And now the end is near…

As my second year is drawing to a close, I have come to the end of this Digital Communications Unit. I have learnt to love all things in relation to digital advertising and turned my frustrations at certain topics in to knowledge and understanding. So for what may be my final post, a reflection of what I’ve learnt, gained and understand, I’m going to go back to where it all began. For my final topic I will discuss and reflect on Digital Strategies, their history and context and where social media is heading in the future, and I may just through in a bit of brand application for fun.

Andrew McStay (2009, pg 11.) quotes that the ‘ever-evolving nature of digital media is quickly re-writing the rulebook of advertising and marketing.” This is something I strongly agree with and examples of digital media evolving can be seen through writings and examples in my previous blogs. Advances in technology are making anything seem possible, new technological innovations and our online habits are providing a variety of new promotional opportunities to bring products and brands to the publics attention.

Starting at the basics, digital media has moved on from fringe advertising, beyond pop-ups and now social media is the dominant global advertising media form. Having looked at ethical dilemmas regarding privacy and the use of cookies I have formed my own views.

It is important to understand that advertisers want to reach the greatest number of consumers for the least amount of money, and what better way than social media. Consumers are always looking for something new to interact with, so I’ve taken a look at where social media marketers are seeing the most success, and it may surprise you, but the answer isn’t Facebook. Although it currently is the most popular social media site, it only captures 12.5 percent of total networking page views (2011), which means there are thousands of other sites competing to grab your attention. In a study carried out by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth centre for marketing Research (2011) they found that companies that use a mix of social media saw more success. So although Facebook is an obvious choice, Twitter and Blogging are also high on the list.

From this table, which analysed ‘fast growing private firms’, the mix of social media they used which had provided them with the most success was message and bulletin boards. Although the study did show that “85% of companies viewed Facebook as successful’, a significant jump from the 54% of the year before, it didn’t match the success of message and bulletin boards where 93% of the companies reported it as a successful tactic.

It’s only natural to wonder where do we go when we begin to tire of our current online social sites? Although Facebook seems to be pretty steady in terms of competitors, I have read an article in a blog that I follow ‘Mobile news Authority” by Tony B from TheSEOAgency.com in which he blogs that the next big thing in social media will be Quora.com. Never having heard of the site I signed up to look for myself. I can see its potential, however I cant say that I’m ‘hooked’. (Although years ago I couldn’t be convinced to upgrade my myspace account to Facebook, and now I cant go a day without checking it, so who knows?) As ‘Quora’ is fairly new created in 2010 by ex- Facebook execs, it’s an online community that allows members to post an open question or contribute an answer to anything. However to a business I don’t see how they can use ‘Quora’ to their advantage. Yet Irene Au, head of design at Google praises it saying “ there’s a lot of really rich high quality content there. It’s one of my favourite sites to visit on a daily basis now” (2010). So maybe this is where the future lies.

So through looking at the history of digital advertising and new technological innovations its clear that business need strategic social marketing plans, which are durable enough to adapt to the ever-changing preference of their audience.

As discussed it is essential to choose the correct communications platform for your strategy, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or a Blog. As I have just landed my latest work experience role to take place at Chalk PR, I would like to mention their way of gaining PR for their clients through the use of a blog. However they were not the ones writing the blog instead they held a corporate event and invited all beauty bloggers to come and sample their clients products gaining great feedback not only for their company but for all their clients.

The beauty blogs were all read by members of the target audience of Chalks clients and the great feedback worked wonders for them, inspiring women to trial new products and creating a general awareness and buzz, exactly the purpose of PR. So this is an example of how social media works for not just advertising but for PR too.

So finally, how do you know if your social media advertising was effective? The obvious answer is through sales, as revenues are major factor in determining success. However if you measure your traffic and sales leads it can give you an understanding of the number of people you are interacting with the product or brand. As well as this the click-through and conversion rates show how many prospects take the next step. Customer interactions can indicate how the user feels about the product, a way to measure this is through the number of posts referencing the product, brand or company.

