10th June 2013

Paper Still Packs A Punch

It’s easy to get distracted by the seemingly monthly advancements in advertising mediums. It seems as soon as we start to get the hang of a new form of advertising, another one comes along for us to learn. Youtube videos, iphone apps and the like are pretty commonplace now and we can unknowingly convince ourselves that the new and shiny marketing device ‘of the month’ is the what we need to put all of our resources into.

This isn’t a bad thing by any means. Progress is good, and it ensures that our craft is continually growing and changing. New forms of creativity are forged along with the technology that generated it. However, a recent study shows that old habits die hard, and they die hard very well.

According to a new study by Nielsen (underwritten by the Newspaper Association of America) shows that print and online newspapers still have the edge.

The study examined 5000 people’s engagement with a variety of advertising media outlets. There were 11 metrics of engagement, such as

  • Trust and ethics
  • How connected the media makes people feel
  • Effectiveness of Advertising

The results were interesting.

Media

Newspapers (Print/Web)

TV/TV Web

Radio

Internet

Aggregate Engagement Scores

43%

37%

41%

41%

Media

Newspapers (Print)

TV/TV Web

Radio

Internet

Advertising Effectiveness

41%

32%

34%

33%

“This first-of-it’s-kind national study by Nielsen clearly demonstrates that Newspaper print ads get noticed more than all other media and drive the highest purchase intent.” –Newspaper Association of America.

Although the study was paid for by the NAA (which would be an explanation for their high confidence in the study), it does show how newspaper media does hold it’s own with other forms of media and is not ‘finished’ by any means.

Refrences:

http://www.cmswire.com/cms/customer-experience/nielsen-study-newspapers-hold-edge-in-engagement-ad-effectiveness-020497.php

http://www.naa.org/About-NAA/Events/Archives/2013/NAAmediaXchange/2013-Nielsen-National-Cross-Media-Engagement-Study.aspx

11th March 2013

3D Printing: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?

Just recently the media was buzzing with news that Cornell University researchers had managed to create a replacement ear using a 3D printer and injections of living cells. It was the latest achievement in a long line of breakthroughs in 3D printing.

Suddenly 3D printing seems to have come of age and industries as diverse as defense and healthcare are making more and more use of this technology. While 3D printing may seem like the latest ‘new thing’ it’s actually been around for over 2 decades. But like any new technology it’s earliest avatars were crude examples of present day versions.

So, what is 3D printing? While the term 3D printing is widely adopted, what it actually refers to is a process called additive manufacturing. Since the principle involved is the same as that of an inkjet printer, the term ‘Printing’ was used to describe it.

Unlike conventional manufacturing, 3D printing is achieved using an additive process, where successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes. Traditional techniques on the other hand use a subtractive process. Think sculptor chipping away at a block of stone to transform it into a bust.

3D printing can be as easy as downloading a file and clicking the “Print” button. Given the portability and ease of use, the implications of 3D printing are huge. Manufacturing of course will be greatly impacted. 3D printing has the ability to make objects with complex internal configurations that just wouldn’t be possible using traditional methods. No large factory required, or separate product assembly line. The same printer that creates an aircraft part can also create a replacement organ. What’s more, the printer can be kept close to the point of consumption so a huge range of logistical issues can be eliminated instantly.

And it isn’t just manufacturing that will be impacted. Industries as diverse as healthcare, aerospace, defense, retail, automobiles and yes even the communications industry are all affected. In fact 3D printing is already being used in a lot of these industries and rapid advances in technology are only increasing usage.

Business models are changing rapidly as well. Companies that allow you to upload a design and order a 3D print that is then shipped to you are already in operation. Others like Sculpteo go one step further. They’ll even market your product in the 3D space and send it to the buyer, with you collecting the profits from the sale.

