Getting social // Pinterest visitors grows.

There has been extra buzz lately around this social media rival Pinterest. It is still picking up in popularity and certainly isn't as mainstream in the U.K. market as Facebook or even Google+ although it does appear to be a growing threat. So what is Pinterest and why is it gaining so much interest?

According to an article on The Drum website, Pinterest is a social media site that is ranking third in popularity (measured by visits) in the U.S. behind Facebook and Twitter. In this market Google+ is ranking 6th and certainly does not appear to have as much social traffic.

Pinterest is a digital corkboard that enables you to 'pin' items that you like to both other people's interest boards or those you create yourself, sharing these items with others. Pinterest is user-driven and is shaped by peoples likes; its strength is in visuals and symbolism as the key point for sharing. Tags are at the heart of Pinterest, while the more 'pins' a Pinterest site or user gains, the higher their ranking.

Advertisers and brands are also seeing value in this site and are following their consumers into this social media space. Recently, U.K. car insurance comparison provider confused.com launched a safe driving competition-based campaign on Pinterest. For confused.com Pinterest was an ideal site, a place where their target audience hangout and which enables them to pin images to win, the mechanic behind the competition.

In an interesting look into Pinterest and Google+ in the Australian market, David Murton compares the two sites and their relevance for marketers in an article here. While Google+ has a larger user base, Pinterest is ranking more highly in engagement and time spent on the site. Interestingly, it is also stated here that Pinterest globally boasts an 80% female user base. The conclusions to be drawn of course are to understand your audience and choose the sites and channels most relevant to them and effective to achieving your business goals.

Multidimensional retail // seamless integration the answer?

The way "Shoppers seamlessly switch between whichever tools (channels) best satisfy their needs at any given moment" is the key driver behind the emergence of multidimensional retail, according to Victoria Pascoe in an article on the Contagious magazine website.

As online retail continues to mature, the lines between online and physical (offline) retail blur as brands attempt to be at the forefront of this trend with new innovative and integrated strategies. As more and more shoppers combine their experiences, bringing online into each stage of the customer journey (awareness, consideration, purchase and post-purchase), brands are looking for new ways to optimise this trend and increase bottom-line sales as well as consumer engagement.

What are some of the strategies causing these lines to blur?

- Augmented reality - several big brands are testing out virtualisation of the shopping experience, allowing consumers to virtually try products on or have online face-to-face conversations with staff

- Mobile - an increase in apps, QR codes and incentives tied to the foursquare and Facebook 'check-in' features attempt to add value to the shopping experience and encourage consumers to share their experiences online

- In-store multimedia - more brands are bringing in new features to their stores to create a more digitally interactive experience that links into the online world

Some examples worth looking up:

• Augmented reality - Cisco Virtual Fashion Mirror; Forevermark Augmented Retail Jewellery
• Mobile - GranataPet Snack Check (see clip below); Coach - Kristin Collection; Tesco Virtual Store
• In-store multimedia - Diesel's Facebook Camera; Inamo Interactive Restaurant

  
And finally

It is important to remember that the key behind any strategy is to truly understand your audience and how they choose to personalise their shopping experience. A great deal of money can be lost attempting to be at the front of new media trends. Many brands feel a desperate need to be present in this social and mobile world, an attempt to stay on top of the fast-moving media environment. If the conversations and conversions aren't happening online, however, it is a waste of your time and money to invest in a strategy to be there. They key always to remember is to start with your audience and your product, to build a strategy from there that stands out in their context.

Case Study: GranataPet Snack Check

A fun, clever and interactive idea to create trial, social media engagement and talkability. Simply 'check-in' to foursquare on your phone when passing the GranataPet digital billboard and your dog will receive a sample to chew on then and there. Perfectly connects the online mobile experience into 'real' life offline trial, which is a key challenge for marketers.

Dual usage // shop while you watch.

In a previous post we had a look at the growing trend of dual usage as investigated in research conducted by Nielsen. This research showed a significant relationship between tablet and smartphone usage while watching TV. In the latest news, new media product development company Shazam has signed a deal with ITV in recognition of this growing trend. Shazam is best-known for its app enabling users to identify catchy tunes they hear by recognising its audio footprint.

