Get Your Pink On!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Times Square is turning PINK along with the help of EBeauty.com!

This October 1st, 2014, EBeauty.com will sponsor the first annual Lighting Times Square Pink. From dawn-to-dusk on the first, there’ll be an array of events to benefit EBeauty, and a kick-off of the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk” that takes place in Central Park on October 19^th, 2014. ABC Good Morning America will be present at the affair, conducting various events, which they will broadcast on their television show that morning. Along with many companies, NTENT will also be on hand that day in support of this very worthy event!  

For those unfamiliar with EBeauty, it is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit charitable organization, which was founded in 2007 by Carolyn Callahan Keller to assist women undergoing treatment for cancer. EBeauty sponsors various community programs including a Wig Exchange Program that donates wigs to women who could otherwise not afford a wig during their cancer treatment.

A spectacular array of events is scheduled for the day, beginning with the 1st Times Square Lighting—in pink, of course! More fun includes, makeovers, yoga, pink popcorn and more. On the healthful side, the American Italian Cancer Foundation’s Mobile Care Clinic will be accessible for free breast cancer screenings for qualified women, and one can register for the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk”, as well.

The fun continues later in the evening, with the EBeauty Times Square Goes Pink Lighting Ceremony with pink wands, pink wigs and pink suits courtesy of Ricky’s NYC. The evening ends with a Wine and Pink Roses cocktail reception (RSVP required).

The lighting of Times Square Pink will act as a beacon of hope for all those families in their time of need. With over 400,000 people passing through “the Cross Roads of the World” everyday, the lighting of Times Square Pink will represent the single largest display of support for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the world.

Brilliant, EBeauty, brilliant!

Innovation, Technology and Disruption: The Must-Attend Events of NY Advertising Week 2014

By: Kerstin Recker, VP of Marketing and Business Development at NTENT 

It’s almost here: Advertising Week 2014, the week-long congregation that brings together 90,000 industry professionals to the streets of New York – and hosts a litany of impressive events that boast big names and even bigger ideas.

Scattered throughout New York City, Advertising Week’s events (Sept. 29-Oct. 3) shed light into some of the most pressing issues, concerns and emerging trends in the industry, with a particular focus on programmatic, mobile, and video disruption this year. As consumer tastes shift and technologies evolve at lightning speed, it’s more crucial than ever to stay ahead of the curve. With so many panels and events to choose from, it’s difficult to know where to begin, though the themes of innovation, technology and disruption arise repeatedly. Below are several exemplary events that highlight those values, along with some thoughts on how any digital marketer can gather some invaluable insight:

 

• Masters of Monetization: Mobile (Monday, Sept. 29, Times Center Hall, 11:30am). Finding a way to monetize mobile has become one of the hottest topics for discussion in the past few years, and leading practitioners in the field discuss how best to achieve return on investment (ROI) in the burgeoning mobile market.

 

• Inside the Programmatic Ring (Monday, Sept. 29, NASDAQ MarketSite, 1:30pm). If programmatic advertising (using software to purchase digital advertising) is seen as the next great wave of efficiency in the industry, then why is it still so little-understood? According to the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester, only 23% of client-side marketers understand the concept.  This must-see panel will help clear up the misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounding 2014’s hottest topic in advertising by featuring leaders in the field debating its merits, and how it can (and will) shape growth in the future

 

• Where the Cookie Crumbles: Solving the Cross-Device Problem (Monday, Sept. 29, Times Center Hall, 2:00pm). In this day and age, as consumers switch between a variety of devices throughout the day, it’s nearly impossible for marketers to reach them at every touch point. Just a few years ago, tracking cookies gave marketers a sense of what people wanted and when, but as cookies simply don’t work on mobile, there’s a sense of urgency in reaching them now more than ever. This panel features innovators and experts  (including the managing director for the ad platform Atlas on Facebook,) who will focus on how the advertising and marketing industries are combating the issue, and what you’ll need to know for it.

