SIGMA::BLOG

I decided to round up some interesting facts, figures and best practices on online video, while many of my fellow Sigmites are out this week producing them.

Recently comScore reported that in April 09, U.S. Internet users viewed 16.8 billion online videos.  Nearly 152 million folks watched an average of 111 videos, and an average online viewer watched 6.4 hours of video.  The age of online video viewers trends slightly younger, however, viewership by Generation X and older boomers are at no small scale.

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The shift towards social media today is huge. Numerous articles, case studies and statistics extol the myriad benefits of this powerful new marketing movement each day.  However, getting your feet wet in social media can be quite a challenge as social media is not just another medium or channel where traditional marketing messages can be pushed. Instead, it’s all about understanding the culture of participation. And then harnessing and incorporating that into all your marketing and business processes.
So, what is the best way for an organization to embrace social media?  Here’s some of our top-line suggestions: (more…)

Despite all the advancements in technology and newer, smarter metrics tools available in the market, measuring the effectiveness of online marketing and advertising is still a tricky business. There are many complex issues to consider beyond impressions and click-throughs to decipher and understand the dynamics of gaining a true conversion (e.g., delivery and impact from cross media, frequency, engagement, etc.). Furthermore, the continuous addition of new digital jargons, methodologies and possibilities increases the complexity of analyzing and measuring results that translate into actionable next steps and improvement.

While some marketers can afford sophisticated software, tools, dedicated internal teams and outside partners to analyze their efforts, most are still trying to get the basics of measurement right—the fundamental steps and process. In many cases, the following six steps can create sound marketing and media plans that repeatedly deliver results. (more…)

In our line of business, we interact with many different businesses, from start-ups to Fortune 500 international conglomerates.  It’s always interesting to hear them apologize for not being as educated as they should in the area of emerging media. They often tend to get disjointed or siloed. The truth is that as we get deeper into the diverse, converging landscape between digital media and marketing, many of the old rules of marketing no longer apply.  Whether you are big or small, deep in resources or entrepreneurial in spirit, the landscape can be intimidating.

During a roundtable at our Fuel for Thought event, we discussed on a topic we often get asked by clients.

How can marketers incorporate the consumer’s point-of-view as a regular part of strategy sessions, extending beyond consumer-generated content, consumer-created advertising, corporate blogs and focus groups? (more…)

How should marketers tackle the economic downturn, diminishing budgets and changes in consumer habits that are happening everywhere?  Many companies/brands have already cut back on their marketing/advertising efforts, while others are taking this moment to reassess, reinvent and revitalize their brands/companies.

I’m a firm believer that challenges open doors to opportunities, and opportunities bring innovation with possibilities to further advance and emerge as a leader – as many brands did during the Great Depression.

As eMarketer CEO/co-founder Geoff Ramsey puts it, “Consumers are still consuming.” They are still out there, looking for deals and recommendations to make product choices. They are relying on all available resources to find what is right for them. For marketers, the good news is there are more options than ever to make a connection with customers.

Below is a compendium to Geoff Ramsey’s presentation at the Fuel for Thought event in November. It’s based on his recent whitepaper Digital Marketing Now: Seven Strategies for Surviving the Downturn that is available for free at eMarketer.

That’s it for today.   I hope we sparked some new ideas and look forward to seeing your test programs in market.