September at a Glance

Advertising Week

If the fifth annual Advertising Week was any indication of the current state of the digital marketing and advertising industry, it appears to be thriving more than ever. It was a great gathering of the best and brightest as Advertising Week V took over New York City for five straight days of learning and networking. The top companies and newsmakers in the world, as well as the up-and-comers, made themselves known at conferences such as OMMA and MIXX. Despite the unfolding economic turmoil, digital marketing seems to be persevering.

Mobile

Google has announced the release date of the long awaited G1 Android phone for T-Mobile to be October 22. Many believe that the launch of a Google phone will surely blow Apple’s iPhone out of the water. However, certain features necessary to compete with the iPhone on the most basic level are missing, specifically, a headphone jack and Bluetooth capabilities. On the other hand, the future of mobile marketing may lie in the G1 by leveraging Google’s advertising expertise to capture audiences on the screens in their pockets. However, the penetration rate may be too low to make any impact, as only 16 percent of U.S. mobile users go online, reports T-Mobile exec Cole Brodman.

Metrics

The traditional “last click” model for attribution of ROI to digital ad assigns total recognition to the ad last clicked by a consumer before making a purchase. Marketers have long recognized the flaws in last click, which, until recently, was the only valuation method. Microsoft gave an eye-opening presentation on their Engagement Mapping model for assigning value at the MIXX conference on September 22. This method takes a more macro look at the entire conversion funnel for online campaigns, assigning different value to ads based on the route a consumer took to get to that last click. Engagement Mapping is sure to change the way digital marketers measure their ROI.

Gaming

The creators of classics like Atari and Nintendo could have never guessed that one day advertising in video games would not only be possible, but extremely profitable. As such a large industry, ($18 billion dollars in the US alone, according to The NPD Group) it is logical for advertisers to capitalize on this prime real estate, especially when they can reach such specific demographics. Popular games with live interactive capabilities host dynamic ads that are rotated. Most consumers welcome these ads if they are realistic, like billboard ads in a racing game, because that is what they will see in real life.

Social Media

Marketers see the light when it comes to social media, but they are scared to walk toward it. Social media advertising is new, and mostly uncharted, territory with unclear results that are difficult to measure. One thing that is clear is that marketers looking to expand into social networks will have to deliver on creativity and stealth as they are catering to a different breed of consumer. For example, these consumers respond best to community-driven efforts, like hosting a group for fans of your brand instead of wasting resources on banner space that is likely to be ignored.

Transmedia

A new buzzword has been coined – transmedia is used to describe 360 degree marketing engagement, transitioning across media platforms. In today’s world, it is not enough to just have a TV show because consumers are not just watching TV – they are on the web, playing games and listening to their iPods. This interesting media metamorphosis is exemplified most clearly with TV shows like NBC’s Heroes that airs on prime time television, but also has iPod downloads, comic books, UGC sites, exclusive webisodes, character blogs, voting, wikis and widgets. This “everywhere” approach is not only forward-thinking but definitely engaging for fans to be able to make the show a part of their everyday lives.

Industry News

• Yahoo expands its mobile reach
• SMB Ad Spending Undaunted by Economy
• Court Rules Spam Law Unconstitutional
• As social media grows, intelligent e-mail thrives
• Mobile and online networks expand during adweek
• DM Spend forecast is cloudy
• E-mail Personalization Increases Average Order Values by 57 Percent, Study Finds
• Maximizing Lead Generation Marketing ROI (Part 1): Lead Quality Counts
• Top 10 Challenges Interactive Marketers Face
• Emerging advertising strategies for the local business market

Focus on Email Marketing

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Stop Pushing and Start Pulling

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