Google announced today a new open API for social networks. The new project, called OpenSocial is a set of common APIs that application developers can use to create applications that work on any social network that choose to participate.
Google wants to create an easy way for developers to create applications that work on all social networks, as opposed to the current situation where you have the likes of Facebook requiring developers to create applications in their own markup language.
This way Google is encouraging social networks to subscribe to an open API philosophy and will mean (if it is successful) Google will be at the center of equation, controlling the Open API network of social sites.
Already signed up as participating hosts are: Orkut, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Ning, Hi5, Plaxo, Friendster, Viadeo and Oracle. Developer partners include Flixster, iLike, RockYou and Slide.
The list above is an impressive one and should mean that developers will take advantage of the new opportunity to build once and reach many, through this new API standard. No doubt the developers who get in their early will reap most of the rewards, as they did on Facebook, so it will be interesting to watch who gets there first.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Directory Listings
First we had the kind voice at the end of the phone - an operator service, then came the yellow phone book, online listings of the phone book... now we are at a new age of browsing directories. A new player in this space is everyscape.com, it takes 2D photographs and lets you explore the city whilst viewing business listings along the way.
A similar concept that has been around for years is Roadworks, this is site that lets you view some of the popular roads in NZ along with business listings relevant to each road.
I am looking forward to how this space will move forward. It's definitely moving towards a browsing model that would be a mash-up of listings, maps, 3d images, buy online and UGC, pulled together to create a rich online experience.
A similar concept that has been around for years is Roadworks, this is site that lets you view some of the popular roads in NZ along with business listings relevant to each road.
I am looking forward to how this space will move forward. It's definitely moving towards a browsing model that would be a mash-up of listings, maps, 3d images, buy online and UGC, pulled together to create a rich online experience.
Web Analytics News
I have just found out that Omniture is to acquire Visual Sciences or also known as Web Side Story.
The coming together of two of the largest players in the analytics space is going to be an interesting thing to watch. Both players were definitely battling for the same clients and would often be the last two on the pitch list. This now puts Omniture in a very powerful position, which almost makes you wonder if this could work against them. With no direct competition, you wonder if they will continue to develop a product that constantly pushing the boundaries in analytics or if, like other examples we have seen in the online industry, they will become a monopoly who is more interested in generating revenues than product development.
To read the press release click here
The coming together of two of the largest players in the analytics space is going to be an interesting thing to watch. Both players were definitely battling for the same clients and would often be the last two on the pitch list. This now puts Omniture in a very powerful position, which almost makes you wonder if this could work against them. With no direct competition, you wonder if they will continue to develop a product that constantly pushing the boundaries in analytics or if, like other examples we have seen in the online industry, they will become a monopoly who is more interested in generating revenues than product development.
To read the press release click here
Video Advertising
Video Advertising is one of the hot topics in the online world at the moment. Ask any Ad Operations department what they are trying to grapple with and I'm sure at the top of their list is new advertising formats.
Video Advertising to date has taken the form of a pre-roll. However YouTube has shunned the idea of such intrusive formats. Read more here
It is defintely becoming clear that the true winners will be the companies who develop and deliver advertisers the option to work with less intrusive formats that allow the advertising to fit around the content. One of the companies who is working in this space is Adjustables.Adjustables ad formats are visual elements that float inside online videos, during the play out of the video content.
If you think about how you could target your add into videos that are tagged with relevant key words, then you start to see the opportunity for advertising and video content to sit quite nicely together. I think we are going to see a lot more companies like Adjustables starting up.
To view the Adjustables site, click here
Video Advertising to date has taken the form of a pre-roll. However YouTube has shunned the idea of such intrusive formats. Read more here
It is defintely becoming clear that the true winners will be the companies who develop and deliver advertisers the option to work with less intrusive formats that allow the advertising to fit around the content. One of the companies who is working in this space is Adjustables.Adjustables ad formats are visual elements that float inside online videos, during the play out of the video content.
If you think about how you could target your add into videos that are tagged with relevant key words, then you start to see the opportunity for advertising and video content to sit quite nicely together. I think we are going to see a lot more companies like Adjustables starting up.
To view the Adjustables site, click here
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Advertising on Facebook
I noticed the other day when I opened up my facebook account that I had the option to set up a "Facebook Flyer". They say that they display your Flyer 5,000 times for only $10 to people you choose. You can apparently target based on age, gender, and network.
