Mixing New & Old

I had a conversation last week with an old friend who just started a new consulting firm.

We were discussing the division between those that are pro new media and those that are against it.

It's sort of a silly argument.

Last weeks post on the Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo touched on this subject:

Old Fashioned & New Tech

When I first entered the media world I was a 16 year old high school student who was paid to babysit a radio transmitter and take meter readings every two hours.

The Federal Communications Commission required a properly licensed individual to be on site at all times when a radio station was on the air.

This was 1976.

35 years later, due to a combination of rule changes working hand in hand with tech changes, this type of job no longer exists.

Radio stations still exist, however.

The best ones still use human beings talking and sharing local events and information, just like they have for decades.

Now, think about your business.

What are the old fashioned elements that will be required to keep you successful for decades into the future, even with new tech popping up every few years?

The words of Scott Howard aka ScLoHo

Sphere: Related Content

More Than Angry Birds

Check out this report:

Affluents Adopting Technology-Infused Lifestyles

"Affluent Consumers in a Digital World," a study from the Interactive Advertising Bureau, finds the wealthiest American consumers, those in homes with at least $100,000 annual incomes, embracing digital media and its ads.

According to the study, conducted for the IAB by Ipsos Mendelsohn, 98% of affluent consumers use the Internet, as compared with 79% of the general population. They spend 26.2 hours online weekly, 17.6 hours watching TV and 7.5 hours listening to the radio. The general population, on the other hand, spends about twice as much time weekly with TV and radio.

Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President of Industry Services, IAB, notes that "Affluents have long been one of the hardest to reach and most important consumer groups... (but) when it comes to digital media, the old paradigm has been superseded: the wealthiest Americans use digital media far more than their less affluent counterparts."

According to the survey, affluents overall currently comprise 21% of U.S. households, have 70% of all consumer wealth, and spend 3.2 times more than other Americans on purchases. Compared with non-affluent consumers, after viewing digital ads affluent consumers are also somewhat more likely to be aware of:

• New products (55% vs. 49%)
• New companies (51% vs. 49%)
• New websites (46% vs. 44%)

And, 59% of affluent consumers reported taking action based on a digital ad during the preceding six months.

Mane observed that "... the combined reach, exposure and influence of digital as an ad vehicle to affluent households is simply unprecedented."

The receptivity of affluent Americans to digital advertising is underscored by their greater understanding of the ad-supported web model and the benefits of ad targeting:

• 32% of affluents vs. 23% of non-affluents said they'd be willing to share information about themselves in order to "get a more customized online experience."
• 72% (vs. 61%) agreed with the statement, "Most websites are free because they are supported by advertising."
• 57% (vs. 51%) said they would "prefer to see ad-supported online content that is free, rather than paying for content that is ad-free."

Part of what affluent consumers want from that customized experience are ads relevant to their current shopping interests (i.e., auto ads if they're ready for a new car, airline ads if they're planning a trip... wherever they may be on the Internet)

Affluent Americans are twice as likely as the general population to own smartphones (33% vs. 17%), and 79% of the affluent say their lives have become "intertwined with technology" over the past decade. However, they are more likely to say that their lives have become:

• "more complicated" (59%) and "more stressful" (58%), as opposed to
• "more fun" (47%) or "easier" (33%)

Bob Shullman, President of Ipsos Mendelsohn, says "... affluent consumers have increasingly come to desire relevant and customized experiences... in part because they are living technology-infused lifestyles... they have come to expect the benefits of digital media... "

(Source: The Center For Media Research, 08/09/11)

Sphere: Related Content

Too Late?

Here's the latest chapter from the Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo.

A new chapter about Naming Your Business will be available at 7am Tuesday here: http://sclohonet-thebook.blogspot.com/

Lost Your Mojo?

Last week I received a very important announcement from Yahoo!

Dear Scott Howard,

Thank you for being a Yahoo! Mail user for the past 7 year(s). We look forward to bringing you an even faster, safer, easier-to-use Yahoo! Mail very soon.

In the coming months, we will ask you to upgrade to the newest version of Yahoo! Mail for your account ABC@yahoo.com. All Yahoo! Mail customers will be asked to upgrade. But in the meantime, you don't have to wait, you can have the newest Yahoo! Mail today.



When I clicked on the link in the email, it went to a page that featured this video:

After watching the video, which told me nothing except using Yahoo Mail would be messier, I clicked on the links that would actually tell me what was new and improved. I was disappointed. Yahoo Mail was trying to be like Gmail.

But they already lost their mojo with me.

About 5 years ago, I stopped using my Yahoo Mail account and switched over to Gmail from Google. The primary reason for my dumping Yahoo was the spam filtering that Gmail offered was so much further advanced from what Yahoo was doing.

I had given up on Yahoo Mail and only kept that email account alive by forwarding Yahoo emails to my Gmail account. Now it appears that it has taken 5 years for Yahoo to catch up with where Google and Gmail was 5 years ago.

In the meantime, Gmail continues to offer improvements so Yahoo will always be behind.

What about your business? Are you constantly playing catch-up or are you leap-frogging your competitors. It isn't enough to say, "You know that service or product that they (insert competitors name) offer, we have it now too."

By the time you have caught up, you've lost your Mojo.

According to the Urban Dictionary:

Mojo: The word originally means a charm or a spell. But now its more commonly said meaning sex appeal or talent.

and...

1. Self-confidence, Self-assuredness. As in basis for belief in ones self in a situation. Esp. I context of contest or display of skill such as sexual advances or going into battle.

2. Good luck fetish / charm to bolster confidence.

3. ability to bounce back from a debilitating trauma and negative attitude

In this ever changing world, you always risk being left behind. Especially if you wait 5 years.

