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Mobile Marketing

This IoT Block Of Wood Is Also A Minimalist Connected Home Interface

11/30/2017

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This IoT Block Of Wood Is Also A Minimalist Connected Home Interface

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This IoT Block Of Wood Is Also A Minimalist Connected Home Interface

This IoT Block Of Wood Is Also A Minimalist Connected Home Interface

Made out of wood, Mui marries organic with high-tech

Koyoto company Nissha have created the Mui prototype, a smart home display made out of wood. As smart home technologies multiply, so does the different materials and aesthetic experiments. Mui bases its look on natural, organic minimalist tech. It has an LED display that can serve up information like the weather and messages, and it also has internal environmental control capabilities as well.

An unobtrusive addition to your current home gadgetry, the Mui works with Philips Hue Lightbulbs and NetLED, with more options to come. The companion app is currently in development to include integrations with Alexa. It will run between $900-$1200 a pop, but if you’re Marie Kondo’ing your place and want your tech to fit in, this could be a nice addition. Nissha will come out with other models in different materials such as glass, fabric, and marble, the current prototype is made of sycamore wood.

Nissha | Mui

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November 30, 2017 at 06:34AM
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London Buses Will Soon Be Powered By Coffee Grounds

11/30/2017

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London Buses Will Soon Be Powered By Coffee Grounds

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London Buses Will Soon Be Powered By Coffee Grounds

London Buses Will Soon Be Powered By Coffee Grounds

London transport system to start using new B20 biofuel made from coffee waste

Another idea from London surrounding sustainable uses for coffee. Bio-Bean, in conjunction with Argent and Shell Energy, created a new fuel alternative made from coffee waste. Coffee grounds from coffee shops and instant coffee manufacturers get processed to extract the coffee oil so it can then be combined with diesel. The first test of B20 generated enough fuel to power a London double-decker bus for a year. Considering that London generates about 50,000 tons of coffee waste a year, it is projected that a third of the London transport fleet can be powered for a year using this Bio-Bean fuel. The buses also don’t need any engine or structural updates in order to accommodate the new fuel. London has ambitious plans for its bus system, hoping to make it 100% sustainable by 2050. Imagine if other coffee drinking cities implemented this new fuel alternative. New York City, how about it?

Bio-Bean

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November 30, 2017 at 06:05AM
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Content Marketing Lessons from 4 Holiday Ad Fails

11/30/2017

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Content Marketing Lessons from 4 Holiday Ad Fails

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Making a great holiday ad should be simple. Start with a heartwarming message about love, peace, and goodwill. Add twinkling lights and evergreen trees and families getting warm by a fire. Then add your brand’s logo discreetly toward the bottom right. There you have it – a holiday ad that won’t offend, creep out, or annoy anyone.

It’s an easy formula, but one that a surprising number of brands mess up every year. Fortunately for us, they mess up in entertaining and educational ways. It’s almost easier to learn from a cautionary tale than a role model, so reveling in bad marketing can make you a better marketer.

These four holiday ads are certified disastrous, each in their own special way. And each has a lesson – or two – that marketers can use all year round. So prepare yourself for blasphemous meat products and yodeling cats: It’s time for some festive marketing fails.

1. Sour Sentiment from KFC

Last year, KFC created this music video, which is inexplicably three minutes long:

If you have better things to do with three minutes, the song is about how awful the holidays are, how people are annoying, how children are the absolute worst…but we can all come together because KFC is delicious.

KFC’s a notoriously “edgy” brand on social media, so it makes sense they would launch a sourball right at the heart of the holiday season. But this video leaves a worse aftertaste than their potato wedges do.

I believe comedy is great for marketing. But there are so many layers of irony and misanthropy here that it’s hard for the joke to breathe – by the time the gospel choir comes in, it’s impossible not to roll your eyes. And even if it made you chuckle all the way through, did it make you hungry for KFC?

My Content Marketing Takeaway: Humor is great for marketing. Irony less so. Snarkiness infinitely less so. Stick with humor that invites your audience into your tribe and makes them feel good.

2. Sainsbury’s Turns a War Story into a Commercial

On the complete opposite side of the irony spectrum, we have the absolute deadly earnestness of Sainsbury’s Christmas ad from 2016. After you watch the video, you’re invited to watch two different behind-the-scenes videos – they’re that proud:

The ad tells the true story of American and German troops in 1914 that called a cease-fire on Christmas Day. They sang songs together, celebrated the holiday, and then returned to trying to kill each other the next day (the video stops short of that last bit).