It pretty much looks like a bidding system where you set a maximum bid amount to target the users you are after, very similar to the Google adwords model.
Read more
It pretty much looks like a bidding system where you set a maximum bid amount to target the users you are after, very similar to the Google adwords model.
Read more
Friday, 12 October 2007
Top Interactive Agencies
If you are finding it hard to figure out which agency is good at what, take a look at the NMA Top 100 Interactive Agencies list here.
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Online Advertising Networks
I was at the Adtech conference last week and was at a conference panel discussion on AdNetworks and Ad Exchanges. One of the Ad Networks handed out a handy flyer titled 'Top 10 questions to help you choose a quality network':
1. What kind of publishers do you work with?
2. How do you optimise your campaigns?
3. Can you help me manage risk - do you work on a CPA/CPC or CPM basis?
4. How many unique users do reach per month? per day? Is there much of an overlap with other networks?
5. How does your Search and Affiliate marketing complement your web solutions?
6. Do you offer Mobile, Video, and AdServing?
7. How advanced are your targeting capabilities - what about Behavioural Targeting?
8. What kind of creative assistance do you offer?
9. Can you execute my multi-language, pan Euro campaigns?
10. Do you plan an active role in shaping the online industry?
1. What kind of publishers do you work with?
2. How do you optimise your campaigns?
3. Can you help me manage risk - do you work on a CPA/CPC or CPM basis?
4. How many unique users do reach per month? per day? Is there much of an overlap with other networks?
5. How does your Search and Affiliate marketing complement your web solutions?
6. Do you offer Mobile, Video, and AdServing?
7. How advanced are your targeting capabilities - what about Behavioural Targeting?
8. What kind of creative assistance do you offer?
9. Can you execute my multi-language, pan Euro campaigns?
10. Do you plan an active role in shaping the online industry?
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Now this is what I call clever online advertising!
From Club Internet Fr. Give it about 20-30s to load. Click here to view
Thursday, 23 August 2007
Facebook devising new advertising system
NEW YORK, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Social networking Website Facebook is working on an advertising system to allow marketers to target users with ads based on the information people reveal about themselves on the site, the Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition early on Thursday.
The advertising plan is the company's top priority, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The company plans to unveil a basic version late this fall, although the plan is at an early stage, according to the report.
A Facebook spokeswoman acknowledged to the Journal that the company is working on an advertising system, but declined to provide details. A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment to Reuters.
According to the Journal, people familiar with the plan say Facebook is seeking to do what Google Inc (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) did with AdWords, which allows anyone to place ads next to search results by buying "keywords" online.
The advertising plan is the company's top priority, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The company plans to unveil a basic version late this fall, although the plan is at an early stage, according to the report.
A Facebook spokeswoman acknowledged to the Journal that the company is working on an advertising system, but declined to provide details. A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment to Reuters.
According to the Journal, people familiar with the plan say Facebook is seeking to do what Google Inc (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) did with AdWords, which allows anyone to place ads next to search results by buying "keywords" online.
Facebook Open to the World
I have just heard about a really exciting opportunity. In May, Facebook announced at their f8 developers conference the ability for anyone to develop a Facebook Platform applicaton. This is an absolutely massive opportunity for online businesses, giving them the oppportunity to tap into the facebook world.
View the launch video here
With this evolution of Facebook Platform you can now build the next generation of applications with deep integration into Facebook, mass distribution through the social graph, and a new business opportunity.
Deep Integration
You can now build applications that have the same access to integration into the social graph as Facebook applications, such as photos, notes, and events. Over ten integration points are now available, including:
Canvas
Profile Box
Profile Action
News Feed
Mini-Feed
Left Navigation
Requests
Notifications
Emails
Messages
Share
You can access these integration points using the all-new Facebook Markup Language.
Mass Distribution
The power of mass distribution. You can gain distribution for your applications through the social graph like never before. Applications can be virally engineered to reach millions of Facebook users quickly and efficiently through the profile, news feed, and mini-feed.
New Opportunity
With access to deep integration into the site, and mass distribution through the social graph comes a new opportunity for you to build a business with your application. You are free to monetize your canvas pages through advertising or other transactions that you control. Profile boxes must remain free of advertising.
View the launch video here
With this evolution of Facebook Platform you can now build the next generation of applications with deep integration into Facebook, mass distribution through the social graph, and a new business opportunity.
