Online Creatives

Google Homepage Revamp coming up

2012-01-03T23:37:00.002+08:00

Some of us may be familiar with how Google products gets tweaked in terms of interface every once in a while. The most recent major tweak was on YouTube of course. It is assumed that the changes was based on all the various multivariate testing carried out over the years.

Now, we prepare for a change on the homepage of Google. Nothing alarmingly major. We'll notice in the coming weeks to come:

- the black horizontal bar running across the top of the page will soon be replaced with a grey logo.

- hover or click on it and 7 Google properties will dropdown for us users to click on further

With this minimalist cum clutter free approach, is Google trying to rake in more searches rather than allowing its users to directly click on say...news or images? Probably makes sense if they want to rake in more from the AdWords advertising program.

2011 Wrap Up - Tweets of the Year

2011-12-28T23:22:00.005+08:00

Adding on to the 2011 wrap-up series of posts which I plan to share with you before the year ends in another 3 days - this posts reveals the most tweets done per second throughout 2011. Drumroll please...

Taking 1st spot with a crashing speed of 7,671 tweets/sec is the execution of Troy Davis.

Making almost a hairline finish, coming in 2nd at 7,196 tweets/sec us the end of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

3rd spot is taken by another football related tweet. Tweets on Brazil eliminated from Copa America hit 7,166 tweets/sec.

At 4th position with 7.064 tweets/sec - tweets on the resignation of Steve Jobs.

And at 5th, with 6,939 tweets/sec is New Years (wishes I would assume).

2011 Wrap Up - Keywords of the Year

2011-12-28T00:52:00.000+08:00

It's that time of year again folks - the yearly wrap-up in this fantabulous world of digital marketing. There are loads to cover, but I'll start with this and make it as bite-sized as possible as I know you'll be digesting yearly wrap-ups from all kinds of sources.

Kancil Awards 2011

2011-12-15T18:38:00.002+08:00

To all my friends in the fraternity contending in the Kancil Awards tonight, I wish you all the best! I do have a funny gut feeling Digital won't rock as much as it did last year,but I hope I'm wrong. Go Digital!

Capital FM 88.9

2011-12-01T23:54:00.001+08:00

Teaser before the website was launched

Advertiser: Capital FM
Format: Website
Agency:Unknown

URL: www.capitalfm.com.my

Comments: Malaysia's first women's radio station Capital FM 88.9 is all set to sizzle the airwaves beginning today. I'm not sure where the content is on this new website, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt that some useful content is on the way.

How Many SMSes are sent daily?

2011-11-22T00:52:00.001+08:00

Source: eMarketer

Based on eMarketer's research on September 2011, the average mobile phone user sends 41.5 text messages / SMS daily. So don't write off SMS marketing just yet. It's still a platform tool that's available on every phone and obviously still in use.

Google+ for Brands - Are you considering it?

2011-11-17T13:58:00.001+08:00

With Google+ Pages for Brands rolled out recently, there have been multiple discussions on how this impacts current social media strategies. Some say that Google+ for brands will get a biased favour in the Search Engine Results, pushing down Facebook pages. Some even say this will be a more powerful customer tool compared to Facebook. And some say, Google+ will just not work out. Whatever the chatter along the corridors, this is still something to really consider for digital marketing efforts. Have you?

Are you already considering Google+ Pages for your brand?
	Yes, there have been discussions
	No, waiting to jump on the bandwagon
	What's that?

= see results =

Awards - Festival of Media Asia Awards 2011

2011-11-16T12:46:00.001+08:00

The Festival of Media Asia apparently had a good turnout with loads of key speakers, case studies and about 600 attendees. As for the awards itself, there were 410 entries from 16 countries across the Asian region which were cut down to a shortlist of 81 from which the winners of the open categories were selected.

Malaysia was represented by iProspect, Carat Media and Universal McCann in 2 categories. Another proud moment for the Malaysian media and ad industry as 4 of the country's entries made the cut as finalists. Sadly, however, none won last night.

Till the next awards!

Sony Cybershot - The Perfect Shot

2011-11-11T10:38:00.001+08:00

Advertiser: Sony Cybershot
Format: Website
Agency: IF Isobar

URL: twe.my/perfectshot

Comment: An extension to Sony Cybershot's T.WE campaign, IF Isobar collaborates once again with Liew Seng Tat in a somewhat interesting campaign. I like campaigns like this which don't take the product literally but instead show character.

Awards - Campaign Digital Media Awards Malaysian Winners

2011-11-10T11:17:00.000+08:00

Well done to Arachnid, NAGA/Tribal DDB, and Starcom/Nuffnang in raising the country's flag at last night's award ceremony of the Campaign Digital Media Awards 2011.

Malaysia brought home 2 Silver and 1 Bronze.

Arachnid won a Bronze award in the Automotive Category for MINI at Large .

NAGA DDB / Tribal DDB received the Silver award in the Display category for UV Away.

Starcom Worldwide Malaysia with Nuffnang bagged the Silver in the Technology and Telecoms category.

So for the 5 years this awards has been around, Malaysia has bagged a total of 7 metals - 3 silvers and 4 bronzes.

Pizza Hut - Can U Handle The Cheese?

2011-11-09T23:53:00.002+08:00

Advertiser: Pizza Hut MYS
Format: Facebook App
Agency: IF Isobar
URL: www.facebook.com/pages/Pizza-Hut-Malaysia/

Pernod Ricard - Be in Control

2011-11-09T19:14:00.002+08:00

The campaign allows you to make pledge to curb drunk driving.

Advertiser: Pernod Ricard MYS
Format: Website
Agency: TBWA\Tequila MYS

URL: www.beincontrol.org.my

Comment: For a brand that sells alcohol but still cares for responsible drinking deserves applause. This website has been developed rather well with nice imagery for a subject like drunk-driving. One thing I find useful on the site is the Blood Alcohol Concentration level table which sorts of...well....give you an idea of how much drinks is enough.

Top Websites in Malaysia - October 2011

2011-10-29T15:56:00.000+08:00

Effective Measure (the Official Internet Measurement currency for Malaysia) has announced the top websites in Malaysia for the month of October 2011. The top 2 are no surprises but I would've expected YouTube to be above Mudah.my and Yahoo Sites.

It is also reported that news sites are the number one category for content sites attracting more than half of Malaysia’s audience per week. Malaysians visit Local news sites on average 4 times per week. Malaysians predominantly access news sites from home, however, there is large spike of consumption from the work environment during the lunch hour. English News content attracts an older audience with higher purchasing power than Local language News sites.

Awards - Campaign Digital Media Awards Malaysian Shortlists

2011-10-12T12:26:00.001+08:00

The 5th regional Digital Media Awards celebrates the best that Asia's digital marketing industry has to offer. Ever since the awards launched in the region, Malaysia has seen its share of the limelight year after year, and continues to do so this year.

Well done to our Malaysian shortlists:
Technology and Telecoms Category
Starcom Malaysia for Digi Evangelist Programme

Financial Services Category
Grey Kuala Lumpur for Alliance Bank's Mohd Khairuddin

Automotive Category
Arachnid for MINI at Large

Display Category
Naga DDB / Tribal DDB for Johnson & Johnson UV Away

Best Loyalty Campaign
DraftFCB for Telekom Malaysia's Everyone Connects Urbanscapes

Best Use of Social Media
Grey Kuala Lumpur for Alliance Bank's Mohd Khairuddin

Full winners announcement of the Digital Media Awards 2011 will be held during the awards ceremony in Beijing on 9th November.

Sony Cybershot - Sony ME + T.WE by If Isobar

2011-10-07T19:21:00.000+08:00

The campaign allows you to discover and share your social voice.

