The use of the web by politicians has been underwhelming, but the
current UK elections are still the most digital. Here's why...
Social media reached out to a new generation and told them to vote. The
Electoral Commission used simple digital marketing tactics to reach the
right people (youngsters not yet registered), in the right media space
(Facebook), with the right offer (one click to register). Simple,
brilliant, game-changing.
Secondly, digital analytics came into their own for the first time.
Old-style telephone polling and street surveys are over. Instead social
media monitoring provided granular insights into every sound-bite and
every gesture from the leaders of the three main political parties.
Online polls from YouGov have been fighting with new social media
monitoring tools, while live social media trackers run alongside TV
debates. They've given politicians an unprecedented window into their
own electability - and like all good marketers, politicians have quickly
applied those lessons.
Collating this month's research and news for you reminded me that the
right digital strategy isn't just about advertising. Digital strategies
work throughout the marketing mix - from researching customer insights,
to changing brand preference, through building buzz and engagement, sale
and ongoing support.
Best from all @ Digital
Danny Meadows-Klue
Founder and Chief Executive
Digital Strategy Consulting |
UK election: Digital focus
www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence |
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UK elections: Social media and web analytics get the vote; politicians
come poor second
The use of the web by UK politicians has been
underwhelming. Instead of an Obama-style social media groundswell
bringing policy debate into living rooms and bars, the British
electorate has had to suffer waves of negative campaigning, an
explosion of pointless blogging by anyone running for office, and a
focus on Facebook fans or Twitter followers that mistakes raw numbers
for engagement. And yet Election 2010 has been the most digital the
UK's ever seen; here's why...
Keep reading...
28/04/2010
Fifth of a million Facebook users watched second leaders' debate
More than 220,000 people logged in to Facebook last
Thursday to watch the second leaders' debate. Both Sky.com and ITV.com
used Facebook Live Stream to allow viewers to comment on what they saw
on screen, the first time worldwide that two broadcast networks have
used Facebook Live Stream in parallel.
Keep reading...
28/04/2010
Debate shifts party leaders' reputations on social media
Last week's debate saw the reputation of Gordon Brown
rise significantly, while David Cameron remained static, according to
analysis by social media firm Yomego.
Yomego has been analysing the reputations of each leader through the
first two leaders debates, and the reputational shifts are charted in
the graph below, as are the social media reputation scores of each
leader.
Keep reading...
27/04/2010
Electoral commission uses Facebook to encourage young voters
The Electoral Commission will for the first time use
Facebook to encourage more Brits to register to vote on May 6. The
move comes after turnout fell to historic lows in the last two
ballots. Young people are among the biggest users of Facebook, but are
traditionally the hardest to persuade to cast their vote.
Keep reading...
26/04/2010
TV
leader debate: Tories win web traffic war after round two
The Conservative party gained the most homepage visits
after the second leadership debate last night, according to new
research. The research, from Hitwise, indicates that the
Conservative's homepage getting 36.42 per cent of the share, the
Liberal Democrats 31.80 per cent and Labour 31.78 per cent.
Keep reading...
23/04/2010
TV leader debate: Clegg wins over Facebook users in second round
Nick Clegg has been voted the winner of last night's
leadership debate, according to an online poll of Facebook users. An
exit poll launched within minutes of the debate ending showed that the
Liberal Democrat leader was the most successful candidate, polling 48%
of the vote, followed by David Cameron 27% and or Gordon Brown on 25%.
Facebook said over 20,000 users of its social network took part in the
poll.
Keep reading...
23/04/2010
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Data and statistics
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Here are the latest stats and figures from the
past month.
Largest UK
internet sites
UK audience reach for top 10 parent companies, March
2010
Internet
audience: UK
Time per person for top 10 parent companies, UK, March
2010
Consumer
internet behaviour: UK
Monthly internet use: key indicators for UK web users,
March 2010
Top 10
travel search terms: UK
Terms ranked by search clicks for the four weeks
ending 10th April 2010
Top 10
travel websites: UK
Sites ranked by visits for the week ending 17th April
2010
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Trends
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Digital Economy Bill: Broadband tax axed, illegal downloaders face lifetime web ban
The UK Government's controversial broadband tax has
been dropped, while illegal downloaders could soon be banned for life,
as part of a new bill rushed through Parliament this week. The laws
were passed in the final push to get the Government's Digital Economy
bill passed into law.
Keep reading...
