WoCo

Sorry for the lack of posts but technical difficulties and a vacation are clearly important!

Besides the internet being classified as a public utility, the future of media has never been more up in the air.  How to reach a consumer in the most effective manner possible is where we're all heading.

The below article talks about that changing landscape with marketers needing to focus on brand experience than simply pushing messages at consumers and hoping they interact.  It's not about the destination anymore, its about the journey.  While that sounds cliched, how many times have you been influenced by a facebook post, a friend recommendation, or a viral video and experience that may impacted your feelings towards a product?

its more than avatars and fake worlds to interact with.  a brand must have avenues for consumer engagement practically everywhere their consumer goes

Snapchat isn't just for sketchy messaging of one's privates or that thing you hear the kiddies are using a lot these days to talk to each other.

Beyond it's simplicity of disappearing messages, there are extremely practical uses for Snapchat that any brand can really implement.  You don't need to be dropping millions of dollars on a Snapchat campaign when there are great solutions right at your finger tips. 

All of the options referenced, in the article in AdAge below, give a brand not only technological street cred but an amazing halo effect of good will with their audience as they are providing a valued offering to an engaged audience.  And, if you really don't want to read the article, here is the summary:

1. In Store couponing (oooo an offer that disappears...i must have it!)

2. Scavenger hunting (Who doesn't love a good scavenger hunt?)

3. Bluetooth plus snapchat (If you are in the store shopping, we know you are in the store and want to keep you here...if this bugs you out, check out my privacy post)

4. Launching new items (similar to the couponing, make a new product feel like its a video game or shoe release.  make it pop!)

5. Word of mouth (friends telling friends about your product or offering is the most trusted form of advertising.  Mobilize your most vocal fans)

Big Brother. The NSA.  Hacked email and accounts.  Plenty of real life concerns around privacy these days given how connected we are, at all times, via our smartphones.  

For marketers, these "invasions of privacy" are the complete basis for the value we bring to brands.  By tracking you everywhere, we can better tailor ads to your interests including what you like at certain times of day.  We monetize your privacy by getting you the best offerings from brands (at least that's the rationale)

Are we approaching the point of saturation where consumers start rethinking their sharing of all personal data for better targeting advertising?

Based on a few recent articles, brands are certainly excited by the potential opportunities.  Beacons are the future of in store mobile communication where you will be sent or prompted upon entering a store or section, customized advertisements enticing to you to perform an action (scan an item, use a coupon code, etc).  Thus the transaction is you trade your privacy for a nice discount on an item or a special deal.  Will beacons become the next great advertising solution to keep people in stores or will they be the biggest turnoff given how potentially intrusive it feels to be prompted with messages unannounced?  Most likely it will be a hybrid of the two but as brands evolve their mobile strategies, this is going to be a huge opportunity for a company to establish best practices factoring in peoples' privacy concerns.

Personally, I love trading my data for better ad offers but I understand the weariness of most people with this type of trade.

Hi all,

For those that are interested in the wonderful world of media, marketing, advertising and all things digital, I’ll be giving my two cents on the latest and greatest from the industry, bringing a normal person’s perspective to the sometimes confusing jargon that we media professionals love discussing.