For the last few years I have been convinced that running Facebook ads is a pretty solid strategic choice. At the same time I found them creatively limiting: tiny pics or video thumbnails and condensing the message into a slither of straight-to-the-point copy. In light of Facebook’s multi-billion IPO comes news that Facebook ads are also not quite as effective as we might think. At least when you compare them to those of the other digital ad juggernaut, Google.
This infographic done by WordStream isn’t necessarily well executed. Actually it is quite difficult to orient yourself. But it does contain some interesting numbers. Facebook has less reach, and their ads are less effective with an average click-through rate of 0.051 percent (0.1 percent web wide, 0.4 Google). And since GM just pulled $10 million worth of Facebook ads you might just want to hold off on your Facebook share purchase.
On Monday we attended Google’s creative breakfast session, this one on mobile. Stats and creative examples presented by Brendan Forster drove the main points home:
Australia is a global leader(!) in smartphone penetration and usage
mobile is fully mainstream yet businesses lag in the development of mobile destinations and experiences
mobile search is very local and focused (customers are much closer to conversion)
we use our mobiles a lot at home
together with the tablet it has become the ideal TV companion.
It was nice to see that Google featured our Mojo/Razorfish/UofSydney mobile prototype “Brandtable” with which we explored near-field-communication (NFC)
Have a look at the a couple of presentation screenshots below and download the PDF here. You can also mobile-test your client’s current site or your own work by feeding it into this site. The numbers and videos will surely help you during your next ‘Why we need to think of mobile upfront” discussion.
So it seems that Facebook are finally making the necessary improvements to the mobile experience for users. For a while now they have acknowledged the fact that mobile is their weakness. Recently the social giant acquired Instagram for $1 Billion that is a sure sign that they believe mobile storytelling is pivotal to future success.
So this morning’s announcement that the newsfeed on mobile will now look different was no surprise for many of us, but it just confirmed our thoughts that Facebook wanted to prove to possible investors that mobile is something they consider serious.
To see the changes first hand just grab your mobile (that supports iOS, Android) or visit m.facebook.com. Alternatively you can view the screenshots below. As you will see it’s much more visually appealing.
There is much talk about President Obama’s re-election efforts marking a new pinacle of digital marketing. He has wowed the world with his original success of almagamating thousands of online supporters and donors in 2008. Now his team is on the verge of releasing a new milestone in digital grassroots marketing. Simply called ‘Dashboard’ it is the work of statisticians, predictive modellers, data mining experts, mathematicians, software engineers, bloggers and internet advertising experts.
All this was made for the organisers to have a real-time master view of the effect their campaign has. And to predict where more effort is needed and where they can relax. It makes it easier for local organisers to tap into an existing supporter base and it even contains competitive elements (gamification anyone?) to compel supporters to outdo each other. No wonder then that this American election is being called the ‘Facebook vote’ or the ‘data election’. Check out and register for a test run here.
This ‘dashboard’ makes me draw parallels to software like ‘Spotify’ that can predict a better tour schedule for up-and-coming bands, based on the listening history of fans using the streaming service. And the truth is, the better you can predict how your messaging reverberates and model your efforts accordingly, the more success you will have.
OK, that’s a big statement. But have a look at the well-produced case study of Nazi-SciFi-spoof ‘Iron Sky’ that is hitting cinemas worldwide at the moment.
The German-Finnish-Australian co-production had about 75% traditional funding and manged to rake in the rest via crowd-sourcing and crowd-investing. More interesting from a creative stand point is how listening to the audience and working with the supporters led to a a quicker, yet visually high-quality production that was going to please the followers. At the same time it minimised the need for traditional film marketing. Now I am already liking the film for actor Udo Kier’s character name: Wolfgang Kortzfleisch. Probably the worst name in the history of film making. Check out one of the teasers below:
Following up on our joint Mojo & ZO session on ‘Understanding gamers and great games’ last Friday, this is a collection of videos that have in the past and recently stirred gamers’ hearts and minds.
First up, the big one, the Mac Daddy of games, ‘Call of Duty’ in its new iteration Black Ops 2 has aficionados fumbling for their wallets.
Limbo is one of the most atmospheric, monochromatic and unusual jump and run adventures of recent times.
Even more challenging in terms of navigation is ‘The Unfinished Swan’ in which paint splatters that you need to throw in front of you, lead the way.
Journey lets users start a mission to reach a mountain top with the help of co-players. The clou: all you can communicate with is a single sound. Morse code anyone?
Even if you don’t know who or what Rayman is, the Origins edition makes for entertaining viewing.
In Gamers’ talk ‘Fez’ is a ‘platformer’ in which you need to figure how to get across structures and buildings. The game is reminiscent of classic 8-Bit arcade games, albeit in a warped version.
OK, as a last treat, this is a big step into fantasy game nerds’ territory. But if you have ever heard of the 1980’s craze ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ you will appreciate the jokes, played out by characters from the ‘Summoner’ game.
Well not literally, we don't actually have a club. But we are always on the lookout for talented individuals.
So if you think you qualify then give us a bell or an email or a txt.