Sphere: Related Content

Understanding the Cloud

As I read this article from Mediapost recently, it occurred to me that the "Cloud" concept has been around forever.

Television networks house the network prime time shows we watch. They are not stored in our televisions.

Sure we can, (and have) recorded copies of our favorite shows for viewing later, thanks originally to home VCR's and now TiVo.

Read more about how media habits are both changing and the same as before...

Life Is But A Stream

All this buzz about clouds is not hyperbole. There's a fundamental shift in how media is being consumed, and Gen Y is at the epicenter of it all.

Let's start with television. While traditional consumption via a television set remains the most common mechanism by which Gen Y consumes TV programming, they are rapidly adopting online technologies that feed their insatiable entertainment appetites. In our recent report on Gen Y's use of technology, we discovered via a nationally representative survey of 1,300 teens and collegians that, in the prior week, nearly one in four members of Gen Y watched video content that was streamed to a computer, one in seven downloaded video content to a computer and one in 20 watched video content that was streamed to their mobile phones.

On average, Gen Y spends nearly three hours a week watching streamed TV programs, and an hour and a half a week watching downloaded TV programs. Gen Y streams and downloads video from a variety of locations: they are nearly as likely to do so at home as they are at a friend's house. That is the essence of online video: students want to watch it when they stumble across it, no matter where they are. And they want to share it with friends by pulling up videos when they're hanging out, as well as by sharing links via Facebook.

Gen Y most commonly streams full-length, professionally produced videos, such as movies and TV shows, with music videos not far behind. College students watch a wider diversity of content than teens, with most checking out news clips, commercials, sports, and political videos in addition to long-form movies and TV shows.

Growing up doesn't mean giving up cartoons -- a majority of high school and college students watch them online. In fact, among boys, streaming animation increases during their college years, while it declines among girls. This is connected to how the genders define themselves as "adults"; boys don't feel any less adult for watching cartoons and playing videogames.

Streaming music is as common a practice as streaming video, with Gen Y spending an average of two hours and 40 minutes a week listening to streaming radio stations. Services such as Pandora and Spotify give users access to hundreds of thousands of songs at their fingertips. Traditional terrestrial radio still accounts for the lion's share of radio listening at a little over four hours a week, however, Gen Y spends just one half-hour less streaming feeds from traditional radio stations and online-only stations combined.

Looking at the impact of digital consumption on the music industry, sales are declining not only due to piracy, but also due to consumption via streaming services that allow users to custom create music channels. Only one in five of teens and collegians are buying more music than they did a year ago, compared to two out of five who are buying less and two out of five who are buying the same amount.

Two-thirds of Gen Y download music from the Web, whether legally or illegally. College boys are the least likely to download music, but that may be because they are spending more time following college sports and going out. The most common reasons students say they don't download music is that it costs too much or they can't afford it, suggesting that their first inclination is to obtain it legally. (We should also note that Gen Y is the generation that is most comfortable with the idea of paying a fee for digital content.)

More than a quarter don't download because they are concerned about security on their computer, which is a common problem with file sharing services that are riddled with viruses and malware. A similar proportion is concerned about being sued.

The trend towards cloud-based, on-demand digital media shifts the locus of control from the producer to the consumer. Having grown up immersed in digital media, Gen Y will lead this shift. Producers of entertainment (as well as all those who advertise, sponsor or otherwise participate in the entertainment ecosystem) should begin their transition strategies with Gen Y at the center of their digital universe, studying their preferences and behaviors and developing services that align with, rather than buck how, where and why they want to consume.

In all honesty, watching the digital media revolution has been pretty ugly to date, with lawsuits and forced-fit solutions being more numerous than intelligent and practical ones. As Gen Y steadily infiltrates the media industry, we're sure to see things fall into better alignment as this generation intuitively satisfies the needs of the digital media consumer.

Dan Coates is president of Ypulse, a leading authority on tween, teen, college and young adult insights for marketing, brand and media professionals, providing news, commentary, events, research and strategy. A veteran opinionista, Dan and his Ypulse colleagues tweet an endless stream of Gen Y news, factoids and insights at www.twitter.com/ypulse and can be contacted via email at dan@ypulse.com. You can also reach him here.

Sphere: Related Content

The Next Big Thing

It used to be hard to convince people that their business needed a website.

Now websites have been mainstream for a few years.

Social Media like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are finally starting to move from the early adoption mode to mainstream and within a couple of years will be commonplace for business to use in their marketing and customer service efforts.

So what's next?

Make sure you are "Mobile Optomized".

It's coming as the next "big thing", due to this:

Desktops and Laptops Trail Cell Phones in Popularity

According to a recent report by the Pew Research Center, Generations and Their Gadgets, younger adults are leading the way in increased mobility, preferring laptops to desktops and using their cell phones for a variety of functions, including internet, email, music, games, and video. Cell phones are by far the most popular device among American adults, with 85% of adults owning cell phones, and 90% of all adults live in a household with at least one working cell phone.

Cell Phone Household Ownership
	Millennials	Gen X	Younger Boomers	Older Boomers	Silent Gen.	G.I. Gen.	All adults
% of adults who have a cell phone	95%	92	86	84	68	48	85
% of non-cell users who live in a household with a working cell phone	49	51	29	42	24	27	33
Total % of adults who live in a household with a working cell phone	97	96	90	90	76	62	90
Source: Pew Research Center, February 2011

Though cell phones are now ubiquitous in American homes, the level of engagement with the phones does vary widely between generations. The survey found that while roughly the same proportion of adults in the Millennial generation and Generation X own cell phones, Millennials are significantly more likely to use their phones for a variety of purposes. A majority of Millennials use their phones for taking photos, texting, going online, sending email, playing games, listening to music, and recording videos-making them significantly more likely than any other generation to engage in all of these activities.

