360DigitalInfluence

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become synonymous with big deals… and holiday season chaos. In fact, some say that the name ‘Black Friday’ first originated in Philadelphia where it was used to describe the disruptive traffic that occurred the day after Thanksgiving. Others say it was named for the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, otherwise known as ‘in the black’ because most retailers during the year were ‘in the red’ (ie. using red pens on their balance sheets).

Anyway you slice it, given the history of disruptive traffic (and potential in-store madness), the online and mobile shopping holiday experience is looking even more appealing as offline purchases continue to migrate online with online shopping statistics demonstrating that 71% of all U.S. adults now shop on the Internet. So, for those looking for Cyber Monday Deals, brands and social media networks are raising the bar.

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Last week, Google+ announced changes 91-107 for the platform many of which are strong indicators of a site that is listening to its users and thinking thoughtfully about use cases. Unfortunately for a fledgling social media site, the very next day at f8, Facebook shared its latest and greatest rollouts with developers and the public.

Amid Andy Sandberg appearances, Spotify integration, and a sweeping UI change called Timeline (all of which are well recapped by my colleague, John Stauffer, in his post), it was tough for Google+’s more functional changes to stand out in conversation.

In fact, if you look at online conversation about the two, Facebook conversation eclipses Google+ conversation ten to one the last two weeks.

Volume of Social Media Conversation about Facebook and Google+ from 9/14/11-9/28/11

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Has mobile planning been little more than an afterthought for your brand’s or your client’s overall communications strategy? Or, does mobile live as a silo, distinct from your larger communications and outreach plans?  In 2011, mobile reached a point of critical mass with over 75 million of U.S. consumers owning smart phones - and the number continues to grow rapidly. We have passed the point in the industry where mobile can be put on the back burner, to be sprinkled on like magic fairy dust in the form of an afterthought app, and have entered the era when mobile needs to be top of mind.

As part of our “Brand Planning 2012″ series this week, Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence sat down with Martin Lange, Executive Marketing Director of Mobile@Ogilvy and learned, among other insights,  his top five steps for brands to integrate mobile into their marketing and communications strategies.

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In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s appropriate to discuss the latest trends online among the Hispanic community. From closing the digital divide among Hispanics 50+ to the newer and younger general market with a Latino flair (now being classified as: Gen N), US Hispanics are leading the future of technology and marketing.

Recently, the 2010 Census data revealed that one in six Americans is Hispanic. With 50.5 million people nationwide, Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority group in America. It’s no surprise that companies are changing their marketing strategies in order to reach Latinos. But, what is surprising is how we go about reaching and engaging this powerful community.

Several studies have confirmed the importance of online marketing among Hispanic consumers. Google recently released a report titled “Four Truths about US Hispanic Consumers” that is an eye opener for anyone interested in reaching the nation’s largest minority group.

If Google isn’t convincing enough, here are five more reasons why reaching Hispanics via digital media is a must:

1. Hispanics are the highest users of text messaging and mobile devices.

Research shows that the Hispanic community is among the highest users of text messaging and spends more time interacting on their mobile phones overall.

In May 2010, the Pew Internet & American Life Foundation reported:

• 87% of Hispanic households have multiple mobile phones and use them more than any other form of personal or handheld technologies on the market today
• More than half regularly use text messaging
• Text messaging has increased 59% YOY among Hispanics
• Responding to mobile marketing text messages is up 74% vs. last year

When creating content to reach Hispanics, they’ll be the first to tell you they prefer to receive information in Spanish. This doesn’t mean simply translating English messages into Spanish, but truly understanding the culture and demographic of this diverse community that you’re trying to reach. There are several translation services available when considering a SMS campaign, online ads or websites to effectively reach Hispanics.

2. Hispanics are active on social media.

Hispanics are also actively using their mobile devices to access social media channels. Facebook and YouTube are the 2^nd and 4^th most popular social channels among Hispanics. However, these are just two of the many social channels available to reach Hispanics.

• Facebook – 10 MM US Hispanic users/ 600 MM global users
• Que Pasa – 22 MM global users
• Orkut – 100 MM global users
• hi 5 – 10 MM global users
• MiGente & Bantanga are also available

Scarborough Research also reveals that 12% of US Hispanic mobile users use social networks on their mobile vs. 10% of the general market.

3. Hispanics are technology savvy.

Research also shows that Hispanics are younger and more technologically savvy. AOL’s Hispanic Cyberstudy, reports 46% of Hispanics who are actively online are under the age of 35. Another astonishing fact is that 32% of Hispanics access the Internet through their smartphones, compared to 20% of the general market. This tech savvy trend is not only prevalent inmobile adoption, but the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication also found that Hispanics are early adopters of tablets and e-readers as well. It’s no wonder that Hispanics have an estimated $1.3 trillion in buying power this year.

4. Hispanic mobile websites are simple and just smart.

If we know younger Hispanics are accessing the Internet on their smartphones, a mobile website is a must. A mobile optimized website has multiple benefits:

• They will work on virtually any smartphone.
• Content is simplified and design is less intensive, often being a cost effective option.
• Mobile websites can be easily translated into multiple languages.

Check out Univision’s mobile site and Major League Baseball’s LasMayores.com Spanish mobile version for examples.

5. Hispanics are more responsive to online advertising

Hispanics online are not only younger, tech savvy and connected – they’re also more receptive to online advertising.ComScore recently reported on how responsive Internet users are to online advertising. When looking at advertisement, 31% of U.S. Hispanics reported they enjoy watching advertisements compared to 19% for non-Hispanics. The study also shows that 48% of Hispanics expect advertising to be entertaining compared to 39% of non-Hispanics.

