The Growth Machine

Responsive Design – Great But Not The Holy Grail!!!

Let me start off by saying that this blog is NOT about undermining or questioning the value in a Responsive Design & Approach. In fact am in the middle of two reasonably sized responsive executions with a team of rock stars @ SapientNitro for leading brands and can’t wait to see them go LIVE. I […]

June 26, 2012
Google Wallet with NFC

Originally published by: robgonda.com on 2012-05-25 16:27:05 by Rob Gonda Google officially rolled out its Google Wallet mobile payment system Monday. Is still in its infancy, but the system already shows a lot of promise. It uses a technology called NFC (Near Field Communication) to securely send your payments digitally. The only phone in the […]

June 20, 2012
Approach to Responsive Design | User Experience in Context

I will admit that until last year, I perceived Responsive Design to be just a front-end development methodology, a combination of css media queries and javascript to deliver a ubiquitous web experience across devices, resolutions, screen sizes and orientations. A closer experience this year has made me realize the opportunities and challenges responsive brings – […]

June 10, 2012
Behold: The First Video Taken with Google Glasses

Google unveiled on Friday the first video taken with its sci-fi eyewear concept, Project Glass. The topic: jumping and flipping on a trampoline, doing a backflip while wearing Google glasses. Google launched its Project Glass goggles on Google+ in April, and the news sent the concept of Google’s futuristic glasses — which would project augmented reality images into wearers’ field of vision — into a worldwide frenzy on the web. Although Google co-founder Sergey Brin has been testing the device and teasing pictures to show the Internet what it can do, this is the first time we’ve seen a video taken by the device itself. SEE ALSO: Google: Here’s What Our Sci-Fi Glasses Look Like In addition to taking pictures and video, the glasses can perform many tasks performed by a smartphone. For example, while wearing the glasses, you would be able to see weather forecasts and what’s on your calendar for the day, as well as send text messages and emails to friends and family — all projected right before your eyes. Google told Mashable in April that selling the glasses this year would be “very unlikely.” Would you want a pair of Google Glasses? Do you think this is the way we will live our lives in the future? Let us know in the comments.

May 29, 2012
Facebook Is Looking At Another Big Acquisition: It Might Buy Web Browser Opera (FB)

Summary Opera is a web browser developed by Opera Software. It handles internet tasks like displaying websites, e-mail, managing contacts, downloading files via BitTorrent, and reading webfeeds. It was released in December of 1996…. More »

May 29, 2012
BIG DATA – More Than Just BIG!!!

If all the hype & deluge of headlines, articles & advanced analytics and reporting material is anything to go by, BIG DATA is the next big thing. At times you may even wonder what have we been doing in the name of analytics & insight generation thus far. So how much of the hype is […]

