Who Saved More Than $57 Million with Online Coupons? You did!

From RetailMeNot report published on marketingcharts.com , citing 49% increase in online coupon users in the first half of 2010, compared to the first half of 2009.

I find most interesting the diversity of the most searched coupons from clothing, e-commerce, QSR and auto rental. For CPG brands we're noticing a decrease in the average overall value of digital coupons, but a steep increase in multi-purchase offers.

Search for a specific brand and the word "coupons" on Google.com and you'll be surprised by how much activity you might find.

A Different School of Thought

(from our summer intern, Emily S.)

Ah, college, the original social networking system. When one thinks of this little haven of freedom, what comes to mind? Brick dormitories adorned with ivy, old friends, new friends, outlandish parties, parental liberation and, oh yeah, that irritant called studying. With two-hour lectures, novel length research papers, late night studying, and last minute cramming, these unfortunate activities constitute a majority of one’s college experience. However, once every semester there is an unnerving occurrence in which every student must face: no, it is not preparing for a 25 essay midterm, or making an oral presentation before 90 of your peers – this, my friends, is buying textbooks.

As any seasoned collegiate could tell you, there is nothing more frustrating that waiting in a labyrinth of stanchions just to fork over your next three paychecks for textbooks that may or not ever see the light of day. But it doesn’t end there. One would figure that this monetary hiccup is only temporary as you would surely get to return your “almost new” books for a healthy reimbursement when all is said and done. As you gleefully place your books on the counter to regain what is rightfully yours, you soon find out that this will not be the case --- you slowly walk away cursing under your breath as you count and recount the dollars in your hand --- a fraction of what you originally paid only some few months earlier.

Now, to be frank, I never really saw much sense in buying an Apple iPad. To me, it is just a laptop wannabe with a bunch of fingerprint smudges. Coming from a graphic design student who cares for her iMac Powerbook more than her own well being, that is a generous compliment. Yet, just when you think the iPad may be heading to the same fate as the Apple Lisa, there is a new application on the market for the iPad that could actually justify the cost of its purchase --- and turn this novelty item into a student’s best friend.

A San Francisco based company, Inkling, (www.inkling.com) has brought new life to an old means of reading textbooks. Inkling’s new application, exclusively for the iPad, allows students to download textbooks, or parts of textbooks, directly from the publisher, for a more “hands on” way to read, research, and understand volumes of text and give students, along with professors, a way to communicate information in an engaging and interactive manner that we have not seen before. Some of the features include the ability to rotate 3D graphics, change the size of type, and search for key terms throughout chapters. You can even highlight specific passages and leave notes for others students to read on their own iPads thereby creating more in-depth --- and interactive --- discussion around the work at hand. One would have to say that this is not just simply changing the way we read textbooks but, rather, turning our social networking into more of a learning network.

And if that wasn’t enough, you might say, the Inkling application can be good for your health. No more schlepping around 50 pounds of books in an already too small backpack. Forget your notebooks and laptops. The iPad is now a convenient, accessible, and sleek library weighing in at only 1.5 pounds.

I know what you are thinking. From a student’s standpoint, money is always a factor. If we can’t afford school books, how can we ever expect to come up with the hundreds dollars for the latest and greatest iPad? With Inklings ability to offer its users a single chapter for the ridiculously low price of $2.99, as compared to spending upwards of $150 for a single textbook, it soon becomes clear that even with the purchase of an iPad, a student’s total costs for textbooks can be drastically reduced.

My back is feeling better already.

BlackBerry Burnout

With fresh rumors about a Verizon iPhone aswirl and Google’s Android phones pervading the mobile realm, RIM, the one-time star of the Smartphone space, faces mounting pressure to redefine itself or risk being extinguished. This shouldn’t, however, come as a shock as all the signs have been present for some time. On one side, there’s Apple making their way into consumers’ pockets and purses at rates not seen since the adoption rates of the original iPod. Apple has seemingly had an easy time attracting consumers who sought to own the iPhone mainly for its cool apps, and stands to increase its appeal as it considers building a CDMA-version of the device that can run on Verizon’s network. To be exact, though, Apple’s act of war came a couple of years ago when it licensed Microsoft’s synchronization technology, ActiveSync. At the time, a major obstacle to widespread adoption of the iPhone was that it lacked the ability to properly sync one’s company email and calendar, specifically Outlook and Exchange. Apple sought to woo corporate users who longed for a device with all of the functionality, intuitiveness, and must-have appeal of an iPhone. Soon after licensing this technology, the iPhone’s support for push email came and the exodus off of competing platforms ensued. Predictably, companies like Kraft and Oracle began supplying their employees with iPhones instead of BlackBerry devices as they had done in the past. For employees with iPhones for personal use, Kraft has even developed a Web page that provides support for the company’s Exchange servers.

