https://ift.tt/3zAF9rR
Apple Brings Users Together With SharePlay Shared Viewing Experience https://ift.tt/3ogGlij Technology giant Apple’s yet-to-be-released new iOS 15 feature and FaceTime enhancement, SharePlay, takes video chatting to the next level by enabling screen sharing between users during calls. Get More Ideas With The PSFK Daily Newsletter Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ September 23, 2021 at 09:15PM
0 Comments
https://ift.tt/3u6QyOV
Alaska Airlines Deploys New Opt-In Service From Airship https://ift.tt/3kBYOn3 Alaska Airlines has signed on for a new service from Airship that helps marketers drive and automate opt-ins on mobile after Apple’s rollout of iOS !5 and Android 12 and the Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) on Monday. The new phones provide consumers with more control over when and how they get notifications and alerts from apps. Airship’s marketer-friendly Preference Center enables users to create and manage customers’ opt-in choices without ongoing developer support or app updates to the App Store or Google Play, the company claims. Integrated within Airship’s SaaS Customer Engagement Platform, the Preference Center allows marketers to guide consumers to their preference center through contextually triggered in-app messages or cross-channel journeys for onboarding, loyalty enrollment and opting in for new subscription content, the company says. advertisement advertisement In addition, marketers can automatically combine opt-in selections with customers’ mobile behaviors for hyper-personalized messaging, it adds. They also can track list opt-ins, review analytics reports and create multiple subscription lists spanning popular topics, all without developer support. While not a first for email or SMS, the service is a new one for app messaging, the company says. Alaska Airlines reportedly is one of several name brands on board with the service. “As pandemic restrictions lift and broad-scale travel resumes it’s absolutely vital that we connect our customers to the best values and broader inspiration to satisfy pent-up wanderlust,” says Dave McCormick, managing director, product & design for Alaska Airlines. McCormick adds: “Airship’s Preference Center will provide an easy and efficient way to ensure marketing messages do not diminish the role our mobile app plays as a real-time travel companion, notifying customers of when they can check-in or if there happens to be a gate change.” Apple’s new MPP will prevent marketers from using invisible pixels to collect open-rate and geographical-location information about their recipients. It is not known how many consumers will opt in to this service. Roughly 35% to 40% of email subscribers open their mail through Apple clients.
Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH September 23, 2021 at 03:35PM
https://ift.tt/3zBspkI
Google Assistant Launches New Suite Of Family-Centric Connectivity Features https://ift.tt/3zAKShw To expand use cases across its devices and further connect families, technology giant Google recently introduced a number of updated capabilities for its AI-powered Google Assistant.Get More Ideas With The PSFK Daily Newsletter Mobile Marketing via PSFK http://www.psfk.com/ September 23, 2021 at 02:30PM
https://ift.tt/2orj9iw
Third-Party Data Issues Make SMS Marketing More Attractive https://ift.tt/3CCU9ra Despite the mobile revolution, many marketers have remained hesitant about using the text-message/SMS marketing channel. Even with business use of text messaging having grown 20% as a result of the pandemic, just 3% of registered businesses worldwide are using it to communicate and transact with consumers, according to Mobilesquared data. Just 14% of companies currently text with consumers, and 65% of brands still don’t have a formal text-marketing strategy, according to stats from various industry surveys gathered by SlickText. “That’s surprising, given text messaging’s natural fit for business-to-consumer communications,” says Chuck Moxley, VP of marketing for text messaging platform Mobivity. advertisement advertisement As a native installation on mobile phones, text-messaging apps offer potential reach to massive universes: 292 million people in North America and 5 billion globally use texting (80% and 65% of those populations, respectively). SMS apps are also used more often than any other app (most apps are abandoned within 90 days of being downloaded), points out Moxley. As Gartner has noted, various sources report SMS open and response rates as high as 98% and 45%, respectively — in contrast to corresponding figures of 20% and 6% for email. Numerous surveys have found large percentages of consumers reporting that they want to text with their favorite brands to get updates and receive promotional offers, and use texting for customer service issues and functions like making reservations. Texting can be particularly effective for ecommerce offers. “On major shopping days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when nearly every ecommerce business is promoting discounts, texting can be used to cut through the noise and give your customers the opportunity to claim a discount, and make a purchase, almost instantaneously,” says Moxley. Brick-and-mortar brands that have integrated text messaging in their technology stacks are finding that the two-way communication greatly improves the online ordering and pickup