May 21, 2012
Smartphones Are First Choice For Second Screen

A clear majority of TV viewers (63%) are consulting a connected device while watching TV, a new IAB/Ipsos MediaCT study shows. But among those “second screeners” the smartphone was the most popular multitasking device among 45% of respondents — the tablet with 30% and the familiar computer with only 21%. The findings are part of the larger report “Multiscreen Marketer,” conducted with IAB and Econsultancy, and “Screens to nth,” with Ipsos MediaCT, launched at IAB Innovation Days @ Internet Week. While 63% of people said they had used a connected device the last time they watched a live TV, the metrics for second screening during time-shifted TV viewing was similar, with 66% saying they used a device. An ongoing question about second-screen activities is whether they serve as a distraction from the televised content or a complement. The IAB study finds that the majority of users are engaged in a range of activities that have little to do with the TV content: email, social networking, text messaging. On the other hand, 45% of smartphone and 30% of tablet multi-iscreeners are doing something on their devices related to the show itself. It is most interesting that the peer-to-peer conversational behaviors are occurring most often on the device that otherwise people traditionally use for (duh) peer-to-peer communication. Yes, it seems like a simple observation, but it bears remembering when distinguishing between smartphone and tablet functions, especially when it comes to second screening. For instance, 45% of all smartphone owners using their devices while the TV is on will be doing something related to the show, Ipsos finds. But only 30% of tablet owners will. Among the behaviors most noted on smartphones related to the TV content are text/email/IM with a friend about the show (23%) versus 12% on tablet. Even more interesting is the surprising prevalence of voice chat (20%) over smartphones during a show. In fact, voice chatting over smartphones during a show is as popular as engaging friends on the social network (20%). My daughter clued me in to something akin to this behavior, as she and her friends now regularly schedule Netflix viewings over their respective Xboxes using the game console’s voice chat channel to share comments. This survey found that 33% of people said they thought it was a good idea to be able to converse with others who are not in the room about a TV show. Almost three-quarters of the 18- to-24-year-old segment (73%), which includes my daughter, like the idea. She will be so proud to be demographically correct. About 37% of smartphone multiscreeners are using their devices to talk about on-air ads they have seen, compared to only 18% of computer users and 16% of tablet users. Again, text/email/IM (22%) was more popular with smartphone owners than social networks (16%). Tablets become a greater second-screen force when the viewer is compelled to deeper drills like researching a product seen on TV or getting more detailed show information. The Multiscreen Marketer study focused on users who were employing multiple devices during their TV time. In these cases, the IAB and Econsultancy discovered, people with three or more screens going at once (TV, PC, smartphone and/or tablet) were much more likely to use them while watching TV. For the younger 18- to-44-year-old demographic, 77% of them are likely to be multitasking. And while many fear that multitasking ultimately dilutes the effectiveness of TV advertising, these early numbers suggest the opposite effect. Among “four screeners” 53% were able to associate up to three advertisers with TV programs, compared to 46% of three-screeners and 42% of two-screeners. The research suggests some possbile new paths among second-screen developers. Because Facebook and Twitter are the hammers that everyone has at hand, then “social TV” tends to look like the same nail –inviting your vast crowd of faux friends or like-minded strangers into your second screen. This research suggests to me that many viewers want to be able to construct much more intimate social circles around their viewing, either through voice chat rooms that an app might facilitate or a circle of friends that could share a more manageable flow of text exchanges. At our OMMA Mobile panel on second-screen efforts, I asked Yahoo’s Adam Cahan about the sometimes irritating torrent of social commentary that flows into some “social TV” apps, and he said that many people actually do like that torrent and enjoy dipping in and out of it. Most on the panel mentioned the need to curate the flow more effectively or editorially highlight the user-generated content that mattered. But I would like to see in the next generation of these apps social management features that allow the user to easily create a social viewing circle on the fly and choose their preferred communication mode to chat virtually about a show. After all, the best digital models are the ones that mimic and extend behavioral pattersn we bring to the technology — not the ones the technology wants to impose on us.

