3 Important Mobile Commerce Trends

April 26, 2013 by Armando Roggio

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Tablet-based purchases, an explosion in video watching, and shopping activity of men are among the hottest mobile commerce trends that could impact how online retailers market and sell. Mobile commerce mcommerce is the fastest growing retail segment as more shoppers make purchases from smartphones and tablets. Mobile trends, therefore, will almost certainly impact ecommerce. What follows are three trends important to online retailing.
1. Tablets Drive Mobile Sales

About 12 percent of U.S. ecommerce purchases were made from smartphones and tablets in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to trend-tracking firm comScore. Tablets are the driving force behind this transaction share explosion, as the ease of use and shopping experience on a tablet device lends itself rather well to actual purchase behavior and more closely approximates the desktop buying experience than smartphones, said comScore. In fact, the mobile spending trend acceleration appears to coincide with the more mainstream adoption of tablets in 2011. A separate 2011 Google study found that 43 percent of tablet computer users sent more time on their tablets than they did on a desktop computer. Whats more, nearly 33 percent of tablet users spent more time with a tablet than a television. And a 2012 Adobe study that found that 43 percent of tablet owners said they liked to shop using their tablet. According to eMarketer, the rapid rise in mcommerce sales on tablets means that such purchases will account for 9.4 percent of all retail ecommerce sales this year, and 16.9 percent of the total by 2016. Smartphones, which initially had a lead due to earlier adoption, will contribute 5.3 percent of retail ecommerce sales this year.

This trend may impact where and how marketers promote products in the mobile channel. For example, sale offers could make more sense on tablets while price comparison offers might make more sense for smartphones.
2. Tablet Users Love Video

Mobile video consumption rose more than 10 percent during Q4 2012, according to Adobes U.S. Digital Video Benchmark study released earlier this year. "Tablet viewers, in particular, are early adopters who typically spend more money, book more trips, and consume more media content, Adobe said in its study findings. In addition, Business Insider Australia reported that video consumption was a primary reason for tablet use in 2012 and pointed out that tablet users were more likely than smartphone users to watch video. Given that video has been shown to significantly boost ecommerce conversions, marketers aiming at tablet users may want to consider including more and better product videos on their sites and in marketing campaigns.
3. Men Are Mobile Shoppers

A new report released this month found that men are more likely to use a mobile device to make an online purchase than are women. The data is, perhaps, counterintuitive since many online marketers believe that women are generally more likely to make retail purchases. But there is apparently something alluring to male customers about shopping on mobile devices perhaps from a train on the commute home or from a couch during a television commercial.

Men are more likely to shop from a mobile device than women are.

In the U.S., 15.9 percent of men and 13.3 percent of women were interested in making mobile commerce purchases, according to the data from Kantar Medias Global TGI survey. In the U.K., 12 percent of men had an affinity for mobile shopping compared to about 10.3 percent of women. The data could impact how retailers market in the mobile channel and how the mobile channel is used to reach male shoppers.
Media brief
Media brief templates for consumer and B2B advertising along with advice on how to write a media brief for advertising media buying. A media brief is how you as a client outline your advertising media objectives, target audience(s), budget and other criteria for selecting a media mix and plan. If you're working with a media planner, they'll work with you to create this. Trend: Cross-channel advertising media campaigns. Google conducted a study which found that consumers spend their time online spread between four primary media devices including TVs, computers, tablets, and smartphones. Some of this time is combined as 77 percent of respondents use another device while watching TV, and 90 percent use multiple screens sequentially to complete one task. This behavior presents a unique opportunity to implement cross-channel campaigns. MarketingZone Blog Post: Advertising Media Buying in 2013

What is a media brief?

A Media Brief defines: 1. What your advertising objectives are (business objective, campaign objective, and mediaspecific objective) 2. Who you want to reach (your target audience/s) 3. What your messaging strategy is 4. How often you want them to see/hear your ads in a week (on average) 5. During what timeframe (months, weeks and times of day or week) 6. What your budget is 7. Additional media selection criteria and preferences

The media agency or a media planner who is a freelancer will use this to analyze media options and recommend options and pros/cons of what media mix (TV, radio, print, online, outdoor, mobile or specialty) will generate the biggest bang for your buck.

Media Brief templates to download

Media Brief Templates There are two media brief templates - one for a media brief for consumer advertising and another one for business-to-business advertising. These are blank media brief forms in Microsoft Word that you can use as is or adjust for your specific needs. They are very comprehensive covering demographics (firmographics for B2B media planning) and the key information needed for success developing the most effective advertising media plan. If you're interested in media briefs, these articles will be relevant:

Advertising Media Planner - how to select, find and hire a media buying agency or freelancer with the expertise you need. Media Scenario Planning - this is the art and science of choosing the best advertising media mix for your specific campaign objectives and budget How to Select and Hire a SEM (search engine marketing) Expert - search advertising is very specialized. Most media buyers that buy TV, print, radio, outdoor and online advertising don't handle search advertising because it's so complex. If you want to buy search ads, find an expert in that. Advertising - you'll find all the how-to guides and articles about advertising here

Next page - what's new in media planning and tips on how to brief a media agency

Creative brief template

Contact person Contact details Unit/Office/School/Preschool or Childrens Centre Budget
(The amount set aside for the project, the account number against which the activity will be charges, any constraints/variables there maybe on the budget.)

Tel: Mobile:

Budget amount: Budget code:

Overview
(Project information, summary of how the activity has come about; whether its as a result of local decisions, research findings, new initiatives or the promotions of core business products and services of your school, preschool or childrens centre.)

