The latest smartphone OS sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows Android sales declined in the US, GB, and France, as iOS continued to make gains across most regions in the three months ending November 2016.

“For Android, this marks the sixth consecutive period of decline in the US, at 55.3% of all smartphone sales, down from 60.4% in the same period a year earlier,” the Kantar crew says. “In Urban China, iOS was down year-on-year at 19.9%, but continued strong period-on-period growth with sales from iPhone 7.”

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone 6s were the three most popular smartphones in the US at the beginning of the holiday period, for a combined 31.3% share. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge were the fourth and fifth best-selling phones in the US, with Samsung capturing 28.9% of smartphone sales.

“Verizon booked nearly a quarter of all US smartphone sales during the Black Friday period, playing a vital role for all brands, including Apple and Samsung,” reported Lauren Guenveur, Consumer Insight Director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. “Buyers were motivated by Verizon’s promotions on both Apple and Samsung’s top phones, including offers of free iPhone 7, 7 Plus and Galaxy S7 phones after trade-in and purchase requirements were met.”

The post Kantar Shows Renewed Mobile Momentum for iOS appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Ninety-two percent of consumers will visit a brand’s website for the first time for reasons other than making a purchase.

According to the findings of a new study released today by Episerver — The “Reimaging Commerce” report — among shoppers visiting a website for the first time, 45 percent are searching for a product or service, one-quarter are comparing prices or other variables, and more than one in 10 are looking for store details.

The survey of more than 1,100 consumers points to the importance of relevant and engaging content throughout the purchase journey, as a majority of interactions with a brand’s website do not end in conversion.

In fact, a third of consumers who visit a brand’s website or mobile app with the explicit intent of making a purchase rarely or never complete checkout. Further, 98 percent of shoppers have been dissuaded from completing a purchase because of incomplete or incorrect content on a brand’s website, underscoring the need for descriptive, accurate content.

“The content customers see and the experiences they have while interacting with a brand online are crucial to shaping their purchasing behavior, said James Norwood, chief marketing officer and executive vice president of strategy at Episerver. “While not every consumer visiting a brand’s website is there to make a purchase, brands must consider how the experience of their websites — from navigation to checkout — supports engagement.”

For more insights into the behavior and expectations of consumers shopping online, download the report here.

The post Study Finds Most Consumers Visiting a Retailer’s Website for the First Time Aren’t There to Buy appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

VideoAmp is a Video platform for the TV and Video ecosystem; its partner Immersv is a leading virtual reality (VR) discovery and advertising platform. Their agreement involves connecting Immersv’s VR/360 advertising platform with VideoAmp’s proprietary user graph, screen tensor video, and ad platform.

“Under the terms of the partnership, VideoAmp will be able to provide access to 360 video inventory in VR headsets, and run highly targeted and high-quality traffic on the Immersv mobile VR advertising platform,” reads a joint statement.

The companies hosted a demonstration of VideoAmp and Immersv’s cross-screen VR advertising platform at the recent 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

“The goal of this partnership is to bring VR executions into the fold with other Video campaigns, doing so in an automated method that would allow for sequencing creative,” explained Jay Prasad, the Chief Business Officer at VideoAmp. “Advertisers could promote an upcoming product in a VR unit, then have a follow up on regular mobile with a call to action, all this in one buying platform.”

That streamlining — in tandem with virtual reality — could do much to being VR into the everyday experiences of consumers.

“VideoAmp’s user graph is a key differentiator from other video platforms as it makes it simple for media buyers to optimize TV and digital campaigns at scale by leveraging precise targeting in one platform,” notes the statement. “VideoAmp’s platform connects households and devices to viewing behavior enabling advertisers to plan, buy, package, and measure the success of de-duplicated and precisely targeted campaigns that reach broadcast TV, VOD, OTT, desktop, and mobile audiences.”

Immersv was built for this mission, the company proclaims, as it offers consumers an opportunity to discover great VR apps and entertainment while enabling VR developers to drive both distribution and monetization for their content.

This is something we’ll all be hearing more about in the coming year. In fact, a September, 2016 Interactive Advertising Bureau report entitled “Is Virtual the New Reality?: A Market Snapshot of VR Publishing and Monetization” concluded that VR will emerge as the next big thing in digital advertising, citing opportunities for immersive storytelling, shopping, and product demos and the power to stir emotions in a new way as some of VR’s major strengths.

The post Virtual Reality Comes to Cross-Screen Ad Campaigns appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

They are exploiting the Internet of Things (IoT) and deploying exciting new technology in-store while empowering their “connected associates” with training and technology to improve employee engagement and reduce turnover, as well as increasing sales and customer satisfaction.

That’s according to an iSource Media 2016 report, retailers who know more sell 87 percent more.

SOTI Inc., a leading provider of Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM), just announced the 2017 mobile retail trends it will discuss at the Retail’s Big Show.