Deep Integration
You can now build applications that have the same access to integration into the social graph as Facebook applications, such as photos, notes, and events. Over ten integration points are now available, including:
Canvas
Profile Box
Profile Action
News Feed
Mini-Feed
Left Navigation
Requests
Notifications
Emails
Messages
Share
You can access these integration points using the all-new Facebook Markup Language.
Mass Distribution
The power of mass distribution. You can gain distribution for your applications through the social graph like never before. Applications can be virally engineered to reach millions of Facebook users quickly and efficiently through the profile, news feed, and mini-feed.
New Opportunity
With access to deep integration into the site, and mass distribution through the social graph comes a new opportunity for you to build a business with your application. You are free to monetize your canvas pages through advertising or other transactions that you control. Profile boxes must remain free of advertising.
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Web to Pass Papers As Key Ad Segment
eMarketer story
US online ad spending is still growing.
US Internet advertising spending will reach $61.98 billion in 2011, according to Veronis Suhler Stevenson's "VSS Forecast" report published in August 2007.
The media investment bank estimated that alternative advertising spending, including Internet, mobile, video game and digital out-of-home ads, grew 36.6%, to $26.53 billion, in 2006.
Alternative media spending is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.4% through 2011, to $197.11 billion. Traditional advertising and marketing will see an aggregate CAGR of 3.2%, to $438.99 billion in 2011.
"Leading national advertisers have accelerated their diversion of dollars from traditional print and broadcast media to alternative digital platforms to combat media and audience fragmentation, increased consumer control and multitasking, and the growing impact of advanced technology on conventional media models," James Rutherford, executive vice president and managing director at VSS, said in a statement.
Spending on alternative marketing, including branded entertainment, interactive marketing and e-custom publishing, increased 17.3%, to $61.67 billion, in 2006.
By contrast, 2006 spending on traditional marketing such as direct mail and promotions grew a mere 5%, to $192.34 billion, albeit on a much larger base.
VSS's projections are more aggressive than those made by eMarketer in June 2007. The firm's $62 billion estimate for 2011 online ad spending also includes RSS, blogs and podcasts, which likely accounts for some of the difference.
"For Internet ad spending to surpass newspapers is a sign as big as any," David Hallerman, eMarketer Senior Analyst, said. "The shift in ad budgets has not yet caught up to the shift in media usage, but as the VSS data indicate, it will, at least eventually."
US online ad spending is still growing.
US Internet advertising spending will reach $61.98 billion in 2011, according to Veronis Suhler Stevenson's "VSS Forecast" report published in August 2007.
The media investment bank estimated that alternative advertising spending, including Internet, mobile, video game and digital out-of-home ads, grew 36.6%, to $26.53 billion, in 2006.
Alternative media spending is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.4% through 2011, to $197.11 billion. Traditional advertising and marketing will see an aggregate CAGR of 3.2%, to $438.99 billion in 2011.
"Leading national advertisers have accelerated their diversion of dollars from traditional print and broadcast media to alternative digital platforms to combat media and audience fragmentation, increased consumer control and multitasking, and the growing impact of advanced technology on conventional media models," James Rutherford, executive vice president and managing director at VSS, said in a statement.
Spending on alternative marketing, including branded entertainment, interactive marketing and e-custom publishing, increased 17.3%, to $61.67 billion, in 2006.
By contrast, 2006 spending on traditional marketing such as direct mail and promotions grew a mere 5%, to $192.34 billion, albeit on a much larger base.
VSS's projections are more aggressive than those made by eMarketer in June 2007. The firm's $62 billion estimate for 2011 online ad spending also includes RSS, blogs and podcasts, which likely accounts for some of the difference.
"For Internet ad spending to surpass newspapers is a sign as big as any," David Hallerman, eMarketer Senior Analyst, said. "The shift in ad budgets has not yet caught up to the shift in media usage, but as the VSS data indicate, it will, at least eventually."
