Thursday, March 25, 2010

Google Analytics Assignment

I received 14 hits, with 28 pageviews, over the course of three days. The site usage was very interesting because it broke down the user rate of new visitors, as well as the average time spent by each new user. The average individual visited two pages, so, that showed me that I need to work on hooking the reader. If they were not interested in what was on the sight, I would not be able to keep them there. The Depth of Visit also mirrored this data because it broke down how many users stopped at page one.


The Map Overlay was very interest because it pin-pointed where my viewers were coming from. This would work very well in configuring the appropriate, designated marketing areas when it came to selling my new product. Without it, I would be basing my production line off only the need of the user--and not the location of demand. I had one viewer in Chicago, and everyone else was in Carbondale, IL. Another interesting tools showed the breakdown of browsers. With information like that, I would have to make sure my content was available for use on Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.


I liked Top Content because it separated the good webpages from the sup-par pages. By comparing unique view to page views, along with the time spent on each page, I was able to figure out which pages attracted the most users. It was so precise that I wouldn't be able to see myself using anything else to measure my self-marketing success.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Midterm Example Questions:

Ch.1
1. True or False: XHTML stands for Extensible HyperText Markup Language.

2. True or False: Flash is a graphics animation program, written but not marketed by Macromedia.

Ch.2
1. What are the new mega trends of marketers?
a. Commoditization
b. Buyers Reward Authenticity
c. Markets are Global Conversations
d. All of the above

Ch.3
Social media economics consists of all of the following except:
a. Rooted in small markets
b. Delivery is cheap and outsourced
c. High barrier to entry
d. Fat margins, low fixed cost

Ch.4
1. What are the types of ad networks?
a. Representative, Blind and Targeted
b. Representative, Blind and Temporary
c. Representative, Blind and Tentative

Ch.5
1. True or False: Two prominent methods of online audience measurement are Nielsen/ netratings and Comscore networks

Ch.6
True or False: On an average day, people spend 3.5 mins on email and 24 mins with search engines

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Assign 6: Clicks and Delivery

Clicks


Clicks are an inaccurate measure because some of them are pop-up ads that are purposely placed in the way. They are intrusive in a sense that an individual doesn't know why the news story they are trying to read will not come up. Eventually, they realize an animated ad was placed strategically over the story for individuals to possibly get distracted by advertisements for their goods or services. It's also an inadequate measure because of click fraud, but in the article, they question how affective an ad can be if the individual is set on buying their product anyway.


In all honesty, I believe clicks are inadequate because I have been fooled on several occasions by pop-up advertising. Most of the time, I don't click on side-bar advertising because I see them as an alternative to what I'm originally searching for. Only when I'm intent on buying do I actually click.


I will say, to a certain extent, we are cheapening the value of the click because of click fraud, accidental clicks, and by devaluing a small percentage of customers who do change their mind based off online advertising; however, we can't really say how affective it is if results only slightly speak for themselves.


To be frank, I like Google Ad Planner as a way of measure. If there was a way to measure specific ads verses just clicked upon website via demographics, there would be a more efficient way of marketing towards our target audience. I mean, in general, all a company can do is try to remain top-of-mind, so they have to make the consumer know they are there.


Delivery


The solution the article offers is based upon time. The more time an ad spends in front of a consumer, the sooner the consumer will remember their company. Even though it's a very open-ended statement, there's truth within it where I agree. If the ad is there time after time, I will eventually pay attention to it. The company or ad may not have relevance to my life at the time, but eventually, it can. As far as making a change in online advertising, I don't think there really is a greater solution, yet. Consumers have a choice to pay attention because they are in control unlike through the use of tradition media, so until someone finds a way to monopolize the internet, all advertisers can do is wait.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Assign: 5




Most of the ads that targeted me had several similar qualities that mirrored my lifestyle. I've been in a relationship for four years; I love to travel; and, I enjoy a new experience!


I didn't see many targeting mechanisms; however, I noticed that Facebook matched my progression, whereas the lipstikmag.com matched my spontaneous personality.


Some of the products were relevant, but at the same time, I was shown a link to engagement rings on one page and a link to match.com on another. I think there's more ambiguity on larger websites like cnn.com or msn.com. Although, I was curious as to whether they chose to show me the cholestorol medication because of my age groups tendency to grab fast food or because my race is prone to high cholestorol.


One truth that uncovered my willing blind eyes was that I never noticed how congruent online advertising was to my life. I always chose to look past on purpose so I would never get caught up in the constant distraction that floods the television, magazines, etc. If it wasn't for this homework assignment, I would probably still be in the dark. But... then, why would you want the consumers to know how closely their lives are being monitored...??? Toooooo freaky.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Assign 4: Super Bowl Buzz

It was really hard to choose one commercial because they were all truly unique. When going about selecting the best commercial with the most follow, I had to do some dwindling. It was kind of hard to focus on twitter because I wasn’t familiar with it. So, instead, I chose to use youtube.com and track the flow from several viewers over the course of a few days.


