As you may know, I have been teaching an Interactive Concepting class at the Miami Ad School. It has been a wonderful experience teaching students about the digital medium and helping them understand the role it plays in helping a brand sell product, build their brand, etc.
Over the past seven weeks with this new class, I have been pleasantly surprised and excited with the level of creativity and understanding of digital. Widgets, social media, rich media, mobile and emerging media are all in the forefront of their thinking and require very little discussion.
This level of understanding of the digital medium, along with the knowledge of how to integrate traditional communications is rare these days; especially from more experienced creative teams who are hesitant to dabble in digital. I guess change is scary for some.
This latest class has me excited for the future. I can't wait to see this new generation join the workforce and begin shaping the way agencies develop fully integrated marketing solutions.
Thoughts?
- Chris
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Another Friday Ride
Friday's typically start out rough.... You see, I ride my bike on Friday mornings as part of my weekly training routine. It's not that the ride is hard, but it means that I have to get up at 3:45AM. I typically get up at 4:30AM, which is already way too early. So, losing those precious 45 minutes take its toll.
Feel sorry for me? You shouldn't. While it is tough getting up and I bitch about it for the first 10 minutes of waking up, I absolutely love Friday mornings. Riding with my wife across the Golden Gate Bridge, down to Sausalito, over to Mill Valley and back is absolutely amazing. The views of the bridge, the freedom of riding without cars on the road, the sunrise over the hills of the East Bay. I love it.
This morning's ride over the bridge. Amazing!
Feel sorry for me? You shouldn't. While it is tough getting up and I bitch about it for the first 10 minutes of waking up, I absolutely love Friday mornings. Riding with my wife across the Golden Gate Bridge, down to Sausalito, over to Mill Valley and back is absolutely amazing. The views of the bridge, the freedom of riding without cars on the road, the sunrise over the hills of the East Bay. I love it.
This morning's ride over the bridge. Amazing!More Brands Seeing ROI w/ Digital
Yesterday I blogged about how two established hotel brands have seen tremendous growth by investing in existing and new digital channels. Mobile, display, etc. It seems that other well-known, trusted brands are seeing similar success within the digital channel. And, not only are they seeing success, but they are also increasing their marketing spends within the channel to support the brand and take advantage of competitors who are going into hiding.
According to Ian Friendly of General Mills, they have "been diverting funds online, driving traffic to recipe sites such as BettyCrocker.com. The company's cooking sites had about 8 million visitors last month. General Mills also recently launched a free Betty Crocker iPhone application, which offers meal suggestions based on what's in a consumer's pantry. We are seeing very high returns from digital than broadcast," Mr. Friendly said, declining to give the percentage of spending that's moved online. "It's not that our TV ads don't work, but when you're watching TV you're doing it for a different reason. When you go to a website you have a very specific purpose."
Again, I am not advocating shifting 100% of a brand's marketing spend to digital, but this is now a second strong argument for a brand to evaluate their media spend and explore shifting dollars to mediums that can prove high levels of ROI.
Thoughts?
- Chris
According to Ian Friendly of General Mills, they have "been diverting funds online, driving traffic to recipe sites such as BettyCrocker.com. The company's cooking sites had about 8 million visitors last month. General Mills also recently launched a free Betty Crocker iPhone application, which offers meal suggestions based on what's in a consumer's pantry. We are seeing very high returns from digital than broadcast," Mr. Friendly said, declining to give the percentage of spending that's moved online. "It's not that our TV ads don't work, but when you're watching TV you're doing it for a different reason. When you go to a website you have a very specific purpose."
Again, I am not advocating shifting 100% of a brand's marketing spend to digital, but this is now a second strong argument for a brand to evaluate their media spend and explore shifting dollars to mediums that can prove high levels of ROI.
Thoughts?
- Chris
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Shift Dollars to Digital?
Before we begin, let's put aside the argument about the merits of brands cutting their marketing budget in our current economic climate. This argument is already going on in every industry rag, news program, etc. We don't need to hash it out here. Agreed? Plus, this is not about cutting, rather shifting budgets to help bolster the bottom line. Now, doesn't that feel better?