Like all evolving technologies 3D printing still has some barriers to cross. Printing large volumes economically is still an issue. As is printing large objects. And a wider variety of printable material will need to be developed. But given the scale of benefits, it may be only a matter of time before you have a 3D printer sitting next to your current inkjet one. Enjoying its place in the sun.

SOURCE: CSC’s new report, 3D Printing and the Future of Manufacturing.

Image Source:

http://mashable.com/2013/03/06/dita-von-teese-debuts-3d-printed-dress-by-michael-schmidt-and-francis-bitonti/

29th January 2013

Ad Impact Advertising – 25th Year Anniversary

This is a milestone year for Ad Impact. 2013 marks our 25th Anniversary and as we reflect on 2 1/2 decades of experience and success for our clients, we also look to the future. With a range of media channels opening up and social marketing coming of age, there’s never been a better time to be in the communications business. Now, as always, we look forward to taking our clients’ businesses to greater heights with outstanding marketing solutions that deliver business results. We look forward to your company as we chart the next 25 years.

4th September 2012

Responsive Web Design: Optimise Your Website For Multiple Devices

The current landscape

According to Google, more than half of the Australian population now own a smartphone. To be precise, 52% in the first quarter of 2012 up from only 37% during the same time last year. In the same vein, 15% of Australian households now own at least one tablet device. A number which is expected to more than double by the end of the year with the proliferation of these devices as they become more affordable and as more people become aware of the benefits of owning one.

How it affects you

With the popularity of these devices, more people are now looking at your website on a screen that is smaller than an A4 sheet of paper or more often on a screen that fits in the palm of their hand. If your company website was designed and built within the last few years or dare I say more than 5 years ago, we can say with enough certainty that these smaller devices were not given any consideration. As a result, a customer or investor who arrives at your website will find it more difficult to reach your content or gather information about your company, products and services.

Our Solution

Responsive Web Design. A new fundamental approach to designing and building websites is that is has to respond to its environment from a 3.5” mobile device to a standard 21” monitor and every other screen size in between. To demonstrate this, our own company website was rebuilt earlier this year to be responsive. Give it a try, take that smartphone out of your pocket, pick up your tablet on your coffee table and visit www.adimpact.com.au. Try and rotate your device, from portrait to landscape mode. If you are reading this article on your desktop computer, try resizing your browser window. You will see how our website will appear for smaller screens. we have one website that works across all devices. This is a responsive website.

On a responsive website, users will spend less time zooming in then out and panning the browser window left and right just to consume your content. They won’t have a disconnected experience associated with serving a separate mobile only version of your website. Instead, your audience will experience a consistent and unified website from when they were checking your business on their office computer to when they went back to continue browsing on their smartphone while on their commute home to when they’re relaxing in front of the TV with a tablet in one hand.

Moving Forward

Technology is moving fast. It’s in your business’ best interest to keep up or otherwise risk getting left behind where your only captive audience are the people who refuse to upgrade their computers from the late 90’s. With the popularity of Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and the imminent release of Microsoft’s Windows 8 – a primarily touch driven operating system, handheld portable devices are here to stay and will soon be the default standard. Are you prepared to embrace the coming wave of connected devices?

References:

Think with Google – Mobile Planet
oztam

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3rd July 2012

The 5 Key Steps To Social Media Success

Amongst the ever-growing social media world, there are still 3 sites that reign king. Facebook, Twitter and Youtube are now more commonly known in social media vernacular as “The Big 3”, and should be the main targets for current social media planning. We will look at five strategies that will help you dominate social media’s Big 3.

1. Increasing Social Reach

Social reach is the total number of customers and prospects a brand can reach through its combined social footprint across all social networks. To calculate your brand’s Social Reach, add up the total number of fans and followers on all of your social media platforms.