To clarify the generations by age grouping, the following chart is effective:

Generation	Birth Years	Age in 2011
Millennials	Born 1977-1993	Ages 18-34
Gen X	Born 1965-1976	Ages 35-46
Younger Boomers	Born 1955-1964	Ages 47-56
Older Boomers	Born 1946-1954	Ages 57-65
Silent Generation	Born 1937-1945	Ages 66-74
G.I. Generation	Born before 1936	Age 75+
Source: Pew Research Center, February 2011

Desktop computers are most popular with adults ages 35-65, and Millennials are the only generation that is more likely to own a laptop computer or netbook than a desktop.

Almost half of adults own an iPod or other mp3 player. However, among the devices examined in this report, mp3 players saw the widest range in ownership rates between generations. While 74% of Millennials own an mp3 player, only 56% of members of Gen X do, and adoption rates continue to drop for each of the older generations.

Overall, 42% percent of all adults age 18 and older own a game console, and it is especially popular with members of the Millennial Generation and Generation X. Sixty-three percent of all adults ages 18-46 own a game console like an Xbox or Play Station. Overall, 5% of adults own an e-book reader, and 4% own an iPad or other tablet computer.

Tech Device Ownership By Generational Group (% Cell Phone Users)
	% Ownership
Device	Millennials	GenX	Younger Boomers	Older Boomers	Silent Generation	GI Generation	All Adults
Cell phone	95%	92	86	84	68	48	85
Desktop computer	57	69	65	64	48	28	59
Laptop computer	70	61	49	43	30	10	52
iPod/MP3	74	56	42	26	16	3	47
Game console	63	63	38	19	8	3	42
eBook reader	5	5	7	3	6	2	5
Tablet	5	5	4	3	1	1	4
None of these	1	3	8	8	20	43	9
Source: Pew Research Center, February 2011

The youngest generation does not lead in all the gadgets studied. Gen X is also very similar to Millennials in ownership of certain devices, such as game consoles, and members of Gen X are also more likely than Millennials to own a desktop computer.

In terms of generations, Millennials are by far the most likely group not only to own most of the devices studied, but also to take advantage of a wider range of functions. Most cell phone owners only use two of the main non-voice functions on their phones: taking pictures and text messaging. Among Millennials, meanwhile, a majority use their phones also for going online, sending email, playing games, listening to music, and recording videos.

Taking pictures is the most popular function on Americans' phones, with more than half of all cell phone owners under the age of 75 using their phones for this purpose (only 16% of adults age 75 and older take photos with their phones). Text messaging, though also widely adopted, is less popular with adults over age 56

Cell Phone Use (% Of Cell Phone Users)
	Millennials	Gen X	Younger Boomers	Older Boomers	Silent Gen	G.I. Gen	All adults
Take a picture	91%	83	78	60	50	16	76
Send or receive text messages	94	83	68	49	27	9	72
Access the internet	63	42	25	15	17	2	38
Play a game	57	37	25	11	10	7	34
Record a video	57	39	23	11	7	4	34
Send or receive email	52	35	26	22	14	7	34
Play music	61	36	18	10	7	5	33
Send or receive instant messages	46	35	22	15	13	6	30
Source: Pew Research Center, February 2011

These findings are based on a survey of 3,001 American adults (ages 18 and older) conducted between August 9 and September 13, 2010. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.

This report was from Mediapost.

Sphere: Related Content

It takes A System

And does your system work for you?

From The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo:


Each of us has a system for doing the things we do. These systems include your morning wake up routine and the various systems we have in place for our work activities.

If the systems and routines we are using in our personal life need tweaking, we often do so without much thought. Setting the alarm 5 minutes earlier, driving a different way to work, all pretty simple.

But what I see a lot of resistance to is changing work related systems.

The bigger the company, the more resistance is pretty common. Too many people involved including the "nay-sayers" who say no to everything; the "Don't fix it until it's broken" group who still use AOL; and the other extremes... the ones who want to throw everything out that we are doing and start from scratch, and those that always want to "wing it".

Each of us are responsible for our own systems, if you work for a big company, and you find a way that conforms to their standards, but also helps you to do your job better, Go For It!

The past few years I have set up a few systems and am in the process of setting up even more in the social media world that I live part of my life in.

When I was the V-P of Communication for the Fort Wayne Advertising Federation, I would create an email that was sent to members and interested parties. I had a couple of templates that I would customize for each month, and then modify slightly as we got closer to the event we were inviting people to attend. The email service provider allowed us to both personalize the invites and schedule when the invites were being delivered.

I post between 35 and 50 blog posts a week. This blog you are reading is updated at least once a week on Tuesdays. Three other blogs get a total of 6 to 7 updates a day! And there is only one way to accomplish this, and that is with a system.

My System is a form of automation. But it requires a personal, hands on touch too.

I can write posts and schedule them to appear online in the future. Currently I have some scheduled for February 2012, which would be really freaky if something tragic were to happen and I met an early demise before they all post!

I usually have between 20 and 120 blog posts scheduled and they will automatically appear online when I have scheduled them.

I could set up an auto-Tweet or auto-post-to-Facebook, or auto-post-to-LinkedIn.

But I don't want those automated. Instead I want those to be personalized for each of those services, to promote the blog postings in a more conversational manner. And do to the fact that I'm not online when every new post appears on my blog, I may promote it a few hours after it is published.

I urge you to automate when you can, but beware of being too impersonal.

I also urge you to review what works, and what doesn't. You may be too close to your own situation and need someone without an insiders knowledge to challenge your thinking and challenge the status quo.

Are you ready for that?

