The Unskippables http://ift.tt/2ojciGV Before 1980, the only way to skip an advertisement was to surf other channels. The VCR was the first device that allowed for fast-forwarding through the advertisements, provided you could stop the clock from flashing 12:00 am. And then DVRs took the art of ad-skipping to a whole new level. Now with an excess of technology and streaming options, advertisers need to be more innovative than ever if they want to get their commercial viewed. It appears that advertisers can no longer rely solely on a traditional commercial break to guarantee their message will be heard. Product placement, commercial tie-ins and innovative new methods will rise above the clutter and disable the fast-forward button. Here are some networks and advertisers, including Fox, NBC, State Farm and Lowe’s, are finding ways to creatively address the issue. Fox took a bold step in late 2017 with six-second commercials aired primarily during NFL games and the World Series. Fox integrated them into the broadcast when there was a break in the action. For example, this six-second spot for T-Mobile ran in a split screen during game 5 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros. Fox took the split screen even further with 30-second spots for brands such as Lowe’s, which aired during NFL games. advertisement advertisement There were also some interesting collaborations between networks and advertisers. During ABC’s “Designated Survivor” episode “Lazarus,” a Ford Fusion is started remotely with a smartphone app by one of the characters, who is seen approaching the car after it has been started. Another consistent pairing of program and advertiser occurs on the Fox drama “Lethal Weapon.” Two of the supporting actors in the series, Michelle Mitchenor and Johnathan Fernandez, appear in character in a Microsoft Surface spot that typically airs in the first pod position of the program break. The “Fools Rush In” spot has the look and feel of the program. Rather than product placement, such as Coca-Cola glasses on the “American Idol” judges’ table, this might be referred to as commercial placement. Meanwhile, State Farm, a consistent advertiser in NBC’s “This Is Us,” will produce a series of three branded video pieces that will tell the story of a family through flashbacks and flash-forwards with the look and feel of the show, followed by a State Farm advertisement. The logical question that follows is, how successful are these various advertising approaches? New technologies now allow for second-by-second Smart TV viewing data, which means advertisers can get almost instantaneous (within two-hours after airing) results on commercial retention. The six-second commercials and Ford Fusion approach do not offer the viewer much of an opportunity for fast-forwarding, but Microsoft Surface and State Farm can determine if their commercial retention improves compared to other advertisers in the program. This is the future of advertising. Television advertisers will continue to innovate and replicate successful advertising methods that eliminate (or at least minimize) fast-forward and guarantee viewing. It is no easy task as viewing options expand at a breathtaking rate. But if even a small slice of consumers in the 1980s managed to stop the 12:00 am from flashing on their VCR, anything is possible. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://ift.tt/2oB2PsH February 22, 2018 at 07:44AM
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Connected Car Owners Would Not Buy A Self-Driving Car http://ift.tt/2sMr9ya While Google, Apple, Uber and most major automakers are steaming ahead to create driverless cars, the majority of consumers would not buy one even if cost was not an issue. Even if they do not own a fully autonomous vehicle, most U.S. drivers would be afraid to even ride in one. Consumer research relating to connected cars continues to show that autonomous cars are of relatively low interest to most consumers. A study out today shows that the majority (57%) of people who currently own a connected car would not buy a self-driving car even of cost was not an issue. The study comprised a survey of 1,500 connected car drivers weighted against U.S. Census Bureau data and conducted by Solace. Those surveyed own a car with connected device features, such as Bluetooth connectivity, GPS navigation, remote door locks, WiFi, backup camera/sensor or voice assistance. This follows an earlier AAA survey showing that 63% of U.S. drivers are afraid to even get into a self-driving vehicle. advertisement advertisement However, many consumers see value in various connected features in cars. Consumers in the Solace study said the connected car alerts they would rely on are safety sensors for blind spot detection (49%), navigation prompts (35%), safety recalls (27%) and incoming mobile device activity (15%). The most valuable connected feature for driving was deemed to be real-time navigation. When they drive, most consumers use an average of one to two applications, such as music streaming or hands-free calling. One issue identified in the study related to data. Nearly half (48%) of car owners were not aware that connected cars can store personal identifiable personal information, such as home address, social security numbers and birthdays. Among the top six car brands, there was no clear leader of which had the most innovative technology features. Interestingly, 62% of connected car drivers believe their connected cars help them drive safer, but 40% won’t trust their car to brake for them. The interesting marketing challenge ahead will be to change consumer attitudes toward fully autonomous vehicles. It will be interesting to see the size of that marketing budget. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://ift.tt/2oB2PsH February 22, 2018 at 07:14AM
