SocialChorus Blog April 2010 Archives — 2/4

Digital Luxury Digest | World’s Best Banner Ads, Complementary Concierge, Status Experiences, Next in Fashion Social Media

by Halogen on April 20, 2010

“The World’s Best Banner Ads (And Why They Worked)” (AdAge)

What makes a great online display ad? Ashley Ringrose, co-founder of Soap Creative and curator of Bannerblog, has a few ideas. Among them: A truly interactive ad must have an interactive idea. That, and it should be useful, not annoying, to consumers.

“Visa Black Card Introduces Concierge Service” (Luxist)

Available to just 1% of US residents-to ensure a maximum level of service for members-the sleek carbon card, with an undisclosed credit line, now comes with a full-service concierge team. With either a phone call or an email, the Black Card team is available 24/7 to handle anything from the standard restaurant, flight or hotel reservation to more challenging requests.

“Update Your Status Now” (TimesLive)

Endowing consumers with status and making them feel good and proud to use your products or services is no longer only about letting them show off wealth. Status means being able to do something; learn something or make a difference, and that activity needs to be unique, relevant and add value to the consumer’s life.

“A Guide to What’s Next in Fashion Social Media” (dmdLab)

Fashion is built on continual innovation – hey, it’s what keeps us buying! So it should come as no suprise that how fashion brands are using social media platforms – and the platforms themselves – is something constantly evolving.

April 20, 2010 Visa Black Card

Digital Luxury Digest | Rules for Social Media Marketing, iPhone’s Short Stories, Armani’s First Hotel, China’s Web Obsession, Lessons From Leading Innovators

by Halogen on April 19, 2010

“5 Rules for Successful Social Media Marketing For Fashion Brands” (FashionablyMarketing.Me)

These days everyone seems to have advice about how to run your social media marketing program. There are so many tips floating around, it’s hard to know what truly essential strategies you should follow to effectively use social media to build your business. Taddy Hall believes in letting the data speak.

“Publishing venture bets on iPhone short stories” (Reuters)

A new publishing company is betting that readers will bypass electronic readers such as Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s Reader in favor of reading bite-sized stories on mobile devices they already own.

“Armani Hotel Dubai to Open in Burj Khalifa on April 21″ (eHotelier)

Armani Hotel Dubai, the world’s first hotel developed by Armani Hotels & Resorts, in Burj Khalifa will open on April 21, 2010. An unprecedented luxury hospitality venture, Armani Hotel Dubai is the first hotel to be launched under the collaboration between Emaar Properties PJSC and Giorgio Armani S.p.A.

“For Chinese, Web Is the Way to Entertainment” (NY Times)

The daily Web habits of a typical 18-year-old college student named Li Yufei show why American Internet companies, one after another, have had trouble penetrating what is now the world’s most wired nation.

“Lessons to Take Away From Marketing’s Leading Innovators” (AdAge)

Missed Ad Age’s Digital Conference last week? Here are eight lessons you may not have gleaned from following the tweets.

April 19, 2010

Digital Luxury Digest | Online Jewels, Luxury Sales Up, Money Tweets, A Blessing in Disguise

by Halogen on April 16, 2010

“Hearts on Fire launches mobile-enabled ads” (National Jeweler)

Branded diamond company Hearts on Fire has partnered with a Michigan-based technology company to launch a series of magazine advertisements designed to direct print advertisement viewers to the Web. By using their Web-enabled smart phones and the barcode, consumers can reach a mobile site that allows them to view Hearts on Fire designs and share those designs with their friends through the use of e-mail or various social media applications.

“Bain Sees Global Luxury Sales Up 4% In 2010″ (WealthBulletin)

Bain’s widely watched forecast, to be released Friday, predicts sales of luxury goods will rise 4% globally in 2010, to EUR158 billion, following an unprecedented 8% drop last year. In October, when Bain last predicted 2010 sales, the firm was forecasting growth of just 1%.

“Promoting for Dollars in New Twitter App” (LA Times)

For its part, the San Francisco Internet company launched its own advertising strategy this week. “Promoted tweets” from such advertisers as Best Buy, Red Bull, Sony Pictures and Virgin America have begun to appear atop its search results. Later this year, it plans to test a program that places ads in users’ streams.

“Ford’s Jim Farley Says Recession Was a Blessing for Digital” (AdAge)

That severe nosedive the economy took wasn’t all bad for Detroit. Jim Farley, group VP-global marketing at Ford Motor Co., told attendees at Advertising Age’s Digital Conference today that it was actually the best thing for automotive marketing, especially on the digital front.

April 16, 2010 Ford, Hearts on Fire, Luxury, Twitter

Digital Luxury Digest | Collaboration is Key, NPR’s Digital Embrace, Power of FB Referrals, E-Readers Love For Mags

by Halogen on April 15, 2010

“Agency Collaboration More Important Than Expertise, Say Marketers” (AdAge)

Marketers at the second day of Ad Age’s Digital Conference said they could care less whether it’s a digital or traditional shop that takes the lead on a marketing campaign, as long as they figure out how to orchestrate campaigns consistently and collaboratively.

“NPR: An Analog Brand with Digital Savvy” (Brandchannel)

National Public Radio, America’s national gem and enduring media brand, is at a crucial analog/digital crossroad, and the sign-posts are positive. Built on the retro model of information distribution that is radio, NPR’s embrace of digital and social media is catapulting NPR to new heights and new audiences.

