The end is near

With the end to my eMarketing subject only a week away, it has made me reflect on what I have learnt over the past 12 weeks. Although I knew I wasn’t tech savvy when I started, I still thought I had a basic knowledge of the digital space. Well it turned out that I was an amateur compared to some of the geeks I met, with Wags being the biggest geek of them all (I do say ‘geek’ as an endearment). Although I was present on Facebook, that was about my limit.

Throughout the semester I was exposed to the wonderful world of eMarketing, making me see that eMarketing is the way of the future. Its ability to engage consumers and becomes a part of their everyday life shows the penetration of this form of marketing. Consumer generated content allows everyday people to create their own content and share it with others. In previous posts I have discussed how companies are becoming more aware of the power of consumer generated content and are incorporating it into their own campaigns.

For my generation, eMarketing is just an extension of what we already know. As my tutor Josh said “you all know the answer, it’s just a case of unlocking it”. And it is so true. Every day we are using the internet, whether it be social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, etc; reading emails; or simply surfing the web. As consumers we know what works for us and what doesn’t in terms of gaining our attention. We can use this knowledge of personal use of the internet and social media to then apply it to a marketing arena. I think the hardest thing understands the medium; one that is understood, the rest is easy.

The main thing I take out of this experience is two-way communication. Digital mediums enable marketers to, rather than talk at consumers, talk with them, creating a two-way conversation that helps build meaningful relationships between consumers and brands. eMarketing enables brands to become more human, especially through the use of social media, as consumers interact with the brand.

Through this semester my learning curve for the digital space has been exponential. It has opened my eyes to the opportunities that eMarketing creates and the untapped potential that is still out there for companies and individuals to make use of. It has truly been a great 12 weeks and a great subject to finish my degree with.

Lose the Fat with Facebook

Weight loss is hard. Ask anyone who is trying to lose weight and they will tell you of the mental struggle that is constantly going on in their head. Although weight loss is a simple calculation, inputs vs outputs, it is difficult for people to remain vigilant. An important element when trying to lose weight is your support network; family and friends; to help give you support along the way. Social media has now expanded people's support network through online communities, where people trying to lose weight can talk to other people in the same situation.

Weight Watchers Australia (WW) has recently upgraded their Facebook page, making it an integral part of their already impressive online presence. Through the WW Facebook page, people can talk with other WW members about their challenges and successes, enabling others to provide support and assistance. The Facebook page is an extension of their current discussion forum which is based on their current website. The main difference though is that everyone on Facebook can contribute to the WW Facebook page, whereas the discussion forum is only available to WW members.

WW have used Facebook quite effectively as they encourage discussions between members, providing a space for people in the same situation to talk and discuss their problems. WW has created a conversation with their members, providing advice to people who need it. Through Facebook, they have also provided links to relevant articles on their website in response to members concerns.

I think using social media as a support network for people losing weight is a great idea. It really shows how beneficial social media can be. What do other people think?

Toilet internet surfing, its more common than you think!

Smartphones.They are changing the way we access the internet, and in a recent study by Telstra, it turns out people are using smartphones in bed, on the toilet and even whilst driving.

Australia's facination with smartphones has reached new heights with the report finding that over one in three mobile phone users own a smartphone, with expectations that in 12 months time, more than half the Australian mobile population will own a smartphone.

Some interesting facts reveled in the report:

• More than half of smartphone users admit to using their smartphone in bed
• One in three smartphone users have surfed the web whilst on the toilet
• One in five people admit to browsing the internet on their smartphone whilst driving

With the increased accessibility that smartphones are providing, it makes sense that many smartphone users are found to be visiting certain sites more on their smartphones rather than a computer. 28% of people are reported to access their email more on smartphones rather than computers, and one in four people use their smartphones to access social media sites more frequently than via computer.

So beyond the numbers, what does this study actually mean in practice? The main thing to take from it is the growing trend of smartphone owners, and more importantly, the shift from accessing the internet from a fixed location to being able to access the internet at any time, in any place.

Companies need to acknowledge this shift and respond to it. As it becoming increasingly common, companies need to create websites that are designed for smartphones so that consumers can access companies' webpages in an easy to read format. Advertisers need to be able to adapt their digital formats to suit smartphones, as the growth of people using smartphones to access internet is predicted to continue growing.

It will be interesting to see in 12 months time how the percentage of Australians with smartphones changes, as well as the shift from accessing the internet via computers to accessing it via smartphones. I can easily see smartphones thriving and half the Australian mobile population owning one wihtin 12 months.

Fact Sheet:Telstra Smartphone Index

The way of the iPad

Companies create new products for two reasons:

1. There is a gap in the market with unfulfilled customer needs

2. The company simply wants to create a new product

Apple's introduction of the iPad is a great example of reason number 2. The iPad is a great example of a product that is created, not because there is an unfulfilled customer need, but because Apple wanted to create it. There was no need for the iPad. When the iPad was first introduced, I though "What a waste! When would you actually use an iPad?". What is the point of the iPad when we have the iPhone and laptops. I mean, the iPad is just an oversized iPhone. But, as the iPad is an Apple product, of course sales were high with Apple lovers buying it simply because it was Apple. Even when I saw people using the beautiful piece of technology, I was still cynical as to the point of the iPad. I saw it as a toy, and nothing more.

