It has been a crazy busy couple of months in the Warren Huska Associates shop - new partnerships, new clients, and a great dose of challenges.
I had started a blog under separate cover about the glories of Keynote - the relatively new Apple software, now in Version 2, that really takes a run at PowerPoint for the presentation software crown. It does an exceedingly good job at dethroning Microsoft Office for a variety of uses. When you have data, and want to demonstrate insight, nothing helps like good, solid visuals.
Keynote typifies what I like about the Mac platform (I work in both Windows and Mac) - fewer clicks, and features that have you slap your forehead and say, "Well that's just genius - and so obvious a feature to have!"
Twitter has become part of our toolbox - it can and often is a surprise how connected people are on this network. It may not be highly adopted (perhaps 5% of online users), but it certainly comprises an audience of early movers and opinion-shapers.
A not entirely unrelated story about an e-Bay auction: Twitter was one of the channels I used to publicize an auction for an old crew jacket I had in the closet - the 1990's CGI animated series 'ReBoot'. Expecting about $60, I pulled up the finished auction and hit the 'refresh' button on my browser - that couldn't be right - $700 U.S.!
Experiments like these give us a whole new appreciation for - experiments! We've determined the clickthroughs and sources for this 'campaign' and are darned sure to be testing similar tactics for our customers!
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Upwardly Mobile
The numbers do speak volumes.
Mobiles phones are a huge, gathering force in the media platform web, and they're decreasingly being used to do any talking at all.
According to a couple of media research outfits;
32% of new phones are smartphones.
- so why would that be? Palm-sized computers? The greatest use of these devices are respectively - social media, web browsing, research.
62% of carrier data traffic is ... iPhone usage.
- iPhones account for only about 1% of mobile devices. Think about that - provide usability, a desirable product and marketplace, and uptake hits the roof.
4.1 billion handsets.
- OMG, as the texters would say. SMS texting is doubling yearly, and the number of messages outnumber phone conversations more than 10 to 1.
The first webpage was created in August 1994.
The first SMS message was sent in December 1995.
The conversation is changing - there is a widely divergent pattern of use of mobile devices.
Stattaco stream-of-consciousness (SMS, Twitter) and rich media experiences (web applications, gaming).
Both are opportunities, neither are the web we knew, and the pace of change is exciting and disruptive for models built on scarcity and inertia.
Mobiles phones are a huge, gathering force in the media platform web, and they're decreasingly being used to do any talking at all.
According to a couple of media research outfits;
32% of new phones are smartphones.
- so why would that be? Palm-sized computers? The greatest use of these devices are respectively - social media, web browsing, research.
62% of carrier data traffic is ... iPhone usage.
- iPhones account for only about 1% of mobile devices. Think about that - provide usability, a desirable product and marketplace, and uptake hits the roof.
4.1 billion handsets.
- OMG, as the texters would say. SMS texting is doubling yearly, and the number of messages outnumber phone conversations more than 10 to 1.
The first webpage was created in August 1994.
The first SMS message was sent in December 1995.
The conversation is changing - there is a widely divergent pattern of use of mobile devices.
Stattaco stream-of-consciousness (SMS, Twitter) and rich media experiences (web applications, gaming).
Both are opportunities, neither are the web we knew, and the pace of change is exciting and disruptive for models built on scarcity and inertia.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Tweets or Twits?
Buzz is what people are paying attention to -
and the buzz in online marketing is social media.
If we take the leaders, like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, you get a cross-section of the concern - is this social or is it media? Mixing the two is an exercise in discretion, inclusion and public relations. Who says business and pleasure don't mix? Well, social media are the playground where you can work out the mix.
Social Media are largely unbound by convention - and that's not such a bad thing. Advertising with long hair - well, not advertising exactly, but promotion. If you ever wondered what the 'voice' of your brand is, now is the time to work it out. Test it out. You will probably get lots of feedback (or worse, none, a message in itself).
MySpace tends to the younger demographic, and lean towards music and lifestyle. Our client Tritickets is an obvious match.
Facebook is the more middle-of-the-road community- half the size of MySpace's, but very lively and online-saavy. This is core audience for which an event tickets blog would be an ideal diversion.
Twitter, the micro-blogging tool - now that's a way of harnessing the power of PR and making it personable. 'Tweets' done well are informative and convey your voice. Done less well, they can occur as annoying chatter that will get people hitting that dreaded 'unfollow' button.
User-generated content - i.e. the feedback from your social marketing - can form a crucial part of your strategy. Bring your business case. Be prepared to be responsive and adaptive. And welcome to permission marketing.
and the buzz in online marketing is social media.
If we take the leaders, like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, you get a cross-section of the concern - is this social or is it media? Mixing the two is an exercise in discretion, inclusion and public relations. Who says business and pleasure don't mix? Well, social media are the playground where you can work out the mix.
Social Media are largely unbound by convention - and that's not such a bad thing. Advertising with long hair - well, not advertising exactly, but promotion. If you ever wondered what the 'voice' of your brand is, now is the time to work it out. Test it out. You will probably get lots of feedback (or worse, none, a message in itself).
MySpace tends to the younger demographic, and lean towards music and lifestyle. Our client Tritickets is an obvious match.
Facebook is the more middle-of-the-road community- half the size of MySpace's, but very lively and online-saavy. This is core audience for which an event tickets blog would be an ideal diversion.
Twitter, the micro-blogging tool - now that's a way of harnessing the power of PR and making it personable. 'Tweets' done well are informative and convey your voice. Done less well, they can occur as annoying chatter that will get people hitting that dreaded 'unfollow' button.
