From YouTube’s new automated fact-checker, to the future of VR film production; Craig Hanna introduces the latest global perspectives that have caught his eye…
Did the John Lewis TV ad ‘Moz the Monster’ prompt you to buy from that retailer . . . or do you fast-forward through the ads? Sweet seasonal telly ads leave a bad taste in the modern connected-up world, says Alex Hill – who believes brands busting their budgets on a big Christmas TV ad campaign should instead think audience-first, with social and digital activity leading the marketing, rather than the other way round.
Rakuten Marketing research has found that UK marketers are willing to pay large sums to social stars and ‘influencers’ – but 86% of marketers admit they aren’t entirely sure how the fees are calculated and 38% don’t know if that layout is actually driving sales. Despite this, spend on influencer marketing is on the rise. James Collins studies the stats behind this latest trend in celebrity marketing and tots up the value.
Many consumers use their smartphones to shop, so it makes sense for marketers to know where all that traffic is going and where to concentrate their mobile marketing efforts. Measure mobile traffic usage in real time, says Karthik Reddy, monitor the constantly changing statistics of companies that do business through mobile data – such as the amount of Google searches worldwide on mobile devices; the amount of WhatsApp messages sent; the amount of products purchased on mobile devices from Amazon marketplace sellers. Check out the ever-changing infographic, here:
Facebook and Google increasingly dominate the time people spend online and there are both pros and cons in this web duopoly. Verto Analytics’ Dr Hannu Verkasalo spells out the implications for data-driven marketers of having two such powerful internet giants.
Luxury brands are mastering social content, using it as a powerful vehicle to drive brand awareness and consumer engagement. George Aliferis has studied the types of content and platforms used by brands such as Chanel and displays his results along this catwalk:
Phase 1 was about information (internet availability) and Phase 2 mobile technology (social media). But Phase 3 of the digital evolution will have a faster adoption curve and a higher impact due to some fundamental differences, says Steven Van Belleghem, author of the award-winning book, ‘When Digital Becomes Human’.
Today’s new era of video engagement is transforming the competitive marketing world, allowing brands to more accurately target their audience. But this is not a one-size-fits-all industry and marketers must be authentic, relevant and innovative – creating targeted video content that chimes with what their consumers really want to see.
Perfecting the art of ‘search engine optimisation’ is a job well done and a big tick in the marketer’s skillset – but how about making sure your website ranks highly around the world? If you’re marketing across borders, check out some clear international SEO advice from expert Ellie Morgan.
It is forecast that 5.4 billion people will have mobile phones worldwide by 2020, so brands need to understand what applications users in different regions are most likely to be using and how to provide a high-quality user experience.