Initially, I looked at the number of views tracked and comments made by users, but with the love building Google commercial, I noticed it had been available online for at least two months. With over 3 million views and 3,000 comments—half of which were posted after the commercial aired during the 2010 Super Bowl—I chose to investigate further.


I wanted to look at the Doritos commercial with the child slapping the man looking to take his mother out on a date; the decision came mostly because of the buzz made throughout the internet; however, with only half a million views and less than 900 comments since the commercial was uploaded, it still paled in comparison with Google and its connection with their audience.


The third top commercial—based on Youtube user views—was the Betty White Snickers commercial. Even though the commercial had been viewed over 1.3 million times in the past six days, less than 400 comments were left about the advertisement.
So, the commercial I chose to stick with was the Google commercial. It impressed me how much the users identified with Google. The idea of going viral—or having a general television commercial—is to get people talking. That was exactly what they did. Google shared an identity through love and courage. Some people spoke about how they were given chills or how the ad made them cry. Others spoke about how smart it was or how it cheered them up. And then, there were others who were so inspired that they had to find out the background music to the advertisement.


The overall idea Google captured was the insight of connecting. Initially, I didn’t believe it would captivate so many users because the commercial wasn’t made to be funny; it was made to be real. Google represented the American love story; and, through them, consumers found their fairytale too.


I didn’t think Google had many negatives. Some viewers felt the commercial could have been more creative; however, I saw it as a story where the user could paint the pages with their image. Others seemed to be completely turned off to the aspect of love, but that wasn’t anything Google could change.


I’m not too sure what Google can do to amp chatter. People are commenting on it as I type this paper. So, I probably wouldn’t change a thing.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Assignment #3

A local client that's a good candidate for GOMC is Mary’s Restaurant. I chose this restaurant because I had no idea it existed. Whenever my boyfriend and I went out to eat, we’d drive to Marion because we were so tired of the same old recipes and scents from local restaurants. I had no idea how interesting Carbondale was until I picked up our 2009-2010 Regional Dining Guide. Because they aren’t well known, I’d assume that many other students don’t know about the restaurant unless they’re tipped off by locals of Carbondale.


Their target audience seems to be an older crowd. They serve wine and also hold a bed and breakfast. So, I’d say it’s a place for mature couples who like to bask in romantic and dimly lit locations.
They do have a website. It is the following:
http://www.marysfinedining.com/home


Another interesting place around Carbondale is the Kokopelli Golf Club. I chose this place because of how chic and confident the place looked. Their target audience seemed to be the “country club” type and/or upper-middle class; however, besides Kokopelli having an outstanding golf course, they serve decadent cuisines as well. It’s a place to relax from day to night without taking any breaks.
They have a website, and it’s the following:
http://www.kokopelligolf.com/p_events.php

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Assign1: History on Internet Advertising

Article Summary:


The article opened with a discussion of consumers and their need to feel dominant. Before the internet, all consumers could do was watch what they were shown, listen to what they were given to hear, and read what the media selected for them to absorb. When the internet became available to the public, that all changed. The consumer no longer needed to wait for handout information about products. They became enabled; and through this independence, consumers dashed.


The article stated that no other introduction to media grew as rapidly as the internet among their target audience. Because of this, advertisers’ saw an opportunity to sell–not just to consumers—but niche audiences as well. By measuring mouse clicks, webpage eye tracking and post-click conversations, advertisers became capable in creating proficient advertising to attract specific consumers—making completing their search an easier task than once started.


With the internet in the express lane among user rates, advertisers’ tried to develop a method that would get their message out while maintaining the balance and feel of the independent user. They wanted the experience to be intriguing to the extent of a “positive distraction” and still give the idea that, through the user’s search, the client was the reason all ads pertaining to their search surfaced. The only role internet advertising tried to play was support.


Now, with blogging came positive results that were able to produce better insight to advertisers through the consumer’s eye. Not only was a company enabled to know its audience, but advertisers were better able to appeal to specific niches based on “real” conversations.


Online Advertising Milestones: 2005-2010
2005:
• Launch of YouTube
• Time Warner agrees to pay $300 million to settle SEC allegations that the company overstated online advertising revenue and says it will restate financial results
2006:
May: A massive DDOS assault on Blue Security, an anti-spam company, is redirected by Blue Security staff to their Movable Type-hosted blog. The result is that the DDOS instead knocks out all access to over 1.8 million active blogs.
August: AOL announces that they will give for free virtually every service for which it charged a monthly fee, with income coming instead from advertising.
• Launch of Twitter
2007:
• AOL purchases Third Screen Media, a mobile phone advertising company, and agrees to purchase Tacoda, an ad firm that monitors consumers’ online behavior.



Speculations for Future Online-Ads:
I believe that online-advertising will almost completely annihilate the use for newspaper ads—destroying the need for newspapers. Generation Y currently prefers the internet to television because of its instant accessibility; because of this, better and more entertaining ads will be placed on the internet. However, this isn’t necessarily a good thing. The article spoke of constant clutter of internet advertising; and, like the roach, I believe internet users will slowly become immune to their affect—leaving the world wondering what the next big media will be needed to keep the audience entertained.