Google’s Ad Dollars – Big Bucks!

Google’s recent increase in ad dollars is a direct result of product expansion. Enhancements to Google’s search engine platform, although subtle, have helped it to attract more advertising dollars. These enhancements included product list shopping ads and digital video ad offerings.

These enhancements help in part to drive three times more traffic to retail then the same quarter in prior year. Google continues to enhance their search Engine in hopes that it will continue to bring in more revenue. The Google play digital store, You Tube, etc., are all examples of further product expansion.

Taken off Rita Dynan’s (@RitaDynan) Twitter Feed: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/googles-ad-dollars-keep-rising-thanks-smart-and-stealthy-moves-158985

Media Credits:

 http://www.wsoaonline.com/google-teaches-valuable-lesson-through-the-expense-of-expedia/google-search-2/

 

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Heineken Let’s You Know @WhereNext to Be Seen

Heineken’s new Twitter service is attempting to help consumers identify consumer trends using existing technology. These trends will appeal to an existing market in the location they are being used.

The use of this service, for an existing market, will also link Heineken’s product to these trendy locations in the minds of the users, effectively saying ‘Heineken is cool and so are these locations, have a Heineken there’.

I think this pairs well with their recent commercial about a date which could fit the bill of a “trendy location”, and tries to establish Heineken as a “fun” beer brand.  These two items together indicate to me that they are looking to approach a younger target market, with disposal income.

Taken from Rita Dynan’s (@RitaDynan) Twitter Feed:  http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/heinekens-new-twitter-based-service-helps-users-choose-their-next-adventure-158949

Starbucks Shifts Gears

Starbucks recently had to face the prospect of declining earnings.  The bad news got worse in December 2008, when the share price was lower than $10 from a previous high around $38. 

Rather than pursue typical remedies to declining revenue, Starbucks undertook “The Transformation Agenda” (http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-01-07/howard-schultzs-memobusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice).  This was essentially rebranding the company, where they focused on what they could do to differentiate themselves from their competitors.  Their primary focus was on having better employees, being a better corporate citizen, and providing the best possible customer experience. 

It worked for Starbucks, whose share is currently trading over $80.

http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-01-07/howard-schultzs-memobusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice

Taken From Rita Dynan’s (@RitaDynan) Twitter Feed:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/07/06/why-its-hard-to-hate-starbucks/12022699/

The Next Innovation In Smartphones?

Google’s Project Ara may revolutionize the smartphone industry.  Project Ara is the first of its kind, a modular smartphone which will allow the owner to customize it as they see fit.

This type of new product development can appeal to jaded iPhone and Andriod users who do not need the functionality built into a stock model smartphone, but would like to pick and choose their options. 

The main question remains, can this product take serious market share from the iPhone?

Taken From Rita Dynan’s Pinterest page ((http://pinterest.com/ritadynan/):  http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/10/project-ara-mdk/

Media Taken From:  http://saraegoodman.blogspot.com/2012/03/thing-that-i-have-been-dreading-since.html

The End (Hopefully) of Mass Marketing

Venture Beat’s recent article on if mass marketing is dead introduces a new product that enables producers to be able to connect more directly with their consumers, Intercom.

Everyone is aware of what mass marketing, it is probably seen every day in your mail (Comcast’s daily flyer to “Matt Salandria or Our Current Neighbor” comes to mind) and the most ubiquitous example, radio and television commercials.

Intercom’s service expects to deliver a producer with information on who is using their products, providing personalized messages to users.  This will enable producers to segment their markets like never before, linking the consumer to products they use. 

Link:  http://venturebeat.com/2014/07/23/mass-marketing-is-dead-intercom-breathes-new-life-into-customer-relationships/

Media Credit:  http://ampformarketing.com/what/overview

GoPro’s Extreme Viral Videos

 

GoPro’s initial marketing strategy was to use professional stuntmen and extreme athletes to showcase the abilities of its camcorders, like the Kelly Slater video below.  It’s clear from this type of advertising that GoPro was looking to attract a very specific market segment:  a young, adventurous type who wanted to share their exploits with the world.

The advertising strategy has yield two major benefits:

1. The marketing strategy caused a trend, and people wanted to be the next GoPro viral video star. GoPro embraced this; they allow users to submit videos and then packages and distribute it throughout the world via its YouTube channel. The major benefit of this trend? Free advertising.

2. The want and need to be the next GoPro viral video star has dramatically increased GoPro’s market share from 11% in 2011 to 45% in 2013.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/gopro-marketing-turns-top-youtube-brand-article-1.1875573

Disney Magic Bands

Disney’s new Magic Bands have the ability to provide Disney with a wealth of information about how guests move about their park and spend money.

The bands provide usage feedback at multiple times:  when reserving a ride, entering the park, buying a meal, going to your hotel room, etc.  With enough of this data, Disney will be able to better plan, price, and sell products.

They can also use this type of macro-data to push directed advertising to band-wearers cell phones.  Something like “Since you recently went on Ride XXX, why not stop by Concession YYY and try our delicious ZZZ?”.

Taken from Rita Dynan’s Pinterest Page:  http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/on-the-town/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2014/3/18/disney_magicbands.html