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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
September 1, 2016 11:16 AM
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Hillary Clinton is devouring briefing book after briefing book about Donald Trump's policy positions, personality and politics. She's watching highlight reels, taking notes and studying his style -- particularly when he's in attack mode. Trump, meanwhile, is doing his thinking out loud -- mulling over policies and strategies in rolling conversations with top campaign aides and a band of informal advisers that includes Roger Ailes and Rudy Giuliani. Less than four weeks from the first of three presidential debates -- on September 26 at Hofstra University in New York -- the candidates are preparing for an unpredictable, high-stakes night....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 31, 2016 11:16 PM
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About a year ago, I came up with an idea. I wanted to show you how to generate $100,000 a month from a new blog.
I picked a topic and have been making progress toward that goal.
But what if you haven’t picked a topic yet?
That’s why I wrote this article. A great blog has to start with a topic.
These are the types of articles, topics, and approaches that have demonstrated massive success in the past and will continue to do so in the future....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 31, 2016 8:58 PM
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When it comes to digital smarts, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Kohl’s and JC Penney rank at the Genius Level, according to the latest report from think tank L2. But while the industry as a whole is getting sharper, now spending 52% of digital ad budgets on mobile and maximizing customer engagement on Instagram, stores are still no match for the Amazon onslaught.
“Only five years ago, Macy’s apparel and accessories sales were five times that of Amazon, providing a wide lead in a logistically challenging product category that features a high exchange rate,” the new ranking says. “By next year, Wall Street analysts estimate that Amazon will overtake Macy’s as the largest U.S. retailer of apparel and accessories, with sales of $28 billion in the category.”
But Amazon isn’t the only problem. Department stores are also challenged by the fast-fashion wizardry of brands like H&M, Zara and Uniqlo, as well as companies like Coach and Michael Kors cutting back on department-store distribution. “With key partnerships that help differentiate the customer shopping experience under threat, the historical outperformance of department stores versus the S&P 500 has evaporated over the last 18 months,” it says....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 11:47 PM
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10 billion. That’s the number of videos people watch on Snapchat every day. The same potential consumption (maybe more) exists for Instagram Stories — quick videos and photos that disappear after 24 hours, just like Snapchat, but with an audience of 500 million users.
Does that sound like a channel worth exploring?
We believe so! Storytelling has always been a key part of marketing, and features like Instagram Stories are empowering us marketers to tell better and deeper stories about our brands. We’d love to provide you with more resources about Instagram Stories so that you can master this platform and see your voice spread.
In this post, I’d love to share 18 Instagram marketers who have been doing rad things with Stories to give you some inspiration on what you could do for your Instagram Stories too....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 11:25 PM
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Most of the time, inspiration is easy to find because most marketing content is publicly available. You can scour the internet or go on your favorite social network to see what your connections are talking about.
But there's one marketing channel that is really, really hard to find good examples of unless you're already in the know: email. There's nothing casual about it -- you usually need to be subscribed to an email list to find great examples of emails. And even if you're subscribed to good emails, they are often bombarding you day after day, so it's hard to notice the gems.
Download our free guide here to learn how to create email marketing campaigns people actually click.
Because it's so difficult to find good email marketing examples, we decided to do the scouring and compiling for you. Read on to discover some great emails and get the lowdown on what makes them great -- or just keep on scrolling to get a general feel for each. However you like to be inspired is fine by us!...
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 11:13 PM
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It’s no secret that video content is on the rise. By 2019, video content will be the driving factor behind 85% of search traffic in the US. Whether it’s Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook, video content on social media is what marketers need to focus on in 2017. Additionally, marketers must understand how each social channel is optimizing its platform to allow for more video content in users’ feeds, and how brands are using video content to engage their followers.
The reason why these major social networks are optimizing their platforms is because the majority of search traffic will be a result of video content, and future marketing projects will include high spending on digital. To illustrate this is eMarketer’s data on the expected ad expenditure in the US over the next four years. These future projections indicate that not only will digital ad spend increase significantly, increasing on average $13 billion every year, but social and video are the only ad types expected to grow in the near future. While social is expected to grow significantly, video ad types will boom 184% from $9.9 billion to $28 billion in ad spend – making them the fastest growing ad type....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 11:24 AM
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Political press conferences are pointless, and mostly about media showboating. This isn’t something reporters are supposed to admit. We’d all like more chances to see a potential presidential candidate on the hot seat. But these days, at these things, the heat isn’t on. I cringe at press conferences more than I learn from them, because they usually degenerate into shout-fests based on questions that are rarely designed to elicit any new information, but rather a response to the other party’s latest talking point. “Reporters ask questions not to get information, but to get a reaction,” Susan Milligan wrote in the Columbia Journalism Review last year. “And even with that strategy, they rarely succeed.” With social media, candidates don’t need to rely on reporters to convey their views. That in turn means that stories that break news are rarely produced by press conference. So why the ongoing obsession with press conferences? Could it have something to do with a need to justify the money being spent by mainstream news organizations to keep reporters on the campaign trail, versus the exclusive content they take away from that investment?...
