Welcome to the new world of internet intimacy and the acceleration of image-based search.
I watched the unveiling of the Apple iPad with some genuine excitement the other day. At the end of the presentation, I can honestly say that I was underwhelmed. The iPad is just a big iPhone…so what?!?
And then I thought…wait a minute…the thing is a big iPhone…that changes everything! (Well, not really, but it does have some interesting implications.) What has really resonated with me is the concept of intimacy. With Steve Jobs demonstrating the iPad from a cushy looking chair, engaging the internet with his finger, it dawned on me what has just happened. The internet became a much less cerebral place. No longer is your interactivity with content tempered by mouse navigation, the internet reacts to your finger. It is instinctual, organic and perhaps even a little impulsive.
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What Apple’s latest announcement means to marketers.
Tomorrow is a huge day in our lives as marketers. I’m taking a not-so-wild shot at this not because I love Apple products (I don’t) but because their ability to transform entire industries by re-thinking how people want to live their lives is stunning. Apple’s new tablet product will be launched and, with it, the typical hype and expectations are at a fever pitch. And, they should be. Although the Kindle from Amazon was a game-changer for the content industry, it hasn’t really changed the lives of marketers as Apple’s launch will.
The new Apple product will be far more than a device. It will integrate multiple forms of content into a single destination and do what all of us have wished for since we started buying cellphones and computers for personal use. Voice, music, video, print, data, calendars and phone are all going to be experienced through this technology.
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“Old media” like newspapers, broadcast television advertising and nonprofit appeals are moving in the right direction by forming alliances with social media, mobile and other emerging platforms.
Our latest “Game Changers” review of important news developments looks at recent changes that are impacting both old and new media in a positive way. Here are four transformations worth keeping an eye on.
The New York Times and Paid Content
The New York Times announced last week that it will begin charging for online content starting in January 2011. The Wall Street Journal, Consumer Reports and a handful of other publications already charge for some or all of their content. PM Digital’s Chris Paradysz predicted in a prior blog post that this would become a trend in 2010 – the NY Times move announced this week supports that. As a long-time reader of the NY Times, I have watched the steady shrinkage of the paper. Some of this has been due to cost-cutting and, more recently, fewer advertisements. Circulation is down, too. Surely the NY Times needs a new business model to withstand these circumstances. Should the paper ever wither away and shut down, it would be a real loss of quality content. I support the Times’ new fee structure and definitely plan on paying for it.
Text Donations and the Evolution of Payment
Texted donations brought millions of dollars in aid for Haiti. American Red Cross’ 90999 and UNICEF’s 20222 raised considerable sums though this method. Based on the amount of individual donations received through texting, it appears that the simplicity and speed millions experienced in making their donations this way is appealing. Another success driver is ease of advertising, which was done widely on TV. Also notable is that the 90%+ abandon rates typically seen with website donations were not a factor with the texting method.
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The launch of Marketplace at Sears.com underscores the limits of blind CSE syndication and the need for transparency, disclosure and control in strategic marketing partnerships.
Sears Marketplace launched last week with an impressive roster of retail clients for its new shopping portal. On the surface, Sears appeared to have been quite successful at lining up an array of A-List partners. Since PM Digital typically arranges and manages the feeds for these types of product listings, we were curious why many of our clients were there without our direct involvement.
It soon became clear that a few of our comparison shopping engine partners (CSEs) and their blind syndication networks were at play. Our tracking revealed that Sears Marketplace was getting their content from Shopping.com. Further research told us that Shopping.com was syndicating to Shop.com, which in turn was feeding to Sears Marketplace.
Unfortunately our own clients had never given permission to provide content to Sears Marketplace, and based on what many have told us over the past few days, they definitely would not have agreed to such a thing. It is no surprise that marketers — especially those with upscale brands — would have preferred to decide for themselves whether partnering with Sears was brand appropriate.
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As the New Year turns, it’s normal to look ahead. So here is my list of what’s coming up in the world of natural search for 2010. In lieu of predictions, however, I’d like to offer up something a bit more actionable: a rundown of key areas that will require online marketers’ focus and attention to maximize natural search success in the coming year.
1. Mobile Matters – I have actually been beating the mobile drum since I worked on mobile search in 1997, but this year, mobile really matters. (Google and Apple have spent almost $1 billion in the last quarter to buy mobile ad networks…that should tell you something!) The growth of mobile is torrid and with the rise of the smartphone and ubiquitous 3G, mobile search is working. In 2010, you will see an appreciable amount of traffic from mobile browsers. Are you thinking of how you can present yourself to the mobile user? If you aren’t now, you should be.
2. Images Matter – Visual search is hot. There have been dozens and dozens of early stage visual search engines that have been no better than demo-ware. But Google Image search has exploded, and we see that our clients are driving traffic through images searches. (If you are looking for a red dress, doesn’t it make sense to look for the red dress in pictures?) And with the advent of Google Goggles, image search will continue to explode. Are you optimizing your images to be relevant and available for image search?
3. Not Being a Dog Matters – Do you remember this incredible cartoon which touted the invisibility of who you are online? Well, the world has changed dramatically since then, and your reputation as a marketer is now well known on the internet. In 2009, I suggested that reputation was about to become an important part of the online world, and 2010 that will become even more valuable. How you behave as a marketer, how you share information with customers, and how you engage with customers will have an impact on your search visibility in 2010.
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January 28, 2010 1:23 pm
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