Do you have an image strategy?

Posted via email from Jared Hendler

Is Social Advertising The Future of Madison Avenue?

Even as digital advertising is up (it's no secret of the declining engagement within traditional), it is clear that consumers are not interested in repeating the same invasive advertising experience at a time when recommendations from family, friends and professional peers are more trusted sources of information. There is a reason that the banner ad is also on the decline.

And then there is Facebook, protecting the interests of community by eliminating ads as noise with a preference towards advertising as relevant content. Advertising as being a part of the conversation. Advertising to be shaped by the consumer, in real time, if relevant, if it brings value and connects in a way that friends want to share.

Nielsen analyzed results from 79 ad campaigns on Facebook over a period of six months to determine the effectiveness of social advertising. They found that social advertising, on average, generates a 55% greater lift in ad recall than non-social ads. In a separate study conducted in 2011 they found that 76% of U.S. web consumers said they most trusted recommendations from personal acquaintances.

And so the data shows that yes, the future of digital advertising is most definitely going to be social, but I don't think that Madison Avenue will be able to effectively service it for a few simple reasons:

1. Creative Control: Mad Ave is still about creative control. It is the discipline you need to create magnificent commercials but not the skills required for social advertising.

2. Silo'd Traditional Media Buying: The traditional media buyer gets in - then gets out. They do not participate in the conversation, nor do they help shape the story or adapt the buy based upon the conversation. The media buyer of the future will follow the conversation, create engagement and participate in the flow of the story.

All of these things are what we in PR have been doing for years. Authentic engagement combined with earned media expertise that allows us to turn on a dime and evolve the story to bring relevance to the conversation and make you, our clients, matter more.

 

Posted via email from Jared Hendler

Social Demographics: Who's Is Using Today's Biggest Social Networks [INFOGRAPHIC] http://ping.fm/5nIhD

Will all software eventually run in the cloud?

Imagine having remote access, via a tablet or low-end desktop, to the most powerful desktop setup with automated software and security updates constantly being installed for you. Imagine having never to pay hundreds of dollars for the latest software, but rather being able subscribe to most of what you need for less than $10 per month, including an internet connection faster than most businesses. Think of it like paying for cable (when cable was affordable).  For a set low price you get the basics. A base OS, with the software basics such as Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel etc all pre-installed. Then imagine being able to add any other application that you needed for a mere few dollars a month. That is what OnLive Desktop has started to deliver upon.

Right now, OnLive runs Windows 7, which is surprisingly easy to use. I cannot imagine how much better the experience will be once Windows 8 launches.

The most amazing thing about it is the ability for you to truly run a full computing experience in the cloud, available from anywhere; tablet, smart-phone or a cheap, low-end netbook that would normally never be able to open large Powerpoint files or even think about running photo or video editing software.

It takes a mind-shift.  One that is similar to the idea of 'renting access' to music via a subscription service similar to Spotify. Overall, the cost to the user drops considerably - while the demand for piracy is eliminated.

Once you try it, it truly is a mind-blowing experience. One that cannot help us question what the future of software will really be. If this is just the beginning, the current business model for creating and selling software could change dramatically. It could unseat today's software giants and completely eliminate the advantage of the hardware and software coupling that Apple holds so precious today. Perhaps that is why Apple has been so focused on the cloud lately.

The service, available to Android and Apple iOS users, brings a copy of the Windows 7 desktop interface to a user's tablet through the cloud. A free version brings with it 2GB of storage and access to most Windows applications including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. A premium version for $4.99 per month also offers access to other cloud-based storage services, as well as a fast web browser. Versions for the PC, Mac and TV are coming soon.

Posted via email from Jared Hendler