Digital Strategy Briefing by Dmitry Zenin

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Internet Marketing Strategy Briefing

Key trends within online

Internet Marketing Strategy Briefing Key trends within online

Published

July 2011

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright ÂŠ Econsultancy.com Ltd 2011

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Contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................... 5 1.1. 1.2.

About this report ......................................................................... 5 About Econsultancy .................................................................... 5

2. Customer Centricity ......................................................... 6 2.1. 2.2.

Introduction ................................................................................ 6 Key trends and market drivers ................................................... 6 2.2.1. User experience ........................................................................ 6 2.2.2. Customer experience management ......................................... 9 2.2.3. Voice of the customer ............................................................ 12

2.3.

Examples, case studies and resources .......................................14

3. Channel Diversification ................................................. 15 3.1. 3.2.

Introduction ............................................................................... 15 Key trends and market drivers .................................................. 15 3.2.1. Mobile app vs. mobile web .................................................... 15 3.2.2. Mobile as the „glue‟ connecting channels .............................. 19 3.2.3. Mobile commerce .................................................................. 22

3.3.

Examples, case studies and resources ...................................... 24

4. Data ................................................................................ 25 4.1. 4.2.

Introduction .............................................................................. 25 Key trends and market drivers ................................................. 25 4.2.1. Measuring the value of social media ..................................... 25 4.2.2. Social CRM .............................................................................28 4.2.3. Attribution management ....................................................... 29

4.3. 4.4.

Conclusions ............................................................................... 30 Examples, case studies and resources ....................................... 31

5. Social Media ................................................................... 32 5.1. 5.2.

Introduction .............................................................................. 32 Key trends and market drivers ................................................. 32 5.2.1. Social for search engine optimisation ................................... 32 5.2.2. Social commerce .................................................................... 34 5.2.3. Social media management ..................................................... 35

5.3.

Examples, case studies and resources ...................................... 36

Internet Marketing Strategy Briefing Key trends within online All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright © Econsultancy.com Ltd 2011

6. Content Strategy ............................................................ 37 6.1. 6.2.

Introduction .............................................................................. 37 Key trends and market drivers ................................................. 37 6.2.1. From bought media to earned media .................................... 37 6.2.2. From impression to expression ............................................. 41 6.2.3. Enriched content: video, games, apps, metadata etc. ........... 43

6.3.

Examples, case studies and resources ...................................... 46

Introduction

1.1.

About this report This document contains an overview of market trends, tips for best practice, new statistics and useful resources. The information within this briefing is collated from a range of sources including:  Econsultancy conferences, supplier showcases and roundtables  Third party events  Research carried out by Econsultancy and other organisations The purpose of Econsultancy‟s trend briefings (which are free to download) is to provide information relating to the latest trends, best practice, challenges and opportunities across a wide range of digital marketing and e-commerce topics. http://econsultancy.com/reports/briefings

1.2.

About Econsultancy Econsultancy is a digital publishing and training group, focused on best practice digital marketing and e-commerce, and is used by more than 300,000 internet professionals every month. Our hub has 100,000+ members worldwide from clients, agencies and suppliers alike The company publishes practical and time-saving research to help marketers make better decisions about the digital environment, build business cases, find the best suppliers, look smart in meetings and accelerate their careers. Econsultancy has offices in New York and London, and hosts more than 100 events every year in the US and UK. Many of the world‟s most famous brands use Econsultancy to educate and train their staff. Some of Econsultancy‟s members include: Google, Yahoo, Dell, BBC, BT, Shell, Vodafone, Virgin Atlantic, Barclays, Deloitte, T-Mobile and Estée Lauder. Join Econsultancy today to learn what‟s happening in digital marketing – and what works. Call us to find out more on +44 (0)20 7269 1450 (London) or +1 212 699 3626 (New York). You can also contact us online.

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Customer Centricity

2.1.

Introduction The move towards more customer-centric business practices clearly isn‟t confined to online. However, it is perhaps most acutely necessary in an online environment where the competition is famously „one click away‟; where customers will punish you via social media for poor experiences; where customers have access to near perfect information and huge choice, including global suppliers; where Google and others have algorithms which will make your online marketing more expensive if you are not customer-centric; where attention spans are perilously short and expectations Amazon-high. In this section we focus on three key areas of customer centricity that the best online players are focusing on:  User experience  Customer experience management  Voice of the customer

2.2.

Key trends and market drivers

2.2.1.

User experience In this section we identify some of the key trends which are impacting how organisations should be approaching the user experience (UX).

User-centred design The concept of user-centred design (UCD) has always been widely advocated, but only relatively recently have decision makers within companies actually started to commit budgets to ensuring that their digital touch points are UX-centric rather than just design-led. As the stakes involved with digital engagement have become higher, there has been more focus on understanding and measuring the benefits of best-practice user experience. The consequence has been that usability experts are more likely to be involved in web projects from the start of the process, rather than being consulted when it is too late to make a difference.

Humanisation of experience As part of the drive to improve the online user experience, the digital environment has evolved to become more „human‟, as companies appreciate the opportunities available to bring the experiential power of offline to online. It‟s the digital equivalent of pumping the smell of baking bread through a supermarket. Approaches that focus on emotional design will become increasingly important as organisations focus on engaging with customers and building their trust, confidence, enjoyment and brand loyalty online. Examples of humanisation include touch-sensitive technologies, live onsite chat, virtual environments, co-browsing, streaming of live events, virtual sales reps or deeper levels of personalisation. Internet Marketing Strategy Briefing Key trends within online

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Humanisation of the user experience is driven broadly by the web becoming more social. The rise of social media has resulted in companies providing a more emotional user experience, by incorporating „social values‟ into the overall design of their website. These values include transparency, openness, and the ability to connect with the brand identity or company through a real person. For example, from a customer service perspective, this includes using real people on “About” pages, linking personal Twitter accounts, blogs, and sites to corporate profiles. It also means that lines between personal and corporate identities are blurring in the spirit of openness. The ability to connect with real people is becoming integrated with the website experience. Technologies such as live chat with real customer service personnel are part of this ongoing trend. Virtual sales assistants (think IKEA Anna) also add a greater degree of humanisation, making customers feel like they are talking to a real human being (even if in reality, they are not). There are various techniques to make the on-site experience more human. Changing the copy by using colloquialisms and slang phrases can make the site more engaging (where appropriate). The use of different techniques obviously depends on the target audience and sector. Hand-drawn graphics can also make the site seem more emotionally engaging and human. Another example of humanisation is the comeback of Mad Libs in web form design, as shown below. Qualitative feedback has shown that this format is more appealing to web users, who say they find it easier to complete. However, its use depends on context, as it may not be appropriate for every site.

Figure 1: An example of the use of Mad Libs in web forms

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Proliferation of devices It is widely documented that the number of customer touch points has proliferated as customers and prospects engage with companies online using a number of gadgets and devices. Companies are having to adapt to meet the requirements of different devices including smartphones, tablets, netbooks and e-readers. In fact, according to the Econsultancy / Adobe Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing, published in July 2011, this is the single most important trend affecting digital marketers. More than threequarters (79%) of companies taking part in the global Econsultancy survey said the proliferation of devices such as smartphones and tablets was significant for their organisations, including 38% who said it was “highly significant”. Challenges caused by this trend include difficulty in tracking individual customer journeys, and the burden of providing websites which are mobile friendly. Separate research by Econsultancy and Foviance has shown that an increasing number of online and offline customer touch points are making it even more difficult for organisations to ensure a consistent cross-channel customer experience. Nine different online and offline touch points are relevant for at least half of the companies surveyed. There is more detail about this research below. The rise of the mobile internet goes hand in hand with the increased prominence of locationbased marketing. Brands are increasingly harnessing location-based marketing via mobile applications, social networks and targeted advertising platforms.

Gamification Gamification, one of the digital buzz words of 2011, is a subject which has gained momentum because of the huge success of social games such as Farmville. It is important to stress that gamification is not the same as social gaming, and is relevant to any online business, irrespective of whether they have any interest in social gaming. Gamification is about understanding how users behave, how they can be motivated and the types of reward which will make them behave in a way that will help a company achieve its business goals. According to Matt Rhodes, of FreshNetworks, writing on the Econsultancy blog: ―Understanding what people want to achieve and why they behave as they do has always been critical in marketing. What gamification does is find ways to use game mechanics to help people get where they want to get (and indeed where we want them to get) – rewarding and motivating them along the way.‖ Rhodes gives as an example of gamification an iPhone application which tracks you while you are running and sends information to your Twitter account so people can see how many miles you have covered. Such an application harnesses gaming techniques such as reward, competitions, achievements, progress tracking and challenges. Another example is location-based social networking site Foursquare, which gives out virtual badges and rankings when people check in at different locations and submit reviews.

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2.2.2.

