Creating relevance with ads – ASICS knows how to deliver…

For some years, I have been talking and writing about personalized content, why it is important for us in the future. Information overflow, ad overflow, and data overflow are only some reasons for making content relevant…

Companies that want to know how to deliver relevant ads across to their community should have taken a look at the NY marathon. The latest ASICS campaign combines the ideal way of convergence across offline and online activity. It is a combination of social media, mobile opportunities and video on demand to create real-time happiness for runners during the New York City Marathon. With the use of RFID technology the campaign enabled personalized messages, encouragement by their family or friends in real-time on billboards while the runners were challenging the route through the streets of NY city.

News Update – Best of the Day

Although Facebook is seen as a danger from a user’s perspective in terms of data capture, it offers great opportunities for businesses. Companies better see “the Facebook opportunity, get their site and grab their buttons” suggests David Carr.

What are the targets for companies engaging in Social Media in 2011? The “2010 Social Media Benchmarking Study” from Ketchum and FedEx shows us what 62 researched companies are aiming at…
- Increase awareness and interaction with brand: 94.1%
- Create community for customers/fans: 76.1%
- Increase traffic to website: 55.1%
- Identify and react to customer needs: 50.3%
- Identify new business opportunities or leads: 49.0%
And the reason for all this? As Facebook and Twitter are the new normal. At least their co-founders Chris Hughes and Biz Stone make us believe that…

If this commerial won’t remind you of “Jaws” (1975), then none will. Y&R created a funny video ad for LG Electronics latest vacuum cleaner…

The World after Advertising & The Internet of Things

Last week, I had the opportunity to take part in (and speak about the future of targeting at) an interesting event called The World after Advertising. The well-organized day offered a full program on the future of media and web business from all aspects: advertising, collaboration and insights, insights, insights which will help us understand the new ways of monetization and how to turn our business models in the direction of a cultural change that is happening already.

For me the most inspiring speech was held by Rob Gonda, Director of Strategy at SapientNitro. Rob was giving a broad overview of the digital landscape and his interactive outlook into 2020. I liked his approach to make people understand that in principle our business stays simple. It is based on technology, media and data, and the way these will be interacting in the future. When he quoted data from Morgan Stanley that there is a global opportunity for internet advertising of 50 Billion USD, he got the right switch to the main technology that will drive these bucks: Go mobile!

Thinking about the future of the internet and the future of advertising (if the future of advertising will be advertising), I actually got two views this week: Rob Gonda’s and Dean Donaldson’s (Mediamind). Having attended a Mediamind event on Monday, the output of both speeches sounded alike: Sensors are the future drivers of the (mobile) internet and might replace (or even become?) the cookie technology at some point in the future. “Sensors are the cookies of the future,” said Dean Donaldson. And Rob showed examples like Ray Ban’s virtual mirror and Unilever’s ShareHappy (see video).

In his key-note he also talked about the Internet of Things, he mentioned that Wallmart uses RFID codes for better tracking of their inventory and expects manufacturers to put RFID codes on products before they come to their stores. Although Rob considers a “normal level” evolving and adapting from a user perspective when maschines start talking to each other. I base my view more on a sceptic user behaviour, a privacy debate which will arise from it (or people will simply cut out the labels…), and also a cultural alongside the evolution of a new generation. He made clear that he sees the tipping point of the Internet of Things (see IBM explanation video) not before 2020 – another view I share with him. Though there are many reasons of why the Internet of Things could be with us earlier than we think.

After his speech I had the option to touch base with him on the Internet of Things. Watch it…

Spot On!
His six predictions were definitely something to think about. Though I rate his visions, I would doubt that all of these will become reality…
- Location-Based-Services will die – My answer: Depending on user flexibility and information overflow, and whether the user wants to receive information from things like wallpapers and the likes when they are passing by…
- Facebook own 50% of advertising – My answer: Whenever a market-leader became to popular, some new start-up or competitor took market share of them. Do I not see an advent on the horizont from the guys at Paths and Diaspora…?!
- Facebook penetrates APAC >2bn users – My answer: Defintely worth a try for Facebook, no surprise…
- Android + GoogleMe – My answer: Yep…!
- MediaTradeFloor: My answer: The danger for a jobtitle like media planer to die becomes reality, it seems…
- Media budgets will shift – My answer: Yes, the challenge will be to integrate the user in this process. If he/she voluntarily tells us their preferences, ad technology will deliver more precisely and ads/commercials will receive new conversion levels.

