Archive for the ‘Internet/New Media’ Category
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
As Facebook heads toward what may be the most anticipated initial public offering ever, Socialbakers, a social media analytics firm, says the 900-million-plus member Facebook platform helps big brands penetrate emerging global markets.
Socialbakers’ analysis not only highlights the social network’s exploding international reach but also how the world’s biggest brands are tapping into the social economy to build international momentum.
The data examines the Engagement Rate (ER) of brands—a clear measure of brand engagement—in the top 10 countries with the largest Facebook user base.
“Facebook is clearly giving social-savvy companies unprecedented access to build dynamic relationships and grow revenue in key markets,” said Socialbakers CEO Jan Rezab.
“It can be incredibly time-consuming and difficult to go to market in new regions with a localized website or microsite, even for some of the world’s biggest companies. And even then, you’ve still got a static presence that fails to truly engage your target audience. Facebook eliminates that barrier to entry by providing a well-entrenched and steadily-growing platform.”
Kraft Tops the List of Fastest Moving Brands
Three of the top five Fastest Moving Global Brands come from the Kraft family. The company’s Halls, Trident and Chiclets lines made major gains over the past year, boosted by strong audience engagement in Brazil (the second-largest Facebook audience). L’Oreal Paris Brazil and AXE Indonesia (Unilever) round out the Top Five.
Consumer Goods Win Big Around the World
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPGs) have emerged as industry leaders on the global scale, with half of the Top 10 Fastest Movers falling into this category.
CPGs also dominate in key growth markets. In Brazil, the most engaged brands are CPGs, and in the United Kingdom, Cadbury Creme Egg and Cadbury Wispa rank in the top two. In France, M&Ms boasts the highest engagement rate of any brand in the nation.
“CPGs have historically been early adopters of social media in well-saturated markets,” Rezab said. “So it only makes sense that they leverage this strategy to dominate in these high-growth markets as well.”
Mobile/Telecom Move the Needle in Emerging Markets
Mobile brands have also made big moves among the top 10 Countries, as well as in some smaller, yet highly engaged markets.
As the proliferation of mobile devices continues to permeate virtually every corner of the globe, carriers and device manufacturers are leveraging this momentum to engage audiences and expand their reach.
BlackBerry, which has fallen behind the pack in the U.S. mobile market, is among the top three brands in Mexico and Indonesia. Samsung and Nokia top the leaderboard in Turkey and Mexico, while regional player Vodafone has by far more fans and higher engagement than any other brand in India.
Fan Engagement Highest Among Emerging Markets
It’s no surprise that, among the top 10 brands, the overwhelming majority of Facebook fans hail from the U.S.
However, fans in emerging markets are much more actively engaged—a metric that proves to be very valuable in gaining international traction. Indonesia, Mexico and the Philippines rank in the top three in Engagement Rate.
Meanwhile, four of the top five Fastest Moving Brands saw their biggest gains in the booming market of Brazil.
“Engagement is the core of the social economy—people buy what their friends buy and recommend,” Rezab said.
“Simply having a lot of fans isn’t the answer to building a strong social economy presence—they must be active. Growing that engagement and viral reach is the key to success, especially in international markets.”
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Tags: big brands, Brazil, Coca Cola, Converese, emerging markets, facebook, France, Halls, India, infographic, IPO, Kraft, L'Oreal, Mexico, Nokia, Oreo, Phillipines, Red Bull, RXE, Socialbakers, Sony, Trident, Tuyrkey, U.S., UK
Posted in Analytics, Best Practices, Facebook, infographic, Internet/New Media, Marketing, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Monday, May 14th, 2012
By Allan Maurer
 With the StoryMark mobile app, you can take a photo of your child's birthday party and add sound of everyone singing happy birthday. How can you make a still photograph shot on a smartphone tell more of a story? Add sound. That’s the idea behind Atlanta-based StoryMark’s mobile app, currently available for the iPhone with an Android version not far behind.
Taking and sharing photos is big business, as Instagram’s billion-dollar sale to Facebook makes plain. InfoTrends reports that more than 11 billion photos were taken with mobile devices and shared online in 2010 with expectations that number will double by 2015 across social networks.
But unless you shoot video, the pictures are silent. StoryMark’s mobile app gives them a voice without requiring the fatter video files.
We interviewed StoryMark founder and President Dale McIntyre following the firm’s appearance at TechMedia’s Digital Summit in Atlanta May 9-10, where McIntire says they handed out 600 cards printed for the event in less than six hours.
Hot conference experience
“We ran out because it was such an active conference. There were people from all sorts of companies. Developers, entrepreneurs, venture funds, CEOs, marketers. We made a lot of good contacts and I would recommend the conference to anyone, anytime.” (TechMedia’s next two events are Digital East in DC in October and The Internet Summit in Raleigh in November.)
McIntyre says his four-person company, funded by private investors, expects to seek additional funding in the future.
Currently, it is giving away the first version of its StoryMark app in the Apple iTunes store, but the firm will be adding features to monetize it soon.
The app allows users to shoot a photo and then add sound, which it marries together. “Often people shoot video just to get the sound,” McIntyre says.
The company developed the app the hard way, he notes, creating specific code for each phone rather than storing it on an Internet server. That’s so users don’t have to store their personal photos on an Internet server.
A basic, simple idea
 Dale McIntyre “It’s a basic, simple idea,” McIntyre says. “You take a photo and add up to 30 seconds of audio. That’s enough time to tell a good story. We wanted to keep the files a good size for email and texting. The file is about the same size as the original image from an iPhone and everyone is used to emailing those.”
Once recorded, the app marries the audio and image, which can then be shared on social networks or saved to the user’s iPhone library.
“People are finding all sorts of ways to use it,” McIntyre says. “To capture their kids’ voices, or grandmom telling stories about her old photos, bloggers sharing travel and dining experiences, doctors, real estate agents.”
McIntyre says he feels two ways about the Instagram sale.
“It’s good for the industry overall,” he says. “It shows the tech industry that apps can take off and become worth a lot. It pushes companies to take technology to the next level. Mobile apps is definitely where people are going.”
