Comment on Big Four Trends

Some experts say if you aren’t engaging online, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to gain new customers and fans who will effectively market for you if given enough reason. Businesses must jump online or risk being left behind by the competition.

Big One: Social Media

Facebook and Twitter were the standout social networks from 2010, and their popularity will surge in 2011 with both introducing new features, including paid accounts for business.

Businesses need to pay attention to the trends on these sites. Creating a social media strategy is no longer optional, it is vital to the health of a company and its ability to tap into an online user-base.

Big Two: Mobile web

Every web-savvy business knows smartphone use is on the rise. But few are actively developing for mobiles by creating websites specifically used for handheld devices.

As more and more mobile users flock to gadgets with larger touchscreens and internet browsers, such as the iPhone or Google Nexus One, the mobile space will become bigger and SMEs need to get on board. If your website isn’t accessible through a smartphone or app, users will give up and go somewhere else – losing you traffic and potential sales.

Big Three: SEO

Using search engine algorithms in order to get your site on “page one” has been a tactic used by online businesses for years. But SEO experts say the process of getting a website known will become even harder in 2010 with the rise of personalised and real-time search. Those social media sites, such as Tweet, will have greater impact to how websites are listed. 

Big Four: Online retail

Online spending has grown from 1% to 3% of overall spending over the last 10 years, compared to the American equivalent of 7%. Increasing in competition online, businesses start to realise they cannot operate without an eCommerce offering.

Traditional banking goes online!

Last week, I blogged about ANZ's Max Bourke.

SO I became curious of what all these banks gotta do with online!

I found that contrary to the Internet participation rate of 84% has remained fairly stable in 2009, the graph above points out behaviour of consumers to media have changed greatly; the hours spent on internet has increased impressively from 16.6 to 18.3 hours, more than any media. The gap difference in usage between the city and rural has shrunk to only 3%.

I also found banking is the second most regularly conducted activities online – 76%, increased 4 percent points from 2009 and had been increasing every year since 2005. The highest growth for online services in 2010 is also expected to be banking.

Technology has made the world smaller while this has expanded the digital marketing landscape opportunity for businesses. Digital trends have greatly affected the transformation of traditional business like banking toward online operations. To ensure survival in 21^st century, digital marketing is no longer an option.

Today's bank has conducted their promotion through Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or even blog! It will be interesting where technology will take this traditional business to. In the future, we could barely see face of any real person bankers as they all may have become robot operating all transaction online.

When my friend turns out to be my debt collector!!!

Imagine one of your friend in Facebook turns out to be your debt collector spying on you!

ANZ debt collectors, including a staff member in management, were behind the creation of a fake Facebook profile they used to try to get information from bad credit customers.

The Age revealed that Melbourne collections staff had created the false persona, named ''Max Bourke'', on the social networking site in order to find people with outstanding personal loans and credit card debt. Max, with 81 friends, was made to look like a real person - it included a photo of a man running on a beach and listed his hobbies as football and poker but failed to mention ANZ. Through this fake profile, they observe their borrowers' activities and daily life as part of their analysis.

What do you think about this ANZ's strategy? To me, creativity is essential for business success, however within limit! Allowing business to use what people value as relationship and turns it into $, treating human as a number of their profit, is it ethical?

Sued! Google, stand in 10 years!?

Google convicted of defaming French user 'by linking his name to rape in searches'

A convicted man, after three-years imprisoned, discovered his name was linked by the search function to the phrases, including "rapist", "satanist", "rape," and "prison".

The court ruled the man had been defamed because he is considered innocent under French law until all of his appeals have been exhausted. The ruling confirmed the search function was not illegal. However, it was ordered to pay damages to the man after he sued for libel 5,000 euros (£4254) in costs. As well, Google was ordered to remove the "harmful" suggestions from the search and adopt measures to prevent it from reoccurring.

It is believed Google has been facing enormous numbers of lawsuits worldwide. The industry involved online has grown massively during the past years along with more regulations in this fast-moving modern age. Will Google sustain its leader position or even its survival in the next 10 years?

Computing in the Cloud?

Cloud computing, a radical new business model that purports to slash technology costs by up to 80%?

Two years ago “cloud computing” was viewed by many businesses as a buzzword with no particular meaning, used by tech-heads who didn’t quite know what they were talking about.

Now, using cloud services has become an essential for businesses. Whether they are backing up their data or using a piece of software hosted on external servers, cloud computing is now a part of everyday operations for many SMEs.

Cloud services have branched out into three main categories: applications, also known, infrastructure, used for data backups, and internal service providers for businesses with customised apps and programs.

Analyst recently named cloud computing as one of the top strategic technologies for 2010, saying it could be exploited in a number of different ways to customise programs and apps to a particular company’s needs. 

“Using cloud resources does not eliminate the costs of IT solutions, but does rearrange some and reduce others. In addition, consuming cloud services enterprises will increasingly act as cloud providers and deliver application, information or business process services to customers and business partners.”


Should Monash University adopt this new technology?

Should Monash go buzz!?

typically,

users use Facebook to view photos and interact with each other;

users use Youtube to share their video;

users use Twitter to follow news;

users use Blog to tell their stories.

Imagine Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Blog are all in one! With this imagination, Google has created its Google Buzz in the form of "Synergetic e-marketing tool." Creating interactive channel is so important in this era; and if Monash is looking for one, why not Google Buzz?

In fact, Google Buzz proved to be failure in a wider community due to people commitment to existing channels. However in smaller scale community, Buzz may work. Since Monash email is already serviced by Google, extending its line to Buzz can be easy and effective. Monash can integrate their communications with students in a much more attractive way. This videos show how!

