The conclusion of 2013 also concluded the first year of the Pause Project, the marketing insights report of Response Marketing, which aims to help brands think about opportunities and trends in marketing and media by stimulating discussion about the now and the next.
Below are updates on some of the topics that were covered, sorted by issue, as well as links to download each issue.
Original article: Graph Search’s Effect On Brands
Facebook announced in September that Graph Search will now support searches for status updates and comments, instead of just people and photos. Reportedly, this new functionality will be used to fuel real-time conversations around sporting and other live events (where Twitter currently dominates). Graph Search on mobile devices will likely soon follow, with an eventual step into monetization with search-based advertising.
Original article: Micro-Content Campaigns
Micro-content continues to thrive on Vine and Instagram, with notable executions by Lowe’s, Trident and Warby Parker. We’re also intrigued by Snapchat’s recent release of SnapChat Stories, which enables brands to string together multiple images that hang around for 24 hours, to create an ongoing narrative.
Original article: Mobile As Silent Salesperson
A mobile path-to-purchase study from Google and Nielsen stated its five key findings as: 1) Consumers spend significant time researching products on mobile; 2) Mobile research starts with search; 3) Location proximity matters to mobile users; 4) Purchase immediacy is key; 5) Mobile influences purchases across channels.
And though Near Field Communication (NFC) technology was expected to soon receive iOS support, Apple’s iBeacon technology looks just as, if not more, interesting. It’s currently rolling out across the country, and is poised to tie the physical and digital experience together.
Original article: Marketing At The Speed Of Culture.
There have been plenty of hits and misses with brands trying to capitalize on current cultural happenings. A recent Adweek article shows varying success for real-time marketing efforts by brands including Ford, American Apparel and Mini.
Original article: Social’s Next Wave
Facebook CFO David Ebersman admitted a “decrease in daily users among younger teens” in 2013 amid speculation that teens are preferring other social networks over Facebook (although their acquisition of Instagram has proven a bullseye with this younger audience). Regardless, the enormous amount of user data within Facebook’s grasp maintains them as the true advertising power player for now.
Original article: Feeding Frenzy.
Native advertising continues to popularize as it becomes embraced by more major publishers including Vanity Fair and the New York Times. However, the debate still rages about whether native ads are ultimately good or bad for brands and publishers.
Original article: The Very Visual Vine And Instagram
Instagram recently launched photo and video ads, with the first brand participants including adidas, Ben & Jerry’s, Lexus and General Electric. The ads have performed well from an on-network engagement standpoint, but their true worth can’t be calculated until more data is released, particularly regarding brand lift and sentiment.
Stay tuned in 2014 for more Pause Project goodness, and feel free to comment below if you’d like to see a specific topic covered.