Looking forward to get your views on the Internet of Things or on Rob’s predictions… Share them with us! Let’s discuss…

News Update – Best of the Day

The Social Web has it good sites and also some parts where human kind should be thinking about the communication development – especially if the language suffers from extensive and fast use of user generated content production. This brings the English Spelling Society to think about it and do some research. The result… Among the 18- to 24-year-olds the majority believed that unconventional spellings (in chats and social newsrooms) are used on the internet because it is faster and has become the norm. 22% said they would not be confident in writing an important email without referring to a dictionary or spell checker, says the research. Are self-regulation mechanisms or a change of culture the future is the question? Though “variant” spelling exists there, 31% said that alternative non-standard spellings were “unacceptable”. 66% believe that dictionaries should contain variant spellings, says the study.

I have to say that I am not a big fan of How To’s. The way Yannis Marcou wrote his tips on the use of LinkedIn for new business is worth sharing.

And finally, let’s not forget it is Thanksgiving days. Spend time with the family, real friends – switch your computer off (at least for some hours). No matter if there are funny commercials you might have not seen… Laugh in real-time!

Study: NASA and White House understand the web and social media

The NASA and the White House seem to be the leading edge on Social Media usage inside the U.S. public sectors groups. This is the result of a study released by George Washington University School of Business and digital think tank L2

The research, done by George Washington University School of Business dean Doug Guthrie, New York University professor and L2 founder Scott Galloway measured the effectiveness of web sites, Social Media, digital marketing, and mobile platform support from 100 different public sector groups as well as independent agencies, the executive branch, advocacy organizations, armed forces, political parties, industry associations, and multilateral organizations.

The key finding of the study is that most groups in the public eye are taking advantage of digital technologies to spread their content and message. Some organizations show a savvy use and strategic approach of the web and social media. Nevertheless, most groups are still stuck on traditional media tactics.

The NASA succeeded in the test in the first place with a IQ score of 184 showing an innovative knowledge in all areas the research covered. Their success metrics: Using latest technology like streaming video, 3-D visualizations and Gowalla, the location-based network. Their firgures: 3 mio users a month, 600.000 Twitter followers and 150.000 Facebook fans.

The White House finished number 2 with a score of 158. Their strategic approach puts YouTube in front to address the country with speeches by President Obama and other members of his staff. They also do online contests to balance the budget. Facebook and Twitter seem to be their main focus and offering a personal-looking conversations.

On the less successful groups 51% were branded as “challenged” or “feeble” by L2. The “challenged” group included the Tea Party Patriots, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The “feeble” list which mentioned groups of weak web and social media use included Anti-Defamation League, The Department of Commerce, and the National Organization for Women.

Spot On!

“The advent of the social Web has fundamentally changed our nation’s public sector organizations. We’re likely to see a transfer in power and influence from organizations that are digitally inept to those who are digitally deft.” L2, Founder Scott Galloway

I can only agree with him and say that the use of the web and Social Media will have a much stronger effect and impact on business and organizations in the next ten years. As soon as the user gets more familiar with the Social Web, its dynamics and the power of its options peoplewill start using their influence and change the way organizations communicate to and with them.

News Update – Best of the Day

Tim Bernes-Lee, the founder of the WWW, last week stated that “journalists need data skills in the future”. In his speech at a panel he concluded that…

“Journalists need to be data-savvy. These are the people whose jobs are to interpret what government is doing to the people. So it used to be that you would get stories by chatting to people in bars, and it still might be that you’ll do it that way some times. But now it’s also going to be about poring over data and equipping yourself with the tools to analyse it and picking out what’s interesting. And keeping it in perspective, helping people out by really seeing where it all fits together, and what’s going on in the country.”

In my eyes, Berners-Lee’s point is that journalists need to be able to tell the story in ways which tells a story to the reader. The technical point isn’t for the readers but for the journalists. He’s basically saying that data enables new story to come up. Aggregation of content is the future and analysis of data will become more important than just quoting the data, the way journalists work today.

China has not been the main country for Social Media usage. Time is changing though. A new Ogilvy report shows some significant changes – today Social Media in China is “mainstream reality”. The main Social Networks seem to be Renren (a social network for students), kaixin, 51.com and the market leaderQQ.

Sustainability is the key to Social Media success. Companies let their social activities explode, or are getting better but most of them have don’t think about sutainable effect. Custom Communication created an index that identifies and ranks 120 companies that are using social media in sustainability communications. Obviously, the social-media innovators like Pepsi, Dell, Starbucks, IBM and Ford are leading the bunch. A very positive example for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is General Electric, whose “Ecomagination challenge is raising the bar for how companies can demonstrate their commitment to society in an engaging and social manner,” says Matthew Yeomans, co-founder of Custom Communication.

