Spanish-language HIV site for women launches with pharma support

Spanish-language HIV site for women launches with pharma support

Several pharmas are lending their support to a new Spanish-language version of a Web site that educates women about HIV and AIDS. The Spanish version of www.TheWellProject.org includes information about treatments, including details about antiretroviral medications and their side effects, resources for managing HIV, and public policy updates that may impact women with HIV. According to the Well Project, Latinas represent 21% of people who are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the United States. This number is disproportionate to their percentage of the overall population. In addition to adding Spanish content, there are also plans to eventually translate the content into other languages, including Cantonese, French, and Russian. Pharmas that sponsor the site include Pfizer, Roche, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Health Web site provides video content, pharma sponsorship opps

Health Web site provides video content, pharma sponsorship opps

A new Web site called PharmDaily.com says it acts as a resource for pharmas to reach consumers via ads, free samples, and direct marketing. The site has videos that can feature sponsored content, pre-roll ads, or display ads. For example, one of the videos features Sally Field, a spokesperson for the drug Boniva, discussing osteoporosis and bone loss. The video incorporates interactive elements such as a quiz to test participants' knowledge of osteoporosis. Another video about GERD features a display ad from Imodium. Content on the site is divided into more than 30 health topics, such as diabetes, allergies, and mental health. Other resources include news, tips, and resources about treatment options. Sponsored listings by Google also appear on the site.

 

ePharm5 exclusive: Google, YouTube, and implications for pharma marketing

ePharm5 exclusive: Google, YouTube, and implications for pharma marketing

The deal between Google and YouTube seems to be a match made in online advertiser heaven. It marries the biggest names in search and video to create a revolutionary union in online video content. But what does the deal mean for pharmaceutical companies, many of which are just beginning to experiment with online video as an ad format? ePharm5 talked with three leaders in the online pharma space to get their reactions: Mark Bard, president, Manhattan Research, Bill Allman general manager of the HealthCentral Network, and Fabio Gratton, president and CEO of Incendia Health Studios. Click the supporting link below to read the original ePharm5 article. ------------- Google-YouTube deal: Implications for pharma marketing The deal between Google and YouTube seems to be a match made in online advertiser heaven. It marries the biggest names in search and video to create a revolutionary union for online video ads. According to our experts, the deal opens up more possibilities for pharma to incorporate advertising into online video. ePharm5 talked with three leaders in the online pharma space to get their reactions: Mark Bard, president, Manhattan Research, Bill Allman, general manager, HealthCentral Network, and Fabio Gratton, president and CEO, Incendia Health Studios. According to Bard, YouTube not only drives significant traffic daily, but Google’s technology opens up the possibility of placing contextually relevant ads on streaming video, such as ads for diabetes on a health-related video for the condition. He also says that the acquisition propels Google into a leadership position for large-scale video distribution. Gratton agrees, saying there could also be a possibility for syndicating video content, perhaps using a Google AdWords model, which would bring more visibility to video. Consumers would be "one click away" from a branded or unbranded site or other online tool. Gratton also points to video becoming more usable overall. He says currently, videos on YouTube are not organized by any verticals that make them searchable. The Google acquisition could result in videos being tagged and sorted into verticals that could include health and condition-specific topics. The deal also reflects a larger trend in online content becoming more on-demand consumer-focused. "YouTube has demonstrated the power of users contributing their own voices to the media landscape," Allman says, pointing to his company, The HealthCentral Network, as an example of an environment that embraces input from real-world health consumers. "It's only a matter of time before video becomes a larger part of the conversation. These are the inspirations, successes--and concerns--of real health users, and the health industry will benefit from listening," he says. Bard says that as online media outlets are forced to become more innovative, video and rich media will be critical assets for advertisers and marketers that want to meet the needs of consumers with high-speed expectations with respect to their experience online. The acquisition is representative of a market shift overall, and pharma marketers need to jump on for the ride. "The implication for pharmaceutical marketers and brand teams is that the major search engines are rapidly integrating and innovating to stay ahead of the competition," says Bard. "It will not be long before Yahoo! makes an acquisition and then it’s off to the races to be the first company to break the next wave online--and there will be many more waves to come."

Pharma Companies' Internet Marketing Spend to Increase Nearly 25% this Year to $780 million

Pharma Companies' Internet Marketing Spend to Increase Nearly 25% this Year to $780 million

DUBLIN, Ireland, Sept. 26, 2006--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets  (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42639) has announced the addition of eMarketer's new report; Pharmaceutical Marketing Online: Direct-to-Patient Becomes a Reality to their offering.

Attention: Pharmaceutical Companies, Healthcare Service Providers, Insurance Companies, Medical Information and Content Sites, Marketers and Advertising Agencies.

