Collision Media

International Mobile Marketing: Is it the next email?

I just received an email from my friend, Julia McNally, the MD at New Visions, a UK mobile marketing consultancy.  The quote that really struck me was that the open rate for text messages is 95% vs 25% for email.  A quick search on Google revealed the source - IAB - and this posting from the UK's website, Mobile Marketing - http://www.mobilemarketingmagazine.co.uk/2007/04/text_scandals_n.html. In the article, Robert Thurner, Commercial Director at mobile marketing agency Incentivated, said there are 138 million text messages being send everyday and I am assuming he is only talking about the UK.

We have recommended over a half dozen global programs with mobile marketing in the last year but with no takers.  Are international tech marketers missing a trick?  The only high profile campaign which I have seen is the Microsoft Mobile with publications like Business Week.

As tech marketers move into international markets, they must think beyond the PC and the traditional Internet.  The mobile phone is highly personal and convenient.  In addition, most trusted international IT media owners don't have a clear mobile strategy.  Tech marketers can take the lead and create what could be a very effective avenue to regularly communicate to a community which is on the move.

Oldstream Media Versus Techstream Media

Tom Foremski has started an interesting discussion on the rise of the technology-enabled new media companies like Google, Microsoft and Yahoo: http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2007/05/media_ownership.php. 

I agree with him. The left coast has the east coast on the run even if they don't really know it yet.

How about the smaller media owners especially the ones in international markets? At the current pace, they wouldn't be able to complete against these new "techstream media" players.

Maybe it's a tale of 2 ad sales teams:
1) outsource: partner/hire the "techstream media" to sell your "classified" search packages
2) in-source: have a small group of highly paid (!), well-connected integrated media sales specialists that can weave your media properties, its content and loyal readers into a program.

As a tech marketers, there is an interesting model forming.  Working with these new "techstream media" players for low touch, high volume distribution of their content, offers, etc. could be very efficient.  However, a content company is best placed help you execute high touch, low volume integrated programs especially in the B2B space.

Speaking Engagement - NorCal BMA

Tom Sanders, a VNU journalist, and I are speaking at next month's International roundtable for the NorCal BMA.

The topic is: International PR and Advertising in a Web 2.0 World

The date is: June 20th 2007

Here is the meeting pitch:

Connecting with international journalists and engaging an international audience in a Web 2.0 world is more confusing then ever. Whether you are in PR, advertising or corporate marketing, there will be insights from the front line at this breakfast briefing. Join us at the June 20th NorCal BMA International Marketing Roundtable where we'll discuss the effects of Web 2.0 techniques for editorial and advertising environment.

• How do you work effectively with the blogging community?
• How are foreign media embracing Web 2.0 techniques?
• How are my peers doing international PR using new technologies associated with Web 2.0?
• How are blogs, podcasts, social networks, virtual worlds and the like affecting foreign markets?
• How are innovative marketers using Web 2.0 in their international advertising strategies?
• How is new media effecting buying decisions?

Speakers:

Tom Sanders is Associate Editor for the London based IT news website vnunet.com and writes the Silicon Valley Sleuth blog. Moved from the Netherlands to Silicon Valley in 2001 as a freelance correspondent. Tom joined vnunet.com in 2005 to spearhead the US editorial operations.

James Miller is the VP International for VNU Global Media, an international technology media sales and marketing company.

If you are interested in attend, please contact Susanne Khawand at sk@macs-us.com

Private Equity and Nielsen

The parent company of my employer, VNU Global Media, is the Nielsen Company (formerly VNU, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VNU).  I recently spend some time with a member of the corporate finance team.  We discussed the value of private equity to reshape the media industry.

It was a fascinating chat over an excellent meal at Aqua in San Francisco.  At Nielsen, the new team lead by Dave Calhoun, ex Vice Chairman of GE, is moving rapidly to increase the value of this $14 billion global company.  The strategy with respect to top-line growth is simple - clients, clients, clients.

They are restructuring the company to be client focused and breaking down the internal walls.  Now clients can reach out to one sales organization and get a myriad of services including AC Nielsen research, Nielsen Media Research data as well as media and exhibitions.  This was impossible at VNU, Inc.

The power of private equity in this case is to accelerate the potential of the former VNU, a sleeping giant, in the research and business media world.

The tragedy is that existing management teams could have down the same but were never able to execute a customer centric business model.

The prize for Mr. Calhoun and his senior management team is great.  I think I read some where he has a $100 million bonus riding on the turnaround of Nielsen.

In this case, money talks and b-s walks!  More companies will follow and  clients will be better off for it.

My Favorite Ad Campaign - HSBC

I am just leaving London after a quick set of meetings with Global Media's main publisher,  Incisive/VNU UK.

