Mobiquity Networks, a location-based mobile ad network and indoor shopping mall beacon network, announced a partnership with mobile shopping network Shopular today that will increase Mobiquity’s publisher network by 7 million mobile users. In return, Shopular will be able to reach Mobiquity’s 250 million shoppers that visit more than 320 malls monthly, generating about $25 billion in monthly retail sales. Shopular notifies users of deals and sales when they are near a mall. According to Shopular, its Android and iOS apps now enable 300 million retail deal engagements per month, second in scale only to Facebook. Shopular CEO Navneet Loiwal stated that the advantage of the new partnership is that notifications will be pushed to individuals that are already in a shopping state of mind, based on their proximity to a mall. A recent study by Retale indicated that 84% of millennial shoppers respond to push notifications, and 61% are interested in offers that can be redeemed immediately. Beacon technology, while still in its infancy (along with most mobile tech), has a lot of hype surrounding it. The most visible and talked-about aspects of the tech revolve around geotargeting and location-based notifications. According to a report from Business Insider, beacons will directly influence $4 billion in retail sales in 2015, and will predicts that 2016 will see that number increase tenfold to over $44 billion. Beacons also present interesting possibility for marketers looking to break into the wearables market. A recent eMarketer study noted that most wearables have Bluetooth transmitting constantly, which opens up avenues for marketing that may not have previously been available.
Signaling just how important the Asia-Pacific market is, DataXu -- a provider of programmatic marketing software for brands and agencies -- on Tuesday announced the opening of three new offices in the APAC region in Singapore, Sydney and Bangalore. The Singapore and Sydney, Australia offices will be market-facing, while the Bangalore, India office will serve as a technology and development hub. The expansion affirms DataXu’s commitment to strategic global growth and scale for its roster of brand and agency clients as programmatic methodologies gain a stronger hold on Asia-Pacific markets. “As a global provider of programmatic software, we’ve seen growing demand from our customers for local support in Asia, which is why we’ve opened these three offices. We’re seeing a 50/50 mix of global marketers based in North America/Europe and regional APAC marketers,” James Sampson, DataXu vice president and general manager, Asia-Pacific, told Real-Time Daily via email. DataXu is an already entrenched DSP in Europe and the Americas. Mark Newton, head of media, Asia-Pacific at DigitasLBi, voiced support for the expansion in a press release: “It differentiates our media practice in the region by moving to a robust data-led media approach... DataXu meets our data-driven marketing needs in a unified, cross-device, cross-channel context that is also brand-safe and transparent." The DataXu Platform offers support for local languages, currencies, geo-targeting, cross-device inventory and third-party data for 15 countries in the APAC region. Enhanced analytics offerings enable clients to understand their consumers’ behaviors across international borders, channels and devices.
Various moves within the digital music market have strong implications for mobile marketers. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Pandora will be purchasing “key assets” from Rdio, as the latter files for bankruptcy. Those key assets, according to a statement from Pandora, are “the technology and talent to accelerate its own business strategy.” That accelerated strategy will launch the company into the on-demand music sphere, competing directly against major players Apple Music and Spotify. Some 80% of Pandora’s streaming reportedly happens on mobile, and the majority of Spotify’s music streaming comes from mobile devices as well. Apple has had its own problems with mission creep and a cornucopia of unasked for add-ons to their app. Based on the amount of time consumers are spending on mobile, the success of all these streaming services will be contingent upon the strength of their apps. And the strength of their apps will be contingent upon the unique strengths of their core offerings. Rdio will be sold for $75 million after receiving approval for their bankruptcy filing, but the deal has a slight possibility of not going through: “While we are filing for bankruptcy, because the planned sale to Pandora is contingent on such a filing, by law Rdio is required to entertain competitive offers during the bankruptcy process that is being managed for us by Moelis & Company,” Rdio noted in a statement. Pandora will have its work cut out for it negotiating more streaming deals in the wake of the Rdio purchase. But if it is successful, the move could bring new relevance to Pandora in the mobile sphere. Other companies have made recent digital moves. Google launched a dedicated music discovery app called YouTube Music last week. T-Mobile brought its unlimited music streaming, which supports Apple Music, Spotify, and other digital radio services, to its MetroPCS customers. Some analysts predict there will be more consolidation when the dust settles.
