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2012 – 2015 Digital Predictions & Trends

January 29, 2012 No Comments

If you thought digital has evolved rapidly over the past few years, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Over the next 4 – 5 years, digital innovation as well as spend is expected to sky-rocket. After reading countless prediction articles, this is a compilation of 22 forecasts and emerging trends which no major brand can afford to ignore. In particular more half of these are related to mobile – which demonstrates the impact it will have on the industry in the years to come.

Mobile & Tablet – Current Usage, Forecasts & Trends

1. Smartphone Penetration; In 2015 nearly 90% of all Australian mobile phone users will have a smartphone, up from just under 50% in 2011.
2. Tablet Usage; Gartner predicts tablet shipments worldwide will grow from 17.6 million in 2011 to an astounding 326.3 million in 2015. According to PWC one in every four Australian consumers will own a table computer by 2015 – which is higher than the global average which is anticipated to reach 15 – 20%.
3. Mobile Internet Overtakes Desktop Usage; Telsyte forecasts online publishers in Australia will have a larger smartphone audience than the computer-based online audience by 2015. The inflection point will occur sometime during 2014.
4. Mobile Gamification: By 2015, 70 per cent of global 2000 companies will have at least 1 gamified app.
5. App Downloads: IDC forecasts the number of annual mobile app downloads to increase from 10.7 billion in 2010 to nearly 183 billion by 2015.
6. Windows Marketshare; Windows Phone is forecast to reach 20% market share globally by 2015. Gartner/IDC said the big loser would be iOS and Android will only continue to grow reaching as high as 49% by 2015.

7. Mobile Payments; By 2015, Gartner predicts mobile payments will account for 5 per cent of all consumer electronic transactions worldwide.
8. Second Screen Usage; According to data from Yahoo/Nielsen, 86% of web users now use a mobile device while watching TV.
9. Mobile Gaming; Mobile gaming in the US is anticipated to be worth $591.5 million by 2015 up from $181 million.

On the basis of the above, there is little doubt that mobile will be the device of choice to access the internet in years to come. How marketers leverage mobile to connect and engage with consumers however is still in its infancy – and over the next few years marketers will need to focus on new trends to remain relevant. Some of which include;

10. Context Aware Experiences; Context-aware services and applications will provide improved user experiences by using personal information i.e. interests, intentions, history, environment and preferences to anticipate consumer needs and proactively serve up the most appropriate content, product or service.
11. Object Recognition; Object Recognition (OR) apps are penned as a hot trend to watch in 2012 and beyond. OR recognises a user’s surroundings including specific objects of interest. OR is anticipated to open up a world of new opportunities for marketers to engage and connect.
12. Near Field Communications (NFC); Near field communication can quickly swap information between devices when they’re touched together – and is tipped to become a popular mobile payment method in years to come – however near field communication (NFC) payment is not anticipated to become mainstream before 2015.

Video & Social Media Usage, Forecasts & Trends

13. Social Commerce; Gartner Research recently predicted that 50 percent of all digital sales will flow through social and mobile platforms by 2015. In addition $30 billion in global purchases expected to occur on social networking sites in 2015.
14. Personal Information Lock-Down; Gartner predicts in 2012, we will see the start of a negative backlash against social media, with 20 per cent of consumers reducing the amount of information they share online.
15. Shift from UGC to professional video content; In 2012, there will be shift toward professionally created video content. YouTube will launch at least 90 new original channels featuring celebrities, professional creators and more. This new trend, will drive consumer demand for more professional content.
16. Photo / Multimedia Networks Emerge; Growth in Instagram and Pinterest, demonstrates the rise of photo / multimedia social platforms. Instagram reached 15 million users by the end of 2011, whilst Pinterest received over 31 million visits and this is anticipated to accelerate over the coming years.

Online Advertising (Paid Search, Display & Video)

17. Online Video Advertising Growth; Forrester Research predicts digital video advertising (US) will reach at least $5.4 billion by 2016; in 2011 digital video ads pulled in $2 billion. Whilst eMarketer predicts video ads will overtake rich media advertising spend, growing to over $7 billion in 2015.
18. Mobile Advertising Growth; eMarketer predicts $1.07 billion to be spent on mobile advertising in 2015 of which $213.6 million will be spent on mobile video advertising.
19. Shift away from paid search; By 2016, Forrester predicts a shift away from paid search towards display advertising. Forrester predicts search share of online media spend will decline by 11% as paid search costs continue to rise and ROI is eroded.
20. Online Ad Spend Surpasses TV; According to Forrester, Interactive marketing spend is set to dethrone TV globally (this includes search marketing, display advertising, email marketing, mobile marketing, and social media) and represent 26% of all advertising.

