via Warc.com NEW YORK: Companies making the most effective use of digital media typically adopt a distinct set of strategies in areas like mobile, social networking and data analytics, a study has argued.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, the advisory group, polled 489 US firms with annual sales of over $500m, and identified a selection of “top performers” boasting the strongest revenues, growth, margins and innovation credentials.

It revealed that 50% of these leading players planned to spend a minimum of $1m on building mobile tools for their customers to use in 2012. The same was true of just 29% of other enterprises.

Moreover, 66% of the premier digital businesses described their interaction with consumers on mobile devices as “quite or very significant”, measured against 45% of all the corporations assessed

A 30% share of “top performers” deployed social networks to reach shoppers, versus 37% of firms not attaining such a status. But while 41% of the former group yielded “significant benefits” from this tactic, a smaller 24% of “the rest” said the same.

“Interestingly, though, there seems to be little connection between use of social media for external communications and actual commercial success,” PwC study stated.

“We have found that the organisations that achieve solid results from their social media efforts are those that use it not only as an outreach platform but “also as a method to listen and engage.”

By contrast, the companies enjoying the most impressive returns are making greater usage of social media internally, and 36% should spend at least $1m on this channel in 2012, standing at 22% for “the rest”.

Similarly, although 56% of the entire panel intend to collect more consumer data in the next year, this rises to 66% for “top performers”. Exactly 50% of the best organisations will exploit such insights for R&D, falling to 28% elsewhere.

Some 89% of top performers also agreed their company had a strategy in place that was likely to succeed, and 86% said their CEO actively championed new technology to achieve success. This beat average scores of 68% and 60% in turn.

More specifically, 63% of the highest-ranking operators believed that their chief information officer and chief marketing officer had a “strong” or “very strong” relationship, a total that fell to 42% of all featured corporations.

“Leading firms … understand that being behind the curve on the strategic use of technology not only puts their firms at a competitive disadvantage, but weakens their ability to interact and strengthen relationships with customers,” PwC said.

Data sourced from PricewaterhouseCoopers; additional content by Warc staff, 3 February 2012

This is a great info-graphic visualizing how inbound marketing stacks up against traditional outbound marketing. We call  inbound marketing, consumer engagement primarily because we see it as two-way communication where marketers provide value and are rewarded. See more about inbound marketing and our consumer engagement services here

Via Mashable

Thanks to the Internet, marketing has evolved over the years. Consumers no longer rely on billboards and TV spots — a.k.a. outbound marketing — to learn about new products, because the web has empowered them. It’s given them alternative methods for finding, buying and researching brands and products. The new marketing communication — inbound marketing — has become a two-way dialogue, much of which is facilitated by social media.

Another reason why inbound marketing is winning is because it costs less than traditional marketing. Why try to buy your way in when consumers aren’t even paying attention? Here are some stats from the infographic below.

• 44% of direct mail is never opened. That’s a waste of time, postage and paper.
• 86% of people skip through television commercials.
• 84% of 25 to 34 year olds have clicked out of a website because of an “irrelevant or intrusive ad.”
• The cost per lead in outbound marketing is more than for inbound marketing.

Inbound marketing focuses on earning, not buying, a person’s attention, which is done through social media and engaging content, such as blogs, podcasts and white papers. This content is interesting, informative and adds value, creating a positive connection in the eyes of the consumer, thus making him more likely to engage your brand and buy the product. So it costs less and has better a ROI.

This infographic from Voltier Digital highlights the differences between the two kinds of marketing. Let us know your opinions in the comments below.

 Latest Comscore data shows rapid growth of consumers accessing social networks via their mobile devices. This is important for companies that want to share offers or drive traffic to their mobile website  utilizing Facebook, Yelp, Foursquare, Linked in, Google and a variety of other  social networks popular on mobile devices.  Reach out to ApolloBravo for a mobile readiness evaluation and creative solutions for integrating Mobile + Social.

via WARC NEW YORK: Over 70m consumers in the US now access social networking sites through their mobile phones, a study from comScore, the research firm, has revealed. According to the company’s estimates, 72.2m people – a third of the entire mobile audience – logged on to these platforms via a handset in August 2011, a 37% increase on an annual basis.

More specifically, 39.9m individuals engaged in this pastime “almost every day”, a total which had expanded by 58% during the last 12 months.

Facebook led the field in terms of usage, reflecting its dominant position in the market as a whole. Some 57.3m of its members signed in from a wireless handset in August, a 50% lift year on year.

Twitter was in second place having attracted 13.4m mobile subscribers across August 2010, equating to 75% growth on August 2010. LinkedIn attracted 5.5m visitors in the same way, a 69% surge.