But there is a downside, he adds. “There is a lot of pressure if everyone thinks your company can do the same thing. Those things are wildly unique and that’s not what you should be shooting for. You should shoot for a company with a solid product.”
McIntyre says the company will be looking for additional funding down the road and at present plans to stay in Atlanta.”
“It’s a great place for tech companies with no end of talent to select from,” he adds.
Tags: Android, Atlanta, Dale McIntire, Instagram, iTunes store, mobile, pictures with a voice, smartphone apps, StoryMark
Posted in Events, Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, smartphones, social media, Startups, Telecommunications | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 14th, 2012
 CHICAGO – SilkRoad, a provider of social talent management solutions, has completed a $35 million Series C financing round.
New investors include Keating Capital (Nasdaq: KIPO) and NTT Finance (NYSE: NTT). Existing investors including Intel Capital, Crosslink Capital, Foundation Capital, Azure Capital and Tenaya Capital, amongst others, invested in the oversubscribed round.
This new funding will support worldwide expansion and product innovation in preparation for a potential 2012-2013 initial public offering. The company has raised a total of $129 million.
Global human capital management (HCM) spending is expected to hit $8.1 billion by 2015, according to IDC. ’
Additionally, the recent wave of acquired talent management companies is further proof of the significant market opportunity expected. As the economy continues to recover, HCM will continue to be one of the hottest areas for IT spending.
Tags: Chicago, Human resources, SilkRoad, software, talent management, venture funding
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Money, venture capital report | No Comments »
Monday, May 14th, 2012
 If you’re looking for professional networking results, job opportunities, or business introductions, you’re much better off spending your time on LinkedIn than on Facebook. So says OnlineCollege.org, which cites 20 reasons for spending more time on LinkedIn than on Facebook.
They include these reasons:
LinkedIn is professional to the core and was created for professional networking.
It is a great place to gain expert status and credibility.
It represents a more targeted audience.
LinkedIn users have a sense of purpose. You’re more likely to get recommendations on LinkedIn, and you may actually get hired there.
Here’s an infographic outlining differences between the two social networks:
Tags: Best Practices, infographic, job hunting, LInkedin vs. Facebook, onlinecollege.org, social networking, tech life/culture
Posted in Best Practices, Business advice, Internet/New Media, social media, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Monday, May 14th, 2012
 How do you feel about paying state sales taxes on Internet purchases? With cash-strapped states increasingly aggressive about trying to collect sales taxes from online retailers such as Amazon, the issue may not be solved until Congress steps in and clarifies matters.
An overwhelming 86% of respondents to a national survey by the the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) feel it would be far easier to pay sales tax on online purchases at the point-of-purchase.
The survey was conducted on the heels of the 2011 tax season to gauge consumer sentiment about online sales and use tax collection.
Trouble for startups
The issue even caused some troubles for startups that depended on affiliate relationships with Amazon for a considerable part of their income or for early stage revenue important in getting investors. Amazon dropped its affiliates in states such as North Carolina, which said their presence was enough to legally establish “nexus.”
Nexus is the physical presence of a company in a state that allows the state to collect sales taxes.
ICSC strongly supports two bills currently under consideration in Congress – Marketplace Fairness Act and Marketplace Equity Act – which are designed to save consumers the burden of self-reporting use taxes and to level the playing field for all retailers.
“The results of this study demonstrate that consumers are aware of our outdated sales tax system and they support a tax policy that benefits both their retail habits and embraces 21st century commerce,” said Michael Kercheval, president and CEO of ICSC.
“The bills will require online retailers to collect sales tax when a purchase is made, the same way our community retailers do. Consumers stand to benefit greatly by not having to file a year’s worth of online purchases during tax season.”
The ICSC study resulted identified a number of key findings, including:
- 86% of consumers feel it would be easier to pay sales tax on online purchases at the point-of-purchase rather than at the end-of-the-year on their tax forms, as is the current system.
- 61% of respondents in states that collect sales tax understand that they are required to pay state sales or use tax on online purchases if not collected by the vendor when they file their state income tax.
- 56% of consumers support the Congressional effort to require online retailers to collect sales tax at the point-of-purchase.
“Consumers across the nation understand that this is not a new tax,” said Betsy Laird, senior vice president of global public policy.
“When they shop online they do not want the hassle of having to save all receipts, calculate the appropriate tax due and file it directly with the state. They would rather have the sales tax collected whenever they make a purchase,” added Laird.
Tags: Amazon, ICSC, International Council of Shopping Centers, online purchases, state sales taxes
Posted in Internet/New Media, Legal, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 14th, 2012
 Mobility, enterprise computing and consumer electronics companies in the high-tech industry are being heavily impacted by a new business model called “superstacks,” according to new Accenture (NYSE: ACN) research.
Accenture defines a superstack as a more extensive and cohesive integration of operating systems, semiconductor chips, devices, applications and end-user services than the industry has traditionally achieved.
The research also revealed that the primary driver of superstacks will be the mobility market, particularly in the smartphone arena where superstack-based products have already been made commercially available. The research also found that more mergers and acquisitions will occur as superstacks continue to coalesce in the digital ecosystem.
“Fueling new business models in healthcare, financial services and retail, mobility is by far the most powerful and biggest game-changer creating the need for superstacks”
The research findings, based on interviews with high-tech executives globally and interactions with clients, are summarized in a new report, Competing in a High-Tech Industry “Superstack.”
The research examined whether industry executives were aware of the superstack trend and its impact on their businesses, such as smartphones and tablets (mobility), data centers and the cloud (enterprise computing), and the digital home (consumer electronics).
The new report summarizes results of phone interviews with 30 executives of large high-tech companies including chief executive officers and vice presidents of strategy and business units. An overwhelming majority (83 percent) of the respondents said they have been or are being impacted by superstacks.
Seventy-one percent said they have formalized their superstack strategies and set priorities such as owning critical intellectual property assets, fostering collaborative cultures across the stack, and managing strategic initiatives. Virtually all (96 percent) said superstacks bring their companies more opportunities than threats.
