twitter released figures saying that mobile usage has increased 62% since the middle of April as a bunch of new official apps for the iPhone, Blackberry and Android came out.  twitter added that 16% of all new users to twitter start out on mobile as opposed to the web – as opposed to the 5% before it launched its first twitter-branded mobile client.

the rise of mobile users and new users has pushed twitter’s overall numbers to around the 145 million mark.

7% of spenders account for 60% of spend
26% of spenders account for 84% of spend

why is this important?

google embodies why search marketing is the ultimate in pull advertising.
“google has become the remote control for the world; it’s the first stop, not tv” said will margiloff, CEO of innovation interactive, a unit of denstu. “more than any other media, that messaging is requested; people are seeking bp’s answers out as opposed to waiting to be told.”

google controls 65% of of u.u. web searched with its algorithms.
due to these algorithms not everyone can show up on the top of the results page. however, adwords is the great equalizer: you can buy your way to the top as a big brand.

some interesting tidbits.
the data obtained by ad age includes huge brands such as gm, walt disney, eastman kodak and bmw, which appear to have spent less than $500,000 in june. apple & chip maker intel spent just under $1 million on search during june.

what is the apollo group?
who is this advertiser that spend $6.67 billion of adwords in june? a quick google search reveals that the apollo group is behind online education ventures such as the university of phoenix. wow, for-profit universities must be a much larger industry than i could have ever imagined!

source: adage.com

18- to 34-year-olds are more open to advertising than the general adult population.

“millennials enjoy all forms of digital media, even digital advertising,” said said lisa e. phillips, eMarketer senior analyst . “online videos, social network profiles and tweets can help marketers build word-of-mouth among millennials and reach the key influencers. at the same time, they are not adverse to more direct marketing methods, such as emails, search ads, banners and webpage links.”

the digital natives of today grew up with advertising in all forms and media around them, so it is interesting to see their attitudes and actions now that they are able to make their own brand choices and purchase decisions. while they could be very cynical, millennials are actually more open to interactive or opt-in marketing messages than are boomers and gen xers. they just think that those messages have little or no influence on them.

source: emarketer.com

which one are you?

where’s the spam filter??

The Top Five Brands on Facebook

Users ‘Like’ Brands to Get Access to Deals

Posted
by Matt Carmichael
on

08.25.10

@ 12:53 PM

What are Facebook fans looking for when they “like” a brand page? According to new research from ExactTarget and CoTweet, it’s pretty simple: coupons and free stuff.

–>
40% of those surveyed said that was a motivator for “liking” a company, 36% said they wanted to get freebies and 30% wanted updates on upcoming sales. 39% also want to show their support for a brand, but here’s a key stat: Only 17% are more likely to buy something after “liking” the brand, so it sure sounds like it’s a good tool to reach your existing customers but isn’t doing much — yet at least — to grow a customer base.

Interestingly the survey participants who join Facebook looking for shopping tips are most likely to be able to name brands who are marketing well whereas those who are more interested in social networking have a hard time even naming good examples.

The five best brands at engaging users on Facebook, according to the survey, are:

1. Oreo (Nabisco)
2. Walmart
3. Victoria’s Secret
4. iTunes
5. Dove

Also, for marketers who want to get in front of Facebook fans, try the off hours. According to the research, “In total, 65% of Facebook users say they login only before or after work/school and 69% use Facebook on the weekends or days off.”

You can see the full report about Facebook, brands and followers here.

you haven’t seen the star wars christmas special??? probably because george lucas himself is so embarrassed by it that he had all traces of it destroyed.  well, this clip from youtube pretty much sums up how awesomely bad it is. enjoy!