NewMarketingEconomy.com

Online Marketing becoming a political football

2008-07-29T23:28:26Z

To date, regulation and online marketing have rarely been dance partners. Aside from the Can Spam Act, no major legislation specific to the online channel has been enacted. For the most part, marketers have simply needed to rely on traditional marketing guidelines and apply them to the internet space.

But regulatory and best practice expertise from your online marketing partner is going to be even more critical in the near future. The United States is in the midst of one of the biggest political years in decades, and it is not just following the presidential race that has online marketers paying attention to Washington D.C.

]]> With political pressures in full force and the power of votes at their peak, recent congressional hearings directly impacting the online world come are more influential than ever before. Real change is facing all facets of the online portfolio, from online advertising to the home page of a corporate web site. Top integrated agencies are already taking steps to address many of these issues, but continual monitoring is becoming a fact of life at these organizations.

It is not the fear of a MicroGoogahoo taking over the world's search and banner ad inventory, but a seemingly quixotic backroom court and its paperwork procedures. Liberal and libertarian forces have been railing against the Bush administration over the FISA court, an outlet helping counterterrorism investigators to conduct easier wiretapping and other surveillance of U.S. citizens with the assistance of major telecom companies. Its techniques have been sending privacy advocates into an uproar.

So why is this not just another wonk issue for Rush Limbaugh and the Daily Kos to battle out through their respective channels? The presidential race has only inflamed privacy rights as an issue due to its partisan origin and is generating legislation both nationally and locally. With the FISA court issue far too controversial to result in any meaningful change, many legislators are finding online tracking as safe, low hanging fruit to shore up civil liberties credentials without having to face a national security guillotine.

Three areas this directly impacts are corporate web sites, existing online ad targeting, and future innovation in behavioral targeting techniques.

Corporate web sites must now ensure that they properly place a privacy policy link on their home page. Even Google lost this battle, fighting to preserve its preciously quiet home page only to acquiesce as the result of the California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003.

Several policy groups, such as The Electronic Privacy Information Center, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse and the World Privacy Forum, have grown out of the growing concern over online privacy and figure to become powerful voices. This means that companies will have to buffer themselves against future changes by taking aggressive steps to appear transparent. Current best practices regarding landing page privacy language may expand to other areas as web interactivity grows.

It is not just that a person is served an ad that has become controversial but how. With ISPs now trying to get into the behavioral targeting space, alarms are ringing because of the logistical nature of the users' inability to easily turn the tracking switch on and off. The more innovative tracking techniques become, concerns grow over a private company potentially becoming the new Big Brother. Civil Liberties groups are backed by those with legitimate concerns as well as those who lack the understanding, and interest in learning about, our industry. So these operations quickly turn to the field they know best -- the halls of congress.

Keeping a keener eye on the Federal Trade Commission will be necessary for online marketers in the future as the organization figures to play a larger role in online advertising moving forward. Last year the U.S. Senate
proposed five guidelines for self-regulation in the behavioral advertising industry.

Full regulation is not imminent as the U.S. House recently chose not to play an active role just yet. But now that the issue has been raised, it is sure to be brought up again, especially if individual states follow California's lead and begin enacting their own regulation.

Going Ape Over Viral Vids

2008-06-25T18:34:17Z

A while back a posted a blog called “How to Make Your Viral Videos Contagious”. Almost a year later, I find myself compelled to blog again about this topic. The reason for this is because of an 800 pound gorilla. No. I don’t mean Google. I’m referring to the chap that plays drums. You know the British sensation that has been sweeping the nation’s top internet video sites for the past year? It’s the advertisement that just picked up a Grand Prix award at The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. If you missed this ad, it’s because the campaign was released in the U.K. by Cadbury Schweppes. But you can see it here.

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Gorilla is the first campaign produced by Cadbury Schweppes' in-house production studio, A Glass and a Half Full Productions. The 90-second ad promotes the Cadbury Dairy Milk-brand chocolate. It first appeared in August 2007, and was praised by the British public. A version uploaded to YouTube received 500,000 page views in the first week after the launch. It has since received 2.4 million views. Public perception of the brand was reported to have been noticeably improved in the period following the launch, which reversed the decline prior.

This is such a great example of creative obscurity. Take milk, chocolate, a drum set, a man in a gorilla costume playing Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” and you have a viral video sensation. To take a line from an SNL sketch with Adam Sandler, “Who are the ad wizards who thought of that one!” The truth is, they are ad wizards. It’s hard to find a direct correlation with the gorilla and Cadbury, but who cares. It’s fun to watch.

So what’s the lessoned learned? Viral videos don’t have to align to your brand position. I’m sure somewhere in a creative brief the concept of this ad has been justified, but the truth is that it doesn’t have to. The strategy behind Gorilla was to create "entertainment pieces" that would appeal to a broader range of consumers and spread virally.

I think this just shows that with the saturation of media today, you need to open up other avenues to change brand perception and gain awareness. In this case, you take away that Cadbury is cool, which I’m sure they perceives as a bonus to the 2.4 million views the ad received.