Customer experience management Customer experience management (CEM) is becoming a fast-growing business area in its own right, with companies trying to get to grips with this challenge and vendors such as Adobe and Tealeaf recognising the demand for technology which takes a customer-centric approach to business software. Customer experience is a strategic issue for companies because of the impact it has on both financial performance and softer metrics relating to brand perception and customer satisfaction. Different types of technology, ranging from session-replay software to mobile testing tools, can help businesses to improve the customer experience, but organisations are destined to fail unless they have a customer-centric culture and processes in place which give them a single view of the customer. The complexity and politics involved (i.e. channel conflict) means that this cannot happen without buy-in from the top of the organisation. Econsultancy‟s Multichannel Customer Experience Report, a survey-based study published by Econsultancy last year in association with Foviance, examined the extent to which organisations have a strategy for providing a joined-up customer experience and how close companies are to the „holy grail‟ of a single customer view. It is clear that while the vast majority of companies understand the impact on business performance, very few organisations have integrated, cross-channel processes and systems in place, or a strategy to help them to achieve this.  Almost half of company respondents (49%) said that a joined-up multichannel customer experience was very important to their organisation, and a further 41% said it was quite important.  More than two thirds of companies (68%) recognised a strong link between long-term business performance and customer experience, while 24% said there was a weak link. Only 8% said there was no recognition of a link.  But nearly one in 10 companies (9%) surveyed, including organisations with revenues exceeding £1 billion, said there was no strategy for improving the customer experience. A further 69% said they were just beginning to develop the strategy. Only 22% of companies said they had a well-developed strategy. Companies are typically trying to integrate systems and to adopt a customer-centric approach, but haven‟t yet reached the stage where they have properly managed to harness these different processes in a way which allows for seamless cross-channel engagement. Survey respondents were asked how close their own organisations (or their clients) were to having a single view of the customer. Based on the Foviance Customer Experience Maturity Model, an organisation‟s progress in this respect can be broken down into four phases based on long-term business performance and the approach to customer experience:  Cluttered: Operational systems and processes are tactical and single-channel driven.  Considered: Individual systems and processes are customer focused but lack links crosschannel.  Capable: Integrated systems and processes but not fully harnessed cross-channel.  Cultural: Fully integrated systems and processes harnessed cross-channel.

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Figure 2: Foviance Customer Experience Maturity Model

The chart below shows that the majority of organisations were either at the “cluttered” (24%) or “considered” stage (44%), and therefore lacking joined-up systems and processes. Just over a quarter of companies (28%) said they were at the “capable” stage, with integrated systems and processes which are customer-focused but not fully harnessed cross-channel. Only 4% claimed to have reached the promised land of “cultural” customer experience, built on cross-channel integration which is being fully harnessed.

Figure 3: How close is your organisation to having a single view of the customer?

Response: 263

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Reducing customer struggle The Reducing Customer Struggle Report, published recently by Econsultancy in association with Tealeaf, is based on a similar survey of business professionals working for companies involved in e-commerce and e-business. The survey was conducted in March and April 2011. As the online channel becomes increasingly valuable for business, it is vital for companies to ensure that the customer journey is as pain-free and seamless as possible. These are the key findings from the research:  Poor online user experience, coupled with a lack of insight about why customers are abandoning websites, is costing businesses billions of pounds. – Companies able to quantify site abandonment estimate they are losing the equivalent of 24% of their annual online revenue due to a bad online experience. This equates to more than $50 billion lost in the US1 and around £14 billion lost in the UK2 in the last year.  Companies have least understanding about what is happening at the bottom of the online sales ‘funnel’. – While companies have a relatively good understanding of what customers are most likely to do on their first visit and the reasons for making the first purchase and returning to their site, they have „limited‟ or „no understanding‟ about why customers abandon the shopping cart (78%) or leave the site without converting (81%). – Rather than avoiding problems in the first place, companies are reacting to issues after the horse has bolted. Companies are most likely to learn about problems as a result of calls to the customer service team (76%) and customer emails (also 76%). In other words, most companies are reactive, discovering problems when it‟s too late.  Companies are prioritising investment in online channels but de-prioritising investment in the online customer experience. – The vast majority of respondents (95%) are planning to increase investment in the online channel this year, compared to only a fifth (21%) who are investing in their stores or branches. – Despite the impact of customer struggle on revenue and company reputation, insufficient budget is considered to be the main barrier to gaining a better understanding of the online customer experience. Almost half of companies (46%) cite lack of budget as one of the three most significant obstacles. Lack of skilled analysts (42%) and lack of suitable technology (38%) are the next most cited barriers.

Estimate based on the value of US e-commerce sales in 2010 ($228 billion) published by comScore in February 2011. 2 Estimate based on the figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index published in January 2011 £58.5 billion spent online in 2010.

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2.2.3.

Voice of the customer Another important challenge for businesses is how they understand and reconcile different sources of data and insight around the customer experience. One of the issues is collecting and aligning data which can be both quantitative and qualitative. Organisations certainly need to use web analytics data to understand what is happening on their websites, but they also need to make sure they have the right mechanisms for understanding why there are issues, for example by carrying out user testing and allowing for onsite feedback. The chart below, taken from the Reducing Customer Struggle Report, shows the extent to which different approaches and technologies are used to understand the customer experience. The chart also shows the proportion of companies who regard these techniques as „very effective‟. With such a range of data sources available, many businesses are struggling to put a framework in place which links data with top-level KPIs (key performance indicators).

Figure 4: Methods used for understanding the customer experience 100% 90%

91% 80%

70%

66%

60% 50% 40%

44%

43%

42%

39%

30%

38% 26%

20%

16%

10%

11% 34%

29%

Web analytics

Online surveys

56%

27%

29%

18%

13%

19%

37%

Offline surveys

Online focus groups

Session replay technology

User testing AB and / or Offline focus Social media Online multivariate groups / analysis / reputation / testing customer voice of the buzz interviews customer monitoring tools % of companies using

% of companies considering very effective

It is important to have the right processes and workflow in place internally, so that issues and suggestions relating to the customer experience can be farmed out to the correct team. Companies will ultimately strive to have a centralised repository for information collected from a variety of online and offline sources, including sentiment analysis of social media, customer surveys, feedback from customer-facing staff and information from session replay technology. Typically, companies are using specific vendors for different voice-of-the-customer requirements, so it will be interesting to see whether vendors seek to broaden their offerings across the broader suite of tools. The Reducing Customer Struggle Report also found that many organisations are failing to share insights across all business functions, for example making sure that call centre staff are equipped with information about a customer‟s online engagement.

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– For the majority of companies surveyed (60%), the offline parts of their business have little or no visibility into individual customer activity and engagement. – Only half (49%) of responding companies have processes in place to prioritise and rectify the problems and issues their customers face online. – While most respondents (72%) say they regularly evaluate customer experience or customer satisfaction, only 43% measure teams or departments and just over a quarter (27%) measure senior executives on customer satisfaction. – Around three-quarters of organisations surveyed (74%) do not quantify the amount of customer calls to the contact centre that have resulted from a poor online customer experience. Those that quantify the amount of these calls estimate it to be around 15% of total calls. – Just over two-thirds of respondents (68%) say that call centres do not have access to information about the online experience of individual customers, thus failing to create a feedback loop that involves all departments. The chart below shows how companies react to social media comments relating to their brands.

Figure 5: Approach to social media comments about customer experience issues 70% 60%

60%

59%

50% 40%

40%

34%

30% 20%

20% 10% 0% We respond directly The tweet/comment to the problem is monitored by (when appropriate) marketing

Tweets/social There is an The tweet/comment comments are escalation within the is monitored by shared with business so customer service marketing and/or responsible team customer service gets notified teams

We believe this chart is interesting because of the impact of social media on customer service.  How can large organisations incorporate social media monitoring with customer service? Is it realistic to do this? Can this scale?  How can issues revealed on social media channels be escalated to the right business functions and individuals?

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2.3.

Examples, case studies and resources  Econsultancy / Adobe Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing http://econsultancy.com/reports/quarterly-digital-intelligence-briefing  10 ways brands can use location-based marketing http://econsultancy.com/blog/7645-ten-ways-brands-can-use-location-based-marketing  Gamification: is everything a game? http://econsultancy.com/blog/7548-gamification-is-everything-a-game  Gamification: what are the rules? http://econsultancy.com/blog/7280-gamification-the-rules-of-engagement  92:1: marketing’s dirty little statistic (for every £92 businesses spend driving traffic to their websites, they only spend £1 converting it) http://econsultancy.com/blog/7657-92-1-marketings-dirty-little-statistic-5  Tealeaf case study (Econsultancy Innovation Award winner): How Netflights.com used their understanding of individual online customer journeys to drive an outbound call centre programme which delivered significant revenue to the business. http://www.tealeaf.com/news/news-releases/2011/Econsultancy-Innovation-Awards.php  Econsultancy / Tealeaf Reducing Customer Struggle Report http://econsultancy.com/reports/reducing-customer-struggle  Econsultancy / Foviance Multichannel Customer Experience Report http://econsultancy.com/reports/multichannel-customer-experience-report  Q&A: BT’s Bian Salins on using Twitter for customer service http://econsultancy.com/blog/6643-q-a-bian-salins-of-bt-on-using-twitter-for-customerservice  Case study: Dell’s evolution on Twitter http://econsultancy.com/blog/6090-case-study-dell-s-evolution-on-twitter

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Channel Diversification

3.1.

Introduction Clearly the proliferation, and fragmentation, of customer touch points, and channels, isn‟t slowing down. We feel it is safe to say that 2011 is, indeed, finally the „year of mobile‟, with both smartphone and tablet device usage fast growing. However, „Connected TV‟, which promises any brand „access to the living room‟ via the TV, is looking to become a reality in 2012 in some countries with many brands building capabilities now. Quite apart from the commercial and regulatory challenges, it is a big operational and technical challenge to deliver a joined up brand experience across all these interactive channels. The end goal is likely to be a single web platform that can deliver device-specific, personalised, experiences across all these channels; shorter term expediency means „silos‟, across people, process and technology, are being created in an attempt to „deliver something‟ and learn in the process. In this section we focus on several key strategic considerations for mobile channel strategy.

