AOL launched several targeted sites including ParentDish.com, Lemondrop.com, WalletPop.com, and Holidash.com.

“Playing video games is one of the top pastimes for children these days, almost more than watching TV. We created AOL PlaySavvy to help parents navigate through all the gaming information out there in order to decide what’s appropriate for their children,” said Libe Goad, Editor-in-Chief, AOL PlaySavvy. “In addition, PlaySavvy provides advertisers the opportunity to reach this targeted user base by creating appealing campaigns around the content.”

Originally posted on December 1, 2008 @ 1:56 pm

AOL launches Autoblog.com in UK, France and Germany

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AOL announced the international expansion of Autoblog.com to France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Part of the Weblogs network, Autoblog.com and attracts 2.2 million monthly unique visitors worldwide.

Autoblog delivers cutting-edge news, commentary, rumors and images to a global audience of motoring enthusiasts. The site offers live, in-person coverage of every major auto show in the world, while always giving readers the opportunity to engage with the writers and contribute to Autoblog’s pages. By partnering with AOL Autos, Autoblog is a jumping-off point for in-market auto buyers who can combine a virtual window shopping experience at Autoblog with the comprehensive buying information at AOL Autos.

Each international site has a local editorial team that creates specialized content as well as syndicates content from the U.S. and the other Autoblog sites. In addition, standard and customized local advertising packages are available.

Originally posted on November 17, 2008 @ 12:35 pm

AOL sites hit record traffic for October

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AOL sites hit all-time high traffic numbers and marked the 21st month of consecutive year-over-year growth for unique visitors, according to the October 2008 comScore Media Metrix report.

Unique visitors to AOL’s programming content sites grew 7% year-over-year to 54.3 million in October, and page views more than doubled, up 101% year-over-year to 4.2 billion. Engagement (total minutes) grew 51% year-over-year in October. Total minutes reached an all-time high on AOL.com, growing 27% year-over-year. Additionally, AOL.com page views grew 27%, and unique visitors and total visitors were up 9%, year-over-year, as the site further opened up to third-party content, services and features. In addition, AOL Webmail, reached an all-time high of 3.5 billion page views marking a 31% year-over-year growth.

AOL showed growth in sites that reach men 18-34 such as Asylum, Engadget, FanHouse, and GameDaily, as well as sites that target women 18-54 such as the AOL Living, sites which include Lemondrop, StyleList, ParentDish, Home, and Food.

Now, we will just have to see how this would be translated to earnings.

Originally posted on November 13, 2008 @ 12:25 pm

Platform-A to deliver two-day, billion impression ad campaign for T-Mobile

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AOL’s Platform-A in partnership with T-Mobile USA, launched an unprecedented billion-impression web advertising campaign across Platform-A today and tomorrow. The first-of-its-kind advertising buy underscores Platform-A’s ability to reach more U.S. online consumers than any other online advertising business. Platform-A includes AOL’s owned-and-operated sites, along with the thousands of sites in the Advertising.com third-party network.

Platform-A and T-Mobile collaborated to create the “T-Mobile Billion Block,” the most-expansive two-day ad buy in Platform-A history and will spotlight the T-Mobile G1 with Google, the first Android-powered mobile phone. Over a two-day period, the T-Mobile G1 will dominate a significant amount of AOL and other Platform-A inventory, and it’s estimated that approximately 81.5 million consumers will be exposed to the new phone over the campaign’s 48-hour run.

Originally posted on November 10, 2008 @ 12:46 pm

AOL’s BlackVoices launches BV Power List

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BlackVoices has launched BV Power List, a new blog that provides men with tips on how to succeed at work, home and play in order to make their own power moves in their daily life. A key feature of the new blog is the editors’ weekly pick of the top five industry leading African-American influencers. The first BV Power List consists of Barack Obama, Tyra Banks, Tyler Perry, Magic Johnson and Mellody Hobson.

“At a time when we could be electing our first African-American President, we felt it was important to bring attention to other influential people of color from across America’s most dynamic industries,” said BlackVoices’ Director Tariq Muhammad. “We feel our first five Power List members really represent the leadership within the black community.”

Originally posted on November 4, 2008 @ 9:50 am