 

• Future.Video.3.0 (Wednesday, Oct. 1, Times Center Hall, 9:00am). Nowadays, it seems that every brand is utilizing short-form content to reach an increasingly wary consumer base. But are they using it well? The explosive growth of video to tell a story is fueled by breakthroughs in audience targeting, and this panel of experts discuss what’s to come in the future for this recent trend.

 

• Hey, What’s Up: How Mobile Messaging is Changing the Face of Advertising (Wednesday, Oct. 1, B.B. King Blues Club, 3:00pm). Private messaging has overtaken social media in some ways, becoming the preferred way for consumers to share content and communicate with each other. While this is not necessarily a new phenomenon, this panel delves into the way marketers can tap into consumers on these messaging platforms, a space they have not previously been able to break into.

 

• Creating Great Creative with Neuro: Now That’s What I Call Brain Science (Thursday, Oct. 2, The Microsoft Stage, 10:30am). This panel could almost be the subject of its own TED talk: Industry experts sit down to discuss how to develop an emotional connection to your consumer using neuroscience-based solutions.  Sure to be a fascinating and enlightening panel.

 

• From Start to Finish: Content Distribution (Thursday, Oct. 2, Lucille’s at B.B. King Blues Club, 1:00pm). This event focuses solely on content marketing and native advertising, quite possibly the most influential (and least-understood) topics in advertising and marketing right now.  Specifically, this event promises to hone in on the end user and what it is they’re seeking from brand-based content.

 

These are just a few of the 250+ events happening this year, all at a critical time of change in the advertising industry. The full agenda is available on the official event page: http://www.advertisingweek.com/calendar/. Which events are you most looking forward to?

Step-By-Step Guide to Holiday Campaign Planning

Don't let the holidays sneak up on you (again) this year!

It’s hard to believe that marketers all across the country have already begun their holiday campaign planning.  Without a doubt, getting your mindset into the “holiday spirit” is a challenge with summer winding down and fall about to begin—the truth is, savvy marketers are already busy plotting their online retail strategy ensuring that they are one step ahead of the rest.

Don’t let the holidays sneak up on you this year. Each passing day is bringing us closer to the busiest online shopping season: Last year, online sales reached over $61.8 billion in November and  December. The National Retail Federation expects a 12% increase in online retail sales this year! It might be painful to think about Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the last minute Christmas Bonanza now, but it’s important to jump on the holiday bandwagon early. Advanced planning can position your business for online success, more sales and more joy as you head into 2015!

Download our exclusive guide to get insights and optimization tips to help you create and execute an impactful holiday campaign.

IAB’s Definition of "Illegitimate Activity" in "Anti-Fraud Principles" Needs Clarification

The principles could help form an industry-wide standard of what illegitimate traffic is, but experts say the definition of "illegitimate activity" requires further explanation.

In an effort to combat malware and stamp out fraudulent ad traffic in the digital ecosystem, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a collection of "Anti-Fraud Principles." But while the guidelines will help treat the symptoms of the ad fraud issue, many say they're not comprehensive enough to solve the problem, especially because companies view "illegitimate activity" differently.

The IAB's principles require publishers, ad networks, and exchanges to "implement technological and business practices to identify ad bots and illegitimate human activity, and prevent such traffic from being sold." They should also provide "assurances to buyers" that inventory is from a "legitimate" source.

"It's a good start in trying to wrangle in a very complex issue in the digital ecosystem to ensure that advertisers actually reach 'real humans,'" says Bill Drolet, senior vice president (SVP) of video platform sales at NTENT, a semantic search technology company.

But according to Drolet, the problem is that currently each industry participant defines and views instances of "illegitimate activity" in different ways.

"One company will say you have 60 percent 'good' traffic, while another can say you have only 40 percent. And it's difficult to know who to believe," he explains, adding that making the situation worse, companies usually don't share data details that show where the "bad" traffic comes from.

It seems that in order to get everyone on the same page, one unified definition of illegitimate traffic is necessary. "The principles are the start of a framework from which advertisers and sellers can build on," Drolet notes.

Craig Simmons, manager of product strategies and operations at Exponential, a global provider of advertising intelligence and digital media solutions, agrees that the IAB anti-fraud initiative can help build an industry standard of "illegitimate activity," but "needs to progress a little further."