“Competing in the superstack arena is a matter of survival as the high-tech industry moves full-throttle in this direction,” said Mitch Cline, managing director of Accenture’s Electronics & High-Tech business. “Some high-tech sectors are already there, such as mobile handsets, digital media services and connected TVs. Other sectors may take longer to adapt because they’re not as far along in this superstack evolution.”
Mobility expected to have large financial impact
When survey participants were asked which industry forces they expect would have the biggest financial impacts on the high-tech industry over the next three years, more than two-thirds (70 percent) cited mobility.
Cloud computing and consumerization of IT in enterprises followed with 50 and 43 percent, respectively.
“Fueling new business models in healthcare, financial services and retail, mobility is by far the most powerful and biggest game-changer creating the need for superstacks,” Cline added. “With mobility superstack battles now spreading to enterprise and consumer markets, the implications are profound for all high-tech players.”
When asked to speculate on a superstack strategy for the next few years, more than three-fourths (77 percent) of survey respondents said they would anticipate an increase in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. Participants were asked to give their top three reasons for pursuing such M&A transactions as part of their superstack strategies during the next two to three years. Half cited acquisition of intellectual property; the same percentage pointed to R&D to accelerate product deliveries. Forty-three percent specified gaining access to more talent, employees and expertise. More than one-third (37 percent) of respondents cited expanding product portfolios into new services.
“The superstack trend will prompt an intense burst in M&A activity and greater competition on multiple levels, especially in acquiring intellectual property and talent,” Cline added.
“Winners will have tightly integrated, highly effective superstacks leveraging operating systems – the heart of superstacks – and delivering services and content to users seamlessly and securely. Superstack winners will excel at coordinating with other companies and disseminating research and development capital across superstacks.”
Tags: Accenture, consumer electronics, mobility market, superstacks
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Friday, May 11th, 2012
 A new report from the Pew Internet in American Life Project finds that 74% of smartphone owners use their phone to get real-time location-based information, and 18% use a geosocial service to “check in” to certain locations or share their location with friends.
Over the past year, smartphone ownership among American adults has risen from 35% of adults in 2011 to 46% in 2012. This means that the overall proportion of U.S. adults who get location-based information has almost doubled over that time period, from 23% in May 2011 to 41% in February 2012. The percentage of adults who use geosocial services like Foursquare has likewise risen from 4% in 2011 to 10% in 2012.
Meanwhile, more smartphone owners are using geosocial services like Foursquare or Gowalla1 to “check in” to certain places and share their location with friends. Some 18% of smartphone owners use geosocial services on their phones, up from 12% in 2011. This translates to 10% of all adults as of February 2012, up from 4% in May 2011.
Some 75% of smartphone owners use at least one of these services, as shown in the following table. Not surprisingly, nearly all of the smartphone owners who use geosocial services (93%) also report getting location-based directions and information.
Among smartphone owners, younger adults are more likely than older adults to use both location-based information services and geosocial “check-in” services. However, while smartphone owners in lower-income households are less likely2 to use location-based information services, they are more likely to use geosocial services like Foursquare.
Tags: analytics, demographics, geosocial servcies, location based information, mobile, Pew Internet in American Life Project, smartphones, tech life/culture
Posted in Analytics, Internet/New Media, Mobile, smartphones, social media, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Friday, May 11th, 2012
 Are you playing social online games less? Or do you see fewer new people playing?
Online social gaming has become a major moneymaker and is going to continue to grow, though the rate of growth is slowing considerably, according to a new national consumer study by Frank N. Magid Associates conducted in late March of 2012.
The research, conducted as part of the Magid Media Futures 2012 study, found social network gaming user growth has slowed in the United States.
About two in five (38%) social network users, up slightly from 36% in ’11, say they regularly play games on social networks.
Social gaming decreases among primary demographic
Social network gaming has decreased among its primary demographic, females age 12-44, with less than 43% of users age 12-17 (down from 54% in 2011) and about 36% of users 25-44 (down from 40% in 2011) reporting playing on a weekly basis.
However, there have been substantial increases in older age groups playing social games online, including males age 45-54 (up 15% from 2011) and 55-64 (up 9% from 2011), and females 45-54 (up 9% from 2011) and 55-64 (up 10% from 2011).
Some plan to spend less
The Magid study also reports that consumers playing social network games say they will decrease the amount of money they spend on such games over the next 12 months. The average social network gamer who spends money on these games indicates that they are spending $51 vs. $78 last year on average.
This year 34% of gamers say they are planning to spend less on social games in the next year vs. 22% who say they will spend more.
Consumers who play games on video game consoles indicate they expect to increase their spending on console games. One area expected to see an increase in spending in particular is Downloadable Content (DLC) for gaming consoles.
A third of console gamers (33%) say they have bought DLC in the past with the average DLC consumer currently spending about $50per year. Spending is expected to grow in the next year to 45% of gamers. This percentage includes those individuals who have not bought DLC in the past but plan on buying in the near future.
In order to buy DLC a gamer needs to have a console that is connected to the Internet. More than two-thirds of Xbox and PlayStation gamers in the U.S. go online multiple times a week using their console.
Non-gaming a third of game console use
Non-gaming activities now account for about a third of all time spent online on a connected console among those gamers. According to console gamers, online access is driving more spending and playing on their console.
Online play has shown no signs of slowing; in fact online console player penetration is likely to grow by 10% or more next year as more console players are connecting for the first time.
Additionally, consumers clearly want cross-platform connectivity, with more than half of Xbox and PS3 owners wanting access to their game networks via their mobile phones.
Tags: consoles, consuemr study, Frank N. Magid Associates, online social game growth, spending
Posted in Facebook, games, Internet/New Media, social media, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Friday, May 11th, 2012
 Retailers increasingly understand the need to make the store more relevant for today’s smarter, better-informed customers, but vast differences in how they plan on acting on that need, according to ”The 2012 Retail Store: In Transition” from Retail Systems Research.
The research is available for free download.