If you are in the Fort Wayne Indiana area, contact me. If you are outside the area, I have contacts that I recommend. My email is Scott @ ScLoHo.net

Another update on The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo Tuesday at 7am here.

Sphere: Related Content

Tech Predictions for 2011

Yesterday I got an email from Drew...

The trend report you don't want to miss

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 04:05 AM PST

Last year I told you about JWT's (J Walter Thompson) Top 12 Trends Report for 2010. It's by far the most comprehensive and helpful of any of the trend pieces we see this time of year.

Here's a quick video peek at their trends for 2011. (e-mail subscribers, click here to view)

Read more by clicking here and reading Drews Blog:

Sphere: Related Content

Are you Smart Enough for Mom?

Two weeks from today. Christmas.

Studies show women have an influence in 85% of all consumer spending in the U.S.A.

I wonder how many Mom's have a smart phone.

I wonder how many will have one in two weeks.

I wonder if you will be ready to reach out to them via those phones:

Smartphones, Smart Moms

At the grocery store, Mom accesses her shopper loyalty account and loads her coupons directly on her smartphone. After buying her groceries, she checks the calendar on her phone and decides she has time to pick up a last-minute holiday gift. She locates a big-box retailer and navigates there using the smartphone's GPS.

Before making her purchase, she checks competitors' prices to ensure that she's getting the best value. On her way back to the car, she receives a text message from her favorite boutique letting her know that they're having an exclusive sale and decides that moms deserve to treat themselves every now and then. She quickly spreads word on Facebook so all of her friends can treat themselves, too.

Is Mom getting your message on her smartphone?

These practical, real-world applications represent the tip of the iceberg for smartphone holiday shopping potential. People are increasingly turning to mobile solutions during holiday shopping, and mothers, a key demographic, are rarely targeted specifically.

Far from a fad, savvy smartphone shopping is a growing trend. More and more, moms are augmenting their shopping experience -- a recent Millennial Media report indicated that in 2010 32% of moms own a smartphone versus 20% in 2009. Likewise, 32% of moms reported using their mobile Internet at least once a week in 2010 versus 20% in 2009. Both instances show an increase of 60% in usage by moms, and these numbers will continue to climb this holiday season and into 2011.

Moms are often the household's key decision maker. Once slow to adopt new technologies, they have been quick to embrace smartphones. During the holiday season, mothers are increasingly utilizing their mobile devices -- locating stores, researching products, comparing prices, seeking out special offers and coupons, checking product availability, streaming multi-media, playing games or simply killing time in line checking Facebook and Twitter. Every one of these activities represents a chance for brands to reach out and grab the attention of these influencers.

It's not too late

Even if your brand hasn't made targeting moms a part of your long-term strategy, there are some simple guidelines you can follow that will help you begin engaging with moms faster than you can say "Kris Kringle":

• The more, the merrier: Effective holiday shopping applications, mobile websites and mobile ad campaigns need to be accessible by a variety of smartphone platforms -- iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, etc., to reach the largest audience.

• Not too flashy: It's important that all landing pages or microsites are designed to be mobile-phone friendly. Too often, existing websites are difficult to browse via phone and any Flash elements will not work.

• What's the deal?: The best mobile initiatives clearly state their offer: savings, convenience, and special deals.

• It's good to share: Mobile apps should make social sharing easy. Something as simple as a mom sharing a link on Facebook can increase your exposure exponentially.

• Keep it simple: Effective applications should make a mom's life easier. To this end, user experience should be clean with an emphasis on simplicity and convenience. The holidays are stressful enough. Any tool moms can use to reduce this stress will create buzz and be widely shared.

Even as little as a decade ago, it would have been difficult to anticipate today's smartphone culture. Phones carry people's lives inside them. Beyond contact lists and a means to reach out to family and friends, smartphones provide consumers with an ever-present window into the digital world. For busy, multi-tasking moms, the smartphone functions as a primary tool for keeping her life in order. Companies that can help her will be embraced; all others will be marked as spam.

With more than seven years of experience developing and implementing cutting-edge digital strategies, Sarah Van Heirseele is Digital Director at Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide.

Sphere: Related Content

The Tech World of Today's Teens

Not many Teenagers are in charge of marketing.

Mark Z of Facebook is over the hill in his 20's.

So, to help us understand their world, check out these tips from Mediapost:

Profile Of A Teen Technology User

When I was a kid, the first personal computers were just coming out. We had our beautiful Packard Bell that had less storage space than my flash drive, and (gasp) a floppy disk drive. I grew up in a time when consumers had to adapt to evolutions in technology, and brands had to find ways to use technology to reach consumers.

In 2010, the sides of the scale are slightly shifted. Technology is abundant, the Internet is cluttered, marketing is everywhere and consumers have more options than they'll ever need. The audiences that technology grew up with (Gen X, Boomers) are all but captive to brands. The audience that grew up with technology (teens, Millennials) are not wooed by glitz and glamour. They're used to technology, because it's always been there.

If you're a marketer trying to reach teens, take some time to think about technology from the teens' perspective, because to teens:

Devices Have Always Been Portable

Teens have grown up in the portable era. Their first computers were laptops. Their first music players were iPods. Their first gaming systems were handheld. Because teens are so adept at using portable devices, they expect experiences to transition across them. Marketers shouldn't create fragmented experiences on different platforms, because teens are never tied down to just one device.

Mobile Phones Have Always Existed

Because teens are a texting generation, many of them prefer BlackBerrys and other phones that provide a different experience than touch-screen phones. Teens grew up with lots of options for mobile phones, so they're not as quick to buy or try the next hot new thing -- especially if it's not connected with what they're already using. If you're marketing to teens on mobile, don't abandon their platforms when the next hot new one comes out -- they'll probably be one of the last to try it out.

