It’s a Multiscreen World

One key concept that I have learned during my time in the Emerging Media class is that consumers are experiencing media in a variety of ways. Most consumers now handle and view multiple devices with screens, including smartphones, TVs, PCs, eReaders and tablets. A typical multiscreen user consumes 7 hours of media per day, and for most countries across the study, smartphones are now the primary screen, taking up 2.5 hours of time daily (Google, 2015).

Behavior, researchers found that consumers spend most of their media time today in front of multiple screens simultaneously. Whether it’s a computer, phone, tablet or TV, if we’re consuming media in multiple formats. This study shows how these methods of interaction trigger specific behaviors such as online shopping, and which devices people are using at the various stages of these interactions (Google, 2012).

The popularity of digital media and online social interactions has given rise to a new rule of customer engagement for media companies: Marketers must engage in meaningful and active dialogue with customers and prospects across multiple screens to create strong connections and foster brand engagement.

90% of our media consumption occurs in front of a screen. As consumers balance their time between smartphones, tablets, PCs and televisions, they are learning to use these devices together to achieve their goals (Google, 2012). This multi-screen behavior is quickly becoming the norm, and understanding it has become an imperative for marketers.

Here are two of the study’s key findings:

1. During simultaneous usage, content viewed on one device can trigger specific behavior on the other. Businesses should therefore not limit their conversion goals and calls to action to only the device where they were initially displayed.

2. Most of the time when TV is watched, another screen is being used. These instances present the opportune time to convey your message and inspire action. A business’s TV strategy should be closely aligned and integrated with the marketing strategies for digital devices.

   This infographic from Google makes it easy to see how people are hopping between screens and what they are doing on each.

   

   These usage patterns show that smartphones are not all about being out and about. They are used just as much when people are in fixed locations, such as at their workplace or at home.

   Google research also indicates consumers use different devices for different reasons.
   

   As consumer behaviors respond to emerging media and continue to blur the lines between demographics, brands must adjust internal strategies to cultivate an approach that caters to these trends. We must Multi-screen marketing, at its core, provides companies with the opportunity to engage in effective storytelling, thereby allowing the brand narrative and subsequent experiences to unfold across multiple platforms, according to a Nielsen Global Survey of Multi-Screen Media Usage Report. Marketers and advertisers can target audiences precisely where they live, work, and play.

Consumers are also using multiple devices at the same time.

As marketers we must help brands create coherent communications across screens to build powerful brand stories. We must consider the different properties of screen devices, as well as the different roles they play in consumers’ lives. This environment means that marketers cannot simply focus on delivering one standard communication across all screens.

Google says TV no longer commands our full attention. In fact, 77% of people interact with another device while watching TV.

How is your brand thinking about consumers’ cross-screen behavior? Do you have strategies in place address they divided attention? How are you thinking about measurement given the increasingly diverse set of touchpoints where we meet consumers?

References:
Google. (2012, August). The New Multi-Screen World Study. Retrieved on October 17, 2015 from: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/research-studies/the-new-multi-screen-world-study.html

Nielsen Global Survey of Multi-Screen Media. Retrieved on October 17, 2015 from: Usage http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2012/global-report-multi-screen-media-usage.html

Augmented Reality App – Game Changer in Beauty Market

Did you know that beauty is one of the most Googled topics (about 4 billion searches a year), L’Oreal responded to the needs of consumers by offering greater customization and interaction with their brand by launching “Makeup Genius” (Whiehouse, 2014). The brand unveiled Makeup Genius, an app that scans your face and allows you to virtually try on different L’Oréal products. The app encourages personalized exploration through over 300 L’Oréal products and curated “looks.” In addition to “The Infallible Look” and “Evening Smokey,” users can even try looks made famous by celebrity cover girls like Jennifer Lopez, Zoe Saldana and Julianne Moore (L’Oréal Group, 2014).

Makeup Genius borrows its technology from the gaming industry, and allows you to scan an ad or image to detect a color match, try on specific products or test out looks specifically chosen by L’Oreal experts—and naturally, share the results with family and friends on Facebook (Winter, 2014).

“With this app, women don’t need a professional makeup artist because they can become their own makeup designer,” says L’Oreal Celebrity Makeup Artist Billy B. “It was so much fun creating the different looks and after months of working on this app, I am so excited it’s now available for everyone to play with and experience,” (Winter, 2014).