At present, the most popular activities undertaken by the mobile social networking audience are viewing comments from their friends on 80.3%, and posting status updates, on 69.5%.

Elsewhere, 53.2% of people had followed links to websites, and 52.9% read posts from brands and organisations.

This was ahead of the 44.8% that looked at material from celebrities and other public figures. Another 34.8% of netizens posted links to websites.

Turning to more commercial matters, 33.3% of consumers had received coupons and offers on these web properties, and 27.7% clicked on ads.

When considering the means via which mobile subscribers access social networks, comScore reported 42.3m did so through a browser, up 24% year on year, and 38.5m utilised an app, a 126% annual improvement.

Some 60% of smartphone owners logged on to social networks on these gadgets, nearly double the overall average, Mark Donovan, comScore’s senior vice president for mobile, said.

“Knowing that fans and followers engage with branded content on mobile devices opens the door to a world of opportunity for location-based services,” he added.

Data sourced from comScore; additional content by Warc staff, 24 October 2011

I’ve always been fascinated with how retailers can make waiting in line more interesting. Smart phone promotions give retailers a great opportunity to make one last pitch to consumers and keep them busy. Some companies that have a constant flow of visitors do a good job reaching consumers with digital video opting them in for text or e-mail offer alerts via their smartphone.  But you don’t always need  interactive video sometimes a quick call to action on a chalkboard will do the trick.  The 59% of users stat is probably the least surprising in this list check out some of the others in the 70+ percent range like how consumers access their smart phones in restaurants. Read on.

From Warc

MOUNTAIN VIEW: Smartphone use is increasingly influencing US consumers’ media use and shopping habits, a study has indicated.

Digital giant Google and research firm Ipsos OTX MediaCT questioned 5,013 adultswho accessed the web via these devices, and found that 93% of the sample used the gadgets at home.

Moreover, 87% did so “on the go”, a figure attaining 77% in stores, 73% in restaurants and 72% at work.

A majority (59%) logged on to the mobile web while waiting in line, 48% did so as they ate, 44% during shopping trips and 43% while travelling.

The week before the survey was taken, 81% of contributors said they had browsed the mobile internet, 77% used search engines, 68% used apps and 48% played back video.

More broadly, 72% of respondents had engaged in simultaneous media use involving smartphones and other mainstream channels at some point.

This included 33% watching television at the same time as using the wireless web, 29% who went online through a PC, 27% for gaming and 22% for reading print media.

“Mobile search is often prompted by cross media exposure,” said Selina Rennie of Google’s Agency Team.

“Over two-thirds of smartphone owners have carried out a search on their smartphone as a result of traditional media.”

When discussing specific activities, 82% of smartphone subscribers employed email services on their phone and 63% visited social networks.

Similarly, 82% researched and read news, 75% exploited navigation tools, 65% enjoyed entertainment content, and 45% managed their finances, social life or travel arrangements.

An extra 46% of participants used ecommerce sites, 43% viewed video-sharing portals, 38% visited general consumer websites and 26% official brand platforms.

Turning to shopping, 79% of the smartphone audience used their handsets for commercial purposes. Some 78% had located retailers, compared prices or searched store inventories, and 69% sought out product information, such as by scanning a barcode, watching online video or reading reviews.

Another 52% contacted a retailer, 40% had sourced coupons, and 28% redeemed virtual discount vouchers.

Within the 74% of individuals claiming to have previously made purchases because of using a smartphone, 76% bought goods at a bricks and mortar outlet and 59% did so from a PC.

Additionally, 35% snapped up a product straight from their phone, 27% looked to mobile websites and 22% turned to apps for the same reason.

Where people bought goods through a smartphone, the average annual expenditure hit $300, with 48% of relevant consumers buying entertainment items, as electronics and apparel both secured 45%.

Conducting research on a smartphone and then buying in-store remains the most common path to purchase, with 67%, but 9% of respondents had taken the opposite route.

Elsewhere, 23% undertook investigations on a wireless device and then a bricks and mortar store before completing transactions on the web.

A further 16% researched and purchased on a phone, with a trip to a store sandwiched in the middle.

Having been asked to describe mobile advertising formats they could recall, 45% of those polled referenced banners and graphical ads, and 43% mentioned executions on a website they had viewed.

A 35% share remembered ads embedded in apps, standing at 34% for paid-search listings, 28% for SMS and 21% for video and location-based alternatives.

“In terms of advertising, smartphone users are not only noticing mobile ads, they are receptive to them: 82% notice ads on their smartphones, half of which take action,” said Rennie.