May 20, 2012
Why is Big Data Revolutionary?

Originally published by: ZDNet » Tech on 2012-04-10 21:29 PDT by Andrew Brust Summary: Big Data is revolutionary, and not merely the evolution of BI and data warehousing technology. Here’s why. Last week, Dan Kusnetzky and I participated in a ZDNet Great Debate titled “Big Data: Revolution or evolution?” As you might expect, I advocated […]

May 17, 2012
Save The Cleverness And Keep The CRM

When online marketers think about developing email campaigns, they typically focus on two areas: open rates and conversions. And the open rates, as we all know, have everything to do with subject lines. There’s no question that very clever subject lines give emarketers terrific open rates. We’ve seen them all, and at one time or another we’ve probably used many of them: “Don’t Read This Email!” “Psssst ….” “What Don’t You Know?” “It’s Almost Too Late!” Sound familiar? These and many other “clever” subject lines are tremendously effective for getting people to notice and click on an email. Customers open the emails. Your open rates go up. Who’s going to argue with that? As contrarian as it seems, I will. Depending on clever subject lines only gets you so far. Let’s say that you have a list of these clever email subject lines, a whole campaign of them, in fact. Do you really think that you can simply attach a clever subject line to your regular email content, and call it a day? There’s a certain amount of inherent pressure to bring the email itself to the “cleverness” level of the subject line—and, believe me, it’s a lot easier to think up a clever phrase than it is to maintain that tone and language throughout an entire email. And maybe you don’t want to, anyway—it may not fit in well with whatever it is that you’re selling. And it can get worse. A clever subject line that leads to a hard-sell email raises complaints. I don’t know about you, but I’d much prefer to have people ignore some of my email campaigns than complain about them! But let’s go a little deeper into the analytics. Clever email subject lines may increase your opens, but do they perform well otherwise? The reality is that clever subject lines and email campaigns work best for borderline spammers who are trying to entice people with whom they have either a questionable relationship—or no relationship—to open their email. For CRM marketers, those of us who are deploying campaigns to opt-in lists, the results driven by clever campaigns are typically disappointing and can increase both unsubscribes and complaints. They fail because email campaigns need to have one very clear, very solid call-to-action, one that logically follows your business model. And the cleverness can become a call-to-action on its own, one that competes with—and detracts from—the call-to-action in the email. And one that will drive down conversions. What makes a great subject line? Clarity and sense of purpose are what make a great subject line and great email. The call-to-action in a successful email campaign should be clear after one second of viewing, and it is an expected next step after reading the subject line. Remember the marketers’ mantra: tell people what you are going to tell them, next tell them, and then tell them what you just told them. This is what makes for a successful email campaign. Let’s look at an example: Subject line: Early-bird special on new summer arrivals. Email: Summer arrivals are now in stock. As an early-bird subscriber you get the best selection and free shipping when you order this week. Link: Takes you directly to the summer arrival page (when possible with a personalized welcome to the early-bird subscriber). What we’re seeing here is a clear subject line, one that’s followed through into the email. Clicking it open, we see an email that carries a single message, a message that’s not cluttered up with secondary offers or distracting images. It respects your subscribers’ time by immediately letting them know the promise you’re making to them, and then, step by step, it follows up on the promise. Less is more in this case, and it’s truly the most effective way to deploy your email strategy. Don’t think that your subscribers will get bored with your email messages: it is excellent CRM to show your subscriber that you know exactly what you are doing, and that you take your subscribers seriously. A simple subject lines shows that you don’t have to be clever to win their business! Your customers will appreciate your clarity and take actions when appropriate, exactly as you want them to. Gimmicks can only get you so far. Building solid relationships through transparency, make-a-promise/keep-a-promise behavior, and outstanding customer support are the best ways to create, deploy, and return ROI on your next email campaign.