experiences, he reports. And consumers are far more likely to opt in (via a simple five-digit shortcode) for promotions via text than email and other channels. Brands can confirm opt-in with users to guard against accusations of spamming, and a brand’s texting platform can be integrated with point-of-sale, loyalty, email and social media efforts to ensure marketing and fulfillment campaigns are personalized and integrated for the best consumer experience. Other recent survey findings cited by SlickText: 64% of consumers think companies who text value their time, are progressive and would recommend them to others; 53% say they feel more positive toward a brand that uses mobile messaging to communicate; and 45% say the ability to send mobile messages is what could convince them to choose one brand, product or service over another. So what’s been preventing a much more robust uptake of SMS marketing to date? Although it’s bottom-line results that matter, cost is always a key factor, and SMS campaigns “are significantly more costly than email campaigns on a per-message basis because all the messages must flow through mobile operators that charge a premium,” according to Gartner. SMS marketers must also be vigilant about adhering to both the Telephone Protection Act (TCPA) and the CAN-SPAM Act. In combination, those require obtaining explicit written consent/opt-in from each individual before sending texts (just providing a phone number doesn’t count), easy access to program terms and conditions, and simple opt-out mechanisms. To ensure a positive rather than alienating experience, marketers also need to determine the types of content and frequencies desired by different customer demographics, and deliver those in practice. SMS marketing requires having or tapping into expertise and attention to detail, in other words. But this channel is looking more attractive than ever these days, for at last two big reasons. One is the pandemic’s acceleration of consumers’ already rapidly growing embrace of ecommerce. The other is marketers’ pressing need to gather and leverage first-party data, with Apple’s mandatory opt-in for tracking iOS users across apps and sites kicking in, and Google’s ending its support for cookies further off now, but still looming. Data collected through explicit upfront consent and ongoing interaction via the under-used SMS channel could be one efficient route to building an engaged first-party digital audience. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH September 23, 2021 at 11:11AM
https://ift.tt/39yniHm
Netflix Offers First Free Mobile Plan, In Kenya, To Drive Paid Conversions https://ift.tt/2ZgclIC Netflix has begun rolling out its first free service plan for mobile phones — an ad-free plan that’s limited to Kenya, at least for the present. Netflix has previously offered free trials and limited content in various international markets as a sampling method to drive conversions to its paid plans, but the mobile-only plan is a new variation. The plan gives users access to about a quarter of Netflix’s content catalog. The rest of the library is locked, but can be browsed. Free mobile users can’t cast content to TV screens or download content for offline viewing. To access the service, users need only provide an email and a password, and verify that they are 18 or older. “If you’ve never watched Netflix before — and many people in Kenya haven’t — this is a great way to experience our service,” Cathy Conk, Netflix director of product innovation, wrote in a blog post. “And if you like what you see, it’s easy to upgrade to one of our paid plans so you can enjoy our full catalog on your TV or laptop as well.” Continued international expansion has become Netflix’s core growth-driver as subscriber growth has slowed in the saturated U.S. market. advertisement advertisement Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH September 23, 2021 at 08:06AM
https://ift.tt/3lOniZO
Walmart Continues Fight For Green Respect In New Campaign https://ift.tt/3lQGF4h
Walmart, often reviled for its impact on the planet, is introducing a new effort to help consumers make more sustainable choices. That’s just the latest salvo in the company’s uphill battle to gain credibility with increasingly skeptical consumers. The announcement coincides with a ruling from a California judge dismissing a suit Greenpeace, the environmentalist watchdog, brought against the retailer. The suit alleged Walmart made false and misleading claims about its sustainability practices. Walmart unveiled “Built for Better” on its corporate blog. The online and mobile shopping destination uses distinctive icons that make it easier for customers to find products “that meet independent and authoritative standards for promoting personal well-being and reducing our impact on the environment,” it says. advertisement advertisement The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer says the selected products are based on two general categories. “Built for Better -- For You” items include meats, produce, detergents and cosmetics chosen because they are free from ingredients many watchdog groups oppose. They include items that have been verified by outside organizations, including Great for You, EWG Verified and Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX. Others are classed under Walmart’s “Built for Better -- For the Planet” banner, recognizing products that have