Meet The Titans Of Digital Commerce

This infographic from Statista shows just how big online shopping as become and who the major players are within it. Unsurprisingly, Amazon is the one to rule them all, with 164 million monthly visitors in the first quarter of 2014. As the number of digital shoppers continues to grow, different products tend to favor different commerce platforms. For example, video game purchases are much more popular on smartphones than say, home and garden and computer hardware products, and digital content is much more popular on tablets than video games are.

While the desktop is still the most dominant force in ecommerce, that is clearly bound to change. Social commerce, interestingly enough, is one sector that has reached its peak, as it is predicted to shrink by 26 percent by 2018.

Infographic: Online Shopping By The Numbers | Statista

 

Facebook Assures Marketers Data Is Safe

Concerns over security on Facebook have been a lingering issue for many users, and now it appears that some marketers have shown equal concerns as well, according to Adweek. However, the social site was quick to acknowledge that the companies’ data is certainly in good hands.

The company has met with several marketers over the past few weeks, in an effort to provide some comfort with the platform and the advertising it holds. This was mainly due to the launch of a new way for ads to be displayed, via technology that was considered helpful for the site.

In addition, Facebook also confirmed that the team would work to make such assurances even stronger with the next coming year, and introduction of even more technical advances on the advertising front. Working alongside a new server, named Atlas, as well as products featuring the work of Custom Audiences and other products, it will allow more specific marketing for these companies.

“We’re talking about good data hygiene in the context of Facebook and more generally across the ecosystem,” said Joe Sullivan, chief of security at Facebook.

Considering the rise of hacks and breaches in websites and certain security measures, some companies are still showing a little hesitance in the matter. However, they’re attempting to re-gather in the form of putting their departments into one pool, making it easier to create more secure ad approaches.

“Facebook is a leader in bringing the industry to think harder about data integrations and media,” said Jared Belsky, president of 360i. When it came to assuring the security of such data, he added, “There is a natural and pervasive fear about giving data over, but that’s fear, not reality.”

With these moves, Facebook wants to mature its advertising approach, attempting to get more companies (and specifically, marketers) comfortable with the process. Tim Campson, Facebook’s chief information officer, said this:  “Data isn’t valuable if you’re not using it.”

It’ll be interesting to see how this structure – and whatever security measures come with it – pans out over the coming year.

Digital Advertising To Reach $103 Billion

According to a new report from Forrester Research (posted by Adweek), television advertising is going to face an even larger rival in just five years’ time – digital advertising.

The research company indicated that interactive spending would reach a 12 percent compound annual growth rate and surpass a whopping $103 billion in just five years’ time. By that rate, it’ll surpass TV advertising and become the leader on the general advertising front. In addition, mobile advertising will account for 66 percent of that growth across various categories in the interactive field.

That’s not to say television will be a slouch, as it will continue to grow, although at a much slower rate than digital. Forrester believes it will reach $85.8 billion during the same five-year time frame.

However, Magna Global also backed up the statement that digital’s growth would explode, accounting more dollar spent on digital accounts than television in just three years time, ending 2017. eMarketer also chimed in, but stated that the overtaking point would be a year later, 2018.

Forrester broke down just where certain advertising spending would go:

-Social media will see an 18 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and hit $17 billion.

-Display advertising will get a 13 percent CAGR and total $38 billion.

-Search marketing will achieve a 10 percent CAGR while jumping to $4 billion.

-E-mail will garner an 8 percent CAGR to $3 billion.

Forrester was also quick to point out that the average number of dedicated digital marketing staffers across U.S. companies, at the current time, is 18, but it expects to see that number pick up significantly over the next few years. However, it didn’t quite report where it sees general advertising hiring numbers going, despite the slow but steady increase.

Inside [a]: It’s All Mobile With Robert Brill And Brian Foster

Robert Brill and Brian Foster are a dynamic duo. Robert is the Executive Director of ION and Programmatic Media and Brian is the Talent Group Director of ION at Ayzenberg. Together they have unleashed influencer campaigns under ION that have generated a huge amount of hype. Most recently, they commandeered an influencer campaign that was 100 percent mobile.

When it comes to talking about mobile campaigns, Robert is over it. “It’s all mobile,” he says. ‘When we talk about mobile, we are talking about where digital consumption is going.” Influencers, are, of course, a very key part of that.