Other Digital Forecasts

21. Connected TV Growth; It is predicted that 65% of TVs sold in 2012, will be connected TVs – rising to as many as 80% by 2015. Whilst a few brands have began investing in the space, 2013 is likely to see investment in TV apps and content accelerate – which will be partly driven by the introduction of Apple TV in 18 months time.
22. Connected Cars; In the same way TVs of the future are internet enabled, so too will cars – with an estimated 55 million global consumers able to access internet via their vehicle by 2016.

References:

http://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/show.aspx?c=87261&slide=12
http://www.telsyte.com.au/?p=1140
http://www.kansan.com/news/2012/jan/26/site-pinterest/
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/30-social-media-predictions-for-2012-from-the-pros/
http://www.zdnet.com.au/2012-mega-predictions-round-up_print-339329368.htm
http://www.thestrategyweb.com/facebook-commerce-prediction-of-30-billion-by-2015
http://mashable.com/2011/12/08/media-ad-trends-2012/
http://www.isuppli.com/automotive-infotainment-and-telematics/marketwatch/pages/the-next-internet-boom-connected-cars.aspx
http://www.zdnet.com.au/2012-mega-predictions-round-up_print-339329368.htm
http://www.thestrategyweb.com/facebook-commerce-prediction-of-30-billion-by-2015
http://socialtimes.com/7-predictions-for-online-video-in-2012_b87078
http://mashable.com/2011/12/08/media-ad-trends-2012/

Digital News & Trends, Social Media

2011 Social Media Compendium

November 11, 2011 No Comments

One of the most popular posts published on my blog has been the social media compendium I compiled back in March 2010. Given these stats are now a little out of date I have compiled some of the latest info to provide my digital peeps with a central source of data to pull out of the bag in times of emergency (for pitches / selling in concepts to Senior Exec’s yada yada yada) Enjoy!

Australian Social Media Usage Statistics

• People of all ages are using social media: According to a recent Sensis eBusiness report 82% of people in their 30s, 47% of people in their 40s, and 45% of people in their 50s-to-60s are connected on social media sites in Australia.

• More Australians’ are logging in more frequently: 4 in 10 Australians log on to social networking sites several times per day, up from less than three in 10 last year

• Social Media fix during work hours: Almost one in four Australians access social networking sites from their workplace.

• Majority of Australians are logging on: 59 percent of Australians have used a social network in the past 12 months

• Females are more obsessed with social networking than male counterparts: In the past 12 months – 61 per cent of Australian females have used a social network vs. 56 per cent of males.

• Blogging remains relevant to Australians: 44 percent of Australians have read a blog over the past 12 months

• Video uploads on the rise: 21 percent uploaded a video to the Internet up from 14 percent 2 years ago.

• A third of time spent online is spent interacting with social media: According to Nielsen research, Australian Internet users spend 7 hours and 17 minutes a month visiting social networks and blogs.

A Closer Look at Video Usage

According to a recent report by a third of Australians watched video content downloaded from the Internet.

Demographic breakdown: 68% of Australians aged 18-29 viewed online video content
50% of those aged 30-44 viewed online video content
34% of those aged 45-54 viewed online video content
22% aged 55 and over viewed online video content

Prediction: Watch this space (literally)! Online video usage is anticipated to continue to grow exponentially here and abroad in the coming years – thus it is not unreasonable to expect 50 – 60% of online users downloading / consuming video content via the web in the coming year to 2 years.

A Closer Look at Facebook Usage

According to Internal Facebook Data in September Australia has 10.5 million active Facebook users.

Australian Facebook Users By Age:

13 – 17 – 13 percent
18 – 24 – 24 percent
25 – 35 – 25 percent
36 – 44 – 17 percent
45 – 54 – 11 percent
55+ – 9 percent

Average Time Spent on Facebook: According to Nielsen the average time spent on Facebook by Australians is 6 hrs and 46 mins in August this year

Average Monthly User Frequency: In Australia, the average user visits Facebook 26 times per month!

Prediction: Expect Facebook usage to level out or decline (although I had predicted this in the past which may have been a bit premature). Facebook usage in markets like UK has begun to show fatigue which has led to small declines in the active number of monthly users. Facebook is definitely not going away any time soon but time on site / frequency of usage may start to retreat and new users are also becoming increasingly harder to attract.

