via att.com
Very interesting how AT&T is trying to embrace social media to it's fullest. Should be interesting to watch, to say the least.84% DO NOT measure ROI of Social Media - eMarketer
via emarketer.com
This is a really scary statistic! People and companies need to start realizing that Social Media needs to be measured just like any other Media.
Is Apple toying with Google? [iPhone and Google Voice]
According to Google's statement from last Friday, in contrast to previous statements Apple rejected the Google Voice app outright.
So, it Google yelling: "You're a Liar!" to Apple? Sort of, but not fully. This may be the first chapter in the Apple Google war of the second decade of the 21st Century. It all started when Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO, left Apple's board earlier this year after sitting on it since 2006.
The issue is that Apple ahs always run a very tight ship, maybe a little too tights. But, now that all of a sudden there are millions of Apple users via the iPhone they are just "enjoying" this tight ship that Apple runs. There really is nothing wrong with what Apple is doing - it is doing waht Steve Jobs loves: Controlling the end-user experience to the t. However, why doesn't Apple simply come out and admit to this? Well, becasue there would be about a millin and one lawsuits files that day by companies that want their apps or programs to run on the iPhone regardless of what Apple thinks.
This brings us to the problem that Apple does not have the structures in place to properly monitor app submissions to the app store. Apple is making 30% of every app sold, so wouldn't it be in their own best interest to approve as many apps as possibel to increase revenue? That's where Steve Jobs and his tight ship come in.
So, in other words what we are witnessing is not the prelude to Google versus Apple, but rather Google versus Steve Jobs.
Since this story broke laste last week, Apple has again denied rejecting the Google Voice App to spite Google.
Read more: Gizmodo and Macrumors.
Everything's Local in Mobile Search
Looking for local online advertising? Consider mobile advertising. In a short period of time mobile advertising has gone from an experimental media to a proven one. According to comScore, Inc. the number of local searches on a mobile device grew 51% from March 2008 to March 2009, and the preferred method of search is by using a mobile browser.
Due to the increase in browsing patterns, more and more online advertising is moving to wireless devices such as the Blackberry, the iPhone, or the Palm Pre. In 2006, U.S. advertisers spent $4.8 billion, or about 3 percent of total ad spending, on mobile ads. That's expected to increase to 12 percent by 2011, according to eMarketer.
Mobile local search is still in the development stages, but it is catching up quickly in many business categories and it will very soon be an essential channel for companies looking to get business from local searches.
According to CTIA, over 70 percent of the US population has a mobile phone. In general, there are two choices for local searches using a mobile device: SMS or browser based searches. Each is great at serving a different kind of search need.
SMS & Mobile Browsers: Tools Tailored to Search Requirements
SMS ads have hit the mainstream, with about 15 percent of mobile phones receiving at least one SMS ad according to M-Metrics. SMS are great at fulfilling a quick information need, such as a sports scores, weather, or stock quotes.
On the other hand, consumers typically perform mobile browser searches when they want more subjective information. For example, a mobile browser based search can help find a restaurant with reviews at Yahoo or Google.
Local Marketing Choices
Where should you look to make take advantage of this rapidly growing trend of mobile local search? On the one hand, SMS has some advantages over Web-based browser searches. But, users have to opt in to receive sponsored SMS messages. Mobile Search Browsing on the other hand is as simple as putting a PPC ad on a search engine. However, instead of seeing them on a monitor, customers are seeing them on the screen of their mobile device. This has many advantages including the possibility of prompting consumers to call a certain number or map a route to your location.
Pizza is already onboard – Others are catching on (quickly)
A large percentage of mobile searches are for local businesses. A majority of those are for restaurants and pizza places in particular. Next in popularity is a group that includes taxis, banks, and searches for specific brands, such as Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Target, Blockbuster, Costco, etc.
Online directories, with an increase of 73%, have seen the largest increase during the past year among the various local content categories, followed by restaurants (70%), maps (63%), and movies (60%).
Other categories are quickly becoming more widespread as two things start to occur: consumers become more aware of the capability and the companies that compile listings for local merchants expand their databases of dentists, doctors, florists, and other businesses.