So when constructing a social media strategy as part of a marketing or advertising plan, it is worth not going for the obvious and jumping straight to Facebook. Thinking in the long term, it is best to plan something that is relevant to your target audience, and which is of value as this will be the most worthwhile.

At the end of the day the purpose of advertising is to sell products, services and ideas. And as technology, innovation, imagination and design are all major components of effective advertising it is through this unit of digital communications that I have become aware of how much of an important factor digital advertising is today.

Ethical Social Media

For my topic this week I want to take a look at what role social media is being used by brands to engage in or promote ethical activities, and what impact it may have on the brand. Marketing’s purpose is to demonstrate value and provide differentiation however some brands cause related marketing is actually doing more harm than good, the opposite in fact of corporate social responsibility. Take for example Bing which was brought to our attention in our lecture, it is a prime example of a brand trying to be socially responsible but in fact trying to attach brand recognition which is deemed highly unethical. We have this terrible tragedy going on in Japan, and although Bing seems to be trying to do their bit for raising donations by donating a dollar for every retweet on twitter, what they should have done was make the donation regardless. Their cause related marketing back-fired, they came under criticism for trying to use the quake as a branding opportunity and their use of social media to promote ethical activities’ back-fired.

I found this useful website that ranks the worlds most valuable brands based on how well they leverage social media to interact with customers, one that came to my attention is Starbucks (ranked first in 2009). Starbucks’ take on corporate social responsibility is by being responsible, acting ethically and doing things that are good for the planet, and donating to corporate philanthropy. Research shows that consumers will pick a brand with a good cause opposed to one without. However as all brands seem to be doing “their bit” it seems laughable.

Take breast cancer research, during the months of October every brand seems to be pink. The reason why most brands attach themselves to a good cause is to make them stand out from their competitors and so that the consumer will choose them. However if every brand is the same then where’s the differentiation? With technology how it is I believe that the key to engaging consumers with causes and the promotion of ethical issues lies within social media.

According to brand republic twitter are looking into having facebook style brand pages, however even if a brand has how ever many fans does not mean these fans are engaged with the brand. Brands should work towards making their own strategies to make the most of networking platforms, and this is what the brands that are ranking most engaged are doing.

http://www.engagementdb.com/Report

Internet: A Public Sphere?

Habermas defines the public sphere as the sphere of private people who join together to form a "public." I find it easier to understand it as an arena where people can get together and freely discuss shared problems and produce solutions.

So as technology has evolved since the public sphere became apparent in the eighteenth century, I find it hard to believe how the internet is under debate as to whether it is a public sphere or not. The internet is a medium available to normal people not just elitists and can provide a many-to-many connection allowing people to discuss matters of public concern in an “unrestricted fashion”. According to Habemas the internet “guarantees the freedom of assembly and association with the freedom to express and publish their own opinion”.  To me this meets my understood criteria of “the public sphere”.

However Mark Poster argues “the technology of the internet shouldn’t be viewed as a new form of public sphere”. He discusses how the internet threatens the government through unmonitorable convosations and mocks private property with the infinite reproducibility of information. However in my opinion it is because of these factors which I feel that the technology behind the internet is on the other hand creating conditions for ideal speech. Although the internet is fragmented there is the availability for using it to talk about private interests, and therefore does provide the basis for a public sphere, it is contrary to Posters arguments that I agree with Habermas that the internet is in fact a ever- increasing public sphere as it is uncensored, open, free, with the availability for anonymity and therefore holds all the qualities which a public sphere should.

In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.

Not my favourite Warhol quote but very apt for the phenomena of the entertainment industry, and Youtube. Not that I am condoning the embarrassing Youtube videos which haunt my past. Whilst on the subject of haunting, did you know that even after you die, your facebook account is never completely deleted. You may be able to deactivate your account but your information will never be deleted from their databases.