A Closer Look At LinkedIn Usage

More and more professionals are subscribing to LinkedIn; 2 million plus subscribers in Australia as of October 2011.

Majority of professionals yet to sign up: According to market research firm Telsyte approx 40% of professionals in Australia use LinkedIn

Small businesses not embracing power of professional networking tools: Only 10.7 percent of LinkedIn subscribers in Australia are small business owners

Prediction: Whilst LinkedIn has gained momentum, growth has not been as rapid / steep as the likes of Facebook. I anticipate members will continue to grow in the coming year to 2 years as I don’t believe the product has reached saturation point in the market.

References
http://www.socialmediamarketing.com.au/social-media-marketing/linkedin-now-has-2-million-users-in-australia-but-new-competitor-is-gaining-fast.php

http://searcheverywhere.net/facebook-australia-statistics-august-2011/

http://www.startupsmart.com.au/technology/online-use-among-older-people-continues-to-soar/201110214267.html

http://about.sensis.com.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/2011%20Sensis%20e-Business%20Report%20FINAL.pdf

http://zo-au.com/nielsen-report-on-social-media-q3-2011

Mobile Marketing

Augmented Reality On The Rise In Oz

July 17, 2011 No Comments

According to a report by Visiongain, the value of the global Augmented Reality market was approximately $11 million in Q1 of 2011 whilst Juniper Research estimated the market at the close of 2010 to be $15 million. Despite the discrepancy in figures there is no denying that the future is bright for Augmented Reality. With broadband penetration increasing and improvement in Smartphone feature specifications, the Augmented Reality market could zoom from now until 2015. In fact, Juniper Research is estimating the market will approach close to $15 billion by 2015.

Whilst its use has been a little slow out of the blocks, Augmented Reality is starting to gain some traction amongst the marketing community in Australia. In 2011 we have seen higher uptake of AR than ever before with big brands experimenting in the space. This article details 3 great examples of how AR has been used to integrate online and offline activities to deliver a richer brand experience.

Coopers Clear AR Instant Win Promotion

At the beginning of the year Coopers’ Brewery launched a ‘Coopers Clear Cut’ campaign to mark the 1st year anniversary of the Coopers Clear product and to drive incremental beer sales.

Coopers took the traditional FMCG instant win promotional concept and transformed it by branding cases of Coopers Clear with special Augmented Reality codes. Using either a micro site or iPhone to scan the code, buyers were able to view possible prizes that they could win, in 3D, including diamonds, Coopers Summer Packs, and BigPond music downloads.

Outcome: Coopers received nearly 20,000 entries into the competition of which over 7,000 were from the iPhone app! The app was downloaded in excess of 2,000 times with the remainder of entries coming via web.

CommBank Brings Ads To Life With AR

CommBank was one of early adopters of Augmented Reality through the launch of their property app. The app provides consumers with past sales history, current property listings and recent sales, all of which are mapped on to a real world view through the iPhone’s camera

To date the app has achieved strong uptake with over 100,000 downloads however as consumers are still relatively new to AR, CommBank needed a way to recruit more users! Enter more AR stage right!

In March this year, CommBank launched AR print advertisements in mX and News Ltd newspapers. Using the iPhone to trigger 3D animations of a virtual town, CommBank illustrated the features of their property app to entice more consumers to download the app.

According to Ikon the use of AR in print gave CommBank the opportunity to enhance awareness of the property app amongst the Bank’s wider consumer base through innovative use of press.

KIA

In 2011 Kia took its Australian Open partnership to the next level with its broadcast partner Channel 7, by combining Augmented Reality with television advertising!

Through the use of AR, KIA brought a 3D animation of the KIA Optima from the television screen to a user’s mobile phone, enabling consumers to experience the cars features in a fun and interactive way!

Outcomes; The app received strong take up with over 11,000 iPhone downloads and over 5,000 downloads on Android devices.

Digital Strategy, Mobile Marketing

3 Mobile Trends Marketers Simply Can’t Ignore

June 6, 2011 No Comments

Australians adoption of smartphones has mobile internet usage growing at a rapid rate. Nowadays the mobile device facilitates communication (talk, text and social network interaction) , entertainment (mobile TV / video & gaming) and provides access to information anytime anywhere – making it the one device that no one can live without.

It therefore comes as no surprise that it’s one of the key channels that marketers need embrace with open arms now and in years to come. But it is not only the sheer amount of time consumers are spending on their devices that makes the channel valuable, it is the context in which consumers are using them that will make marketers stand up and take notice!