Wednesday, 8 August 2007
Monetizing Social Media
I read an interesting article today about monetizing social media. http://clickz.com/3626620
Tuesday, 7 August 2007
The best on the web
Blogs, Blogs and more blogs
Well-known or education-based blogs:
http://radar.oreilly.com/
http://www.techcrunch.com/
http://www.instapundit.com/
http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/ *
http://jiscdigitisation.typepad.com/jisc_
digitisation_program/ *
Software:
http://wordpress.org/ *
http://www.sixapart.com/typepad/
http://www.blogger.com/start
http://radio.userland.com/
http://www.bblog.com/
Blog search services:
http://technorati.com/
http://www.gnosh.org/
http://blogsearch.google.com/
http://www.weblogs.com/about.html
http://radar.oreilly.com/
http://www.techcrunch.com/
http://www.instapundit.com/
http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/ *
http://jiscdigitisation.typepad.com/jisc_
digitisation_program/ *
Software:
http://wordpress.org/ *
http://www.sixapart.com/typepad/
http://www.blogger.com/start
http://radio.userland.com/
http://www.bblog.com/
Blog search services:
http://technorati.com/
http://www.gnosh.org/
http://blogsearch.google.com/
http://www.weblogs.com/about.html
Are you Web 2.0?
So what exactly is Web 2.0? I have heard many people discussing this topic over the last year. Today I found a site that checks if your site is web 2.0 or not... this is the criteria they check a site agains:
Uses python? No
Uses inline AJAX ? No
Rocks out to the dance noise sound of Chinese Forehead ? No
Denies the existance of Rocky V ? No
Is in public beta? No
Mentions Tag Clouds? No
Mentions Neowin.net ? No
Uses the prefix "meta" or "micro"? Yes!
Apperars to use moo.fx ? No
Is Shadows-aware ? No
Appears to be non-empty ? No
Attempts to be XHTML Strict ? No
Appears to be web 3.0 ? Yes!
Mentions Less is More ? No
Refers to mash-ups ? No
Uses tags ? No
Mentions startup ? No
Has favicon ? No
Uses Google Maps API? No
Has a Blogline blogroll ? No
Appears to use AJAX ? No
Refers to the Web 2.0 Validator's ruleset ? No
Uses the word meme? No
Received a cease-and-desist from CMP Media or Tim O'Reilly ? No
Appears to have a Google Sitemap ? No
Mentions an "architecture of participation"? No
Makes reference to Technorati ? No
Appears to use RSS ? No
JavaScript by Dreamweaver ? No
Refers to Flickr ? No
Faviconized ? No
Has that goofy 'My Blog is Worth' link ? No
Refers to VCs ? No
Appears to be built using Django ? No
Mentions The Long Tail ? No
Mentions Ruby? No
Links Slashdot and Digg ? No
Mentions Nitro ? No
Appears to use moo.fx ? No
Creative Commons license ? No
Mentions Ruby ? No
Refers to podcasting ? Yes!
Appears to use MonoRail ? No
Appears to use visual effects? No
Mentions Wisdom Of Crowds ? No
Has prototype.js ? No
Refers to web2.0validator ? No
Use Catalyst ? No
Refers to Rocketboom ? No
Mentions RDF and the Semantic Web? No
Uses microformats ? No
Refers to del.icio.us ? No
Mentions Neurogami and Web 2.0 ? No
Links to validator? No
Actually mentions Web 2.0 ? No
Uses Semantic Markup? Yes!
Does it use DWR Ajax Library? No
Appears to over-punctuate ? No
References Firefox? No
Validates as XHTML 1.1 ? No
References isometric.sixsided.org? No
Mentions a blog ? Yes!
Appears to have Adsense ? No
Uses the "blink" tag? Yes!
Mentions Stickbob? No
Uses python? No
Uses inline AJAX ? No
Rocks out to the dance noise sound of Chinese Forehead ? No
Denies the existance of Rocky V ? No
Is in public beta? No
Mentions Tag Clouds? No
Mentions Neowin.net ? No
Uses the prefix "meta" or "micro"? Yes!
Apperars to use moo.fx ? No
Is Shadows-aware ? No
Appears to be non-empty ? No
Attempts to be XHTML Strict ? No
Appears to be web 3.0 ? Yes!
Mentions Less is More ? No
Refers to mash-ups ? No
Uses tags ? No
Mentions startup ? No
Has favicon ? No
Uses Google Maps API? No
Has a Blogline blogroll ? No
Appears to use AJAX ? No
Refers to the Web 2.0 Validator's ruleset ? No
Uses the word meme? No
Received a cease-and-desist from CMP Media or Tim O'Reilly ? No
Appears to have a Google Sitemap ? No
Mentions an "architecture of participation"? No
Makes reference to Technorati ? No
Appears to use RSS ? No
JavaScript by Dreamweaver ? No
Refers to Flickr ? No
Faviconized ? No
Has that goofy 'My Blog is Worth' link ? No
Refers to VCs ? No
Appears to be built using Django ? No
Mentions The Long Tail ? No
Mentions Ruby? No
Links Slashdot and Digg ? No
Mentions Nitro ? No
Appears to use moo.fx ? No
Creative Commons license ? No
Mentions Ruby ? No
Refers to podcasting ? Yes!
