
Archive for the ‘Social Media’ Category
Crazy Social Media Info Graph – Confused?
Posted: May 18, 2012 in Advertising, Digital Marketing, Industry News, Marketing, Media & Entertainment, Mobile Applications, Mobile Social Media, Mobile Social networking, Multichannel Marketing, Online, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, TechnologyTags: Advertising, Blogger, Buddy Media, Clickable, Facebook, Pinterest, social media, Twitter, Zynga
YOC no more
Posted: November 18, 2011 in Ad Industry, Affiliate Marketing, Augmented Reality, Automotive, Content management, Customer Relationship Marketing, Data Privacy, Developers, Digital Display Advertising, Digital Marketing, Digital Trends, Display advertising, E-Commerce, Email Marketing, Industry News, Information communications technology, Internet, Location Based Services, M-Commerce, Marketing, Media & Entertainment, Mediation Platforms, Mergers & Acquisitions, Mobile Ad Exchanges, Mobile Ad Networks, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Applications, mobile banking, Mobile Developers, Mobile Gaming, Mobile Handsets, Mobile Industry News, Mobile Internet, Mobile Payment Solutions, Mobile Phones, Mobile Platforms, Mobile Privacy, Mobile Search, Mobile SEM, Mobile Social Media, Mobile Social networking, Mobile Technology, Mobile TV, Multichannel Marketing, Online, Online Advertising, Performance Advertising, Publishing, Publishing Industry, Retail, Smartphones, Sms, SMS Advertising, SMS Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking, Tablets, Technology, Telecommunications, Wireless TechnologiesTags: Advertising, Business, Christian Louca, Evolution of Communication, Mobile Theory, Telecommunications, YOC
I have now left YOC after 4 years since launching their UK operations. It has been an absolute pleasure working for such a fantastic organisation and I wish my old colleagues all the best for the future.
I am now looking at the next big thing and will update all via my blog in due course. It is exciting times for mobile and we are all moving at an incredible rate. So many fantastic new start ups with so many ingenious ideas all to make our lives better. I believe we strive to help people communicate, engage, consume, learn, inform and so much more.
This global society that we have born is the future and will change lives forever to come. No borders, no politics, no fuss. A generation of globally connected people wanting to share experiences and information from across all corners of the globe.
I am privileged to be part of such an amazing evolution of communication…

Facebook, Google+: Social Marketing, e-Commerce Fight to the Death
Posted: July 6, 2011 in Digital Marketing, Digital Trends, E-Commerce, Industry News, Internet, M-Commerce, Mobile Industry News, Mobile Internet, Mobile Social Media, Mobile Social networking, Social Media, Social NetworkingTags: Apple, Facebook, Google, iTunes, Lou Kerner, social media, Social network, TechCrunch
Posted By ] Diane Mermigas
The mighty Google has dispelled any doubt about the importance of the exploding Facebook nation and the need for companies to exploit evolving social mobile dynamics for ecommerce.
In its biggest and most adroit reactionary move yet, the search advertising giant’s new Google + aggregates its existing services and competencies (including its mobile Android operating system) in a social networking mesh that taps its vast collection of user information.
Friend grouping (Circles), sharing (including individual or crowd video chats called Hangouts), news and photo aggregation (Sparks), recommendations and other social features of Google+ look and feel like Facebook’s familiar framework — but their orientation and approach to leveraging social networks are completely different.
Google is a social outlier that filters user information through complex algorithms and manages the relationship as a critical adjunct to its advertising and search business. Facebook was created as a user interface with members’ interactions, interests and functionality at its core. Interactivity on Facebook is all about relating to others inside of existing and morphing social graphs; interactivity on Google is all about individual functionality inside of massive constructs like search, gmail and Picasa photo app.
Given the similarities of Google+ to Facebook, it seems ironic Google senior vice president Vic Gundotra told TechCrunch that the company considers online sharing “broken…even awkward.” Google has consistently missed the mark on real-time sharing among friends that is the glue that makes Facebook so “sticky.” But being late to the social -networking party is not the issue. Google’s Android is giving Apple a run for its money, even as a relative newcomer to the mobile operating system space.
Google+, an outgrowth of the earlier Google BUZZ, will be as much of “a crushing success,” according to Internet entrepreneur Jason Calacanis. Google is poised to take half the social networking market from Facebook because Google+ is backed by a mobile operating system that Facebook lacks, one fourth of the browser market (with Chrome), an app store that competes with Apple’s iTunes (charging only 5% versus Apple’s 30%), and a responsive privacy dictum (compared with Facebook’s privacy games). Google also is moving more decisively in secure mobile payment by transforming smart phones into e-Wallets.