Coffee’s Long-Haired Goddess Shows Her Social Ineptitude

2008-04-28T18:03:54Z

The lesson you are about to learn suggests that not only is it important to proactively understand and integrate social marketing into your traditional media strategies, but you’d better be sure that it actually serves towards the social good of your brand.

It’s no news that there is a growing anti-Starbucks constituency who feel as though the company may have made a few wrong turns along the way to Mega Brand Stardom. In 2007, the company’s stock dropped 42.8%, and is already down another 14.7% since the beginning of this year. Contributing factors? Independent music supporter turned corporate label sellout? Maybe a little… A decline in customer service and quality products? Probably a little more… Packing in stores across the street from one another? Maybe even more… Perhaps the strategy behind that idea was to have a convenient place to go for coffee – while you’re waiting in line for your coffee. One of the most astounding disenchantments is that in addition to paying close to $10 for a cup of coffee and a little breakfast nosh, if you’d like to stay and relax for a bit, you can plan to pay even more for the luxury of WiFi access.

The return of CEO Howard Schultz has brought blissful hope of a return to the “good ‘ol days” when, sure, coffee was still $4 a cup, but at least it had some character. The CEO himself was quoted recently as suggesting, “You have to balance creativity and entrepreneurship with process and strategy”.

Perhaps harkening back to its whimsical beginnings will somewhat ease the media beating the brand has already endured this year, but alas, there is more. Starbucks is the industry’s whipping boy once again with their latest online marketing effort, MyStarbucksIdea.com. In the company’s own press release, it touts the site as “Starbucks first online community that takes the Starbucks Experience outside the store and enables customers to play a role in shaping the company's future.” It sounds social enough. The only problem? That exact site already exists. It’s called StarbucksGossip.com. Only it’s not a Starbucks-owned domain.

Of course, StarbucksGossip.com, the legitimate social community, was quick to give MyStarbucksIdea.com a very enthusiastic thumbs down. Sparky, a blog contributor and savvy consumer, even went as far as to make the observation, “It's a dud -- a suggestion box with voting. True social networking would have connected customers with EACH OTHER on many topics -- including those that are not coffee related. Instead, we get separate partner and customer sites. And the customer site is led by partners!”

StarbucksGossip.com, which has actually been around since 2004, gained substantial media attention and a huge spike in traffic towards the end of last year. A Starbucks corporate memo was leaked and posted on the site, written by recently reinstated CEO Howard Schultz, and addressing top executives regarding his fears about the company losing its soul. The site’s owner, journalist Jim Romenesko, holds a full-time job with the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit media-training center in Florida. When The Seattle Times interviewed Romenesko about his opinion of Schultz’s statement, he agreed. “Yes,” says Romenesko. “[I think he got it right.] Particularly this line: ‘One of the results has been stores that no longer have the soul of the past and reflect a chain of stores vs. the warm feeling of a neighborhood store.’ I laugh because Starbucks doesn't let employees use perfume or cologne while on duty because it will get in the way of the smell of coffee in the stores. That's laughable, because when I walk into a Starbucks now, I smell egg and bacon from the breakfast sandwiches and think for a second that I'm in a McDonald's.”

To lock in the brand’s new designation as a social marketing outcast, the same day the Starbuck’s press release around MyStarbucksIdea.com was publicized, New York Magazine smugly countered the announcement with this comment, “What’s truly astounding is that many of the ‘suggestions’ posted there yesterday were announced as new initiatives by the company today. Talk about being heard!” This was an obvious jab to the staged nature of the site and the impossibility that consumers were really playing an integral role.

Now may be the appropriate time for an interlude around the vast benefits of creating a thriving social community around your brand – as well as a few positive examples. Social marketing can be a significant contributor to positive recall and increased conversions, when properly integrated.

In a recent study on consumers’ use of Social Media from the Society for New Communication Research, Dell and Amazon were the two brands cited most often when asked which companies have done the best job in using social media to respond to customer care issues. Dell also utilizes Dell IdeaStorm.com, which allows consumers to make suggestions for products. The site keeps a running tally of the number of ideas contributed. It gives consumers a voice, while also providing an inside perspective of what other ideas may already be in development by the company itself.

MySpace announced recently the launch of MySpace Music, expected to roll out over the next several months. The music industry’s woes around a failing revenue model could receive some relief with the help of this social marketing behemoth. According to Nielson SoundScan data for 2007, all album sales, including digital, dropped 9.5% last year – while still taking into consideration the 45% increase from digital sales. What MySpace Music proposes is the idea that not only can you listen to and purchase music online, but share opinions, read reviews, download the ringtones, and more. The possibility to increase revenue is substantial when you consider that these items can span the artists’ pages, fan pages, as well as the music site itself. On the other end of the spectrum, since its inception in 2003, iTunes has done little to build a community around the music.

