Interactive Seven 2009 Supplement - Marketing Week

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INTERACTIVEseven
Digital disciplines
Can online marketing
defy the recession?
Campaign planning
Tools to make your marketing
cross all media

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FOREWORD
Now, more than ever, is the
time for flair and creativity
DIGITAL
DISCIPLINES
Search 7
Email 13
Affiliate 17
Web 2.0 23
Online 27
Mobile 33
CAMPAIGN
PLANNING
User-centred design 39
Analytics 43
Ad networks 45
Convergence 47
Directory 48
There hasn’t been much good news for marketers in 2009. But
when it comes to interactive marketing, there are a whole host of
exciting initiatives taking place that promise great return on
investment (ROI) for brands.
As the number of online channels increases, more consumers
than ever before are logging on to their desktop and mobile
devices to meet their diverse shopping, entertainment and
information desires.
Broadband penetration in the UK has now reached 60% and
mobile phone penetration in Europe has already exceeded 100%.
With so many potential customers out there, businesses need to
use as many techniques as possible to build up interest and
generate spend on their own brands.
It isn’t just a case of being able to reach people, however. It’s
also vital to find the right ways to reach consumers, in the
right places, with targeted messages that appeal to them. The
extra challenge in the current climate is to do this as cheaply
as possible.
Marketers need to remember to be creative too. The web is often
praised for its tools that allow marketers to measure the ROI of
any promotional spend. But we should not neglect the innovation
that online marketing can bring to a brand. While analytics and
statistics are vital for ensuring that campaigns can be effectively
analysed, it is now more important than ever that companies
bring flair and originality to their work.
This Marketing Week Interactive supplement provides a
comprehensive look at all elements of marketing in the online
and mobile areas. From the measurable disciplines of search
and affiliate programmes to the creativity of social media, it all
adds up to a very exciting range of tools, ideas and strategies
for marketers.
Ruth Mortimer
Associate editor (features), Marketing Week
Editor Ruth Mortimer Contributing and commissioning editors Joseph Fernandez, Daney Parker Contributing editor David Benady Contributing writers Camille Alarcon, David
Benady, Joseph Fernandez, Sarah Forsey, Steve Hemsley, Caroline Parry, Archana Venkatraman Production editor Anita Chaplin Sub editors Toby Rosenbloom, Teresa Waddington, Tim
Weissberg Ad production Geoff Ball Display ad director Duncan Siegle Display ad manager Richard Gordon Project manager Oliver Hunt Publisher Sarah Gilchriest
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Marketing Week Interactive 3

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INTERACTIVE INTRODUCTION
Leave the clichés behind – online has
changed the face of marketing forever
I've never been a fan of clichéd
business speak. For years people have
been telling me to “think outside the
box” and to put “all my ducks in a
row”, and through gritted teeth and
clenched fists I have complied, while
eagerly anticipating the day when we,
as marketing professionals, can just
converse like normal human beings.
Recently the Internet Advertising
Bureau carried out a survey to find the most hated, cheesy business
phrases in the UK today. Unsurprisingly, right at the top, with an
overwhelming majority, was “blue sky thinking”, a phrase which –
although great in its day - has become representative of an old,
stale, ridiculously corporate and unimaginative mentality. In fact, it
seems to me that people who use such expressions probably live
under decidedly murky skies and are probably trapped in that
proverbial box, unable to even see an opening, let alone be able to
think outside it. Think of something new to say!
As a medium, we cannot rely on the tried and tested formulas of
yesterday. We can’t simply aspire to be progressive, or just talk
about pushing boundaries and the endless possibilities available
with online, unless we actually achieve them. I’m sure the phrase
“team work makes the dream work” was hugely inspirational when
it was first invented, but we no longer live in the “Mad Men” Fifties
(as much as I love that TV programme).
Maybe it’s a matter of pace. Having worked in digital for a
number of years now, I’ve certainly noticed that some media folk
have been moving too slow in an era characterised by growth,
incredible technological development and consumer behaviour that
becomes more sophisticated by the day. Even now, online is
sometimes seen as a box that we just have to tick when
implementing our communications strategies, without considering
it right upfront with more traditional media.
These people are now in the minority and, believe me, we’re
working on them… But there are also some that have a tendency to
move too fast, always keen to grab hold of that next big thing and run
with it into the great unknown. How many marketers do you think
hopped into virtual world Second Life with grand plans aplenty, only
to hop right out again when the press coverage died down?
There’s nothing wrong with living in the “now”. Let’s not get
bogged down with what worked in the past, or carried away with
the promises of the future. In my mind, this book is exactly what
the industry needs – to concentrate on the realities of digital
advertising, such as what works, what doesn’t and what tactics
marketers should be employing right now to get the best from their
budgets, and establish a long-term online presence. Most
importantly, it’s been written by the experts who know and
understand that even ten years since its creation, internet
marketing presents us with a great deal to be excited about.
We should be excited about interaction. Each time a consumer
engages with your ads online, it should be considered a success.
Each positive review, encouraging comment, each person who
becomes a “fan” or “friend” of your brand, of their own accord, is
one more loyal customer to add to your band of faithful followers.
Because with online, those relationships are likely to be longterm
ones.
We should be excited about all the opportunities to extend your
brand. Who cares whether it’s Web 2.0, Web 3.0 or Web C3PO, we
know that online empowers you to talk to consumers on their own
terms, in their own language, and that this can be extremely
effective. Mobile is relatively unchartered territory at the moment,
but every day eager clients are asking us how it’s done, and what
the medium can do for their brand. We should be excited about
results, because online is the most accountable medium and with
tools like search, email and affiliate marketing, we can drive sales
instantly, and refine our activity to get even better results next time.
And, most of all, even when times are tough, we should be excited
about advertising, because it will always be one of the most
dynamic, creative industries to work in. If I had my time machine
working, once I’d done all the obvious things, such as preventing
global disasters and making a note of all the winning lottery
numbers to date, I’d go back five years just to prove to all those
sceptics that online really has changed the face of marketing
forever, and it’s only going to get better. And then I’d probably go
back to HHCL’s offices in 1994 to make
sure the phrase “does exactly what it
says on the tin” was never invented.
Kieron Matthews
Marketing Director, IAB
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Digital
disciplines
Search 7
With search marketing performance at a plateau,
clients need reassurance that it can deliver
Email 13
Marketers must focus on improving content
if email’s potential is to be fully realised
Affiliate 17
Relatively unaffected by the downturn, affiliate
marketers look forward to a period of growth
Web 2.0 23
Social networks are indispensable tools for
building online awareness and brand loyalty
Online 27
Making maximum use of the budget remains
the online sector’s greatest challenge
Mobile 33
Despite a disappointing last year, new technology
could help mobile achieve its promise in 2009

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INTERACTIVE SEARCH
A Bugatti,
Volvo and
search
There are certain fortunate
industries which are seen as
almost recession proof – think
supermarkets, drinks manufacturers,
tobacco firms and utility
companies. Despite its apparent
ubiquity it would be complacent
to assume that search
marketing also belongs on this
list. The reality is that we are
not immune from the effects of
brand owners feeling the
pinch and having to tighten
their belts.
As the downturn bites, mar -
keting directors, like ordinary
consumers, will become ruthless in their focus on value. I believe
delivering value from search today means implementing a long-term
strategy which looks beyond the easy, short-term and expensive fix
provided by Google Adwords.
As a massive Top Gear fan, please forgive me a little motoring analogy
by way of illustration. In many ways paid search is like hiring a
Bugatti Veyron for the day – it’s fast, it’s expensive, it’ll definitely turn
heads and grab the attention of passers by. It’s also very easy to drive.
If you decide to splash out on one it’s going to eat up a lot of your budget
and cost quite a bit to run. It definitely gets results, though when the
money runs out it’s going to lounge in your garage gathering dust.
By contrast, natural search is like investing in a Volvo S40. It’s definitely
not as fast, and is unlikely to turn as many heads at first, but it’s
both cheaper and more cost effective. You’ll reach the same destination
as the Bugatti but you’ll have spent less money along the way. Also,
once you’ve got it working properly you won’t have to spend as much
money on maintenance, it’ll just keep ticking along with a regular
MOT and a service or two.
As with many analogies, this may be an over simplification. Ultimately,
it just no longer makes sense to exclusively use PPC to target
increasingly competitive key terms – the returns are just too tight and
rapidly diminishing. Marketing directors really focused on long term
search value need to focus their budget on building a strong base of
natural search listings and then selectively use AdWords to mop up
the long tail.
In the years ahead we need to advocate a more tactically balanced
approach to search. Only through honestly advising and delivering
what is best for our clients bottom lines, rather than our own, will the
search sector emerge from the downturn structurally stronger than
when it went in.
Tanya Goodin, Chief Executive and Founder, Tamar.com,
10 Barley Mow Passage, Chiswick
London, W4 4PH. T: 020 8995 7878,
w www.tamar.com
Maximum
exposure
With search marketing performance
at a plateau, clients need more
reassurance than ever that it can
deliver results. By Joe Fernandez
Search marketing has been growing at a rapid rate, with brands
aiming to feature highly in search engine results. However, as the
economic crisis deepens, marketers will have to carefully consider
how much they invest into search.
Yahoo! UK vice president and managing director Mark Rabe says: “In
the current economic climate, it is clear that marketing budgets will go
down and even search budgets will be scrutinised. This magnifies the need
for cost-efficient, high-impact marketing techniques.”
More than ever, brands want maximum exposure on the internet and
on mobile phone handsets through the use of search engine marketing.
This has led to the creation of large search offerings this year, including
the Yahoo! Network, which claims to give advertisers access to 80% of
the UK’s web population, and Platform-A, which aligns AOL’s existing
ad operations.
Platform-A search product manager Richard Garrod says: “The market
for search engine advertising has matured to a level of saturation, and
consumer uptake has reached a plateau. This, for the first time, has
created a real struggle to deliver performance for clients. Up to this point,
it was easier for search marketers to convince clients that spend was
being managed effectively, because performance was increasing, seemingly
exponentially.”
Garrod adds that the search marketplace faces increased competition
as advertisers seek the best value in the places they display their results.
“Given the current economic difficulties,
search engine marketing
agencies who are unable to integrate
across the marketing mix may be in
for a rough ride. In addition, if ad
budgets are cut or companies go
bankrupt, the search industry will
have fewer advertisers, meaning less
competition and lower cost-perclicks.
Consumers are already gravitating
towards retailers’ value
offerings rather than luxury purchases,
and sites that offer cost savings
or price-comparison services
are likely to see an increase in traffic,”
he adds.
Advertisers now face a choice
On the go: Brands increasingly over where they go to place their
want maximum exposure via search advertising, since the Google Best
marketing on mobile and online Practice system, which offered
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INTERACTIVE SEARCH
“In the current
economic climate, it
is clear that
marketing budgets
will go down and
even search budgets
will be scrutinised.
This magnifies the
need for costefficient,
highimpact
marketing
techniques”
Mark Rabe, Yahoo! UK
rebates to agencies depending on how much they spent with Google, has
come to an end. Duncan Parry, co-founder at digital agency Steak, says:
“The ending of Google Best Practice funding has caught some on the hop.
Contracts will be up for negotiation and/or repitch, while some brands
could consider recruiting search specialists to work in house.”
Parry adds: “The most successful marketing campaigns will exploit the
best of search, display, affiliates, mobile and email to build brand awareness,
promote customer loyalty and acquire new customers, no matter what
product or service is being sold. Managed display is an excellent way of
positioning brands for the next upturn and has a positive halo effect on
other online media, and search in particular.”
Google agrees that search marketing should be seen as essential for any
brand. Dan Cobley, Google director of marketing for UK, Ireland and
Benelux, says: “With search marketing, businesses know precisely how
much it costs to acquire a customer or drive them to an action. Search also
allows businesses to focus very tightly on their highest margin products
and services, to drive greatest profitability during tougher times. Enquiro
and IPSOS research conducted this year found that presence on the Google
search results page was able to lift brand metrics significantly.”
Other advancements in the search marketing world have included the
improved visibility offered to marketers from search companies through
more advanced analytics. Chris Lewis, head of search at digital agency
LBi, says: “With the launch of the Atlas Engagement Mapping approach,
alongside similar products, marketers will have better visibility on whether
search – specifically paid search – really is successful in its own right.”