As reported in an article on The Independent, ITV viewers will soon be able to engage further with their TV, connecting with extra content and even purchasing through their mobile phones and Shazam-enabled advertisements. Shazam has adapted its audio-recognition technology to enable the quick link to additional content and e-commerce sites simply through the use of an app.

This is not unexpected news by any means, for some time now we have progressively been taking steps towards creating more engaging and interactive TV viewing experiences.

While the theme of the decade appears to be 'innovative and new' this is not necessarily in reaction to business or strategic needs and as such, it will be interesting to see the actual results of such campaigns. Having content available in a new way does not necessarily mean that this will appeal to its audiences. In fact, I would suggest that the harder we try to get advertising messages and commercialised content in front of audiences the more they will move away from these channels.

Presentation // insightful look into mobile retail.

I recently came across this wonderful presentation by Leo Burnett Group company Arc that offers a simple yet insightful analysis of mobile retail and some great case studies that demonstrate the diverse opportunities to be found here. My favourite part is the emphasis on having thorough strategic goals and an understanding of your audience to make a sound investment. It is important to remember that the basic principles of marketing are the same, regardless of the channels chosen, and the motives should be explicitly drawn to clear goals and consumer insights.

Enjoy!

Mobile Retail - Engaging the Customers in your Store

View more presentations from Trace Johnson

Context matters // smartphone & tablet usage.

We know that there has been a shift in available media technologies with the growth of tablets and smartphones, broadening our media consumption to a number of different screens. Often these are used simultaneously; it is quite common to use your mobile phone or tablet whilst also watching TV. The growing importance for marketers here is to understand how these devices are being used and where.

Overall smartphone and tablet ownership is fairly low across the country, however, it is important to understand how and where these devices are being used to help predict future trends as ownership levels grow. According to an article that appeared on AdWeek here, writer Lucia Moses suggests that "context is everything."

  

Lucia draws the varied uses of these devices to their technological and functional capabilities, while suggesting marketers need to understand these qualities completely in order to utilise them. Smartphones are identified as being used for more shortened task-related activities (checking emails, going online and sending texts). In this case short and "snackable" types of advertising are most effective, including display ads and text messages. 72% of people also use their smartphones whilst travelling; they are a personal device that accompanies us everywhere.

  

By contrast, the tablet is more likely to be used in the home for longer, deeper experiences. As such, longer form video advertising is more effective than shortened display ads. Tablets are also more likely to be shared throughout the family. 

The diagrams below draw out some of the key trends and factors in tablet and smartphone usage, the consumer motivations and contexts behind these.

Interactivity model // brands must participate.

What's this 'digital shift' all about?

   

In a digital training course held by the wonderfully insightful and charismatic Heather Albrecht in Sydney last year, I enjoyed my first real delve into digital marketing and its driving forces.

The key questions on everyone's lips are where is it going, and how do we participate in a way that is going to drive the success of our business? The "it" here of course refers to broader social and media trends that are driving consumer choices; creating new contexts in which we must interact in order to engage with potential consumers.

Reflecting on previous consumer trends reveals four distinct phases or models of engagement:

1.  Advertising led

2.  Through-the-line integration

3.  Media neutral (big idea)

4.  Participation

It is this most recent 'participation' phase which represents new models of engagement and is largely influenced by the types of devices we are interacting with. Participation branding is defined as: 

   

"How a brand engages and behaves with consumers across channels and over time to earn their attention and participation through motivating experiences.

   

How consumers engage and behave with each other across channels and over time to influence each other and create motivating brand stories."

   

In the training session, Heather identifies four screens; represented by the television, laptop, iPad and iPhone. The specific motivations and uses for each may vary but often media is also consumed across each of these platforms, the new accompanying trend here of course being mobile.
  

  

It is crucial to understand the technological driving forces behind media consumption and shifting consumer habits, however, it is also important to understand the social behavioural trends being formed from these.

Friends first // consumer trust levels and media.