Objectives
(Your goals, measurable objectives, and outcomes should be

linked to the DECS Statement of Directions, found on the DECS Website)

Advertising and branding guidelines

(There are guidelines re approval process for advertising and campaign materials refer to advertising guidelines in Section 9 Advertising.)

Deliverables required
(Copy, design, printed materials, banners, brochures, display advertisements, etc. Define the project and how it helps achieve strategic goals. Provide specific details of activity ie printing 5,000 A4 fliers for letterbox distribution.)

Brochures:
(Type and amount)

Text:
(Number of words and when)

Web page or web download (Contact Online Communication Services tel: 8226 2068) Display advertisements:
(How much and when)

Banners:
(How many and when)

Signage:
(What and when)

Event material:
(What invitations, name cards, etc and when)

Other:
(What and when)

Target audience
(Who are the primary audience, secondary audience and stakeholders?)

What do you want the audience to think, feel and do after seeing your communication?
(What is your call to action?)

Tone and image

(What style do you require informal, warm, humorous, direct or functional?)

Messages
(The single most important message you want the target market to take from the activity the one sentence that summarises your unique selling point. What are the features, benefits and value, prioritise the top 5 features and/or facts about the program/service and its value to the target audience?)

Who are your competitors?

(Other schools etc. What are their messages?)

Support information
(List in order of priority other information that should be included in the communication.)

Selection of images
(Where possible provide or suggest appropriate images. They should reflect/complement objectives, target audience, tone.) Dont forget to have consent forms signed for all photographs which have children in them. Ensure photographs are high quality and high resolution minimum 200dpi.

Mandatory inclusions
(Logos and legal disclaimer) For logo and brand usage and protocols refer to Logo style guide in Section 3 Using our brand.

Schedule
(An indication of the timetable for the project from the time of the initial request to the completion of the project. All critical dates should be included. Specify any time constraints or critical deadlines for the project ie departmental and government approval processes.

To ensure your activity is effective allow sufficient time for production.)

Creative brief approval/comment form

Client (Project Manager / Staff member responsible)

Signature: ...................................................................................................................... Date prepared: / /

DECS Strategic Communications Manager

(DECS Strategic Communications will need to view all mass circulation advertising/promotional material prior to production)

Signature: ..................................................................................................................... Date prepared: / /

Director

Signature: ..................................................................................................................... Date prepared: / /

Graphics brief form

Job description: Date:

Client

Tel: Mobile:

Quantity:

PMS colour/s

Stock (paper)

Project size:

Scans/logos/photos (required)

Text supplied (signed off as final)

Supplied (tick if applicable) Finishing Account number for billing

Web based version required (tick if applicable) Delivery date: Notes:

Delivery details:

Distribution:

Graphic design brief approval Client (Project Manager / Staff member responsible) Signature: ................................................................................................................................................... Date: / / Principal /Director Signature: ................................................................................................................................................... Date: / /

Graphic designer Signature: ................................................................................................................................................... Date: / /

Creative Brief (TO BE USED/ OUR OWN )

Background: We are going to launch an online market named as MYBSOL for B2B businesses. It is catering more than 1700 products. Objective: Our objective is that people will make their buying at our online market. Target audience: MyBSOL is catering more than 1700 product categories for B2B businesses, but new categories are also welcomed. Most important: Join MYBSOL to expand your business at low cost. Reasons To Believe And Buy: It will safe: 1. Time 2. Increase Sales 3. Build Recognition Creative Development: In this scenario we would help to expand business at less cost. (www.MYBSOL.com)

Promotional Campaign: For our advertisement campaign, we have selected city Lahore. And we divided into two areas: Posh Areas Other Areas

Posh Areas: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Defence rd Model town Main bulayword gulberg Main johar town rd Mm Alam Cavalri Airport rd Mall rd

Other Areas: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Walton rd Urdu bazar Shah alam bazar multan rd jail rd thokar niaz baig

Print media Jung news Down news Express news Style 360 Business plus

Time mag

We are catering the front pages of the news papers given above on Mon,Tus,Wed on the other side we are covring the business page of the news paper on the Thur,Fri,Sat. On Sunday we are using the cover pages of the magazines (style 360,time magazines)

VIDEO SHOT 1: Dewan Yousaf is standing outside his textile mill. His introduction is appearing at the left corner of the screen. He is standing with his workers. Dewan Yousuf Farooqui is worth $800 Million. He is the owner of The Dewan Mushtaq Group. The group owns three textile units, a motorcycle manufacturing concern and the largest sugar unit in the country. SHOT 2: Tariq Saigol is standing outside his School in Faislabad. His name and designation is appearing on the bottom left side of the screen. Tariq Saigol & Nasim Saigol rank number 9 in the list of top 10 richest people of Pakistan. Their worth is $850 Million. Saigol Group comprises of three different business houses. The Saigol brothers own the followings: *Kohinoor Textile Mills. * Pak Elektron Ltd. (PEL). * Kohinoor Power Company.KTM MONO * Faisalabad Grammar School, Faisalabad (FGS). * Kohinoor Energy * Saigol Computers (Private) Limited * Kohinoor Motor Works Limited * Saigol Motors * Sajeel Motors SHOT 3: The final shot of the 30 second clip/ ad is Razzaq Habib standing outside Habib Bank with his team. Rafiq Habib and Rasheed Habib are at the 8th position in this list and their worth is $ 900 million. They have always played a good role in helping out Pakistans economy. They are the owners of Bank Al-Habib, Habib Bank A.G Zurich, Indus Motors assembling Corolla cars etc

AUDIO Save Time! Save Money! Just a click makes my business easier. MyBSOL is where we buy all the machinery and yarn for our textile unit. Add quality and variety to your business! Just Click to buy your Solution like we did.

