 Marketing Brekky Club This month we had an inspiring Marketing Brekky. We discussed a lot of cool things in the digital and marketing space including: new technology, social media trends, augmented reality and even robots! Agenda 1. Cool Technology Smarten your Home (Quirky): Quirky, a start-up in New York now fields 4000 new product ideas a week, picks three winners and then takes over all aspects of production, from making blueprints to marketing the goods through big-box retailers such as Home Depot and retail websites, including Amazon. E.g. · A power strip that pivots so a plug never blocks an adjacent socket · A plastic stem that inserts into a lemon or lime and becomes a push-button citrus spritzer · Home products that can communicate with a smartphone or a household Wi-Fi network: A smartphone and tablet app will offer consumers a single digital dashboard to link and control a user's smart-home devices. With a few finger swipes, for example, you could instruct the lights in the kitchen and dining room to turn on when the automated door unlocks. VIEW SOURCE
2. Fake Reviews- not the way! READ MORE I thought it was just plain common sense and good business acumen to only post real reviews and testimonials but apparently not. Some businesses have tried to fake it until they make it but that is just plain misleading and the watchdog is onto it. “The consumer watchdog is taking legal action in the Federal Court against an Australian cleaning company it says was involved in posting fake testimonials about its business on the internet. The company, Electrodry, has more than 100 franchises and provides carpet, drapery, grout, upholstery and mattress cleaning services, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said. The ACCC alleges that a contractor for Electrodry, acting as its agent or at its direction, made false or misleading representations by posting the fake testimonials relating to Electrodry on the internet. The ACCC also alleges that the company induced or attempted to induce its franchisees to make false or misleading representations by posting fake testimonials on the internet.The fake testimonials allegedly appeared on a number of sites, including Google, True Local and Word of Mouth. It is alleged that the testimonials were written and posted by people associated with, or contracted to, Electrodry, and not by its genuine clients as the testimonials implied.” "While online testimonials can be a useful and genuine marketing tool, it is important that online businesses understand that making or inducing false or misleading representations about testimonials breaches the Australian Consumer Law," ACCC deputy chair Michael Schaper said. Consequences So far, it has taken issue with three companies over fake reviews. Australian removalist Citymove paid a $6600 fine in November 2011 and provided a court enforceable undertaking after publishing false consumer testimonials on its Moving Review website. Euro Solar and Worldwide Energy and Manufacturing, formerly trading as Australian Solar Panel, paid combined penalties of $125,000 for publishing fake testimonials and making false or misleading representations about the country of origin of the solar panels supplied. The sole director of both companies, Nikunjkumar Patel, was also ordered to pay a $20,000 penalty for his involvement. 3. Google Introduces Songza Honestly I hadn't heard of Songza until I heard that Google was about to buy it. Songza is a free online streaming music service that recommends tunes based on what you are in the mood to hear. Sounds good to me! Google says it has bought Songza, a free online streaming music service that recommends tunes based on what people might be in the mood to hear. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but unconfirmed online reports valued the deal at around $US15 million ($16.23 million). "We're thrilled to announce that we're becoming part of Google," Songza said on its website. "We can't think of a better company to join in our quest to provide the perfect soundtrack for everything you do." READ MORE 4. Multiscreen Success Stories Example: Baines & Ernst When Baines & Ernst saw that mobile usage was on the rise, it launched a mobile-optimised site. Maintaining content on two sites proved inefficient though, so the company used responsive web design (RWD) to build a single site serving all devices and sizes of screen. On mobile devices, pages per visit have since increased 11%, average visit duration has risen 30% and bounce rate has registered an 8% decrease, while mobile conversions have grown an impressive 51%.v READ MORE Example: Beyond the Rack As traffic to its site from mobile devices grew, the flash-sale retailer Beyond the Rack paid close attention to how mobile sales compared. Without a mobile-friendly experience, they saw low conversion and revenue per-visit rates. In need of an optimal mobile shopping experience in time for the busy Q4 holiday season, in just four months Beyond the Rack designed a mobile strategy that allowed them to showcase all inventory and provide a seamless checkout experience. Today, mobile sales account for up to 44% of total sales. READ MORE Example: The Huffington Post After building their first mobile site, The Huffington Post immediately recognised the importance of continuously adapting their strategy to align with ever-changing user behaviour on mobile. When The Huffington Post refreshed their mobile site in Summer 2013, they prioritised design, content selection, speed and the social experience. Since the launch, they have seen a 37% rise in mobile visitors and reach nearly a third of all mobile internet users with their content. READ MORE 5. New Social Media Site Emojli READ MORE
6. Mashable: great resource for updates http://mashable.com/ 7. Cool Apps: check out the new lego app! READ MORE 8 Other Agenda Items:
9. Facebook Success Story VIEW SOURCE Beach to boom: Fashion entrepreneur taking it global Sandradee Makejev (St Frock) is a Sydney entrepreneur who utilised social media to do something quite extraordinary.
10. New philanthropic idea: one brekky attendee is starting a community initiative to empower teenage girls to pursue their passions. The first stage includes a launch which will feature a short documentary and all girl dance performance. The short documentary follows five women who are each confidently pursuing their passions. Throughout the film, the audience learn that the women not only share a relentless commitment to their passions but are also connected by a common project – the launch event. The film inspires others to pursue their individual passions but also demonstrates the amazing outcomes that can be achieved when women work together. Quick Brainstorm
How to measure effectiveness To be able to say that it was effective the following items would be good indicators:
*To keep up with this updates go to http://www.writeonitmarketing.com.au/the-woi-blog.html or follow Write_On_It on Twitter. REMINDER Your attendance is what makes the Marketing Brekky a success and an enjoyable way to network and keep up-to-date with the latest in marketing, PR and digital. Up-to-date RSVPS are essential in planning, booking and for the convenience of other members. Everyone is busy and has things come up but let’s all make a conscious effort to keep RSVPs accurate 1 week prior to the event. *If you would like to invite someone to an event, please email their name, company and position to christina@exa.com.au (there is a waiting list to attend). The Marketing Club is open to marketing/communication managers working within medium to large organisations (not start ups, marketing/web service providers or agencies etc.). Quote of the Day: “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” Buddha Well, that's it for this month and I'm looking forward to the next Marketing Club. At this stage we are thinking September. Christina Marie Giuffré |
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