Social, TV's new convergent best friend

Of recent we see news stories about TV networks aligning with certain Social Apps to extend reach and recapture audiences lost to digital. The idea of convergent viewing is becoming a trend. We know that consumers are more media sophisticated than ever and that will continue; now, TV networks are trying to figure out how to remain relevant in the pending digital age.

CW has Cwingo, you can GetGlue with TV shows that link to your Facebook page, etc. Undoubtedly this creates a lot of opportunities for TV networks to engage consumers from offline to online. To deliver marketing ideas for their clients that could provide real time payoffs. To provide depth to their programming that cannot be delivered on air.  Follow this link to a cool article last year that explains the grid below:  http://www.yeltv.com/2011/11/yel-reviewed-overview-of-socialtv-applications/

As this continues we will certainly see who is doing right and who has it all wrong. The goal should be to seamlessly connect with consumers across these platforms with relevant content and offers. It is no longer just about Facebook pages and Twitter accounts but about dedicated Social outlets (I.e. Apps) to make an impact.

Siri, how soon before the machines take over?

You have undoubtedly seen the commercials where Sam Jackson and that New Girl talking to Siri to help get their lives together! To sit back and watch those commercials get me giddy because I am witnessing the potential emergence of machine domination. Now, personally, I think this is the first pass by Apple (and Nuance - company behind the tech) to see what enhancements can be made. They are thinking right now how can we improve this software to better control consumers' lives?

The possibilities are great; currently, you talk to Siri and she gives you direction, information from the web, reminds you of your schedule, knows your name, etc.

Let's go a step further! Soon she will be able to schedule your appointments AND send an email to confirm to all parties involved. She will be able to turn your TV on to your favorite channel (or portal/vertical/publisher if smart TV) through your Apple TV. She will be able to remember your shopping list and remind you to purchase specific products at the store. She will be able to alert you when special deals or offers are going down on some of your favorite products or services. There is so much more she is going to do for you that I don't have time to think about. But marketers and media folks alike are watching and waiting to see how they can capitalize (if the government does not step in and monitor).

The Sci Fi movies where we cannot live without the machines or doomed by them is very much a possibility with Siri. But I am confident our paranoia as humans not wanting to live in a Matrix will keep Siri's advancements in check.

This is a great asset for Apple in the software game. Also, this is a great opportunity for Nuance as they integrate this tech into other aspects of the consumer life. Soon Siri will be able to communicate with Jeff (your in car Siri) and Pete (your home security Siri). One voice command from your iPhone will secure your home and start your desired functions in your car! Boom!

And as a media guy I can't help but think about the uses for marketers. If i was a media top dog i would be looking to strike a partnership with the tech companies involved to get first rights of commercial use. Imagine your products and services are recommended by Siri - that would be awesome. Plus, this would be a great way to link your company's social efforts to this platform. Think about it!

This technology called Siri is going to infiltrate our lives before we know it. I think right now Apple is exploring its full potential. How are marketers going to take advantage of this? How can we layer on location based tech? Can Siri talk to a hologram?

Siri (and friends) have a real shot at dominating our lives if we are not careful! But it will be an exciting journey!

Media Sales need to think like Media Agencies

Media sales need to rethink how they deal with agencies if they want to differentiate themselves from the pack. As salesmen they are taught to be always be closing; you need to sell your assets to your clients at the best price possible. Throughout this natural order of procession the client's business objectives and goals are not always considered.

And agencies have been hip to this order of business for sometime now. But they make it work because it is the norm in the industry; everybody is doing it. Very few sales people are really bucking the norm and providing exceptional service to their agency partners. The ones that do belong to smaller companies that are nimble, innovative and flexible. The big boys argue they are too big and it's not possible to operate like those smaller companies.

But the change is simple enough that any media sales company can do it. The idea is to simply think and act like an agency.

This means that media sales companies should create a Strategy Team that takes a client's RFP and create a strategy using the media property to accomplish the client's business goals/objectives. That means putting together a presentation that shows the client's request, the objectives, the challenges, the media property ideas/executions, why it works and accountability metrics to show success. To be strategic in how all the media properties working together to accomplish the client's goal.

That is simply it.

But many sales people have never worked at an agency and do not understand this way of thinking. And they will find excuses why it will never work. Plus, sales company are not structured to operate this way because of the bureaucracy that exists.

The thought is not groundbreaking but it is different. Their is a right of passage and existence for sales people that they cherish. But if sales people can start to think and argue like agency people then product and service will improve and everybody will win!

So close to getting Social media...