And now, for my final, and current social marketing favorite – the Honda Element. In December of last year, DogCars.com, a dog lover’s online community, named the Honda Element “DogCar of the Year.” Honda’s agency, RPA, took that idea and turned it into their latest television ad, “Pointer,” which relays the features of the car through a dog’s perspective. The creative was also carried over into banner ads and online videos.

68% of online marketers surveyed by iMedia Connection in February of this year believe that traditional media will lose dollars to user-generated content. Brands that successfully partner with their consumers online will experience collaboration throughout all of the stages of the marketing process, from inception, to creation, to sales and post sale support. By targeting influentials online, brands can effectively connect with their target audience in a positive way, as well as monitor potential problems much more efficiently, before significant damage can be done.

Email is one medium that deserves the maximum

2008-04-07T21:43:18Z

It’s no secret that email is an invaluable tool for branding and promotion. For our normal, daily usage, emailing usually involves two steps – write and send. On the personal level, that works well enough. But a powerful brand requires more from this powerful medium. Brand-driven emails aren’t just digital notes from your favorite shop. They have much more room for purpose, and much less room for whim.

]]> For starters, emails should promote a thorough brand experience. Though this is the low-hanging fruit of email production, it’s often overlooked. Gene Liebel, of iMedia Connection, quotes, “Each time you send someone an email, you create a little user experience for them. Yet most companies don't involve their user experience teams in the creation of email marketing campaigns… What's happening here?” Receiving an email not optimized for experience is like eating at a restaurant with no decoration – it’s bland and not very appetizing. While brand-driven communication can cover any different function, it should at least cover the basics.

Moving along, a proper email often involves some degree of segmentation. Technology has given us the power to customize messages to different sets of people, and it’s quite wise to advance on this ability. Different audience segments have different demographics, priorities, and are in different stages of the buying process. For this reason, singular messages don’t usually appeal to mass populations. Silverop CEO, Bill Nussey, quotes, “How you segment your lists is as important -- or more so -- than the creative you send and the offer you deliver. Dividing your email list into smaller groups of like-minded individuals can dramatically improve the relevance of your campaigns.” Constantly emailing the exact same message is like eating at a restaurant with one item on the menu. Even if it’s good, it doesn’t quite have the range. Fortunately, in marketing, fragmented audiences no longer means fragmented results.

Creating an experience and segmenting audiences enhances potential – but how can you know the best way to optimize them? A smart mind and professional title aren’t enough. You need a legitimate strategy. In other words, test. Test your materials, test your approach, try them out, and test them again. If you always have your finger on the conversion pulse, you’ll better understand your audience and why they’re bothering to open your email. Jeanne Jennings, from ClickZ, quotes, “A 7 percent increase in opens [was achieved] by mailing a few hours earlier… A 50 percent increase in clicks [was achieved] by adding a single paragraph… A 75 percent increase in sales [was achieved] by moving the offer copy.” Emailing without testing is like cooking without tasting. The only way to know what you’re serving is to investigate beyond an attractive outer layer.

And finally (for now), emailing is greatly enhanced when it’s part of a rich, integrated campaign. As a standalone piece, it’s only telling one part of the story. Influential brands should be employing such diverse elements as microsites, mobile campaigns, and widgets, in addition to traditional media (the oldies, but still goodies). These channels, working together, create a synergy unmatched by any single medium. Erik Sass, from Online Media Daily, quotes, “Email is a powerful tool for reaching consumers, and it works even better in conjunction with other disciplines, both online and offline. But marketers are still running up against obstacles… First of all, email doesn't get the credit it deserves because it's sometimes distant from the purchase, even if it influenced the decision.” Sending emails without a network of media is like eating fine food without a glass of wine. Each, alone, is nice. But together, they’re exceptional. Fortunately, there are qualified agencies that know how to tell the whole brand story.

The bottom line is that email has incredible abilities, but those abilities have to be actualized through best practices. Considering the potential, it’s worth taking every measure. How else could you better do this?

The New Marketing Economy is brought to you by Annodyne, Inc., a full-service provider of integrated marketing solutions. Annodyne is an enlightened breed of agency, bridging the gap between traditional and digital media – to modernize business and brand.

Consumer economics are ripe for mobile

2008-03-18T22:25:37Z

Given the explosion of mobile's fanfare, a legitimate concern by many key decision makers is whether the economics match the hype. Just how large is the profit pool and what is the competitive landscape facing both firms and agencies entering these new waters?

Critical to the decision process is the economic conditions of mobile from the consumer side. In the end, it doesn't matter how beefed up the mobile agency is or how glitzy the product if there is not a current -- and expanding -- marketplace to exploit.

]]> Fortunately, the ideal combination of technological expansion and a market share battle among carriers is positioning the consumer to reap major rewards in the immediate future. Not only are more options being made available to mobile consumers at an increasingly discounted rate, but there is clear evidence that consumers themselves are warming up to the new touch points being created as a result of the mobile evolution.