Business solutions have never been faster and easier. With MYBSOL our computer labs and motor assembly units are equipped with the world-class, cost-effective business solutions! Just a Click makes our operations smoother!

Are you tired of switching your vendors? Are you looking for another supplier? MYBSOL is just the right place. I endorse MYBSOL for my business ventures.

A pioneer in online shopping. B2B Supply is a leading online shopping portal that offers extensive collection of products ranging from general hardware, stationery, headphones, batteries, umbrellas, travel size items to products related to healthcare, music, home appliances and much more. Whether you are looking for the most stylish shopping bags or need a high-tech earphone to listen to your favorite artists, you can find it all under the roof of B2B Supply. B2B Supply is a one-stop-shop for satiating the ever-increasing demands of the online shoppers. You can not only enjoy shopping from the comfort of your office or home, but also get great deals and promotional discounts. Rest assured, all the products sold by us are brand new and carry manufacturer warranty. So, for a hassle free and expeditious online shopping experience, you can always bank on us as we promise to provide some of the most enticing deals you may find in the virtual market.

An important feature of your business web marketing campaign is addressing your B2B (business-to-business) opportunities. The vast majority of online transactions by dollar value in North America are consistently from B2B sales, not from B2C (business-to-consumer). Even if businesses are your primary customers, you can organize your online store in much the same way you would set up a retail store. Customer friendliness and ease of use remain as primary goals. Other than a different online promotional strategy, your main changes are pricing, merchandising (how you stock your store), and packaging most businesses buy larger quantities than individuals. If you're looking for resellers or franchisees, include a secure application form with spaces for a state resale number and credit references. At the very least, ask them to call or e-mail! You might also have an online form for them to apply for a trade account and pay by purchase order (PO). In the following illustration you can see how Findhorn Flower Essences, a manufacturer and retailer of healing floral extracts, handles applications for trade accounts. It might take a bit of work to accept trade applications and POs online and to integrate them with accounting software for proper billing.

The Marketing Mix It is considered as an ongoing process of (1) deciding on the level of consumer demand for the products and services of the company, (2) corresponding the strengths and weaknesses of the company with the demand, (3) distributing the products and services in more effective and efficient manner than the competitors and (4) watching different changes in the demand of the customers, trends in the industry and changes in both the internal and external environment in order to maintain position in the market (Sherman 2004). As a result, academics and consultants

identify marketing mix as the foundation of a marketing program (Sherman 2004). This is primarily because marketing mix is considered as a set of tools that can be used by management in order to influence sales (Kotler 2003), therefore, it is considered as the central task of marketing professionals (Baker 2003). The traditional formulation is called the 4Ps or product, price, place and promotion. Most of the marketing practitioner considers the Mix as the toolkit of transaction marketing and epitome for operational marketing planning (Grnroos 1994). Even as empirical facts on the precise function and contribution of the Mix to the success of commercial organizations is very restricted, several studies verify that the 4Ps Mix is indeed the trusted theoretical platform of practitioners which deal with strategic or operational issues about marketing (Coviello & Brodie 2000). A large scale study by Alsem & Hoekstra (1996) carried out among executives of 550 Dutch companies showed that about 70% of the surveyed companies pertain formal marketing planning as foundation of their operational marketing plans but accountability for the Mix decisions is divided among different departments and units of business. In addition, the study also showed that market leaders are confident that the formal operational marketing planning based on the 4P paradigm much more than the marketing followers. As lately as two decades ago, most manufacturers of consumer products considered communication with the final customer as one of their necessary marketing task. Being the leading and foremost market party, producers would make use of mass marketing campaigns which focus on increasing brand recognition, product awareness and mind share, as fundamental factors for motivating product demand. Retailers and other intermediaries were considered as fairly secondary actors in the marketing process, their job is restricted in the functions of stocking and re-selling products (McCarthy 1978). Consolidation of the retailing sector, globalization and private branding have helped to altered and developed the retailing landscape. An important power migration along the supply chain gave retailers steadily more control over the marketing processes and at the same time uncovered them to the ever-increasing competition in the industry. Trying to build up strong market positions and competitive advantages, retailers were required to recognize more specialized and practical commercial approaches, becoming steadily real marketers, slightly than distributors and in-store merchandisers (Mulhern 1997). Supply chain management, competence, customer preservation and customer lifetime value form the cornerstone of many retailers marketing strategies today. The reliable effort to establish long-term relationships with the customer shifted the focus from the unreceptive application of the 4Ps to execution where retail formats, personnel, service and presentation are becoming the significant elements of retail marketing (Constantinides 2006). Products According to Kotler (2006), a new product can be defined as a given good or service that is perceived by some customers as new. It may ultimately have been around for a while, but the customers have just recently come across it. Product is everything, unfavorable and favorable,

received in an exchange (Dibb & Simkin 2001). On the other hand, the management of product mix pertains on the process of the development and introduction of a new product in the market. It includes the decisions that help to know the lengths of lifecycles. It is important to consider that the Internet enables to discover the needs of the customers in easier manner, at the same time; it enables greater customization of the products matching the needs and demands of the customers, testing the products in faster manner and shorter life cycles of the products (Avlonitis & Karayanni). Therefore, based on this, it is important for different firms and companies to focus on innovations and development of new products in order to satisfy the demands and needs of the customers. This focuses on finding an successful process of bringing new and improved products and services to the customers and providing after-sales support (Eid & Trueman 2002).

