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#MarketingTitbits – personalisation, McDonald’s, Wonga

personalisation-mcdonalds-wonga-smaller1. Google’s UK sales chief: it is criminal for brands to avoid personalisation
According to Google’s sales director, Martijn Bertisen, brands are still reluctant to “put faith into mobile”, even though 60% of consumers now wish for personalisation on the platform.

At the annual IAB Mobile Engage event, Bertisen explained that although mobile searches have now overtaken desktop searches in 10 of Google’s most advanced markets, marketers are unlikely to even be ready for mobile at the most basic level. So, with consumer demand growing for further personalisation of their experiences, what’s next for marketers?

Bertisen believes that those who push into the wearables industry and speak to each individual consumer in a personalised voice will be the ones who succeed.

To read more, click here.

2. The 8 craziest ways McDonald’s has tried to boost sales

Last week marked a big birthday for the world’s biggest fast-food chain, as it celebrated the opening of its first restaurant. And to commemorate the milestone, Entrepreneur has compiled a list of some of the strangest methods that McDonald’s has used to boost the brand in the past.

From starting a delivery service in New York, to hiring a Mythbuster to talk about pink slime, it’s clear that the some are certainly less than conventional. But what do you think about Ronald McDonald’s new makeover and the brand’s terrifying new mascot, Happy?

Click here to take a look at more of their strangest moments.

3. Wonga looks to rebuild battered brand as it pledges new ‘responsible’ marketing drive

Pay-day loan firm, Wonga, has revealed its new approach in the reshape of its marketing strategy, ditching the ‘Wongie’ puppets and creating a campaign surrounding ‘credit for the real world’.

The switch follows a string of high-profile controversies that have occurred over recent years. Some issues the brand has had to deal with include compensation payments, banned adverts and multiple incidents of public criticism. Wonga are hoping to overcome this recent backlash by focusing on the improvements they are making to people’s day-to-day lives.

For more on the brands improvements, click here.

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#MarketingTitbits – Google, Ryanair messaging, internet fees

google-ryanair-internet-smaller1. Does Google use social signals for ranking?Are pieces of content more likely to rank higher on SERPs if they have more social signals (likes, retweets, comments, etc.) than similar content of less social ‘worth’? Econsultancy sheds some light on the topic.

Google is known for ranking content based on its quality, but it appears now that social interaction could possibly be added to the complicated ranking equation. As of this month, Google has begun to roll out an update in the US which shares tweets in real-time in search results.

So, if you have created content and shared it on Twitter with an optimised tweet, chances are that Google may have shared it too. To read more, click here.

2. Quality now drives our messaging, not price, claims Ryanair’s CMO

Ryanair has recently announced that its profits were up 66%, reaching £614 million for the first quarter of the year. Chief executive, Michael O’Leary, has claimed their ‘Always Getting Better’ programme is the key to their growth.

Over the same period, the airline’s marketing spend hit £166m, in an aim to improve brand perception by boosting personalisation features for its customers. Although the brand appears to be winning customers from competitors, be it budget or premium, it still has work to do to push up its index score and rise in the aviation ranks.

To find out more about Ryanair’s success, click here.

3. We’ve hit the peak of ‘free’ on the internet. It’s time to pay up

Over the years, the New York Times has juggled its subscription fees from free to paid and back again a number of times, but what will happen at a point where around 15% of users are paying for a service of some sort?

Free content shows no sign of disappearing, but is likely to be ‘rebalanced’ as online payments become safer and paid content becomes more valuable. But now, as large companies such as YouTube and Apple begin to join in the premium services, will you be persuaded to pay up?

Click here to read more on the ‘peak of free’.

 

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#MarketingTitbits – vloggers, Google+, Google I/O Conference

vloggers-googleplus-google-smaller1. Why transparency is key in relationship between brands and vloggers
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) revealed plans for new guidelines surrounding vlogging shortly after consumer goods company, P&G, became the latest culprit to fall foul of their rules.