“Consumers Follow Facebook Referrals – Except When They Don’t” (MarketingVOX)

Not only are social fans more likely to buy and recommend brands, but their friends are also likely to follow suit. So says new research from Morpace finds that more than two-thirds of Facebook users would take a Facebook friend’s referral of a product or service seriously enough to consider actually purchasing it.

“Print It: E-reader Owners Love Magazines” (MediaPost)

This week brought more confirmation that magazine publishers stand to benefit from the surge of interest in e-readers, including the new Apple iPad. On Wednesday Mediamark Research & Intelligence revealed the results of a study showing that e-reader owners are big fans of magazines, in addition to being a desirable demographic.

April 15, 2010

Digital Luxury Digest | ‘Fan’ Price Tags, Social Vino, Building Trust Online, Macy’s Tops List

by Halogen on April 14, 2010

“Value of a ‘Fan’ on Social Media: $3.60″ (AdWeek)

Brands have rushed to Facebook to build fan bases, with some amassing millions of connections. The nagging question has been: What is the monetary value of these fans? Social media specialist Vitrue, which aids brands in building their customer bases on social networks, tried to put a media value on such communities.

“Italy winemakers eye tweet sales with social media” (Reuters)

“In the times of crisis it is important to experiment with new ways of making yourself known,” Susanna Crociani of family owned Crociani, makers of full-body red Tuscan wine Nobile di Montepulciano (www.crociani.it) told Reuters. Crociani, who says she was the first Italian winemaker to start a blog in 2004, said she has gained many new clients after launching a Facebook page. She has also started to use Twitter just a few months ago.

“The Four Pillars of Building Instant Trust Online” (ClickZ)

Human beings are social creatures that seek out companionship and relationships. Our map of reality can be viewed as a series of concentric circles which include the most trusted relationships and those who are in our hearts at the very center.

“Where the Wealthy Shop Online” (BusinessOfFashion)

As we emerge from the ruins of a deep recession, where are wealthy consumers shopping most? An analysis of online traffic statistics for February 2009 to February 2010, gathered from Google Ad Planner, reveals some interesting traffic trends, although these are only based on estimates.

April 14, 2010 Facebook

Digital Luxury Digest | LVMH’s Soaring Sales, Bank of Digital, YuMe Includeds Silverlight, Promoted Tweets

by Halogen on April 13, 2010

“Luxury Goods Brand LVMH Sees Sales Soar” (GuardianUK)

A surge in demand for expensive jewellery, clothes, perfume and champagne has sent sales soaring at luxury goods firm LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. LVMH saw revenues jump by 11% in the first three months of this year to €4.472bn (£3.9bn). Sales of its jewellery and watch brands, which includes Tag Heuer and Zenith, leapt by 33% compared with a year ago when the economic downturn hit consumer spending.

“Bank of America to Spend Less on Traditional Outlets” (AdAge)

In an effort to shore up its ailing brand, Bank of America is doubling spending on digital platforms, but as a result will be spending less on traditional outlets, namely TV and print. “We’re not abandoning any of those forms of media,” Head of Marketing Claire Huang told an audience at Advertising Age’s Digital Conference today. “But we’re realizing that digital not only allows you to provide information, you can have real, live connections.”

“YuMe Includes Silverlight” (MediaPost)

Video ad network YuMe on Tuesday is expected to announce that its ACE ad platform now supports Microsoft’s Silverlight plug-in media player. As such, publishers who equip their Silverlight players with ACE technology will now be able to monetize their video content through YuMe’s video ad network, and will have the option to take control of their video ad operations with the ACE Ad Management System.

“Twitter Unveils Plans to Draw Money From Ads” (NY Times)

Twitter will unveil on Tuesday a much-anticipated plan for making money from advertising, finally answering the question of how the company expects to turn its exponential growth into revenue. The advertising program, which Twitter calls Promoted Tweets, will show up when Twitter users search for keywords that the advertisers have bought to link to their ads.

April 13, 2010 Bank of America, LVMH, YuMe

The Generation Next Forum | Insight Into Tomorrow’s Affluent Consumer

by Halogen on April 12, 2010

On May 14, the Luxury Lab will be hosting the Generation Next Forum which will dissect the characteristics, influence, and brand affinities of tomorrow’s affluent consumers, namely Generation Y. Speakers and performers from the Economist, TeenVogue, Julliard and more are expected to be at NYU’s Skirball Center for what should be a wonderful event.

With Generation Y now outnumbering baby boomers, it is more important than ever to understand this demographic on a deep level. Generation Y’s spend more time online that watching TV, 96% of them have joined social networks, and 80% sleep with their phone next to their bed. The Generation Next Forum will dissect these staggering numbers and help make sense of them as they relate to your brand.

Halogen Network’s CEO Greg Shove will speak on Day 2 of the event about “Finding Generation Y Online.” In addition, attendees will have the chance to network with upwards of 500 senior executives, view performances by emerging Gen Y artists and witness product demonstrations founded on groundbreaking industry research.

The largest gathering of prestige marketers in North America, Luxury Lab forums combine education and entertainment to inspire and enlighten. Don’t give up your chance to register and guarantee yourself a seat at Luxury Lab’s next event!

April 12, 2010 Greg Shove, Halogen Network, Luxury Lab