Advertiser: Sony Cybershot
Format: Website / Facebook
Agency: If Isobar

URL: mysony.sony.com.my/twe/

Comment: Lovely designed site with artistry apt for Sony cybershot and what it breathes - creativity in this case. I especially like the fact that navigation is clean, easy, yet...artsy. Now here's the fun bit. With just 1 step, i was able to create a Me + T.We video, feeding me some info i didn't know about my social like on digital space. I must say the content creation was executed well. And I'm eager to see what Liew Seng Tat has to share in this project.

Google +1 Button Hits Display Ads

2011-10-07T12:24:00.003+08:00

Google Display Ads users would probably find some interest in this.

If you’re running display ads through the Google Display Network you may begin seeing the +1 button with your ads. With a single click, your audience can recommend the ad’s landing page to their to friends and contacts.

Google said, "+1's will be one additional signal that help determine an ad’s relevance." Not only that, if a friend of yours +1'ed an ad, they will see their friend's face on the ad and maybe, the ad will more likely show up for your friends.

Like this:

I find this all quite exciting as this move can impact Click-Through-Rates and allows marketers to take advantage of its "social capabilities".

Things are turning around and the relevance game has just been upped once again.

Spikes Didn't Spring out for Malaysian Digital Creativity

2011-09-22T20:56:00.001+08:00

Even though Malaysia shined through Ogilvy Malaysia (well done lads!), it was a disappointment for our other industry friends in the digital categories.Out of 8 entries, none were shortlisted.It was surprising to me to find out that not even WhatBerryAreYou made the cut :(It's ok Malaysia, we'll get them next year!

Here are the digital entries for this year's Spikes:
Agenda for Nikon
Naga DDB for Digi
M&C Saatchi for Celcom Axiata
Naga DDB for Neutrogena
M&C Saatchi for Celcom Axiata
Ogilvy for IBM
M&C Saatchi for 4As
Arachnid for MINI

73% of Malaysians indicate online ads made life easier!

2011-08-23T18:48:00.002+08:00

According to a recent worldwide survey by Nielsen, consumers in Southeast Asia (SEA) are easily influenced by online advertising, especially when the content is targeted, or if they know of people who have been engaged with the product or brand.
Source: Adoi

Dutch Lady Milk - Friso Miracle of Love Womb

2011-08-16T20:13:00.004+08:00

Advertiser: Dutch Lady Milk (Friso)
Format: Augmented Reality
Agency: JWT / Arachnid MYS

Description: Curious to see what your little one may look like? Take a peek with the Womb Scan t-shirt. When you position the graphic on the t-shirt against your webcam, a virtual foetus will appear on your computer screen via Augmented reality. With every coming week, the virtual foetus grows along with the real one inside you.

Phone Calls from Your Gmail - over 150 destinations

2011-08-08T01:35:00.002+08:00

Google is reducing the cost for everyone, yes, everyone, to get connected. Thanks to the up and running functions of Gmail Call. And Malaysians can use it too! Sooner than expected...

To make a call, simply select the little green phone icon in the chat module right within Gmail. If you can’t see that icon, be patient as Google rolls out the feature over the coming days. For Google Apps users, check with your administrator and see if they have enabled Google Voice and Google Checkout in the administrator control panel.

Give it a go!

Malaysian Airlines - MAS Traveller

2011-08-03T19:01:00.004+08:00

Advertiser: Malaysian Airlines
Format: Website
Agency: Unknown
URL: www.mastraveller.com

Description: MAS has come up with a travel blogger community, where people share their travel experiences with everyone. I think I saw some celebrity stories too. I dunno, it was kinda all over the place.

A Google Study - Bidding on Branded Terms

2011-07-26T10:49:00.002+08:00

A question that's more often than not, been on advertisers' and search practitioners' minds - Do my search ads cannibalize my organic traffic?

In simple terms, if we paused branded terms in our Paid Search portfolio, would clicks on organic results increase and make up for the loss in paid search traffic?

Google statisticians recently ran over 400 studies on paused accounts to answer this question. In what they call “Search Ads Pause Studies”, the group of researchers observed organic click volume in the absence of search ads. Then they built a statistical model to predict the click volume for given levels of ad spend using spend and organic impression volume as predictors. These models generated estimates for the incremental clicks attributable to search ads (IAC), or in other words, the percentage of paid clicks that are not made up for by organic clicks when search ads are paused.

The results were surprising. On average, the incremental ad clicks percentage across verticals is 89%. This means that a full 89% of the traffic generated by search ads is not replaced by organic clicks when ads are paused. This number was consistently high across verticals.

So...should you bid on brand terms?

Where's the Wonderwheel?

2011-07-11T21:19:00.005+08:00

It has been officially wheeled off! The amazing Google Wonderwheel has been dropped off by Google. Apparently, it doesn't fit into the 'new look' that Google has now. Sob Sob... it was a great tool for Search marketers to map out information and the relationship of search terms and the data and information Google houses. More than that, i think it was an excellent tool for entrepreneurs finding opportunities.

Well, knowing Google, they may just come up with something else that's close to the Amazing Google Wonderwheel.....I hope.

iProperty - Augmented Reality Floor Plan

2011-06-27T13:45:00.003+08:00

Advertiser: iProperty
Format: Augmented Reality (AR)
Agency: Grey Group MYS
URL: http://iproperty.com.my/ar/

Note: The print advertisement on the first page of the iProperty Malaysia magazine June 2011 issue features a floor plan which allows you to try this AR initiative by iProeprty and Grey.

Google Bags the Cyber Lions Grand Prix?

2011-06-23T16:56:00.003+08:00

No Malaysian winners at this years Cannes Lions. sob sob.

But...wow, Google (Google Creative Labs to be exact) bagged the Grand Prix in the Cyber Lions for "The Wilderness Downtown" - a project that demonstrated the power of emerging internet protocol HTML5.

Cannes Lions 2011 - Cyber Lions

2011-06-23T10:23:00.001+08:00

Did it win? Did Google Creative Lab win the Grand Prix?

Info Snapshot

2011-06-20T16:33:00.002+08:00

What if Social Media were a high school? Who'd be the Jock, and who'd be the geek?

Liew San Yen - Views On The Whole 1.8 million Facebook Thingy

2011-06-17T14:35:00.003+08:00

All the buzz about Tourism Malaysia's Facebook campaigns @ 1.8 million. BFM speaks to Liew San Yen, Creative Director of IF Interactive, to hear his view on this. Very interesting conversation marketers can learn from this podcast.

By the way, will BFM be interviewing Impact Creations any time soon to get some answers?

Email Behaviour in Malaysia Drops

2011-06-15T19:16:00.003+08:00

Earlier this year, ComScore released their finding on consumers’ changing email behaviors in the Asia Pacific region. The largest decline in time spent was seen in Malaysia (down 22 percent). Time for marketers to re-evaluate their digital buys - Hotmail ad space, Yahoo Mail, etc. I'm not saying totally ignore the option into buying into these ad spaces, but plan more carefully by looking into performance metrics if you were to.

Job Post - Digital Marketing Interns

2011-06-09T14:11:00.002+08:00

Want to start your career in Digital Marketing? iProspect Malaysia is looking for interested candidates to fill in an exciting role in the wonderful world of Digital Marketing. This will be an opportunity for you to get the training and exposure needed to allow you to transition into a full time position within the company!

Requirements:

• Strong computer skills, highly proficient in Microsoft Excel.
• General knowledge of SEM.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to conduct basic-level mathematical analysis of trend data.
• A desire to learn on a continuing basis.
• A strict eye for detail with the ability to see how details fit into the overall picture.
• Good troubleshooting skills and a love of solving problems.
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to work independently with sometimes little oversight, but also a true love of working with teammates to complete projects, since team work is a pivotal part of the job.
• Ability to adapt quickly and seamlessly in an ever-changing industry.
• General HTML knowledge; however, this is not a Web development role.

