Innovation through practicality

I’ve personally experienced Google glasses, and to be honest although I enjoy looking out for new innovative technologies I do wonder if this is a red herring, or is there something more here? I agree with the Mashable article the glasses are clumsy and it is interesting to read what other experts have to say about its potential future. I can see the technology intertwine with fashion and there seems to be several new examples of this already happening.

However what fascinates me even more at the moment, is watching my kids and their adoption of technology. In my opinion, it’s a warning to Facebook. How kids use 5 different platforms across several devices simultaneously to consume content and connect with each other is extraordinary. They’re more versatile with multiple platforms than us Gen X’s. Platforms quickly become commodities and the question should be, “Who is going to win?”

At the moment LinkedIn is my bet. It acts as a business driver and provides users with reasons to come back day after day. LinkedIn has reinvented itself and  Is becoming more of a content provider. you can know you connect with others and consume content that is relevant to you. People and organisations generate that content. The LinkedIn platform remains central to the business, person and digital life.

My answer to ‘who is going to win’ is to ask yet another question which is, ‘what are users experiencing’? This will ultimately determine the evolution and destination of our current social media platforms.

2 years ago it was about user experiences through desktop, now mobile, tablets and wearable devices atomising content. They don’t need to go to destinations any longer. Google is becoming more of a portal where users get to consume content across the internet and this ultimately impacts our traditional views of information architecture. Augmented reality brings content to the user via multiple platforms as an example, hence my warning to facebook and information architects!

So I challenge conventional thinking with information architecture. I can imagine walking into a branch of HSBC (or any other bank) and my experience is virtual. As I enter, they know who I am and the content that comes my way is relevant. You don’t have to experience information through traditional means. We’ve passed the tipping point, content is now above everything else we considered king.

6th June Update:

I came across this interesting article on the future of facebook  which confirms my sentiments on the youth’s decline of engagement – http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_23393500/you-may-not-like-facebook-much-anymore-but Only time will tell if Facebook will be a Yahoo! in a few years time…

The Evolution of the Living Room: Connected TV #6

“Blog post 6 deals with the integration of connected platforms right in your living room – how brands use second screening to make the most of their TV content.” – Blog post #5

We’re coming to the close of our ‘connected consumer’ journey. Even during the last few months of writing these posts, technology and consumer behaviours have been evolving. It’s highlighting more and more how companies need to reorganise their businesses to keep up and stay afloat, or ship out quite frankly.

In today’s world you switch on your TV and flick on a programme. In all likelihood you will be confronted by a not-so-subtle invitation to tweet about it. Made in Chelsea, for example, actively publicises the #MadeinChelsea and #MIC hashtag for Twitter – usually these trends grow organically. The programme recognises that reality TV relies heavily on the authenticity of the characters to maintain rankings. What better way to market these characters than through social media? Personalities are free to grow and be supported on Twitter. The era of the inaccessible celebrity is over. He or she is now a core marketing tool – core to building rapport and trust with fans. (Hence the immense success of celebrity product placement…)

What’s interesting about second screening is the idea of synchronisation. It’s no longer a case of watching something on TV and then reading a press release about it in the newspaper the next day. The synchronisation of 2012 is immediate. Content flows between one device to another and is created by marketers and consumers alike through tweets, blog posts and comments.

But let’s not forget the power of the app. When the sport’s on you can keep track of the stats and rankings live from your tablet or phone at the same time. The likes of Channel 4 are using second screening to promote exclusive content that accompanies their main programmes on TV too. ‘Behind-the-scenes’ of a new show immerses the viewer and proactively invests his or her time into the series. Their commitment to watching therefore extends beyond casually flicking channels; he or she is likely to use catch-up or on demand services to watch the programme.

Another reason why understanding your audience is becoming increasingly imperative to the success of customer engagement and ultimately acquisition. It’s all about the customer journey and platforms need to become seamless in platform integration and user experience. It’s the idea of creating long-term value out of a consumer, but that’s something I’ll talk about next time round.

Occasionally, it’s actually the second-screen content that gains real traction and positively impacts the popularity of the show. The new series of Shameless on Channel 4 was promoted on the Facebook page by including exclusive interviews with cast members and mini episodes. It’s the mini episodes in particular which served to attract people that hadn’t watched before. And then in theory, the calibre of the programme itself should keep them as regular viewers. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t. Shameless has run on Channel 4 for 9 series already.

