A Look Behind Mobile’s Holiday Shopping Numbers

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Mobile traffic last year around Black Friday amounted to 40 percent of all site visits, but from all that traffic, mobile generated only 22 percent of online sales. It was clear that shoppers were using mobile for browsing, but clearly much was left to be desired when it came to actual sales. This year, that mobile traffic will likely be much higher (last year, it grew by 34 percent) and so too will online sales, one hopes.

How are marketers addressing this disparity between traffic and sales when it comes to mobile Making things generally easier for consumers will help immensely.

This holiday season, 30 percent of U.S. shoppers are planning to use Apple Pay or Google Wallet, which will help to nudge sales a bit for mobile. Of those smartphone owners, 17 percent planned to spend more because of the ease of buying these services will provide.

A few stores are planning on leveraging in-store browsing to ramp up sales as well, with some companies rolling out apps or app updates that will provide special in-store Black Friday maps to sales. Big box stores like Target and Best Buy are especially poised to take advantage of this trend.

Beyond that, it will be interesting to see how marketers use existing relationships with customers and the added benefit of targeting that mobile provides.

Maker Studios Signs Toy Reviewers

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There’s a growing trend on YouTube where some folks go to extremes to review the latest toys on the market, whether they’re dolls, action figures or some other form of child’s play thing. Some of the videos are delightful, others can be a bit weird – but in a likable sort of way. The Frozen dress-up doll kit review below should give an idea of just what people are up to.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=EcNMXNyeNVY

These videos are getting a great deal of attention – and Disney’s Maker Studios is certainly award of this. The network has signed up five of these “toy review” programmers to join its fold, according to Re/code.

The likes of such channels as DisneyCarToys, among others, have grown quite a bit in popularity, with over 140 million views in a month’s time, as well as one million subscribers for that one unique channel alone.

“Unpacking” videos have grown in popularity over the years, to the point that some, like StyleHaul, have created a lucrative business from it, as that company’s equity has reached around $150 million.

The companies involved – DisneyCarToys, HobbyKidsTV, TheEngineeringFamily, ToysReviewToys and AllToyCollector – will receive a major push from Maker, allowing them to get bigger distribution. As a result, the company will benefit with greater ad revenue.

From a press release, Maker has vowed that the company is “working to incorporate new and existing partners into creator empowerment and access programs across Disney divisions.” So it could possibly sign up even more partners in 2015 if this program comes to financial fruition – including the popular DC Toys Collector, who used to go under the name DisneyCollectorBR. There’s no official word on this just yet, though.

For now, Maker definitely wants to keep the unpacking trend going – especially with a larger, beneficial audience that may be interested in picking up said toys. Hey, Christmas is coming, after all.

 

This Week’s [a]list Jobs – November 26th

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[a]listdaily is your source for the hottest job openings for senior management and marketing in games, entertainment and social media. Check here every Wednesday for the latest openings.

How can you arrange your workspace in simple ways to help you be more productive and inspired Here are 7 steps.

Here are this week’s [a]list jobs:

  • 2K – Director of Social Marketing (Novato, Calif.)
  • Google – Product Marketing Manager, Google Play Afflilate Program (Mountain View, Calif.)
  • Hasbro – US Marketing Manager (Providence, RI)
  • DreamWorks Animation – Director, Digital Marketing (Glendale, Calif.)
  • Nexon – Manager, Community (El Segundo, Calif.)
  • Ayzenberg – Creative Director (Pasadena, Calif.)

For last week’s [a]list jobs, click here. Have a position you’d like to place with us Email us at pr@ayzenberg.com.

Sony Set To Improve PlayStation Plus

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The PlayStation Plus service has been a huge boon for both Sony and consumers since its introduction a few years ago, offering a number of exclusive game releases for download, as well as special deals on other titles that practically make them a steal.

So it should be no surprise then that the user base for the Plus service has quadrupled in size since its introduction, according to DualShockers. A total audience number hasn’t been provided, but considering that over ten million PlayStation 4 units have been sold, it’s no doubt playing a huge part. (PlayStation Plus is required to access online multiplayer with more popular titles, although some believe that isn’t as limited in service as Xbox Live’s Gold program.)

With that, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America Andrew House has explained that there will be a number of improvements to the PlayStation Plus service moving forward, as the company vows to add a number of benefits and features that give consumers the most bang for their buck.