3.2.

Key trends and market drivers

3.2.1.

Mobile app vs. mobile web A key issue for companies is the mobile versus app debate, and whether there is an argument for producing a mobile application versus a mobile site. There are clear arguments for both applications and mobile sites. While some companies believe that mobile development priorities should be focused on either a mobile site or an application, the reality is that consumers are using both channels, so an integrated approach is the optimal solution. The use of smartphones have proliferated in the last year, which means that there are far more opportunities to reach consumers via a mobile app. According to research from Olswang, 22% of UK consumers already have a smartphone, with this percentage rising to 31% among 24-35 year olds. According to research from Gartner smartphone sales globally will reach 467m in 2011. Smartphones are becoming increasingly sophisticated with a growing number of features, which means consumers are now engaging with brands via multiple channels on their phones. It is important to distinguish which type of solution best suits the needs of the company. There are three types of mobile applications: native apps, web apps, and hybrid solutions.  Native apps are programmed using Objective C on the iPhone or using Java on Android devices. – Native apps make use of all the phone‟s features, such as the mobile phone camera, geolocation, and the user‟s address book. – Native apps do not need to be connected to the internet to be used. – A native app is specific to the mobile handset it is run on, since it uses the features of that specific handset. – Native apps can be distributed on the phone‟s marketplace (e.g. Apple Store for iPhone or Ovi store for Nokia handsets).  Web apps run in the phone’s browser.

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– This means the app works across all devices, and ensures cross-platform compatibility. – The same base code can be used to support all devices, including iPhone and Android. – However, web apps do not make use of the phone‟s other features, such as the camera or geolocation. – Web apps cannot be deployed to the phone‟s marketplace.  Hybrid mobile apps are a mix between these two types of mobile applications. – Using a development framework, companies can develop cross-platform applications that use web technologies (such as HTML, JavaScript and CSS), while still accessing the phone‟s features. – A hybrid app is a native app with embedded HTML. – Selected portions of the app are written using web technologies. – The web portions can be downloaded from the web, or packaged within the app. – This option allows companies to reap all the benefits of native apps while ensuring longevity associated with well-established web technologies. – The Facebook app is an example of a hybrid app; it is downloaded from the app store and has all the features of a native app, but requires updates from the web to function.

Advantages and disadvantages of native mobile applications There is evidence to show that smartphone users are more affluent and have a higher disposable income. According to a study about smartphone users from Ask.com and Harris Interactive, the most affluent respondents in the survey were most likely to say they had downloaded an app. Native apps also have better functionality. Because they use the features of the smartphones, such as the camera phone, the user‟s address book, geolocation and augmented reality, companies can offer a richer, more immersive experience. Native apps do not need necessarily to be connected to the internet to be used. Since they make use of the phone‟s functionality, they can work in offline mode when there is no internet connection. However, some apps may require an internet connection, depending on functionality and available data. In terms of distribution, native apps get good visibility with consumers because they are distributed through the phone manufacturer‟s app store. This also means that they have an inbuilt revenue model, since consumers may have to pay to download the app. The decision to create an application or not depends on the nature of the company and its products and services. If there are a significant proportion of customers using smartphones and mobile apps, then there is a case for investing in app development. It is also important to consider which platform customers are mostly using. To maximise the number of consumers reached through an application, it is important to create an app for different mobile handsets, to ensure compatibility with the widest range of handsets. The disadvantage of native mobile apps is that it can restrict the number of users that can be reached, if the app is not compatible with all handsets. It also requires additional development time as different apps need to be developed for each type of platform. Third-party approval can also be another barrier. As the app will be distributed through the phone‟s store, companies need to wait for approval before the app is released, and this can be a time-consuming process. In addition, if the app is not approved, there is usually little, if any feedback on why it was rejected.

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Advantages of mobile web applications The main advantage of a web app is that it is compatible across all platforms and devices. As the application runs in the browser, it is independent of the handset it is run on. This means that the web app has effectively more reach, and that only one app has to be designed for several handsets. Web apps make use of existing web technologies, such as Java and CSS, which means the technical barriers to entry are low. Developers can use their existing skills to develop a web app, whereas native apps may require additional training given that the technologies are newer. Companies can also make use of mobile search to allow their consumers to find the app. Native apps need to be downloaded in advance to be used, whereas web apps can be found and used simply through a search on the browser. Because the app is not distributed through the phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x;s store, no third-party approval is required before release. The site can be updated in real-time and changed without requiring sign-off by the mobile provider. There is also some evidence to suggest that browser-based mobile applications will grow faster than the app market, which may bode well for a long-term strategy.

Which is the right approach? To cover all bases, it is important to recognise that consumers are not using these channels in a mutually exclusive manner. They are using both native applications and browser-based apps, so the best strategy is to develop both types. The decision to invest in an app or in a mobile website depends on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x;s target audience and the functionality of the app. Companies also need to consider time, budget and resources to develop each solution.

Figure 6: Native, web or hybrid mobile app development?

Source: Worklight, http://www.scribd.com/doc/50805466/Native-Web-or-Hybrid-Mobile-AppDevelopment

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Figure 7: An inherent trade-off

Source: Worklight, http://www.scribd.com/doc/50805466/Native-Web-or-Hybrid-Mobile-AppDevelopment

Case study: The Financial Times vs. Apple Another good example of a hybrid mobile app is the Financial Times mobile web application. Many publishers are unhappy that Apple plans to retain 30% of the revenue from the subscriptions sold on iTunes and to keep customer data from the sales. To get around this, The Financial Times designed a new app that includes much of the functionality of an iPhone or iPad app, but can be deployed within the browser. The web app uses the web technology standard, HTML5, which allows developers to create a single application that can be run on a variety of devices, while also making use of the benefits of native mobile apps. Although the Financial Times uses both native mobile apps and web apps, the newspaper is encouraging its users to migrate to the new web app to circumvent Apple‟s app store terms and conditions. Mobile customers currently make up 15% of the FT‟s digital subscriber growth, and a large proportion of them are iPhone or iPad users. While this is a risky strategy, publishers can collect 100% of their revenue via a web app, while 30% of the revenue generated through the native would be collected by Apple. A key advantage of native apps is that they can be given a high profile within the app store. However, in the case of the FT, their brand is strong enough that users will remember to visit the website, and the FT may not need the extra exposure the app store provides. Employing a multichannel approach also means that the FT is not reliant on a single channel.

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3.2.2.

Mobile as the „glue‟ connecting channels ―Mobile is the future and it is very clear that, over time, the centre of everyone's connectivity will be in their hands.‖ Jim Sluzewski, Macy’s The rapid growth of mobile is leading to convergence between different channels. As mobile ecommerce (m-commerce) continues to gain traction, retailers are grasping a greater understanding of the opportunities presented by a combination of more advanced mobile handsets and widespread consumer adoption. Research shows that the impact of smartphone usage on retailing cannot be overestimated. More than half of smartphone owners use their handsets to locate a physical store and more than 47% use their phones to directly purchase products or services.3 As with any desktop e-commerce website, m-commerce platforms need to deliver as smooth a user experience as possible, in order to maximise conversions. Some retailers create mobile websites or apps and link to the direct desktop version of the checkout process, but this is not recommended, as it can significantly increase abandonment rates. Retailers need to budget for a mobile-friendly e-commerce platform when developing a mobile app or website. Mobile is also driving other actions through other channels. The charts below show the findings of a study4 that looked at the key actions of consumers after searching for information on a smartphone device.

Figure 8: Actions taken as a result of a smartphone search

Source: The Mobile Movement Study, Google/Ipsos OTX MediaCT, April 2011 Base: Smartphone users who use search (4902). Q. Which, if any, of the following actions have you taken as a result of conducting a search on your smartphone?

http://www.internetretailing.net/2011/05/half-of-smartphone-owners-now-shop-online-via-a-mobiledevice/ 4 Source: The Mobile Movement: Understanding Smartphone Users – Google/IPSOS OTX MediaCT US, April 2011 3

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Figure 9: Actions taken after accessing local content

Source: The Mobile Movement Study, Google/Ipsos OTX MediaCT, April 2011 Base: Smartphone users who access local content (4757). Q. Which of the following actions have you taken after having looked up this type of information (business or services close to your location) on your smartphone?

