Rob Hollander, Creative Director at Wickedweb,

outlines some of the key issues facing digital designers over

the next 12 months 2013

figarodigital.co.uk

Design and Build

With a decade in business under our belt at Wickedweb, this seemed the perfect time to look to the future, set new objectives and observe the latest industry trends in design and

digital. It’s astonishing, and sometimes amusing, to look back and refl ect on the ways in which we used to work. A huge amount has changed, both in terms of design and development, over the last 10

years; gone are the days of designing to a mere 760px wide canvas, creating an elaborate Flash landing page and slicing it all up into neat little rectangles to place into our HTML tables.

RESPONSIVE DESIGNSo how is our design future shaping up in 2013? Firstly, let’s explore responsive web design. As handheld devices continue to improve and develop over the next few years, so too will our attention to responsive design.

With mobile usage for web browsing increasing (Econsultancy reports that 31 per cent of website traffi c is from a mobile device), it has become essential for web agencies to reconsider the design approach and kickstart the design process by exploring mobile design as a starting point.

This up-to-date approach will undoubtedly shape the way in which

2013An Exciting and

Challenging Time for Digital Design

Wickedweb_v2.indd 16 14/03/2013 07:56

1 7a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

Profile

designs are presented. looking at current responsive websites, we can see much cleaner, bolder designs with more white space. Designs tend to be more simplistic and flat in appearance, with solid colours, bold typography and large buttons ensuring ‘tapping’ on a mobile device is easier.

The typography itself is also something that will continue to improve over the next 12 months, as an increasing number of web fonts become available. Gone are the days of the standard typefaces Arial, Verdana and Georgia. Say hello to futura, Adelle and Myriad Pro. These new and improved web-served fonts are the much more streamlined cousins of the old, clunky, sifr flash-based web fonts and, what’s more, they have very little impact on page load times, giving each site a more unique, on-brand experience. This simplistic and minimalistic approach to design results in websites appearing fresh and modern; their scalability and responsiveness transitions down through the various device sizes, resulting in more consistent, on-brand and seamless capabilities.

New resolutioNsfrom a time and budget perspective it makes complete sense to have a responsive website and to abandon the device-specific design and builds. At Wickedweb, we have a responsive HTMl grid template system that new websites are designed and built into. This not only streamlines our process but ensures all newly developed websites are built to the highest, industry-leading standards, future-proofing our clients and ensuring sites are 100 per cent adaptable to devices of any size, be it mobile, iPad, desktop or even TV (as companies begin to roll-out internet ready TVs and games browsers).

With the persistent and inevitable rise in handheld devices (58 per cent of the UK population now use a smartphone, according to econsultancy), we are also

seeing a huge decrease in the use of flash on websites. As flash technology is not supported on the majority of handheld devices, HTMl5 is increasingly being used to develop rich media content with video players and online games. The development of new hand-held devices has also brought about retina displays, the latest products from Apple with higher screen resolutions, at 300dpi.

images created for standard resolutions do not hold the same crispness and quality when viewed on a retina display. it’s worth bearing in mind that beautifully designed sites may be compromised in quality when viewed on these new devices, unless there’s clear collaboration between design and development to introduce scalable vector graphics (SVGs), which are capable of scaling up in size without losing sharpness or detail.

HittiNg your targetsAnother exciting progression is tailored content and behavioural content targeting. Various content management systems, such as Wickedweb’s partner Sitecore, include built-in functions which display content relevant to individual users. The system monitors and tracks where the user clicks in and around the website, and begins to build a user profile. As a result, the website can surface content that is of more interest and relevance to the user, populating callouts, banners and text areas with information. The design approach to projects of this nature can be slightly different; designers need to allow for ‘content blocks’ which are substituted in for the different user types. However, this need

not directly affect or constrain the design itself; designers just need to be aware that content will be interchangeable.

following the emergence of vertical scrolling sites in 2012, most of which are very creative and dynamic, with impressive CSS3 transitions and beautiful graphics, we’ll see this trend become even more prominent in 2013, predominantly as the design goes

hand-in-hand with mobile devices, due to the usability and slickness of design. However, due to the nature of vertical scrolling sites, where all content is held on one page, it becomes challenging to effectively market the website through Seo, which is partially dependant on multiple pages containing keyword specific content. Designers need to balance creative flair and technology with Seo content; the design team needs to work hand in hand with the search marketing team.

As design developments and device progressions take hold, 2013 is undoubtedly an exciting time for digital design. for designers, and agencies as a whole, the key to success will lie in the ability to adapt and embrace change; to look forward and tackle challenges that arise.

The speed at which digital design is changing and developing is mesmerising; at Wickedweb, we’ll be leading the way by pushing each design, whether for mobile, PC, tablet or TV, to the limits of creativity, usability and functionality, embracing this year’s progressive industry trends with innovative and forward-thinking design solutions.

wickedweb.co.uk

Rob HollandeR, CReative diReCtoR at WiCkedWeb

For desigNers aNd ageNcies tHe key to success will lie iN tHe ability to adapt aNd embrace cHaNge”

Wickedweb_v2.indd 17 14/03/2013 07:56

Rob Hollander, Creative Director at Wickedweb,

outlines some of the key issues facing digital designers over

the next 12 months 2013

figarodigital.co.uk

Design and Build

With a decade in business under our belt at Wickedweb, this seemed the perfect time to look to the future, set new objectives and observe the latest industry trends in design and

digital. It’s astonishing, and sometimes amusing, to look back and refl ect on the ways in which we used to work. A huge amount has changed, both in terms of design and development, over the last 10

years; gone are the days of designing to a mere 760px wide canvas, creating an elaborate Flash landing page and slicing it all up into neat little rectangles to place into our HTML tables.

RESPONSIVE DESIGNSo how is our design future shaping up in 2013? Firstly, let’s explore responsive web design. As handheld devices continue to improve and develop over the next few years, so too will our attention to responsive design.

With mobile usage for web browsing increasing (Econsultancy reports that 31 per cent of website traffi c is from a mobile device), it has become essential for web agencies to reconsider the design approach and kickstart the design process by exploring mobile design as a starting point.

This up-to-date approach will undoubtedly shape the way in which

2013An Exciting and

Challenging Time for Digital Design

Wickedweb_v2.indd 16 14/03/2013 07:56

1 7a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

Profile

designs are presented. looking at current responsive websites, we can see much cleaner, bolder designs with more white space. Designs tend to be more simplistic and flat in appearance, with solid colours, bold typography and large buttons ensuring ‘tapping’ on a mobile device is easier.

The typography itself is also something that will continue to improve over the next 12 months, as an increasing number of web fonts become available. Gone are the days of the standard typefaces Arial, Verdana and Georgia. Say hello to futura, Adelle and Myriad Pro. These new and improved web-served fonts are the much more streamlined cousins of the old, clunky, sifr flash-based web fonts and, what’s more, they have very little impact on page load times, giving each site a more unique, on-brand experience. This simplistic and minimalistic approach to design results in websites appearing fresh and modern; their scalability and responsiveness transitions down through the various device sizes, resulting in more consistent, on-brand and seamless capabilities.

New resolutioNsfrom a time and budget perspective it makes complete sense to have a responsive website and to abandon the device-specific design and builds. At Wickedweb, we have a responsive HTMl grid template system that new websites are designed and built into. This not only streamlines our process but ensures all newly developed websites are built to the highest, industry-leading standards, future-proofing our clients and ensuring sites are 100 per cent adaptable to devices of any size, be it mobile, iPad, desktop or even TV (as companies begin to roll-out internet ready TVs and games browsers).

