#DigitalDip
Taking a Quick Dip Into Digital with Sarah Frohman
The tipsy tracker
As an angelic 20 year old, what I am about to explain doesn’t apply to me yet. But, for those of us who like to enjoy an alcoholic beverage (or two, or three…) this new technology may allow you to justify your bar crawl. Certain shops and bars are installing mobile trackers in their ceilings that can tell customers how long they have been in the store, and can even send an alert when their parking meter is running low on time. Talk about outsmarting the cops! The icing on the cake? The tracker can even refill your meter for you electronically. So, yes, definitely order yourself another drink, try on a few more pairs of shoes, or extend your massage by a few more minutes. After all, that’s exactly what the store wants you to do: spend more money. And if you’ve spent a little too much money at the bar (a.k.a. you’ve had a few too many), have no fear, because you can leave your car there overnight and not have to worry about feeding the meter since you can set it to pay electronically. These sensors can also provide storeowners with specific data about their customers in order to learn how to better serve them. *Cue the advertisers* Seems like an all around win for consumers and storeowners alike. Oh, and since we are NBCU, I suspect that if there is opportunity here, we will seize it! Cheers!
To read more, visit: http://adage.com/article/datadriven-marketing/mobile-trackers-shops-bars-pay-parking/299222/
Kids these days
The days of “you’re in time out!” and “no playdates for a week!” are over. Instead, parents are confiscating their kids’ tablet devices as punishment for bad behavior, leaving their kids with no other choice but to…watch TV. How cruel! According to a survey, 57% of parents report that their children would prefer to watch video on a tablet or mobile device than on a TV (this definitely explains why Nielson reports that TV ratings for children’s programming has plummeted). As I explained, mobile devices have become so popular amongst these onesie-wearing, thumb-sucking consumers that confiscating these devices is considered the ultimate form of punishment. Some kids are so obsessed with their tablets that 41% of them are willing to forego dessert if that means more tablet time. I guess they are hungry for the cool, shiny technology and not for the gooey chocolate brownie! According to Ad Age, kids are drooling over technology because they see it as something that is always fun and it provides viewing autonomy, while a cookie or some ice cream always looks the same, and it is always accessible. Seems logical…but, then why do 39% of the surveyed parents report that their kids view the same content on different devices, simultaneously? The bottom line is that the youngest generation is unknown to researchers, advertisers, marketers, etc. The focus is, instead, on cracking the Millennial code. But are we already too late for them? Should we shift the focus to the little ones instead, that way we can anticipate their next move? I may be just an intern, but you heard it here first!
To read more, visit: http://adage.com/article/media/study-9-10-americans-binge-viewers/299332/
This is virtually amazing
Anyone who works in an office is all too familiar with the automated “Thank you for your email, but I am OOO until (fill in date here)…” What happens, though, if you have what is considered an "office job" but you never go to the office? You probably could not imagine your career at NBCU as office-less, but the folks over at CBD Marketing in Chicago have concocted a unique alternative to office space. They have pioneered what they are calling a “virtual internship,” in which the internship is based solely on remote-access. In other words, no OOO email because they are always OOO. The goal of the “virtual internship” is to attract Millennials who enjoy “flexibility, collaboration, and new ways of working.” The tech-savvy, always on-the-go Millennial generation craves a relaxed and casual workplace like Google or Facebook, where work habits are simply a means to an end. In other words, the task must get done, but it doesn’t really matter how. Here’s what CBD did: the interns were assigned an account director to report to remotely. They were paid for 15 hours/week and were given directions and told to make status calls on a regular basis. At the end of the internship, they were invited in for closure and feedback.
