Mobile access to social networking websites grow exponentially from last year

Constantly being aware of how consumers behave can help advertisers in properly finding the target audience for a product or service.

As social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook become more common, the rate at which both are being accessed through mobile browsers is growing exponentially. According to the Center for Media Research, comScore looked to document that growth.

Taking into account all cell phone users, Facebook received a 112% jump from January 2009 in the number of users utilizing a mobile device to enter the website. Twitter saw the biggest change with a 347% increase from last January. Coincidentally, MySpace saw a decrease of 7% from last year.

ComScore states in the findings that in January 2010, 30.8% of smartphone users got on to a social networking site with his/her phone. This is a large increase compared to the 22.5% reported a year ago. Smartphones have been said to be the main driving force for growth.

These findings do not include the mobile users who only use mobile applications to connect to these sites. That is an estimated 6 million people.

Constantly being aware of how consumers behave can help advertisers in properly finding the target audience for a product or service. In this case, mobile advertising may be vital in targeting a key demographic if that is how that group primarily utilizes media.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

New study shows that DVRs are more popular in the 25-54 age bracket

Understanding how your target audience consumes media can help tailor your campaign to be more effective in reaching those core people.

As digital video recorders (DVRs) become more easily accessible to consumers, experts want to know who primarily is utilizing the device.
According to MediaPost, The Nielsen Company completed a Three Screen Report to survey Americans’ media usage. The study found that on average, the nation watches only about two hours of time-shifted TV per week. In contrast, traditional TV manages about 35 hours per week.

As a whole, 35% of all US households own a DVR. The device is most commonly used by people in the 25-54 age group. They typically watch three hours a week. People who are 65 years old and older spend the least amount of time watching time-shifted TV. This group will watch a little over an hour per week.

Understanding how your target audience consumes media can help tailor your campaign to be more effective in reaching those core people.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Americans make room for TV and the Internet by overlapping usage

As a whole, advertising messages are on multiple screens that are all vying for Americans’ attention.

As more Americans are embracing the various ways to access media, research companies are tracking the rate at which this is actually happening.

According to MediaPost, The Nielsen Company completed a Three Screen Report which documented people’s media consumption. Results showed that Americans increased their multitasking habits during the last quarter of 2009. In fact, there was a 35% rise, from the previous year, in viewers who accessed the Internet while watching TV.

An interesting finding is that the increase occurred within the last half of 2009. To show comparison, in December 2008, persons who engaged in TV and used the Internet simultaneously at least once per month at home spent approximately two hours and 36 minutes doing so. In June 2009, that amount only increased to two hours and 39 minutes. After the spike took place, the time spent went up to three hours and 30 minutes in December 2009.

As a whole, advertising messages are on multiple screens that are all vying for Americans’ attention. As Americans’ learn to multitask in the congested media environment, it is vital for your campaign to stand out amongst the group. Being on TV and online at the same time can help keep your message present in front of your audience. Or, being creative by driving traffic to your website through TV advertisements can help keep your viewer engaged.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

LA based companies have repurposed vinyl billboards for fashion

Being able to reuse and repurpose your existing creative ad can be effective in countless ways.

As more outdoor billboards are trending towards digital, some vinyl companies are vying for alternative methods of reusing the old creative to elongate exposure. In doing so, a green movement has emerged.

According to MediaPost, the Los Angeles based companies Midnight Oil and LA Graphico, which are marketing agencies that specialize in online and super graphic advertising, have created a partnership with Billboard2Swag. This partnership has resulted in Billboard2Swag taking the old vinyl building wraps and creating unique reusable shopping bags. The bags’ creative primarily are movie industry focused.

A high selling point to the fashion conscious is that each bag image is distinctive and one of a kind. The environmentally-minded consumer can also appreciate the bags because over 95% of each super graphic vinyl is used. Therefore, very little of the vinyl gets thrown into a landfill. The companies hope this fact will entice green companies to utilize out of home advertising.

Being able to reuse and repurpose a creative ad can be effective in countless ways. It can put your product/service in a positive light (being green), or it can even put your message in the hands of a new audience (reusable bags).

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Partner Spotlight: Sarah Malone

Question: My advertising budgets are down – should I look at shorter commercials to stretch my advertising dollar?

Answer: Many businesses have been faced with decreased advertising budgets in the last year, and running 30 vs. 60 second radio spots or 15 vs. 30 second television spots has been considered as to way to stretch advertising budget. While shorter spot lengths can be a viable option for many businesses there are several points to consider.

While half the length of traditional spots, shorter spots are not half the cost. Most stations charge between 65% and 75% of the cost of a traditional spot. Shorter spots may also have station restrictions on where the spots can run, which can impact the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. Another important consideration is message recall. Most research shows that message recall is about 25% to 35% lower for short format commercials. You also need to consider your message. Campaigns that are simple or already familiar to your consumers may lend themselves to short spots, but many messages can be difficult to convey in shorter formats.
Considering shorter length commercials can stretch advertising dollars, however, it is important to consider all factors. Often, a mix of commercial lengths strategically placed can be the best use of your advertising budget.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...