met the standards of organizations like Energy Star Certified, Rainforest Alliance Certified and Better Cotton Initiative. The idea, writes Jane Ewing, Walmart’s senior vice president of sustainability, is to streamline the sometimes bewildering array of eco-friendly claims. “We know shopping with purpose often takes extra time,” she writes. “It requires researching products and reading labels, all of which can be overwhelming for our busy customers.” She adds that the new push is just one part of Walmart's program to become a regenerative business. Its ambitious sustainability goals include achieving zero waste in the U.S. and Canada by 2025, including 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging for all private-label brands. Still, environmental groups have long accused the massive retailer of greenwashing. Greenpeace filed its suit late last year, saying Walmart “uses unlawful, unfair, and deceptive business practices by incorrectly labeling and advertising its various private label throwaway plastic products and packaging as recyclable.” U.S. District Court Judge Maxine Chesney dismissed the suit, claiming the organization lacked standing to sue. “Walmart sells more products packaged in throwaway plastic than almost any other polluter in the world,” said John Hocevar, campaign director for Greenpeace USA Oceans, in response to the suit dismissal. “Big brands know their customers are growing concerned about plastic pollution, but instead of addressing real solutions, they have opted for greenwashing.” And it seems Walmart’s ongoing sustainability efforts have been gaining traction. This year, Barron’s ranked it as No. 74 in the “100 Most Sustainable Companies.” Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH September 23, 2021 at 05:08AM
https://ift.tt/2orj9iw
Live Will Aims To Preserve Loved Ones' Video Messages On Mobile App https://ift.tt/3ANc7qB Live Will is preparing to launch a new mobile app that will allow users to record encrypted video messages for their loved ones to watch after they pass. Privacy and longevity –– how long the video messages will “live” -- seem to be the key components of Live Will. Each message has 256-bit encryption, the same as everyday banking apps or other websites. Live Will creators cannot see user footage when it is uploaded, making it viewable only by the selected contacts, who must use face id or a fingerprint. Depending on which pricing option the user chooses, videos are saved in Live Will servers from 30 to 50 years. In an increasingly digital world, the app is designed to help make the process of announcing a loved one’s death and sharing their chosen messages with others less challenging. advertisement advertisement After the app user takes a video, they choose a date, post-mortem, when their loved ones can see it. They then decide, among their list of contacts, who will receive the message. The Manager and Guardian features give the user the option to assign a specific person(s) who will then report one’s death, starting the process as planned. “Our mission is for people to overcome the difficulties that life and time may throw at them and to face the future with their families beside them, regardless of the circumstances,” said Edgardo Paso, the company’s creator. Fabric, another digital will app launched in 2017, offers users tools to manage their family’s finances. Live Will is more focused on the emotional messaging that takes on great significance with the loss of loved ones. “Today we have before us an innovation in this market; emotional life insurance –– your digital legacy,” Paso says. “Live Will is revolutionizing the way you think about life insurance.” Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH September 22, 2021 at 04:08PM
https://ift.tt/2orj9iw
Study: Brands Cite Redundancy And Speed As Martech Pain Points https://ift.tt/3CwVHTs Security -- not cost -- is the main factor when brands are evaluating new tools for their martech stacks, according to The Best Martech Stack: How To Achieve, Optimize and Future-Proof It, a study released Wednesday by Treasure Data. The top considerations are:
That list differs from the roster of pain points specified by marketers:
advertisement advertisement Here are the priorities firms would set given the right capabilities and team:
Meanwhile, of those polled, 27% of marketers say their martech stacks are ideal, while 56% say they are adequate and 17% say they are insufficient. That doesn’t mean brands are where they should be. “While 56% of survey respondents— who spanned B2B and B2C brands — view their current martech stack as 'adequate,' the need for various technology solutions to more seamlessly plug into existing infrastructure and drive and support business objectives, at scale, is evident,” says Tom Treanor, CMO at Treasure Data. Companies with ideal stacks are much more likely to use audience management, consent management and customer journey analytics. But firms with adequate stacks are more likely to use a CDP. In addition, organizations with ideal stacks are most likely to need to consolidate multiple redundant tools. Those with insufficient ones are way more interested in speeding up the ability to roll out new campaigns/initiatives. And 34% in this group says the total cost of ownership is too high. Overall, here are the technologies viewed as fundamental to the martech stack:
Email is not the first use case for CDPs.
