Screens or Leans?

September 15, 2012 Leave a comment

Is it a multi screen world?  Or is the issue really about leaning back versus leaning in?Interactive TV or multi screen interaction... which is our ad future?

Google/IPSOS/Sterling just released the latest look at screen activity and their info graphic reveals that 77% of the times that viewers watch TV they are using another screen at the same time.  49% report a smart phone and 34% report a pc/laptop.

At the same time, cable companies like my own (Comcast Spotlight) continue to find success on the TV screen itself with Interactive TV.  Using their remote consumers can navigate into additional information screens and/or video or request for more information (RFI) or even respond to polls. A 2011 IAB study shows very promising results with definitive brand lift and response rate.

Debate ensues regarding these two paths of interactivity are now available to the TV advertiser; multiple screen (TV plus other smartphone/pc/laptop/tablet) impact or just the TV screen itself.  Question is; which path offers advertisers the most potential? That answer may lie in the consumption experience of audience.

TV is often characterized as a “lean back” experience.  Picture the viewer relaxed, leaning back on the couch, feet up on the ottoman or coffee table with the remote in his/her outstretched hand. On the other hand the internet is more of a “lean in” media with the user pictured leaning forward, engaged in the screen as they micro manage the control of the screen.

Leaning back, or leaning in.  One screen or two screens? Both experiences are interactive.  Which is the best option going forward?

To be continued….

Filed under Digital, Mobile, TV Tagged with , , , ,

Marketing YOU in 3 steps

August 29, 2012 1 Comment

1 in 9 HR pros are likely to search your nameHave you searched your own name lately?   91% of human resource professionals reported screening their candidates with social networking according to a recent Reppler study .  What this means to today’s professional is that you need to actively manage your online persona.  How you look online – the results that are pulled up when you search your name – could win or lose your next job.

The three best tools to develop your own marketing campaign are LinkedIn and Twitter and  WordPress.  All three are free, simple to use and offer helpful online tutorials.  Once you build these out, they will likely become the top three search engine returns when anyone searches your name.

1. Your LinkedIn profile is much more than an online resume. It provides a multidimensional view of you that no piece of paper can replicate.  Choose a professional picture, add the latest books that you have read in your field and connect to people in your field.  LinkedIn is often the first stop for recruiters searching potential employees.

2. Twitter is a revealing look at who you surround yourself with professionally.  Your posts, and the Twitter feeds you follow need to be relevant to your business.

3.  Create a blog.  Writing and communication skills are extremely important to employers.  What better way to prove you have those skills than to create a blog?  WordPress is a free and simple blog template site that makes a first timer look like a pro!  Plan on writing about something related to your profession at least once a week.

Like any marketing campaign you’ll want to build your image strategically.  Make sure you know your intended audience and keep your profile and postings relevant to that audience.

The current employment climate makes everyone a free agent in a very competitive economy.   Use these online tools to build your brand and proactively market yourself to employers and your profession.

Filed under Digital, Marketing, SocialMedia Tagged with , , ,

Virtual to augmented reality eye openers

August 14, 2012 Leave a comment

Eye opening augmented reality - the future of ad inventory?The quickening speed of technology development adoption breeds constant speculation about the future of media.  Virtual to augmented reality is a likely trend given that the advertising business model reigns supreme.

First, consider virtual reality.  It’s a great match with our need to create more inventory to support the advertising revenue stream.  Most commonly connected with the creation of ad modules in mediated sports ( like billboards that appear on TV but not on the football field in reality), virtual reality ads can significantly multiply screen exposures.  Here’s a short example of virtual ads from ADvision – ranging from the subtle billboard style to the more ostentatious and invasive example of a beverage bottle erupting from center field.

Now fast forward to an anticipation of augmented reality that has gained momentum from Google’s Project Glass.  The development of these glasses brings into focus a world that increasingly could be augmented.   There are obviously vast implications of a world where people walk around in their own virtual shell.  One of them is  the use of this augmented reality as ad inventory.  Quoted in this NYT article William Brinker,  graduate director of computer science and software engineering department at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio notes  “…it’s also going to change real-world advertising, where companies can virtually place ads over other people’s ads…”  Or place ads and content where there is none in the real world.