Interested? email at enquiries@iprospect.com

Ad Sitelinks Gets a Tweak

2011-06-09T10:11:00.006+08:00

Google states that there's a new feature in Ad Sitelinks called "Embedded Sitelinks" that makes it even easier to integrate targeted links within your ads.

With the embedded format of Ad Sitelinks, there are no additional lines appended to your text ad. Instead, text in your ad that exactly matches one or more of the sitelinks in your campaign will automatically be linked to that sitelink’s destination URL. With embedded sitelinks, potential customers can pick the part of your ad that applies directly to their current interests and visit the most specific page for that topic.

All well and good for us Search Marketers, but the problem that I see here is: would the consumer/user know its an embedded sitelink and click on it? Wouldn't it be better if it stood out more (like how it did before this change?). Luckily this is just an option from the other 2 Sitelinks options.

Which European Country has the most Web Users?

2011-06-03T11:35:00.004+08:00

When ComScore released this, I was actually expecting the United Kingdom to top the charts. Looks like the Germans leads the pack of web users in Europe. There were almost 364 million Europeans who used the web in March 2011, spending 26 hours online during the month.

If you're a marketer in Asia looking into efforts in the European market, hope this gives a indication of what's in store.

Job Post - Search Marketer (Specialized)

2011-05-23T15:05:00.003+08:00

Fresh from a global post re-branding exercise, iProspect Malaysia is looking for troopers to take on the Digital Marketing realm together in an exciting journey.

Work Experience:
• Search Engine Marketing Experience would be preferred.
• If you are of programming or web design background, do feel free to apply.

Skills:
• Detailed and organized like a Project Manager.
• Ability to multi-task, problem-solve and think strategically.
• Knowledge and hands-on expertise of analytical techniques including clustering, sampling, segmentation, time-series, linear/logistic regression, and forecasting.
• Excellent oral and written skills.

Got what it takes to go where Digital is going? Apply now.

Since comments in this blog need admin filteration, it's safe for you to leave me your email address if you're interested (just to keep things confidential).

The Internet and Osama's Death

2011-05-03T13:15:00.006+08:00

News on Osama's death swept across the globe. No doubt, this caused internet waves all around. But here are some data for your knowledge:

1. On Yahoo searches for Osama Bin Laden spiked 98,550% Sunday in the US.

2. People are very curious for details from Pakistan. Searches for “Pakistan Map” are spiking 2594% and “Pakistan News” are spiking 610% on Yahoo!.

3. Within about two hours of reports first surfacing (and since confirmed by the President) that Osama Bin Laden had been killed, a Facebook Page titled “Osama Bin Laden is DEAD” accumulated more than 150,000 “likes.”

4. At 11:00 p.m. ET, just before Obama’s speech, users generated 5,106 tweets per second, the highest single volume of tweets during the night. At 11:45 p.m., just when he finished his speech, Twitter users were sending 5,008 tweets per second.

5. Akamai’s Net Usage Index, which measures traffic to top news sites, registered 4.1 million page views around 11:30 p.m. ET Sunday, around the time that President Obama began his remarks.

6. “US Flag” searches went up 717%.

7.“Star Spangled Banner lyrics” went up 222% (females made up 64% of those searches)

AdWords now with a Twist

2011-04-28T20:43:00.003+08:00

If you're a frequent Search Engine user, you may have noticed a slight change in Google's AdWords ads. User's can now preview ads even before clicking on them. It's somewhat of an extension from Google Instant Preview for Organic results, where users just click on the magnifying glass to get a visual preview of what the site will look like before they click on the result itself.

Could this be prompted by the Google Panda algorithm? I'd say probably yes.

Sidenote:
Google Panda will attempt to optimize a user’s experience by identifying low-quality sites and web pages to help weed out sites that might be relevant to a query based on content (“content farms”), but not truly relevant to what a user is actually searching for.

So we know the users are getting a better experience with Google because of this. They'll be obtaining information faster and with more relevance. But what does this mean for the agencies?

For the Paid Search folks - all good. Expect qualified traffic, higher CTRs, lower bounce rates and oh...Instant Preview clicks are free of charge 'cause you’re only charged if a user clicks through to your actual landing page.

Now for those who build and manage websites, it's time to consider this as part of your user experience framework and copy & art direction. You role has become extra important. Design for the Search Engine and the User, just like you would for SEO.

Coffee Break with Birdie Ting, IF Interactive

2011-04-25T14:06:00.007+08:00

In this edition of Coffee Break, I look into the mind of Birdie Ting, Creative Group head at IF Interactive. His work and craft lives up to his unique name. A cool guy and most definitely humble. This lad has a real bright future ahead and could be labeled one of those to elevate Malaysia in the Digital Advertising landscape.

Digital Distillery (DD): What are you currently listening to on your iPod, etc?
Birdie Ting (BT): “Fly me to the moon” – Claire from Neon Genesis Evangelion Soundtrack

DD: How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?
BT: I’m a Tea-Guy, so maybe 1 for the whole week.

DD: What was the last site that got you excited? Why?
BB: The last site I’ve came across that got me excited, would be http://ecodazoo.com/
The site was built with excellent craftsmanship and it constantly reminds me that WEB should not be confined by “pages”, frames or boxes... I've always had a thing for 3D!

As for the last project that got me excited – Whatberry.my
It was a magnificent experience having collaborate with Naga DDB’s (DIGi Telecommunication) Team. Instead of building a conventional Plan Finder, we built a micro-site where users would go through series of visual trivias to find out the best mobile plan for their blackberry product. I was in awe, we had over 8,000 sign ups the first day we launched the site, and we gathered 42 thousand online participants in just 2 months.

DD: What do your consider your greatest achievement?
My career achievement? Would be my first Gold Kancil Award – “Building the Future” commissioned by Discovery Channel Asia.

DD: Who would you regard as your hero?
BT: http://www.bascule.co.jp/, http://tha.jp/ and http://en-jin.jp/. They are just some that I really admire.

DD: You’re regarded as quite an industry icon in the digital fraternity. How does that change things for you personally and professionally?
BT: I’m no superior than anyone out there and I'm still learning a lot from people around me. Things hasn’t been changing except I learned that it’s important to love what you do and believe in it.

DD: Every brand has a soul. But I’d like to think that every Creative person has a soul or philosophy too. What’s yours?
BT: I have been a believer of Paul Rand’s “DON’T TRY TO BE ORIGINAL, TRY TO BE GOOD”

DD: Any comments on the state of Digital in Malaysia?
BT: The Digital playground has been changing for the past few years, now we are riding the waves of social media on multiple platforms, it has been a lot of fun for me and it is very important not to underestimate our audience.

DD: What's the last thing you do before going to bed?
BT: Tongue Exercises… I have a short tongue.

Aegis Media - We Love Japan

2011-04-24T23:03:00.004+08:00

Aegis Media Malaysia has joined forces with online portal "I LOVE LABELS" in a benevolent project to raise funds for our friends in Japan.

At www.welovejapan.my, all those aged above 18 can donate to the Japan Relief Fund by way of buying bids online. Once registered, members will have the opportunity to bid for an item of their choice and in return donate the monies. Some goodies up for bid include autographed football jerseys, handphones,shoes, vouchers, airline tickets, and a whole lot more.

Credit goes to the team at Aegis Media who have taken the time and trouble to make this happen (we know how busy the media and advertising industry can get). Well, I've started bidding, have you?

Mystery Ad on Yahoo Malaysia and YouTube

2011-04-05T12:36:00.005+08:00

Advertiser: Unknown (just some biohazard-like symbol)
Agency: Unknown

Comment: So this ad links to a Youtube Video which was uploaded by azmanterror who just recently joined YouTube and has only 2 videos uploaded to his channel. I'm just wondering why not use other more active YouTube uploaders to make this mystery more believable? Anyways, any guesses on which brand this is?

Updates:
Advertiser: Celcom
Agency: Unknown
URL: www.kolony.com.my

So this is a Social Networking site. Hmmm.

