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How brands become publishers, TVs gaining Net access, and Instagram on your underpants

Ten links that point towards the future of new media marketing:

Facebook Updates Your News Feed: Introducing Topic Groups

You probably noticed this showing up. I think it’s a great move. Consolidates similar content and also shows who among your network likes similar types of content. That type of chart can’t be far behind.

30% Of U.S. Homes Have Net-Connected TV Device

While still not mainstream, these numbers are increasing quickly.

Looks like HTML5 is gaining momentum — Tech News and Analysis

Looks like you’ll be missing less and less content on your iPad.

New Balance Offers Free Shoes If You Can Find Virtual Batons [VIDEO]

Interesting idea. I’m not sure I’d have shown the guy coming around the corner stealing the prize from the girl.

Don’t Ask People to Like You, Give Them a Reason to Like You | ClickZ

As content becomes the reached-for tool in the marketers belt, it’s going to take a monumental shift in thinking for a lot of people accustomed to just pushing out messages. The idea of adding value does not come as naturally to advertisers as it does to publishers.

How Brands Become Publishers in a Real-Time Marketing World | iCrossing Digital

According to a recent Roper survey, about 90% of CMOs see content as the future of marketing. This is a very good high level view of how marketers can approach the new content game, with a number of good charts breaking out the process.

NBC and Versus to Broadcast Major League Soccer Games | Adweek

An interesting part of the negotiation was the number of homes NBCU reaches. With rumors flying that YouTube is making a run for the NFL contract, I have to wonder if that won’t be a potential problem for them. Sure, everyone has a computer, but most people aren’t going to watch a football game with their friends on it. Perhaps there will be some sort of partnership deal with a smaller network.

Instagram on your underpants | Adverblog

Once personalization has reached underwear, it’s either hit the big time or jumped the shark.

Study Says Drudge Report Drives More Traffic Than Facebook & Twitter Combined

While the Drudge data is interesting, it’s not a marketing opportunity the way Twitter and Facebook are. So the most interesting part for me is down the page, where they explain why Twitter refers more traffic than Facebook. I have to agree, although still I’m surprised Twitter is anywhere near Facebook, given Facebook’s sheer size and frequency of use.

STUDY: 1 In 5 Of Facebook Contacts Are Work Related

This stat isn’t surprising, and I think if anything points to how many of us have a difficult time segmenting a large portion of our network into either friend, family, coworker, or whatever. While I like what Google+ is doing, I wonder if people are really up for making those additional posting decisions on a regular basis. It does add friction to the posting process.

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A Facebook afterlife, How content sharing drives SEO, and Disney’s winning social media strategy

The latest trends in new media marketing technologies, strategies and tactics:

Ad of the Day: Cycle Safety | Adweek

While i don’t usually post broadcast ads, I am a cyclist, and the visual effects on this are striking.

TRUE STORY: Facebook Is Keeping My Brother Alive

I’ve seen posts talking about the problem of leaving a deceased person’s Facebook page active. This is a compelling argument for the opposite approach. Keeping their page alive, even if they’re not.

Why iPads are a retail game-changer – USATODAY.com

Some good data in this story about a recent Forrester study. Bottom line is while tablets are often lumped into mobile, we’re seeing more and more evidence that tablets are a more distinct screen experience.

DIGIDAY: 5 Niche Social Nets That Work

While the big social networks pull all the buzz, if your target audience is niche enough, you might find social networks like these to reach them through.

Don’t Be a Content Marketing Grinch – Convince & Convert

I couldn’t agree more with these fundamental ideas behind distributing content wherever you can find relevant readers.

How YouTube Wins in the Great Unbundling of Cable TV | Advertising Age

A good read on where the future of television and video content is headed.

AppGrooves: App Recommendation Engine Combines Social With “Hot Or Not” Feature | TechCrunch

It’s no secret that one of the biggest challenges in app production is getting noticed in the app store. This is an interesting app idea — to help you discover the most relevant apps — but there’s still a chicken and the egg situation. How will people discover this app?

Video Marketer’s Guide to YouTube Annotations & Why You Should Use Them

Video is still proving to be some of the most effective content you can produce, and these tips will help you make your videos on YouTube even more effective.