This Fast Company article features a film that is as startling in its depiction of augmentation as it is illuminating regarding visual augmentation’s impact.

From virtual advertising to augmented advertising – technology and the permanence of the advertising business model mean we need to keep our eyes open!

Room for discussion:

Virtual reality is primarily being used in the world of sports.  What are some other entertainment applications?

Filed under Digital, Marketing, Sports, TV Tagged with , , , ,

Sex versus Smartphone: How well do marketers really know women?

May 15, 2012 Leave a comment

Shifts in women's lifestyles lead to notable shifts in technology adoptionSmartphone wins.  That is the answer given by 400 “influential” women in a survey  (conducted by Ginger Consulting as reported in Adweek 4/23/12)  that asked “What can’t you go without for 30 days?”.  As a matter of fact 41% said they couldn’t do without their smartphone versus only 4% opting to do without sex.

Okay, so this is low hanging fruit in terms of catchy survey stuff.  But it does underscore lifestyle shifts in women that marketers need to pay attention to such as the decline and/or delay in marriage which is also accompanied by a shift to later-life child rearing.     Adweek’s Women’s Issue profile of three generations of women; the Indie Woman (28-34), the Mom Achiever (35-45) and the Alpha Goddess  (55-64) tries to connect the dots in these lifestyles changes  to shifts in the way women are using technology.

The millennial Indie Woman is easily identified and accepted as a strong user of technology. “Her virtual image is as important to her as her real-world one” is the quote Adweek uses to describe this independent career focused lifestyle.

The real surprise comes from the older two lifestyles; the Mom Achiever and the Alpha Goddess are both much more likely to be technologically proficient than previously thought. The Mom Achiever users technology to gain some control over their busy work and childcare roles.  Their kid’s technology habits actually influence them to use the latest more recent media.

The 55-64 year old may be the biggest shocker of all with a current smartphone penetration of 30%.  In this same Adweek issue Forrester Research is noted as observing that “women 55-65 spend about the same on consumer electronics as a typical Gen Y-er..”.

Shift happens in lifestyles and the outcomes increasingly are demonstrated in technology use.  Keeping connected to consumer research is critical in making the right technology and media decisions.   Marketers need to continually monitor this kind of research to stay relevant and impactful.

Room for discussion:

How do these trends affect marketing plans?  Where in the marketing planning do you take these trends into consideration? Compare and contrast the effects on a Children’s Science Center marketing plan versus the plans of the Symphony.

Filed under Digital, Marketing, Mobile, SocialMedia Tagged with , ,

Man hours versus metrics

April 24, 2012 Leave a comment

Marketing's online data diving; a delicate balance of benefits versus timeThe good news is that the internet provides ample data for measuring entertainment marketing success.  The bad news is the same.  Data – scads of it, can drown a marketer (and even an experienced researcher) as they make infinite dives into metrics that can end up alternately with game changing discoveries, minor improvements or just an inactionable dead end.  Therein is arguably one the biggest challenges facing today’s marketers –that of achieving the fine balance of man-hours to metrics.

Enter the next stage of making analytics simple and functional.  An emerging industry of simplified analytics is personified by  Splunk named appropriately for the phonetics cousin “spelunking” or cave diving.  Only now it’s data mining!   Splunk’s success is glaringly evident by the reported $3 Billion IPO achieved this month.  They are a poster child for the natural progression of simplification that we have seen repeated over and over again on the web.

As exciting as this trend may be, it still is not a feasible fix for the smaller companies that struggle even with the free helpful hand of Google Analytics and/or easy graphic nature of Facebook Insights.   The reality is that in a small to medium size company the successful use of this data is more than likely driven by the self discipline of the marketer crunching the analytics.  So for now, until a Splunk like option is affordable, marketers need to set realistic metric analysis goals that are actionable.  Page views, bounce rates, in page content analysis are simple metric checks that can provide ample direction.  When man hours are tight, a good disciplined metric analysis strategy is critical.

