* Build Your Social Army

Powerful Visual Storytelling

* Powerful Visual Storytelling

• How to embrace authenticity and what you can learn from Dove's brand campaign
• The value of sensory images, and why Squarespace has embraced the tactile
• What an archetype actually is, and how Lean In has shifted the modern women
• How to obtain cultural relevance, and why Honey Maid took a stand for modern families

What are you waiting for? Write back to us. 

adi@aghangroup.com

* Targeting a Hurdle for marketers?

According to a February 2014 study by DNN in collaboration with Lawless Research, Survey Sampling International (SSI) and Qualtrics, acquiring new customers and increasing retention were the top two 2014 marketing priorities for US marketing executives, cited by 87% and 86%, respectively

A December 2013 study from Forrester Consulting for ExactTarget found similar results. Once again, acquiring new customers and retaining existing ones were the top priorities cited by US marketing leaders.

ExactTarget reported that marketers still looked to “targeting large-scale, demographically defined audience segments” as their primary mode of customer acquisition. And the source noted that new technology should help improve such efforts, as marketers would be able to target more effectively, personalizing content for customers while building better relationships.

Based on the findings from DNN, Lawless Research, SSI and Qualtrics, this technology may be necessary for marketers to overcome their top challenges. Among US marketing execs studied, getting or holding target customers’ attention, as well as finding their target audience online, were the top two major challenges

May the innovations and growing technology might answer these questions. The very recent launch of AUDI 7 self-parking exemplifies.

Better Prices Fueling the Mobile Travel Booking Boom

As online bookings become the norm, the travel industry is focusing on the next channel—mobile, With US mobile travel sales, including travel purchases on both tablets and smartphones, expected to increase 59.8% this year to reach $26.14 billion. On top of that, we expect the number of mobile travel bookers in the US to grow 27.5% in 2014 to hit 33.5 million consumers

However, TripAdvisor’s “TripBarometer 2014” study, conducted by Ipsos MORI, found that mobile still had a long way to go when it came to winning over travelers, with just 4% of travelers polled worldwide saying they had booked their last trip via mobile, compared with 66% who did so online. Results suggested that lower prices and special offers may help fuel mobile booking uptake, with “bargain hunters” more likely to have booked through mobile. Among travelers worldwide who had booked their last trip via mobile, a better price was the leading reason, cited by 28%. And while just 16% said they had used a mobile channel to make accommodations for their last trip because of special offers, this was higher than those who said the same for offline or online booking.

The increased mobile penetration is pushing travel companies to develop better, easier mobile booking experiences, and the majority of accommodation owners polled by TripAdvisor had recognized consumer demand for mobile, with just one-fifth offering nothing. More businesses were doing so than in previous “TripBarometer” studies, and even more were planning on offering new mobile capabilities this year.

 Website-related mobile activities were the most popular mobile capabilities offered to guests by accommodation owners worldwide, with 45% allowing guests to book rooms on their sites on a mobile device and 38% reporting having mobile-friendly versions. Though mobile travel bookers indicated that better pricing was a main reason for making reservations via such a device, accommodation owners had not caught on. Just 10% made special offers available to mobile device users

http://paaluri.blogspot.in/ - reaches V Hundred

Digital innovation for pubs & restaurants - Live Social Media Feed

* Mobile Coupon Audience

The mobile coupon audience will post double-digit growth rates annually through 2016, driven by continued smartphone and tablet adoption and the proliferation of digital channels offering coupons easily accessed by mobile, such as mobile apps, daily deal and group buying sites, email, and social networks.

Mobile coupon users will be slightly more likely to redeem a coupon or code via tablet than smartphone in 2014. This year, 80.2% of mobile coupon users will use a tablet for redemption, compared with 75.4% who will do so on a smartphone.

Tablets are frequently used for in-home digital purchases, which boosts tablet coupon redemption. It’s less common for shoppers to make purchases via smartphone, although many consumers use their smartphones to redeem coupons in brick-and-mortar stores.

As smartphone users grow more comfortable with mobile shopping, they will increasingly redeem coupons via their phones. 

Aditya Paluri: * Quality Content - Marketers First Choice

Aditya Paluri: * Quality Content - Maketers First Choice: The definition of success is now being quantified by the online skill sets, the effective promotions, the strategies behind campaigns, the...

* Quality Content - Marketers First Choice

The definition of success is now being quantified by the online skill sets, the effective promotions, the strategies behind campaigns, the budgets above all the CONTENT. The right content makes all the difference when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). 