With the persistent and inevitable rise in handheld devices (58 per cent of the UK population now use a smartphone, according to econsultancy), we are also

seeing a huge decrease in the use of flash on websites. As flash technology is not supported on the majority of handheld devices, HTMl5 is increasingly being used to develop rich media content with video players and online games. The development of new hand-held devices has also brought about retina displays, the latest products from Apple with higher screen resolutions, at 300dpi.

images created for standard resolutions do not hold the same crispness and quality when viewed on a retina display. it’s worth bearing in mind that beautifully designed sites may be compromised in quality when viewed on these new devices, unless there’s clear collaboration between design and development to introduce scalable vector graphics (SVGs), which are capable of scaling up in size without losing sharpness or detail.

HittiNg your targetsAnother exciting progression is tailored content and behavioural content targeting. Various content management systems, such as Wickedweb’s partner Sitecore, include built-in functions which display content relevant to individual users. The system monitors and tracks where the user clicks in and around the website, and begins to build a user profile. As a result, the website can surface content that is of more interest and relevance to the user, populating callouts, banners and text areas with information. The design approach to projects of this nature can be slightly different; designers need to allow for ‘content blocks’ which are substituted in for the different user types. However, this need

not directly affect or constrain the design itself; designers just need to be aware that content will be interchangeable.

following the emergence of vertical scrolling sites in 2012, most of which are very creative and dynamic, with impressive CSS3 transitions and beautiful graphics, we’ll see this trend become even more prominent in 2013, predominantly as the design goes

hand-in-hand with mobile devices, due to the usability and slickness of design. However, due to the nature of vertical scrolling sites, where all content is held on one page, it becomes challenging to effectively market the website through Seo, which is partially dependant on multiple pages containing keyword specific content. Designers need to balance creative flair and technology with Seo content; the design team needs to work hand in hand with the search marketing team.

As design developments and device progressions take hold, 2013 is undoubtedly an exciting time for digital design. for designers, and agencies as a whole, the key to success will lie in the ability to adapt and embrace change; to look forward and tackle challenges that arise.

The speed at which digital design is changing and developing is mesmerising; at Wickedweb, we’ll be leading the way by pushing each design, whether for mobile, PC, tablet or TV, to the limits of creativity, usability and functionality, embracing this year’s progressive industry trends with innovative and forward-thinking design solutions.

wickedweb.co.uk

Rob HollandeR, CReative diReCtoR at WiCkedWeb

For desigNers aNd ageNcies tHe key to success will lie iN tHe ability to adapt aNd embrace cHaNge”

Wickedweb_v2.indd 17 14/03/2013 07:56

3 6a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

figarodigital.co.uk

Top 10 Things To Ask geolocATion Technology

providers in 2013

Digital Marketing

Digital_Element_Feature.indd 36 15/03/2013 08:47

3 7a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

Profile

Since pioneering the space in 1999, we’ve seen a number of

technology companies enter the market, claiming to provide some form of iP geolocation data,” says rob friedman, executive Vice President at Digital element. “However, there are vast differences between providers, both in the technologies they employ and the service models they deliver. it’s vital that marketers know what to look for in an iP geolocation technology so they can achieve the results they need.” Digital element’s own recent customer results analysis points to key criteria marketers should use when evaluating an iP geolocation provider.

1 C o v e r a g e Most vendors claim to cover the world’s routable iP address space. However, discount

providers have gaps in coverage of 20 to 30 per cent of the where country-only or no-response is provided.

2 a C C u r a C y Accuracy varies widely within the industry, and the more hyperlocal the data, the wider the

difference becomes. Country-level accuracy is generally 95 to 99.99 per cent for most vendors, whereas city-level accuracy can range from 40-97 per cent, depending on the provider.

3 g r a n u l a r i t y if highly granular city or postcode level data is needed, it is important to understand that

most vendors do not perform well (or at all) at this level. Most either aggregate traffic into large metropolitan areas and/or provide city centre default postcodes which may be 10 or even 100 miles away from the actual web visitor’s location.

Vendors should be able to proVide proof of their data accuracy and collection methods”

Rob Friedman, Executive Vice President at Digital Element, explains how geolocation technology

can help drive results

4 C o n s i s t e n C y Getting geolocation data in-house is one thing.

Getting it integrated into an existing application is another. Many providers aggregate self-reported data containing multiple non-standardised city responses (ie Cologne, Köln, Colone, Koln) which can create large implementation headaches.

5 t e C h n o l o g y if coverage, accuracy and granularity are

important, marketers will want to select a vendor that integrates multiple methodologies to cull and verify data, including network infrastructure analysis and user-validated location feedback. Most iP geolocation vendors simply repackage publically available (free) Whois registration data, and some supplement with user-supplied data.

6 D y n a m i s m Dynamic iP routing can be an issue even for more sophisticated vendors, as some

telcos may make more frequent reallocation of iP assignments to address load balancing issues on their networks. Marketers should ensure their provider has visibility into iSPs’ network traffic for instant notification of dynamic iP address reallocation.

7 v e r i f i C a t i o n Vendors should be able to provide proof of their data accuracy and collection methods,

audited through a reliable third-party assessor. importantly, marketers should be sure that the audit assesses not only the methods used to collect the data, but also the data itself.

8 r e p u t a t i o n A company’s - and its marketer’s - reputation

is at stake with the launch of every campaign. Before applying iP geolocation technology to online initiatives, marketers should look at vendors’ client lists and ask for tangible customer results and successes.

9 t e C h n i C a l s u p p o r t As with any mission-critical service, support

is crucial to ensure that implementation goes smoothly, and concerns, issues and feedback are addressed in a timely manner. if geolocation data is used for customer-facing applications, then 24/7 support should be a must-have.

10 D a t a b r e a D t h outside iP-to-geography data, other information such as proxy type,

connection type/speed, home/business user, domain name, iSP, company name and more can be impactful data sets for creating an even more meaningful user experience. Marketers should investigate other types of data that can be offered beyond geography.

digitalelement.com

Digital_Element_Feature.indd 37 15/03/2013 08:48

3 6a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

figarodigital.co.uk

Top 10 Things To Ask geolocATion Technology

providers in 2013

Digital Marketing

Digital_Element_Feature.indd 36 15/03/2013 08:47

3 7a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

Profile

Since pioneering the space in 1999, we’ve seen a number of

technology companies enter the market, claiming to provide some form of iP geolocation data,” says rob friedman, executive Vice President at Digital element. “However, there are vast differences between providers, both in the technologies they employ and the service models they deliver. it’s vital that marketers know what to look for in an iP geolocation technology so they can achieve the results they need.” Digital element’s own recent customer results analysis points to key criteria marketers should use when evaluating an iP geolocation provider.

1 C o v e r a g e Most vendors claim to cover the world’s routable iP address space. However, discount

providers have gaps in coverage of 20 to 30 per cent of the where country-only or no-response is provided.

2 a C C u r a C y Accuracy varies widely within the industry, and the more hyperlocal the data, the wider the

difference becomes. Country-level accuracy is generally 95 to 99.99 per cent for most vendors, whereas city-level accuracy can range from 40-97 per cent, depending on the provider.

3 g r a n u l a r i t y if highly granular city or postcode level data is needed, it is important to understand that

most vendors do not perform well (or at all) at this level. Most either aggregate traffic into large metropolitan areas and/or provide city centre default postcodes which may be 10 or even 100 miles away from the actual web visitor’s location.

Vendors should be able to proVide proof of their data accuracy and collection methods”

Rob Friedman, Executive Vice President at Digital Element, explains how geolocation technology

can help drive results

4 C o n s i s t e n C y Getting geolocation data in-house is one thing.

Getting it integrated into an existing application is another. Many providers aggregate self-reported data containing multiple non-standardised city responses (ie Cologne, Köln, Colone, Koln) which can create large implementation headaches.