Having social reach means having the ability to target a range of customers, if you don’t have reach, you don’t have traction. To increase your reach, make sure that you:

  • Update regularly
  • Use keywords so search engines are able to find your posts more easily
  • Add social links and icons to your site
  • Add sharing buttons
  • Make friends by talking to people directly
  • Add a human element to your posts (post under a real name, not just under the brand)

2. Increasing Fan Engagement with Content

Fan engagement is the ability to keep the attention of your audience. It is also the enduring effect of content to motivate an audience to do something.

The key is to develop a strategy for creating creative, non-promotional content. Fans and followers pay attention to powerful content, which can be funny, emotional, controversial or empathetic. Aim for striking a chord with your audience, and most importantly, post what is in line with the values of your brand and relevant to your audience. This can be asking fans to post pictures with their latest canon camera, or writing headlines to a funny picture. Put simply, if the content is strong, people will be engaged.

3. Identify and Engage Influencers

An Influencer is a person who has the ability to direct and persuade others into engagement with your brand. Utilization of Influencers can allow your brand to get social reach that would not be possible otherwise, due to piggybacking on the credibility of the Influencer.

There are two types of influencers:

Internal – These Influencers are the heavy users/buyers of your product and the light users, but great marketers of your product. Top buyers should be rewarded with exclusive offers and specials and Top marketers should be rewarded with public recognition of their feedback and participation.

External – These influencers are those who are outside the reach of your brand. People who influence a potential market can be contacted and approached with a “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” tactic. Usage of tools such as Traackr, PeekYou and PeerIndex can help you identify potential external influencers.

4. Increase Lead Generation

Lead generation is the process of identifying prospective customers for a sales pitch or further marketing efforts. Within the context of social media, it is important to not be too forceful with the sales message, but rather help the consumers and build a relationship.

To increase Lead Generation effectively, perform searches on demand-based queries like “need” and “can someone recommend” etc. Help consumers with their issues, even if it means providing a solution that is different to your own product. By building trust and respect within your brand, consumers will respond favourably.

5. Apply Analytics to Know What Works

After all the effort you have put into your social media approach, it is crucial to see if it is really working. External analytics platforms such as Google Analytics or Omniture will enable you to see the fruits of your labour. It is important to measure each and every campaign to continuously optimise the return on your efforts.

Google Analytics Conversion Report shows marketers the amount of goal conversions influenced by a brand’s social marketing efforts, displayed in visual charts that plot out the estimated monetary value of the results. Using this information, you will be able to make a more realistic and visceral judgement on your future social media efforts.

Source: Awareness-Social Media Software : Five Killer Strategies to Dominate Social Media’s Big 3: Facebook, Twitter and YoutTube

19th June 2012

The Myths About Social Media

Myth #1 – Social media is about the conversation

It is very crucial for social media to stir conversation between the brand and customers, but this cannot be the ultimate goal. Conversation should purely be a way to nourish higher-level goals such as brand loyalty and brand retention. Sparking conversation alone will not do much for the overall growth of a company

Myth #2 – Social media is free

To utilise social media effectively requires time, effort and money. Large companies have equipped dozens of people into social media teams because they are able to see its true potential. Haphazardly using and updating social media strategies will not ensure the full benefits are utilised.

Myth #3 – Social media campaigns have a clear beginning and end

Social media campaigns are unlike traditional marketing campaigns due to the fact that there is no true end. A social media campaign has the ability to take on a life of its own as the consumers continue to discuss it long after its intended duration. Try not to see a social media campaign in the same light as a traditional campaign, but more as a litmus test to see what people are saying about your brand

Myth #4 – Social media can’t be measured

When measuring social media, one must first have an effective social media plan. When a plan with a clear goal is set, the results of the implementation can be clearly seen and recorded. It is important to have a definitive ‘before and after’ look at the company in relation to social media strategies.

Social media is such a viable tool in today’s marketing world that the changes occurring are becoming more and more frequent. This means that there will ultimately be new loopholes and myths in its methods, which need to be monitored by people who want to utilise it fully.

Source: Creating social media evangelists for your brand: Webcast Guide

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