By Chantal Tode

December 24, 2012

EBay to stop placing ads in its apps

With users displaying a big appetite for mobile applications, marketers have taken notice and are increasingly looking for ways to reach audiences. However, two recent developments suggest that in-app ads may not be working in all instances.

Last week, Facebook said it would end a test launched earlier this year to place its own ads in other developers mobile apps while eBay said that it will stop running ads inside its mobile apps. The news points to the ongoing difficulties driving revenue via mobile ads, which typically are priced lower than desktop ads.

If ad performance-driven companies like eBay and Facebook are stepping back from in-app advertising, yes, its likely that they are not getting the degree of response they expect from such placements, said Darus Zahm, vice president and account director at TargetCast, New York.

That said, I think it raises the bar for mobile marketers to build a better solution for in-app advertising that more effectively connects with consumers and provides them with incentive to interact with the brands advertising through those channels, he said.

Just because eBay and Facebook are backing out of the space doesnt mean there isnt room for other brands to succeed where eBay and Facebook have not.

Native ad experiences
These developments highlight two of the key issues facing mobile advertising the relatively low cost of mobile ads and the challenges delivering ads on small smartphone screens without negatively impacting the user experience.

Facebook announced plans in September to run ads in third-party apps. However, the social network has decided to pause the test so it can focus on scaling ads in the mobile newsfeed of users, which initial results suggest are successful.

The more native experience offered by mobile newsfeed ads appears to be working for Facebook, with the social media giant is expected to generate $339 million in mobile ad revenue this year, mostly driven by the success of Facebook has had integrating ad products into the core user experience, according to eMarketer.

User experience played a role in eBays decision to step back from in-app ads, with the company saying ads appearing in its smartphone apps cluttered up the screen and result in a poor user experience.

Marketers need to think through the user experience, said Sloane Kelley, director of interactive strategy at BFG Communications, Bluffton, SC. Using a mobile device is a very personal experience much more personal than TV or print.

With that in mind, an in-app ad can feel highly interruptive and even annoying, she said. Its important for marketers to address that by making the ad relevant through location or demographic targeting.

Take advantage of the beautiful display available on many devices or integrate rich video. The best apps are engaging – in-app advertising should be too.

In-app rewards
What these developments suggest is that taking traditional desktop ad units such as banner ads and moving them to mobile apps may not be the most effective way to reach mobile users.

Instead, marketers need to think about how to leverage the unique characteristics of the mobile platform and mobile users to create marketing strategies that drive engagements.

For example, given that app users tend to be very interested in the content they are engaging with in an app, it may make sense to create more embedded marketing messages.

Done right, in-app marketing can really deliver, Ms. Kelley said. There are ways to increase engagement by going beyond a typical ad.

Within some types of applications, its possible for marketers to become embedded within a game or content, making the message feel seamless and less interruptive, she said.

Another strategy that is working for some brands is to sponsor rewards inside freemium apps that users can download for free but need to pay to access additional content.

Offering a reward for engaging with an in-app ad is another tactic worth exploring, Ms. Kelley said. Depending on the app, this reward could be in the form of in-game currency that delivers instant gratification.

Driving social interactions
Going forward, marketers are likely to continue to look for ways to improve in-app advertising as apps deliver an overall higher quality advertising platform than the mobile Web.

The key will be keeping the user experience at the core of development plans and insuring that ad units add value to the user.

Leveraging that technology and rich-media environment delivered by the in-app experience, brands might consider enabling a branded social/sharing functionality in place of typical advertising to better incite consumer interaction, shifting the KPI from a return on investment (CTR/CPA) to a return on user involvement (CPI), TargetCasts Mr. Zahm said.

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York

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Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/hQM6kVF0YO0/14467.html

Tags: Messaging, mobile, SMS, text

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Article source: http://www.pocket-promo.com/is-in-app-advertising-broken/

Dec 12
21

Article source: http://www.pocket-promo.com/apple-sees-record-high-share-of-u-s-smartphone-market/

By Chantal Tode

December 20, 2012

The iPad mini

The iPad mini is proving to be another powerful weapon in Apples arsenal of mobile devices helping it to grab mobile advertising market share, according to a new report from Velti.