5 t e C h n o l o g y if coverage, accuracy and granularity are

important, marketers will want to select a vendor that integrates multiple methodologies to cull and verify data, including network infrastructure analysis and user-validated location feedback. Most iP geolocation vendors simply repackage publically available (free) Whois registration data, and some supplement with user-supplied data.

6 D y n a m i s m Dynamic iP routing can be an issue even for more sophisticated vendors, as some

telcos may make more frequent reallocation of iP assignments to address load balancing issues on their networks. Marketers should ensure their provider has visibility into iSPs’ network traffic for instant notification of dynamic iP address reallocation.

7 v e r i f i C a t i o n Vendors should be able to provide proof of their data accuracy and collection methods,

audited through a reliable third-party assessor. importantly, marketers should be sure that the audit assesses not only the methods used to collect the data, but also the data itself.

8 r e p u t a t i o n A company’s - and its marketer’s - reputation

is at stake with the launch of every campaign. Before applying iP geolocation technology to online initiatives, marketers should look at vendors’ client lists and ask for tangible customer results and successes.

9 t e C h n i C a l s u p p o r t As with any mission-critical service, support

is crucial to ensure that implementation goes smoothly, and concerns, issues and feedback are addressed in a timely manner. if geolocation data is used for customer-facing applications, then 24/7 support should be a must-have.

10 D a t a b r e a D t h outside iP-to-geography data, other information such as proxy type,

connection type/speed, home/business user, domain name, iSP, company name and more can be impactful data sets for creating an even more meaningful user experience. Marketers should investigate other types of data that can be offered beyond geography.

digitalelement.com

Digital_Element_Feature.indd 37 15/03/2013 08:48

5 8a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

100% Full Service Agency

4% Analytics

2% Content Management

18% Design and Build

2% Display Advertising

14% E-Commerce

2% Email Marketing

10% Mobile

2% Pay Per Click

8% Social Media

2% SEO

5% Usability

18% Other: Strategy &

Consultancy

13% Other: Global

Implementation,

Rollout and Support

Using its insights into consumer expectations, attitudes and motivations, Amaze delivers marketing and technology solutions – from strategy through to implementation – that enable organisations to identify and act upon the opportunities created by this changing digital world. Clients include ASICS, Coats plc, Coca-Cola, the Co-operative Group, Dyson, Lexus, ODEON Cinemas, Toyota and Unilever.

In 2012, Amaze ranked twelfth in Marketing Magazine’s Digital Agency League Table, fourth in the eCommerce category and fi fth in the mobile category. Amaze came in at number 18 in the NMA Top 100 Interactive Agencies and third in the website design and build category. The

consultancy also ranked second in the 2012 B2B Marketing Marcomms Agencies League Table.

Amaze deliver digitally-led global business

solutions and integrated communications propositions with user experience and creativity at their core. Our heritage, skillset and experience means that we offer clients the creativity of a traditional marketing agency

combined with the rigour of traditional consulting and technology practices. NATALIE GROSS, CEO

Amaze Royalty House, 72-74 Dean Street

London W1D 3SG

T 0845 459 6057

W amaze.com

E info@amaze.com

B blog.amaze.com

@amazeplc

linkedin.com/company/amaze

Key contactsNATALIE GROSSCEOn.gross@amaze.com

WENDY STONEFIELD Chief Commercial Offi cer w.stonefi eld@amaze.com

HELEN ROBINSON Marketing Directorh.robinson@amaze.com

Key company operating industries● Business ● Charities ● Clothing ● Cosmetics/Toiletries ● Drink ● Entertainment/Leisure ● Financial ● Food ● Household Goods ● Medical ● Pharmaceutical ● Retail ● Sport/Leisure ● Telecomms ● Travel ● Other: FMGG, Consumer Electronics

Employees Creative Staff 26Management Staff 8Marketing Staff 4Planning & Buying Staff 16Technical Staff 46Admin & IT 16Project Management 20Strategy 20Client Services 22Content & Social 15

AmazeFull Service Agency

Amaze is a leading full service marketing and technology consultancy, boasting an unrivalled depth of understanding of technology and human behaviour. The agency’s work is global - spanning 104 countries in 28 languages.

KEY DIGITAL SECTORS

NATALIE GROSS, CEO

figarodigital.co.uk

At a glance

Figaro_ASG5_Amaze_Profile_V3.indd 58 15/03/2013 14:56

5 9a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

PROFILE

Project Launch: June 2012

Client EASTCOAST.CO.UK

Amaze was appointed by East Coast in 2012 to handle its integrated digital account. This involves developing and managing East Coast’s website, improving the navigation and customer experience, creating its overarching social media strategy and eCRM programme, as well as handling all the operator’s SEO activity. Amaze also provide ongoing support services. Following a series of website navigation and user experience developments to its main website, a new mobile site was launched. During development, live user testing was carried out to understand what features were most important, create a seamless user experience and generate feedback that would infl uence the fi nal structure and design. The new mobile site, available on iPhone, Android and other mobile devices, is packed with useful features, from ticket purchasing, journey planning and live train times to station information and the latest travel news.

● TRAVEL fi garodigital.co.uk/case-study/east-coast.aspx

KEY SECTORS

Client LEXUS EUROPE

In 2011-2012 Lexus initiated three signifi cant and transformational changes: a bold new design direction for its cars, a fresh new brand direction for its business and a completely new digital presence for its customers and prospects. As Lexus’ long-term digital partner, Amaze’s brief was to deliver the digital strategy for a European website that created clear differentiation from its competitors and was truly integrated with the brand’s through-the-line positioning. Following rigorous and in-depth consumer research and analysis, Amaze handled the complete delivery of the site, from strategy, conception and design right through to content development, build and roll-out – resulting in a solution that challenges the traditional in the automotive sector.

● MOTOR fi garodigital.co.uk/case-study/lexus-creating-amazing.aspx

Project Launch: June 2012

KEY SECTORS

Figaro_ASG5_Amaze_Profile_V3.indd 59 15/03/2013 14:56

5 8a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

100% Full Service Agency

4% Analytics

2% Content Management

18% Design and Build

2% Display Advertising

14% E-Commerce

2% Email Marketing

10% Mobile

2% Pay Per Click

8% Social Media

2% SEO

5% Usability

18% Other: Strategy &

Consultancy

13% Other: Global

Implementation,

Rollout and Support

Using its insights into consumer expectations, attitudes and motivations, Amaze delivers marketing and technology solutions – from strategy through to implementation – that enable organisations to identify and act upon the opportunities created by this changing digital world. Clients include ASICS, Coats plc, Coca-Cola, the Co-operative Group, Dyson, Lexus, ODEON Cinemas, Toyota and Unilever.

In 2012, Amaze ranked twelfth in Marketing Magazine’s Digital Agency League Table, fourth in the eCommerce category and fi fth in the mobile category. Amaze came in at number 18 in the NMA Top 100 Interactive Agencies and third in the website design and build category. The

consultancy also ranked second in the 2012 B2B Marketing Marcomms Agencies League Table.

Amaze deliver digitally-led global business

solutions and integrated communications propositions with user experience and creativity at their core. Our heritage, skillset and experience means that we offer clients the creativity of a traditional marketing agency

combined with the rigour of traditional consulting and technology practices. NATALIE GROSS, CEO

Amaze Royalty House, 72-74 Dean Street

London W1D 3SG

T 0845 459 6057

W amaze.com

E info@amaze.com

B blog.amaze.com

@amazeplc

linkedin.com/company/amaze

Key contactsNATALIE GROSSCEOn.gross@amaze.com

WENDY STONEFIELD Chief Commercial Offi cer w.stonefi eld@amaze.com

HELEN ROBINSON Marketing Directorh.robinson@amaze.com

Key company operating industries● Business ● Charities ● Clothing ● Cosmetics/Toiletries ● Drink ● Entertainment/Leisure ● Financial ● Food ● Household Goods ● Medical ● Pharmaceutical ● Retail ● Sport/Leisure ● Telecomms ● Travel ● Other: FMGG, Consumer Electronics

Employees Creative Staff 26Management Staff 8Marketing Staff 4Planning & Buying Staff 16Technical Staff 46Admin & IT 16Project Management 20Strategy 20Client Services 22Content & Social 15

AmazeFull Service Agency

Amaze is a leading full service marketing and technology consultancy, boasting an unrivalled depth of understanding of technology and human behaviour. The agency’s work is global - spanning 104 countries in 28 languages.

