Back Talk: Will Timeline Affect Your Brand’s Privacy?

February 28, 2012

Pew Research estimates two-thirds of Internet users use social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and regardless of network, privacy is a concern. With Facebook expected to announce plans to expand its Timeline format to brands tomorrow at a conference for marketers in New York, those privacy concerns could prove problematic for brands, which should be looking to expand their online presence in what some are calling our post-Timeline world. Facebook began rolling out the photo-driven profile format to individual users in September 2011, and while some users love it, others say that with every facelift, Facebook is becoming harder to navigate in terms of user privacy. In many cases, and not just on Facebook, the confusion centers around users now needing to opt-out of features they once opted-in to. As Facebook users grow increasingly savvy, the expanding social Timeline could pose a challenge to brands hoping to build sincere and trustworthy connections with cautious consumers.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like consumer privacy should be a top priority, and not just online. With consumers looking to reign in their private lives, shared information could become an oddity and a commodity.

Which prompts the question: Are you concerned that online privacy problems will affect your social marketing efforts? How will you tap into Facebook’s Timeline, while safeguarding your brand and fans?

Please leave comments in the section below, or join the conversation on Vertical Marketing Network’s Facebook page.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo:  Stock photo

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Posted by JJ Nelson

You Can’t Do That On Television.

February 21, 2012

Apple, Google help marketers envision the future of television. Forrester Research estimates that by 2016 half of all households will have web-enabled devices on their televisions, so it’s no wonder techies were abuzz last week when a certain Apple product mysteriously ran out of stock on several online outposts. Amazon, BestBuy and Wal-Mart stopped selling the Apple TV, sparking rumors that the brand’s highly anticipated reveal of a newer and better Apple TV is fast approaching. The folks over at Google certainly appear to be anticipating a move from Apple; last Monday they announced a YouTube update for their Google TV (Google owns YouTube), and let us not forget YouTube’s ambitious 96-specialty channel rollout that launched in December. This posturing makes sense; 25% of televisions made this year will feature web capabilities, and not just those made by Apple and Google. LG, Philips, Samsung and Sony are in on the game, so now, the focus has naturally turned to content. Televisions that can easily stream online content may pose a threat to traditional programming, but they also indicate a clear shift in the way consumers experience the online world. The Online has become so ubiquitous that it’s taking over the heart of the American home, the television. The question is: how can marketers use this to their advantage?

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like television has never looked so good. Web-enabled devices offer another medium for brands and consumers to connect. Siri, pass the remote.

YouTube’s new channels are attracting plenty of hits, and they’re making the same point cable TV made 30 years ago: there’s power in niche programming. This is great for brands, as it expands the ways in which they can sell themselves. Should every brand hire writers and directors to compete in this expanding universe? Not necessarily. But it’s important — and valuable — to consider ways to incorporate online video content into your digital strategy, not just because Google’s betting on it, but because consumers are buying into it. Last week, Adweek reported that a mommy-themed channel called The Moms View has attracted 60,000 subscribers and 2.1 million views in two months time (as of this post that number has jumped to 2.3 million views, and 60,500 subscribers). A Hispanic-themed channel called Tutele has 25,000 subscribers, and another science-themed channel called SciShow has 100,000 subscribers. The channels are as diverse as the public viewing them. Best of all: they’re free to watch and easily shared. My Vertical Marketing Network colleagues and I see the most compelling challenge as deciding The How and The When. That is, how can online video content engage consumers in meaningful and useful ways? And when is it appropriate? The answers to these questions will surely reveal themselves in good time.

And be assured, we’ll be watching.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo:  Stock photo

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Posted by JJ Nelson

Back Talk: How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Pin Away…

February 14, 2012

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Pinterest — the photo-sharing social network that’s grown faster than any standalone website in history — is fast turning those figurative words into something tangible for brands and businesses. On Pinterest, users curate visual “boards” whose themes run the gamut of fashion and home design to cooking, photography, sports and more. When an image is “pinned” — or, tagged for inclusion on a user’s board — that person’s followers automatically see the image, which they can then “like” or “re-pin.” Thus, a cycle of brand loyalty and word of mouth marketing is born. And boy, are the talkers gawking. In December 2011, Pinterest registered 7 million unique viewers, a huge jump from 1.6 million in September 2011. ComScore recently reported the site hit 11.7 million unique monthly visitors in the United States. Only Facebook and Tumblr surpass the site in terms of average user screen time, and according to another report, Pinterest drives more traffic to company websites and blogs than Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube combined. Still not sweet on marketing’s newest darling? Consider the ways in which Pinterest can be used to share catalog images, coupons, even storyboards or other unique — but visual — aspects of a brand. A picture’s worth a thousand words, alright…

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like it behooves brands to be “easy on the eyes.” As the world becomes increasingly visual, tools such as Pinterest offer exciting new ways to engage consumers.

Which prompts the question: Do you think Pinterest is the sweetest new social media platform for brands? How would you like to see this platform utilized by your brands?

We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below. Or, join the conversation on Vertical Marketing Network’s Facebook page.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo: Pugnacious Spirit

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Posted by JJ Nelson

To the 2012 Toy Fair, and Beyond.

February 7, 2012

Augmented reality technology gives classics a modern makeover.

Sometimes, it’s best for marketers to “think small.” After all, plenty of good things come in small packages. Take kids, for example. Long considered by marketers to be a complex demographic and an ethical challenge, kids often provide marketing inspiration. Next week’s 2012 Toy Fair in New York City should prove to be that, and more. Featuring some 100,000 products from more than 1,200 exhibitors, the fair — the largest of its kind — will parade the best of classic toys and interactive entertainment for young people. And while the majority of attendees will be of age, marketers know that the trends that emerge at the annual Toy Fair impact everything from products and packaging to promotional content and displays. One brand already generating buzz (thanks to the recent London Toy Fair) is Bandai America, whose forthcoming Ben10, Power Rangers and Thundercats action figures boast a packaging boost from Aurasma augmented reality technology. Here’s how it works: Bandai fans can download the Aurasma app for their Androids, iPads and iPhones. Then, using the app’s toy store feature, fans aim their device’s camera at the action figure packaging and watch as a 3-D model of said action figure comes to life on their screens. Flip the package over, and the AR technology launches a video advertisement for similar Bandai products. And the fun doesn’t stop there. Everything from books to trading cards to Legos are using AR technology to enhance their brands and appeal to tech savvy consumers.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems like children, or at least products targeted to children, offer a glimpse of the future. Marketers would do well to let them lead the way.

But not all promotions need to have flashy packaging and tricks. In 2010, Vertical Marketing Network worked with Bandai America and handled a good old-fashioned sweepstakes that encouraged brand interaction on multiple levels. It started with a game that could be played online, and once the activity was completed, kids — nay, players — could enter to win a trip to the 2010 Toy Fair to serve as the official Bandai Kid Reporter and get a sneak peek of the upcoming hottest toys. Also up for grabs were weekly shopping sprees at Toys ‘R’ Us, coupons and a mail-in offer for an exclusive Ben10 action figure. The promotion was supported with broadcast and online media, as well as in-store, and proved that — with kids — a little imagination goes a long way. Of course, with this new crop of kids being christened “Generation App”, we’ll likely be seeing that imagination take on many shapes and sizes. The possibilities are as varied as the toys themselves, and just as much fun to consider.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo: capl@washjeff.edu

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Posted by JJ Nelson

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