Pinterest Caught Your Interest?

Posted January 25, 2012 with 419 reads

Keywords: pinterest, Social Networks

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It seems in the space of just a few weeks Pinterest has risen from a little-known site to a front-of-mind social media platform. It’s certainly now considered one that should be in the tool box of any savvy social media pro.
So what really is the significance of this picture-sharing site, and how are people deploying the use of it as part of the social stack?
For those new to the platform, it can be described as a stylish way to share, like and group, images and infographics. You can ‘pin’ content on boards, categorizing and naming in any way you like. You are able to upload images direct from your phone and computer, or simply use images from other Pinterest users. With an estimated 7.2 million unique visitors already pinning content it’s undeniably growing in popularity, despite still having an ‘invite only’ admission policy. (Not a user yet? Drop me an email and I’ll happily send you an invite.)

Pinterest is being used well by brands like Whole Foods

There are limitations for brands using Pinterest, and it seems that users are prevented from simply sharing images of products that are deemed directly promotional. However, creating communities around the ideas or lifestyle of your brand is acceptable. For example, if you’re a property company specializing in seaside properties in England, then you could create a series of boards showcasing some spectacular coastal scenic views to whet people’s appetites.
A good example of creative use is by Whole Foods who have created a series of boards around recycling matters, art initiatives and more as a way to promote its brand values and demonstrate is commitment to relevant associated issues.
I could imagine a brand like TOMS shoes – who, upon purchase, give customers a branded flag, encouraging them to take a picture of it at a unique location – using the best submitted pictures here, offering incentives to users whose pictures are selected. Or perhaps you might consider a series of ‘how to’ infographics that relate to your product and that cover set-up, Q&As and trouble-shooting.  What will you do with Pinterest?

Measuring The Business Impact Of Social Media

Written by Martin Michalik on January 22nd, 2012 | 2 comments

ROI, CTR, engagement rate, fans increase,…Also the social media activities must be measured for analysis and details on the impact of your business.

As more companies understand that social media is about long-term and strategic approach that goes hand-in-hand with other marketing channels, it’s no longer perceived as a single shot into the dark.

Wildfire in cooperation with Column Five conducted in November an ROI survey of over 700 marketers from all around the world and compiled the results in the infographic below.
Some important key facts:

• 97% of the surveyed marketers believe that social media marketing benefits their business;
• 75% intend to increase media spending this year;
• brands and market is currently focused on growing the fan base to engage and monetize in later phases.

The interesting part is, that there’s currently no standardized method how to measure ROI of social media success. For all the details, have a look.

How is the ROI and success of the social media approach measured in your company and how do you set your KPIs based on them?

12 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2012

English not your preferred language? Read this Trend Briefing in:
Français   中文   Nederlands   Türkçe  
Español   Português   Deutsch   한국어

Introduction | This year, much as in previous years, some brands may be staring into the abyss, while others will do exuberantly well. And while we can’t offer any help to defaulting nations or bankrupt companies, we do believe that there are more opportunities than ever for creative brands and entrepreneurs to deliver on changing consumer needs. From Canada to Korea. Hence this overview of 12 must-know consumer trends (in random order) for you to run with in the next 12 months. Onwards and upwards:

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In 2012, department stores, airlines, hotels, theme parks, museums, if not entire cities and nations around the world will roll out the red carpet for the new emperors, showering Chinese visitors and customers with tailored services and perks, and in general, lavish attention and respect.
Read RED CARPET in full (including examples from Hilton, Starwood and Harrods)

Expect to see consumers take advantage of new technologies and apps to discreetly and continuously track, manage and be alerted to, any changes in their personal health.
Read DIY HEALTH in full (including examples from Jawbone, Ford and Lifelens)

In 2012, not only will consumers continue to hunt for deals and discounts, but they will do so with relish if not pride. Deals are now about more than just saving money: it’s the thrill, the pursuit, the control, and the perceived smartness, and thus a source of status too.
Read DEALER-CHIC in full (including examples from American Express, Nokitum and Daitan)