So how do you know which influencers to choose What’s most important Here are their insights:

What do you look for in an ideal influencer?

Brian Foster, Talent Group Director, ION

Robert Brill, Executive Director of ION

Brian Foster: I look more for production quality. That’s always the first thing that we see: if they’re uploading quality content that looks good and is visually appealing as well as having a voice that projects well or sounds good. Most of the stuff is based on commentary– it’s like voice editorial– so we want to make sure that they’re speaking clearly, that they’re brand friendly, and that they’re not hateful in any way. We look for ones that like to talk about the things they love and are speaking in a genuine voice. An honest opinion is always great to have also, as long as they’re not skewing so far negative or so far positive that it seems disingenuous. We always want to see content that looks good as well as hear content that the brand would appreciate as well as their [the influencer’s] viewers.

That said, is content more important than the audience itself?

Robert Brill: Influencers are media channels. They are publishers. They have an audience and they create content just like websites do and mobile applications do. Influencer channels are new ways for people to discover content. They are content creators. So, just like with any media campaign where a brand integrates into the larger context of the channel, we are looking for alignment between the brand and the channel.

“Having the right volume of audience is always important, but it’s not the end-all be-all when it comes to the decision that gets made when we choose an influencer.”

There’s a very highly customized element to the way we map out these campaigns. So one is defining the right alignment between the brand and the influencer. Having the right volume of audience is always important, but it’s not the end-all be-all when it comes to the decision that gets made when we choose an influencer.

Do you have any tips for brands on improving how they approach influencer marketing?

Brian: I think the main thing to note is that influencers on YouTube have created their own voice and their own personality since probably 2005-2006. Some of these guys were working before YouTube. They’ve been creating content in their own style for a long time. Coming in and treating influencers as though they are actors or talent that are going to work in a commercial that you’re shooting is not the way to go. The way to go is to find, I call it a 50/50 balance of creative. It’s about finding that match between what you want to say as a brand and the right influencer that can speak to that brand genuinely and not change exactly what they are saying and finding a nice fit.

“Coming in and treating influencers as though they are actors or talent that are going to work in a commercial that you’re shooting is not the way to go.”

If the brand wants them to say something but the influencer doesn’t want to say that specific thing, let’s find the right thing to say, but still say the same thing.

Robert: Influencer marketing gets funded in many situations by the media group. The media group is… well, they’re control freaks. They need things to be done at a specific time, targeted to as specific a group as possible, say the right things… and everything will be hunky-dory. Then you have PR and publicity people who let creators do what they want to do and you’ll write their story and you’ll have freedom and don’t really have control over what you say, but they’re just hoping that you talk about the brand in an organic way. This is the coming together of those two disciplines.

As Brian said, these are people who are their own format. You don’t want to be too direct in what you want to accomplish, but you don’t want to tell the influencer exactly how to accomplish that. At that point, you’re overbearing. And when you become overbearing, they will out you, like what just happened with Shadows of Mordor. You have a bit of control, but you don’t have the same control as paid media.

 

Ayzenberg Group Bolsters Brand Leadership Team

Ayzenberg Group has made two senior-level additions to the agency’s creative and account management departments, further bolstering the agency’s in-house capabilities. Former BLT executive Matt Rice has joined Ayzenberg as Vice President of Creative Operations alongside Justin Kirby, who will be taking on his new role as Account Director. Their experience and expertise will be especially valuable in helping fuel the ongoing growth and expanding capabilities at the award-winning agency. The hires signify Ayzenberg’s ever-deepening belief in creating memorable imagery to support a visual narrative.

“A picture being worth 1,000 words is the essential reality which has now been amplified through social media…more visually oriented work leads to a more successful communication,” stated Eric Ayzenberg, CEO and Chief Creative Office, Ayzenberg Group.

Rice brings his 20-plus years of expertise and insight to the development and management of creative campaigns within the agency. He will work closely with the agency’s Principal and Creative Director, Stu Pope. Rice has deep roots in brand development for film, and television properties in addition to founding the video game business at BLT & Associates, where he oversaw award-winning work and consistently grew the agency’s revenue Y-o-Y. Additional past experience includes marketing management positions at Warner Brothers Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“We are very excited to have Matt join the creative leadership of our agency,” said Stu Pope, Principal and Creative Director, Ayzenberg Group.  “His unique creative sensibilities and strong strategic insights will serve to broaden our client base in video games while deepening our commitment to telling our clients’ brand stories in different ways, at different times, in diverse places that organically resonate with their audiences.”