It is only now, 5 months after the initial release in Australia, that people are finding uses for the iPad. Although I still see it as a useless product for individuals, it has become a great tool for businesses and industry. Some of the great uses for the iPad that I have heard about include:

• Hotel concierges using iPads to be able to remotely help customers rather than being tied to their desks
• Participants at a seminar this month for Financial Planners under 40yrs will each be given an iPad upon entry, with the iPad being integrated into the seminar with participants being taught to use the iPads when meeting with clients, and for day-to-day activities
• From January next year, a trial will be run in hospitals where graduate doctors and nurses will be given iPads to use when on their rounds

There have been many new business apps that have also been developed, making the iPad more than just a nice accessory, but a functioning business solution. Some business apps that have been introduced include: GoodReader (enables viewing of Word, Excel and PDF documents), FlightTrack Pro (gives updates about flight times and notifies you of delayed flights), Bloomberg (provides financial news, stockmarket prices, currency changes, etc), and many more business apps.

So although I still dont see the iPad as a useful device for individuals, I think that the new ways in which it is being used for businesses is fantastic. The iPad is a great example of creating a product and then only after the introduction of it, finding uses for it. I see the iPad as the way of the future for businesses, making them more portable and technologically adaptable.

Dont judge a book by its cover

When you were little, something your mum would have told you is not to judge a book by its cover; however this is something we all do. We take one look at the outside of something, a first impression and we judge them, making assumptions about who they are and what they represent. This has now moved from a physical domain into digital, through the use of internet.

I am the first to admit that quite frequently I judge a company by the state of their website. When I hear about a new company or business, the first thing I do is jump on the internet and search for their website. They immediate lose points if they do not have a website as I believe that a website is crucial, even for a business that exists only in the physical world. My next judgements are made upon looking at the webpage. For me, my whole perception of a new business is based solely on how well the website is designed. Is the website visually appealing? Does it provide the information that I require? Is there sufficient information without information overload? Can I easily find contact details, opening hours, etc? If I find the website to be hard to navigate or it looks unprofessional, I immediately confer these perceptions onto the company itself.

When I first saw the website for MSY, an IT retailer, my initial impresions about the business were not good. I immediately associated the lack of care for the website with a negative view about the business. There was no way that I would go to that store. It just so happens though that despite this terrible website, MSY is a very popular store, with a great reputation where people line up on the footpath to buy computer parts from them. Does this then negate the need for a good website?

So my question to you is this; is it necessary to have a website, even if you operate only in a physical store/office? Is it reasonable for us to judge a business by their website? What do you think?

Do we deserve privacy?

Privacy. Its a frequent topic that arises in relation to the internet. We all want privacy and security when we use the internet, but do we deserve it? When you start to consider all the information we freely put on the internet, is it in our rights to expect privacy?

Consider Facebook. Everyday, thousands of people log onto Facebook and upload information, whether it be through status updates, photos, videos, comments, etc. Even with the highest 'security' settings that Facebook offers, all this information is still on the internet, waiting for people to find it and access it. Even if we delete things, it is still floating around in cyberspace.

A lot of people upload information onto the internet, without considering what they are actually telling people. How many times has one of your friends updated their Facebook or Twitter status, talking about their amazing European jaunt. While you may be extremely jealous of your friend having a wonderful time in Europe, there is a worrying thing about these status updates - other people using the internet now know that your friend isnt home. A controversial website has popped up called Please Rob Me where individual's location twitter updates have been aggregated that reveal they are not at home. Whilst this website is not currently active, it is a wakeup call to many people about how what they post in a 'safe' environment can have negative impacts.

So the question I ask is this - Do we deserve privacy when we are the ones who are putting the information onto the internet?

I leave you with a warning - be careful with what you post on the internet, you dont know who is viewing and using the information.

NOT HAPPY YELLOW!!

Yellow Pages, we have all heard of it before and in most households you will find, hidden in a cupboard somewhere, the large, yellow book. But the outlook for Yellow Pages is not good........

In an attempt to increase the number of people using Yellow Pages, and therefore to encourage businesses that they should advertise with Yellow Pages, they created a new advertising campaign “Hidden Pizza Case Study”. This campaign involved creating a pizza restaurant that was hidden in a basement, and then placed advertisements only in the Yellow Pages challenging people to find the restaurant. If they found the restaurant, they would get a free pizza. In two weeks, the hidden pizza restaurant received 8,521 calls, with 71% of the calls coming from Yellow Pages searches.

The idea behind the campaign is great – show businesses how advertising in the Yellow Pages will increase the number of customers. It has one main flaw though; the number of people actually using the yellow pages is decreasing.

