3 Examples suggesting future trends in multichannel social commerce
We’re always on the lookout for examples of new technology in action in the hope they’ll spark ideas or just because they may be a pointer to new trends. Here are a couple I’ve enjoyed recently, which combine digital technology in the offline world with the online world and include a social element. I’ve resisted the temptation to call these “multisocial” as some have…
Tesco Homeplus Virtual Supermarkets
You may have seen the example in 2011 from South Korea of the virtual store in a subway? Well now (August 2012) we have the first example in the UK, this time it's Tesco in Gatwick. The idea is for those who like to plan ahead when they're waiting before they fly. Tesco says the idea "came from customers". I don't think so, more likely it's to raise awareness of home shopping amongst the…
New research shows potential for Facebook commerce?
Value/Importance: [rating=3]
Recommended link: Ecwid/TNS Research
You will have noticed that in 2011 there was a lot of hype about Facebook commerce with many companies announcing the launch of F-commerce stores.
By 2012 we had moved from the peak of inflated expectations to the trough of disillusionment in the technology hype cycle.
This disillusionment or “F*****d commerce” as Marketing Pilgrim put it, was shown with major US retailers like Gamestop, JC Penney, Nordstrom and The Gap all shutting their Facebook stores.
Does this mean the end for F-commerce? Not necessarily. This new research suggests that F-commerce maybe moving along the slope of enlightenment. The research from TNS, predicts that:
"6.1% of online purchases over the next 3 years will be made via Facebook. Although only 4% of GB consumers have purchased goods from Facebook, the research showed that 40% would be happy to buy goods from Facebook if it…
The role of social gifting for retail Ecommerce
Social gifting allows users to send paid-for, discounted or free gift cards to their social network friends via mobile or desktop applications from gifting companies. Start-ups offering a social gifting options include:
Wrapp for Facebook (Europe and US)
DropGifts for Facebook (UK)
Cashstar (US)
Socialgift (an own site embedded solution for group gifting)
How does it work?
Each of the main providers have a slightly different approach with some focusing on individual gifting via social networks and others enabling a group of friends to contribute (ideal for leaving presents or shared family gifts).
Taking the example of Wrapp a Swedish startup now offering the service elsewhere in Europe and the US, retailers can use the service to help their customers remember their Facebook friends’ birthdays and prompting them to send a gift. Personalisation enables Wrapp to recommend suitable gifts based on account age,…
Precision App network targeting, simple messaging and a great brand are key to WWF’s success
I've created this campaign summary since it shows just how effective a mobile ad campaign can be when it's well targeted and delivers a strong, simple message. It's based on a more in-depth case study of a WWF Sweden campaign available from Google.
The fact that WWF already had a well-respected brand in Sweden at the time of the campaign didn’t hurt either - existing high brand recognition was undoubtedly a factor in making this loyal donor recruitment campaign a huge success.
WWF’s campaign results are truly impressive, showing +25% increase in mobile conversion compared with WWF’s total conversions across all platforms.
The campaign results were good enough to convince WWF to abandon other advertising channels and increase mobile investment by 400%, focusing exclusively on the AdMob…
Introducing Google’s new retail strategies
If you're a veteran of "Internet marketing", you'll remember Froogle, Google's shopping search engine which presented products freely submitted by retailers using XML feeds. In 2007, this became Google Product Search and you may have heard this is now being rebranded to Google Shopping.
The Google announcement explains:
"We are starting to transition Google Product Search in the U.S. to a purely commercial model built on Product Listing Ads. This new product discovery experience will be called Google Shopping and the transition will be complete this fall".
While Google Product will officially becoming, Google Shopping the more significant changes outlined below will only affect US product feeds & users for now. There is no date as yet for a wider roll out, but it's rumoured to be early 2013. However what Google does in the USA almost certainly makes it way across the seas. This is often a good thing…
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24 Jul 2012
Step Two - Talk
In this article we continue to explain the 6-step Conversion Architecture model we discussed in Part 1, which dealt with Step One – “Analyse”. This 6-step process has been developed over the last 10 years of our work to become the foundation of all our clients’ projects.
Step Two - Talk
If step one focused on data analysis from analytics, the ‘talk’ phase is all about the human analysis. In other words, you’ve perused all the hard stats, now you need to gain a more qualitative insight.
You are not the audience for your website. Looks obvious when it’s written down, but I see websites every day that have clearly been created with little consideration for the customer.
You need to understand your audience so you can construct a targeted strategy. I mean, truly understand them. You can look…
An introduction to persona-based segmentation using an example
The beauty of persona-based segmentation is that it provides a much easier grip on the data than almost any other method of presenting Web analytics. Marketers can really use this type of data - and you can see how it lends itself to testing.
We’ve been doing persona-based Segmentation for many years as part of two-tiered segmentation. Indeed, it was the main technique we adapted from days in credit-card marketing to the Web. Persona-based segmentations (typically built using either Cluster Analysis or Neural Nets), are designed to aggregate many separate variables into a multi-dimensional map in which visitors tend to cluster. This sounds very complicated (and mathematically it is - though fortunately other statisticians and programmers have done all the hard work building the tools), but the end result is designed to deliver a much simpler view of digital behavior to marketers. I…
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13 Jul 2012
Digital marketing features in more adjudications - especially email marketing
This used to be the strap line in the Advertising Standards Authority ads reminding marketers of their obligations under the advertising practice codes and the relevant law. Today, the ASA still regularly field complaints about the claims made in digital and offline advertisements.
As we alerted you in a previous post, the ASA’s 01/03/2011 online extensions to the marketing guidelines mean the self-regulatory CAP code now applies to websites, PPC, social media conversations, promotional video and email marketing, in addition to more obvious advertisement formats. Press releases and natural search do not come under the guidelines.
Reviewing adjudications can help you avoid creating misleading advertising communications
The majority of consumer complaints are about ‘misleading’ rather than ‘offensive’ advertising, and it is not always apparent how ‘misleading’ will be officially interpreted. There have…
A new social commerce report shows the potential
UK retailers that do not offer customers recommendations could be missing out on £9 billion in extra revenue according to a new report by nToklo. It seems that although 'social commerce' is an established concept, many retailers aren't fully tapping into it.
There's no question that social commerce from a 'vendor' perspective (or social shopping from the 'consumer' perspective) is a hot area since:
So many people have an online profile in one or more social networks
Social graph APIs and tools have become available and it's getting easier to use the data within those profiles and encourage sharing
According to the social commerce gurus at nToklo, the use of user generated content at multiple stages of the sales funnel could account for up to a 27 percent uptake in sales, and despite this only half of the…
Scribblers shows how content marketing can be integrated into the Facebook timeline and website to help generate sales
I think case studies are a great way to learn; to discover techniques to improve marketing. In this example, we look at how online retailer Scribblers blends Facebook, email and web as one part of effective use of social media marketing.
About the case study company
Scribblers is a successful online retailer supplying calligraphers throughout the world with stock and advice ‘to meet all their calligraphy needs’. You can read a more detailed version of this case study also.
Scribblers uses an integrated mix of digital communication channels to reach and engage its niche target market. A combination of Facebook advertising and social marketing, occasional specialist magazine articles and shows, and a continuous presence in search using Google Adwords and SEO, is effective in driving new visitors to its website hub and Facebook…