KEY DIGITAL SECTORS

NATALIE GROSS, CEO

figarodigital.co.uk

At a glance

Figaro_ASG5_Amaze_Profile_V3.indd 58 15/03/2013 14:56

5 9a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

PROFILE

Project Launch: June 2012

Client EASTCOAST.CO.UK

Amaze was appointed by East Coast in 2012 to handle its integrated digital account. This involves developing and managing East Coast’s website, improving the navigation and customer experience, creating its overarching social media strategy and eCRM programme, as well as handling all the operator’s SEO activity. Amaze also provide ongoing support services. Following a series of website navigation and user experience developments to its main website, a new mobile site was launched. During development, live user testing was carried out to understand what features were most important, create a seamless user experience and generate feedback that would infl uence the fi nal structure and design. The new mobile site, available on iPhone, Android and other mobile devices, is packed with useful features, from ticket purchasing, journey planning and live train times to station information and the latest travel news.

● TRAVEL fi garodigital.co.uk/case-study/east-coast.aspx

KEY SECTORS

Client LEXUS EUROPE

In 2011-2012 Lexus initiated three signifi cant and transformational changes: a bold new design direction for its cars, a fresh new brand direction for its business and a completely new digital presence for its customers and prospects. As Lexus’ long-term digital partner, Amaze’s brief was to deliver the digital strategy for a European website that created clear differentiation from its competitors and was truly integrated with the brand’s through-the-line positioning. Following rigorous and in-depth consumer research and analysis, Amaze handled the complete delivery of the site, from strategy, conception and design right through to content development, build and roll-out – resulting in a solution that challenges the traditional in the automotive sector.

● MOTOR fi garodigital.co.uk/case-study/lexus-creating-amazing.aspx

Project Launch: June 2012

KEY SECTORS

Figaro_ASG5_Amaze_Profile_V3.indd 59 15/03/2013 14:56

6 2a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

25% Design and Build

10% Digital Marketing

25% Email Marketing

5% Hosting

5% Pay Per Click

10% Social Media

5% Usability

Pancentric Digital4-8 Emerson Street, Bankside, London SE1 9DU

W pancentric.com

E offi ce@pancentric.com

@pancentric youtube.com/pancentric

Key contactsSIMON FENN Director Simon.Fenn@Pancentric.com

JIMMI PREBBLE STRATEGY DIRECTOR Jimmi.Prebble@pancentric.com

HELEN EVANS MARKETING MANAGER HELEN.EVANS@PANCENTRIC.COM

Key company operating industries● Business ● Cosmetics/toiletries ● Drink ● Entertainment/leisure ● Food● Household goods● Retail

Employees Creative Staff 7Management Staff 4Marketing Staff 15Planning & Buying Staff 5Technical Staff 12Head of Finance 1Offi ce Manager 1

Pancentric DigitalFull Service Agency

Pancentric Digital is an award-winning, integrated digital agency that combines strategy, creativity and technical innovation under one roof. We place great emphasis on client collaboration and work with some of the world’s best known names to deliver exceptional results in brand engagement, acquisition and retention.

KEY DIGITAL SECTORS

Pancentric Digital will be celebrating 10 years in the digital industry this year and in that time we’ve worked with a number of high profi le clients such as L’Oreal, BBC, Burger King, Zurich, Johnnie Walker, Clipper Teas, Coach, Million Pound Drop, The X Factor and Disney.

We’re ranked as one of the leading digital agencies in the UK; a Top 100 Digital Agency and Top 50 Design Agency by The Drum and a Top 50 Agency by Design Week. We also feature in RAR’s Top 50 London Independent Agencies report. If you like the sound of how we work, please get in touch.

Digital success is about integration and

this is where we excel as an agency. Gone are the days of the siloed management of online marketing and design and build. Our team of strategists, creatives, marketers and programmers collaborate under one roof to deliver joined-up customer experiences and maximum return on your digital investment.

SIMON FENN, DIRECTOR

SIMON FENN,DIRECTOR

figarodigital.co.uk

At a glance

Figaro_ASG5_Pancentric_Digital_Profile.indd 62 14/03/2013 08:25

6 3a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

Project Launch: May 2012

ProfiLe

Client bbc

The bbc tasked us to tap into olympic fever by developing an online sports psychology experiment. The test needed to encourage mass participation and produce personalised results for each participant. Design, build and project management were key to the project’s success and so far there have been over 150,000 participants. The experiment’s results are set to be published in late 2013. View the site at: bit.ly/ilzocS.

l Science, PubLiShing/MeDia, gaMingfigarodigital.co.uk/case-study/bbc-olympics.aspx

Project Launch: January 2012

KEY SECtorS

KEY SECtorS

Client facebook.coM/bLuewaTer

bespoke facebook app ‘who will be crowned?’ utilised bluewater fans’ passion for fashion to grow bluewater’s fan base by 45 per cent in just eight weeks. images of stylish shoppers visiting the mall were uploaded on a weekly basis to be evaluated by a panel of fashion experts. fans then voted for their favourite look and shared this with friends. an integrated social, web and email campaign with in-mall support, complemented the app and ensured the competition’s success.

l reTaiL, cLoThing & enTerTainMenT/LeiSurefigarodigital.co.uk/case-study/bluewater-facebook-app.aspx

Client DirecTLineforbuSineSS.co.uk

Pancentric Digital were appointed by Direct Line for business to design and build a new site in six weeks. we put together a team who worked collaboratively in the depths of our basement for the full

six weeks, agile-style. This way, we were able to adapt and respond to the project’s evolving demands at every stage. Since going live, click-to-quote conversion has increased by 11 per cent from 32 per cent to 43 per cent.

l financiaL, buSineSSfigarodigital.co.uk/case-study/direct-line-for-business.aspx

Project Launch: august 2012

KEY SECtorS

Figaro_ASG5_Pancentric_Digital_Profile.indd 63 14/03/2013 08:26

6 2a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

25% Design and Build

10% Digital Marketing

25% Email Marketing

5% Hosting

5% Pay Per Click

10% Social Media

5% Usability

Pancentric Digital4-8 Emerson Street, Bankside, London SE1 9DU

W pancentric.com

E offi ce@pancentric.com

@pancentric youtube.com/pancentric

Key contactsSIMON FENN Director Simon.Fenn@Pancentric.com

JIMMI PREBBLE STRATEGY DIRECTOR Jimmi.Prebble@pancentric.com

HELEN EVANS MARKETING MANAGER HELEN.EVANS@PANCENTRIC.COM

Key company operating industries● Business ● Cosmetics/toiletries ● Drink ● Entertainment/leisure ● Food● Household goods● Retail

Employees Creative Staff 7Management Staff 4Marketing Staff 15Planning & Buying Staff 5Technical Staff 12Head of Finance 1Offi ce Manager 1

Pancentric DigitalFull Service Agency

Pancentric Digital is an award-winning, integrated digital agency that combines strategy, creativity and technical innovation under one roof. We place great emphasis on client collaboration and work with some of the world’s best known names to deliver exceptional results in brand engagement, acquisition and retention.

