01.28.08
Posted in Uncategorized, drtv, media buying at 4:50 pm by Administrator
Google will be leading an effort to develop software that will make cellphones more like mobile computers with improved Internet access. Google is looking to transform the mobile industry in the same manner that the PC changed the world of computing in the 1980′s, according to the NY Times (11/6/07). In order to accomplish this goal, Google will provide outside software developers with access to their phone’s functions. They hope this will encourage software developers to create PC like programs and services for cellphones.
The Internet is Going Mobile
Google recognizes that the Internet is going mobile and they have aligned themselves with leading telecommunications and technology companies to make and market their phones. A group called the Open Handset Alliance expects to sell the Google powered phones in the second half of 2008, according to the NY Times. Critics point out that other companies have tried to form similar types of alliances and failed and that Google will face stiff competition from established players such as Microsoft, Nokia, Palm and Research in Motion (NY Times). In addition, the two largest cellular carriers in the U.S., AT&T and Verizon Wireless are not part of the alliance.
Increasing the Reach of Google’s Advertising
Google is looking to become the dominant player in mobile advertising, just like they have been the leader in online advertising. Google hopes that making it easier for consumers to access the web from their cellphones and making the experience more like that of a personal computer will increase the reach of their advertising. Google said it will likely share ad revenue with the wireless carriers, according to the Wall Street Journal (11/6/07).
Energizing the Mobile Industry
“Just like the iPhone energized the industry, this is a different way to energize the industry,” stated Sanjay Jha, COO of Qualcomm (NY Times). Mr. Jha also said Google’s efforts will bring more Internet features to moderately priced phones. By allowing outside software developers access to their Android software platform, Google also hopes they will create new types of devices that have both cellphone and wireless Internet capabilities. “As a result of the platform, you’ll be able to do amazing things on your phones that you’ve never been able to do before,” says Google CEO Eric Schmidt. (USA TODAY 11/6/07)
Diversifying their Revenue Base
Google is going up against some strong competitors, but they certainly have the clout and resources to gain a significant foothold in the mobile marketplace. Google’s surging stock price clearly indicates that Wall Street and investors anticipate that Google will be able to diversify their revenue base from new businesses outside of online advertising. In my opinion, mobile advertising has the potential to be as big as online advertising for Google. It will be interesting to see how Google’s venture into mobile plays out over the next few years, since it has the potential to transform the industry.
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11.15.07
Posted in Uncategorized, drtv, media buying at 5:09 pm by Administrator
Once you effectively target the Baby Boomer demographic, your sales will increase. The key is to understand what this group wants and how they use and view the different advertising mediums.
Boomers were the first generation to grow up with TV, so it makes sense that they still prefer this medium as they age. In fact, on average, Boomers watch 22 minutes more TV per day than younger people, according to Nielsen Media Research. And since TV viewership increases with age, as the Boomers mature, their infomercial TV viewing time will continue to rise.
The big misconception in online marketing and media buying is that you can’t reach Boomers via the Internet. In fact, Baby Boomers make up one-third of the 195 million web users in the United States, according to JupiterResearch. Additionally, ad buyers targeted Boomers with close to 5 billion dollars in ads in 2004, out of 13 billion spent in web advertising. So don’t think that Boomers aren’t online and that they reject technology. Nothing could be further from the truth.
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, over half (54%) of 60-69 year-olds go online, and 72% of 51-59 year-olds surf the net. Further, studies show that Boomers spend more money online that the average web user, yet they’re still the most underserved audience on the net.
So take a look at your current TV and online campaigns and make sure they address the needs and concerns of the Boomer market. Revamp your marketing messages and placements as needed so you can cash in on the nearly trillion dollars of spending power this group has. When you do, you’ll have tapped into a large and profitable niche that can quickly boost your company’s profits to new levels of success.
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10.10.07
Posted in Uncategorized, drtv, media buying at 3:19 pm by Administrator
Facebook is a social networking website started in 2003 by Mark Zuckerberg, a 19 year old Harvard college drop out. Facebook users post information about themselves on the site, such as photos and events they plan to attend. They link their web pages with the web pages of other users that are “friends” and thereby create a social network.
Facebook has 35 million active users, it has added 100,000 new registrations per day in 2007, it has an incredible 3% weekly growth rate, it has 6 million active user groups and close to 31 million visitors in July. Facebook is on track to reach $30 million in profit this year, according to the Wall Street Journal 8/23/07. The founder was supposedly offered $1 billion for the site and turned it down, according to an article in NEWSWEEK on 8/27/07. Investors in the site hope to take the site public at a valuation of $10 billion. In order to achieve this type of valuation, people familiar with Facebook say they are looking to do something similar to what Google did with AdWords, which generated $10.6 billion in revenue last year, according to the WSJ.