Price Price is defined as the value placed on the product that is being exchanged (Dibb & Simkin 2001). It is important to consider the fact that the meaning of price depends on the point of view of the buyer and the seller, each side to the exchange brings different needs as well as purposes which helped them to describe a fair price, without both the sides agreeing, no sales will take place (Strauss 1999). In addition, the selling price of a product is being influenced by three elements including the: production costs, coordination costs and profit margin (Barnes 2007). The Internet has a great impact on the price strategy. Primarily, the Internet helps to increase standardization of process across borders or at least narrow the price differentials, because of the fact that customers are more aware of differences in prices in different countries (Poon & Jevons 1997). In connection, according to Quelch & Klein (1996), those companies that are advertising via the Internet must recognize that there are international consequences to their promotions. For instance, if a company were to present 20% discount in some products in one country, customers from different parts of the world will see this. On the other hand, in B2B platform, it is expected that the Internet can help to increase the bargaining power of customers. This is because they are aware of possible alternative products and services. Aside from that, with the intensive use of the Internet, customers can easily swap between suppliers (Chaffey & Mayer 2000). Another important factor to consider in price dimension is the currency rates. On-line shopping must be convenient, in connection; consumers are unlikely to search for information regarding the conversion rates of the currency. As a result, it is vital for the companies to market their product on-line to add a link from their web sites to a currency converter in order to offer an approximate conversion rate for each and every target country (White 1997). Promotion

Promotion is known as the communication process with individuals, groups or organizations to smooth the progress of exchanges by informing and persuading an audience to accept the products and services of the products (Dibb & Simkin 2001). It is a strategic business process that is used in order to plan, develop, perform and assess coordinated, measurable, persuasive brand communication programs with the consumers, customers, prospects employees and other significant external and internal audiences (Belch 2007). There are different studies which show the impact of the Internet in promoting strategies (Wilson & Abel 2002; Quelch & Klein 1996; Poons & Jevons 1997; and Avlonitis & Karayanni 2000). There is no doubt that application of the Internet enables sales departments to have an interactive connection with the customers. Because of the Internet, global advertising costs will be lessened because the Internet makes it possible to reach a global audience more cheaply (Hamill 1997). However, even though the Internet can help companies in marketing, it also causes challenges, particularly the management of global brand and corporate logo. It can cause confusion to the customers, if a company and its subsidiaries will have different websites and each is communicating a different format, image and content. Based on this, it is important for a company to define its policies about branding in the Internet in clear manner. Physical Distribution Physical Distribution or Place is defined as the selection of a distribution or marketing channel. Marketing channel pertains on the channel of distribution, or a group of interrelated intermediaries that direct or deliver the products or services towards the customers (Dibb & Simkin 2001). According to Strauss (1999), distribution channel pertains on the group of interdependent firms that work together in order to transfer product and information from the supplier to the consumer. It is important to take note that the Internet enables to connect the endusers and producers in direct manner, which help to reduce the role of the traditional intermediaries, particularly in the aspect of international marketing. As a result, it had affected the importance of those intermediaries including agents and distributors they are no longer be that vital in the physical distribution of goods and services but will focus on collection, collation, interpretation and dissemination of huge amount of information (Poon & Jevons 1997). As a result, the Internet opened a door to borderless opportunity to sell products and services over the Internet, which eliminates most of common barriers to entry (Eid & Trueman 2002).

Marketing Mix and E-Marketing The commercialization of the Internet brought about a new breed of virtual business engaged in different commercial online business activities or known as e-commerce. Without being something essential new as to the types of the supported commercial practices and activities, ecommerce presented marketing academics and practioners with several unique challenges

including customer empowerment, new forms of communication and interaction, global and around-the-clock operation, high degree of market transparency and difficulty in maintaining competitive advantages. During the second half of the 90s the world witnessed an explosive growth of the Internet firms and online users; the Web seemed to become the new and promising business frontier. Yet the initial excitement and inflated hopes did not prevent massive failures of ambitious online projects that brought an end to the Internet gold rush of the 90s. The dot.com demise demonstrated that the optimistic promises of a so-called New Economy were largely unfounded and commercially unsustainable, at least for the time being. The apparent difficulty of the many Internet pioneers to effectively exploit the virtual marketplace in the 90s and the reasons for their failures is already and will continue for some time to be the subject of debate and research. Researchers, consultants and practioners have already identified several causes behind the dot-com failures. Managerial skills, naivety and technology drawbacks, lack of financial control, non-viable business models and last but no the least old-fashion product orientation, have been named as contributing reasons to the dot.com demise (Porter 2001). The suitability the marketing mix as tool of e-marketing and its possible contribution to creation of unsustainable online business models has also been suggested as possible contributors to dot-com failures (Constantinides 2002). From 1995 on an ever increasing number of scientific papers and text books have been dealing with the issue of emarketing mix and the role of 4Ps in it.

comparing the extend of criticism expressed in the more traditional marketing areas one could argue that the proportion of researchers and writers who seem to be in favor of the 4Ps as the e-commerce marketing paradigm even in its basic, original form is relatively high. Other authors favor minor changes likely to make the framework more suitable for the Internet environment; most writers though are clearly in favor for totally new approaches. Internal orientation, lack of interactivity and personalization, lack of strategic elements and lack of community building are some of the frequently mentioned weaknesses of the mix. The apparently cautious attitude of several authors towards the marketing mix framework in this novel marketing domain is at odds with the more categorical rejection of the mix with connection on the traditional marketing areas. This paradox can be attributed to the newness of the subject and the relatively limited research on the said area. Based on this, it can be said the emarketing is a complicated terrain which combine different elements of most of the categories including consumer marketing, retail marketing, service marketing, relationship marketing, together with the some unique features that are related with criticism expressed in the other domains that are connected with e-marketing. Limitations of Marketing Mix

