At MIXX Toronto on Sept. 29, 2008, mid-morning keynote Jacques Hervé Roubert, President and CEO of Nurun (Global), gave a rousing presentation on the power of the iPhone, and its role in helping drive the branding goals of L'Oreal Paris. In particular, Nurun wanted to take advantage of iPhone users' propensity to view Video on the device.

According to a Digital Media Wire review of a January 2008 M:Metrics report on iPhone usage: "While the demographics of iPhone users are very similar to all smartphone owners, the iPhone is outpacing other smartphones in driving mobile content consumption by a significant margin."   

According to the January study, 30.9% of iPhone owners reportedly watched mobile TV or video in January, compared with 14.2% of smartphone owners and 4.6% of the total mobile market.

But the device is not without its drawbacks... According to a Rubicon Consulting whitepaper, not all Websites are displayed properly on the current version of the device, and iPhone owners often pack a second phone to do more routine tasks such as making basic calls or sending email.

As well, over half of current iPhone owners are under 30 years of age, and as Rubicon notes: "This group of customers is great for launching a product, but there aren’t enough of them to create sustained growth. The biggest question about the future of the iPhone is whether Apple can reach beyond the early adopters to generate substantial amounts of mainstream demand for the iPhone."

So I thought I'd ask... Do you think the iPhone is a game changer in the long-term as well as the short-term?

And, would you advise Advertisers to invest in developing for the iPhone at this early juncture (assuming their target market is 25-49), or would you advise them to develop for other smartphones with more reach?

How would you advise Advertisers to budget for iPhone/smartphone development and experimentation (% of total marketing budget? percent of interactive budget?).

Let me know.

Paula Gignac, President, IAB Canada  

When Microsoft and Google hit the stage at MIXX Toronto on Sept. 29, 2008, they mused on how Search is changing, now that technologies are better able to link disparate pieces of info together, to better serve the needs of the consumer.

This technology is called "Semantic Search," and in the Agenda for the session I gave an example of how powerful Semantic Search will become in the future:

"Say you want to book a vacation to Italy for your 50th birthday… Today, you might read about the latest hot spot in the Travel section of your weekend newspaper; head Online to check out a few of the URLs listed in the article; search Online for other places of interest across a variety sites; ask your MySpace friends where they've been; then check out flight and hotel availabilities at your favourite travel booking site. In the not-so-distant future, however, instead of having to do many separate searches on the subject, because search engines will be able to mine your entire Search history -- just a single query would result not only in a collection of the best airline and hotel pricing options, but also an organized set of text, photo, video and mapping links related to a whole host of seemingly unrelated searches you had done months before. Now all of a sudden, your flights and hotels are organized around locations in Italy that are closest to the best surfing beaches; and miraculously, your favourite author seems to be hosting her next book launch in a nearby town! And while your best friend's opinions are important, what if the search engine could mine ALL of the Web's latest news, political feeds, blogs and consumer comments about each location and travel package offered, and show you only those with a 4-star-plus rating - again, all within that same query? Such is the promise of Search in the age of the semantic Web…

But hold on a minute? If consumers find all they need in a single query, won't the business model for keyword advertising in Search be turned on its head?"

Because understand, there is an undeniable tension here...

If, as they say, Search engines want to deliver more and more relevant content to users, the closer they get to this goal, the less relevant the paid listings surrounding these hyperdriven results will be for the average user.

I.e. as per above, if I get everything I need as a consumer in the results section of my Search (including links to book signings, surf beaches and restaurants based on my previous searches -- in addition to a great selection of flights and hotels arranged by date or price or rating), why in the world would I care or waste time looking at the individual hotel or surf or restaurant or Italian bike tour Advertiser sponsored links to the right or on top of these results?

The answer is, I wouldn't, and that's why Microsoft's "Cashback" program seeks to add value within the results section, NOT in the surrounding paid sponsor area.

Blogger Sonia Carreno (Passage Communications) to MIXX Toronto/Montreal, interpreted the initiative this way:

"Essentially, Microsoft has created an enormous consumer affiliate program to encourage searches on its platform and in doing so, has created somewhat of a closed market environment where users will get cash back or discounts on purchases made from Microsoft merchants.