When I arrived in Heathrow, I was once again struck by the brilliant advertising by HSBC, the global bank. The campaign, "A different point of view" uses images in the form of posters to communicate that the world is a strange and wondrous place with many different ways to interpret it. The images are being updated on a regular basis and has been going for years.  As I got on the train, I picked up an Economist with an HSBC ad and when I arrived at Paddington, there was an HSBC retail outlet. 

The target audience is clearly high worth individuals and businesses worldwide.   They have 125 million customers.

So they have achieved impact, sustainability, target placement and constant change.

This campaign is a lesson to anyone looking to build a long term position in the minds of its customers and prospects.

Be thoughtful of your target, execute and keep fresh with reinventing the wheel each time.

Another Chinese Invasion?

There is a new player in town and it's the Chinese government.  The Chinese Center of Industry Development's (CCID), a division of the Chinese government's Ministry of Information Industry, China Information World is officially launching its media properties to US tech marketers with the appointment of Avani Media (www.avanimedia.com).

China Information World is considered China's leading publication for IT professionals.  Published weekly, it has a circulation of over 200,000 with a BPA audit pending this year.

Leslie Hallahan, President of Avani Media, scoped us all with the contract for US representation of the entire portfolio of the CCID.  She claims that China Information World is better read than the perceived leader - IDG's China Computerworld.  "Another key distinction between China Information World and that of its competitors (including China Computerworld) is the fact that it is affiliated with China's largest and most authoritative testing organization for software and system integration - called China Software Testing Center: www.ccidtesting.com.  Furthermore, CCID publishes www.ccidnet.com , which is considered the leading and authoritative IT web portal site in China, claiming over 6 million page views (1.5 million unique visitors) per day."

Shame on the Chinese government for keeping this state secret from the America people!

So a quick view of tech marketers options in China:

- VNU Global Media (my team): CNET including the VNU licensed print publications - cWeek and PC Professional.  In addition, we partner with SEEC, the Ziff Davis licensee for PC Magazine China.

- Avani Media: CCID including China Information World, Business Weekly (for the SME), China Storage World, China Information Security and E-Government

- IDG: China Computerworld, China Digital TV, China Network World, CMO China plus its Electronics portfolio

- Huson: CBI Weekly, Information Week and SMB IT Shopper (all from its partnership with CMP)

The Fox and the Wall Street Journal

I know this is an "old story" as it broke early this week but I love it.  I was out with Tom Foremski, my favorite blogger, at the Salt House in SF.  We couldn't stop talking about the disruptive forces in this new age especially in media.  How often does an small town Australian newspaperman take over the most important business journal and website in the world?  More importantly, Rupert Murdoch has a vast amount of ways to leverage the content from the Wall Street Journal - the TV, Satellite, Movies, Print newspapers and the Internet.  This is truly "global media".  I am not a big fan of Fox but this guys have vision and I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of that collision.  I wish them luck as this move should make everyone stand up and take notice.

Check out Turbo's post: http://www-03.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/Turbo?entry=my_wall_street_journal_news

IAA and Intel

Last night about 40 media reps, clients and agencies attended the IAA (International Advertising Association) event in San Francisco.  The speaker was Jan McDaniel, Director of Business Marketing at Intel.  Jan spend the last 16 years at HP before moving to Intel 18 months ago to work for Eric Kim, the ex-CMO, formerly of Samsung.

She uses this forum as an ad hoc "media day" where she updates the media rep community on her challenges.  For anyone not there, here are the highlights:
- Intel cut is ad budget by $$$$$ - more than a GDP of a small country!
- Intel  has too many brands so they broadly focus on 3 - Xeon (servers), Centrino (laptops) and vPro (desktops)
- The importance of the international markets is growing.  There is a big focus on RIC (Russia, India and China).   Jan has been waiting for Brazil to "emerge" for 22 years!
- Intel Business and its customers' customers (small, medium and large enterprises) did not like the latest Intel "Multiply" campaign.  The last thing these guys want is more complexity = more headaches.  McCann better watch its back!
- Moving forward in 07 and 08, broadcast media is out (sorry Vietnam) and print & on-line are in.  Budget split is 70% on-line (more good news for Google!) and 30% print.
- Their research shows that print and on-line are the core mediums for their target - tech enthusiasts.
- Measurement is key but I am not convinced they are there yet especially when trying to track the $billion+ budgets they spend each year on co-op marketing with partners like HP, Dell, Lenovo and Microsoft.

So media reps, go forward and create brilliant ideas for Intel - Jan will listen but she doesn't suffer fools lightly.

Thanks to Tom Foremski at the Silicon Valley Watcher for this write up today - http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2007/04/collision_media.php