The Pharmaceuticals Online report analyzes the quickly evolving world of pharma marketing, which — driven by changes in consumer behavior and attitudes towards healthcare — is rapidly changing direction and tactics.

For over 30 million Americans, the Internet is the first place they turn for health care information. In fact, nearly 100 million Americans used the Internet to find health information in just the past 12 months. With so many customers interested in so many different health topics, instead of merely advertising blockbuster drugs, the industry is beginning to chase the "long tail."

As marketers shift from consumer mass marketing to more targeted opportunities on the Internet, eMarketer projects pharmaceutical companies' Internet spending will increase nearly 25% this year, to $780 million.

Key questions the "Pharmaceuticals Online" report answers:

-- How is pharmaceutical marketing changing, online and off?

-- Where are pharma companies spending their online ad budgets?

-- How do consumers find health-related information online?

-- How are physicians using the Internet?

-- And many more...

Sources Include:

Accenture

American Association of Advertising Agencies

comScore Media Metrix

eMarketer

Forrester Research

Harris Interactive

IMS Health

JupiterResearch

Med Ad News

Medical Broadcasting Company (MBC)

MRxHealth

Nielsen Monitor-Plus

Nielsen//NetRatings

Nielsen//NetRatings AdRelevance

Optas

Pew Internet & American Life Project

Reflexion Network Solutions, Inc.

The Wall Street Journal

TNS Media Intelligence

Verispan

Some Topics Covered:

US Pharmaceutical and Health Care Online Ad Spending vs. US Total Online Ad Spending, 2003-2008 (millions)

Implications for Your Business

Top 10 US Product Categories, by Advertising Spending, Q1 2006 (billions and % increase/decrease vs. prior year)

Marketing Messages Must Be Clearer

US Total Ad Spending by Pharmaceutical Companies among the Leading 100 Advertisers, 2004 & 2005 (thousands and % increase/decrease vs. prior year)

Top 10 Drugs Most Advertised* to US Consumers, Ranked by Promotion Spending, 2005 (millions)

US Online Ad Spending by Pharmaceutical Companies among the Leading 100 Advertisers, 2005 (thousands, % increase/decrease vs. prior year and % share of total)

Top 10 US Pharmaceutical Companies, Ranked by Journal Ad Spending, 2005 (millions, % market share and % increase/decrease vs. prior year)

Marketing Trends in 2006 and Beyond

US Advertisers' Opinions Regarding Mass-Audience Advertising's Effectiveness by the End of the Current Decade, December 2005 (% of respondents)

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42639

 

New Roche Web Site Features Latest Clinical Information for Oncology Healthcare Professionals

New Roche Web Site Features Latest Clinical Information for Oncology Healthcare Professionals

- RocheExchange.com/Oncology Provides Real-Time Access to Roche Oncology Drug Information, Clinical Trials and Research Innovations -

NUTLEY, N.J., September 27, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Roche, a leader in oncology medicine and research, announced today the launch of a new, state-of-the-art Web site for oncology healthcare professionals. RocheExchange.com/Oncology is a virtual, one-stop-shop for the latest, scientifically balanced clinical information about Roche oncology products, professional and patient educational materials, and peer insights.

A new Web destination, RocheExchange.com/Oncology is the first phase of RocheExchange.com, Roche's comprehensive Internet portal designed exclusively for healthcare professionals. The portal is designed to support the medical community's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of patient care by providing them with direct access to recent, relevant and credible medical information at their convenience.

"As a leader in oncology, Roche is committed to providing reliable, cutting-edge clinical information that will enable oncologists to deliver the best possible care to their patients. And, we know that oncologists overwhelmingly prefer using the Internet to access this vital information," said Lars E. Birgerson, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Roche. "With the launch of RocheExchange.com/Oncology, healthcare professionals now have a comprehensive, 24-hour online resource on Roche products and research that houses the medical information and educational features they seek."

RocheExchange.com/Oncology was developed to address the dynamically changing clinical landscape in the field of oncology by providing information in real-time. Designed based on input from the oncology medical community, the site includes current Roche oncology product information, a comprehensive, searchable database of product research; breaking oncology news; professional education, including continuing medical education (CME); and downloadable patient education tools. Roche also offers a Web site available to the general public with information on its clinical trials, www.roche-trials.com.

RocheExchange.com/Oncology also features PUBMED, a searchable medical journal resource, and live news feeds from the Doctor's Guide. As an added convenience, RocheExchange.com/Oncology can be customized to fit specific user preferences and needs, and is a unique resource that is easy to use and accessible to all oncology healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists and medical technologists.