“Brick and mortar stores are increasingly investing in new mobile technologies to draw customers to their stores and create a smooth shopping experience,” said SOTI spokesperson Oscar Rambaldini, Vice President of Product Management at SOTI. “The connected associate can easily service, upsell and assist customers with purchases and quickly check them out to create the ultimate shopping experience.”

To learn more about the latest retail mobile and IoT trends download SOTI’s “The Connected Associate” white paper.

The post SOTI Unveils 2017 Mobile Retail Technology Trends appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

That’s the key takeaway from expert analysts in a new eBook sponsored by CodeBroker, a developer of mobile marketing technologies for retailers.

Available now as a free download and authored by EKN, a retail advisory and research firm, “Digital Transformation: The Power of Physical to Digital Loyalty,” offers what those behind the offering call “compelling evidence why retailers need to incorporate mobile and digital access to their current reward program strategies.”

“Considering the astronomically high customer experience bar set by the likes of Amazon, Apple and Uber, retail loyalty programs need a serious overhaul,” writes the report’s lead author, Sahir Anand, principal analyst with EKN. “The next stage of evolution in retail loyalty — Omnichannel Loyalty — is the powerful confluence of the physical and digital loyalty worlds to address the challenges faced by consumers and retailers.”

According to EKN research, a vast majority (69%) of consumers are more likely to use a retailer’s loyalty program if they can access the card on their smartphone or other personal device. Also, as many as 70% of U.S. millennial consumers shop online at least once per month and 33% do it on their mobile devices, highlighting the importance of digitizing loyalty programs and coupons.

The report lays out the apparent limitations of using traditional card-based loyalty programs, citing these as being too complicated and not nearly user-friendly enough. In fact, more than 50% of all customer loyalty cards are inactive.

For more insight, check out the ebook here.

The post Mobile is Key to Driving Retailer Loyalty Programs appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Here are some of the top and also lesser know stories to emerge out of this year’s convention so far.

The best new TVs announced at CES 2017
TVs are the classic spectacle of CES, and this year Samsung, LG, Sony, and dozens of other companies have returned to Vegas with their latest and greatest 4K HDR models. Sony has made a major shift to OLED for its flagship set, and LG introduced a new 4K TV that’s impossibly thin. Amazon is building its Fire TV OS directly into inexpensive TV sets — just like Roku. And Chinese manufacturer Hisense has brought a massive 100-inch TV to the show. CES has TVs everywhere you turn, and these are the best of what’s here in 2017.

Barf Bags and Smart Cars: CES 2017 Kicks Off With Wild Ride
The tech marketplace can be a bumpy ride for those trying to hawk new wares: Products sell or flop, stock prices soar or dive. But Intel, arguably one of the more sedate companies in Silicon Valley, was apparently so concerned about its virtual reality demo Thursday night at the annual CES convention in Las Vegas, company reps handed out barf bags along with Oculus Rift headsets.

Samsung debuts new Chromebooks, appliances at CES 2017
Samsung unveiled new Chromebooks and appliances at CES 2017 on Wednesday. It was the company’s first big event since the Galaxy Note 7 recall, which cost the firm billions after phones began exploding. Tim Baxter, president and COO of Samsung Electronics America, said at the beginning of the press event that the company will release its report from the Note 7 investigation soon.

Visteon’s curved OLED displays coming to cars at CES 2017
OLED display technology has made its way into televisions and computer screens, and now automotive technology supplier Visteon is exploring how it can be used in cars. OLED displays show very high resolution imagery with bright, crisp colors, don’t use much energy, and are very thin.

Shiny, cheap, ‘magic’: The phones of CES 2017
CNET runs down everything you need to know from the biggest tech show!

The post CES 2017: The Top Stories So Far appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The following is a guest contributed post by Nels Stromborg, Executive Vice President at Retale.

Marketing is always changing. Whether it’s technology or the way that agencies, vendors, and brands work together, no part of the ecosystem is untouched at year’s end. And 2016 was no different.

But what were the most interesting developments? Or the most frustrating? What innovations and challenges will have an impact on 2017? Here are four.

1. Improving mobile formats.

Over the past two years, mobile conversations have shifted toward improving ad formats. In the first half of 2016, mobile accounted for 47% of all digital ad spend as marketers devoted a smaller portion of their budget to desktop ads. And with mobile consumer adoption at an all-time high – even overtaking desktop – and money pouring into mobile campaigns, advertisers, publishers and platforms are seeking ways to optimize campaigns by making formats more engaging, immersive and visually compelling.

Data is also playing a key role in these changes. Many clients and partners are talking about the need for a more data-driven approach across mobile creative, to drive performance but also support attribution. In 2017, these developments will accelerate.

2. Virtual reality and 360-degree video.

VR and 360-degree video finally became a marketing reality in 2016. As an example, Samsung’s Gear VR showcase with VICE at Cannes emphasized the incredible potential virtual reality offers, not only to consumers, but to advertisers, agencies and publishers looking for innovative new ways to connect with audiences. AOL recognized this, too, acquiring RYOT in April. Unlike other marketing channels or platforms, VR enables fully immersive, interactive experiences that are essentially unmatched in terms of audience buy-in, enthusiasm and engagement.

