New Media Co

More time is spent in apps on mobile devices than on mobile internet (through web browsers like Safari or Chrome). This means that there are more opportunities to grab people’s attention in apps than in mobile internet, as more people are using apps. But there are several reasons why advertisers tend to rely on mobile internet for their mobile advertising.

Mobile internet adverts can be used across platforms, showing up on any device whether it is a mobile device (mobiles and tablets) or a desktop (laptops and computers). In-app ads will only show up on mobile devices. When advertising companies run display advertising campaigns, using banner ads and pop ups, they run these campaigns across all devices, having ads that adapt depending on the device. Using this method, they do not need to run a separate campaign in order to reach mobile users. They therefore may not deem it important to run a separate, in-app campaign. There is also more knowledge in advertising companies on how to run mobile web campaigns, whereas in-app campaigns are more uncharted territory for most companies. But, if they are not careful, mobile advertisers can miss out if they do not utilise in-app ads.

There are several benefits to running an in-app campaign. Apps have better targeting for advertisers as they have access to more information on the demographics of the user. One big area that apps can use to target consumers is location. If you want to run a location-specific campaign, then in-app ads are very useful.

In addition, in-app ads have a higher click-through-rate (CTR) than mobile web ads. This means that consumers are more likely to view your product and consider a purchase. In-app ads are also seen as more trustworthy by consumers due to the app context.

There are big benefits for advertisers – advertisers know what they’re advertising next to with in-app ads, whereas mobile web ads can appear on any web page. It is also harder to send fraudulent traffic to apps, so the traffic you receive is more likely to be genuine. There is also less competition as it is unlikely that other ads will appear on the same page in apps, unlike mobile web ads.

The premise of Westworld is that in a technologically developed near future, a theme park has been constructed with a western theme, housed by ‘hosts’ – androids who look like human beings. Holidaymakers visit the park and interact with the hosts, and act without inhibition in a consequence free realm. They kill and harm the ‘hosts’ but then a clean-up crew comes along, fixes them up, and puts them back on the floor of the park for more visitors to enjoy. In Westworld’s view of the future, the robots are entirely contained within Westworld – there are no humanoid robots roaming around freely in the outside world. They belong exclusively to the park. They also have their memories wiped so they have no idea they’re living the same storylines over and over again for the benefit of the guests. In Westworld, the hosts are used as entertainment, in a leisure setting, and nothing more.

The roles of robots in Westworld and Humans are very different. In Westworld, the robots are kept in the park, whereas they are integrated in daily life in Humans. The storyline in Humans revolves around a family who buy a synth for help around the house, only to later find out that the synth is conscious. While in Westworld, the hosts’ robotic nature is kept from them, in Humans the synths are fully aware that they are not human. They will even remind humans around them of this fact. In Westworld, the hosts are for entertainment, in Humans the robots are workers, working as housekeepers, factory workers and receptionists.

So are either of these potential futures likely to happen?

It seems that robotics companies are moving away from creating humanoid robots. This is not due to lack of ability or failures of technology, but more to do with consumer demand. Consumers just don’t want robots that look like us. We find human-like robots creepy and uncomfortable.

Instead, robotics companies are going in different directions, with robots like Kuri – a cute household robot that rolls around on wheels. We also have household assistants like the Amazon Echo – which has a human voice, but notably no physical presence. It seems we don’t mind having humanoid voices in our homes, but not humanoid bodies.

Smartphones have been around for much longer than ten years, but before 2007 they were mainly used by business people, and they were clunky and unappealing. Mainstream use and production of smartphones began at the release of the iPhone in 2007. Since then, Blackberry phones have risen and fallen, and Android has taken a big market share of the smartphone industry. We have also seen massive improvements in the way we access the internet on smartphones – with 3G and 4G.

The popular Samsung Galaxy series was launched in 2010, but the first Android phone was the HTC Dream, released in 2008. It had a sliding, landscape keyboard, and was very different to the smartphones we use today. Conversely, the visual appearance of the iPhone has barely changed at all – with the home button and the layout of apps. The only thing that has majorly changed is the size of the phone. In the last decade, smartphones have gradually increased in size, seemingly exponentially. This has led to so-called ‘phablets’ – where smartphones and tablets seem to be meeting in the middle in terms of size.

The iPad was launched in 2010, with Android tablets soon following, and since then tablets have been a big part of the rise in smartphones. These days, people are likely to have a range of internet connected devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops.

The iPod has seen a decline in appeal, with most people using their smartphones as music players now. People also use their phones to watch TV, films and online video.