This brings me onto the topic of privacy, Charles Fried (1968) defined privacy as the “control over knowledge about oneself”, but how much knowledge about our self can we actually control?  Have we actually given thought to the consequences of our Facebook accounts into our future life? But also there is that of which is beyond our control. So we have all heard of the data protection act that makes sure anyone who has access to our personal information must conform to specific laws. So we're sorted right?

Well what about something a lot more unobtrusive? Something that many of us are unaware of, and the majority of the time goes unnoticed?  I’m talking about Cookies, pieces of information generated by a web server and stored in your computer. They are used to personalize web search engines and store shopping lists of items while browsing. So what’s the problem? Through Cookies the latest marketing rage is electronic eavesdropping. And although suggesting that I try an anti ageing cream at the tender age of 19, after reading an article for my mini dissertation is not harmful, it is questioning our privacy. Questions are being raised, “Why are you showing me this ad? What is it you know? What else have you found out?”

 

Apps like Facebook and MySpace have completely destroyed any element of privacy, with many of us logging in on public servers, and without our knowledge our history is being saved. The bottom line is private life is no longer private; it’s strewn all over blogs, social networks, gmails, etc. It’s not a massive issue, the argument being;

My worries are what happens when your privacy is completely invaded, and your information sold on? Lycos Inc. A search engine and established web portal, have stated the aim of creating a tracking system which would create highly detailed profiles of user’s search patterns. They would do this by matching the cookie identification with a user profile, the user's past search history can be accessed by the web server. If these search profiles were to be resold, the user's patterns of research would be immediately apparent. If any form of identification were linked to these profiles it might prove a serious invasion of user privacy.

Why get all hot and bothered over target advertising? With the increasing commercial applications of the Internet, it was probably inevitable that cookies would quickly be utilized for advertising purposes. Since cookies can be matched to the profile of a user's interests and browsing habits, they are a natural tool for the "targeting" of advertisements to individual users.

Product Placement: The New ‘P’

So from the 28^th of February product placement will be allowed in British television as Ofcom are relaxing the rules about the form of embedded advertising where branded products are placed within the storyline of television shows or movies.

No harm done then, as according to Nielsen’s research into viewers attitudes about product placement in US programmes which have been screened in the UK, over a quarter of UK viewers who remembered the products featured said it improved their opinion of the brand. However programmes which contain product placement must display the new ‘p’ logo for three seconds at the start of their program and in any advertising breaks when any brands have been featured, and surprisingly this is what is drawing in lots of strong opinions.

Some critics have said 3 seconds is not long enough, how is the flicking viewer supposed to know that there is product placement in this program and that it should be mandatory for it to appear throughout.

Others have argued back that the point of product placement is that it is not intrusive or changes the body of the show, and by displaying the ‘P’ sign would act a s a warning rather than an informative and would be asking viewers to consciously spot the products.

My opinion on the matter is that I am all for product placement as long as it is done subtly, It wouldn’t bother me if Phillip and Holly started making Cappuccinos for their guests on their new Nescafe Dolce Gusto machine, or if Simon and Cheryl start drinking large diet cokes on the Xfactor, however what would bother me is an annoying logo bopping up onto my screen every time the product came into view.

Katy Perry recently has been having her 2 pennies worth publically on twitter over what can only be assumed as Britney Spears’ ‘hold it against me’ video cramming in as many product placement deals as one can fit into a 3 minute music video.

Take a look for yourself.

Product Placements are scattered all throughout the video, I found promotions for her new perfume, Make Up Forever, Sony and quite randomly the dating website PlentyOfFish.com, so I can see where Katy Perry was coming from in her tweets.

 “’Do it with style and grace… Not so in [your] face like some. [You] have to get creative with it. Some artists don’t care [though, and you] can tell.”

And I totally agree with her, with style and grace product placement is set to become a massive form of advertising within the UK.  Nescafe was brave to get the ball rolling because essentially it is the unknown, but at the end of their three month deal we will be able to analyse whether the recognition will have triggered an action, or will it have just plainly irritated viewers because of how blasé the placement was.