The three areas where Sony plans to improve the service are as follows:

-Strengthening the online multiplayer line-up to drive adoption of the subscription and membership service

-Strengthening the free content delivered to subscribers every month, increasing the value of their subscription package

-Enhancing the community-based features of PlayStation Plus, to make it appealing not just to core gamers, but also to a broader audience

Sony is also looking to provide more alpha and beta access to select titles, just as it did with Evolve and The Crew earlier this month, and also looks to improve the server infrastructure on its PlayStation Network service, although specifics were, again, not mentioned.

PlayStation Plus subscriptions are available for purchase both online and through activation cards that are sold at retailers, so it’s likely to be a big holiday seller alongside PlayStation 4’s this holiday season – especially considering that the console is more readily available than it was last year.

iPad Sees First Ever Decline In Growth

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When it comes to tablet sales, many have usually considered Apple’s iPad models to be the cream of the crop, mainly due to their convenience and accessibility. However, with an ever-changing market that introduces a number of competitors, it was only a matter of time before someone came along to shake things up.

A report from IDC indicates that, for the first time since its introduction, full-year iPad shipments have dropped in numbers. This is even with all the iPad models that have been introduced to the market, including the new iPad Air 2 that came out earlier this year.

iPads shipped show a total number of 64.9 million, which is a drop of 12.7 percent on the total number of shipments from last year, according to TechCrunch. That’s still a decent portion in the overall 235.7 million units that shipped in this year’s tablet market – a growth of 7.2 percent over last year.

Nevertheless, this is still bad news for Apple, as the growth between 2012 and 2013 in Apple shipments were much greater, to the tune of a 52.5 percent increase. Meanwhile, Android-based tablets are beginning to dominate the market, with a 68 percent hold overall, totaling almost 160 million devices shipped for the year.

Regardless, Apple continues to be the single-biggest brand in the tablet market with a 27.5 percent share overall, although that comes down to 22.1 percent considering the Q3 performance of iPads on the market. This could open up a big opportunity for Android to take over in 2015, if the right models come out.

“The tablet market continues to be impacted by a few major trends happening in relevant markets,” Ryan Reith, Program Director with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers, writes. “In the early stages of the tablet market, device lifecycles were expected to resemble those of smartphones, with replacement occurring every 2-3 years. What has played out instead is that many tablet owners are holding onto their devices for more than 3 years and in some instances more than 4 years. We believe the two major drivers for longer than expected tablet lifecycles are legacy software support for older products, especially within iOS, and the increased use of smartphones for a variety of computing tasks.”

The report also noted other factors in terms of the market, including replacement cycles having an effect on sales. “Significant advancements have been made recently by hardware manufacturers to advance the 2-in-1, or detachable, product category,” IDC notes, along with thinner and less expensive devices. “Despite these advances, shipments of 2-in-1 devices are only expected to reach 8.7 million units in 2014, which is just 4% of the total tablet plus 2-in-1 market,” it notes.

Consumers can also be hesitant when buying a tablet, according to the report, as newer models are released all the time – particularly with Apple’s cycle.

What does this mean for marketers While Apple will continue to have a hefty hold on the tablet market, some may consider shopping around on Android services, especially considering that it’s slowly but surely taking a strong hold of its own. 2015 will definitely tell a big story when it comes to these devices. Still, Apple holds a dominant position in revenue for tablet apps, especially with games. Will Apple find ways to sell more tablets in 2015, or will Android tablets garner even greater market share

BGR Rounds Up Black Friday Deals

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It’s three days until the biggest sales event of the year (well, two for certain retailers), and many shoppers are already getting prepared to deal with the onslaught of midnight madness and other sales to get the best deals. BGR has taken the liberty of making shopping a little more convenient for folks by setting up a Black Friday 2014 cheat sheet, which keeps all the ads and deals in one convenient place.

Through the cheat sheet, all the major retailers are listed, including Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop and others. Although individual deals aren’t listed (that would take an immense amount of space), the cheat sheet does include links to all of the retailers’ Black Friday pages, as well as other notable items when it comes to shopping. For example, with Amazon, Prime subscribers have additional access to special days, up to 30 minutes prior to other consumers.

On BGR’s main page, there are also separate listings for special deals being offered by retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy. These are more detailed than the cheat sheet, and provide a better idea of what retailers may have – in case the sites may be overrun with traffic or all the deals can’t quite be seen.