About Roche

Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. (Roche), based in Nutley, N.J., is the U.S. pharmaceuticals headquarters of the Roche Group, one of the world's leading research-oriented healthcare groups with core businesses in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.

For more than 100 years, the Roche Group has been committed to developing innovative products and services that address prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, thus enhancing people's health and quality of life. An employer of choice, in 2005, Roche was named one of Fortune magazine's Best Companies to Work For in America, one of the Top 20 Employers (Science magazine), ranked as the No. 3 Best Company to Work For in NJ (NJ Biz magazine), the No. 1 Company to Sell For (Selling Power), and one of AARP's Top Companies for Older Workers. For additional information about the U.S. pharmaceuticals business, visit our websites: http://www.rocheusa.com, www.roche.us. and www.RocheExchange/Oncology.com (for medical professionals only).

CONTACT: Ginny Valenze of Roche, +1-973-562-2783,; or Daphne Hoytt of Manning Selvage & Lee,+1-212-468-3558, or Cell: +1-917-406-2779, virginia.valenze@roche.com daphne.hoytt@mslpr.com

Web site: http://www.rocheusa.com/http://www.roche-trials.com/

Pfizer and Frog Creation Create Rocket Science for Kids

Pfizer and Frog Creation Create Rocket Science for Kids

LONDON, Sept. 28, 2006-Pfizer and Frog Creation Create Rocket Science for Kids Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has launched a website to help make science fun and accessible for the next generation of scientists.

The Pfizer Interactive Learning Lab, created by web design and build agency Frog Creation, is the latest addition to Pfizer's Learning Lab project at www.pfizerlearninglab.co.uk - an online resource designed to make science accessible and fun for schoolchildren as well as offering resources for parents and teachers.

Frog Creation has developed two interactive games using real applications of science in line with national curriculum science objectives, allowing students to see the scientific principles in action as the game is played. The games are designed to bring elements of the science syllabus to life, leaving a lasting impression on students. Dan Ghinn, Frog Creation's Managing Director, said:

"We were excited about Pfizer's vision to support the learning process through interactive technology. For many young people, the online games will provide enhanced retention of scientific learning by teaching not just the facts but their real-world application."

The rocket science game illustrates the effects of gravity by using basic principles behind rocket science. Users design a rocket by choosing fuel and engine parameters to take off from different planets. After each game is completed, the user answers questions to test their understanding, and is awarded a score based on their performance.

A second game challenges students to fly a hot air balloon over a mountain range, demonstrating the effects of heat on molecules. The user has to fly the hot air balloon over a series of mountain ranges without running out of fuel or crash landing.

###

About Frog Creation Frog Creation is an award-winning specialist web design and build agency with a successful track record built up since it was established in 1998. The agency's work at the cutting edge of internet technology includes websites for some of the world's biggest brands.

Talecris Biotherapeutics sponsors immune deficiency e-newsletter

Talecris Biotherapeutics sponsors immune deficiency e-newsletter       

A grant from Talecris Biotherapeutics is sponsoring a new electronic newsletter from the Immune Deficiency Foundation. The free, monthly newsletter, the Primary Immune Tribune, aims to give patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals new information about resources, activities, and programs. For example, in its inaugural issue this month, the Tribune provides information about family retreats that feature physicians who discuss treatments, prescription reimbursement, and life management. There is also information about a fund-raising program that will increase awareness about the importance of plasma donations. North Carolina-based Talecris makes liquid immune globulin intravenous therapy, which is used to treat primary immune deficiency.    

Nielsen: More than half of online gamers are women

Nielsen: More than half of online gamers are women     

Online gamers, proven more responsive to celebrity endorsements and product placement, are also predominantly women, according to Nielsen Entertainment's annual Active Gamer Benchmark Study. Although men dominate video game use overall, 64% of all online gamers are women. The study showed that gaming is increasingly becoming a more social activity, with 56% of the roughly 117 million active gamers playing online, rather than on handheld tools. Active gamers spend roughly five hours a week playing games socially, allowing interactions with other online players. The study also showed that more than 15 million gamers are 45 years or older. According to a Universal-McCann study last month, adult console gamers spend about two more hours online per week than the average adult and are more responsive to celebrity endorsement and product placement in movies and TV shows.

Marketing program uses multi-channel approach to reach docs

Marketing program uses multi-channel approach to reach docs    

A new pharma marketing program aims to use a multi-channel approach to increase drug sales and loyalty. The Rx/OTC Reach program from pharma marketing firm PharmaKinnex, uses e-mail, fax, direct mail, and telesales in combination with ROI analytics to deliver targeted brand marketing messages to physicians, physicians' assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists. The program can be used in conjunction with ongoing sales force promotions, and helps to target hard-to-reach physicians. Earlier this year, a PharmaKinnex study showed that direct mail and office visits are the most popular marketing methods among physicians compared to e-mail, telephone, and e-detailing, highlighting the importance of reaching physicians using their preferred communication method.