KEY DIGITAL SECTORS

Pancentric Digital will be celebrating 10 years in the digital industry this year and in that time we’ve worked with a number of high profi le clients such as L’Oreal, BBC, Burger King, Zurich, Johnnie Walker, Clipper Teas, Coach, Million Pound Drop, The X Factor and Disney.

We’re ranked as one of the leading digital agencies in the UK; a Top 100 Digital Agency and Top 50 Design Agency by The Drum and a Top 50 Agency by Design Week. We also feature in RAR’s Top 50 London Independent Agencies report. If you like the sound of how we work, please get in touch.

Digital success is about integration and

this is where we excel as an agency. Gone are the days of the siloed management of online marketing and design and build. Our team of strategists, creatives, marketers and programmers collaborate under one roof to deliver joined-up customer experiences and maximum return on your digital investment.

SIMON FENN, DIRECTOR

SIMON FENN,DIRECTOR

figarodigital.co.uk

At a glance

Figaro_ASG5_Pancentric_Digital_Profile.indd 62 14/03/2013 08:25

6 3a n n u a l s o u r c e g u i d e

Project Launch: May 2012

ProfiLe

Client bbc

The bbc tasked us to tap into olympic fever by developing an online sports psychology experiment. The test needed to encourage mass participation and produce personalised results for each participant. Design, build and project management were key to the project’s success and so far there have been over 150,000 participants. The experiment’s results are set to be published in late 2013. View the site at: bit.ly/ilzocS.

l Science, PubLiShing/MeDia, gaMingfigarodigital.co.uk/case-study/bbc-olympics.aspx

Project Launch: January 2012

KEY SECtorS

KEY SECtorS

Client facebook.coM/bLuewaTer

bespoke facebook app ‘who will be crowned?’ utilised bluewater fans’ passion for fashion to grow bluewater’s fan base by 45 per cent in just eight weeks. images of stylish shoppers visiting the mall were uploaded on a weekly basis to be evaluated by a panel of fashion experts. fans then voted for their favourite look and shared this with friends. an integrated social, web and email campaign with in-mall support, complemented the app and ensured the competition’s success.

l reTaiL, cLoThing & enTerTainMenT/LeiSurefigarodigital.co.uk/case-study/bluewater-facebook-app.aspx

Client DirecTLineforbuSineSS.co.uk

Pancentric Digital were appointed by Direct Line for business to design and build a new site in six weeks. we put together a team who worked collaboratively in the depths of our basement for the full

six weeks, agile-style. This way, we were able to adapt and respond to the project’s evolving demands at every stage. Since going live, click-to-quote conversion has increased by 11 per cent from 32 per cent to 43 per cent.

l financiaL, buSineSSfigarodigital.co.uk/case-study/direct-line-for-business.aspx

Project Launch: august 2012

KEY SECtorS

Figaro_ASG5_Pancentric_Digital_Profile.indd 63 14/03/2013 08:26

figarodigital.co.uk

It’s been a busy year so far for marketers keeping up with facebook. in January the social network

announced its first, and long anticipated, foray into search. facebook graph Search, which is still only available in a limited beta format, is powered by users’ ‘likes’, shares and other activity and designed to serve users with the sort of personalised results currently provided by google and Bing. at the moment users are required to join a waiting list, but once the service is rolled out, it’ll enable us to search facebook for friends with specific interests. “graph Search is not web search,” Mark Zuckerberg told a press conference at the time of launch. “it’s about

newS

facebook search arrIvesgraph Search in beta

upfrontsnewS, viewS, StatS, reportS and opinion froM acroSS the digital Marketing SpectruM

graphing our part of the web.”

initially, the search function will be limited to people, places, interests and photos, but, explains keith peiris, product Manager at facebook, as the service evolves it’ll be able to answer nuanced queries such as ‘what movie should i go and see?’ and ‘what bands might i like based on the friends i have?’ users’ privacy choices determine what’s searchable. “You can only search for the content people have shared with you,” says facebook’s software developer lars

rasmussen.from facebook’s

perspective, this is a clear bid to raise engagement and create a more compelling experience for users, which will doubtlessly be reflected in how advertising operates across the site. So what are the implications for marketers?

“this will inevitably lead to monetisable searches such as, ‘best new movie releases to watch this weekend’ and ‘new restaurants my friends like in new York’, says damian routley, ceo of glow. “it’s then a small step for people

to start generating deeper search queries that eat into google’s core business, such as, ‘what is the best hotel in paris on a budget?’ and ‘which smart tv should i buy?’ the principle is that the most trusted reviews and recommendations come from people you know. that’s the value that facebook brings to search and that’s why they’ll be a serious contender in this market.

“from a marketing perspective, i would recommend that brands start to optimise their site, page and app for social - ‘social Seo’ will become key in preparation for the wider roll-out and the inevitable paid search offering that will

follow. “further to this, those

companies that have a close integration on the facebook platform will overtake those who keep it

at arm’s length. it’s also likely that facebook will give a preference to those companies that have this integration purely because the quality of information feeding the engine is better – and this means a better service for the user.”

facebook.com/about/graphsearch

p6-8,10,12_Upfronts.indd 6 12/05/2013 16:37

7i s s u e 1 7 m a y 2 0 1 3

UPFRONTS

Facebook’s Graph Search announcement was followed by two further developments. Facebook Home is, as the name suggests, an Android homepage which places the emphasis fi rmly on messaging. Whatever you may be using your phone for at any given moment, Home enables your Facebook friends – who here become ‘Chat heads’ – to message you instantly.

“To users, the sell here will be making it easier to share information, photos and so on with friends,” says Jan Dawson, Chief Telecoms Analyst at Ovum. “But to Facebook, this is about becoming

more deeply embedded in the operating system on mobile devices, and creating a broader platform. Since Facebook doesn’t make an operating system for mobile devices, this is the next best thing. It will allow Facebook to track more of a user’s behaviour on devices, and present more opportunities to serve up advertising, which is Facebook’s main business model. And that presents the biggest obstacle to success for this experiment: Facebook’s objectives and users’ are once again in confl ict. Users don’t want more advertising or tracking, and Facebook wants to do more of both.”

facebook.com

NEWS

HOMING IN ON ANDROIDIntroducing Chat Heads

SOURCE: WALLBLOG/WEBSITE-MONITORING.COM

S T A T I S T I C S

In April came the news that Facebook is trialling a scheme which charges users to message other users outside their own circle. Ten per cent of

Facebook’s UK users have the option of paying anywhere between 71p and £10.68 to contact ‘priority’ users. First trialled in the US last year, it’s reported that the move is designed to prevent spam, but thoughts in the UK press immediately turned to who was worth what - and why.

With pricing based on the number of followers, location and other message activity, The Sun was among those who reported that a message to diver Tom Daley would set fans back nearly £11 but that comic Miranda Hart was available at the basic rate of 71p, while messages to astrologer Russell Grant and comedian Dara O’Briain were even cheaper than non-celeb users, at 67p and 65p respectively.

facebook.com

NEWS

PRIORITYUSERS

SOCIAL MEDIA STATISTICS COMPANY S O C I A L B A K E R S ESTIMATES 1 6 . 7 M OF J U S T I N B I E B E R ’ S 3 7 M - STRONG T W I T T E R F A N B A S E ARE COMPOSED O F ‘ F A K E ’ O R E M P T Y ACCOUNTS, WITH ANOTHER 2 . 6 M B E I N G I N A C T I V E .