For example, he notes the definition of "illegitimate human activity," especially "incentivized browsing," requires further explanation.

According to the IAB, "illegitimate human activity" includes "incentivized browsing," or "a human user that is offered payment or benefits to view or interact with ads," as well as "AdWare traffic," a device "where a user is present and additional HTML or ad calls are made by the AdWare independently of the content being requested by the users."

Both are pay-for-play tactics that can hurt ad buyers and sellers, because the ads may not actually be seen by the audience that marketers are trying to reach.

"Imagine that you are paying to market a new car, and your engagement rates are through the roof. Upon looking at the click data a little more closely, you'd be horrified if you found out that most of the data was coming from a kid's game with repeated clicks," explains Drolet.

But although incentivized browsing and AdWare traffic are deceptive, there's little legal action taken toward "bad actors," according to industry participants.

"It's just hard to drop a line on what is or is not fraud," Simmons notes. "Incentivized browsing totally disregards what the brand message is. But my problem with the incentivized browsing principle here in the guideline is: What is advertising? Advertising, and therefore 'incentivized browsing,' keeps the Internet free. The wording may be a little tricky because it's tough to draw a line in the sand."

Most free content providers are supported by their users viewing ads when they are streaming online videos or listening to music, continues Simmons. "Should we call this 'incentivized browsing?' So the question becomes how will 'incentivized' be defined? That said, this is still a great first step for the IAB."

Drolet thinks the bottom line is if a publisher decides to give a user an "incentive," it needs to be transparent. "If you are offering coins for a video game or a discount on a purchase to incentivize consumers to watch or read content, that needs to be transparent," he says. "It's not illegal, but it just needs to be clear that that's the audience you are placing your ads in front of."

Mike Zaneis, executive vice president of public policy and general counsel at the IAB, tells ClickZ that although not all incentivized browsing and AdWare traffic are fraudulent, they can be a red flag for publishers or ad network.

"Those definitions are unlikely to change," he says. "But we will probably refine these categories to be more explicit types of adware or incentivized browsing that is fraudulent or illegitimate or deceptive."ead the Full Story - IAB’s Definition of "Illegitimate Activity" in "Anti-Fraud Principles" Needs Clarification

The Rise of OTT Messaging is Disrupting Consumer Engagement and Content Distribution

By Colin Jeavons, CEO and Founder at NTENT

OTT messaging services such as WhatsApp, Viber or BBM messenger operate over an Internet connection, giving users access to free and fast communication.  Use has exploded in popularity , officially taking over SMS messages as the primary way to communicate.  According to the GSMA, over 50 billion app-based messages will be sent every day this year compared to just 21 billion “regular” SMS text messages, with the average user sending more than 36 messages via OTT apps daily.

This disruption is presenting new revenue models on mobile, which have huge implications for brands and content providers. From a content discovery distribution standpoint, this can be frightening because consumers are opting for a direct one-to-one or one-to-many communication platform, injected primarily with the content they’ve elected to share. So what’s in the foreseeable future for advertisers? All signs point to strategic partnering with OTT messaging providers to reach consumers when they are most engaged – it’s clear that only using closed destination models, i.e. SMS, just won’t cut it for the future.

While advertisers may jump at the opportunity to advertise via OTT messaging, it shouldn’t be disruptive in any way to the user. Content that gets in the way of messaging, rather than assisting it (or at the very least being relevant), will irritate users. An example of a partnership that understands this concept very well is the one between cartoonists in Korea and the game-based OTT messaging platform, KakaoTalk. They’ve partnered to provide branded badges and product-related emoticons for consumers to share that clearly displays the brand’s logos, but offers entertainment value to the user. KakaoTalk and the cartoonists employ a model where revenues are split based on user engagement (i.e. usage of sponsored emoticons), meaning both sides win as users engage with and enjoy using the extra content.