A well-crafted message and insightful creative can provoke thought and reaction from its audience. But what will be the longer term outtake, will you trust our message enough to seek us out or trial us?

Advertising is notorious for creating hyperbole; humour and entertainment are often the key to being likeable and memorable. When it comes down to the sales figures though will it pay off? In Nielsen's recent study into global trust in advertising, personal and informative referrals remain at the top of the list. 92% of those who participated in the online study (a total of 28,000 respondents) trust earned media, such as recommendations from family or friends, over all other types. 

Online consumer reviews are the second most trusted for brand or message advice. Editorial content and branded websites are the next most trusted forms, while consumer trust in online, social and mobile advertising has also grown. Confidence has declined for traditional media with a 20-25% decrease in trust of television, magazine and newspaper ads between 2009 and 2011.

This study confirms a long-standing trend in humanity to trust and believe our friends and family above all else. The high placement of editorial content represents how PR is a big communications threat to the advertising industry. What PR lacks, however, is the creativity we find in advertising that builds a brand identity; creating an intangible asset that has so much value and symbolic association for its supporters. 

News // Facebook makes an emotive purchase.

Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In a recent deal, Facebook has acquired the photo-sharing app Instagram for $1bn - a huge investment and one that has drawn much attention from media experts.

A smart move for Facebook?

According to an article on the GigaOM website here, Instagram was Facebook's biggest competitor, a threat that was growing each day as more and more users discovered this addictive and fun app. Instagram thrives where Facebook lacks, in emotive mobile photo-sharing. Instagram (unlike Facebook) is a mobile-thinking company, which succeeded in creating a social sharing experience, and most importantly, a passionate community. 

Instagram created an emotional social affinity that Facebook lacks and which it so desperately desires as part of its platform. Facebook is essentially built on photo-sharing and Instagram had found a way to do it better, creating a serious threat. And with 15 million users already, Instagram was growing at a rate guaranteed to make Facebook shake in its boots. The solution: a buyout, no matter the cost.

Let's hope Zuckerburg and Facebook hold on their promises, to maintain the integrity of Instagram and the vision behind its creation; to capture the spirit of emotive human sharing through photographic experience that is essentially mobile.

Apps everywhere // apps for everything.

According to a CheethamBellJWT report '100 Things to Watch in 2012', "Navigating the vast world of apps is already daunting, and the app-ifying of everything (desktops, cars, TVs, etc.) is only just beginning." 
  

  

It is apparent, even to the non-techno-savvy consumer, that there is an absolute abundance of apps. They cover everything from transforming your voice into that of a duck to booking your parking spot at the local train station.
  
In the same report, CheethamBellJWT also warns that "The novelty of apps will wear off as consumers become paralyzed by too many choices." Too much clutter around our media platforms is not a good idea. It means we have to work harder for consumer engagement and cut-through new cynicism created by mediocre apps and short fads.

  

Isobar Create London
In a recent event held in London, 65 developers (grouped into 20 teams) were invited to a 34-hour hackday. The inspiration behind the event was to bring together some of the brightest developer minds to create innovative and practical apps that can have positive effects in the physical world. 
  
The teams raced to create NFC (near field communication) applications for four categories: Retail, Finance, Sporting Events and Leisure and Entertainment. Some of the apps that impressed the judging board included:
> Theme park app -  centralised the experience of visiting a theme park with a digital ticket to the park, advanced ride bookings and the purchasing of food and drinks
> Tap-to-WiFi app - allowed smartphone users to automatically login to WiFi networks in cafes, hotels and conference venues by simply touching a poster
> Supermarket app - allowed shoppers to scan products straight from the shelf, to personalise the shopping experience by diet and simplify the checkout process.
  
Interesting app ideas and a great sense of innovation behind the event. There is wonderful strength in bringing together great minds in stimulating environments such as this one. 
  
With such an abundance of apps that cover all aspects of life, are we simply becoming more lazy and new media dependent? As we continue to embrace these ideas of "new" and "more", are we not moving towards a point of total convergence? Perhaps, or perhaps not, but it will be interesting to see which way this one goes.