When was the last time you opened that big yellow book to search for a business? For me it would have been years ago. And the Yellow Pages website? With increasing usage of the internet, it is more likely that people will use the website over the hard copy. What discourages me to use the website though is the lack of relevant search results that you get when you search. For example, when I searched for "Plumber, Brighton 3186 Vic" results of plumbers from Mt Waverly, Ringwood, Templestowe came up - THESE ARE NOT BRIGHTON PLUMBERS!! I did get some results that are actually in Brighton, however a lot of the search results are plumbers that 'service’ the Brighton area.

So will this new advertising campaign work? I don’t think so. With less people actually using the yellow pages, why would businesses spend the money to advertise in it? Businesses are better of trying to increase search result hits with search engines such as Google than using the Yellow Pages.

What do other people think? Is there any hope for Yellow Pages? Does anyone prefer using Yellow Pages to other search sites?

Accepting and rejecting Consumer Generated Content

Consumer generated content - A term that is the basis behind social media. The idea that it is everyday people, the public you might say, that are creating the content that makes up these sites. The immese popularity of YouTube, with people watching 2 billion videos per day, and every minute, there is 24 hours worth of video content being uploaded, YouTube is a great example of how popular consumer generated content is.

The interesting thing about consumer generated content is that there is no way to control it. This is a problem for many companys as a lot of videos posted on YouTube are related to different brands and companys - whether they be advertisements, spoof videos, testimonials, etc. The decision companies have to make is whether to encourage consumer generated content, or to disapprove of it and take action against it.

The decision to accept or reject consumer generated content is a personal decision that varies amongst companies. There is a growing trend however of companies that are moving forward in their thinking and beginning to accept and even encourage consumer generated content.

A great example of a brand encouraging consumers to create content for their brand is the Doritos 'Make an Ad, Make a Fortune' competition where they encouraged consumers to create their own Doritos ad. A panel of judges, including Merrick Watts selected the top three clips out of an amazing 1,350 entries. The top three ads having being chosen, Doritos is now involving the public again to vote for their favourite ad. I think this is a great campaign idea for Doritos as it gets their consumers involved in the brand, and at the same time, they will end up with an ad that will most likely be more accepted by consumers as it was their peers that created the ads.

Consumer generated content can be an amazing tool for companys. Especially with generation Y, push marketing is having little impact on them. Consumer generated content takes word of mouth to a whole new level with individual's peers being the ones to create the content. Generation Y individuals are more likely to pay attention to an advertisement (video) that their peers have created, than having companies force advertising onto them.

What do other people think? Do you think that companies should encourage consumer generated content? What do you think about the Doritos campaign?

Follow the Finger

Are you a 'Social Media Guru'? Would you like the opportunity to join Powderfinger on their farewell tour of Australia as their official blogger?

http://www.jetstarsunsetstour.com.au/

Well as part of Jetstar being tour sponsor of Powderfinger's farewell tour, they have created a competition for one person to win the chance to join the band on their tour and being the official tour blogger. This involves updating a daily blogger, creating videos, updating twitter, etc - in other words, run the 'official' social media campaign for the tour.

I think this is a fantastic idea as Jetstar are tapping into the idea of user-generated content in order to promote the tour. Instead of chosing an existing staff member to attempt to use social media to interact with consumers, they are running a compeition which should result in a social media-saavy Powderfinger fan doing it for them. This should result in content that is actally relevant to consumers and is what they want. By using consumers' peer to write the blog, Jetstar are attempting to make it more personal, rather than a corporate view of the tour. Hopefully, it also will mean that the sponsorship of the blog isnt in your face as much as if Jetstar was writing it.

What do other people think? Does the idea of getting a person from the public to write the blog a good idea? Post comments and let me know.

Attack of the SMS

Your phone beeps, indicating that you have received an SMS. Excited you check your phone, wondering which of your friends or family has smsed you. Excitement quickly turns to annoyance when you see that the SMS is not from your friend but from a company trying to sell something to you.

SMS advertising, a concept that has been considered for a few years as a method of reaching consumers. In an attempt to overcome the revenue issue facing Twitter, SMS advertising was proposed a potential solution.

I hate the idea of SMS advertising. It feels like an invasion of privacy. To me my phone is a method of communication that is personal, just between me and my family and friends and doesn't involve advertising.

The idea of SMS advertising as opposed to internet advertising seems very different to me. When you are on the internet, most sites have some sort of advertising, generally in the form of banner ads. These ads are very easy to ignore; most of the time I don't even notice that they are there. Advertising through email is a bit harder to ignore than general internet advertising, however, if you see an email you don't want to read, it is very easy to delete it. SMSs are different though. There is no way to 'filter' what you read which is why i see it as invading my personal space. Its the fact that SMS advertising is able to get through my anti-advertising barriers that I put up that is what frustrates me. (This is probably why advertisers like the idea so much)

Everyday our senses are bombarded with advertising; on the streets, on tv, on the internet. Mobile phones (ignoring the fact that many people access the internet on their phones now) is one form of communication that is free from advertising and I want it to stay that way.

What do you think? Do you like the idea of SMS advertising? Does the annoyance of customers outweigh the benefits of breaking through the advertising stimulus clutter?