“In-store technologies are critical to improving the customer experience,” said Paula Rosenblum, Managing Partner at RSR. “This year we see dramatic differences between those whose sales are already strong (“Retail Winners”) and their underperforming counterparts (“Laggards”).
Retail Winners are far more interested in improving their in-store workforce; laggards look to in-store technologies to win new customers, but seem challenged to understand exactly how that will occur. It’s a tremendous difference.”
Key Findings include:
- Mega retailers (over $5 billion in annual sales) cite the ability to educate and empower their in-store employees via technology as a top-three opportunity. To them, it has become fundamental to staying relevant.
- The largest retailers have an increased appetite for technologies which allow them to locate and sell inventory from anywhere in their company; as retailer size increases, so does the need to treat inventory as a shared resource: using stores as distribution centers, and online inventory for in-store fulfillment.
- The lack of a wireless infrastructure on the selling floor in more than half of respondents’ stores is the single biggest inhibitor to improving the in-store experience.
- Because consumer behavior is becoming harder to predict, retailers are carrying less inventory in-stores; an increasing number of retailers report products being out-of-stock as a problem.
Tags: locate & sell inventory, Retail Systems Research, technology, The 2012 Retail Store in Transition, workforce education
Posted in Digital Devices, Internet/New Media, IT, Marketing, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Friday, May 11th, 2012
 Cable operators are rushing to push content and services to a wide range of consumer devices, including iPads and smartphones, but the lack of management software to track and coordinate delivery platforms will cause some MSOs considerable pain, according to the latest report from Heavy Reading Cable Industry Insider, a subscription research service from Heavy Reading.
Cable’s Tablet Habit Will Lead to a Management Headache identifies and analyzes the technology implications of pushing IP video services to more end-user devices, focusing on the management challenges posed by multi-screen services.
“As multi-screen options proliferate with more devices and content, the challenges will multiply,” notes Craig Leddy, research analyst with Heavy Reading Cable Industry Insider and author of the report.
“Cable increasingly will need comprehensive solutions that manage the wide variety of unique characteristics of each distribution avenue and device platform.”
Although the need for more robust management platforms is becoming more evident, cable operators have been far from aggressive in deploying those platforms up to now, Leddy says.
“For cable operators, handling all these pieces is like putting together a gigantic jigsaw puzzle,” he explains. “However, MSO adoption of management solutions is lagging the pace of their multi-screen deployments.”
Key findings of Cable’s Tablet Habit Will Lead to a Management Headache include the following:
- Serving multiple screens increases requirements to manage multiple formats, entitlements, DRMs, business polices and subscriber support.
- Multi-screen content and device requirements will continue to multiply and fragment in the marketplace.
- Cable needs software solutions to manage the content and device criteria and ensure quality of experience for customers.
- Suppliers are offering various management solutions, but MSO adoption does not appear to be keeping pace with the flood of multi-screen criteria.
- MSOs need a holistic approach to managing multi-screen services, which will help prepare them for all-IP service delivery.
- For a list of companies covered in this report, http://img.lightreading.com/cii/pdf/cii0512_companies.pdf
Tags: cable operators, digital devices, Heavy Reading, Industry Insider, management software, tablets
Posted in Digital Devices, Internet/New Media, IT, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Friday, May 11th, 2012
 The last 12 months have seen a huge 202% increase in mobile web traffic with more than one in ten consumers now using their Smartphones to access the web and a further 3.5% of all visits arriving through a Tablet device.
So says Latitude Digital Marketing, the digital arm of direct marketing business Callcredit Information Group, in its quarterly Mobile Report which provides indepth marketing analysis of the rapid developments in Mobile and Tablet web consumption and behaviour.
The growth of mobile web and the associated usage trends indicate that consumers are adopting a four-screen approach to content consumption. TV, PC, Smartphone and Tablet are used in sequence, with time and location being key factors determining which screens take priority. The iPhone dominates the ‘mobile screen wars’ with huge 70% of all mobile visits now arriving via an iPhone device, followed by 24% of consumers using an Android device to access the mobile web.
“The first quarter saw the fastest growth in mobile web traffic to date”, commented Alex Hoye, CEO of Latitude. “Yes – mobile is growing rapidly, but what is even more exciting is the way consumers are using and engaging with Mobile and Tablet devices. There’s a huge difference in the way PCs, Tablet and Mobile are being used to access the web, ranging from the solidary, task-based user experience of the PC to the localised, personal browsing experience of the Mobile. Both Mobile and Tablet Cost-Per-Click rates are still lower than desktop, creating fantastic mobile marketing opportunities for advertisers to acquire high quality traffic at a reduced rate. In the customer acquisition process it is crucial that advertisers also think about messaging that is relevant and consistent throughout the different devices.
Tags: Android, iPhone, Latitude, mobile web traffic
Posted in Internet/New Media, Mobile, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
 The majority of consumers believe video games should encourage physical activity and that “physically active” video games can complement traditional exercise, according to a new survey released today by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH).
“UnitedHealth Group’s survey shows that consumers are looking for ways to combine physical activity with entertainment for the whole family through video game devices like Microsoft Kinect for XBOX 360.”
The survey of 1,015 adults, age 18 or older, found that nearly 75 percent of respondents believe that video games should include a component that encourages physical activity.
Also, 70 percent said that physically active video games – defined in the survey as video games that require body movements to control the activity on the screen – can complement or supplement traditional exercise.
More than half (54 percent) said that physically active video games would encourage them to be more active, while 60 percent of survey respondents with children in the household said children should be encouraged to play physically active video games as a complement to traditional exercise.
“Even as we continue to study the clinical impact of video games on health, this survey shows that there is a real interest among consumers in games that promote at least some physical activity,” said Richard Migliori, M.D., executive vice president of health services at UnitedHealth Group.
“We believe that the intersection of health and video gaming holds enormous potential benefit for individuals, families and the entire health care system, and we are continuing to explore ways to make this a reality for consumers.”
“As a physician, I believe people of all ages and abilities can benefit from some sort of physical activity, and when it comes to video games, I’m thrilled to see people getting up off the couch and enjoying video game play and competition that exercises their heart, lungs, extremities and mind,” said Bill Crounse, M.D., Microsoft’s senior director of worldwide health.
