Good Read: Drake Morton

Ad Dollars Flood to Social Nets

SEPTEMBER 30, 2009

Following eyeballs

The Nielsen Company reports Internet users increased the time they spent on social networks by a substantial margin in August 2009. The sites took up 17% of all time spent on the Web in August, up from just 6% the prior year.

Meanwhile, advertising spending on the top social networking and blogging sites more than doubled, jumping from $49 million in August 2008 to about $108 million in August 2009.

Please click on the Vistine Media link to see how you can make your

social networking projects really work for you.

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Very Good Read: Drake Morton

Add Direct Response To Get More

Out Of Rich-Media Ads

by Jason Tafler , Friday, September 25, 2009

As new technologies and more engaging content emerge on the Web, consumers expect more from online advertising and brands demand more value for their ad dollars. Many marketers struggle with creating cutting-edge ads that grab viewers’ attention and drive ROI in a meaningful way. Companies that are getting the most out of their ad buys are using new methods to deeply engage consumers with creative rich-media ads that also incorporate direct-response elements.

These do not have to be standalone strategies; each can play an important role in any comprehensive campaign. Depending on the marketer’s objectives, rich-media campaigns can include features such as data collection, lead generation, printable coupons, targeted product and pricing information, and ticket or product purchasing directly within banner ads, shortening the path to conversion. These capabilities not only provide marketers with more insight into their target audience, but increase consumer interaction time. According to PointRoll benchmarks for 2008, rich media provides a 562% lift in response/return over standard ads and 62% lift over flash banner ads. Depending on the campaign, including a direct-response element increases response by 42%, with an additional 3% increase in brand time.
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 Good Read: Drake Morton

Online Helps Marketers Do More with Less

SEPTEMBER 25, 2009

Making each dollar accountable.

The harsh reality of marketing in a recession: Three-quarters of marketers had their budgets cut this year, and two-thirds were expected to drive more sales with an equal or lesser budget, according to the “2009 ANA/MMA Marketing Accountability Survey” from the Association of National Advertisers and Marketing Management Analytics.

The No. 1 strategy for marketers who wanted to improve effectiveness without spending more, according to the June 2009 poll, was shifting from traditional to digital media. More than one-half of respondents also reported shifting spending away from brand-building initiatives, and 38% were putting more spending into lower-cost media.

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Interesting Read: Drake Morton

Microsoft Links Behavioral Targeting

Across Web, Mobile, Xbox

eight-week campaign for mobile media can run between

$250,000 and $300,000

by Laurie Sullivan , Wednesday, September 23, 2009

I have mixed thoughts about being targeted ads on my mobile phone. While I’m the first to admit my love for technology, and that my AT&T BlackBerry goes wherever I do, I’m a little sensitive to ad targeting, especially when Neiman Marcus serves up an ad to me somewhere across the Web after I’ve abandoned the shopping cart on their site. (As far as I can tell, they seem to be the only retail store following me.) So, how would you feel if an ad for a store you frequented online was served up on your mobile phone browser?

Microsoft last week began offering behavioral targeting for ads running on its mobile network. But while the service offers a range of online targeted categories — about 100 –to advertisers buying mobile display inventory, the launch really means so much more.
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Interesting Read and Take-a-Way: Drake Morton

Socialized Email?

You Can’t Ignore Thousands Of New Users

by Ryan Deutsch , Thursday, September 17, 2009

Newly emerging metrics – all email marketers should be considering when looking at integrating social media into their programs. Since then I have had the opportunity to help a number of clients socialize their email campaigns to increase reach and conversions. Today, I would like to share the results that one of these clients has realized: online personal financial service Mint.com, recently acquired by Intuit.

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Good to Know: Drake Morton

SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

Media Dollars Shift to Digital in Downturn

Spending recovery will lag economic recovery

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Good Read / Check for Bold Type: Drake Morton

Web Analytics:    Easy? Hard? Complex? It Depends

by Judah Phillips , Tuesday, September 8, 2009

In the Web analytics industry, there has been an ongoing debate for some time over whether analytics is easy, hard, complex, or both hard and complex.  Certain thought leaders advocate for each categorization.  My take on it is “it depends” on the tools you are using, the site you are analyzing, your company’s requirements, your team’s skill set, and the processes you define for analytics.  Let’s dig a little deeper into each of these concepts:

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Interesting Stats: Drake Morton

Mobile Video Audience Grows 70% in Q209

The average American now watches an all-time high of more than 141 minutes of TV per month, and mobile and online video consumption are up significantly in the second quarter of 2009,  according to Nielsen’s latest A2/M2 Three Screen Report, which measures video consumption across TV, the internet and mobile devices.

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Interesting Information You Need to Use: Drake Morton

The Future Of Video Advertising

by Philip Leigh , Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Most everyone agrees that future video advertising will be significantly different.

At least five changes are likely.

1.  The advertising market will shrink for several years. Digital media projects that five years from now the aggregate advertising spend will be smaller than it was last year. Total advertising revenues from all modes in 2013 are projected at $245 billion as compared to $285 billion in 2008. Internet advertising will gain share from 8% to 22%.

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Need to Read: Drake Morton

Gartner: Mobile Advertising To Grow 74% In 2009

by Mark Walsh, Yesterday, 6:23 PM

A new Gartner report projects that mobile ad spending worldwide will grow 74% this year to $913.5 million but not really accelerate until 2011, when advertisers are expected to boost mobile spending as part of an overall shift toward digital marketing channels. By 2013, the research firm expects mobile ad spending to surpass $13 billion, with the Asia-Pacific region leading the way, followed by North America and Europe. (more…)