We’ve talked about the benefits of multi-channel marketing and all its varying parts. But, how about the future? How does new and emerging technology impact a marketing strategy we’ve just started to get good at? That’s what my final blog post will be looking at, but won’t be the end of this journey.

The Evolution of the Living Room: Connected TV #5

Your living room is home to one of the world’s largest battlegrounds. The fight between brands, companies and advertising is relentless. Competition is rife; what TV do you own? Is it a Toshiba, Samsung or Panasonic? Competition is widespread; what channels do you watch? Do you prefer Sky, the BBC or ITV for the news? Choosing the brand of your TV will determine the long-term winner in your living room and flicking channels shows a winning preference at a given time for certain content.

But no one in your living room is competing for the most usable system. Brands and companies alike are keen to preserve a consistent(ish) user-experience between their products because consumers are unwilling to learn different paths to connectivity. Instead, your living room is home to a battle about content – who a consumer perceives to produce and “broadcast” the best. With TV channels it comes down to delivering the most appealing content – whoever hits upon a current trend, creates a buzz and entertains. With advertising it is who can create a story that travels across and is connected by multiple channels.

So, the question is: How does a brand leverage content on TV with the aim to engage consumers and cement brand preference?

This is where multichannel marketing comes into the mix. The content with lasting impact is the content that succeeds in integrating consumer interests with a unique brand-centric idea. A great example of this is the well-known Dove campaign. Its ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’ extended across multiple consumer touch points: adverts, video, workshops, a book publication, a play and even sleepover events. TV had a big role – but it was not isolated. Other channels amplified the message. The focus was constantly maintained around the notion of ‘real beauty’ versus stereotypical media portrayals. Consumers flocked to participate because Dove tapped into the appealing idea of rebellion, of changing the status quo.

The results were tangible. For every $1 spent, $3 was earned back. In the first six months of the campaign, Dove sales increased by 700% in Europe and the United States. By the end of 2005, sales in the Asian-Pacific market increased from 19 to 26%. Now everyone knows what Dove is and the message associated with it. Branching across channels gave this campaign longevity because it reached people en masse and on a personal level. To this day, competitor brands are still trying to replicate what Dove achieved.

Blog post 6 deals with the integration of connected platforms right in your living room – how brands use second screening to make the most of their TV content.

The Evolution of the Living Room: Connected TV #4

From one way channels, to second screening.

When internet came along the TV was no longer just for watching. Now, you can read the news, listen to music, watch your favourite programs and buy your weekly shopping within the comfort of your own living room. At the click of a remote, interacting with consumers from around the world is easy even through gaming consoles like Xbox Live. The living room isn’t even a room any more – it’s a hub for streams of information and entertainment that connect you to the outside world. TV has become a multimedia platform.

This variety of content makes the user a savvy individual. A lot of choice allows consumers to make their own opinions whilst online connectivity makes their opinion relevant. Before, if you had a problem with a product, no one would really get to hear about it apart from neighbours over the garden fence. Nowadays consumers are empowered to express their dissatisfaction through social media. This has affected the way a product is marketed and even its lifecycle.

The power of choice has resulted in consumers being less vulnerable and more sceptical to blind promotions. Therefore advertisers have to work harder to attract consumers’ attention. Campaigns prioritise consumer entertainment over a ‘buy me, buy me’ attitude because it is the product’s image which persuades sales one way or another. Gorillas play the drums for Dairy Milk and flash mobs are unleashed on behalf of T-Mobile to inspire people. The user-experience is equally varied because each brand will market their product in a different way. Therefore, marketers need to find their niche and appeal to specific groups of people. Otherwise, their product is at risk of washing over the masses without a unique message to maintain loyalty.

Integration of the internet within your living room makes the user-experience highly selective. Where we used to have ample opportunity to influence a consumer purchase decision, this luxury is now over. Not only can you select what to experience, but the power of when and through what device, is within your grasp too. On Demand and +1 channels were made possible through satellite TV but are popular through internet connectivity on smart phones and tablets. Optimised gaming consoles like Xbox Live let you watch TV and surf the internet and play games. With so many choices on what to do in the living room, and how to do it, brand competition is massive. Especially when consumers can do multiple things at once; watch X Factor and simultaneously tweet about it on their iPhones, for example (my family do this all the time!). Corporations are fighting it out for a space in your living room with strategies that blog post #5 will be focusing on.