The reason this app is a breakthrough compared to other makeup apps is that it doesn’t just render colors onto a pre-uploaded image, but rather uses this an advanced algorithm. Makeup Genius also captures 64 facial data points and 100 different facial expressions—which makes it intuitive enough to discern between the skin of the lips, eyes and other facial contours, allowing the virtual makeup to move with you as you turn your head, change your facial expression and test out new looks at various angles and lighting conditions, according to L’Oreal (Winter, 2014).

The best part is that not only can you do it from your phone whenever or wherever, but if you pop into stores where L’Oreal products are sold, you can scan any L’Oreal Paris label and instantly test out that particular product in the app.

I wonder if in ten years, makeup artists behind the beauty counters in department stores will become a thing of the past. This use of augmented reality can really change the way we make purchases for all sorts of products in the future. This really is a game changer for the beauty industry.

Reference:

L’Oréal Group. (n.d.) Makeup Genius by L’Oreal Paris. Retrieved on October 16, 2015 from: http://www.lorealparisusa.com/en/brands/makeup/makeup-genius-virtual-makeup-tool.aspx

Whiehouse, L. (2014, November 6). L’Oreal on digital marketing: ‘70% of consumers now research online before purchase,‘ Cosmetic Design. Retrieved on October 16, 2015 from: http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Business-Financial/L-Oreal-on-digital-marketing-70-of-consumers-now-research-online-before-purchase

Winter, C. (2014, September 11). L’Oréal’s Makeup Genius App: The Cosmetics Counter Goes Digital, Bloomberg Business. Retrieved on October 16, 2015 from: http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-09-11/loreals-makeup-genius-app-cosmetics-counter-goes-digital

Rent the Runway builds Influence with Social Media

I’ve rented from Rent the Runway in the past. I have to say that I was quite impressed with the entire experience. I imagine that renting dresses online might not be appealing to many women. However, I think that Rent the Runway goes above and beyond to make the experience as easy and comfortable as possible by incorporating a variety of media showing everyday women using the site.
Users of the site can upload photos of themselves in the clothing and women can list their height, weight and chest size alongside their reviews. This way women can perform find-women-like-me searches, ask questions of the other wearers and choose to see only real-life women rather than models wearing the clothing (Clifford, 2012).
In fact without an in-store experience, the brand must go further than a bricks-and-mortar retailer to ensure that consumers have an enjoyable experience. As we have learned one of the best customer engagement strategies for repeat purchases is personalization.
Two weeks after the rental, Rent the Runway uses personalized target emails in a post-rental email exchange (Galbraith, 2013). During this exchange, consumers are offered promotions to inspire another rental. These emails are personalized through dress size, body type and brands rented during prior rentals (Galbraith, 2013). By leveraging this data set, the consumer is encouraged to browse ten similar dress styles (Galbraith, 2013).
According to a Forbes article, the experience of the consumer is important throughout the rental process (Galbraith, 2013). Due to the apprehensions associated with a rental, Rent the Runway has a team of stylists called Go-To Girls that is available via online chat, email or phone to aid the consumer in selecting the best dress to rent (Galbraith, 2013). Post-sale, Rent the Runway looks at the data of its consumers to better understand their behavior for improved performance in the future (Galbraith, 2013).
One of the keys to Rent the Runway’s success is its use of social media, tapping into its fan base on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Rent the Runway has more than 300,000 fans on Facebook, a platform it uses to start a dialogue with its consumers.

  

“Our Facebook page has really become a platform for consumers to share photos of themselves in Rent the Runway dresses and talk about the events they went to and how they styled their particular outfit,” says Fleiss. “Natural dialogue is happening between our consumers,” (Orley, 2012).

Rent the Runway was one of the early adopters of Pinterest and now has over 25,000 followers, curating collections on 53 boards, including fashion, beauty, photography, and inspirational quotes. “Pinterest allows us to have an editorial voice beyond the world of fashion,” Fleiss says (Orley, 2012). In the image below, Rent the Runway invites customers to pin their favorite styles on a community board.

Not only is social media a way for Rent the Runway to interact with consumers but it is a critical element of its marketing. Shoppers upload pictures of themselves on social networking platforms where they become marketers for rental site. Below is an examples from the Rent the Runway website. The first image is of the designer gown worn by a model. The second and third images are examples of user generated content on the Rent the Runway website that accompanies almost every item. The customer feedback serves to engage other customers as well as keep current customers in contact with the brand.