Pfizer, P&G allot ad dollars to Internet and satellite radio

Pfizer, P&G allot ad dollars to Internet and satellite radio   

Pfizer and Procter & Gamble are adding satellite and Internet radio into their radio ad budgets, according to Mediaweek.com. The major draw of satellite and Internet radio is its ability to offer visual and interactive elements that engage consumers in a way that traditional radio spots can't. Overall, spending in the radio segment was down 2.6% last year, and much of the time, satellite and Internet radio is taking money away from traditional radio ad budgets. Also, about 30% of this year's upfront orders from Internet radio are from advertisers new to the medium, reports Mediaweek.com. A report earlier this year showed that satellite and Internet radio weren't the only media stealing radio's thunder: 38% of podcast users said they listen to radio less because they are listening to podcasts.

Online community acts as clearinghouse for diabetes blogging

Online community acts as clearinghouse for diabetes blogging   

A new Web community called the DiabetesBlogNetwork.com aims to give diabetes patients and caregivers a centralized location for personal diabetes blogs and discussion. The site, from Incendia Health Studios, is "the Zagat Guide" of blogs, Fabio Gratton, president and CEO of Incendia, tells ePharm5. He says the site is reviewed and updated from real diabetes bloggers, and that people are rewarded with free music downloads when they post, rate, and review blogs. The site also has an RSS feed that users can subscribe to. Incendia Health Studios also recently launched BannerMoments.com, a new online community for women with breast cancer (ePharm5, 10/5/06).  

New Web site lets users search for, share health information

New Web site lets users search for, share health information   

Pharma companies could be among the first sponsors of a Web site that says it is the first health-focused social networking site. OrganizedWisdom.com allows consumers, healthcare professionals, and health organizations share their knowledge about more than 6,500 health topics. Users can search for information about health topics, and if a particular health topic does not yet have a sponsor, links will appear that invite sponsors to "be the first to sponsor this page." Content is divided into information from the site's health library or from the online community. For example, a search about headaches can either yield doctor-reviewed informational content or tips and feedback from other members of the community about their experiences with headaches.        
       

Epharm 5: Online breast cancer community offers pharma sponsorship opps

Online breast cancer community offers pharma sponsorship opps  

A new online community for women with breast cancer allows members to develop personal Web banners to express their individual fight against the disease, according to Incendia Health Studios, the company behind the site. Users can create personal profile pages and display their banners the site, BannerMoments.com. The banners also will appear on WebMD's breast cancer channel through October. The site is currently in an exclusive partnership with WebMD, but will eventually expand beyond that, Fabio Gratton, president of Incendia Health Studios, tells ePharm5. BannerMoments.com is currently in talks with several pharmas about the chance to reach cancer patients and their families, as well as participate in the dialogue that a social networking site offers. Incendia Health Studios is a new media company that develops and distributes unbranded disease education programs via the Web and other digital technologies (ePharm5, 10/2/06).

Digital Diagnosis reveals deficiencies in pharma brand Web sites

Digital Diagnosis reveals deficiencies in pharma brand Web sites       

Byetta.com is among the most user-friendly pharma Web sites, according to new analysis from Campbell-Ewald Health. A first-of-its-kind audit tool analyzed the content of 58 consumer Web sites from across nine therapeutic categories. The Digital Diagnosis audit found that only 55% of the United States population can understand the information provided on pharma Web sites. Lori Laurent Smith, senior vice president and director of Campbell-Ewald Health, tells ePharm5 that there are several steps that pharmas can take to improve the functionality of their branded sites. Click the supporting link below to read those tips, find out which branded sites performed best, and get more results from the Campbell-Ewald Health audit.

Freedom of the Seas

http://www.freedomoftheseas.com/

Cartoon Lips, Virtual Fashion and Physics

The interactive Web site Whyville lures girls into the world of science

By RICHARD LEE COLVIN
Times Staff Writer

July 8 2002

The mysterious spots began popping up without explanation on the digital faces of Whyvillians.

At first, the spots looked like freckles on the cartoon-like avatars of visitors to the science education Web site called Whyville. Then they developed into red acne-like welts. When users tried to chat, an electronic "ah-choo," courtesy of the site's San Marino-based programmers, wiped out their words.

Dubbed "Whypox," the plague was designed to trigger an interest in learning more about epidemiology and the spread of diseases. And it proved to be a terrific motivator on a site dominated by adolescent girls who are as image-obsessed in cyberspace as they are in the hallways of their junior high schools.