User-generated content - i.e. the feedback from your social marketing - can form a crucial part of your strategy. Bring your business case. Be prepared to be responsive and adaptive. And welcome to permission marketing.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Keeping it simple - a manifesto
We've always been fans of keeping things simple.
In fact, we view complexity as a red-flag. Is there something we are not supposed to notice? Is there confusion about the central message?
We came across a tract written by our friends at 37signals - famous variously as being the developers of Ruby on Rails, a development environment, and such amazing products for business as Basecamp (project management) and HighRise (contact management).
Getting Real
...is a wonderful manifesto that can apply not only to software development, but any structured endeavor.
Declarations like 'Make it Smaller' and 'Be Relentlessly Truthful' give clues as to how these guys turn out crackerjack products - and still manage to write a book about the process!
Recommended reading.
In fact, we view complexity as a red-flag. Is there something we are not supposed to notice? Is there confusion about the central message?
We came across a tract written by our friends at 37signals - famous variously as being the developers of Ruby on Rails, a development environment, and such amazing products for business as Basecamp (project management) and HighRise (contact management).
Getting Real
...is a wonderful manifesto that can apply not only to software development, but any structured endeavor.
Declarations like 'Make it Smaller' and 'Be Relentlessly Truthful' give clues as to how these guys turn out crackerjack products - and still manage to write a book about the process!
Recommended reading.
Friday, August 1, 2008
DIY research: Google Search Insight
If you had an Adwords account, you might be able to patch this all together - but NOW, Google trending, searches, geo-targeting, categories and some actual numbers are all on call for the public.
Imagine that I sell tickets to the public in Ontario, and want to measure the pulse of public searches:
http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=590&q=&geo=CA-ON&date=today%203-m&clp=&cmpt=geo - Here is a pretty compelling list of Top Searches and Rapidly Rising.
I know, it's all cribbed from the formats of other providers - but that's what Google does best. Like the Japanese with technology, only everything is free. (I think I just dated myself there)
A good tool for an overview - but not a comprehensive tool. Still, Google is letting us peek under the hood more than ever before.
Imagine that I sell tickets to the public in Ontario, and want to measure the pulse of public searches:
http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=590&q=&geo=CA-ON&date=today%203-m&clp=&cmpt=geo - Here is a pretty compelling list of Top Searches and Rapidly Rising.
I know, it's all cribbed from the formats of other providers - but that's what Google does best. Like the Japanese with technology, only everything is free. (I think I just dated myself there)
A good tool for an overview - but not a comprehensive tool. Still, Google is letting us peek under the hood more than ever before.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Case Study - Segments
Distinguishing segments (sources, campaigns, keywords)
National Renovation Brand
We validated their conventional ad agency consumer segments - quite a nifty trick given the expense of the agency effort, and even added additional new categories to target revealed with online marketing research.
An additional benefit - demonstrated returns on investment (or not) of specific pre-existing external marketing campaigns, effectively auditing the performance of POS, print and media buys. Our client was able to lay out powerful decision support tools to measure strategic results.
National Renovation Brand
We validated their conventional ad agency consumer segments - quite a nifty trick given the expense of the agency effort, and even added additional new categories to target revealed with online marketing research.
An additional benefit - demonstrated returns on investment (or not) of specific pre-existing external marketing campaigns, effectively auditing the performance of POS, print and media buys. Our client was able to lay out powerful decision support tools to measure strategic results.
The Drill-Down #1: What? / Why? (Traffic)
1) Website traffic:
Any number of schemes can flood your site with viewers – but what are you paying for? Can you tell what is happening? Are there hidden penalties?
‘Relevant traffic’ means visitors are already interested in what you have to offer. Relevance is determined by proper research and filtering – creating a storehouse of market research you can use everywhere. We keep you relevant – and your name off blacklists and spamlists.
‘Just traffic’ is overrated and misunderstood.
Are you merely a showboat?Just getting people to your website is easy – but it can be very costly, and spectacularly ineffective.
Any number of schemes can flood your site with viewers – but what are you paying for? Can you tell what is happening? Are there hidden penalties?
‘Relevant traffic’ means visitors are already interested in what you have to offer. Relevance is determined by proper research and filtering – creating a storehouse of market research you can use everywhere. We keep you relevant – and your name off blacklists and spamlists.
‘Just traffic’ is overrated and misunderstood.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Our Process: a step-by-step
You can take away 'Our Process' as homework: what do you know, or think you know, about your online marketplace?
A typical engagement starts with:
Business Research Interview
Your viewpoint on your markets:
Business Web Marketplace Profile
Obtain all the information that will allow you to craft winning messages:
Campaign
Put all this good stuff on the road and monitor, test, and refine:
A typical engagement starts with:
Business Research Interview
Your viewpoint on your markets:
- what makes you unique, distinctive,
- what are the major drivers in your industry,
- who do you feel are your main and indirect competition,
- what are known and assumed audience influencers,
- and what are the audience segments you are currently aware of
Business Web Marketplace Profile
Obtain all the information that will allow you to craft winning messages:
- Unique propositions,
- distinctive characteristics,
- industry influences and trends,
- who is really the competition,
- revealed audience factors and segments
Campaign
Put all this good stuff on the road and monitor, test, and refine:
- Campaign design - use existing website as baseline
- Campaign launch
- Campaign monitoring and adjustment
- Campaign review (1,2,3 week, 1 per month)
- Website campaign modifications - high-value indicated modifications to organization, features and content
- Website search profile improvement - fold in learning from campaigns, monitor and adjust to seasonality
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