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How Brands Can Make Education And Empathy Part Of Their Mission http://ift.tt/2sN4FwL Companies that foster empathy and education in local communities are finding unique ways to connect with consumers Given the current crises in the U.S. and around the world, there is perhaps nothing more needed at the moment than a good dose of empathy. For brands, this provides the opportunity to leverage their platforms for good to inspire and cater to the diverse needs of communities. According to PSFK researchers, empathy education and local-sourcing are key tools that businesses can make a part of their brand mission. Through education initiatives, brands can serve as beacons within communities that help promote understanding around a range of issues, from anti-bullying to diversity. And with local-sourcing, brands can then tailor their business practices and resources to meet the exact needs of a community. Below, we look at three best-in-class examples of brands that are leading through empathy. X Games × ESPN VIDEO Kind Good Hotels These are just some of the ways in which businesses are enacting public-minded goals and using their influence to help communities. For even more on these trends, check out our recent report Applying Brand Impact To Improve Public Spaces. Lead Image: Good Hotel Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ February 22, 2018 at 06:30AM Mobile And Programmatic: A Growing Relationship http://ift.tt/2CBU7QV Despite eight consecutive quarters of growth, mobile private marketplaces (PMPs) show no signs of slowing down. In fact, from the fourth quarter of 2016 to the same period in 2017, mobile PMPs' monetized impression volume increased by 37%. That’s according to fresh data from PubMatic, which attributes the continued growth to top marketers continuing to increase spend through programmatic channels. Going forward, “We expect this trend towards quality and programmatic direct to continue in 2018,” according to Rajeev Goel, co-founder and CEO of PubMatic. In the advertising community, fans of mobile PMPs believe they offer access to premium inventory along with safeguards for ad fraud and brand risk. For publishers, PMPs are understood to provide more control over inventory and partnership with buyers. Worldwide, mobile PMP eCPMs were priced at a 155% premium -- compared to those paid for the average mobile open exchange impression -- last year. advertisement advertisement “We have seen a profound shift towards supply chain integrity and quality in 2017,” explained Rajeev Goel, co-founder and CEO of PubMatic. Meanwhile, PubMatic also reports that mobile header bidding moved into the mainstream and approached maturity at the end of 2017. From the end of 2016 to the end of 2017, the mobile web experienced 121% growth in header bidding impression volume, according to the ad-tech firm. From September to December of 2017, the popularity of hybrid solutions offering both client-and server-side integrations rose from 13.6% to 20.7% Not surprisingly, apps drove mobile volume growth in 2017, while mobile web eCPMs rose more than 50%, year-over-year. Android built a dominant OS lead to represent roughly eight-in-ten monetized mobile app impressions worldwide in 2017, while iOS delivered higher eCPMs. Finally, mobile video remained a developing opportunity as its global footprint expanded with mobile video eCPMs catching up to desktop in 2017. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://ift.tt/2oB2PsH February 22, 2018 at 06:13AM
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Art Installation Turns Selfies Into Piles Of Gravel http://ift.tt/2CC8sNn Art Installation Turns Selfies Into Piles Of GravelThe installation, created by Pangenerator in Warsaw, examines selfie culture and its repercussions on teenage life A media design collective based in Poland, Pangenerator, created an installation examining the ephemeral nature of social media and its effects on teenage life, commissioned by the National Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw. The artists chose to represent “selfie culture” in an artwork that had people sending their selfies to be displayed through gravel-like particles on a screen, before fading away and leaving real gravel at the bottom. The piece, named “hash2ash – everything saved will be lost,” serves as a commentary on the realities of digital culture, and how just because you save a picture doesn’t mean that it won’t be lost. The artists also looked at Snapchat and Instagram stories for inspiration on temporary images that disappear after 24 hours. Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ February 22, 2018 at 06:02AM
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Amazon’s Branded QR Codes Unlock Discounts When Scanned http://ift.tt/2FkS1ry Amazon’s Branded QR Codes Unlock Discounts When ScannedThe retailer is adopting QR codes in a bid to better link its physical and digital shopping spaces Amazon is taking advantage of QR code technology with SmileCodes. The retailer tested the codes on Amazon Lockers to automatically assign users a temporary box. According to TechCrunch, Amazon will use them to let customers unlock special discounts, starting with Seventeen and Cosmopolitan magazines this month. At the heart of every SmileCode is the company’s smile logo. To unlock content using the SmileCodes, shoppers may use the camera scan option on their smartphones.