By the end of November, the iPad mini which officially went on sale at the beginning of the month saw more impressions than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 did in the entire year. Overall, Android’s share of mobile ad impressions dropped from 53 percent in 2011 to 37 percent this year while Apple’s grew from 47 percent to 63 percent.

“The iPad mini is a success with marketers,” said Krishna Subramanian, chief marketing officer at Velti. “While Apple is keeping total sales figures close to the chest, its not exactly a secret that the iPad Mini has been selling like hotcakes.

“Furthermore, the iPad Mini has killed its closest competitors, the Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy Tab, in mobile ad impressions,” he said. “In November alone the iPad Mini produced 20x more impressions than the Galaxy Tab had seen in the entire year!”

Broad influence
The factors contributing to Apples ability to regain market dominance after falling behind Android in 2011 include the popularity of the iPad mini and iPhone 5 as well as the increasing affordability of the iPod Touch and iPhone 4S.

The report shows that although the Samsung Galaxy S3 was released at the end of May 2012, the iPhone 5, released in mid-September 2012, has already caught up to the Samsung Galaxy S3 in impression share. The iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3 each held 50 percent of impression share by the end of November.

The popularity of Apple devices is being felt worldwide, with China Mobile which has the largest mobile carrier share in China having a much smaller share of impressions than China Unicom, most likely because China Mobile does not carry the iPhone.

International growth
While the United States and Western Europe have been leaders in mobile advertising for some time, Veltis figures show that the landscape is changing, with growth in key international markets taking off, giving marketers a way to reach consumers around the world.

For example, Spain saw a 1,020.7 percent growth in mobile impressions in 2012, Russia a 726.7 percent increase and Italy 671.3 percent.

Additionally, Brazil now leads in click through rates with an average CTR of 2.57 percent. China is close behind at 2.40 percent, followed by Italy at 2.18 percent and Russia at 1.88 percent.

In comparison, smartphone users in developed mobile markets were less likely to click on ads, with Britain posting a 1.67 percent CTR, Australia having a 1.62 percent CTR, the U.S. 1.56 percent, Japan 1.46 percent and Canada 1.43 percent.

Other key findings from the report include that photo-sharing apps are becoming increasingly important, with the number of impressions served on photography apps growing 389.7 percent between January and the end of November.

Additionally, ATT holds 45 percent of impression shares in the U.S. compared to 25 percent for Verizon and 10 percent for T-Mobile.

“Heading into 2013 marketers should know that Apple had an absolute monster year in 2012 and will serve more ad impressions in 2013 than all other platforms combined,” Mr. Subramanian said. “That being said, any marketer who does not take a well-rounded approach to marketing across the various platforms is handcuffing themselves and missing millions of potential customers every day.”

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York

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Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/qJIwRdvKlf8/14446.html

Tags: Messaging, mobile, SMS, text

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Article source: http://www.pocket-promo.com/ipad-mini-continues-apples-dominance-of-mobile-ad-impressions/

Dec 12
18

Article source: http://www.pocket-promo.com/why-top-smartphones-may-have-to-get-cheaper/

Dec 12
14

Article source: http://www.pocket-promo.com/2013-mobile-threat-level-will-see-record-high/

By Staff reports

December 5, 2012

Cadillac mobile ad

Harrods boosts ecommerce via British Vogues Online Fashion Week competitions
London department store Harrods is bolstering ecommerce through digital shopping events that align with British Vogue’s Online Fashion Week and include a Hide Chic competition, silent auction and other exclusive offers.
Click here to read the entire article on Luxury Daily

Customer relationships, seamless media approach vital for 2013
Executives from the Luxury Institute, Digital Luxury Group and Morpheus Media who spoke during a Luxury Daily webinar said that marketers should focus on relationship-building through technology and moving away from a fragmented media approach in 2013.
Click here to read the entire article on Luxury Daily

Luxury FirstLook 2013 New York conference Jan. 16: Bentley Motors, Donna Karan, Tourneau, Forrester Research, Waldorf Astoria, Breguet, Swarovski, Tumi, St. Regis
Registration is open for the Luxury FirstLook: Strategy 2013 conference Wednesday, Jan. 16 with speakers from Bentley Motors, Donna Karan, Tourneau, Forrester Research, Waldorf Astoria, Breguet, Swarovski, Tumi and St. Regis. Must-attend for luxury brands, luxury retailers, agencies and publishers.
Click here to read the entire article on Luxury Daily