On the other side are Google Android OS-based phones. Much like the iPhone, Android devices combine a user-friendly operating system with a robust app market. Google’s approach, however, appears to be “Android everywhere,” driving to embed their powerful and highly-touted OS in as many different devices as it can. Motorola alone plans to release 20-30 Android-powered devices this year. This plan is proving to be successful as Google is outpacing all other competitors in percent change in marketshare.

With Apple flirting with a possible deployment of a CDMA version of its iPhone, iPhone owners currently with AT&T, subscribers with competing Smartphones, and those with standard feature phones will all likely consider making the switch to Apple’s newest offering on Verizon’s venerable and ubiquitous network. I know I am.

Whether or not Apple decides to make a phone that works on CDMA networks is still uncertain. One thing is for sure, however: As more and more Crackberry owners wean themselves from the device for which they were once fiends, RIM will have to find new ways to keep current customers and attract new ones, or this once-dominant player runs the risk of being eclipsed.

Tip of the Iceberg for Mobile Apps and Retail

6 Mobile Apps That Evolve The Shopping Experience

AdAge picks 6 of their favorite mobile apps that are evolving the retail experience. Mobile shapes the shopping experience by not being either "online" or "offline". Mobile further demonstrates how the experience becomes more engaging, more immediate and the brand more connected to the consumer.

Retailers who's floor staff are paid on commission and therefore not working to access the greatest amount of information (via online or mobile) are selling their own expertise short in the mind of the consumer.

Are you wondering why make the effort to actively pursue the customer at every touchpoint? Because you may lose the sale if you don't. The digital experience should be mapped out in this 360 world to help prioritize what content should be created, organized and served up to the consumer.

Read the original article on AdAge here: http://bit.ly/9tEO1n .

OMMA Metrics: Does the Key to Successful Social Media and Digital Strategies lie in a CUPCAKE?

So, all of this talk about the challenges of online metrics demands a post about what we CAN do and do well in the digital and social media space. The latest panel discussion brought up the top four questions that are keys to a successful approach to this fast-paced space:
1. What are the business objectives?
2. What assets do you have to work with?
3. What are your consumers doing in the space and how are they using social media?
4. What value does your brand provide?

If you can't answer #1, stop. And don't proceed to #2 until you can.

These questions led to some discussion of best in class examples and one that caught my attention was Sprinkles Cupcakes (who doesn't like cupcakes?!). It was described as a best in class example of a brand bridging the offline and online experiences, and driving consumers in-store. So I did a little investigating and found a GREAT write-up on their integrated campaigns and the results, as well as an interesting article on the Top 5 Tips to Marketing Premium Food. These are tips that are simple, yet critical, and completely in line with what we are hearing today at OMMA Metrics!

OMMA Metrics: Are the tools that we have for measuring Social Media adequate?

The resounding answer was "NO!!" at this afternoon's panel discussion on "The Social Media Measurement Quagmire Continues..."

Shiv Singh from Razorfish describes the core challenges as follows:
- Access to data (whether it be because of infrastructure or platform)
- Change in the digital (specifically social media) space is happening so fast that the investments in developing measurement tools are slow (slow to commit)
- Shortcomings on everyone's end in terms of too many people trying to apply traditional metrics/measurements to the online and social media space.

The bottom line is that not all users are equal, and the current tools are user agnostic - in other words, the tools treat all users equally. And we all know they are not.

So what to do? Until there are standards for online metrics, a hybrid approach of automated and human measurement systems is critical to and the key to success.

More from OMMA Metrics: MRM Worldwide working to define an "engagement score"

In a panel discussion titled "Cracking the Code" held today at OMMA Metrics, several panelists have been dicussing the evolution of the measurement models over the past decade. The metrics and models are changing quickly in the digital space, and the bar is being raised for marketers' ability to understand and utilize them.

Vipin Mayar from MRM Worldwide spoke about moving from away from ROI measures and towards engagement measures that effectively compare across channels and across time. He then spoke about an effort that MRM is working on to create an "engagement score."

Well, we all talk about engagement and how it can be measured. And we all know that we are not defining engagement in the same way. So the obvious question is "What is this 'engagement score'" and why is it better than what we're working with now?