Kirby joins Ayzenberg as Account Director for the agency’s entertainment and video game clients in the Pacific Northwest, operating out of Seattle. As Account Director, Kirby will be in charge of managing the agency’s existing video game clients and growing its video game business development overall. Like Rice, Kirby has deep roots in the video game industry, serving as the Group Marketing Communications Manager for Microsoft’s Xbox video game division for over a decade and spending two years as a Marketing Manager for Vivendi Entertainment.

“The addition of Matt and Justin emphasize our commitment to brand and client management and we look forward to working closely with these very talented individuals I have admired for many years who have collaborated on the identities of such brands as Gears of War, Halo, and, Mass Effect and individually on Star Trek, Dragon Age, Fable, The Dark knight, Forza and many more.” said Chris Younger, Principal, and oversees  Strategy, Sales and Client Services at Ayzenberg Group.

 

2K Announces Details Of ‘Evolve’ Big Alpha

Evolve is now slated to be released on February 10, 2015, but a new announcement from 2K International today, coupled with a trailer will have gamers champing at the bit for this hotly anticipated title.

Launching this Halloween, October 31, gamers on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC gamers will have the opportunity to play Evolve during the Evolve Big Alpha event. Xbox One gamers only will be offered exclusive early access to The Big Alpha on October 30th.

The teaser trailer below, helmed by 2K marketing exec Nik Karlsson is 100 percent multiplayer gameplay choreographed, captured and edited in collaboration with Ayzenberg.

“The Evolve game will feature a variety of maps, one of which being a large jungle, with some industrial elements where players can take shelter. There are various power ups that can be taken by both hunters and monster players through killing the local wildlife,” said 2K International in a press release.

“Victory is achieved for the hunters by killing the monster, while the monster can either kill the four hunters, or complete a secondary objective such as destroying a human base or power plant. The hunters are made up of four classes: a trapper, a support, a medic, and an assault class. Each class will contain a variety of different hunters with different play-styles.”

In Evolve, 4 players play against a player-controlled monster, giving gamers a different perspective to choose from.

 

Retailers Focusing On Digital Marketing Priorities

Ahh, the holidays. A perfect time for retailers to prepare for a marketing blitz and provide a number of unbeatable deals that customers will eat up – especially when Black Friday comes around in November. However, the real question is what kind of marketing will take top priority.

According to a study from eBay Enterprise released earlier in the week, it appears that digital will be taking the top spot. The 2014 Holiday Retail Audit report, which surveyed over 1,000 retailers online across the board, showed that 63 percent would use online tools more than any other marketing strategy during the holiday season. Social media will take a strong focus on this, according to the report, with possible “flash deals” and other specials. Email promotions followed in second place with 22 percent, while search engine optimization was close behind in third, with 12 percent.

Even though it’s deemed a “competitive weakness,” 32 percent of retailers said they planned to utilize mobile commerce over the course of the season, but didn’t mention specifics. Half of that percentile will be trying it out for the first time – a possibly risky move, but one that could pay off reaching out to the right audience.

Customer data, however, will retain a huge focus. Nearly 90 percent of retailers believe they’re prepared to capture customers’ data in-store, while 54 percent were a bit concerned about keeping said data protected. A majority of those seemed to be larger retailers, who expect anywhere from $50 to $250 million when it comes to online revenue. Considering the recent breaches with Target and Home Depot over the past few months, data protection is a high concern with these companies.

In comparison to Amazon, a big competitor in the holiday season, 60 percent of retailers feel that their mobile commerce doesn’t quite stack up. However, Tom Barone, head of North America omnichannel operations for eBay Enterprise, believes that they can keep up simply by increasing delivery speed. “Multichannel retailers can optimize their brick-and-mortar locations as distribution points to fulfill orders closest to customer location, reducing shipping times and cost through inventory and order management solutions,” he says.

It’ll be interesting to see what approach these retailers take in the months ahead. The shopping madness is about to begin.