30pc of consumer mobile action tied to social media: Nielsen
Consumers are spending 30 percent of their time on mobile devices on social media sites compared to 20 percent from personal computers, according to a new report by Nielsen and NM Incite.
Click here to read the entire article on Luxury Daily

Ritz-Carlton taps new market of same-sex couples with wedding packages
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park, is tapping into a new consumer market by offering tailored wedding packages for same-sex couples.
Click here to read the entire article on Luxury Daily

Tourneau pushes annual mistletoe display through kissing contest
Watchmaker and retailer Tourneau is boosting its second-annual exhibit of the worlds largest mistletoe ball at its New York-based concept store through a multichannel “kiss cam” campaign.
Click here to read the entire article on Luxury Daily

Architectural Digest 10pc yearly ad page increase telling of power in print
Cond Nasts Architectural Digest is rounding out 2012 with a 10 percent ad page increase over last year with the December issue on its own boasting a 15 percent ad page increase in comparison to the year-ago period.
Click here to read the entire article on Luxury Daily

Michael Kors, European luxury goods, Luxury Collection and Cond Nast News briefs
Today in luxury marketing – FIT dropout Michael Kors to gift the school $1M; European luxury goods makers braced for tough new year; Starwoods Luxury Collection “to restore iconic heritage hotels in Europe”; Cond Nast Traveler to launch in China.
Click here to read the entire article on Luxury Daily

3 ways to mitigate mobile commerce fraud
With all of the talk on mobile payments and mobile commerce, NFC and the new Apple Passbook, it is interesting that no one is talking about mobile commerce fraud.
Click here to read the entire article on Luxury Daily

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/6vm7w-7o4nc/14341.html

Tags: Messaging, mobile, SMS, text

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Article source: http://www.pocket-promo.com/30pc-of-consumer-mobile-action-tied-to-social-media-nielsen/

Nov 12
29

Article source: http://www.pocket-promo.com/settlement-proposed-in-class-action-suit-over-unsolicited-text-messages/

November 21, 2012

Elena Anderson is executive director of product line management for IBMs enterprise marketing management group

By Elana Anderson

Let us face it: it is no longer a question that consumers will adopt mobile as an interaction and transaction channel.

Over the last year, mobile has proven itself to be a viable medium that will play an increasingly prevalent role this year and in future years. Case in point: mobile retail is poised to set records this upcoming holiday shopping season, with 20 percent of all online sales being conducted through a mobile device.

Mums the word
Whether it is a tablet, an iPhone or an Android device, consumers will make more purchases than ever before through their mobile devices, certainly helping to proliferate the concept of couch commerce. It is something we as marketers need to embrace by making it easier and easier for customers to engage brands through mobile devices while they are doing other things such as watching television.

But the growth of mobile interaction is being driven by much more than just couch commerce it is about convenience, efficiency and accessibility.

Hey, I am a working mom and I spend a lot of time on the road, so if I am sitting in an airport lounge and can switch on my iPad and knock several items off of my holiday list, then that is what I am looking for.

And that same need for convenience, efficiency and accessibility does not end when I get home. It also applies to my in-store shopping trips.

But some of the more traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers I talk to are overly wary of mobile and hesitant to bridge ecommerce mobile initiatives with the in-store experience.

Moreover, they are almost defeatist regarding the efforts of their ecommerce pure-play competitors to turn their stores into expensive showrooms. These retailers need to embrace mobile or they will be left behind.

Case in point: currently four in 10 smartphone users search for an item in a store. As a result, marketers need to find a way to coordinate between the in-store and mobile channels to keep customers in the aisle and close the sale.

Fair comparison
First things first marketers must accept that consumers will be using their mobile devices to price-compare in store.

I am telling you now, resistance is futile if price is their motivation, they will do it unless you collect their mobile device at the door which, of course, is not an option. Why?

As, I said before, it is about convenience, efficiency, access to more information.

Instead of fighting the trend, retailers should embrace it and turn it in their favor. How?

First try to understand what your customers are looking to achieve when they are in your store and using their device.

