Tag: mobile marketing

App Annie Pays $10 Million to Settle SEC Securities Fraud Charge

App Annie, the mobile app data firm, has agreed to pay $10 million to settle SEC charges of securities fraud.

According to the SEC, App Annie and its co-founder and former CEO, Bertrand Schmitt, misled customers about how data was collected.

App Annie and Schmitt understood that companies would only share their confidential app performance data with App Annie if it promised not to disclose their data to third parties, and as a result App Annie and Schmitt assured companies that their data would be aggregated and anonymized before being used by a statistical model to generate estimates of app performance.

Unfortunately, that’s not what App Annie did. Instead, the company used non-anonymized data, in direct violation of its promises, even selling that data to trading firms — something it explicitly said it would not do.

Contrary to these representations, the order finds that from late 2014 through mid-2018, App Annie used non-aggregated and non-anonymized data to alter its model-generated estimates to make them more valuable to sell to trading firms.

“The federal securities laws prohibit deceptive conduct and material misrepresentations in connection with the purchase or sale of securities,” said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division. “Here, App Annie and Schmitt lied to companies about how their confidential data was being used and then not only sold the manipulated estimates to their trading firm customers, but also encouraged them to trade on those estimates—often touting how closely they correlated with the companies’ true performance and stock prices.”

“App Annie sought to distinguish itself in the alternative data space by providing securities market participants with valuable information in a new and innovative way,” said Erin E. Schneider, Director of the SEC’s San Francisco Regional Office. “It went to great lengths to assure its customers that the financial and app-related data it sold was the product of a sophisticated statistical model and that it had controls to ensure compliance with the federal securities laws. These representations were materially false and misleading.”

The settlement is significant, as it’s the first enforcement action against an “alternative data” provider. Alternative data does not have to be disclosed in a company’s financial results, or in traditional data sources.

App Annie issued a statement, neither confirming nor denying guilt, saying it had made changes to improve trust and transparency.

Without admitting or denying the findings in the SEC’s order, App Annie settled the matter and we are pleased it is now resolved. Over the past 3 years, we made a number of material changes to our operations and established a new level of trust and transparency.

While the company says the investigation does not pertain to its current customer relationships, it’s a safe bet its customers may not have such a rosy outlook.

September 15, 2021
Go Where Your Customers Are… the Mobile Phone

At the recent Social Media Day Jacksonville 2018 conference, Carlos Gil, founder of Gil Media Company, spoke about current social media marketing strategies. In an entertaining and informative talk, Gil spoke about the challenge of getting companies like Win-Dixie to understand that they should be engaging with their customers on the device their customer is always paying attention to, and that’s the cell phone.

It’s not about advertising either, it’s about being part of the conversation, being a brand that matters. Here are selected excerpts from Gil’s talk below that highlight this challenge:

The Only Metric that Matters Is Sales

The only metric that matters today is sales. Most of us, if not all of us, know that the reason why we’re on social media is that we want to drive more revenue for our businesses. You go to any CMO or CEO and for them, social media is just nice to have. The reality is that social media is the lifeline between you and your customers.

Oftentimes, we see metrics being referred to as reach, clicks, impressions, but the only metric that really matters is the sale.

I often get asked by businesses and marketers, should I be on Instagram, Snapchat, or something else? My answer to them is very simple, go where your audience is. Each one of these social networks gives you reach and helps put you in front of people who are potential buyers or existing buyers from your brand or your competition. If you are targeting millennials, Snapchat and Instagram might be good to focus on.

Simply think about your business and go where your audience is.

Revise Strategy from One-To-Many to One-To-One

We’re talking about sales, we’re talking about driving revenue. Since the beginning of time sales has always been one-on-one. I think the biggest mistake that marketers are making is they think I’m going to get on social media and I’m gonna have access to reach all of these people. I have all of these followers, but the reality is that most people are not paying attention to the content that you’re posting. This is why you should revise your strategy from being about one-to-many but more one-to-one, and you should stop focusing on the numbers.

Recently, I was working with a client that said to me, we have 30 million social media followers globally but we’re reaching a very small percentage. I looked at the CMO and said, you don’t have 30 million followers, in reality, you have like 300 or less. Their jaw dropped and they were shocked because the reality is that you can’t touch everyone that’s out there.

Social media operates in real time, and with the way content moves, content is relevant today and it’s irrelevant 15 seconds from now.

Millennials Don’t Want to be Sold, They Want to be Engaged

Millennials don’t want to be sold, they want to be engaged. Millennials are really at the forefront of a lot of what we do. For example, I work a lot with real estate agents and they often say that you have to look at the data of who is your target buyer. In the case of realtors, 30 years old is the average age of a first-time homebuyer. You’re not going to reach that customer sending them direct mail.

However, if you run Facebook Ads, if you have any sort of presence in social meeting, you can find a way to get in front of them then. You have a much higher likelihood of promoting your brand and getting that lead. The same thing applies to most businesses.

Go Where Your Customers Are… the Mobile Phone

I work with both B2B and B2C and you have to go where the current is, you have to go where the customers are. The reality is this is your audience today. People aren’t paying attention to really what’s in front of them besides their cell phone.

I’m sure if you go to any boardroom meeting today and you look around, what do people do when they show up, they put their iPhone first thing in front of them.

When I was working at Winn-Dixie back in 2014, we’re doing this campaign where we’re trying to take market share away from Walmart, Target, Burger King and McDonald’s, I made a comment to our CMO at the time. I said why are we focusing so much on doing direct mail at home marketing and instead, why aren’t we doing SMS and push notification ads? Why aren’t we reaching people on the device that they go to the bathroom with and that they use all the time?

We use cell phones for virtually everything that we do, so guess what, the light bulb has to go off if people are using this device all the time and they live by it your marketing has to now appeal to the device itself.