Disney Marketing: The Happiest Social Media Strategy on Earth

This article is a great example of how content is different from advertising. If you want to drive engagement, you might still need to be selling, but you’re selling in a less-direct way.

Is Social Media Taking Over Search: SlideShare Presentation

While this gets into some higher levels than non-search people may be able track, the upshot is, if you want to improve your seo standings today and even moreso in the future, get people to share your content.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The new new agency, sweet QR code designs, and how hotels are using social media rewards

The latest in new media marketing strategy and tactics:

Building the Agency of Now « Threeminds

Love this voice-of-reason POV on the industry.

The Top 10 Marketing Sites For Social Media Marketing Trends | Fast Company

According to a recent survey by Effie and Mashable, 87% of marketers said social media was “important” or “very important” to achieving their biggest marketing goal this year. So we know social is a key marketing activity for many leading brands. So where are marketers getting their social media information? From this survey, it’s not primarily the traditional advertising publishers, although a few of them did make the list.

Report: Amazon To Use Two-Finger Touchscreen To Keep Table Competitive With The iPad | TechCrunch

The battle to grab market share from Apple, be it from the iPad or iPhone, is going to be an interesting story over the next couple of years, and should offer interesting insights into the power of a brand versus a low price competitor.

Milk Campaign Withdrawn Amid Charges of Sexism – NYTimes.com

Perhaps the most interesting comment is the last line. A seasoned ad exec surprised but the uproar speaks to how much has changed since 2005. That rate of change doesn’t happen in other media platforms.

Judge dismisses Winklevoss case against Facebook – latimes.com

Read the comments on this article. Another example of how the public can be a brand’s best spokesperson.

Sidestepping Apple: From Amazon to Condé Nast, Companies Rethink App Strategies | Wired.com

Even brands as powerful as Apple can only push their will on developers and partners so far. Eventually, they’ll just go somewhere else.

Microsoft Apologizes for Amy Winehouse Tweet

While I can see the protesters points, this is a pretty blurry line. Magazines have always written cover story articles about dead celebrities, and obviously they’re trying to sell magazines. Of all these examples of companies who combined tribute with commerce, the Amazon example is probably the most sincere, and seems to have ruffled the fewest feathers.

15 Creative QR Codes [PICS]

I’m still not convinced QR codes are ready for prime time just yet, but if you’re going to do them, these examples of creative looking QR code designs would be a great start. At least these make me want to use them.

Social Media Platform For Hotels Offers Web Site Visitors Incentives

There’s been a lot of talk of loyalty programs of recent, and the merger between that and social media is obvious. Hospitality businesses are well-suited candidates for this type of program, and this is one of the offerings in the hotel business.

How Blogging Can Get You More Social Fundraisers | Inspiring Generosity

I think this goes way deeper than just non-profits. Blogging can create perceived value and expertise for a brand, even if it’s primarily for search and inbound traffic.

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Led Zep YouTube mashup, an epic iPhone plunge, and visualizing cable news topics

The latest in new media marketing strategies, tactics and technologies:

100 YouTube Videos Come Together To Cover Led Zeppelin [VIDEO]

More than anything, I think this shows how something as seemingly simple as video sharing has impacted so many people in so many situations and environments, and draws a common thread across all of them.

This iPhone Survived a 13,500-Foot Fall

A great brand story, irregardless of what a freak event this may have been.

Track that bias: New app visualizes cable news topics live — Online Video News

The first 2 paragraphs of this are all you need to read to get a nice sense of how text analysis can be used to add depth and perspective to a batch of data difficult to otherwise get a good grasp of.

How Bing’s Editors Choose Sexy Images To Seduce You Away From Google | Fast Company

A battle of the page design strategies between Microsoft (Bing) and Google. While Bing has supported their page launch with a significant paid media effort, I can see how this more emotional greeting is a great shot at Google’s supposed strength; simplicity. It’s like the political debate strategy of attacking, not your opponents weaknesses, but their strengths.

AmEx Links Up Facebook With Coupon-less Deals, And Lets Merchants Go Social | TechCrunch

I really like how AmEx understands their value in this corner of the market — creating a coupon experience with less friction for the end consumer. The less behavior changing you have to do, the better.