Christine Wu was appointed Monday to the newly created role of vice president, strategic client solutions of Time Inc. She will be involved in expanding the company’s native advertising and branded content. “She’s a good match for what advertisers are coming to us with. They have requests for bigger ideas, specifically in the native advertising space,” Jill Davison, vice president of corporate communications at Time Inc. told Publishers Daily, adding that the appointment would help the company become "more competitive in this area.” Wu will oversee corporate advertising strategy, sales development and B2B marketing. She will also lead business operations for the corporate sales team. “In light of her background and the fact that we really want to help brands [and our advertising partners] cut through the clutter, she’s going to be a tremendous asset,” Davison said. Wu was senior director, corporate marketing at Sony, where she led the global development of cross-company consumer insights. She also led “One Sony” marketing initiatives from electronics to entertainment. “One Sony” was an initiative from CEO Kazuo Hirai to turn around the company’s slump by bringing together all of its businesses -- including cameras, films and insurance -- under one roof. “Her experience and proven track record for driving innovation will be invaluable to marketing Time Inc. in this fast-changing climate," stated Time Inc. EVP, global advertising Mark Ford, who Wu will report to. Wu managed Sony’s relationship with Universal McCann and was responsible for media planning and buying for Sony in North America. Before Sony, Wu held senior marketing roles at a various PepsiCo businesses, including Diet Pepsi Max and Propel. She also worked in brand management roles at Kraft Foods and Johnson & Johnson.
Are there too many TV apps, and are they too confusing? One survey says nearly 90% of consumers want just one. Nearly nine out of 10 U.S. pay TV subscribers (86%) want a single app for all of their video watching, according to Boston-based media and technology consulting group Altman Vilandrie & Company. More specifically, consumers are for the most part staying away from TV apps. The survey says 70% of consumers have not downloaded any network or cable channel apps. “Consumers are saying that greater choice does not always lead to a better experience”, stated Jonathan Hurd, a company director at Altman Vilandrie & Co. “Managing multiple apps across multiple viewing platforms can be challenging and appears to be limiting the market penetration of nearly all TV apps.” The most popular TV app is ESPN, downloaded by 27% of those who have downloaded at least one app -- 8% of consumers overall. Next comes CBS (18%), followed by NBC (18%); ABC (16%) and Fox (8%). ESPN also scores the highest among younger TV users, 18-34s that downloaded its app at a 34% rate. After ESPN comes Comedy Central at 13% -- which is 5% of all app downloaders, and less than 2% of consumers overall. Among other TV-related results, 89% of young Millennials (18-24) now watch TV shows and/or movies online weekly. More than half of all adults under age 25 binge watch TV shows on Netflix at least once week. Altman Vilandrie & Co.’s online survey was conducted in July among more than 3,400 U.S. consumers.
Angie's List's Board of Directors unanimously voted not to accept the unsolicited buyout bid from IAC/InterActiveCorp, the company reported Tuesday. The board said IAC's $8.75 per-share cash proposal "dramatically undervalues the company and its long-term standalone prospects," and that the proposal represents a mere 10% premium at the time it was made. It seems IAC chose to announce its proposal on the day Angie's List publicly launched LeadFeed, which Scott Durchslag, Angie's List president and CEO, calls "a testament to the strength of our evolving product and services offering." LeadFeed, a lead generation tool, aims to capture demand from free online visitors and turn that demand into leads for service providers. "Each year more than 100 million unique visitors come to Angie’s List searching for home improvement services," the company wrote in a press release that became overshadowed by the takeover bid. "More than 85% of those consumers are not yet Angie’s List members. LeadFeed is designed to connect those non-members to service providers." Angie's List also made public a letter sent Tuesday to IAC CEO Joey Levin, which provides insight into how the events about the bid unraveled. "As I explained to you on our telephone call on November 3, the Board considered your October 23 proposal and concluded that it should have the opportunity to fully evaluate our Profitable Growth Plan and should share that plan with shareholders before reaching a decision as to whether to engage in a transaction with IAC or any other party," Durchslag wrote in the letter to Levin. Durchslag makes it clear that the company should have the opportunity to evaluate its Profitable Growth Plan, as well as share that plan with shareholders before reaching a decision as to whether to engage in a transaction with IAC/InterActiveCorp or any other party. He notes in the post that the company will discuss it next quarter at its Investor Day.