In spite of the fact that marketing mix is widely accepted in the marketing field, there are also some experts that criticize its usefulness. It comprises a product-oriented definition of marketing and not a market-oriented one. Thus, the 4Ps model does not include any interactive element in explicit manner (Eid & Trueman 2002). The said model represents the mind-set of the seller, not the mind-set of the buyers. According to Robert Lauterborn, in order for companies to become successful, it is vital to fist work with 4Cs before setting the 4Ps. The 4Cs are customer value (not product), customer costs (not price alone), convenience (not place), and communication (not promotion). This is because of the fact that once the marketer established the 4Cs for the target customers, it will be easier to set the 4Ps (Kotler 2003).

While there are many differences in types of outdoor advertising, there are some common advantages versus online and t.v. advertising. Both forms are useful in their own way, but it is important to understand the differences to make a more informed choice. Below are several forms of outdoor advertising and how they provide unique benefits: 1) Billboards and Street Signs Billboard advertising is one of the oldest forms of advertising and remains strong today. There have been some innovations in the market with the invention ofdigital billboards run with LCD or plasma screens. Traditional billboards are still highly

used and prove to be an effective form of advertising. In general, billboards can be a great way to advertise for businesses that are interested in growing brand awareness and brand recognition. Benefits of Highway Billboards: Highway billboards are great for businesses like hotels, convenience stores and gas stations, and fast food. When people travel, billboards are one of the ways that people search for a place to eat or rest for the night. Benefits of Digital Billboards: Digital billboards are great for businesses that dont have a large budget. Digital billboards are inexpensive because the price is divided among many different companies making the cost lower for each advertiser. Benefits of Local Billboards: Local billboards are posted around town and are good for businesses that serve a specific geographic region like handyman services, insurance and tax professionals, and many more. There is a wide variety of businesses that can benefit from these and there might be high competition for any given position.

2) Car Magnets and Body Wraps Car magnets and body wraps are a form of outdoor advertising that are really useful for businesses that use cars and trucks as an essential part of their process. Examples would be a food delivery service, maintenance trucks, moving trucks, and others. Magnets are less expensive and easier to apply, but are not as visible as body wraps. Body wraps are paint jobs or a series of graphics printed on adhesive vinyl that display an advertisement on every side of the car. 3) Bus and Rail Bus and rail advertising is ideal for local business located close to one of these transportation stops. Both forms get significant traffic, especially in larger, densely populated Counties like Westchester, New York. However, depending on your target demographic, bus shelter advertising and rail station advertisements can also be used to increase brand recognition through repetition. Many commuters use the same routes daily and will be exposed to an advertisement on multiple occasions. Also, metropolitan areas often have a lot of tourists and business people traveling in and out using public transportation, providing a perfect opportunity to reach that market. With the right planning and research, advertising packages can be diversified to meet the unique needs of a small business owner. Both online and offline advertising can be included in the mix tomaximize a marketing message and minimize costs. There are actually two types of Media Managers. One for Communications Services and one for Media Services. Communication Services:

The main objective for the Media Manager is to promote media visibility and present their company in the best possible light. Serves as the companys primary media spokesperson by executing external public relations initiatives. Builds and maintains professional working relationships with key media people in local and/or national media outlets (newspapers, TV, radio, publications, journals, etc). Often supervises projects with outside PR agencies and/or inhouse media relations team. Writes and edits copy for press releases, press kits, fact sheets and white papers.

Media Services Media managers decide which media to use for advertising campaigns. Working from a brief about the product or service to be advertised, they devise strategic plans appropriate to the target audience and available budget. They base plans on industry statistics such as National Readership Surveys (NRS), viewing figures from BARB (Broadcasters Audience Research Board) and the Target Group Index directory. Because precise targeting is essential, additional research may also be commissioned. Media managers then present a media and cost schedule to the client, recommending which type of media to use, where, and when to advertise the product or service. When the client agrees to this, it is used to brief the media buyer. In some agencies the roles of planner and media buyer are combined. The marriage of outdoor advertising and the mobile internet is creating a whole new channel for marketers to explore - but brands must handle this new data source with care. Social Media Manager Operates from the edges of the company, managing brand recognition and reputation outside of the scope of the brand website. He is focussed on listening and evaluating brand perception, planning campaigns and promotional material or initiatives to promote the companys message, building and leveraging social networks on social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to facilitate depth of communication. He will usually be found within the Organisation chart connected to Marketing, PR, and Sales. Communication Manager Communications managers are responsible for conveying an organization's internal and external messages. They draft written materials, prepare presentations and communicate with employees. Communications managers correspond with employees and external stakeholders to keep them informed of company developments. They create strategies to increase employee awareness and

