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Twitter's financial losses:
look out for them chasing advertising dollars, and the traffic on your brand's Twitter page starting to erode. It will be Facebook's 'Edgerank' all over again.
Facebook buys WhatsApp, Comcast buys Time Warner: more digital media companies unlocking greater economies of scale, and a reminder that all young dotcoms like WhatsApp will in time become far more commercial.
Yahoo leverages Tumblr, in a smart way that will help brands through native advertising options, and Google opens a new set of ad exchange opportunities to target your media budgets.
And following requests from Digital Training Academy graduates, we now have new special research reports in place on Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Germany, India, Latin America, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Russia and South Africa.
Danny Meadows-Klue
President
Digital Training Academy
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Facebook is buying WhatsApp for a massive $19bn (£11.4bn), as the social network looks to restart its flagging growth in developed markets, while offering a popular free messaging service in emerging markets, shaking up the telecoms industry in the process. Watch this video from Bloomberg discussing the deal here. 20/02/2014 | Full story...
Yahoo will start to use Tumblr as a native ads server, with the popular blogging platform hosting sponsored content from brands. 17/02/2014 | Full story...
Rakuten has bought instant messaging and voice app Viber for $900m, as the Japanese ecommerce giant and owner of Play.com continues its expansion into new markets. 14/02/2014 | Full story...
Google has just rolled out "Custom Brand Exchanges" which will allow brands to buy premium ad space through programmatic buying. Programmatic buying means that companies can buy display advertising which has been analysed by a complex software and algorithm, displaying the ads in the best position. 14/02/2014 | Full story...
Facebook has been criticised in the past for not tackling the problem of click farms generating 'fake likes', and new research suggests the problem continues for the social network- even when ads are paid for via official Facebook channels. 12/02/2014 | Full story and data...
Back in 1984, the Internet linked just 1,000 hosts and labs- now it connects over 2 billion people around the globe. This infographic from webmaster tool whoishostingthis looks at the biggest trends that have shaped digital media in the past 3 decades. 11/02/2014 | Full story...
Yahoo is ditching its mobile banner format, instead focusing on native ads on smartphones and tablets, as the portal looks to boost its mobile ad revenue through more engaging campaigns. 07/02/2014 | Full story...
Twitter has posted a net loss of $645m (£396m) for 2013, three months after its flotation on the New York Stock Exchange, as the micro-blogging network struggles to attract new and existing users. Watch this Bloomberg discussing Twitter's challenges below. 06/02/2014 | Full story...
Microsoft has announced that Satya Nadella has been promoted to the role of CEO, replacing Steve Ballmer as the software giant's third boss. Watch this video from Microsoft, featuring an interview with Nadella here. 05/02/2014 | Full story...
This chart shows internet penetration by region. North America and Western Europe have the highest internet penetration out of any region analysed with 81% and 78% of the populations being online. 13/02/2014 | Full story...
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To mark Valentines Day 2014, shampoo brand Head & Shoulders partnered with Saatchi & Saatchi in the Philippines to run a hidden camera viral campaign, featuring young men a blind date with a lady (played by an actress) who has really bad dandruff. 21/02/2014 |
Full story...
Procter & Gamble is the clear winner among sponsors of the 2014 Winter Olympics on YouTube, racking up 27 million views through the first week of the Games with videos including "Pick Them Back Up," which depicts the journey mothers and children go though on their way to sporting success. 17/02/2014 | Full story...
KFC Russia is inviting customers to star in a TV commercial, via a new campaign that incorporates outdoor, TV and social media advertising. 10/02/2014 | Full story...
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/online-advertising
Further proof this month that customer data is key for marketing ROI, with a new study showing that advertisers are paying three times more for cookie-based ads. But joining up this knowledge of a customer across channels (be it online, in-store or reading a newspaper) remains a challenge- although many marketers are predicting a 'joined up' view of the customer will be commonplace by 2016. Google and ComScore have made this prediction a little closer to reality, uniting to measure ad success across platforms in the US.
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This chart shows the top online brands in the US by unique monthly visitors and average time spent for the month. 13/02/2014 | Full story...
