Digital Marketing Lab Blog

Online Social Gaming - It’s Game On!

September 1st, 2010

You know when Google, Facebook and other major internet players are throwing their money around that it must mean that a hot new trend is emerging and that trend is online social gaming. Whilst it is too early to tell what the big boys have in store – as one of the hottest trends in digital there is no doubt the space will evolve rapidly over the coming 12 months – particularly with the level of investment occurring in the space. In the last 6 weeks alone the online gaming segment has seen the following;

• Google have completed a series of acquisitions which include buying SocialDeck (an org which makes gaming apps for Facebook, iPhone and Blackberry), as well as purchasing social games developer Slide (who have developed some of the most popular games on Facebook).
• A more unlikely competitor has entered the arena with Disney acquiring Playdom – showing their intent to become a serious player in this market.
• Whilst Facebook has hired their first Head of Gaming Partnerships – which shows how serious the social networking giant is about exploiting the opportunity.

The usage trends – why is social gaming in the spotlight?
As we know finding local statistics is not easy at the best of times, thus we must turn to the US to judge just how big this trend is and could be down under. According to Facebook, more than 200 million Facebook members play games like FarmVille on a regular basis. But if that doesn’t convince you that online gaming is big, according to The NPD Group in the US, one fifth of the U.S. population has played a social game over the past three months.

This increasing level of consumer consumption in the online gaming space is providing brands with new avenues to engage with and market to consumers.
Honda is one example of a global brand leveraging social gaming to advertise its product. Honda purchased a virtual billboard in the newly released Facebook game – Car Town. Honda America’s Marketing VP said - “We felt connecting with gamers at their point of passion — which, in the case of Car Town, is all about cars – it provides a good way to reach the target CR-Z buyer, who is a 25-30-year-old male”.

It however seems not just Honda are cottoning onto the opportunity with the global in-game advertising market set to hit the $1bn mark by next year.
I have no doubt that this phenomenon is already taking hold in Australia and will continue to grow as innovation accelerates – but just like everything digital in Oz I think many organisations will be slow on the uptake but those that do may gain a distinct advantage over their competitors.

References
http://econsultancy.com/blog/6420-in-game-advertising-are-we-being-played?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/296835
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20100829/tc_mashable/honda_takes_social_gaming_for_a_test_drive
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/disney-pays-633m-to-expand-into-social-gaming/story-e6frg996-1225908564020

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F-Commerce – More Than Just A Pretty Face..book

August 27th, 2010

As the digital world continues to evolve – we in Australia fall further and further behind. The digital divide widens and the few digital brands that are investing in the online space are reaping the benefits. It therefore feels odd to plug the latest online sales channel global brands are using to drive additional revenue from when some local brands are still unable to establish even a basic online store. However as these online sales channels continue to evolve, the greater share of online spend we as a nation lose to our overseas counterparts thus it is important for Australian organisations to see just how fast the industry is moving. Because when it comes to online we are competing in a global marketplace.

F-Commerce or Social Commerce – The New Comer
With half a billion people across the globe now connecting with their friends and family on Facebook – it is no wonder that brands are beginning to explore the opportunity to drive incremental sales through a Facebook-Commerce (F-Commerce) channel. The shift for brands to monetise offsite through channels like social networks – is a natural progression for the online industry. Consumers are spending an increasing amount of time interacting in the social space and this has meant brands have had to deliver portable brand experiences and engaging experiences outside the walls of their website. It therefore stands to reason that brands are now extending this one step further and driving sales through channels like Facebook.

Some global examples
Delta Airlines – Flying on Facebook
In early August 2010, Delta airlines launched eCommerce capability on Facebook – enabling users to book flights with their friends via the popular social networking site. With nearly 40,000 fans on Facebook – Delta has bought the booking process to their consumers. Delta airlines said it provides consumers with the “ability for consumers to shop on their own terms and give them an easy way to book travel with their friends”.

To view their F-Commerce capability – visit www.facebook.com/delta

MaxFactor Facing Up To The Facebook Opportunity
In the UK MaxFactor has delivered an F-Commerce site through the Amazon Facebook platform. Similar to Delta airlines, MaxFactor in the UK has a loyal following of over 17,000 consumers who “like” the brand – enabling MaxFactor to communicate with them and drive them through to purchase online – without leaving their social environment.

To view their F-Commerce capability – visit http://www.facebook.com/MaxFactorUK

F-Commerce is still in its infancy globally thus the next 6 months will be a telling time for the industry and will crystalise the value of this channel for e-tailers. If examples such as the above prove successful, this will convince many organisations to take that next step and monetise the value of their Facebook brand pages. Then finally the social media sceptics will pipe down and start to realise the true value of social media.

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Digital Gossip – Facebook Places, Android Fever & More

August 19th, 2010

As the digital landscape moves so rapidly it is hard to keep up with all of the latest trends and gadgets. To assist my savvy audience to do this I am introducing my Digital Gossip column which will provide snippets of what is doing the rounds on the rumour mill or is one of the latest changes to our dynamic industry.

So what’s goss?

Australia’s Online Advertising Market Continues To Grow
According to the latest release of data from the IAB, Australia’s online advertising market is now worth over $2 billion. This is a 13% growth year on year – however the largest growth market was search at 16%. What was surprising was the fact that display advertising revenue in Australia continues to be focused on a CPM model, with performance advertising only accounting for 25% of revenue.

