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We have the ability to listen, react, and optimize. Speed is everything in the new age of advertising. We can identify mentions and trends to respond to in minutes not days. The newsroom is built on hyper social listening, matched with great content production. It is a full-time media consumption and analysis center. This is a framework that provides people with the tools, process, and mindset that allow for real-time decisions and production; whether it be content creation, paid media changes, or direct consumer interactions. Brands have to be ready to react. We keep our clients in the conversation and ahead at every stage of the customer experience. Real time = real results. We facilitate brand connections, wherever people are on the purchase path. Planning, executing and evaluating across all paid, owned and earned media channels; with a genesis in social. This newsroom is strategic epicenter for integrated branding. But in order for it to be successful, we need have the right people in it. Do you want to join us? We need: Strategists, conversationalists, creators and analysts.

And we're back. (an obligatory nod to the Thanksgiving break) "Showrooming" is a principal concern for "brick & mortar" retailers during the holiday shopping season. The phenomenon, simply stated, is that consumers visit a store to look at a product only to buy it for a lower price on their mobile device (while they're still in-store), or later at home on their computer or tablet. Adweek has a story today on the approach many retailers are taking with their mobile apps relative to the "showrooming" phenomenon. It's a quick read where pundits are consulted, opinions are expressed and most agree that mobile apps may be the answer. Here at Zimmerman, we're employing a more comprehensive approach to tackling "showrooming" for our clients. We working with digital tools, evolved in-store user experiences and an empowered/engaged workforce - all in an effort to help mitigate this phenomenon.

#showrooming #apps #mobile #retail

A few weeks ago we highlighted an article that pointed to predictions that podcasts were "dead," only to illustrate how they are, in fact, thriving. We called that post "Podcasts are dead, long live Podcasts!" Since we published that link, we've noticed numerous articles - relative to digital technology or social media - that either (1) predict the demise of something, (2) predict the rebirth of something or (3) do both. To recognize this, we're launching a recurring post series we're calling, wait for it, "(blank) is dead, long live (blank)!" We'll use that headline with a parenthetical title to highlight what digital technology or social media story we've found that fits the criteria we outlined. Today, Twitter is the big winner. Yesterday, the social media giant announced a series of changes/updates meant to make the service easier for new users. The New York Times breaks down the announcement (link above).

#NYT #Twitter #social media

By now, most of us have heard the term "user experience" in the course of our daily work. If not, then it's at least likely we've seen the term in shorthand form as the abbreviation "UX." In essence, it means just what is says - it's about the experience someone has (a user) when they encounter something to interact with. For example, when retailers focus on good UX for their digital destinations they are concerned with things like making navigation simple, products easy to find and checkout frictionless. Today we're highlighting an article that illustrates how UX is evolving into the offline, physical world. Here at Zimmerman, we expect to see more and more examples of UX practices informing interactions beyond the digital world and we're working with our clients to take full advantage.

#UX #Digital #mobile

Instagram has long been the mystery child of social media. With limited data/insights available, marketers devour any snippet of information that may help them form the perfect marketing strategy. Today, Simply Measured has given us 14 compelling, data-driven discoveries. Among the most interesting findings: good posts continue to receive engagements after roughly two weeks of posting and great posts peak late—receiving more than 50% of engagements 13 hours after being live. This article provides essential insights for any brand with visually engaging content that is seeking to penetrate this social platform. Following these data-driven guidelines will put you on the roadmap to Instagram success.

#instagram #social media #analytics

Email carries a pretty bad reputation with people, and brands are often skeptical of email effectiveness. However, study after study reinforce that emails remains one of the most effective and efficient ways for a brand to communicate with it's consumers. With that in mind, today's post links out to a story at the New York Times detailing a new email product from Google. This new approach to email, dubbed "Inbox." is about to be released into beta. The article provides a high-level look at how "Inbox" works. With this potential new offering, we'll be keeping a close eye to see if Google has truly evolved the email experience…or created another "Wave." Time will tell.

#Google #email #New York Times

You'll recall a couple weeks ago we linked over to a website dedicated to the scientific study of the selfie. Today, we're highlighting a column by Douglas Coupland (author of one of our favorite books) as he speculates on the evolution of the selfie and the age of 3D printers. While the selfie, of late, has provided some good fodder for the Insider - we're pretty sure this brings our coverage of the topic to a close (at least for 2014).

#selfie #3d printing

We are always on the lookout for good data and, truth be told, Google rarely disappoints in that area. Today, we're linking to a Google post that highlights the findings from their study on Holiday Shopper Intentions. If you're curious about what digital trends will affect the holiday shopping season - give this a read.