In line with increasing multichannel customer behaviour, there has also been a rise in the use of mobile vouchers and discount codes, much of which is targeted by location. Econsultancy has published a Location-Based Marketing Smart Pack which looks at this area in more detail. This particular area of m-commerce has been fuelled by the likes of Facebook and Foursquare, who have formed partnerships with large brands and retailers, such as Starbucks and Debenhams, to offer users unique promotions and discounts when they “check in” to physical locations. As well as increasingly purchasing products and services on a mobile device, consumers continue to use their phones to research offline purchases. Various mobile shopping comparison sites and apps are being developed to meet this consumer need. Consumers are using their mobiles to check product details, find user-generated reviews for products, and to compare prices for the same item in different stores to make sure they are getting the best deal. According to a recent ForeSee study of nearly 10,000 visitors to the biggest e-commerce websites in the US, over half of mobile shoppers used their phones to compare price information (56%). Shoppers also used their phones to compare different products (46%), to look up product specifications (35%), and to view product reviews (27%). Examples include some of the more established shopping comparison websites such as Kelkoo and Pricegrabber, which have sites specifically for mobile users. There are also newer sites and mobile apps that are using barcode scanning to create mobile applications, such as ShopSavvy, iBarcode, and Sccope. The Deloitte TMT Predictions Report 2011 estimates that in 2011, 25% of North American big box and anchor tenant retailers will begin to offer free in-store Wi-Fi access to shoppers. Although

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many consumers are able to access the internet on the move, until now, they have only been able to do so via cellular data and 3G. Consequently, the online experience has not been as seamless as it could be, due to weak signals and low speeds. Until now, few retailers have offered free Wi-Fi due to the fear of consumers undertaking comparison shopping, but studies show that this is misguided. After doing in-store comparison shopping, the propensity to buy actually increases. The main reason shoppers do not purchase instore is because they are unsure if they would get a better deal elsewhere. When realising competitor prices are similar, more consumers are likely to proceed with the sale. Connected consumers are less likely to leave without purchasing and consequently end up spending more. Tesco recently launched an in-store satellite navigation system that shows consumers all their products on a map, and guides them around the store to find relevant products. In the US, Target Corp. is offering smartphone users the ability to scan barcodes in-stores as a way of viewing product information and receiving reviews. Target customers can also refill their prescriptions through their smartphones, and the retailer taps into the devices to send customers mobile coupons. Other efforts made by retailers to connect with consumers through mobile devices include using SMS/MMS, Bluetooth and QR codes to deliver offers directly to handsets. Consequently, services such as Rippll and Vouchercloud have emerged in this particular ecosystem, helping to ensure that the processes involved in creating these types of campaigns becomes easier to establish and manage.

The rise of the second screen Other examples of consumer multichannel behaviour include the rise of the „second screen‟. It is now very common for people to watch TV while also interacting with a computing device, including their mobile or smartphone or tablet. A key trend is greater convergence between mobile, online video and television. As evidence, some 10% of all YouTube views are now on mobile. There are many examples of brands using this customer behaviour to feed into their products and services. The second screen can be used to provide television audiences with a richer, more engaging experience. The social start-up Sofanatics helps to connect fans watching football matches, and want to make watching football at home more social by creating a public space form football fans to comment. The rise of smartphones and social networking has helped to facilitate these kinds of social spaces. Another example of the innovative use of the second screen was for the show “This American Life”. An iPad app for the show was created, which accompanied the series and synced when the theme music was playing. The app provided the viewer with additional information about the characters and plots to add to the story. In April 2011, Yahoo purchased the TV sharing app, IntoNow. The app works in a similar way to the music-identifying service, Shazam, giving users the ability to almost instantly recognise TV content. Users can then discuss shows on social networks, such as Facebook, and Twitter. TV audiences can also “check in” to TV programmes in a similar way to users checking in into locations via FourSquare.

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3.2.3.

Mobile commerce The number of customers transacting via mobile has dramatically increased in line with the growth of smartphones. According to the Pew Research Center, 57.8m American consumers access the web via mobile devices on any given day, while in the UK web traffic from mobiles is already estimated to be growing eight times faster than traffic from PCs. Various surveys have predicted strong growth in the number of customers transacting via mobile, the most recent statistics support the case for strong mobile growth. Last year, 23% of UK consumers conducted some kind of mobile transaction last year, according to a survey conducted by Tealeaf.

Figure 10: Proportion of consumers that have conducted a transaction in the past year

Source: ―Improving the Customer Experience for Mobile Consumers‖ study – Tealeaf / Harris Interactive, April 2011

A key question for companies is whether they should build an app or invest in an m-commerce site. There are many functions that can be performed better using an app, but there are strong arguments for suggesting that an m-commerce site should be the first step into mobile, partly because mobile websites ensure the greatest possible reach and compatibility.

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The growth of HTML5 is also a major development for the growth of mobile sites. The standard has the ability to recreate many of the features of apps through a web interface. HTML5 has the ability to significantly improve the mobile site experience, and it is gradually becoming more difficult to distinguish between the app and mobile website interface. Usablenet is a mobile commerce vendor with an innovative mobile development platform. The platform helps to bridge the gap between apps and m-commerce sites, by creating mobile websites that have many of the features of apps. This provides a richer user experience, while at the same creating a cross-platform solution that works on a variety of devices. In effect, Usablenet is providing brands with tools to build HTML5 based sites that perform much like native apps. Usablenet‟s clients include John Lewis, ASOS, JD Sports, M&S, Next and Tesco, and its UK mobile sites experienced an average increase in traffic of 300% during the Christmas weekend. Mobile phones are also enabling richer shopping experiences in other ways. Advances in near field communication (NFC) technology will finally allow mobile wallets to reach mainstream consumer adoption. NFC enabled credit card (as offered by Barclaycard) have already enabled consumers to make contactless payments in-store, but the next step is to introduce NFC-enabled phones, which will allow consumers to make contactless payments through their mobile. In 2011, Google announced the launch of Google Wallet, their long-awaited NFC payment system. Google Wallet is a mobile application on Android-enabled phones. Google has also partnered with the major US payment providers, including Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint. In launching Google Wallet, Google hopes to kick-start the mobile payment revolution in the US. In the UK, Orange and Barclaycard introduced the first mobile wallet scheme this year. The Quick Tap scheme, was launched with the NFC-enabled Samsung Tocco Quick Tap. Mobile payments can be accepted anywhere that displays the contactless payment sign, including McDonalds, Pret A Manger, and EAT. In June 2011, three of the UK‟s top mobile operators announced a partnership to offer UK consumers mobile marketing and payment services. Although still pending approval, O2, Vodafone and Everything Everywhere will deliver relevant, targeted offers to users and also provide payment services like mobile wallets. In February 2011, O2 announced it was applying to the FSA for a licence that would allow it to become an independent financial services provider. This would allow the mobile operator to roll out its own wireless payment system without needing to partner with a bank. It is believed the joint venture with Vodafone and Everything Everywhere will allow O2 to acquire the licence, removing the need for third-party partnerships. Consequently, O2 can offer virtual wallets and provide functionality to make contactless payments without a bank. NFC technology could also be used to obtain more information about a particular product instore. For example, consumers could get more information about an offer on a product by tapping an NFC-enabled shelf price tag, which is potentially easier than using a bar code.

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3.3.

Examples, case studies and resources  Eight reasons why 2011 is the year of mobile commerce http://econsultancy.com/blog/7053-eight-reasons-why-2011-is-the-year-of-mobilecommerce  Firms struggle with mobile measurement http://econsultancy.com/blog/7805-firm-see-value-of-mobile-but-struggle-withmeasurement  Why the Financial Times can circumvent Apple, and others can’t http://econsultancy.com/blog/7631-why-the-financial-times-can-circumvent-apple-andothers-can-t  Mobile commerce: 25 essential tips http://econsultancy.com/blog/7285-mobile-commerce-25-essential-tips  How mobile commerce is reinventing the shopping experience http://econsultancy.com/blog/7320-how-mobile-commerce-is-reinventing-the-shoppingexperience  Five tips for building addictive mobile apps http://econsultancy.com/blog/7630-five-tips-for-building-addictive-mobile-apps  ASOS has the best mobile commerce site: study http://econsultancy.com/blog/7588-asos-has-the-best-mobile-commerce-site-study  Mothercare launches a mobile commerce site http://econsultancy.com/blog/7550-mothercare-launches-a-mobile-commerce-site  What do users want from iPhone apps? http://econsultancy.com/blog/7428-what-do-users-want-from-iphone-apps  Mobile: the worst channel for customer experience http://econsultancy.com/blog/7629-mobile-the-worst-channel-for-customer-experience  Infographic: the mobile ecosystem http://econsultancy.com/blog/7649-mobile-stats-and-trends-at-a-glance  Google Wallet: Android NFC Payment System Announced http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2074320/Google-Wallet-Android-NFC-PaymentSystem-Announced  Predictions for 2011: Home entertainment embracing the second screen http://startupcafe.co.uk/2011/01/08/predictions-for-2011-1-home-entertainmentembracing-the-second-screen/  O2, Vodafone and Everything Everywhere partner to bring the mobile wallet to life http://thenextweb.com/uk/2011/06/16/o2-vodafone-and-everything-everywhere-partner-tobring-the-mobile-wallet-to-life/

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Data

4.1.

Introduction We hear that “data is the new oil” and maybe so, but just like crude oil, data needs to be refined to maximise its value. It needs to be processed into actionable insight. Online and mobile activities generate vast amounts of data and there are no shortage of tools and technology available to analyse it. But the reality in many cases is “analysis paralysis”, little actual insight, or recommendations that can‟t then be acted upon owing to a lack of relevant resources. Online provides a rich vein of behavioural and attitudinal data, but it is typically when the new data is intelligently combined with existing data to provide a „joined up‟ view that it becomes most valuable in optimising marketing and business effectiveness. Currently the biggest barrier to making this happen is a lack of the right people and skills: those who have both the analytical skills and a keen commercial/marketing sense. All too often companies focus on the data as an end in itself, a benchmark of their success. It is worth remembering the ultimate reason this data has value, which is that it helps people. It helps them get the best offer, the fastest delivery, the most relevant recommendation... data manifests in any number of tiny ways in which products and the service that supports them are made better for the customer. In this document we pull out three key areas of current focus for many organisations seeking to improve their online data and data-driven decision making capabilities:  Measuring the value of social media  Social CRM  Attribution management

4.2.