Understanding intent
Microsoft Advertising commercial
director Chris Ward agrees: “The
ability to combine pay-per-click
advertising with web analytics is an
area which marketers should make
the most of, as this provides an uplift
in user engagement. Web analytics
is about understanding your customer’s
intent, and it allows marketers
to understand more than just
traffic or unique users.”
According to search engine specialists
bigmouthmedia, marketers will be looking to make campaigns more
co-ordinated, both online and offline. Bigmouthmedia head of search
Andrew Girdwood says: “As more companies seek a co-ordinated approach
to their online marketing strategies, we expect to see increased demand
for campaigns that integrate both paid and natural search strategies. Savvy
clients will want to drive maximum value from digital campaigns by leveraging
synergies wherever possible.”
“Clients will expect more and more coordination of their online and
offline marketing strands in 2009, and in response the agencies will try and
develop skill sets for both. This pressure will increase as demand to also
co-ordinate affiliate marketing and internet display advertising campaigns
proliferates, and as a result we’ll probably see more digital contracts leave
the traditional agencies.”
Positive outlook
Looking ahead to the future, the search giants seem confident that the
medium can survive the threat of the credit crunch. Microsoft’s Ward says:
“Search will buck the overall marketing spend as it provides excellent
return on investment (ROI) and visibility of results for marketers. There
will be more innovation around the use and interpretation of data, and
these will be driven further by the use of engagement mapping.”
Engagement Mapping allows marketers to map and assign value to the
various touch points a consumer is exposed to, which presents a more complete
picture of a campaign. Yahoo!’s Rabe adds: “As the internet continues
to open up to users and developers, more opportunities for search
marketers are created to help them
“Search marketers
must demonstrate
strong business
understanding and
apply this to... tight,
strategic searchmarketing
plans”
Nigel Muir, DBD Media
mould their marketing programmes,
yet at the same time the
content explosion poses specific
challenges for marketers as they
seek brand engagement. Content
and interaction will only continue
to grow, forcing marketers to rely
on search marketing initiatives that
are focused and tailored to grasp
consumers’ attention.”
Smaller search engine marketing
agencies also feel positive about
the future, despite Google’s deci-
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INTERACTIVE SEARCH
“As more companies
seek a co-ordinated
approach to their
online marketing
strategies, we expect
increased demand
for campaigns that
integrate both paid
and natural search
strategies”
Andrew Girdwood,
Bigmouthmedia
sion to scrap Best Practice Funding and launch the SearchWiki tool enabling
its users to take control of their search results. Nigel Muir, managing director
of independent search engine marketing agency DBD Media, says: “As
the credit crunch turns into a fully-fledged recession, it is clear that... the
year ahead for search marketing is going to be dictated by the economy.
The impact of search marketing needs to be communicated through companies
as a whole, and search marketers need to make their voices heard
through detailed, tailored and accessible reporting. The inherent measurability
of search campaigns, and online marketing as a whole, means
that marketers can speak to board-level directors in their own language –
with cold, hard data.”
“Search marketers must demonstrate strong business understanding
and apply this knowledge to ensure tight, strategic, search-marketing plans.
This will ensure that all key words are effective, and that budget for paid
search is placed as accurately as possible. Search marketers with insight
into the marketing process as a whole and with strong business understanding
will shine in these tough times.”
Business boom
Justin Taylor, interaction partner at specialists MEC Interaction, also
says search will see an increase in business, but must face higher demand
for results reporting. “Advertiser-led search, be it natural or paid, will
continue to increase its market share for advertising dollars. Clients will
require agencies to deliver deeper, more measurable results, focused on
both actionable ROI and brand ROI. Key search players will experiment
more with visually led search for commercial purposes. This is attractive
to both advertisers and the likes of Google, who have seen their share
price fall over 55% in the past six months. From an agency perspective,
search will continue to feature heavily on the majority of media schedules,”
he says.
Search will begin to be used across multiple media channels. Mobile
operators are agreeing deals with search engines to provide a default service,
and offline campaigns are using text message numbers to convey their
messages interactively. Search is being used as a market research tool, for
consumers to do research, and for businesses to measure its effectiveness.
Online research into consumer buying patterns is starting to inform
offline campaigns too. Lewis says: “As economic pressure mounts, search
engines will undoubtedly be looking to monetise more of their inventory.
Depending on your view of both text and graphical contextual advertising,
these represent big opportunities as the three players pull together
their insights from different channels. The monetisation of video content
through the use of text ads is potentially a long-term vision when you consider
some of the current research and development, and the ability to
search through audio content.”
Rich experiences
Ward says: “Search will become a richer experience for the consumer, with
more images and video results. Marketers’ search-engine optimisation
strategies will become more important than ever before, as marketers will
need to rethink how they can optimise images and videos to help increase
the ranking of their website. Users tend to combine their media choices.
For instance in a TV ad break, they may be surfing the internet for information
relating to their show. This presents a huge opportunity to engage
with users in a more receptive state of mind.”
The ability to reach an audience at the right time is important to maintain
their attention and secure your ROI. With the internet full to the
brim with potential search results, keyword-based search results can provide
valuable insight into how users interact with brands. But, to ensure
they are worth the cost, marketers should look to analytics to ensure the
terms really reflect the brand and to identify the best ways to achieve maximum
impact.
Ed Lamb, digital director at Digital Tullo Marshall Warren, says: “Marketers
who try to keep control of content about their brand spend a huge
amount of time trying to police it and fail anyway. Those which are
adaptable and react positively to all brand mentions will create greater
brand affinity.”
It is clear that as 2009 develops, the search arena is changing once again.
The challenge for marketers now is deciding how to work with the many
different search tools and devise new ways of maintaining consumer interest
without isolating their core audience.
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INTERACTIVE EMAIL
E-love to
keep that
20% warm
Forget the doom mongers,
there is a small core of people
who make up most of
your revenue and they are
quite smitten with you.
You’ve persuaded them and
they are happy to spend
their hard-earned money
with you.
Experian recently carried
out a report into online
retailing entitled Engaging
Online with the Empowered
Customer. It revealed a
juicy nugget of information:
70% of revenues were generated
by just 30% of customers.
For marketers who remember Pareto’s classic 80:20 rule, these
statistics ring true. The rule has become a tenet because it never
seems to lose its currency while markets change and develop.
Even if you grow your base of customers, you will presumably
have more turnover, but 80% of revenues will come from only
20% of them. The intuitive reaction is to target the “one-off”
purchasers in order to encourage them into the 20% group.
Here’s how the Pareto maths add up. Say 10,000 customers
contribute £1,000,000 of income. If the rule holds, then 2,000 of
them will contribute £800,000 (£400 per head) and the remaining
8,000 will contribute £200,000 – £25 per head. If you want to get
another £100,000 of income, what looks easier? Getting your
2,000 loyalists to spend another 12.5% (£50 each), or recruiting
another 4,000 new customers?
So, the smart option for recessionary times is to get passionate
about your best customers. Now is the time to thank them
and give them the incentive to spend more with you, or at least
spend at the same level. Make sure they “opt-in” to a dialogue
with you. Don’t be too coy – remember these are the ones that
love you. Then start talking. What about a discount on their
next purchase? A free gift? Be daring: ask them to recommend
you to their friends. This is where e-marketing can help. It’s a
low cost and immediate way of keeping in touch. No long development
cycle, and with the benefits of complete “trackability”,
and the option to run test matrices to see what works.
A balance between email-based marketing, and onsite or
online-based campaigns needs careful consideration. I would
recommend that you look at your online sales and find your top
20%, then get a four-to eight-week programme of communications
going with them. Use a range of offers and techniques.
And, if it works, think about rolling it out to the other 80%.
You’ve invested in some key customers, and it’s paid out.
Now’s the time to cuddle up close until the economic frost
starts to thaw.
Mark Wooding, Managing Director, Soprano,
One Hardwick’s Square, London SW18 4AW. T: 020 7198 8423,
E: mark.wooding@sopranodigital.com, W: www.sopranodigital.com
Optimising
the potential
As email marketing is cost-effective
and measurable, its prospects look
positive, even during recession, but
marketers must focus on improving
content if its potential is to be
fully realised. By Sarah Forsey
Despite email marketing’s proven success, good communications
principles are not always applied with the same precision and
effort as they are with other promotional techniques. Brands
are often of the opinion that because production costs are lower
than in other media, email marketing can be approached with less thought.
The ease with which email can be created and sent also adds to a rather
blasé “one-size-fits-all” attitude, but it is important to remember that
although emails are simple to send, they are difficult to get right.
When email’s potential as an interactive channel to approach both
new and existing customers was first recognised, there was an explosion
of unsolicited mail. Companies sent out untargeted content to all customers,
while hopeful marketing teams crossed their fingers that this
might work.
This blanket mail-out approach, borne from a dream of minimum
effort and maximum return, has created a difficult challenge
for the modern email marketer. Public opinion of email marketing
is low as a result of people being bombarded with a stream of irrelevant
and intrusive mails. Spam filters and software have not completely
stopped consumers receiving a
large amount of junk and
unwanted mail. Marketers must
first improve attitudes and regain
client trust, differentiating themselves
from the spammers, in order
for click-through and, ultimately,
response rates to grow so that
email’s success can be maximised.
Relevance and personalisation
should be first to be considered in
any email campaign. Relevant
emails will be welcome. “Marketers
must start collecting more data
about the interests and behaviour
of their email subscribers and use
a variety of data segmentation techniques
in order to produce timely,
tailored and relevant one-to-one
Skip Fidura: Any content that is pieces of communication,” says
irrelevant or ill-timed will be seen Skip Fidura, digital director of
as spam in the eyes of consumers email marketing platform dot-
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EMAIL INTERACTIVE
Mailer. “Once a company understands the value of an email, it quickly
becomes apparent why they should spend a bit more time and money to
effectively target their communications. Irrelevant messages cause readers
to become disengaged – which is an asset lying fallow – or to unsubscribe,
which is an asset lost.”
Experian CheetahMail Europe managing director Steve Lomax suggests
using preference centres: “They offer a place for opt-in subscribers
to update information about themselves, allowing more targeted messages
to be sent. For example, music retailers could ask people for
their favourite genre of music, allowing parts of email messages and
offers to be tailored, based on that preference.
Marketers can also increase customer understanding and insight
by using product-purchase history and external data based on attitudinal
and lifestyle information to build a detailed view of subscribers’
specific preferences and interests.”
As well as paying attention to database research and investing time
in finding out about your customers, marketers should work on tailoring
the content they send out once they have accumulated their consumer
base. Having the right content to send out is as important as having the
right person to send it to.
“The best way to enhance the customer experience is to send relevant
emails. If the customer is getting things they perceive to be of benefit,
then they will be more than happy to receive them,” says Kieran Cooper,
managing director of email marketing solutions company Lyris UK. It
is important to give an email campaign the same level of creative attention
and thought that it is hoped a consumer will give it on receipt.
Separate yourself from spam
Relevancy is what separates a welcome offer from spam. To maximise
results and return on investment (ROI), marketers must personalise the
content of every email to each individual’s areas of interest.
As well as the right person and the right content, it is important to
ensure that offers are sent at the right time. Marketers should no longer
assume that if a customer has signed an opt-in list they can be bombarded
with information at any time.
“Any content that is deemed irrelevant, ill-timed or misplaced will
be perceived as spam, regardless of the permissions that have been given
previously,” says dotMailer’s Fidura. In an era of permission-based communication,
the consumer has a right to refuse and ignore any correspondence
that doesn’t fit into their exact preferences.
Email users are becoming increasingly selective about what they
choose to open in their inbox, and it is important that email marketers
learn how to draw consumer attention to offers without them feeling
as if they are receiving unsolicited mail. Once this has been mastered,
the results must be publicised so
“Preference centres
offer a place for
opt-in subscribers
to update
information about
themselves,
allowing more
targeted messages
to be sent”
Steve Lomax,
Experian CheetahMail
that the true potential of the
medium can be proven to prospective
businesses and investors in the
coming months.