AdAge recently reported that "Marriott Mobile generated $2 million in gross revenue between its August 2008 launch and the end of the year." and "Hilton's mobile channel has generated a 22% return on investment for the brand."
Wow, this news has me excited! But, what surprises me even more is the fact that these brands have not placed much, if any, focus on promoting their mobile websites. So, why/how are consumers finding and using them? One word.... Convenience. Obviously, these brands saw an opportunity and invested in a mobile site knowing that there was an opportunity with stranded travelers looking to easily book a hotel room once their flight was delayed. For other brands, it's a different story. But, it does prove the point that investing in emerging media can really pay off.
For me, this all points to the need for brands to focus portions of their budgets on emerging media, which can mean different things to different people. If there is an opportunity, it's time to take a risk and try something new. And, Chris LaRose from Hilton agrees. "We're seeing in general is a shift to ... digital across the board. The rate of return that we're seeing in online campaigns is much more favorable than what we've seen historically in print."
Before you jump to conclusions, I am not advocating that brands stop spending on traditional forms of communication (TV, Print, OOH, etc). But, I am saying that brands need to continue, or begin, looking at other mediums that can be accountable and produce the type of ROI that is needed during these tough times. For some, this may be mobile; for others is may be email marketing, display, SEM, SEO, etc.
Where is the opportunity for your brand?
- Chris
AdAge recently reported that "Marriott Mobile generated $2 million in gross revenue between its August 2008 launch and the end of the year." and "Hilton's mobile channel has generated a 22% return on investment for the brand."
Wow, this news has me excited! But, what surprises me even more is the fact that these brands have not placed much, if any, focus on promoting their mobile websites. So, why/how are consumers finding and using them? One word.... Convenience. Obviously, these brands saw an opportunity and invested in a mobile site knowing that there was an opportunity with stranded travelers looking to easily book a hotel room once their flight was delayed. For other brands, it's a different story. But, it does prove the point that investing in emerging media can really pay off.
For me, this all points to the need for brands to focus portions of their budgets on emerging media, which can mean different things to different people. If there is an opportunity, it's time to take a risk and try something new. And, Chris LaRose from Hilton agrees. "We're seeing in general is a shift to ... digital across the board. The rate of return that we're seeing in online campaigns is much more favorable than what we've seen historically in print."
Before you jump to conclusions, I am not advocating that brands stop spending on traditional forms of communication (TV, Print, OOH, etc). But, I am saying that brands need to continue, or begin, looking at other mediums that can be accountable and produce the type of ROI that is needed during these tough times. For some, this may be mobile; for others is may be email marketing, display, SEM, SEO, etc.
Where is the opportunity for your brand?
- Chris
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Introducing the Firefox "Add-Art" Plugin
A few days ago Firefox introduced a new plug-in that has many in the industry asking questions.
According to the Firefox website, the "Add-Art provides the millions of AdBlockPlus users with an alternative to blank space. Art shows are hand selected by curators of contemporary artists to bring the museum onto your screen and into your everyday activities. We'll bring new art shows to your browser every 2 weeks. Add-Art is partially supported by the New Museum/Rhizome in New York City and provides small stipends for artists and curators for their participation."
Screen Shot:
So far, reactions to the plug-in have been mixed. While some like the "spirit of the program," others believe that it "replaces advertising images with equally irritating images about abuse and political art." Me? As a marketer, I am on the fence for now. I have A LOT of questions about how the plug-in works before I begin jumping to conclusions and worry about the future of display advertising. For example, two of my biggest questions.... Can an ad server recognize that an ad has been blocked? And if so, how will my ad server partner track impressions served vs. blocked?
Putting aside the argument about the market share of Firefox for a moment, I also wonder if this may actually be a catalyst for agencies and brands to produce better display advertising?
Thoughts?
According to the Firefox website, the "Add-Art provides the millions of AdBlockPlus users with an alternative to blank space. Art shows are hand selected by curators of contemporary artists to bring the museum onto your screen and into your everyday activities. We'll bring new art shows to your browser every 2 weeks. Add-Art is partially supported by the New Museum/Rhizome in New York City and provides small stipends for artists and curators for their participation."