Data sourced from Google; additional content by Warc staff, 10 June 2011

Contact us for more information on how to reach consumers with smart phones in retail.

Our mobile marketing trends 2010 report was a big hit with over 65,000 views and comments on slideshare and scribd. This year we cover the rapidly expanding use of smart phones to access social networks. We also take a deep look at creative ways to use SMS text promotions and integrating them with Facebook, QR Codes and mobile websites.  We share some of our mobile campaigns Including Text to Win, Snap to Win, Text to Give, Text to Screen, digital signage and mobile coupon integration.  Plus much more…Take a look.
 
Mobile Marketing Trends 2011. Mobile Goes Social

Ubiquitous smartphone uptake provides great opportunity for retailers utilizing mobile coupons.

1 in 3 Smartphone Shoppers Accesses In-store Coupons

Almost one in three (31%) US smartphone owners who use their device for shopping frequently/often access promotional coupons in-store for in-store redemption,according to a March 2011 study from the etailing group and Coffee Table. Data from the report indicates this is the most common in-store usage of smartphones, beating other popular activities such as looking for competitive pricing on Amazon.com (29%) and at other retailers besides Amazon.com (26%). Twenty-six percent also check product ratings and reviews.

9 in 10 Marketers Use/Plan to Use Social Media

A combined 89% of marketers use (53%) or plan to use (36%) social media marketing, according to a study conducted by Unica. Data from the report indicates of those planning to use social media, 26% plan to use it in the next 12 months and 10% plan to use it more than 12 months out. Rich media marketing, with 87% combined usage/planned usage, and mobile marketing, with 85% combined usage/planned usage, have similar statistics to social media marketing. The numbers on rich media marketing in particular (50% current usage, 23% expected usage in 12 months, 14% expected usage in more than 12 months) are almost identical. For mobile marketing, however, the numbers skew more toward planned usage, with a 43% current usage rate. Twenty-five percent of marketers expect to employ mobile in the next 12 months, and 16% plan to use it in more than 12 months. Via Marketing VOX

Reach out to ApolloBravo for more information on linking mobile and social campaigns.

Its all about location. Google and Facebook rolled out their own places apps and now Facebook daily-deals are added in several cities.

From WARC.com

Facebook takes on Groupon

PALO ALTO: Facebook, the social network, is trialling a new “daily deals” service, putting it into direct competition with early category leaders like Groupon and LivingSocial.

The Web 2.0 pioneer’s latest initiative expands on the geo-location tools developed for the company’s Places platform, and augments the promotional offers provided through Facebook Deals.

Daily deals will initially run in Austin, Atlanta, Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco.

Visitors can view a dedicated page detailing all the current discounts, money-off schemes and other enticements pursued by marketers, accessing this section of Facebook via a link from their personal homepage.

Similar to Google’s search engine, Facebook may have found a way to successfully monetise the long tail of small enterprises, by promising a large audience on a comparatively modest budget.

“Local businesses will be able to sign up to use this feature soon and people will be able to find deals in the coming weeks,” a Facebook statement said.

Emily White, Facebook’s director of local operations, further suggested Facebook’s social focus could now extend offline.

“You won’t get your legs waxed with friends,” she said. “You dine out, you go to concerts, you do outdoor activities. We want to make sure those experiences are maximised.”

Alongside its in-house sales unit, Facebook is working with nine firms, like restaurant booking specialist Open Table, family-orientated social shopping site Plum District and high-end equivalent Gilt City, to source offers.

Zozi, which prioritises holidays and adventurous travel trips, is another member of this group.

“We are very excited about the Facebook partnership. They are an extraordinarily strong company with the largest number of page views on the web,” said TJ Sassani, Zozi’s chief executive.

“That’s helpful when we talk to merchants.”

One problem to be overcome by Facebook, and the whole sector, is the fact many organisations, particularly smaller businesses, cannot match demand, and therefore actually make a loss.

“There are some downsides to having a huge audience,” said Greg Sterling, a senior analyst at Opus Research.

“For national advertisers, it’s double-edged as well. The minute something appears that’s any good, people will be all over that.”

Lou Kerner, a Wedbush Securities analyst, argued such a strategy pushes Facebook to the forefront of an increasingly intense online battle.

“Local is the last frontier that the internet has not conquered, and everyone is going after it with a vengeance,” said Kerner.

“This news is just kind of an evolutionary moment in Facebook’s drive to be a major player in local.”

Consultancy BIA/Kelsey predicted US consumer expenditure on “deal a day” goods and services would rise 35.1% a year in the near term, climbing from $873m in 2010 to $1.2bn in 2011, and hitting $3.9bn by 2015.

