Mobile ad network Jumptap and WPP’s 24/7 Media have teamed up to provide a service that lets advertisers reach audiences across the desktop and mobile devices through a single buy. The companies said their unified offering would help reduce inefficiencies associated with running cross-platform campaigns. New features, like frequency capping and retargeting, will ensure users aren’t overexposed to the same ad on multiple devices. The effort also promises consolidated reporting and analytics across the PC and mobile devices. Jumptap and 24/7 are currently testing the cross-platform ad service with a small group of beta advertisers and plan a full rollout in the first quarter of 2013. “The transition from online to mobile is not simple. Many advertisers face unneeded layers of complexity and difficulty in delivering, targeting and measuring ads,” said Adam Soroca, chief product officer at Jumptap. With their platforms, respectively, reaching about 85% of U.S. online and mobile audiences, the companies would be able to offer broad scale for campaigns across devices. By joining forces, they also want to better compete with Google, which allows marketers to make display ad buys across the desktop Web and mobile through its AdWords system and the DoubleClick Exchange. The move also comes as Jumptap builds toward an IPO in 2013. When the company raised a venture round of $27 million in July, for a total to date of $121 million, it said it hoped to go public within a year, while continuing to enhance its product and technology development. Last month, Jumptap announced a separate partnership with third-party data provider BlueKai to offer improved ad targeting through its network.
Capping off a busy year for the Advertising.com Group, AOL's property just named Allie Savarino Kline as its first chief marketing officer. Reporting directly to Ned Brody, CEO of Ad.com Group, Kline will be chiefly responsible for spurring demand for the unit’s ad services among publishers, advertisers and agencies. Brody said growth drove the decision to add a CMO position to Ad.com’s corporate structure. The Ad.com Group includes Advertising.com, Adtech, the AOL On Network, goviral and Pictela. “This is their time,” Kline said of her new employer. Most recently, Kline served as chief marketing officer for big data and social graph company 33Across.Just last week, the unit announced the acquisition of ad-targeting and retargeting specialist Buysight. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Buysight -- formerly Permuto -- had raised about $16 million since its launch in 2008.AOL brought in Brody this past May to implement what it called a more “segmented” operational strategy, which included aligning its operating focus around brand measurement and management.Along with a continued focus on consumer brands, AOL has recently sought to scale its enterprise advertising and publishing brands with the Ad.com Group. Prior to 33Across, Kline served as vice president, marketing at Brand Affinity Technologies, where she oversaw the company's brand development, marketing, and athlete and celebrity relationships.
Some 45% of search marketers participating in Omnicom's Resolution Media and Forrester Research study, to be released Thursday, have run paid search or search engine optimization (SEO) programs for more than three years. But many still use basic metrics to measure campaign success. About 53% of respondents manage their SEO programs internally, either with no proprietary tool or purchased tools, and 47% do the same for paid search. As campaigns become more complex, brand marketers will lose their edge. The joint study aims to determine trends, marketers' view on the future of search, and gauge their preparedness to face the future, said Erica Barth, VP of products and partnerships at Resolution Media. "We saw social and video results serve up in search results," she said. "Now we see search making its way into other channels." The study segmented the level of search marketing into four groups. Level 1 marketers suffer mostly from budget and staff limitations, and they have limited access to technology. Some 54% of respondents fall into Level 2, which indexes higher in financial services. Level 3 are mature search marketers who indicate a progressive attitude toward technology. Only 4% of respondents that fall into Level 4 have well-integrated programs and measurement systems. Barth said search marketers need to prepare for the changes. The study suggests that search marketers don't typically rely on search for its intended use. It shows that most marketers use search to drive sales and leads, yet 69% of respondents said search works best for increasing site traffic and 57% use it to raise brand awareness. Search marketers will need to step up their skills and approaches to campaigns as engines begin acting as concierges, and governments regulate consumer data. Some 76% of survey respondents expect search engines will become answer engines. Engines have already begun to turn lists of Web links into content curators. Search campaigns will require multiple media types, such as Facebook, Yelp or Gowalla and Twitter. Consumers will access information in real-time through status and social updates, as well as recommendations. The act of searching will also integrate into physical objects other than desktops, smartphones and tablets. TV programming became searchable through a simple interface. The study suggests that brands should prioritize measurement, applying more interactive tools, reach out to agencies when applicable, and dedicate resources to experiment.