It fundamentally comes down to which player is more successful at bending companies away from the status quo and into the new social commercial paradigm. With all the fuss over Google+, it’s easy to lose sight of the enormous advantages Facebook has as an agile, private company seeking to out-design and out-execute Google and others.
A recent Web panel discussion hosted by Wedbush Securities Internet analyst Lou Kerner underscored the less obvious ways that Facebook is quickly moving to leverage its more than 600 million global active users (70% are outside the U.S.), 250 million active mobile users and $85 billion private-market value. Here are some of the panelists insights into why the premiere social network is poised to drive social marketing and commerce:
Monetizing connections
People, not brands drive social commerce. Social graph is as important as individual preference since Facebook users generally each connect with some 140 other Facebook members. These are the micro markets some marketers and retailers have begun to creatively exploit. American Express is allowing members to convert their points to Facebook credits. The July 4 weekend, Paramount became the first studio to sell movie tickets on Facebook to Transformers III.
Defining economics
Facebook’s new video ads are being compared to conventional TV. Essentially, Facebook members (in particular the gaming zealots who have morphed on the social platform) receive credits to play even more for “free” if they periodically stop to watch relevant Facebook video ads in pop up windows. Many believe that game king Zynga is carrying Facebook developing revenue streams by contributing about $300 million in Facebook credits and $200 million in advertising.
Buying critical mass
Just a fraction of Facebook’s global user base simultaneously “liking” something could exceed the several hundred million homes tuned into any one of television’s big live events, such as the Super Bowl. Some portion of television’s $71 billion ad dollars, which are not yet reflected in Facebook’s $2 billion in annual revenues, will shift to social media because it creates its own scale, said Mott Monahan, director of digital ad network EpicSocial. eMarketer already is crediting Facebook with driving online display ad revenues beyond expectations to an estimated $31.3 billion in 2011.
Qualifying the ad spend
Unlike television, social media allows marketers to know precisely who sees and responds to any form of advertising. Facebook tracks engagement on a one-to-one basis, and marketers only pay when a person clicks on their ads. The result is more qualitative and quantitative impressions (generally 1,000 % higher than average ad unit), which renders a more efficient and cost effective ROI, according to Justin Merickel, vp marketing at digital marketing agency Efficient Frontier.
Learning the viral play
Facebook represents an amazing word-of-mouth marketing engine and personalized brand opportunity, according to 8th Bridge CEO Wade Gerten. The social shopping service’s survey of Facebook users indicates more than one-third prefer never to leave the platform for any functionality, including shopping, suggesting that Facebook is morphing beyond a social network. 85% of consumer interaction with the more than 50 brands and 3,000 shopping campaigns 8th Bridge manages occur through friend-to-friend sharing and recommendations.
While social media clearly will be a driver of e-commerce and an overall economic power shift, it is easy to over simplify this phenomenon. A Booz and Co. strategy + business article earlier this year dubbed “social apponomics” as the holy grail for companies to profitably commercialize on social media with community-based marketing and tailored applications. The key will be to focus on partners (not competitors), think local mobile, target customers in multiple segments and transform pricing into a trusted dynamic conversation that will pay continuous dividends.
Getting marketers and retailers to that promised land is where Facebook and Google will carve out their competitive edge. Successful social mobile marketing and commerce requires a completely new mind-set and wiliness to innovate. Perhaps the best evidence is that online e-commerce still comprises less than 10% of all retail sales largely because retailers essentially have slapped their print catalogs onto Web sites and into emails and texts without fully exploring social mobile commerce dynamics.
At this early juncture, both Facebook and Google are flawed in shifting their focus more to collective connections as critical mass rather than on nurturing, mining and monetizing individual consumer relevance, which could have more steady, long-term advantages to marketers seeking loyal customers.
Still, the rush to mine social commerce by Facebook, Google and others could have negative repercussions. Users already overwhelmed with instant mobile communications and data might easily be quelled by powerful new waves of interactive marketing and commerce even in the company of friends. The reluctance of consumers to spend in an uncertain economy will remain a potent counterbalance. No matter how much “fun” it is to share, recommend and buy with friends, consumers will come to their senses faster than any of these well-heeled companies.
