This weeks top digital trends: Display ads still top priority | Customer expectations online | Mobile Broadband | Online CRM | North American Apps | Online air travel check-in | Cloud Computing | Voice operated apps | Top 100 British icons
Display advertising ‘still top priority and best for return’
ADTECH, a leading provider of ad serving technology and part of AOL Advertising, has today announced that the results of a straw poll carried out with 100 visitors to the ad:tech London event in Olympia, during the two day exhibition and conference. The findings have revealed that 41 percent of visitors are prioritising display advertising for their online ad spend and a further 42 percent have revealed that display advertising is currently providing the best return for their business in terms of sales right now.
“It comes as no surprise to me that display advertising is still playing such an important role in the new media landscape,” said Ken Parnham, Managing Director at ADTECH UK and Ireland. “I believe that its success and popularity is due to the creativity and flexibility of ad delivery, but also because it’s non-intrusive and carried out in a trustworthy and transparent manner.
It was interesting however to see how low social networks scored for investment and return, but that’s to be expected for a market that’s still in its infancy. I would recommend that publishers and brands continue with a mix of good, solid marketing channels and just experiment with social networks right now – cautiously investing in an area that at this point, provides minimal impact on their business.”
Key research findings:
• Ad spend priorities: 41 percent prioritised display advertising as their top priority, 35 percent said video advertising, 17 percent quoted mobile advertising and 7 percent cited social networks.
o 71 percent of all respondents also said they were looking to increase the number of ads per page, 29 percent were looking to slim down the content.
• Best return in terms of sales right now: Display (42 percent), Video (40 percent), Mobile (10 percent) and Social networks (8 percent).
o Interestingly, 61 percent expect these numbers to change significantly in the next 6-12 months.
• Recession impact: 23 percent reported that their budgets have been reduced, however 51 percent have seen no change at all. For 26 percent however, their budgets have actually increased.
Parnham said: “The visitors we spoke to were generally very positive about the future of all ad delivery models – display, video, mobile and social. Interestingly around two-thirds (61 percent) were also very interested in finding out more about Rich Media capabilities which they said were really important for their advertising needs. Furthermore, analytics solutions and digital workflow were detailed as priorities on the visitor’s wish lists (27 and 22 percent respectively – multiple options available).
In conclusion, this survey reflects a positive mood within the sector – there is work and innovation in the pipeline. With this, we are about to enter a hot autumn for the new media market.”
Organisations Still Not Meeting Consumer Expectations Online
Nearly half (48 percent) of businesses are still not meeting consumer expectations when resolving issues or finding information online. As a result, 43 percent of consumers reduce business with a company and more than a third (36 percent) stop doing business with a company completely.
A consistent customer experience across multiple interaction channels is necessary to provide a positive customer experience, and given the choice, the research shows that British consumers prefer to self-serve on a company website, with more than a third (34 percent) stating that they like to look online for information about their purchases or account. Consumer desire to have information at their fingertips is ahead of emailing a company (26 percent) and calling a customer service agent (25 percent).
Despite the increasing numbers of consumers using company websites to find information, interact with the company and other customers, make purchases or, in some cases, pay bills, companies are still missing the opportunity to listen to their consumers via their sites. In fact, the study found that almost half (49 percent) of respondents felt they were not listened to when they provided feedback online.
www.rightnow.com.
Mobile broadband still crawling as misleading ‘up to’ claims continue
The latest research from Broadbandgenie.co.uk shows there has been little to no increase in average mobile broadband speeds over the last 12 months. Despite the likes of 3, Vodafone and Virgin Media all advertising ‘up to’ speeds of 7.2Mb, the average is still below 1.2Mb.
T-Mobile and Vodafone came out strongest, with average speeds around 1.2Mb, while Orange lagged behind with an average of just 0.86Mb. While O2 and 3 Mobile averaged closer to 1Mb, both showed an upward curve in average speeds from below 1Mb last August to around 1.2Mb this year, bringing them more in line with their rivals and leaving Orange with some work to do to compete.
Commenting on the results, Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling said: “It’s hard to believe the government or Ofcom hasn’t stepped in to bring these ‘up to’ speeds into line with reality.
http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk
A fifth of UK SMEs losing potential sales due to poor CRM
Nearly one in five (18%) UK small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have missed out on potential sales through poor tracking of leads, new research from business software and services provider Sage UK revealed today.