#google #data #youtube #mobile

There is a lot of great content out there. Every day we come across dozens (usually) of articles that pique our interests, and get us thinking about cool, new ways to help our clients. We read this article (link above) about a week ago, and it reminded us of the early days of the iPod. The story focuses on how the podcast is not only making a comeback (of sorts), but some people are even finding ways to make them profitable. It's a good read and captures this renaissance period for the medium. It also reminds us that, in the end, we are creating content and experiences for consumers - and podcasts can be an interesting option for delivering longer form content.

#podcasts #apple #washington post

It's Friday and here in the office that means we're on the lookout for a little something we like to call, The Website Of The Day. Today we wanted to highlight a website dedicated to the study of the selfie. Let's be honest. Just about all of us have either taken a selfie, or photobombed one. We conducted a completely unscientific study in the office today and found that the selfie is almost as popular amongst our staff as pictures of a good meal. In fact, any doubt that the selfie is a cultural phenomenon was laid to rest when ABC announced that one of their new shows this fall will carry the term as its title. So, if you have some time today and would like to see a data analysis of selfies from around the world, be sure to check the link. Now you can test your hypothesis that Bangkok is home to the most smiling selfies.

#social media #selfie #research

Facebook Takes on Click-Baiting

Facebook is taking a stance against click-baiting, and they’re penalizing the performance of pages that use it as a means to solicit link clicks from users. Just to be clear, “click-baiting” is when a publisher posts a link with a headline that encourages people to click to see more, without telling them much information about what they will see. Why the move? According to Facebook, a survey of users indicated that 80% of them prefer reading articles that are directly linked through Facebook, providing them with a full image, headline and text from the actual article. The alternative is often a link to an article with an image that may have very little to do with the article itself. (This often appears as post text with a clickable URL at the top, with an un-clickable image below). In fact, Facebook studies show that posts that use its standard link format – the preferred format – generate 2X as many clicks as those with links embedded into photo captions. What it seems to do is draw a line in the sand between two distinct types of content that once were blurred together. Article posts with a goal of clicks to web have one purpose, and posts with images that are intended to drive traditional engagement (likes, comments and shares) have another. That doesn’t include Facebook Offers and the numerous CTA button options, but does focus on the lion’s share of content which most brands post on a day-to-day basis. Time will tell just how brands will be treated if they continue to click-bait, or how they’ll need to modify their websites in order to have quality images that they’d also want to appear on Facebook. But the takeaway may be a simple one: Facebook is penalizing brands that try to game users by being misleading – intentionally or not – and they’re focusing more and more on creating an authentic, clean experience for users. Stay tuned as we learn more details! -David Berry, Associate Director, zSocial

#facebook #social media #brands #ads

We are often asked to help clients create a "viral video." Our response always begins with the same explanation - we can't create a "viral video," but we can create a video that has the potential to go "viral." Then we check out AdWeek this morning, and there is a great example of a video that is sure to become viral. Plus, it's for a good cause. So if you like Will Ferrell and/or video games - check out the link.

#viralvideo #video #adweek

From "pay phone" to "phone pay"

No. We’re not going to write a post that connects the dots between the halcyon days of “pay phones” to the hyper-connected days of Apple’s new mobile payment system. Bear with us. We just loved the headline. When Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, stepped on stage in Cupertino yesterday and starting musing about an everyday item that needed a day of reckoning – everyone assumed that was the intro for the new Apple Watch. To be sure, the Apple Watch was unveiled, but that wasn’t its big moment. Instead, Mr. Cook was referring to the wallet and was about to introduce Apple Pay – the new mobile payment service aimed to “forever change the way we buy.” That is a pretty high bar to set. Recent history is littered with attempts to update/evolve the way we conduct commerce. Some have changed things (e.g. ATMs), others (e.g. MasterCard’s PayPass)…not so much. Look, it took a decade for online banking to really take root. Commerce and, to be more specific, shopping, remains (at least in part) a tactile experience, despite the rise of ecommerce. That said, Forrester Research expects mobile payments to top $100 billion in the U.S. over the next five years. Opportunity knocks. But what could Apple Pay mean for retailers? First and foremost, Apple Pay is supposed to be an evolution of the purchase process leading to a better consumer experience. Making purchases easier, and safer, for consumers is a good thing. Now add in the devices (e.g. iPhone) that provide access to personal, relevant and timely contact and information – and you have a recipe for the potential of increased sales. One potential drawback could be “access.” It’s important to keep in mind that not all retailers will be on the Apple Pay bandwagon; there is, after all, a hardware component that retailers need to have as part of their point-of-sale (POS) system (but there is good news on this front – we’ll tackle it in a second). During the announcement yesterday a lot of retailers were mentioned, but estimates today still put the total number of locations where the service can be used in the 200K+ range. So access, at least initially, may be limited and this could result in a longer consumer adoption rate. One other area of concern – one we just alluded to – is consumer adoption. Data breaches at Target, Home Depot and other retailers will almost certainly give pause to many consumers when they think about entering credit card data into their iPhone. Let’s revisit the POS issue that could be a net negative for Apple. It turns out that issue may not be a concern for very long. Merchants face mandates to update their POS infrastructure to accept more secure chip forms of transactions by 2016. This could lead to a rapid increase in the number of retailers who could then utilize the Apple Pay system. Time will tell how if Apple Pay will be a success, but with the power of one of the world’s most recognizable brands behind it – retailers would be wise to pay careful attention.