Vloggers are not just popular among their subscribers, but brands also. Brands have discovered the advantages of using vloggers to promote their products, but as P&G and others such as Oreo have found out, clear labelling of adverts is a strict requirement.

Although guidance is expected to be welcomed amongst the industry, ASA’s CEO, Gary Parker, has acknowledged that changes cannot be too heavy handed as this could affect further development and innovation in the future.

Click here to find out more.

2. Google+ chief: big changes are ahead

Chief of Google’s social network, Bradley Horowitz, has revealed that although the service is here to stay, it will undergo a “renaissance” of thinking and changes.

The announcement comes as Google Photos launched its standalone service, offering users free and unlimited storage for photos and videos. Other differences have also begun to appear, with profile links to Google+ being removed from the homepage and hidden within the app icon.

What do you think the future holds for Google’s social network? To read more, click here.

3. Google I/O – the key takeaways for marketers

At the end of May, Google held its annual I/O conference, announcing a number of changes and new introductions to the Google family. One of the latest introductions includes Android Pay, a mobile payment system that will take on the likes of Apple Pay in allowing customers to facilitate the process using NFC technology.

Another announcement made during the conference surrounded developments in the use of context for the Google Now platform. The service can already anticipate what consumers might want to search for next, but will now pull through further contextually relevant content. If you were searching for a restaurant on Google Maps the service could now pull through information on the restaurant’s website and reviews, for example.

For more on Google’s innovative introductions, click here.

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#MarketingTitbits – Android Pay, YouTube ads, Pizza Hut projector box

android-youtube-pizza-smaller1. What Google’s Android Pay will mean for brands
Earlier this month, Google announced the launch of the much anticipated Android Pay to take on rival Apple, as they enter the mobile payments market. Google could be seen as already having an advantage over their tech giant rival, as Android holds the majority of smartphone users, but they will require the support of both businesses and consumers in order to succeed.

An advantage of mobile payments that has become clear through the launch of Apple Pay is the low transaction costs for businesses, alongside the increase in security that customers are actively searching for. Brands, therefore, have much greater motivation to support mobile payments as the platform continues to change the way consumers engage with commerce.

To find out more, click here.

2. Watch: the 5 most popular YouTube ads of the past decade

YouTube has gained immense popularity over the past decade since it was introduced to the world in 2005, and now, in honour of its 10th birthday, YouTube has asked viewers to vote for their favourite ads of all time.

Entrepreneur has compiled a list of the top 5 voted for ads, and you may be surprised to discover which one hit the top spot! Click here to take a look at the adverts and see which is your favourite.

3. Pizza Hut has a new box that turns into a movie projector for your smartphone

Pizza Hut’s latest marketing stunt is bringing Hollywood blockbusters to your doorstep through the design of their new ‘Blockbuster Box’. Along with their pizza, Hong Kong residents will find a special lens and a perforated hole with which to begin their movie night.

For customers who aren’t Netflix users, Pizza Hut has printed a QR code that can be scanned with a smartphone to download a free movie. The Blockbuster Box comes in four different styles to appeal to all movie fans: action, sci-fi, romance or scary movie genres.

Click here to find out more about the limited edition boxes.

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#MarketingTitbits – marketing focus, social media blunders, Google Panda

marketingfocus-social-google-smaller1. Why consumer trust, storytelling and collaboration are Nestle, Mars and Airbnb’s focus for 2016
Speaking at Cannes Lions festival, marketing heads from some of the UK’s top brands shared their views on their priorities for 2016.

At the top of most brands’ lists was the consumer. On one hand, Nestlé’s global head of digital and social media stressed the importance of consumer trust and transparency, while on the other; Airbnb shared their focus on storytelling. However, for Mars, top of their agenda was to build closer relationships and to figure out whom to collaborate with, as the lines between marketing and sales blur.

To read more on their focuses for 2016, click here.