Below are 3 key trends which I believe no marketer can ignore.

Trend 1: Second Screen Mobile Usage Is Significant

According to a recent study by YuMe, some 60% of TV audiences are distracted by their mobile phone while watching TV. However according to Nielsen and Yahoo’s research, second screen usage is as high as 86%. Although the 2 surveys present a discrepancy in second screen usage both surveys indicate that the trend is significant and this presents an opportunity for marketers – an opportunity to integrate! Now more than ever marketers therefore need to think about how to transition audiences from a traditional TVC to a mobile device. Strategies include but are not limited to;
• SMS – to find out more or to enter competitions / promotions
• Mobile Search – recommending consumers to search for a particular phrase relevant to the ad content and
• Augmented Reality – A few brands have already experimented with AR to deliver a richer 3D / augmented experience. This might be just what the doctor ordered to reinvigorate dull brand TVCs

Trend 2: Mobile Usage In Store

Not only are mobile phones monopolising the in-home entertainment experience, mobiles are also playing an increasingly influential role in-store. According to research conducted by iModerate Research Technologies more than half of smartphone owners are using their mobile in store to enhance their shopping experience by comparing prices, finding store locations and checking for discounts. Whilst a survey conducted by independent marketing firm IPSOS OTX found 79% of smartphone users utilise their devices in store. In Australia, retailers are already feeling the digital pinch, however trends such as these indicate that the fight for customers is only going to get tougher – as your competitors are only a click away at the point of sale. These new instore consumers experiences are therefore prime territory for marketers looking to inject a brand into a target audience’s psyche at a critical juncture in their decision making process.

Trend 3: Cross-Media Influence

Whilst mobile / second screen usage is distracting consumers, research from IPSOS OTX revealed that traditional media has a strong influence on mobile usage. According to the research conducted, 68% of consumers search on their phones as a direct result of traditional ad exposure. This research comes as no surprise, as mobile phones provide consumers with the immediacy to act upon a relevant brand message. Search is however not the only way in which consumers can act on a brand message. AR has enabled brands like CommBank to engage with consumers in interactive ways – making a simple flat print ad – a 3D experience.

As these trends show, whether it is at POS, on TV or out and about, brands, particularly retail ones, need to consider mobile as one of the cornerstones of their marketing strategy not an after thought!

The Changing Face of Online Advertising

April 30, 2011 No Comments

Over the next few years the online advertising landscape will change dramatically. Consumer consumption of video, mobile and social are all starting to play a role in the way we plan and buy media however by 2015 our online media schedules will look very different to how they look today.

Video Advertising

Video advertising is one of the fastest growing segments in the online advertising market. In fact it is growing so fast Google predicts by 2015, 50% of ad campaigns will include video ads bought on a cost-per-view basis (that means that user will have choice whether to watch it or not).

Video advertising is still however in its infancy despite the fact that consumption of video by Australian consumers is significant. According to the IAB, Australians are now watching almost 1 billion videos online each month which provides a lot of opportunity for advertisers. And even though video based advertising grew by 83% year on year in Australia, total video spend by advertisers equated to 5.3% ($33.4m) of total digital advertising spend. This demonstrates just how far the industry will come in 4 short years if Google’s predictions are correct.

Whilst video advertising provides a significant opportunity for marketers it is not without its challenges. As some video channels / networks allow viewers to skip advertisements, marketers will need to provide more than a traditional TV style commercial– engagement and entertainment will be far more important in the video ad space.

Mobile Advertising

By 2015 it is anticipated that mobile internet will surpass desktop internet usage – and with that mobile advertising is expected to undergo rapid growth. In fact according to Gartner, global mobile advertising spend will total $3.3 billion in 2011 and this figure will balloon to $20.6 billion by 2015.

Like video, mobile too will bring several challenges. Small screens / ad formats will make it more difficult for marketers to communicate their message. The power of mobile combined with local however will also provide new opportunities for marketers to connect with consumers when and where it is relevant. We have already seen the power of mobile and local via Foursquare which has enabled retail brands to connect with consumers however this is the tip of the iceberg. Over the next 4 years will see significant investment from Google, Facebook and start ups in the mobile / local space, which will also result in new ad formats and opportunities for brands to target new and existing customers.

Social Advertising

In 2011, US marketers are expected to spend $3.08 billion on social network advertising, which is roughly 10% of total ad spend online and an increase of 55% from 2010. Whilst we are behind the US when it comes to digital, marketers take up of social media in Australia is on the rise so there is no doubt that social advertising will make up a larger slice of the advertising pie in the future.