It also was an example of why an innovative attempt to mine the educational potential of the Internet is gaining international attention among adolescents and researchers alike.

The philosophy of Whyville ( http://www.whyville.net) is what its founder calls "edu-tainment" because it taps the Internet's interactivity to get kids engaged in learning.

Some close watchers of Whyville worry, however, that users get so wrapped up in activities such as choosing lips and noses for their digital faces and chatting that science becomes secondary to socializing. Yet researchers also theorize that those aspects of Whyville help explain why more than two-thirds of its 225,000 registered users are female, most between 11 and 13.

That statistic "runs very counter to what we know about girls being interested in science and technology," said Yasmin B. Kafai, a UCLA researcher who studies computerized learning environments.

Educators say many girls lose interest in science starting in middle school, apparently because of misgivings about their math abilities and fears that they'll be seen as unfashionable nerds.

Computer use among girls drops off dramatically after age 13, experts say, citing a dearth of games and activities that don't involve speed, fighting or competition.

Whyville, launched in 1999, didn't start out with the intention of countering those trends. But its apparent success in capturing girls' attention has caught the eye of the National Science Foundation, which over the years has spent tens of millions of dollars trying to achieve that same goal.

Now the agency is underwriting a study to figure out the formula and how it can be improved upon in designing computer software, and even in setting up classrooms.

Caltech's Brian Foley, one of the researchers, says Whyville's winning combination includes noncompetitive games and activities, social interaction and, especially, the opportunity for girls (and boys) to create their own identities. "Those are things girls really appreciate and look for," Foley said. "It probably shouldn't have been a surprise that there were a lot of girls on there."

About 500 new users a day join Whyville's population. Although it's free and has no advertising, those willing to buy a Whypass for $4.95 a month get priority for accessing the site. That's important because Whyville has become so crowded that, for about 12 hours each day, more users want in than can be accommodated.

Those who succeed in entering see the face they've designed float into the 3-D Whyville town square. They can remain and chat with other users or they can visit popular gathering spots such as the town swimming pool, the "Sportsplatz" or the playground.

Or they can go shopping at the "mall"--a hugely popular activity on the site--for new face parts, virtual clothing or accessories, such as glasses or jewelry for their online persona, all drawn and "sold" by their fellow Whyvillians.

The coin of this realm is "clams," and they're earned in two ways: by engaging in one of the Web site's 12 science or four math activities or through profits generated by the sales of one's products. A third way--which Whyvillians came up with on their own--is for "newbies" to beg for handouts from the better-off "oldbies." Once someone has enough clams, she can buy a plot of land, build a house, decorate it and have friends over for chat fests.

One goal of the NSF study is to analyze how much the citizens of Whyville are actually learning about science through all those activities.

"Is it entertainment as a means of learning or is it just entertaining?" asked Ruta Sevo, who directs the NSF's program for gender equity in math- and science-related fields. "I doubt that no learning is happening, but the question is how much."

Consider the case of Whypox.

Just after Valentine's Day, the site's designers at Numedeon Inc., a privately held company, infected the online identities of a handful of the most frequent users with the pox. They also posted a memo on the site's bulletin board suggesting that users check out " 'what's new' at the Whyville version of the national Centers for Disease Control [and Prevention]."

From there, the pox spread through contact. And as it did, so did rumors and panic. "I became sad and horrified," wrote one user, screen name Girlyleo, in an article posted on the site's online newspaper.

Soon pox-free Whyvillians were shunning the infected. Deviously enterprising users began offering fake cures. A lively trade in skin-colored digital cover-ups and paper bags with eyeholes emerged.

"I hated Whypox," said Jessica Ruane, 12, of Westwood, who averages about two hours a day on the Whyville site. "It stayed, like, five days, and you get, like, pox all over your face."

But, whether or not she liked it, Jessica wanted to figure out what was going on. So she visited the site's faux CDC Web page to investigate.

There she encountered a simulation of how disease spreads, a real-time graph of how many Whyvillians had been infected and links to an actual newspaper article about a wave of real unexplained rashes affecting East Coast schools.

"I read everything about it and I was like, 'Oh!' " Jessica said.

Several hundred Whyville users then entered a contest to guess when the epidemic would come to an end, using the knowledge they'd gained.

James N. Bower, a bearded, ponytailed former Caltech neurobiologist who is the guiding force and one of the biggest investors in Numedeon, said he is convinced that Whyville's informal, indirect approach to education is effective.

"There's nothing more entertaining than education, done properly," said Bower, who this spring left Pasadena for San Antonio, where he has a joint appointment at the University of Texas and its health sciences campus.

"Knowledge attained through an active process of sorting through data and connecting that to what you already know is knowledge that sticks," he added.