It was funny because in 2014 that CMO looked at me and says huh, SMS is never gonna take off, mobile marketing is never gonna take off!

Marketing is Like Finding Your Match on Tender

You’ve got this high propensity of customers, Millennials, they’re all using social media. I think the biggest challenge that we all face is how do we reach people at the right time and ensure that our content resonates with them? This is why I say that marketing is like finding your match on Tinder.

Business marketing is very much like dating. You’ve got a lot of people out there in this digital ocean and if your content is not appealing to that audience then they’re gonna keep swiping.

<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>

February 14, 2020
How Your Business Can Identify and Capitalize on Micro-Moments

There’s no question that smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives. Studies have shown that 46% of Americans reach for their phones first thing in the morning, while 91% of people automatically reach for a mobile device to check on something when doing a task.

This reliance on smartphones has become so pervasive that many industries are putting more effort into targeting mobile users than those on conventional devices like a desktop. It’s a smart move since turning even a small segment of these users into customers can yield huge profits. An effective way for companies to profit from this group is to take advantage of “micro-moments.”

What are Micro-Moments?

Google coined the term “micro-moments” in 2015 to identify the exact points in time that lead to a consumer finally making a purchase. The company described these moments as “critical touch points within today’s customer journey, and when added together, they ultimately determine how a journey ends.”

Essentially, these are the critical points where someone takes to their device (which is most often a smartphone) and takes steps regarding a need. It’s the intersection of what a customer wants and needs at the moment and what they know.

Google has determined four key moments based on the consumer: “I want to do,” “I want to know,” “I want to buy” and “I want to go.” Most decisions made by shoppers can be traced to one of those four moments. For instance, a shopper who’s headed to Turkey would research on what to “do” in that country. A travel agency can come up with a promo that will arrange a trip to Istanbul’s famous Blue Mosque.

[Graphic via Think with Google]

How to Capitalize on Micro-Moments

Now that the importance of micro-moments have been established and their constant evolution noted, companies have to think about how they can use these instances to their advantage. Here are some things to consider if you want to catch that perfect micro-moment with a customer:

1. Put Your Business Profile Out There

It pays to ensure that your business profile is accurate and completely filled out on Google, particularly if you have a physical storefront. There has been an increase in “near me” or “right here” searches, as more users are looking for a place to go for a certain activity. Getting your business profile up will help with micro-moments where a customer wants to “do” something or “go” somewhere. Google’s Local Guides program assists users in verifying if your profile information is accurate.

2. Flaunt Your Value With Original and Significant Content

The need to know is one micro-moment that could hit you several times a day. This is why people are always looking for content on eCommerce sites. Having unique and relevant content is a great way to introduce your business to shoppers who are searching for information on either a particular product or on something that has captured their interest. Regardless of whether it’s a short how-to video or some DIY tips, make sure to flaunt your value by offering good content that appeals at the moment.

3. Speed is of the Essence

Speed is key if you want to use micro-moments to your advantage. When asked, almost half of customers admit that they will leave a website if it’s unresponsive or takes too long to load. People also don’t like having to go through different windows or steps just to get information. Optimizing your site for mobile devices and streamlining your buying process is a good way to entice consumers to go to your page and stay.

4. Improve User Interface

Another area that brands should focus on is how the user experiences their website and content. When a potential customer goes to your site or a specific page, what will they see? Will they be able to find what they’re looking for quickly or are they going to spend time wading through redundant information?

Aside from ensuring that information is accessed quickly, transactions should also be simplified. Complicated checkout pages or a cart that requires several clicks in order to finish a purchase will turn consumers off. There should also be fewer distractions on the checkout pages, especially those on mobile devices, as these further cut down the odds of conversions. The goal is to make shopping quick, fun, and simple.

Companies have to be ready to take advantage of micro-moments. This means that business has to do some forward thinking to anticipate what their customers would need. Changes may also need to be made to ensure that websites are optimized for mobile.

[Featured image via ThinkWithGoogle]

February 22, 2018
Why Your eCommerce Business Should Not Ignore Mobile Marketing in 2018

Mobile devices were named the leading digital platform in 2014, overtaking laptops and desktops. Since then, use of these gadgets just kept increasing. And even though some studies show the amount of time spent on mobile devices has gone down somewhat, non-voice mobile use in 2017 was still ahead of laptop and desktop use.

Reasons eCommerce Companies Should Focus on Mobile

Even though people are on mobile devices more often, companies didn’t put too much stock into using them to make sales. After all, most data showed that while people used their smartphones to check out products, most purchases were done on desktops, laptops, or tablets.

However, the tide is now changing, as last year’s Cyber Monday saw $2 billion in sales on mobile devices. Retail visits accounted for 37.6% of sales while 21% of sales were done on smartphones. Conversion rates on these devices were pegged to have increased by about 10% since the previous year.

Retailers have even more reasons to focus on mobile in 2018. Smartphones are expected to dominate this year, with about 36% of people around the world owning one. A large number of millennials are also foregoing computers and just using their smartphones to access the internet.

[Graphic via Hostadvice.com]

Companies are also expected to come out with better retailer apps that are designed to encourage more consumers to purchase. The rise in popularity of PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Wallet for mobile will also introduce fast and seamless transactions.

3 Ways to Boost Mobile Sales

Now that mobile shopping is on the rise, at last, retailers have to decide whether they are really going to focus on this trend or not. Retailers that don’t want to miss out on the growing sales opportunities of mobile devices, will first need to find the best ways to boost mobile sales. Here are some suggestions on how to go about it:

1. Improve Mobile App Designs

Even though most retailers have their own mobile apps, they often have bugs or are not designed for wide-scale consumer use. Because of problems with the interface and functionality, the apps have low conversion rates. Consumers also are not inclined to keep using them. One study revealed that more than 50% of retail apps are used less than 10 times and that 15% of consumers don’t even use shopping apps.