Social advertising doesn’t just refer to display ads on Facebook. Whilst Facebook is one of the key social channels that marketers are advertising on, the social phenomenon is giving rise to new advertising opportunities. One of the growing trends in the social space is that of social gaming. As a result we are seeing social gaming organizations like Zynga building branded experiences into games. This includes McDonalds use of Farmville to provide virtual McCafe to players so they can work at double the speed as well as Honda’s virtual billboard in CarTown to name a few.

Social games aren’t however the only trend in the social advertising space. Social behaviour will also have an impact on how ads are consumed in years to come. According to Google just like most news articles on the web today can be commented on, shared, discussed, subscribed to and recommended, by 2015, 75% of ads on the web will be “social” in nature—across dozens of formats, sites and social communities.

Like mobile and video these social advertising trends will also present several challenges for marketers. Consumer’s ability to comment, share and rate advertising will change the fundamentals of advertising. Consumer’s will have a right of reply to a brand message and this is going to provide all sorts of challenges to marketers. Whilst new social advertising opportunities like those within social gaming platforms and across social networks will mean marketers need to become more creative, to deliver more than just their message.

What other trends do you think will impact online advertising in the coming years? Share your thoughts below.

Learn more about social and digital strategy by attending the iStrategy conference in Melbourne. With digitalmarketinglab you can save 10% off the cost of your ticket by entering this code: DML10.

Email Marketing, Social Media

Email & Social Media – Bed Buddies Not Arch Enemies

April 11, 2011 No Comments

Since the explosion of social media, email marketing has been put on the endangered species list. If we venture into the wild world of email we find it is still thriving and has done so particularly since the economic downturn, however many are sceptical about its life span. The email vs social media argument has been re-ignited in 2010 with a recent Gartner report signalling bleak times for email. However a recent post on eConsultancy interviewing many of the leaders in the email field see it very differently.

So is it time to start preparing for emails devise? Hardly rather social media is probably giving email a new lease on life, giving email a new partner in crime!

So how is the landscape changing and how can marketers leverage the link between social and email to improve communication and response?

Convergence

Whilst each channel provides its advantages and draw backs – industry software leaders know that convergence is going to play a big role in the evolution of the 2 channels.

Facebook knows that email plays an important role in its future and as such is currently investing in a full webmail service – called Project Titan. Whilst Google & Microsoft are also rapidly integrating social functionality into Gmail and Outlook. These changes in functionality will mean that email becomes the start of a conversation from a brand, one which can then continue amongst a subscribers’ network and peers.

Collaboration

Social media provides email marketing with the vehicle to enable one to one communications to become many to many. Providing the ability to share content from email however is not enough. Good online content that is topical will be rewarded and discussed within the social space outside of the confines of email. The viral nature of social media provides the element that email needs to ensure this information is being given to those who will benefit from it most (not just those subscribed to receive it) – and this is what pull marketing is all about.

Database Extension

One of the most valuable tools social media provides for email marketers is the ability to gather new subscribers. Fan pages, groups etc provide brands with the notification that they have a loyal base of followers. However if these consumers subscribe to receive email information it provides the brand with the direct connection with the user to foster a deeper relationship. Advocates that are empowered with this information then become the brand vehicle and gateway to access a wider audience in the social space.

The above demonstrates that in a web 2.0 world it is not a channel fight of the titans but rather a teaming up of email and social that is going to take email marketing into the next decade as a discipline and also important strategy for your organisation.

SEO

The SEO Merry Go Round – You Just Can’t Afford To Get Off

March 24, 2011 No Comments

As 2011 steams ahead, so too is Google with their algorithm changes and innovation. In a recent interview Amit Singhal, a Google software engineer, advised Google’s innovation cycle is accelerating and the search giant is just getting started on the next generation of search. And if new releases and plans for 2011 are anything to go by, search marketers are in for a bumpy ride.

This year to date we have already seen the farmer update, as well as Google hinting that soon to follow will be an algorithm change which will lessen the weight assigned to keyword domains.
So what is the implication of some of these changes, and what else is coming?

Farmer Update

The farmer update, which was released in February 2011, targets the many content farms that have sprung up in the past few years. Whilst content is king, Google’s aim is to deliver quality search results and content. On that basis content sites which contain a vast amount of low quality content have seen a dramatic decline in rankings and traffic.