Screen Shot:
So far, reactions to the plug-in have been mixed. While some like the "spirit of the program," others believe that it "replaces advertising images with equally irritating images about abuse and political art." Me? As a marketer, I am on the fence for now. I have A LOT of questions about how the plug-in works before I begin jumping to conclusions and worry about the future of display advertising. For example, two of my biggest questions.... Can an ad server recognize that an ad has been blocked? And if so, how will my ad server partner track impressions served vs. blocked?
Putting aside the argument about the market share of Firefox for a moment, I also wonder if this may actually be a catalyst for agencies and brands to produce better display advertising?
Thoughts?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
T-Minus 4 Weeks
It caught me by surprise, but the Way Too Cool 50k ultra trail marathon is coming up in four short weeks. Despite a trip back East, a bout of the flu and some lingering issues with my back, my training has been going pretty well. I am not exactly where I had hoped to be in terms of run volume, but I really can't complain.
This past weekend turned out to be a great weekend of training. Pia and I started with a long ride on Saturday and then followed it up with a 21 mile run up, down and around Mt. Tam on Sunday morning. I can't tell you how much fun it was to run the trails in the rain and mud. Charging through knee-high puddles made me feel like a kid again.
The next three weeks will be critical for us to continue to increase our mileage and get in as much hill work as possible. It should be fun.
- Chris
This past weekend turned out to be a great weekend of training. Pia and I started with a long ride on Saturday and then followed it up with a 21 mile run up, down and around Mt. Tam on Sunday morning. I can't tell you how much fun it was to run the trails in the rain and mud. Charging through knee-high puddles made me feel like a kid again.
The next three weeks will be critical for us to continue to increase our mileage and get in as much hill work as possible. It should be fun.
- Chris
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Growth of Facebook.... Mobile?
With over 220 million users, its hard to argue the Facebook phenomenon. Like many, I started using Facebook with a browser but have now primarily moved to my mobile device. With my iPhone, the Facebook UI is amazingly simple, contains zero advertising (I still can't believe this) and allows me to quickly stay up-to-date with my friends.
Facebook recently reported that 13% of user log-in from their mobile phones. While many brands would consider this a huge success, I actually see this as just the tip of the iceberg. As Facebook establishes relationships with more and more manufacturers (Nokia, Palm, etc.), mobile usage will rise at an even more rapid rate. And, with the Mobile World Congress kicking off in Barcelona next week, I am anxiously waiting to see what news will come out about new Facebook/mobile partnerships.
Anyone have any details?
Facebook recently reported that 13% of user log-in from their mobile phones. While many brands would consider this a huge success, I actually see this as just the tip of the iceberg. As Facebook establishes relationships with more and more manufacturers (Nokia, Palm, etc.), mobile usage will rise at an even more rapid rate. And, with the Mobile World Congress kicking off in Barcelona next week, I am anxiously waiting to see what news will come out about new Facebook/mobile partnerships.
Anyone have any details?
NBA Launches New Facebook Application
According to AdWeek, the NBA just launched a new iPhone application that will allow users to view the All Star game straight from their phone. And, even better, viewers will be able to choose from four different camera angles. Sweeeeeet!
In concept, this applications sounds pretty frickin' amazing. What a great way to extend the reach of the game past a simple TV broadcast. I will be downloading the application and giving it a run this weekend. I won't be holding my breath..... I just hope the execution meets the hype.
To be continued.
In concept, this applications sounds pretty frickin' amazing. What a great way to extend the reach of the game past a simple TV broadcast. I will be downloading the application and giving it a run this weekend. I won't be holding my breath..... I just hope the execution meets the hype.
To be continued.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Engagement Mapping
I recently met with the good folks of Atlas to talk with them about new technologies and methodologies for reporting on my agency's digital marketing efforts. Because of the level accountability offered with digital, I was very interested to hear their thoughts on how we, as agencies, can better use their data to inform our clients ROI.
Right now, the standard in reporting is based on the "Last Ad model." This model attributes 100% of the credit for a conversion to the last ad seen, or clicked on. The problem with this approach is that it ignores the contributions of any previous ad that led the customer down the road to that conversion. So, by placing such a high importance on the last ad, other aspects that support the advertising success are left out of the ROI equation.