Black Cats and April Fools

2011-04-01T10:20:00.002+08:00

That's a title of a book by Harry Oliver. Happy April Fool's Day by the way. Google seems to be pulling something on this day. As I logged into one of my AdWOrds accounts, a little black cat was there sitting staring back at me.

When to Send Emails?

2011-03-31T18:34:00.003+08:00

When's the best time to launch your email marketing campaign? I mean, really...at what time of the day? Pure360 came up with this interesting infographic.

Matt Cutts on the Google SEO Report Card

2011-03-30T00:29:00.002+08:00

If you don't know who Matt Cutts is, he works for the Search Quality group in Google. He is currently the head of Google’s Webspam team. Heck, I'd consider him one of THE faces of Google. Any video of his is worth watching.

BMW Diesel Ad

2011-03-28T11:56:00.006+08:00

Advertiser: BMW MYS
Format: Banner Ads
Agency: ARC Worldwide MYS

Comment: It's been a while since we've seen some nice BMW banner ads. This time ARC takes it a notch higher from their previous BMW ads. We've seen RAPP previously make use of the entire PaulTan page before (Let There Be Light campaign). This time Arc shows thet can do the same too.

Firefox 4 Trumps Internet Explorer 9

2011-03-23T23:29:00.004+08:00

When Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) was launched recently, it immediately garnered 2.35 million downloads within its first 24 hours. Well, IE9 just got trumped by Firefox 4, which recorded 4.7 million downloads less than 24 hours after its launch. And right now, at this very moment...at 11.47 pm today, it's been downloaded more than 7 million times already, 1.5 million coming from Asia alone.

Take a look at this pretty cool firefox infographic.

The updated Internet Explorer 9 includes HTML5, an improved UI and a built-in do-not-track function.

As for its rival, Firefox 4, its been pimped out with new security and privacy options, faster loading and JavaScript, support for a variety of new standards including WebM video and WebGL 3D graphics, and 3D acceleration that extends even to Windows XP.

AdFest 2011 - Naga DDB

2011-03-21T17:08:00.008+08:00

Naga DDB did Malaysia's digital fraternity proud in the Cyber Lotus category at this year's AdFest by bringing home the only cyber metal. Well done!

Go ahead, and tilt your screen (might want to enlarge the image first). Smart eh? Kinda takes interactivity to another different playing field. But I'm not too sure if 350,000 impressions qualify as a creative result. Sounds more like a media buy.

Customers want Delivery Tracking

2011-03-17T10:20:00.004+08:00

Limelight Networks surveyed what customer service features are of most importance for online shoppers. Tracking and delivery topped the charts. Something to think about if you're in e-commerce.

MINI - At Large

2011-03-08T01:12:00.004+08:00

Advertiser: MINI
Format: Microsite and Viral Video
Agency: Arachnid
URL: MINI At Large

Description: Luxurious holiday packages to be won when you successfully hunt down the all new MINI.

Facebook Marketing Metrics

2011-03-01T21:59:00.002+08:00

I've heard many a times from conversations about measuring a Facebook Page's success. The kind of KPIs that need to be set and al sorts of reporting.

Currently, Facebook Insight gives you:
* Total Fans: Total number of fans over time.
* New/Removed Fans: Number of people who have become a new fan or stopped being 1.
* Page Views: Total number of times a Page was viewed per day.
* Media Consumption: Total photo views, audio plays, and video plays for the content you have uploaded to your Page.

Pretty good stuff. Econsultancy has been kind enough to share with the digital fraternity on metric priority:

1. Fans or Likers - On top of just fan numbers there is "country reach", which is the number of fans divided by the number of Facebook users in that country. This way you can compare different pages across different countries.

2. Engagement - The best way to measure engagement on Facebook is to monitor the number of interactions per post, and ideally divide it by the number of fans, that way you get a number that is comparable across multiple Facebook pages with different fan numbers. A good average engagement rate is above 0.1%, a great engagement rate is above 0.3 - 0.5%.

3. Content - Technically not a metric, but worth monitoring. Measuring post types allows social media listening which can uncover loads of insight you can act upon. Kinda like identifying the long tail in Search.

4. Fan Growth - Brands grow quite fast on Facebook, the top Facebook pages add more then 1 new fan every second. Good growth for a Facebook page is typically 3 - 5% on a monthly basis.

5. Response Time - Monitor wall response rates, and wall response time. This means if someone posts a story on your wall, if you respond it or not. You should be aiming at responding to more than 70% of the fan wall questions, and keep your average under six hours, as users will probably not be as happy if you respond them in three days. Some companies already have 24/7 Facebook page support and respond to a question within the first 10 - 30 minutes.

People Following Brands on Facebook

2011-02-08T23:19:00.002+08:00

Given the rapid growth of Facebook brand pages over 2 years or so, here are some interesting data I'd like to share taking off from a recent survey by Econsultancy.

Why do people follow brands on Facebook?
The most common reason was to be notified of special offers (70%). Other reasons included shopping (38%), to be follow events (38%) and to leave feedback (29%).

How many different brands do people follow?
Between two and five is the norm, though 35% of people will follow more than five brands. 13% of respondents said they followed more than 10 brands on Facebook.

People typically discover Facebook Pages via the company website, or having been recommended by a friend. Almost 60% of people have recommended a brand to friends.

Source: Econsultancy

Human Firecrackers - Euro RSCG Malaysia

2011-01-28T17:06:00.002+08:00

Advertiser: Euro RSCG Malaysia
Format: Viral Video
Agency: Euro RSCG MYS

See RabbIF Draw - Happy CNY

2011-01-28T11:01:00.004+08:00

Advertiser: IF Interactive
Format: Microsite
Agency: IF Interactive
URL: www.if.net.my/

Comment: Happy Chinese New Year! And may you have a HOPPY New Year! The bunch at IF are up to their stunts again and I must say that it's fun to challenge the creatives over there. You'll get your own custom rabbIF drawn, LIVE! And they'll’ll draw any rabbiF you can think of. Have fun!

Brew Rating: Special Brew

Lowe - New Identity, New Logo

2011-01-25T17:53:00.002+08:00

Well someone's got a new look for the new year. Lowe + Partners agencies across the Asia Pacific region launched new agency identities today. Each of 15 lead offices across the region launched its own unique identity, agency livery as well as digital corporate sites. The Asia Pacific launch is the first of a global rollout, with other regions soon to follow.

Here's Malaysia's site: www.lowemalaysia.com

Podcast - Yahoo! Search Marketing via BFM

2011-01-25T01:23:00.002+08:00

Margaret Chang, General Manager of Search Marketing for Yahoo! talks to BFM about opportunities that search marketing has created for SME customers in the region.

Take note, Google will be talking to BFM this week too.

Axe Police

2011-01-24T17:10:00.004+08:00

Advertiser: Axe MYS
Format: Facebook Application
Agency: IF Interactive

Description: Upload your mugshot and confess to a dangerous seductive crime and you stand to win.....an iPhone (Malaysian's can't get enough of the phone).

Immerse - Light Up

2011-01-24T01:29:00.004+08:00

Advertiser: Immerse Communications
Format: Microsite
Agency: Immerse Communicationa
URL: www.immerse.com.my/lightup

Comment: Nice effort done by Immerse in doing their part for charity. The intro really got my attention. Even though some of us are not big fans of "Facebook Connecting" just to complete a process, this cause in the spirit of giving for the Chinese New Year may just be an exception.

Brew Rating: Special Brew

Mashable - Attention Grabbing

2011-01-23T23:06:00.002+08:00

Excerpt from Mashable.

Hackers are cashing out after stealing credit card numbers from Lush’s UK website, which was shut down on Friday and replaced with a message that warns customers that their account information may have been compromised.

According to the message, anyone who made online purchases on the handmade cosmetic company’s UK site between October 4th and January 20th is at risk of having their credit cards used fraudulently.