Book Review – Marketing in the Age of Google

When somebody used to work for Google there is a lot of knowedge to be shared. And I thought, I could learn more about SEO techniques and tactics. Vanessa Fox did work for Google (apart from inventing Webmaster Central), and so I thought, I need to read the book Marketing in the Age of Google. As a web-strategist I should know the secrets of ranking high on Google for my clients.

Getting Vanessa’s inside view on how Google and their search technology operates, gives an aggregated insight on the evolution of search topics. It is saving time and presumingly more efficient than following or reading many SEO experts thoughts. And then let’s help clients to optimize their site fropm a SEO point of view.

To write a review is a challenge. As I follow some of the most interesting SEO cracks, I knew some content topics already. But there is much more quality thoughts and knowledge in it that makes the book worth reading. If companies want to optimize their top rankings, the book offers good tactical approaches and a clear structure how to start and evolve your content strategy as well as how to conquer the top positions in Google. 

Having said this, the book is based on the theory of having a web-strategy in place that is aligned to the company’s business strategy. If your company has the consumer approach understanding the needs, desires and motivation why consumers go online to evaluate products and services, then the book is a must read.

The way people used search engines has changed in the last years as the web has become mature from an information platform to a consumer generated content base. It is not about what the company spreads but what the users are looking for and the content they share and create. People hear something about a person, a brand or a campaign and instandly start going to search for more information. Not seldomly they are finding consumer input. And often the initial search entry point starts with offline marketing, PR or customer service conversation – in print ads, TV commercials or an wallpapers.

Business that know how to connect offline and online efforts will succeed in the future. Happy that this was my main claim when I started this blog and thus gets now backed up by a Google specialist… Thanks Vanessa!
 
Spot On!
The amount of input the book Marketing in the Age of Google offers is probably only handable for a SEO specialist. And this person has to have the buy in from the C-level to manage the online strategy accordingly. A lot of the strategy is based on content creation and content framework which is a PR, marketing, HR, R&D and Customer Service topic in the future in my eyes. These departments need to learn how to place content effectively in the search world. It will affect the way peope perceive the business strategy of a company and the way the companies and brands interact with their clients, partners and employees. What I missed was the effect taxonomies and social tagging might have on search in the future but maybe this comes with the next update. 

The new ROI – If I only had time…

Sometimes I am asking myself where the social web world, tries to take us… Companies want to have us as personal social advocates, want us to spread and share their latest marketing message, or that we engage in their digital embassy. They create offline virtual and online fitting rooms (here and here) to take our time for brand passion and fashion sharing. Time is becoming the main ROI figure of the future, the gold companies try to get from their customers in the future.

Have we ever talked to companies in the past? Have you started communication with them without any purchase intent or customer service issue? in the last ten years before we started getting engaged in the social web maniac, I have not… The social web, clever smartphone capabilities and new search technology make us doing these things. In the past, I was playing football and golf, going out in bars, meeting friends, seeing TV shows and reading books and magazines. And I still love doing this… though I am always chasing time to accommodate a number the things I like doing.

My magazine rack is full of issues from Business Punk, GQ, Brand Eins, company brochures and other fashion materials. Yes, I stll see much value in print reading. On my bedside table, nearly 8 books to review try to fight for the pool position (and I just found another one I would like to read). And in my car, I have found the latest program for LeWeb10 where I will be going and know how much material to review, read and learn about I will find in these two days.

I read my list of RSS-feeds, check my Facebook updates or try to follow the main news and social influencers on twitter. I try to share as much information as possible on Delicious. I do networking on LinkedIn or on XING. Many companies and brands call me their fan on Facebook. And yes, there are some more social topics I try to get engaged in. And in the centre of this social activity stands this blog…

Have I mentioned that I am living a traditional father’s life. I do have a job to do (with quite some traveling) plus look after my family, my lovely boys and my wife. They want to talk to me, have their “airtime”. They like to get some decent minutes of awareness on the playground of life. I remember when my father was at home and we had time to talk to him. And then, he had forgotten everything we said after some minutes. I see some danger to fall into his patterns of family communication as well…

Life is becoming more and more challenging these days with the evolution of the social web, social media and all formats of social networking next to our common daily habits. Although I am trying to live the 36-hours day with respect to trying what is possible as a human being. One sentence jumps to my mind and keeps repeating itself every hours I am awake…

If I only had time… If I only had time. If I only… If…

No, the social web has not yet conquered the last corner of my sleeping soul although there are companies that already envision the extreme world of social media in the future. Still, there is evidence how less efficiency could create a better work-life-balance. At some stage, in order to remain successful business people we probably need a personal web manager in the future. This person could become the master of the new ROI calclation in employment output.