A “virtual internship” provides real-world experience, money, and networking opportunities while allowing ample freedom. The interns learned lessons in work ethic and motivation and to be proactive and mature, seeing they could not rely on strolling into their boss’ offices for hourly check-ins. Of course, CBD Marketing gave their “virtual internship” test-run two thumbs up because the interns presented a great final product. Well, word on the street is that NBCU wants to reach the Millennials…
To read more, visit: http://adage.com/article/small-agency-diary/virtual-internships-a-solution-hiring-millennials/299289/
A fair fight
Fair Tread, a digital media company, has come up with what they consider to be the best alternative to ad blockers. Consumers can purchase the Fair Tread software, “Adieu,” that will compete in the open market in order to outbid brand marketers for ad space. That way, users can upload images that they would like to see (think: pictures of family, food, pets, images offered by Adieu, etc.) instead of what the ad server would have fed to them. The cost? $5/500 “blocks." "Blocks" because the software isn’t technically blocking ads like a standard ad blocker would. Since it operates in the ad exchange, it is therefore law abiding, ethical, and less shortsighted than standard ad blockers because it recognizes that content isn't free. As an added bonus, Fair Tread claims that Adieu will even improve browsing speeds and Internet behavior would no longer be tracked. I do have some criticisms though. First, why pay for something that would otherwise be free? It’s not like you are opening up Google Chrome and saying “Hey, I can’t wait to see what ads pop up” (unless you are doing QA for ad ops, of course!). So, why do you care what ads you see? Second, by installing Adieu, you are assuming that you are not going to like any ads that appear on your browsers. Data exists for a reason, and that is to help make your digital experience the best that it could be. So, what if you’re missing out? Lastly, how does Adieu account for ads that are not offered programmatically or through other formats? Regardless, Fair Tread deserves at least a small round of applause for creating a software that is different from those dirty, terrible ad blockers.
To read more, visit: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/clever-browsing-tool-lets-you-replace-banner-ads-images-you-actually-165593
Facebook gets a facelift
The logo isn’t the only new thing about Facebook. Check out some other changes that Zuckerberg and his crew are considering:
1. Suggested Videos –Previously, Facebook did not offer a way for advertisers and creators to make money for videos and ads posted on the site. Their solution is a “suggested videos” overlay (which is currently being tested on Facebook for iPhone). Here’s how it works: you click a video in your NewsFeed. An overlay appears that not only plays the video you selected, ad-free, but also features a list of “suggested videos” that is generated based on a Facebook algorithm rooted in data. These “suggested videos” will contain video ads. And that, my friends, is the cash cow. Facebook’s strategy is new and different from, say, YouTube because Facebook will not run pre-roll ads in videos that people have opted to watch, like YouTube does.
To read more, visit: http://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-s-suggested-videos/299311/
2. Speaking of YouTube… –TV Networks used to primarily sample their content on YouTube, but now Facebook is getting into the game. Networks are looking to reach broader audiences across more platforms because promoting on TV simply is not enough in this digital-eat-digital world. Facebook is “arguably better [than YouTube] at driving viewers to individual pieces of content” because the structure of the Facebook NewsFeed is very conducive to organically finding videos of interest, as compared to YouTube where finding content is mostly search-based. The bottom line? TV Networks have the right idea: digital is expanding, and so should they.
To read more, visit: http://digiday.com/platforms/why-tv-networks-are-sampling-shows-on-facebook/
3. Viewability – Currently, Facebook charges advertisers when the ad comes into view, but because of autoplay, who is to say that the ad is actually being watched? Facebook is testing a new option that will allow advertisers to pay on a CPM basis (like they are already doing) OR they can choose to pay once their ad has played for 10 seconds...which probably comes at a premium. But, HOLD UP! 10 seconds?! What is Facebook thinking? The industry standard for video viewability is 50%
viewable for 2 seconds, NOT 10!!! Are they trying to tell us something?
To read more, visit: http://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-tests-tk/299278/
4. Oh, and here’s their new logo: http://www.cnbc.com/id/102806355
Rosetta Stone: emoji edition
“Creepy or cool?” That seems to be the question everyone asks after realizing how much data can be harnessed from our locations, browser history, cookies, cache…and apparently now from other sources, as well.