Despite having been through an extremely challenging period of low economic growth, many SMEs are still missing out on much needed sales opportunities through poor tracking of leads according to the most recent Sage UK Omnibus, which polled 1,500 SMEs from its 800,000 strong UK customer base.
While the majority of small businesses (72%) questioned believe they have a successful Customer Relationship Management (CRM) process in place, nineteen per cent (19%) still rely on recording customers’ contact details manually in a note book, and twenty per cent (21%) lack basic CRM processes for tracking sales leads and recording customer data.
CRM software tracks customer details in a central hub, and gives sales, marketing, customer service and other front-office employees vital access to customer histories to let them develop a 360 degree view of their customer base. While many experts see CRM technology playing a key role in helping companies create and maintain a strong bond with their customers, the new research found that just thirty-one per cent (31%) of SMEs use dedicated CRM software.
North American Content & Apps Revenues to Approach $10 billion by 2015, US Operators
A new study by Juniper Research estimates that revenues from mobile content and applications in North America will reach $10 billion by 2015 up from $4.0 billion in 2009 as mobile users in the region continue to migrate to smartphones.
The North American Mobile Market report, finds that despite the decline in mobile music as a result of the collapse of the ringtone market, there will be significant growth in emerging sectors in North American content and applications, such as mobile gambling and adult, as well as the more established, such as games, user generated content, and infotainment.
Meanwhile, US carriers are targeting the launch of 4G LTE networks combined with a return to tiered pricing in order to increase data revenues, while working together to make their app stores more appealing in the face of Apple’s App Store. According to report author Daniel Ashdown, “carriers are at last recognizing what developers want: the ability to publish their application across a wide variety of platforms while making those applications far more accessible to the end users.”
Other findings from the North American Mobile Report include:
• Competition in the Canadian wireless market is heating up as new carriers launch HSPA networks, with Juniper Research forecasting penetration will reach 100% in 2014
• The future of Mobile TV in North America is in streamed, rather than broadcast services, as consumers embrace on-demand viewing
• Mobile banking total transaction value to rise as North American financial institutions promote additive banking on wireless devices
A North American whitepaper, is available to download from the new Juniper Research website today. To explore additional features of the new site and to register for free whitepapers/blogs, please go to www.juniperresearch.com.
Air passengers want self-service at more steps in the journey The most comprehensive global survey ever undertaken of passenger use of air transport self-service technology has found popular demand is now reaching out into non-traditional areas of self-service as airline passengers demonstrate their increasing ease with online, kiosk and mobile phone channels.
While online booking and check-in are nearing their full potential, there is now a clear demand from the travelling public for self-service on other steps of the passenger journey including automated security checks, which are now acceptable to 70% of respondents compared to 58% in last year’s survey. Similarly, demand for automatic boarding gates is now at 70% compared to 57% last year.
Two-thirds of survey respondents would use kiosks for other purposes including booking/changing a flight; purchasing additional services (e.g. baggage fees, meals), printing bag tags; self-transfer; claiming delayed baggage.
In addition, there has been dramatic year-on-year growth in the percentage of passengers using airline websites to book hotels, up from 21% in 2009, to 38% in this year’s survey; car rental, 19% to 35%. Similar growth is being recorded in other ancillary revenue streams including purchase of travel insurance, bus and train tickets and duty free items.
The survey data is extracted from interviews with 2,490 passengers travelling on 106 airlines, conducted at the departure gates earlier this year. Main nationalities interviewed were American, 17%; Indian, 12%; Chinese, 12%; Brazilian, 11%; German, 8%; others, 23%.
Most Companies Lack Plan to Take Advantage of Cloud Computing
Only 5 percent of companies have a Cloud Computing strategy while just 20 percent have the resources internally to develop one, according to a survey of more than 140 global IT decision-makers conducted by TPI, the largest sourcing data and advisory firm in the world and a unit of Information Services Group, Inc. (ISG) (NASDAQ:III), an industry-leading information-based services company.
According to TPI, there are five reasons why organizations need to develop a strategy now to take advantage of Cloud Computing’s disruptive impact on technology:
1. The iPad Effect on Business: The enormous popularity of the iPad has not only been lucrative for Apple, it has also shown the world how the rapid adoption of Cloud Computing by consumers is putting enterprises on the spot. As executives and employees have grown enamored of the iPad and its ability to access services from the Cloud with ease, they are increasingly attempting to use them for work. To avoid the risk and confusion created by individuals going around the IT department with their own ad-hoc implementations, organizations need a plan for supporting Cloud Computing widely.