Now, mobile internet is so important that mobile optimisation of websites is taken into account for Google search rankings for sites. It is vital that sites be user-friendly on mobile as so many site visitors are on mobile now.

Amazon seems to be sticking with the trend when it comes to AI voice assistants and has given the Echo a female name and voice – Alexa. Google’s assistant, on the other hand, does not have a humanised name – you simply address the speaker by saying ‘Ok Google’ or ‘Hey Google’. This may help remind users that it is an AI assistant, which can be beneficial, but could also seem impersonal.

Due to the way the systems are addressed, it may be easier to accidentally activate the Echo as it just requires saying its name (Alexa). Whereas Google Home requires the user to preface saying Google by adding ‘Hey’ or ‘Okay’.

When it comes to connected features, Amazon takes the lead. The Echo is able to connect to more household devices like light switches than Google Home can.

Amazon also leads when it comes to ecommerce functions. It is better at putting together shopping lists and ordering items because it is an Amazon product. They have prioritised ecommerce as it is the area that they operate in. Google Home does not excel at this as Google is not focused in the business of ecommerce.

However, Google Home is better at responding to questions than the Amazon Echo. It has a massive database of information in its grasp and so can answer your questions more effectively. And if it doesn’t have a voice response available it can fall back on simply displaying top Google search results.

As for business effectiveness, Amazon wins. They have effectively linked the Echo in with other branches of their business by making purchasing easy with the Echo. Google can use Home data to improve search ad optimisation, but that’s all they can do as far as maximising money making opportunities.

Amazon Echo, Amazon’s home assistant, is gaining popularity. It includes Amazon’s own voice recognition software (and rival to Siri, OK Google and Cortana) - Alexa. The features of the Amazon Echo include making shopping lists and making purchases through Amazon.com. Being able to order products just by asking the Echo to order them for you is very easy. Because it is so easy, people will make more purchases with the Echo than they would normally. This is helping boost sales through Amazon’s ecommerce site.

Amazon’s Dash buttons allow customers to make purchases of products they buy frequently at the click of a button. These buttons for a specific product (such as Dishwasher tablets) can be placed around your home in handy places, and then pressed to buy more of the product. This is helping to make ecommerce purchases easier, which encourages purchasing.

Amazon Prime is Amazon’s next day delivery service. Customers pay a yearly fee to get unlimited next day delivery on items from Amazon.com. This encourages purchases as people want to get their money’s worth with the free next day delivery.

Attached to Amazon Prime is Prime video. This is a TV streaming service much like Netflix. It is a perk of Prime membership that for some is a motivation to get it. This may be due to original content (like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Mr Robot and The Grand Tour) or due to rights to high quality third party content (like The Imitation Game, Apocalypse Now). Users will then be motivated to buy more due to the incidental free next day delivery this grants them.

1.      Nintendo Switch – a new games console from Nintendo, moving away from the Wii franchise. It will be called the Nintendo Switch because it can be made portable.

2.       8K TVs – ultra high resolution TVs, even more high resolution than the current 4K TVs.

3.       Samsung Smart Fridge – including a touch screen with a family calendar, it can also display photos and play music. It takes photos of the inside of the fridge and sends it to your smartphone so you can see what you have in your fridge wherever you are.

4.       Hydrao Smart Shower – LEDs in the shower head change colour to indicate your water use, so you can ensure you’re not wasting water.

5.       LG OLED rollable display – a concept for a flexible, bending display screen that may be commercially available this year.

6.       Parrot disco drone – this drone uses a VR headset to show you the flight of the drone recorded by its camera.

7.       HoloLens – augmented reality glasses, made by Microsoft. This exciting product could change technology forever, and bring augmented reality to the forefront of technological enterprise.

8.       Foldable Samsung phone & Samsung Galaxy S8 – new smartphones from Samsung, that will hopefully be able to make up for the dangerous exploding Note 7s.

9.       Xbox project Scorpio – The new console from Xbox may debut in 2017. It is due to include VR and 4K gaming.

Phones

The new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus were released in September, causing the usual excitement of a new Apple product, and a wave of upgrades from the 6 to the 7. In October, Google released their Pixel smartphone, which received great reviews and was suggested as a true rival for the iPhone. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which should have been a worthy competitor for the iPhone, flopped dramatically when it was banned for many public places following it overheating and bursting into flames. It was then recalled.

Toys and Games

In toys and games this year, Virtual reality has been the big source of excitement. PlayStation VR, the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift were all released this year, providing a range of VR headsets to the public. The popularity of these products is likely to rise in following years, as the technology improves and the price tag falls.