Why are web workers happier? — Online Collaboration

Agencies often struggle with the idea of an out-of-sight workforce. This is an interesting counter to that.

Game Insight Shuns iOS for Android, Prepares to Tell Facebook Crime Story

If you were a Mac user in the 90s, you have to remember how slowly, developers started investing less and less effort in their Mac apps, relative to the PC versions. Android is looking more and more like the new Windows. Better? No. But cheaper, more widely available, and thus gaining a larger customer base? Yes.

Facebook Asks Users to Help It Get Local Business Owners to Claim Their Places

Using their community to build their database of businesses. Smart move.

REPORT: How Google Plus Stacks Up Against Facebook

Given Google’s lofty brand status and massive reach in the technology world, I’m not surprised to see them come out of the blocks this strong. I don’t think 10% of Facebook’s US traffic is really the traction point for them. But the next few months could be very interesting.

New Filing Shows Zynga-Facebook Exclusivity Goes Far Beyond Credits – Liz Gannes – News – AllThingsD

A revealing, if not interesting, exploration of the relationship between these two. Facebook clearly has little to lose in this deal, and it shows Zynga’s heavy reliance on Facebook for the success of it’s platform. Like all the brand pages themselves, Facebook has put themselves in a position where they’re the only game in town, and if it weren’t for Facebook, the reality is, companies like Zynga would likely be a shell of their current selves.

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Cannes case studies, Verizon’s minority report future, and a first look at the Facebook phone

The latest in new media marketing trends:

Cannes Cyber Lions: The Winning Case Studies | Digital Buzz Blog

The headline says it all. Good stuff.

Three senior executives on the future of marketing – McKinsey Quarterly

I like the bookend effect of the first and last projections. Firstly, the CEO of Virgin Atlantic reminds us that big, mass media still packs a lot of power. And then a Yahoo! Research scientists tells us the future of marketing will be more and more scientific. Of course, both are correct, and like the influx of technology into marketing, the ones who can blend the analytical with the emotional will have the most consistently good ideas.

Note: To read this you need to register, but it’s free.

The Compelling (or Creepy) M2M World of Verizon Wireless

If you’d like a quick glimpse of the future of the internet, this is your article. I’ve posted on the “Internet of Things” before, and this is a good outline of what parts of our lives that will touch. It’s also good to see a more buzz-friendly term, “M2M” emerge. Stands for “Machine-to-machine”.

First look at HTC Status, the Facebook phone – CNET

I’m not digging the design, but have to say the FB button is nice functionality. The messaging is well integrated to the FB experience, as well. It also looks more rugged than most of the large screen smartphones. All that, combined with the $50 pricing, should make this a good product for you mobile users who primarily use texting for their communications.

Microsoft Licenses GeoVector Patents For AR Navigation, Digital Watermarks | TechCrunch

Where MSFT spends their money is where they think the future is. I really like how the explanation of this technology sounds so simple. Simplicity is undoubtedly an even bigger factor for mobile than it is with desktop computing.

Shapeways | Passionate about creating

3D printing has been making big strides, but this site has a lot of potential for it’s speed, cost and tools enabling the creation of products. This space should get very interesting fast.

REPORT: Facebook Click Ad Rates Rose 22% In Quarter

Firstly, keep in mind that stats on Facebook ad CTRs are very new, and there’s an obviously broad range to the data. But it’s not surprising to see money going into Facebook’s paid ads to support the money going into brand pages. Additionally, Facebook has made recent hires to improve the performance of their display ads, so this could be the start of a longer trend.

The Most Engaged Population In Europe Is Dutch But The Future Is Russian

This is an interesting projection of future Internet influence by European country. If true, it will take a few years to play out, but definitely something to read and keep in the back of your mind.

Are There Already Half As Many Users On Two-Week Old Google+ As There Are On Twitter? – AllTwitter

The data is a little thin, and Twitter is not Facebook — Google’s ultimate target — but nonetheless, this is an impressive start. If this is even close to accurate, it indicates Google has done a good job leveraging their size and influence to generate both buzz and desire (or in social stats terms, Mentions and Positive Sentiment  ;) for Google+.