So Much For Apple Working Out That Deal With Facebook
Posted: June 7, 2011 in Business to Business, Handset manufacturers, Industry News, Information communications technology, Internet, Media & Entertainment, Mobile Applications, Mobile Conference, Mobile Developers, Mobile Handsets, Mobile Industry News, Mobile Platforms, Mobile Social Media, Mobile Social networking, Smartphones, Social Media, Social Networking, Technology, TelecommunicationsTags: Apple, Bret Taylor, Facebook, iOS, iphone, iPhoto, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Twitter, Windows Phone 7
Posted By ] Dan Frommer
Apple and Facebook don’t appear to be any closer to working together on the iPhone.

Today in San Francisco, Apple unveiled a new relationship with Twitter, where Twitter sign-in and sharing features will be built right into Apple’s iPhone and iPad operating system. (A very rare thing for Apple, which is hesitant to rely on third party services for anything.)
Sounds like the sort of feature that would be just as good — if not better — with Facebook, which has many millions more users than Twitter? Indeed. But Apple had nothing to say about Facebook today.
While Apple has been able to integrate Facebook into some minor products, such as iPhoto, for whatever reason, the companies haven’t been able to figure out a deal for major mobile integration. Last September, for example, Apple had to remove Facebook support from Ping, a social network, at the last minute.
Why? Because Facebook insisted on “onerous terms that we could not agree to,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs told All Things D’s Kara Swisher at the time.
Several weeks later, Facebook CTO Bret Taylor told reporters in New York that he was “very confident” that Facebook and Apple would figure out a way to work together on Ping.
But, publicly at least, nothing seems to have changed since then. Meanwhile, today, Apple just announced a big partnership with Twitter, one of Facebook’s biggest rivals.
This leaves the door open for Facebook and Apple to potentially work something out between now and the fall, when iOS 5 ships to consumers, so Apple can announce Twitter and Facebook integration for the final product. Facebook, after all, is built into many other phone platforms, including Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, some Android flavors, etc.
Even if Facebook doesn’t need Apple, and Apple doesn’t need Facebook, it would be better for all of their users if they worked together, after all.
Or maybe they just aren’t going to play nicely together.
Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs obviously both know that they run two of the most important tech companies in the world. They don’t need each other if they can’t come to terms they can agree on. And maybe that’s going to keep them apart.
Either way, watching this relationship evolve is only going to get more interesting over the years.
Via: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-facebook-twitter-2011-6#ixzz1OZvlAXYl
101 examples of f-commerce
Posted: May 23, 2011 in Digital Marketing, E-Commerce, Internet, Mobile Social Media, Mobile Social networking, Multichannel Marketing, Social Media, Social NetworkingTags: Alton Towers, American Eagle Outfitters, Brooks Brothers, Electronic commerce, F-Commerce, Facebook, Online PR & Social Media, Online shopping, Social Media Commerce, Social network, United States
My Comments on the below:
It would be interesting to know how many of these organisations have a mobile presence. Considering Facebook is so widely adopted by mobile users you would think they all should.
Posted By ] Jake Hird
I’ve previously ranted a bit about how Facebook is driving forward a large element of social commerce, but I’ve always found that it helps to provide evidence for any argument.
Consequently, I’ve compiled a rather large list of companies who are using Facebook to sell products…
Some were pop-up stores, PR stunts or specific campaigns and not all of them involve direct transactions through Facebook. Some use the API to pull through stock inventories on their Brand Pages, with others taking this further by allowing sign-ins to their checkout, following this.
I imagine that some people will argue that this isn’t pure f-commerce, but it should be acknowledged that these examples were actively trying to make commercial sales using Facebook’s platform… which in my opinion, falls firmly into the commerce-through-Facebook camp.
Notably though, as a general rule, the examples I’ve selected don’t have static pages which redirects the user to a separate e-commerce website.
To also lend weight to the argument that f-commerce isn’t wholly about direct sales onsite, Janice Diner’s recent ecosphere graphic demonstrates the complexity of this growing area.

I’ll be the first to say that I’ve yet to see large amounts of data surrounding the success rates of having an f-commerce presence. Examples do exist, but given that the channel is still very much in its infancy, there seems to be a combination of reluctance on the part of the retailers to share this information, alongside poor tracking and analysis.
That said, in the coming months, I fully expect to see solid evidence of the value in ensuring a retail presence on Facebook exists.
But onto the examples! Who says Facebook hasn’t got a place in online shopping?