There’s nothing wrong with telling this story, and even nothing wrong with a brand telling it. But it’s still cringe-inducing to have that ad tagline and Sainsbury’s logo pop up at the end. It makes me feel manipulated by a brand, rather than entertained by a story.

My Content Marketing Takeaway: If your brand is approaching sensitive subject matter, keep the branding subtle. Let the content take center stage, and don’t turn a beautiful moment into a commercial.

3. Gregg Bakery’s Sausage Savior

British bakery chain Greggs stirred up controversy this year with their advent calendar announcement. The ad featured a nativity scene with a sausage roll in place of the baby Jesus. Not surprisingly, some Christians objected to the imagery. And some people thought it was hilarious. And the bakery apologized while not really apologizing.

Greggs picked up some free publicity from the stunt, of course. But none of that publicity had to do with their delicious pastries. And they’re getting eyerolls from folks who are tired of edgy brands courting controversy during the holidays. It’s a tired move.

My Content Marketing Takeaway: I’m all for drawing in your tribe, even to the extent of repelling those who aren’t your target audience, by leading with your brand’s values. Stirring up pointless controversy doesn’t tell anyone about your brand, and doesn’t make a meaningful distinction to your target audience.

4. Whatever This Is that Walmart Did

My words are my livelihood. My words are my only weapon against the world. But for this… I have no words. Just watch.

So. Yodeling cat in a Santa hat for 51 seconds: Walmart! Right?

The thing is, this ad made some kind of sense back in 2011, when it came out. It fits in with an animation trend from the late ‘00s. Today, it’s just ugly and off-putting. And, of course, even back in the day it didn’t have anything to do with Wal-Mart.

My Content Marketing Lesson: Make your marketing timeless rather than trendy, useful rather than “viral,” sensible instead of utter screaming nonsense.

Happy Holidays and Beyond

When holiday advertising works, it’s a fine example of what content marketing can be: Uplifting, entertaining, empathetic, even valuable. When too much snark, aggressive branding, pointless controversy, or cat-yodeling gets in the way – well – at least it can serve as a warning to the rest of us.

Are you already looking past the holidays to the New Year? Explore four emerging marketing channels for 2018.


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The post Content Marketing Lessons from 4 Holiday Ad Fails appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.





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November 30, 2017 at 05:31AM
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Grey Goose Is Letting Party-Goers Rent Their Own Private Bartender

11/30/2017

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Grey Goose Is Letting Party-Goers Rent Their Own Private Bartender

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Grey Goose Is Letting Party-Goers Rent Their Own Private Bartender

Grey Goose offers a new bartender program for UK customers for their holiday parties

French vodka company Grey Goose wants to help make holiday parties even more special with their new Cocktail Concierge service. This service brings a professional bartender to work at a holiday party, which can vary from events hosted at customer’s home or ones held for a corporate office. Every party gets limited to a maximum of 30 people. The bartender will have an extensive list of cocktails made with Greg Goose vodka available for everyone to try.

The Grey Goose Cocktail Concierge service runs until the end of December, costs £2,000, and the bartender brings their own ingredients and glassware to serve to the guests. The program only operates for those in the United Kingdom.

Grey Goose

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Mobile Marketing

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November 30, 2017 at 05:30AM
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Amsterdam Is Curbing Plastic Waste Through 3D Printed Benches

11/30/2017

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Amsterdam Is Curbing Plastic Waste Through 3D Printed Benches

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Amsterdam Is Curbing Plastic Waste Through 3D Printed Benches

Amsterdam Is Curbing Plastic Waste Through 3D Printed Benches

Rotterdam research and design studio turns plastic waste into cool and innovative street furniture

Plastic waste is designed to last forever, which is why plastic waste has become a persistent worldwide problem. Amsterdam is taking a proactive approach to dealing with the issue through 3D printing benches made from plastic waste. The prototype is called the XXX bench.

Recognizing how much plastic waste an Amsterdam resident produces (about 50 pounds per person a year), It’s high-time to find a solution. The New Raw, a research and design studio based in Rotterdam, sourced plastic waste and used a scale pellet extrusion 3D printer to create the XXX bench.