to promote productivity. Externally, they communicate with the media and other interested parties to announce new products and discuss organizational changes in a way that attempts to maintain a positive image of the company. Internally, communications managers ensure that employees are aware of changes and projects within the company. They distribute executive messages, prepare presentations and internal memos, and conduct meetings to share information. They may develop print materials and branding strategies for employee use. Depending on the organization's size, communications managers may direct marketing and public relations staff or provide communications coaching for employees. Externally, they represent their organization to stakeholders, interested parties and the public. Communications managers serve as the company spokesperson to the media and the general public. They develop and distribute materials that may explain or convey the company's policies or position on issues. Other duties may include issuing press releases, arranging interviews and compiling press kits. Brand Activation Manager Here is a simple definition of 'What is Brand Activation' Brand activation can be defined as marketing process of bringing a brand to life through creating brand experience. Next question now is what to activate? Generally, the core features or brand values of a brand are used for activation. Thats what every brand manager strives to a chieve i.e. communicating their brand values to their target customers. The purpose of the Brand Activation Manager is to help build brand equity while driving accelerated volume growth. One has to appreciate the fact that branding is based on the concept of singularity. This concept assumes a greater significance in case of services which are intangible in nature. Benefits of Brand Activation: 1. You can convey your positioning using brand activation. 2. It supports your ad claim if used carefully. 3. Distortion is minimum in this case. 4. It increases your brand salience. 5. Helps in revitalizing a brand. 6. Brand activation can elicit customer insights as people interact with the brand. The Brand Activation Manager reports directly to the Brand Development Manager with a strong reporting relationship to the Next Level Account Manager

Advertising Agency The advertising agency is the second important component of the advertising spectrum. If the advertiser is the originator of the entire process, the advertising agency is the instrument through which advertising is conceived and planned by advertising specialists, working as a team to render advisory and creative services to advertisers in planning and preparing advertisements, and in placing and checking them, on a fee or commission basis. Outside of the industry, it is little recognized that advertising agencies do not actually make television commercials this is outsourced to production companies. Agencies germinate, direct and manage the processes of advertising production. However, the question is more fundamental than what do they do, but rather, what are advertising agencies for? Ad agencies employ a broad range of advertising strategies to create marketing campaigns tailored to their clients needs. Ad agencies can range from small, home-based businesses to corporate franchises with departments for market research, account management and sales, copywriting and graphic design. Ad agencies work closely with the client to gather information and pitch their campaign ideas followed by the creative process of actually making and distributing the ads. Advertising is a means, not an end, a lever designed to effect consumer behavior leading people to pay price premiums and buy more things and more often, due to the dimly understood interactions of persuasive symbols and human cognitive, social and economi c behavior.

Pitch While the aim of most ad agencies is to establish ongoing partnerships with long-term clients, the acquisition of each new client begins with a pitch. Rather than cold-calling random businesses, ad agencies will usually begin with an inside-out approach and contact people they know personally within organizations theyd like to target. They may also monitor the news for companies that look like theyre in need of an advertising overhaul (for instance, businesses that experience a sudden growth spurt ) and mail them a letter and portfolio of their work. Presentation Once a potential client agrees to meet with an ad agency, the agency will prepare a presentation of what it has to offer the client. The level of detail and research that goes into the presentation will depend on the level of interest or commitment shown by the client. During the presentation, the agency might bring up case studies it has found in its research to show what types of advertising has worked in the past for similar companies. The agency may also show logos, brochures, direct mail, websites, ad banners or billboards it has designed for past clients or a mock-up of what it has in mind for the client. Assessment

Once a client has committed to hiring an ad agency, the agency will begin ass essing the clients current position in its industry, including its market share, its competition and its recognition level in its target market. Some of this information can be gleaned from the clients website and business plan. The agency will also assess the clients expectations and determine deliverable deadlines for the rollout of a new campaign. Roll Out The ad agencys media buyer will purchase space for the ads (in a newspaper, on the radio, on websites or other forums) from ad salespeople. The campaign rollout typically consists of releasing ads by alternating the media they appear in to avoid bombarding people in any one type of media. Alternating the media platform also helps generate brand awareness by reaching the target market from different directions. Advertising agencies come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small boutique shops that have just a few people. Others are giants that employ thousands of people in offices all around the world. But, however large or small the agency, there is a basic structure that most advertising agencies stick to. In the smaller agencies, some people will perform more than one role. One person my actually be the entire department. But the fundamentals are the same, and it's because this model was born out of necessity and it works. There are SIX major departments in any advertising agency. These can be split into other subdepartments, or given various creative names, but the skeleton is the same. These departments are:

Account Service Account Planning Creative Finance & Accounts Media Buying Production

Larger agencies may also separate out the following departments:

Human Resources & Facilities Research Web development Traffic

Let's take a look at the breakdown of those six major departments. Account Services

The account service department comprisesaccount executives, account managers and account directors, and is responsible for liaising with the agency's many clients. This department is the link between the many departments within the agency, and the clients who pay the bills. In the past they were referred to as "the suits," and there have been many battles between the account services department and the creative department. But as most creatives know, a good account services team is essential to a good advertising campaign. A solid creative brief is one of the main duties of account services. Account Manager Within an advertising agency the account manager or account executive is tasked with handling all major decisions related to a specific client. These responsibilities include locating and negotiating to acquire clients. Once the client has agreed to work with the agency, the account manager works closely with the client to develop an advertising strategy. For very large clients, such as large consumer products companies, an advertising agency may assign an account manager to work full-time with only one client and, possibly, with only one of the clients product lines. For smaller accounts an account manager may simultaneously manage several different, though non-competing, accounts.