Key trends and market drivers

4.2.1.

Measuring the value of social media Even as social media has become the most heavily explored and discussed marketing tactic, marketers have struggled to understand its true value. Many organisations have had difficulty defining their social strategy and therefore have trouble understanding the explicit and implicit results of their social programs. Most surveys of practicing social marketers have aligned its value with brand building, thought leadership, customer service and other important, but difficult to measure, „soft‟ benefits. When the question is what is social media good for?, direct sales usually ranks toward the bottom. However, this ignores the increasing degree to which social media enables customers themselves as a channel for sales, PR and customer service. Typically, the companies that have seen the greatest rewards from social media have approached it in phases.  First, as a listening platform to understand the lessons of relevant conversations and determine where they are taking place.  Second, as a place to encourage interactions with existing and potential customers around activities of value to them (service, discovery, fun, etc.)

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 Finally, as a sales channel that acts as much to enable and accelerate purchase through complimentary channels as to sell directly. Underlying this approach is an essential element to social media success – the willingness to experiment, learn and optimise. In contrast with the elegant and easy to understand pay for performance PPC model, social media is complex and its value varies significantly based on a number of variables. Organisations seeking to measure social media impact can do so in a number of ways. 1. Social benchmarks One of the hottest topics in analytics is the question of assigning value to the measures of social media success offered by social platforms. Primary among these are the Facebook fan, the Facebook “Like” and the Twitter follower. Much has been made of a Syncapse report which calculated an average value of $136.38 to a Facebook fan, based on interviews with 4,000 fans of several prominent brands. The methodology can certainly be debated, but ample data supports the idea that fans are worth more than non-fans. However, fans are, by definition, consumers who are already engaged with the brand. As a benchmark, the fan measures the success of the brand in engaging with that customer up to the point when they became a fan. Their being a fan doesn‟t mean they will spend more, rather it‟s a way of identifying someone who would spend more anyway. However, moving forward from the point at which the consumer becomes a fan or “Likes” your brand, there is new value for the marketer. Fans are typically more active social users, with larger networks and the desire to connect with them. Once they‟ve asserted their affinity, they can be communicated with using messaging that‟s analogous to email marketing. They are also more likely to share content and communicate with their networks about a brand or product for which they have expressed that affinity. The best analogy for social followers is the less glamorous house email list. As the opt-in gives way to the “Like” or “Follow” the same truths hold fast; these are valuable customers or prospects who want to know what your brand is doing, what products you‟re premiering and what value they can achieve from the relationship. And, just as in email marketing, those brands that treat their followers with respect, and as their most valuable segment, will reap the rewards. 2. Action and interaction Friends and Followers are worth tracking, but it‟s perhaps more important to ask (and optimise) against what they‟re doing once they‟re part of your brand‟s social family. Are they sharing your messaging? Why or why not? Are they doing the work that social media promises brands – selling to their networks, talking about the brand, answering questions? The answers to these questions go directly to the bottom line, and should inform the evolution of social marketing programs. Participation says something about the kind of traffic you are attracting. Remember that an engaged customer should be a highly valuable one. Interaction can be anything from leaving comments, to participating in support forums, to leaving customer reviews and ratings. It can happen on your website and on other websites. 3. Traffic This is one of the more obvious ways of measuring social media. Remember that quality often beats quantity, though not always (as many CPM-focused publishers will surely testify).

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4. Sales We at Econsultancy are tracking sales from organic Google referrals and also paid search. It didn‟t seem like much of a leap to track other channels, such as Twitter. Try it. Dell did, and discovered that it made $1m from Twitter in 18 months. Blendtec‟s „Will It Blend?‟ campaign on YouTube helped to drive “a five-fold increase in sales”. 5. Leads Some companies simply cannot process sales online, because their products or services do not allow for it. Any high value or business to business product line may be exempt from ecommerce, but benefit greatly from the word of mouth power of social media. 6. Search marketing The SEO factor cannot be overstated. Social media can be far more powerful in this regard than you might initially imagine. For example, a well-placed story / video / image on a site like Digg will generate a lot of traffic and a nice link from Digg itself, but the real win here is that it will generate a lot more interest beyond Digg. Bloggers and major publishers are following Digg‟s Upcoming channel to unearth new and interesting stories (Sky News now has a Twitter correspondent). One link and 20,000 referrals from Digg might lead on to 40,000 referrals and 100 links from other sites. The long tail, in action. 100 links means that your page might well wind up being placed highly on Google, resulting in lots of ongoing traffic. Remember too that you can use sites like Twitter and YouTube to claim valuable search rankings on your brand search terms („social search optimisation‟). 7. Brand metrics Word of mouth and the viral factor (inherent in sites like Twitter, Facebook and Digg) can help shift the key brand metrics, both negatively and positively. These include brand favourability, brand awareness, brand recall, propensity to buy, etc. Expensive TV ads are measured in this way, so if these metrics are good enough for TV then they‟re surely good enough for the internet? Positive brand associations via social media campaigns can help drive clicks on paid search ads, and responses to other forms of advertising. We know that TV ads boost activity on search engines, resulting in paid search success stories, so I'd bet that social media can do the same. 8. PR The nature of public relations has changed, forever. The last five years have been largely about the traditional PR folks not really being able to figure out the blogosphere. But if PRs cannot control the bloggers, then how on earth will they handle consumers? The distinct worlds of PR, customer service, and marketing are fusing. Twitter means everybody has a blog these days, and somewhere to shout about things to their friends (and beyond). Social media sites are the biggest echo chambers in the world! In any event, if you can measure PR (beyond adding up column inches and applying a random multiple to the equivalent size on the rate card!), then you can measure social media. 9. Customer engagement Given the prevalence of choice, and the ease with which consumers can switch from one brand to another, customer engagement is one of the most important of all metrics in today‟s business environment. Engagement can take place offline and online, both on your website and on other sites, particularly social media sites. Customer engagement is key to improving satisfaction and loyalty rates, and revenue. By listening to customers, and letting them know that you are listening, you can improve your business, your products, and your levels of service. The alternative is to ignore customers, which sends out a terrible

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message. Our research found that an engaged customer will recommend your brand, convert more readily and purchase more often. 10. Retention A positive side effect of increased customer engagement should be an increase in customer retention. This is going to be a crucial factor in the success of your business in the years to come. Make no bones about it: we are moving into an age of optimisation and retention. Watch your retention rates as you start participating in social media. Over time, all things remaining equal, they should rise. Zappos, which is a case study in how-to-doTwitter (and active on MySpace, Facebook and YouTube), is closing in on $1bn of sales this year, and “75% of its orders are from repeat customers”. 11. Profits If you can reduce customer churn, and engage customers more often, the result will surely be that you‟ll generate more business from your existing customer base (who in turn will recommend your business to their network of friends, family, and social media contacts). This reduces your reliance on vast customer acquisition budgets to maintain or grow profits. It makes for a far more profitable and more efficient organisation. We really hope that more businesses will find a better balance between acquisition and retention, sooner rather than later, from a resourcing standpoint. Too many acquisition strategies appear to be illconceived, are not joined up (both in terms of marketing and also operations), and as such are ripe for optimisation. Plug the leaky bucket and you won’t need to turn the tap so hard to top it up. And remember that old adage about it being cheaper to keep existing customers than to seek out new ones.

4.2.2.

Social CRM The better we know our customers, the better we can serve them. This assumption (or a more mercenary version) drove the development of CRM long before it had that name and the data resided in shopkeepers‟ brains. As it migrated to databases, much of the nuance was lost, and attempts to predict sentiment and buying intention have been cumbersome at best. Social interactions offer a new (and still emerging) set of data points that may offer a more accurate route to understanding how a customer feels at a given point in time than existing CRM data, which is often limited to demographics and spotty behavioural indicators. A helpful way of thinking about the potential for SCRM is that its goal is to collaborate and converse with the customer to create value for both sides. This is in sharp contrast to the traditional role of CRM which is simply to better target marketing. It has been argued that the nomenclature of CRM is in conflict with the nature of social interaction, because the relationship cannot be „managed‟ in the traditional sense. If one accepts that social and digital factors empower the customer to be the party in control, then it may be more helpful to think of social information as the data output of the voice of the customer. Like other types of customer information, social data comes in both explicit and implicit flavours:  Explicit data includes what people say/ask for in any of a variety of settings, from a brand‟s own website and preference centres, letters, phone calls or store-captured response, to product forums, review sites and of course, social networking. If someone tweets “I love product X” it‟s explicit, even though it‟s not directed to the brand.  Implicit data includes many long standing facets, such as purchase history, website and offline behaviour and demographic information. Social elements include indications of sentiment, such as “Likes” or statements that imply sentiment or interest. Depending on the definition/source, social data may also include location and some demographic/profile data.