Although the design and size can be customized, The New Raw decided to design its prototype with a wave-like pattern that signifies equilibrium on both ends of the bench. The XXX bench is just the first product launched, but these 3D printed benches will soon be soon all over the city. The New Raw is currently looking at working on recycling bins, bus stops, playgrounds, and other street furniture to create a circular city, and hopefully, close the plastic waste loop once and for all.

The New Raw

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November 30, 2017 at 05:16AM
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BMW Proposes An Elevated E-Bike Roadway For City Traffic Relief

11/30/2017

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BMW Proposes An Elevated E-Bike Roadway For City Traffic Relief

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BMW Proposes An Elevated E-Bike Roadway For City Traffic Relief

BMW Proposes An Elevated E-Bike Roadway For City Traffic Relief

The modular roadway takes advantage of unused space to increase sustainable mobility options

Managing traffic congestion in cities is problem that’s only going to get worse in the coming years. Trends in population continue to point towards people choosing cities as the place were they want to live. Urban infrastructure is having a hard time keeping up with the increase in density. BMW collaboration with the Tongji University in Shanghai to create a new urban roadway concept with the goal of providing a faster, safer and more sustainable transportation option for city dwellers.

BMW_Vision_E³_Way_6

The BMW Vision E³ Way proposes to improve getting around in cities with an elevated, modular roadway made for use by only electrically powered two-wheeled vehicles. The intent is for the roadways to link major destination points in cities like train stations, business hubs and shopping centers. The design of the elevated road means it can be installed above an automotive roadway, taking advantage of space that normally isn’t used. Much of the Vision E³ Way itself could be covered, offering weather protection for commuting riders and keeping the road surface clean.

bmw_motorrad_concepts.jpg

The “3” of E³ stands for “elevated”, “electric” and “efficient”. E-bikes and scooters already share the road with cars and trucks worldwide even though they aren’t legal to ride in cities like New York. With the Motorrad Concept Link and Motorrad X2 City, BMW is exploring their own vehicle concepts for this segment. So proposing dedicated riding lanes that don’t interfere with pedestrian or large vehicle traffic is a logical extension of their plans.

For now, Vision E³ Way is just a series of idea images. The project fits within BMW’s larger strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT, which is the framework the automaker is following to offer both innovative and responsible individual mobility products in the future.

BMW

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November 30, 2017 at 05:01AM
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CTA: Smartphones Most Used Device to Shop During Black Friday Week

11/30/2017

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CTA: Smartphones Most Used Device to Shop During Black Friday Week

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Here’s a shocker. Smartphones dominated Black Friday week.

For the first time ever, smartphones (41 percent) were the devices most used by consumers for online shopping during the 2017 Black Friday shopping week, surpassing desktop computers (38 percent) and laptops (34 percent), according to new research by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

The 2017 Post-Black Friday Week Survey, covering Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday confirms the number of Americans who shopped on Cyber Monday (26 percent) outpaced those who shopped on Black Friday (25 percent), for the first time.

“Consistent with CTA’s earlier projections, the 2017 holiday shopping season marks an official milestone for mobile shopping,” said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research, CTA. “High ownership rates of mobile devices paired with targeted advertising, deal notifications and social media ad campaigns, have given rise to the ‘omnishopper,’ who is eager to pounce on the online deals that have frequently spanned the entire Black Friday shopping week. With the shift to greater use of mobile devices to shop online, it’s no surprise that Cyber Monday – the biggest online shopping holiday – has surpassed Black Friday in number of total shoppers for the first time ever.”

As for the top Black Friday week tech purchases, here’s what the CTA tells us. Technology is one of the most popular categories for Black Friday shopping week purchases, following only clothing. Fifty-seven percent of U.S. adults – or 59 million people (an increase over last year) shopped for tech during Black Friday Week. The top tech purchases were:

1) Televisions
2) Headphones
3) Laptops

Other tech that performed well: tablets, smartphones, videogame consoles, any type of technology accessory (e.g., cases, cables), DVD OR Blu-ray Disc players and smart speakers (e.g., Amazon Echo or Google Home).

Want to know more? Check out the CTA’s announcement and data here.

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November 30, 2017 at 04:58AM
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Salesfloor Performance Data Proves E-Commerce is the Biggest Driver for Black Friday Sales

11/30/2017

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Salesfloor Performance Data Proves E-Commerce is the Biggest Driver for Black Friday Sales

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Salesfloor, a mobile application designed for store associates, just announced its holiday outlook following sky-high sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Results include data from the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, starting November 23, through November 27. During this time period, Salesfloor retailers saw a 28 percent year-over-year increase in average total sales. Salesfloor’s platform is used by retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Ann Taylor, Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor and more.