1-800 flowers
This was one of the first on-page f-commerce stores. And it’s still going strong.
Alton Towers
The UK theme park has an app that allows you to book tickets in advance.
American Eagle Outfitters
The online fashion retailer allows users to buy personalised mobile gift cards for friends and family for use online or offline.
Apple
Apple also offers its app store via Facebook.
ASOS
The online fashion retailer’s Facebook store is widely cited as an f-commerce case study.
Baby & me
An f-commerce store that’s found its niche in the baby and infant market.
Barcelona
The Spanish football club has a world class application for their club shop.

Barneys
The New York department store can be found trialling Facebook.
Best Buy
Best Buy’s shop and share is often cited as another f-commerce example.
Boston Market
E-gifts from the US restaurant.
Boston Tea Company
Boston’s ahead of the curve! This American company have found their niche in trading tea.
Brooks Brothers
For a company established in the 19th Century, Brooks Brothers proves it’s now very much a 21st Century retailer.
Bulgari
The luxury retailer reaches out to its audience on Facebook.
Carnival Cruises
This cruise company proves that its not just small transactions that can be made using f-commerce.
Chanel
Another luxury brand, Chanel recently created a pop-up store for their lipstick range, although building it in Flashled to issues.
Chompon
The white-label service reported that Facebook shares generated $14 in sales on average, that Facebook Likes were worth $8.
Coca-Cola
Coke actually has a dedicated fan store on Facebook.
Coleman Co.
I’ve listed this site before now – and its still going strong.
Delta
You can easily book a flight through Delta Airlines’ Facebook page.
Dexter (CBS)
The TV programme taps into its fanbase on Facebook.
Diesel
Diesel’s done a few things with Facebook – the most recent being their in-store DieselCam.
Disney
Again, another often-cited example, Disney built in movie-ticket sales into their Facebook page.

Drugstore.com
This company makes buying everyday products quick and easy.
eBags
As the name suggests, buying all kinds of bags through Facebook is now a reality.
eBay
Not quite a direct transaction, but eBay marketplace allows users to share what they’re buying, selling and watching.
Ettitude
Homeware, everywhere from this Facebook store.
Eventbrite
In a wider sense, Eventbrite has managed to put a value on their social commerce revenue gained through allowing Facebook login access.
Express
Express clothing has a slick f-commerce store.
Fishing Emporium
Proof that any sport can sell equipment through Facebook.
GAP
Another often-used example: GAP used check-in deals to offer promotions to consumers when the service first launched.
Gibson Les Paul
Yes, the guitar shop has an online store.
Groupon
The now-household name has a Facebook app for its deals.
Hallmark
Buy and send cards online.
Hastings Entertainment
A large f-commerce offering from this online retailer.
Heels
The online shoe shop is still going strong.
Heinz
Heinz is running a limited edition promotion through Facebook.
Hilton Hotels
Check rooms and availability before booking.
Incipio Technologies
Specialising in Apple accessories, this company reported that Facebook is the second highest referral of their e-commerce site traffic and that of those customers, the average conversion rate twice as high than normal.
JCP
JCPenney has a large catalogued store on Facebook.

JD sports
The UK sports retailer has set up an f-commerce store.
Justin Bieber
With 27m Facebook fans, it made sense for JB to have a shop ‘n share store.
Kembrel
The clothing shop has an interesting little app.
Kiabi
The French clothing store proves that Europe can do f-commerce too.
Kiddicare
Kiddicare have a great f-commerce store-front offering.
Kmart
Although not yet set up with a full f-commerce offering, the retail giant is currently offering e-gifts.
La Redoute
The European fashion retailer recently set up a store on Facebook, but for reasons unknown took it down.
Lady Gaga
The crazy lady of pop challenges Bieber’s online store.
Lands End
More clothes on offer through Facebook from this fashion retailer.
Levi’s
Lots of coverage has been given to the Levi’s Friends Store…
Livescribe
Small electronics on offer.
Macy’s
The US department store followed in Diesel’s footsteps with their own Facebook fitting room.
Malaysia Airlines
Another airline company that allows booking (and more) through Facebook.

mark.
Makeup galore from mark.girl.
Max Factor (P&G)
The UK Facebook page for Max Factor offers even more makeup purchasing opportunities.
Maxim
The mens magazine offers a subscription service through Facebook.

Mazda
As part of a Facebook Deals promotion, Mazda offered 20% off the price of their MX-5 model when users checked-in to a dealership.