There are several factors that consumers find off-putting with retailer apps. One is the limited visibility they have when checking product images. Push notifications also tend to interrupt shopping time and many apps crash or freeze when the user gets a phone call or text message.

2. Optimize Websites for Mobiles

Companies that have not optimized their websites for mobile viewing miss out on sales opportunities. Consider the fact that 87% of shoppers would first look for the product online before going to the store. About 79% of shoppers actually check a product online while on the store’s premises and 35% after leaving the store. This is an issue that companies should take seriously, particularly as mobile traffic is expected to overtake desktop traffic in the first quarter of 2018.

Therefore, companies should make sure that their websites are optimized for mobile devices. One important factor that should be considered is the site’s layout and how it reacts to various screen sizes. Retailers should also take steps to minimize customer frustrations and mistakes. For example, offering alternative ways to input choices, like drop-down lists or tick boxes, will make for a more fun mobile shopping experience.

3. Offer More Payment Options

Giving consumers more payment options will also help boost mobile sales. Countries like China have already embraced mobile wallets and payments, and companies who want to tap into such a rich market should make sure they offer that particular payment option.

The increasing popularity of mobile payment apps like Android Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal is also expected to result in people relying solely on their smartphones when they go shopping. Offering customers various payment options can also expand a company’s reach to the millions of shoppers who use alternative payment systems.

[Featured image via Pixabay]

January 10, 2018
Email Marketing Trends to Watch Out for in 2018

The number of email users have grown exponentially over the years, and there’s no sign that it will be stopping in 2018. Studies have shown that almost 90% of American consumers use email, and 65% or more have bought something online due to promotional emails.

This means the future of marketing relies on data-boosted content marketing. If you want to keep up with your competitors, you should watch out for these email marketing trends that are expected to dominate next year.

Increased Interactivity Inside Emails

Marketers forecast that emails will show increased interactivity in 2018, with the goal of making them fun to read so engagement rates are increased and bounce rates reduced.

One of the best ways to do this is to enhance emails by including image galleries, quizzes, GIFs, countdown timers, and add-to-cart capabilities. Quizzes and GIFS will lead to increased customer footprints while countdown timers create a feeling of urgency that will push recipients to take action within a stipulated time-frame. Meanwhile, including an add-to-cart function will shorten shopping time and enhance brand experience.

Email Marketing Programs Backed by Artificial Intelligence

It’s a given that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology will be a big part of the future. As a matter of fact, numerous tech companies have already invested heavily in developing AI technology that will make lives easier. Email marketing is one area that will reportedly benefit from machine learning.

It’s expected that machine learning programs can assist companies and email marketers by suggesting ways on how to better segment email lists, incorporate product recommendations and design more personalized emails that target specific customers.

Rise of More Plain-Text Emails

The trend of using HTML-powered email templates with images is over. Instead, 2018 will see the rise of plain-text emails. Researchers have found that this style of email is more effective than the HTML ones. Marketing campaigns using plain text emails have been found to have higher delivery and open rates, as well as better engagement numbers.

Marketing specialists have theorized that plain text emails look the same across various gadgets and look more personal. Recipients don’t have to open a browser to read a plain-text email. They’re also easier to format for mobile devices.

Mobile Becomes a Priority

More than half of emails are opened on a mobile device, and 2018 is expected to be the year when emails will be designed with mobile formatting as a priority.

Graphic via superoffice.com

Pretty soon, companies will be obligated to have a responsive design when it comes emails. This trend won’t be limited to emails though. Subscription forms will also become more mobile friendly while articles will start wrapping up their content with an email signup form to boost conversions.

Increased Significance of Gmail and its Subscriber-Level Filtering

Gmail is becoming the primary inbox provider for a lot of companies. Therefore, most customers on subscriber lists have a Gmail address. But due to Gmail’s system of filtering email, it becomes imperative for businesses to think about how it will be placed in the inbox.

In order for marketers to optimize clicks, opens, and conversions, they have to pay more attention to who they are emailing and how they’re sending their email.Questions like whether the subscriber is actively receiving and interacting with the email and whether they have economic value should be answered. Likewise, the frequency of emails sent, the order, and even the time that they’re sent becomes more significant.

However, the upcoming year will see more companies using more robust analytics to optimize results and foregoing conventional rules like not sending mail to those who haven’t clicked or opened an email in the past three months.

The year 2018 will see more emails that are deeply personalized and utilizing advanced automation technologies. The integration of AI and machine learning will also help marketers to harness the power of email marketing and use it to further their business.

November 30, 2017
Word Stream Discloses How to Get More Leads with PPC

Small business often goes through several changes while they trying to drum up new business. Marketing by bringing attention to their online offers with paid advertising is a popular method for immediate traffic. According to the WordStream Incorporated research department, small businesses waste about 25 % of money dedicated to pay per click marketing efforts. This money slips through the cracks due to easy to identify problems with management style and errors in strategy.

Adwords is a popular cost per click network that many small businesses rely heavily on for their advertising needs.

Adwords is a must if you want to get competitive! #Small Business Marketing #Small Business Branding http://t.co/I6jK0SEXon

— Small Business Angel (@PhxDigital) October 9, 2013

WordStream recently interviewed 500 businesses that were routinely losing part of their pay per click budget. Many small to medium sized business owners do not take the time to manage their Adwords account. This is essential if the ads are going to receive necessary improvement throughout the campaign.

The loss of business that occurs does have an impact on the number of leads that are gathered. The amount of qualified people who fall through the cracks during the marketing campaign is substantial. Most small business owners have purchased leads in the past. Purchased leads are not always qualified nor are they always easy to reach. When a customer is reaching out and finds an advertisement online they are valuable.

Many small business owners are ignoring the mobile markets when placing their ads. According to Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers’s annual Internet Trends report the average American checks their personal phone 150 times daily. Consumers are going online for email, to check their social media pages, and to perform internet searches. Many of these activities show ads from the Adwords network.