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Most companies are burdened with a variety of databases that reside in different departments or are the legacies of past acquisitions. To use the potentially huge amount of customer data effectively, organisations must start with centralisation. For many, that means integrating existing databases with new technology to centrally manage their digital assets, combine customer data and effectively deal with multiple channels. As the types of data multiply along with the means for interacting with customers in the offline and digital worlds, it‟s also essential to define how to respond to different types of customer behaviour/request. At its simplest, this is a binary decision between a human response and an automated one, but the reality is quite complex. It‟s one thing to determine what should happen in a given circumstance, and quite another to make it a functioning reality. The use of social data has significant implications for the organisation, requiring participation across budgetary silos. To take advantage of social cues, organisations have to do more than listen; they must respond to what they‟re hearing. Inevitably, the lessons coming from the community will transcend marketing and be better applied in other areas, including but not limited to product development and executive management. In this way, again, SCRM is quite different from the traditional sales contact database. For organisations evaluating the need for a revolution in their data management, which is what implementing SCRM requires, it‟s valuable to think like the customer. In the section of this briefing titled “Customer Experience” you‟ll find a significant gap between what customers want and the experience most companies are able to give them. That gap costs brands in lost revenue and opportunity. Data offers the opportunity to evaluate, anticipate and exceed customer expectations in an increasingly interactive, mobile world. What are the experiences they expect now and what are they likely to expect in the near and mid-term? They will require brands to be able to deliver personalised information instantly and to whatever device they choose, to respond to their requests regardless of platform, and to make everything easier to find and navigate. For most companies, that means getting ahead of the data wave and figuring out how to access social data, and how to weave it into the existing helix of customer information.

4.2.3.

Attribution management The digital age concept of data-driven, totally accountable marketing has proven to be more difficult to achieve than first thought. Although there is far more insight into what works and what doesn‟t than in the offline world, digital marketing has many of the same ambiguities at the intersection of brand and direct response.  Which tactics are producing revenue, which are having brand impact and how do they relate to the others?  Which tactics are „helping‟ to produce revenue by enabling sales through other channels?  How should an organisation credit the initial brand impression (if it‟s able to identify it) versus clicks down the line toward ultimate purchase?  When customers are exposed to marketing offline and digitally, how can credit be accurately assigned? The questions come to a boil in the area of attribution, the art and science of determining the true impact of customer‟s interactions with the various pieces of direct and indirect marketing that they encounter on their way to purchase, with the ultimate goal of more efficient budgeting. The attention paid to attribution has grown steadily as the digital share of budgets and revenue has grown, along with the number of digital channels and touch points. The recent history of attribution has been one of over-simplification. The three most common ways of giving credit are far too elementary to accurately reflect the complex customer journey online, let alone taking into account offline factors.

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The most widespread approach is the „last click‟ model, which gives most or all of the credit to the final tactic encountered before purchase. In many buying processes the awareness and research pieces have already happened, so the customer simply uses search to re-find the given product or store. Paid and natural search are the beneficiaries. The opposite model is to credit the „first click‟ or that tactic with which the customer first encountered the brand. This has the merit of trying to identify where the relationship began, but in practice this can be very difficult to determine. Very often the brand tactic that actually achieved awareness and sent the customer to look for the site or product is lost. Finally, in an attempt to consider all of the small pushes that lead to a sale, some companies have simply assigned equal credit to any tactic appearing in the digital chain. Although this may be a more holistic and sophisticated view in theory, in practice it inevitably miscalculates the real impact of specific tactics in the process. Despite the limitations of these models, they are at least an attempt at identifying the truth. Econsultancy‟s Online Measurement and Strategy Report 2011 found that only 24% of companies surveyed were carrying out attribution modelling of any kind to gain insight into the relationship between disparate channels. However, several trends suggest that this number will rise quickly, and that methods are evolving. Multi-channel growth is explosive. Almost all brands are aware that there is an online component to many offline purchases, and within digital channels have multiplied, with display, email, search and social playing a role. Customer journey analysis has become more sophisticated, and as marketers see the multiple points of contact, their interest in assigning credit has increased. The technology of attribution is evolving rapidly. Premiere vendors such as Atlas, Adobe/Omniture and most recently Google have rolled out tools to better understand how different tactics play a role. Although there are many approaches to choose from the goals of any true attribution model are the same:  De-duplication of credit to multiple affiliate partners for the same lead or click.  Reflection of online to offline and vice-versa.  True understanding of brand and engagement elements that contribute to the sale, such as display and social media.

4.3.

Conclusions Data is the connective tissue of marketing. It can make sense of how digital channels relate to each other and to the offline world. It can guide the marketer‟s hand in making better decisions in allotting resources. Most importantly, data is the manifestation of the customer conversation, whether it‟s taking place directly through a sales or service channel or is happening elsewhere in the social web. Data without understanding is worse than simply flying by instinct, because a conclusion driven by incomplete or mis-analysed data has the power of fact, but none of the truth. For this reason, organisations looking to match their data collection and usage with the opportunity before them have to think strategically about how technology, strategy and even corporate philosophy interrelate.

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4.4.

Examples, case studies and resources  Syncapse Value of a FB Fan Report http://www.syncapse.com/media/syncapse-value-of-a-facebook-fan.pdf  Gartner on Social CRM integration http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1454221  Monetising Social Media http://www.slideshare.net/econsultancy/e-consultancy-social-media-monetisation-casestudy-442177  Twitter as Loyalty Program – Dell estimates value http://econsultancy.com/blog/3241-is-twitter-a-viable-loyalty-marketing-platform-dellthinks-it-could-be  Dell Social Media Case Study – Quantifying social http://econsultancy.com/reports/online-marketing-masterclasses-2008presentations/downloads/1753-retain-grow-case-study-dell-social-media-econsultancyomm-2008-pdf  The Future of News (Interest Graph) http://www.slideshare.net/peoplebrowsr/the-future-of-news-an-orwellian-inversion  Econsultancy’s Attribution Management Buyer’s Guide http://econsultancy.com/reports/marketing-attribution-management-buyers-guide  Econsultancy / Lynchpin Online Measurement and Strategy Report http://econsultancy.com/reports/online-measurement-and-strategy-report

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Social Media

5.1.

Introduction “Social Media” is really too broad a term to mean anything on its own. There is social media content, advertising, search, commerce, customer service and market research. „Social‟ now touches almost every organisational department and will, in time, become just part of the way we do business. However, for most organisations, „social‟ is still something new, ill-defined, disruptive, and it is hard to know who should „own‟ it internally, what elements can be outsourced or not, how to measure its value and how to successfully suffuse social media throughout an organisation culturally and operationally. Here we focus on three areas of recent developments within social media: social for search engine optimisation, social commerce, and social media management.

5.2.

Key trends and market drivers

5.2.1.

Social for search engine optimisation Social media within search engine optimisation (SEO) can be split into two distinct sections. The first is how the search engines look for social signals – where sentiment is factored in as an element of the ranking algorithm. The second is the success that social media can have as part of a structured SEO programme within an organisation‟s marketing activities.

Social media as a ranking factor As social media has developed, the search engines have taken a great interest in the channel, especially in trying to understand how such personalised and real-time data can be used to rank web properties and content within the search engine results pages (SERPs). Currently, it‟s widely accepted that social media and SEO have a need to be integrated and that social media has a visible impact on SEO activity. This is especially important given that the major search engines now review social signals through various data share agreements. Google and Bing have both added numerous search features over the past year and numerous SEO professionals talk about how social media „signals‟ are influencing SERPs. Both these search engines can now display results that are written or distributed by users and also allow real-time searches for information being shared across social platforms; mainly Facebook and Twitter. The extent to which social signals are being used to rank search results is still vague, but the search engines have openly commented that social signals and influence are being explored as a factor affecting natural search. Danny Sullivan from Search Engine Land says that:5 ―Even though [a] page has a PageRank score, it might still be useful for Google (or Bing) to give me something like a ‗SocialRank‘ or ‗HumanRank‘ or ‗AuthorRank‘ score independent of that. This would be a way for them to know how much authority that people — rather than pages representing people — have on social networks, and to let those people have a signal that influences rankings... ―Both Google and Bing tell me that who you are as a person on Twitter can impact how well a page does in regular web search. Authoritative people 5

http://searchengineland.com/what-social-signals-do-google-bing-really-count-55389

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on Twitter lend their authority to pages they tweet. When it comes to Facebook, Bing says it doesn‘t try to calculate someone‘s authority. Google says it does, in some limited cases.‖ The impact of social on search at present is relatively limited. For example, Facebook walls a lot of its internal data and consequently, search engine interest is minimal. However, this will change in the very near future. Twitter data already plays a role in search, especially through authority ranking. Retweets are now acting as a form of link building: by getting a page link mentioned in tweets of authoritative people, it can visibly play a part in influencing SERP positioning. Equally, Google‟s recent release of the Google +1 tool indicates that the company is seeking to collect greater amounts of sentiment-based data to assess web properties and online content. With this in mind, it is more than likely that as time progresses, social signals will become significant ranking factors within the SERPs.

Social media for SEO activities Recent Google developments (including the Panda/Farmer updates) hint at a desire within the major search engines to reward pages with the most „unique‟ content. Google‟s definition of unique is defined by how different this content is from other pages on the web in terms of the choice of words - the „uniqueness‟ for search engines is a quantitative issue, rather than a qualitative issue. This trend can be particularly challenging for any organisation with a website where content has the potential to be duplicated on other sites – such as a retailer using a standard product description provided by the manufacturer, or a job board where vacancies are seeded on multiple websites. There are a number of possible solutions to issues of this type, but one that can be cost-effective and scalable is using user-generated content (UGC) to add content to a page which can‟t be found on other websites. The archetypal example of this approach is including copy from user reviews on to a product page. This content often increases conversion rates, but also introduces copy into a page which is very likely to increase its relative „uniqueness‟. UGC used in this way can also come in other formats, like comments, user tags, or some other way of allowing people to contribute to the pages. Broadly speaking UGC describes a number of technologies and conventions where visitors are given some degree of freedom to contribute to a website. UGC is a huge topic in its own right, but overlaps into search engine marketing clearly in four different areas: 1. Creating more natural keyword variation. 2. Making your pages more unique. 3. Generating content. 4. Ideas for link-building opportunities. Equally, company/corporate blogs work in a similar way. Adding relevant content to a site on a regular basis ensures that there is greater potential for search engine visibility. Additionally, the benefits of having an official company blog adds enormous value, such as acting as a crisis management platform, a PR tool, a news source and adding a human voice/face to a company. Finally, social media can act as a great traffic driver – another factor within the algorithms of search engines. Social platforms such as Twitter allow links to websites to be shared quickly and efficiently, driving huge amounts of users to a particular property within a short space of time. Internet Marketing Strategy Briefing Key trends within online

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5.2.2.