Molly Sims
The US model offers her own range of jewelry on her Facebook page.
MyBag
More bags and luggage available to shoppers.
MyLabel
MyLabel offers a wide range of clothing through its f-commerce store.
MyMemory
Technology and computing products on offer from this smaller player.
National Express
Book a journey with National Express through their Facebook page.
Nine West
The clothing shop offers a crisp, clean Facebook store.
Old Spice
Not content with his YouTube campaign, Mustafa is operating on Facebook.
Otto
The German fashion company jumps into f-commerce.
Oxfam
Oxfam’s UK page makes it easier for users to donate.
Pampers
The nappy manufacturer is another regularly cited example of f-commerce, although the store is currently down.
Pantene
Once again, Pantene is an example that’s used a lot, despite the original page not existing anymore.
PC Mall
Computers through Facebook.
Penguin Books
Nicely cornering the book market, Penguin seems to be the only publisher operating on Facebook this way.
Pizza Hut (UK)
Lots of different offers for Pizza Hut. Although this ultimately loops to their website, users can login using Facebook access.
Realgifts
Buy small gifts for friends and family through Facebook.
Schuh
The shoe shop giant has a Facebook store for its customers.
Sears
Following the lead of a number of large retailers experimenting with f-commerce, Sears gives users the ability to buy gift vouchers.
Shop Now USA
The small Australian shop is offering American brands.
Starbucks UK
Acting as a trigger for purchases offline, Stabucks sends users an SMS message to remind them about coffee happy hour.
Summit Brands
Lots of household goods on offer.
Superdry
Superdry has a nice little interactive product feed of their new products.
Surropa
The Latin fashion store seems to have realised the popularity of Facebook amongst its demographic.
Taylor Swift
Social shopping from the TSwift Store.

Ted Baker
The UK fashion brand has a slick-looking Facebook shop.
The Beatles UK
The fab four are still selling strong.
The Beatles USA
The Beatles also prove their popularity in the USA.
The Hut
Games, clothes and more. The Hut has it all.
TheNerds.net
Electronics from the nerds.
Thorntons
The established UK chocolatier also sells its wares online.
Threadless
It’s no surprise that the awesome Threadless has a Facebook shop.
Ticketfly
Ticketfly found that Facebook refers roughly 9% of their customers and the company has seen huge jumps in profit since their activity began.
Tiger Direct
The computer and electronics superstore also has an f-commerce offering.
Trump Hotels
Check availability and reserve or book online with the Trump Hotel Collection.
Urban Outfitters
The US fashion company appears to be finding its f-commerce feet.
Vann’s
The audio and video store also ensure that stock is available through Facebook.

Vans
The sports brand ensures that fans can purchase shoes through its f-commerce shop.
Victoria’s Secret
The lingerie company offers gift cards through its Facebook brand page.
Virgin Trains
Book tickets in advance through Virgin’s Facebook store.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen ran a smart PR campaign, where the more “likes” received, saw the price of a car get lower.
W Hotels
The luxury hotel brand recently ran a group-buy campaign exclusively on Facebook.
Walmart
Hot on the heels of W Hotels, Walmart has also run group-purchasing campaigns over the past few monthsthrough it’s CrowdSaver app.
Warehouse Skateboards
Skateboard f-commerce store.
Warner Brothers
Warner has experimented a lot with Facebook, but notably is their setup which allows you to purchase and download the Dark Knight directly through the platform.
Wet Seal
The teen clothing store reported that 20% of their e-commerce sales come from Facebook-referred traffic.
Zavvi
Zavvi might now be off the high street, but it’s still very much online.
Via: http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/7540-101-f-commerce-examples
New TV and social media trend among the youth – study
Posted: March 10, 2011 in Digital Trends, Industry News, Marketing, Media & Entertainment, Mobile Industry News, Mobile Social Media, Social Media, TelevisionTags: Digital Clarity, Facebook, Howard Stern, Private Parts, Social Media Trends, Social television, television, Twitter, United States
Young Britons have taken to a new television and social media trend which could have far-reaching consequences for the worlds of broadcasting and advertising, according to a new study.Skip related content
Specialist digital marketing agency Digital Clarity (http://www.digital-clarity.com) on Tuesday published a survey of 1,300 mobile internet users below the age of 25 which showed that most use a mobile device to talk to friends about the show they are watching.
The Social TV trend exposed by the study could change the landscape for broadcasters and advertisers chasing youthful eye for on-screen attention, Digital Clarity said in a statement.