 

 

 

 

The Evolution of The Living Room: Connected TV #3

The Birth of the Demographic: An Advertising Revolution

“So you have the birth of demographic. The market is no longer segmented like ‘TV watchers vs. non-TV watchers’ but rather ‘news watchers, comedy watchers and film watchers’ who aren’t directly opposed to one another.” – Blog post #2

This market dissection had a profound influence on the world of advertising as we know it today. All of a sudden, brands felt the pressure to target their audiences not just through content, but selective viewership too. There would be little increase in sales if a company advertised their insurance during kids’ story time.

Consider this shift from a living room perspective. You’re an enthusiastic home chef. Watching cookery shows on Sky Living is an evening habit of yours. Product-based advertising alone would have seen you watch a bombardment of flowery aprons. But then, selective viewer-oriented advertising broke down the information of you as a ‘cooking enthusiast’ and made assumptions about your age group, gender and a lot more. Aprons would be advertised during Nigella because it was more likely those watching were 40 to 55 year old females. By contrast, professional cooking equipment might be advertised during Jamie Oliver, where both genders are likely to watch. You have perceptive media.

And so the user-experience is no longer a one way flow of information. Advertisers take demographical information about you, feed this through their products and project information back at you through the TV screen. This enables companies to identify market gaps and develop tactical strategies of either filling them, or directing their promotion elsewhere. Either way, the goal is to generate maximum profit through targeted and researched output.

This is old news and we’re moving towards a more technologically advanced audience…Blog post #4 deals with the effect of integration: the TV and the internet. How does this change user experience? How does this effect advertising? And what impact does satellite TV have specifically?

The Evolution of The Living Room: Connected TV #2

The Birth of the Demographic

Watching TV used to be a communal activity. Less than a handful of channels meant that there was comparatively no variety in what you could watch. It encompassed one out of three main ways a person could stay in touch with the happenings of the world, the other two being radio and newspapers. We can’t begin to imagine just how influential the BBC was during the mid 20^th Century; after all, they were the dominant TV channel and ruled the airwaves too. But I digress.

Due to the lack of variety on TV, user-experience would be pretty regular. At a certain time of day your family would sit down for half an hour and watch the BBC news. Then the television would be switched off. Even the idea of reclining on a sofa didn’t really exist because the remote control as we know it today wasn’t invented until the 70s. Was this user-experience good or bad? Actually, the question is irrelevant because it was the only user-experience. The TV market didn’t have that type of fluidity. Some horrendous remote controls came on the market which ruined user-experience; for example light-powered ones that, during the day, sent your TV into channel-scattering chaos. All of these unfortunate side effects to the consumer’s user-experience were side lined because the industry was preoccupied with innovating the TV model itself.

A turning point in user-experience came in conjunction with a new product: the VCR: the videocassette recorder. Programme power now lay with the consumer rather than corporations like the BBC. Providing that you had a pile of video tapes at your disposal, you could watch whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. This changed the entertainment and TV market permanently in two ways that we recognise now.

Firstly, the act of watching television became much less communal. It became less social. Two channels showed the news and comedy simultaneously at 6pm. Instead of grouping around the news, the wife could record her comedy and watch it at 7pm instead, or even the day after. This meant that the user-experience became a more private affair.

Secondly, the consumer was given the power of making decisions. A person had the freedom to choose the programmes he or she wanted to watch.

Hence, the birth of the demographic. The market is no longer segmented between TV watchers vs. non-TV watchers but rather news watchers, comedy watchers and film watchers who aren’t directly opposed to one another. So how did this impact the world of advertising? Read my next  blog post…

The Evolution of The Living Room: Connected TV #1

Back in the Day…

We all agree that the living room is an essential domestic space. Through a number of blog posts I want to explore how emerging technologies have changed the room which makes a house a home. Of course, the TV itself isn’t the only thing to have undergone a transformation. Our user-experience has become inextricably linked to advertising and brands and increased market competition in ways that weren’t possible in the 50s. We call this, ‘The Connected Consumer’.

The living room was an instinctive assembly point for families. Our parents – even grandparents for the youths among you – grew up amongst sofas and carpet and a fireplace. After all, the kitchen was for cooking and the dining room for eating and the bedroom for sleeping. The living room was quite literally for living; leisure time used to be limited and the only space a family could relax would be in a corner of the house without a direct function.