To achieve the top objectives of the organization the marketers are running after the strategies to generate the leads and drive the traffic on to their websites. Lack of quality content was among the most challenging obstacles to achieving important SEO objectives.

 According to an April 2014 survey of marketing professionals worldwide conducted by Ascend2, quality content creation was the most effective SEO tactic, cited by 57% of marketers. However, just because something is effective doesn’t make it easy. Content creation was also the most difficult tactic to execute, with nearly half of respondents saying so.

Nearly half of the professionals polled said that SEO marketing had become at least somewhat more effective during the prior year, and a January 2014 study by Econsultancy found that marketers were increasing their SEO budgets as a result. Nearly two-thirds of client-side marketers worldwide planned to increase their SEO spending in 2014. Interestingly, this only trailed content marketing, on which 74% of respondents planned to spend more.

With marketers finding content to be an effective SEO tactic and a nonissue when it comes to achieving goals, it’s likely that quality materials will flow through to SEO efforts.

* PROXIMITY MARKETING & THE RETAILERS

THE PROXIMITY MARKETING

In Continuation to my past blog on 18 April 2014  

Retailers using very close-range mobile messaging to communicate with consumers, offering discounts and promotions to people once they are in the store. Known as proximity marketing

For one thing, it’s building awareness

It is interesting in finding out if the messaging gets shoppers to buy more. It seems to be the case, and through customer conversations we can hear comments like, “It definitely got me to buy more,” and, “If I was on the fence about something, the [promotion] pushed me to make the purchase.”

From qualitative research and seeing some revenues generated from it, we see proximity marketing wasn't only building store awareness, but also driving conversion and sales.

Proximity marketing working for the retailers in 360 degrees is sure to be a new successful trend in the Digital world for the retailers which is doing both  Sales & Marketing. The immediate announcements of the brands on the discounts to the the shoppers present in the mall is luring the audience to their brand outlets.

The consumer base is gravitating to eCommerce—if not for shopping, then perusing for the website. We've certainly seen large growth in traffic on websites and we’re continuing to see that traffic growth from last year carry into this year for various retailers across the globe.
www.aghangroup.com

*Stalling Mobile Video Ads – Are the Consumers Frustrated?

*Stalling Mobile Video Ads – Are the Consumers Frustrated? Yes, these are ads changing the mood-sets of the consumers, though this being marketers choice which can’t be ignored by anyone its nothing less than forced viewership.

12% of US mobile phone owners cited video as their preferred mobile ad format. More than twice as many favored banners, likely because that format can more readily be ignored; even more chose coupons, likely because coupons can give something back to them. Mobile video ads create unique frustrations.

One problem is that video is the most data-intensive form of content, and therefore when users are on 3G or 4G networks, the ad play is on their dime. Another problem is that video streaming too often stalls, stutters or takes time rebuffering. That irritates users.

 In an April 2013 report from Prosper Mobile Insights, 35.1% of females and 24.4% of males cited loading or buffering video content as a problem with smartphones and tablets. To counter the frustration of mobile video stalling, users have come up with a simple solution: Connect with Wi-Fi when watching mobile video.

 In Rhythm NewMedia’s survey, 61.1% of US smartphone owners and 82.0% of tablet owners said they used Wi-Fi when they watched video content. What this means for marketers is also simple: Consider not streaming video ads unless the device is connected via Wi-Fi.

That’s what Facebook is doing with its rollout of mobile video ads on users’ newsfeeds. Limiting ads to Wi-Fi streamers may also limit the audience, but it reduces the chances of irritating viewers and ensures that the mobile video message gets through with the quality marketers intended. www.aghangroup.com

Freelancing Eco-System - $1000 for a Blog post?

adi.paluri@gmail.com

adi@aghangroup.com
Freelancing Eco-System - $1000 for a blog post?

To define Freelancers

1. Their appetite for work is very high

2. They couldn’t cut it in the real world

3. They don’t invest their time in understanding and brainstorming about the brand’s goals

4. They can write, write and write

Marketing professionals who wish to work with these such people will face a shocking surprise. Freelancers are in demand and are often paid extremely well -- some earn more than $1,000 per blog post.

These freelancers are exceptionally good in subject matters, core understanding of the content and the quality of their writing. Though they get a chance to get hired by biggie brands they turn them down, because they believe in self-employment to become leaders in the path chosen by them.