Appears to use MonoRail ? No
Appears to use visual effects? No
Mentions Wisdom Of Crowds ? No
Has prototype.js ? No
Refers to web2.0validator ? No
Use Catalyst ? No
Refers to Rocketboom ? No
Mentions RDF and the Semantic Web? No
Uses microformats ? No
Refers to del.icio.us ? No
Mentions Neurogami and Web 2.0 ? No
Links to validator? No
Actually mentions Web 2.0 ? No
Uses Semantic Markup? Yes!
Does it use DWR Ajax Library? No
Appears to over-punctuate ? No
References Firefox? No
Validates as XHTML 1.1 ? No
References isometric.sixsided.org? No
Mentions a blog ? Yes!
Appears to have Adsense ? No
Uses the "blink" tag? Yes!
Mentions Stickbob? No
User-Generated Content: Will Web 2.0 Pay Its Way?
The days of giant media conglomerates controlling the creation, distribution and monetization of content are fading. An explosion of user-generated content is reshaping the media landscape, shattering the status quo and creating new opportunities for marketers.
The User-Generated Content report analyzes the fast-changing new world of content ownership and distribution, where for the first time everyday people determine exactly what is created and consumed—not marketers or publishers.
Led by the companies that started the revolution—YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Photobucket and others—eMarketer estimates that US user-generated content sites will earn $4.3 billion in ad revenues in 2011, up from $1 billion in 2007. Read more here
The User-Generated Content report analyzes the fast-changing new world of content ownership and distribution, where for the first time everyday people determine exactly what is created and consumed—not marketers or publishers.
Led by the companies that started the revolution—YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Photobucket and others—eMarketer estimates that US user-generated content sites will earn $4.3 billion in ad revenues in 2011, up from $1 billion in 2007. Read more here
Converting consumers with multiple impressions.
For online marketers who think that the last ad impression (or click) seen is the most likely to lead to a conversion, a look at the Atlas Institute's "How Overlap Impacts Reach, Frequency and Conversions" study may be in order.
The study, conducted in the first quarter of 2007, found that US consumers were more likely to convert after viewing ads on multiple Web sites, suggesting that conversions should be attributed to a full set of impressions and/or clicks, rather than just the single one that preceded the conversion. Read more here
The study, conducted in the first quarter of 2007, found that US consumers were more likely to convert after viewing ads on multiple Web sites, suggesting that conversions should be attributed to a full set of impressions and/or clicks, rather than just the single one that preceded the conversion. Read more here
From NMA newsletter
The value of online advertising across Europe is expected to double to E16bn (£11.8bn) by 2012, according to research firm Forrester.
The report predicts that online ads will account for 18% of total media spend within five years.
Online continues to dominate TV, with more Europeans spending more time online. On average, 14.3 hours a week are spent surfing the web while only 11.3 hours are spent watching TV. Meanwhile, 4.4 hours are spent reading newspapers or magazines.
The research group said search would continue to lead online advertising spend in 2011, followed by display ads and emails.
"After five years of dipping their toes into the online marketing waters, firms have come to realise that the web is a valuable medium for client acquisition, retention and market expansion," the study reports.
Research firm eMarketer predicted earlier this month that UK online advertising spend will rise to nearly £4.5bn by 2011.
The report predicts that online ads will account for 18% of total media spend within five years.
Online continues to dominate TV, with more Europeans spending more time online. On average, 14.3 hours a week are spent surfing the web while only 11.3 hours are spent watching TV. Meanwhile, 4.4 hours are spent reading newspapers or magazines.
The research group said search would continue to lead online advertising spend in 2011, followed by display ads and emails.
"After five years of dipping their toes into the online marketing waters, firms have come to realise that the web is a valuable medium for client acquisition, retention and market expansion," the study reports.
Research firm eMarketer predicted earlier this month that UK online advertising spend will rise to nearly £4.5bn by 2011.
What consumers want from online news - A McKinsey survey
What consumers want from online news
McKinsey research shows that different groups of consumers have different attitudes about news products. Media companies should segment their digital offerings.
