Digital video metrics

In a recent conference I attended regarding the future of media, one of the recurrent topics was video and how it would become a more important part of any kind of media both online and on mobile.

A recent article in eMarketer discusses which metrics should be used to evaluate digital video advertising, as it increases in line with the popularity of the medium.

Metrics such as brand lift and completion rate accompany the more traditional clickthrough rate and click per view. Other metrics such as personal data on who is watching the videos and who with are less easy to identify.

See below for more information from this report.

Mobile is speeding up fast food

A new marketing report by eMarketer called “Mobile Fast Food Marketing: How QSRs and Fast Casuals Are Getting Quicker and Faster” shows that store locators, menu finders, apps and smartphone / tablet usage have improved the speed and execution at restaurants. Mobile usage and the shifts in eating habits are giving marketers in the hospitality industry a good reason to focus on mobile in particular. 

A June 2012 xAd and Telmetrics study found that 64% of smartphone users searching for restaurants expected results within walking or driving distance. Companies which focus on GPS location such as Foursquare, Seamless and Yelp are finding ways to monetize this trend while making lives easier for food consumers. 

Read more at http://www.emarketer.com/newsroom/index.php/mobile-apps-speed-search-fast-food/#hGAqmryOzAG50TV5.99 

Spotify announces new music discovery features

In a recent press event in New York, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek expressed that Spotify needs to improve its music discovery features: "Users tell us they don’t know what to listen to, and artists tell us they want to connect more closely with fans [...] So we’re creating a new and personalised way of finding great music.” Spotify has already captured users who know what they want to listen to, and it needs to help customers discover more music in order to expand its number of customers as well increase user engagement. To stay ahead of competitors such as Pandora and Songza, Spotify will need to offer an easier user experience, and these new discovery tools may be the key to its growth.

Social (media) revolution

Two years ago, Malcolm Gladwell published an article in The New Yorker on the usage of social media for activism. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell

The article highlights some aspects which prevent, in his view, social media from being an effective tool for social activism despite its wide reach. Gladwell argues that social media "makes it easier for activists to express themselves, and harder for that expression to have any impact. The instruments of social media are well suited to making the existing social order more efficient. They are not a natural enemy of the status quo"

Social networks, he states, "are effective at increasing participation—by lessening the level of motivation that participation requires." So the weak ties which characterize the viral nature of certain ideas are suited to spreading information but they are not appropriate for engaging the recipients beyond that. A hierarchy and a strategy, he claims, are required to make a movement strong. 

"If Martin Luther King, Jr., had tried to do a wiki-boycott in Montgomery, he would have been steamrollered by the white power structure. The things that King needed in Birmingham—discipline and strategy—were things that online social media cannot provide"

A lot has happened since this article was published, and much of it seems to contradict Gladwell's point of view. While it's true that much of the social media posting is still limited to the western world, where conflict is usually viewed from afar, the influence of posts through twitter and other social media channels is growing. The Arab Spring and the censorship of social media in Egypt illustrate the fear and the potential of these channels. 

Additional articles on this: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/13/60minutes/main20031701_page2.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/feb/01/google-twitter-egypt

Integrating Mobile Gaming and TV

The Simpsons 'Tapped Out' Mobile iphone/ipad game is the first live-service mobile game tied to a hit prime-time show.  Users can play this game which is based on episodes of The Simpsons, then watch the corresponding episode for further clues on beating the specific weekly game.  This type of tie-in has potential for other tv-based games to use an integrated approach with live tv. 

http://adage.com/article/media/closely-integrated-tv-simpsons-game-finds-success/238632/

Windows devices sales down despite massive campaigns

According to industry sources Windows devices sales have been down 21% in the four weeks after the Windows 8 launch, compared to the same period last year. Despite the billionaire marketing campaign, it seems that the Windows 8 launch was not able to help the devices sell more quickly.
The interesting thing is that while this is happening, the advertisements are being able to improve Windows image in the mind of customers, which leads to the thinking that it could be an industry movement, of people turning away from Windows devices towards other types of electronics, such as tablets, and smartphones.

