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Mobile ad spend leaps, taking 10% of all digital spend in the UK - one of the world's laboratory markets for digital. Smartphones outsold feature phones globally for the first time - and Facebook's 'Home' software for Android saw the social network declare the mobile gateway as their single biggest priority.
For brands, the key to successful engagement is still in having brilliant conversation and content ideas, but as the landscape changes expect Facebook, Google and Apple to all try squeezing more paid media budgets out of the marketing plan. Good news for brands as competition in the app store sector grows with Google's "Play" store rapidly catching up to Apple. Meanwhile Twitter lands a multi-agency deal that unlocks hundreds of millions of dollars of ad space, blurring the divisions between social paid, owned and earned media.
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Email us back for more, and click through for the videos and full stories.
Best from all the Digital Acceleration Programme team
Danny Meadows-Klue
President
Digital Training Academy
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Smartphones accounted for 51.6% of global mobile phone sales in the first quarter of 2013, outselling feature phone for the first time as consumers worldwide switch on to web access on the move, according to new data. 26/04/2013 | Full story...
Mobile ads now account for 10% of all digital spend in the UK, growing by a massive 148% compared to last year, according to the latest figures.
10/04/2013 | Full story...
Facebook has launched 'Home', a new app that that puts feeds from the social network on the home screen of Android phones.
Watch this presentation video from Mark Zuckerberg:
05/04/2013 | Full story...
Google's Play Store grew three times faster than Apple's rival App Store
globally in the first quarter of 2013, according to new research.
23/04/2013 | Full story...
Apple has posted its first fall in profits for nearly 10 years, dropping 18% as the electronics giant struggles to keep up with growing competition from the likes of Samsung and Google in the smartphone and tablet market.
Watch this video from the Daily Telegraph's Matt Warman, discussing the challenges Apple faces ahead.
24/04/2013 | Full story...
Apple and Yahoo are reportedly in talks over extending the level of co-operation amongst the two companies on the iPhone and iPad, as Apple looks to reduce its dependence on rival Google's web services.
11/04/2013 | Full story...
After coming second to Facebook in 2011, Google outsold the social network in terms of US digital display ad revenue last year, earning $2.26 billion, according to new data.
05/04/2013 | Full story...
Twitter has secured a sponsorship deal with Publicis' Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), in a deal that could be worth several hundred million dollars in extra ad revenue for the social network.
24/04/2013 | Full story...
Google has launched a mobile ad calculator, designed to help advertisers predict the return on investment for their smartphone and tablet campaigns.
02/04/2013 | Full story...
Microsoft Creative Director Adam Orth has resigned after posting flippant remarks on Twitter over the Xbox 720's controversial 'always-online' rumours, telling frustrated customers to "deal with it".
12/04/2013 | Full story...
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Facebook Home is the social network's boldest mobile move yet- so much so that founder Mark Zuckerberg himself is starring in one of the launch ads (alongside a screaming goat naturally).
16/04/2013 | Full story...
April Fools' day has become a big event on the internet, as the web is flooded with pranks (and companies try to get a bit of free publicity). We've rounded-up some of the best spoofs to hit the web this year - including YouTube 'shutting down', Twitter charging for vowels and Sony's tech for pets.
02/04/2013 | Full story...
Swapping electronic Apples for edible ones, this commercial from Carlsberg brand Somersby Cider has become a YouTube hit, racking up over 1 million views within a week and plenty of social media shares.
02/04/2013 | Full story...
YouTube dance phenomenon The Harlem Shake has generated over one billion video views in just 40 days.
05/04/2013 | Full story...
The Webby Awards, commonly called the 'Oscars of the internet', has launched a site showcasing previous winners from its 16 year history.
03/04/2013 | Full story...
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/online-advertising
Mobile advertising investment is giving a significant boost to the digital ad marketplace. In the US the latest IAB / PwC report claimed that mobile investment rose 111% year-on-year helping total spending to grow 15% in 2012. Behavioural targeting is also helping increase the value of online advertising. eBay is the latest platform to begin sharing the browsing habits of its users with third party advertiser, as the online marketplace looks to rival Amazon, Facebook and Google in the lucrative practice of behaviourally targeted ads.
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This chart shows the percent change at the major US display ad companies. By 2015, Google is forecast to report 36.9% growth, this is largely attributed to the display ads on YouTube. Twitter's growth has slowed dramatically since 2012, dropping from 93.8% to a forecasted 34.7% by 2015.
26/04/2012 | Full story...
This data shows the leaders in US digital display ad revenue in billions (USD), and the predictions for revenue over the next two years.
18/10/2012 | Full story...
Internet ad revenues in the US hit record-breaking double digita growth in 2012, reaching nearly $37bn, with mobile ad revenues leading the growth, according to new figures.
17/04/2013 | Full story...
EBay has begun sharing the browsing habits of its users with third party advertisers, as the online marketplace looks to rival Amazon, Facebook on Google in the lucrative practice of behaviourally targeted ads.
12/04/2013 | Full story...
Online advertising is soaring worldwide, but some formats work better than others to get the message across to consumers. This US-based infographic from InsightsOne looks at those ads that cause the most irritation - and the negative impact on the brands behind them.
19/04/2013 | Full story...