Technology Is Always Evolving

To teens, there are always new mobile platforms and devices being created. They're open to new technology more than any other generation and are savvier with new devices, but they don't just buy it 'cause it's new. If you want to sell them your new technology, make sure it works better than what they have and doesn't just look better than what they have.

Brands Have Always Been Online

Brands have been online as long as teens have. There's nothing new about it, and that makes them harder to engage. Teens don't want to engage with your brand in social media just because it's cool that your brand is in social media. They want to engage with your brand if they're getting something in return.

David Trahan is a strategist at social marketing agency Mr Youth in New York, which was named one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Marketing Companies in the World by "Fast Company" magazine.

Sphere: Related Content

Teen Truths

Wednesday I posted a story about teen spending habits.

Here's a few more revelations:

9 Myths You Thought Were True

A teen, a Millennial and a Mom walk into a restaurant for dinner. The Mom has a coupon for 10% off that she got for "liking" the bar's Facebook page, the Millennial checked in on Foursquare to get a free drink, and the teen has nothing and is too busy texting her friends to care.

Teens are a unique audience. They have their own needs and social drivers that are unique to their stage in life. Many marketers assume that, because teens are young, their needs are the same as Millennials and that they will interact with brands in the same way.

New research is showing that teens have their own needs and behaviors that are different from other generations. If you're a marketer looking to reach teens, it's vitally important that you always have your finger on the pulse of the teen audience. As technology evolves, teens are finding their own uses for it that are unique to their personal and social needs.

There are some myths about marketing to teens that every marketer can learn from.

Myth #1: All teens want smartphones
While it is true that teens want phones, smartphone adoption has only reached 31% as of 2010. If 90% of teens own a cell phone, why aren't they buying smartphones? The answer is actually pretty simple: texting. Teens send an average of 3,339 texts per month, and typing that many messages on a touch screen is a lot more difficult than typing on even the most basic phone keyboard. That's why BlackBerry is one of the most popular phones for teens.

Myth #2: Texting is the way in
We already know that teens love to text. What some marketers fail to realize is that teens only love to text with their friends. Only 10% say they want companies to contact them via text message. There are some instances where a brand can use a texting campaign to engage this audience, but most teens see texting as "too personal," and aren't inviting brands into their personal space.

Myth #3: Teens use Facebook the way we use Facebook
Don't count on just your Facebook page to reach teens. Teens interact with brands on Facebook if they feel there is a real benefit to them for doing so. They're not "liking" every brand on Facebook that they purchase, and even if they do, they're not likely to come back to your page after the first visit.

Myth #4: Teens are going to join Twitter
Recent findings from the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project show that only 8% of teens have embraced Twitter. Other studies also show that most teens don't have any interest in joining Twitter in the future (76%). By the time they decide to use Twitter, they probably won't be teens anymore.

Myth #5: If you build it, teens will come
Great ideas go to waste when no one knows about them. Many marketers believe that creating a social experience for teens will spread itself through word-of-mouth and online sharing. A good social media activation can always benefit from a mass-media driver.

Myth #6: Teens are online all the time
Teens spend roughly two hours per day on the Internet, and almost half of that time is spent on entertainment. Teens don't need the Internet to interact with their friends -- they see them all the time, and if they're not with them, they're texting them. If you want to reach teens online, you have to find a way to bridge their online and offline experiences.

Myth #7: Teens don't watch TV
Teens watch over 100 hours of television per month -- most of which is not viewed on TiVo, Hulu or Netflix. They may be texting or playing games while they watch TV, but they're definitely still watching it.

Myth #8: Teen word-of-mouth happens online
Teens do not spend most of their online time communicating with their friends. In fact, over 80% of teen word-of-mouth happens offline. If you want to tap into teen word-of-mouth, find a reason for them to talk about your brand offline.

Myth #9: Teens love online video
Teens use the Internet for entertainment, and online video is an important component of that. Branded video can be a great way to engage with teens as long as it doesn't come off as one long commercial. Teens aren't going to be tricked into thinking that your "viral video" is anything more than an advertisement.

David Trahan is a strategist at social marketing agency Mr Youth in New York, which was named one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Marketing Companies in the World by "Fast Company" magazine.

Sphere: Related Content

Automatic Success?

There really is no key it an instant, or automatic success.

In the 1967 movie, "The Graduate" Dustin Hoffman was told that the business to go into was Plastics. But not all companies in the plastics industry were successful.



If the movie was remade around the turn of the century, Dustin would have been told to go into the Tech business, after we survived the Y2K scare.

Again, it takes more than the right industry to be successful as this article from SatelliteDish.org explains:

Over the last 30 years there have been several satellite companies that have had their share of struggles as they tried to be the first to master this technology and monetize it by bringing key home services to market (satellite TV, radio, and Internet specifically). Some companies made it through their turbulent times like Sirius XM and others just died a silent death like Primestar (absorbed into an industry giant). We thought it would be interesting to take a look at 10 satellite companies that failed miserably. If you think we need to add more to the list, place a comment and let us read your arguments.