Matt Ramsay, managing director
of direct digital marketing
agency Inbox, says that looking
for ways to prove ROI to clients is
key to email’s future success, and
that combining channels can be
an excellent way to do this: “Offering
money-off vouchers online,
that can be redeemed offline,
enables companies to realise the
success of their email marketing,
because all vouchers received in
store can be tracked back to their
email campaign.”
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INTERACTIVE EMAIL
Online activity can be recorded to see if there is an increase in website
visits and dwell time, and voucher redemption builds customer relationships
as the company gives something back to the consumer in
exchange for a slice of brand loyalty.
Email marketing has a long line of competitors across all channels,
not just the new-media sector. Social media, direct mail, mobile marketing
and SMS, for example, can all provide the same audience, although
their response rates can be more questionable. Research carried out by
email marketing solutions company Exact Target shows that 72% of
respondents would choose email as the channel of choice when receiving
promotional material from companies.
Across the channel
Jeremy Bedford, vice president of operations at marketing campaign
software vendor Neolane, suggests that email marketing conducted in
conjunction with other channels, such as direct mail and telemarketing,
can further increase response rates: “Cross-channel marketing, bringing
a combination of channels into play while keeping to a consistent
“Cross-channel
marketing... has a
reinforcing effect
that can deliver a
significant boost in
ROI overall. But it is
crucial that you
have a centralised
customer view that
is always up to date”
Jeremy Bedford,
Neolane
message, has a reinforcing effect
that can deliver a significant boost
in ROI overall. But it is crucial
that you have a centralised customer
view that is always up to
date with the latest interaction
received from any of the channels
employed.”
Respect the inbox
Ultimately, though, it is important
to remember that an inbox is still
a consumer’s personal space. Marketers
must take responsibility
for their code of practice when it
comes to email as in any other promotional
material
Listening to what clients want
to receive is key to optimising
any marketing campaign. Even
consumers that have signed up
to an opt-in list can become disgruntled
and disengaged if they
begin receiving content they did not agree to.
The DMA Email Marketing Council best practice guidelines show
that opt-out rates are far higher when you contact your customers (or
potential customers) every week. This would suggest that it’s far better
to mail consumers with a more appropriate email on fewer occasions.
Frequency of communication has a direct correlation with the perception
of marketing communications as spam.
Looking forward, e-marketers must think creatively to keep funding
in the email arena. Social networking, Web 2.0 and RSS are all being
hyped as rivals to email, but email still has a role to play alongside these.
Social networking, for example, heavily depends on email as an integral
link in connecting its members.
As long as new technology is embraced and email integrated as a
vital part, its relevance can only go from strength to strength. Future
investors must be educated about the assets of email, not just as a marketing
tool, but because of the opt-in subscriber-lists that it creates, the
relationships it can build and the revenue that, if utilised correctly, it
can generate.
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INTERACTIVE AFFILIATE
CPA model
is a source
of optimism
Affiliate marketing is in for a
rocky ride – there’s just no getting
around the impact that a
dip in consumer spending will
have on advertisers. But, just as
necessity is the mother of
invention, so a recession
should drive, not hinder,
advances in the sector.
In general, if digital is the
most recession-proof marketing
channel thanks to its
accountability, then affiliate
marketing – given its focus on
the cost-per-action (CPA) model
– should be the most recessionproof
digital channel. The dominance of CPA in the affiliate sector
also suggests a more fundamental reason why affiliates will continue
to thrive: since they only get paid when they help make a sale, they are
the first to shift their strategy and tactics when circumstances change.
Still, the broad theme of affiliate marketing in the future is the
same whatever the economic state of affairs – to reward publishers on
a performance basis. Moreover, there are areas where affiliate marketing
will continue to evolve in 2009, as it has in the past, and each is
as much a response to the need to improve constantly in a fiercely
competitive space as it is a response to the financial crisis.
First, we expect the broadening of affiliates’ skills to continue.
They tend to be of two types – pay-per-click affiliates that focus on
search advertising to drive traffic and content affiliates that build
sites and services to add value to the consumer pathway along the
road to the merchant site. Increasingly, affiliates are becoming proficient
in any activity that helps deliver converting visitors for their
clients. That trend will continue and the best affiliates are becoming,
essentially, digital agencies focused on the CPA payment model and
able to employ all and any method to help make sales.
Second, the emerging dominance of cashback offers and reward
sites will go on. As consumer spending gets tight, such offers will
become even more crucial to secure a sale – so much so that merchants
will need to provide them to attract sales.
Last, advertisers will be focused on driving efficiency and the best
return on their advertising investment from whatever money they do
spend this year so advanced reporting will be vital. Enhanced reporting
will allow informed decision-making by merchants on the “best”
channel and give a better understanding of the path to conversion to
more effectively manage de-duplication so that the right channel or
affiliate can be attributed with the right sale.
At Webgains, we look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
.
Robert Glasgow, Webgains UK, Dragon Court, 27-29 Macklin
Street, London WC2B 5LX. T: 020 7269 1230,
W: www.webgains.com
Dawn of a
golden era
As one of the few sectors not to be
affected by the economic downturn,
affiliate marketers can look forward
to a period of consolidation and
growth. By Archana Venkatraman
The current economic crisis will mark a consolidation of affiliate
marketing. This is because the online channel remains
upbeat, transparent and offers better value than offline channels.
As a result, affiliate marketing will be high on the radar
of marketers in 2009 as they look for strategies to overcome this recession
by generating more sales via ecommerce.
Marketers now consider affiliate marketing to be the focal point of
their overall online marketing strategy because the sector is proving
popular with both customers and clients. Indeed, corporates are turning
to affiliate marketing for two primary reasons – its risk-free nature
and its tangible, cost-effective return on investment (ROI). In a similar
fashion, cash-strapped consumers are also turning to affiliates
because they want more web discounts.
Mark Kuhillow, managing director of affiliate management agency
R.O.EYE, says: “The onset of recession has not yet dented the confidence
of online consumers. Cashback and voucher-code sites have
been the main beneficiaries of these difficult times.”
As clients insist on cost-effective campaigns, marketers embrace
affiliates for its cost-per-action
(CPA) model instead of traditional
advertising or other digital
techniques.
Affiliate marketing promotes
products or services online
through a network of websites
that advertises and endorses these
products using email, graphical
advertisements or even a blog.
Affiliate sites involve merchants
(advertisers) as well as affiliate
networks. It was developed
from internet marketing where the
advertisement publisher gets
remunerated for every purchaser
or sale supplied by them.
Recently, the sector has seen a
growth in the use of video as a
David Hall: Expects to see the promotional vehicle. About 48%
cost-per-action model become a of internet users visited videosharing
sites such as YouTube multiple attribution system
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INTERACTIVE AFFILIATE
Searching for trends: Analysts
predict that the next 12 months
will see an increased focus around
social media networks and search
giant Google
in 2007, and it is estimated that the number of ads broadcast during
video content will increase by more than 70%, according to eMarketer
– a website that keeps marketers up to date with trends and developments
in online marketing and emerging media.
Affiliate Window communications director David Hall says that,
in 2009, marketers will analyse costs very closely and choose the most
effective “cost-against-return” strategy. “Affiliate marketing absolutely
fits the bill because retailers pay commission to affiliates only after a
sale is made,” he adds.
Trends
Industry insiders insist that affiliate marketing will grow rapidly this
year because affiliates, marketers and consumers are all becoming
more sophisticated. Indeed, the affiliate sector is already giving off
positive signals, as larger European and US-based affiliate specialists,
such as LinkShare, settle in the UK. “We could see increasingly sophisticated
offerings and choices from retailers over the coming months.
They will move from their previous focus which was on aggregation
alone,” says Liane Dietrich, managing director of LinkShare.
However, affiliate marketers are under pressure to develop clearer
commercial policies. They are also expected to follow better use of
commissions and more active policing of areas in which affiliate activities
conflict with offline and other online channels. This is driven by
the increased assimilation of affiliate marketing into the online mainstream
as well as margin pressures on retailers.
Sophistication being the key, Existem Affiliate Management managing
director Mark Russell says there will be a shift towards a rationalisation
of affiliate programmes. “As budgets and spending plunge,
affiliates will need to create more scope for comparisons and provide
reasons to choose one brand over the other,” he says.
A renewed focus on customer service by affiliate marketers has
also been noted. “Customer experience has always been an important
factor in affiliate marketing, but there have never been any hard and
fast rules to govern it,” says Dietrich. The recent IAB code of conduct
“As budgets and
spending plunge,
affiliates will need
to create more
scope for
comparisons and
provide reasons to
choose one brand
over the other”
Mark Russell, Existem
Affilliate Management
for vouchers illustrates how customer service and experience is now
at the forefront of the affiliate industry.
Another trend that analysts predict will be an increased focus
around social media network and search giant Google. Hall at Affiliate
Window says: “Every year, Google has done something that has
changed the affiliate marketing model, from display URL restrictions
to removing the bidding restrictions on trademarks. In 2009, there
could be another major shake-up, this time facilitated by Google Social
Search.” According to the experts, such developments will enable the
search engine to serve more accurate and effective advertising. For
instance, incorporating user preferences within Google’s search algorithm
will enable pay-per-click (PPC) affiliates to develop ad strategies
that target very specific demographics.
Merchants will also seek exposure on true content sites with a
demonstrable audience. Traditionally,
the affiliate model
rewards the last referrer. However,
consumers often look for
products on a content site and
then go through a voucher code
or discount site for the best deal.
Even then, only a voucher code
affiliate earns the commission,
despite other factors being
involved in the consumer’s decision-making.
Hall adds: “We could
expect to see an evolution of the
CPA model to a multiple attribution
CPA system, whereby a number
of affiliates earn commission
from the sales generated.”
While vouchers and discount
codes are a positive trend, companies
do not rely on them
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INTERACTIVE AFFILIATE
alone. As a result, affiliates must demonstrate additional benefits and
innovation. Some affiliates could have a loyalty angle or offer a unique
look or a balanced strategy for the best possible ROI.
Consequently, there is more pressure to complete sales quickly,
before the customer looks elsewhere for a better offer. Affiliates have
a shorter period of time to complete a sale and must provide not only
more content, but also value-added incentives, such as product
bundling, to drive sales.
The industry insiders warn that affiliates should no longer rely on
a single tactic of “promotions and incentives online”. New and creative
innovations, such as quoting sites, product reviews or even ties
to celebrity fashion sites, should be used to build momentum.
Challenges
Affiliate marketing is no longer a new medium, but one that has
matured and now yields results. One challenge now facing affiliate
marketers is how to accurately predict the revenue generated by online
sales and the resulting commission. In one analyst’s words: “Affiliate
marketing can be a victim of its own success by outperforming targets
and therefore eating into already-reduced budgets.”
Meanwhile, affiliates expect a rise in problems associated with discount
vouchers. They feel that they could face issues to do with the
unauthorised and incorrect use of the codes. This includes unauthorised
distributors, redemption via a channel that was not the intended
distribution route, misrepresentation of the terms of offers and even
unmoderated content.
Robert Glasgow, managing director of Webgains, points out that
an interesting dilemma for affiliate marketing is where it should sit
within the organisation of, say, a major online retailer. Should it be
an integral part of advertising or is it a part of the marketing budget
akin to “trade marketing”, and therefore more focused on volumes?
Aligned to this issue is whether affiliate marketing should be handled
by the advertising agency, or the marketing or sales director as a
tactical tool. “This issue has remained confused for many years.
Perhaps the catalyst of a recession will firmly cement affiliate marketing’s
place as part of the promotional effort in one camp or the
other,” adds Glasgow.
Impact of recession
The economic downturn has affected every industry and, to an extent,
affiliate marketing is no exception. But affiliates have an advantage
in that online shopping is viewed as a cost-effective alternative to shopping
on the high street. Research by a membership community for the
internet retail industry suggests that 68% of shoppers went online for
Christmas presents last year. This trend provides affiliate marketing
with the opportunity to build on its position as a key component of
web strategy and to demonstrate the returns it creates.
Dietrich says: “Tightening budgets may also act as a catalyst to
change the model from a CPC model to a CPA model.” There are many
advantages for those looking to invest in a CPA model. As a variable
cost it can be capped at whatever level an advertiser requires and, crucially,
it offers a measurable ROI
that can be tailored to whatever
format best suits the campaign.