The QR code program comes as the e-commerce giant is trying to break into a more material presence. Amazon Go, the cashierless convenience store, is one of the retailer’s bigger experiments. Lead Image: Line of people waiting to enter the Amazon Go store, PeterVandenbelt via Shutterstock Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ February 22, 2018 at 05:48AM
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Google Hid This Year’s DevCon Dates in A Virtual Tour http://ift.tt/2CgSrR8 Google Hid This Year’s DevCon Dates in A Virtual TourTo pick the brains of future attendees, Google hid the event date in an interactive scavenger hunt Figuring out when the next Google Developer’s conference is taking place has proven to be a tougher than just opening an email. Over 100 skilled volunteers helped The Verge unlock the code from Google’s dedicated events page, by engaging in a treasure hunt via a Street View virtual tour of a Google building. The dates, initially discovered by those deemed worthy, turned out to be May 8 to 10. There were also other gems in the Street View tour of Google’s facilities including a room with a pineapple, hinting the next Android version might be Pineapple (the latest one is Oreo, keeping to Alphabet Inc’s tradition of naming releases alphabetically after food). Many are expecting even more major announcements from Google during this year’s I/O Conference. The treasure hunt was a playful way to make the announcement, which generated buzz almost right away. If you’re feeling lucky, you might some Easter eggs yourself by exploring this link. Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ February 22, 2018 at 05:33AM
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Stretchable Sensors Help Track Recovery In Stroke Patients http://ift.tt/2EMmEcF New wearable sensors measure a patient's ability to swallow and speak while also enabling at-home monitoring Recovering after a stroke is a grueling process not only because of how physically challenging it is, but also because it can be difficult for doctors and patients to measure and track recovery progress. To help patients regain their ability to speak after a stroke, scientists at Northwestern University have developed what they are calling a breakthrough in medical technology, using stretchable sensors to measure patients’ speech patterns and ability to swallow. Developed in the lab of Northwestern University engineering professor John A. Rogers in partnership with Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, the sensors aid in the diagnosis and treatment of aphasia, a communication disorder associated with stroke. The sensors stick directly to the skin, moving with the body and providing detailed health metrics including heart function, muscle activity and quality of sleep. This represents a major jump forward in the tools that speech-language pathologists have traditionally used to monitor patients’ speech function, such as microphones, which cannot distinguish between a patients’ voice and ambient noise, making it more difficult to measure a patient’s speech abilities. “Stretchable electronics allow us to see what is going on inside patients’ bodies at a level traditional wearables simply cannot achieve. Our sensors solve that problem by measuring vibrations of the vocal cords,” said Professor Rogers. “But they only work when worn directly on the throat, which is a very sensitive area of the skin. We developed novel materials for this sensor that bend and stretch with the body, minimizing discomfort to patients.” Because the sensors are also wireless, they eliminate barriers posed by traditional health monitoring devices in clinical settings. Patients can wear them even after they leave the hospital, so doctors are able to better understand how they are progressing at home. Data from the sensors is also available to both patients and clinicians via a dashboard, visualizing recovery progress and even sending alerts when a patient is underperforming in a certain metric. With the sensors already testing well with recovering stroke patients, Rogers said he is also collaborating with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to test the sensors on patients with other conditions, such as Parkinson’s. Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ February 22, 2018 at 05:19AM
