The running theme through this year’s top performers of the Promise Index is offering customers the ultimate in making their lives easier, be it achieved through technology, product innovation and value-for-money service.

Consumers are all for an easy life. So it is no surprise that brands offering the height of convenience through technological innovation top this year’s Promise Index, shown exclusively to Marketing Week. Online companies Google, Amazon and PayPal head the list of businesses which consumers believe offer a customer experience on a par with its brand image.

Each year, the Promise Index asks more than 1000 consumers to rate 250 brands out of 10 on two metrics: the ’image’ projected by a brand and the actual ’experience’ it offers customers. The companies achieving the best averaged scores have a solid brand image that is accompanied by an experience that overdelivers on expectations.

Promise senior consultant Thea Bowden says the online businesses topping the index are “continually innovative”, adding: “These innovations are based on consumer feedback and because everything is so automated and streamlined, it’s hard to disappoint people.”

As well as Google, Amazon and PayPal taking the top three spots, online auction site eBay ranks at 14th. Scoring 8.47 out of 10 overall, Google is up 0.32 points from last year. Amazon scores slightly lower with 8.38, but it demonstrates a marked improvement from last year.

“A lot of people are relying on [these brands] more and are pleasantly surprised by what they can do. PayPal has done very well because it is being used more and perhaps it benefits from its association with eBay,” Bowden adds.

Also appearing in the top 20 are media brands Freeview (in sixth place), Apple (15th) and the BBC (16th). Their places appear to have been earned by their provision of digital content as consumer appetite for this type of service grows.
Freeview and the BBC score higher this year than last by 0.26 and 0.19 respectively, while Apple’s score has fallen by 0.41.

Bowden claims this may suggest consumers are growing tired of Apple’s high prices.
The bottom 20 feature a crowd of telecoms and broadband firms such as AOL, BT, Tiscali, TalkTalk and 3, as well as utilities companies such as EDF and British Gas. Although these companies often use technology to provide services to consumers, Bowden says that their utilitarian nature makes these brands difficult to feel endeared to.

With this in mind, she suggests these brands could improve their scores by tapping into the convenience and innovation trend, taking the trouble to offer extra-special customer service or new products that make consumers’ lives easier.
Customers these days do care about convenience and they appreciate it when their lives become easier. Innovation is part of digital marketing and therefore there are numerous options to take your business to the next level. Cypriot customers appreciate it even more since the market is slower and on its early steps.

Channel 5 is to use Facebook as a voting platform for reality show Big Brother for the first time.

The broadcaster is working with show producer Endemol, Facebook and mobile agency Mobile Interactive Group to develop a Facebook app that lets viewers vote for the contestants they want to leave the Big Brother house, using the social network’s Credits payment system.

Viewers can purchase votes using Facebook Credits to use on either their laptops or smartphones. Channel 5, which bought the rights to broadcast Big Brother after ten years at Channel 4, is yet to determine pricing.
Channel 5 digital director James Tatam told new media age that Facebook voting represents only part of the overall social media and digital strategy for the show, which will include video footage on the show’s Facebook page, along with real-time news and video updates.

Previously it had mooted providing live 24-hour streaming via its website, but Tatam said it has shelved this idea in favour of a constant stream of video highlights, which will be available on both the main website and Facebook.
“We want a lot of the content to be on Facebook. Putting real-time news and video updates alongside the ability to vote should be really powerful,” he said.

Facebook won’t be the only voting mechanism, according to Tatam, but will be one of several on devices yet to be confirmed. It’s also in talks with YouTube to extend the use of the platform beyond video content for Big Brother. It has also launched its first Big Brother Twitter feed.

In a previews post we mentioned that TV programs started to implement similar strategies that engage their audience in a different way. The system mentioned here could be proved a great innovation while the target audience of the program is very similar with most facebook users that are online.

Apple iOS up, Android flat, RIM down among recent acquirers.

Smartphones continue to grow in popularity. According to Nielsen’s May survey of mobile consumers in the U.S., 38 percent now own smartphones. And 55 percent of those who purchased a new handset in the past three months reported buying a smartphone instead of a feature phone, up from 34 percent just a year ago.

Android continues to be the most popular smartphone operating system, with 38 percent of smartphone consumers owning Android devices. However, while Android also leads among those who recently purchased a new smartphone, it is the Apple iPhone that has shown the most growth in recent months.

What does that mean for your company?

The smartphone revolution is at the step of your door. It means that almost every single unit has access in the internet, whether via WI-FI or 3G service. This opens new horizons for marketing, as more applications are launched, new audiences are targeted and different kind of campaigns are implemented. Cyprus is now taking its first steps in digital-mobile marketing and such attempts are embraced by customers and help companies to further higher their status'. 

Comments on social sites about brands and products are encouraging users to take action. Social networks are becoming a part of everyday life for many users, and their offline habits are affected by their participation.

In November 2010, the Pew Internet & American Life Project surveyed US social network users for the “Social Network Sites and Our Lives” report, released in June 2011, and found that 31% of social network users are on Facebook several times a day. Additionally, 21% of respondents use the site about once a day. This is followed by Twitter, which 20% of social network users check several times a day and 13% use about once a day.