Then, make it easy for them to accomplish those things by giving them an application or letting them scan a QR code that drills down to the features they are seeking: more detail about the product, comparisons, reviews and instant purchase.

Retailers who do this will keep their customers in their store and increase the likelihood of purchase.

Also, remember that, at the end of the day, it is important to define your mobile strategy within the context of your broader presence.

It is not enough to think about mobile as merely a new channel that will drive transactions it is critical to think about how mobile can drive synergy with your existing interaction channels.

Make it easy for your customer to access to new information on their mobile device in-store, so invest in a seamless, mobile version of your site.

It is also critical to remember that your customer may be interacting with you via an iPhone app one minute and through your Web site, phone channel or store the next.

Subsequently, your mobile strategy needs to take these elements into consideration as well as the corresponding technology and technology integration implication.

Ultimately, this means that executing on your mobile strategy requires alignment between marketing and IT.

Combining the consumer and marketing expertise of the chief marketing officer and the technology and implementation expertise of the chief information officer will help to ensure a smooth transition between your mobile medium and other interaction channels.

SO, HERE IS to a great holiday buying season for you and your customers.

If you are already investing in mobile, take a moment to determine whether you are leveraging it to drive the kinds of cross-channel synergy that I have outlined here.

If not, what steps can you take now to do just that?

For those who are not investing in mobile today, step back and reconsider.

Remember, I am probably sitting in an airport lounge somewhere trying to tick a few more items off my holiday shopping list and you can bet I will have my device with me when I am shopping in-store, too.

Elana Anderson is executive director of cross-channel marketing solutions for IBMs enterprise marketing management group.

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/EpyQnEGGhrE/14268.html

Tags: Messaging, mobile, SMS, text

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By Rimma Kats

November 19, 2012

While many marketers test out Apples iAd network only once, fast food giant McDonalds has unveiled its sixth campaign, which not only promotes the companys new products, but takes advantage of the devices capabilities to offer a more interactive experience.

The company is running its iAd campaign through several applications, including Pandoras iPhone app. McDonalds has heavily relied on iAd in the past and has increasingly used the network to roll out enticing mobile advertising experiences.

“The McDonalds CBO campaign is quite well executed,” said Simon Buckingham, CEO of Appitalism, New York.

“The design layout of the campaign is not great as the product shots seem a little small for the ad unit on the main page and the words to define the CBO are very small,” he said.

“The overall color scheme is a little bit too red and the text doesn’t always stand out legibly.”

Mr. Buckingham is not affiliated with McDonald’s. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

McDonald’s did not respond to press inquiries.

Interactive ad
The McDonalds iAd reads The New CBO is Threemendous. What Will You Say About It.

When consumers tap on the iAd, they can learn more about the new products, as well as the best words used to describe them such as ChowCheeseable.

Through the campaign, consumers can define sandwiches such as the new McDonalds carmelizedgrilled onions burger.

In addition to playing the interactive word game, users can also find the nearest McDonalds location to try out the sandwiches for themselves.

The iAd campaign incorporates the devices GPS technology to help consumers find the nearest location.

By doing so, McDonalds is able to drive in-store traffic, and ultimately sales.

Past campaigns
Over the past few years, McDonalds has been ramping up its iAd mobile strategy and taking advantage of the network to bolster engagement.

In 2010, the fast food giant used Apples iAd network to promote its McRib sandwich and engage consumers with quizzes, wallpaper images and an interactive map to find the closest location.

McDonalds worked with its agency partner Tribal DDB on the campaign (see story).

This year, McDonalds ramped up its mobile advertising strategy with an iAd campaign that promoted its extra value menu items and drove consumers to the nearest location to try them out (see story).

Most recently, McDonalds worked with Tribal DDB again to launch an iAd that centered on three engaging in-ad games designed to drive awareness and excitement around the McDonalds Value Menu.

“It is fun to be able to create a new word from the selected descriptors for this new campaign,” Mr. Buckingham said.

“Overall this campaign Could Be Optimized but its its not a bad campaign at all and will achieve its objectives to raise awareness of the new product and drive store traffic,” he said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/6pv-zKlupFw/14254.html

Tags: Messaging, mobile, SMS, text

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Article source: http://www.pocket-promo.com/mcdonalds-iad-strategy-helps-solidify-its-mobile-advertising-reign/