Take a look at some existing Research:
- The last click or view typically only accounts for 6 percent of the touchpoints (impressions, clicks, and interactions) between a given advertiser and converters. Said another way, the average converter has a frequency of over 15 to 20 touchpoints.
- Nine out of 10 converters were exposed to ads from the same advertiser across two or more sites.
Based on this research, I am really beginning to question the Last Ad model and becoming a fan of what is called "Engagement Mapping." Engagement Mapping is basically a technology that reveals the entire conversion funnel. So, unlike the Last Ad reporting model, Engagement Mapping tracks all online customer touch points which occurred prior to a user clicking on an ad and making a sale. This is extremely powerful as it gets us away from only looking, and making recommendations, on the Last Ad that was clicked on and gives us a more holistic view of what actually led to the sale being made.
This is even more important when you look at the effect that SEM has on conversion. According to latest research, 72% of all SEM clicks were navigational in nature (i.e., exact-match brand names and URL's). Obviously, the users clicking on these ads must have seen an ad somewhere to get them to type in the exact brand name. By employing Engagement Mapping, we can truly tell our clients the effect of their overall advertising spend, versus what a single ad did for them in driving a sale.
While I don't currently use Atlas as a third-party ad server, I am very interested to see what my current partner offers that will get me the kind of insight that Engagement Mapping promises.
Anyone had experience with this? Thoughts?
- Chris
Right now, the standard in reporting is based on the "Last Ad model." This model attributes 100% of the credit for a conversion to the last ad seen, or clicked on. The problem with this approach is that it ignores the contributions of any previous ad that led the customer down the road to that conversion. So, by placing such a high importance on the last ad, other aspects that support the advertising success are left out of the ROI equation.
Take a look at some existing Research:
- The last click or view typically only accounts for 6 percent of the touchpoints (impressions, clicks, and interactions) between a given advertiser and converters. Said another way, the average converter has a frequency of over 15 to 20 touchpoints.
- Nine out of 10 converters were exposed to ads from the same advertiser across two or more sites.
Based on this research, I am really beginning to question the Last Ad model and becoming a fan of what is called "Engagement Mapping." Engagement Mapping is basically a technology that reveals the entire conversion funnel. So, unlike the Last Ad reporting model, Engagement Mapping tracks all online customer touch points which occurred prior to a user clicking on an ad and making a sale. This is extremely powerful as it gets us away from only looking, and making recommendations, on the Last Ad that was clicked on and gives us a more holistic view of what actually led to the sale being made.
This is even more important when you look at the effect that SEM has on conversion. According to latest research, 72% of all SEM clicks were navigational in nature (i.e., exact-match brand names and URL's). Obviously, the users clicking on these ads must have seen an ad somewhere to get them to type in the exact brand name. By employing Engagement Mapping, we can truly tell our clients the effect of their overall advertising spend, versus what a single ad did for them in driving a sale.
While I don't currently use Atlas as a third-party ad server, I am very interested to see what my current partner offers that will get me the kind of insight that Engagement Mapping promises.
Anyone had experience with this? Thoughts?
- Chris
Monday, February 9, 2009
Facebook Ain't So Safe
Putting aside the phishing issues that have been plaguing Facebook lately, I have been seeing another disturbing trend on Facebook that makes me question just how safe people think Facebook really is. It's the use of status updates declaring "On vacation in Hawaii this week" or "Husband is away and left me alone with kids for the weekend" that baffle me.
Quite frankly, these types of status updates scare the hell out of me. How many people are being victimized because of their seemingly harmless status updates? Listen up people! Broadcasting to the world that your house is empty and ready to be broken into is, simply put, never a smart idea. Making matters worse, I have seen these types of updates from people who I am not friends with. Have you ever clicked a person's name and been entered directly into their profile page, even when you are not their friend? If so, these people most likely have their profile settings set such that anyone in their "network" can view their profile. And, have you looked at your networks recently? One of my networks is "San Francisco, CA." This means that anyone in San Francisco could view my profile (including my status update) if I had my settings set this way. Scary stuff.
So, for the sake of your homes, your families and your family pet; think before you post.
