Digital Media Explosion

The digital marketplace has  fostered the growth of a “sharing economy”. 

• Ebay launched an online barter and auction site where people could buy and sell just about anything. 
• Amazon exploded into the online space creating a site where customers could buy just about anything without going to a physical store. 
• VRBO and AirBnB provide opportunities for consumers to rent and “share” vacation space that challenge the traditional vacation model and making it easier to less expensive to travel. 
• Uber and Lyft have created a shared driving opportunity that challenges the traditional taxi system. 

Peer to Peer marketing has seen tremendous growth with the social media marketplace.  Most recently Lyft announced an enhancement to their App tailored specifically to businesses.  The functionality introduced will be very helpful to business customers and the differention and diversification strenghthens Lyft position competing with Uber in this space.  It may be that Uber is the “consumer” choice while Lyft carves out a niche for business customers.

Moonlightingapp.com  is a new “peer to peer” model for small businesses.  Created by entrepreneurs in Charlottesville, VA this site provides a marketplace for consumers looking for business services from painting, plumbing to professional services such as legal, or marketing and connects with small businesses looking for business.   This is certainly an opportunity for all the freelance workers out there.

Digital Marketing is the future and has changed the way companies do business.  Marketers are more challenged to leverage and use digital marketing and to balance the traditional  marketing strategies of mass media advertising with SEO and online ads and direct mail with email and SMS texting.  Traditional sales channels are being challenged with online channels requiring companies to expand sales to new channels while maintaining traditional call centers.   The peer to peer marketing models that have launched are challenging traditional industries but making it more important to maintain and market a digital presence.  This is just getting started and there is so much new content coming our way to make our lives easier and challenge traditional marketing!

Influencer Marketing [VIDEO]

Influencer Marketing is a hot trend in 2016 and being used increasingly by companies to promote and manage their brands.  Content Marketing is still important but it is going to a new level – going viral.  Exactly what is Influencer Marketing?  This is getting customers to tout your product or company online – on social media, blogs and videos.  This is the next level of brand management.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R9-s6AO-n8&nohtml5=False

 An article in Ad Age quoted Nick Bianchi, AT&T’s director of social media saying, “We really increased our influencer program in 2015, and going into 2016, we are likely to increase it even more Managing your brand on social media.  http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/brands-work-creator-influencers/302919/

A recent article in Forbes, profiled a company, Sprinklr, that has made a business automating or developing software that aids large companies in monitoring their brands and reputations on social media. One application cited is that a company uses Sprinklr to monitor social media comments to identify loyal fans of its products and critics to address and limit the spread of negative comments.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2016/01/20/meet-sprinklr-the-startup-that-cracked-social/#2715e4857a0b2ff561f54f4a

Sources:

4. (2015). Influencer Marketing [VIDEO]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R9-s6AO-n8

Williamson, D. A. (2016, March 03). How Brands Can Work with Creator-Influencers. http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/brands-work-creator-influencers/302919/

Konrad, A. (2016, February 08). Meet Sprinklr, The Billion-Dollar Startup That Cracked Social Advertising. http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2016/01/20/meet-sprinklr-the-startup-that-cracked-social/#2715e4857a0b2ff561f54f4a

Mobile Apps and Social Media

Mobile devices are being used more frequently by consumers for online engagement – web browsing, e-commerce, social media engagement

A recent study, “ Mobile-based campaigns and coupons boost consumer brand sentiment” (Nadia Cameron, CMO, 1/22/16) www.cmc.com.au/article/print/592631/report-mobile-based-campaigns-coupons-boost 

                60% of consumers want to receive text alerts and updates from retailers

                1/3 smartphone users use wallet services such as Apple Pay or Google wallet

   82% reported that digital coupons were more convenient

The other day, while travelling, I stopped in a McDonalds and much to my surprise, even McDonalds has an App! 

Now one has to wonder – what value is an App to McDonalds.  There’s no need to make a reservation, call ahead or even find a McDonalds since they are ubiquitous.   But wisely McDonalds has jumped in to the game of social media marketing!  McDonalds is using the App for engagement and to draw customers to McDonalds and back to them as a lot of customers have strayed for healthier options.  I tend to be biased there, and still this McDonalds has great fries and I actually like the cheeseburgers – a good size for me J

Upon further inspection of the App, McDonalds is doing a good job with engagement and encouraging customers to visit.  They have a complete menu with nutritional facts about every item on the menu from calories to ingredients. 

Sources:

Cameron, N. (2016, January 22). Report: Mobile-based campaigns and coupons boost consumer brand sentiment. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://www.cmo.com.au/article/592631/report-mobile-based-campaigns-coupons-boost-consumer-brand-sentiment/