Room for discussion:

Choose a local entertainment company.  Discuss and identify the essential analytics to be followed for an average  1) website  2) facebook page.   What actionable information will be created?  How often should this be reviewed?  How many hours per week/month should/would this take?

 

Filed under Content Development, Digital, Marketing, SocialMedia Tagged with , ,

Digital downloads break records in 2011

February 7, 2012 Leave a comment

2011 marks a passing of at least two digital downloading landmarks; for the first time consumers were found to outspend hard copies in digital downloads in both music and books. 

Internet retailer cites Nielsen Co. and Billboard as sources showing that consumer’s digital music purchases outspent what they bought in hard music by a small but decisive margin of less than one percent.  The strong growth of 8% in music digital sales doesn’t mean that the loss in hard sales was completely offset.  Although the subscription growth in services of Spotify and Pandora muddy the total music measurement waters, industry pros continue to be cautiously optimistic that the digital gains will continue to grow to offset the hard cost losses.

In print publishing 2011 was the year when first Amazon and then Barnes and Nobles reported their respective digital products outselling the hard covers.  January 2012 saw a significant surge in ebooks  sales as holiday e-reader gifts were activated and consumers began to download to their new digital devices.

These music and book increases continue to be driven by digital delivery development.  2012 is likely to be a year where there is less anxiety about digital cannibalism and more concern about device developments to fuel the download growth

Room for Discussion

What do you think will be the long term implications of continued digital download growth for the music and book industry.  What competitive partnerships can you see growing from this trend?

Filed under Digital, Music Tagged with , , , , , ,

Wagging the video long tail

January 10, 2012 Leave a comment

The recent release of Deloitte’s “The State of Media Democracy”  underscores the speed of the long tail development in a vidVideo long tail of content variety and time flexibilityeo world increasingly dominated by digital.    Continually the data drives the point home that consumers are not shedding a particular channel as much as they are moving towards channels that provide a greater variety of content and flexibility of timing.

Phil Asmundson, vice chairman and U.S. media & telecommunications sector leader at Deloitte LLP notes: “Consumers may be watching fewer television shows and movies on TV, or reading fewer physical copies of books and newspapers, but they have not stopped consuming the content. They are simply watching or reading on different media or platforms.”

A look at digital content transformation from the perspective of the delivery channel charts a dramatically similar long tail progression.  Each new channel grows in strength by offering the consumer more in variety or time flexibility or both.

Flexibility translated into a more variety of content for consumers as a terrified TV industry quaked and then profited with the growth of cable and satellite delivery.  Unchained from the limitations of linear time DVD and Pay per View (PPV) found the next toe hold.  And finally, streaming video is the ultimate in offering the largest scope of content at the most convenient time for the consumer.

“The State of the Media Democracy” reports that streaming adoption is dramatic; “As recently as 2009, only 28 percent of Americans reported streaming a movie; today, 42 percent report streaming.”

While manufacturers battle to develop hardware and operating systems to feed the huge digital appetite, consumer’s speed of digital content adoption remains unchecked. All industry eyes are on this week’s Consumer Electronics Show may show us the next growing channel that will offer even more variety and deliver it whenever or wherever the consumer wants.

Room for Discussion

Each January  the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) showcases the latest greatest innovations in technology.  What will be the latest innovation to video?  Follow what’s going on at  The 2012 CES website .   Are there any game changing disrupters that you see will change the video landscape?

Filed under Digital, TV Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Connected from birth to death

November 30, 2011 Leave a comment

A “need” that’s nurtured from birth:  That seems to be a fair characterization of connectivity and the related hardware in America.

Every 4 seconds 1 baby is born and 15 mobile phones are sold

A recent study showed that every 4 seconds 1 baby is born and 15 mobile phones are sold.

The entertainment marketer’s Holy Grail is for their product/content to be classified by the consumer as a “need”.  When something becomes a “need” to a consumer they put it higher up on the priority list than the “want”.  A “need” gets bought in hard times.  A “want” can be sacrificed.