2. Need for Cost Control: While the “Great Recession” may have subsided, uncertainty about the speed and timing of an economic recovery is keeping the pressure on organizations to reduce costs and limit investments until business demand returns. TPI Research has found that the ability to more tightly manage IT spending is the number one reason clients are interested in Cloud Computing. As budgeting for 2011 begins, organizations should be preparing to leverage this disruptive technology to reduce costs and capital expenditures and align future spending with value.
3. Pricing Confusion: In theory, the Cloud Computing market is pay-as-you-go. But in practice, it can be hard to discern just what you will pay and just what you will get. Pricing and terms vary widely, and there is no standard methodology for service level agreements. The business models for public, private, hosted and hybrid solutions are all different, and figuring out the best deal for your organization will require enterprise-wide planning, research and testing, all of which takes time.
4. Changing Landscape: There has been a flood of new Cloud-based offerings coming on the market recently, while intensification in merger-and-acquisition activity has caused major shifts in the service provider community. Organizations should be thinking of their Cloud Computing strategy as a roadmap that will help them navigate this increasingly cluttered landscape and arrive at the right set of vendors and solutions for their needs.
5. Only the Beginning: Cloud Computing only works as well as an organization manages it. The key to achieving the benefits it promises is with an integrated, centralized IT Service Management (ITSM) system dedicated to demand management, capacity management and service integration. The only path to such a system is through proactive strategic thinking well in advance of implementation. Migrating a service to the Cloud is only just the beginning.
http://www.tpi.net/Hot/cloud-computing.html.
www.tpi.net.
Voice operated ‘apps’ will be the next huge growth area
Voice operated ‘apps’ for use in cars will be the next huge growth area for business software development according to Mark Mason, CEO of Mubaloo the UK’s largest smartphone application developer.
“Smartphone ‘apps’ are making business more mobile and less office bound all the time,” said Mr Mason. “Ford has released its software development kit today and Mubaloo ‘apps’ will be compatible with their SYNC voice command system. The other motor manufacturers are bound to be following suit soon.”
An IBM survey of 2,000 software design professionals in 87 counties revealed earlier this week that they expected the design of business apps to outstrip all other forms of business software development in the next five years.
“More and more drivers will find a way to use their devices and their apps while in the car,“ said Derrick Kuzak, Ford Motor Company’s Group Vice President of Global Product Development. “They can do it unsafely, or they can do it through safer voice-activated solutions such as Ford SYNC – keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.“
“Automated voice command compatibility is an impressive feature for an ‘app’,” said Mr Mason. “Ford claim that their SYNC voice command system has a lexicon of more than 10,000 words.”
Ford say that they have received more than 1,000 submissions from developers to either modify their existing apps, or create all-new ones that interface with Ford SYNC’s voice commands through AppLink.
AppLink will be available in the 2011 Fiesta and will be compatible with Android and BlackBerry smartphones. iPhone compatibility is expected to be added to the system later in the year.
Mubaloo have produced a fuel-price finder for The AA (which Apple have ranked in their Top 50 Apps), an AXAdent claims app for AXA insurance, a hotel finder for Britain’s Finest, an augmented reality app for the Carphone Warehouse. Mubaloo also produced one of this year’s most successful ’app’ for their 2010 World Cup Tracker app which achieved over 2.4 million downloads in 8 weeks.
Web poll finds adults and Kids top 100 british icons
The Queen has been named the person who makes us most proud to be British, a study reveals. The research, carried out by Littlewoods.com to mark their sponsorship of the Pride of Britain Awards, confirmed the Queen had beaten celebrities including Leona Lewis, David Beckham and Robbie Williams to take pole position.
Second place went to the late Princess Diana, who won over the public with her extensive charity work before her death in 1997.
Wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill came third, followed by Emmeline Pankhurst, who campaigned for women to have the right to vote, and actor, comedian and national treasure, Stephen Fry.
Queen Elizabeth isn’t quite as popular with the younger generation however, with almost a quarter of children under the age of 16 naming X-Factor judge Cheryl Cole as their national hero, followed by Harry Potter author, JK Rowling.