Brands will increasingly take back all of their products for recycling (sometimes forced by new legislation), and recycle them responsibly and innovatively.
Read ECO-CYCOLOGY in full (including examples from Dell, Nike and Garnier)

 

Will coins and notes completely disappear in 2012? No. But a cashless future is (finally) upon us, as major players such as MasterCard and Google work to build a whole new eco-system of payments, rewards and offers around new mobile technologies.
Read CASH-LESS in full (including examples from Google, PayPal and Square)

The majority of consumers live in cities, yet in much of the world city life is chaotic, cramped and often none too pleasant. However at the same time, the creativity and vibrancy of these aspiring consumers, means that the global opportunities for brands which cater to the hundreds of millions of lower-income CITYSUMERS are unprecedented.
Read BOUP in full (including examples from PepsiCo, NCR and Aakash)

Anything that makes it downright simple- if not completely effortless- for consumers to contribute to something will be more popular than ever in 2012. Unlocked by the spread of ever smarter sensors in mobile phones, people will not only be able but increasingly willing, to broadcast information about where and what they are doing, to help improve products and services.
Read IDLE SOURCING in full (including examples from Street Bump and Waze)

Why to consumers, brands that behave more humanly, including exposing their flaws, will be awesome.
Read FLAWSOME in full here.

Thanks to the continued explosion of touchscreen smartphones, tablets, and the 'cloud', 2012 will see a SCREEN CULTURE that is not only more pervasive, but more personal, more immersive and more interactive than ever.
Read SCREEN CULTURE in full (including examples from Sky, 8ta and Huawei)

 

It’s never been easier for savvy consumers to resell or trade in past purchases, and unlock the value in their current possessions. In 2012, ‘trading in’ is the new buying.
Read RECOMMERCE in full (including examples from Decathlon, Amazon and Levi’s)

While cultural differences will continue to shape consumer desires, middle-class and/or younger consumers in almost every market will embrace brands that push the boundaries. Expect frank, risqué or non-corporate products, services and campaigns from emerging markets to be on the rise in 2012.
Read EMERGING MATURIALISM in full (including examples from Diesel, Johnson & Johnson and Sanitol)

 

Consumers are used to being able to find out just about anything that’s online or text-based, but 2012 will see instant visual information gratification brought into the real and visual world with objects and even people.
Read POINT & KNOW in full (including examples from Starbucks, eBay and Amazon)

For many of you, our free content is enough to keep you going. And yet, this Trend Briefing is just a snapshot of what we track. So, if you need access to all the trends we’re tracking in 2012, including our exclusive 100+ page 2012 Trend Report, then please check out our Premium Service »

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Don't forget...

Now, with 'trends' meaning everything from 'Ageing population in China' to 'Fall 2013's felt mania’, we need to clarify that:

• We’re tracking consumer trends. Not macro trends. Well, actually, we do track those, but don't publish them. So, for 2012's ‘geo-political-environmental macro picture' check out sources such as McKinsey’s Global Institute and Global Trends.

• Obviously, trends don't just 'emerge' on 1 January or end on 31 December. Professionals craving Top Twelve lists is something we gladly cater for, but all trends are constantly evolving, and all of the content above is one way or another already happening. Major consumer trends are more like currents than one-time killer waves.

• We’re also not saying there are only 12 consumer trends to track in 2012; there are dozens of important consumer trends worth knowing about and applying at any given time of the year. We merely bring you a selection to get going. If you crave more, do check out other trend firms' lists or check out No. 13 above ;-)

• All of the above means that many trends we’ve highlighted over the last years will still be as important next year as the ones we discuss in this briefing. From CITYSUMERS to BRAND BUTLERS.

• Oh, and none of these trends apply to all consumers.

• Last but not least, trend watching is about applying. About innovations. It's hands-on. And about making money. So forget ‘Nice to Know’ or ‘Pie in the Sky’. See the below for how to apply these trends straightaway.