To find out more about the growth click here; http://www.digital-media.net.au/article/online-advertising-worth-more-than-2-billion-iab/522107.aspx

Facebook Places
Hot off the press Facebook has today launched its answer to the growing Foursquare / geo-location phenomenon. Whilst it is still early days it seems Facebook Places adopts many of the features as Foursquare with Facebook places designed to do three main things:
• Help people share where they are in a social way.
• See which friends are nearby.
• Discover nearby places and new places through friends’ profiles

View the YouTube summary video on Facebook places;

Google’s competitor to the iPad
Rumour has it that HTC is set to launch a new tablet in November on the Android platform. Samsung is also set to release its own tablet product this holiday season on the Android operating system. These new tablet alternatives will continue to drive take up worldwide as they will provide consumers with cheaper alternatives to choose from in the market.
Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/0818/Google-Chrome-tablet-could-hit-market-by-Black-Friday

Android Fever
According to Gartner – Android has officially overtaken Apple iOS as the 3rd highest selling system worldwide. In the second quarter of 2010, 10.6 million Android-powered handsets were sold around the globe, compared with 8.7 million iPhones. Figures for the Australian market are not available, according to a spokeswoman for Gartner Australia However most observers believe that after a slow start Android is now doing very well Down Under, with handsets pouring from multiple makers, including HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola.
Read more here: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/googles-android-system-leapfrogs-apple-ios/story-e6frgakx-1225906035139

Written By: Teresa Sperti

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5 Ways Local & Global Brands Are Using Foursquare

August 16th, 2010

Locally and globally Foursquare is taking off. Whilst the platform is yet to go mainstream, its now 2.6 million users (reached in mid August) is rising fast and unlike when Facebook / Twitter growth begun – intelligent marketers are already starting to unleash the platform to achieve a range of marketing objectives. This article covers 4 different ways brands have used Foursquare locally and global to connect with their audience;

Foursquare For Retention: Wagamama’s (Local Example)
Wagamama is using the geo-location service to drive repeat patronage to its stores in the local market. Wagamama’s offers visitors instant offers such as a complementary soup with every main meal for every 5th check in to rewards its loyal consumers. However it is not just repeat purchases that are giving Wagamama’s the edge. Through its marketing on Foursquare, Wagamama has access to range of real-time information about its customers including who has ‘checked in’ to its noodle bars, when they arrived, the male to female customer ratio and which times of day are more active for certain customers, who the most frequent visitors to the restaurant are etc. This provides Wagamama’s with a new level of insight into its consumers – as well as a mechanism to monitor satisfied or unsatisfied consumers.
Read more here: http://www.revium.com.au/articles/blog/using-foursquare-for-marketing/

Foursquare For PR Stunts: Microsoft (Local Example)
In June this year, Microsoft organised a mayor meet up in Sydney to promote the launch of their new Office 2010 product. 141 Foursquare users checked-in to Martin Place where the event was held. Whilst the number of individuals involved is relatively small this campaign created a buzz in the media as it was one of the first of its kind in Australia.
Read more here; http://mumbrella.com.au/141-turn-out-for-microsoft-mayor-swarm-as-vibe-gets-into-foursquare-too-28302

Foursquare For Upsell: Domino’s (UK Example)
In the UK, Domino’s credits much of its revenue growth to its investment in social media – namely Facebook and Foursquare. Domino’s launched a check-in promotion, which enabled consumers to receive a side dish when they spent £10 or more at a Domino’s store. Since it launched its ongoing Foursquare check-in promotion Domino’s have received 10,000 check-ins, 3,500 of which are unique.

Foursquare For Acquisition: Gap & Ann Taylor Discounts (US Example)
On the 14th of August 2010, Gap utilised foursquare to drive foot-traffic into selected stores. Titled the “The BlackMagic Event”, Gap offered patrons who checked into Foursquare a 25% discount off selected clothing. However this is not the only promotion of its kind other fashion retailers in the US have used Foursquare to drive both acquisition and retention. Ann Taylor offered 25% off to Foursquare mayors and 15% off to each customer on his or her fifth check-in. These deals are great for retailers because those Foursquare users’ friends would see that they’re checking in, giving the stores some exposure.

Foursquare For Brand Engagement: Jimmy Choo & Barbie (UK & US Example)
Jimmy Choo the world renowned footwear brand launched a treasure hunt on the streets of London. Rather than utilise a discount style promotion, Jimmy Choo created a social game in the real world. Jimmy Choo utilised a pair of their sneakers as a Foursquare user and these shoes checked into venues around London and the first Foursquare user to find the sneakers at the latest location would win a pair of their own. And it seems that Barbie has now followed in Jimmy Choo’s footsteps. To coincide with the launch of the new video Barbie, Mattel has launched a Foursquare scavenger hunt across 4 US states – requiring participants to complete location based tasks to win 1 of 14 prizes.
Read more here: http://mashable.com/2010/04/27/foursquare-jimmy-choo/
Read more here: http://www.thedefectorsblog.com.au/communications/barbie-doll-foursquare

There are many other campaigns launched by brands around the world click here to find out more click here -
http://www.pathinteractive.com/blog/2010/06/top-ten-foursquare-campaigns/

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