Eight out of 10 respondents to the poll said they used Twitter, Facebook or other mobile applications to actively comment on shows and chat with their friends as they watch.
“Up until 12 months ago, TV was struggling to reach the younger market as more and more channels were becoming available,” Digital Clarity founder Reggie James said. “Social TV has changed this completely by turning programmes into online events where you have to watch them as they happen.”
The significance of Social TV is not lost on the television networks which have found themselves with a new marketplace and a different pitch for advertisers, Digital Clarity said.
A joint Nielsen and Yahoo study in the United States last year found that the trend was already well established across the Atlantic with over 86 percent of mobile internet users choosing to communicate with each other in real time during broadcasts, Digital Clarity said.
Last month, the U.S. HBO channel re-ran the Howard Stern film “Private Parts” with Stern simultaneously providing live commentary, which resulted in ratings far higher than could have been forecast for a 14-year-old movie.
Now second screening, as it is referred to in the United States, has become commonplace in Britain too.
“The audience have already taken their seats and are ready to join the conversation,” James said. “It’s now up to the TV companies to tap into this huge and lucrative market.”
One of the key findings of the study was that Social TV is popular because it allows young people to instantly comment on their favourite shows to friends in different locations via the web or mobile phones.
Survey respondent and 20-year-old student Ashleigh Foulser said he loves being able to keep in touch this way with his friends while he is away from home at college.
“They are in different towns to me but it’s like having them round to watch TV,” he said. “We share a lot of jokes and if I comment on something funny or stupid I get replies almost immediately.”
The British survey discovered that the most common way to communicate is to use Twitter (72 percent), followed by Facebook (56 percent) and mobile applications (34 percent), while 62 percent of Social TV users like a combination of all three.
The study found that 34 percent of respondents described the trend as “fun,” 32 percent said it made television “more interesting” with 42 percent mentioned the “community” aspect of Social TV.
Certain shows such as “X-Factor,” “Skins,” “Glee,” as well as soap operas “Coronation Street” and “Eastenders” are particularly popular in Britain generating very high Twitter traffic and Facebook messages as they are broadcast.
(Reporting by Paul Casciato, editing by Patricia Reaney)
Via: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20110308/ttc-oukin-uk-digital-social-tv-fe50bdd.html
INFO Porn Facebook Data Graph
Posted: January 14, 2011 in Media & Entertainment, Social Media, Social NetworkingTags: Facebook, social media, Social Media Statistics
Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Outlook 2011
Posted: January 13, 2011 in Augmented Reality, Customer Relationship Marketing, Digital Marketing, Digital Trends, Industry News, Information communications technology, Location Based Services, M-Commerce, Marketing, Media & Entertainment, Mobile Ad Networks, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Applications, mobile banking, Mobile Gaming, Mobile Handsets, Mobile Industry News, Mobile Internet, Mobile Phones, Mobile Platforms, Mobile Search, Mobile SEM, Mobile Social Media, Mobile Social networking, Mobile Technology, Mobile TV, Multichannel Marketing, Performance Advertising, Publishing, Publishing Industry, Search, Search Marketing, SEM, SEO, Social Media, Social Networking, Strategy and PlanningTags: App store, Apple, Apple App Store, Facebook, Google, ipad, mobile commerce, Mobile Trends 2011, Research in motion
Posted By ] Mickey Alam Khan
Please click here to download Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Outlook 2011

The outlook for mobile advertising, marketing and media is dynamite, backed by firepower from Apple, Google, Microsoft, Research In Motion and an array of retailers and brands that get it.
While projections on mobile advertising still can’t be trusted – safe to say that brands will spend more than $1 billion on display, rich media, search and text ads – one thing can be said for sure: 2011 is mobile’s year to lose.
As editors and reporters Giselle Tsirulnik, Dan Butcher and Rimma Kats so ably demonstrate in Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Outlook 2011, all facets of mobile marketing are gaining currency with brands, ad agencies, publishers and retailers. Thank-you to them for this Classic Guide that should be read cover to cover.
Of course, for all the enthusiasm about mobile, budgets are still not where they need to be.
After all, it is expected that sometime this year or next, one out of two subscribers nationwide will have smartphones enabled with Internet and applications. Just imagine how that will change consumption of content and marketing, communications and conduct of commerce.
Marketers will get religion. As reported daily in Mobile Marketer and sibling publication Mobile Commerce Daily, the nation’s leading brands are now increasingly bringing mobile to the front of the bus.