Over the last couple of years agencies have been pushing their employees to understand and speak Social to their clients.  Unfortunately, a lot of clients did not have the capacity (or willing) to learn the language.  Some were smart enough to hire employees that could speak the language but they were handicapped with how much influence they had. However, agencies have been diligent in getting their clients on board and some clients even participated in the space. Now, lets be clear there are clients that get Social and are all over the space.  But I am talking about the conservative companies that have been budgets and think Social is only Facebook/Twitter.

Clients crude understanding of the Social language is in the form or Likes/Follows. This is simple enough to understand and they measure everything by it.  I can imagine agencies getting RFPs from clients that have Social as a component, which says, "1MM Likes/Fans on Facebook by the end of the year" and its August.  I get it, Facebook is a beast in the space but it is not the only Social output out there.  The list is incredible and there are outputs that you would never consider Social but it is.  Nonetheless, clients think they have learned the language of Like/Follow; as such, that is the basis for all things.

But we all know it is not that easy.  Clients first need to develop a dedicated strategy for Social not tack it on as an after thought. That Social is not just Facebook but all outputs that are relevant and deliver on strategy.  That a digital media spend is required to support a Social campaign.  And that metrics are beyond just Likes/Follows.  These are the things clients do not want to hear because they thought they were so close to getting Social media.

Of course they are relying on their agencies to break it down or translate the language for them. The debate now is - do agencies have the expertise in-house? Should clients look to agencies that specializes in Social media? How soon before the big media conglomerates start gobbling up small Social media shops?  We all have seen that deck circulating about how to plan and measure Social.

As agencies battle to speak Social to clients, metrics/accountability evolving, ad models become more refined - we all will need a re-education because we were so close to getting Social media! Social is not just social but how does it thread through the entire client marketing strategy.

Apps are quarterbacking Mobile media

As mobile hardware and software become more refined we can expect this space to become more infiltrated by marketers. What will (or is) driving this marketer surge is the ever increasing "Apps" availability.

Depending on service provider, smartphone and/or OS -,Apps are running the mobile space these days. And marketers and consumers are noticing.  People these days are using Apps vs. mobile Internet for their consumer experiences more than ever. As smartphone sales increase, users and downloads congruently increase. Never has the Apple saying, there is an app for that" been truer! Seriously, who really visit WAP sites unless absolutely necessary?

We understand the cellphone is a personal device and we need to be careful how we use it to reach consumers. But the opportunity to reach consumers in the right way has greatly improved with the advancement of Apps. App aggregators are becoming increasingly important to marketers because of their distribution, targeting and relevant ease to execute.

As a layer, location based technology is becoming important. Local advertisers are using to refine their targeting and offerings to reach the right audiences. And national advertisers are trying to figure out how to use this function to offer relevancy and specific targeting on a mass scale.  The goal here is to connect all the dots correctly: brand message, appropriate App and in the right place.

The categories/industries that come to mind that stand to benefit if used properly are Retail, Alcohol/Spirits and Auto. The opportunity to offer a national promotion then layer in a customize local offering based on location through the appropriate Apps available.

As we begin to collect more personal data from consumers via Apps, we will see more refine targeting to reach those desirable consumers. Marketers are recognizing (and committing to) the importance of Mobile.  Ad spending is expected to rise in 2012/13 and will continue to grow as better Apps are created.  Smartphones will get smarter and faster and the marketers that get ahead of the rush in their respective category will capitalize.

Will Online Video force TV to evolve?

We know the Online Video world got real busy with Nielsen's announcement of a partnership with AOL last week. I am sure we all can assume the news was meant to be released just in time for the upfront.

There are two groups of people salivating for the results of this partnership: marketers and video publishers. For marketers they get to see how this stacks up against TV. Can they garner the same kind of reach? For publishers, if successful this is a great opportunity to steal even greater share from TV.

No surprise that online is more flexible than TV; new ad models rolling out daily, greater targeting, unlimited inventory, new technologies, etc. Whereas TV is stuck on same ole (C3, Live ratings) as their defining moment. Reach as been a rallying cry for TV but that will not matter as the audience fragmentation increase. 

My thoughts are that TV has to step their game up if they want to preserve those precious on-air dollars. They will have to apply another layer of accountability or targeting or better use of the hardware being produced. Their ad models will have to be revised to reflect consumer personalizations of content and away from the :15/:30/:60 sec spots.
Either way, Nielsen is strategically putting themselves in a good position to bring the offline and the online together in commonality versus ComScore or DFA to the TV game.  Nielsen's move signifies that they recognize that digital media spend will continue to grow.  Why not carve out a piece of the digital media dollars to put in the already big pot of TV spending.  They are the shepherds of TV ratings, a firm unshakeable hold against the competition. Now, they are making a push for the digital space with all the TV big money marketers watching.

TV will have to start brainstorming on what to do next. To start evaluating which digital partnerships make the most sense (besides their own network websites); making partnership with video aggregators, content deals, etc.  Like it or not, the old heads of TV will have to make a change to compete as the offline and online come closer together.