Account Planning This department combines research with strategic thinking. Often a mix of researchers and account managers, the account planning department provides consumer insights, strategic direction, research, focus groups and assists helps keep advertising campaigns on target and on brand. Chris Cowpe described account planning as "the discipline that brings the consumer into the process of developing advertising. To be truly effective, advertising must be both distinctive and relevant, and planning helps on both counts." Creative Team An ad agencys creative team creates the actual components of the campaign (ads) such as TV commercials, billboards, website pop-up windows, direct mail or a mixed media combination. Copywriters and graphic designers are usually employed with agencies on a permanent basis while videographers and actors may be outsourced on an as-needed basis for radio and TV commercials

This is the engine of any advertising agency. It's the lifeblood of the business, because the creative department is responsible for the product. And an ad agency is only as good as the ads the creative department puts out. The roles within the creative department are many and varied, and usually include:

Copywriters Art Directors Designers Production Artists Web Designers Associate Creative Directors Creative Director(s) An agencys creative team consists of specialists in graphic design, film and audio production, copywriting, computer programming, and much more. In many agencies, copywriters and art directors are paired up, working as teams. They will also bring in the talents of other designers and production artists as and when the job requires it. Sometimes, traffic is handled by a position within the creative department, although that is usually part of the production department. Everyone within creative services reports to the Creative Director. It is his or her role to steer the creative product, making sure it is on brand, on brief and on time. Copywriter Writing advertising copy is the classic definition of copywriting. Advertising copywriting generates ideas based on advertising principles. Advertising copywriters have been employed for as long as advertising has been in existence. Advertising copywriters generally work alongside an art director within the creative department of an advertising, media. They work with client briefs to conceive, develop and produce effective advertising campaigns. Actually the copywriter provides the verbal or written copy. This may include creating slogans, catchphrases, messages and strap lines for printed adverts. They are also involved in writing text for web advertising, as well as scripts for Radio and TV commercials. Copywriters also work with media planners / buyers and the production department to fully develop the advertising campaign. Advertising copywriters often handle several client accounts at the same time. Typical work activities may include: liaising with clients and interpreting their briefs records working as account teams

 developing creative ideas and concepts presenting ideas to colleagues and clients familiarizing themselves with their clients products and services writing clear, persuasive, original copy; updating digital media with snappy and timely content read copy to check spelling and grammar mistakes amending, revising or redeveloping adverts or campaigns in a proper way check campaigns through the output stage to completion sometimes in under pressure also works on several campaigns at once casting actors for TV and radio work, and listening to voice tapes work with production companies, photographers, typographers, designers and printers for good results keep up to date with popular culture and trends also monitor the effectiveness of advertising campaigns

Writing advertising copy is all about producing sales. An advertising copywriter needs to be extremely persuasive; the copywriter must be able to strike the right emotional chord in the reader, and do it quickly and effectively. So that means that there is a lot of money in Advertising Copywriter, because in every office or in every firm there is a need of Advertising so that should be done with Advertising copywriter. Any body can earn money with Advertising Copywriter.

Art director Advertising creative fall into two main branches: copywriters, who are responsible for coming up with creative concepts and writing copy for ads (as necessary), and art directors, who work with

copywriters to fashion visual solutions to creative problems. Good copywriters and art directors are often promoted to become creative directors (CDs), executive creative directors and, ultimately, chief creative officers (CCOs). Of course, creatives don't run the entire advertising creation process; they work with talented teams of account managers, producers, project managers, brand planners and more to oversee branding and creative work for clients. For a typical advertising campaign, brand planners and account managers will work to outline specific goals to compliment a client's overall communications strategy. Creative directors will take these outlines, called creative briefs, and work with various creative teams (usually copywriters and art directors, but often brand planners, social media strategists and other specialists as well) to brainstorm ideas to pitch to clients. When or if ideas are approved, the creative director then manages the campaign's execution. An Art Director (AD) is the person responsible for designing ads, websites, outdoor media and brochures for an advertising agency on behalf of its clients. The AD creates and then maintains the visual look for all the work on an account, making sure the client's marketing materials are visually engaging and the selling message is clear. In a world increasingly driven by computer and mobile phone screens, the visual component of marketing has become even more important, elevating an AD's importance. A good art director translates marketing strategy into a visual language that speaks to the target audience and expresses the brand equity. In many instances, an ad agency will pair an art director with a copywriter to generate initial campaign concepts, ad ideas and websites. Once the agency's management team selects a direction, it then becomes the AD's responsibility to design the finished work. Often when developing websites with multiple applications and pages, an AD will work with a programmer or a user experience designer to ensure that the site's graphics and technology work together seamlessly to achieve the desired goal. Finance & Accounts Money. At the end of the day, that's what ad agencies want. And it's what their clients want, too. At the center of all the money coming into, and going out of, the agency is the finance and accounts department. This department is responsible for handling payment of salaries, benefits, vendor costs, travel, day-to-day business costs and everything else you'd expect from doing business. It's been said that approximately 70% of an ad agency's income pays salary and benefits to employees. However, this figure varies depending on the size and success of the agency in question. Media Buying

It is the function of the media buying department to procure the advertising time and/or space required for a successful advertising campaign. This includes TV and radio time, outdoor (billboards, posters, guerrilla), magazine and newspaper insertions, internet banners and takeovers, and, well, anywhere else an ad can be placed for a fee. This usually involves close collaboration with the creative department who came up with the initial ideas, as well as the client and the kind of exposure they want.This department is usually steered by a media director. Media Buying Manager A media buying service, sometimes referred to as a media buying agency, is responsible for purchasing ad space and time for running advertisements. With media planning and buying, a media buyer must evaluate media reach, station formats and pricing rates, plus demographics and psychographics relating to the advertiser's marketing objectives. Media Buyers and Media Planners Media buyers work with media planners to make the best purchase decisions. The difference between the two is that media planners select media to meet a client's marketing goals, while media buyers negotiate the best media rates and purchase the media. A media buyer researches the intended target audience and determines what mediums will be most effective in reaching the largest amount of potential customers. Media buyers also make use of product positioning by choosing the right place within the media for your message to appear. Media Buying Options A media buying agency has a vast array of media to choose from, including traditional media, like radio, TV, magazines, newspapers, and out of home, and new media, which includes cable TV, Satellite radio, and the Internet. Media buying agencies are similar to advertising agencies, but do not offer any creative or non-media marketing strategic services. Full serviceadvertising agencies, also offer media buying and planning through in-house media buying departments. Media Buying Costs Media buying services earn their income in three ways: through commissions, typically 15% of each buy, by purchasing large blocks of media and reselling it, or by charging a retainer or hourly fee, though this is less common.