Source: Clickz

 

Why Hollywood Can’t Ignore Digital Distribution

By Sahil Patel

Ignore, for a second, about how more and more producers are creating content for digital platforms. Hollywood studios and networks — those still generating most of their revenue from traditional films and TV shows — are also increasingly adapting to digital, because they have to.

If you need just one statistic to explain why, how’s this: Revenues from US subscription VOD streaming services like Netflix and Amazon topped $1.9 billion in the first half of 2014, representing a 26.17 percent increase from the previous year. Revenues from electronic sell-through services like iTunes totaled $671 million, growing 36.84 percent since 2013.

These numbers (and the chart) are courtesy of eMarketer, which pulled data from a report released by the Digital Entertainment Group earlier this month.

By itself, the data shouldn’t be surprising. Netflix has been reporting higher subscriber and revenue numbers for quite some time now, because consumers are increasingly flocking to digital services to discover or rewatch films and TV shows.

What makes all this more compelling, though, is how digital compares to the more traditional means of distributing and redistributing content. According to Digital Entertainment Group, SVOD and EST were the only two formats to see a positive change in revenue from the previous year. Brick and mortar Down 32.68 percent. Rental excluding video-on-demand Down 14.55 percent. Rental with VOD included Negative 11.4 percent. Traditional VOD by itself Minus 5.63 percent.

This is why you’re seeing initiatives like the UltraViolet digital locker service, or TV’s attempt at “TV Everywhere,” or studios experimenting with multi-platform release models for some films.

Interestingly enough, this is also why content costs continue to rise for digital outlets like Netflix and Amazon, and why both have, as a result, ventured into creating original programming.

More and more people are watching movies and TV shows. But less and less are interested in always watching this content the way they historically have. It’s one of the reasons why box-office numbers have been down this summer, and why the 2014 upfront market was pretty weak.

Give viewers what they want when they want it — it’s a popular refrain in the industry, but as the numbers are beginning to reflect, it’s also true.

This article was originally posted on VideoInk and is reposted on [a]listdaily via a partnership with the news publication, which is the online video industry’s go-to source for breaking news, features, and industry analysis. Follow VideoInk on Twitter @VideoInkNews, or subscribe via thevideoink.com for the latest news and stories, delivered right to your inbox.

‘Dying Light’ Showcases Four-Player Co-Op

Dying Light‘s Gamescom trailer shows just how fun (and bloody) a zombie apocalypse scenario can really be… with friends. Giving just a taste of what there is to do in this terrifying open world, the trailer shows a variety of environments and beastly flesh-eaters you’ll encounter.

The game is available for pre-order now and arrives February 2015. Take a look at the trailer below with the volume up for full effect.

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Digital Transformation Coming Fast

There’s a big change coming to many different businesses as marketing and commerce shift to digital, and certain executives are going to need to get used to that. The impact of smartphones and tablets is touching every aspect of people’s lives, and more interactions with companies are mediated through digital means than ever before. Businesses need to get digital, and get mobile, before the competition does.

A report from Altimeter Group posted back in April 2014 shows that digital transformation has become a significant movement in the market, with “the realignment of, or new investment in, technology and business models to more effectively engage digital customers at every touchpoint in the customer experience lifecycle” taking focus.

Out of those reported, 88 percent of U.S. digital strategists indicated that their firms would be undergoing some form of digital marketing transformation in their latest efforts. There are various types being looked at, and although technology will remain an important factor, understanding the consumer journey seems to be the most critical aspect.

What’s the most important initiative Four of the five respondents in the report believe that improving processes to speed up changes to digital properties, including social and mobile platforms, is a big step. Meanwhile, seven in 10 said the same thing in regards to website and eCommerce programs, as well as integrating channels in the hopes to improve general customer experience. Customer-facing technology is also vital, at least, according to 66 percent of the U.S. digital strategists.

Respondents also felt that the need to show execs that digital transformation efforts don’t reflect their current plans is a necessary step. CMO’s seem to be the most likely to support this idea, although CIOs and CTOs are a little lower on the list, even if they do play a critical role. However, their working together is vital, since the “balance between the CMO and CIO to address the needs and expectations of digital customers is required for true digital transformation.” In short, you’re either on the digital bus, or you’re likely to be under it — either way, the bus is leaving.

Source: eMarketer