1. Sirius XM – Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio merged in 2007 to become Sirius XM. When they combined they had over 18.5 million subscribers and growing. They seemed to be the invincible king of satellite radio until they issued a warning for the company to prepare for Bankruptcy in February of 2009. Eventually this led to them being owned by Liberty Media (which owns 49% of DIRECTV). All of the Sirius XM broadcasting was cancelled and replaced with offering from SonicTap.
2. Iridium, LLC – This is a satellite phone company that was originally founded in November of 1998 and the first Iridium call made was by then-Vice President of the U.S., Al Gore. They launched their satellite (and some spares) and it was a rocky start by 1999 they were in chapter 11 bankruptcy. Today they are doing better with quite a few subscribers (over 320,000) and are bouncing back. So this one is definitely not a complete failure, it just failed at least once out of the gate.
3. Primestar – This was a really good satellite TV service that failed and eventually sold its assets in 1999 to Hughes Network Systems which later evolved into DIRECTV. They originally broadcasted in analog but converted over to digital technology before eventually losing the battle for subscribers to DIRECTV and Dish Network. I actually was a Primestar customer and really resented being forced to move to DIRECTV.
4. ASkyB – American Sky Broadcasting was a joint venture of NewsCorp and MCI Worldcom. They were at one point being courted by Primestar and would have possibly kept Primestar alive. There is nothing specific about ASkyB that makes it a failure aside from the opportunity to keep a third viable satellite television provider alive. The assets were purchased late in 1998 by Echostar (Dish Network).
5. AlphaStar – This was a direct-to-home satellite TV service for the U.S. developed by a Canadian company called Tee-Comm Electronics. It started in July 1996 and got up to about 40,000 subscribers before finally succumbing to bankruptcy in September 1997. It had a short life and you can read more about it here.
6. St.GIGA – in 1990 they became the first satellite radio company in the World and regular broadcasting really commenced in 1991. This was partially supported by Nintendo and they broadcast only in Japan. Unfortunately despite even venturing into gaming, they just couldn’t make a go of it and eventually its satellite broadcast certificate was revoked.
7. Globalstar went through a chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2003 but was originally launched in 1997 as a joint venture between Loral Corporation and Qualcomm. After the restructuring and emergence of a new primary owner in Thermo Capital Partners, LLC though Globalstar, Inc. was born and remains a fully functional organization with over 300,000 subscribers. It mainly focuses on satellite phone and some data usages.
8. VOOM – What is really interesting about VOOM is the fact that it was actually launched by Cablevision (yes the cable TV giant). There was apparently a big dispute in 2005 between Charles Dolan (the founder of Cablevision) and a few board members who wanted to shutdown VOOM. It resulted in the servicing being shutdown later that year and the assets being sold to EchoStar (Dish Network).
9. United States Satellite Broadcasting (USSB) – This was founded by Hubbard Broadcasting in 1981 (specifically by Stanley S. Hubbard). This was one of the first satellite television companies and considered by most to be the pioneer in the industry. They broadcast most of the major American premium channels and really made a name for themselves. It never really failed but eventually was absorbed into DIRECTV. So the only real failure is not getting credit for what they accomplished and then later being dissolved into another system.
10. Protostar went bankrupt in June of 2009 (filed for chapter 11 protection). The largest customer of this satellite company is Dish TV India Limited, the largest television operator in India. Eventually it went up on the auction block later in the year (October 2009) and was purchased by Intelsat Corp. for $210 million. It obviously had valuable assets but couldn’t capitalize on those assets.

Sphere: Related Content

Optimizing for Mobile

Last month I bought my first smart phone. A Droid, since my cellphone provider is Verizon.

A couple years ago, a friend of mine was telling me about optimizing websites for mobile viewing, and now I get it. Even though my phone will not replace my laptop the way my laptop replaced my desktop computer, I see the benefit of "apps" for smart phones.

Check this out: Talking Isn't All That Matters to Cellphone Users Survey Also Finds Price/Value Most Important Factor in Choosing Service Plans

Cellphones are necessary tools by which many Americans get information these days, with an increasing number of people looking for phones which offer access to email, the internet, picture-taking and even calendars. New research, conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation's Mobile Retail Initiative shows an increasing number of people want to be "tuned in" more than ever before.

According to the most recent survey of 9,578 adults used in this analysis, nearly nine out of 10 adults (87.5%) say they have a cellphone, an increase of 17.9 percent from January 2006 (74.2%).

With e-commerce now expanding to m-commerce, many people want the luxury of being able to shop or browse company's websites from their phone. The survey found 41.5 percent of adults want a cellphone with Internet access, compared to just under one-third (32.6%) who said so in July 2008. More than half (51.4%) of adults 18-34 years old say they want to be able to surf the web on their phone, compared to the 41.0% who said so in July 2008.

"Americans expect more from their phones than the ability to talk to family and friends," said NRF President and CEO Matt Shay. "Aside from sending pictures and sharing stories and experiences over social networking sites, consumers want to be able to connect with their favorite retailers in a way they never have been able to before -- instantaneously. The emergence of m-commerce has created a paradigm shift that has the retail industry very excited."

When it comes to other cellphone features or attributes, adults say email access has also increased in importance over the years. Over half (51.1%) of 18-34 year-olds say they want a cellphone with email access, up from 28.1 percent in January 2006. But young adults aren't the only ones who favor email access: according to the survey, 42.6% of all adults want email on their phone, up significantly from 22.5 percent four years ago.

Survey respondents also said that phones with cameras (59.0%), calendars (42.7%) and text messaging (55.6%) are important attributes. When it comes to why consumers switch cellphone service providers, four out of 10 (41.3%) adults say pricing/value is their top reason, with other important factors including coverage (31.6%) and plan options (22.1%). These factors remained consistent in every age group except cellphone users 55 and older, who listed their priorities as: pricing/value (41.3%), coverage (28.9%) and customer service (17.9%).

"The combination of new technologies coupled with consumers' desire to adopt these new apps are redefining the cellphone into a 'consumer communicator'," said Phil Rist, Executive Vice President of Strategy, BIGresearch. "Marketers and retailers should leverage shoppers' needs to stay connected by providing information and communications to assist them with their purchase decisions."