Google has partnered with comScore to offer advertisers real-time data to measure how effective campaigns are across all types of computer screens and mobile devices. 19/02/2014 | Full story...
Online ad exchanges cost three times more for cookie-based ads that have access to data about other web sites that consumers have visited, according to a new study. 19/02/2014 | Full story...
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/search-engine-marketing
The end looks in sight for Google's legal struggle over its European search - with the court forcing the web giant to place more prominent links to rivals on its search results pages. This month, we also include some search tips form Google's Matt Cutts, looking into maintaining a high place in search results after the new Hummingbird algorithm, and the web giant's position on social signals in SERPs.
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As Google implements it's latest 'Hummingbird' algorithm, many site owners have noticed that long held top positions on Google are being lost to new sites. Matt Cutts, head of Google's webspam team explains why past success on SEO does not guarantee success in this new era of search, and offers advice on retaining that vital top spot in the rankings. 11/02/2014 | Full story and data...
Google has offered further concessions to address regulatory concerns about its search technology, the European Commission said on Wednesday, effectively settling a three-year investigation and avoiding a fine of up to $5 billion. 06/02/2014 | Full story...
The secrets to Google's page ranking algorithms have always remained a tightly guarded (and ever-changing) secret. But recently, Matt Cutts of Google took to YouTube to explain how Google handles social media posts on its search rankings. 07/02/2014 | Full story and data...
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/facebook-marketing
This month saw Facebook pay a huge $19bn for WhatsApp - we look at the industry reaction and examine why Zuckerberg paid 19 times more for a chat app than it did for Instagram back in 2012. As Facebook turns 10, we also look at why the social network and its huge silos of user data could pose a threat to Google's dominance of search.
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Facebook bought WhatsApp for an eye-opening $19bn (£11.4bn) this week- causing the stock market and analysts alike to question the social network's confidence in its own growth. But how did Zuckerberg justify the hefty price tag that could have bought him 19 Instagrams? We look at five reasons why the deal might not be quite as crazy as it sounds... 21/02/2014 | Full story...
Facebook turns 10 this week, rolling out its graph search to mobile users as the social network sets its sights on Google's search revenue-and it plans to use mobile to get there. 04/02/2014 | Full story...
This week saw Facebook snap up mobile messaging service WhatsApp for an astronomical $19bn- marking the biggest tech purchase to date. The move has sparked many comments from the industry- we take a look at some of the key quotes as chat apps come of age... 21/02/2014 | Full story...
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Twitter is looking at ways of selling products directly from its social network, as the firm explores new revenue streams from social shopping to compete with Facebook, according to a news report. 03/02/2014 | Full story...
Tweets in the U.S. about Sunday's telecast of Super Bowl XLVIII on FOX reached a Unique Audience on Twitter of 15.3 million people, garnering a total of 1.8 billion Twitter TV impressions throughout the night. In this infographic, Nielsen SocialGuide looks at which brands generated the most buzz on Twitter during one of the biggest sporting events (and primetime TV spots) of the year. 07/02/2014 | Full story...
The rush for social media engagement metrics, such as 'likes', 'follows', 'retweets' or Google '+1s' has resulted in confusion over how much this social interaction is actually worth to a brand. This infographic, from Google's Wildfire, looks at how large companies are measuring their social media success. 14/02/2014 | Full story...
More top social media stories from this month:
- 80% of small businesses 'turning to social media' for leads
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/mobile-marketing
Google made a major leap forward in mobile this month, with Project Tango - a smartphone that maps your surroundings in 3D - with big implications for advertisers. This month we also look at global app trends and take a look at a day in the life of a app user - revealing that iPad still rules in the US market.
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Google has revealed its latest foray into mobile mapping technology with 'Project Tango'- a new smartphone with sensors that track the position of the smartphone in a full 3D space- with the added ability to map what's outside the phone. Watch this video demonstrating how Project Tango will work below. 21/02/2014 | Full story...
A global survey of application developers and publishers that provides a pulse on the app economy, results showed that developers are creating more apps than ever. 06/02/2014 | Full story and data...
While Android makes headway in many regions, Apple continues to dominate the tablet market in the US, with iPad users generating 4 times more traffic than people on Android tablets. 19/02/2014 | Full story...