First and foremost is the ongoing price war among carriers in their continual quest to grab and maintain market share. In an industry where a high churn rate of customers has been a consistent reality, premium positioning is being thrown out the window as both governmental and competitive forces squeeze down on carriers.

The U.S. House of Representatives has been looking at a bill eliminating the long-term contract requirements that many carriers require during initial sign-up. Removal of this tie-in would shift significant power from the firm to the consumer.

Meanwhile, competitive forces are providing a major boost to mobile users. A quick Google search for the term "cell phone unlimited calling plan" generates a fascinating view of the mobile telecom landscape, with paid ads from Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile all offering unlimited plans. Ad copy screams "Introducing Simply Everything. Sprint's Unlimited Calling Plan!" and "Get Unltd Nationwide Minutes & Messaging For Only $99.99/Mo."

To be realistic, offering unlimited minutes is not the largest giveaway in the history of capitalism. With free nights and weekends already standard, few consumers actually use up all of their minutes. But the true potential for mobile marketing is in the trend towards increased access to features such as mobile web and messaging. Now that text messaging is being thrown in with minutes, mobile web is the next frontier in the price war.

Why? Consumers are demanding it. According to a recent survey by comScore, the number of units accessing the mobile web increased by 157% in 2007. Looking deeper into the numbers provides a fascinating peek into the future. Currently, 59% of usage is work related leading comScore to conclude that usage is more of a "need than want." Of those who use mobile web, 79.2% have household incomes of $50,000 or more. Essentially, those who have access to mobile web are not using it as a toy, but are quickly finding themselves in a position where access is a necessity. This has opened up a new touch point to a very profitable consumer base that will only expand as access to the web anywhere grows and users find themselves in the same position as the early adopters.

Finally, in another piece of good news for mobile marketers, 28 million users responded to mobile ads in 2007 with a survey stating that consumers "would be receptive to mobile advertising to lower their bill." The study looked at all ad formats - from SMS to click-to-call to mobile video.

Those who have not set sewed their seeds in mobile marketing need to do so now if they are to be properly positioned to reach consumers during and after the upcoming explosion. A critical advantage that the North American marketplace has is the second adopter position mobile marketing is currently in. Unlike the internet bubble of the late 1990's, where radical ideas were being tested and fabulous flops littered the landscape, the high adaptation of mobile in Europe and Asia has provided a fertile template without the high risk. This provides the best of both worlds, where the mobile ROI remains high but the tactics are established. Those firms who take advantage of this opportunity early will have a key strategic competitive advantage over their competitors.

Software leader confirms the rise of mobile marketing

2008-03-16T17:25:46Z

Mobile marketing has recently gained a lot of steam, but it still hasn’t been embraced by most brands. Only the most progressive minds have spotted the potential energy… and only the most progressive agencies have integrated it into cross-channel campaigns. But who, on the list of early pioneers, is worthy of a special mention? Your friend and mine, Adobe.

]]> Adobe’s newest suite of deluxe design software, Creative Suite 3, actually has exclusive features built in, for crafting dynamic mobile websites. That’s right, it has a dedicated section, with dedicated tools, for creating the future of interactive content. But, you may say, mobile marketing is still relatively new. Did Adobe jump the gun with this new direction? Nope.

Surely, they did their research first:

- 89% of major brands plan to market via mobile phones by 2008. Over half of these brands plan to dedicate up to 25% of their marketing budgets to mobile. (Mobile Marketing Association, 2007)

- Total spend on mobile messaging, display ads, and search will grow from $708 million in 2007 to $2.2 billion in 2012. (Jupiter Research, 2008)

- 254+ million wireless subscribers live in the US alone. (CTIA Wireless Association, 2007)

- 25% of cell phone owners in the US browse the Internet from their cell phones. 16% do so frequently. (Jupiter Research, 2008)

The fact is, mobile marketing is a highly compelling upgrade to the world of promotion. It gives a top-level boost to branding, information access, customer communication, and campaign influence – by picking up exactly where email, websites, and search leave off. Mobile marketing advances these other channels, in one particular manner, by allowing brands and consumers to connect more closely. Simply enough, it uses a gadget that is available more than any other. Unlike established media – digital or physical – mobile devices are almost always within arm’s reach. They close the distance between users, and open the means of fluid communication. This concrete advantage is earning mobile marketing a distinct status, and pumping up brands with vision.

Industry leaders, like Adobe, are doing their part to proclaim the strength of mobile marketing. Adobe’s newest chunk of design software is rolling out the red carpet, and endorsing bolder lines of strategic thought. And when incorporated properly, it’s able to set campaigns in a whole new motion. Are you ready to blast into mobile?

Branding has entered the airwaves

2008-03-12T17:06:53Z

It’s hard to remember the days before the internet… back before life was www.life.com. Our information superhighway was more of an information pony express… I think it was called a library. And the only brand experiences were walking into a retail store or sponsored event. Access was minimal, brand interaction was primitive, and information was often beyond reach. We were content, but soon ready to evolve.