There has also been a lot of hype for hoverboards – good and bad. Good as a fun gadget for getting around, and bad due to the dangers of them blowing up and the danger to others that is high enough to have made the hoverboard a banned product in many public spaces.

Personal items

Many technology items for everyday life have been released this year. The Apple Watch 2 was released, as well as top of the range wireless headphones. These have become more popular this year due to the iPhone 7 doing away with the headphone jack. The technology in these has improved vastly, and many top brands have made wireless noise cancelling headphones.

In high tech items, the Microsoft Surface Pro has received an update, meaning design workers have a newer, sleeker machine to work with. The MacBook Pro has also been updated, now including a touch bar.

There has also been advancement in personal care, with the new Dyson hair dryer.

Social Media

Social Media has also taken several steps forward this year, with Snap Inc’s Spectacles for Snapchat, Instagram Stories and Facebook Reactions. Spectacles have debuted in vending machines in the US, and are sunglasses with a camera in the corner, that you can use for filming videos and taking photos for use on Snapchat. Instagram debuted Stories, a competitor for Snapchat with updates that disappear. Facebook introduced Reactions to replace the Like button – allowing users to response with a variety of reactions instead of just likes, including Love, Sad and Angry.

Household assistants

Household assistants became popular in 2016, with Amazon’s Echo device being at the forefront of this. The Amazon Echo is designed as a household assistant with a built in AI (called Alexa) who can help you with things around the house including turning on lights, playing playlists of music and reminding you of tasks. The Echo now also comes in a smaller version – the Echo Dot. There is also Google’s new rival for the Amazon Echo – Google Home.

Amazon Dash buttons were introduced this year, allowing you to order items and restock on vital things like toilet roll and kitchen cleaner at the touch of a button.

There has also been an update to the Chromecast – Chromecast Ultra. This allows you to cast videos from your smartphone to your television with ease.

The Community tab is designed to be a social networking feature, allowing creators to interact with their audience, and encourage discussion among subscribers. The tab will allow users to post text, GIFs, images and live video, and allows comments on these from other users. The comments will be chronological, unlike comments on YouTube videos. The comments will also be easier to moderate than on videos themselves, in order to encourage a sense of community (hence the name).

The Community tab will be social without the need for Google+. The failed integration between YouTube and Google+ 3 years ago (which has now ended) has left a gap for social interaction on YouTube that will now be filled by the Community tab.

YouTubers can stay on YouTube for social interaction, without needing to go beyond YouTube to other social sites. Currently, YouTubers have to cross-promote their videos on other social channels like Twitter and Facebook in order to get more views. But, this requires that their subscribers follow them on other social channels too, which isn’t always the case. Now, self-promotion and interaction with their audience can happen within YouTube itself.

The tab will allow users to keep up interaction with their audience between the posting of videos. For some YouTubers, a long time may go between videos being posted. To their subscribers, it may seem as though they have become dormant and are absent from the site even when this may not be the case. Now, YouTubers can keep up this interaction even when they aren’t posting videos.

One such method is the recent ‘price match’ or ‘brand guarantee’ where the supermarket promises to match or even better the price of your shop compared to other supermarkets. This idea quickly caught on, and is now used by most of the big chains.

Another method is the implication of quality in products. Buzzwords are used like ‘natural’, ‘organic’, ‘farm fresh’, ‘free range’ or ‘local’. The implication of quality is used to compete with other supermarkets by implying superior products are being supplied.

The use of celebrities in TV ads to endorse the brand of a supermarket is a commonly used tactic. Examples of this are Morrison’s ads featuring Ant and Dec, recent Tesco ads with prominent actors Ruth Jones and Ben Miller, and chef James Martin appearing in radio and TV ads for Asda.

One technique to entice custom is deals. Buy one get one free, buy one get one half price, price cuts, half price and so on. These deals are designed to entice custom with the perception of low prices.

Some technology falls short of the mark. The Phoenix Suit X is an example of this. This is a wearable exoskeleton that allows people with paralysis to walk. The suit costs £31,000, and only has 4 hours of charge. It boasts that it is lightweight and is the industry leading mobility exoskeleton, but the high price means that a piece of kit like this is inaccessible to people of most incomes. The lack of charge means that it could not even be used for a full day (unlike other electric mobility devices). But one huge problem with the Phoenix Suit X is its aims. Its website claims that it has “successfully enabled many individuals to stand up, walk about, and speak to peers eye-to-eye”. For people with lower body paralysis (who are the main target market for this product), being upright can be uncomfortable and frightening as it feels like floating in the air and being out of control of one’s body. Speaking to peers eye-to-eye is only an issue for wheelchair users when others are inconsiderate towards them, and instead points out an issue in the treatment of wheelchair users rather than an issue for wheelchair users to solve. That only leaves walking as a perk – which able-bodied society seems to be obsessed with as a goal for wheelchair users. Perhaps we should concentrate more on accessibility and making the world easier to navigate for wheelchair users, rather than being obsessed with getting wheelchair users to walk.