“UnitedHealth Group’s survey shows that consumers are looking for ways to combine physical activity with entertainment for the whole family through video game devices like Microsoft Kinect for XBOX 360.”
Tags: consumer sentiment, M.D, physical activity, Richard Migliori, survey, tech life/culture, UnitedHealth Group, video games
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
 Physicians’ device and digital media adoption are evolving much faster than anticipated, especially when it comes to tablets, according to the new Taking the Pulse® U.S. 2012 study from healthcare market research and advisory firm Manhattan Research.
The study surveyed 3,015 U.S. practicing physicians online in Q1 2012 across more than 25 specialties.
Key findings from the Taking the Pulse U.S. 2012 study include:
- Tablets, mostly iPads, are mainstream: Physician tablet adoption for professional purposes almost doubled since 2011, reaching 62 percent in 2012, with the iPad being the dominant platform. Furthermore, one-half of tablet-owning physicians have used their device at the point-of-care.
- More screens, more access: Physicians with three screens (tablets, smartphones and desktops/laptops) spend more time online on each device and go online more often during the workday than physicians with one or two screens.
- Physician-only social networks stagnant: Adoption of physician-only social networks remained flat between 2011 and 2012. Additionally, the study found that physicians reach out more frequently to and are more influenced by colleagues they formed relationships with at school or at work than peers who they first connected with online.
- Online video widely used: More than two-thirds of physicians use video to learn and keep up-to-date with clinical information.
“Physicians are evolving in ways we expected – only faster,” said Monique Levy, Vice President of Research at Manhattan Research. “The skyrocketing adoption rates of tablets alone, especially iPads, means healthcare stakeholders should revisit many of their assumptions about reaching and engaging with this audience.”
Tags: Devices, iPad, Manhattan Research, online video, physicians & digital media, social networks, study, tablets
Posted in Apple, Digital Devices, Internet/New Media, social media, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
 Social media technologies have re-shaped how we interact. But do they help salespeople sell?
Not according to the results of two surveys presented at the 2012 annual convention of the Southwestern Psychological Association in Oklahoma, City.
The surveys found that sales people vastly prefer tradition methods of contact such as the telephone and face-to-face meetings.
The surveys, reported by behavioral scientists, Trelitha R. Bryant and George W. Dudley at Behavioral Sciences Research Press in Dallas, Texas, were presented April 13, 2012.
Bryant and Dudley asked 4,768 salespeople (67% men, 33% women, average age 40) in more than 1,000 U.S. companies which form of client communication is most helpful for generating new sales.
The salespeople were surveyed as part of a standard assessment protocol for sales professionals which included the Sales Preference Questionnaire (SPQ*GOLD), a psychological test used worldwide to detect emotional discomfort associated with prospecting for new business.
Face to face & telephone preferred
Almost 70% said established forms of communication (face-to-face and telephone contact) were most helpful generating new sales.
Only 10% claimed email was most effective and less than 10% said other forms of computer-mediated communication were most effective. Results were not age-related.
“Further analyses uncovered another relationship,” Dudley said.
“Salespeople claiming social media is most effective might be struggling with sales call reluctance, an emotional impediment to production characterized by apprehension, conflict, hesitation or avoidance specifically associated with sales prospecting.
“They had elevated prospecting distress scores on eleven of the twelve forms of sales call reluctance measured by the test.”
Follow-up study confirmed results
To confirm their results, the research team conducted a follow-up study of 1,512 additional salespeople (64%male; 36% female, average age 40). The outcome was essentially the same (68% said conventional, 2.8% computer-mediated).
“The second study confirmed what we learned in the first,” Bryant said, “including the link with sales call reluctance. Computer-mediated social media may help find a date, keep tabs on old friends or support a political campaign. But most salespeople don’t think it’s as helpful as conventional person-to-person contact for generating new sales.”
Here at the Techjournal, we wonder if the results suggest that many in sales have not yet mastered the new skills necessary to use social media effectively?
Just as an example, many sales people still tell a joke or two as part of the in-person sales process, but jump into social media directly with a sales pitch.
Whereas telling a joke or two first or otherwise engaging with potential contacts by getting their interest first is much more likely to be effective. – Allan Maurer
Tags: Behavioral Sciences Research Press, Dallas, George W. Dudley, sales call reluctance, social media and sales, traditional vs. new media contacts, Trelitha R. Bryant, TX
Posted in Analytics, Best Practices, Internet/New Media, Marketing, social media, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
Findings from a survey undertaken by digital marketing agency, Greenlight, indicate that Google+ might be more successful than most have initially speculated and that Facebook could potentially capture close to a quarter of the search market globally were it to launch a search engine of its own tomorrow.
This market share would make Facebook the second most utilised search engine in every major market except for China, Japan, and Russia, where it would occupy an uncontested third place.
Greenlight’s global “Search & Social Survey (2011-2012)” asked 500 people – students, law enforcement professionals, medical staff, accountants, lawyers, the unemployed, and everyone in between, how they engage with online advertising, search engines, and social networks, in order to glean insight into how consumers engage with marketers today, and formulate views on what the future might hold.
Facebook could capture around 22% of the global search market
 Greenlight’s research revealed 5% would ‘definitely’ use a future Facebook search engine if the firm were to launch one to rival Google’s.
The other extreme, those categorically saying that they simply would not use a future Facebook search engine, totalled 26% of all respondents. Those responding in the ‘Definitely’ and ‘Probably’ camps totalled 17%. Those responding ‘No’ and ‘Probably not’, totalled 48%.
Facebook could grab search market share instantly
“These stats therefore suggest Facebook could capture around 22% of the global search market by simply launching its own search engine tomorrow morning (the ‘Definitely’, ‘Probably’, and half of the ‘Don’t know’ respondents combined), says Andreas Pouros, chief operating officer at Greenlight.
“It wouldn’t need to be a spectacular engine either, just well integrated into the Facebook experience and generally competent.