2. 10 of the biggest social media blunders ever

If you want to build your company’s presence online, social media can be an ideal way to do so. But while social media is often a powerful and beneficial tool, there are times when brands fall into the trap of negative publicity.

Entrepreneur has compiled a list on what not to do on social media, which include mistaking national tragedy for fireworks from American Apparel, JPMorgan Chase inviting public hatred, LG making fun of an iPhone with an iPhone and many more. For examples of embarrassing blunders, look no further.

Click here to see them all.

3. What does the latest Google Panda update mean for your business

Since the latest Google Panda update was released, speculation has been escalating as to whether rankings had been affected or not. Although Google hasn’t made an official announcement, fluctuations in ranking can often point to changes. So what could this mean for businesses?

The original Panda update was introduced to combat the issues surrounding what makes ‘good or bad’ pages, and consequently stop any ‘bad’ pages from ranking high in search results. It’s become clear that this recent update is concentrated on the quality of content. Businesses should be regularly producing new content that is relevant, useful and engaging, while also updating older pieces of content.

Find out more on how the update may affect your business by clicking here.

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#MarketingTitbits – consumer high streets, Pinterest pages, Snapchat stories

highstreets-pinterest-snapchat-smaller1. Big brands left out of consumers’ ideal high streetAccording to new research by insight and innovation consultancy FreshMinds, almost half of consumers believe that big brands are ruining the high street and a further 63% believe that high streets have lost their appeal.

In the survey of 2,000 consumers, most envisioned a high street with big brands being replaced by pop-up shops, independent restaurants and 24-hour social spaces. Director of FreshMinds, Natasha Wallace, stated that retail stores need to create an in-store experience than cannot be replicated online. But what does the high street of 2025 look like?

Click here to read more on the latest report.

2. Five small businesses with brilliant Pinterest pages

Since its launch back in 2010, Pinterest has grown to become one of the biggest social media platforms for both consumers and businesses. And now,Econsultancy has gathered a list of some of the best pages from smaller ecommerce brands to give you or your business a little inspiration.

The brands that are succeeding on Pinterest are those that have fun and create the most attractive boards. From local produce delivery firm, Farmdrop; or seller of weird and wonderful things, Firebox, this is simple. Their boards are filled with a range of interesting pins from both their own content and external sources.

Take a look at the boards yourself by clicking here.

3. Currys PC World: Snapchat allows us to do more than just add noise to a newsfeed

Currys PC World has recently partnered with Microsoft to launch its first Snapchat campaign, in a bid to target and inspire millennials. The #BestofBoth campaign tells the story of Microsoft’s laptop and tablet hybrid product and how it can enhance the daily lives of students.

Their introduction of Snapchat follows Wimbledon and the other brands that are joining in with the app’s new geofilter ads. Currys PC World’s social media manager believes that the platform allows them to connect with students through story-based marketing, rather than “adding to the noise in their newsfeeds”.

To read more on their newest campaign, click here.

 

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#MarketingTitbits – entrepreneurial must-read books, Flipagram, Amazon at 20

reading-flipagram-amazon-smaller1. 10 entrepreneurial must-read books to kick off your summer reading listProfessors from the University of Michigan, Len Middleton and Jim Price, have compiled a list of their favourite entrepreneurial reads, ranging from traditional success stories, to those focused on the psychology of taking risks or facing rejection. So, whether you’re on a plane jetting off on holiday or sitting back on your lunch break, now could be the perfect time to reinvigorate your entrepreneurial spirit.

The list includes inspiring stories of inventors that have shaped a nation, insights into the future of medicine, how being crazy could work in your favour, the importance of character and more. Whatever you’re interested in, you’ll be sure to find something that piques your entrepreneurial interest.

Take a look at the full list of must-read entrepreneurial books here.