Most Web sites for children focus on either entertainment or the traditional educational format in which users answer questions based on posted texts. Worried about liability, the majority have banned chat and are tightly formatted by adults.

Whyville, in contrast, is an open-ended learning community that evolves day to day. Users, for example, helped design the site's justice system (those who swear or annoy can be zapped into invisibility), write for its newspaper (one popular topic is the ongoing rivalry between "newbies" and "oldbies") and even set up a charity to distribute face parts to the less fortunate. (It's considered bad taste to take too many free parts.)

A user whose screen name is "link123" summed it up in an article in the Whyville Times, concluding that Whyville is "more than an educational site! It's a lifestyle simulation."

Bower is a pioneer in the field of computational biology, which involves devising mathematical models to represent biological processes. But he has also been a vocal advocate of getting schools to replace textbook-based lessons with "hands on" kits. So, for example, kids would plant seeds, watch them grow and discuss what they saw rather than read about it in a book.

Frustrated by his efforts to reform science education in real-world classrooms, Bower helped to create Whyville. One of its science-based activities involves making an animated skater spin as fast as possible to learn the basics of angular momentum, namely, that the more compact an object is, the faster it can be made to spin. Completing the site's "Solstice Safari" gives participants a feel for how and why the seasons change, and the "Geodig" calls for categorizing rocks by their characteristics.

The connection to formal scientific or mathematical knowledge is not often explicit. When users choreograph a dance routine, "we don't tell them, but what they're actually doing is learning about vectors using the Cartesian system," Bower said.

It's clear that not all users go to the site primarily to learn about science.

Jessica Ruane comes from a scientific family. Her father, Peter Ruane, is a well-known HIV-AIDS researcher at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and her mother, Margie Morgan, is a microbiologist who runs the hospital's diagnostic clinic.

But, Morgan said, Jessica is bored by classroom science at her private school.

That's why Morgan was shocked--and impressed--with how much time Jessica spends in Whyville. "It's a very effective mechanism for entertaining kids, and I have a daughter who's not easy to entertain," she said.

She has straight dark hair and freckles and was wearing her school uniform when she sat down one day recently at her dad's computer to visit Whyville. By contrast, her computer avatar has highlighted red hair, large purplish lips, pink cheeks and a beauty mark and wears a slinky black sheath.

She checked her store's inventory of body parts. She's nowhere near the most prolific seller of face parts. But she does well enough, especially with "raspberry glossy lips." "If you want to make money, you want to make lips," she said, hinting at the fashion sense of her fellow Whyville citizens.

On average, Whyvillians visit the site three times weekly, for about 45 minutes each session, and participate in 6.7 science activities per week. At any one time, about a third of the users are chatting and the rest are engaged in activities that, in addition to those involving science, include shopping, working on their houses and redesigning their faces.

"They spend so much time on their faces, I wonder if that's a good thing," Foley said.

Jessica Ruane said the site's science-related activities are not challenging. But she does them anyway because they earn her more clams.

Other users, however, exclaim that Whyville has made learning science fun in a way that textbooks or classrooms never have. "Wow! I honestly can't believe how much we learn from this site, and how much of the learning we take for granted," a user with the screen name of Maiko wrote in the site newspaper. "Just because it's fun doesn't mean it's not educational!"

In response to some of the concerns, Whyville's designers are introducing new elements that are more explicitly educational. This summer, for example, nutrition will begin playing a role in appearance.

Users will have to spend some of their clams on food. And they'll find that if they buy only hamburgers and French fries and not enough fruits and vegetables, their carefully designed faces will begin to fade and look sickly.

Kafai, the UCLA professor, said the kind of informal learning that occurs in an environment such as Whyville is difficult to quantify. "There's a fine line between knowing something in a vague sort of way but not being able to use it ... and not knowing very much at all," she said.

Still, she said, what occurs in Whyville represents a promising start. "Obviously, this is a new medium, and we have to work and explore what works," she said.

BREAKING NEWS: Incendia Health Studios Supports National Breast Cancer Awareness Month With Launch of BannerMoments.com

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061004/nyw148.html?.v=66

Incendia Health Studios Supports National Breast Cancer Awareness Month With Launch of BannerMoments.com
Wednesday October 4, 11:29 am ET

Site Builds Online Community of Women With Breast Cancer; Conveys Inspiring Messages Through Personal Web Banners

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- In observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Oct. 1-31), Incendia Health Studios, the first purpose-driven media company in chronic disease education, has launched BannerMoments.com, an interactive Web site designed to create a growing online circle of support for women with breast cancer.