As consumers use these social sites several times a day or week, they are also commenting on posts from friends just as often. The Pew study found that 26% of female Facebook users and 17% of male Facebook users comment on Facebook posts at least once a day. Further, the study found that 57% of female Facebook users and 48% of male Facebook users comment on posts at least once a week.

But social network users are not just responding on social media. The April 2011 “S-Net: The Impact of Social Media” study by ROI Researchfound that 60% of US social network users were at least somewhat likely to take action when a friend posted something about a product, service, company or brand on a social media site. Only 18% were not at all likely to take action.

The study doesn’t elaborate on what exactly respondents would do, but another question asked specifically what actions US social network users would be more likely to take after following a company or product on Facebook or Twitter. On Facebook, 53% of respondents said the top activities would be purchasing the brand or company’s product and recommending the company or product. For Twitter, the top activities were talking about the company or product (61%), recommending the company or product (59%) and purchasing the brand or company’s product (58%).

Fans or followers of a brand are influenced by what they see from these company accounts, but they are also influenced by what their friends say about brands or companies that they don’t necessarily follow. It’s another area for marketers to focus on—the reach they have and how their brand fans may influence their own friends and followers.

Cypriots are yet more enthusiastic as introducing products in social media still remains a new concept. Digital Marketers are aware of this and they try to implement the right strategies to engage the audience and get reactions out of them.

Marketing director UK and Ireland for Fujitsu Vince Kerr (pictured) pressed the point on a centre stage panel focusing on mobile and social media.

He said: “You have to understand how to integrate social media - it’s not a stand alone activity. It can play a role across the whole media mix, including events and offline advertising.”

The panel, chaired by head of insights at CIM Thomas Brown, agreed that marketers using social media had to tread a fine line between being cautious and allowing teams to be creative and inspirational.

Nick Eades, chief marketing officer of Psion, said: “I think people are right not to be scared but they should be cautious of social media. You will have investors who watch what you do and what you tweet.”

Kristof Fahy, group brand and marketing director for William Hill, agreed and added: “We want to encourage enthusiasm and creativity but we need to put some boundaries around it.”

The panel stressed that staff should be given some social media training and that those who showed aptitude should be empowered to use social media. However, anyone involved should be briefed on the negative side of social media. Fahy said: “Don’t get involved if you cannot deal with it. It’s not all positive in the world of social media.”

Talking about engaging with communities Kerr added: “You have to take a view whether a comment is damaging or is it better to let sleeping dogs lie.”

The panel admitted that measurement and explaining the value of social media to the CEO or CFO was a challenge but Eades stressed that it is no use just throwing unstructured data taken from social monitoring tools at board members. Make sure that your data is segmented and structured and that you can offer a decision or viewpoint, he advised.

So do not give away your social media campaign just to anyone. Visit digital marketers that will assign these kind of tasks to social media experts.

Many consumers prefer email as their primary contact method with brands and companies regarding sales, promotions and new products.

Companies that honor this request and strategically engage recipients at the right time have much to gain, according to findings from email marketing solution provider StrongMail.

Using automated email marketing, also known as “lifecycle email marketing,” marketers can set up a series of email campaigns that deploy messages upon user-triggered actions such as completing a purchase or downloading a trial. According to StrongMail, 46% of companies worldwide are currently taking advantage of lifecycle email marketing.

Among those, the majority leveraged it for welcome programs (78%), and about half used it to maintain client communication in post-purchase campaigns (45%) and to continue post-sales revenue generation with cross-sell and upsell programs (44%).

Undoubtedly, the ability to communicate with clients in tempo with user-initiated actions allows companies to target customers with more personalized messaging. In addition, marketing automation can streamline email marketing efforts and methodically grow customer lifetime revenue, permitting companies to free up their sales force to focus on new business.

More than half (57%) of those using marketing automation saw positive gains in campaign metrics like open rate, clicks, purchases and registrations. However, a large percentage (39%) were unsure of the impact on their email marketing efforts, perhaps suggesting these companies lacked measurement capabilities.

Still, StrongMail found 75% of respondents with lifecycle email marketing programs believed they outperformed traditional outbound marketing programs like general email blasts.
Specifically, respondents said these automated programs had positive effects on customer experience: 67% cited increased subscriber engagement and 54% reported increased customer satisfaction and retention.

Companies also cited revenue-specific benefits, including increased revenue and higher ROI. In addition, 38% said they were now able to send fewer but more profitable email messages, highlighting the ability for marketers to be more strategic in their email deployment, ultimately achieving more with less.

In Cyprus email marketing is becoming a popular campaign method but there are factors that we have to consider just before we begin such a campaign. A digital marketing expert should be able to give you advice on this. We are.

A recent study found 89% of Internet users share online content on social networks, 93% use email and 82% use blogs. Additionally, social networks were identified as the top method for sharing content with friends.