So I’ve stumbled hard on the oxymoron of “enhanced results, rich semantic search etc.” and the proposed closed search (commercial) environment. How can your search be rich and closed at the same time? It feels a bit like AOL circa 1995 no?

In theory, affiliate programs can be successful at capturing market share but with the growing trend of consumers demanding transparency, mobility and freedom to select from infinite online options, the thought of receiving rewards for a finite list of merchants seems archaic and somehow (for lack of a better term) uncool." 

I don't agree. I think "Cashback" really reflects the ethos of Web 2.0, in the sense that it rewards users for their contribution.

What contribution you say? Their anonymous, previous Searches data of course!

And I don't think it's a walled garden at all, but instead, one where money seems to be growing on trees...

I.e. if, when my Search results are returned, I get the option of loading my virtual wallet with $50 extra by choosing one of the hotel providers that ranks similarly to others displayed, but gives me a $50 cashback option, again, why would I not?

The answer is, if I look at all the user reviews and sentiment ratings, and see that the Cashback hotel is just as highly rated as the other 3 or 4 NOT offering the incentive, I would most assuredly choose the Cashback hotel, and use that $50, along with all my other Cashback dough from other searches, to pay for all the fine 2006 Gran Sasso Pecorino Terre di Chieti I will most assuredly also be drinking while in Italy...

And what if the merchants offering the Cashback are a vast network of highly desireable brand retailers?

Microsoft recently launched a Back-toSchool initiative with the following deals -- not exacly category losers:

Rebate of 36 percent on Jordan Men’s AJF 12 basketball shoes from Foot Locker
Rebate of 18 percent on Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet PCs from Zappos.com
Rebate of 30 percent on The North Face Doubletrack backpacks from eBags   

And users seem to like what they see... as Microsoft Searches jumped 15% after launching the new Casback service.

I would have liked Google to let us know what it will be doing in response to changing Search capabilities, but they were, unfortunately, pretty "mum" on the actual details of their plans.

So, put your bias aside, and think about the rework that Microsoft has brought to the table, and tell me how you'd go even further in the Semantic Search arena?

Or, take a guess about how/if you see Google responding to this initiative.

Paula Gignac, President, IAB Canada

I was at a recent CARF event, on the state of research across the various associations for TV, Radio, Newspaper, Magazine, Outdoor and Interactive advertising, and was struck when Theresa Treutler of the the TV Bureau prefaced her presentation by saying "TV is Video."

I understood her to be saying that as more and more TV migrated to the Web, there would be no real distinction between TV on a TV set, and TV on a PC video player -- it would simply be the size of the screen that would change... I think there are inherent and interesting contradictions in there, but when I saw the presentation given by Neil Sweeney, SVP Business Development and Sales (North America), StreamTheWorld for the Video 5 Ways panel at the MIXX Toronto event, the slide showing how CBS is using its audio player to help monetize Online audio streams made me think: "Hmm, if TV is Video, then Radio may just be the new TV..." 

In the end Radio, Newspapers, Magazines and Outdoor will all have more and more PC-based Online Video components linked with their content. And then the content will be ported to the Mobile sphere. Media owners and producers looking to monetize their content on these platforms need to remember that neither the computer nor the mobile phone is actuall a TV set, so how you monetize, should take into account the inherent strengths of the medium, as opposed to just monetizing with pre-roll commercials recycled from TV for Online.

To that end, in Toronto, we missed a presentation from Mark Coleman of DoubleClick (as he was unable to make it to the event due to a family emergency), but in Montreal, his counterpart Jeff Sundheim showed how Overlays, and Flash in Flash really make advertising sing in the space. In the Flash In Flash example previous, various products are highlighted as full-length TV content plays Online. HBO's Entourage shows links to shirts by Tommy Bahama, suits by Hugo Boss, etc. inside little red brackets that show the user where to click.

The Video stops while the user interacts with it, and allows a quick jump to the Website as well. Other Flash In Flash examples allow users to dynamically change both clothes and surrounding props within stills on the player before the actual Video content launches, allowing for multiple product placement opportunities.

That's not TV folks, that's what we in the biz call Interactive Advertising! 

Now since high def Video Online will soon be ubiquitous, and users of Online Video will soon be able to port virtually everything they collect Online back to their large screen digital displays, do you think they will interact with the large screen to the same extent that they do now with their PCs?