“Salesfloor’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday data proves that retailers who are evolving to meet the needs of omnichannel shoppers are seeing positive pre-holiday results,” said Oscar Sachs, co-founder and CEO of Salesfloor. “By empowering associates to connect with shoppers across channels and create a personalized relationship, shoppers are more inclined to turn to their trusted associate or store in times when they have access to various deals at multiple retailers.”

In 2017, American shoppers spent $5 billion in 24 hours, marking a 16.9 percent increase in dollars spent online compared to Black Friday in 2016. Additionally, according to Adobe, Cyber Monday was the largest-ever single day of online sales in the U.S. Over 10,000 retail associates used the Salesfloor platform to serve customers online through chat, marketing and connect tools, achieving unprecedented results during the initial holiday period, including:

1. Increased conversions and sales

48 percent year-over-year increase in online conversion rates.
28 percent year-over-year increase in average total sales.
13 percent year-over-year increase in sales per average user.
7 percent year-over-year increase in average order value.

2. New customer acquisitions

New customer acquisitions increased by 264 percent.
For every $100 spent online via Salesfloor, retailers are able to attribute $68 purchased in a brick-and-mortar location.

3. Growth in shopper requests for help from online associates

Number of requests grew by 31 percent year-over-year per user.

In December, the company will release its study exploring what modern shoppers expect from associates in an omnichannel shopping experience, and their preferred communication methods. Retailers use Salesfloor to empower their sales associates to become “omnichannel associates” and market directly to local shoppers, so they can provide more personalized service online and in-store.

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November 30, 2017 at 04:41AM
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eZanga Joins IAB and Earns Approval for TAG Registry

11/30/2017

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eZanga Joins IAB and Earns Approval for TAG Registry

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Full-service digital marketing firm eZanga has joined the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) as a general member and been approved by the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) as a participant in TAG Registry.

According to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), bot fraud will cost advertisers $6.5 billion globally in 2017.

A statement emailed to MMW Wednesday notes that eZanga’s fraud detection division, Anura, “is the only ad fraud software solution built by a company that has bought and sold traffic.”

Having experience being held by clients to performance-based metrics and traffic quality helped eZanga benchmark the Anura rulesets with a unique point-of-view.

IAB membership enables eZanga to actively contribute this point-of-view to the discussions that are impacting the greater digital marketing landscape.

“We built Anura to validate whether or not a user is real or fake because viewability can be beaten,” said Rich Kahn, CEO and co-founder of eZanga. “We firmly stand behind measuring performance through real, human users with the resolve to interact without malicious intent as a stronger metric for combating fraud. We look forward to bringing insights from the discussions we’re having with our brand and agency clients to IAB’s ongoing initiatives to improve the transparency within online advertising.”

“It is important for the advertising ecosystem to work together to strengthen our defenses against ad fraud,” said Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG. “By registering with TAG, eZanga has taken an important step in building a common industry standard to ensure that only legitimate companies participate in the digital advertising ecosystem.”

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November 30, 2017 at 04:15AM
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Verto Analytics Increases Monthly Revenue

11/30/2017

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Verto Analytics Increases Monthly Revenue

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Verto Analytics, a consumer-centric measurement company, just announced continued market momentum with a 48 percent increase in month-to-month revenue since the beginning of Q1/2017.

The company’s growth has been largely fueled by a high demand for research and measurement solutions that help brands and publishers overcome the challenge of media fragmentation.

We’re told that Verto also tripled its U.S.-based customers in 2017 with the addition of several Fortune 500 brands and publishers, establishing itself as a next-generation alternative for providing single-source, cross-platform audience measurement.

“Our vision is to be the industry’s go-to source for consumer behavioral insights,” said Hannu Verkasalo, CEO of Verto Analytics. “We put the consumer in the center of our measurement methodology, and doing so gives companies the ability to see how behavior and mindsets are evolving in a very transparent way. With a holistic understanding of a single consumer’s cross-platform journey, how audiences engage with media on a daily basis, and the effectiveness of media and advertising, our customers are delivering more seamless experiences that drive engagement, loyalty, and results for their businesses.”

For more information about Verto products, including their new Smart Poll for enterprise offering, click here.

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November 30, 2017 at 04:00AM
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