Implication: Despite the effect the farmer update will have on article submission as a key form of link building – it also has several other ramifications. Websites which have created content for the sole basis of ranking could also be in trouble as this algorithm change isn’t just targeting content farms. Sites which contain a sizeable amount of low quality content created for search are also in the firing line and the impact can spread far beyond penalisation of these pages. Google has indicated overall site rankings could be impacted as a result of poor content so it’s time for SEOs to get with the times and produce content which is fit for users not just spiders.

For more details on the Farmer update click here.

Keyword Rich Domains Under Review

In a recent video on YouTube Matt Cutts stated; We have looked at the rankings and weights that we give to keyword domains and some people have complained that we are giving a little too much weight for keywords in domains. So we have been thinking about adjusting that mix a bit and sort of turning the knob down within the algorithm, so that given 2 different domains it wouldn’t necessarily help you as much to have a domain name with a bunch of keywords in it.
Whilst Google is yet to adjust the algorithm there is no doubt that if Matt Cutts is talking about it, there is an algorithm change on its way.

Implication: This will be an interesting space to watch as Google will need to juggle how this impacts sites with keyword rich domains that are legitimate brands (not just created for the basis of ranking). Some experts believe Google may start by targeting hyphenated domains as this is a clear a signal of a spammy domain name.

Google Social Search Updates

Innovation and algorithm changes in the field of social search are high on the agenda for 2011. It has been widely publicised that social factors affect rankings and their influence is likely to increase overtime however Google is also pushing the envelope in the area of personalising results through social data. In February Google announced changes to search that will bring that will bring users more relevant, recommended results from their connections.

Implication: It is still very early days in the area of social search and there is no doubt Google has stumbled a few times and will continue to do so as they experiment. Like the impact of the farmer update, social factors will force SEO tactics to be more closely aligned with other online marketing strategies. In particular alignment across content and social media will have a significant impact on SEO outcomes in the months and years ahead.

What else do you think Google has in store in 2011?

Digital News & Trends, Digital Strategy, Digital Trends

Online & Offline Marketing – The Perfect Couple… For A Break Up

March 14, 2011 No Comments

As organizations are beefing up their digital strategies, one of the most challenging issues they will face it integration. As many marketing teams are divided by specialization delivering 1 consistent message can be difficult – particularly in larger organizations.

The importance of channel integration

Integration of your online and offline marketing is critical to maximize results. People no longer consider where a brand message is sourced. To them, they live their lives both online and offline without separation – it’s all just part of their everyday lives now, interwoven into one cohesive experience.

So if they online and offline activities are aligned and well coordinated effectiveness of each channel can deliver maximum impact.

A case study on integration

The recent NAB break up campaign, is one great example of integration across online and offline channels.
Whether you like the campaign or not it does seem to be having the desired effect for the bank by getting consumers to switch. According to NAB, in the three-and-a-half weeks since launch the bank experienced a 20 per cent increase in new transaction account openings; a 50 per cent increase in credit card applications; a 45 per cent increase in home loan refinancing, and a 35 per cent increase in home loan inquiries. And whilst the promotional spend has been significant, campaign effectiveness is being maximized through a well planned and executed combination of online and offline activities.
Let’s take a closer look at how online and offline tactics are being utilized in combination to achieve campaign goals and to deliver a consistent message to the market.

A blended launch approach got tongues wagging

The campaign started on Twitter, carried over to print then involved a number of guerrilla marketing stunts, and subsequent release of online videos all in a matter of the first few days of the campaign. By combining engagement channels with those of reach and frequency for the initial launch, NAB captured the attention of audiences which fuelled conversation and buzz within the first few days. If social was used in isolation I doubt that NAB would have been able to gain momentum as quickly as they had by utilizing the integrated approach.

Maximising offline investment online

NAB has invested a significant amount of spend in offline advertising to reach the masses. The campaign has leveraged an array of media from billboards and outdoor, to TVC, radio and in-store promotion to gets its break up message into the market. Investment like this of course delivers strong brand awareness and hopefully some change in brand perception. However aside from this it also drives many consumers to act and this could occur offline in a branch or online.

As graph 1 suggests, Google trends depicts a significant increase in brand related search since NAB launched its campaign. And the bank is ensuring that the effort and value derived from its offline activity is not experiencing online leakage to other brands. Searches for NAB break up reveal paid search ads, which drive users directly to the branded content on a dedicated landing page. NAB has also added “break up” site links within its more general paid search campaigns to ensure consumers looking for campaign content can find it easily. Whilst this may sound obvious many brands fail to do this and a lot of the hard work and spend can be lost.