For the full article:
http://adage.com/article/digital/microsoft-ads-selling-windows/238686/

AdAge: USA Today revamping its SuperBowl ad meter.

USA Today is expanding its SuperBowl Ad Meter for next year. It will kill it's in-person panels to favor online voting. It will also expand the commercial it is covering by adding half-time commercials. They are also ending a previous partnership with Facebook to get people's inputs on the commercials. The company explains that these changes are needed as it intends on expanding its Ad Meter activities beyond the SuperBowl, to other live events such as the Oscars.

More info and the full article can be found at:
http://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/usa-today-switches-super-bowl-ad-meter-online-voting/238687/

Old Navy integrates with BuzzFeed

Old Navy has received a lot of attention for its "Holidays All the Way" campaign this season, which includes integration of the Griswolds.  Old Navy teamed up with BuzzFeed to develop a branded microsite that delivers video content, and integrates with their Facebook page and digital promotions.  This is the first time Old Navy has included a robust digital integration into one of their campaigns, and so far they are seeing great results.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/188753/old-navy-goes-social-with-buzzfeed.html?edition=54329#axzz2Eg1UBJ7C

AdAge: Reebok refining its social media footprint

AdAge reports that Reebok has been focusing on changing its social media strategy. They eliminated several local marketing social pages and put their efforts on global marketing social media pages. Their changes in strategy seem to be paying off, with much more consumer involvement.

More info can be found on the full article at:
http://adage.com/article/digital/reebok-edits-refines-social-media-footprint/238664/

Reebok Edits and Refines Its Social-Media Footprint

It is important to manage different presences on social media.  Reebok built pages on various forms of social media for each campaign, brand and event. Reebok's social-media presence had become unwieldy in recent years. Marketing managers around the world established Facebook pages for seasonal ad campaigns. Twitter accounts popped up for different product lines. And myriad YouTube channels were created to share content. Over the course of two social-media audits, Reebok identified more than 600 social-media accounts.

Reebok has since started to streamline, eliminate and consolidate pages. The results are starting to come in, the first audit, for example, it found that 48% of Facebook pages were likely created internally, while the rest were created by fans. Reebok has completely this audit itself and has found the process extremely helpful. As social media continues to expand, cleaning up the social presence will become increasingly important for all major brands.

http://adage.com/article/digital/reebok-edits-refines-social-media-footprint/238664/

Apple Maps will leave you stranded in an Australian desert

There are about 4 documented cases of motorists in Australia that were directed off the beaten track by Apple Maps, leaving them stranded in Australian Outback.  While Apple has fixed this 'potentially life-threatening' issue that has only affected Australian motorists, this just highlights some of the more fatal drawbacks of Apple's new maps system.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/12/apple-maps-dangerous-down-under/

Millennials Using Social Media for Travel

Digital has been the primary means to book travel for a while, but social media is playing a greater role for Millennials and their travel plans.  In just May of last year, 57% of Millennials said they were influenced by their friends online as to where they decide to book tickets.  They are drawn to share their travel experiences online with sites like Facebook, and this motivates a large percentage of Millennials to visit the same places.  Travel brands can take advantage of the social graph to offer incentives based on a consumer's connections.

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1009531

Spotify providing new ways for branded content

Spotify has been looking for new streams of revenue coming from their advertisers. The most recent one is Spotify Discover and branded Apps (Mcdonalds and Reebok already do this). This is a new way for brands to connect with consumers in a very relevant and personal space, music. It also provides a platform for content marketing strategies.