Facebook is not just for college students any more. More than half of Facebook’s 35 million users aren’t in college. In 2005, it added high schools and in 2006 it added, “work networks.” Facebook is also expanding internationally and already is the top Web site in Canada and London is the geographic network with the most Facebookers. Facebook has also been encouraging developers to create applications that allow them to make money by running ads or selling products on Facebook. Facebook could use these applications to grab a share of eBay’s or iTunes’ businesses with a Facebook version of those sites. (NEWSWEEK).
So how can marketers take advantage of the social phenomenon Facebook has created? Currently, advertisers can target people on the site by age, gender and location of the user. Facebook is now developing a new, automated advertising system that will allow marketers to target users based on a much more extensive database of personal information that users report on the site. In 2008, Facebook will attempt to determine how receptive a person might be to an ad based on the activities and interests of a user and its friends and target ads based on that information, according to the WSJ.
It remains to be seen whether the addition of targeted advertising and an older universe of users will affect the appeal of Facebook or whether Facebook will be able to grow to the size of Google. However, based on the rapid growth of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace and the promise of being able to target offers more precisely to consumers, marketers should consider testing out advertising on these sites to tap into the potentially immense purchasing power of their members.
Peter Koeppel is Founder and President of Koeppel Direct, a leader in DRTV direct response television, online, print and radio media buying, marketing and campaign management. With a Wharton MBA and over 25 years of marketing and advertising experience, Peter has helped Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and entrepreneurs develop direct marketing campaigns to increase profits.
Peter started Koeppel Direct in 1995 and has built it into one of the leading direct response infomercial media buying firms in the U.S.
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10.01.07
Posted in Uncategorized, drtv, media buying at 6:58 pm by Administrator
A iProspect study noted that all ranges of age, income and online tenure reported that conducting search engine queries has become more important to their use of the Internet over the last year. Since users report that the activity of searching is growing more important to them, then businesses need to make sure that their website is found by searchers. Exposing your target audience to your ads and url in multiple mediums will enhance their ability to find your website.
Not surprisingly, television drove the highest percentage (37%) of online users to perform searches, according to the iProspect study. Even in today’s more fragmented media environment, the power of TV remains strong and the influence of TV on online purchase behavior is growing. We have found that anywhere from between 30% to over 90%+ of customers make their purchase via the web, when they’re offered both an 800 number and a website in a direct response television ad. Why is this happening? Many consumers feel more comfortable making a purchase via the web than through an in-bound telemarketing service. Also, over 50% of people are simultaneously surfing the web while watching TV, so it’s easy for them to log onto your site when they see your TV ad.
The bottom line is that if you’re not using a combination of DRTV, print and radio and online ads to reach customers, you’re missing a huge share of potential revenue. Companies that rely solely on one advertising medium are missing the mark. It takes a combination offline and online advertising to make a true impact on today’s consumers. So leverage your marketing dollars by using the synergy of DRTV and online ads to maximize the impact of your campaign. When you do, you will see your company’s bottom line results improve.
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08.02.07
Posted in Uncategorized, drtv, media buying at 3:23 pm by Administrator
Apple’s campaign to introduce the iPhone, which combines a cellphone with an iPod with Internet access, may be the most successful marketing effort ever. Just prior to the product’s release, it was estimated that two-thirds of the population of the U.S. was aware of the device. The hype surrounding the introduction was phenomenal. Over the six months prior to the product’s introduction it was the subject of 14,000 articles, 311,000 blog posts and it generated 69 million hits on Google.
Apple’s marketing efforts have always been a cut above the rest, starting with their famous 1984 Super Bowl commercial. Marketing experts feel that the iPhone campaign even surpassed such legendary marketing efforts as the introduction of the Mustang by Ford in 1964 and Microsoft’s launch of Windows 95. The iPhone generated more pre-sale media coverage than any other product, according to Al Ries, a leading marketing strategist. (Bloomberg.com) “Ask yourself how many companies can announce a product six months in advance and not just sustain public interest but even build the frenzy. It’s staggering to me,” commented Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge. (NY Times)
The true measure of a marketing campaign’s success boils down to the sales it generates. And all the hype is translating into significant sales. It’s estimated that Apple, along with its marketing partner AT&T, will sell 3 million phones initially. First year sales are expected to exceed $2.5 billion. Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, is targeting to sell 10 million phones in 2008 and capture 1% of the global market. And Apple is expected to enjoy a gross profit margin in excess of 55% on their higher end $599 iPhone!