An "engagement score" is a process by which we would be able to assign points to various "engagements." So different point values (based on objectives/priority) would be assigned to different engagements and interactions (like site page or content) and then linked to outcomes. The key, Mayar claims, is to "connect metrics to value creation."

A new way to look at engagement, but will it gain traction? Tell us what you think...

Data Reporting: Are we all saying the same thing?

Standardization of data sets is one of the biggest challenges and concern with delivering and interpreting web data. So, how do we know if we are all saying the same thing? Fortunately, the IAB puts forth standards for publishers and metrics providers (like Omniture and WebTrends) to follow. So for anyone measuring "site visits" from omniture data, for example, knows how to define that term. One document of interest today at the OMMA Metrics conference is the IAB Reach Measurements Guidelines.

The challenge then lies in how data is reported to our clients across agencies, and across data sources. Unfortunately, the reality is that they will never match exactly. There is some hope that with the evolution of HTML 5 and univeral tags, this challenge could be overcome. In the meantime, it is up to us to follow the IAB guidelines closely and do our best to explain discrepancies in data.

What are they doing on their mobile phones for more than 2.5 hours per day??

What do mobile users do for over two and a half hours per day on their phones? It is not likely that it is to find out the the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow, or any other educational purpose. It is more likely that it is for accessing social media channels, managing personal finances or even to rally in support of a cause (hmmm...think Pedigree Adoption Drive!).

The numbers are impressive: 91% of mobile users go online to socialize (100 MILLION access Facebook from a mobile device) compared to only 79% on a desktop. Mobile users are 1.6 times more likely to manage finances and 1.4 times more likely to support a cause.

Why? Immediacy.

Read on for all the latest and fun stats on that person next to you feverishly engaged with their mobile...

No Income? Apply for a Golden Grant!

General Mills has created a campaign with a pretty cool premise, Golden Grant. It targets those who have fallen victim to the plummeting economy.

A spin-off of both Twitter and FML, the Golden Grant microsite asks users to share their “ridiculous job search story” in 140 characters or less. The most “convincing” economical sob stories become short films. The winners get a generous supply of Golden Grahams to allay their fears of starvation…

As with any user-submitted-content-based campaign, I fear that people will exercise their drama skills and simply falsify or exaggerate their personal experiences. Also, I wonder how original the idea really is. Either way, I believe it’s a risk worth taking. Something tells me a lot of laughter (and maybe sympathy) is on the way.

Doggie Dentures on AdFreak

A little attention always makes us blush and frankly this is no exception. Check out today's post on AdWeek's AdFreak blog for the latest Pedigree DENTASTIX campaign. And if you haven't "Dentured your dog" be sure to get to it! Just click to get started!

Text To Donate - Help Shelter Dogs

We are helping The Pedigree Foundation help raise dollars to help shelter dogs in need find loving homes. Please participate and tell your friends and family to help as well. Text “pedigree” to 20222 and $5.00 will be donated to help dogs in need (the $5.00 is added to you phone bill and the entire amount goes to the foundation). It just takes a second to make a difference – and every donation adds up!!!

iPad – the moment we have all been waiting for?

For months, we have all been clamoring for a peek under the hood, a glimpse at how Apple’s “latest creation” would look and how it would work. The prevailing rumors were that it would be a tablet and it would roughly be 10” in size. Then the rumor mills picked up steam and spun tales that an even larger announcement was pending and that in addition to a tablet, Apple would unveil the latest incarnation of the iPhone: a more versatile, Verizon-friendly 4G version of its current 3G device. Yesterday, those mills proved themselves unreliable, as they often do, when Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad sans any mention of a new iPhone (sorry Verizon subscribers).

The device has largely been met with reviews that are tepid at best. As is the case with seemingly everything that comes out of Apple’s Cupertino labs, the iPad is visually pleasing. It has a 10” LED widescreen display that sports multi-touch capability and “fingerprint-resistant coating.” The iPad has an onscreen keyboard when it is being used in landscape mode and a USB port for a physical board when it is being used in portrait mode. The device’s 10-hour battery life allows users to essentially go the whole day on a single charge. With the iPad comes the introduction of the iBookstore; a digital book application, used for purchasing titles and displaying them in a virtual bookshelf. iPad owners who purchase books from the app can read the downloaded titles instantly.

A 3G version of the device will be available in April and will allow subscribers to surf the web, download movies, music, books and apps wherever they are but only through AT&T.

Unfortunately, for the army of us who eagerly await Apple announcements, this device leaves a lot to be desired. Though it surfs the web, runs iTunes, and providers consumers with access to the roughly 140,000 apps in the App Store it lacks a camera, microphone and Flash, making it nothing more than a larger iPod touch.