Marketing needs to be where consumers are, and consumers are on conducting much of their work, play and personal lives on mobile devices, be it phones or tablets.
So here are some trends and influencing brands seen from this perch in mobile and the overall digital space:
Social networking: Facebook will cross 700 million users. While social networking is now ingrained communications behavior, the jury’s still out on Facebook’s ability to monetize. It is hard to see a networking audience buy from a store on Facebook, but who knows?
Moreover, Facebook still relies on a 1990s revenue model: clicks on banner ads next to user-generated content. And how to monetize the Like feature when brands are already using it and launching Facebook pages to great success – for free?
In the mobile context, around 200 million Facebook users use the service on their mobile phone. Facebook hasn’t shown how it can monetize mobile when eventually in three years or so mobile will be the primary form of social-networking access.
Privacy: A Do Not Track law may not harm mobile as much as online since it is hard to cookie mobile sites. But marketers do collect data via applications, especially the app stores. What will such legislation from the Federal Trade Commission mean for mobile advertising and database marketing?
Silence from mobile marketers in the privacy area may mean consent to straitjacketing mobile advertising and marketing to a point where neither the consumer nor the marketer benefits. Speak up and speak now.
Apple dominates: Does Steve Jobs ever rest? Expect Apple to dominate the airwaves, newsprint and online chatter with a new version of the iPad tablet, an iPhone for another wireless carrier besides AT&T and milestones achieved in applications – a half-million sometime this year.
Of course, banish the thought that Apple will share application usage and deletion data on an aggregate basis or that it will lower its 30 percent take from revenue generated in the Apple App Store. Flash on mobile devices? Not on Mr. Jobs’ watch.
Google dazzles with numbers: Google will dangle stats on the number of Android-supported mobile phones and devices and how it surpasses any other smartphone platform. Well, if only those numbers could be monetized.
Google has yet to show how it will monetize its mobile offerings, aside from display ad revenue derived from the AdMob mobile ad network purchase last year.
Indeed, Google’s danger is that these new mobile ventures are still backed by a company whose primary source of revenue is search engine marketing on the traditional Web – how 1998. And what happens when all search activity migrates to mobile – can Google support its 20,000-plus engineers on mobile revenue?
Oh, and what if Facebook launches its own search engine within the new walled garden?
Research In Motion plays catch-up: The BlackBerry maker just cannot articulate what it stands for and why new customers should buy its devices over Apple’s or Android’s. How long before Apple and Google crack the enterprise market?
Microsoft – spend now: Please buy a mobile advertising or mobile commerce company – or Research In Motion. Microsoft cannot let Apple and Google divvy up the mobile field between them.
Tablet remedy: Sorry, the category belongs to the Apple iPad. It’s not just the device, it’s the experience and the applications and the marketing and the buzz and Mr. Jobs. What does Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Research In Motion’s PlayBook have over the iPad? A smaller screen, Flash and faster Internet? Wait till iPad 2 is out.
Mobile commerce boom: This year and the years ahead belong to mobile commerce. All retailers must have mobile commerce sites and applications. To not have a mobile presence is to lose a customer, once and for all.
Mobile Web: Betting long on mobile Web. Mobile sites will be a requirement, while applications will remain a preference.
Amazon: The world’s largest online retailer is set to change the world of retail. Its mobile application and site are a Trojan horse in a retailer’s store. Expect more consumers to use Amazon’s mobile presence to search and compare prices while at a rival retailer’s store. A race to the bottom for offline retail? Perhaps.
EBay bids for success: The world’s No. 1 mobile retailer will hold on to its title. Eventually, most eBay transactions will close on mobile. The one online-only retailer, along with Amazon, that has got mobile right.
Publishers: A mobile presence will not save publishing, but it’ll be a must. The biggest dilemma will continue: how to monetize mobile readership? Mobile ad revenue will not suffice. And consumers have shown a marked reluctance to pay for news content online or on mobile – bar The Wall Street Journal, Consumer Reports and the Financial Times.
The mobile editions will sooner or later cannibalize online and print. Publishers are running out of time to come up with new ideas. Tip: ditch print, stick to online and mobile, cut overhead and stay lean and mean. But knowing publishers, these steps will be forced on them.
Mobile advertising: Agencies need to bundle mobile buys with online. Don’t discount mobile. Mobile ads – banners, rich media, search, SMS, voice and sponsorships – will boom with more inventory becoming available.