About 250 of the 500 businesses in the Word Stream study have activated the tracking features within their Google Adwords account. They will have no way to now which ads within the campaign are bringing in leads that covert to sales, business sign ups, or newsletter subscribers.

Only 5 percent of small business operations are set up to send fresh leads to the correct phone number and extension. Giving a general contact telephone number is not enough in cost per click campaigns that are geared to a specific type of lead.

Word Stream has several resources to help small business owners see where they are in error. The tools are in place to help business owners of all sizes fully maximize their marketing budget when using cost per click.

Small business owners that do not go through the proper training and follow up with proper management techniques will continue to lose money. Logging in to the account during the campaign and going through the free resources offered by Word Stream will help to minimize loses. Word Stream has free webinars that claim 20 minutes is all the time needed to start seeing an improvement in ppc campaigns.

Image via Facebook

October 13, 2013
New Google Maps Ads Come With New Click Type

Google announced an updated ad experience for Google Maps on Android, iPhone and iPad today. Ads will now appear at the bottom of the screen when the user searches for something.

The ads include a title, ad text and a link to get directions, and users can swipe up to get more info. Google calls this new click type “Get location details”. The standard CPC charge applies.

“When users click on an ad to get location details, they’ll see additional information such as the business’s address, phone number, photos, reviews and more. From here, there are a number of paid and free click actions they can take,” says Google Maps product manager Salahuddin Choudhary. “Free actions include saving business information for later, sharing a business with a friend, or starting navigation. Aggregated reporting for these free clicks is available in your account.”

Here’s that it looks like before and after the ad is expanded:

“Paid clicks include the initial ‘get location details’ click, get directions, click-to-call and clicks on the ad headline,” says Choudhary. “AdWords will only charge for up to two paid clicks per ad impression. Reporting for these paid clicks can be found by segmenting reports in your account by ‘click type.’”

To take advantage of the new ad style, advertisers have to use location extensions or create ads with AdWords Express.

August 8, 2013
Mobile Ad Revenue Jumped 83% In 2012 Hitting Record $8.9 Billion

Mobile ad revenue in 2012 was up a whopping 82.8% hitting $8.9 billion, according to newly released findings from the U.S. IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB Europe and IHS. In 2011 it was just $5.3 billion.

Search led the pack in 2012 with a growth rate of 88.8%, closely followed by display at 87.3% growth, then messaging with 40.2% growth. The numbers for actual revenue aren’t as close as the growth percentages. Search dominated at 52.8% of total global mobile ad revenue ($4.7 billion). Display accounted for 38.7% and messaging 8.5%.

Here’s a look at share by region:

“Mobile is coming into its own as a powerhouse advertising medium,” says Anna Bager, VP and GM at the Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, U.S. IAB. “Today’s advertising is happening in a world where ad campaigns can be planned and bought across global networks on multiple media, but the massive and continuing acceleration of mobile’s international impact provides new and exciting frontiers for content and communication.”

“This study is extremely relevant to advertisers as it assists companies to make investment decisions and accurately access market opportunities as we experience a monumental shift across communication platforms,” says IAB Europe CEO Kimon Zorbas. “In Europe we are still experiencing significant economic turmoil and unemployment. Despite this reality, our sector is a positive beacon for recovery and growth. The message to European policy makers is they should take into careful consideration the promising opportunities our sector offers and focus on removing barriers to growth.”

“From a creative and communication standpoint, mobile advertising is hyper-personal. But more so than other media, from a business perspective, it is global. Mobile advertising is being planned, bought and sold across national borders and regions. This makes a global market sizing initiative ever more urgent,” says Daniel Knapp, Director Advertising Research at IHS, and author of the research.

North America saw a 111% increase over 2011 mobile ad revenue figures, while Western Europe saw a 81% year-over-year increase. Latin America saw a 71% increase, Central Europe grew by 69%, Middle-East and Africa grew 68% and Asia-Pacific grew 60%.

July 10, 2013
6 Videos Highlight Google’s ‘Full Value of Mobile’

This week, Google announced a new initiative to help marketers better understand the impact of mobile on their businesses both online and off. The campaign, called “Full Value of Mobile,” includes a Calculator tool as discussed here.

Google has now put out a handful of videos related to the initiative, which we’ve compiled below.

This one is aimed at showing you how an in-store purchase can originate with a search on a smartphone:

The next one shows how replacing a shredded suit was made possible through a purchase on a mobile website.

This one shows how a spontaneous party was made possible with purchases made via phone calls:

This one shows the purchasing of a new dog collar on a laptop based on research done on smartphone after “being inspired while out and about.”

This one shows how a pizza order from a smartphone app led to a romance:

The last one includes all of the above stories in one.

“Customers’ constant connectivity through mobile has created new paths to purchase that start on their smartphones,” Google says of the video. “They can call a business, download apps, look for store directions, buy on a mobile website or continue on a different website . As a marketers, it is key that you account for all these new types of conversion and understand the return on investment you’re getting from your mobile efforts. This video, ‘How they got there’, is a short story told backwards that will show you 5 ways in which mobile can drive value for your business.”

March 27, 2013
Google Launches Tool To Help You Calculate Mobile Value

Google announced the launch of a new initiative to help marketers better understand the impact of mobile on their businesses both online and offline. It’s called Full Value of Mobile, and has a page on Google’s “GoMo” site here.

The page has a calculator, which helps businesses consider online and offline conversions by rethinking conversion paths. The calculator lets you enter data manually or upload your Google Click Type report.

“We live in a world of constant connectivity, where mobility is bridging the digital and physical worlds,” says Johanna Werther, Head of Google’s Mobile Ads Marketing. “With smartphones in hand, people are taking a variety of online and offline actions, like calling a business, downloading an app, looking for directions to a store, or starting research that leads to a purchase on another device. We’re working hard to account for these new paths to purchase in AdWords, like the recent addition of calls as conversions to AdWords reporting. Still, with more work to be done to improve measurement tools, most marketers still account only for sales happening on a mobile site and aren’t seeing the full picture.”

