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What Makes Apple’s Mobile Ad Platform Different
The iPhoneTM 4 has been out for over a month now. At that time, there was also a software update for older iPhones and iPodTM touches that added many features that were new on the iPhone 4. Part of the software update was the ability for app developers to display ads served up by Apple’sTM “iAd” platform. With the popularity of free applications that people download on a whim comes the desire for developers to monetize them to pay for their initial development costs and support further development.
The advertising model has now been brought into free apps, and it’s like a traditional Website that is mostly, if not entirely, supported by advertising. Apple’s iAd platform isn’t the first to offer developers the opportunity to include ads in their apps, but they do it a little differently.
The traditional electronic ad is either text, an image or a brief animation that, when clicked, will take you directly to the advertiser’s Website. iAd recognizes that most mobile devices either don’t support Flash or have a limited mobile edition of Flash so the common animated Flash ad isn’t possible. People often quote the statistic provided by Adobe that 96% of Web browsers have Flash installed, but that figure is actually representative of the percentage of Web browsers that are capable of running Flash and have it installed. That means it’s excluding millions of devices that have a Web browser that can’t run Flash, even if the device owner wanted to (this includes Apple’s mobile devices among many others).
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iAd instead focuses on the fact that 100% of all Web browsers have HTML support. Plus, all of the devices that iAd will be shown on also have CSS and JavaScript support for animation and interactivity. This method allows advertisers to show the full ad experience via CSS and JavaScript on all devices by default and shows the static version of the ad if they set JavaScript to be disabled. Using Flash will instead be shown as a blank block and will require the Flash plugin to show anything at all or requires the developer to also build the HTML version. This begs the question of, “Why not build the HTML version in the first place?” Ads haven’t been using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript until now due to the fact that CSS and JavaScript-based animations were introduced recently so Flash was the only option available to advertising / Website designers.
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iAd’s extended ad view does include some new functionality that other ad services don’t offer. The ads expand within the current application when they’re tapped on instead of opening a Website in your Web browser. The ads are self-contained so that everything the advertiser wants to be shown can be included within the interactive ad, and can be closed at any time using a close button that is located in the same place for every ad. The expanded ad also has the ability to:
- Allow the user to submit a form (register for a giveaway / sign up to a newsletter)
- Download or purchase something from the App Store (purchase the full product / download a companion app)
- Save media to the device (wallpapers / videos)
- Access the camera (scan a barcode in a store / take a picture of yourself using the product)
- Integrate into other web services (social media / the product’s website)
- and more…
There’s the potential for a malicious advertiser to exploit some of these features or be a security risk but Apple is requiring each ad to be inspected and approved before being displayed. When iAd was announced, Apple brought up that finding a way to keep the advertising interactive while maintaining an emotional tone was very important to making this form of advertising engaging and effective. This is just another option that’s available to advertisers and developers alike and seems like a promising idea if used properly.
Kurt Zenisek
Web Developer
Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kzeni
Extra, Extra! Interesting Sales and Marketing Stories for CEOs and CMOs!
If you have an interest in sales and marketing, this post is for you. At HRB we’re constantly monitoring advertising and public relations trends that are driven by new software automation tools, unique bundling packages and social media marketing contests. Check out these impressive campaigns and let us know your thoughts in the comments section or on the HRB Facebook page.
YouTube’s New Video Editor
With the launch of YouTube’s Web-based video editor, are we about to witness a hyper acceleration in consumer-generated media? Perhaps, but we’re not making any promises. As part of a broader push to empower even more online content creators, YouTube’s lead engineer Rushabh Doshi and product manager Josh Siegel created a video editor that will eventually include transitions, effects, title screens and audio layers. “It’s going to be a huge deal for anyone who uploads to YouTube on a semi-regular basis,” said Techcrunch.
Cinema Advertising Industry Revenues Increase by 2%
For anyone considering buying spots on cinema screens, you may be in good company. According to The Cinema Advertising Council (CAC), total advertising revenues for CAC members—which account for more than 82% of the 38,794 people who purchase U.S. movie screens—grew by nearly 2% to $584,067,000 in 2009 as compared to a total of $571,421,000 in 2008. This is despite a year that saw spending in other traditional media decrease significantly. The growth seems to be directly attributable to the number of blockbuster films released in the past year. Read about Cinema Advertising revenues.