More top Advertising stories from this month:
- AOL revamps parenting site Parentdish with Comfort as ad partner
- Gmail turns 9 - how Google's email tool has evolved (infographic)
- Digital marketing in South Africa: Consumers ditching TV for mobile and web
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/search-engine-marketing
The rapid growth in search activity via mobile devices was highlighted this month with data from the digital marketing technology provider Kenshoo. According to their research over a quarter of UK paid search clicks and spending is now mobile. Evidence that you still have to be careful what you advertise via paid search came with the blocking of MoneySupermarket ads. And the power Google holds to influence the results of its competitors was apparent when iTunes search links suddenly vanished from the results pages.
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/facebook-marketing
The big news in the world of Facebook this month was the launch of their new Home mobile app. Available on Android phones, this app 'takes over' the operating system by pushing your Facebook content onto the phone's home and lock screens. Despite mixed reviews the app received 500,000 downloads in the first 2 months - although only representing 0.05% of global users. Whilst it is only currently available on Google's Android platform discussions are in place with Apple for a version to be made available on iOS.
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The Facebook Home interface for Android phone was downloaded half a million times in the first two weeks of its launch, according to new data.
23/04/2013 | Full story...
Facebook is in talks with Apple to offer its 'Home' interface on iPads and iPhones, less than a week after launching on the Android platform.
18/04/2013 | Full story...
General Motors is returning to Facebook after a high profile decision to pull its $10m per year social media ad budget last year.
11/04/2013 | Full story...
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/social-media-marketing
Driven largely by investment in its mobile channel, Twitter continues to see its global ad revenues growing (to over $580 million in 2013 and forecast to reach over $1bn by 2014). The platform is actively promoting its advertising opportunities to business - through a dedicated site and video.
Google has launched its Map Maker in the UK, enabling users to place additional information onto maps 'Wikipedia style'. And using Falcon Social's social media management platform the beer brand Carlsberg goes global.
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Facebook fatigue is setting in across some of its biggest markets, with users across North America, Europe, Japan and Australia leaving the social network despite the reported growth in overall active users, according to new data.
29/04/2013 | Full story...
Twitter is forecast to earn as much as $582.8 million in global ad revenue this year, going on to generate over $1 billion in 2014 according to a new report.
03/04/2013 | Full story...
Twitter has revamped its business resource section with marketing tips, a glossary, and ideas on how to promote on the micro-blogging site.
Twitter also released this video to give businesses an overview of what Twitter can do for them:
03/04/2013 | Full story...
Google has launched its Map Maker in the UK, letting users add their favourite places, in a similar style to user contributions on Wikipedia.
12/04/2013 | Full story...
Enterprise software provider Falcon Social has completed the rollout of its social media marketing platform across 44 countries for brewery group, Carlsberg.
11/04/2013 | Full story...
More top social media stories from this month:
- Nokia adds Whatsapp button for $72 Asha mobile
- Twitter #Music app offers social recommendations
- UK social media use drops slightly- but shopping soars
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/mobile-marketing
With the mobile and tablet marketplace essentially being a two horse race between Android and iOS it helps to understand the difference between user profiles and behaviour on the two platforms - whether you're developing apps for, or marketing on, these channels. Comscore recently developed an infographic to highlight the differences and a report from Canalys showed how revenue was generated by different app stores. And in an attempt to win back market share the previous smartphone leader Blackberry has launched a new tool to demo its new operating system.
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/content-marketing
The changing nature of TV production was demonstrated this month as the online retailer Amazon, which already has an Instant Video channel to rival YouTube, asked their online audience to feedback on which of their TV show pilots should go into full production. The growing importance of the digital channel for songwriter royalty revenues was shown in the latest PRS report. And the shift to brand content marketing was illustrated by IPC's new Amplify format as well as an interesting infographic from Content Amp.
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/marketing-through-gaming/
The continuing success of the Angry Birds series of mobile games was highlighted this month as the producer Rovio announced that sales had doubled year on year. The enhancement of live sports through mobile apps is clearly gaining popularity as the app from Major League Baseball, At Bat, achieved over 6 million downloads in the US. And social games are getting serious as Zynga announces a real money gambling app.
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/ecommerce-and-eretailing
Another month and more news of how our shopping habits are becoming increasingly digital and mobile. Whilst total retail spending has declined between 2008 and 2012 across Europe, e-commerce sales have grown rapidly, driven particularly by younger consumers (aged between 25 to 34). Also shopping research is increasingly being conducted via tablet devices, with retail search volumes increasing 198% via the channel in the first quarter of 2013. As a result of this trend some retailers are now predicting that showrooming will become the future of the high street.
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Despite coming of age during hard economic times, younger European consumers that are 25 through 34 years old are more likely to engage in online spending than other groups, and are helping propel the growth of e-commerce in the region, according to an ecommerce expert.
23/04/2013 | Full story...
UK search volumes on tablet devices outpaced those on any other device, increasing 198% in the first quarter of 2013, compared with growth on smartphone devices of 66%, according to new research.
24/04/2013 | Full story...
One in four retailers now expect physical stores to become more like showrooms in the future, where consumers can sample products instore to buy online, according to new research.
17/04/2013 | Full story...
More top ecommerce stories from this month:
- Top mobile shopping websites in the UK
- 5 tips for FMCG brands using coupons in social media
- Amazon to buy social network Goodreads
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/digital-marketing-regulation
Google got its knuckles rapped this month in Germany, receiving a fine of €145,000, for inadvertently gathering personal data through unsecured wireless networks whilst Street View image gathering. They were asked to defend themselves over their low corporation tax payments in the UK. And they were accused of using Android as a 'Trojan horse' to secure a mobile Internet access monopoly. This accusation being led by Microsoft, in a case of defendant becoming prosecutor!
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