Ad Age’s latest feature: “New necessities: What consumers can’t live without”underscores the elevation of connectivity to a “need”.  While apparel, transportation and food dollars have declined (according to the BLS)the one category that stands out as increasing is “Computer Information Services” .     In the same article Leo Burnett’s study of the essential versus non essentials puts mobile phone service in a strong “need” position.

Common Sense Media has released research showing among other things that “Half (52%) of all children now have access to one of the newer mobile devices at home: either a smart phone (41%), a video iPod (21%), or an iPad or other tablet device (8%)…In a typical day, 11% of all 0- to 8-year olds use a cell phone, iPod, iPad, or similar device for media consumption, and those who do spend an average of :43 doing so.”

Connected?  It’s a growing “need” in the population.  From youth on out we are building and supporting that “need” with affordable media.  It’s this climate where entertainment marketers must continue to connect to the “need”  and support the stream of connectivity with relevant content.

Filed under Digital, Mobile Tagged with , , , , , ,

Holiday tablet sales on fire

November 22, 2011 Leave a comment

Entertainment technology is battling it out this holiday season and the Fire looks to be the preliminary cost/content winner – particularly for the 99%!  Here’s what the real issue is; content.  To get in the game you’ll ante up for the hardware.  In the long run the question is more content related. Which device brings you the largest variety of apps, video, books and more?  I bet on Amazon.Holiday tablet competition may be decided on content availability and price.

 Amazon is priced with an eye to the consumer’s ongoing recession frugality. How much money are you going to spend this holiday?  If you are like the average shopper it will be a little over $700 according to the National Retail Federation.  Plus, you’ll spend a little bit on yourself… about $130.  At these numbers there isn’t much of an opportunity to buy yourself a Nook (about $249) or the Apple iPad 2 (about $500). 

The  Kindle Fire is positioned as the less costly tablet option at about $199.  Beyond that low intro price is the power of the Amazon content library.  Setup for Amazon’s content options in music, video and books is very clean with lots of a la carte options rentals and sales. The Amazon Prime “membership” of $79 is inclusive of video and library selections and has the advantage of also covering shipping if you are buying holiday gifts from Amazon. Of course there are many other ways of comparing the tablets including wi-fi options, memory, battery capability and so forth.    For an uncomplicated and easy overview of the Fire and Nook, check out USA Today’s Ed Baig.

Content is the driving force for consumer tablet purchase.  Amazon has the content options and the price to meet the current market demands.

Filed under Digital, Mobile Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Content Packaging for 2012 Holidays

November 8, 2011 Leave a comment

November is full of content announcements that mean consumers will have some interesting gift giving for the holidays!  Recent announcements by several major players underscore the myriad of options yet to come in content monetization.

Content Gifting for the Holidays brings Lots of Choices

Content for the 2012 holidays- in all kinds of packages

You Tube looks to become more like your local cable company with their talk about multiple channels.  The most recent announcement of a Disney partnership speaks to their efforts to create professional targeted content channels

In a move that signals their view of broadband as a critical content conduit, Charter Communications is reported by Multichannel News to connect subscribers to popular free online video.  The description given explains “…Charter.net will provide embedded playback of Hulu’s free-to-consumer content, alongside its own authenticated video services…   The website also displays listings from Charter’s linear TV and VOD services with information on how to access that content on TV.”  It’s a marriage of unlikely bedfellows that acknowledges the consumer desire to navigate ALL video content in one place.

Amazon continues to break out surprising bundles that mimic and potentially exceed the current cable content options.  Amazon Prime just added a library of Kindles books to their free standard shipping and select video streaming package.  This along with the reasonably priced Kindle Fire tablet could prove to be the break out holiday gift for 2012.

All good.  All mean competition and positive packaging for the consumer.  The Long Tail of content options just gets longer.

 

Filed under Content Development, Digital, TV Tagged with , , , , ,

← Older posts

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.