Andre Dua and Liz Hilton Segel
Web exclusive, August 2007
The progress of digital technology has encouraged the media to make significant investments in upgrading online news properties in hopes of “owning” customers, but a McKinsey study suggests that consumers are thwarting these efforts. The research—an online survey of 2,100 consumers in the United States—found that the respondents divide their time among as many as 16 news brands a week. “Brand promiscuity,” it appears, is the norm. Such findings have implications for media companies as they refine their products and strategies.
Their survey, informed by data gathered during in-depth interviews with consumers, posed questions about several aspects of the respondents’ news consumption, including its frequency and duration, as well as their attitudes toward news. To assess those attitudes, participants were asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with statements such as “I rely on a few specific news sources that I trust for facts” or “I read blogs for news because they have an independent point of view.” Respondents also answered questions about their news habits across five media platforms (radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet) and about their preferences among 100 news brands.
They found that consumers rely on a large number of brands: 12 to 16 a week across all five platforms. Moreover, respondents reported using many of those brands daily or, in the case of Internet news sites, many times a day. The reasons given for visiting a number of sources included “every news event has at least two sides,” to “get all the facts,” to “form my own opinion,” or to find specific types of content, such as local news.
Still, respondents expressed clear preferences for certain platforms. Television and the Internet, for instance, were much more likely to be described as useful (by 45 and 26 percent of the respondents, respectively) than were newspapers, radio, and magazines (18, 10, and 1 percent, respectively). When asked to explain which sources of news were most useful, respondents expressed a preference for those offering convenience, comprehensiveness, or timeliness rather than quality. Specifically, they were far more likely to consider a news source useful because it “is the easiest way to get news,” “covers the most topics,” or makes it “easy to get news whenever I want it” than because it has the most accurate content or the deepest analysis
The most significant differences we observed among the respondents concerned their
motivations for consuming news. They identified three segments—“citizen readers,”
“news lovers,” and “digital cynics,” representing 18, 15, and 18 percent of
respondents, respectively—that make up 75 percent of the audience for online
news sites and are thus particularly attractive to media companies seeking to
expand their digital offerings. Four other segments—“traditionalists,” “a few
main sources,” “headliners,” and the “uninvolved”—had much less interest in
online platforms.
Citizen readers say that they have a responsibility to stay informed about current
events and follow news stories to feel connected to other people in their
regions, their countries, and the world. Fully 63 percent of them consider
newspaper reading an important ritual passed down by their families. By
contrast, digital cynics enjoy consuming news much less than other respondents
do and feel little responsibility to stay informed. What’s more, nearly half of
those in this group say that all news sources are biased, and many report that
they trust few news sources to provide accurate information. In addition,
digital cynics were the most likely respondents to avail themselves of
alternative news sources, such as blogs or comedy news programs (The Daily Show, for instance).
Digital cynics, like citizen readers, are heavy consumers of TV and the Internet but
have more or less abandoned newspapers.
Their findings have significant implications for media companies. A multisource
aggregator, for example, could step in to meet the consumers’ desire for volume
and variety in online news. A national news organization could present its
version of major events but also select and provide links to related stories,
blogs, and videos produced by others. Web sites featuring national news could
partner with the sites of local newspapers or TV stations to serve up local
content beyond the real-estate ads and weather-related search functions
typically available. The outlines of such an approach are evident in recent
deals between Yahoo! and local newspaper groups and between CNN and Internet
Broadcasting Systems. Still, much closer cooperation among media companies will
likely be needed.
Furthermore, media companies have a significant opportunity to develop niche news products for underserved consumer segments, particularly the digital cynics. Citizen readers, the target of most traditional print publications, express high satisfaction with existing news products. But digital cynics, who spend 30 to 40 percent less time each day on news than citizen readers and news lovers do, feel dissatisfied with most offline products. Winning the trust of this group will be challenging, as it requires a fundamentally different editorial sensibility. Given the size of the segment—24 million adults—and the number of advertisers coveting it, the prize could be substantial for those that succeed.
About the Authors
Andre Dua is a principal in
McKinsey’s New York office, where Liz Hilton Segel is a director.
McKinsey research shows that different groups of consumers have different attitudes about news products. Media companies should segment their digital offerings.
Andre Dua and Liz Hilton Segel
Web exclusive, August 2007
The progress of digital technology has encouraged the media to make significant investments in upgrading online news properties in hopes of “owning” customers, but a McKinsey study suggests that consumers are thwarting these efforts. The research—an online survey of 2,100 consumers in the United States—found that the respondents divide their time among as many as 16 news brands a week. “Brand promiscuity,” it appears, is the norm. Such findings have implications for media companies as they refine their products and strategies.