What’s more, the results also suggest Facebook could increase that projected market share to a maximum of 50% within a few years by converting the least overtly loyal Google users over to them.
However, that increase would need to come from the 27% of respondents who replied ‘Maybe, but only if it was better than Google and Bing’ “.
(Facebook already integrates Bing into its search function, but it is a buried option in the navigational side-bar post query, so this really does not constitute its own search engine by any real definition).
23% of Google users have been +1′ing listings in Google’s search result
 On the flip side, Greenlight found that Google’s own social endeavours with Google+ might be more successful than most have initially speculated. For instance, 23% of Google users have been +1′ing listings in Google’s search results, giving Google lots of data about what people like.
When compared to the 35% of users that Greenlight’s survey found routinely ‘like’ a brand or company on Facebook, then it is not that significantly more than Google’s social signal collection, particularly as 28% of respondents said they had no idea what ‘+1′ actually meant, which says Greenlight, will invariably decrease rapidly over time.
Greenlight’s research essentially shows that Facebook will both be front and centre in ‘social search’ and so it won’t be enough for websites to simply be relevant, they also need to demonstrate qualities that attract social validation and promotion.
Brands should encourage +1s in Google
Pouros concludes, ”Brands and e-retailers need to be encouraging +1′s in Google, as it isn’t something that might be important in the future – it already is! It affects natural search rankings and will have an increasing impact over time across every Google product they utilise.
Those, he notes, include AdWords, price comparison, Shopping, YouTube, and more.
Also, he says, “Facebook could be a major search engine overnight. As such a brand’s performance on Facebook today (likes, visits, etc.) will likely have a decisive impact on how well exposed it is on that new search engine.”
Tags: Bing, brand marketing, encourage plus ones, Facebook search engine, Google, Greenlight, search market
Posted in Analytics, Facebook, Google, Internet/New Media, IT, Marketing, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
 Forty-two percent of Americans are using social media to shop – this equates to nearly 95 million social shoppers in the U.S. – and that number continues to rise, according to a new study by by Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide.
When asked how often social media is used to shop today versus a year ago, almost 73 percent of people confirmed they are using it more.
SocialShop – a national quantitative and qualitative research study – looks at social media usage from the eyes of a shopper to understand the influence each respective platform has on a person’s buying behavior and offers tips on how to connect with the social shopper.
From Facebook and Twitter to YouTube and Groupon, people of all ages are using social networking sites and other user-generated content platforms as shopping tools.
SocialShop found 42 percent of social shoppers are using Facebook more than they were a year ago, while 55 percent of shoppers are utilizing daily deals more and 46 percent of shoppers have increased engagement on review sites and forums.
Chose the right channel
With rapid expansion of social channels and the frequent launch of new platforms, brands and marketers are trying to figure out how to successfully use social media to connect with shoppers.
According to the research, success is not measured by visibility on all social media channels, but by leveraging the strengths of platforms that cater to your shoppers’ needs.
“It’s no secret that social media is top-of-mind among brands. What isn’t widely known is how brands should use social media to serve the needs of shoppers,” said Masha Sajdeh, SVP Strategy Director at Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide.
Using social media incorrectly can have negative impact
For brands, using social media in the wrong way can have a negative impact on relationships. Forty-four percent of social shoppers said they had stopped interacting with brands on Facebook due to lack of relevant or valuable posts.
“People assign a different purpose and expectation to each social media channel they use,” Sajdeh said. “Once marketers understand how people use social to shop, they can hone their marketing strategies and cater to different shoppers’ needs to drive engagement now and in the future.”
According to Nick Jones, EVP, Head of Retail Marketing for Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide, this realization is similar to what advertisers experienced in the late 1960s when exploring the strength and depth of print and broadcast media.
“Fifty years ago marketers figured out that Broadcast media drove awareness and print media added depth of communication,” Jones said. “Now we have all of these new social communication channels but no one has identified the optimal role of each. That’s what this study and this set of tools solves.”
Six social shopper types
Within SocialShop, Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide researchers identified six shopper archetypes reflecting the needs and habits of today’s social shoppers:
“Savvy Passionista”: The Social Trendsetter
The Savvy Passionista is a heavy social shopper using social media channels to broadcast the latest trends and stay connected with favorite brands. Savvy Passionistas are indulgent and use social channels to express feelings and stay relevant and “in-the-know.” According to one Savvy Passionista: “I talked about the Versace @H&M event on Twitter weeks before it happened, because it was unique and made me look in-the-know.”
To reach Savvy Passionistas, brands should help shoppers discover, express and connect on emerging and established platforms – everything from Facebook to Pinterest to Twitter.
“Opportunistic Adventurer”: The Daily Dealaholic
Opportunistic Adventurers are on a mission to score fun and unexpected deals. With impulsive social shopping tendencies, this shopper demands timely and relevant deals. In the words of an Opportunistic Adventurer: “Social platforms such as Groupon bring me to places that I wouldn’t have tried without a deal. I share deals with friends because I know they’ll be interested.”
To connect with Opportunistic Adventurers, brands should invest in tailored deals that are “too good to pass up.” In addition, brands should promote through geo-location applications like shopkick, build visibility on daily deal sites such as Groupon and provide tailored recommendations on Amazon.
“Quality Devotee”: The High Maintenance, High Standards Shopper
Quality Devotees use social media to shape purchasing decisions, validate choice and to feel empowered when making a purchase. No matter the time or research involved, Quality Devotees will find the best product available. Said one Quality Devotee, “I track postings, watch videos and always seek online advice from people using the products I want.”
To connect with Quality Devotees brands should aim to help shoppers build knowledge through in-depth reviews and expert opinions via blogs, forums, review sites and YouTube.
“Strategic Saver”: The Black Belted Negotiator
Strategic Savers use social media to comparison shop and spend time deal digging only for their favorite brands. Said one passionate Strategic Saver: “I follow social conversations to get tips on how to cut corners and save a few bucks.”
To connect with Strategic Savers, brands should aim to validate choices by offering custom shopping tips and ways to save money by tapping into blogs, forums and review sites.