Listening to your social customers is important and can be beneficial to your company. Think of them like a free focus group; by monitoring conversations about your brand, you can see how people view your company, services or products.

Still not convinced you should listen and join in the conversation? Here are more key reasons why it pays to listen to your social customers:
It can improve your brand or product

Is your service slow, do your customers wish you still carried last year’s model, or is your brand getting a bad rap? If so, your customers are sharing their thoughts on social networks. Understanding how your customers feel can help you improve your corporate reputation and/or product.

It can help you provide better customer support

A negative tweet about your brand isn’t always a bad thing. Quickly responding to customer complaints with a solution and providing instant customer support helps strengthen relationships with your customers. Remember, customers not only share their bad experiences, they also share positive ones.
Keeping a pulse on competitors

Paying attention to conversations around your competition can help you gain a better understanding of their product or services and its advantages and disadvantages. You can learn how much your audience is talking about you in comparision, and, if necessary, strategize ways to ramp up your social media game plan to help shape the conversation.

Generate new business leads

Through keyword search, Facebook interest groups, Tweetchats, forums, and many, many more social platforms, you can uncover potential sales opportunities. There will be people looking for services or products that your company offers; find them and reach out to them!
Build brand advocacy and spread the word

People online are passionate, and you may be able to find those social customers who love your brand. By building a relationship with these community members and influencers, you can spread organic word-of-mouth across different channels. After all, people trust their friends and family the most.

So if you haven’t thought to implement a social media marketing strategy, you should start considering it. At WSI Web Innovators we consider this type of marketing as an affordable and effective way that should be part of your digital campaigns. The Cypriot market is still young on digital marketing so by visiting professionals to design your strategy, it means prestige and great results.

Diageo’s chief marketing officer Andy Fennell has warned marketers to stop being obsessed with targeting youth as they risk neglecting a “valuable and influential” older audience.

Fennell – who oversees marketing strategy for brands including Guinness, Smirnoff and Gorgon’s - told Marketing Week that the marketing industry needs to “change [its] paradigms” about how it views older consumers, in line with the ageing population.

Marketers need to “respect and understand” consumers over 35, who are increasingly adopting new media and staying active, Fennel adds.

He said: “Saying you are going to target 18 to 34 year old men is so outdated. We are working more around a lifestyle concept. It’s about how consumers behave and not their age.”

Fennell adds that to say Diageo was specifically targeting older consumers would be “patronising”, but the drinks company will be rolling out specific targeting of channels with broader audiences that include older people.

Diageo’s operating profit increased 2% to £1.7bn in the six months to 31 December. Net sales were up 4% globally in the period to £5.3bn.

A new research by Econsultancy proved that most consumers are likely to check a product online first before they go in-store to buy it.

At least 39% among 2000 UK buyers always check online before buying anything while 51.4% sometimes checks.

The research also shows that a very popular service was “reserve and collect”. (74% do this)

For example, Argos' multichannel sales grew to £1.9bn in the year up to February 26 2011, representing almost half (46%) of its total sales. The reserve and collect iPhone app accounted for 1% of total sales.

Most consumers also believe that by ordering something online they have more chance in returning it back if they are not happy with it.

The Multichannel retail is shaping new buying trends and increase competition. More companies are engaging with these methods in order to simplify the retail environment for the fast pace of life.

A record 28.6 million people in the UK visited Facebook in May, according to UKOM/Nielsen.

Google remained the most visited website, with 33.7million visitors. The number of people visiting MSN in May stood at 26.4 million.

Twitter and LinkedIn also recorded unprecedented visitor numbers, with Twitter reaching 6.14 million and LinkedIn attracting 3.59 million visitors, up 57% on May 2010.

Nielsen attributed Twitter’s record figures, up 34% on April, to the furore surrounding it and Ryan Giggs’ super injunction. A 65% increase in 50 to 64 year-old men, and a 96% jump in women over-65 visiting the site helped boost numbers.

According to UKOM/Nielsen, older age groups are more likely to visit Twitter than younger age groups.
Nielsen has also pointed out that Facebook growth, despite reports earlier this month that its numbers had started to fall, was being driven by the over-50s. Since 2009, the number of 50 to 64 year-olds visiting the site has grown 84%.

These older age groups account for more new adults visiting the site in the last two years than the under-50s, said UKOM general manager James Smythe.

As a result, the membership of Facebook is now more representative of the overall UK population than it previously has been. Twitter, however, looks to become increasingly skewed towards an older age group, with under-18s less likely to visit it than they were two years ago.

Earlier this month, Facebook rebuffed reports it was losing traffic in major markets. Social media blog Inside Facebook claimed that its Gold Data service, analysing active Facebook users, showed that in ’mature’ markets including Canada, Norway, Russia, the UK and US, traffic had dropped, and begun to slow overall traffic growth (nma.co.uk 13 June 2011).

We see social media as a major part of a marketing campaign. Without any doubt a social media campaign will bring you results that you can monitor your self. While older groups are also engaged with social media, it means that age group is not an issue when it comes to digital marketing campaigns.