What’s interesting is that stuff in the living room had a function. Sofas were for sitting, a fireplace for heating and carpet for covering the floor, but what about the television? Well, some things never change; it sat in the centre of the room as it does now, drawing people in. It’s still a focal point.

The next two blog posts are going to focus on the early TV evolution and retro VCR.

Check out the links below that feature some of the best – and worst – looking televisions of the 20^th Century.

Here,

Here and

Here.

retailers conundrum – adapt or die…

During the WWP development conference in New Orleans I recently attended, companies in the group had one shared experience: they were increasingly being asked by their clients to recommend enterprise level Content Management Systems (CMS) that worked.

10 years ago businesses bought into these CMS systems. They were incredibly complex and required a lot of I.T integration effort and training. But the problem was, instead of Content Management, you got redundant ways of building sites, and you were tied in to using experts in that particular technology. So, instead of having a group of content experts, you had web managers.

Nowadays, the old systems simply aren’t up to the job, what with the advent of multi channel sites responding to devices, personalisation and customisation. Actually, this was recently cited by Unilever, who are setting up a customer panel to target the future of the brand in line with demand.

From a company and individual’s perspective, everyone is talking about the new wave of content management: Sitecore, CQ5, Sharepoint and Druppl: just to name a few.

Although the separation between middleware and legacy needs to be distinct where it’s been hard coded in the past, they have indeed become blurred. A proper slice is starting to occur with the new Content Management Systems like Druppl and Sitecore though, which are designed to enable responsiveness.  And I could probably discuss this in more details in another post! One for the techies:-)

The future of development lies in being able to serve different content to different user profiles via, you guessed it, different devices. In the mix behind all of this, we have consumers who are participating across channels, like HMV, who are offering digital equivalents to what they’re selling in store at point of sale. It’s responding to increased competitiveness from online retailers at the cost of exacerbating its decline in physical sales. The reality is, consumers are expecting businesses to do this stuff.

According to a recent Stibo Systems study, “retailers reported lack of budget (58%) and legacy technology systems (37%) as the biggest barriers to investment in these mobile strategies.”

And we know that the excuse for legacy systems getting in the way of this evolution, will no longer be tolerated. It’s either adapt or die.

rules of engagement

Our family Saturday night is X-factor night, and what an experience it is! Not that I love watching the show anyway (I wouldn’t admit that in public…but go Misha B go!) but rather how my kids love engaging with second screening on multiple devices blending broadcast and social media in real time simultaneously.

We have to sync up twitter feeds on at least 3 phones at the same time. My son tweets on my behalf… don’t tell anyone…commenting on the acts as they come on and giggle at the public’s responses. It really has made me fall in love again with the British public and their great sense of humour.

So this has got me thinking about how as new media professionals we may be pedaling the wrong advise to clients, as there is a danger we are out of touch with the realities of consumers.

So when I hear a comment being made to my client in a meeting last week, advising them that a brand has 12 seconds to respond to customer complaints, I think to myself “what utter bollocks! Who in their right mind can respond in 12 seconds?!” And in fact is this going to inhibit the client from acting at all? Most companies I know don’t have the internal operations to support this sort of rapid response anyway. It’s like rabbit in head lights, when you’re told to do something and you can’t.

I don’t think any customer engaging with a brand even expects that, and if it happened, it would most likely be automated and not personal.

As a customer myself, I appreciate brands responding to me and probably would have an expectation for them to respond within 12-24 hours, if at all. Reference note

Where it’s bad, is when you get nothing back. Apple hasn’t responded about my ipad issue (thanks Freddie) in fact, it turns out they have a closed policy with regards to their social media, in other words, they don’t engage. They leave it to their customers to support each other on social forums etc. Which has it’s pros and cons in itself…to be discussed another time.

In essence, if they’re not careful they will get too arrogant, if not are already and may burn their fingers. Consumers won’t tolerate bad behaviour by brands, it’s been seen time and time again. Quantas is a good example of landing themselves in hot water whilst everyone is on strike.

Pick a subject any subject, hashtag and see what people are saying, we don’t do enough to see what people are saying and follow conversations. It’s not just listening, it’s observing and being interested in what your customers and potential customers have to say.

To marketers, don’t talk shite that doesn’t make sense and have no real proof to validate it!