www.instantmessagingplanet.com/public/article.php/1011011
By Bob Woods April 17, 2002 In cyberspace, can you hear a dog bark? Or a cat cough up a fur ball? Our guess is probably no, unless there's something weird with streaming audio going on. But a new deal signed between Nestle Purina and Yahoo Inc. will let users spread their love of animals with specially themed instant messaging environments called IMVironments. The special environments -- two have been created for this campaign; one each for dog and cat lovers -- are interactive, themed backgrounds for Yahoo Messenger conversations that appear directly in the IM window and are shared virally among users. The Purina Dog Yahoo Messenger IMVironment features a dog park setting in which two dogs wag their tails, bark, beg and fetch a ball as the IM dialogue takes place. The cat IMVironment, meantime, is set in a family room in which two cats lounge, stretch and play in front of a television. The IMVironments feature links to product, nutrition and breed information available on Purina brand Web sites. Both of the new IMVironments include sound and animation effects, and are part of a continuing marketing relationship between Nestle Purina and Yahoo. "Creating Purina Yahoo Messenger IMVironments allows the brand to become an integral yet non-intrusive backdrop for the user's conversation," said Brad Worth, brand manager, Nestle Purina Interactive Group. "By providing a conversational environment for instant messaging, we are creating brand awareness among current and potential consumers via peer-to-peer communication. We feel this marketing approach is a powerful way to engage consumers with the Purina brand." The IMVironments will be promoted on Purina Web sites, as well as in the Yahoo Insider welcome window, the Yahoo Messenger IMVironments Gallery pages, and throughout Yahoo pet-related communities. Besides the IMVironments, Nestle Purina is rolling out two co-branded versions of the Yahoo Messenger application, each of which have either a dog or cat theme. Besides themes, the Messenger apps have links to informational pages on pet nutrition and exercise available on Yahoo Pets, as well as on the pet food brands' Web sites. The co-branded applications also feature customized banner advertisements within the Yahoo Messenger tab where users can access stock, news and sports updates. And, yes, you can hear custom sounds of dogs or cats as you interact with the particular Yahoo Messenger application. Nestle Purina and Yahoo have had an ongoing co-marketing relationship for several years. Purina has media and content placements throughout the Yahoo network. Yahoo also has made available to its users the ability to receive Purina's "Daily Tips" on cat and dog care via the My Yahoo personalized home page. The two companies also recently launched Purina TV, a single source multimedia site that provides pet care information in streamed video, audio and text formats. Most recently, Yahoo announced an IMVironment deal with E*Trade Group. Through that environment, Yahoo Messenger users can have access to free 20-minute delayed stock quotes, financial news and information, and the new E*Trade Financial Web site. At the same time, the E*Trade IMVironment naturally retains the functionality of Yahoo Messenger to exchange real-time messages with friends, family and colleagues. Also Included in the new E*Trade-branded IMVironment are daily video and audio clips focused on current financial topics and market updates, allowing users to keep on top of current news. E*Trade will also feature an originally produced video segment called 'IM the Money,' which features a daily collection of correspondent interviews with consumers on financial market trends and sentiments -- an exclusive to this environment. Yahoo has also rolled out Messenger interfaces for Radio Shack, Nintendo, and Twentieth Century Fox's recent release Ice Age. With IMVironments, Yahoo expands on its plan to grow revenues by expanding its services a step beyond online advertising -- a strategy announced last November by Yahoo Chief Executive Officer Terry Semel, who came to the company six months earlier. Semel has said the Santa Clara, Calif.-based media company is undergoing more of an evolution than a revolution, with greater focus being placed on diversifying revenue. Part of the evolution comes from establishing more cooperative relationships with their business partners, beyond the usual online advertising buys. Semel and other execs also have pointed to both outsourcing and acquisitions -- fueled by its hefty cash reserves -- to build products and services currently beyond Yahoo's expertise. Part of the solution to Yahoo's coming of age also will depend on charging for things that used to be free. The company says it is committed to free sections of its site, but ever so slowly, more content and services are coming with price tags attached. Yahoo has already been charging for its GeoCities Pro and GeoCities Webmaster, and parts of its Yahoo Personals. The company even began asking for user fees for its auction site and some versions of its e-mail service. Bob Woods is the managing editor of InstantMessagingPlanet. |