The US market has already
started the transition towards
CPA, with big-name retailers
choosing to run their price comparison
site presence through a
CPA model. This trend is also
gathering pace in the UK, and
with budgets coming under
greater scrutiny, CPA may soon
become the dominant model.
Existem Affiliate Management’s
Russell says: “The current
“Affiliate marketing
ties in well with this
[consumer
research] trend, as
it ensures brands
have maximum
exposure across
multiple sites”
Liane Dietrich,
LinkShare
Follow the code: The IAB code of conduct for vouchers illustrates
how customer service is at the forefront of the affiliate industry
economic climate, while favouring online retailers in some respects,
is imposing pressure on the margins.” This has resulted in greater
scrutiny of the profitability of the affiliate channel and, as a logical
consequence, a questioning of many of the basic assumptions surrounding
the channel.
Opportunities
Affiliate marketing strategy is making inroads into more sectors beyond
packaged goods and automotive, and could be a lucrative strategy for
marketers in the retail, travel and finance sector. “On one hand, traditional
players such as Marks & Spencer and Yahoo! are looking at affiliate
marketing seriously, while on the other consumers are enjoying
online shopping more than high street shopping,” according to Peter
Rowe, head of Affilinet UK.
While demonstrating ROI is the biggest challenge for affiliate marketers,
according to Dietrich, it also presents the biggest opportunity.
Recent work by analyst house Jupiter Research reveals that consumers
are more internet-savvy than ever before, searching longer and using
more sites before arriving at a decision. “Affiliate marketing ties in
well with this trend, as it ensures brands have maximum exposure
across multiple sites,” adds Dietrich.
The way forward
The key to successful internet selling is to follow fairly simple rules,
such as making the website user-friendly and closely matching the
search term to the ad, as well as the ad to the offering. Alex Walker,
marketing manager for merchant Virginia Hayward, says this is crucial
to cost-effective PPC marketing, but also has relevance for affiliate
marketing. This is because, if the affiliate closely matches their
site/PPC advertising to the offering from the merchant, then they maximise
their chance of completing a sale following their referral.
It would be desirable, both from the point of view of the affiliate
and the merchant, if sales could be completed without relying on discount
codes. However, Walker adds: “In my view, this is only possible
if the merchant concentrates on an excellent site and product range,
and ensures that affiliates do their utmost to promote this as accurately
as possible.”
Affiliates should be treated as a member of a partnership and not
just as a service provider. As managing ROI is now even more important
when budgets and results are viewed more critically, affiliate marketers
must seek to find more innovation in their offerings and add
value to their services as they enter a period of consolidation.
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INTERACTIVE WEB 2.0
It’s a kind of
Web 2.0
magic trick
Arthur C Clarke’s third and
final law of prediction is:
“Any sufficiently advanced
technology is
indistinguishable from
magic.”
Web 2.0 presents new
challenges for companies in
how they manage their online
presence easily and cost
effectively while still
delivering an engaging and
exciting content for their web
audience.
You may be using AJAX,
Flex, Video and other great
new web toys, but it is for your content that your audience visits
your website for – this is your true “magic”.
When your website delivers a rich media experience, user
participation and dynamic content while upholding web standards,
it is often costly to keep all parts of the site up to such a high
standard.
A content management system (CMS) is an excellent way to gain
production line type advantages of even the most complex parts of
your website.
We at Little Forest can help you by changing your existing CMS
or creating a new one for you, to achieve the goal of “managing
your magic”.
We love helping companies take control of their web presence.
Whether you want to be able to upload the latest data to your sexy
new Web 2.0 iPhone application or change the banner on your home
page without the need for code developers, we can help.
Our work empowers our customers with an easy and friendly
way to frequently update their marketing “magic” on their web and
mobile platforms. By fully utilising your own CMS you allow your
marketing team to help your web content to stay fresh and relevant,
thereby giving more value to your own customers.
Many of our customers see great cost savings in their marketing
by enabling their CMS to support all the most important areas of
their website. This saving is realised by not having to pay web
developers and designers every time you make changes to your
website.
We lead in ensuring that your content managed website still
supports all the web’s best practices such as search engine
friendliness, usability and accessibility.
Most importantly, our mission at Little Forest is to make sure
your “magic” always amazes your audience.
Gavin Colborne, Managing Director, 20 Windsor Road, Worcester
Park, Surrey KT4 8EW. t 020 7193 2014,
e info@littleforest.co.uk
The friendly
match
Social networks may not be a big
money spinner for brands, but they
are indispensable tools to build
awareness online, boost loyalty and
support campaigns. By David Benady
As internet users while away long hours socialising in online
communities, brands are adopting imaginative strategies to
make themselves heard amid the cacophony of web chit chat.
From anti-perspirant Sure’s involvement with Bebo’s drama
Sophia’s Diary to brand fan pages on sites such as MySpace and Facebook,
brands are leaping into social networks in a big way. But just how
effective these steps are at boosting sales is another question.
Facebook’s failure, so far, to “monetise” its service is evidence that
the social interaction offered by Web 2.0 is far from the honey pot for
brands that some had hoped. And, while optimising search terms through
Google AdWords can deliver massive sales for travel, insurance and e-
commerce brands, social media lack a similar “killer application” that
can convert the services into lucrative engines of growth.
Even so, marketers are undaunted. They believe social media offer
brands the chance to build a presence online, enhance loyalty and promote
messages and reputations. On some estimates, social network sites
account for a fifth of online page views.
But Mark Tomblin, planning director at online agency TBG, believes
many brands struggle to stand out in online communities. “There is a
problem with social networking from a marketing point of view. Do people
really want their conversations interrupted with commercial messages?
Probably not,” he says.
However, MySpace UK managing director Anthony Lukom insists brands
are benefiting from social media. “We are living proof of that,” he says. “If
you are in a pure communication
mode, you don’t want people interrupting.
But we have a portal aspect
where people are connecting with
content through MySpace. We work
with brands and show them how
they can interact and talk to their
audience and give them something
they want.”
He claims that MySpace, which
is owned by News International, is
the only profitable social network.
Brands can either build “custom
communities”, where they have
Tomblin: The problem with a their own fan pages, or advertise
marketing/social media mix is that directly to users. The site, which
users don’t want to be interrupted claims to have 125 million reg-
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INTERACTIVE WEB 2.0
Marketer’s Viewpoint
Unilever UK head of new media and marketing
services Rachel Bristow
There is a big learning curve for brands looking to
work with the likes of Bebo, Facebook and
MySpace, and finding out about the best ways of
communicating on a social network. Unless you
can find ways of engaging people, I don’t think it
can work.
What is attractive about social networks is that
they all have large audiences. We go to where those
audiences are and run competitions and other promotions
that they find engaging.
For some of our brands, social networks really
are relevant. It is a great way to reach 16- to 34-
year-olds. For example, for Lynx we created a brand
platform around the mating game. If we were to go into
a social network and have a static brand page, that
would fall flat on its face. You need to be interactive and
entertaining. It is a mistake to go in and act like it is a
TV ad and say “here’s the message” and that’s it.
You need to update content, share videos and be
really interactive.
For a brand like Flora, I wouldn’t choose a social
network. It has serious messages, so we’d be
better off finding groups concerned with heart
health.
Social networks tend to attract the younger
consumer, and one of the challenges is how to
make social media attractive to the older audience.
Some older people embrace social networking
sites, but most prefer the telephone.
It is quite difficult to get a real view of how
much brands spend online, but it will be lower
than other forms of media. It is set to continue to
increase as online audiences grow. Proving accurately
that marketing on social media is a sales
driver when you are doing other media at the same
time is a challenge with data protection. Tesco and
Sainsbury’s, for example, can’t share data with us
because consumers have not signed up to give transactional
data, so you can’t see exactly who bought
what. Yes, we can see a sales uplift, but we can’t see
who has bought that and whether they have been
exposed to the social network site.
Bun fight: Burger King offered a
free Whopper to Facebook users
who ‘sacrificed’ ten online friends
istered users worldwide and 7.3 million in the UK, is introducing two new
ad services. One is “hyper-targeting”, where major advertisers can target
ads at profile pages based on an in-depth analysis of the content of the page
and thus the site member’s interests. The other, called MySpaceMyAds,
allows SMEs to bid for key words to advertise on profile pages.
A significant opportunity for brands lies in creating applications that
can sit on users’ profile pages. Burger King in the US has a history of
using such techniques. Its latest wheeze is a Facebook application called
Whopper Sacrifice, where users are offered a free burger if they install
a tool on their Facebook page which enables them to “sacrifice” or purge
ten of their online friends. The campaign has led to 200,000 US Facebook
friends being given the elbow and 20,000 free burgers handed out. It has
proved so popular, it has been cancelled by Facebook for breaking the
site’s rules on updates.
An alternative to this is for brands to create their own profile
pages and sign up “friends” or create their own blogs and Twitter feeds.
Notable examples of successful brand pages include Topshop’s MySpace
page and BlackBerry’s fan page on Facebook. This offers a downloadable
application allowing users to
update their Facebook pages from
their phone.
Another route to socialising with
consumers on the web is for brands
to create their own social media sites
from scratch. Brands such as skincare
range Simple and British Airways
have created social forums to
glean insights into consumer behaviour.
This leads into the area of
“crowd sourcing”, a form of collective
problem-solving used by Dell
and Google to enhance and develop
products.
“If the issue of intellectual property
ownership can be solved, open
source innovation is a great way to
future-proof your brand,” says Ann
Longley, interactive strategy director
at MEC Interactive.
Brands are also building interactivity into their own sites or creating
communities to tie in with campaigns. One such initiative was created
for classic oven brand Aga by digital agency Harvest Digital.
The agency recommended a Google mash-up (a web application providing
data from more than one source) where Aga owners could upload
their photos, stories and details to a site. The agency built a website called
thisismyaga.co.uk where owners were encouraged to upload their contact
data to receive recipes, invitations to demonstrations and a chance
to win Aga Cookshop products.
The site is part of the brand’s LoveAga marketing campaign and has
created a community of Aga fans. It has provided user information to
the company to feed into campaigns.
Online Aga saga
“Brand promotion only works with social media where you have a good
story,” says Harvest Digital planning director Mike Teasdale. “For Aga,
we could have just built a microsite and clicked away, but the Aga site
seems to have acquired a momentum of its own.”
He points to other work the agency has done for National Geographic
which involved putting up videos on the Daily Motion online channel.
“We uploaded different videos and got 27,0000 views of the content. It’s
not massive, but it doesn’t actually cost anything,” says Teasdale.
Despite Facebook’s attempts to reap advertising rewards from its service,
it is still a long way off making healthy margins according to observers.
Some estimates say the privately-run company’s turnover hit about $150m
(£108m) in 2007, more than doubling to about $300m-$350m (£216m-£252m)
last year. This is for a service that claims it has 150 million active users.
There have been rumours recently that Facebook is looking to acquire
Twitter, the micro-blogging social network where users type in messages
of 140 characters. These “tweets” are broadcast to anyone who opts to
follow them.
But, like much in the world of social media, the site has yet to find a
way of making money from advertising and there are few signs yet that
it will ever achieve this goal. But this will not stop marketers taking
an optimistic view of their ability to build brands in social spaces. It
may not be quite as efficient as the traditional advertising model, but it’s
much more fun.
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INTERACTIVE ONLINE
Interactive
brand
experiences
People don't separate the
message they receive from a
brand based on where they
see or hear it. The Internet
Advertising Bureau states
that the internet now
accounts for 18.7% of the
total UK advertising market,
with press display at 19.3%
and TV at 21.7%. What we do
online either adds to or
takes away from the overall
brand experience.
The challenge for brand
owners is two-fold. Where
do you put your message; and, once you have the space, how do
you get a smarter and more selective consumer to engage with
your content?
Herein lies the opportunity. Digital production is everevolving
and more accessible than ever before, so every brand
has the option to create richer and deeper brand experiences
online. Campaign ideas can be created and expressed
seamlessly across a growing spectrum of media – perhaps for
the first time, ideas can be boundaryless.
Online advertising provides different spaces to build a
brand experience. What makes digital advertising different and
exciting for both brand owner and consumer is that online ads
aren't static. Consumers can interact with the content, play
games within the space, watch multiple video streams, buy
stuff and even change the ad themselves.