09/04/2010
Talk Talk 'to defy Digital Economy Act'
As the Digital Economy Act is made into law, key
industry players, including ISP Talk Talk, are beginning to voice
their opposition to the acts sweeping powers over cutting off accused
illegal file-sharers. The Digital Economy Bill was rushed through
Parliament in a period known as the 'wash-up', the period between a
general election being called and Parliament being dissolved.
Keep reading...
12/04/2010
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Social networking
www.digitaltrainingacademy.com/socialmedia |
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Top 10
social networking websites: UK
Sites ranked by unique audience, March 2010
Facebook shuts Lite site after just seven months
Social network Facebook has shut down its Lite site
after running for just seven months. Facebook posted a note on its own
fan page thanking those who used Lite, which had been aimed at users
with slow or poor Internet connections, and stated that it had
"learned a lot from the test of a slimmed-down site".
Keep reading...
21/04/2010
Facebook ramps up fan and 'community' pages
Facebook is updating its website to highlight pages
for bands, books and businesses, encouraging users to become fans of
their listed interests. The social network is also launching a new
community feature, as the social network looks for new ways to
leverage their users' interests and connect them with advertisers.
Keep reading...
20/04/2010
Twitter launches first-ever search ads
Twitter has launched its much-anticipated ad program,
as the micro-blogging platform looks to turn its growing popularity
into profit. The new service, named "Promoted Tweets," will allow
companies to place a less-than-140-character message at the top of
pages of search results.
Keep reading...
14/04/2010
Facebook debuts £5m safety campaign - but refuses to add panic button
Facebook will not add a safety button on each user's
profile page, despite calls from a leading UK child protection agency,
saying they would 'confuse and intimidate' users. Instead it will run
a £5m safety campaign including a 24-hour police hotline.
Keep reading...
14/04/2010
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Mobile
www.DigitalTrainingAcademy.com/mobilemarketing |
UK
mobile ad market grew 32% in 2009 - worth £38m
Mobile ad spend beat expectations last year, with
entertainment & media and telecoms brands being the biggest mobile
advertisers, according to new research. Despite a contraction in the
advertising sector in 2009, total spend on mobile phone advertising in
2009 rocketed by 32% year on year to a new high of £37.6m, according
to the second, annual Internet Advertising Bureau study.
Keep reading...
27/04/2010
Google Nexus One goes on sale in UK with Vodafone
Vodafone UK has become the first European operator to
sell Nexus One, Google's first smartphone handset, with contract
prices starting from £25 a month. Customers who pre-order online will
be the first to get a Nexus One for free on a £35 monthly price plan
(24 month), on April 30. The Nexus One will also be available via
Vodafone stores and telesales. Price plans start from £25 a month on a
24 month contract.
Keep reading...
27/04/2010
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Ecommerce
www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence |
High street shoppers 'taxed' for not buying online
Shoppers are being hit by a "high street tax", paying
up to 70 per cent more for goods bought in store rather than online,
according new research. The study, from shopping comparison website
PriceRunner, suggested shoppers are paying hundreds of pounds more for
the privilege of shopping in store.
Keep reading...
20/04/2010 |
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Accelerating Digital Brands: Could we help your team achieve more?
www.DigitalTrainingAcademy.com/skillsassessment |
It's never mattered more. The web, search,
email and social media have become the critical tools every firm has
to get right. Yet most digital strategies deliver less than half their
potential. Why?
We've spent ten years helping agencies, brands, business services and
governments find the right digital strategy for them. From building
new online entertainment sites to finding new ways to connect with
customers, we're front-line practitioners who share our knowledge and
skills with others.
Not only do we help companies get this right we also coach their teams
to build their knowledge and intuition. Email the trainers at
Admissions@DigitalTrainingAcademy.com. |
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Country focus: Germany
www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence |
Largest
internet sites: Germany
German audience reach for top 10 parent companies,
March 2010
Internet
audience: Germany
Time per person for top 10 parent companies, Germany,
March 2010
Consumer
internet behaviour: Germany
Monthly internet use: key indicators for German web
users, March 2010
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Advertising
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UK online ad spend grows 4.2% despite economic gloom
The UK internet advertising sector increased revenues
by 4.2% to £3.54 billion in 2009, up from £3.35 billion in 2008.
Surpassing industry forecasts, online grew last year despite a decline
in total UK advertising. Despite the economic outlook and its
devastating effect on the advertising industry, online has weathered
the storm. The results of the bi-annual IAB and PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP advertising spend reflect the inexorable move of Britain's
population online as recognised by the Government's Digital Britain
vision.
Keep reading...