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 10:47 AM
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While a lot of behavioral change will come with the Internet of Things, some people are attempting to cause a bit of that change right away.In a push to help shoppers save money, a company has created a programmable handbag with built-in robotics that causes the bag to vibrate, flash and self-lock when the shopper enters a ‘danger spending zone.’ The iBag2 (yes, there was an earlier version, which launched in Australia a while back), is the brainchild of the personal finance website finder.com in the U.K. The rather high-tech bag was designed by a New York fashion designer and a team of engineers crafted the robotics features....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 29, 2016 9:05 PM
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So if and when LinkedIn makes a necessary change it is important that organizations make a note.
LinkedIn has made more than 2 million discussion groups private, a major step in the social network’s efforts towards improving the quality and professional nature of membership groups.
The move here was based on feedback of LinkedIn groups who craved real connections with peers and industry leaders helping them learn and grow.
Along with making the groups private, LinkedIn has also introduced several other changes that warrant a closer look for any brand making strides and gaining social presence on the network.
Here are the eight changes to LinkedIn groups that B2B marketers need to be aware of....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 29, 2016 6:21 PM
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Starting today, Pizza Hut is offering a pizza box featuring a playable “flick football” field on its top, including goal posts, football triangles and a score card.
The box is available with the purchase of any medium pizza, including a one-topping medium pizza off the $5 Flavor Menu.
Pizza Hut is also launching a “Flick Football Challenge” game inviting fans to share videos of their skills for chances to win free pizza from the $5 Flavor Menu.
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 29, 2016 10:14 AM
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Sharing phone numbers and offering ads may irk the security-focused service’s users.WhatsApp, which was acquired by Facebook in February 2014, finally made an announcement last week that most industry watchers saw as inevitable: It would begin sharing information with Facebook about its users, allowing Facebook to offer “more relevant” ads as well as ads within WhatsApp itself, which until now has been ad-free. eMarketer estimates that 12.8 million people in the US used WhatsApp on a monthly basis in 2014, the year it was bought by Facebook. Since then, we estimate, about 5.6 million more people have gotten on board with the free mobile messaging service—many likely taking seriously assurances by WhatsApp that it would not harvest user data for ad targeting, or serve ads at all.Indeed, such assurances were seen as especially important to WhatsApp users because the service itself foregrounds privacy and security. Messages in WhatsApp are encrypted end-to-end, meaning the company can never see any of the content sent by its users around the globe.WhatsApp can share phone numbers, however, and Facebook has been trying to get that information from its users—many of whom have been reluctant to share it—for a while....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 28, 2016 1:48 PM
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One of the main effects of Pokémon Go has been to draw attention to existing AR apps, that build on current smart device functions — namely GPS and cameras. This works because the cameras allow for a view the environment in real time, which can be “augmented” from the user’s viewpoint. AR’s potential has been recognized by retail for quite a while. For example Lego introduced an AR app a full six years ago, allowing customers to hold a box in front of an in-store monitor and see what the finished model would look like.
More recently, the online store Wayfair launched Wayfair view, allowing shoppers to superimpose potential purchases on their own space to see if the items would fit and how they would look. Ikea has an AR catalog app, that lets shoppers use their smartphones to virtually furnish their rooms with items from the catalog. Other apps allow customers to virtually try on shoes and clothes and in some cases share photos with their social networks.
Retailers can also use AR to enhance and tailor the customer experience. Using a specialized store app, customers can get more information about a product, its availability and potential discounts or promos. By including AR components to store displays, retailers are able to profit from the fact that their customers are often more preoccupied with their phones than the merchandise right in front of them. Apps can also direct customers to particular items, and provide a guided map to the specific shelf, something that is tremendously useful in large stores....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 27, 2016 2:29 PM
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Do you create videos for your fans and followers?
Want to improve the quality?
Today, Roberto Blake is with us to explore how quality videos are produced.
Roberto Blake, a visual and video marketing expert, has a popular YouTube channel where he teaches YouTube marketing and video editing. You can find out more at RobertoBlake.com.
Roberto explores the ins and outs of producing quality videos. You’ll discover tools you need for video production.
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 31, 2016 11:30 PM
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I got into in the advertising business just as the Mad Men era was ending, and the Internet era was beginning.