In today's digital age, concepts for online advertising are
increasingly being put at the centre of the campaign rather
than an afterthought. Brand storytelling can happen in
different spaces that are linked together, with digital providing
the richest part of the story.
Online advertising is by far the most measurable, reactive
and immersive advertising medium. Data and return on
investment are part and parcel of any digital offering. Better
still, you don't have to wait until the end of the campaign to
find out how it went. Data is immediate, optimisation is in realtime.
Technological versatility also allows for effective
campaigns to be rolled out globally and easily personalised to
the end audience.
Brand owners have always known that it takes great
branded experiences to engage audiences. Embrace the
opportunity to find new and innovative ways to do this through
digital advertising and you will get great results.
Steve Sponder, Chief Digital Officer, Five by Five
W: www.fivebyfivedigital.com
E: Steve.sponder@fivebyfivedigital.com T: 023 8082 8520
‘Channel Me’
calls the tune
Social media may have opened up
a two-way dialogue between online
marketers and their audience, but
making maximum use of budgets
remains the sector’s greatest
challenge. By Joe Fernandez
Brands are increasingly looking to complement offline
promotions with online campaigns, as internet marketing
continues to gain momentum. Broadband penetration
is now 60% in the UK, and the web is proving
an effective way for businesses to motivate customers and
maintain consumer interest in their brands.
New media, and particularly interactivity, is now regarded
as a key way for marketers to engage audiences, with traditional
TV and press ads usually featuring a call to visit a website,
and technology such as mobile phone text messaging or
the red button on digital TV increasingly being adopted in
campaigns.
To enhance this promotional technology, brands have to
invest significant amounts in online marketing. Guy Wieynk,
European managing director of digital agency AKQA, says:
“We are seeing ‘Channel Me’ as the most significant development
for marketers. Consumers are creating their own
unique media based around
their friends, family, interests,
content and news they
choose.”
Nick Blunden: Marketers
must focus on real value, and
bringing that to their market
Social networking
In the past year, online marketing
has changed from
being purely about branded
websites and microsites to
offering advertisers targeted
campaigns.
Leading this online development
have been the social
networking websites, which
have enabled brands to communicate
with fans in an easy
manner.
MySpace UK managing
director Anthony Lukom
claims: “The huge popularity
of social networking has
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INTERACTIVE ONLINE
‘Me’ generation: Online
marketers are using websites
such as Facebook to better target
their advertising
completely changed the way in which brands interact with
their target consumers.
“Brands have a huge opportunity to really engage with
their audience and many have been taking advantage of this
by using the powerful toolsets available. More than ever, advertisers
are able to target exactly the right audience and create
a two-way dialogue, which is important for users as well as
brands.”
The benefits of being able to target the right users and
monitor the effectiveness of campaigns, in ways not available
to those using broadcast media, is online marketing’s
unique selling point.
However, the industry is
not immune from the effects
of the economic downturn,
and against a backdrop of collapsing
banks, car makers,
building firms and high street
retailers, industry leaders say
maximising budgets to ensure
maximum brand exposure is
essential.
Work hard for the money
Microsoft Advertising commercial
director Chris Ward
says: “As ever, the key issue
for marketers will be continuing
to ensure that their budgets
work as hard as possible.
They should be looking for the
points of influence and connections between online and offline
activity. Neither exist in a bubble, so judging how best to
spread budgets to gain maximum influence on the consumer
will be more important now than ever.”
Getting ahead
Google UK director Mark Howe adds: “History tells us that
slowdowns are when winners get ahead. The performance
gap between the most successful companies and their competitors
becomes greater than during a growth period. The
winners continue investing in growth and focus on profitable
products and customers while carefully managing costs.”
The industry is certainly booming, with networks opening
up the reach of online marketing. Yahoo! has created the
Yahoo! Network offering advertisers access to over 80% of
the UK internet population through its links with publishers
and advertising networks.
AOL’s Platform-A has also continued to expand and has
now rolled out across eight countries in Europe, reaching
“Marketers need
to be more focused
on how to retain
customers”
James Murray,
Interwoven
more than 160 million internet
users on the continent.
Platform-A International
managing director Brendan
Condon claims: “Platform-A
is the only online advertising
network that offers a full suite
of advanced affiliate, display
and search solutions across
Europe, which perfectly
addresses the complex needs
of today’s advertisers.”
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INTERACTIVE ONLINE
Shopping for insights:
Consumers are spending more
time online, and digital experts
are optimistic that the industry
can recover from the credit
crunch
According to estimates from online specialists Goallover,
the proportion of online advertising budgets that are devoted
to online lead generation are expected to rise by at least 71%
across Europe in 2009.
UK advertisers spent an average of £3.4bn on online advertising
last year, according to eMarketer, and Goallover predicts
this will hit £4.3bn in 2010, and over £5bn by 2012.
Global concerns
Goallover managing director Robin Caller says: “With advertisers
rightly demanding both increased value from online
advertising and tangible returns on investment, irrespective
of the current global economic downturn, numerous factors
are potentially responsible for the sharp global adoption of
online advertising.”
Digital agencies are cautiously optimistic that the industry
can recover from the “credit crunch”, so long as brands
“With advertisers
demanding both
increased value and
tangible returns on
investment...
numerous factors
are potentially
responsible for the
sharp global
adoption of online
advertising”
Robin Caller, Goallover
do not panic and cut budgets.
Nick Blunden, managing director of digital agency Profero,
says: “More than ever, marketers are going to have to
focus on what real value is, and how they can bring that to
their market. A knee-jerk budget cut will not help – it’s about
ensuring relevancy and cohesion. Marketing strategies need
to be codependent, rather than linear, in order to make the
money spent work harder.”
MRM Worldwide chief executive Alistair Duncan comments:
“Consumers will spend more and more time online,
which means that brands will need to create useful and meaningful
experiences that connect well with everything else the
brand is doing. Everyone will need to become more imaginative
with their budgets. This will play well to the fleet-offoot
businesses and brands.”
James Murray, vice-president for Europe, Middle East and
Africa at website specialist Interwoven, argues that marketers
should embrace the web and ensure it focuses on customer
retention. “Marketers need to be more focused on how to
retain customers and how to target the competition’s customers,”
he says.
Testing behaviour
“By testing your customer’s behaviour online, you can understand
how they behave offline and therefore develop your
online strategy so it complements your offline work. It takes
months and months to test products and categories offline,
but using optimisation technology in the online environment
allows a brand to test multiple variations of a product in a
matter of hours, ensuring that you offer what your customers
really want,” he adds.
The online advertising sector continues to grow, and
marketers must increasingly focus on it to assure themselves
of a return on investment. The challenge ahead of them is to
ensure that they use the right techniques to generate the success
they desire.
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INTERACTIVE MOBILE
Mobile’s momentum
Although it made its presence felt, mobile marketing failed to really take
off last year. But with new technology and a more favourable reputation,
2009 could see it fulfill its promise. By Camille Alarcon
While the take up of mobile marketing
among advertisers continues
its steady rise, 2008 will hardly
go down with many as a big year
for mobile. A lot of clients and agencies have
continued to take a cautious approach to this
relatively young marketing medium. Despite
this, observers are positive that it will continue
to grow ad revenue share, in spite of the
recession. In fact, the launch of sexy new handsets
and mobile platforms, such as the iPhone
and Google Android, means agencies and their
clients are still spending money on looking at
ways of winning the attention of mobile phone
users.
According to the Mobile Marketing Association’s
2008 Attitude and Usage Study – Western
Europe, compiled by Synovate, mobile
phone penetration is extremely high in western
European markets, with over 90% of the
respondents surveyed being mobile phone
users, and the average number of handsets in
a mobile household totalling three.
This means great growth opportunities
for marketers, particularly those looking to
target people aged 16 to 24. The recently
launched ad-funded mobile service aimed at
teens, Blyk, is a testament to this. Since it
entered the market in September 2007, it has
run campaigns for clients including Boots,
EMI, L’Oréal and NatWest. It signals just how
seriously big brands are taking mobile as a
marketing platform.
Overcoming challenges
A Frost & Sullivan report estimates that revenue
for the mobile advertising market should
reach €2.18bn (£1.96bn) by 2012. But this will
only be achievable if the market is able to overcome
three key challenges: technological features,
consumer motivation and a change in
attitude within the advertising industry.
The technological aspect refers to high
quality features that will enhance the user
experience, such as an easy-to-use interface
and fast connectivity. Consumer motivation
refers to how a mobile marketing initiative
Blyk: The ad-funded mobile service provider
for 16 to 24 year olds, working with L’Oréal
can add value to the mobile experience, rather
than intrude on it. The Frost & Sullivan report
also says it is essential that the advertising
industry quashes any reservations it may have
towards mobile as a marketing tool and develops
clear metrics of usage which can show
how mobile marketing can fit within a wider,
integrated campaign.
Saverio Romeo, author of the report and
Frost & Sullivan industry analyst for mobile
and wireless communications, says if such
“Location is closely tied to
the growth of social
networking... [bringing]
together not just the
location of an individual,
but also of their friends and
favourite places”
Christian Louca, YOC Group
issues are not fully resolved, mobile marketing
is only likely to grow to €1.16bn (£1.04bn)
by 2012.
While SMS continues to be the most commonly
used application on the mobile platform,
agencies are beginning to develop many
other initiatives, with social networking,
gaming downloads and mobile internet enjoying
growth.
Christian Louca, UK country manager and
head of publishers for mobile marketing
agency YOC Group, predicts that the use of
SMS as a marketing tool will go from being
“bland”, to providing richer interactive marketing
this year. An example would be driving
consumers to the mobile internet
promotional sites and portals.
Location, location, location
He also believes that location will be one of
the biggest areas of growth in 2009, because
making advertising and services “location
aware” will open up massive possibilities to
individually tailor offers to consumers.
“For example, brands can directly contact
a customer as they walk past a particular shop
or location, or send a discount voucher that’s
tied to a specific store,” Louca says. “Location
is also closely tied to the growth of social networking,
so I expect to see a lot of interesting
ideas which bring together not just the location
of an individual, but also of their friends and
favourite places.”
Rapp group’s digital strategy director, Russell
Marsh, adds that Java applications have
been available on the majority of handsets for
a few years, but they have never had an interface
like iTunes to make selection and installation
so simple. “These branded utilities have
allowed customers to further customise what
they want out of their phones, making them
even more personalised and based around
their personal needs and desires,” he notes.
Marsh says Java-based widgets are also
likely to encourage the use of m-commerce.
These applications on the phone can allow
encrypted data to be sent from a handset
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MOBILE INTERACTIVE
IPhone: Helped encourage the
use of mobile widgets and
internet
“Brands can directly
contact a customer
as they walk past a
particular shop or
location, or send a
discount voucher
that’s tied to a
specific store”
Christian Louca,
YOC Group
to a server, making credit card transactions faster, simpler and more
secure via phones. He explains that several companies in the UK are
already experimenting with this type of functionality to pay for things
like train tickets, where the customer is delivered a scannable barcode
instead of a ticket.
Marsh predicts that, as well as its Android platform, Google
will continue to become more pervasive on all handsets, either
through deals made with manufacturers or telecoms companies or
through installed customer widgets. He says that Google will then
be able to gather incredible amounts of data on consumers’ usage
and mobile browsing behaviour. This will be fed into both new
product development and marketing intelligence to strengthen their
core business.
Other new mobile marketing developments include micro projectors
and augmented reality systems. Marsh says micro projectors are
already on the market from companies like 3M. These projectors, which
are no bigger than an iPhone, allow the user to display movies, photos
or presentations from mobile phones or computers. Companies,
such as Light Blue Optics, are already looking to develop this technology
directly into mobile phone handsets, allowing the user to view
different media at a higher resolution and size than a normal mobile
screen would allow.
Recognising patterns
He believes that augmented reality systems are another area of interest
where companies are looking to build this type of functionality
into mobile phones. Augmented reality software has the ability to take
the feed from the camera on the phone, use pattern recognition to identify
a pattern placed in front of it
and then overlay in real time 3D
models, video or any other data
you can think of. It is similar to a
QR code (quick-response code)
except, once recognised, it can overlay
images based on the perspective
of the image it is looking at.