01/04/2010
eSpot ad network suspended fom IASH
The Internet Advertising Sales House council has
confirmed that ad network eSpot has failed to complete and pass the
most recent ABCe audit. The online ad network did not submit an audit
for the period July to Dec 2009, and has therefore been suspended.
Keep reading...
16/04/2010
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Broadcasting
www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence |
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Wales becomes UK's first digital TV nation
Wales has become the UK's first digital TV nation
today when the analogue signal is switched off for the final time. The
Welsh switchover began last August and will conclude tomorrow with the
Wenvoe transmitter group, which covers Cardiff, Newport and south east
Wales.
Keep reading...
01/04/2010
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Companies making the news
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Amazon profits soar 68% on strong international sales
Amazon has signalled a recovery in online consumer
spending with an excellent quarter that saw profits rise 68 per cent.
The retailer made a quarterly profit of $299m (£194m), and reported
overall revenues up 46 per cent to $7.13bn (£4.63bn).
Keep reading...
26/04/2010
Reuters.co.uk relaunches: Mainstream consumer focus
This month's re-launch of Reuters.co.uk marks a clear
shift into mainstream consumer-facing publishing and the promotion of
a consumer facing brand. For the news network that supports tens of
thousands of media titles, this clear expansion signals a broadening
business model and new vehicle for corporate marketers.
Keep reading...
23/04/2010
Yahoo buys Me.Me domain to boost Twitter rival
Yahoo has acquired the Me.Me domain name to enhance
the brand of its social networking site, meme.yahoo.com, which allows
users to connect and share their common interests. Online domain
marketplace Sedo, brokered the sale of Me.Me to Yahoo. Sedo secured
the domain name from the .Me Registry on Yahoo's behalf.
Keep reading...
22/04/2010
Yahoo posts first revenue growth in 18 months
Yahoo has reaped the benefits of Microsoft web search
deal, posting its best quarterly performance since hiring Carol Bartz
as chief executive to engineer a turnaround. The first-quarter results
released marked the internet company's first revenue growth in 18
months, although the gain of 1% fell shy of management and analyst
hopes. The company's shares dropped by more than 3.5% in extended
trading.
Keep reading...
22/04/2010
Google updates local tools with photos inside businesses
Google is changing the name of its Local Business
Center to Google Places adding new tools to help connect consumers
with local shops, including photos of the interiors of buildings. The
search giant is letting businesses in some cities buy Tags to make
their listings stand out on Google.com and Google Maps, for $25 a
month.
Keep reading...
21/04/2010
Google hires 800 following 'strongest growth in 18 months'
Google has seen its revenues rise 23% to $5.06 billion
in the first quarter of this year, hiring some 800 new employees in
the process. The search giant notched up its strongest growth of the
last 18 months between January and March this year.
Keep reading...
19/04/2010
European broadband networks demand ad share from 'bandwidth hog' Google
Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom and Telefonica have
called on Google to begin sharing ad revenues to networks. They claim
that their networks are fast becoming "dumb pipes" for hosting the
group's bandwidth-hungry technology, including YouTube, on their
broadband use the internet search and advertising company pays the
network operators little or nothing for carrying its content.
Keep reading...
14/04/2010
Google adds site speed to SEO ranking factors
Google is to incorporate website speed as a factor in
how it ranks websites in search results. The search engine first
revealed its plans to include speed as a ranking factor in its
algorithm last December. Now website owners looking to improve their
search engine optimisation strategies may need to look at how quickly
their pages load as part of their digital marketing campaigns.
Keep reading...
13/04/2010
Nokia to launch online music store in China
Nokia is to launch an online music store in China, as
the mobile maker looks to expand its media services to emerging
markets. The service will offer DRM-free music from major labels and a
number of independents as part of the China launch for its Comes with
Music service tailored for downloads to mobiles and PCs.
Keep reading...
08/04/2010
AOL looks to 'sell or shut down' Bebo
AOL is looking to sell Bebo and could shut down the
social network altogether, according to press reports. The move comes
as the internet company looks to shed loss-making divisions that it
considers will not make a significant contribution as it focuses on
content, advertising and consumer services.
Keep reading...
07/04/2010
Google reveals further plans for ultra-fast broadband
Google has revealed further plans for its forthcoming
high-speed fibre broadband network, and will announce the target
market for the first tests by the end of the year. The initial trial
will cover a group ranging from 50,000 to 500,000 people in the US.
The project, first announced in February, will provide 1GB networks in
targeted markets as a way of testing open broadband networks.
Keep reading...
01/04/2010
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