Their survey, informed by data gathered during in-depth interviews with consumers, posed questions about several aspects of the respondents’ news consumption, including its frequency and duration, as well as their attitudes toward news. To assess those attitudes, participants were asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with statements such as “I rely on a few specific news sources that I trust for facts” or “I read blogs for news because they have an independent point of view.” Respondents also answered questions about their news habits across five media platforms (radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet) and about their preferences among 100 news brands.
They found that consumers rely on a large number of brands: 12 to 16 a week across all five platforms. Moreover, respondents reported using many of those brands daily or, in the case of Internet news sites, many times a day. The reasons given for visiting a number of sources included “every news event has at least two sides,” to “get all the facts,” to “form my own opinion,” or to find specific types of content, such as local news.
Still, respondents expressed clear preferences for certain platforms. Television and the Internet, for instance, were much more likely to be described as useful (by 45 and 26 percent of the respondents, respectively) than were newspapers, radio, and magazines (18, 10, and 1 percent, respectively). When asked to explain which sources of news were most useful, respondents expressed a preference for those offering convenience, comprehensiveness, or timeliness rather than quality. Specifically, they were far more likely to consider a news source useful because it “is the easiest way to get news,” “covers the most topics,” or makes it “easy to get news whenever I want it” than because it has the most accurate content or the deepest analysis
The most significant differences we observed among the respondents concerned their
motivations for consuming news. They identified three segments—“citizen readers,”
“news lovers,” and “digital cynics,” representing 18, 15, and 18 percent of
respondents, respectively—that make up 75 percent of the audience for online
news sites and are thus particularly attractive to media companies seeking to
expand their digital offerings. Four other segments—“traditionalists,” “a few
main sources,” “headliners,” and the “uninvolved”—had much less interest in
online platforms.
Citizen readers say that they have a responsibility to stay informed about current
events and follow news stories to feel connected to other people in their
regions, their countries, and the world. Fully 63 percent of them consider
newspaper reading an important ritual passed down by their families. By
contrast, digital cynics enjoy consuming news much less than other respondents
do and feel little responsibility to stay informed. What’s more, nearly half of
those in this group say that all news sources are biased, and many report that
they trust few news sources to provide accurate information. In addition,
digital cynics were the most likely respondents to avail themselves of
alternative news sources, such as blogs or comedy news programs (The Daily Show, for instance).
Digital cynics, like citizen readers, are heavy consumers of TV and the Internet but
have more or less abandoned newspapers.
Their findings have significant implications for media companies. A multisource
aggregator, for example, could step in to meet the consumers’ desire for volume
and variety in online news. A national news organization could present its
version of major events but also select and provide links to related stories,
blogs, and videos produced by others. Web sites featuring national news could
partner with the sites of local newspapers or TV stations to serve up local
content beyond the real-estate ads and weather-related search functions
typically available. The outlines of such an approach are evident in recent
deals between Yahoo! and local newspaper groups and between CNN and Internet
Broadcasting Systems. Still, much closer cooperation among media companies will
likely be needed.
Furthermore, media companies have a significant opportunity to develop niche news products for underserved consumer segments, particularly the digital cynics. Citizen readers, the target of most traditional print publications, express high satisfaction with existing news products. But digital cynics, who spend 30 to 40 percent less time each day on news than citizen readers and news lovers do, feel dissatisfied with most offline products. Winning the trust of this group will be challenging, as it requires a fundamentally different editorial sensibility. Given the size of the segment—24 million adults—and the number of advertisers coveting it, the prize could be substantial for those that succeed.
About the Authors
Andre Dua is a principal in
McKinsey’s New York office, where Liz Hilton Segel is a director.
Online lifts French admarket
France was not an early leader in Internet usage, and French firms were relatively slow to advertise and market online.
Now Internet penetration and online marketing are up and France is the third-largest online advertising market in Europe, behind the United Kingdom and Germany....
Read more - http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1005205&src=article1_newsltr
Now Internet penetration and online marketing are up and France is the third-largest online advertising market in Europe, behind the United Kingdom and Germany....
Read more - http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1005205&src=article1_newsltr
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
zaniaweb is now live
From today I will start to transfer all of my knowledge on online marketing into an online environment... here goes.
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