#Apple #iphone #ApplePay #Retail

Instagram: Hashtag Best Practices

Instagram is one of the fastest growing platforms and poses it’s own quirks for marketers. Without an ads manager for marketers, how do you get your content to be viewed beyond your audience? The key is hashtag usage. Piqora has released a study that looks into how many hashtags to use and how to pick the right ones. The study was based on 150,000 Instagram posts from 200 brands – showing that marketing efforts that utilize hashtags are getting more likes. Some key things to note: -7 hashtags generates the most engagement -8 hashtags may be perceived as spam (9 or more? Don't bother.) -3 hashtags is the minimum – brands saw a 110% increase in likes on their posts, 180% increase with 5 hashtags (but 7 is the sweet spot) Quick tips for selecting the best hashtags: -Think and act like an Instagram user – use hashtags that the target audience is already using. -Make hashtags appropriate for your business vertical - include product attributes or categories. -Want to get discovered? Think SEO – think about what hashtags your target audience is going to be searching on the platform. To read more about the survey click here.

#Instagram #hashtags #social media

Scott Thaler, who leads our Digital division, talks to Mobile Marketer about the impact of mobile on QSR and fast-casual restaurants. Great insight on who's using mobile effectively, and what to look for in the months ahead.

#mobile #qsr

The battle for "time and attention"

Contrary to the growing belief that millennials are no longer gravitating towards Facebook - a survey done by Niche proves that the social media giant is still number one in both total adoption and daily usage for graduating teens. The survey identifies which platforms compete and succeed in capturing the attention of the next wave of technology gurus. In June 2014, Niche surveyed 7,000 Class of 2014 high school graduates with regards to their technology and online media usage. The study shows the vast amounts of technology teens are absorbing on a daily basis, as well as, the widespread adoption across multiple popular platforms. Although Facebook reigned as the overall platform winner, many other platforms proved to be up to the challenge of vying for the graduates’ attention. Some honorable mentions include YouTube with an astounding 97% widespread adoption rate and Instagram with a 77% daily engagement rate. It came as little surprise that Netflix and Pandora were the graduating class’ primary choice for video and music streaming, dominating over their competitor’s Hulu and Spotify. The survey emphasized another valuable insight surrounding the new hype over anonymous messaging apps (Whisper, Yik Yak), shedding the light on anonymous messaging being just that: hype. 95% of the Class of 2014 has never used the Whisper app and 97% have never used Yik Yak. While abstaining from the anonymous messaging apps, the graduating class also refrained from professional networking platform, LinkedIn, with a mere 8% of the Class reported to using the business site. The high school graduates also indicated that they do not read top tech/social media websites (e.g. Mashable, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Reddit), which could be the Class of 2014’s downfall if they are not kept up-to-date with the world around them. The Class of 2014 is faced with a plethora of technology/media options every single day, and new platforms keep coming. The challenge here isn’t just to get the fresh graduates to adopt the technology, but to have them engage with it daily or multiple times a day. The real battle - the one for time and attention - continues unabated. Check out the study’s results here. -Ashley Ritter, Social Marketing Specialist

#facebook #youtube #class of 2014 #social media

Inspiration into Conversations

Pinterest is a leading social website for finding inspiration, and now they are helping turn inspiration into conversation...literally. They have unveiled their new messaging feature called Conversations. About a year ago, Pinterest incorporated the ability to send pins to your friends, leading people off the platform if they wanted to continue the conversation. There was no natural way to respond to your friend on the platform at the time. After seeing that about 2 million pins were being shared a day, Pinterest now wants to facilitate sharing inspiration and planning around pins. The Conversations feature allows Pinners to send pins and spark private conversations with a friend. The feature also provides the ability to start a group chat around pins – helping larger groups plan inspired events by sharing their favorite pins and ideas. Pinterest has kept this new feature easy to use and is not making messaging a large focus of the use of Pinterest, but it is a handy additional feature for Pinners who want to share inspiration and spark conversation. We’ll be keeping a look out on how this can facilitate inspiration sharing with clients as well as collaborating with bloggers and influencers! To see Conversations in action check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6BIchm_iQg -Samantha Blanco Social Marketing Specialist

#pinterest #social media #messaging

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