High tech robotic arms for arm amputees are similarly problematic. These types of prostheses which rely on minor muscle movements and brain signals to operate robotic arms are highly costly and take a long time to learn to use. For most amputees, the results may not be worthwhile even after training for months or even years to use them.

Another piece of disability tech that fails to be universally useful is the curb climber. This is a piece of plastic and metal that is attached to the underneath of some electric wheelchairs. It is designed to assist wheelchair users to get up the curb of pavements when no dip in the curb is available. It is a very low-tech solution – it is basically just a catapult designed to propel the wheelchair onto the pavement. Needless to say, it is quite an uncomfortable method, even when it does works. Few wheelchair users make use of the curb climber.

However, on the other hand, there is a vast range of useful disability aids that have been developed for a range of different disabilities. 3D printed prosthetics have been a useful, recent development. These prostheses are much cheaper that other prosthetics due to ease of production and cheap materials. They allow people of low incomes to possess useful, life-changing prostheses. Because they are 3D printed, they are customisable and can be made to perfectly fit the wearer (unlike other prosthetic alternatives which may fit poorly). While they may be less sturdy than other options because of the cheap materials used, they can be easily and cheaply replaces when breakages occur.

Eye-tracking technology has been around for decades now for use by people otherwise unable to communicate due to severe muscle control problems and paralysis. These include people with Cerebral Palsy, Motor Neuron Disease (like scientist Stephen Hawking) and Muscular Dystrophy. The technology allows people who would otherwise be unable to communicate to turn their eye movements (or in some cases other muscle movement like cheek muscles, finger movement or chin movement) into speech. However, for a long time this technology has been limited in what it can achieve and has been highly expensive. Nowadays, developers are creating software that can help people to surf the internet, send emails, and communicate faster and easier in different ways. Some of these options are also cheaper and therefore more accessible.

One piece of technology that is incredibly low-tech (and yet ingenious) is the banana board. This is a flat piece of plastic that is curved like a banana. It can be used by wheelchair users to transfer from one place to another (like from their bed to their wheelchair, or from their wheelchair to the car). The wheelchair user simply uses the banana board to slide from one place to another. This item is highly useful for wheelchair users with use of their arms, as it removes the need for more heavy and complicated bits of kit like hoists.

Stabilising cutlery has been developed to help people with tremors (like those with Parkinson’s, Cerebral Palsy and brain injuries) to avoid spilling foods. The cutlery helps to stabilise the contents of spoons and forks to assist people so they do not need help to eat.

Speech apps are a relatively new development available on smartphones and tablets. They give a voice to those with speech impairments or with non-verbal autism. They are easily accessible as they can be installed on any phone or tablet, and help non-verbal people to communicate more easily.

Voiceover software can read webpages aloud for sight impaired people. But, these softwares could be better as they read every heading on the page aloud, meaning it may take a long time to find the right one. They also cannot read images (though some software is helping to rectify this, and some sites include captions for the vision impaired). Web pages are often laid out in a useless way for the sight impaired. But, these softwares are the only option to allow blind people to use internet. They do work but can be frustrating and need a lot of improvement.

The dbGlove aims to improve communication for deaf-blind people. This is in the form of a piece of equipment placed on the hand that uses touch for communication. There is a tactile alphabet (known as the Malossi alphabet) that converts the alphabet to touch by assigning each letter to a touch or pinch of a certain part of the hand. The glove converts these tactile inputs of the alphabet into text on a phone that can be sent to others. It also receives messages and converts the text into Malossi for the deaf-blind person to read.

Finally, there are constant developments in sports technology for people with disabilities. This includes running blades for amputees, racing wheelchairs, basketball wheelchairs and much more. However, all of these pieces of technology cost large amounts of money and many of them require sponsorship in order to buy high end equipment (like the equipment used in the recent Paralympics Games).