Back in the early days, “The Idea” was everything. Be it a jingle, or a tagline, a critter, whatever, the idea was to eventually have something school kids could quote to each other to each other in the schoolyard, bartenders could quote to customers.
What is it now? I have no idea. It’s been years since anyone has ever mentioned a TV commercial to me in casual, offline conversation. Sure, people may link to one another on Facebook, but to hear a cute waitress to quote one to you, and for you to know the reference? It simply doesn’t happen anymore.
So what has taken its place? Adtech. Data. Internet. Machines.
Not only are the machines creating our ads for us these days, the machines are even clicking on the ads for us. Increasingly it’s an industry that doesn’t need any people in it, on the producing sie, nor the consuming side. Just so long as the algorithms are kept happy....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 31, 2016 11:01 PM
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WHAT: A supercut demonstrating Gene Wilder's mastery of the comedic pause.
WHO: Filmmaker and video essayist Rishi Kaneria.
WHY WE CARE: By now, most superfans know the story of Gene Wilder coming up with one of the more memorable moments of Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. It was his decision that his character should totter out to the crowd clutching a cane for his grand entrance, almost fall down, and then glide into a somersault. This little touch reveals the kind of inspiration and perceptiveness that made Wilder such a celebrated comic actor and collaborator. However, it's the 'almost falling down' part of this scene that demonstrates one of the dearly departed performer's under-praised gifts: his mastery of the comedic pause.
There's a reason why the infamous Wonka meme depicts Wilder in repose. The man had a way of filling the silence with emotive anticipation in one direction or another. What probably looked like a mere ellipses in the screenplay, the actor imbued with any combination of flavors from his bottomless rucksack of expressiveness. Video essayist Kaneria, who recently brought us that insightful deep-dive into Paul Thomas Anderson's Radiohead video, brings together seven minutes of Wilder doing more with just a look and silence than some comic actors do with entire films....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 11:59 PM
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The average prices and ballpark ranges displayed in the infographic have been calculated using raw, unmodified data from over 2,000 quotes exchanged on the Reedsy platform. Not all of these quotes have been accepted, obviously. Editing quotes have been broken down by type of editing (editorial assessment, developmental editing, copy-editing, proofreading) and by word count. We then applied a linear regression on the thousands of data points to determine a “price per word count” for these different services. For cover design, we considered both quotes for a simple ebook cover (front only) and for a paperback cover (front, spine and back). The way most of our book cover designers work is that they charge a mark-up to do the paperback cover, but some do both for the same price. We therefore didn’t make the distinction in this infographic. For interior design, all quotes have been considered, from simple ebook formatting on a straightforward novel, to the complex design and typesetting of cookbooks and coffee table books. This explains the strong variation in pricing....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 11:32 PM
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For example, a third of US consumers say they are making changes to their lifestyle to benefit the environment and only one in 10 say it is too much of a hassle to be green, according to Mintel’s Natural and Organic Personal Care US 2015 report. A similar picture emerges in Europe, where a quarter of French, Italian and German consumers and one in five Spanish and Polish consumers claimed to be paying more attention in Q1 2016 to the environmental impact of the products they buy.
Of course, it is one thing to claim you are environmentally friendly, and quite another to act on it — meaning consumers tend to overstate their “goodness”. Nevertheless, as environmental issues become more real to consumers and become more ubiquitous in the news cycle, behaviours will change. Consumers also expect businesses to be sustainable on their behalf.
Some brewers have already recognised this need and attempted to integrate sustainability more closely into their business. The trend has been particularly visible in the craft beer segment, where many pioneering breweries have touted since the 1980s and ‘90s the same community and environmental concerns that are now increasingly valued. These efforts will become a priority in the wider industry as the global population grows and demand for beer rises, with water security likely to be a particular focus given its importance to the industry’s long-term viability....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 11:19 PM
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A traditional social media marketer might cringe at the mere mention of social media automation, while a few others are on the fence, unable to pick a side. But once you realize the full potential of what social media automation can help you achieve, you might decide to leap over the fence.
Content marketers usually like to stick to a content calendar. It helps them plan blog posts and other content months ahead of posting them. Similarly, with social media automation you can plan ahead, and schedule your content to go out at the desired time without having to worry about making time to do it post by post. There is a wide array of perfectly good reasons to incorporate social media automation in your strategy. Here are a few reasons that might help change your mind if you are unsure about automation, or they might just strengthen your opinion about automation being a necessity....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 11:12 PM
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It’s no secret that we as consumers are exposed to a plethora of promotions and ads every single day. In fact, according to some we are exposed to somewhere between 5,000 to 10,000 ads per day, a staggering number that is only increasing. So how can we as marketers cut through the noise and reach consumers where they are? The answer may lie in the intersection between personalized content and mobile technology. According to an infographic by Microsoft and VMob, utilizing real-time data can lead to hyper-personalized content creation. For example, a retailer who aligned seasonal marketing and promotional messages with localized weather trends saw sales increase by 18%.