Such developments may seem
like pie in the sky for some who
still view the use of the medium
best reserved for straightforward
SMS campaigns, but with over 3.5
billion handsets in the world,
mobile phones are the widest used
communication tool – a fact that
is not lost by many marketers and
agencies.
Just how much mobile marketing
will be affected by the economic
downturn is still anyone’s
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INTERACTIVE MOBILE
Personal: Java applications
allow consumers to customise
their mobiles around their
particular needs and desires
guess. Charles Sword, director of monetisation, Connected Life Yahoo!
Europe, points out that many major brands have already successfully
invested in mobile advertising, and have seen positive results in terms
of customer engagement and brand favourability.
“We are hearing from many agencies that, despite the budget cuts,
will continue to invest in mobile in 2009. As the cost of a mobile campaign
is relatively small compared with large scale TV and print ads,
many brands are taking the view that now is the time to learn more
about it its potential so as to come out ahead of the competition the
other side of the downturn,” he says.
Past its prime
On broaching the tired question of whether this will finally be the
year of the mobile, Chris Bourke, managing director of Mobex, part
of Havas Media, argues that, if anything, that time has already come
and gone. He believes mobile became a mainstream part of the direct
and promotional mix in 2004. “You would now be hard pushed to find
a promotion or door drop without a text response. However, I suspect
the mobile ad train left the station in 2008 and has been gathering
momentum ever since,” he says. “To borrow a phrase from econ omists,
we are in the ‘perfect storm’. A set of conditions are occurring simultaneously
that will drive the development of the mobile advertising industry.”
The growth of multimedia handset reach, flat-rate mobile internet
tariffs, a positive consumer attitude to advertising on mobiles – particularly
among the youth market – and a rising appetite for mobile
advertising, are all factors many observers believe will see 2009 become
a major marker in the evolution of the industry.
“You would now be
hard pushed to find
a promotion or door
drop without a text
response. However...
the mobile ad train
left in 2008 and
has been gathering
momentum ever
since”
Chris Bourke, Mobex
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Campaign
planning
User-centred design 39
With growing competition, brands must ensure
their sites are quick and easy to navigate
Analytics 43
The wider availability of web analytics packages
means spend can be increasingly justified
Ad networks 45
While continuing to thrive, ad networks are
now more accountable than ever before
Convergence 47
The power of web marketing lies in integration,
rather than as a tag-on to a campaign

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INTERACTIVE USER-CENTRED DESIGN
Who wants
your
website?
When it comes to designing a
new website, some companies
will still try to put aesthetic
tastes or commercial drivers
at the forefront of their
online proposition. While
this may give you a site that
looks great graphically and
makes the stakeholders
happy, the real question you
should be asking yourself is:
“Will this make our users
happy?” If the answer is no,
then making your website a
commercial success could be
an uphill struggle.
The old adage that “the customer is always right” still applies
in the online world, and it is crucial that your website is designed
based on what your users want, rather than purely what you
want. Many organisations have realised this and have employed
user-centered design (UCD) to create new or updated websites.
UCD is the process of designing websites primarily around
the needs of your target users, rather than commercial goals. The
design process involves the user at every stage, with the first step
involving research to establish user needs. Initial site designs are
then created accordingly and tested by users, with adjustments
made based on the feedback.
Think about when you’re launching a new product. You will
generally either carry out, commission or consult some market
research to give you a better chance of success. The process
should be very similar when launching a new website. Researching
your target user base can give you a very specific viewpoint
which will allow you to ensure that your proposition is grounded
in genuine user needs. This will give you confidence that there is
demand for your proposition before taking it to market.
In today’s highly competitive online environment, there is an
overwhelming pressure on marketers to ensure their content and
websites are easy to use. With the proliferation of broadband connections
and the continuing online shopping boom (in spite of
the economic climate), online consumers have a lot of choice. If a
user finds a website difficult to use, they will just give up and
choose a rival’s site instead.
If you fail to put user needs at the centre of your website
design, then you may find that all the online marketing in the
world could be in vain, as your sales gradually decline in the
face of a competitor that has built its site around the needs of
its users.
Trenton Moss, Director, Webcredible
T: 0870 242 6095, E: info@webcredible.co.uk
W: www.webcredible.co.uk
Simplicity
sells
As competition grows in the everexpanding
online shopping market,
brands must ensure their site is quick
and easy to navigate for users.
By David Benady
Websites for packaged grocery brands, financial services products
and top fashion marques are among the most cluttered,
off-putting and hard to use on the internet. This is the verdict
of usability consultants who believe many brands are
failing to create easy-to-use websites and could be losing sales and brand
loyalty as a result.
The consultants have identified brands, including Norwich Union,
Dior and Ralph Lauren, as missing a trick when it comes to website
usability. They either trip users up when asking for contact details or
employ hi-tec introduction pages, videos and interactivity that take an
age to load.
By contrast, sites for brands such as WH Smith, Hamleys, Apple and
the BBC are scoring highly in the usability stakes. They make
it easy for users to find the information they need and are structured in
a logical and easy-to-navigate fashion.
Web 2.0 has opened up the internet to a new array of tools which
enhance social interaction, but have added an extra layer of complexity
that may detract from the flow of communication. The urge to turn
sites into over-crowded emporia of video, games and other interactive
add-ons has made the user experience
on many sites busy, confusing
and unclear.
The best sites put the needs of
the end user at the heart of their
designs. Easy-to-use websites offer
brands huge benefits, such as keeping
enquiries to call centres to a
minimum, building loyalty among
customers and ensuring shopping
carts are not abandoned before the
check-out.
But given that the internet era
is more than ten years old, it is surprising
how many sites fail to see
the world from the customer’s point
of view. “Too many brands are still
forcing their messages on the consumer
and designing sites that represent
the company’s view and
Pretty but difficult: Ralph
Lauren’s site is an example of how what they think the user might
bad usability can trip users up want,” says Mo Rogers, direc-
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INTERACTIVE USER-CENTRED DESIGN
Style over substance? The Dior
Homme website is popular,
despite usability issues, because
it demonstrates the brand’s
products in an attractive way
“Keep it simple.
Get to know your
consumer well...
Provide them with
content, tools and
types of
engagement that
meet their needs
and allow them to
start a dialogue
with you”
Mo Rogers, AKQA
tor of strategic services at AKQA. She says that ensuring greater usability
means constantly thinking about the needs of end users and applying
design techniques with that in mind. But it is easy to over-complicate
the process. “Keep it simple. Get to know your consumer really well,
understand what they are thinking and feeling about your brand. Provide
them with content, tools and types of engagement that meet their
needs and allow them to start a dialogue with you,” she says.
She rates Apple and BBC for having clear, user-centred websites,
which build on the brands’ strong design heritage: “The end result is
well-structured, intuitive and highly usable.”
However, others fail to achieve these high standards. “Fashion labels
regularly commit every usability crime in the book: opening multiple
browser windows; pure Flashbased,
labyrinthine navigation;
ultra high-resolution images which
take forever to load; and no clear
purpose to the experience, but just
a set of images and MPEGs,”
Rogers says. “Many packaged
goods brands are also poor, particularly
when the site ends up showing
the most recent TV ad, perhaps
just supported by a small game that
serves little purpose except to tick
the box of ‘interactivity’”.
However, the Dior and Ralph
Lauren sites do have their fans, as
they offer a clear demonstration of
the brands’ products. According to
a survey by usability agency Webcredible,
the best high street e-commerce
sites are improving their
ease of use every year. This year,
the top 20 sites boosted their average usability score as measured by the
agency to 67.8 from 57 last year. This highlights the retailers’ recognition
of the importance of usability in winning sales in an increasingly
competitive environment.
The usability league of high street ecommerce sites is topped in the
survey by WH Smith, rising from 17th place last year. Early Learning
Centre’s site jumped to second place from eighth last year and Hamleys
leapt up the league to share joint third with John Lewis and last year’s
number one HMV.
Use them or lose them
Webcredible director Trenton Moss says the sites have addressed the
basic barriers to usability. They have eliminated hidden delivery costs,
ditched confusing check-out procedures and weeded out repeated error
pages. He points to some of the usability problems that websites can face.
For example, Norwich Union’s site commits a cardinal error. When users
apply for car insurance, an error message appears if they leave a gap
anywhere in their phone number, but they are not advised to join up the
number. “A lot of users are lost at that point,” Moss says.
He suggests that sites should use panels of potential users to spot any
potential pitfalls. “You recruit ten people who are typical of the target
audience and set them tasks on the site. You soon uncover anything that
makes it difficult to complete those tasks and then you can make the
improvements,” he explains. But he says this research needs to be carried
out by a usability expert, rather than by an in-house web designer,
or potential problems may be missed.
Another method that can help in building usable websites is card
sorting. Research respondents are given cards bearing the titles of all
the various pages on the website and are asked to sort them into logical
groups. This can form the basis of the site map and is indicative of how
users naturally structure information.
As the web gets even more complex, brands will need to ensure that
they keep the needs of users at the forefront of their site designs.
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INTERACTIVE ANALYTICS
Getting to grips with data
The wider availability of web analytics packages now allows marketers to
justify every penny of their ever-growing online spend. By Caroline Parry
The need to prove the effectiveness of
every marketing pound spent has, perhaps,
never been greater. As marketers
come under increasing pressure to trim
their budgets, meaningful web analytics will
become more important than ever.
Online advertising has grown consistently
over recent years, and is expected to fair well
during the current economic crisis. Indeed, the
most recent Bellwether report, published by the
Institute of Practitioners in Advertising in early
January, showed that although online suffered
a record 7% decline in spend, its share of marketing
spend is estimated to have jumped to 10%.
That said, marketers will still have to prove
that both online and offline marketing spend is
delivering a return on investment.
Andrew Girdwood, head of search at Bigmouthmedia,
believes that analytics are of more
importance now than ever. “Analytics can give
you confidence in what you are getting for your
money,” he says.
While the web may be the “most measurable”
marketing channel, it stands accused of making
too much information available. Andrew Hood,
managing director at web analytics company
Lynchpin, says: “For every marketing click, the
data is out there. The challenge is to manage it.”
For analytics to be effective, it is important
that an online campaign has clear and defined
goals. Hood says: “You need a clear target so you
know what success looks like. That means the
metrics are being driven by the business.
“Once that is in place, you need to be diligent
about tracking every part of your marketing.
You have to make sure that the
mechanisms are in place as it is being built.”
It is then crucial to pull all of that together
in order to take an holistic view of every part
of the process. Hood continues: “The customers
will be interacting with lots of different marketing
[campaigns] during an online transaction,
but it is only the last click that is measured.”
He says the move towards taking the whole
process into account has taken “big strides”,
partly because of budgets coming under pressure,
but also because clients and agencies have
Andrew Girdwood: Web analytics platforms
are no longer overly expensive or geeky
woken up to the value of it. However, he admits
that it has been driven by technological advances.
The holistic approach will see the most development
this year, agrees Craig Whiston, head of
client services at web analytics company Coremetrics.
“In the past, marketers wanted to know
how to spend effectively for a return. Now they
are cutting back, they want to know how to spend
without impacting on the bottom line. They need
to see the full effect of that spend,” he says.
How the data is collated and presented is key
to that, according to Whiston. However, opinion
is split on how well marketers are able to understand
the data they are given.
“Forward thinking clients are looking at the
first click and measuring the impact of their offsite
campaigns,” says Whiston. But Girdwood
says the level of understanding varies. “In the
past, analytics platforms have been expensive
and geeky, but that is changing and reporters
are now becoming more friendly,” he adds.
Meanwhile, Lynchpin’s Hood says that analytics
teams have grown organically, so it is often
the case that no one in a marketing department
will have direct responsibility. “And even if
there is a marketer that can understand the
data, a bigger challenge can be getting other
key managers to take notice of what the figures
are telling them.” he says.
“For every marketing click,
the data is out there. The
challenge is to manage it”
Andrew Hood, Lynchpin
There are a huge variety of different web
analytics packages available to marketers and,
of course, some of them remain very expensive.
However, a key development has been the launch
of free analysis tools by the search engines.