Integrating new technologies into distribution models will be key to getting content in front of the right audience. Push notifications, recommendation engines, and real-time suggestions based on conversations are quickly becoming methods of distribution for reaching consumers in the most engaged environments. If you are a content creator wishing to reach consumers in a meaningful way, you must deliver messaging in a relevant manner to consumers in their channel of choice. It’s all about offering useful and personalized content. Once you’ve reached them in the right place, effectively monetizing that content and exposing them to your brand becomes much easier and lucrative.

Many companies are already well positioned for this new trend – Facebook, WeChat, Alibaba/Tango, Kakao, Line, Kik and BBM – are actively adjusting their models. The question now lies in what needs to be taken into consideration today when thinking about future monetization. A successful OTT content distribution campaign will be one that consumers ultimately enjoy while encouraging advertisers to think outside the box. It’s all about enhancing the messaging experience with relevant content and driving value to the user. In a world of big data and the Internet of Things, it’s not about what users may want, it’s what they can discover.

Read More - The Rise of OTT Messaging is Disrupting Consumer Engagement and Content Distribution

 

Context or Bust: The Road to Reaching Consumers More Effectively

By Bill Drolet, Senior Vice President of Video Platform Sales at NTENT

When the content you are marketing to consumers is irrelevant, you run the risk of having your brand leave a bad taste in their mouths — or in the worst case scenario, consumers will simply block you altogether. Take this as an example: you log onto Facebook and see a slew of suggested (sponsored) posts taking over your newsfeed. Many of these posts may not have anything to do with what you’re interested in – or even worse, you find them creepy or disturbing. These instances are minor annoyances for users, but they can have great repercussions for advertisers.

In advertising, personalizing campaigns, content and videos to appeal to users’ interests is an increasingly significant consideration. According to Econsultancy, 94% of marketers and 90% of agencies agree that “personalization of the web experience is critical to current and future success.” One way to make it ‘personal’ is by focusing on context – getting an ad to someone at the right place and time. A brand can have an ad that is tailored specifically for a person, but if it’s not delivered correctly, it can make all the difference in how an ad is received. When thinking about context, consider three things: site placement, relevance, and platform.

Read the full story - Context or Bust: The Road to Reaching Consumers More Effectively

NTENT Joins the Great Debate at Advertising Week: Masters of Monetization: Mobile

 

Each year Advertising Week brings together the best and brightest minds in the industry to reveal changes and emerging trends in the marketing and advertising industry. This year, NTENT™ is thrilled to be joining the discussion and covering the event. In fact, Colin Jeavons, President and CEO of NTENT™, a rapidly growing semantic search technology company that provides enhanced semantic search and content discovery platforms, will join the panel of experts for the  session  "Masters of Monetization: Mobile", Monday, September 29, at 11:30 am EST during Advertising Week 2014. 

 

Romy Newman, Head of Digital Advertising at WSJ, will lead the panelist in a lively debate that discusses ROI in the burgeoning mobile ecosystem. Joining Jeavons on stage will be: Bill Blummer, SVP at Keek, Djamel Agaoua, CEO of MOBPARTNER, Monica Ho, SVP of Marketing at xAd and Alex Linde, SVP of Monetization at the Weather Channel.

 

"This debate will go a long way toward answering a vital question for marketers regarding the future of monetization and content distribution on mobile," said Jeavons.  "Mobile, specifically, OTT messaging and social media, are rapidly changing the way people communicate, share and discover content. This has huge implications for content creators and advertisers. At the end of the day, these constituents must adapt their strategies to reach consumers where they are spending the majority of their time. I'm honored to have been selected as  a panelist, and expect an insightful session."

 

Stay up-to-date on what is happening at Advertising Week and what’s shaking at NTENT™ by following us @withntent.

 

Contact Kerstin Recker for questions  about this panel or NTENT.

 

About NTENT

NTENT enhances cross-channel digital experiences by matching content to consumers’ passions and interests. NTENT leverages its proprietary semantic search and natural language technology to provide relevant experiences for consumers, as well as enhanced monetization opportunities for marketers, content providers, carriers, app developers and distribution partners. NTENT has an established record of success with innovative solutions in search, video, messaging, mobile and marketing, and has already been implemented by major online publishers and global brands such as Meredith Corporation and Taunton Media. Learn more about NTENT at http://www.NTENT.com. 