Social commerce Social commerce is currently a hotly-discussed topic among the marketing and e-commerce industries, but has in fact been around for quite some time. The term refers not only to enabling sales through social channels, but also encompasses features such as customer ratings and reviews, recommendations and referrals as social commerce does not necessarily have to be the channel that enables customers to directly make a purchase. It is also about supporting and driving social interaction between consumers and retailers in the online environment, in order to assist e-commerce activity. This is where the boundaries become blurred, as social commerce is as much about providing customer service, sales support and marketing, as it is about generating sales (directly or indirectly). Social CRM creates more insight about individual customers and can therefore contribute towards encouraging sales, as well as allowing a digital, multichannel presence. However, within social commerce, Facebook is emerging as an important platform for companies, as it not only offers the expected levels of social media engagement and interaction, but also has the ability to facilitate transactions directly on its site. This is becoming widely known as Facebook-commerce, or â&#x20AC;&#x17E;f-commerceâ&#x20AC;&#x;, among online retailing professionals. When isolated, f-commerce demonstrates the complexities of social commerce as a whole. The fcommerce ecosphere is a balance of enabling onsite and offsite transactions, through direct interaction or wider branding awareness. Mechanisms such as (Facebook) Deals, Credits and Stores contribute to this, allowing users to purchase through the platform itself, drive them to a specific online property or encourage them into physical stores. Many large brands are already experimenting with pop-up stores, stock inventory and sales6. This looks extremely likely to continue, especially with the news that Facebook is attempting to phase out its FBML (Facebook Markup Language) coding in favour of iFrames. This results in three key areas of improvement for commercial Facebook pages: better design, better tracking and better selling functionality. It also allows enormous flexibility for retailers, especially with tackling issues of secure payments through the site. Transactions using services such as PayPal or Verified-by-Visa are likely to emerge onsite, coupled with the ability of e-commerce merchants to integrate and display their entire online stock inside Facebook to a much more customised degree. Facebook is still very much finding its place within social commerce. However, with nearly 700m users being highly engaged within the platform, it follows that it will likely develop into an established commerce environment and consequently, organisations should be conscious of this as part of any future planning.

http://econsultancy.com/blog/7241-what-does-the-future-hold-for-f-commerce

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5.2.3.

Social media management There is an increasing need for organisations to manage and organise themselves for social media. Many have already addressed this by creating specific roles across different departments, but the need for automation is beginning to become more apparent – especially where social media interaction is on a large scale. As result of this, social media management platforms (SMMP), or social media management technologies (SMMT), are rising in popularity and are set to play a major part in the suite of marketing tools. SMMP can be divided into two categories – onsite and offsite social media management. Onsite includes, for example, customer ratings and reviews, blogs and communities while offsite covers management of third-party platforms such as Facebook or Twitter (which sit outside an organisation‟s web properties). In both instances, the technologies are used to manage workflow processes, which can sit across different departments and divisions, from marketing through to customer service. The platforms have the ability to smoothly integrate into a company‟s operations, monitoring, producing and publishing across social media channels, as part of a wider CRM process. At the heart of this lie three main elements:  Integration. The capacity to connect all social media activities and channels together on one single platform, with multiple access for different users.  Measurement. The ability to integrate third-party analytics tools, either around quantitative or qualitative data. This can then be aggregated and analysed in one single place, with all users able to see reporting.  Management. The scope to allow successful administration and organisation of the organisation‟s social media activities. Having a technology overlay that pulls all of these factors together into one single platform gives organisations a much greater degree of control over their social media, addressing numerous facets of a business.

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5.3.

Examples, case studies and resources Social for search engine optimisation  Social media and SEO massively undervalued: study  Why your social media strategy shouldn‟t be owned by a PR or ad agency  15 linkbait techniques for SEO and social media  What are the most important search ranking factors?  SEO tips for Facebook Pages

Social commerce  Seven tips for embracing social commerce  Ebay seeks boost from social commerce  What does the future hold for f-commerce?  101 examples of f-commerce  Social media drives 3% of traffic to e-commerce sites: survey

Social media management  Six core tactics for social media managers  Should all your staff be engaging in social media?  Ten steps to great CRM  Firms are overcoming their fear of social media: report

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Content Strategy

6.1.

Introduction What do you need to get up the search rankings? Links. And what do you need to get good links? Good content that people want to link to. What do you need to fuel successful, engaging, social interactions? Good content that people care about. What do you need to differentiate yourself as a brand online, particularly where you‟re selling something other people also sell? Better content and service certainly help. What do you need to improve your conversion rates online? Better content and user experience. Brands are fast realising that unique content, which is increasingly becoming games, apps and video, not just text and images, is vital to their online success. Everyone is becoming, and can become, a media owner. Soon even TV will open up and be available to any brand as a platform for their content. But how many businesses understand content, how many have a content schedule, let alone strategy, how many have the internal publishing skills? In this section we look at just three key trends which are driving the emergence of „content marketing‟ or „content strategy‟ as a key piece of the online, and broader, business strategy: the shift from bought to „earned‟ media, the move from impression to expression, and the rise of multimedia content.

6.2.

Key trends and market drivers

6.2.1.

From bought media to earned media Many will argue that advertising, as we‟ve known it (mass, interruptive, paid for etc.), is dying as it no longer works so well in a more fragmented media world rife with ad skipping technologies. As a result, rather than investing in „bought media‟, brands are shifting budgets to invest increasingly in „owned media‟ (e.g. your own websites, e-newsletters etc.) and „earned media‟ (links to your site, what customers say about you via social media, ratings/reviews etc.). Both are very relevant to content as the latter two require significant investment in content to work. Below is a graphic depicting the three different kinds of media and what they encompass:

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Source: Econsultancy Future Trends Innovation Briefing, February 2011, http://econsultancy.com/reports/future-trends-innovation-briefing

“Earned media” via content marketing is seen as more effective than “bought media” as:  It is usually cheaper to create.  Distribution online is “free”.  Word of mouth is still the most effective form of marketing so peer-to-peer endorsement is ideal.  Ad skipping technologies (online, TV etc.) mean increasing amounts of bought media are not being seen.  Earned media delivers inbound links online which is now the key factor in a brand‟s search engine rankings and improved search results = direct ROI.  Content, and earned media, have a long „shelf life‟. Unlike advertising or marketing campaigns, which are ephemeral, content can be considered an asset which „keeps on giving‟ via continued direct traffic from links and indirect traffic via improved search rankings.  Content marketing can also target the „Long Tail‟ i.e. niches, including valuable ones, which are hard to reach with mass advertising or many forms of „traditional‟ bought media. Optimising content against particular keyphrases and using targeted online distribution can deliver laser-like targeting. Many organisations have launched „social media‟ or „online customer engagement‟ initiatives but rapidly find that these are not sustainable when treated as „campaigns‟. They are an ongoing commitment which, crucially, requires *content* (in its various forms), to fuel the engagement and conversation. Thus, again, a rapid rise in organisations investing in online content.

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Investment in content marketing online is fast rising. From Junta24 2010 Content Marketing Survey7:  For the third straight year, marketers are planning to spend significantly more on their content marketing efforts.  For 2010, approximately six in 10 marketing professionals surveyed plan to increase their spending on content initiatives.  According to the survey, Content Marketing Spending comprises 33% of the total marketing budget (up 11% from 2008)

In terms of what we actually mean by „content‟ online, the following range / approaches are used, ranked by the most used at the top:

Figure 11: Content products used as part of companies’ total marketing strategy

Source: Junta24 2010 Content Marketing Survey

In terms of which areas of content are least well understood, and where there is the greatest demand for expertise, mobile tops the list:

http://www.junta42.com/media/38066/content-marketing-spending-2010-results-junta42.pdf

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Figure 12: Products deemed important to know about in order to execute marketing strategies

Source: Junta24 2010 Content Marketing Survey

As organisations invest more in content, and seek to grapple with the new paradigm of „earned media‟, they are evolving their organisational structures, teams, roles and responsibilities accordingly. Below shows the three teams, structured by media type, each with specific online responsibilities, that Lloyds TSB have now created to meet this shift. Note where there is overlap between the teams – interestingly (and correctly), SEO (search engine optimisation) is actually a product of all three media types:

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Source: Slide presented at Econsultancy event by a UK bank

“Self-publishing” is a rising phenomenon where content creators are able to express themselves and go direct to market via the internet without the usual “middle men” (broadcasters, publishers, agents etc.). One of the most successful youth media channels SBTV is run by a 24 year old and uses YouTube to reach a big audience and a new generation of writers are self publishing on Facebook, a chapter at a time. This same trend is happening with businesses who are not publishers or media owners but who are now starting to become so with their content investments and where they are connecting directly with their customers, via content, rather than paying for advertising via publishers. Tesco‟s Real Food site (http://www.tescorealfood.com/) is an example.

