by Sean Hargrave on Jun 26, 8:30 AM
Today display is focussed on the trading desk with the majority of sales originating from direct contracts between publishers and advertisers. That majority is due to end this year as nearly half of all display will be bought programatically, according to the IAB. A tipping point approaches that could see the adland's brightest talent heading off to tech vendors to offer programmatic through the cloud, rather than a trading desk.
by Sean Hargrave on Jun 25, 9:31 AM
Just as marketers are looking for examples of how quick-thinking content teams can react to the outside world in real-time, along comes serial nipper Suarez. Jovial brands have caught the serious main sponsors off guard as they dominate the conversation and shares of last night's action.
by Sean Hargrave on Jun 24, 9:27 AM
You probably weren't waiting, but in case you were, Google Glass is here. Promo videos show a wide variety of cases where talking to your specs might be better than looking at a smartphone. With limited appeal beyond tech-loving geeks, could it just be that Google Glass is not as well suited for marketers as it is for customer services looking for ways to keep eye contact while looking up CRM data?
by Sean Hargrave on Jun 23, 9:25 AM
Real-time has revolutionised the way online advertising campaigns are bought and sold. Now, though, real-time is a mantra for marketers. But can that actually be the case? If we're talking about taking down data siloes, that's great. What about strategy and building emotional digital connections. Can that really be done in real-time?
by Sean Hargrave on Jun 20, 9:52 AM
The over 50s are not feeling the love, advertisers. They're feeling excluded from direct advertising and are left shunned by brands that just want to reach out to younger audiences. What's more, there's no such thing as an "over 50." I helped with research recently that showed huge differences between different age groups in the over 50 category. So cast aside those preconceptions, and read on.
by Sean Hargrave on Jun 19, 9:42 AM
The future of marketing is giving, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone believes. People want to work for brands where they feel they make a difference and consumers want to buy from companies that are good corporate citizens. So the future of reaching out to customers is giving away your money and then telling people you did it, the Jelly founder told Oxford students yesterday.
by Sean Hargrave on Jun 18, 12:28 PM
The ASA ruling that native advertising must be more explicit is very welcome. Branded content can be hugely informative and entertaining as well as a very valuable source of revenue. Digital consumers are far too savvy for shabby practices such as "we recommend" or "more from the Web." They need honesty and transparency. Two virtues summed up in two words -- "commercial feature."
by Sean Hargrave on Jun 17, 9:32 AM
To be digital you need to be useful -- and what's more useful in social media than not just telling people the score, but having the crucial goals pre-loaded and playing on your Twitter page? It's for that reason alone that Paddy Power is winning the social World Cup battle of the brand for me. Many have flashy apps, which are great -- only ITV and Paddy Power have me proactively logging on to see the goals I've missed.
by Sean Hargrave on Jun 16, 9:47 AM
They're all the rage right now, but we've been having the iBeacons debate for quite some time in marketing. It was all about Bluetooth and near field communication a few years ago, but the premise has remained the same. Firing off offers to consumers' phones risks annoying the public. So instead of focussing on coupons, iBeacons trials should first and foremost look at ways of helping the customer -- not bombard them with offers that may or may not hit the spot.
by Sean Hargrave on Jun 13, 8:52 AM
A lot of companies believe you simply put a retail site on a mobile phone and expect the magic to happen. When it doesn't, they realise that fancy iPhone dial selectors are not the means to an end consumers want. Argos is leading the high street in mobile sales because it has thought digitally. Back office systems are seamlessly integrated to provide a seamless service that saves time-constrained customers from chasing their tails.