The market is tough. The consumer is spooked. – Philip Green
Today is Black Friday. The day when US retailers traditionally open very early and offer big discounts to lure people into stores on the day after Thanksgiving. Many of the big ecommerce players are using mobile to try and disrupt this tradition.
Some retailers like BestBuy are trying to fight the tide of mobile savvy shoppers by not displaying manufacturers barcodes on products, so people can’t scan them to read reviews or check online prices. But they do have QR codes that lead to Best Buy mobile pages
Others like department store Nordstrom are offering free wifi;
“The shopping landscape is changing very rapidly, and so we want to evolve with our customers,”
IBM are keeping a close eye on US retailers and have just released this data;
* Early results for Thanksgiving 2011 indicate that it is going to be a strong online shopping day.
* Thanksgiving 2011 sales are up 20 percent over Thanksgiving 2010 for the same time period.
* Mobile shopping is also off to a very strong start:
- Mobile Traffic: The number of consumers using a mobile device to visit a retailer’s site reached 15.8 percent.
- Mobile Shopping: The number of consumers using their mobile device to make a purchase reached 10.1 percent.
Here in the UK the news that Philip Green is to close over 260 shops supports our thinking that retail is going to get shaken up with mobile and this Christmas is going to be the first Mobile Christmas. And with data suggesting people are getting more comfortable buying more expensive items on their phone, it won’t just be the stocking fillers that get bought on mobile.
But with around 80% of sites effectively shuttered for mobile buyers some retailers are going to miss out. A review of 22 retailers shows that most have lots to do to maximize sales from mobile shoppers.
Amazon – any phone for 1 cent
If you were thinking of launching a phone in a years time how would you try and prepare for that? How about you offer such an amazing deal you get loads of people to buy from you now, in the hope you can sell your new phone to them when their deal is up for renewal?
Amazon.com is selling most of the best smartphones for 1 cent in a promotion with AT&T. Just as rumours about their own phone surface. Coincidence?
Oddly Amazon.com don’t sell smartphones on their mobile site?
And as if not wanting to be left out, there are more rumours about a Facebook phone.
One key thought is a build on the Jacob Neilson 1-9-90 theory of social – that whilst 1% of people produce content, 9% share it around and the other 90%.
Tom expands this to;
Engaged user // community // spectator // passive consumer (at a ratio of 1 . 10 . 100 . 1000?)
This feels a bit like how TV works when done smartly. Rather than chase passive consumers, brands like YeoValley are choosing to focus on those places where the spectators are, in an attempt to build community and engagement.Of course great TV ads are very powerful – as part of the team that brought you Howard from the Halifax we know just how effective TV can be. But even back then, we were looking for a way of having a Part 2 to the TV ad, just as the YeoVally ads drive people to Facebook
Various conversations with smart agencies and smart brands over the past few weeks have reminded us that marketers are looking for engagement rather than merely reach. So the big question is how do you use TV to drive your community to a deeper more engaging experience?
In a must read article Shiv Singh of Pepsi argues that TV ads have to become trailers;
When TV ads become teasers for digital experiences, the ROI on the investment will improve significantly as the digital experience will stretch out the brand experiences beyond the 30 second clip.
Our clever friends at Collaborate talk eloquently about how connected TV is about to disrupt the cosy world of trad TV. And point to interesting thinking on how video is finally becoming professionalised.
In this new world, it feels like mobile has a huge role to play. People are using their devices whilst watching TV so it’s the natural place to try and build the digital experience. But we’re convinced that the mobile/digital expertise needs to be involved at the start of the thinking, rather than bolted on at the end.
And Seth Godin reminds us that reach isn’t always a good thing – and that long term engagement is what’s really valuable – if you can turn it into permission.
Quick reads
Apple are to start publishing weekly charts of their best selling apps. This is slightly different to the list within the appstore and seems to be a way for Apple to try and own the space. Given how disorganised the Android stores still are, there seems to be little chance of a meaningful Android version.
Perfect proof that there is life outside the app store – the FT have announced a million users for their HTML5 app. They have produced a good infographic with all the data.
Good thinking about GAFA – and Microsoft.
Google new iPad app is very interesting.
Still on the iPad some good data showing how conversion tends to be higher than on the desktop.
John Battelle has written a good piece pointing out some of the problems with mobile advertising. Even Martin Sorrell is disappointed by the slow take off of mobile.
@sienneveit: Very disappointed in take up of mobile : 0.5% of budgets but 8% of our time #ebg (Martin Sorrell)
Last nights London Standard had 9 ads featuring QR codes. NFC is never coming to press and whilst Google Goggles is cool, we’re convinced that QR codes are here to stay.The challenge is to make them work really well.
Finally…
two videos you must watch;
Whilst everyone must have has seen Fenton by now , it’s turning into a meme.
And the new ad from Samsung is a much watch.
I could never get a Samsung, I’m creative.
Dude, you’re a barista.