Vicks Uses Innovative Mobile Targeting To Reach Flu Sufferers

Jan 22, 2012

Winter is the flu season around the world, and many companies launch special advertising campaigns at this time of year for flu related products.

When Vicks - a leading provider of cold & flu medicine - rolled out a mobile marketing campaign for their Behind Ear Thermometer they wanted to target only consumers in locations where the flu was common.

Sound impossible? Read how a special free service from Google helped them accomplish this objective!

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Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide was the agency tasked with media buying for the the campaign. Unsurprisingly they found that very few of the targeting capabilities offered by mobile ad networks were adapted to the marketing of a flu detection product such as a thermometer. So they turned to Google Flu Trends, a free product offered by Google (www.google.org/flutrends/).
Flu Trends works by correlating flu related search terms that Google sees in order to estimate regional flu activity. This information can then be used to target advertising to areas that are being effected by the flu. Another advantage of Google’s solution is that outbreaks can be spotted within 24 hours of them taking place.

This up to date data of flu outbreaks allows Blue Chip to target mothers who are browsing popular apps in regions that are experiencing high levels of flu. The campaign also targeted mothers within a two-mile radius of retailers who are stocking the new thermometer.
“It understands how this mom lives and shops, and she receives the message in the most relevant manner,” said Stanton Kawer, chief executive of Blue Chip, about the campaign “It is so fantastically targeted that it’s really amazing”.
Mothers who saw the ad where greeted with a message telling them that “Flu levels in your area are high” and to “be prepared with Vicks revolutionary Behind Ear Thermometer”.
By tapping on the ad, mothers where shown their nearest store that sold the thermometer and brought to a mobile site that included an information video.

This is a very clever use of the free data that Google provides, which when combined with the targeting campaign of mobile makes for a highly relevant and local proposition.
In addition to the mobile campaign, the campaign for the new thermometer includes an online, print and TV element.
You can learn more about Google Flu trends by clicking Here.

Mogreet Launches “moShare,” an Innovative new Mobile Content Sharing Service

January 23, 2012 -- By Justin

Mogreet, a mobile marketing provider specializing in mobile rich media delivery, has announced a brand new service aimed at helping the billions of pieces of content shared Online everyday via social media and email to be easily shared to mobile devices as well.
Dubbed “moShare,” the new mobile content sharing service is built on top of Mogreet’s rich media messaging platform and allows any type of media, including video, photos, articles, etc. to be easily shared to any mobile device, regardless of wireless carrier or device type.  For publishers, integration is as easy as installing a button on your website or blog, similar to social sharing buttons from Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others.  In addition, moShare includes robust analytics and reporting capabilities to allow publishers to see exactly how their content is being shared via the mobile channel.
When a user clicks a moShare button, a small window appears asking the user to enter their name, mobile phone number, a short message and the phone number of the person they want to share the content with.  The company said that during a beta test period with some top-tier publishers, moShare garnered an equal percentage of total sharing volume to that of Facebook and Twitter.  ”By enabling mobile sharing across online and mobile properties, publishers have the opportunity to increase the sharing of their content by 25 percent, grow their mobile audience, and drive the highest quality of referral traffic back to their websites and applications,” Mogreet said in its press release.
“We’re very excited, because moShare is the world’s most powerful sharing technology,” explained James Citron, CEO of Mogreet. “Facebook and Twitter are great when a consumer wants to send a message to hundreds of acquaintances, but when publishers and brands are looking to harness the power of intimate 1:1 relationships with over 95 percent open-rates on the content being shared, moShare is their only option.”
To give moShare a test drive, Mogreet has setup a demo page to test how users can share videos, images, music and articles.  For you publishers out there, they’ve setup a page to offer a variety of ways to integrate moShare into your website or blog, including a plugin for WordPress, a widget for Blogger and HTML integration for any other site.  For custom integration, there’s even the possibility to utilize Open Graph tags and custom moShare tags.