- Chris
Quite frankly, these types of status updates scare the hell out of me. How many people are being victimized because of their seemingly harmless status updates? Listen up people! Broadcasting to the world that your house is empty and ready to be broken into is, simply put, never a smart idea. Making matters worse, I have seen these types of updates from people who I am not friends with. Have you ever clicked a person's name and been entered directly into their profile page, even when you are not their friend? If so, these people most likely have their profile settings set such that anyone in their "network" can view their profile. And, have you looked at your networks recently? One of my networks is "San Francisco, CA." This means that anyone in San Francisco could view my profile (including my status update) if I had my settings set this way. Scary stuff.
So, for the sake of your homes, your families and your family pet; think before you post.
- Chris
Faux-Flash For The iPhone
If you are like me, you have a love/hate relationship with your iPhone. I've always had two main complaints:
1. Can't Copy and Paste
2. No integration of Flash
While I won't be copying and pasting anytime soon, Greystripe (a mobile in-game ad network) may have solved my issue with the iPhone's inability to run Flash. According to AdAge, Greystripe "developed a work-around program that replicates the PC Flash experience on the iPhone." Regardless of what happens with the eventual use of the technology, I am most excited that someone isn't waiting around for Apple to get their house in order.
It even seems that the integration of "faux-Flash," as I like to call it, has enabled Axe Body Spray to produce some pretty amazing resuls.
"Consumer intent to purchase the Axe Detailer, a shower product, rose 15%, to 74% from 59%, after consumers interacted with the game, according to a ComScore survey commissioned by Greystripe. The survey also found that 56% of respondents who interacted with the ad were more likely to purchase the product, vs. 35% who were exposed but did not interact with it. Among those who interacted with the ad, 64% said they felt more positive about the brand after the game experience, vs. 40% who had no interaction with the ad.
- Chris
1. Can't Copy and Paste
2. No integration of Flash
While I won't be copying and pasting anytime soon, Greystripe (a mobile in-game ad network) may have solved my issue with the iPhone's inability to run Flash. According to AdAge, Greystripe "developed a work-around program that replicates the PC Flash experience on the iPhone." Regardless of what happens with the eventual use of the technology, I am most excited that someone isn't waiting around for Apple to get their house in order.
It even seems that the integration of "faux-Flash," as I like to call it, has enabled Axe Body Spray to produce some pretty amazing resuls.
"Consumer intent to purchase the Axe Detailer, a shower product, rose 15%, to 74% from 59%, after consumers interacted with the game, according to a ComScore survey commissioned by Greystripe. The survey also found that 56% of respondents who interacted with the ad were more likely to purchase the product, vs. 35% who were exposed but did not interact with it. Among those who interacted with the ad, 64% said they felt more positive about the brand after the game experience, vs. 40% who had no interaction with the ad.
The "Dirty Night Determinator" promotes a shower product that's a sort of loofah for men. When users click through to the tongue-in-cheek, game-based ad unit, they can use a drop-down menu to determine how "dirty" their night was, and based on that, the game will identify areas on the body that need scrubbing and provide tips on how to clean.
Nearly 4,000 people took part in the effectiveness survey, with 943 falling into the control group, meaning they did not see the ad, and 2,447 in the group that did see the ad. Of the latter, 126 interacted with the game; the rest did not.
The campaign served a total of 3 million impressions, according to Greystripe."
Thoughts? Am I the only one who is excited about this?- Chris
Back On The Grid
Phew, what a week it has been. After a few days back East for a funeral and then a few more days out of commission with a horrible bout of the flu, I am finally back.
During this time, I completely disconnected myself from the grid. No cell phone, no computer, no email, no text, no facebook, nada, nothing. I'll be honest; it was great! Picture this.... not being interrupted during a conversation by a phone call, or never feeling the buzz of a new email message coming from your BlackBerry. Ahh, it was nirvana.
But, now I am back answering emails, posting to my blog, updating my facebook status and returning all the phone calls I missed. The real world is a bitch.
During this time, I completely disconnected myself from the grid. No cell phone, no computer, no email, no text, no facebook, nada, nothing. I'll be honest; it was great! Picture this.... not being interrupted during a conversation by a phone call, or never feeling the buzz of a new email message coming from your BlackBerry. Ahh, it was nirvana.
But, now I am back answering emails, posting to my blog, updating my facebook status and returning all the phone calls I missed. The real world is a bitch.
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