First, emojis. Marketers and advertisers are calling on tech firms to look into, understand, and interpret the new language that is emojis (emojis are so new that my computer isn’t recognizing “emoji” as a word). The goal? To know what it means every time you post a selfie with your Starbucks coffee on Instagram with a smiley face in the caption, or to understand why you tweeted a blue heart instead of a purple one. Alllllll of this emoji-talk is to better inform advertisers, allowing them to create sales strategies that are more specifically targeted towards certain consumers. For example, Chevrolet is trying their hand at using emojis as a marketing tool in order to better reach younger drivers. In fact, they wrote a press release entirely in emojis, hoping that Millennials would salivate over unlocking the puzzle (http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/chevy-cruze-press-release-written-all-emojis-because-words-alone-cant-describe-it-165518)
Next, we have Emotient, a new ad technology that records consumers while they watch ads in order to gauge their emotions. Nowhere does it say how the technology is able to record consumers (the best I can assume is that participants volunteer to be surveyed and then travel to a lab), but I would not be surprised if computers of the future will be able to watch you while you consume content from the comfort of your home, office, or wherever. Anyway, after the Emotient software does its work, advertisers can get feedback about what emotion(s) the ad elicited in order to understand the effectiveness of the ad.
For now, I am going to answer the cool or creepy question with “cool”…until those computer cameras are installed years in the future. That will be creepy.
To read more, visit: http://adage.com/article/datadriven-marketing/data-emojis/299333/ and http://recode.net/2015/07/06/how-do-you-feel-about-this-tomato-emotient-can-tell/
Interested in reading previous #DigitalDips?
A take on the team
SPOTLIGHT ON: Becky Mason
Bio: I grew up in Dutchess County, NY, about 1 ½ hours drive north; and the end of the line on the Metro North Hudson Line. My high school years were spent in Millbrook, NY – living on a farm (yes, an actual farm). For college, I went to SUNY Albany, which is where I met my husband freshman year (yes….that long). We have a beautiful little boy, whose name is Joseph James (named after our fathers) and he is 17 months old. I love music (the old school kind, like Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, and the Black Crowes), watching hockey, and skiing. Can’t wait to get the little guy on the slopes for the first time!
Were you named after anyone or anything? If so, explain! No, I wasn’t! My mother like the name Rebecca, so that is my name. Lee is my middle name and same story there.
If you had to give up 1 of your 5 senses, which would you give up and why? Smell. I can’t imagine not being able to feel, see or hear my son. I also love food and this leaves me the ability to taste it still! Not sure how that works without smell, but I’ll take it! J
What book, TV show, or movie would you choose to live in and why? Friends. No drama, funny people, lots of jokes, and a monkey. Apparently apartments are also much more affordable in that universe.
If you could time travel, would you go to the past or future? Why? The past. I’d like to be able to relive moments that are fading from memory, or seem just so far away now. I would totally attend my own wedding as a guest if I could, I had so much fun when I got married haha! J
SPOTLIGHT ON: Henali Patel
Bio: I was born in India, raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and went to undergrad in NYC. I have been living in the city for almost 6 years. Traveling and exploring new types of food places are currently on top of my bucket list
Were you named after anyone or anything? If so, explain! Actually there is a funny story behind it. The first 4 letters of my name “Hena” means henna tattoo, but when I was born my brother (3 years old at that time) kept pronouncing it as “Henali” and my parents liked the sound of it better so now it’s Henali ;)
If you had to give up 1 of your 5 senses, which would you give up and why? Smell – occasionally not being able to smell would help a lot when traveling in crowded public transportation lol.
What book, TV show, or movie would you choose to live in and why? Would LOVE to be the host on the show “Street Food Around the World” on National Geographic! -- traveling around the world tasting different cuisines and then blogging about it. How good does that sound?
If you could time travel, would you go to the past or future? Why? Future – I’m curious to see what iPhone 20+ looks like…