Smartphone Adoption and Usage | Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project

A good update of figures around smartphone penetration in the US. Most interesting is that while accessing the Internet daily is common among smartphone users (68%), that could be in part because about 1/3 of them report not having high-speed broadband at home.

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The latest mobile apps, all things Google+, and iPads driving 1% of Web traffic

The latest in new media marketing trends:

New Apps for iPhone & Android, June 2011

What RWW selected as the best of the new mobile apps to hit the market in June. A good, quick, scan.

Op-Art: Like it or Unfriend It – Graphic – NYTimes.com

Loved this Independence Day piece in the NY Times. Probably an effective history lesson for teens, as well.

iPads Generate 1% Of the World’s Web Traffic [STATS]

Given that iPad sales are ‘only’ 25m to date, this is remarkable. Then again, if you have you, you probably realize how much leisure browsing you do. Or maybe you don’t, because it happens so naturally. This really drives home the prediction that tablets will be our main form of consumption, and that desktops and even laptops will become relegated to the routine and power-hungry tasks.

EXCLUSIVE: Google To Retire Blogger & Picasa Brands in Google+ Push

Interesting to see how Google is ramping up their social efforts around +. Unlike so many of their previous product launches (ahem, Wave) where it felt like they were casually tossing a new product into the ring, you can tell they know they’re at a key crossroads, and don’t have a lot of margin for error this time around.

How a Google-Hulu Tag Team Threatens Facebook’s Future – Technology – The Atlantic Wire

More pieces that are seeming to fall into place around Google’s social push.

Twitter Testing Facebook-Like Message Wall [PIC]

If anything, Twitter has proven that just because you have a simple product doesn’t mean you have a simple user experience. What I find more interesting, though, is that Twitter has been blatantly positioning itself as a content consumption platform, but this is a strong move towards user-interactions. Perhaps they’ve realized that the key to the future of content consumption also involves a large sharing component.

Where in the World Are Google Plus Beta Testers? [Map]

If you’re launching a social product, what regions of the world do you need input from? Here’s Google’s answer.

Experiments on Google+ and Twitter Influencing Search Rankings | SEOmoz

A case study on how different social media channels impact search rankings. The SEO Pyramid at the bottom of the article is worth the entire read.

Beck’s Goes Virtual in ‘Green Box’ Art Campaign | CMO Interviews – Advertising Age

An interesting campaign, assuming the artwork revealed is good. My only question is, downloading an app often requires WiFi, so hopefully that’s something they’ve thought out. Perhaps most interesting is where the Beck’s global marketing manager states that they are leading with experiential and supporting that with paid media. That approach has been a long time coming.

Harnessing the Power of Feedback Loops | Magazine

Interesting case studies on the challenge of trying to change behavior. The key takeaway for me is that when you make people part of the process, it greatly improves the long term results.

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Why people follow brands, Facebook introduces “Comment” ads, and does social media have an ROI?

The latest trends in digital marketing:

Why Do People Follow Brands? [INFOGRAPHIC]

As I’ve stated, I’m always a little skeptical of surveys, but this does indicate Liking a brand leads to good results.

5 Ways the Advertising Industry Is Preparing for a Digital Future

Some interesting videos out of Cannes that capture emerging trends in the advertising biz.

Facebook hires iPhone, PS3 hacker – Topix

How are things changing in corporate culture? “Hacker” is seen as a good resume tick.

Facebook Experiments With Comment Ads

This is an interesting move, but I’m not sure it addresses Facebook’s real display problem. The issue I’ve seen is that the ads get low response but high conversion rates. That indicates they’re not getting noticed, or aren’t compelling enough. I think the lack of a clear, impacting headline or message here will make these less visible than their current display offering. Of course, these will also go onto people’s Wall, which offers good visibility.

Facebook Marketing Statistics, Demographics, Reports, and News – CheckFacebook

A good general reference tool for Facebook’s global impact. Some of the “% Online Population” numbers feel a little off, but overall there’s some valuable info on here.

Does Social Media Have A Return On Investment? | Fast Company

If speculation about a tech bubble proves correct, ROI will become a hot topic fast.

Silencing Speech With Propaganda – NYTimes.com

A look at how broader communication trends impact large civilizations. While the online marketing world tends to get caught up in individual messages and their perceived impact, this article goes into why the bigger trends happen at a much higher level.