Paid Search Leads Global Online Advertising
According to a study by MAGNAGLOBAL, a division of IPG’s Mediabrands, paid search has quickly become the most important component of online advertising. In 2010 this segment will account for $29.8 billion of total revenue, a substantial increase of 16.5% over 2009 totals on a constant currency basis. Although Google is the current global leader in paid search, all other online advertising—which is much more diffused with a handful of global portals, such as Yahoo and Microsoft—will account for $31.2 billion of total revenue. Read the full story on paid search by Jack Loechner of MediaPost Publications.
E-mail Marketing Still the Workhorse
We marketers are living in a revolutionary age where technology, customer expectations and an explosion of new communication channels are transforming virtually everything—from the way we do our job to our roles in our company’s success. While some employees tout e-mail as one of the more “boring” methods of communication, it has actually served as an important tool for today’s new marketing model. Here are two marketing trend examples from MediaPost that justify the relevance and vitality of e-mail marketing campaigns.
Speedier Calls to Leads Means More Conversions
When I read this study conducted by lead management company, Leads360, all I could think was WOW. According to BtoB magazine online, the study—which assessed some 20 million Internet-generated leads among its clients—reported that sales leads called within 60 seconds of being first generated online showed a fourfold (391%) advantage over average conversion rates. Leads called within 24 hours were still 17% more likely to convert than those that were not called, and 88% of leads that eventually convert were called within the first 24 hours. Impressive, to say the least.
Jim Thebeau
Partner/CEO
Follow me on Twitter @JimThebeau
Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jimthebeau
Mobile Marketing and Leading the Duck
I was sitting in the duck blind just north of Clinton, Iowa about 30 years ago. I had my shotgun gripped tightly with the safety on. The ducks were flying right toward our decoys in a path that would lead them within 30 yards of our blind. I was ready to shoot my first bird and take my place as one of the great American hunters of our time. When the ducks were in range, my dad said, “Now!” I quickly pointed my shotgun at the ducks and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. I pointed again and pulled the trigger again. Nothing… the ducks were now out of range. My dad sat there smiling at me and patted me on the back. “Son, you have to remember to flip the safety off before you pull the trigger.” A little embarrassed, I rolled my eyes at myself and slouched back down in blind.
A couple of hours later, the same situation presented itself again. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. The ducks flew within range and my dad said, “Now!” I quickly point the gun, flipped the safety off, and pulled the trigger. I missed. I pointed again, and pulled the trigger again. I missed a second time. The ducks flew out of range.
Frustrated, I looked over at my dad who sat there smiling once again. He said, “Son, in order to shoot a duck you have to aim ahead of them. If you aim directly at them, you’ll always miss because your BB’s will end up where the duck WAS rather than where it IS. You have to lead the duck.”
There were no more chances that day, but I learned three lessons I’ll never forget.
1. To be successful, you have to turn off the safety before you pull the trigger.
2. You have to lead the duck. You can’t shoot for where your target is today, you have to aim where they are going.
3. My dad couldn’t do it for me. In order to be successful, I had to learn the mechanics and pull the trigger myself.
Hopefully, you’ve spent the last few years leading the duck. If you have, then here’s where you should be:
- You should have an effective website design that turns a percentage of visitors into new business opportunities or sales.
- You should have a blog or news section that keeps your audience informed and positions you as an expert in your industry.
- You should have a social media marketing presence that delivers your message where and how your audience wants to receive it.
- You should have an email marketing process and system in place that is very easy to maintain and predictable for your audience.
In a recent speech, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said, “Mobile is the hottest area of computer technology…The smartest developers now are writing apps for mobile devices before they write for Windows or Apple Mac desktop operating systems.”
Have you started to think about how you can make the best use of mobile technology to offer a new service or to better communicate with your audience, or are you still sitting with your safety on and pointing your gun at the duck?
My dad was an amazing duck hunter. I can’t remember a time he pulled the trigger and didn’t hit his target. He had the mechanics down pat. He was patient, but he was also very decisive and accurate when the time came. I would encourage everyone to be a little more like my dad. Be patient, but know when and how to be decisive and accurate. Make sure you have the pieces in place, and start thinking about pulling the trigger on your mobile marketing plan.
Jeff McEachron
Senior Vice President
Director, Internet Operations
Follow me on Twitter @Jeff_McEachron
Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmceachron
How is YOUR Data Represented?
Every day consumers are bombarded by statistics claiming that 67% of people prefer Pepsi, that a new fertilizer is 23% more effective or that a new product will improve our lives by 3%. While some of these raw numbers are relevant, most of us know not to trust them at face value. Most likely, because at one time or another we have been disappointed by a company’s product or service.