Still, there are very real challenges in scaling both the technology and the content. Customers as a whole are slow to respond to VR because it’s a complex technology that most people have little experience with. While it’s still early days for the category, 2016 has showed us that the industry is now looking seriously at VR and 360-degree video and investments will only grow, turning that potential into reality.

3. Viewability & ad fraud.

Doom and gloom are common themes in advertising – but ad fraud and viewability are the real deal. The World Federation of Advertisers reported that marketers could waste more than $50 billion a year by 2025 due to endemic bot fraud. However, companies like TAG are constantly working to eliminate fraud, combat malware and fight internet piracy. They even recently awarded the first group of “certified against fraud” seals to companies who meet a series of strict anti-fraud standards. On the viewability side, it’s estimated that only 54% of video ads across the web are ever viewed. These are real problems that are challenging the industry.

The key distinction here, however, is that these numbers are largely focused on desktop display. Mobile is primed to benefit as marketers continue to be concerned about fraud and viewability issues on PCs. In-app advertising in particular will see growth given its built-in advantages in safeguarding against bots and viewability through device IDs, mobile responsive scrolling, etc.

4. Data activation.

Marketers have a love affair with data. That affair has only bloomed as more consumer touchpoints and channels have emerged. They’re collecting, analyzing and optimizing customer data more efficiently than ever before. Now, marketers are faced with the difficult task of activating against that data – implementing it to improve business and grow revenue. They want to have a “one customer view” through their datasets, isolating and predicting the buying behaviors of customers across channels – as well as the very best media channels – to most efficiently reach those customers. This is another way to streamline operating costs and develop more efficient go-to-market strategies.

In 2016, the industry took several steps forward in terms of technology with more self-service tools to eliminate learning curves. But we’re still just beginning to activate data at the scale that most advertisers need. One solution will be to bring on more dedicated data scientists in-house to support operations.

As we head into the New Year, expect these topics to continue to be top-of-mind and drive how marketers think about strategy.

The post Four Marketing Developments That Mattered in 2016 appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The unveiling will come at CES 2017.

Its premiere product, Sunflower, uses artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT) connectivity to provide autonomous, optimal shade and energy collection; equipped with sensors that collect weather data in real time, these being only a fraction of the features Sunflower has to offer.

Why now for the release? According to the company, “more than 15% of homes are equipped with smart home products, the industry is expected to grow to more than $14 trillion by 2022, ShadeCraft to lead the charge on robotic outdoor solutions.”

The big reveal will take place next week at CES in Las Vegas.

The post Tech Startup Plans to Bring Innovation ‘Home’ at CES 2017 appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The partnership, we’re told, brings together Mobiquity’s end-to-end mobile services with Insert’s technology for rapidly deploying in-app engagement features, allowing app owners and mobile marketers to develop more meaningful customer relationships.

As enterprise brands increasingly rely on mobile solutions for improving customer engagement and business outcomes, they must deliver the right mobile moments, at the right time, in the right context.

“However, providing these personalized experiences requires a deep understanding of customer data and can take weeks of development time to deliver,” the company says.

Through their partnership, Mobiquity and Insert will enable brands to enhance an existing solution, or build a new app, for maximizing customer interactions in real-time.

“For today’s enterprises, delivering the right mobile moments is critical to customer experience and brand loyalty and even impacts revenue,” said Ty Rollin, Mobiquity’s Chief Innovation Technology Officer. “Our partnership with Insert will help clients to capitalize on these opportunities by empowering them to quickly and easily improve in-app engagement.”

The post Mobiquity, Insert Partner to Provide Real Time, In-App Personalization appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

According to a provided release, the combination of Adobe and TubeMogul will create the first end-to-end independent advertising and data management solution that spans traditional TV and digital formats, simplifying what has been a complex and fragmented process for the world’s biggest brands.

The planned integration with Adobe Audience Manager will allow marketers to unify audience planning and media buying for video advertising.

“The addition of TubeMogul will further strengthen Adobe’s leadership in digital marketing and advertising technology,” said Brad Rencher, executive vice president and general manager of Digital Marketing for Adobe. “We are excited to extend Adobe Marketing Cloud’s search, display and social planning and delivery solutions to help our customers maximize their video advertising investments across screens.”

“The acquisition of TubeMogul enables Adobe to help marketers navigate the most important development in advertising in 50 years—the dispersal of consumer video consumption beyond live, prime-time television and into mobile video, OTT and other on-demand channels,” adds Scott Denne, research analyst with 451 Research. “With an already extensive footprint in digital marketing, the addition of TubeMogul gives Adobe a technology that addresses that largest portion of most marketing budgets—TV advertising—and strengthens Adobe’s pitch to CMOs through an offering that will equip data-driven TV campaigns.”

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