6.2.2.

From impression to expression To paraphrase the CMO of Coca-Cola: ―The CMO role used to be easier. Information flowed in one direction: from companies to consumers. When assessing plans and budgets, the key metric was consumer impressions: how many people would see, hear or read the ad? Now information flows in many directions, consumer touch points have multiplied, and the old, one-size-fits-all approach has given way to precision marketing and one-to-one communications. Perhaps the most consequential change is how consumers have become empowered to create their own content about brands and share it throughout their networks and beyond. […] Awareness is fine, but advocacy will take your business to the next level.‖ UGC (user-generated content) and online communities are not new but, in tandem with the shift towards earned media (see previous section), and the growth in social media platforms, and the increasing power UGC has to influence a brand‟s search rankings, brands have to understand how best to harness the power their customers‟ self-expression as part of their online content strategy. A big part of this is around „voice of the customer‟ (see section 2.2.3) and „social commerce‟ (see section 5.2.2) which, at its most basic, is „ratings and reviews‟, but at its most sophisticated is a federated ecosystem where a brand can manage, measure and get the most value out of the „customer voice‟ online. Internet Marketing Strategy Briefing Key trends within online

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Social signals, such as a Facebook „Like‟, or a Twitter Retweet, are seen as attitudinal expressions, and a form of user-generated content, that can be woven into an organisation‟s content strategy: for example the model below shows a publishing/content cycle that goes from content, to syndication, to social media and then uses popularity signals/data points to then inform the next content output:

Source: Slide from Dave Chaffey presentation on Email Marketing

Content „curation‟, rather than UGC, or content creation, is also a fast emerging trend. This is where technology is used, typically in conjunction with a human editorial resource to help find, filter and prioritise content, to scour, filter, tag and organise content on a particular topic or theme (usually quite specific so this is used a lot in B2B) in order to provide that content, or excerpts from it, to an audience interested in that topic. Beer brand San Miguel curates rather than creates content for its promotional events by handing over the creative keys to the celebrity DJs and artists it invites to run them. Content „curation‟ in this way has a number of advantages over UGC or content creation:  You retain more control over what content you choose to select which makes it less „dangerous‟ than pure UGC which has challenges around quality control, legal compliance etc.  It is much less expensive than creating original content because you are typically repurposing content other people have created and you have sourced (automatically) online. Legally this is a slightly grey area but, on the whole, as long as you link to the original, full, content then you can use extracts. In many cases the audience/users/readers only need an excerpt to gain most of the value: it is your curation, as experts, and „putting it all in one place‟ that is valuable.  Content curation can also be socialised to become „social curation‟ – examples include MTV Music Meter which provides a ranking of the top 100 artists, based on „real-time buzz‟ on the web – tweets, social mentions, blogs, news articles, streams and purchases from over one million artists. Not only can „social curation‟ further decrease the costs of original content creation but can enhance the virality and sharing of content as there is an existing network to leverage. Some models are a hybrid of social curation and editorial curation e.g. The Social Guardian. „Crowdsourcing‟, using a distributed crowd of customers (typically) to „do your work for you‟ to benefit from the „wisdom of crowds‟ as well as cost savings, has been part of new product development, marketing and advertising for a while but is also being applied to content. For example, Honda curates crowd content to populate its InterNavi GPS system, aggregating drivers‟ ratings, reviews and tips on travel services and destinations.

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“Social Media Management Platforms” are also an emerging sector (Econsultancy will be publishing a guide on this shortly). As social media, and customer-generated content, have grown, organisations have realised that they cannot scale their management of these channels, and interactions, with a small team (often part of the online team to start with). To scale their engagement with their customers‟ „expression‟ (whether for customer service, for product development, for HR, for market research etc.), to maintain quality control (e.g. workflow processes), to have some visibility and accountability (e.g. audit trails), organisations are buying into „enterprise‟ platforms that do just this.

6.2.3.

Enriched content: video, games, apps, metadata etc. As we‟ve seen already the idea of what constitutes „content‟ has moved from just words and pictures to all forms of media: video, audio, games, apps, services, virtual goods etc. Online video, in particular, is seeing explosive growth and becoming interactive both for advertising purposes (e.g. TippEx‟s Hunter shoots a bear video/content/ad) or for click-to-buy commerce embedded in the video (e.g. French Connection‟s YouTique channel on YouTube or Marks & Spencer‟s M&S TV). Some online video data:  26.9m people in the UK watched streamed video from home and work computers in April. (Source: Nielsen VideoCensus May 2011)  77% of global consumers said they watch online video of some kind – whether through their desktops, laptops, web-enabled TVs or mobile devices. (Source: Accenture)  85% of mobile and PC users access the web while watching TV. (Source: Nielsen)  3bn views a day on YouTube and 48 hours‟ worth of content is uploaded every minute to the platform. (Source: YouTube) And some impressive commercial stats from M&S‟s use of online video:  30% sales increase for M&S from customers who view video content.  16% average click-through rate on the M&S TV player in 2010.  Customers who watch video spend longer on the M&S site and view 3x the number of products.  27% is the average percentage of consumers watching a video on M&S TV until the final quarter in 2010. Games and social gaming are already very big business. „Gamification‟, the application of game mechanics (like rewards, levels, status etc.) is fast being adopted by online marketers seeking to create greater engagement and loyalty with their customers. Social Gaming is covered in detail in Econsultancy‟s Social Gaming Smart Pack but below are a few data points:  CityVille acquired 22m active users in 11 days taking less than one month to overtake FarmVille.  Bing in game ad in FarmVille gained 425,000 Facebook fans within 24 hours. They then posted an update the next day: “Any FarmVille fans out there? Try using Bing to get the most out of your crops and animals”. The search engine logged 20,000 click-throughs, and 585 comments were posted on Facebook in response… in four hours.

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 As you would expect social gaming adoption is highest in younger age groups:

Source: Econsultancy‘s Social Gaming Smart Pack, January 2011

Apart from creating richer and more immersive content experiences to increase conversion rates or engagement, there is another very important reason why there is a rapid rise in investment in rich content: ranking highly in search engine results. All the major search engines have introduced „blended‟ or „universal‟ search, meaning they bring back search results across media other than text (e.g. images, video, social etc.). Currently it is much easier to rank highly using video than it is on text. Indeed, according to Forrester, “video stands about a 50 times greater chance of ranking on the first page of results than any given textual page in the index”. “Branded content” or “branded entertainment” is a big growth area. Again this „content‟ might well be an app. Rather than relying on the „old‟ model of interruptive display advertising, the latter often blockable or skip-able, the idea is embed the brand within the experience so that the content itself is the advertising. Old Spice‟s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” combining video and user-generated content scenarios has delivered over 33 million YouTube views. Content is also being enriched as the diagram below outlines i.e. whilst content used to be published and would remain static/unchanged, now content is being added to in many ways – with comments, reviews, ratings, tags indicating topics or location, links, or other data which can increase the value of the original content and keep it „evergreen‟.

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Source: Slide from presentation by David Wieneke at Econsultancy‘s Future of Digital Marketing conference, 15 June 2011

Perhaps the most sophisticated form of rich content is where open APIs are created to make content (particularly data) shareable, configurable and usable in a „federated‟ or „atomised‟ way across the entire web. The Guardian‟s Open Platform is an excellent example of this and numerous new services, and new value, has been created. This approach works equally well where a manufacturer, for example, has product data that it needs to syndicate efficiently to its many retail partners in the appropriate formats. HP has done this successfully for its own etail partners and now sells its own product data management (PDM) solutions. BBYOpen, a BestBuy initiative describing itself as “a group of developers, technologists, geeks and idea people who have been thinking about how access to data is changing the future of retail” is an excellent place to see what is possible with open APIs. Tesco, another large retailer, has APIs upon which external parties have built new services.

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6.3.

Examples, case studies and resources Examples of ‘owned media’ and ‘earned media’ initiatives outside publishing:  Amex Open Forum  Blendtec – Will it Blend?  First direct – Little Black Book  Metrotwin (British Airways)

Screenshot below on Levi’s content creation efforts in Brazil:

 Example of social curation – MTV Music Meter (http://www.mtvmusicmeter.com/) or Mombo (http://www.mombo.com/); example of hybrid social + editorial curation – The Social Guardian (http://social-guardian.bruntonspall.staxapps.net/)  Coca-Cola Marketing Shifts from Impressions to Expressions http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/04/coca-colas_marketing_shift_fro.html  Useful Content Marketing resource is Content Marketing Institute http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/  An Overview of the Content Strategy Process and Deliverables http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/06/the-content-strategy-process/  Examples of Content Curation Platforms – see http://econsultancy.com/uk/forums/supplier-selection/content-curation-platforms-serviceproviders (follow links to those platform sites to see examples of sites they have done e.g. )

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 Crowdsourcing Article and Case Studies including P&G, Honda, Doritos etc. http://www.slideshare.net/paulsmarsden/crowdsourcing-2020294  Data + Gaming + Social makes for a potent combination: Nokia Push Project collaboration with Burton - turning the mountains into a giant gaming platform.  Hyundai Equus iPad Manual – Hyundai give a free iPad to anyone who purchases an Equus in place of the paper owner‟s manual. This rich content app also contains useful tools and services e.g. dealer locator, service reminders etc.

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