These freelancers writing content for you are no longer outsiders, they become so crucial that you may call them invaluable business partners. They’ll help you cultivate your brand’s strategy and share insights about what they’re seeing -- every day -- on the playing field. It’s in your company’s best interest to treat these business partners with ultimate respect

Quality comes with a price tag. If you are looking for a great content, you need to pay your writers well. You need to woo your writers and build a strong rapport with them, because ultimately, the demand for high quality content is higher than it has ever been. But the actual problem is getting the right people in right place. This process is very tougher these days and consumes much of the time. EDM’s or LinkedIn doesn’t serve the purpose to the best.

Freelancers are unbelievably busy. They book their services several months in advance, and they’re spending their days doing more than just writing. They’re highly focused on finding steady, high-quality work. The relationship building and what is called CRM, Customer Relationship Management is being redefined as Client Retention Management by these freelancers.

Can Indian movies teach you the biggest lessons of life?

Yes, Indian movies have the art and at the same time embedded with a lot of learning in it.

Few movies that polish your management skills and hit finer points of being a Management professional, including college life, finance, investments, supply chain, entrepreneurship and ethics.In these days most of the Management schools concentrate on the academics, course structure, experienced staff and many more but are missing the true essence the stream. The Application, out from the institutes joining the rat race for few bugs.

Chak De India, an Indian film portraying the contemporary scenario of sports in India. The ace star Shah Rukh Khan is the lead protagonist which is breakthrough for regular celluloid in India. The story is about a resolute women's hockey team that wins the world championship defeating all odds is one of the must-watch films and one of my favorites. 

One can learn a lot about team-building, watching how the Japanese and the British deal with their respective teams in the film. Aspects of management such as planning, co-ordination, strategy, motivation, time and stress management and goal setting are the highlights of the movie.

The Australian bash in the final shows the competitors preparedness for becoming the leader (Market Leadership). The belief system, ego-management, team effort which put together can make a big difference to the brand image.

Finally the team wins, which believes in making the colossal, collective and cooperative effort to achieve the SUCCESS.

Aditya Paluri: Millennials what’s your vote for?

Aditya Paluri: Millennials what’s your vote for?: Millennials what’s your vote for?  (Digital or Traditional or Mix) It’s always been a very subjective matter for every marketer ac...

Millennials what’s your vote for?

Millennials what’s your vote for?

 (Digital or Traditional or Mix)

It’s always been a very subjective matter for every marketer across the globe on making the choice. What could be the better proportion, better permutations and combination & what’s the better way to integrate the product or service and on which platform.

Having seen the rapid if not robust growth of social media marketing, does it infers that traditional media if fading out and will be a history for the coming generation audience. Can the traditional gain its fading glamor and limelight again? May be more number people have to say a big NO.

With the kind of platforms coming up daily, no on hourly basis, the most innovative products being developed day and night and the marketers are lured to have their brand presence on those platforms and take the driving seat. This growth is keeping every marketer be on their toes all the time and keeping making the strategic plans for the brand identity.

Despite what millennials say, digital may be winning the race. While Adroit Digital found that TV ads—a traditional form of advertising—were the most influential in perceiving/valuing a brand among millennials (70% of respondents), digital ad formats beat out the remaining traditional ones. Millennials may view digital ads as most influential, but it takes a special one to catch their attention. Millennials were the least likely to ignore TV ads, with about one-quarter of each gender group doing so.

Aditya Paluri: Does Proximity Marketing has bright future?

Aditya Paluri: Does Proximity Marketing has bright future?: Does Proximity Marketing has bright future? I think the only thing that we agree on is that 2014 will be filled with small-scale tests...

Does Proximity Marketing has bright future?

Does Proximity Marketing has bright future?

I think the only thing that we agree on is that 2014 will be filled with small-scale tests to see whether the latest generations of proximity platforms can significantly improve the shopper experience and the retailer’s bottom line. Beyond that, opinions are split.

On the positive side, some foresee a radically transformed environment in which the world is, in essence, a personalized and interactive catalog to be browsed and shopped with a smartphone or wearable device. At the other end of the spectrum are those who expect the widespread testing of proximity platforms to show them unready for scaling and hampered by fragmented services, operational complexities and consumer reservations about privacy.

The ladder of most important data for marketing succes is Contact Data, Sales Data, Demographic Data, Preference data, Behavioural Data, Geolocation Data, Interantional Data. So its all about the large network which can speak on the bottom line for many brands and their marketing strategies.

Embattled by stiff online competition, brick-and-mortar retailers are looking to the internet for inspiration to improve the in-store experience. Online cookies, pixels and social logins track the shopper across the web, offering insights that ecommerce sites in turn rely on to advertise and merchandise effectively. A slew of new proximity platforms offer comparable tools for brick-and-mortar retailers.