  

One important aspect to Monash, however, is reputation management. Monash is a formal educational institution. Social media must add value to their image, not destroy. An example is Domino’s Pizza when it landed itself into trouble when two employees posted a video of themselves handling food unhygienically on the internet. Thus, auditing, monitoring and analysing social media platforms along with risk mitigation strategies will become standard fare for Monash to protect and enhance their brand on social media platforms.

Best job in the world (Thailand)

You may have heard about the “best job in the world,” tourism campaign in Queensland. How about best job in the world (Thailand) – known as the “9 challengers.”

This guy, named Tan, seen in the video is known the best man in Thailand and is now recruiting people to work with him in his new company! He believes in the employees of the future and emphasizes the procedure only to take place online via facebook. The participants must upload video presenting themselves in any ways they like with maximum of 2 minutes.

After 3 weeks, the total video uploaded was almost 2,000 clips, beyond expectation of Thai culture where people hardly access internet. This has changed people attitude toward digital marketing and his strategy is called “new world” strategy which shocked marketing industry in this old tradition country.

Of course, only 9 people get the job and benefit from this campaign. However I consider Tan the 10^th person and who benefit the most as he gained distinctive public relation and popularity through his facebook page. After this campaign, the total like went from 41,356 to 64,594 in just 3 weeks with higher rate of involvement on his page. His creativity combining with a great mix of marketing strategy is the key to his success. This has been a wake up call for many businesses in Thailand to get their asses online!

Synergy / Integrated: Lynx

 Extended from my previous blog “turn marketing ON, hot!,” not only Lynx is one of the very few companies that successfully use sex image as the figure of the brand, its communication was so effective that its campaign became “talk of the town” in just a slap of finger after its launch! The question is what was their strategy?

The answer is its creative concept supported by widely integrated marketing communications – synergy.

Lynx concept is to elevate sex image to be even more tangible, to a whole new level beyond anyone can imagine: a team of models walk along in the city to give out brochure or the dream airline of all men.

Even though, its campaign “Lynx Jet” didn’t make to runway, but it was successful in term of creating customer awareness, leading people to question what in the world Lynx does? Its communication strategy of having many channels (print, direct marketing, etc.) working together produces a result not obtainable by any of the agents independently

(1+1 > 2).

Now Lynx is back even hotter and sexier with its new campaign “Lynx Lodge.” After its success with Lynx Jet, its current aim is to put customers in action – to boost sales. Lynx attracts its customer to, what it called,“ultimate man-cation destination” (activities include mud wrestling and games of Twister). By purchasing the products and send the numbers for lucky drawn, the winner will get to stay at the resort with seven friends.

While many men have expressed excitement at the idea on the company's Facebook page, not everyone is thrilled, with some criticising it as “sexist” and being marketed like a “brothel”.

Linkjacker also said on YouTube: “I'm sorry. No matter how you package it, it still looks like a brothel in a country holiday camp type environment.”

Matt Southern said on the Lynx Lodge’s Facebook page: “Get laid back? Really? Get laid. Implying something Lynx? Cheap marketing ploy.”

turn marketing ON, hot!

Yesterday, I found one blog quite stimulating called “sex-tea viral marketing” by Teacup 2.0. His first comment shows that it is our human nature to be curious about sex; see how true this is:

“Once in any man’s life, he must have searched the word “porn” online; 9 out of 10 children, ages 11-16, had viewed pornography on the internet… men.”

We're surrounded by advertisements that desperately compete for our attention. Sex is a very powerful marketing tool especially in social media, effective in viral marketing. Using it appropriately and creatively could create massive word-of-mouth through online channel while misusing it could create a nightmare for that brand.

Research has shown that people attention is drawn to something with round shapes or things that are pointing out! See it yourself with Diesel! “Unfortunately we sell jeans” campaign

However, too much creativity could destroy the dream of men! Lynx Jet campaign was greatly successful but was later banned.

It is thus important to avoid that, the sexual content in advertising must be appropriate to the product category and have a proper underlying message.  

Many big brands want to play safe (otherwise, could destroy brand image and any regulation related cost) while able to maintain creativity; A classic example by one of the most successful company – Heineken. "It's All About the Beer" campaign.

The sexual content is implicit, yet direct. The sexual reference in this and other spots in the campaign worked, causing sales to rise to 13% in just one quarter.

So SEX always sell?

Sex sells, yes, but only when used "in good taste." As marketers we must think not only in getting customers' attention for the short term, but also in building a brand reputation that will yield long-term results.

Remember! A pair of long legs on a billboard is more likely to catch (and hold) a guy's attention than a puppy, regardless of how cute it may be )))

testing

hello peter wag

E-marketing.. a Vegemite?

Sure does internet makes our lives easy! We could search news in a slap of fingers, connect people in just seconds! Facebook, for example; if the world we live in is life number “1”, we could consider a life in Facebook number “2”! (on average, people spend over 20 hours per week of their lives in front of the computer)

However, under those activities, we unconsciously being exposed to hundreds of media on internet a day! Advertisement everywhere, Promotion everywhere, Spam everywhere! It is like a person being forced to eat Vegemite regardless they want it or not!

This has gone too far and increasing without limit and has disrupted our human mind and values. Of course, people could accept or reject their usage of internet; but in today lives, internet is essential as another body part of 21st century human being and E-marketing is like the tumor of this new part.

Should we allow the marketers to spread Vegemite all over us? Or say no!? your choice.