TVC & Online Video Combo

Traditional TVCs, which deliver good entertainment value, thrive in the online environment. As consumers discuss campaigns offline or even in social space users will migrate to platforms like YouTube to see what all of the fuss is about. Last year ANZ showed how additional reach and frequency can be had through leveraging TVC assets in the video space but with this campaign NAB went one better. NAB not only released TVCs on YouTube, they also created 50 break up videos for the campaign.

Combining these 2 mediums would deliver far more reach and frequency than adoption of 1 channel. TVCs with good entertainment value can create a pull effect for users to re-engage with the content online and as NAB has created additional branded content – this provides consumers with other digital assets to view and share with their network. In addition by providing access to TVCs and other video content online, NAB is also able to reach audiences who predominantly spend their time consuming media online.

Aside from the benefits detailed above, NAB has also adopted the same rationale to video based search as it has to text based search. Its unique campaign idea and media strategy has driven many to seek out the branded content on YouTube and to ensure brand leakage does not occur NAB has sponsored video’s on YouTube to appear when “break up” searches are conducted.

Watch: Online and Offline Marketing Integration

Digital News & Trends

The Group Buying Craze Down Under

February 6, 2011 No Comments

The group buying space in Australia is really starting to heat up. In late January Yahoo!7 announced the acquisition of Spreets, GroupOn began its Australian assault with StarDeals and a number of brands have launched aggressive marketing campaigns to win market share. This article takes a closer look at the industry and what is in store for 2011.

The Market & Who Is Buying

According to Cudo CEO Billy Tucker the coupon market has grown from zero to a $150-200 million industry in just 10 months,” and expectations are for substantial growth in 2011 and beyond. Some of the biggest fans are working women aged 20s to 40s however it seems that these aren’t the only people buying. According to Cudo – 15% of its audience are retirees with spare cash and a willingness to try new things.

The competitor set

The substantial growth of the industry has attracted many players who are vying for a slice of the market (both local and global). As a result over a short period of time the market has become quite saturated, with more than 12 sites competing in the industry. Below is a summary of stats for some of the key industry players based on internet research:

Despite industry growth this year will no doubt sort the men from the boys. It will be a gruelling year for those in the industry – with most brands pulling out all stops to cement their position as the industry’s largest group buying site. There are some fairly big obstacles however that those in the market will need to overcome. The first is surviving in a saturated market. With over 12 players in the market the number of competitors is unsustainable. Therefore 2011 will see some of the smaller sites either acquired by those bigger sites to further grow market share or they will simply fall by the wayside. Another big obstacle is differentiation in product offering to gain a distinct competitive advantage. Whilst Cudo claims it differentiates through only providing discounts which are more than 50% off the standard retail price– the reality is that there is little differentiation that I have seen amongst the industry players. Product exclusivity will be important as will be retaining a steady flow of good quality deals and offers over an extended period of time to keep users engaged. What we may see in 2011 is that some sites may become more specialised and focus their product offering on 1 or 2 verticals ie health and beauty or dining and entertainment to differentiate amongst competitors – however time will tell.

Will Facebook & Google Spoil The Party

When any significant internet trend emerges you can guarantee that Google and Facebook won’t be too far away. Facebook Deals is Facebook’s answer to the coupon phenomenon. Launched in Europe at the start of February, Facebook deals requires consumers to check-in to locations to receive discounts. In the UK a number of big name companies have already signed up to provide deals with more on the way. Apart from the location element there are a few differences between group buying sites and Facebook deals. The first is that discounts can relate to the simplest of products like coffee and advertising an offer to consumers is free. On the face of it, it therefore seems that Facebook Deals is more likely to kill foursquare than Group Buying sites however it also depends on how this product develops over time.

Similar to Facebook, Google too is set to launch its answer to the growing trend known as Google offers. Like Facebook Deals, Google Offers will provide consumers with the ability to access deals via check-in however offers will also be accessible via Google Place pages online. So will this be a “deal breaker” for the industry? Google’s recent track record with vertical strategies hasn’t been good and unless there is a dedicated team behind it encouraging brands to get onboard and ensuring that deal content is being refreshed and updated Google Offers may fall away as so many of Google’s vertical projects have.