3 Misconceptions about Click-Through-Rates

As a marketer, you’ve probably heard the term “click-through-rate,” or CTR, before. You know it is an important metric to pay attention to with an online advertising campaign. Generally, the belief is that that the higher a CTR, the better the campaign performed. But does a high click-through-rate really equal campaign success? What does a “click-through-rate” really mean?

A click-through-rate is the ratio of clicks your ads receive to the number of ad impressions

CTR = (clicks/impressions) x 100%

Today, more and more marketers are running multi-platform campaigns. Each of these individual efforts ties into each other and drives a consumer further down the sales funnel over time. If you are only looking at CTR and not relating it to your other campaigns, you are not getting the most out of your marketing initiatives. For example, if you are looking to drive traffic, then the main metric of success isn’t CTR, but time spent on site. There are several misconceptions about CTR and just how important of a metric it is. For the essence of clarity, here are the top 3 misconceptions about CTR.

Misconception #1: A high CTR is everything. 

A CTR lets you know how many people are clicking on your ad. A CTR is important when running any online advertising campaign because it can determine whether or not your ads will be shown. Most online advertising platforms, such as Google AdWords, Facebook, and Bing, use CTR to determine your quality score. The ads that are clicked on the most are deemed the most relevant to a consumer’s query and therefore have a higher quality score and are shown more often, in a better position. If your ads have a low CTR, not only are they not getting clicked on, but they are also not showing up as much as they should, limiting your audience.

A higher CTR can also mean a lower cost-per-click. However, a CTR is not the end all be all when determining the success of a campaign. A CTR only tells you the number of times your ad is clicked on. It doesn’t tell you what happens after someone clicks on your ad—whether they engage with your brand, spend time on your website, or convert into customers or subscribers.  A CTR doesn’t tell you the quality of your visitor either, for example a single click can originate from malicious bots. Combat click fraud with this checklist. It is important to also pay attention to other metrics such as bounce rates, time spent on site, pages visited, and conversions to determine the overall success of an online campaign and optimize accordingly. A CTR is only one piece of the puzzle.

Misconception #2: There is an average CTR.

Average CTRs vary by industry. Some industries are more competitive than others and each industry has an average CTR so you should be measuring your click-through-rate accordingly. As you continue to optimize your online advertising campaigns, you will notice that your CTR will improve beyond your industry average.

Average CTRs also vary depending on the style of the ad (search ads, display ads, etc.) and the advertising platform you might be using (AdWords, Facebook, LinkedIn, mobile ads.) The audience and targeting, B2B or B2C, branded or non-branded, ad copy and creative messaging (CTA), type of offer, display URL, and keywords placed in the search funnel can also affect CTRs. Average CTRs may also vary depending on campaign goals, language, and distribution. All of these factors determine what CTR you should aim to have. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB,) “there is no reliable service that tracks CTR [as a] CTR is highly subject to creative effectiveness which is very campaign specific.” So if you think your CTR is too low, remember a good CTR is relative and you might be in line with the average you are looking for.

Misconception #3: A high CTR will lead to more sales.

Another thing to keep in mind is that while a high CTR is a good thing, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will lead to more sales. There are several factors that can contribute to a conversion and several other metrics you should be paying attention to. Think of your website as your virtual store. A high CTR can bring multiple people to your store, but if it is not inviting, or hard to navigate, if it does not have the prices or products consumers are looking for, they will leave (or bounce) and not buy anything. Entice consumers with appealing web design and great content on your site. These factors are not to be overlooked because they help boost your conversions, and if done correctly, will help move consumers further through the sales funnel.

 

Conclusion

A click-through-rate is an important metric to keep track of in order to gauge which ads are attracting the most clicks and are therefore shown preference by search engines, but by no means does this measurement determine the overall success of your campaign. As a marketer, you must pay attention to engagement metrics, as well as CTR and conversion rates, in order to fully optimize your digital marketing campaigns.

Are you committed to making your campaign a success? Follow these 6 Keys to Paid Search Marketing Success and share your thoughts and opinions on CTR in the comments section!