Marketing departments are spending more online than all other channels combined to drive qualified traffic to their websites
There’s a chasm between UK retailers’ use of AI for marketing and the adoption of AI by UK retailers to optimize merchandising opportunities on their websites.
Marketing departments are spending more online than all other channels combined to drive qualified traffic to their websites. In the process, they are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of machine learning and predictive analytics, to automatically sniff out and signpost the most likely converting customers.
[si_guide_block id="137727" title="Making the case for AI in online merchandising" description="Read our full report, written with Apptus, about how AI can supercharge your online merchandising and transform your internal team."]
I find it baffling that once those marketers have taken the horses to water, their merchandising colleagues are limiting the amount of water they are allowed to drink. Many merchandisers are just too…
In its recent comparative advertising campaign, Google promotes its Pixel 3a model as a cheaper and higher quality choice over Apple’s XS, putting it side-by-side with the Apple product in a face-off of the tech giants.
Why beat about the bush in advertising when you can directly compare your own product to a competitor’s higher-priced and (in Google’s opinion) inferior one?
We’ve seen examples of this kind of advertising for many years, from supermarket chains’ regular competitor comparisons to the “Get a Mac“ campaigns of the noughties. It appears that Google felt it was high time that this time round a company went after Apple.
Indeed, Google has set its sights on Apple, with billboards and video ads from the Alphabet-owned company claiming that the Pixel 3a provides better quality low-light photography at a fraction of the…
AI has enabled online merchants to automate tasks with much more accuracy and efficiency, making it an indispensable asset to their business model
From self-driving cars and voice-operated appliances to machine learning tools and smart virtual assistants, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a bearing on everything. While the e-commerce market has remained subject to numerous technological interventions in the past, AI has had the biggest impact so far.
AI’s influence on online businesses has been the most significant development for e-commerce in recent years. Through AI applications, the e-commerce industry has progressed in leaps, allowing online merchants to reduce the costs associated with marketing, administrative, and management. Moreover, AI has enabled online merchants to automate tasks with much more accuracy and efficiency, making it an indispensable asset to their business model.
According to industry experts, AI will rank in the top five investment priorities for more than 20% of CIOs by 2020. From its…
Virtual Reality is still in its infancy as a marketing technology, but it is about to mature
The demand for virtual reality experiences is growing — and not just among gamers and early adopters. Contrary to initial speculation, widespread use of VR isn’t dependent upon top-of-the-line head-mounted displays. Thanks to the ubiquity of smartphones, average consumers can now get in on the VR fun — and marketers should be paying attention.
VR will disrupt every sector, and brands that hope to reach Millennials, in particular, need to make use of this new platform. Young people prize experiences over material products, and virtual reality presents a way to fulfill that demand.
[si_quick_block id="79375" title="Marketing technology and media innovation guide" description="Learn how Virtual Reality, and other emerging technologies, could be used in your digital marketing strategy to improve your customers' experiences with our marketing technology and media innovation guide."]
Where the Physical…
Kate Burnett, MD of DMA Talent, discusses the growing need for neurodiversity awareness in the professional world with the chief marketing officer of Direct Line Group, Mark Evans
An underutilized talent pool – neurodiversity awareness
There is an increasing demand within the data and marketing industry for analytical, data-minded individuals, which will inevitably lead to the talent pool becoming stretched. The Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing’s (IDM) 'Professional Skills Census 2018' report highlights 'data-related skills' as a key area with skills gaps that need to be addressed. There are a number of areas within 'data-related skills' that marketers identified as growing in importance in the future, including 'Analyzing customer data/insight', 'Data analysis & reporting', and 'Data & database management'.
There is a huge opportunity for data and marketing teams across the UK. As summarized by Robin Huggins, Head of MBN Academy/Data Lab MSc. Placement Programme at MBN Solutions.
"Embracing Diversity…
Voice technology will be huge in 2019, with smart speakers driving this revolution. Let’s look at some of the key ways voice can boost marketing activity and engage audiences
A bit of background
Voice technology uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI to provide a more intuitive way of interacting with devices including smart speakers. Although the underlying technology has been in development for decades, it is only with recent advances in computing that it has been practical and reliable.
Now let’s take a brief look at the main smart speaker platforms.
[si_guide_block id="70611" title="Download our Free Resource – Essential digital marketing tools" description="This guide gives Free members a preview of the 30 categories of digital marketing tools you should be using for your marketing."/]
Amazon Alexa
Currently the most popular smart speakers with global sales of 100 million devices. Alexa technology is available in a wide range of devices from the entry level Echo Dot through…
Instagram's efforts to tackle fake accounts 'not working', marketing budget growth stalls due to Brexit uncertainty, Slack launches new logo and ASA cracking down on influencer sponsored posts
Find out all about some of the big marketing, social media and advertising news from the last week in our latest update.
Instagram’s crackdown on ‘fake’ accounts not effective
The end of 2018 saw Instagram start it clamp down on “inauthentic” followers after pressure was put on by advertisers. However, data from Points North Group has suggested that Instagram’s efforts have had little effect.
Instagram said that it would be using AI to remove fake followers attained through third-party apps. These types of apps are used by some influencers to make their profile look like a good option for advertisers due to high follower counts and engagement.
Despite efforts being made to get rid of fake accounts, Points…
To know how to adapt, you must first identify the so-called ‘disruptors’ that are set to change the world of digital marketing as you know it
Perhaps you’re familiar with the often-misquoted Darwin aphorism, "It is not the strongest species that survives but those that are adaptable to change." While this concept largely impacts the field of biology, it may also be applied to technology and the different fields that use modern tech in making improvements.
One industry that is set to go through massive changes is digital marketing. Those who dabble in this field should be aware of the changes influenced by modern technology to stay relevant. But to know how to adapt, you must first identify the so-called ‘disruptors’ that are set to change the world of digital marketing as you know it.
Big data
Cloud technology has blown the doors of businesses wide open when it comes to gathering massive amounts…
Nine of the best team chat tools for making your team extra productive this year
With eight million active users and three million paid users, Slack is the darling of the business communication world. Indeed, the tool is hip and smart. It’s often praised for having multiple integrations, friendly UX and other features.
At the same time, Slack doesn’t work best for many teams. Some consider it expensive or cumbersome. Others find themselves buried under tons of notifications and constantly distracted while using it. In a word, the demand for an alternative communication tool is high and there’s plenty of Slack alternatives. But which one should you choose?
[si_guide_block id="70611" title="Download our Premium Resource – Essential digital marketing tools" description="This guide gives Free members a preview of the 30 categories of digital marketing tools you should be using for your marketing."/]
Developing our own …
Even if you’re flushed with success at the moment, you could still benefit from refining your current processes using one of many tools and software available to you
Is your business at risk of being left behind in this increasingly competitive digital age? Are you failing to meet the heightened expectations of the modern consumer? Even if you’re flushed with success at the moment, you could still benefit from refining your current processes using one of many tools and software available to you.
In this blog post, I’ve compiled summaries of some of the best upgrades you can make this year. Used correctly, they’ll equip you to better deal with the day-to-day running of a business, help you satisfy existing customers, secure new leads and cut costs.
This post isn’t solely aimed at anachronistic businesses who need to make wholesale changes to enter the 21st century. With the speed of technological evolution more…