“Efficient Sprinter”: The Few Dollars Shorter, Several Minutes Richer Shopper
Efficient Sprinters want to save time and use social media to select items that are considered most popular to simplify their shopping process. According to one Efficient Sprinter, “When I social shop, I usually take a quick look at a toy review and buy the one with the most stars. I don’t care about price.”
To connect with Efficient Sprinters brands should simplify the buying process. In addition, brands should provide a curated list of top selling products on their social channels and retailer websites.
“Dollar Defaulter”: The Dollar Sign Connoisseur
The Dollar Defaulter has just one social shopping goal: find the cheapest alternative. With utilitarian shopping needs, Dollar Defaulters choose only the lowest prices and do not feel loyal to specific brands. According to one Dollar Defaulter: “When using social media to shop I’m always checking out Amazon and retailer websites to find deals on all types of products.”
To connect with Dollar Defaulters, brands should broadcast special deals on retailer websites such as drugstore.com and provide the ability to share those deals with friends.
“Our new study illuminates what brands need to do to reach shoppers in their own social worlds,” Jones said. “Understanding how and why people are using social media to shop is the first and most important step to designing a successful social media program.”
View the complete findings from the study.
Tags: Best Practices, brands, Business advice, Facegbook, Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide, Marketing, Pinterest, shopkick, social media, study, twitter, types of social shoppers
Posted in Analytics, Best Practices, Business advice, Facebook, Internet/New Media, Marketing, social media, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
“Moms & Media 2″ a Meredith Parents Network Survey,” found that for moms born between 1977 and 1994, there is no part of their lives that is media free.
From the bathroom (21%) to the bedroom (12%) these moms are checking Facebook, streaming television and reading magazines everywhere and anywhere they go. They are developing entirely new relationships with all forms of media on their own terms.
While more than 8 in 10 women are on Facebook, it is definitely a love/hate relationship. 57 percent of millennial moms feel like Facebook is a waste of their time yet 89 percent describe the time they spend on the site as their “me time.”
The site has also opened up a world of new annoyances and pet peeves with 38 percent of moms admitting that the overly personal information others share in their status updates is annoying and 22 percent are turned off by Facebook Friends who make too many political statements in their status updates.
“Today’s moms are media omnivores,” says Carey Witmer, EVP/President, Meredith Parents Network.
“Controlling their voracious diet is so important to them that they are constantly creating new rules about how and when media intermingles with their busy lives via their various devices, screens and networks.”
DETAILED FINDINGS FROM THE PARENTS NETWORK’S ”MOMS & MEDIA 2″ SURVEY*:
MOMS REALLY LOVE THEIR SMARTPHONES
- They take their Smartphones everywhere. 21% of Millennial moms use their phone in the bathroom and 12% use it during sex!
- 81% of moms said shopping was the #1 way they use their Smartphone.
- Moms have an average of 13 apps loaded on their phones.
- Two-thirds of moms say that less than half of their apps are for their kids.
MOMS HAVE A LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH FACEBOOK
- Facebook continues to rule social networking. The number of millennial moms on Facebook continues to rise – more than 8 in 10 moms are on the site.
- Too much TMI: 38% of moms said status updates with too much personal information is their #1 Facebook pet peeve.
- 22% of moms think that their Facebook Friends make too many political statements.
- Most moms (72%) are frustrated by all of the recent Facebook changes to its format and privacy policies.
- Moms have a love/hate relationship with Facebook, with 53% saying that they feel like it wastes their time.
- 96% of moms say it’s important to control who sees their personal information on Facebook.
- 55% of moms have de-friended companies on Facebook, too many messages and ads being the #1 reason.
- In 2010, 22% of moms kept Facebook open on their computers all day; now 44% do, a 100% increase.
- She’s making more ‘Friends.’ A year ago, moms had an average 151 Facebook friends, now she has 209.
MOMS & TV—WATCH OUT FOR SPOILERS!
- Moms spend 16 hours watching television weekly.
- Spoiler alert! 55% of moms watched live television in 2010 and now only 41% do.
- Streaming is on the rise. 16% of moms streamed television in 2010. That number is now up to 23%.
- Moms love their DVRs. 29% watched programming via DVR in 2010 and now 36% do.
- 84% of all moms avoid commercials when watching live television.
Survey Methodology
Tags: analytics, demographics, digital devices, facebook, how moms use media, Moms & Media 2" a Meredith Parents Network Survey, smartphone use, tech life/culture, TV
Posted in Analytics, Digital Devices, Facebook, Internet/New Media, smartphones, social media, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
 Online retail spending reached $44.3 billion for the quarter, up 17 percent versus year ago, according to digital measurement firm comScore.
This represents the tenth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.
| Retail E-Commerce (Non-Travel) Growth Rates
Excludes Auctions, Autos and Large Corporate Purchases
Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations
Source: comScore, Inc. |
| Quarter |
E-Commerce Spending ($ Millions) |
Y/Y Percent Change |
| Q1 2007 |
$27,970 |
17% |
| Q2 2007 |
$27,176 |
23% |
| Q3 2007 |
$28,441 |
23% |
| Q4 2007 |
$39,132 |
19% |
| Q1 2008 |
$31,178 |
11% |
| Q2 2008 |
$30,581 |
13% |
| Q3 2008 |
$30,274 |
6% |
| Q4 2008 |
$38,071 |
-3% |
| Q1 2009 |
$31,031 |
0% |
| Q2 2009 |
$30,169 |
-1% |
| Q3 2009 |
$29,552 |
-2% |
| Q4 2009 |
$39,045 |
3% |
| Q1 2010 |
$33,984 |
10% |
| Q2 2010 |
$32,942 |
9% |
| Q3 2010 |
$32,133 |
9% |
| Q4 2010 |
$43,432 |
11% |
| Q1 2011 |
$38,002 |
12% |
| Q2 2011 |
$37,501 |
14% |
| Q3 2011 |
$36,308 |
13% |
| Q4 2011 |
$49,698 |
14% |
| Q1 2012 |
$44,282 |
17% |
“The first quarter of this year was especially strong for retail e-commerce as we returned to year-over-year growth rates in the high teens, numbers we haven’t seen since 2007,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni.