Lush also left a message for the hacker:

“If you are reading this, our web team would like to say that your talents are formidable. We would like to offer you a job – were it not for the fact that your morals are clearly not compatible with ours or our customers.”

We’re sure that the hackers are absolutely broken up about the scolding — especially since comments on the cosmetic company’s Facebook profile make it clear that they have started a shopping spree on Lush customers’ dime.

Several customers detail purchases made using their stolen credit card information. Others express anger over the length of time that Lush waited after discovering that hackers had penetrated the site on Christmas Day.

Hilary Jones, ethical director at Lush, told the BBC that the company used the time between Christmas and Friday to investigate what the hacker’s intentions were (perhaps they were just looking for information on bath soaps?). When it became obvious that the hackers had started to make small test purchases using Lush customers’ credit cards, Lush shut down its site.

Maybank - 2 Cards Challenge

2011-01-21T17:10:00.003+08:00

Advertiser: Maybank
Format: Microsite
Agency: Cenxus Multimedia
URL: www.maybankard2cards.com.my

Comment: Another Facebook based contest where the more friends you recruit the more points you get to win prizes - including the Grand Prize from Machines! Apple Apple!

Proton - The Rallye to Monte-Carlo

2011-01-19T16:33:00.003+08:00

Advertiser: Proton
Format: Microsite
Agency: Tribal DDB MYS

Social network users now easy targets for criminals

2011-01-17T10:33:00.002+08:00

Original Source: The Star

PETALING JAYA: Forget about bringing criminals to book, the crooks are themselves going to the book – Facebook, that is.

Many are targeting Malaysians – via their personal details posted on Facebook.

They are lifting information such as addresses, telephone numbers and even photographs for crimes ranging from drug trafficking to blackmail and sexual harassment.

Experts have criticised Malaysians for being too naive in accepting “friendship” requests from strangers.

Last year alone, some 400 crimes involving Facebook were reported to a cyber security group.

The trend is worrying because an international survey last year revealed that Malaysians had the most number of friends on social networking websites like Facebook with an average of 233 each – and spent up to nine hours each week logged on.

5 Search Marketing Trends for 2011

2011-01-13T01:20:00.002+08:00

Here are 5 Search Marketing Trends for 2011 as how Hannah Kimuyu and Adam Bunn (from Greenlight Search) see it. Their predictions for paid and natural search in 2011 include:

1. Google and Bing will offer app search before the year is out.
To maintain any kind of grasp on the mobile user, search engines will need to be able to point out apps that might be relevant to the user's search – and even give them a one-click install option for when the search is being carried out from a mobile with the right operating system.

2. Display marketing will mirror much of what is search in practice.
The best example of this was Google's acquisition of Double Click. It transformed its Content Network into a fully-fledged display network (also rebranded Display Network) proving that in fact traditional display (blanket run of network, etc) is a thing of the past, and marketers can expect more sophistication, control and results from a new era of display.

3. Google versus Bing – competition will heat up.
Bing to imitate Google Instant Preview and Google to introduce a feature similar to Bing's "Recent Searches" only called "Recent Pages".

4. Yahoo! "Rich ads in Search" proposition will take off, prompting Google to consider offering display style ads within the SERPs.

5. Too much content on the web.
The real problem is not that there is too much content, but that there is too much similar or identical content that offers no real value for search engines. In 2011, it may be that duplication filters will get even tougher as the engines take more drastic measures to limit the amount of resource they spend on less valuable content and maximise the focus on everything else.

Popular SEO Myths

2011-01-13T01:07:00.005+08:00

For the benefit of those who do not know and to those who have been somewhat conned by SEO con-men. Here are some Popular SEO Myths by Jill Whalen.

You need to optimize for just one keyword phrase per page.
That’s a waste of a good page. Why optimize for only one keyword when you can optimize for three?

You must use text links, not image links.
Not necessary. Just use the keyword-rich text you would have used in text links in the alt tags of your link images.

Google’s link: operator tells you all the links that Google knows about.
No, no, and double no. Google shows very few of the links it knows about, and often shows none at all.

Toolbar PageRank = Real PageRank.
The PageRank displayed in the Google Toolbar may be as much as nine months out of date, and it’s a gross approximation at best.

You can’t use Flash on your website.
Not true. Avoid an all-flash website where links to your content pages are part of the flash, and don’t put important content in the flash. But flash elements on a normal web site are fine.

2010 Wrap Up for Digital Malaysia

2010-12-29T01:26:00.002+08:00

What a year 2010 has been. The iPad made killer waves, there was a movie about Facebook, China and Google had their gloves on against each other, and so much more. But you could read about that on about every tech website or from facebook posts.

And before I even begin to start sharing with you trends for 2010 and what to look out for in the new decade of the 21st century, I'm more eager to recap on the amazing events that happened on Malaysian soil. Where to begin...

2010 Top 5 digital moments in Malaysia (for me at least):
1) IF Interactive was crowned Agency of the Year at the Kancil Awards 2010. Yup, history was made when a digital agency grabbed the Agency of the Year title this year. Even though it was alongside a mainstream agency, it was a proud moment for all Digital creatives. I'm glad I was present to witness it.

2) The Malaysian Media Awards saw the crowning of Universal McCann as Media Agency of the year. The awards this year saw a 50% increase in digital entries. And the highlight would probably be the new category introduced - Search. Which saw Carat Media sweep both Gold and Silver with just 2 entries.

3) Google broke news that they'd be opening an operations office in Malaysia after all. Rumor has it that this will be in Jan or Feb 2011. Hopefully this will see our advertisers and agencies get a hand at some new products rather than wait for it to be tested out in Singapore and other mature markets.

4) Internet adex recorded strong growth for the 11 months of 2010 (Jan - Nov 2010), growing 30.5% to RM46.2 million.

5) eBay recognizes 2 Malaysians for outstanding achievements. Jeffrey Lim and George Barker did us proud.

Grey acquires a Golden Egg

2010-12-25T23:51:00.002+08:00

There were speculations sometime last year that Yolk was in the radar of being acquired by some big guns. And finally, we have news that Grey now has majority stake acquisition in this digital media agency which has offices in Singapore and Malaysia.

Yolk has been recognized regionally and globally, having won multiple accolades at the Webby Awards, Asia Interactive Awards, Hitwise Online Performance Awards, Tokyo Broadcasting System DigiCon6+2 and Singapore Creative Circle Awards.

Mobile Apps are booming

2010-12-25T11:49:00.002+08:00

At the end of 2010, one third of mobile phones in use were smartphones. By the end of 2011, that figure would grow to 50%, so says the Nielsen Co.

Awards - Adoi Magazine Bags Cover of the Year

2010-12-10T14:37:00.003+08:00

Congrats to ADOI magazine who clinched a Gold award and the coveted Cover of the Year award at the Magazine Publishers Association (MPA) Malaysia’s Magazine Awards for 2010.

More here.

YTL - Yes

2010-12-10T12:17:00.005+08:00

Advertiser: YTL - YES
Format: Banner Ads
Agency: Agenda MYS

Comment: I gotta admit...i Like the communication proposition - Amazing things happen when you Say YES. Agenda alongside BBH and Carat Media have flooded websites and properties with YES ads - and some which are quite eye catching like the page takeover on yahoo.com.my a couple of days ago. This here, is one of the few versions of the banner ads that were quite engaging.

Digi - What Berry Are You?

2010-12-09T18:50:00.007+08:00

Advertiser: Digi
Format: Microsite
Agency: IF Interactive
URL: www.whatberry.com.my

Description: Limited edition Blackberry smartphones up for grabs just by entering this contest via Facebook Connect. Earn Berry Points and top the Leaderboard.

Comment: Fresh from the limelight of becoming Agency of the Year at this year's Kancils, IF Interactive might probably have their next big thing for next year's Kancils with this very nicely executed microsite. I've been labeled a Budget Berry by the way.