A day after unveiling an upgrade to Yahoo Mail, Yahoo on Wednesday released an updated version of its Flickr iPhone app aimed at restoring its place in the photo-sharing space now dominated by properties like Instagram and Facebook. The redesigned Flickr app for iPhone is intended to make it easier for new users to sign up, streamline photo browsing, improve discovery, and offer a wide range of camera filters. The refresh underscores CEO Marissa Mayer’s goal of making mobile a central part of Yahoo’s strategy. A pioneer in online photo-sharing, Flickr fell behind in recent years as that activity shifted to social networking sites -- especially Facebook -- that made it easy to upload and share pictures with friends. The subsequent rise of photo apps such as Instagram, offering features like retro filters, capitalized on the proliferation of smartphones with high-quality cameras. Now Flickr is counting on mobile to regain some of its lost cachet through the new iPhone, with updated releases coming for Android, as well as for tablets. The photo feud that has broken out between Instagram and Twitter could provide an opportunity for Flickr to get back in the game. “We built the app with sharing in mind -- whether by email, with the Flickr community, or your favorite social network. We’ve worked hard with our partners to make sure your pictures are displayed beautifully on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr,” noted Brett Wayn, VP, Flickr, in a blog post today. The statement seems a not-so-subtle reference to Instagram’s step last week to block images from being shared directly on Twitter. The micro-blogging service struck back on Monday by introducing Instagram-like photo filters that include black-and-white and a vintage look. The new Flickr app has earned a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars in the App Store so far. That is based on feedback from just 20 users, but the rating is consistent with the score for all versions of the app, based on 26,616 ratings to date. Beyond the app, Flickr.com also has gotten a facelift. It includes redesigned navigation and an update to a new “Explore” page to display more photos. With 85 million active users, Flickr may have lost mindshare -- but it was hardly forgotten. Markus Spiering, head of the Flickr product at Yahoo, told CNet that people are also spending more time on the site since the upgrade.
Social networking technology firm Gigya is launching a new privacy seal of approval for Web companies that people use to register and sign in through Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms. The SocialPrivacy Certification Seal aims to assure consumers that their activity won't be blasted to their Facebook friends or Twitter followers without their consent. To obtain a seal, publishers must promise to refrain from selling user social data, posting to social feeds without permission, engage in social data-based email marketing campaigns without permission, and sending private messages to users' friends without permission. Companies expected to display the seal at launch include Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Finish Line (which operates run.com), Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail and LUSH Cosmetics. Gigya CEO Patrick Salyer estimates that hundreds of thousands of sites allow consumers to sign on with the same user names they already use at Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other companies with social media platforms. But he says many consumers hesitate to do so due to fear that publishers will share data about them. Salyer says that a recent Gigya survey of around 2,600 Web users revealed that 41% of consumers don't use a social log-in because they are worried that information about their Web activity will be shared with social networks. Nearly that many -- 40% -- said they don't use social log-ins because they don't know how their personal information will be used, according to Salyer. At the same time, the survey found that most users -- 55% -- have logged in with social media credentials at least once, often because they don't want to create new user names and passwords. Gigya also has formed the Privacy and Safety Advisory Board, which will be chaired by Jules Polonetsky, who serves as director of the think tank Future of Privacy Forum. Other members include ConnectSafely co-director Anne Collier, Stanford Law's Omer Tene, and Gigya acting chief privacy officer Jill Nissen. Facebook, Twitter and other social networking platforms already require publishers using social log-ins to refrain from selling members' data. But the SocialPrivacy Seal conveys that promise to users -- which means that publishers who violate those promises could be on the hook for engaging in deceptive practices, Polonetsky says. Gigya intends to audit publishers that carry its privacy seal. Salyer says the service will probably cost publishers between $500 and $1,000 a month.
The United States Marine Corps has launched a YouTube brand channel that gives site visitors a Pandora-like feature that allows them to program and explore content about the corps. It takes a cue from President Obama -- connecting with site visitors through social media. JWT Atlanta created the channel. The USMC content hub is the first-of-its-kind YouTube channel for the armed forces, although a handful of companies in the private sector use the technology to let visitors program their own content. A circular player features back-end logic and an algorithm similar to Pandora. The site serves content based on thumbs-ups from viewers, creating an individual experience for each person who views the page. The Become a Marine button lets visitors sign up for information without leaving the site. The entire interaction with the potential recruit now takes place on YouTube. The agency created the channel in Flash, providing a better experience on the desktop rather than mobile. Jeff Small, director of creative technology for the WPP ad agency, said the target audience consumes lots of video in diverse ways, including "key influencers like parents and mentors." The videos answer common questions about length of boot camp, physical fitness requirements, etc. The site also allows visitors to like the page on Facebook, follow tweets on Twitter, and find the Marines on Foursquare. The Marines' YouTube page has 33,631 subscribers; 11,975,593 views; and about 23,679,338 minutes watched. On average the audience watches 1 minute 58 seconds of videos, compared with the average reported by YouTube as 15 seconds. "A custom experience is increasingly important for today’s digital audience," said Courtney Kuhl Rose, head of public sector at Google. "Viewers expect the content they want, when they want it, and how they want it. The Marines deliver a tailored experience to its various audiences: potential recruits, friends, family and their community." Rose called it a great example of how marketers can express their brand on YouTube, where they are free from traditional constraints of the 30- or 60-second ad spot.