“While the economic recovery continues to be painfully slow, the channel shift to e-commerce appears to be accelerating. This presents opportunities but also challenges for brick-and-mortar retailers if they can’t hold onto their offline market share in the digital world.”
He added, “E-commerce has reached critical mass in several product categories, and it will be important to monitor these sales trends by category in order to correctly gauge the impact e-commerce is having on overall retailer performance.”
Other highlights from Q1 2012 include:
- The top-performing online product categories were: Digital Content & Subscriptions, Computer Software, Consumer Electronics, Jewelry & Watches and Event Tickets. Each category grew at least 17 percent vs. year ago.
- 48.8 percent of e-commerce transactions included free shipping, the highest percentage for a quarter on record outside of the holiday season. Only Q4 2011 (51.8 percent) and Q4 2010 (49.3 percent) have been higher overall.
- According to comScore’s Q1 2012 Retail survey, 38 percent of tablet owners have made a purchase on their devices within the past month. Apparel was the most popular category for purchase among tablet shoppers.
Tags: 2012 Q1 retail ecommerce spending report, comScore
Posted in Analytics, Internet/New Media, Money, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
 We’re entering an era of strong visual marketing in which online video, photo-sharing and social networks such as Pinterest are increasingly important to brands. The visual nature of Pinterest accounts for its meteoric rise to the number three social network.
Thismoment, a San Francisco provider of social content management software for brands, has four tips for brands that want to leverage Pinterest.
Why does Pinterest matter to brands?
The inherent nature of the Pinterest experience yields an incredibly visual user experience with one’s pinboard content and consequently, much like YouTube, this visually oriented focus has been a key driver in its user growth.
By creating content that simplifies user interaction, this increases the likelihood of those content elements being pinned and, thus, going viral. Additionally, Pinterest stands alone by reaching the ever-elusive ‘middle-age female’ demographic more efficiently than any other platform to date.
4 recommendations for brands leveraging Pinterest:
- Create content that users will naturally share. Forcing an advertisement into a pin will inevitably be lose-lose for brands as users do not wish to inundate their followers with ads, and brands will lose return on their creative efforts. Pinterest is a network of “interests” and visually interesting content is easier for users to process and re-purpose.
- Create content that users will be proud to share. Because many Pinterest users automatically publish their pins back to their Facebook timeline, pinners want to ensure that any content being shared will be of value to their network. By appealing to a user’s pride and/or brand loyalties, brands can ensure that their content steadily remains on pinboards throughout the Pinterest ecosystem.
- Find your community and join them. While the users of Pinterest are collectors, the users themselves are a collection of communities. “Pinners” are self-forming groups pinning content across various interests, e.g. Wedding Dresses, Dining Tables, and Vacation Getaways. Identify your communities, create your boards, and join in on the activity.
- Consider who you’re targeting. (Hint, focus your primary message toward females age 30-45) As a social network primarily populated by women, brands that endeavor to leverage Pinterest should have a “female” oriented strategy. This varies depending on your brand so do your research.
Tags: 4 tips for brands using Pinterest, Best Practices, Business advice, Marketing, social media, Thismoment
Posted in Best Practices, Business advice, Internet/New Media, Marketing, social media, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
 The vast majority of people are using mobile technology today that they do not necessarily trust, according to Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) Trusted Mobility Index.
The global survey of 4,037 mobile device users and IT decision-makers found mobile technology adoption is outpacing confidence.
According to the survey, individuals are using more mobile devices, applications, services and networks than ever before and they are accessing critical personal and professional information while “on the go.”
Trust uncertain despite growth
Despite this growth, consumer trust is uncertain.
Just 15 percent of respondents have a great deal of confidence in the security of their mobile devices and services, while the vast majority — 63 percent — are at a crossroads and simply do not know if they should trust that their mobile experiences are secure.
This lack of consumer confidence puts mobile adoption at risk.
The survey found that all it would take is a single security vulnerability — real or perceived — for people to change their mobile behaviors or abandon certain mobile services altogether.
The majority of people (71 percent) said they would stop using critical services like online banking (78 percent), that they would no longer send private communications (57 percent) and they would stop viewing medical (54 percent) or work-related information (52 percent).
According to the survey, mobile security is an important issue that affects everyone — not just corporations — and many have a part to play in building more trusted mobile experiences.
“The mobile revolution is unleashing massive opportunities, but our research shows we are at a critical turning point,” said Nawaf Bitar, senior vice president, Security Business unit, Juniper Networks.
“The speed and scale at which mobile innovations can have a positive impact on society will depend on the industry’s ability to address new security vulnerabilities before they undermine people’s sense of safety. We must act now to protect and preserve trust in mobility.”
Additional Key Findings Include:
A Complex and Confusing Mobile Landscape
- Mobile users worldwide own an average of three Internet-connected devices, while nearly one in five people (18 percent) own five or more devices.
- Three-quarters (76 percent) of mobile users access their banking or personal medical information while on the go, while 89 percent of respondents who use their personal devices for business purposes, say they access sensitive work information.
- Further, the trend toward a “bring your own device” (BYOD) enterprise is creating new concerns for IT leaders, with nearly half of all respondents using their personal device for work (41 percent) without permission from their company.
Key Stakeholders in Trust
- Mobile users rank network security (69 percent) and network reliability (45 percent) as the top two drivers of trust in their mobile devices, followed by device security (43 percent).
- The majority of mobile device users (63 percent) hold service providers most responsible for protecting their sensitive data, followed by device manufacturers (38 percent) and software security providers (34 percent).
- For advice on mobile security, people look to industry security experts (20 percent), service providers (14 percent), software security providers (13 percent) and device manufacturers (10 percent).
Tags: adoption, BYOD, internet connected devices, Juniper Networks, lack of trust in mobile technology, network security, software, Trusted Mobility Index
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, Security, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture, Telecommunications | No Comments »
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