“This new consumer behavior is now the norm, with a recent study showing that nearly three of ten mobile searches result in visiting a store, calling a business, or making a purchase online,” adds Werther. “Some smart marketers are already investing in understanding how mobile drives sales through these new customer paths. For example, adidas, in partnership with their agency iProspect, felt that mobile was converting in ways beyond their mobile website, so they created a simple yet powerful attribution model to understand how mobile is driving customers into stores. As a result, adidas found that each click on their store locator button was worth $3.20, which has changed the way they view their digital investment.”

You can look at that case study here, if you like.

In addition to the calculator, the Full Value of Mobile site includes videos that illustrate mobile conversion paths, case studies, which highlight proven mobile strategies, and tips for measurement. Google says the step-by-step wizard for uploading data with the calculator amounts to about a thirty-minute process.

March 26, 2013
What Will Mobile Bring to Consumers and Marketers in 2013?

The mobile landscape is set to change in a big way in 2013, and though some of the coming changes can be predicted, others will provide big (and perhaps unwelcome) surprises for both consumers and advertisers.

As seen at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Mobile World Congress, tech companies are focusing more than ever on smartphone and tablet devices. Companies such as Sony, LG, Asus, and even HP unveiled new devices that will enter a market already largely controlled by the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Amazon.

What mobile devices do you intend to acquire this year? Let us know in the comments.

What is somewhat surprising is that many of these companies might actually have a chance, considering how quickly the mobile industry is growing. On March 4, ABI research estimated that mobile users will download 14 billion tablet apps during 2013. Almost three-quarters of those apps will be running on a iPad device, but Android devices are now set to lead in the number of smartphone app downloads, which ABI predicts will reach 56 billion in 2013.

For consumers the proliferation of more devices with a wider variety of features could mean confusion and burnout. It also means that consumers have never had more choice, and more power, than they do now. The choices they make this year about the devices they purchase and the technologies they adopt will shape the technology landscape for years to come.

Apple stock has had a rough winter, in no small part to the Apple Maps debacle and the fact that the iPhone 5 failed to iterate significantly on the device’s past models. While Android devices are introducing larger smartphones, NFC technology, wireless charging, and features such as water resistance, Apple’s credibility as a innovator in the market segment it created is shrinking.

As Apple now begins to follow industry trends with the iPad mini and a less expensive version of the iPhone, Samsung is poised to become a market leader. The Korean company will unveil its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S IV at an Apple-like announcement in New York on March 14. Samsung’s hefty manufacturing capabilities and willingness to mimic Apple have propelled it to the forefront of Android smartphones, but the company’s new marketing (another thing it has taken directly from Apple’s playbook) is also beginning to become part of the cultural zeitgeist.

The mobile market right now might be considered tablets and smartphones, but later this year Google will introduce a completely new type of mobile product with Google Glass. Though the device’s success is far from certain, it could introduce an entirely new mobile category, propelling the industry forward with even more constant connectivity. Glass’ ability to record on the fly also brings privacy concerns, meaning laws and social norms will be further tested by advancing technology.

With all of these changes coming to the mobile space, it’s worth considering how advertisers will adapt. While having consumers constantly connected and consuming content may seem preferable for advertisers, the abundance of that content can make it difficult for ad campaigns to target their audience. At the same time, the abundance of content and metrics can put consumers in control of much of the advertising they see.

As Susan Wojcicki, senior VP of advertising at Google, recently put it in a Google Plus post, “We are living in uncharted territory.”

Wojcicki argues that as always-connected devices continue to proliferate, advertising will quickly move into a “choice-based economy” where users will be able to control the content and ads that they see. She writes that “ads views will effectively become voluntary.”

It’s not hard to imagine how advertisers will have to adapt in that type of ad economy. Choice-based ad models will have to cater to consumers at an individual level with adaptability and engage customers in nearly the same way that content itself does. Wojcicki suggests that future technologies will provide more “interactive and beautiful” ads, but that’s only the beginning of how mobile advertising will change in the coming years.

Accepting that consumers are no longer a captive audience for ads may be a terrifying prospect for both advertisers and content creators, but consumer choice is only continuing to increase. This could make solid advertising opportunities more expensive, but also means that brands will have to adapt their ad techniques to grow a fan base or to provide upfront value to consumers.

How do you think advertising should adapt to consumer choice? Tell us your ideas in the comments.

As the nature of mobile advertising changes, how advertisers measure the impact of their campaigns will have to change as well. Wojcicki puts it bluntly by stating advertisers will have to develop “standards beyond the click.” However, it’s hard to predict just how those measurements will be made in the future, particularly in light of the growing backlash from privacy advocates.

Wojcicki stated that Google is beginning to to roll out surveys to provide advertisers with a way to measure the performance of their display and video campaigns. Google’s skippable “TrueView” ads are also now integrated into mobile AdMob apps, allowing consumers to decide for themselves what ads they will view.

As the future of the mobile industry finally begins to take shape this year, consumers have never had more choices with regards to hardware, software, and services. However, the plethora of choices thrown at consumers can also create confusion, and will inevitably lead to a few trusted brands leading the way. While advertisers attempt to pare down consumers’ choices for them, future technologies, such as Google Glass, will continue to continue to change the way people interact with technology and their environment.

March 10, 2013
YP Says It’s Number Two In Mobile Ad Revenue

YP (formerly AT&T Interactive) announced today that its annual ad revenue attributed to mobile surpassed $350 million, which it says makes it the number two company in the industry for that, based on data from IDC.

Overall digital ad revenue in 2012 reached about $1 billion, and mobile searches across YPmobile apps and YPcom exceeded 40% of total local searches across YP properties in 2012.