Brew Rating: Super Brew

The Kancil Awards 2010 rocked

2010-11-30T18:21:00.003+08:00

Well, 3 from 5 of my predictions turned out right. But what I never expected turned out to be a way pleasant surprise. IF Interactive turned out to be joint-Agency of the Year at the Kancils. Congrats IFians!

Tucked in a corner at table 79 and 80 at the award show, IFians who also had business partners and clients present, were absolutely thrilled once we reached the presentation for the digital category winners. I could see the joy on their faces, in their swagger, and in their smiles when they started swooping award after award. You know, its moments such as this (awards) when you see all blood sweat and tears pay off...but somehow with this young and energetic bunch...as they walked up the stage, it felt really real and gave a sense of inspiration...really did.

Anyways, enough of the emo stuff. Here's what a few of the have to say:

Zaid (Copywriter): "3 words - Proud, motivated, happy!"

Birdie (Art Director): "It's moments like this that tell us we're on track. Awards like these are testament to it."

Well done! and to the other winners, congrats!

Full list of winners.

Your Web Analytics may have gone Bonkers

2010-11-25T02:04:00.004+08:00

In early November, Google users were furnished with a function called "Instant Previews" which is somewhat of a similar to Ask Jeeves binoculars Site Preview Tool which was introduced in 2004.

It's probably a nice feature to have while we're searching, but I'd still prefer to right click and open a new tab to see some readable text and larger images rather than depend on some thumbnail.

Now, if you've tried Instant Previews, you and I are responsible for causing some havoc in web analytics data of websites which we've "previewed".

"Why?" you ask.

The issue seems to be that when someone initiates an instant preview on the Google search results, some of the times, Google will do an "on-demand" fetch of the page, executing the JavaScript many analytics packages use. So the visits are coming from Google, but they are initiated by someone searching, mousing over your listing and seeing an Instant Preview.

This can cause inflations in your visits, page views, increase in bounce rates, conversion drops, and the list goes on.

Google’s John Mueller replied saying they are working on fixing this from showing up in Google Analytics. “We’re working on a solution for this, to prevent Google Instant Preview on-demand fetches from executing Analytics JavaScript,” John said.

There is no estimated time for when this may be resolved. So if you have seen a skew in your analytics data in the past two weeks, this may be the reason.

Kancil Around the Corner

2010-11-24T22:37:00.004+08:00

So yeah, Kancil Awards show is coming to town. I have been so busy till I totally had no time to write my thoughts about this year's awards as well as my favourites (like I did last year)

Let me begin with memorable digital ones that I favor to win something this year:
- Power of 10 sen
- KFC Snax
- Olympus In Your Hands
- Ronnie Got Lucky
- Happy Till Death

What are my thoughts on this years awards? Just 1. And it's really about the new category that's been added. It'll be interesting to see the entries for the Social Media category which was just included in the awards this year. I'm eager to see if it's gonna boil down to just Facebook apps or something a whole lot more holistic.

What Digital Media Exposure Creates

2010-11-03T00:49:00.004+08:00

There's something the industry must learn from an iProspect and ComScore survey that studied "Real Branding Implications of Digital Media - an SEM, SEO, & Online Display Advertising".

The key finding of this study is that online digital media assets have considerable branding influence, and that specific combinations can significantly impact a brand’s success. In fact, Internet users exposed to mere impressions of organic search results, paid search results, and online display advertising -- and all combinations thereof -- experience both measureable improvements in their perceptions of those brands, as well as their anticipated interactions with them. In short, this study proves that digital media assets have the power to affect brand equity whether Internet users click on them or not.

This finding has huge implications for companies that currently assess the value of their search engine marketing and online display advertising campaigns solely on their ability to produce ROI based conversions – be they direct sales transactions, sales leads, etc.

In fact, this study shows that search marketing and online display can now be viewed as viable branding channels worthy of their fair share of branding budgets, and requiring development of means by which to measure their impact on brand equity.

Here are some key findings:
- In aggregate, paid search results generate 44% lift in likelihood to purchase.

- In aggregate, paid search results + organic search results net a 73% lift in likelihood to purchase

- In aggregate, organic search results + display ad impressions net a 16% increase in likelihood to purchase.

So, in your next digital marketing plan, you could turn out to be the smart one if you considered these mentioned findings.

Mashable - Attention Grabbing

2010-10-26T23:28:00.003+08:00

Excerpt from Mashable:

The Internet is growing fast, but Google is growing even faster. According to online security company Arbor Networks, Google now represents an average 6.4% of all Internet traffic.

This is a new record for Google, as it gained more than 1% of all Internet traffic share since January. Now, only one global ISP handles more traffic, and a lot of that traffic is – unsurprisingly – Google’s traffic.

The number is even more incredible if you consider that Internet traffic is growing at a staggering 40% to 45% each year, and Google is still gaining market share.

However, Google’s share may be even bigger, possibly up to 8% to 12%, if you account for traffic offloaded by Google Global Cache deployments, Arbor Networks’ Craig Labovitz claims.

Mobile Paid Search: How and Why

2010-10-26T00:03:00.005+08:00

Breaking into a new channel can be a daunting task. However, given that monthly revenue can actually double during the holidays, the season can provide marketers with the perfect time to give mobile a try. Mobile paid search ads are a great place to get started, especially if your business already participates in a paid search program. The reasons to try mobile advertising are fairly obvious. The adoption rate of smart phones is increasing. According to eMarketer, worldwide mobile advertising spend will almost double from $1.289 to $2.345 million from 2010 to 2011.

Before getting on to some tips to maximize your mobile paid search campaigns, let's give beginners to paid search the benefit of understanding some basics:

- Mobile paid search works in a similar way to traditional paid search (desktops).
- By creating mobile-only search campaigns, you have better control, messaging, targeting and reporting.
- With mobile campaigns, carrier and device options can be specific. In Google, you can “select all” or drill down and choose specific mobile devices like the Android phone, iPhone/iPod and palm OS.

Now, on to strategies that you might like to try:

It's By User Intent
Mobile advertising tends to work best for immediate intent actions like downloading music and ring tones, finding places to dine, ordering a quick meal or for purchasing movie tickets.

What Great Lengths
Naturally, on mobile,users tend to key in short queries. Don't mirror your desktop keyword list. Think mobile. Your audience is on a bus, has a small mobile screen and even with tiny keypads.

Click to Call
Try incorporating phone extensions into mobile search advertising. The phone numbers that appear on smart phones are clickable links underneath text ads and can be measured via analytics.

YouTube Play - The Shortlisted Entries

2010-10-23T00:31:00.004+08:00

Back in June, I was excited to share the news of YouTube collaborating with the Guggenheim Museum, and HP, in effort to recognize and showcase the most outstanding online videos from around the world. The project is called YouTube Play .Can you imagine the competition knowing so much brilliant work have been uploaded on YouTube?

Well, the shortlist have been announced. 25 creative videos have been selected from the 23,000 submissions received. You can view them at the official YouTube page. Which is your favourite?

JobPost: SEO Specialist

2010-10-23T00:02:00.003+08:00

There is a position available for a Search Engine Optimization Specialist in probably the most awarded a search engine marketing professional services firm in Malaysia. If you love data crunching, savvy with analytics and understand the complexity of algorithms, then you'll fit just fine.

Since comments in this blog need admin filteration, it's save for you to leave me your email address if you're interested (just to keep things confidential).

Newspapers and the Digital Newspapers

2010-10-14T01:04:00.002+08:00

Some of us are still talking about it over at industry events, over a cup of coffee and even in elevators - The future of newspapers in the digital age. Stale I know, but relevant to marketers and will continue to be a topic that will be implanted in our media minds.