Take a look at the infographic below to find out how you can use targeted metrics to create personalized content....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 11:06 AM
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Pre-tail seems to be one of the new buzzwords thrown around the CPG category. But what does it really mean, and should we be taking it seriously? Pre-tail refers to the entire journey of the shopper before they reach the point of purchase. Product research, browsing social channels, building shopping lists, and organizing coupons and rewards all fall into the pre-tail category. Various often-quoted studies by Point-of-Purchase Advertising International and The Marketing Science Institute have said that between 60 and 70% of purchase decisions are made at retail. Regardless of the exact number, that means at least 30 to 40% of consumers have made their decisions before they ever walk into a store, which is hardly insignificant. ...
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 30, 2016 10:34 AM
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Raise your hand if you’d rather watch a video to learn something new than read about it. Go ahead -- you’re not alone. 59% of executives say they’d rather watch a video than read text, too. And really, that number makes sense -- we are a society of video streamers. (I mean, hello, Netflix.) But if you’re not sure where to begin, fear not -- we’re here to make sure you don’t just hit the “Live” button on Facebook and stare at the camera like a deer in headlights. Instead, we’ve come up with a comprehensive checklist to help you plan your first -- or next -- live stream.
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 29, 2016 6:33 PM
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Some 40,000 bottles of Malibu rum are being shipped with NFC tags and go on sale Sept. 1. (In the how-sausage-is-made department, the NFC tags are applied to the bottles by passing them through a heat tunnel, which allows the tags to be smartphone readable after application.)
The bottles go on sale starting in 1,600 Tesco stores in the U.K.
No mobile app is required and consumers can use their phones to tap the bottles to unlock five digital experiences, according to SharpEnd....
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 29, 2016 5:25 PM
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Today, we’re looking at a collection of innovative retailers using these exciting new technologies for maximum impact on their customers. Join us for a 3-D roundup of who’s using AR / VR in showrooms, changing rooms, for in-store entertainment, product information, sales, on mobile apps and much more.
North Face has several augmented and virtual reality applications worth viewing – one is product focused and the other is entertainment. Forbes takes a look at whether virtual reality can save retail and how Samsung is pushing the boundaries in AR. In 10 locations, Macy’s is testing Macy’s On Call, an app developed by IBM and Satisfi. Craig Smith’s Retail Innovation has an excellent collection of profiles of retailers using digital innovations including augmented reality, virtual reality and more. Recommended viewing!
Marxent also has a useful set of e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar examples of augmented and artificial reality used in retail. Wayfair’s new virtual reality app lets customers visualize patio furniture on a deck to help them on the path to purchase. Lowe’s Holoroom gives customers help in visualizing a new kitchen or bathroom in its popular new virtual reality room.
Whisbi highlights virtual reality storytelling by North Face and virtual test drives by Lexus. M-commerce start-up Spring launched one of the first Facebook chat bots for virtual shopping. Sephora’s new Chicago store mixes old-fashioned makeup fun with futuristic touches including augmented reality and lots of touch-screens. Best Buy is betting big on virtual reality with Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR demos and sales in-store this fall. Finally, Pokémon Go further illustrates the potential for augmented reality to drive local or in-store retail traffic in big numbers. Enjoy your roundup of these retail innovators and learn from their creativity and digital marketing savvy.
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 29, 2016 10:02 AM
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The Pokemon Go phenomenon may have peaked, but it sure lit a fuse for marketers to think about augmented reality, location-based marketing, and how their brands might fit in. As with adopting any other technology for marketing, many marketers will treat it as a gimmicky bandwagon. I stumbled across an AdAge article with an interesting insight on why Pokemon Go finally managed to capture the world’s imagination when so many AR and location-based technologies have tried since the first Foursquare checkin 7 years ago:...
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Scooped by
Jeff Domansky
August 27, 2016 11:34 PM
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Suffice it to say, images are a critical tool in the storytelling toolbox. So take a break from optimizing your keyword strategy for robots, and finding the perfect content voice for your brand, and smell some graphic roses with me. There are a ton of tools available to help you hone in your visual craft (and – bonus – a lot of them are FREE).
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Will the first debate be vintage Trump or classic Clinton? I suspect insults will fly as the two wrestle in the mud. Unless moderators keep control, and why would they, it's gonna be great TV? No policies will be harmed nor insults left unhurled in this reality TV show. Who can resist watching?