More about Daily Deals and Group Buying sites:

References
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/women-harness-discount-power/story-e6frf7l6-1225997072065
http://mumbrella.com.au/forgot-cudo-or-spreets-were-number-one-for-social-38641
http://mumbrella.com.au/cudo-claims-audience-lead-over-spreets-is-battle-of-the-group-buying-sites-38467
http://www.newswire.net/newsroom/permalink/6241.html

Advertising, Digital News & Trends, Mobile Marketing, Social Media

Latest Digital Statistics Compilation Australia

January 18, 2011 No Comments

Since it has been a good 6 months since I have compiled a summary of Australian digital statistics, I felt it’s a good time for us to reflect on the second half of 2010. Enjoy!

Social – Facebook Usage

1. In December 2010 there were 9,361,520 Australia’s actively using Facebook.
2. In December 2010 – users by age group were as follows – 35% or roughly 3.2 million subscribers fell into the 20 to 29-year-old category. At 21% or nearly two million users each are the 30 to 39 and 13 to 19 age bands. More than 1.2 million users are in the 40 to 49-year-old band that makes up 13% of the total. And about 732,000 people between the ages of 50 and 59 form 8% of the total. The remaining 210,000 are aged 60 and above.
3. Facebook represents almost 1 in every 5 pages viewed on the web by Australians during September 2010. Facebook’s 19.3% share swamps Google.com.au’s 7.4% share of page views.
4. The average session time for a user visiting Facebook during September 2010 was 28 minutes and 58 seconds.

Sources
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/email-is-so-passe-for-facebook-generation/story-e6frg6z6-1225981885878
http://weblogs.hitwise.com/alan-long/2010/10/12_things_you_need_to_know_abo.html

Video

5. More than three quarters of online Australians (77%) watched video content on their computer at least once in September and a further 26% watched video on their mobile phone.
6. In October 2010, Australian video viewers consumed an average of nearly 8 hours of video.
7. Males spend a significantly longer amount of time viewing online video than females. On average, males watched just over 10 hours of online video in October, while females averaged 5.2 hours. Males also consumed a higher number of videos on average at 113 videos per viewer, compared to females at 72 videos per viewer.

Sources:
http://www.nielsen-online.com/pr/OCR_GOS-oct10.pdf
http://www.comscore.com/

Mobile

8. According to the AIMIA mobile survey, the proportion of respondents who own a Nokia or Motorola handset has declined over the last few years, while those owning an Apple handset has increased. The top handset brands of respondents this year were Nokia (41%), Apple (21%), Samsung (12%), Sony Ericsson (9%), LG (6%), Motorola (3%) and Blackberry (3%).
9. 24% of respondents used their mobile phone for banking at least on a monthly basis, compared to 19% last year.
10. 12% of respondents used their mobile phone to buy things for their mobile phone at least once on a monthly basis, compared to 10% last year.
11. 9% of respondents used their mobile phone to buy things not for their mobile phone, at least on a monthly basis, compared to 8% last year.
12. In September 2010, one third of Australians (36%) accessed the Internet via their mobile phone in the past 30 days and 13 percent accessed the Internet via a handheld media device other than a mobile.

Sources;
http://www.aimia.com.au/home/news/member-news/aimia-releases-sixth-annual-australian-mobile-phone-lifestyle-index
http://www.nielsen-online.com/pr/OCR_GOS-oct10.pdf

Online Shopping

13. In the past year, shoppers have spent $10 to $12 billion online, about 5 per cent of total retail sales of $250 billion.
14. Market researchers Frost & Sullivan predict that online spend will grow to $18 billion by 2014.
15. Online spending grew 12% in Australia in 2010

Sources;
http://www.smh.com.au/business/switchedon-consumers-signal-sea-change-in-retail-20110107-19iq7.html

Online Advertising

16. According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Media and Entertainment Outlook 2010 – 2014 report, online advertising in Australia is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.4% every year for the next four years. While the same forecast for print growth is 1.9% and for free TV is 3.9%.
17. In Q3 2010, general display and classifieds advertising accounted for 26.5% and 24.6% respectively, of total advertising expenditure, while search & directories advertising comprised of the remaining 48.9%.
18. CPM based pricing continued as the dominant expenditure type with 75% of advertising expenditure allocated to CPM buys whilst 25% was on a direct response basis.
19. Finance, motor vehicles and computers & communications continue to be the dominant industries using general display advertising, comprising 44.3% of the general display spending. Motor vehicle (manufacturers) was the largest subcategory at 10.5% of general display spending for the quarter, marginally down from 10.7% in Q2 2010.

Source;
http://www.iabaustralia.com.au

Video: Digital Media In Australia – Facts & Figures

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