Criteria for Choosing a Full-Service Content Marketing Agency

As a recent Roper survey stated, 9 out of 10 CMOs see content marketing as the future of advertising. Time for brands to figure out what it is.

Stay N Alive: The Power of Google+: Privacy “Circles” the Entire Experience

It’s going to be interesting to see if Google can pull off Google+ better than their previous social endeavors. Reading this, though, the first thing that hit me is, it sounds complicated. The second thing is, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to force people to make more choices when they go to post, other than just ‘Share’. Time will tell, and these days, it doesn’t take much time.

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One ‘Fan’ equals 20 site visits, a successful low-budget event, and Eric Schmidt’s mobilized future

The latest in new media marketing strategy and tactics:

Thousands RSVP for Global Group Run on Meetup

Yet another example of a seemingly very effective campaign idea that was done with a small budget and that just about any sports or healthcare brand could have done.

Carolyn Davidson, who designed Nike’s swoosh in 1971 | THEINSPIRATION.COM

A touching clip from 1983. Great to see a company that at the time seemed like a big success already, and this was just before they really exploded.

Experian Hitwise – 1 Facebook fan = 20 additional visits to your website

It’s good to see evidence of Facebook brand activity generating corresponding site visits.

What Drove Expedia’s Facebook Fans Past 1M?

A very effective campaign for gathering fans. Now they need to figure out how to engage them.

The Future According to Eric Schmidt at Cannes Lions | Adweek

Google’s ex-CEO lays out a clear roadmap for how mobile is going to change everything. And within in a short period of time.

Big data leads to a big revival for display ads — Tech News and Analysis

There’s no question the more you know about someone the more effectively you can target them. This lift they report in performance is nothing short of remarkable: 7.5% click-thru rates, and a 4.5% conversion rate. What I’m curious about is if targeting technologies will diminishing returns as the volume increases, the way most new media marketing tactics do. After all, people only have so much to spend.

$41 Million Startup Color Is Forced Into An Early, Buzzword-Laden Pivot

When Color launched I doubted it’s odds and mentioned I’d be curiously following the story. Here’s how it’s evolved. This is the same issue big businesses are running into every day. The question is, Why would a startup ever saddle itself with the baggage of a big business?

5 Ways To Crowdsource Your Brand Using Facebook

I completely agree with the stated value of insights that can be pulled from a brand’s Facebook Page. However, I’d emphasize less about specifically requesting input, and more on simply observing what your fans and your competitors are responding to over a period of several months. Both can be insightful, but the latter will be more objective.

Now Your Embarrassing/Job-Threatening Facebook Photos Could Haunt You For Seven Years – Forbes

I doubt this will stop anyone from using Facebook, Twitter, etc, but it should have them reconsidering what they post.

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Mobile driving desktop innovation, Apple’s retail brand strategy, and a PR disaster to avoid

The latest trends in new media marketing:

Apple, Microsoft and Now Google Show the New Path of Innovation Is From Mobile to Desktop – AllThingsD

Mobile, having obvious user interface restrictions over desk computing, is driving innovation in user experience as a way of overcoming it’s shortcomings. And now those innovations are being applied to desktop computing as well. How is that unexpected reversal happening? Probably because Google is putting money and manpower behind it.

Infographic Of The Day: The Mavs Win It All (LeBron Whines) | Co.Design

If you’re a basketball fan, this is an infographic you can love. The best part is the win/loss bars extending around the arc of the circle.

Apple’s Retail Strategy Focuses on Consumers’ Feelings | Adweek

This is perhaps branding at it’s finest. A lot of people don’t get ‘the Apple thing’, but they’re creating a retail experience that you simply don’t get anywhere else. And like so much about the brand, it defies much of the conventional wisdom in the high-pressure sales world of electronics.

Duke Nukem’s PR threatens to punish sites that run negative reviews

A good lesson that if you ever feel the need to lash out online, you might want to sit back, take a deep breath, and really think about how it might be received by the other side. A few bad tweets and this PR guy has a publicity nightmare on his hands.