SOURCE: EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER

THE AVERAGE SOCIAL POST HAS A HALF-LIFE

OF 18 MINUTES.SOURCE: SILVERPOP/SEOMOZ BLOG

EACH MONTH THERE ARE NOW 24 BILLION

SEARCHES ON TWITTER COMPARED WITH 4.1 BILLION ON BING AND 9.4 BILLION

ON YAHOO!CONSUMER TRUST

90% TRUST PEER RECOMMENDATIONS

14% TRUST AN ADVERT

p6-8,10,12_Upfronts.indd 7 12/05/2013 16:38

figarodigital.co.uk

It’s been a busy year so far for marketers keeping up with facebook. in January the social network

announced its first, and long anticipated, foray into search. facebook graph Search, which is still only available in a limited beta format, is powered by users’ ‘likes’, shares and other activity and designed to serve users with the sort of personalised results currently provided by google and Bing. at the moment users are required to join a waiting list, but once the service is rolled out, it’ll enable us to search facebook for friends with specific interests. “graph Search is not web search,” Mark Zuckerberg told a press conference at the time of launch. “it’s about

newS

facebook search arrIvesgraph Search in beta

upfrontsnewS, viewS, StatS, reportS and opinion froM acroSS the digital Marketing SpectruM

graphing our part of the web.”

initially, the search function will be limited to people, places, interests and photos, but, explains keith peiris, product Manager at facebook, as the service evolves it’ll be able to answer nuanced queries such as ‘what movie should i go and see?’ and ‘what bands might i like based on the friends i have?’ users’ privacy choices determine what’s searchable. “You can only search for the content people have shared with you,” says facebook’s software developer lars

rasmussen.from facebook’s

perspective, this is a clear bid to raise engagement and create a more compelling experience for users, which will doubtlessly be reflected in how advertising operates across the site. So what are the implications for marketers?

“this will inevitably lead to monetisable searches such as, ‘best new movie releases to watch this weekend’ and ‘new restaurants my friends like in new York’, says damian routley, ceo of glow. “it’s then a small step for people

to start generating deeper search queries that eat into google’s core business, such as, ‘what is the best hotel in paris on a budget?’ and ‘which smart tv should i buy?’ the principle is that the most trusted reviews and recommendations come from people you know. that’s the value that facebook brings to search and that’s why they’ll be a serious contender in this market.

“from a marketing perspective, i would recommend that brands start to optimise their site, page and app for social - ‘social Seo’ will become key in preparation for the wider roll-out and the inevitable paid search offering that will

follow. “further to this, those

companies that have a close integration on the facebook platform will overtake those who keep it

at arm’s length. it’s also likely that facebook will give a preference to those companies that have this integration purely because the quality of information feeding the engine is better – and this means a better service for the user.”

facebook.com/about/graphsearch

p6-8,10,12_Upfronts.indd 6 12/05/2013 16:37

7i s s u e 1 7 m a y 2 0 1 3

UPFRONTS

Facebook’s Graph Search announcement was followed by two further developments. Facebook Home is, as the name suggests, an Android homepage which places the emphasis fi rmly on messaging. Whatever you may be using your phone for at any given moment, Home enables your Facebook friends – who here become ‘Chat heads’ – to message you instantly.

“To users, the sell here will be making it easier to share information, photos and so on with friends,” says Jan Dawson, Chief Telecoms Analyst at Ovum. “But to Facebook, this is about becoming

more deeply embedded in the operating system on mobile devices, and creating a broader platform. Since Facebook doesn’t make an operating system for mobile devices, this is the next best thing. It will allow Facebook to track more of a user’s behaviour on devices, and present more opportunities to serve up advertising, which is Facebook’s main business model. And that presents the biggest obstacle to success for this experiment: Facebook’s objectives and users’ are once again in confl ict. Users don’t want more advertising or tracking, and Facebook wants to do more of both.”

facebook.com

NEWS

HOMING IN ON ANDROIDIntroducing Chat Heads

SOURCE: WALLBLOG/WEBSITE-MONITORING.COM

S T A T I S T I C S

In April came the news that Facebook is trialling a scheme which charges users to message other users outside their own circle. Ten per cent of

Facebook’s UK users have the option of paying anywhere between 71p and £10.68 to contact ‘priority’ users. First trialled in the US last year, it’s reported that the move is designed to prevent spam, but thoughts in the UK press immediately turned to who was worth what - and why.

With pricing based on the number of followers, location and other message activity, The Sun was among those who reported that a message to diver Tom Daley would set fans back nearly £11 but that comic Miranda Hart was available at the basic rate of 71p, while messages to astrologer Russell Grant and comedian Dara O’Briain were even cheaper than non-celeb users, at 67p and 65p respectively.

facebook.com

NEWS

PRIORITYUSERS

SOCIAL MEDIA STATISTICS COMPANY S O C I A L B A K E R S ESTIMATES 1 6 . 7 M OF J U S T I N B I E B E R ’ S 3 7 M - STRONG T W I T T E R F A N B A S E ARE COMPOSED O F ‘ F A K E ’ O R E M P T Y ACCOUNTS, WITH ANOTHER 2 . 6 M B E I N G I N A C T I V E .

SOURCE: EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER

THE AVERAGE SOCIAL POST HAS A HALF-LIFE

OF 18 MINUTES.SOURCE: SILVERPOP/SEOMOZ BLOG

EACH MONTH THERE ARE NOW 24 BILLION

SEARCHES ON TWITTER COMPARED WITH 4.1 BILLION ON BING AND 9.4 BILLION

ON YAHOO!CONSUMER TRUST

90% TRUST PEER RECOMMENDATIONS

14% TRUST AN ADVERT

p6-8,10,12_Upfronts.indd 7 12/05/2013 16:38

3 4i s s u e 1 8 j u l y 2 0 1 3

3 4i s s u e 1 8 j u l y 2 0 1 3

FIGARODIGITAL.CO.UK

Already available for many users, Facebook’s Graph Search is set to have major implications for the ways brands and users interact with the social network.

Marc Blinder at Adobe tells us about the opportunities and the risks

R E W R I T I N G FAC E BO OK S E A R C H

p34-36_Marc_Blinder.indd 34 08/07/2013 06:57

3 5i s s u e 1 8 j u l y 2 0 1 3

Marc Blinder, director of Social Media Strategy eMea at adoBe

essays

The last 12 months have seen a rush of developments in the ever-busy world of Facebook: the launch of the Home app for android, the arrival of the

Customer audiences tool and the roll-out of Lookalike audiences.

Dominating these changes however, is Facebook’s new Graph search, the long-awaited semantic search facility which enables users to look for things their friends have engaged or interacted with, and to see the interests and inclinations of people outside their own personal networks.

In beta since January and live from 8 July this year, the business potential of Graph search, as well as the broader implications for the ways in which we engage with the world’s largest online community, are significant, says Marc Blinder, Director of social Media strategy eMea at adobe.

Spreading The neTas Blinder told delegates at the Figaro Digital social Media seminar earlier this year, while the old Facebook search found friends, Graph search takes in photos, games, places that people have been to and other content which they’ve ‘Liked’ or recommended.

“For Facebook,” says Blinder, “it’s about going after the huge amount of revenue which Google is making all the time out of search. When Mark Zuckerberg announced this, he said Facebook already gets over a billion searches every day without really trying. This is their attempt to take an old search product and create something new and exciting.” What changes, then, does Graph search bring to the Facebook experience and how should brands adapt? “This is going to be really big for the entire digital marketing funnel,” says Blinder, “from awareness and consideration through to purchase. you can imagine all the people searching for pubs or restaurants that their friends ‘Like’ when they’re figuring out where to

go. People can be exposed to a huge range of new results. From a business perspective, whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise with many different retail locations, you really want to get your metadata into Facebook’s system so that you’re showing up on the results pages.”