]]> And then came the counterpart to our world – the virtual world. Our Internet was liberating. Within years, we could retrieve wisdom online and fully connect with brands. An entire existence lived within our computers, raising the bar for businesses to connect with their audiences. Websites became essential brand experiences, and the word “browsing” took on a whole new life. The internet was a renaissance for information access, and the world was in everyone’s hands. We were content, but soon ready to evolve.

But where could we possibly go from there? What innovation could bring us even closer to the source? The answer has been growing beside us for years. It rests in our pockets and handbags. It has successfully brought us closer to each other – and can finally bring us closer to everything. It’s our handy little mobile devices, which are now ready to flourish.

Imagine the world of information at our fingertips. We’ve heard those words before, but they’ve never fully been just. The majority of information rather lived at our desktops, or within our laptops. But, just like any other source, our computers were often out of reach. Any time we were more than an arm’s length from a heavy metal operating system, information was still a world away.

Our desire to connect and discover has spawned a new access – mobile access. Our mobile devices are now equipped to deliver the facts and weave brands into our very lives. Brand-driven text messages offer breaking news, reminders, and essential updates. They even allow users to register, vote, receive coupons, and participate in brand activities. Mobile websites offer fully-realized brand experiences, letting users interact with information and access data on demand. The world has once again changed shape.

Mobile marketing empowers brands to connect with their audiences at any place, at any waking moment. The source of information is becoming completely portable – and savvy brands are already catching on. In fact, 89% of major brands plan to market via mobile phones by 2008, and over half of these brands plan to dedicate up to 25% of their marketing budgets to mobile. Information is shifting closer to our own selves, as progressive minds are blazing the trail.

A new movement has begun, which has centered around the world of marketing. Branding has leapt from physical form, to virtual form, then into the airwaves to our mobile devices. We’ve gained unprecedented access, as the newest medium is confirmed. Mobile marketing is rocketing cross-channel campaigns, for those brands that recognize the possibilities. It’s revolutionizing our communications, and setting a new stage for the future of promotion.

In Obama we trust, online

2008-03-10T19:03:00Z

With more than 70% of Americans, ages 15 to 34, actively using social networking, and 90% of marketers saying online customer engagement is essential – shouldn’t our president be doing the same? We’ll, he’s not quite our president, but he’s certainly leading the competition in new media campaigning. Barack Obama has created a full-blown social community, and he’s certainly earning the popular click. Whether or not you agree with his policies, he sure knows how to connect with people in 2008.

]]> Obama’s non-traditional marketing has broken through the campaign clutter. Through his website, supporters can create their own pages – to network with fellow advocates, host events, host a blog, help raise funds, and plenty more. This gives his fan base greater unity, momentum, and influence. By the nature of social networking, ordinary individuals gain the power to become genuine community leaders.

Beyond his site, Obama has social networks on 16 outside sites, including MySpace, Facebook, and others based on ethnicity or religion. He empowers the people to take ownership of his campaign and feel a sense of belonging.

But the true value of Obama’s social networking campaign is bringing his online community into the real world. His site and social pages make it simple to find local events. They offer easy and accessible ways to get involved and make a personal difference. Supporters are given easy access to find local fundraisers, make promotional phone calls, and drive registration. His email updates, mobile text alerts, and web ads further promote this. As a result, people have rallied through real world action, and achieved results that are simply staggering.

One of the keys to a powerful campaign is adherence to a central concept. At the crest of Obama’s homepage, there lives his slogan, “I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington… I’m asking you to believe in yours.” What could have been an empty notion has taken on a life of purpose. It’s the foundation for his community outreach, and his entire movement. Obama positions himself as a man of the people, and has truly leveled with the American public. Whether or not we choose to elect Barack Obama, he can certainly teach brands the value of non-traditional campaigns.

So, are you convinced that new marketing methods can take brands to another level, or do you need more proof?

TV ads are not getting the reception they used to…

2008-02-27T15:35:00Z

As someone who works in creative advertising, I love looking at ads. They entertain me, and inspire me to think in new directions. Even the bad ones have value – they demonstrate what NOT to do. But after a hard day’s work, I finally sit down on the couch for some diversion… and my DVR hands over a new option. Watch commercials, or fast forward through them? Ouch. Sometimes it’s a tough call, but when it all comes down to it, I’d rather keep the real entertainment rolling. I’ll take my nights in slow motion, and my breaks in fast forward.

]]> The truth is, TV ads just aren’t getting the reception they used to. Maybe it’s because interactive media have presented us with a choice – look at ads, or play with them. We humans are a fun-loving sort… we play with our food, play with our hair, and now we play with our brands. Interactive advertising is not only proving to be more enjoyable, but also provides a richer learning and brand-driven experience.

Jonathan Lemonnier cites in his article:

While interactivity overwhelmingly scored above regular spots across the board, of more interest is the quality of that interactivity, the agency [2CV] said. "Interactivity magnifies the communication's effect, but that goes both ways," said Weapon 7 Managing Partner Steven Hess. Mr. Hess likened interactive advertising to a "social contract," where consumers accept to enter the brand's world -- a difference from past advertising efforts that interrupted the consumer's life. Continue reading article (login required).