(Source: National Retail Federation, 06/17/10)

Sphere: Related Content

Media Changes in the next Decade

As a child of the 60's and 70's, I grew up without cellphones, cable TV and the internet. We got the news via Walter Cronkite (Google him!), and the afternoon newspaper.

My kids grew up in a different world, and my grandkids world will be vastly different too.

Here's an insiders peek into what is coming:

What Happens to Traditional Media When it Goes Digital?

At the ARF Audience Measurement conference last week, some speakers really got me thinking about what happens when all media becomes digital. Here are three forces that could produce profound changes in media and advertising both from a business and user experience point of view.

Everything Will Become Digital

Digital used to be synonymous with online but everything will become digital. Dave Poltrack from CBS predicts a huge increase in HD, 3D, and IPTV TV sales. David Verklin, president of Canoe Ventures, talks about the interactive TV advertising experience that will be nationally available. Video in Facebook? How about Facebook built into your new 55" HD 3D TV? The future of print media is being revolutionized by electronic readers like iPad. One can also imagine codes being inserted into print advertising or editorial pieces that, when captured by a smart phone, instantly leads to a multi-media experience or electronic coupon.

No longer is CBS a TV company or Time, Inc. a magazine; no longer is "media platform" the business organizing principle. Now, the media property is the organizing principle and it must live synergistically across platforms.

Data Will Always Trail the Media Possibilities

New touchpoints are emerging weekly, it seems. Advertising via the iPad was born so very recently. Apps for smart phones that create amazing location-awareness and shopper marketing options are emerging so fast it is mind-numbing. How can a manufacturer not want to put codes on packages that, via a reader on any smart phone, can now bring a brand's story to life with sight, sound, and motion at point of purchase? Digitization allows a marketer to guide a consumer along the path to purchase right to the check-out.

The point is, syndicated media research data bases, custom marketing research assessment can't possibly get ahead of this; they will always be playing catch-up, focusing on the most significant of the touchpoints that are attracting substantial funds.

The Importance of Understanding Audience Size Will Diminish

The most important things in traditional media, the stats we all understand, relate to audience size (GRPs, circ, etc.). However, imagine watching an episode of House on a platform that allows for selective ad serving. As soon as two different households start getting different ads served to them, measuring total audience becomes less important to the advertiser. Online, monthly uniques are a guide to which sites an advertiser should consider but they are paying for impressions served (or clicks). "Traditional" media could/should move to this model as it becomes digital.

If this comes to pass as traditional media become digital, imagine the implications for syndicated media currency databases, and media tools. While this will be traumatic to the existing infrastructure for "traditional media", the increased business value of advertising and the increased CPMs that advertising should command when it is made more relevant based on intelligent serving rules are potentially very significant.

(Source: Joel Rubinson, Chief Research Officer, The Advertising Research Foundation, from an article that appeared in Retail Wire, 06/30/10)

Sphere: Related Content

Stop Blaming Gramps..

For the Loud TV.

I work in the radio business, and we use audio processing to, shall I say, "Juice" the volume of our commercials. Many stations do the same with the music so loud commercials on the radio don't really exist.

However, in TV land, if they only apply the processing to the ads and not the shows, you get this:

(From Mediapost)

Are You Listening When It's Loud?

According to the findings of an Adweek Media/Harris Poll of 2,194 U.S. adults,86% of Americans say that compared to the TV shows themselves, television commercials seem louder. 57% say the commercials seem much louder. Just 12% say the shows and commercials are at the same level, and only 1% say the volume of the commercials is softer than the shows.

93% of those who say the ads are louder say it bothers them, with 62% saying it bothers them a lot. 31% say the fact that the commercials seem louder bothers them a little, while only 7% say it does not bother them.

There is an age difference when it comes to how loud the commercials seem:

• 92% of those 45 and older say the commercials seem louder
• 83% of those 35-44 say this
• 79% of 18-34 year think they are louder
• 70% of adults 55 and older say the volume of the commercials is much louder than the televisions shows themselves

Perception of Ad Volume Compared to The Show (Base: All U.S. adults)
		Age
Perception	Total	18-34	35-44	45-54	55+
Louder (net)	86	79	83	92	92
Much louder	57	42	55	60	70
Somewhat louder	29	37	28	33	22
The same level	12	18	17	7	8
Softer (net)	1	3	*	*	1
Somewhat softer	*	1	*	*	*
Much softer	1	2	*	-	*
Source: Harris Interactive, April 2010 (% Roundied; * indicates less than 0.5%)

There is also a difference in age over how bothersome this volume change is. Seven in ten adults 55 and older, and two-thirds of those 45-54 say the fact the commercials seem louder bothers them a lot. Just under half of those 18-34 say this bothers them a lot, while 40% say it bothers them a little.

Consumer Attitude of Bothersome Quotient (% of Respondents Who Feel Commercials Seem Louder)
		Gender		Age
"Botherness"	Total	Male	Female	18-34	35-44	45-54	55+
Bother (net)	93	92	95	88	94	96	95
Bothers me a lot	62	58	66	49	60	66	71
Bothers me a little	31	34	29	40	34	30	24
Does not bother me at all	7	8	5	12	6	4	5
Source: Harris Interactive, April 2010 (% Roundied; * indicates less than 0.5%)

Women are more likely to say the change bothers them a lot, while men, on the other hand, are more likely to say the changed volume bothers them a little, or does not bother them at all.

The report concludes that, since commercials are intended to sell products, when they become something that actually bothers consumers, advertisers need to consider looking to softer, more subtle ways to get their messages across.

Of note, says the report, in December 2009 the House of Representatives voted to pass the CALM (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation) Act, which will regulate the volume of commercials. The bill is currently being reviewed by a Senate committee.