The number of text messages being sent in the UK has fallen for the first time ever as more people turn to Whatsapp and iMessage, according to new research looking into mobile trends. 13/01/2014 | Full story...
More top mobile stories from this month:
- Top smartphone apps in Southeast Asia: Facebook and Google Play lead way
- Two thirds of mobile media consumers use a second screen
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YouTube has begun to audit the number of views a video has received, in a bid to tackle the growing trend for fake views inflating the popularity of videos. Last year, Channel 4 ran a documentary 'Celebs, Brands and Fake Fans' , which examined the growing trend for fake views, and looked at the origin of click farms in areas such as Bangladesh. Watch this trailer for the documentary here. 05/02/2014 | Full story...
Digital income now accounts for 50% of the UK record industry's sales revenue, according to new research. 20/02/2014 | Full story...
More top multimedia content stories from this month:
- Mobile video trends: Brits prefer traditional TV to smartphones and tablets
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/marketing-through-gaming/
The price of success can sometime prove too much - as seen this month when 'Flappy Bird' creator Dong Nguyen pulled the game despite making as much as $50,000 a day from the game's ad revenue (also showing how lucrative app advertising can be). Meanwhile, the 'freemiun' model for app gaming came under more scrutiny this month, with EA facing a torrent of criticism for its extra charges on strategy game Dungeon Keeper.
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The growing trend for 'freemium' mobile games has come under more scrutiny this week, as Electronic Arts sparked criticism from customers that it is over-charging on its latest remake of the classic 'Dungeon Keeper' strategy game. 11/02/2014 | Full story...
Mobile gaming phenomenon Flappy Bird has been pulled from the Apple and Google Play app stores, after its Vietnamese creator said its fame "ruins my simple life" - although he has not ruled out a sequel. 10/02/2014 | Full story...
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/ecommerce-and-eretailing
A cheeky marketing stunt from cosmetic retailer Lush stole the headlines this month, mocking an Amazon boss after the ecommerce giant was caught selling "misleading" products that were made to look like Lush items. This month we also look at the controversial Bitcoin - is it time to take virtual currency seriously?
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Ethical cosmetics range Lush has used a new shower gel to mock Amazon UK boss Christopher North after winning a High Court battle to stop the online giant selling "misleading" products that were made to look like Lush items. 14/02/2014 | Full story...
Amazon has developed a 'mind-reading' technology that will predict what people want to buy and ship packages even before customers have placed an order. 03/02/2014 | Full story...
With the rise of Bitcoin, virtual currencies are starting to be taken seriously (or at least being seen as a threat) by the financial industry. Since its launch in 2009 the value of the currency in circulation has now risen to $10 billion. This infographic from communications agency Clarity, looks at the 6 biggest virtual currencies, and assess whether any can become the future of money as the world goes digital. 07/02/2014 | Full story...
More top ecommerce stories from this month:
- UK now second biggest exporter of retail
- Global mobile shopping trends: 15% more shoppers plan to go mobile in 2014
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/digital-marketing-regulation
A teacher's experimental tweet about online privacy reached 42 million people - turning a simple classroom lesson into an social media phenomenon and providing a powerful message about the dangers of social media in the process. Meanwhile, a new study indicates that 60% of all web traffic is 'not human', instead consisting largely of search spiders and malicious spam bots.
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A social media experiment started by a fourth grade teacher from Ontario has shown up in the feeds of 42 million users, according to Twitter analytics specialist SocialBro. The post was retweeted 88,898 times with London the most active city, even though the original post originated in Canada. 12/02/2014 | Full story...
Nearly two thirds (61.5%) of all web traffic around the world comes from bots- both good and bad- according to new research. 13/02/2014 | Full story and data...
Websites can link to freely available online content without seeking permission from the copyright owner, according to a landmark European court ruling. 19/02/2014 | Full story...
James Dyson is investing £5m in a robotics lab, in a move that puts the vacuum tycoon in direct competition with Google in the race to produce robots that perform household chores. 10/02/2014 | Full story...
More top regulation stories from this month:
- Massive NTP hack - a sign of things to come?
- Tesco hack exposes thousands of passwords
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