Don’t get me wrong, the iPod Touch is a great device (I actually own one) but so much was expected from this device that we are left feeling disappointed and unfulfilled. It’s like seeing Kobe Bryant score 50 points everytime they play at the Staples Center. If he only scores 30 points the next time you see him, you’d be appreciate the effort but won’t be nearly as satisfied. Such is the curse of the superstar. Maybe if this device were an Acer or Asus the world would embrace it more warmly.

That said, I’m sure Apple will be just fine. Early Adopters will still add them to their carts and line up in store for their iPads in March. In fact, if history has taught us anything it is that:

1) 1st generation Apple releases are typically followed, almost immediately, by much better upgraded devices.

2) Roughly 45% of Early Adopters upgrade to newer devices*

So is this the moment we have all been waiting for? Hardly. So I, for one, will sit back, wait and watch as the magnificent marketing machine that is Apple crank out better, more exciting features for the iPad 2.0.

* Morgan Stanley Study on the iPhone measuring Early Adopters who bought the 1G iPhone in 2007 and later upgraded to the 3G iPhone in 2008

Target Leads The Way With Mobile Couponing

Target is first out of the gate with true Mobile Coupons that are sent to phones and scannable at checkout registers. This is a big part of a broader Target Mobile initiative that includes weekly mobile circulars, a revamped Iphone app and exclusive mobile deals. This will will ignite innovation within Mobile couponing.

And no surprise, P&G is among the first to Partner with Target with its Tide brand. Given the I went ATVing this weekend in the muddy woods of Butler, PA I am off with my Blackberry to local Target Store to test my Tide Mobile coupon.

Text "Haiti" to 90999

A brief post on the power of mobile marketing and a reminder on the goodness of the human spirit. Over $1MM was rasied to aid in the crises in Haiti in 24 hours, $10 at a time via Text to Donate. Please join those who have given to help those in desperate need. Text "Haiti" to 90999 to help support The American Red Cross efforts. $10 will be added to your phone bill and the entire amount will go to The American Red Cross.

Thank you.

In App Ads Tipping Point?

Retail Giant, Walmart continuing to focus on reaching new targets is running in-app banner ads on iPhones. Walmart’s ads appear in the NBC Today Shows Recipe App.

Interestingly the Walmart call to action featured in the Today Show in-App Ad is to download Walmart’s own iPhone App, which is focused on helping shoppers find great deals.

In addition to Walmart, Microsoft, Unilever and others are testing In-App Ads which means many more retailers and manufacturers will likely soon follow.

Are “Social Norms” to Blame?

From being an exclusive “college” network to letting the whole world in, Facebook has evolved astronomically these last few years. I remember looking back on my own experience and thinking, “What’s gonna happen to my profile when I graduate?” Well, I now have my answer, obviously.

But in the midst of this grand evolution, there still has to be some element of privacy. (Facebook recently amended its privacy settings.) We all know that Facebook has made once private information available to the public in recent months. Is Mark Zuckerberg’s argument that the ever-changing “social norms” of society are to blame, convincing enough? The author of this article doesn’t seem to think so; in fact, he believes that Zuckerberg is deviating from his past beliefs:

“I don't buy Zuckerberg's argument that Facebook is now only reflecting the changes that society is undergoing… ‘Privacy control, he told me less than 2 years ago, is "the vector around which Facebook operates” .’

However, Zuckerberg makes a good point: “"We view it as our role in the system to constantly be innovating and be updating what our system is to reflect what the current social norms are.”

I personally think the term “social norms” is a bit dated for this argument, but that’s a whole other discussion.

I can see both sides of the story. But either way, just have common sense. Figure out Facebook’s privacy settings. Don’t post stuff you wouldn’t want your grandmother or her Bingo friends to see.

What should Google Fear in the New Year?

Turnabout is fair play - With Google jumping into the handset market in 2009 with the Andriod targeting Apple, it only seems just that the one of the first big announcements of 2010 is that Apple is shifting its startegy to jump into the digital media space.

Apple has acquired Quattro Wireless for $275MM to compete with Google and their acquisition of AdMob putting them in the mobile advertising space for the first time. Quattro Wireless is the 5th largest Mobile Ad Network with 7% share.

The acquisition leads to key, intriguing questions for the year ahead:

1. Who's next? With only a few big players left in the Mobile Advertising space left, who will Yahoo and Microsoft Gobble Up?
2. How will Apple navigate new territory?

Its only the first week of the New Year and the Mobile space is setting up for a very interesting year.