That metadata, he explains, can include check-ins at physical locations, ‘Likes’ and recommendations. But in order for your brand or company to appear in Graph search results, you need a correctly set up page with a physical address. “a lot of companies that aren’t in the retail or restaurant space,” says Blinder, “probably don’t have physical locations on Facebook, so they need to think of clever ways to get themselves found. We also think this is going to encourage customers to connect via mobile. We’re used to seeing stickers for Tripadvisor or Foursquare. Good business practice in future is definitely going to involve having stickers like this for Facebook, encouraging people to ‘Like’, recommend and check-in, because that’s what’s going to drive results.”

ConvergenCe and aTTribuTionFor marketing teams, says Blinder, this change will require a shift in the way staff and budgets are orchestrated. “The search and the social teams can’t be

separate anymore,” he says. “Those teams and their budgets are going to converge, which can also mean changes to the bonus schemes and the KPIs people are judged on.”

If, for example, you’re a large retailer operating across different locations and hoping for a prominent search result, it may be that Google performs best one day, Bing the next and that Facebook wins out the day after that.

“you need the money to be allocated in such a way that you don’t have two separate teams fighting over it,” says Blinder. “They need to be working together and using that money in the most efficient way on a day-to-day basis. you want the seO efforts to be taking into account what’s happening in the search space as well as in social and on Facebook. It also means attribution analysis is going to be key, going forward. That means being able to measure users going through multiple touch-points before they convert. They might ‘Like’ your page on Facebook, then five days later type in a search on Google and come to your

website. you need to be able to assign the correct value to all these different touch-points. We think that for a long time we’re still going to see a lot of those last clicks coming from Google. But if the first clicks are coming from Facebook – if that’s where the awareness and consideration are coming from – then it’s really important that value is being attributed to that channel for growing business in the long run.”

unSeaTing google?Facebook are famously fond of acknowledging that, in the journey towards completion, the site is just one per cent done. In the case of Graph search, says Blinder, Zuckerberg and his team are probably only half a per ☞

FaCebook already geTS over a billion SearCheS every day wiThouT Trying”

arTICLe jon fortgang

p34-36_Marc_Blinder_v2.indd 35 09/07/2013 15:34

3 4i s s u e 1 8 j u l y 2 0 1 3

3 4i s s u e 1 8 j u l y 2 0 1 3

FIGARODIGITAL.CO.UK

Already available for many users, Facebook’s Graph Search is set to have major implications for the ways brands and users interact with the social network.

Marc Blinder at Adobe tells us about the opportunities and the risks

R E W R I T I N G FAC E BO OK S E A R C H

p34-36_Marc_Blinder.indd 34 08/07/2013 06:57

3 5i s s u e 1 8 j u l y 2 0 1 3

Marc Blinder, director of Social Media Strategy eMea at adoBe

essays

The last 12 months have seen a rush of developments in the ever-busy world of Facebook: the launch of the Home app for android, the arrival of the

Customer audiences tool and the roll-out of Lookalike audiences.

Dominating these changes however, is Facebook’s new Graph search, the long-awaited semantic search facility which enables users to look for things their friends have engaged or interacted with, and to see the interests and inclinations of people outside their own personal networks.

In beta since January and live from 8 July this year, the business potential of Graph search, as well as the broader implications for the ways in which we engage with the world’s largest online community, are significant, says Marc Blinder, Director of social Media strategy eMea at adobe.

Spreading The neTas Blinder told delegates at the Figaro Digital social Media seminar earlier this year, while the old Facebook search found friends, Graph search takes in photos, games, places that people have been to and other content which they’ve ‘Liked’ or recommended.

“For Facebook,” says Blinder, “it’s about going after the huge amount of revenue which Google is making all the time out of search. When Mark Zuckerberg announced this, he said Facebook already gets over a billion searches every day without really trying. This is their attempt to take an old search product and create something new and exciting.” What changes, then, does Graph search bring to the Facebook experience and how should brands adapt? “This is going to be really big for the entire digital marketing funnel,” says Blinder, “from awareness and consideration through to purchase. you can imagine all the people searching for pubs or restaurants that their friends ‘Like’ when they’re figuring out where to

go. People can be exposed to a huge range of new results. From a business perspective, whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise with many different retail locations, you really want to get your metadata into Facebook’s system so that you’re showing up on the results pages.”

That metadata, he explains, can include check-ins at physical locations, ‘Likes’ and recommendations. But in order for your brand or company to appear in Graph search results, you need a correctly set up page with a physical address. “a lot of companies that aren’t in the retail or restaurant space,” says Blinder, “probably don’t have physical locations on Facebook, so they need to think of clever ways to get themselves found. We also think this is going to encourage customers to connect via mobile. We’re used to seeing stickers for Tripadvisor or Foursquare. Good business practice in future is definitely going to involve having stickers like this for Facebook, encouraging people to ‘Like’, recommend and check-in, because that’s what’s going to drive results.”

ConvergenCe and aTTribuTionFor marketing teams, says Blinder, this change will require a shift in the way staff and budgets are orchestrated. “The search and the social teams can’t be

separate anymore,” he says. “Those teams and their budgets are going to converge, which can also mean changes to the bonus schemes and the KPIs people are judged on.”

If, for example, you’re a large retailer operating across different locations and hoping for a prominent search result, it may be that Google performs best one day, Bing the next and that Facebook wins out the day after that.

“you need the money to be allocated in such a way that you don’t have two separate teams fighting over it,” says Blinder. “They need to be working together and using that money in the most efficient way on a day-to-day basis. you want the seO efforts to be taking into account what’s happening in the search space as well as in social and on Facebook. It also means attribution analysis is going to be key, going forward. That means being able to measure users going through multiple touch-points before they convert. They might ‘Like’ your page on Facebook, then five days later type in a search on Google and come to your

website. you need to be able to assign the correct value to all these different touch-points. We think that for a long time we’re still going to see a lot of those last clicks coming from Google. But if the first clicks are coming from Facebook – if that’s where the awareness and consideration are coming from – then it’s really important that value is being attributed to that channel for growing business in the long run.”

unSeaTing google?Facebook are famously fond of acknowledging that, in the journey towards completion, the site is just one per cent done. In the case of Graph search, says Blinder, Zuckerberg and his team are probably only half a per ☞

FaCebook already geTS over a billion SearCheS every day wiThouT Trying”

arTICLe jon fortgang

p34-36_Marc_Blinder_v2.indd 35 09/07/2013 15:34

4 6i s s u e 1 8 j u l y 2 0 1 3

4 6i s s u e 1 8 j u l y 2 0 1 3

figarodigital.co.uk

With new social platforms and apps popping up daily, if not hourly, it’s sometimes hard to remember a time when

Myspace (or even friendster) ruled the roost and the thought of sharing images, thoughts or even videos in real-time,

continuously, seemed like a strange concept. While many of us have seen countless platforms come and go, certain social media platforms seem to be here to stay, while some of the fresher entries into the market are showing more staying

power than others.

James Lowery, Head of SEO at Latitude Digital Marketing, logs on and guides us through new opportunities for brands in the ever-shifting

social media landscape

remember friendster?* me niether

*Pioneering social network launched in 2002. overtaken by facebook. now rePositioned

as a social gaming site

p46-48_Latitude.indd 46 07/07/2013 10:56

4 7i s s u e 1 8 j u l y 2 0 1 3

James Lowery, Head of seo at Latitude digitaL marketing

essays

FacebookWhat it is you should know by now.What We say Not exactly new to the market, but the trusty ‘old’ Facebook (with the practically ancient lifespan of nine years) might just be the channel to invest in this year. While many thought of it as predominantly a branding tool, new developments are shifting Facebook to perform as a hybrid platform for branding and direct response generation for marketers.

The custom audiences tool could be a massive game-changer for marketers and brands. This is a simple tool which allows marketers to reach their actual and prospective customers, rather than basing their targeting strategies on rational assumptions about who their audience may be. For example, if you have collected email addresses at an event, you can target these people on Facebook, encouraging a follow-up action post-event. Facebook achieves this by matching email addresses to Facebook user logins. The email-matching process is heavily encrypted and, in testing, up to 90 per cent of customer emails have been successfully matched to Facebook logins.