Outside magazine has partnered with The North Face and VR tech and production firm Jaunt to distribute “The North Face: Nepal,” an interactive immersive experience created by the outdoor apparel brand. To give readers access to the VR film, which follows athlete Renan Ozturk on a journey through Nepal from the lowlands to the mountains, Outside is shipping Google Cardboard headset viewers, compatible with smartphones, to 75,000 subscribers with the December issue of the magazine. Subscribers can then access the VR experience through Outside’s mobile channel. The magazine is hosting a YouTube 360 degree version of the video on Outside Online. “The North Face: Nepal” will also be available to customers who visit The North Face flagship stores in London, New York and San Francisco. However, Outside is the exclusive media distribution partner for the experience. The publication is promoting the VR experience with print and online ad placements, as well as a custom content story on the making of the film. The North Face-Outside program is just the latest in a series of publisher partnerships for Jaunt. Time Inc.’s InStyle magazine partnered with the company for a new VR feature called InStyle Virtual, which allows viewers to immerse themselves in photo shoots and celebrity events. As noted, a number of other publishers have launched VR platforms in recent months. Earlier this month, the Associate Press revealed a new content collaboration with VR studio and media company RYOT, while The Wall Street Journal launched an in-app immersive video and VR programming channel in collaboration with video tech firm Vrideo. The New York Times also recently unveiled plans for NYT VR, a new virtual reality app created in collaboration with Google and VR studio IM360.
Display ads have been dying for a long time. Click rates have plummeted. Browsers support ad-blocking. With iOS9, Apple made it possible for app developers to block certain kinds of advertisements. Developers created apps within the first few days of iOS9’s launch that blocked everything from pop-up ads and display ads to sponsored content. Digital marketers now have to think differently about mobile and where they focus time, energy and budget. Truthfully, apps are better for user experience and better for companies when it comes to tracking and personalizing the customer journey. With Apple essentially ripping out the revenue rug from mobile analytics companies, publishers and advertising agencies, there’s really nowhere for companies to go but to apps. Consumers, per Tech Crunch, spend 75% of their time on mobile within apps. Apps are in; display ads are out. Marketing budgets need to be recalibrated accordingly. This is an opportunity for marketers to take a step back and think about all of the channels at their disposal – and strategically allocate resources to the ones becoming more popular on mobile. Here’s where marketers should spend more time in a post ad-blocking world: 1. Native Apps If your business doesn’t have an app, you should start strategically thinking about how to develop one. Apps can be built for loyalty, entertainment, media, shopping. They help a lot in a mobile-first landscape. But it’s up to you to make sure users download the apps and keep using them. If you already have an app and you’re thinking about discovery and installs, optimized all your marketing channels for deep links, which enable users to travel from app-to-app without any friction. 2. Social Media Ads within social media platforms are native to the apps and can’t be blocked. If you’ve been dedicating budget to display ads seen by fewer users, you may want to turn more of resources to social media marketing—like paid campaigns through Facebook Ads or Promoted Tweets. Amplify your presence on Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest. All three networks are experimenting with new advertising opportunities which, in the wake of ad-blocking, could be a gold mine for businesses that depended on display or pop-up ads for a significant chunk of revenue. 3. Email Marketing Email marketing is still the best digital channel for ROI, and it’s also one of the most popular activities on mobile. It may be time to rethink your email marketing campaigns and put a new emphasis on email sign-ups. Too often, businesses relegate an email sign-up box to a lonely corner of the web site and don’t offer any immediate value. By turning budget and resources to revamping the email marketing program, brands can build a marketing channel that will go unaffected by whatever big change is next. 4. Content Marketing Ad-blocking technology won’t block organic content, but it actually does have an impact on native advertising channels. For example, if you syndicate an article with Buzzfeed to participate with the company’s “Sponsored Content” program, some ad-blocking apps will actually block that content. Most content marketing initiatives have to be organic. Compelling media on your own site sends potential customers to product and landing pages, driving site traffic and search engine optimization. 5. Influencer Marketing The easiest way to tap into a new audience - without getting anything blocked - may be to work with influencers. Influencer marketingpays $6.50 for every dollar spent. That’s a pretty high ROI, to say the least. If you’re a B2B company, look for industry peers that target similar audiences. Work with them on content initiatives like webinars or guest blog posts and run joint promotions to build momentum. If you’re B2C, get creative. In effort to target Indian consumers with a new kitchen appliance, a company teamedwith a well-known Indian chef with more than 330,000 YouTube subscribers. The result was a six-month series, in which many videos got more than 100,000 views each. The Future: Ads, Gone Human The Age of the Display Ad is on the wane. Marketing campaigns that resonate create experiences that people don’t forget, based on data from marketing tech tools that can help personalize the experience. If marketers create experiences that consumers look forward to having, they won’t seek out ways to block it.