   

References:

Clifford, S. (2012, October 12). High Fashion, No Airbrushing, The New York Times. Retrieved on October 10, 2015 from: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/20/business/rent-the-runway-uses-real-women-to-market-high-fashion.html?_r=0

Galbraith, S. (2013, December 3). The Secret Behind Rent The Runway’s Success, Forbes. Retrieved on October 10, 2015 from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/sashagalbraith/2013/12/03/the-secret-behind-rent-the-runways-success/

Orley, A. (2012, August 16). Rent the Runway Buys Into Social Media, CNBC. Retrieved on October 10, 2015 from: http://www.cnbc.com/id/48687830

Social Media Marketing Success

When building a social media strategy for your business, it helps to learn from what other people in your industry are saying and doing. When it comes to crafting a social media marketing strategy, marketers should recognize that social media can work to build both brand recognition and loyalty (DeMers, 2014). Whether it’s gaining more followers or increasing customer engagement, businesses are discovering ways to how social media is contributing to success and growth

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With hundreds of active social networks, it can be tough to know where to start when it comes to marketing a business or building an online community. It is important to have an understanding of each network, and how they can be used to support marketing tactics.

Not every social media network works for every purpose. It is important to be strategic about which ones marketers use, and where to spend the most time and resources. When implemented smartly, and through promotion of where your business is active on social, the inclusion of sharing and follow buttons, social media marketing can be an effective tool for growing online communities.

Social media helps build richer customer experiences. Every customer interaction on social media is an opportunity to publicly demonstrate customer service and enrich relationships with customers (DeMErs, 2014). For example, if a customer complains about your product on Twitter, you can immediately address the comment, apologize publicly, and take action to make it right.

Additionally, social media also gives brands a unique opportunity to gain valuable information about what customers are interested in and how they behave, via social listening. At its core, social media marketing when done right, can lead to more customers, more traffic, and more conversions (DeMers, 2015).
Below is a cute little infographic that gives a brief description of many of the social media outlets.

Marketers that want to attract and engage social-media fans and followers — and convert them into paying customers — need to map out a clear, goal-oriented social media plan. I found the helpful graphic below takes marketers step by step through the social media planning journey (Dyer, 2014). I’m going to use these steps in my own work.

Reference:

DeMers, J. (2014, August 11). The Top 10 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing, Forbes. Retrieved on October 9, 2015, from: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/

Dyer, P. (2014, October 19) 12 Essential Elements of a Social Media Marketing Strategy. Retrieved on October 9, 2015, from: http://www.business2community.com/social-media/12-essential-elements-social-media-marketing-strategy-01041718#9fTd2VeHyeW0fFBW.99

Nonprofit Storytelling

I work for a nonprofit and I am really excited about putting what I’m learning in this class to work. In doing research for an assignment, I discovered a little gem of of an article that offers tips to nonprofits on telling impactful stories.

According to Geoff Campbell, Digital and Social Media Specialist, “The future of public relations for large organization will rely on what Golin Harris refers to as Holistic Transmedia Storytelling, that is, telling your brand’s story full through multiple channels,” (Campbell, 2012). He adds, “the key isn’t to replicate content and put it on every platform but to use each channel most effective way to tell part of the story on that channel,” (Campbell, 2012). It’s not about media silos for the consumer but telling the brand message through many different media channels.

Carol Buckheit expands on Campbell’s ideas in her article, Sure-Fire Ways to Use Video to Inspire Donors, she offers tips to nonprofits in using video to tell a story. The seven tips are listed below (Buckheit, 2012):

1. Tell a story with an emotional impact.
2. Focus in on telling a richly detailed story of one (or a few) affected people.
3. A good story will include 3 key elements: a Protagonist (hero), Obstacles to be overcome, and a Resolution.
4. Choose your best storytellers, not your “talking heads.”
5. Keep it brief—under two minutes.
6. You MUST include a call to action.
7. You don’t need expensive, dazzling camera work– just a well-edited piece (Buckheit, 2012).
8. Here are more tips and information for nonprofit storytelling. References:
   Buckheit, C. (2012, August 27). Seven Sure-Fire Ways to Use Video to Inspire Donors. Retrieved on October 5, 2015 from: http://www.carolbuckheit.org/2012/08/27/7-sure-fire-ways-to-use-video-to-inspire-donors/#sthash.XhJE7qt5.dpuf

    

   Campbell, G. (2012, November 7) Multimedia Storytelling Research. Retrieved on October 5, 2015 from: http://geoffbcampbell.com/2012/11/07/multimedia-storytelling-research-update/

Using Emerging Media to build Awareness around Human Rights Issues

This week we looked at brands using marketing online short films. In my research I found the short film used by Amnesty International as part of a petition-signing campaign to save the life of Troy Davis. As I was studying that film I realized that storytelling through film is a powerful use of emerging media.

