This week, Minecraft celebrates a major milestone, Nokia makes a comeback and we explore why each generation cares about what you post on social.

Mobile First . . . Or Not

best_decribes_organizations_mobile_strategy325pxMobile devices have become so much more than phones. With increased adoption worldwide, digital advertising spend for mobile devices has surpassed that of desktop. According to the 2017 Mobile-First Ecommerce Report from ROI Revolution, over $42 billion in digital advertising spend came from mobile in 2016—compared to just $25 billion on desktop—a 2,800 percent increase in mobile ad spend within just five years.

About one-third of that mobile-marketing spend is focused on driving acquisition, according to the Adobe Mobile Maturity Study. Marketers spend between $4 and $5 billion per year, placing an emphasis on mobile app and website development.

Despite an industry that is largely becoming “mobile first,” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said the company doesn’t design for mobile. Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona he explained that the company is trying to make sure that all of its shows and movies look as good as possible on mobile devices, where bandwidth—and mobile device memory—are often limited.

Speaking of mobile, Nokia’s re-imagined 3310 model helped up the brand’s value by 62 percent, according to a list of the most valuable telecoms brands compiled by Brand Finance.

digital_marketers_mobile_video_usage_plans325px

Love, Squared

Minecraft has officially surpassed 121 million copies sold and 55 million monthly players. Microsoft’s block-stacking, diamond-hunting, monster-fighting game has become a worldwide phenomenon for playing, streaming, modding, education and even competition. The brand is celebrating with a series of amusing infographics across its social channels.

Despite launching halfway through the year, Pokémon GO drove about 86 percent more revenue than any other game in 2016, according to data from Slice Intelligence. The top three games for in-game spending among Slice’s panel of 4.4 million online shoppers were Pokémon GOCandy Crush Saga and Clash Royale

The company also found that the average paying mobile customer spent $77.60 in 2016, with Game of War players shelling out an average $336, compared to an average $32 paid by Pokémon GO users. Slice found that mobile game buyers in 2016 were mostly male and 70 percent were under the age of 50.

Social Influence

A whole lot of people are on Facebook, which makes it an obvious choice for brands but creates challenges for those who want to stand out to consumers. Around half of millennials, GenX and baby boomers follow a brand on social media before purchasing a product, according to Sprout Social, at 58.9, 50.4 and 55 percent, respectively. While these numbers are similar, it is the reason for following a brand within each generation that is worth noting.

The report states that 38 percent of millennials follow brands for entertainment value and 42 percent seek information. Forty-one percent of Gen X consumers who follow brands on social media do so for contests, while 58 percent are looking for deals and promotions. Baby boomers, meanwhile, seem to appreciate a healthy mix of deals and promotions (60 percent) and information (53 percent).

FTC—What Now?

Influence marketing is on the rise as consumers value peer or online celebrity views to official ones. As the lines blur between a paid endorsement and personal opinion, however, the FTC is cracking down on labeling promotions accordingly. According to to a survey conducted by Lightspeed GMI and Research Now.

Only 11 percent of marketers reported being aware of or having an understanding FTC’s policies, while 56 percent said they were either not aware of, or not familiar with them. Influencers, perhaps because it is a major source of income, have educated themselves on the subject a bit more. The study found that 60 percent of US influencers said they’re aware of or understand the guidelines, and another 23 percent said they’re aware of or at least somewhat familiar with them.

The Ladies Love Band-Aid

In celebration of Women’s History Month, YouGov Brand Index released the top-ranked brands as perceived by US women. Points were given based on the question, “Do you have a general positive feeling about the brand?” This year’s results found that Band-Aid was at the top of a list dominated by shopping, home care and food brands beloved by women.

The top 10 are:

  1. Band-Aid
  2. Amazon.com
  3. Dawn
  4. Google
  5. M&M’S
  6. Clorox
  7. Cheerios
  8. Craftsman
  9. YouTube
  10. Dove

Of all the brands women were questioned about in the annual survey, Snapchat improved the most in perception—reaching an impression score of 6.9 versus 5.1 in 2015.