To read the rest of this story follow this link: http://adage.com/article/digital/spotify-refresh-a-canvas-advertisers/238661/

Facebook's Monetization - The Social Layer

Facebook has been talking about being a "social layer" since 2008, but it wasn't until recently that people started recognizing it.  Facebook recently announced that it was connected to over 200,000 iPhone and Android apps, and 45% of the top grossing apps are connected with Facebook.  The new Open Graph technology allows apps to integrate with the social media site in a seamless way.  Developers often ask themselves whether they should build a mobile app or a Facebook app.  Facebook's response to this is that its both - Facebook is complementary to everything.  As the company faces challenges in monetizing its mobile platform, this could be one of the ways it brings in additional revenue streams.

http://www.insidefacebook.com/category/monetization/

AdAge: Ads in Super Bowl's Digital 'Second Screen' Nearly Sold Out

AdAge reports that CBS has nearly sold-out all the advertisement for Super Bowl second screen. Ads will be shown on streaming and have been sold for considerably less than their counterparts on broadcast TV. NBC started the practice last year and was able to draw 2.1 million users.

For more info, the entire article can be found at:
http://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/ads-super-bowl-live-stream-sold/238682/

You'll Prollie Like It

My friend has a new start-up called Prollie that I thought was particularly relevant for this class (and a great plug). As social media analytics proliferate, one of the huge opportunity is evaluating both businesses and users use of social media platforms. And, how do we grow those networks with relevant additions? The first phase of social networks was a land-grab. Everyone friending and amassing acquaintances. Then Google launched Google Circles and Google Plus as users realized they had specific audiences for different messages and sharing online. Anecdotelly I love using Instagram because I manage my network very carefully, approving each one individually to be sure I'd want to "share" everything with them.

The phase of developing quality over quantity in social networks will continue to be important. Prollie has a specialized algorithm that analyzes a users social media graph, and determines their core passions - be it movies, travel, etc. It then assists users in locating other users with like-minded passions. The value proposition is for consumers at this stage, but long-term it could have a lot of great opportunities for marketers. Brands can locate niche passions and identify users they need to influence.

Check-out their promo video here and sign-up to participate in the alpha testing phase:  http://prollie.com

Apps for kids not passing the security test

A new report by the Federal Trade Commission calls attention to need for transparency in app data collection and advertising  to adults, but more specifically to children. After a prolonged period of little progress on this front, it seems as though there will be a crack down on the horizon. The initiative is not only an effort to protect the privacy and safety of kids, but also the wallets of their parents. I find it surprising that in an economy that so closely monitors marketing towards children and teens, the app marketplace has gone largely unmonitored and unrestricted.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/technology/many-mobile-apps-for-children-fall-short-on-disclosure-to-parents-ftc-report-says.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&ref=technology&adxnnlx=1355163402-O0GNXL8xjdShhRwZXCA6bQ

Smart device shipments making even more records

We all know that digital trends are shifting to mobile and tablet devices, so it doesn't come as a big surprise that smart device shipments broke records in Q3 of this year. In the fourth quarter, smart device shipments are expected to grow 25.6% over Q4 2011 to 362 million devices. This year, 60% of shipped smart devices (which also include PC's, laptops, and tables) are smart phones, and that share is expected to increase to 66.7% by 2016. These statistics reinforce that marketers need to figure out how follow customers and better monetize the mobile channel.

Imgur Expands Its Revenue Streams

Imgur is a popular photo-sharing service, and today it is announcing that it is overhauling its API system to make it easier for developers to build applications over Imgur's infrastructure. In class, we have spent a great deal of time discussing monetization options, and this move is part of Imgur's effort to develop another revenue stream. This could have interesting implications for Imgur as well as its partners who take advantage of the API update.

TechCrunch tells the whole story!

A Digital Superbowl

For its second year, CBS will be live-streaming the Superbowl.  This format offers an inventory of ads at much lower prices than conventional TV ads during the Superbowl.  In Ad Age's article, "Ads in Super Bowl's Digital 'Second Screen' Nearly Sold Out," a CBS executive anticipates that the digital showing of the game will have social features and "never-been-done-before camera angles."  With over 2 million viewers last year and past year growth in tablets, CBS expects growth in its live-streaming of events like the Superbowl, which is further encouraged by the high demand for digital advertising in it programming.