How did Apple do it? They not only created a revolutionary product, but they also were able to create an incredible amount of buzz, through a highly effective teaser campaign. Jobs introduced the product at Macworld Expo prior to the launch. Apple didn’t give the product to the press initially, so they had to write about it and then they wrote about it again when they were given the product just prior to the launch. (Michael Stelzner’s Blog)
Apple then utilized video clips on the Internet and a breakthrough TV commercial that ran during the Academy Awards called “hello” with stars like Marilyn Monroe saying “Hello” to announce the release in June. Subsequent ads showed close-ups shots demonstrating what people can do on the phone. “It gave me the sense that I was actually experiencing the product,” said Matt Wills from the advertising firm Martin Agency. “They’ve spent some money on advertising ($100 million according to JupiterResearch), but certainly not a lot,” according to Ries. “The PR, the hype, the publicity, it makes the advertising more visible.” (Bloomberg.com)
The formula for Apple’s extraordinary success is really quite simple. They produce ground-breaking products that consumers want and no one is better at advertising and marketing them.
Peter Koeppel is Founder and President of Koeppel Direct, a leader in DRTV direct response television, online, print and radio media buying, marketing and campaign managment. With a Wharton MBA and over 25 years of marketing and advertising experience, Peter has helped Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and entrepreneurs develop direct marketing campaigns to increase profits.
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04.23.07
Posted in Uncategorized, drtv, media buying at 3:38 pm by Administrator
Google is now adding to there very lucrative adword buying system. Media buyers should jump on this opportunity to purchase “larger than life” ad’s to be displayed to prospective clients in key demographics. Below is an article that I came across recently.
Yesterday Google’s AdWords team announced they had been testing two new image ad formats. The first, a large 2560 x 1920 image is designed for advertisers who want to appear “larger than life,” according to AdWords Developer Arnold Ferguson. “Advertisers have been bugging us since November for a large-format image ad that can showcase photo quality 5-megapixel images. It’s a little bit larger than your standard banner ad, but I think if it makes advertisers happy, it will make our publishers happy as well.”
As part of the test, Google has been serving 2560 x 1920 ads on sites like ultrahighresolution.com for online digital camera retailers wishing to advertise unreduced megapixel-sized images.
The second format, a 1 x 1 pixel ad can be purchased in blocks of ten by keyword. “We’ve actually been working very closely with pixel ad inventor Alex Tew on this one,” said Ferguson. “After seeing all the aimless pixel ad sites out there, we knew we needed an original approach. Unlike all the copycat pixel ad sites, integration with our keyword bidding system will us serve pixel ads contextually on nearly any site in the AdSense publisher network.”
In order to supplement their six-billion dollar annual revenue stream, Google also plans to publish a pixel advertising site of their own in mid-April, and has registered the milliongooglepixel.com domain to display AdWords pixel ads. Google AdWords expects the new sizes to be available to all AdWords users in the next few weeks.
ADOTAS
Peter Koeppel is Founder and President of Koeppel Direct, a leader in (DRTV) direct response television, online, print and radio media buying, marketing and campaign managment. With a Wharton MBA and over 25 years of marketing and advertising experience, Peter has helped Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and entrepreneurs develop direct marketing campaigns to increase profits.
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04.18.07
Posted in Uncategorized, drtv, media buying at 3:14 pm by Administrator
Once the campaign commences, MAPP™ employs advanced tracking and reporting metrics to ensure ROI efficiency.
- MAPP™ can be customized to capture, track and measure a wide range of relevant information to effectively manage each campaign.
- MAPP™ includes a Geo-Demographic Response Analysis Module. MAPP™ produces concise maps, which track consumer response on many levels, such as nationally, by state, by DMA, by county, by city or zip code. In addition, this mapping module incorporates responses by network and station.
- MAPP™ also tracks response by demographic. For example, MAPP™ can ascertain the response rate for women 25-54, with an income range of $50,000-$75,000, by geographic location.
When applied to a national campaign, MAPP™ identifies “hot spots” of high response levels, while the campaign is airing. This might allow us to supplement the national media buy, with a local schedule, in areas generating the strongest response levels.