Based on an optimistic reading – where the amount of featured cities, registered users, average transactions and price beat current forecasts – BIA/Kelsey anticipated the 2015 total might reach $6.1bn.

“We expect to see some shift in local media spending resulting from the adoption of deal a day by local advertisers,” said Peter Krasilovsky, BIA/Kelsey’s vp and program director, Marketplaces.

“We also believe that deal a day doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It will become a part of the growing deals and offers landscape.”

To gain a meaningful foothold, Facebook must take on LivingSocial, which has previously received investment from Amazon, and Groupon, thought to be considering an initial public offering.

“Some investors may get spooked,” said Sterling. “In the old days, everybody worried about Google entering every segment of the market. And now Facebook is another concern.”

Data sourced from Reuters, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Financial TImes; additional cotnent by Warc staff, 16 March 2011

Reach out to ApolloBravo for the latest geo location coupon campaign tools.

Mobile Year in Review Video 2010. A two minute look at amazing growth.

by amymengel on 10/12/2009 07:11 Social media today

Social media isn’t complicated. When you boil it down it’s about listening to your customers, being helpful by offering your knowledge and giving them interesting content to share and thereby advocate for you. The IMS speakers shared several case studies (yes, too many of them mentioned Comcast and Zappos) on how organizations have embraced social media to connect with and built trust and affection among customers. None of the examples required hyper-specialized knowledge or technology for a company to connect with people.

So why is it so difficult for so many companies to successfully integrate social media? I dug through my (30 pages of) notes to try and find some themes in what the speakers shared and came up with a this list of why organizations might be getting hung up.

1. They can’t talk about anything broader than their own products

Chris Brogan shared how Citrix Online created the Workshifting community to address the rise of telecommuting and remote work. Sure, it ties in with Citrix’s GoToMeeting/Webinar/PC product line, but the blog isn’t a commercial for its products. The same holds true for Kodak’s photography blog that Chief Blogger Jenny Cisney talked about. It’s about photography and creativity in general, not about Kodak cameras. Greg Matthews shared how Humana developed the Freewheelin bicycle sharing communities with plenty of online and “real life” components to the program. Bicycles don’t have much to do with health insurance specifically, but they are about being healthy. If a company is only talking online about its specific products and not looking for ways to connect to the bigger picture, it’s pretty difficult for people to be engaged.

2. They listen to customers but don’t take any action

If you’re going to listen to your customers, you’d better be ready to do something about what you hear. Valeria Maltoni noted that if a company creates an online presence that’s open and allows customer feedback, it creates the expectation that the company is going to do something with that feedback. Worse than not being heard is being heard and then ignored. Paula Berg from Southwest Airlines shared how a simple blog post stating the airline was considering assigned seating amassed tons of customer comments showing a lack of support for the idea. This feedback changed the direction of their internal debate and led to a new boarding procedure that maintained the open seating arrangement.

3. They aren’t calibrated internally with the technology

Jason Falls chastised corporate Web sites for being little more than online brochures. Customers expect interaction. Content creation is key to social media success, and every company should have a Web site with a content management system that allows for quick, easy content creation without the IT department needing to recode a Web site. Anyone in the organization should be able to publish via a CMS. And companies can’t expect to have a strong social media presence when social sites are blocked internally to employees.

4. They’re not framing risk accurately

Dharmesh Shah reminded us all that a corporate blog has never been fatal to an organization. NBC cameraman Jim Long said the often a company’s entry into social media is a clumsy, shotgun blast and that there’s an equal chance of looking foolish by having a ham-fisted marketing department launch a social media presence as there is if a rogue employee “goes off” on Twitter. The risk of social media is not abated by not participating. And really, while there have certainly been some hiccups and miscues along the way, social media has yet to be the undoing of any company.

5. Their internal culture isn’t aligned for social media success

In Shiv Singh’s presentation, he discussed how the customer should be at the core of the brand. When policies, procedures, products and processes become more important than the customer, there’s no way social media efforts can be effective. When your employees are more concerned with what’s in or out of their job description than doing the right thing to help the customer, that’s not a culture that’s likely to build trust and advocacy for your brand. Yes, Zappos was cited time and again as a case study, but largely because it has a culture that makes social media work. All of its employees are focused on customer service at the core. The same holds true for Southwest Airlines.

I could go on and on. So many of the speakers at IMS shared great examples of simple, effective social media strategies that have humanized organizations and allowed them to build better relationships with customers. But time and again companies are either rejecting social media or participating in a way that defeats the purpose.

It’s not rocket surgery.

Read more Social Media Today Five reasons corporations are failing at social media.

A 5 minute pitch on social media – Socialnomics

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0]