Fragmentation: Here to stay. Live with it – disparate operating systems, browsers, screens, units, phones and devices and app stores. No solution in sight, so why worry? It is what it is.
People to keep an eye on: Steve Jobs, Marc Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Angry Birds.
Mickey Alam Khan
mickey@napean.com
Please click here to download Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Outlook 2011
Via: http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/classic-guides/8770.html
10 Marketing Trends for 2011
Posted: January 13, 2011 in Content management, Digital Marketing, Digital Trends, Internet, Marketing, Media & Entertainment, Multichannel Marketing, Online, Social Media, Strategy and PlanningTags: Business, LinkedIn, Marketing, Mobile marketing, Small business, social media, Spredfast, Twitter
As the global economy struggles to correct itself, and social-media marketing becomes a strategic imperative, small businesses will have exciting opportunities to expand in new directions this year.
The need for trust, value and brand transparency, among other trends from last year, are just as important today. But the current shift to geotargeting, mobile marketing and online reputation management require that small businesses modify their plans to surpass competitors.
Here are 10 marketing trends that small businesses should incorporate now to be positioned for success from the start.
- Building reliable brand advocates. The idea that you need tens of thousands of Twitter followers, blog subscribers, LinkedIn connections and Facebook friends to build your business via social media is dead. Quality connections with those who are loyal to the business and the brand are far more helpful to spread your message than large groups of connections who disappear after the first interaction.
- Excelling in one area rather than being all things to all people. This will be a year for small businesses to focus on their unique niches and position themselves as the definitive source for information, products and services related to the specific places in the markets where they operate.
- Creating quality content as a viable marketing tool. Social media marketing and content marketing go hand-in-hand, and this is the year businesses will create useful content that adds value to the online conversation and to people’s lives. The Web is a cluttered place. Amazing content is essential to break through the noise.
- Moving more marketing dollars to social media. Statistics show that large and small companies are shifting budget dollars to social media and other digital marketing initiatives and away from print and radio advertising. Consumers spend more time online than ever and to reach them and stay competitive, small businesses need to have a presence on the social Web.
- Tracking brand reputations on the social Web in greater detail.Social media has given consumers a large platform to voice their opinions, and small-business owners are realizing the importance of actively monitoring their reputation on the Web. With dashboards and social media aggregators like Hootsuite and Spredfast, it’s easier than ever for small businesses to develop, nurture and track their stature online .
- Increase in branded online experiences to meet diverse consumer needs. Simply having a Twitter account or Facebook page isn’t enough this year. Small businesses must surround consumers with branded online destinations such as a blog, LinkedIn profile, YouTube channel, Flickrprofile and so on. Consumers can then pick and choose how they want to interact with your brand. Of course, quality trumps quantity, so extending a brand across the social Web must be done strategically to maximize opportunities without compromising content and communications.
- Pursuing mobile marketing. There is absolutely no doubt this is the year of mobile marketing. While still in its infancy, it is the marketing imperative of the future. With mobile advertising, branded mobile apps and mobile marketing apps like Foursquare, consumers will expect businesses to have a mobile presence in 2011.
- Geotargeting and localized marketing will become a top priority.Local discount websites like Groupon and local review sites like Yelp make it easy for consumers to find deals and reviews about businesses in their neighborhoods and beyond. Creating targeted, local marketing campaigns using these popular tools will become the norm this year.
- Accepting that silo marketing is ineffective. Offline, online and mobile marketing initiatives create an opportunity to lead consumers from one message to another by integrating those strategies. You can drive a significantly higher return on investment by cross-promoting branded online destinations, discounts, contests and events.
- Co-marketing to boost returns and lower marketing costs. The economy is still struggling, which means small businesses can benefit from economies of scale by partnering with complementary businesses todevelop co-marketing programs in 2011. Promotional partnerships not only lead to reduced costs but also can lead to increased exposure to new audiences.
This year, all businesses will be experimenting with a variety of online, localized and mobile marketing initiatives. Remember, even if you’re not leveraging marketing trends and opportunities, your competitors are.
INFO Graph – How are mobile phones changing Social Media
Posted: January 11, 2011 in Digital Marketing, Digital Trends, Industry News, Media & Entertainment, Mobile Industry News, Mobile Internet, Mobile Social Media, Mobile Social networking, Social Media, Social NetworkingTags: Facebook, mobile statistics, mobile trends, MySpace, social media, Twitter