Her Majesty came third, followed by Princess Diana, despite her death happening before many of the youngsters were born, with X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke completing the top five.
For over 40 percent of adults, the fact that these iconic figures have been such great ambassadors for Britain makes them stand out from the rest, with over a third of people crediting their great achievements as the reason for their special place in British hearts.
Surprisingly, less than one in ten adults has been inspired to take part in charity work by their British idol, whereas almost a quarter of kids surveyed have taken part in good deeds to be more like theirs.
When asked which person in their everyday life they are they are most proud of, partners came out top with men, whereas women opted for their mothers.
Several sports stars featured in the poll including five-time Olympic gold medal rower Sir Steve Redgrave at 14 and England World Cup hero Bobby Moore at number 17.
However current football favourite David Beckham could only manage number 32, while popular Manchester United star Ryan Giggs came 44th.
Aside from these iconic figures, the poll undertaken by the Pride of Britain sponsors also investigated the things that make us proud to be British, with our history and heritage (57%) and stunning countryside (55%) topping this element of the poll.
The younger generation is similarly proud of the countryside, but see our sense of humour as the second most important reason to be proud of being British. Interestingly, our national sense of dress leaves one in ten adults the most proud of the nation, with double as many kids opting for this.
The results of the survey also reveal that there are thousands of people who give up their time to help others, many of them young people determined to do their bit for those less fortunate,
To recognise the selflessness of these young individuals, the Pride of Britain Awards will, this year, award someone the first ever Littlewoods.com Young Fundraiser of the Year Award, at this year’s ceremony on Monday, November 8th.
Top 50 British heroes – according to British adults1. The Queen
2. Princess Diana
3. Winston Churchill
4. Emmeline Pankhurst
5. Stephen Fry
6. JK Rowling
7. David Attenborough
8. Cheryl Cole
9. Stephen Hawking
10. Kelly Holmes
11. Judi Dench
12. Enid Blyton
13. Joanna Lumley
14. Sir Steve Redgrave
15. Helen Mirren
16. Margaret Thatcher
17. Bobby Moore
18. Charlotte Bronte
19. Alan Sugar
20. Vivienne Westwood
21. Roald Dahl
22. Billie Piper
23. Simon Cowell
24. Richard Branson
25. Andrew/Freddie Flintoff
26. Lewis Hamilton
27. Prince William
28. Keira Knightly
29. Anita Roddick
30. Alexandra Burke
31. Leona Lewis
32. David Beckham
33. Jenson Button
34. Jamie Oliver
35. Chris Hoy
36. Ian Botham
37. Stella McCartney
38. Elton John
39. Robbie Williams
40. Gary Barlow
41. Jonny Wilkinson
42. Patrick Stewart
43. Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor
44. Ryan Giggs
45. Victoria Beckham
46. Daniel Craig
47. James Dyson
48. Seb Coe
49. Zara Phillips
50. Ricky Gervais
Top 50 heroes – according to British children1. Cheryl Cole
2. JK Rowling
3. The Queen
4. Princess Diana
5. Alexandra Burke
6. Roald Dahl
7. Emmeline Pankhurst
8. Winston Churchill
9. Stephen Hawking
10. Simon Cowell
11. Enid Blyton
12. Alan Sugar
13. Billie Piper
14. Stephen Fry
15. Leona Lewis
16. Lewis Hamilton
17. Charlotte Bronte
18. Vivienne Westwood
19. Ryan Giggs
20. Margaret Thatcher
21. David Attenborough
22. Frank Lampard
23. Judi Dench
24. Jamie Oliver
25. Jenson Button
26. Chris Hoy
27. Dame Kelly Holmes
28. Joanna Lumley
29. David Beckham
30. Andy Murray
31. Anita Roddick
32. Keira Knightly
33. Rebecca Adlington
34. Helen Mirren
35. Ricky Gervais
36. Robbie Williams
37. Jonny Wilkinson
38. Zara Phillips
39. Amir Khan
40. Andrew/Freddie Flintoff
41. David Cameron
42. Prince William
43. Daniel Craig
44. Gary Barlow
45. Gordon Ramsay
46. Sir Bobby Moore
47. Stella McCartney
48. Patrick Stewart
49. Victoria Beckham
50. Jessica Ennis
Source: www.Littlewoods.com