And thanks to iPad, this conversation picks up pace once more. At present, we're looking at news apps on the iPad that are affordable and some even available for free! The Star is one early adopter (locally), that probably knows this is an important media shift. By theway, other free sources of daily news available for your iPad include The New York Times and USA Today apps.

Devices like the iPad and the talked-about Playbook create an environment perfect for real-time news consumption that maintains the sophistication and style of traditional print magazines and newspapers.

Personalization come to play a lot in news consumption too. And if you have not heard of Flipboard yet,you should. It can be really inspiring on greater things to come in news/buzz consumption.

Announcement - Microsoft and Yahoo

2010-10-08T14:27:00.000+08:00

The time has finally arrived. Microsoft adCenter will begin rollout plans to power the search ads on Yahoo Search and partners on Monday October 11th. The wntire transition would take about 2 weeks and for now, only impacts USA and Canada.

Upgrade Your TV. Time for Google TV Part 3

2010-10-05T12:57:00.002+08:00

Back in May, Google announced the arrival of Google TV.

And finally we have some updates on its progress. Google said Turner Broadcasting, which owns CNN, TBS and TNT, will optimize is Web site for Google TV. NBC Universal will bring a CNBC app to the party. And HBO will have its HBO.Go service available. In addition, the NBA has an app.

As for movie rentals, Amazon and Netflix are on the Google TV bandwagon and there are other optimized content offerings.

Devices “powered by Google TV” should become available this month, Google said.

More links:
Google TV Market Watch
Google TV The Star

OCBC - Titanium Credit Card

2010-10-05T11:14:00.002+08:00

Advertiser: OCBC Bank MYS
Format: Banner Ad
Agency: Arachnid

Comments: Well, it's obvious who they're taunting.

Top Retailers prefer Google Paid Search

2010-09-23T00:26:00.002+08:00

Experian Hitwise revealed that retailers use Google more than any other engine for Paid Search traffic. This was measured based on Internet Retailer's retailer rankings. Adding more brownie points to Google is another finding which revealed that 69.4% of retailers say that Google yields the highest conversion rate.

Google Instant - Beyond Announcing It

2010-09-13T03:58:00.006+08:00

I'm not going to announce what Google Instant is. I think it has received loads of media coverage already.

What I'll be putting down today is really my concerns on how Google Instant will affect Search Marketers and advertisers putting their ad spend on Search.

1) Paid Search - Will this dampen my click through rates since ads have the possibility of increased impressions by the dynamic nature of Google Instant? (Google says the average search query is 20 characters long, so in theory it could show 20 different sets of search results, including ads, each time a user types in a request).

Well, Yes and No. Google says it will only record an impression once a set of results (including ads)- has been displayed on the screen for three seconds. So perhaps, an advertiser may receive higher impressions, but when you think about it...you'll probably be getting more accurate leads as users will be more inclined to refine their search because of what Google Instant offers. But this "3 second rule" thing sounds pretty interesting.

2) Website Optimization - Do we optimize for "alphabets" now?

NO. Google Instant populates the search results for the most popular keywords in the suggested terms drop-down — not for the fragment of keywords the user has typed. Jonathan Leger gave a good example in his blog with this example:

...When you type "life i", since "life insurance" is the most popular suggested phrase that matches "life i" it shows the results for the full phrase "life insurance." Google does not populate the search results with what's best optimized for the fragment "life i."

3) SEO - What are the other concerns when in comes to Optmization efforts?

I may be jumping the gun here, but...Google Instant urges us to be more careful in determining keywords to optimize for. Again...thanks to the 3 second rule it has created. And perhaps...this calls for some "creativity" in meta descriptions of a Site since users will be scanning results even more than before.

All said and done, I wouldn't expect an instant (pun unintended) game change in SEM. Google users may take a while to adapt to this evolution. There will be studies and research of this I'm sure. Who knows, maybe this would die out like how WAVE did.

iProspect Study - Retail

2010-08-29T02:20:00.004+08:00

One of the things I love about iProspect is the eye-opening studies they carry out and sponsor. The latest being "The Value of Retail Search and Position Study". This study was conducted by ComScore and sponsored by Searchandise Commerce and iProspect.

The study is to closely analyze the role of various search influences, and better understand how search engines and retail sites work together to deliver the most complete shopper search experience.

Here's one of the many key findings:
The study participants were asked a series of questions about their impressions of various retail sites. The findings drawn about retail sites from their responses are clear:
* Pop-ups or advertising should not be displayed
* Pricing and product information should be clearly listed
* Product comparison tools should be provided

This chart also gives insight that twice as many shoppers use the search box feature as browse the initial landing pages.

This study confirms that search engines and retail websites are the first or second stop in over half of the shopping processes evaluated. Search engines are the most frequent driver of traffic to retail websites, as well as to manufacturer websites and are the most frequently used tool for finding customer reviews, expert reviews/ratings, and third party product recommendations. Search engines also serve a mission critical role at a macro level that site search performs at a micro level - to return the search results that are most relevant to the shopper's intent, and to display information within the content of the search listing that reflects not only relevancy, but also compels the shopper to click and seek more information.

AirAsia - 24 Hours in Bandung

2010-08-25T18:54:00.004+08:00

Advertiser: AirAsia
Format: Microsite
Agency: FutureLab MYS
URL: www.airasia.com/24hoursinbandung

Description: If your challenge for this character called Felix is the most voted, you win tix and Felix will actually execute your challenge you've set for him to complete within 24 hours in Bandung.

Comment: FutureLabs was voted as The Next Big Thing in the 2010 Advertising & Marketing Magazine's Awards

The Mad Men Webinar For Marketers

2010-08-10T21:59:00.005+08:00

The season four premiere of Mad Men drew 2.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched season premiere of the Emmy-winning series. Its viewership was up 5 percent from the 2.76 million people who watched last season’s debut episode.

Guess everyone loves the 50s ad world of chain smoking, sleeping around, typewriter, Don Drapper clean cut suits and whatnot. The folks at Hubspot took an interesting approach in educating marketers (self-promo rather) by leveraging on Mad Men.

I especially liked the way they presented how 50s marketing campaigns were so dry compared to today's advertising. See how they compare Gillete 1960 vs Old Spice 2010 and Dodge 1960 vs Ford 2010.

Mad Men: The Webinar

View more presentations from HubSpot Internet Marketing.

What's the update with Bing and Yahoo?

2010-08-10T00:26:00.004+08:00

Yahoo! is well into its integration with Microsoft to make Bing its algorithmic search engine, but the Internet company is still responsible for the search user interface.

There is constant testing in its search powered features, with the goal of leveraging the new Search Alliance and ensuring the Bing integration is generating the best experience for their users.

On August 6th, Yahoo! mentioned that they are previewing Infinite Browse, a new module for Yahoo News that adds relevant search content, such as images, videos and slide shows below news stories. The idea is to give users more content without making them conduct a separate search.

It won't stop there. There will definitely be more tricks up their sleeves in their head-on fight with Search Engine giant, Google.

On a similar note, Internet Retailer revealed the following from their research in May 2010:

Trademark No More on Google

2010-08-06T00:08:00.000+08:00

It caused a stir didn't it? When Google and Advertisers were at each others necks about having the right to bid on other company's trademarks and using them in Google Ads. Under its previous policy, companies could file a trademark complaint to prevent any form of defamation of sort by third parties.

Well, things are about to change (in Europe at least). Google is to allow AdWords users in the UK, Canada and Ireland to incorporate trademark terms from third party brands in their ads.Google will still consider complaints from trademark owners of course, if they feel a third-party advertisement confuses people, which could lead to Google removing the offending ad.

One clear implication - more advertisers bidding on the same trademark terms will just make it more competitive (expensive) for the actual trademark owner. Looking at the bright side of things however, it just forces us to be more relevant which is the whole point of bidding on those trademark terms (which we should in the first place anyway). No point leading a guy looking to order flowers to a ad that claims to have flowers but has a site that sells shovels.