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Fashion Brand Offers Performance Coaching With Every Purchase http://ift.tt/2CeHvUd Fashion Brand Offers Performance Coaching With Every PurchaseBased on their ideals of women's empowerment, Tuxe is expanding their brand to include coaching sessions that reflect the clothing Women’s clothing brand Tuxe is preparing to launch a new initiative, offering free performance coaching sessions to customers with every purchase. In addition to fashion designers, the company employs a team of performance coaches and psychologists. “We bring know how in fabric sourcing, pattern cutting and fit together with management psychology and leadership consulting for a new way of dressing,” reads the website, “A 360° perspective and support by addressing confidence from the outside and in.” Tuxe specializes in body suits, as well as blouses and shirts made to provide wearers with more comfort as they go about their days. The garments are made with a special fabric that combats sweat, body odor, and wrinkles. That’s why, based on their ideals of confidence, they’re expanding their brand to include coaching sessions that reflect the clothing. The initiative was born out of a personal experience from the founder, who believes that the brand should be able to extend into the lives of customers as a supportive force even after the purchase has been made. Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ February 22, 2018 at 05:05AM
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Digital Ads Finally Get Out From Under the Plumbing http://ift.tt/2sGFtrK The following is a guest contributed post by Daniel Meehan, CEO at PadSquad. Why has digital advertising always been approached so differently than any other form of the art? Banners were among the earliest iterations of internet ads, and they basically filled space. Engagement rates were low, users ignored them. Online advertising was seen as ineffectual. But social media, increased bandwidth and mobile browsing ushered in an opportunity to create ads that were highly targeted, interactive, and yes, innovative as well. Or at least, they were supposed to be. In the rush to take advantage of all of the new ad real estate, the industry focused on the infrastructure — the plumbing — of it all. Targeting became a distinctly precise science. Ad exchanges became the norm, and the focus shifted toward the delivery, versus what was actually being delivered to the end consumer. Viewability rates were established and then gamed — the more ads you jammed onto the page, the more “viewable” the ads. The influx of poor formats that led to the rise of ad blockers could’ve served as a death knell for digital advertising. But it may actually refresh the industry. It ends up everyone was so focused on the plumbing for digital ads, they forgot that the goal is creating something consumers actually like. Look at TV advertising. Every brand utilizes a mix of 15- and 30-second spots, for the most part. Targeting tools are similar. The container ubiquitous. It’s what you do within the container — the creative part of the ad — that’s most important. That’s where the science and messaging of a brilliant ad come to life. Whether or not it elicits those (positive) consumer emotions or reactions make all the difference. And for a mobile device, in particular, there’s additional challenges, too. The container is so personal to both the publisher and consumer. It’s difficult to strike the right balance on a device that holds the story of a person inside of it (figuratively). But that’s where innovation separates those on the right side of the upcoming ad-blocker conversation and those desperately trailing behind. Chrome’s ad blocker went live on February 15, and with it comes a hard reset for the ad tech industry. The plumbing can and will still change here and there, but it will revert to its rightful place as the background noise in advertising — behind the creative experiences brands are able to share with consumers as a polite aside to digital media. Television advertising’s never been singularly focused on the technology to deliver the brand spot during your favorite primetime show. We’re on the cusp of digital advertising finally behaving similarly. Recent industry conversations have already shown an entire ad landscape willing to follow suit. On a macro level, the conversations are moving toward creativity and why it’s important to provide consumers with something they actually want (like TV ads!). Platforms, plug-ins and data are all important for ad delivery. And an ad could even be super-targeted to the exact end-user it’s created for. But the question for ad tech will (rightfully) be: When the ad renders on that page, will the consumer pay attention? Because if not, the plumbing doesn’t matter. In a fragmented media world full of screens in every direction, brands and publishers are competing for eyeballs like never before. This is everyone’s chance to take advantage of a rare occurence: the clean slate. With time and money better spent on serving up the best ad, advertising can finally be at the forefront of ad tech, and stopped getting disrupted by the technology behind it. About the author Daniel Meehan is the CEO and founder of PadSquad, an award-winning mobile creative company consistently introducing industry-defining, hand-crafted rich-media formats on behalf of Fortune 100 and 500 brands across all verticals. The post Digital Ads Finally Get Out From Under the Plumbing appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch. Mobile Marketing via Mobile Marketing Watch http://ift.tt/HGJCKG February 22, 2018 at 05:02AM |
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