For retailers, using the custom audiences feature can definitely help drive extra revenue from customers. one way to make this possible is to encourage repeat purchases for products that have a lifecycle (such as hair and beauty products). by retargeting customers when the product is coming to the end of its cycle, the ad will be highly relevant to your selected (custom) audience and thus they are more likely to purchase the product again. Retailers can also use custom audience targeting to cross-sell similar products. encouraging these repeat purchases will help maintain customer loyalty, and drive more revenue for your business in the long-term.

The travel sector could also adopt custom audience targeting into their Facebook strategy by retargeting

holidaymakers at the same time each year. For example, if a customer made a booking in april for a summer holiday, you could target them again the following april with a message such as “Looking for a summer holiday again this year?”

The finance industry could also leverage custom audiences. keeping customers loyal in the finance industry, particularly insurance, can be hard because it is increasingly common for customers to shop around on comparison sites. The custom audiences tool can help insurers keep their existing customers loyal by targeting them 11 to 12 months after they took out a policy – the time they will be looking to renew. custom audience targeting really is a no-brainer for marketers aiming to engage in deeper relationships with existing customers. connect with your customers, reward their loyalty, keep them keen and reap the benefits.

INsTagRamWhat it is Photo-sharing application launched in 2010.What We say While already popular before being acquired by Facebook in april 2012, Instagram has since gained a huge amount of press attention and new users as a result. engaging via Instagram is a totally new way of interacting with an entirely new audience; an audience that communicates via tinted or filtered images with minimal text. according to a 2012 survey by Pew Internet, 12 per cent of adults say they use Instagram, with just over one in four users between the ages of 18 and 29 embracing it, making it a key tool for brands marketing for the twenty-somethings in particular.

many brands, especially in the retail

and travel industries, realised the potential of engaging with their consumers through Instagram early on, and have established a strong presence across the platform. some retailers have come up with innovative ways of tying online and offline marketing together using Instagram. Urban outfitters encourages its customers to snap ‘selfie’ images while trying on outfits and to upload them using an assigned hashtag. Virgin airways has also embraced Instagram by sharing interesting content and encouraging customers to Instagram their journeys to receive money off from their next flight.

PINTeResTWhat it is allows users to pin photos and images to boards, which can be organised by themes or categories.What We say according to Pew Internet, just over one in 10 adults now use Pinterest. The retail sector in particular has taken Pinterest on with gusto; a leading fashion retailer with a target demographic of females aged between 18 and 25 currently benefits by sharing their Pinterest board of male celebrities

on their Facebook channel. one such upload managed to acquire over 1,700 ‘Likes’ in a very short period of time.

as with any activity, it is important to have a strategy around the types of images visitors are likely to pin. at Latitude we completed research into a number of ecommerce clients and unsurprisingly stock photos of items do not gather much interest. you may achieve a number of pins from potential customers who wish to purchase said item, but what you will witness being pinned frequently are current topics of interest – the ‘keep calm and carry on’ slogans, humorous e-cards and ☞

Facebook’s custom audiences tool could be a massive game-changer For brands”

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figarodigital.co.uk

With new social platforms and apps popping up daily, if not hourly, it’s sometimes hard to remember a time when

Myspace (or even friendster) ruled the roost and the thought of sharing images, thoughts or even videos in real-time,

continuously, seemed like a strange concept. While many of us have seen countless platforms come and go, certain social media platforms seem to be here to stay, while some of the fresher entries into the market are showing more staying

power than others.

James Lowery, Head of SEO at Latitude Digital Marketing, logs on and guides us through new opportunities for brands in the ever-shifting

social media landscape

remember friendster?* me niether

*Pioneering social network launched in 2002. overtaken by facebook. now rePositioned

as a social gaming site

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James Lowery, Head of seo at Latitude digitaL marketing

essays

FacebookWhat it is you should know by now.What We say Not exactly new to the market, but the trusty ‘old’ Facebook (with the practically ancient lifespan of nine years) might just be the channel to invest in this year. While many thought of it as predominantly a branding tool, new developments are shifting Facebook to perform as a hybrid platform for branding and direct response generation for marketers.

The custom audiences tool could be a massive game-changer for marketers and brands. This is a simple tool which allows marketers to reach their actual and prospective customers, rather than basing their targeting strategies on rational assumptions about who their audience may be. For example, if you have collected email addresses at an event, you can target these people on Facebook, encouraging a follow-up action post-event. Facebook achieves this by matching email addresses to Facebook user logins. The email-matching process is heavily encrypted and, in testing, up to 90 per cent of customer emails have been successfully matched to Facebook logins.

For retailers, using the custom audiences feature can definitely help drive extra revenue from customers. one way to make this possible is to encourage repeat purchases for products that have a lifecycle (such as hair and beauty products). by retargeting customers when the product is coming to the end of its cycle, the ad will be highly relevant to your selected (custom) audience and thus they are more likely to purchase the product again. Retailers can also use custom audience targeting to cross-sell similar products. encouraging these repeat purchases will help maintain customer loyalty, and drive more revenue for your business in the long-term.

The travel sector could also adopt custom audience targeting into their Facebook strategy by retargeting

holidaymakers at the same time each year. For example, if a customer made a booking in april for a summer holiday, you could target them again the following april with a message such as “Looking for a summer holiday again this year?”

The finance industry could also leverage custom audiences. keeping customers loyal in the finance industry, particularly insurance, can be hard because it is increasingly common for customers to shop around on comparison sites. The custom audiences tool can help insurers keep their existing customers loyal by targeting them 11 to 12 months after they took out a policy – the time they will be looking to renew. custom audience targeting really is a no-brainer for marketers aiming to engage in deeper relationships with existing customers. connect with your customers, reward their loyalty, keep them keen and reap the benefits.

INsTagRamWhat it is Photo-sharing application launched in 2010.What We say While already popular before being acquired by Facebook in april 2012, Instagram has since gained a huge amount of press attention and new users as a result. engaging via Instagram is a totally new way of interacting with an entirely new audience; an audience that communicates via tinted or filtered images with minimal text. according to a 2012 survey by Pew Internet, 12 per cent of adults say they use Instagram, with just over one in four users between the ages of 18 and 29 embracing it, making it a key tool for brands marketing for the twenty-somethings in particular.

many brands, especially in the retail

and travel industries, realised the potential of engaging with their consumers through Instagram early on, and have established a strong presence across the platform. some retailers have come up with innovative ways of tying online and offline marketing together using Instagram. Urban outfitters encourages its customers to snap ‘selfie’ images while trying on outfits and to upload them using an assigned hashtag. Virgin airways has also embraced Instagram by sharing interesting content and encouraging customers to Instagram their journeys to receive money off from their next flight.

PINTeResTWhat it is allows users to pin photos and images to boards, which can be organised by themes or categories.What We say according to Pew Internet, just over one in 10 adults now use Pinterest. The retail sector in particular has taken Pinterest on with gusto; a leading fashion retailer with a target demographic of females aged between 18 and 25 currently benefits by sharing their Pinterest board of male celebrities

on their Facebook channel. one such upload managed to acquire over 1,700 ‘Likes’ in a very short period of time.

as with any activity, it is important to have a strategy around the types of images visitors are likely to pin. at Latitude we completed research into a number of ecommerce clients and unsurprisingly stock photos of items do not gather much interest. you may achieve a number of pins from potential customers who wish to purchase said item, but what you will witness being pinned frequently are current topics of interest – the ‘keep calm and carry on’ slogans, humorous e-cards and ☞

Facebook’s custom audiences tool could be a massive game-changer For brands”

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