“YP has firmly established itself as the number two company in the U.S. mobile advertising industry in 2012. And that puts YP in a great position going forward,” said Karsten Weide, Program VP, Digital Media and Entertainment at IDC.

“Facebook probably would dispute the claim, with over $300 million in mobile revenue in Q4 alone, according to the company,” writes Search Engine Land’s Greg Sterling, who notes that Google is the clear market leader. “Regardless, YP is the largest ad network dedicated to location-based advertising.”

“For one, mobile advertising continues to grow rapidly,” says Weide. “Last year the segment grew by more than 70 percent, and we think it will grow by another 60 percent this year. And also, with consumers checking for nearby information on the road, and with YP providing this data, they will see their business grow rapidly, too.”

“Since launching in May of last year, we’ve aggressively leveraged our core business assets to accelerate our position as the digital leader in local search, media and advertising,” said YP CEO David Krantz. “In 2013, we expect mobile to continue to fuel our growth as we expand relationships with 50+ million consumers using YP digital products on a monthly basis and extend mobile reach across our Local Ad Network of over 300+ digital publishers.”

As YP notes, YP.com was consistently ranked among the top 40 mobile web domains in the U.S. by comScore in 2012.

February 25, 2013
Google Revenue From Mobile Estimated At $20 Billion In 2016

Marin Software has released a new report looking at mobile search advertising around the world. The report cites data from Cowen and Company about Google’s estimated mobile revenues, which indicates that Google will make as much as $20 billion in mobile revenue in 2016.

“According to a research report from Cowen, Google earned $2.5 Billion in mobile rev- enue in 2011,” says the report. “And by 2016, it’s estimated that mobile could drive $20 Billion in revenue for the search giant. The exponential growth in mobile advertising largely tracks consumer adoption trends. Smartphones now have a greater than 50% penetration in the US mobile phone market. And mobile advertising isn’t just limited to phones. In fact, sales of mobile devices (phones and tablets) running Google Android are expected to have eclipsed ‘PC’ sales in 2012. And consumers worldwide have already bought more than a billion iOS and Android devices.”

“The emerging world of the mobile-enabled consumer is quite different from the pre- smartphone world,” it continues. “In this new reality, the walls between online and offline commerce are crumbling. Case in point: today’s consumers routinely check product reviews and compare prices online while they’re in a brick and mortar store.”

This is why Google launched the controversial Enhanced Campaigns model for AdWords last week.

You can find Marin’s full report here.

February 12, 2013
Nielsen: Banner Ads 1.5X More Effective Than Text Messages

Nielsen has released findings from its Global Survey of New Product Purchase Sentiment. To come up with the data, they surveyed 29,000 people with Internet access from 58 countries.

The findings indicate that a mix of media and word of mouth advertising bring about the most success in raising consumer awareness, and the most persuasive awareness drivers include a mix of activities like in-store discovery, TV, print advertisements, advice from family/friends, free samples, searching the Internet, and professional/expert word-of-mouth advice.

“Consumers increasingly find the Internet and mobile are compelling vehicles to get information about new products,” the firm says. “However, potential reach and ease of execution varies substantially.”

As you can see, all other methods listed are more effective than text messages. It appears that marketers may be better off reaching consumers on their mobile devices via Internet channels like search, websites,articles, forums, social media, video sharing sites, and even banner ads.

February 12, 2013
Report Looks At Performance Of Location Targeting In Mobile Ads

Verve Mobile recently released its annual State of the Market review, looking at location-powered mobile advertising (via MarketingCharts).

According to the report, mobile campaigns leveraging location targeting outperformed non-location targeted campaigns by factor fo 2x. Of 2,500 mobile campaigns analyzed, most of them utilized location targeting (which is a focus of the firm’s offerings), but here’s a look at location targeting by vertical:

“For the history of digital advertising we’ve basically been targeting on a few things, like content and cookie data,” says Verve Mobile CEO Tom MacIsaac. “The big new data set mobile brings to the table is location—a data set that can be as important at inferring intent, demographics, audience segments and other attributes as any we have seen to date in digitl advertising. And it brings genuine value to end users—helping them find products and services where and when they want them—a key attribute of the most valuable advertising mediums.”

According to the firm, restaurants and retail led all advertisers in use of geo-aware and geo-fenced campaigns. Here’s a look at performance of CTR by targeting tactic:

Of course, one major point the report makes is that users are engaging with brands on mobile devices in different ways. It’s not always about the click. They saw a 9% interaction rate for calls, for example.

Check out the full report here (pdf).

February 6, 2013
Super Bowl Should Highlight Growing Significance Of Mobile Ads

The Super Bowl, for many, is as much about advertising as it is football. As smartphone and tablet use continue to climb, television-watching in general is becoming a much more interactive experience for consumers, and obviously advertisers want to take advantage of the phenomenon.

“CBS is once again set to live-stream the game, and was almost completely sold-out of mobile inventory space in December, with prices ranging from high six to low seven figures,” Sephi Shapira, CEO of mobile marketing firm MassiveImpact tells WebProNews. “But, marketers aren’t just thinking about people live-streaming the game, they’re thinking about how to engage with traditional TV viewers via mobile.”

“Prior to the start of the game, many brands are looking for viewers to interact with traditional television ads on their mobile devices,” Shapira adds. “That interaction is about more than increasing traffic to an app or mobile site; it’s about specific end-user targeting. Based on how the viewer reacts to the television ad on their mobile device, the content they receive for the rest of the game via mobile will be tailored to the individual’s initial mobile interaction.”

“This individualized content should mean large returns for advertisers, and will continue as a trend for interaction through the upcoming year,” Shapira notes.