A unique feature of the site is a proprietary tool developed by Incendia that allows visitors to develop personal web banners that can be used to express individual messages about their fight against breast cancer. The banners, which will appear on the BannerMoments site permanently and on the breast cancer channel of WebMD through the end of October, are designed to trigger discussions of breast cancer from many points of view.

"When you create a Web banner, you start your own personal advocacy campaign," says Fabio Gratton, president of Incendia Health Studios. "BannerMoments gives people a place to share their own experiences with breast cancer as well as a place to provide support to family and friends who are battling the disease. Knowledge is power and it all starts with a simple conversation. By building a banner, a single individual can make a powerful contribution to the fight against breast cancer."

In addition to generating customized web banners, visitors to BannerMoments.com are given the opportunity to create a conversation-starting personal profile page, which explores their thoughts on breast cancer more thoroughly. They are also provided with links to more than 30 breast cancer information resources.

"We've spent many months developing a web property that would offer users a creative outlet for self-expression and we want this site to be the genesis of a whole new kind of online dialogue," says Gratton. "With the banner tools we've pioneered, users can add their own image, add their own message, and then choose from a huge assortment of art elements to create innumerable banner possibilities. It's a shining example of how technology can empower online communities."

From a business perspective, BannerMoments presents compelling sponsorship opportunities for companies interested in reaching cancer patients and their extended families and friends. In coming months, Incendia plans to use the BannerMoments concept to generate patient-driven discussion in other disease categories.

"We are in talks with a number of pharmaceutical companies that see this as an opportunity to help give patients a voice," says Gratton. "There has been a lot of discussion around social networks and how companies can participate in the dialogue. BannerMoments provides a vehicle for doing just that, without promoting product-specific information or trying to influence the conversation."

About Incendia Health Studios

Incendia Health Studios, which was founded by healthcare advertising agency Ignite Health, is the first and only 'purpose-driven' media company in the field of chronic disease education. The company develops and distributes unbranded disease-education content targeting the millions of people who use the Internet and other digital technologies to seek and share information on chronic diseases. Focusing on diseases that include HIV, cancer, hepatitis B and diabetes, Incendia projects are funded by advertising, sponsorships and grants, but do not promote specific products or services.

For details on becoming a sponsor of http://www.BannerMoments.com, call (949) 861-3202. For additional information about Incendia Health Studios, visit http://www.IncendiaHealth.com.

Online Ad Spend Achieves Double-Digit Share in Two Markets, Surpasses Outdoor Globally

Online Ad Spend Achieves Double-Digit Share in Two Markets, Surpasses Outdoor Globally

The internet is about to overtake outdoor as the fifth-largest global ad medium this year, is closing in on fourth-place radio, and has achieved a first in two countries, according to the quarterly revision of ZenithOptimedia's global ad tracking study.

Internet ad spend is forecast by Publicis Groupe's ZenithOptimedia to achieve - for the first time in any major market - double-digit market share this year in two countries, the U.K. (12.9 percent) and Sweden (10.5 percent), writes MediaPost. Moreover, the agency now forecasts an 84 percent increase in internet ad spend from 2005 to 2008 - an upward revision from last quarter's 76 percent estimate.

Despite such growth, only in 2011 is internet ad spend forecast to achieve double-digit share globally. Online ad spend share worldwide is anticipated to reach 5.7 percent in 2006 and 7.3 percent in 2008, when in several other countries online ad spend market share is expected to reach double-digits, including Australia, Israel, Japan, Norway, South Korea and Taiwan.

Overall, ZenithOptimedia expects global ad spend to grow 6.0 percent this year (5.2 percent in the U.S.), 5.4 percent in 2007 (U.S., 4.2 percent) and 5.9 percent in 2008 (U.S., 4.3 percent).

Online disease ed programs offer pharma sponsorship opps

Online disease ed programs offer pharma sponsorship opps

Pharmas can target consumers online with Incendia Health Studios, a new media company that develops and distributes unbranded disease education programs via the Web and other digital technologies. Several companies are already working on programs about HIV, diabetes, hepatitis B, and cancer, Fabio Gratton, president of Incendia Health Studios, tells ePharm5. According to Gratton, there are several ways in which pharma can play a role in the programs. For example, Incendia can develop original programs based on a company's specific educational objectives, or pharmas can provide educational grants or ad placements. Gratton says the content will be distributed in a variety of channels, including destination Web sites, paid search, banners, e-mail, iTunes, YouTube, and other content aggregators. The Incendia Health Studios is part of Incendia Health, a healthcare ad agency whose clients include Eli Lilly and Gilead Sciences.

