Twitter is receiving almost as much attention as Google receives at industry events. In this interview from SES New York, Jeff Ferguson of Napster talks about TwitterHawk and the marketing power of it.

TwitterHawk is a new tool for Twitter that is still in the developing stages. It is keyword-based and allows users to create a variety of reply phrases to respond to people with. TwitterHawk usage costs 5 cents per tweet (reply) but can be purchased in advance through a variety of packages.

In an effort to build up a client’s Twitter base, Jeff decided to use the tool for a DJ for iGlobal Radio. He used keywords such as Radiohead, alternative music, Indie-Music, etc. When someone tweeted one of those keywords, they were sent an automated response that said something similar to “If you like Radiohead, you’ll love iGlobal Radio…”

As a result, TwitterHawk helped Jeff’s client to receive many more Twitter followers and created more interactivity with his followers. On the negative side, there were a couple of people that accused Jeff’s client of spam. Jeff responded to one user and found that he didn’t like that fact that a robot was responding to him and that it was a paid service.

Jeff countered the argument by explaining that his client wrote his own copy for his responses. Also, his client’s actions were completely human but simply carried out in an automated fashion.

If users only use TwitterHawk and are not personally active on the service, then Jeff says those users could be classified as spammers. His client however, is active on Twitter and used TwitterHawk to better target his market.

What are your thoughts on TwitterHawk? Do you think it is pure marketing or does it cross the line and create a spam issue?

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The Canadian Press – MONTREAL – Bell Canada is being conservative in rewarding shareholders because of uncertainty in financial markets as it works to improve its wireless broadband services and accelerate its fibre optic investments, BCE (TSX:BCE) chief executive said Friday.

Canada’s largest telecom company will focus more on paying dividends than repaying debt now that its blockbuster takeover has died, but Cope said BCE will also spend millions on the new ventures and to upgrade its service.

“Seventy to 80 per cent of all of our capital is going to those broadband initiatives and initiatives that improve service and very little is going to some of our legacy investments,” Cope said in an interview.

While he said Bell has already spent $2.5 billion on capital, Cope declined to specify how much more can be expected next year.

Rolling out an expanded fibre network would extend its leadership in high definition TV and could eventually pave the way for introduction of Internet television, he added.

Cope said Bell’s overarching strategy is to lead the market in customer service, which will translate into generating sales that will consistently grow cash flow and increased dividends.

“We’re being prudent in terms of making sure we have a balance sheet that is prepared for whatever the capital markets may bring us over the next 12 to 18 months, which everyone would acknowledge is a little uncertain,” Cope said from Toronto.

Bell has $1.5 billion in bonds maturing in 2009 and more in 2010.

Cope acknowledged that reinstating its quarterly dividend of 36.5 cents and repurchasing just five per cent of its stock, or about 40 million shares, was less than some had anticipated.

“We think it’s the prudent one given the market environment,” he said.

The dividend was cut earlier this year, saving hundreds of millions of dollars, as the company tried to shore up its finances and pay down debt ahead of the takeover.

The reinstated dividend yields 6.88 per cent at Friday’s closing share price of $21.23, down 80 cents or 3.63 per cent on the TSX session.

Payment of the first dividend since the collapse of takeover deal by an investor group led by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan will take place Jan. 15 to shareholders of record on Dec. 23.

BCE also scheduled what is likely to be a much-watched 2007 annual meeting of shareholders on Feb. 17 in Montreal. A second meeting for the 2008 year is expected later in the spring.

Although largely anticipated, the announcements disappointed analysts who had expected a larger dividend and a more aggressive stock repurchase.

Troy Crandall of MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier had conservatively estimated 65 million shares would be repurchased. Others had foreseen 100 million

“I’m somewhat disappointed on the share buy back,” he said in an interview. “That does put a drag on EPS growth in 2009.”

A bigger concern, however, is the company’s delays in unveiling its overall strategy to grow Bell as a public company.

Greg MacDonald of National Bank Financial said the company needs to spend more time and resources on its wireline business to better compete with cable.

“Telephone companies are slipping further behind. You need to have a firm plan and you need to commit capital dollars,” he said in an interview.

Little additional spending is expected in wireless. Bell has already committed to upgrade its network in co-operation with Telus (TSX:T). Telus has indicated its share of the costs are $750 million next year.

MacDonald said he doesn’t foresee Bell immediately selling sizable assets, such as Bell Aliant (TSX:BA.UN), although CTVglobemedia could be sold.

While the takeover was scuttled by KPMG’s insolvency opinion, Cope denied that Bell made mistakes such as challenging the contesting bondholders all the way to the Supreme Court.

“I don’t think we wasted time anywhere. We really believed the transaction was going to close,” he said, adding he’s not aware of any time that the banks funding the transaction wavered from their commitments.

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