Storytelling is important for nonprofits, because there is no real product that the consumers receives in exchange for a purchase. Storytelling is the way nonprofits communicate a brand mission.

During my research I discovered a timely Amnesty International storytelling projects entitled Lives adrift: Refugees and migrants in peril in the central Mediterranean, campaign.

According to the Amnesty press release the campaign was launched amid news of further shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean, with reports of more than 700 feared drowned, Amnesty International released a promotional video. As part of its S.O.S. Europe campaign the organization is calling on the European Union (EU) and its member states to protect the lives and rights of refugees and migrants, and to ensure access to asylum for those who need it.

Below are several images, graphics and videos that tell the tragic story while building awareness of the migrant issue. These images across social media platforms while incorporating emerging media tactics.

Amnesty International’s video, Not on your radar, can be found here:

Tweets from the Amnesty International Twitter feed:

Infographic:

It is my opinion that Amnesty International does a great job with emerging media by incorporating storytelling whether it’s through video, social media channel. 

References:

Amnesty International USA. (2015) Not on your radar, You Tube. Retrieved on September 19, 2015 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0mZQC_AdZI

Campbell, G. (2012, November 7). Multimedia Storytelling Research. Retrieved on September 19, 2015 from: http://geoffbcampbell.com/2012/11/07/multimedia-storytelling-research-update/

 

Emerging Media Connects People

From what I’ve learned over the past few weeks, emerging media is not just about technology, but it is about the interaction between people enhanced by new technologies.

The same goes for social media. Social media helps people interact with people. These tools give marketers the possibility to add multiple dimensions to our relationships with our audiences.

2 Trends to look forward to in emerging media

1. Consumers build their own networks of communications options: Now a days rather than relying on devices such as phones and computers that are closely associated with specific networks or applications, we can mix and match devices, networks and services. If one way of communicating is not working, we can often just choose a different option. In this environment a consumer often has multiple pathways to achieve a reliable information and connections to brands and people that can help meet their needs at any given moment.

2. Wearable devices: personalised data emerges. Growing numbers of internet-accessible devices allow consumers to track their activities—for example, wearable devices collect a broad range of continuous observed data, including biometric, location and communications information.

Wearable devices may provide new avenues to deliver important consumer and market information. As a result there is a growing interest in privacy and security management as increasing amounts of personal data are generated by these devices.

Ouidad Delivers one Message to Multiple Audiences

Ouidad in believes that curly hair is a gift to be embraced and celebrated. They are dedicated to inspiring confidence in customers by empowering them with the knowledge, tools, products and services to help them look and feel their most beautiful. (Ouidad.com, N/D)

Ouidad’s namesake (no last name) says her Lebanese heritage meant split ends and frizzy hair frustrations. While her parents wanted her to pursue a career like medicine, the budding stylist was more interested in finding a cure for her curls. And so Ouidad Salon was born and has grown to include a line of hair care products.

Ouidad’s focus on curly hair makes it a favorite with ethnic women. Latinas, African American and Middle Eastern women are ethnic groups that frequently have wavy or curly hair. I think the brand does a good job communicating with these very different groups of women across media channels.

Ouidad’s social media strategy centers on creating content that includes faces, cultural relevance and language specific for these groups. The Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts appeal women of many different backgrounds, while cross marketing ads with other sites that are popular with women of each background, i.e. Latina Magazine, Essence, Al Arabiya, and Univision continue the theme.

I would however recommend creating Vine instructional videos in both English, Portuguese, Turkish, Arabic, French and Spanish that show women demonstrating products and offering advice to reach more women.

Pinterest and Flipboard are other options that I would incorporate into the marketing plan. I would ensure that the creative team produced visually compelling images with inspirational messages directed to each target audience to post and share via Pinterest. Lastly, I would create an Ouidad Flipboard magazine directed to each group.

Let’s Evolve!

Today, the media landscape is constantly shifting to accommodate an influx of new technologies. So, how do we navigate an industry that’s continuously evolving?