A Baby, a Breast and a Cookie - GOLD!

 South Korean marketing and communication agency Cheil Worldwide released an ad for Oreo cookies titled "Basic Instinct" showing an Asian baby at his mother's breast with cookie in hand with the tag line "Milk's favorite cookie."

After laughing for 5 minutes and declaring this ad awesome I had a chance to pay closer attention.  The Twitter world is apparently buzzing with the sight of a Baby chilling on a Boob rocking an Oreo cookie.  There is positive reactions and negative reactions.  But seriously people do you think babies this age can chew on an Oreo? The point is, milk is MILK and Oreo is milk's best friend.  I am sure in our world today where everyone is conscious of child obesity this ad ruffles some feathers.  How soon before Mrs. President says something?

I'm on board this Oreo train, it is hilarious, I get it.  I have a 3 month old son that recently posed with a bottle of tequila for a picture (I wonder who made him)!  We all have done something of sorts with our kids - so relax and enjoy!

Hulu will only charge you if you watch entirely

Hulu released some great news for advertisers this week!  Advertisers will only have to pay if viewers watch a short/long form content all the way through.  Hulu has been in the news quite a bit this week for their annoucements/updates (more original content, corporate relationships and the future and partying with the big Broadcast networks in their week of upfronts).

But this news is music to advertiser's ears because often times advertisers build their media strategies around people sticking through the shows.  Ad pods are structured and planned to deliver a progressive story that often get lost as people jump around online or tune out.  And often times marketers do not understand the concept of retargeting; so, this is way easier for them to grasp.

I enjoy watching and hearing about Hulu because they seem to always be trying to improve on themselves.  And I mean genuine improvement.  They implemented Ad Selector, popularized the branded slate and billboards, Ad Swap and now pay only if they watch.

I am sure there is a pay model that is being worked out; probably a premium attached to this but it is a step in the right direction.  Other video players will have to pay attention and adjust before Hulu increases its lead over the rest of the field.

Change Coming for TV?!

If you look at the media landscape today you cannot ignore the fact that TV seems to be the only one not evolving or innovating.  The digital landscape (online, mobile, tablets, etc) appears to be changing on a minute x minute basis.  People are struggling to keep up with the new trends and data. Marketers are struggling to understand these new trends and data.  They think they finally have a handle on lingo and process only to see that change in a few minutes. This kind of excitement is not happening in the TV space; even with the new hardware being developed by Samsung, Panasonic, etc these days.

We can remember when C3 came into play a few years back for Networks.  This was the gun shot heard around the world.  Advertisers were hanging their hats on this newest change and TV networks were reluctantly changing because of the need of the advertisers.  And to think this change took over 50 years to happen!  At this point no one can imagine the next change that will happen.  In fact, networks are tuning out any kind of change talk.  For some, the change to C3 was dramatic and confusing; in fact, I think some agencies came out winners after the dust has settled and translations complete.

But as consumers become more savvy and consume media on their own time.  TV will have to adjust to this need. The audience is becoming more fragmented as technology is being developed.  Smart and Internet TVs are now being created more frequently as consumers begin to understand the technology and become more comfortable.  These developments have sites like Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, Crackle, etc drooling because their content can now be accessible via the great consumer experience called the TV.  Consumers will undoubtedly customize their own channels, content, programming to suit their viewing needs.  They will eliminate any waste programming that does not suit them.  And this type of behavior will give providers with the ability to deliver specific targeting and content to succeed.

TV networks throw around convergent quite often.  And that simply means pushing consumers back and forth between linear and digital.  The daring few may include a form of app in the mix to get everyone excited.  But is this truly convergent media?  Can the consumer move seamlessly between linear and online? No they cannot.  The best that is happening is offering viewers the opportunity to interact with programming via their mobile and social.  And not everyone is doing it well.  Change is coming and the TV space will have to adjust and quickly.  The networks that have started implementing software and hardware to welcome the change will be successful.  Agency planners and buyers are constantly changing and consuming information and knowledge to share and educate their clients.  Those that show innovation and progress will see reward in media dollars.

TV networks better stop looking around to see who will make the first move in their group.  Next thing they will know is Hulu, Google, Facebook, Apple will become the largest providers in content on your TV!

A Social Relationship with TV

Accenture just did a survey that showed that these icons actually work.  That people actually followed the prompt to visit the advertiser's Social offerings for more information or take a specific action (like, QR code, etc).

The clear driver (as shown by the study) is that people do not want to be social with these advertisers but they are looking for the "payoff."  What am I getting for clicking on your social icon? How will I be rewarded?  It would be interesting to see how many people discontinue once they received their reward? Do they value the relationship with the advertiser enough to stick around and get the many updates coming their way?