If anyone feels like me, share your view and let’s discuss. Tell us how you manage your business time today…

News Update – Best of the Day

Ecommerce is developing rapidly. And although users are said to be slow in adapting new technology, they expect their retailers to embed the latest trends and technology in their websites. As this will increase the sales potential of a business, companies should carefully listen to top 10 tactical trends by Michael Piastro which will help supercharge your ecommerce strategy for the future.

Social Media is in “at” your workplace, you said? Yes, but what does top management use it today? A new comprehensive study of more than 1000 business professionals by Pierre Khawand, Founder and CEO of People-OnTheGo shows that business decision makers manage multiple “inboxes” including Social Media. Social media is already a regular part of the work day. LinkedIn is the most popular social network. More than two-thirds (63.8%) of top management and almost three-quarters of marketing (73.9%) and sales (74.2%) respondents check LinkedIn regularly. Isn’t it interesting that private email is as popular as business email for top management? Social Media or private emails… Thinking about what might affect productivity more in the future…

Are small companies spending most of their marketing funds into Social Media in 2011? No! The use traditional websites and e-mail, says a report by online survey firm Zoomerang and GrowBiz media that surveyed 751 small firms (predominantly with less than 25 employees). The survey finds that over a quarter will spend at least 30% of their online marketing budgets on their websites, E-mail coming in second (18%). Only 10% were planning to spend at least 30% of their budgets on Social Media.

Multinationale Studie: Twitter und Kundenservice

Offensichtlich gibt es noch zahlreiche Firmen, die nicht wissen, wie man Twitter für den Kundenservice einsetzt. Eine weltweite Studie von UXalliance hat dies vor allem im Bereich der multinational-agierenden Firmen nachgewiesen.

Im Kontext des World Usability Days hat das internationale Netzwerk von User Experten die Nutzung von Twitter bei 10 der 50 beliebtesten Firmen in 17 Ländern verglichen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Kundenservice via Twitter noch in den Kinderschuhen steckt und von den Firmen mit unterschiedlicher Ernsthaftigkeit betrieben und niedriger Wichtigkeit bedacht wird.

Die Erkenntnisse zeigen, daß zahlreiche Firmen immernoch Probleme haben mit den User-Erfahrungen in Echtzeit umzugehen. Toyota präsentierte sich im Vergleich als “Bestperformer”, da sie sich mit adäquaten Profil darstellen und hochwertiges User-Feedback in wenigen Stunden gaben. Bei BMW sah das offensichtlich anders aus, da man hier schon Schwierigkeiten hatte, das lokale Twitter-Profil zu identifizieren. Da es dort keine lokalen Accounts gab, wandte man sich an den globalen und erhielt nur für 3 der 17 angefragten Länder ein Feedback. Eine Erfahrung, die ich teilen kann, da auch ich schon mehrfach eine Kontakt- oder Kooperationsanfrage geschickt habe, ohne bisher ein Feedback zu erhalten.

Gerade im Zeitalter der Echtzeit-Kommunikation erwartet der User, wenn er Tool wie Twitter nutzt, auch wirklich Echtzeit-Feedback. Ein Umstand, der den multinationalen Firmen offensichtlich noch nicht wirklich nahe geht. Wenn 60% der Tweets gar keine Antwort erhalten haben, ist das wahrlich ein schwaches Bild für das Verständnis von Kundenservice 2.0. Immerhin 12% wurden in 12 Stunden beantwortet. Auch hier zeigt BMW nicht unbedingt Bestnoten: Die Response Rate lag unter 20%.

Spot On!
Der Einsatz von Twitter für den Kundenservice ist im Vormarsch. Die Chance zur schnellen Kundenzufriedenheit sowie Klärung von Wünschen, Notwendigkeiten und Bedürfnissen bietet ein Twitter-Account. Er muß aber auch als Echtzeitkanal verstanden werden. Sonst ist nämlich der Griff zum Telefonhörer schneller und effizienter für den Kunden. Und wer nicht zuhört oder schnelles Feedback offeriert, kann sich den Aufwand eines Twitter-Accounts eigentlich auch sparen. Denn dann überlässt die Firma dem Mitbewerb das Feld sowieso. Eine gute Einzeldarstellung der Stärken und Schwächen der getesteten Firmen gibt es hier.

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