Google has led this charge, and Hood recommends
clients start by using Google Analytics
for the very reason that it is free. “It is worth
reaching the glass ceiling with that before making
an investment. That way, a client can get
data and work out what they want to do with it.
It can help you see what technical challenges
you have, or if part of the mix isn't working.”
However, Girdwood believes that some companies
are concerned about the level of data
that using such tools hands over to the search
engines. To combat this problem, there are third
party providers who will charge for their services,
but in return clients get a bespoke system
that is tailored to their individual needs, and
will usually get an account manager to help out.
High-end packages
Hood believes that there are “not massive” differences
between the high-end packages from
companies such as Omniture, which is the market
leader in terms of share.
But Whiston points out that such an investment
can offer a greater depth of information.
He explains that a product such as Coremetrics
Live Profile can build a profile of an individual
consumer. “It offers the ability to look beyond
a single session, but at all of a consumer's activity.
It can show all of the influencing factors in
a purchase, other products views, keyword
searches and banners that they clicked on.”
This can be further developed to offer returning
consumers suggestions for future purchases,
based on their history of activity, which in turn
provides clients with the opportunity to maximise
cross-selling.
In terms of metrics, while there are off-theshelf
packages, every client’s needs are different.
Therefore, it is essential that marketers
look at all the packages available and find the
level of depth that will allow them to meet their
business objectives.
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INTERACTIVE AD NETWORKS
Under the spotlight
Online ad networks may have fallen short of expectations, but they
continue to thrive. However, fierce competition and strict budgets
mean they must now be more accountable than ever. By Steve Hemsley
This time last year, digital marketing experts
were predicting great things for online ad
networks. Research firm E-consultancy
reported that media spend through these
vehicles had doubled between 2006 and 2007 from
£120m to £240m.
This prompted it to forecast 60% growth for
last year to an estimated £385m. However, following
a strong first half, revenues dipped significantly
in the final few months. E-consultancy has yet to
confirm the final figures, but growth was probably
nearer 30%.
Although this remains a relatively healthy sector
– the IAB claims ad networks take about 40%
of online ad spend – this has become a fiercely
competitive marketplace. There are about 80 suppliers
offering to connect advertisers with websites,
blogs, RSS feeds and emails on which to promote
their wares. In fact, the large media owners have
become used to asking these networks to sell their
remaining inventory.
Thanks to the evolution of behavioural targeting
technology, the best networks have started to
differentiate themselves. It means advertisers can
target specific audiences more effectively, and marketers
can partner with networks that really understand
their specific industry sector.
E-consultancy head of research Linus Gregoriadis
expects some ad networks to “go under” this
year and to see plenty of consolidation. The network
Adrevenue went into administration in
December after it failed to find a buyer. “Online is
still very measurable and is more protected than
other media because it is easier to track. But things
are changing,” says Gregoriadis. “Ad networks will
only survive if they have strong media properties.”
With marketers being asked to question every
penny they spend, the old negative arguments
around using ad networks are raising their head
again. Many advertisers have questioned the real
value of unsold inventory. Others still fear their
brand will appear on illegal or dubious sites, especially
through “blind networks”, where marketers
lose control over where their ads will run. The ad
networks are also worried they will lose revenue
to the paid search companies as advertisers chase
responses to boost short-term sales.
“In these difficult times, advertisers need tangible
returns. With paid search and the clever use
of key words, people will come to the most relevant
pages on a website, so they are more likely to buy
something,” says Rob Pierre, managing director of
paid search company Jellyfish. “I would have
Apprehensive: Some advertisers still fear their
ads might appear alongside dubious content
thought more ad networks would have moved to a
cost-per-acquisition model.”
Not surprisingly, the ad networks are fighting
back. Research by independent ad network Specific
Media suggests that paid and organic searches and
clicks are influenced by online display ads. A 12-
month study of its clients, using data gathered from
the respected comScore Ad Effectiveness system,
claims effective advertising can lift search queries
by as much as 155%. The greatest impact was in
travel and tourism, where exposure to display ads
boosted queries by 274%. There was also significant
growth in healthcare (260%), personal finance
(206%), automotive (144%) and retail (69%).
“Ad networks provide technology to discover
surfers’ intentions and maintain relationships with
websites on which ads can be served,” says Specific
Media international managing director Colin
Petrie-Norris. “We believe display advertising
drives search, while in the past year the profile of
the behavioural targeting used by ad networks has
helped clients increase their yield and get better
consumer insight.”
Increased accountability
Ad networks insist they make a marketer’s spend
more accountable, especially if the network really
understands the client’s industry. The network can
tell the advertiser, using behavioural targeting,
which websites a potential lead or influential decision-maker
would visit, and which content they
would read.
It is always important to ask any network operator
why and how its data will deliver the results
you want, and to find out if it has any case studies
specific to your industry or business. Marketers
should always share information about their objectives.
An ad network can make the mistake of thinking
a client has just one objective, when it has
different aims for its various brands and products.
The digital media agency BLM Quantum, part
of Havas/Arena BLM, even has a clients’ charter
to ensure it gets the best service from ad networks.
“We monitor everything when investing clients’
money,” says managing director Dan Clays. “We ask
questions about frequency, what content filters are
in place so ads do not appear next to inappropriate
content and, if we are using multiple networks, how
to avoid any duplication.”
When deciding how many networks to work
with, Clays recommends choosing companies with
effective optimisation technology to manage a campaign
effectively. This would mean that under- performing
websites are removed, for example.
Marketers should also demand transparent reporting
on where exactly their ads have appeared.
The Internet Advertising Sales House (IASH)
was set up in 2005 by ad network owners to encourage
best practice, and it is keen to show it has teeth.
It’s a year since it introduced random audits for
members and, in July, it suspended an unnamed
member for breaching its code of practice, which
includes a ban on adverts appearing on “barred
content” websites, such as those featuring indecent
or hate content.
The 16 members to pass the audit were Ad2One,
ad pepper media, Adconion UK, Addvantage Media,
Advertising.com, Consilium Media, dgmDisplay,
DrivePM UK, eType, GMW Media, Glam Media UK,
Specific Media UK, Tacoda UK, Unanimis Consulting,
ValueClick Media UK and Yahoo! Network.
IASH’s interim chairman is Richard Sharp,
managing director of ValueClick Media. He accepts
that marketers can still feel uneasy about ad networks
because of fears about where ads will appear,
but insists the IASH code is helping to reassure
them. He also maintains there will be more costper-acquisition
measurement in 2009.
One emerging area which is helping brands
with international and regional campaigns is
the mobile ad networks market. The technology
exists to track responses to specific campaigns
by measuring click-through rates and detailed
analytics of the pages browsed. However, the high
cost of mobile internet in the UK and the domination
of banner ads, rather than more creative
options, is holding the market back, says KF Lai,
chief executive officer of Buzzcity, which runs a
mobile ad network.
Despite the uncertainty, it is likely the growth
in ad networks will still outstrip the overall
digital display advertising market in 2009, fuelled
by the emergence of more web publisherdriven
networks and better regulation to ease
advertisers’ fears.
Marketing Week Interactive 45

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INTERACTIVE CONVERGENCE
The more the merrier
Web marketing is commonly seen as either a tag-on to a campaign or as an
independent force, but its true power lies in integration. By David Benady
Metrotwin: BA’s New York/London social site
At times, it looks as though brand
marketing will go completely digital,
and online will emerge supreme
as the only communications channel
worth considering. But for the time being, web
marketers feel marginalised by brand owners
when it comes to planning ad campaigns. They
see web marketing as hastily bolted on after the
TV ads, press campaigns, direct mail and sampling
strategies are worked out.
Moves by mobile phone and ISP brand
Orange to shift all its marketing into digital
media by 2012 are seen by some as an indication
that web marketing will eventually steamroller
all other forms of media. Orange’s brand
director Justin Billingsley told a digital conference
last year that digital advertising carries
“a lot less risk” than costly TV campaigns.
However, some reject the idea that successful
marketing strategies can be pursued through
any single medium. Antony Miller, Royal Mail
head of media business development, sees integration
becoming more important. “Marketers
are beginning to see that rather than competing,
online and offline messaging can support
each other, adding value to a campaign,” he says,
pointing to a recent Royal Mail study which
shows that integrating digital marketing with
direct mail can increase customer spend by 25%.
Almost 70% of respondents in the study felt
that email was more suitable for communicating
shorter messages, or clarifying a message
that has been received through the post. More
than half also said they would prefer a company
to approach them initially by post, then
through email. “The more personal nature of
direct mail creates a better initial impression,”
says Miller.
But there is a feeling that many brands have
a long way to go before they take on board the
full implications of the web for their wider marketing
strategies. “Web marketing tends to be
downstream, disconnected and peripheral to
the main aim of the brand,” says Jason Gonsalvez,
head of engagement planning at BBH.
Most campaigns either simply amplify a TV
idea or tack on the web campaign as an afterthought,
he says. But he points to work the
agency has done for BA in creating a social networking
website called Metrotwin for people
travelling between New York and London. It
aims to put BA ahead, in the struggle for customers
on the route, as competition heats up
following Open Skies deregulation.
The site offers reviews of restaurants, hotels,
clubs and place of interest in both cities, as
well as blogging and networking opportunities.
It is tangential, but additional to offline
marketing work. Gonsalvez sees this as an
example of how online can add value to a
brand’s marketing.
“Online marketing is about
recognising that consumers
have elected to engage with
you. From there you are
pushing at an open door”
Ben Langdon,
Digital Media Group
Recognition through content
Other brands which are considered to successfully
integrate their marketing across media
include Red Bull and Nike. According to Kevin
Allen, head of planning at Proximity London,
both the sportswear and energy drink brands
achieve strong recognition whichever medium
they use, even though they do not stamp a single
identity across all of their communications.
“They think about content, and what type
is best for a particular time and place that will
create maximum engagement with their audience.
If the answer is a TV ad then fine; but
increasingly the answer seems to be an event
or experience; it can happen primarily in the
physical world, such as Red Bull’s Flugtag (a
competition between home-made, human powered
flying machines) or the way O2 is using the
Millennium Dome,” he says.
For some brands, online is simply another
form of direct marketing using personalised
communications and direct response. Ben Langdon,
chief executive of Digital Media Group,
says: “People misunderstand digital marketing.
They think it is just about online video or websites,
but they haven’t understood what is going
on behind the scenes.”
DMG attempts to take information gathered
offline and apply it to web marketing. Langdon
gives the example of work done for Thomas
Cook Financial Services. People who have
booked a holiday and paid a deposit are ripe for
cross-selling and other promotions. One concept
uses a “holiday countdown” where customers
receive direct mail and emails before
their holiday, directing them to a microsite
where they can find out more about their destination
and access a personalised holiday
check-list. “Online marketing is about recognising
that consumers have elected to engage
with you. From there you are pushing at an open
door,” says Langdon.
The explosion of media channels has
brought a plethora of choice. But choosing the
most effective mix of media is still one of the
greatest challenges brands face. Creative agency
chiefs invariably argue that the key is to have
a “big idea” that can work across all media. But
if “the medium is the message”, as Marshall
MacLuhan claimed, then surely each medium
needs its own special bit of attention.
Over the next few years it will become clear
how traditional media will fare against the
onslaught of digital and other emerging forms
of brand building, such as experiential marketing.
But it is clear that marketing communications
will need to find new ways of
delivering integrated messages to an ever more
fragmented populus.
Marketing Week Interactive 47

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INTERACTIVEDIRECTORY
DIGITAL ADSPACE
DIGITAL MARKETING
& DESIGN
Unanimis
170 Tottenham Court Road
London W1T 7HA
Contact: Bree Stamp
T 020 7874 7400
F 020 7874 7401
E info@unanimis.co.uk
W unanimis.co.uk
Unanimis specialises in digital
advertising, delivering audiences
for advertisers and advertising
revenue for web and mobile
publishers.
DIGITAL AGENCY
Lightstone
Enterprise House, Papyrus Road,
Peterborough PE4 5BH
Contact: Chris Bone
T 0845 226 9066
F 0845 226 9077
E chris.bone@lightstone.co.uk
W lightstone.co.uk
Lightstone specialise in the
creation of web sites for primarily
Financial Services organisations
providing analysis, design,
development and integration
services.