MAPP™ – The Technology that Makes Koeppel Direct’s Media Buying Campaign’s More Profitable
Koeppel Direct’s sophisticated MAPP™ technology provides us with the information and tools to formulate targeted media plans and to track and optimize results in real time. The bottom line is that MAPP™ allows us to produce more profitable DRTV campaigns for our clients.
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04.13.07
Posted in Uncategorized, drtv, media buying at 1:54 pm by Administrator
Times have been tough for DRTV media buyers in 2006, a year that has seen mortgage interest rates climb, gasoline costs soar and consumer sentiment wane after a multi-year boom in home-buying and consumer confidence. Despite record results in Response’s quarterly long-form media billings research, industry insiders say the second quarter hit particularly hard, leaving media buyers to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to obtain both long- and short-form avails at the best possible price.
“Everything went into the sewer in April,” says Barry Jacobs, executive vice president of E&M Impart Advertising in Los Angeles. He credits the high gas prices for essentially “shrinking” the buying public’s discretionary dollars, and says that led to low demand for high-priced items.
“When we put the $200 or $300 price points on infomercials, we’re just not getting the activity,” says Jacobs. “Instead, we’re using more $39.95 trial period offers that allow consumers to either continue the payments from there or return the product.”
But even the best offers in the world didn’t help buyers gain leverage in a crowded media market. “If we call reps up and tell them that the media time is too expensive, they tell us that there’s a line of other people waiting for it,” says Jacobs, who points out that results aren’t high enough to justify the rising media costs brought on by increased demand.
“It’s getting very difficult to make shows work on a consistent basis,” he explains. “We’re having to pass on some deals with networks that were historically our ‘bread-and-butter’ networks, or not deal with large packages because it’s all borderline right now, in terms of results.”
The decline in results has been significant, according to Peter Koeppel, president at Dallas-based Koeppel Direct, who says media buying experts were buzzing about a 25-percent drop during the third quarter. As cooler weather kicks in and the new fall TV lineup starts to grab viewers he says those results may return to some level of normalcy.
“TV viewing should creep back up, and that affects both long- and short-form performance,” says Koeppel. “As we go into the fourth quarter, I expect stations to ask for higher prices (as usual), but depending on performance, some of those prices may come down.”
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03.29.07
Posted in Uncategorized, drtv, media buying at 3:56 pm by Administrator
I came across this article on eMarketer.com. Media Buyers should take heed the the multi-channel leeds are becoming the wave of the future with more and more media buying experts transfering money to online advertising.
Almost half of online marketers and media buyers are not doing enough to generate leads, according to a new E-consultancy study conducted by Clash-Media.
Only 44% of 400 UK B2C marketers surveyed thought that their companies were effectively using online lead generation. Nearly half (47%) said that their firms were not effectively exploiting online lead generation to grow business.
Multi-channel organizations fared better, with three-fourths of respondents working for such firms saying that their companies were generating leads online with the intention of converting them offline.
Paid and natural search got the most respondent approval, with 52% saying that paid search was “very effective” at lead generation and 48% giving natural search high marks for bringing in leads.
Search’s dominance can make mailing lists — even e-mail lists — seem behind the times, but the fact remains that e-mail is still an ubiquitous and effective marketing medium, and it is still considered a great tactic for lead generation.
Linus Gregoriadis of E-consultancy said, “The research found that online methods are deemed to be more effective than offline methods when it comes to generating leads in the B2C context.”
It’s tempting to dismiss the shortcomings of other markets and think that things are better here. But the E-consultancy study is not of an emerging market. The UK is as robust and advanced an Internet environment as anywhere outside the US. The results are worth considering in relation to US online marketing plans.
Direct response media buying has been the main focus of much online ad spending in the US, but some of that money will shift to branding through 2011, according to eMarketer. Gauged by growth rates this year and in the next four years, the relative spending for branding vs. direct response will remain about even or somewhat greater for brand-focused advertising.
eMarketer senior analyst David Hallerman summarized the shift.
“Forgetting for the moment that direct response and branding often blend,” Mr. Hallerman said, “such as with an auto manufacturer’s paid search ad that leads to a new model’s Web site or a bank’s video ad that leads to clicks and conversions, about two-thirds of online ad spending goes to direct response objectives.”
If lead generation tactics have not been fully exploited in the US, direct response still requires attention and effort, even as money goes toward branding. A focus on lead generation to support direct response doesn’t necessarily require more budget, but it does require focus.
eMarketer.com
Peter Koeppel is Founder and President of Koeppel Direct
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