Responsibilities of the Marketing Media Buyer Manager:

Plans, develops and implements online media campaigns. Optimizes campaigns based on reporting results.

Evaluates content, coverage, ad positioning, rates and audience composition of all relevant media vehicles to determine those that will most effectively reach target audiences. Studies demographic data and consumer profiles to identify desired target audiences for online advertising. Gathers statistics and prepares media plan, flow charts and directives to guide buying process. Calculates reach and frequency of online campaigns. Negotiates and documents rates, special placements and added value. Confers with media leaders to establish objectives and strategies that satisfies marketing objectives. Presents media plans to for approval and makes adjustments as necessary. Maintains all online media buys and is responsible for the post-buy results. Provides reports based on campaign goals and objectives. Demonstrates an understanding of the business and marketing objectives. Keeps current on interactive trends and digital developments. Travels occasionally to supported markets or events.

Production Ideas are just ideas until they're made real. This is the job of the production department. During the creative process, the production department will be consulted to talk about the feasibility of executing certain ideas. Once the ad is sold to the client, the creative and account teams will collaborate with production to get the campaign produced on budget. This can be anything from getting original photography or illustration produced, working with printers, hiring typographers and TV directors, and a myriad of other disciplines needed to get an ad campaign published. Production also works closely with the media department, who will supply the specs and deadlines for the jobs. In small to mid-sized agencies, traffic is also a part of the production department. It is the job of traffic to get each and every job through the various stages of account management, creative development, media buying and production in a set timeframe. Traffic will also ensure that work flows through the agency smoothly, preventing jams that may overwhelm creative teams and lead to very long hours, missed deadlines and problematic client relationships. Traffic keeps the agency's heart beating. Outdoor Media Agency/ company Every company is different and every company has different needs. In today's fast changing world every company needs an edge to keep up with today's ever-changing consumer trends and behaviours. The out-of-home advertising segment has increased in importance, due to a lack of viewership caused by busy work schedules and longer commutes. Out-of-Home advertising

increases the number of connect points with consumers and engages consumers on different levels Traditionally, a media agency strategically plans where and when your advertising and marketing message should appear. The agency, ideally, helps you buy the space and puts your message on it. Today, media agencies have evolved beyond that definition and morphed into communications agencies meaning they do a lot more than just tell you where to put your message or when to put it. Today, because consumers have changed the way marketers plan their strategies, and have adapted so many new channels mostly due to the advances in digital agencies have to have multiple efficiencies, including strategic planning, buying clout, social media muscle, content development, mobile media versatility and more. Outdoor advertising has been the fastest growing traditional advertising medium over the past decade. Spend on outdoor advertising reached 976m in 2007, a little over five per cent of total advertising expenditure. Outdoor spend declined to 939m in 2008 before falling back sharply to 782m in 2009, in line with other advertising expenditure. Outdoor spend has since recovered significantly, with estimated spend of 880m in 2010. In the present scenario, the means of communication and technology is prevailing over marketing and adverting. The media has become so hyped that it has become an indispensable factor of life. Outdoor media and advertising solutions for businesses are eye-catching, head turning ambient advertising mediums that will make sure your message achieves the maximum promising chances to see. These commanding, powerful and cost effective ambient advertising solutions guarantee businesses big brand promotion, it gives a chance to interact with the target audience and get closer to the point of sale than any other traditional media. It can be achieved by using advertising and avenue team advertisers to position the respective message straight to your targeted audience. It embraces all the outdoor advertising like mobile billboards, truck side advertising. Higher the impact of outdoor advertising, higher the result in promotions of the product. Some Mobile billboards industries are connecting with the customers and provide the agencies the basic link to sever as a platform for many small firms. In addition to roadside billboards, outdoor advertising comes in a variety of display formats at various types of location such as bus shelters, underground and railway stations, airports, shopping malls and supermarkets. Outdoor advertising is provided via a long supply chain. An advertiser typically uses a media agency to plan and buy its advertising campaign, and the agency uses a specialist outdoor buyer for the outdoor advertising component of the campaign. The specialist outdoor buyer then purchases space from media owners who in turn have contracts with site owners to lease the sites on which to place posters.

As new trends and technologies have emerged, outdoor advertising companies, also referred to as out of home media companies, have continued to innovate to help advertisers keep a competitive edge. If your goal is to gain exposure and solidify the brand recognition for your product, service, or company, outdoor advertising needs to be considered as part of your marketing plan. It is straight-forward, memorable, time-tested and cannot be ignored as one of the most powerful ways to jumpstart or invigorate any marketing campaign. The consumer marketplace is extremely competitive for any business so you need to employ the very most effective means to assure that your company or brand stays top-of-mind with the consumers you wish to reach. The most successful ad is the one which gets seen by the greatest number of qualified potential buyers of your product or service. Proper ad placement plays a crucial role in the success of any advertising campaign and you need an experienced outdoor advertising company to assist you with making the right demographic choices. And even though demographics are important, other considerations are equally critical such as eyes-on traffic exposure, visibility and strategic placement. Uniquely among advertising methods, outdoor advertising is also about real estate and location is still everything.