For more information, please visit HarrisInteractive here.

Sphere: Related Content

Remember the "Paperless Society"?

This is for my friends that think that we will eliminate old stuff and replace it with new stuff.

At my radio station, we use more paper now than we did 20 years ago because it is so easy to print from a computer instead of typing everything in a typewriter.

MarketingProfs sent this to my email recently:

The Next Big Thing Is Already Here

"In the technology industry," writes Morgan Stewart in an article at MarketingProfs, "we are constantly focused on the next big thing." And there's often an assumption that whatever comes next will wipe out whatever came before. Do you remember, for instance, when computers were going to make paper obsolete? Or when it was just a matter of time before online shopping killed catalogs and malls?

But there's a catch to predicting this type of "inevitable" outcome: It hardly ever happens.

"We are witnessing the same thing when it comes to the digital marketing trifecta of social media, mobile and email," Stewart continues. "Instead of cannibalizing one another, these three technologies are fueling each other." In other words, social media and mobile messaging aren't about to kill email, they're gonna feed it.

Stewart offers these reasons why email is here to stay:

• Email has become a viable alternative to texting, thanks to smartphones. "Mobile email is appealing because it untethers [younger groups like college students] from a computer," Stewart says. "Moreover, there is the perception that email is cheaper since it comes 'free' with mobile data plans, while there are additional fees for text messaging."
• Email remains a favored method of communication. Whether sending statements as part of a paperless billing program or promoting a special offer, businesses like to use email—and so do their customers. "When asked which channel consumers prefer to receive direct marketing communications, the overwhelming majority wants email," he reports.

As we mentioned last time, it's time to find new ways to combine all your communications channels—including email—to better serve customers who want channel choice.

The Po!nt: Don't subtract channels, multiply them! New technologies might modify how and when email is used—but they're not killing it off. In fact, they're enhancing it. Find creative ways to make this new reality work for you.

Source: MarketingProfs. Click to read the article.

Sphere: Related Content

Teens Text

A marketing prediction I made at the end of 2008 is becoming a reality. That prediction was that Smart Marketers will use text messaging to send offers to the teens and young adults to build their brand and become the next "Cool" item. Click here to read what I originally wrote.

This week Mediapost had this update on my prediction:

What's In It For Me?

Have you ever run into a teen without a phone or, better yet, one who isn't asking, "What's in it for me?" Rarely, right? So, when looking at marketing strategies targeting teens, you can't ignore mobile. You should even consider it as a primary media channel.

We've all heard the phrase "the medium is the message." In the case of teens, this is even more relevant. Teens will judge your brand in an instant. But by communicating in a first-person voice in channels in which they "live," you put your brand on a level playing field. You can grab their attention more easily than with a TV ad or other traditional medium and effectively drive them to take action.

SMS is just one of the many dimensions of the mobile channel that creates results. To harness its power, you have to grab young consumers' attention with a simple, yet strong call-to-action. An SMS program's rate of participation -- regardless of its targeted demographic -- is the result of media exposure coupled with a compelling call-to-action and offer. The equation looks something like this:

SMS Call-to-Action Response = Media Exposure x Call-to-Action Strength x The Offer Value

If you follow the five rules below while keeping this in mind, you'll be on the way to creating a powerful SMS call-to-action and offer.

1. Your shortcode is your new URL. For teens, mobile is the first place they want to go. Be bold, and make the shortcode BIG. It is part of the primary message. A simple SMS call-to-action will work with any advertisement and, while their parents may not, your teen consumers know what to do with those five numbers and keyword. Put it in every piece of printed and outdoor material you have. Your Website is the only possible exception; see point 5 to learn why. When looking at the specific call-to-action, focus on making the keyword and shortcode the strong elements, as these are the keys to open the door. For example: "Text the keyword DUNK to 777483."

2. Don't forget about the value proposition! Your young consumers are not going to join just because you are a brand they know. Offer something fun, engaging, useful and valuable. What teen wouldn't love a PlayStation or a retail voucher? People love the chance to win something. We've had clients build mobile databases three times faster than other clients simply by adding a sweepstakes element.

3. Out with vanity codes. Smartphones are here to stay. Vanity codes worked well, just like those catchy customer support phone numbers that spell out the company's name (SPRITE=777483), when all phones came equipped only with the standard 12 buttons. But what teen remembers that? BlackBerries, Palms and even iPhones now have full QWERTY keyboards. If you have a vanity code, then always include the digits; it's very hard to work out the numbers from the letters on a smartphone.

4. When in-venue, remember the rule of three. The call-to-action must be announced three times and supported with a visual reminder like video on a JumboTron. Ideally, have the announcer also do a shout-out asking people to grab their phones and TXT in. Announce the keyword and short code at the beginning, middle and end of the event. You are trying to get an entire venue's attention, to borrow some of their memory, and get them to act. Also, be sure you're advertising where they can get mobile reception.

5. If online, stay online. Asking people to grab their phone to send you an SMS when they are on their computer is a fail. Instead, offer them a field to enter their mobile phone number. Time and again, we see higher response rates to this mechanic than asking them to TXT in.

Remember, mobile is a teen's remote control for their world. It holds the key to their friends, family, social networks, and it goes with them everywhere. So respect the unique perspective and needs of teens, and you'll get them engaged in your mobile program.

Steen Andersson is co-founder and Vice President of 5th Finger (www.5thfinger.com), a progressive mobile agency that designs and implements engaging brand interactions for on-the-go consumers. 5th Finger has produced 5,000+ campaigns and 300 million interactions for such brands as Microsoft, LG and the U.S. Army. To find out more about 5th Finger and Steen's thoughts on the industry, go to http://blog.5thfinger.com.

Sphere: Related Content