This newer form of advertising engages us with a virtual brand encounter. It can offer a richer experience, even with simple messages or concepts. Because it achieves this feat better than any other medium, it has appropriately been deemed as “rich media.” But like all channels of communication, there are pitfalls along the way.

Just because an ad can pop and twist, it doesn’t become great. New innovations have to be used with sensitivity and tact. It is not uncommon for trigger-happy marketers to abuse the technology and create a pile of glaring, irritating matter. There are many considerations to creating truly rich content. Fortunately, savvy marketers and experienced agencies can properly wield these resources. It takes the right approach to connect with your audience – and it takes even more to integrate rich media into a wholesome, cross-channel campaign. Besides, why would you settle for TV commercials when you could offer this?

New forms of media bridge the gap between influence and entertainment. However, observing best practices is the key to impact, control, and sweet user delight. I think it was Spiderman who said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Or was it this guy?

Don't Get Blown Away by Media Fragmentation

2008-02-21T16:07:21Z

You know the story by now. Media fragmentation is changing the way we market to consumers. Consumers have all the control (if you are unfamiliar with this theory, start at blog 1 of the new marketing economy [include link]). With the continuous advent of new technologies and online media publications, the options seem endless. This splinter effect has turned marketing upside down, and has left many feeling overwhelmed with questions. But, don't fret. You're not alone.

]]> Where do you place your buys, how much do spend, and at what frequency? The answers used to by very different. You had a dozen different options, years of experience and an instinct of what would work for your brand. Now the game has evolved. It's like comparing the Atari to the Xbox 360. You use to have one button and a joystick. These days you’re presented with a whole new way of gaming. You have multiple buttons, two different joysticks on one controller, and let’s not even go there with the Wii.

In the book Good to Great, by Jim Collins, he writes about a master’s forum for executives that he attended where the themes always seemed to focus on technology and change. He pondered as to why this was a reoccurring theme, and came to conclusion that people are afraid of change. They fear that some new technology will appear without their knowledge, leaving them behind. Everything has become extremely complex. You can advertise in countless magazines, websites, communities, locations, etc. The bright side is that you are not the only one experiencing this. Everyone is in the same situation…even your competition. The key to all of this is what you make of it. Those who saw the trends and got a head start may have a leg up, but things are changing every day. Therefore, it’s not too late to get up-to-speed.

Getting up-to-speed is easy. You have to start by realizing that you will never know everything. Then hire a smart agency. I don’t just mean go out and find an agency that’s current with technology, but go out and find a smart one. A smart agency understands the technology trends, but also more importantly understands your business and all aspects of marketing. If you hire a firm to keep you informed of change, then that’s all they will do. They will look for every opportunity that exists and make recommendations that may not coincide with your brand or business. You need a firm that can lead you through the tangled web of the internet without getting you caught up in it. You also need one that has the right approach.

The right approach simply comes down to tracking and measuring. This has been another overstated comment in recent years, but it’s the only future for marketers unless you have an infinite budget. By tracking each marketing channel, publication, size, etc. you are able to test the waters. The keyword here is test. You will have to test in a lot of places before you even get a clue as to what is working for you. [shameless plug alert] Luckily for you, we are launching a self-serve lead tracking system called Annotrak™ that can track the effectiveness of all marketing channels both online and offline.

As a fully integrated marketing agency that modernizes brands, we have become this new breed of agency that is piecing the fragments back together. The key to our success has been tracking, but more importantly, our knowledge of traditional and online marketing. By comprehending the brand strategy, we fully align brand goals with new technologies and media. We are on top of technology trends, like social and mobile marketing. We can find the right fit for your brand, but only after testing it of course.
So, it’s time to wake up to the New Marketing Econonmy, take a doctor-prescribed valium, and let a wise agency take your troubles away.

The Physical Boundaries of Physical Advertising

2008-02-20T14:38:41Z

When you put an ad on a billboard, many people see it. It’s enormous, it’s grand… but how far away can it be spotted? Its reach is measured in short distance.

When you put an ad in a magazine, more people see it. It’s vivid and directed… but it has a similar type of limitation.

Regardless of format, print ads can only cover so much space.

These ads serve a purpose within a certain scope… but they’re limited by access. Billboards can only be seen by people passing a precise location. Magazines can only be seen by people with subscriptions or single issues, often within a certain area. When it comes to physical media space, there are strict physical limitations.

]]> In contrast, virtual media space is virtually boundless. When you put an ad on a website, anyone in the whole wired world can see it. Regardless of whether sites are local, regional, national, or global, online advertising enjoys shared, wide open access. Scattering ads throughout the internet gives a possibility that cannot be matched in print.