“Mobile ad personalization is a focus for the industry moving into 2013,” Shapira says. “Some firms have already instituted the use of real-time performance analytics to increase end-user ad relevancy. These firms leverage past mobile purchases, past mobile browsing history, and geo-location to ensure that end-users only receive timely and relevant ads.”

A lot of Super Bowl viewers just got new tablets and smartphones for Christmas, and will no doubt be holding them through the game. Meanwhile, mobile apps are becoming as popular as TV itself.

According to recent data from Gartner, mobile ads are expected to rake in $11.4 billion in 2013.

Hulu’s AdZone is here if you want to check out the Super Bowl ads.

February 1, 2013
Some Highlights For Marketers From Facebook’s Earnings
Facebook, as you may know, released its Q4 and full-year earnings on Wednesday. Between the release and the earnings call, the company provided plenty of info for us all to absorb, including various statements made by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

COO Sheryl Sandberg had plenty to say during the conference call as well, discussing Facebook’s focus on building products and tools for brand marketers, direct marketers, local businesses and developers.

There are some key points Facebook wants marketers to take away from what she talked about, so here are the highlights, via an email from the company:
- For brand marketers, Facebook is now working with every one of the Ad Age Global 100 advertisers. Wal-mart used this target block over the Thanksgiving weekend to deliver 50 million mobile ads to their existing and potential customers. Michael Kors used Facebook to launch a new line of sneakers. Many of the sneakers sold out online and in stores, and they achieved a 16-point increase in awareness of the new sneaker among the 36 million people that the campaign reached on Facebook. That’s the equivalent of 5.8 million new people in the brand’s target audience who are now aware of the new line of shoes.
- For direct marketers, tools including Offers, Custom Audiences and FBX are fueling growth. Nearly 42 million unique users are claiming an Offer. Costs per redemption compare favorably to those from email, newspaper, paid search, and display media based on data from the Direct Marketing Association. JackThreads, an online shopping site for men, used Custom Audiences to target specific segments of its customer database and target them with ads for products in categories the company knew were most relevant to them such as sneakers. As a result, the company achieved a 30% lower cost per acquisition than other platforms and saw a 6x return on advertising spend. And despite only becoming available to all marketers in September, by December, FBX served nearly one billion impressions daily and supported over 1,300 advertisers each day.
- Revenue from local businesses was particularly strong in the fourth quarter: local business Pages that advertise on Facebook nearly doubled since the beginning of 2012, fueled by Promoted Posts, which makes it easier for businesses to create and purchase ads directly from their Facebook Page. Almost 500,000 Pages have used Promoted Posts. About 30% of those are new advertisers to Facebook and more than 70% have become repeat customers.
- Developers are seeing success with mobile app install ads, launched in October and already being used by 20% of the top 100 grossing iOS apps to accelerate growth. According to research conducted by comScore in December, Facebook is the top driver of awareness of new mobile app downloads and, among people who learn about new apps on Facebook, 48% click directly from the Facebook app to download new mobile apps. A new game, Car Town Streets broke into the Top 10 Games list on iOS in many countries while achieving a 40% lower cost per installation compared to their other advertising with mobile app install ads.
- Research from Aggregate Knowledge showed that Facebook is an increasingly powerful tool to help marketers reach more people and drive sales. In a study of fourth quarter marketing campaigns, they found that media plans that included Facebook reached people who would not have seen the campaigns otherwise. In fact, 45% of those reached were reached exclusively through Facebook. The study also found that Facebook had a 68% lower cost per acquisition and drove 24% more new sales than other online channels.
- Facebook built a deep relationship with PepsiCo, working with its Lay’s brand to drive sales significantly ahead of plan and a 5x return on advertising spend for their “Do Us A Flavor” campaign on Facebook.
According to Sandberg, 65% of Facebook’s advertisers are using ads in News Feed (mobile and desktop). That’s a 50% increase from the end of the third quarter. News Feed ads drive over eight times the incremental offline sales than ads on the right hand side, according to the company.
January 31, 2013
What Google Now Can Teach You About Reaching Your Customers

At Google I/O last month, Google revealed what could be the beginning of the future of how you use Google . Google Now was revealed as one of several prongs in a shift in mobile search strategy that Google has started with its latest version of its Android operating system – Jellybean. One of the most interesting things about it is that it really speeds up search by eliminating the need for it.

Of course, not everyone likes the idea of Google tracking their data to deliver information it thinks they want based on that data. Is this something you’re concerned about? Comment here.

It’s going to be a long time before you no longer need a search engine at all, but Google’s goal with Google Now is to get you the information you need before you even have to search for it. It does this through personalization, requiring you to allow it access to certain personal information (things like location, search history, etc.). While Google Now only has a handful of “cards” – the types of information it will push to you in this fashion – the company has made it clear that it intends to greatly expand the number of situations where Google Now will become your personal assistant. This looks to be a major part of where search, or information consumption, is headed. As Google and competitors progress in their mission, the rest of us will no doubt learn a lot of things along the way. If you’re a marketer or a business owner, perhaps there’s already a great deal to learn from Google Now.

Mobile marketing company Globys, who works with carriers on leveraging customer data for personalized marketing has already seen plenty of lessons to take away from the product. We had a conversation with Lara Albert, Vice President, Global Marketing at Globys about it.

“Google Now is innovative in that it will be pro-active in delivering context-relevant information,” Albert tells WebProNews. “One of the most important things that Google Now brings to light is the ability to understand and anticipate user needs as well as the ability to act intelligently based on that understanding.”

“Brands have a lot of information about their customers, but in many cases they don’t have the tools to harness the data in a way that enables immediate insight and action,” she adds. “It’s time for brands to leverage what they know about their customers to engage them in more meaningful and valuable ways. And mobile is a powerful channel for doing so in that the device allows for such a personal and highly relevant means of engagement relevant to other marketing channels.”

Must brands build their own mobile apps to tap into the Google Now-like experience of delivering what customers want as they want it, or can they take advantage of existing apps that consumers are already using?