Treasure Data surveyed 427 respondents from firms with at least 500 employees.
Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH September 22, 2021 at 02:43PM
https://ift.tt/39q2hPa
AT&T's Stankey Plans Brand Refresh, Promises 'Less Uncertainty' In 2022 https://ift.tt/3lSsPhV AT&T CEO John Stankey is dissatisfied with the company’s brand and intends to address that going forward, he said on Tuesday during a virtual Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference. “Frankly, I’m not satisfied with where the AT&T brand stands right now... I’m not sure the brand is positioned well for the next 10 years,” he said. “It’s a highly recognized brand, but we’ve got to take it to a new place.” Stankey did not offer specifics, but said the refresh he envisions would go beyond advertising alone. As CNBC points out, AT&T has had several failures in branding services in recent times — including its confusing debut of HBO Max while HBO Go and HBO Now were still active, and rebranding DirecTV Now to AT&T TV Now, only to change back to DirecTV as an umbrella for all of its streaming services. advertisement advertisement AT&T, now focused on 5G wireless, has seen its stock drop 25% over the past five years, in part due to investments in media assets — including WarnerMedia and DirecTV — that it is now spinning off, at a cost of about $50 billion to investors. Stankey acknowledged that “there’s uncertainty that’s hanging in the stock right now,” including uncertainty about whether the announced merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery will be approved in the current regulatory environment, and about “what the direct-to-market strategy will be” for the new media company being formed. However, Stankey also said that he believes that AT&T will experience “less uncertainty” after the WarnerMedia spinoff is completed in 2022, and the impacts of the COVID pandemic lessen. But with AT&T’s refocus over this past year under his direction as the new CEO, to concentrate on its broadband business and investments in 5G wireless and fiber-optic cable, the company will be "more agile, more nimble, and more focused on growth moving forward," he said. He added that, if passed into law, the Biden administration’s infrastructure bill will be a significant positive for the company. But "as far as investors are concerned, the jury is still out," observed Barron's. "AT&T stock has badly underperformed the market and its telecom peers during the pandemic, even considering its generous dividend yield. AT&T stock has lost 22% after dividends since the start of 2020, versus a 39% return for the S&P 500 and 23.5% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Verizon Communications stock has lost 5% after dividends and T-Mobile US stock has soared 60%." Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH September 22, 2021 at 09:12AM
https://ift.tt/2orj9iw
Opera Ad Manager Self-Service Ad Platform Launches For SMBs https://ift.tt/3u3SbwI Opera, the Norwegian technology company specializing in web browsers, on Wednesday launched a self-service ad platform that connects brands and advertisers with the hundreds of millions of consumers who actively use the company's desktop and mobile browsers. Per Wetterdal, executive vice president of commercial at Opera, says the self-service option complements the company’s managed services ad business, allowing small and medium-sized businesses to run native ads across its network. “We still have the managed services for larger advertisers, but it’s not a good option for smaller ones,” he said. “This is an extension that allows everyone to advertise in compliance.” Advertisers can create, manage and report on digital campaigns. The minimum spend limit, for the launch, is $100, but that is likely to change. advertisement advertisement There are tools for ad placement, budgets, and safety requirements. Advertisers set an objective and a target audience and then upload creative or use the creative builder in the platform. Hundreds of millions of people use Opera products, from global browsers to news and discovery feeds for specific topics. The company's consolidated financial results from second-quarter 2021 show advertising revenue rose 128% year-over-year, to $28.9 million, predominantly fueled by monetizing Opera News and its mobile browsers. The revenue for Opera News grew 442% year-over-year and 49% sequentially versus the first quarter of 2021. One reason that Google has become so successful with SMBs is the company’s ability to educate marketers on how to use its ad platform. Wetterdal says Opera plans to offer a step-by-step guide and other collateral to teach advertisers how to run ads. There is also a reporting option. In the future, Opera plans to introduce a recommendation feature to determine how much to spend and where to spend it. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile https://ift.tt/2oB2PsH September 22, 2021 at 09:04AM |
CategoriesArchives
April 2023
|