2. Is Flipagram the next big social platform for brands?

You may not have heard of it yet, but in 2014, Flipagram burst onto the scene and grew faster than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat did in their first year, hitting 33 million active users per month. With the latest social media platform aiming to hit the 1 billion mark, will it become the next big thing?

The app allows users to create short videos from photos or video clips and set them to music, as well as link these clips to external sites. The platform presents an opportunity for brands and has already been integrated into social media campaigns by the likes of Jack Daniels and Uber.

Take a look at how Flipagram could be useful to your business here.

3. Amazon at 20: The brand, the challenges and the future

Amazon has been celebrating its 20th year in business, but what has made the ecommerce brand so successful? According to the consensus among marketing experts, advertising has little to do with it.

Verdict analyst, Patrick O’Brien, and M&C Saatchi’s chief strategy officer, Mark Sinnock, both echo each other’s views and believe that Amazon is far from a “classic advertising brand”. Thanks to the scale of its online operation and the combination of personalisation, targeting and retargeting, the brand has grown to become increasingly powerful and dominant within the market.

What do you think their success is down to?

Click here to find out more.

 

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#MarketingTitbits – emoji campaigns, psychology principles, stock images

emoji-psychology-images-smaller1. From McDonald’s to Ikea – 7 of the best emoji marketing campaignsEmojis have become the world’s fastest growing digital language and a number of brands are beginning to incorporate them into their marketing campaigns. But whose will catch your eye?

As outlined by Marketing Magazine, a variety of brands are adopting the language, ranging from WWF’s #EndangeredEmoji campaign to Domino’s ‘Easy Order’ emoji tweets. However, this seemingly simple campaign is not without its own risks as fast food giant, McDonalds, discovered.

Find out what went wrong for McDonalds and how other brands are using emojis by clicking here.

2. Six psychology principles that can help your content marketing

Most businesses will use content marketing as a tool to help drive traffic to their site, boost engagement levels and convert leads into sales. But how can a business encourage a consumer to take these actions? Take a look at these top psychological theories from Econsultancy to find out.

From theories proposing that people are automatically drawn to something others already like, to those that suggest everyone has a ‘fear or missing out’, you can easily find tips to help with generating content for your business.

Click here to find out more.

3. 7 sources of free high quality stock images

As the internet has grown ever dominant in our digitally-centred lives, it’s no surprise that there is an overwhelming number of free stock image websites, but which should you be using?

Sites such as Pixabay, Unsplash and StockSnap are perfect for the searcher looking for unlimited downloads to add a great, high quality touch to blogs and promotional material, making them a popular choice amongst many. But that’s not all. If you’re looking to remove all the hassle when it comes to finding images, Death to the Stock Photo and Snapwire will deliver them straight to your inbox.

For the full list, click here.

 

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#MarketingTitbits – Instagram marketing, brand taglines, Google+ changes

instagram-travel-google-smaller1. What brands need to know about Instagram marketing
By 2017, Instagram’s mobile ad revenue is due to quadruple to reach $2.81bn, making its mobile display ad business bigger than both Twitter and Google in the US. There are already more than 500 brand campaigns and Instagram continues to add new features to make the service more appealing to advertisers.

As Tom Richards points out from We Are Social,Instagram already has a parent company in Facebook that has already built up and multi-billion dollar social ad business and can use its learnings to help Instagram grow even faster. Marketers have used the site to sell an image of their brands, in particular fashion and travel sectors.

For more on Instagram’s expansion, click here.

2. Lost in translation: when brand taglines don’t travel

Brand taglines such as KFC and Mcdonald’s are the most recognised in Britain today, but when they cross oceans they can mean something entirely different. We searched the depths of the internet to find the best, or worst.

KFC’s ‘finger licking good’ slogan is known all over the world. But when the fast-food giant hit China, the translation of their tasty slogan wasn’t so appetising. Pepsi experienced a similar problem in China where their slogan ‘come alive you’re with Pepsi’ translated into something completely different. Due to this, sales have dropped significantly since the launch of the campaign.