Albert thinks whether to build an app or use third-party apps is not the first question brands should be asking.

“The first question to ask is ‘what is my goal?’” she says. “By defining your objectives, you can then ask how mobile fits into the overall marketing picture.”

“Every marketer is interested in influencing customer behaviors in ways that align with a financial objective, whether that’s to increase revenue, for example, or build customer loyalty,” Albert adds. “Think of a department store focused on getting loyal customers to buy more when they are at their stores. An app can deliver an alert notifying of a sale on a customer’s most frequently purchased brands and the location of the item when they’re in the actual store. The alert may also recommend an item that similar customers have purchased in the past.”

“Or consider an airline focused on a life cycle management strategy to build brand loyalty, they can engage customers throughout the purchase cycle and beyond,” she continues. “What about an e-commerce company trying to motivate fans to create and share viral promotions? For each of these examples, brands should be using a data-driven approach to make their marketing more relevant – and let’s face it – more effective in driving a desired action.”

“Brands can leverage Google Now or other apps for awareness or attracting new customers, but for engaging existing customers – a branded app that collects, analyzes and delivers thoughtful, relevant, context-driven information will be more effective,” she says.

We asked Albert how she thinks brands be able to take advantage of Google Now itself.

“I would compare ads integrated with Google Now or another a third-party app as more akin to traditional online marketing – more like banner ads meant to increase brand awareness or to acquire customers,” Albert suggests. “Where mobile can really shine is in engagement with existing customers.”

“A branded app is a great opportunity to make the most of mobile’s strengths,” she says. “Think of the difference between getting a blast SMS from a local car dealership about a test-drive event vs. getting a notice about a promotion on a specific car model via your Volvo app which has been sending regular notifications and discounts for oil changes, tire rotations, etc. (and which has informed Volvo that your car is four years old and you have a pattern of purchasing a car every five years). Which offer are you going to be more receptive to versus considering it as spam?”

“Mobile apps allow brands to do more because they can collect data and integrate that information with other data such as a customer’s purchase history, loyalty program profile, etc.,” Albert concludes. “The real power of mobile engagement lies in the intelligent analysis of data from different sources and the ability to act on that data in real-time with contextually relevant communication.”

Perhaps the biggest obstacle for brands to overcome with this kind of marketing is getting customers to actually allow the kinds of settings required to gain certain data (location, for example). There are plenty of mobile device users who aren’t all that comfortable enabling this kind of information retrieval, but a lot of big tech and social brands making use of such settings is likely deteriorating the resistance to some extent. Google would be at the forefront of such brands, and with Google Now, the company may just be able to rip a giant chunk out of the barrier, especially once it is expanded on to a greater number of devices.

Google Now is only in its earliest of stages. Just wait until Google gets Glass involved.

As a business, do you see opportunities to learn from what Google is doing? As a consumer, do you want to see more businesses engaging with you in this way? Let us know what you think in the comments.

July 31, 2012
Google Teams Up With ClickZ To Learn About The State Of Mobile Marketing

Google has partnered up with ClickZ on a mobile marketing and apps survey. Google says it hopes to “provide a reference point for the state of mobile marketing in 2012.”

They say it just takes three mintes to complete, and they’re giving away two pairs of free passes to the Search Engine Strategies conference and a free iPad. If you take the survey, you’ll be entered into a drawing for one of the prizes.

“The staggering growth of mobile platforms, devices, apps and of course users has inspired an entire generation of marketers and entrepreneurs to take notice,” says Adam Singer from Google’s Analytics team. “But with such rapid change execution and adoption are all over the board.”

The deadline for the survey is 5 p.m. ET June 15. You can take it here.

Google is certainly putting a great deal of focus on mobile marketing this week. The company just announced the integration of its AdMob network into AdWords, so AdWords advertisers have access to AdMob display inventory.

Google still has plenty to learn itself about mobile marketing, as its recent financial results have shown.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau reported this week that the mobile ad market for 2011 was $5.3 billion.

June 7, 2012
Smartphone Shopping Relative to Type of Store

Consumers are using mobile devices more and more to help command the points of purchase while shopping online or in-store. During the most recent holiday shopping season, 41% of consumers made purchases directly on their smartphones, 46% noted that they picked out their item on their smartphone, and completed the purchase in-store, and 37% said they researched their item on their phone, and bought it online. Shoppers have come to expect a more integrating retail experience, with physical and online storefronts merged.

A new Neilsen study delves deeper into how consumers are using their smartphones while shopping, relative to certain types of stores:

First off, it would appear that very few smartphone users access product reviews online while shopping in dollar (3%) and convenience stores (7%), though 73% will look up an item when browsing in an electronics store. While only 14% of shoppers look up products during a grocery store visit, 41% access online coupons. Online coupons are also popular in department and clothing stores, at 41 and 39% respectively. When it comes to scanning QR codes for product details, 57% of electronics stores note this shopping activity. QR codes are also popular in department stores (36%) and mass merchandisers (31%). Not many consumers use their mobile devices to enhance their convenience store shopping experience, with only 7% looking up product reviews.

May 14, 2012
Mobile Emails are Becoming the New Standard

From March 2001 to March 2012, the number of people who use their mobile devices to view their email has grown over 82%. So far iOS devices dominate this trend at 85%, but as we know, Android devices are growing in popularity everyday.

Return Path has come out with a new study that suggests that almost half of marketeers don’t know how many mobile subscribers they have. Why is this important? About 40% of mobile email viewers will delete a messages not optimized for mobile viewing. By the end of 2012 more people will open their email messages on mobile devices than on desktops.

The growing popularity of mobile devices is creating a real demand for advertisers and marketeers to rethink their email marketing strategies and make all their efforts mobile-friendly. This infographic is an eye-opening collection of stats that lets us all see the need for immediate action.

Take a look:

May 2, 2012