Redweb
35 Holdenhurst Road,
Bournemouth
Dorset BH8 8EJ
Contact: Stuart Pool,
Client Services Director
T 01202 779944
F 01202 773643
E stuartpool@redweb.com
W redweb.com
Rated one of the top 10 regional
design and build digital agencies
in the UK. Clients include HM
Treasury, Skandia, Nationwide
Autocentres and the NHS.
Code Computerlove
Jutland House, 15 Jutland Street
Manchester M1 2BE
Contact: Andrew Davenport
T +44 (0)161 276 2080
F +44 (0)161 276 2090
E Andrew.davenport@
codecomputerlove.com
W codecomputerlove.com
Code Computerlove is a full service
digital marketing agency offering
website design and build, and online
media and marketing services.
E-COMMERCE
Coast Digital
4 Beacon End Courtyard
London Road, Colchester
Essex CO3 0NU
Contact: Debbi Francis,
Marketing Manager
T 0845 450 2086
F 0845 450 2087
E info@coastdigital.co.uk
W coastdigital.co.uk
We offer an end-to-end solution;
digital consultancy, design and
build, and online marketing. ROIfocused,
we’re specialists in PPC
and SEO.
Moore-Wilson New Media
19 Garrick Street, Covent Garden
London WC2E 9AX
Contact: Steve Wilson
T 020 7379 3300
F 020 7379 4400
E steve.wilson@m-w.co.uk
W m-w.co.uk
A leading-edge digital, creative
and online marketing agency with
offices in Covent Garden and
Salisbury. Our award winning work
has helped to make us one of the
UK’s largest agencies. Services
include, web development,
creative design, SEO, CMS and
mobile applications.
Strange
Unit 4
The Old Generator House
Bourne Valley Road
Poole
Dorset BH12 1DZ
T 01202 755580
F 01202 755581
W strangecorp.com
Strange is a creative digital
marketing agency offering
integrated campaigns.
Services include:
• creative / campaign planning
• search marketing
• websites / ecommerce
• media planning / buying
Paraspar Ltd
Equity House, 128-136 High Street
Edgware HA8 7EL
Contact: Kumar Mehta
T 0845 230 5665
E sales@paraspar.co.uk
W paraspar.co.uk
Paraspar is a specialist provider of
eCommerce and eMarketing
Solutions. We design, build, host,
manage and help promote
eCommerce websites for
catalogue and retail businesses.
EMAIL MARKETING
Default
10 Malton Road, London W10 5UP
Contact: Guy Schragger
T 020 8968 6285
F 020 8960 8700
E guy@resettodefault.com
W resettodefault.com
The London based creative web
agency building your big ideas for
big audiences.
• Creative services
• Persuasive user experiences
• Content managed solutions
• Online retailing & e-commerce
• Asset management solutions
Red Ant
The Pump House, Forstal Road
Aylesford, Kent ME20 7AH
Contact: Caroline Randall
T 01622 882 300
F 01622 715 951
E enquiries@redant.co.uk
W redant.co.uk
Red Ant is a full service digital
design & marketing agency
specialising in Consultancy,
Design & Build and Online
Marketing.
Thoughtbubble
58/60 Fitzroy Street
London
W1T 5BU
T 020 7387 8890
E enquiries@thoughtbubble.com
W thoughtbubble.com
Thoughtbubble is a Full Service
Web Agency offering Design,
Development, Consultancy,
Content Management,
E-Commerce and Hosting.
Pure 360
Unit A-D, Level 7, New England Hse
New England St
Brighton BN1 4GH
Contact: Anne Collet
T 0844 660 PURE (7873)
F 0844 6642 123
E anne.collet@pure360.com
W pure360.com
Award-winning Pure provides
companies with the technology
and support to run effective SMS
and email marketing campaigns.
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INTERACTIVEDIRECTORY
FULL SERVICE
DIGITAL AGENCY
Harvest Digital
12 Goslett Yard London WC2H 0EQ
Contact: David Bowen
T 020 7479 7500
F 020 7287 6911
E David@harvestdigital.com
W harvestdigital.com
Harvest Digital offers joined up
digital services across media
planning, search marketing, online
creative, information architecture
and email marketing.
Greenlight
101 Moorgate
London EC2M 6SL
Contact: Natalie Gyte
T 020 3326 6238
F 020 7638 4831
E rfi@greenlightsearch.com
W greenlightsearch.com
We help companies to strengthen
their market position and improve
ROI through our proprietary
technologies and first rate client
servicing.
SEM AGENCY
Impact Media Ltd
52 Botley Road, Park Gate
Southampton SO31 1BB
Contact: Rob Arkell
T 0845 375 1756
F 0845 127 4754
E sales@impactmedialtd.co.uk
W impactmedialtd.co.uk/
Impact Media are a leading Search
Engine Marketing (SEM) Agency
providing services ranging from
natural (SEO) and paid search
(PPC) to Video Marketing and
Social Media.
MediaCo (uk) Ltd
29 York Place
Edinburgh EH1 3HP
Contact: Hugh Jackson
T 01314788717
F 01315576715
E information@media.co.uk
W media.co.uk
MediaCo have specialised in
online marketing since 1999;
providing a transparent and ethical
approach. Our services include:
SEO, PPC, email.
SEO
MOBILE MARKETING
SEARCH MARKETING
Txtlocal
Littleton Old Hall, Little Heath
Road, Littleton, Chester CH3 7DW
Contact: Darren Daws
T 0845 009 3180
E Darren.daws@txtlocal.com
W txtlocal.com
Txtlocal provides a full range of
Mobile Marketing services including
Online SMS, E-mail to SMS, API
Gateways, MMS Picture Messaging
and Short Code Services.
SEARCH ENGINE
MARKETING
iCrossing
1 Palace Place
Brighton BN1 1EF
T +44(0)1273 828100
F +44(0)1273 828101
W icrossing.co.uk
A digital marketing agency with
search and social at its core. We
blend research, SEO, PPC,
content, web development, user
experience, display and outreach
to build brands like Channel 4,
More Th>n, HBoS and Toyota,
inside their customers' networks.
We create connected brands.
Guava
The Stables, Hurst Grove
Sandford Lane, Hurst
Berkshire RG10 0SQ
Contact: Martin Dinham
T 0870 063 0707
F 0870 063 0708
E uk@guava.com
W guava.com
Guava is a fresh thinking digital
marketing agency specialising in
SEO, PPC, Social Media and Web
Development with excellent ROI.
SEARCH MARKETING
AGENCY
Moore-Wilson New Media
19 Garrick Street, Covent Garden
London WC2E 9AX
Contact: Steve Wilson
T 0207 379 3300
F 020 7379 4400
E steve.wilson@m-w.co.uk
W m-w.co.uk
Website optimisation, SEO and
PPC management services. We
will use advanced techniques to
improve your natural rankings
within the major search engines.
This will lead to increased traffic,
brand awareness and more
transactions.
SOCIAL MEDIA
DBD Media
20 Bedford Street,
London WC2E 9HP
Contact: Nigel Muir
T 020 7240 0100
F 020 7240 0333
E nigel@dbdmedia.co.uk
W dbdmedia.co.uk
DBD Media is a specialist search
engine marketing agency, founded
in 2000. We offer transparent and
ethical SEO and PPC, with a focus
on hitting customer acquisition or
ROI targets. For a fresh approach
to search marketing, please get in
touch.
High Position Ltd
The Octogan, 27, Middleborough,
Colchester, Essex CO1 1TG
Contact: Terry Heffernan
T 01206 544677
F 01206 544699
E terry.heffernan@highposition.net
W highposition.net
High Position are a leading UK
agency, specialising in Search
Engine Optimisation (SEO) and
Pay per Click campaign
management (PPC)
Branded3 Search Ltd
The Priory, Main Street, Aberford
Leeds, LS25 3DW
Contact: Patrick Altoft
T 0113 281 4100
M 07967 827539
W branded3.com/search
Blog: www.blogstorm.co.uk
Our performance related SEO &
social media marketing services
mean that you only pay for the
results we deliver.
eModeration
24 Greville Street
Farringdon
London EC1N 8SS
T +44(0)20 7250 4736
M +44(0) 7776 138642
E enquiries@emoderation.com
W emoderation.com
eModeration is a leading
international provider of multilingual
user generated content
moderation and community
management.
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INTERACTIVEDIRECTORY
Tempero Ltd
14-16 Gr
eat Portland St
London W1W 8QW
Contact: Dominic Sparkes
T 020 7636 1200
F 020 7467 9839
E dominic.sparkes@tempero.co.uk
W tempero.co.uk
Europe’s largest Social Media
Management & Moderation
company, reviewing millions of
messages every month 24/7 in
multiple languages.
THE AUDIENCE
NETWORK
Harlequin Training
2 Exmoor Street
London W10 6BD
Contact: David Miller
T 020 8962 4707
F 020 8964 0447
E david.miller@harlequintraining.com
W harlequintraining.com
Your Creative Training Partner
• Copywriting & Proof Reading
• SEO & Writing for Web
• Adobe authorised Video, Web &
Design training
USABILITY
we are:london
1 Battersea Bridge Road
London SW11 3BZ
Contact: Chris Averill
T 020 7199 1321
E hello@weare-london.com
W weare-london.com
Experts in global, digital research
• Usability labs
• Eye tracking
• Remote testing
• Digital surveys
• Multivariate testing
• Accessibility
• Web, TV & mobile
WEB DESIGN
Webcreation UK
51 Fore Street
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA148 ES
T 0845 054 0060
W webcreationuk.com
WebCreation UK are a leading
UK-based web design firm with
over 3000 clients and an enviable
reputation for developing quality
websites at an affordable price.
WEB DEVELOPMENT
Adconion UK Ltd
131–151 Great Titchfield Street
London
W1W 5BB
Contact: Michael James
T 020 3170 6170
F 020 7657 3115
E mjames@adconion.com
W adconion.com
Adconion are the largest
independent global audience
network providing compelling
interactive media solutions for our
advertisers, agencies and
publisher partners.
TRAINING
fhios
The media Centre
3-8 Carburton Street
London W1W 5AJ
Contact: Ana Luzia Russo
T 020 7886 8240
F 020 7886 8259
E marketing@fhios.com
W fhios.com
Specialists in customer
experience research, strategy and
design providing our clients with
the insight to better understand
customer needs, goals and
behaviours.
Digital Marmalade
186a High Street
Beckenham
Kent BR3 1EN
Contact: Anthony Brennand
T 020 8249 5655
F 020 8650 4949
E tony@digitalmarmalade.co.uk
W digitalmarmalade.co.uk
Our highly skilled team offer
multimedia solutions from
broadcast quality video and audio,
to sophisticated online
applications.
Guava
The Stables, Hurst Grove
Sandford Lane
Hurst
Berkshire
RG10 0SQ
Contact: Martin Dinham
T 0870 063 0707
F 0870 063 0708
E uk@guava.com
W guava.com
Guava is a fresh thinking digital
marketing agency specialising in
SEO, PPC, Social Media and Web
Development with excellent ROI.
WEBSITE CUSTOMER
INTERACTION
Emarketeers
28 Church Row
London NW3 6UP
Contact: Jonathan Saipe
T 0845 680 1236
F 0845 680 1237
E jon@emarketeers.com
W emarketeers.com
Emarketeers provides in-house
and public internet marketing and
technology training courses to
individuals and businesses.
Serco Usability Services
22 Hand Court
London WC1V 6JF
Contact: Gemma Wisdo
T 020 7421 6499
F 020 7421 6477
E gemma.wisdom@serco.com
W serco.com/usability
The UK’s most established user
experience consultancy,
specialising in ethnographic
studies, product and user
definition, user testing and
international studies.
Mind Orchard
28 Kensington Street
Brighton
BN1 4AS
Contact: Arran/Sharma
T 08700 847 441
E hello@mindorchard.com
W mindorchard.com
Digital entertainment, animation,
games, brand experience and
online advertising.
Parker Software Limited
New Media House
Stanley Street
Stoke On Trent
ST6 6BW
Contact: Stephen Parker
T 01782 822 577
E stephen@parker-software.com
W whoson.co.uk
Track visitors on your website in
real time and provide live chat for
sales & customer support. Free
trial available.
50 Marketing Week Interactive Seven

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