Perhaps this is one major reason why traditional newspaper companies are forced to adapt. And surely it has something to do with the troubles of physical media. And they’re certainly not saying this about print ads…

The internet gives brands more reach than any other medium – and this is only the foundation of its advantage. Online ads can be more finely catered to specific audiences, their performance can be tracked, they can be rotated more frequently, they can move, interact, and have unrivaled direct response capabilities.

Online advertising coasts around the physical boundaries of the real world. After all, there aren’t too many places I’ve visited with numbers like these.

Looking for Your Next Consumer Touch Point? Text "Opportunity" to...

2008-01-22T21:13:21Z

We are a generation constantly on the go. And evolving technology continues to increase our speed and convenience in obtaining information. Smart advertisers are taking notice, and learning how to utilize these evolving trends to affect their bottom line. Mobile marketing is no longer a theoretical scenario. It can be a thriving piece of your marketing campaign, and an opportunity to connect with your consumers through a whole new touch point.

Step One: Know your technology.

The birth of Apple’s iPhone in June of last year sent the technology-savvy population spinning into a buying frenzy comparable to the Tickle Me Elmo shortage of 1996 (another technology-driven device, I might point out). In the last six months, Apple has sold more than four million units. Google disclosed to The New York Times this month that even though the iPhone currently constitutes only two percent of smart-phones worldwide, it received more mobile web traffic from iPhones this Christmas than from any other mobile device. Apple achieved this remarkable success with its iPhone, not through the device alone, but by offering an easy to use mobile web component with Wi-Fi for the convenience of its consumers.

Step Two: Determine your message.

Technology drives media. The challenge is to not get so caught up in the functionality as to let it outshine your messaging. A campaign is only as cool as its recall. Mobile marketing is focused around the consumer’s immediate satisfaction. Make it too complicated and you’ve lost a potential sale. Make it turnkey, and you can engage your audience, outrun your competition, and make yourself a brand champion.

When good ideas go bad…

Great ideas through traditional advertising venues can sometimes come up flat through a mobile initiative. Cross-platform campaigns are not out of the question when incorporating mobile marketing, but keep in mind the format of the technology. As Papa John’s learned below, not everyone has web connectivity via their cell phone. Be prepared to problem-solve, be creative, and remember your audience.

Step Three: Effectively incorporate mobile marketing into your brand efforts.

Many of the national pizza chains have adopted online & mobile web ordering in an attempt gain a larger piece of the pie. The measured success of these marketing efforts was quickly pinned against the hurdle of outdated cell phones lacking web browsers. Papa John’s was the first chain to try to minimize this fallout through the adoption of text message ordering for all of its 2,700 U.S. locations in November, 2007. The chain was also the first to offer online ordering in 2001, which now accounts for 20% of their overall sales. In the mobile marketing pizza world, Papa John’s is what I would call “The Big Cheese”.

And this past September, Orbitz launched the latest version of their Orbitz TLC service with “Traveler Update” via PDA or cell phone. This online resource allows a community of travelers to share up-to-the-minute insights on travel conditions. Fellow travelers can alert one another to long check-in lines at the airport, traffic delays, security wait time, etc. Orbitz combines this new service with the real-time information it already offers from the FAA and other respected sources, ensuring that each of their travelers has everything they need to help their travels go smoothly.

So let’s recap. Your consumer gains convenience and immediate satisfaction. You gain brand loyalty and an increased bottom line. If you’re ready to take the next step in securing the lion’s share of your target audience, I would suggest taking a serious look at how mobile marketing can help you towards your business goals. And remember, this is only the beginning…

Google has Gone Mobile

2007-11-28T16:41:05Z

Google has its sights set on the mobile industry, and perhaps it is the search engine giant that may finally bring order allowing mobile marketing to take off in the United States as it has in Asia and Europe.

Google, with potential eyes on launching the "GPhone", has been moving forward with the release of "Android", yet another mobile operating system to enter the mobile marketplace.

But Google might finally be able to clean up the clutter. To date, Symbian, Windows, Linux, Palm, and Nokia have all been actively used in the mobile arena as operating systems. Symbian, originally conceived as an alliance among cellphone makers to produce a standardized operating system, dominates the European marketplace but has failed to gain traction in the United States due mainly to the departure of key players in the alliance and strategic moves by other operating systems to carve out and defend market share.

]]> Mobile carriers desperately want standardized systems. The more operating systems at play, the higher the development costs for third-party developers creating new features that power mobile growth. For example, if AT&T has a new feature and wants to leverage within its network, it must develop the feature for at least the Windows platform (such Blackjack phones), the iPhone, and Palm's operating system. Factor in coding the same program three times and then add the time and effort trying to standardize all three as much as possible, and you can see how costs are not just multiplied but exponential.

Cellphone makers, on the other hand, want to be the ones powering new feature development instead of the networks. It is a classic case of who is in control of the innovation cockpit. The firm at the helm not only can power developments to its specific goals and manage these within their core competency, but the cell phone maker then has dominant control of the profit growth.

So why does Google have the capability of breaking this deadlock?