Some businesses can generate a return more quickly from mobile local search. If your business is in a category that benefits heavily from impulse buying, you are trying to expand your company’s footprint, or you want to take your brand to where consumers are going, mobile is a great fit.
From a branding perspective mobile advertising can be invaluable. But it’s important to remember that people won't make large purchases based on mobile searches, but it will help with your company’s branding and can help develop a sale down the road. Keep in mind that the majority uses their mobile devices to find the nearest oil-change center, gas station, florist, ATM, or particular restaurant.
What's Next?
Before you can participate in this brave new world it’s important to ask yourself a few questions: Do you have a website that shows up correctly on mobile browsers? Are you tapping into the local searches coming from mobile devices? Is your Google Map Listing Correct? Let Bayshore help you assess our mobile strategy and develop mobile tactics with you.
Will metrics become part of the content-creation process thanks to Adobe-Omnitre deal?
So, Adobe bought Omniture yesterday. I know a lot has been said about the financial and business impact of this, but what does this really mean for marketing and advertising?
In the one corner you have Adobe the number one tool that aids in the creation of just anything using a computer, which according to Wikipedia has "historically focused upon the creation of multimedia and creativity software products." In other words, every creative on this blue planet has, will, or does use an Adobe product to some extent - most likely more than less.
In the other corner you have Omniture the golden standard of online marketing web analytics software, which has historically grown from purchases of smaller but very relevant companies. In other words, if you want to be taken seriously as a website, you use Omniture just like a newspaper uses ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations).
Combine these two opposite end of the spectrum entities - one creates the content, the other company measures it - and what do you get? A one stop solution, or as Adobe President-CEO Shantanu Narayen calls it: "end-to-end platform." Some people are saying that now creatives will have to think about metrics from the beginning of the content-creation process.
After the deal, Omniture CEO Josh James said that it will "allow creatives to integrate measurement into the front end of the ad-creation process" and that "marrying the two companies would improve content engagement, ad effectiveness and the overall user experience that's driving the shift of ad dollars from offline to online." This means that moving forward with this new deal in place, agencies will build Adobe Flash creative with Omniture tracking codes implanted from the beginning - this will enable them to track the views and consumer engagement of the creative across the web, and maybe even begin to micro-charge for every view, partial view or forward of their content versus just seeing measurements for impressions or clicks.
I believe that the ultimate outcome of this deal is that in the world of media analysis there will be more clarity and better metrics - definitely a move in the right direction!
What is up with Mobile Advertising?
I've been intrigued by the potential of Mobile Advertising since 1999. Back then grand articles were written on websites, in books, and magazines of how a grand revolution in advertising is upon us and that it will shake the very foundation that makes up marketing. Well, here we are 10 years later and not too much has changed. Do we receive coupons from Dunkin' donuts as we walk by them on our phones? No. Do we get special offers from Target when we enter the store on our cell phones? No.
Then, where are we?
A story that I read today got me thinking. According to this story on AdvertisingAge.com from September 15th, the mobile apps which constitute the majority of the mobile marketing channel are "just an appetizer." As the author puts is: "In grand historical terms, this whole mobile app thing is only now climbing out of the primordial ooze." Well, Mr. Kevin Maney I hate to tell you but we've been in this state of climbing out of the ooze for at least a decade now. When will we finally move on to the next step?
I know some people will say that text message advertising is doing well, but I must point out that it is nowhere near its potential and I'm sure that it never will reach it as far as advertising goes.
While the iPhone, and in particular the app store, have moved us ahead by leaps and bounds in terms of branded communications and marketing on mobile devices, everything is still all over the place. Where would Video tapes be if both VHS and BETA survived until now? Or for that matter next gen DVD if the battle between BluRay and HD-DVD was still going on?
While competition does drive innovation, standardization can create a more focused effort with ultimately greater results. As much as people here in America lament the "big brother" approach of European or Asian economies, being light-years ahead in terms of cell phones, cell phone service, and technology in general does paint a picture.
Now back to the point by the AdAge article that we are clawing our way out of the "primordial ooze" in terms of mobile apps. Are these mobile apps he future of marketing communications to consumers on cell phones? Apple showed a picture at its most recent iPod event that showed the superiority of its iPod touch - essentially a mobile phone without cell service - over current tablets or net books on the market.