May 8, 2012
A Conversation On The Role Of Big Data In Marketing And Customer Service

Big data is here! And, marketers are one of the professional groups that stand to gain the most from these new-found capabilities to analyze data that, until recently, would have been too complex to capture, store and make sense of. Behind the hype lies a golden opportunity for marketers and customer service to help their organizations get ahead of the competition. Cutting through all the noise can be a challenge, so it’s important to understand what big data can achieve, what data is most useful, and how to go about using it. In the following conversation, Verint’s Daniel Ziv and Ovum analyst Keith Dawson share perspective on the sudden lure to the term “big data” and what it means for companies in the coming year. 1. Big data is a buzzword that seems to be making its way into conversations more frequently. How would you define big data, and how is this new business concept different from traditional business intelligence? Keith: Big data is a buzzword partly because the definition of “big” changes all the time, as processing power improves and data storage capabilities grow vaster. However, it does have a real meaning, and is usually shorthanded by the four V’s, which are as follows: Volume: the amount of data being worked with Variety: the number of different sources and data types Velocity: the speed at which it changes, which is very fast Value: the ability of an organization to process and leverage machine-derived insights Daniel: The first three V’s seem to have become the de facto definition for big data, but Keith’s addition of the fourth Vrepresenting “value” may be the most important yet. Many organizations have a lot of data, but not all are generating significant value from it. This may partially be due to the fact that big data initiatives do not always involve the business earlier on in the process. 2. Is big data something IT departments need to manage and address? How does it have an impact on the marketing organization as well? Keith: Big data starts with IT, most definitely, because they are responsible for acquiring and deploying the infrastructure. From a business point of view, marketing is poised to reap significant value out of big data. Look at the wealth of actionable knowledge inherent in CRM data, social media mining, or even basic customer call recording — there is enormous potential not being realized with traditional analytics structures. This theory applies beyond the contact center and also to business intelligence and ERP systems, which are still trying to figure out how to put data from some of those external sources to work. Daniel: I agree completely! We, as an industry, have witnessed some phenomenal examples regarding how much value this data can represent — especially when driven effectively by the business including marketing departments. For example, I’ve seen a large telecom provider do this very thing. The company is BI savvy and has traditionally analyzed structured data. It added a speech analytics solution to help analyze contact center calls, and as a resultin the first year of deploymentthey identified $180 million worth of savings, while increasing customer satisfaction by 30%. What’s even more interesting with this particular initiative is that it was driven mostly by marketing, not by the IT department where many big data deployments reside. 3. Do you believe that a company’s corporate big data assets and its use of analytics could become something as powerful as the company’s brand? Keith: There are already companies for which the ability to analyze big data is functionally equivalent to their brand. Facebook is the obvious example, and Google too. Then you get beyond that to customer-facing companies like Netflix or Amazon, where their ability to determine patterns of customer preference and behavior stems from analysis of huge data sets. They are making business decisions on automated data analysis — the kinds of things that used to be done with focus groups. The difference is that they are coming to much richer, statistically valid and more insightful conclusions. Daniel: Facebook definitely has the potential to be a key data analytics force. The acquisition of Instagram brings yet another dimension of unstructured data to social media. It will be interesting to track how Facebook uses and monetizes the tremendous amounts of data now available. Google is an example of a company where almost all of its services and revenue is driven by collecting, indexing and analyzing data. The recent updated privacy policy also now provides Google with the ability to link various customer insights from its many different services. It holds tremendous potential value for Google, as well as for the consumers, given customer privacy concerns are properly addressed. Recommendation engines from Netflix, Pandora and Amazon have also proven to be tremendously effective in driving sales and building loyalty. 4. Can you share other examples of how companies use this new asset to effectively compete? Keith: You have to look at the social networking space to really see the most advanced use of big data analysis to make lightning fast business decisions. Ad traffic is monetized on Facebook almost exclusively through big data analytics. Without big data, Facebook isn’t perceived as a giant company. The financial services industry also has been applying this kind of analysis to credit card and loan customer transactions for quite a while. You see it in airlines: dynamic pricing of tickets, for example, and for segmentation of customers. Daniel: The social networking space has created a tremendous amount of new customer data, and may be partly responsible for the emergence of the big data conceptgiven the explosive growth in the amount and velocity of this information. According to Twitter’s own research in early 2012, it sees roughly 175 million tweets every day, and has more than 465 million accounts. What many organizations neglect to realize is that their internal corporate data assets may significantly exceed this in terms of content and value. While a typical tweet is only a handful of words or abbreviations with limited context, an average five minute contact center call is typically over 1,000 wordsproviding much richer context that drives more actionable insights, when mined with the proper tools. I’ve heard industry estimates that for every word tweeted, there are over 200 words spoken in the contact center directly by your customers and CSRs. The challenge is connecting the dots between the different sources. 5. One of the key challenges of big data is transforming the common silo approach where each department has its own data assets, which prevents organizations from getting a unified view of the customer. What strategy and technology solutions are available to handle these challenges? Keith: My view is that the main barriers are more cultural than technical. You need business structures in place to share data, and to encourage the deployment and use of data warehouses that cross departments and functions. The idea of big data isn’t really a product, rather it’s more of a process or a label that describes those very strategies implied by the question. I don’t really see siloization as a challenge of big datainstead, it’s a challenge of organizational problem solving and priority setting. Once those silos have been broken down, companies can forge ahead with a more intelligent data analytics strategy. Big data isn’t an end in itself, because organizations can just as likely find themselves in a situation where mountains of data are being analyzed, and they still don’t know how to act on or monetize it. From that point of view, big data is an IT issue. My personal sense is that as teams outside IT begin to understand the potential value embedded in their data, they’ll start to look internally for collaborators who can help them unlock it. That’s going to be a unique process in every organization. Daniel: I think technology can help make this process easier but agree that the key issue is the organizational structures and processes. The emergence of the chief customer officer role and customer experience departments that own the end-to-end customer journey can help drive the right attention and actions. By making sure the organization has a unified 360 degree view of the voice of the customer, these teams will know better how to take action on valuable insights. 6. What industries do you think have the strongest potential to leverage big data as a competitive marketing advantage? Keith: I’d have to say the financial services industry has the strongest potential to leverage big data, because it has been doing big data analysis long before the trend even had a name. Retail also has a lot of potential. Look at the data that’s gathered from supermarket loyalty cards, as just one example. Travel and hospitality, telecomreally any market where there are a high volume of transactions or interactions that have been historically too “low value” to examine individually, but that add up to a collective picture that’s attractive to mine. Daniel: Financial institutions use things like credit scores to segment customers and offer differentiated products and pricing. However, it seems in the past that most of the data that was used was structured by nature and not necessarily leveraged as a competitive differentiator. When these organizations start mining the tremendous amount of unstructured content they have, for example, in their contact center calls, emails or even social media they can go much further in their ability to customize offers and leverage that as a competitive force. Thank you, Keith, for the insight and perspective. Big data is a trend worth monitoring, as its evolution will greatly impact the way organizations — including marketing departments — take advantage of the huge potential value. It would be interesting to hear what readers think. Please share your comments and input on what big data means to you!

April 30, 2012