Part of the answer lies in Google's natural business model of sharing revenue. First, the Mountain View, Calif. firm not only has a model that allows all parties to benefit, but it also has proven its execution abilities. Any time a shared-revenue agreement is first established there is the natural concern of fairness. Google's legacy helps diffuse this concern and provides the platform for a potential three-way sharing agreement between the search engine giant, the hardware maker, and the service firm.

Second, Google also has a monstrous client base as leverage. Google can instantly integrate its existing options into mobile expansion both quickly and efficiently. This allows for mobile advertising to explode while significantly reducing the growing pains typically faced by ventures growing at the rate anticipated.

A single operating system could allow for an exponential growth in consumer features and marketing opportunities. But that is where the fight is being fought hardest.

The Symbian alliance failed mostly due to the natural strategic decision to protect differentiation. The more standardized the actual phones, the closer they come to becoming commodities. This concern will not go away regardless of how great Google has been. Whether Google can simply buy out this concern with its revenue stream, or break hardware's will due to size and strength, remains to be seen. Still, cell phone makers are not the only ones wondering which side of the field Google is playing.

Given Google's play into the wireless spectrum space, everyone in the mobile industry is on their toes. Perhaps it is this level of centralized power that may finally bring sanity to the mobile marketplace.

Make an Impression with Online Brand Value

2007-11-28T16:12:17Z

When it comes to brand awareness, online advertising is hardly valued. In terms of measurement, the success of online advertising is mostly based on conversions. The metrics that marketers focus on are total leads or sales, CPA, conversion rates, and ROI. However, what about the impression? What about the click? These are not valued the same way as traditional mediums. So how can we put a value to it? I have some answers.

]]> Print advertising is the golden child. Everybody loves it and doesn’t care if you can’t fully measure it. Its main purpose is to generate awareness of the brand. If it converts to a sale, then it is considered to be a bonus. When you do a direct comparison from online to offline, online ads allow you to know exactly how many people could have viewed the ad and how many actually clicked on it. While a print publication may have a circulation of say 1.3 million, you never really know how many people took it off the coffee table. Online ads allow you to buy the exact amount of impressions and while you may not get every eyeball to see your ad, at least you can measure it better.

Branding is the process of creating an association between a symbol/object/emotion/perception and a product/company with the goal of driving loyalty and creating differentiation. Brand Awareness is making the brand “top of mind” to consumers. Therefore, why is this less important online than off?

It’s Not All About Conversions

The term online brand value is another way to identify value in online advertising. In an article written by Click Z in 2006, called Online Brand Metrics Revealed the author Shane Atchinson wrote:

“If your conversion rate is 7 percent, what's the monetary value of the other 93 percent of visitor activity taking place on your Web site? This other category of behavior, which represents "online brand value," is a largely unknown area and a tremendous measurement opportunity.”

According to an IAB Market Poll of 1,000 online consumers, even when a consumer is exposed to an online ad banner promoting something that they want, most consumers don’t click immediately. Instead, according to the IAB Market Poll, 55% “remember or write down the company or product and check it out later.”

How to Measure Brand Value

In that same article by Shane Atchinson, he listed some great metrics to measure online brand value such as:

Total traffic volumes as it relates to total brand impressions and total revenue ( I would also say the total traffic volumes to the site)
Volume and percentage of return customers (or traffic to the site)
Total views and visit duration with branded content (on the site)
Volume and percentage of brand keyword searches (this one is important)
Visits to a online store locator
Total views of advertising spots online and passalongs

If you consider all of these metrics, it paints a much larger picture for your brand. It provides another method to measure the success of an online campaign that isn’t all about conversion rates.

The New Media Mix

2007-10-10T17:00:08Z

Diversifying your media spend used to mean allocations to TV, radio, print and web. Today it means allocations to search marketing, email marketing, social networks, online video, mobile and "traditional" online advertising....in addition to TV, radio, print, etc.

By the way, I lead with the online tactics for good reason.

]]> We all know that both online and offline channels are critical to marketing success. What's happening though is that the staples of online marketing are not only changing, but they're expanding. In addition to that they are also commanding an increasingly larger share of marketing budgets and at a faster pace.

Today it's easy to split up the online budget between online ads, search marketing and email marketing. But with the pace at which new technologies, mediums and trends are taking off, and their adoption rates, this is quickly changing.

In a recent report, Forrester Research projected that marketers will shift budgets online at an even quicker pace. By 2012, it expects the market to hit $61.3 billion, up from $18.4 billion in 2007. In five years, they expect online budgets to account for 18% of marketing expenditures.

Forrester expects the biggest gains in the "emerging channels" category. This includes things like in-game advertising, social networks, mobile, and more. They see this growing from $1 billion to $10.6 billion in 2012.

What does all this mean? To stay competitive, marketers must redefine what media mix means to them. Channels that were once considered experimental are now mainstream. And new channels/opportunities are arising - budget for them and test the effectiveness with your audience.