Discovery Health Empowers Consumers to Take Control of Their Health and Wellness With New Online Resources at Discoveryhealth.com

Discovery Health Empowers Consumers to Take Control of Their Health and Wellness With New Online Resources at Discoveryhealth.com

PR Newswire via NewsEdge Corporation :

SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Health Media Enterprises unveiled an expanded offering of online consumer resources today with an exciting slate of new features for its popular online site, http://www.discoveryhealth.com. The website features more than 35 health centers, including a new "Healthy Living" section, as well as enhanced search functions for health and wellness information on the Web. Discoveryhealth.com also introduces a new 24-hour broadband channel, Discovery Health Beyond. Launching with more than 500 short-form video clips, Discovery Health Beyond showcases everything from expert advice, tips and chats to exclusive content highlighting news and trends in health care today.

"Today's consumers are more proactive about their health care needs, and technology is there to better serve them," said Len Tacconi, president, Discovery Health Media. "When searching for information on health and wellness, consumers look for sources they trust, presented with the features only the Web can provide -- quality content, streaming video and podcasts, expert advice and a virtual community. Discoveryhealth.com delivers these benefits by dispensing independent health and wellness information that is real and relevant to the needs of people today."

Discoveryhealth.com's 35 health centers are dedicated to specific diseases and conditions, as well as health topics such as wellness, fitness and nutrition, pregnancy and parenting and sex and relationships. The health centers feature in-depth editorial and high-quality video and audio segments that equip consumers with the information they need to feel mentally prepared, emotionally supported and physically able to tackle the joys and challenges of life.

Discoveryhealth.com expands its current offering beyond the state of medicine and condition centers with the "Healthy Living" section, which focuses on wellness and the creation of a healthy balance of mind, body and spirit. "Healthy Living" features new information from some familiar faces at Discovery Health, including senior medical correspondent Dr. Mehmet Oz and chief medical correspondent for nutrition and fitness Dr. Pamela Peeke. The center also introduces two new wellness correspondents, natural living expert Sara Snow and lifestyle guru Dan Ho. Their two new primetime series launching in January are GET FRESH WITH SARA SNOW and THE DAN HO SHOW.

In GET FRESH (Premieres Thursday, January 4, at 8 PM ET/PT), Sara shows accessible ways to make natural living everyday living through the food you buy, the clothes you wear and the products you use. Sara's philosophy focuses on the small things you can do to create a healthier life.

A fun and refreshing new primetime series that demonstrates how simplification can lead to a healthy body and soul, THE DAN HO SHOW (Premieres Thursday, January 4, at 9 PM ET/PT) illustrates that success in the home, health and happiness stem from your spirit. Applying his unique, offbeat personality, Dan shows viewers how to create style from their inner spirit through segments on cooking, health and decorating.

The newest of Discovery Communications' broadband channels, Discovery Health Beyond, accessible from the Discoveryhealth.com home page, goes beyond fan sites to serve consumers who are looking to better manage their health and wellness with extensive, thought-provoking content and interactive community features. Upcoming highlights include Discovery Health Beyond's original short programming featuring His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, with advice on longevity and optimal health. The Dalai Lama shares his views on the new revolution in Western science that integrates Eastern and Western perspectives as they pertain to longevity, regeneration and health.

As part of the site enhancement, Discoveryhealth.com has entered into a partnership with Kosmix, a leading search engine company. Kosmix is unique in that it allows consumers to refine their health-related search in a well- organized, targeted way. Discoveryhealth.com will incorporate Kosmix Health search results into the website.

In addition to the Kosmix partnership, Discoveryhealth.com continues to provide exclusive content through Discovery Health's established relationships with the most credible organizations in the health and medical community, including the American Heart Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes and the American Diabetes Association.

ABOUT DISCOVERY HEALTH MEDIA ENTERPRISES

Built upon a highly trusted brand, Discovery Health Media provides access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for research tools, expert advice and customized products and services to give consumers the most relevant and credible health and medical information. Discovery Health Media is comprised of the Discovery Health Channel and FitTV television networks and online assets including http://www.discoveryhealth.com, as well as its Continuing Medical Education (CME) business. This October, the new unit will launch Discovery's first stand-alone VOD service, Discovery Health On-Call, as an additional media platform.

ABOUT DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Discovery Communications, Inc. is the leading global real-world media company with operations in 170 countries and territories reaching 1.4 billion cumulative subscribers. DCI's over 100 networks of distinctive programming represent 28 trusted brands including Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery Education and COSMEO, a revolutionary online homework help service, as well as Discovery Commerce, which operates more than 100 Discovery Channel Stores in the U.S. Discovery brings the real world to the whole world through its global multiplatform initiatives including Discovery Travel Media, Discovery Mobile and multiple broadband services. DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders: Discovery Holding Company (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB), Cox Communications, Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder and Chairman. More information about Discovery and its businesses can be found at http://www.discovery.com.