I’m heartened to see that the notion of native programmatic advertising at scale is no longer considered an oxymoron, and that the digital advertising ecosystem has fully accepted it as a viable initiative. However, there is often a lag between acceptance and action. My goal here is to elaborate on the various opportunities that have emerged to inspire marketers to ramp up their native ad efforts in a meaningful way. Optimization in Native Unlike the display ad marketplace, which has embraced campaign optimization for years, the more nascent native segment has yet to fully put in place the proper infrastructure for the precise, real-time decisioning that has been the norm in display. From my vantage point, the biggest hurdle is that some of the largest suppliers of native have closed systems, which impairs the entire industry. OpenRTB 2.3 is the optimal protocol for native programmatic. When OpenRTB 2.3 is employed, we can understand who the user is, where the advertisement will appear, and know if it’s working or not in real time. The closed systems currently can only be optimized via post-reporting (typically many hours later), which creates a ton of inefficiencies in the buying process. Big Data Has Come to Native Native is now starting to use the vast amount of data brought to bear in the programmatic display arena. Leading native players are now beginning to invest heavily in Big Data technologies such as Hadoop, Kafka and Spark. An influx of Ph.D.s is now flooding into the native arena to author predictive models on bidding strategies to optimize decisioning. In my estimation, there should be no cap to the amount of big data that the sector employs. The more we can leverage and access data, the better our models and results will be for clients. In the short history of native advertising in the digital realm, audience data has been fundamentally weak and inaccurate, despite the success that many DMPs have had in selling this data. To build audiences properly without first-party data, you can use fingerprinting technology to understand who someone is in a cross-device context. This makes targeting efforts much more seamless. By tying into other large programmatic supply sources via OpenRTB 2.3 at scale, you can then start to retarget users at a much higher frequency than if you are limited in reach to your own direct supply. Thus, very similar to the display market, it is now possible to cast a wide net across all the notable native programmatic sources to find the users any brand would want. Engagement is the New Currency Engagement is the new focus in terms of native KPIs and success metrics. How will this evolve? Post-click analysis of Time on Site, Bounce Rate, Visits and Pageviews should form the foundation for assessing the value of each variation of a creative on a specific placement. This formula for calculating engagement should then become the optimization guide to adjust and reallocate traffic to favor higher engagement placements. There are no limits to this methodology, as it can also consider social interactions (likes, shares, comments) and conversion events.I see the future of interaction to be more than just clicking and typing. More and more devices allow for swipes, verbal cues, facial recognition/live cam — actions that are all engaging and important to the measurement of success. Smiles could be the measurement of the future! The definition of engagement should also be customizable by the advertiser. Multiple KPI customization, where independent metrics are defined and weighted by the advertiser, should be the norm. This allows an advertiser to have complete control of how optimization is performed. Native programmatic advertising is here to stay. The opportunity is huge, and the insights are actionable. It is necessary to take these steps for the space to mature and flourish for brands and publishers.