The affirmative

A benefit of stereotyping is the opportunity to target ads. By using ad targeting, advertising companies are more likely to show you ads that are right for you. This is beneficial to the ad company as their ads are more likely to be successful, and it is advantageous to you as a consumer as you’re less likely to be shown ads for things you have no interest in.

A further benefit is playing to the majority. Stereotypes are often grounded in truth, and so using stereotypical views and roles means that the majority of consumers will find that ads appeal to them.

The use of stereotyping gives people guidelines and therefore expectations. Familiarity can be very effective in ads, and using well known terms, social roles and cultural references can make ads more appealing to viewers as they find the themes familiar and comfortable.

There is also less risk involved for ad companies if they stick to stereotypical themes and characters. It will provide more predictable results for ads, and will allow for easy demographic targeting.

The negative

A big problem with using stereotypes is exclusion – inevitably, there will be people who do not fit in with stereotypes. These minority groups (who may be quite large in number in actuality) are excluded repeatedly when stereotypes are relied on in media and especially in advertising. These people may feel that products are not aimed at them, and they may feel under-represented. This may also lead to losses of custom for advertisers.

Stereotypes can box people in, making them feel as though they are unable to go beyond the confines of their box. For example, take a look at adverts for Lynx. These often heavily rely on gender stereotypes – of young masculine white men looking to appeal to young feminine white women. These ads will not appeal to women, men of colour, same-sex attracted men, or less masculine men. Or, in fact, any people who do not fit with this limited image of masculinity – including older men and men with disabilities. Lynx have recently started making ads that include all different types of men, which will help widen their appeal. In the past, their reliance on stereotypes has led them to be very limited in who they appeal to, but perhaps this will change. Ads like those from Lynx also have a damaging effect on those who view them, as they are left to feel isolated and ostracised.

Ads can get tedious and boring if they rely on stereotypes all the time. You end up with a range of homogenous ads lacking in any kind of variety. Ads become lacking in innovation and imagination when you rely on stereotypes too much.

Stereotypical themes in ads can create an ‘us vs them’ culture – pitting those who fit stereotypes against those that do not. This can be unhealthy and dangerous.

Advertising using stereotypes can reinforce negative stereotypes, for example about race or gender. If all ads feature white people, we can be led to believe that these products are not aimed at people of colour. If ads for (for example) a hair product are aimed exclusively at men, and these ads rely on traditional ides of masculinity and misogyny, then this reinforces ideas of sexism.

The conclusion

Vidcon is held in southern California every year and has been running since 2010. It is now held at the Anaheim convention centre. At the first Vidcon in 2010, there were around 1400 attendees. Last year, there were 19,500 attendees – a vast increase that represents the rise in popularity of online video.

Vidcon is made up of panels, workshops, concerts, meet-and-greets, talks and demonstrations all featuring stars from the world of online video. It is much like ComicCon (the comics convention held in San Diego) but instead showcasing online video platforms like YouTube and Vine and their stars.

The convention is a big event for online creators and their fans – most of which are young people (especially young girls). This level of appreciation for online video is not represented to this degree anywhere else in the world.

The UK equivalent, held in London each year, is Summer in the City. The event, held in London’s Excel centre, is seeing similar levels of growth year on year. It now features live musical and comedic performances from the UK’s YouTube stars.

The objective of the new site is to help promote the ad agency, which has grown significantly since it was established in 2013. Visitors to the site and potential new customers can now read about the services available, the benefits of direct response advertising and even discover the story of how the firm was founded.

The launch of the website follows three years of successful trading for New Media Co, which was set up by marketing professionals Ross Butterfill and Simon Page. What began at the directors’ dining table is now a fully-fledged agency with a staff of more than 10 people involved in the business. As well as having a host of clients under its belt, the business has also developed its own data analytics software, which helps to assess the effectiveness of its campaigns online and make changes instantly.

New Media Co’s growth in the sector is not only a sign that direct response advertising is in demand, but that the marketing activity is proving fruitful for clients and companies. By designing captivating and attractive adverts and targeting the right audience, New Media Co helps businesses obtain leads and make sales. What’s more, the client only pays on a performance basis.

Speaking about the growth of the business and the new website, Ross said: “We felt the time was right to refresh the website for New Media Co. It now reflects how we’ve grown as a business, our additional services like SLICE – our analytics tool, and explains how clients can benefit from direct response advertising. The fact that we’ve gone from strength to strength and grown at such a rate in just three years demonstrates that there is value in the work we’re doing. Whether it’s encouraging consumers to sign up using a form, click on a website or make a purchase, our creative talent combined with the ability to track the results and change tactics if necessary makes success online more certain than ever.”