Click here to find out more.

3. What the Google+ changes mean for marketers

Since its launch in 2011, Google+ has been an integral part of the Google experience, as the search giant used it to unify its disparate services. Google has made it clear that it knows it is never going to compete directly with Facebook for social networking supremacy. However, as Bradley Horowitz explains, Google’s VP of streams and sharing, a Google account will be all you’ll need to share content.

For marketers, the diverging fortunes are a reminder that the most meaningful platforms of tomorrow are equally likely to come from companies nobody has heard of. Either way, marketers still using or interested in Google+ can now treat it as something other than a poor Facebook competitor.

Take a look at more Google+ changes by clicking here.

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UK businesses are going social in 2011

FacebookResearch indicates that a third of UK companies have now signed up to online networks. We all know about the big B2C companies such as Starbucks, Pringles and Adidas, who offer their audiences a strong presence on social media sites.  So what makes them so successful? Their use of Facebook fan page features to promote complimentary social media and advertising campaigns demonstrates a commitment to engage with their target audiences through proactive online interaction on popular social media channels.
Most recently, Adidas ran an exclusive Facebook contest where a fan could win an all-expenses-paid house party. What made this campaign so successful was that Adidas chose to work alongside MTV, a partner that echoed the Facebook user demographic, forming a perfect partnership. Adidas also promoted the contest on their fan page before and after the campaign. Once they had chosen the lucky winner, they used their page to share the fan’s blog posts, photos and videos from the party. This resulted in further fan engagement and interest.  Adidas and MTV used the power of social media after the event as a follow up tool, which offered added value to fans. Followers could see how the campaign played out, start to finish.

Fan pages such as these are actively engaging with companies’ target demographic. These pages have creative content, two-way communication, active discussion boards, images and videos. Facebook pages present an exciting platform for brands to directly engage with their existing and past customers and generate new ones. Case studies indicate that the more time you invest in your brand’s Facebook page, the better response you’ll get.

So you may be thinking, how does a Facebook page relate to my business? Every day we are asked the question, ‘Isn’t Facebook for friends and big consumer brands, how can I use social media in a B2B environment?’ Every organisation, no matter what sector is selling an idea. It might be associated with a product or less tangible like: ‘you should invest in our company’, ‘we need your donations’, ‘we’re a great place to work or volunteer’, or ‘we promise to take care of the planet and be good corporate citizens’. These are ideas that require social interaction and social media seems the perfect platform to facilitate it.

Deloitte, one of the big 4 consultancies, are a well known B2B player on Facebook. Deloitte annually recruit over 1000 new people. They know that in their industry recruitment is key, as human resources are their main asset, and they use Social Media to recruit as well as retain employees. Through a heavy presence on Facebook they are able to connect their employees together, and identify students from the best universities.

Deloitte produced another great example of a powerful Facebook campaign. To get their staff to reflect on Deloitte’s business culture and values, Deloitte launched a Deloitte Film Festival competition in which workers in their US offices were invited to submit short videos answering the question: “What’s your Deloitte?”. The campaign was a huge success with the videos posted on YouTube receiving 400,000 views.

As a business focused on working with SMEs, we know it is often difficult to find the time to focus your efforts on building your social media presence, as well as generating ideas for interesting content. Here are a few tips to help you get started in producing a successful social media channel for your business.

1. Use your own unique brand image on your profile. Use images and content that reflects the values of your business. It is common knowledge that the ‘about us’ and ‘meet the team’ pages  are often the most viewed pages of a website. Your Facebook page is an excellent platform to introduce your team.

2. Post relevant and industry related content.  Interesting content is required to keep people engaged. Use links to blogs, articles and videos that are relevant to your industry to supplement your own original content.

3. Start a conversation using social media. Facebook and Twitter are supposed to be interactive, participate in discussions on relevant topics or comment on someone else’s postings. Find every opportunity to start a discussion.

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