Chatbots are nothing new, but there have been some significant changes to make chatbots the hot new marketing platform like mobile messaging apps, artificial intelligence, and voice tech. Bot-enabled conversation will quickly become the new digital interface. Not the browser. Not smartphone apps. Bots. And voice will become the dominant input method. Welcome to the conversation frontier.
The advertising-supported model online is broken, and is threatening the whole online content experience with it. It’s no easy task to either make money online as a publisher or to advertise your product in a world where attention is so fleeting and divided. But the current system of ad-supported web content isn’t working for readers and viewers. It needs to be reset. The alternative is elusive.
To say that the Internet has changed the media business is so obvious. It turns out that the impact of the Internet — and the outlook for the future — differs considerably depending on what part of the media industry you look at. Most of the changes in the last three years were simply laying the groundwork for actual shifts in behavior. Once those shifts start to happen in earnest, there will be feedback loops in everything from advertising to content production to consumption that will accelerate the changes, resulting in a transformed media landscape that will impact all parts of society. The end is nearer than you think.
Intel is planning to invest over $100 million in the retail industry over the next five years and at the heart of that is the Intel Responsive Retail Platform (RRP), an IoT solution that will take retail to the next era of highly efficient and personalized shopping. Through RFID, video, radio and other sensors, it will enable easy, holistic integration, help to deliver a 360-degree viewpoint of retail from the store floor through the supply chain, and deliver real-time, actionable insights. The haves (data) and the have not.
Tom Richards, with more than 20 years of industry experience, has joined the BLITZ team from M&C Saatchi. Richards will lead the BLITZ client services and delivery groups in addition to its integrated strategy relationships across all offices, including LA, New York and Boston. “Tom is a forward thinking, strategic and passionate thought leader who has worked with some of the world’s top brands in a wide range of categories,” notes Ivan Todorov, co-founder and CEO at BLITZ. “His experience and background will be instrumental in helping cement our commitment to brand-first leadership in an integrated, digitally-led marketing world.” Welcome Tom!
The November 2016 survey by UBS Evidence Lab found that 65% of teens said they used Facebook daily, up from 59% in November 2014. And despite concerns that teens are abandoning Facebook for other social networks, daily usage among teens remains higher for Facebook than for any other social network, including Snapchat and Instagram. Facebook’s utility continues to drive usage.
Google Maps’ ride services design is a more mature version of its old one. Instead of returning a simple list of ride options in your area, the new design includes a map, which displays cars near you, just as if you were using the ride service’s native app. Using Uber through Google Maps comes with an added bonus that Uber doesn’t provide - while on the way to your destination, Maps will pull up pertinent information such as menus, hours, and anything else you may need to know. Your car is here.
Consumers are spending more time planning and researching their vacations, and they’re using multiple devices to do so. Online research typically starts 45 days before booking, with most individuals devoting 2-3 hours to research. While travelers still rely primarily on their laptops, Millennials are increasingly using their smartphones to conduct research. The most frequently requested service for which travelers turn to booking engines is the ability to book multiple travel elements (flight, lodging, excursions), followed by the ability to see all of their itinerary details in one place. Read more about simplifying the planning process for travelers.
When tourists aim to compose the perfect vacation selfie, they’re creating more than just travel envy – they’re creating copycats. Our research revealed that 84% of Millennials and 73% of non-Millennials are likely or very likely to plan a trip based on someone else’s vacation photos or social media updates. Travel destination brands should consider ways to make their experiences “share-worthy” – incorporating wit, unique visuals, and selfie opportunities, as well as rewarding brand engagement. Target moments of need.
If you want to see how much media factors into the lives of millennials, look no further than the latest Brand Intimacy Report. This year, 93-year-old Disney tops the list and rounding out the top five were media brands Amazon, Netflix, Apple and Nintendo. Disney resonates with this age group because they grew up with the brand and it has kept up with their changing interests - it now includes popular franchises like Star Wars and Marvel. Ariana Grande isn’t the only millennial with a crush on Mickey.