PLA's - Paradoxically, A Better Choice

A Big Surprise!

Free is better than paid service? And this is true.

According to Search Marketing Professional Worldwide, Q1 2014, Performance of product listing ads in relation paid search is much better. Marketers across the globe are finding greater success with Google's PLA's than any other types of paid search. IN Q1 2014 Search marketing professionals worldwide rated the performance of PLAs as atleast better than paid search.

Reacting to the above world wide marketing professionals had already started to dis-invest money from existing paid search budgets and putting this towards PLA's.

Though PLA's are drawing more attention, these wont be replacing the traditional paid search ads in the near time. Adding to this paid search ads are expected to improve their performance in the coming years.

Interactive video in INDIA

A paradigm shift is expected very soon in INDIA!

Interactive video will become even more popular this year.

Interactive video is seeing tremendous success in North America thanks to its “completely immerse brand experience,” and this growth is expected to continue in the coming years. Advertisers using interactive video have learned from the past, combining the best practices of both rich media and video ads. The recent activity in INDIA which i remember was ALLU ARJUN in sprite (CCIL), Where one has to expose the bar code to the PC cam or Laptop cam and then activity is initiated. But since then its dormant comparative to the other countries where the interactive video engagement is increasing tremendously.


Either way, as advertisers continue to see success with video campaigns, they’re putting more dollars toward the ad channel in all the foreign countries. But here in INDIA the activities or the interface has not yet seen the shine. The opportunities are huge and the Gen X, Y or even Z is under the continuous hunt for innovative concepts. What these days we are seeing photography or short film making growing unconventionally growing, may be social media providing a huge platform for showcasing their talents and getting appreciated by the fellas. Like wise, innovations are inevitable in SMM, laws & PR issues have to be little relaxed to get the think-tanks materialized.

The 3 I's in Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing

In this ferociously growing era of social media and marketing, it still the marketer's creative thought which drive the campaigns in to great success. To understand as a layman, 

BENEFITS

1) One of the greatest things about social media sites are cost benefits

2) Social media helps get more traffic to your website

3) Unique reason, you are instantly entered into a world where you can directly communicate with customers and fans

4) You can actually talk to the people who are interested in your company and have a one to one dialogue with them

5) Able to stay current on all the latest trends in your industry

DRIVERS

1) Social Media  is a place to gauge public sentiment for our brands/retailers as well as give us a second chance in setting things correct

2) A deep understanding in to the Customer behavior and expectations through the social media channels which help in customizing offerings

3) People would like to fan or follow the official social media channel purely based on their experience and status

MAJOR PLATFORMS

1)Facebook being the social media channel for building the community through engagement.

2)Twitter has been a listening tool and addressing customer issues.

3) Instagram a huge photo sharing and engaging platform

What if all the 3 can be brought on a single platform and that too LIVE

The most   Innovative,  Interactive &  Integrated services are the most alluring and lucrative assets of any agency on the service side.

www.aghangroup.com

e-Marketing challenges in 2014

What are those e-Marketing challenges in 2014 that keep you up at night?

How can you increase your market share and magnify the margins?

Social media bring various changes in society. By the advent of social media consumers exhibit different behavior. This makes marketing essentially different.

What is the impact for your business?

Can or should you try to influence the outcomes?

Will the correct use of E-marketing resolve emerging challenges like those of the retail industry?

Will E-Marketing offer your company more clients and new markets?

And how can you analyze the immense amount of data and which conclusions are relevant for new approaches?

The rise of big data and digital connectivity has changed the face of marketing forever. Interactions with customers have become a dialogue, targeted at individual needs and value creation opportunities, across many different digital touch-points. As a result a whole new industry has emerged around marketing disciplines that did not exist more than 1-2 decades ago.  Examples are search optimization, web analytics, social campaigning, etc..  Also marketing initiatives and online interaction leverage insights on more customer data, and are adapted at a higher – often real time – frequency.  In summary, marketing is proliferating and getting more complex. Many more decisions need to be made, at higher frequency, with more data available. It should be no surprise that many marketing leaders struggle to adapt their organizations to this proliferated – and more complex - environment, while keeping their cost base under control

We identified 3 major challenges which keep the top-notch thinking

1) How do I find time to monitor & manage organisation's social media

2) Am I allocating budget appropriately across the major areas

3) Technology is changing quickly how do we keep up

Find out more in the next blog  e-Marketing Challenges in 2014

Aditya Paluri

Aghan Group