Nonetheless, advertisers and TV networks will have to recognize the relationship between consumers and Social as they engage in the traditional medium of TV.  How will networks utilize their own Social properties and balance that with their advertisers? Who does this fragmentation of audience benefit? Will networks continue to allow advertiser to send their audience to their Social network as suppose to networks growing their own social networks?

More and more networks are beginning to understand the social space and the role it plays with programming; as such, you see more apps being developed and more extensions from big ticket appointed viewings (American Idol, Award shows, SuperBowl, etc). Undoubtedly, traditional TV consumption will become obsolete as viewing becomes more personalized and social.  And those positioned to reflect this trend/change will be the one to most likely succeed in the coming future.

Coachella TuPac says "the future is now"

You must have heard about the TuPac hologram at Coachella last weekend! If not, you clearly live under a rock. The media and music world has been buzzing with people talking about how cool it was to witnessed the TuPac hologram. Coachella is kinda known for pulljng off cool ass acts like this. Last year was Kanye descending from the ceiling during his performance.

But the real gem is the potential usage of this technology in mainstream society. If you saw the movie Minority Report you may remember the scene where Tom Cruise is walking through the mall and all these holograms were popping up selling him different products. Well that reality is close to being near. Or maybe not.

Think about the possibilities for advertisers. The experience for consumers. Think about all the department stores that could use this technology. Why use the changing room when you can instantly see what you look like in an outfit via hologram?

TuPac's appearance at Coachella was cool but what is cooler is the possibility that exist for this tech for the average consumer. Of course there is probably some cost prohibitations that prevents mass rollout to marketers/advertisers. But I am sure there are techies figuring out how we can make this available on a mass scale right now!

You can argue that augmented reality will take off before this comes to fruition but holograms are so much cooler. And if it requires little to no work on the consumer's part to experience then acceptance will be quick and furious. Of course you will find skeptics that think this is too creepy to accept but there are many who are willing to ignore the creepy factor.

Nonetheless, Coachella TuPac has given us a taste of the future and we loved what we saw! Now, let's see what comes next...

Hulu and its Original Programming

As we all know the beginnings of Hulu stemmed from a partnership by the big Broadcast networks. From that partnership Hulu has grown into one of the large video providers online.  The site has now evolved and is now creating and streaming original programming.  With a large user base, quality programming from its corporate partners and emerging original content, the site is devising a strategy to sell to advertisers like a Broadcast network.  As you can imagine (and from reading the article) there are some many conflicts.

If I am not mistaking this is the second year that Hulu is participating in the famed TV up fronts. With Nielsen stepping into the online ad measurements this will entice more advertisers to partner with the site because of the metric standardization across Digital and TV.  Hulu has the audience size to be successful but they need to work out the politics of their relationships (MSOs, Broadcast Networks, etc).  It is clear that Hulu's future is with its original programming.  People are sticking around even with Hulu's premium monthly offering.   Hulu will continue to evolve has their corporate relationships begin to deteriorate.   And as YouTube and Netflix start to figure things out; the landscape will continue to get better for the consumer.  

Consumer's consumption of video will continue to become more personalized and fragmented.  As TVs become more smart and connected - players like Hulu/YouTube/Netflix that provide their own original content will have the flexibility to adjust to the consumer's need vs. traditional TV  networks.

Nielsen and AoL to Partner Around Online Ad Measurement

       

Nielsen the clear juggernaut in TV metrics has been trying to make a push into the online world for some time.  As more and more marketers demand granular measurements and accountability; undoubtedly this level of responsibility will ultimately be the standard in media.  Especially, with the fragmentation of media pending.

This announcement by Nielsen is interesting because of what it represents for TV.  There will be tremendous pressure on cable, broadcast, syndication networks to step up their game if Nielsen is successful. This is most apparent with Online Video (OLV).

Marketer's spend against Online Video has been increasing over the past few years.  Marketers are recognizing the importance of online video in their overall video strategy. AOL offers a great platform to test with its cache of long and short form content.  This could represent a standardization across TV and OLV; a standardization that may threaten the hold of TV dominance of video budgets. Questions that come to mind: 

* Will it be easier to sell the value Digital and OLV to our clients (who are stuck in the traditional TV mindset and metric) as part of their overall strategies? Easy to roll up all metrics?

* How will the vanguards react (DFA, Vindico, Broadband Enterprises, etc)?

* What will this mean for the TV landscape if traction is gained and adopted by our clients/marketers? * Does this mean that giants like Hulu, Google, etc will enter the up fronts?  Will TV guarantees for OLV with specific online targeting (contextual, behavioral, psychographic, etc)? 

* Could linear and digital be one giant guarantee? Will they be sold separately?

I am curious to see what happens if this pans out for Nielsen.