In addition to store chains, a variety of online retailers’ deals have been included as well. Newegg, for example, will offer deals starting from November 27th at 12:01 AM PDT through the weekend. In addition, Microsoft has also launched a week of special sales for both Xbox One and Xbox 360 games. The full list can be found here, although it should be noted that consumers need an Xbox Live Gold membership to take advantage of most of these deals.

This year’s shopping event is looking to be just as crazy as previous years. In fact, some people have already begun camping out for these special deals, in the hopes of getting the jump on the midnight and Thanksgiving crowds that usually gather. It’s sure to bring in big sales numbers for retailers, but also a little bit of chaos, as some people will apparently get out of control to get the best bargain on a television or another item.

Your best bet Be part of an exclusive shopping program. As stated, Amazon Prime members will have early access to deals, and members of Best Buy’s My BestBuy program can already get select deals that will be handed out to the public this Friday.

‘Jurassic World’ Trailer Welcomes Visitors

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Jurassic World, the long-awaited fourth chapter in the Jurassic Park franchise, debuted its first trailer today, after a brief teaser on Monday promised that it would arrive on Thanksgiving. Universal provided the trailer as a treat for fans of the series, who have been long awaiting the first sequel in the series since Jurassic Park III released in 2001.

Fans shouldn’t expect any older faces from the series, but should get plenty of mileage from the new actors that appear in it, including Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. The trailer below shows them (briefly) in action, amidst a park that has since opened up to a much larger crowd.

Jurassic World shows a much more evolved (and controlled) theme park surrounding dinosaurs, with crowds gathering to check out a number of the beasts up close, including an interesting sea show with a giant mosasaur feeding on a shark. However, that doesn’t stop Howard’s scientist from thinking how much more the park would benefit from a newly developed dinosaur, created by DNA.

Pratt, who will play an expert for the park, doesn’t think that’s such a hot idea, considering the results that could come from an experiment. They do it anyway, and, as you might expect, what follows is danger and excitement galore, as the team tries to stop the newly developed (and incredibly smart) creature from running havoc in the park.

This new chapter in the series, executive produced by Jurassic Park director Steven Spielberg and co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) will arrive on June 12th, right in the thick of the summer season. Considering the original Jurassic made $1 billion worldwide in ticket sales) and the star power of Pratt, it should have no problem making money.

However, there is some slight concern over the strength of the franchise. The follow-up to Jurassic Park, The Lost World, only made $618 million worldwide, while Jurassic Park III slid even further with $368 million worldwide.

Nevertheless, Universal has faith in its franchise, and judging by the positive buzz of the trailer, visitors will have no problem flocking back to this Park – even with the trouble that awaits inside.

 

King’s Facebook Video Crushes

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King Digital is putting a huge marketing push behind its new mobile game Candy Crush Soda Saga, complete with television advertising and a devoted Facebook video campaign. Both have generated impressive results, and the Facebook ad have drummed up an incredible 100 million viewers within the first 24 hours of its release, with 70 percent of those viewers on a mobile device.

King Digital is no stranger to advertising on Facebook, as previous branded videos have reached out to both male and female audiences across seven countries including the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Brazil, Australia and the United Kingdom, in partnership with Facebook’s Creative Shop. Regardless, the numbers behind Saga‘s campaign are incredibly impressive.

“For the first time King used premium video ads on Facebook to generate excitement for a game. Candy Crush is a beloved franchise and we were able to tell the story to millions of people.” Angus Lovitt, VP Performance Marketing for King.

“Producing the Candy Crush Soda Saga launch films with King and WCRS was creatively rewarding. When you create a mobile video, you need to bring your story to life in a matter of seconds. Brands that are built across mobile screens need thumb-stopping creative, and that is exactly what our teams produced.” — Rob Newlan, Regional Director, Facebook Creative Shop.

Other mobile game companies are expanding their marketing efforts in video, such as the the recently launched $40 TV ad campaign for Machine Zone’s Game of War: Fire Age. Companies with both mobile version and a Facebook version of a game, such as King, can see greater synergy between Facebook video, TV ads, and game installs on both mobile and Facebook.

This is just the latest success for Facebook’s video service. The company has reported that a billion video views a day have been registered on the site since June, with two-thirds of the audience coming exclusively from mobile devices. Facebook also continues to add new content monthly, with over 100 million new videos added. As a result, video views have managed to grow over 50 percent since May of this year – and clips like the one from King are likely to keep them on the rise.