Check out Wired’s response to see just how little weight this guy’s threats carried. [LINK]

Facebook Places Get Two New Features – Develop Socially

Facebook, with it’s massive community size, is smartly taking strides to leverage all that manpower into generating a recommendation-based business directory. Obviously a lot of potential here.

Case study: Is Facebook Screwing Your Brand?

This post features a thread of posts on the Budweiser page, which as the writer states, a marketing VP might say “WTF”? As we’ve seen with various ads like the Absolut ad showing Mexico having much of the US southwest, we’ve gotten accustomed to highly targeted marketing. Speaking directly to a narrowly-defined group of users. Suddenly, with social media, messages specific to one group can be easily seen by people with very different sensibilities. How a brand talks to consumers in a way that shows it knows them, while avoiding alienating other users with different views, is one of the big challenges in new media marketing right now.

P&G Launch 6 New Facebook Stores: “Live Learning Labs” [Screenshots] | Social Commerce Today

A new Facebook commerce platform has launched, and P&G is jumping on board. I agree with the benefits to P&G being potentially very insightful data on user product preferences, especially attaching ROI to social media campaigns. A lot of people won’t want to hear that, but one thing is for sure, it won’t be consumer brands.

Viewpoint: Social Media Is a Venue, Not a Strategy – Advertising Age

Could not agree more with this.

Hacker Group Wreaks Havoc On Gaming Websites

We’re getting closer and closer to a William Gibson novel.

Is This the Golden Age of Hacking? – Slashdot

It’s interesting that the same thing causing consumer creativity to flourish would also be contributing to malignant hacking.

U.K. Warns About Facebook Status Updates

While this commercial isn’t breakthrough creative, it’s interesting to note that social media activity has gone mainstream enough for the government to include it in general warnings to the public.

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Emerging online ad units, TV goes fully online by 2014, and marketers breaking records

The latest in new media marketing strategies and tactics:

Rising Stars Ad Units

New ad units being supported for standardization by the Interactive Advertising Bureau. I think the big issue around rich media is that it becomes too expensive to produce, when clients could put that money into more long-term site assets.

Mobile Display Advertising Up 128 Percent in Last 2 Years | Adweek

More stats on the growing mobile ad market. Money is pouring into these media units because they’re working. And right now, I think they’re working because they’re unique. Of course, banners once ‘worked’ and were quite unique. The obvious challenge is, How does mobile advertising scale as users see more and more ads?

Television Executives Predict Bulk of TV Content Will Be Available Online and Via Mobile Within 2 Years | Adweek

Bravo. I have to say I’m often baffled by major TV shows that don’t have their content available online, especially on their own site.

For Hipmunk, it’s all about the users– and the UI — Tech News and Analysis

I wouldn’t normally post about a new travel search site, but this is a great example of how a killer user interface can make all the difference. Definitely check out the site’s flight search technology.

DIGIDAY:DAILY – Web Video’s Dangerous Role Model – Display

Even if you don’t plan or buy media, trends like this do a lot to shape creative budgets, which of course determines what you can do production-wise. If web video goes the same route as banners, look for production budgets to go through the floor.

Chief Almir | Most Creative People 2011 | Fast Company

Many of the most striking examples of how mobile and social are changing the world come from the least likely users. That’s probably the single biggest indicator of the potential power that I can think of.

Infographic: Where Is Inbound Marketing Headed?

Whether you call it content marketing, inbound marketing, brand experiences, or word of mouth, these charts show rapid acceleration for this type of marketing.

Record Makers | Adweek

Good examples of buzz-generating campaigns. They shift what the idea of content is about, to much more of an experiential role.

TN3 Gallery – jQuery Image Gallery

Making a website as visually impacting as possible without using Flash has been a real issue now that iPads are the dominant tablet. That could change, but the need for more universal solutions will likely continue to be an issue. This is a series of good examples of how an image-based gallery can be presented that will work across all platforms.

Digital Archaeology: 12 Forgotten Designs That Changed The Web [Slideshow] | Co.Design

With recent developments like mobile web and social media transitioning from early adopter to mainstream, I often see direct parallels between these new technologies and the early days of the Web. What this exhibit does, more than anything, is remind us that whatever the coolest gadget is right now, in no-time, it’s going to feel like an 80s brick cellphone.

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