"Video" is tossed around like it's such a simple content format but in the digital media world, it has a whole host of implications for brands. Video impacts content, production, advertising, and viewing devices. With the proliferation of multiple screens, there are various channels available to view video in a digital form'TV, tablets, desktop/laptop and smartphones. For marketers, multiple screens mean multiple ways to reach the audience. In this week's Insights Lab, Sonny Kim, AMP's SVP of Digital Strategy, shares recommendations on how to approach video with Matt Rainone, Senior Manager of AMP's Integrated Group. Tweet us @AMP_Agency to let us know what topics you want to hear about!
I recently went on a short non business trip to London to see my sister and her new baby sans my teens. No kids... what to do with all the downtime? I decided that I was going to leave my laptop home and use my iPad, so I downloaded my free Pride and Prejudice, paid for Gladwell's The Outlier and added the Glamour magazine app for the trip. I didn't go totally digital though - I couldn't leave for a flight without my newly arrived business mags as well. During my flight over, I finally had time to catch up on the week's news with The Week and Fortune's 40 under 40 (sadly I didn't make the list). Actually, I'm sure Gladwell will say, it's because most of the ones on the list were all born between 1971-76 and spent 10,000 hours doing something special that gave them their success. The few others who do not fall in that range were outliers. As expected, with the time difference I was wide awake at 1am London time and nothing to do except watch NCIS on iTV, engage in 'Poke war'? on FB with my teens, texting them on my day's events, and researching online this new interesting mila seed. This was pretty much my routine the couple nights I was there. I know, I'm in London and really, I'm excited about facebooking and browsing on the iPad? Yes! And if the iPad had a camera so I could skype with my kids, take pictures or video the new baby I would be even more excited. And boy do I wish the publishers would stop using flash on their website design and plan for the mobile web browsing experience! I realized on my trip why I continue to support traditional media channels for my clients and why I love digital media. I truly enjoy reading magazines, ripping out articles to save for later, watching my favorite TV shows ' and even abroad I can stay connected with my loved ones anywhere and anytime. Consumers learn to embrace new digital channels without dropping the old comfortable media. By the way, I never got around to the glamour app, I wonder if I bought the magazine, would I have leafed through it??
We've been talking about mobile marketing for over a decade now, yet we still don't see the mass adoption for marketers to include mobile in their marketing mix. The share of marketing dollars toward mobile is only 1.8% (MMA market survey 2009), yet it has established itself as a dominant communications channel. Over 200 million Americans own a mobile device and the adoption of smartphones has increased the opportunities for marketers to go beyond text messaging and ring tones to engage with consumers. Given these evolutions, coupled with a recent report showing rapid mobile internet adoption (Morgan Stanley 2009), the opportunity to jump in and learn now seems stronger than ever. So where do you start? Dipping your toes into mobile marketing can be very simple. Here are three easy ways you can get started. SMS is still king - Text messaging by adults is outstripping the growth rate among younger generations. Adoption of text messaging between ages 45 to 54 has increased 130%. Favorite venues for texting are: The movies (58%); loud sports games or concerts (41%); lectures or classes (39%). Marketers can build a communication strategy around their target's lifestyle interests. Test and learn: Try a text to vote to get user input on your product or service. How about a WAP, do you have one yet? Contrary to popular opinion, Americans use the mobile web in large numbers. Actually 15.5% of ALL MOBILE consumers use the internet 'that equates to 40 million people (according to Nielsen). The growth rates are most notable among two segments, young adults 18 to 25 (as expected) and new smart phone buyers. Smartphone penetration in the US is 13.5% of all handsets. Test and learn. Build a WAP page (1). Think about some key information bits you can provide the mobile consumer. Keep it simple. Mobile App: News, weather and entertainment are top categories for frequency and loyalty of usage. This application doesn't have to be an iPhone app. Your application can be created to be utilized by the majority of phones. It can be the coolest apps that enable consumers to search your inventory, create recipes, or your application du jour can be as simple as a game. It might be helpful to ask your consumers how they would engage with your brand and what kind of information your consumer is seeking. Mobile apps development costs can start as low as $5,000. Test and learn. Build a Ping pong game. Good luck, if you're already ahead of the game, let's discuss how we can collaborate to build a robust mobile marketing strategy. Additional resource: http://blog.flurry.com/bid/26376/Mobile-Apps-Models-Money-and-Loyalty sources: Market-research firm, M:Metrics, 2009, CTIA, consumer survey 2008, Research report, Nielsen, 2009