 

What Will Cloud Gaming Look Like In 2015?

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Thus far, cloud gaming has seen an interesting amount of growth, between OnLive’s resurrected service and the launch of Sony’s PlayStation Now for its PlayStation consoles and mobile devices. However, according to a report from VentureBeat, its growth could be even bigger in the forthcoming year.

With the expansion of streaming services — and Microsoft supposedly making plans to introduce its own cloud-based channel within the next few months — the cloud gaming market has potential, as it could reach nearly 150 million people. That would increase its current audience by five times.

This is according to information from Strategy Analytics, who believes that the audience for such services as PlayStation Now, Onlive and Nvidia’s recently announced Grid game streaming service would reach those kind of numbers, although certain factors, like pricing and quality of said service, could still come into play.

With the increase of cloud-compatible devices, including game consoles and tablets, more players would come on board to try such services, making them easy to play their favorite titles without needing to “hog” hard drive space.

Cloud gaming has seen its fair share of hurdles in the past, such as Onlive’s near-death experience in 2012 (which led to its recent restructuring with its new CloudLift Steam-enabled service, which now reaches audiences worldwide). However, with increased audiences in other Cloud services, such as streaming channels like Netflix, interest has been drummed up again. And bigger competitors like Sony and Nvidia indicate that there’s more to the market than some folks may realize.

Eric Smith, an analyst of home devices for Strategy Analytics, believes that “hardcore” players could be a key factor. “This puts cloud gaming in the PlayStation Store and the Nvidia Hub platforms, directly in front of some of the most committed gaming consumers as opposed to the average consumer, which are by and large content with mobile-gaming quality and genres, not usually core games on dedicated gaming devices,” Smith explained to VentureBeat.

Network lag issues could play a factor, but a large reach could still more than make up for technical hiccups. Michael Goodman, director of digital media strategies for Strategy Analytics, also stated, “2014 is proving to be a watershed moment with major players putting their credibility and brand names on the line to make cloud gaming work. While broadband speeds and consumer acceptance of subscription models have come a long way, access to content remains an issue for all services.”

He also added, “The major video game publishers have so far successfully managed an incremental transition from physical to digital media, but cloud gaming offers publishers a new revenue stream.”

We’ll see how the next few months play out — especially as Microsoft and Nvidia introduce their respective services to the public. The chart below also shows how well Sony and Nvidia could reach out to a potential market for the coming year, and you can see the increase as clear as day.

 

iPhone 6’s Big Impact On App Downloads

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October turned out to be a tremendous month for Apple and app developers, according to Fiksu. The new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus had stellar sales that drove high levels of app downloads.

As reported by GamesIndustry International, the launch of both of the devices managed to push App Store downloads to record heights for the month of October, with 7.8 million downloads calculated across the top 200 apps per day. That shows a wild 42 percent increase from the 5.5 million downloads from the previous month.

As a result, however, the general cost per install for iOS managed to increase as well, showing a jump of 21 percent to $1.46. That’s on a month-by-month basis, while year-by-year shows an even larger increase by 59 percent. By comparison, as earlier stats showed, Android showed a CPI of just $1.01, up a meager 1 percent from the prior month, and 2 percent from the previous year.

“An important lesson this month for marketers is the value of nurturing user loyalty prior to device launches and gift-giving seasons,” the report states. “Despite the marked rise in advertising costs particularly on iOS, the Cost Per Loyal User Index (CPLU) indicated a slight decline in October to $2.16 from September’s $2.25. This decrease is a result of the tendency of app users to quickly re-download their most-used ‘vital’ apps during upgrades. The first set of apps users download on their new iPhone 6’s are likely to be those they can’t live without, which makes them much more likely to become loyal users of those apps.

“In the coming months, marketers should also look to capitalize on untapped Android opportunities. While the Cost per Launch (CPL) Index, which tracks the costs of driving engagement from mobile users, showed increases across the board on iOS, October saw a 26 percent year-over-year drop in Android CPL. Combined with the slighter increases on Android’s October CPI numbers, this may be a good place for marketers to spend advertising dollars as iOS costs only continue to rise.”

The charts below from VentureBeat also show the fluctuations between Cost Per Loyal User Index, as well as Cost Per Launch Index — and, as you can see, Apple’s increased numbers over Android have just gotten bigger over the past few months. In fact, the last time the two were even was back in January, with a  cost of $.16 per launch.

Image source