PARK CITY, Utah -- TurboTax is moving to take an effective email program and expand it into SMS. The tax preparation company has used email to persuade customers to return after abandoning an e-filing effort midstream. With smartphones proliferating, it has been adding text messaging as a way to try and bring people back. “This has been an effective communication stream through email,” said Elizabeth Berger, a group manager in direct-response marketing at TurboTax. “It’s driven a tremendous amount of lift, so we’re hoping that with text messaging, we can see similar results, just through a different format and through a different platform.” The effort is just one in the mobile space, Berger said, that her company is pursuing. With data having shown close to 20% of search queries for TurboTax taking place via a mobile device, the company is investing in driving customers to an optimized mobile landing spot. “If we can get someone from a mobile search to get to a landing page and log in that’s successful. Then we can talk to them by email [or] through other channels, even online advertising,” Berger said as she delivered a keynote address at the MediaPost Email Insider Summit on Wednesday. Berger said with traffic on mobile devices growing, there’s an effort to ensure emails opened on them have a compelling appearance. “If we detect what device they’re coming in on, our emails will reformat so that they deliver well." Last March, an SMS system was launched that looked to build off an email program. When people finish a tax return, they can opt-in to receive a notice that the e-filing was accepted or rejected by the IRS. SMS was offered as a notification option, and 27% of one customer segment signed up. TurboTax continues to operate a SnapTax app, where people can take a photo of a W-2 form and their information can be imported. The app has roots in a program at TurboTax parent Intuit, where employees are given “unstructured time” and can spend 10% of their time how they want. TurboTax began running TV ads plugging options on smartphones and tablets last year and will repeat the effort in the future. “We’re going to show more mobile, more tablets in our national advertising because it is accretive to the brand,” she said. Research shows that 55% of customers at H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt with a smartphone say they would be more likely to use TurboTax helped Berger's lobbying efforts.
Just in time for the holiday season shop-a-thon, Havas Media has launched a new YouTube video and trend report documenting the latest techniques in social shopping. Given the money involved, many marketers are tracking those trends closely. According to management consultant Booz & Company, the dollar volume of goods sold globally through social media is expected to rise sixfold to $30 billion by 2015. (That's from $5 billion in 2011.) “Social media is driving sales,” said Rori DuBoff, senior vice president, global strategy at Havas. The video features executives from Havas, the agency’s eyewear client Warby Parker, Facebook and FaceCake talking about some of the latest social shopping trends. FaceCake, for example, has developed a “virtual dressing room” using 3D cameras that allows shoppers to see how they look in new clothes without actually having to try them on. The company recently installed 20 virtual dressing rooms at select Bloomingdales stores. Warby Parker is developing a mobile app that will help shoppers ensure that the glasses they buy are sized properly. It also encourages shoppers to try on frames and post images on social media to get input from friends. “We think shopping is inherently social -- we think it needs to be fun. We need to do everything possible to foster a social experience,” said Neil Blumenthal, the eyewear company’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO. Havas has posted the companion social shopping trends report on Slideshare.net. The report shows numerous examples of how marketers and media are facilitating shopping in the social media sector. One example: A Walmart program via Google+ that sends personalized offers to users based on conversations they join. The Havas Media video and trend report are the latest from the agency, which explores burgeoning global media trends and how marketers are connecting with consumers in new ways.
The growth in the use of mobile devices and apps when accessing social media is well documented. This USA TouchPoints analysis looks at where people use those devices most for that purpose.The ubiquity of mobile media means the potential exists to use a cellphone to access social media anywhere, but it is more valuable to understand which locations are most dominant. Also, it's helpful to understand what average weekly reach of the total 18-64 population they deliver, rather than just social media users.To that end, we conducted the following analysis of the top five locations by average weekly reach:*In line with other research -- last week's column showed that prime time for social media use is in the evening -- we see that the Home has a 79% weekly reach of adults 18-64, which outstrips the second-strongest location by marginally over 30%.*That second-place location is not actually one specific type of location but a composite of several. It is categorized as Other Out-of-Home locations -- anything from shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants, bars, etc. Considering the ubiquity of mobile media, this intuitively suggests the potential for social and mobile as a powerful combination, if the brand messaging vehicle can be effectively developed and leveraged.*The Workplace and the Car and other modes of transport each deliver a weekly reach of 30%. Work may be expected to deliver higher reach than travel-based media. But considering constraints on social media access in many workplaces and that Americans spend a great deal of time in the car, these numbers are less surprising than they may seem.*Perhaps time spent in Someone Else’s Home only delivers 18% weekly reach reflects the social pressure to focus on socializing.