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...