David Charlesworth head of sponsorship at Channel 4, reckons that it is a ‘reasonable aspiration’ for the UK product placement market to reach £100million a year. I’m guessing he has made this assumption based on the US and Australia’s figures where product placement has grown to account for 5% of TV advertising market. So we will just have to wait and see.

Augmented Reality: Coming soon to an Iphone near you!

And its not just iphones. Augmented reality for those of you who don’t know, AR for short, is a term for a live direct or indirect view of real-world environment, whose elements have been augmented by a computer- generated sensory input. Sounds complicated? Well basically through the use of this technology, the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes digitally manipulability and interactive.

As I mention time and time again technology is advancing, as consumers we are always searching for the next new thing. So last week I spoke to you about interactivity, well this is essentially taking it to the next level. So whereas augmented reality once meant sitting at your computer with funny looking goggles on, thanks to ARToolworks, and the latest high speed cameras and powerful processors on mobile phones, augmented reality is now nearly within the reach of your mobile. Previously used to enable users to physically manipulate 3D objects displayed on their monitors, the new AR applications integrate live video with computer generated 3D models enabling virtual content to be overlaid on the real world. Understand? Lets take a look.

Still don't get it? Watch the video.

ARToolworks has developed software for the iphone, which can superimpose 3D objects into real-time videos. By moving the iphone it sends signal to the software and in turn moves the virtual imagery. Although currently very basic the company hopes to be able to make it more sophisticated. Just imagine the possibilities! By having augmented reality on your iphone essentially you will be able to interact with products, it could be like walking down the street seeing a billboard advertisement and being able to hold up your phone and interact.

Mini using Augmented Reality in their Advertising.

At the moment augmented reality is kind of a novelty, it seems so exciting and nifty, but I predict that once the excitement has worn off there is not much to sustain any real engagement. I’m not an avid computer game fanatic myself, far from it, however I believe the biggest potential for this software would be within this industry. I think its clever how some brands have used augmented reality within their advertising I just don’t believe it creates any desire. But then everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. I may even change mine if it does take off.

Interactivity: Genius Curiousity?

By now we all have gathered that advertising is a medium that is constantly evolving, and changing with the times, and is finding new better ways to reach the consumer market place. But it is simply not just the advertising that evolves. Consumers and their behaviour are changing too, and it is important that the two interact and change together over time. This week I’m looking at interactivity in advertising, and how it has only just begun to make an impact.

So what is the most effective form of advertising that is in keeping with consumer behaviour? Although many recent ads especially in television are intrusive with their promotion, just think of the ‘go compare’ that sticks in your head for the rest of the day, well interactivity seems to extend from this. A far more rewarding style of advertising interactivity involves the public and forces them into direct contact with the brand. Usually it can take the simplest idea, involve the consumer as it is interlinked with their lifestyle, and the interactivity forces recognition with the brand that will last until the consumer is ready to take action, whether that be purchase, recall, or word of mouth.

Looking at one of the most recognised brands in the world, Coca Cola, we can look at their use of interactivity within their latest campaign for their new shape bottle aimed at for better grip. Their simple idea: What gives grip? They placed their ads which were printed on Velcro in bus shelters around Paris which literally stuck consumers to the ad. In others worlds they were hooked. And sales for Coke increased by 3.8%.

There are some critics of Interactivity, mostly saying that yes it is engaging consumers but not doing it very well, as some contain no information about the brand, and are just dropping you onto their homepage, and effectively are just a big waste of money. I’m not sure I can agree with these critics, in some interactive campaigns the insight maybe is not as clear perhaps to the untrained eye, but the curiosity draws the consumer creating brand awareness. If anyone has any opinions on the following interactive campaigns please enlighten me. I would love to here your opinions.

Real fish swimming over a plate. Insight: Fresh as Can be.
Problem: ?

Potatoes growing out the ceiling:
Insight: Grown closer than you think
Problem:?

Interactive Big Brother Bus shelter
Big Brother is Back
Problem?

Shapie graffiti cast
Problem:?