And what about when all this arrives on their iPhone?

And my last question... Any thoughts on how Advertisers will be able to pull together measurement of all of this cross-screen activity?

Let me know.

Paula Gignac, President IAB Canada

Just thought I'd give my impressions of the MIXX Toronto Event, Sept. 29, 2008, now that I've got a few minutes to think.

Can Social Media Save The Automobile?
I think the audience really enjoyed hearing from Natalie Johnson, Mgr. Social Media, General Motors (Global) and Monik Sanghvi , Senior Vice President, Digitas as they gave a visual presentation of the sort of work GM is doing in the Social Media Space.

I was impresssed by the over all numbers that they tallied up for the GMNext.com program, through Social media strategies employed for campaigns for the Camaro, Corvette ZRI and Volt -- a whopping 4.2 milion downloads of GM videos (some interviews, some from live events, some from record-breaking loops around the track in GM cars, etc.); 12,000 comments on articles, and over 850 million total media impressions generated -- for a total of just 2 cents per impression! Wow!

I'm impressed as well, by the continued senior mgmt. support for GM's move into this space, with Bob Lutz and Rick Wagoner leading the charge. When asked if GM might be in danger of losing support if Lutz or Wagoner moved elsewhere, both Natalie and Monik said that there are already a good number of senior mangers involved in other areas, and that as the Social Media marketing results percolate through the GM organization, both expect there to be no shortage of senior people participating and spreading the responsibilities across the board. But, both acknowledged that both Bob Lutz and Rick Wagoner bring a huge amount of cachet with them.

Check out the GMNext Video, then let me know if you think GM is leading in the Social Media space related to auto manufacturers, or who you think goes even further?

And what about senior mgmt. support for Social Media and Interactive advertising in general? Are Canadian corporate execs as bold as those from the US?

Finally, do you think GM's "impression" based success measure is a good one?

Let me know.

Paula Gignac, President, IAB Canada

Well, we said tickets were going fast, and now we're officially SOLD OUT! for the Toronto MIXX Canada Event.

**We will, however, be creating a waiting list for this event.**

If you want your name added to the waiting list, please Contact Us.

Closer to the actual Toronto MIXX date (by Sept. 25th or 26th), we will tally up any cancellations, and those on the waiting list will be contacted and asked to confirm immediately.

Montreal will sell out soon as well, so please make sure you purchase tickets for that event asap, and similarly, for any cross-Canada Roadshow events you would like to attend.

Look forward to seeing everyone there, and thank you for your continued support of IAB Canada Events!!

Hi Everybody!

We have less than 50 tickets left for the MIXX Canada Toronto Event (Sept. 29, 2008), and our MIXX Canada Montreal Event is moving quickly as well (Oct. 6, 2008) -- so please make sure to get your tickets asap!!

Our line-up is incredibly global, and industry-leading on every count. PLUS, we've made sure we have lots of take-away info for attendees from every session, as we know everybody is pretty fed up with "talking heads" -- what you want is info you can use right now, to help direct your own efforts, or help others through the digital "doorway". Finally, we're suppling all attendees to our Full-day MIXX Canada Toronto and Montreal events with a USB containing all presentations from the day, as well as Case Studies from all our Sponsors (a total of 15 or so collected Case Studies, in addition to speaker and panel PPTs)

For those who can't make it to the Toronto or Montreal Full-days -- and even for those who can -- I really recommend seeing the Roadshow presntations as well. I've looked at all the Presenting Sponsor Case Studies, and think you'll be interested to learn what Nike, Nestle, IBM and others are doing in the space, and how you might apply similar thinking for your own company or Clients...

I've also been looking through literally hours and hours of the latest research that I'll be adding as context around all that Case Study info (this is the time of the year I get to catch up on all the latest research as well!). Once the Roadshow is over (Oct. 20, 2008), we'll send all Roadshow attendees a link to the entire Roadshow PPT (Presenting Sponsor Case Studies plus IAB Canada contextual info), so you can use all of this info as well.

So, hope to see you there!

We'll be posting notes and articles related to topics that we'll be featuring at the MIXX Canada Conference Series as it runs through September and October 2008, and March 2009.

We hope you'll contribute your thoughts and comments as well.

Talk to you soon!