Still not convinced, Google can give you 200 million reasons why they are investing in Latinos online. That’s how much Google reported brands are spending online this year to reach the Hispanics market. We will have to watch how Google+ and Facebook capitalize on the Hispanic market – and if they do it well. It’s no doubt that Latinos will begin to tune out advertisers unless they are culturally relevant and engaging – even when speaking to Gen N.

I remember back in 2005-6, when I worked at Nokia, an anecdote that blew people away was something along the lines that Nokia was the world’s largest manufacturer of digital cameras.  It didn’t take much imagination to picture a world with billions of photographers, capturing and sharing images in near real-time.

That’s obviously happened.  Every day we’re bombarded on Facebook, Twitter and blogs with images of Ossobuco; chubby-cheeked little babies; cats - lots of cats; keg stands; post-card sunsets; and new Manolos.  To each his own.

(continued …)

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Summer officially starts in one day, and I’ve got travel on the brain. Given the outrageous airfares and hotel rates I’ve seen of late, I’m looking to rack up as many points as possible through travel and hotel rewards programs. If you want to maximize point-earning opportunities or you’re in the travel or hotel business and looking for ways to expand your loyalty program, start taking advantage of location-based social networks.

Several loyalty programs are already in on location-based rewards. Intercontinental Hotels Group’s Priority Club® Rewards, Hilton HHonors®, and Caesars Entertainment’s Total Rewards® are among the rewards programs on Topguest, a platform through which users can connect their Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, Gowalla, and Instagram accounts to earn points, rewards, and discounts.

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Definition: Badge fatigue – noun. c. May 2010

• a reduction in the effectiveness of mobile loyalty programs that use status or icons as incentives
• being so over the idea that you’ll be rewarded with some intangible thingy for identifying yourself as a fan

About a year ago, the discussion around “badge fatigue” began. Fans and followers were starting have trouble seeing through the clutter of countless gaming programs that offered incentives. So, plans were hatched to reinvigorate the model before it became another fad.

In the initial format, a user was given the incentive to go to an establishment because he or she would be rewarded with an intangible prize: a title (e.g. “mayor” Foursquare or royalty titles on Yelp!) or an icon (e.g. “badges” on Foursquare or “pins” on Gowalla). Users competed with their friends and unknown competitors to get the best status and personal gratification. As users achieved higher status and left check-in competitors in the dust, they got an even greater incentive: a discount or something for free.  This discount wasn’t targeted to the individual’s tastes specifically, but more so, whoever got the reward first.

The model grew and companies began to experiment; people gained VIP access to parties (Internet Week 2010) and points for existing rewards programs (Top Guest). And this is where we stand today – with a lot of great experiments, but also a lot of clutter.

So, what will happen next?

There seem to be three (somewhat nebulous) schools of thought:

1. We continue along the same lines with this gamification model that has a broad reach, because, in all honesty, it has worked. These indicators of status in the “game” continue to get people in to the cash register even without targeted (and often intangible) incentive. (Note: Some are questioning the impact on business)
2. We move on. Since the market is becoming saturated with these types of programs, it is worth the effort to focus efforts elsewhere.  “Call me crazy, but I say that Foursquare badges go the way of POGS, Tamagotchis, and Farmville – interesting ideas that captivated our attention for a time, but ultimately lost out,” hypothesizes Colin Slasheimer.
3. We repurpose and rebuild these programs a highly relevant, laser-focused marketing tool. Two examples of how this can happen include finding a way to hyper-locate down to the layout of a store or revaluating how the data is used (see pilot launched by Foursquare).

I fall in the third group. I want to be found where I already need to go and told about specifically what I want with hyper-relevant offers. I want to check into the toothpaste aisle of the drug store, and be told what toothpaste brand sale right now.  (Ok, I know this probably isn’t possible right now, but could be pretty cool.)  If I go to the hairdressers, I want to come across an incentive in 3 months when I need my next haircut, instead of right when I check-in.

So, what do you think?  Have we jumped the shark?

In recent weeks, many of our government clients have been asking if they should incorporate QR codes into their educational materials. This is great news as QR codes can be an excellent tool for connect citizens to government services and educational information while they are on the go.  However, as with all new communication vehicles it is important to take a few things into consideration before deciding if QR codes are right for your agency.  continue reading

You knew Facebook was widespread when your grandmother “friended” you. Well now we may see the same widespread adoption in the healthcare industry as the American Medical Association (AMA) releases its first-ever mobile application - the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) application. This application provides physicians quick search options to find appropriate codes to use for billing. Not so glamorous, but let me explain why this is important to the healthcare industry.

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Your mobile phone probably hasn’t replaced your wallet yet, but it could in the next few years. Several retailers have tested or implemented in-store mobile payment systems, including Starbucks, which launched its mobile payment program at stores nationwide in January 2011. Using the Starbucks Card Mobile App, customers can pay for purchases with their BlackBerry, iPhone, or iPod Touch by scanning the on-screen barcode at the point of sale.

Beyond mobile applications, advancements in near field communication (NFC)—the wireless technology that connects devices over a short range of a few centimeters—will drive adoption of in-store mobile payment systems.

NFC isn’t new, but it has recently created a lot of buzz stateside and companies are getting behind it. The NFC Forum recently welcomed 32 new members, including Google. Among the industry association’s highest level of members are Microsoft, Visa, MasterCard, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony.

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