So, does the future of mobile, mobile apps, and ergo mobile advertising in essence lie with smaller computer that happen to be phones as well (e.g. the iPhone)? That is something that only time will tell, because as Master Yoda says "The future, always in motion it is." But, if I had to put my money on it right now, I'd say that smart phones will become more and more like small computers. And the billion dollar question will be to find out how to spam people with ads on there, just like advertisers have on any other channel known to man, is the future.
One final thought: Is the reason that mobile advertising is not catching on that a moblie phone is seen as the last "sacred" advertising-free sanctity by people?
What does Facebook Lite mean for brands?
Facebook Lite (http://lite.facebook.com/)
What is Facebook Lite? According to Facebook it is a new streamlined version designed for people with slow internet connections (However, contrary to this it still includes "post video" & "post photos"...). But, it really is a competition to other social networking sites such as twitter. Facebook has proclaimed that they don't want to be the next MySpace, but rather the next Google. This was reaffirmed by their purchase of friendfeed - a social networking startup by a few former Google employees - a total talent grab.
So, the next step in Facebook's battle plan is the introduction of Facebook Lite. A potentially bad thing for brands: no applications, no chat, and the biggest change: users can't find Brand/Business Fan Pages in the search results - only people.
Why is this bad for brands? No instant messaging or applications. Period. But, it's not all bad news.
I believe that Facebook Lite is simply Facebook expanding its service offerings to entice users of other social networks (twitter, friendfeed, etc) and get them hooked on the Facebook dope. Check out Mashable's Stan Schroeder's article on how he likes the Lite version better: http://mashable.com/2009/09/11/facebook-lite-like/
What can you do as a brand or business? Keep an eye on Quantcast's traffic report to Facebook Lite (not up yet) http://www.quantcast.com/lite.facebook.com to see if this new Facebook "microsite" really does gain traction. No matter what this change does, one thing is for sure it will definitely only help the spread of the Facebook Virus.
Want to read more on Facebook Lite? Head over to mashable and check their post on the launch of the new service: http://mashable.com/2009/09/10/facebook-lite-live/
In breaking news from yesterday, and another step to cater to twitter users, it was annouced that Facebook adds "@" Tags... Stay tuned!
Awesome Recession Cardboard iPhone Case
If I don't find a new apartment in NY soon, I would be living in a fridge box for a while—which, mind you, would be bigger than most places here. One that matches this do-it-yourself cardboard iPhone case.
10 cases for $8 is not good enough for hobomodo, but cheap enough even if it's not water proof. [Case-Mate via Oh Gizmo! via Dvice]
via feeds.gawker.com
I need to get one of these!
What a joke: Food Industry introduces new "Smart Choices" Labeling Campaign
G. Paul Burnett/The New York Times
When I first heard about the "Smart Choices" Food Labeling campaign backed by most of the nation’s largest food manufacturers, I thought it was a great idea. Read the article in the NY Times here. But, now after reading more about it and seeing that the nothing but sugar and artificial flavor ridden Coca Krispies and Froot Loops are included in this campaign, I'm not so sure anymore.
This looks like great idea from a marketing and branding standpoint as big name brands are loosing huge chunks of market share to store brands, local brands, and natural or organic choices. However, isn't this really just another marketing gimmick that is attempting to fix the Fourth P of Product from the Marketing Mix developed by Professor Borden in the 1960s? What's worse is that just like the American car industry, instead of actually fixing the PRODUCT they are trying to pull the wool over the consumers eyes with new and fancy packaging. Just like the American car industry - where if they had kept up with the competition and innovated instead of resting comfortably and EXPECTING demand to continuously increase- the food manufactures wouldn't be in a bind if they offered less expensive and innovate (organic/natural/green/local/etc) product.
This is the label that is starting to show up on products
I can honestly say that the inclusion of Coca Krispies and Froot Loops prove that this new "Smart Choices" labeling is nothing but a farce by the industry to try and artificially create a spike in demand for the food that once consumers see the truth will backfire and end up hurting them.
Hey US Food Industry: Fix the product, do actual branding! Don't just slap a new "made up" label that deceives consumers on you products!
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