But what about advertising agencies?
Agencies are bombarded by articles and emails proclaiming that 21% more women now use Facebook, that Social Media Site A is 2% more effective than Social Media Site B or that 57.68 out of 100 of our customers think Twitter is relevant in this day and age.
It’s not fair to say that these statistics are biased because of funding or the pushing of a product. However, it is fair to say that each marketing situation is different and deserves different considerations. Social Media Site A is not always better than Social Media Site B, or vice versa, and more of our target audience does not always use it. General statistics are not applicable in every situation. Agencies must be careful in what they, too, rely on.
Too many businesses think that data gathering and collection is as simple as handing out surveys. In actuality, a lot of work goes into deciding who to survey in a way that will be representative of their target audience. Agency executives have a lot of questions to consider. Some of these questions include:
- Will the phrasing of the questions prompt a certain answer?
- Do the people who don’t respond to the survey share something in common (such as the lack of an e-mail address) which would cause the results to be biased?
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Knowing the target audience is paramount to success. There is no room for major bias in data collection when an entire marketing plan may depend on survey results.
Data representation is also critical. It’s really about showing the customer something they can count on. Healthy companies do not manipulate their data, because their pure results stand by themselves. At the same time, its use can be tricky enough that unintentional manipulation can occur. Say a company whose product produced results that were twice as good as another product decides to represent this in 3D. Therefore, the picture is twice as wide as well – valid perhaps, but creating the illusion that the company’s product gives a result which is four times better than its competitors. What happens, then, when buyers expect more than they get? In the end it’s the customer who is disappointed.
As an advertising agency, our clients may rely on us as data providers as well. We are responsible for accurately gathering and representing our clients’ statistics. We must share them in ways that are informative and not misleading. We must provide accurate samples of demographics, usage statistics and customer opinion to eliminate bias.
The end goal is to not misrepresent your company and to not let your company be misrepresented. It can be difficult for businesses to know what to trust, especially when they do not have professional data collection and interpretation services. After all, 73.58% of statistics are invented.
Henry Russell Bruce is a full-service advertising agency and Internet marketing firm that focuses on branding, developing and executing marketing roadmaps, and growing companies.
Kestrel Henry
Internet Operations Intern
Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kestrelhenry
HRB Welcomes First Interns Since the Flood of 2008
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (June 15, 2010) – If Henry Russell Bruce is notorious for anything it is persistence. During the two years that their Cedar Rapids headquarters underwent reconstruction from the June 2008 flood, HRB purchased Internet Marketing Group, added a new Growth Division and doubled their client base. In May 2010 they reopened their distinguished internship program for the first time since the flood.
Born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Allison Maze feels right at home as HRB’s new summer Creative Intern. Maze is a senior at Drake University in Des Moines where she is double majoring in Magazine Journalism and Graphic Design. This spring she diversified her extracurricular writing experience by participating in Pella’s Study Abroad Program in London. During the week she attended classes and interned at a quaint graphic design firm called Hatch Creations, but her weekends were spent discovering art in Wales and Cyprus.
“Within the first week it was clear that Allison’s international perspective on art and her appreciation for all stages of creativity—from initial ideas to completed designs—will make her a stand-out intern,” said HRB partner and President Steve Erickson. “I am anxious to see how her diverse experience in magazine journalism and graphic arts will thrive in our team-focused atmosphere.”
HRB is also pleased to announce the appointment of University of Iowa senior Megan Jasin as their new Public Relations Intern. Although she has been an active leader in magazine and public relations groups at the University of Iowa, she believes her internship experiences led her to her career niche. Last fall she interned with the American Diabetes Association of Chicago, where she researched prospective donors, assisted in the writing of grant proposals and volunteered at the ADA’s diabetes awareness and fundraising events.
“Megan is a very enthusiastic and determined young professional,” said Shelby Kraus, V.P. of Public Relations. “Her strong writing background, knowledge of current events and desire to learn about social media’s influence on public relations differentiate her in today’s competitive market. We are excited to have her work with our Interactive/Web Department to improve our clients’ brand images and boost our company’s online presence.” Megan will be interning with HRB through May 2011.
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Jim Thebeau
Partner/CEO
Follow me on Twitter @JimThebeau
Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jimthebeau
Henry Russell Bruce is a full-service advertising agency and Internet marketing firm that focuses on branding, developing and executing marketing roadmaps, and growing companies.