Who wins in this whole new move?
Searchers and Google. Searchers get more relevant choices and Google cashes in on whoever the advertiser.

If you've got some clients in Europe and have some questions already in mind, hope this helps:

Will you retroactively approve my ads that previously violated the trademark policy?
No, Google will not retroactively approve ads that were previously disapproved for trademark policy in the UK, Ireland, and Canada. You may resubmit any previously disapproved ads for re-review on or after September 14.

Is this a global change? What countries or regions are affected?
This policy only applies in the US (where the policy has existed since June 2009), the UK, Ireland, and Canada; it affects ads that target those countries only. No other countries or regions are affected by this change.

To which ad formats does this policy apply?
This policy only applies to text ads.

Free Phone Calls On Facebook

2010-08-04T21:34:00.003+08:00

Thanks to Vonage, we can now make free calls to our network of friends and family on Facebook.

The only "terms and conditions apply" bit I see is the data charges if you're using 3g.

But hey, this is fantastic and one heck of a way to save money on calls. Just download the app: Vonage Mobile for Facebook and login using your facebook account (if you don't have one yet...wake up! You don't know what you're missing).

Let me know how it works for you! And let me know if it's really FREE!

Download the app here. Available for Apple and Android. Soon available to iPad owners.

Share the Joy by Cadbury....not BMW

2010-07-31T15:12:00.003+08:00

Advertiser: Cadbury MYS
Format: Microsite / Social Media
Agency: IF Interactive
URL: www.sharethejoy.com.my

Google Arrives in Malaysia - Send in your resumes!

2010-07-22T12:15:00.004+08:00

Well well, after all the talk Google IS finally opening shop in Malaysia! And it's sooner than we think.

That's right. And according to my sources, they're already looking to hire Account Managers (minimum 5 years experience) and Account Strategists (2 - 3years experience).

If you're interested - holla at me. Just leave your name and email address here (Don't worry, I won't publish it).

Canon - Re-Think

2010-07-21T14:40:00.005+08:00

Advertiser: Canon MYS
Format: Microsite / Search
Agency: IF Interactive / iProspect
URL: www.canon.com.my

Description: This campaign is an effort to educate consumers the benefits of using Canon genuine ink.

Did You Know - Google Revenue

2010-07-20T19:48:00.003+08:00

Google makes over 95% of it’s revenues through advertising, and reported revenues of USD$6.77bn for Q1 2010.

Google buys over Metaweb

2010-07-20T01:45:00.004+08:00

My post moments ago had a point. If you've realised the value of Metaweb, you're not the only one. Google sees Metaweb as a way to improve Search and make the web richer and more meaningful for everyone. So, the Search giant has acquired it.

Google has been busy lately in looking at ways of augmenting the algorithmic methods it currently uses to provide search results. Could the Bing/Yahoo alliance be a "push" for them?

Anyway, Google says Metaweb will build on its rich snippets and search answers features, which show direct answers to consumers' queries at the top of pages.

SEO is about to change...

Have you met Metaweb?

2010-07-20T01:38:00.002+08:00

Metaweb is a service that help you build your website around entities and not just words.

Since 2005, Metaweb have been building the platform and populating data for our content integration network, which enables site owners, publishers and developers to easily and intelligently add content from across the Web.

It has information on over 11 million things, including movies, books, TV shows, celebrities, locations, companies and more.

There's a point for this post.

Congratulations Starbucks on your 10 Millionth!

2010-07-17T01:14:00.004+08:00

Found out today that Starbucks reached a fantastic milestone on Facebook. 10 million fans! A feat no other consumer brand has achieved yet. Simply awesome!

How could Starbucks have possibly achieve this you ask? Constant engagement. From free coupons to more free coupons and from privileged "taste challenges" right to stimulating discussion around the brand (CONSTANTLY!). They've made social media an integral component of its marketing mix.

What an icon!

Google. Mouse. Search Ranking.

2010-07-16T18:06:00.004+08:00

Very very interesting. Google apparently has been granted patent for "System and method for modulating search relevancy using pointer activity monitoring". In English, that would be: The way you point your mouse plays a role in the search rankings.

Google intends analyze information about where on a search results page we hover our mouse cursor, presumably showing them what we were sort of interested in but never actually clicked through on.

If I searched for "how to make money" and my mouse hovered longer on a result that's in say position 3 for a long time, but I ended up clicking on position 1, then I re-Searched my phrase again, then the #3 listing would be considered in the algorithm of how my next results page would be.

So, if the logic behind this is that the longer your mouse hovers would mean a positive opinion about relevancy? I'm not quite convinced. What If I was on the phone and left the cursor hanging there?

At the end of the day, it's all about Re-Targeting. And that's where I think the Search industry is headed towards. After all, it's about refinement. Refinement of messaging, Search methods, targeting and technology.

But thinking back to the topic which came up at SES San Jose (2009)in a keynote presentation from Nick Fox, Google’s business product management director for AdWords, he outlined where paid search could be in the next 5 to 10 years. And he did mention about paid search without keyword terms. Is Google seriously looking into it?

AdWords Broad Match Modifier Now Globally Available

2010-07-15T10:52:00.009+08:00

And again...Google rolls out another AdWords feature globally after a said to be successful beta test in UK and Canada. Introducing...the AdWords Broad Match Modifier. Search practinioners, this should tickle your senses a bit.

So what is it? It's simply a targeting feature that lets you create keywords which have greater reach than phrase match and more control than broad match. Best of both worlds huh?

Google claims that by adding modified broad match keywords to your campaign can help you get more clicks and conversions at an attractive ROI (I've got to try this out myself).

How to implement it? Just put a plus symbol (+) directly in front of the keyword.

Warning: If you mainly use broad match keywords in your account, you should know that switching your existing broad match keywords to modified broad match will likely lead to a significant decline in your click and conversion volumes and will not directly improve Quality Score. (WHAT THE?!)

To maintain volume, keep existing broad match keywords active, add new modified broad match keywords, and adjust bids to achieve your target ROI based on the results you see.

Happy trying!

Conversations at Cannes 2010 - Fleishman Hillard

2010-07-14T22:56:00.003+08:00

Martha Boudreau shares what good communication is and stresses PR agencies to step up in entries at Cannes. Just for your information, PR entries for Cannes were up 35% this year.

Senior Citizens are on Facebook

2010-07-13T22:47:00.001+08:00

Believe it! According to a survey by Silver Group, there are some 35 million older consumers who regularly access social networking sites. Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia, out of 13 countries surveyed, showed almost 80% of Internet users aged 55 and above using sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Top Online Properties in APAC

2010-07-12T22:35:00.004+08:00

ComScore just released its May 2010 ranking of top online properties in the Asia Pacific region based on Media Metrix. Let's dig into this then shall we?

Google Sites ranked as the most visited property in the region, reaching 270 million unique visitors during the month, followed by Microsoft Sites with 218.5 million visitors and Yahoo! Sites with 205 million visitors. Google Sites led as the most-visited property in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, while Yahoo! Sites attracted the most visitors in Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan.

I'm Back

2010-07-12T11:54:00.002+08:00

Sorry for the absence folks. I attempted to disconnect myself to the digital world in foreign country for a week. I'm surprised I could live without by Blackberry and Facebook.

I'll be posting updates soon enough, Thanks for all the support and patience.

Online Creatives

Google Homepage Revamp coming up

2011 Wrap Up - Tweets of the Year

2011 Wrap Up - Keywords of the Year

Kancil Awards 2011

Capital FM 88.9

How Many SMSes are sent daily?

Google+ for Brands - Are you considering it?

Awards - Festival of Media Asia Awards 2011

Sony Cybershot - The Perfect Shot

Awards - Campaign Digital Media Awards Malaysian Winners

Pizza Hut - Can U Handle The Cheese?

Pernod Ricard - Be in Control

Top Websites in Malaysia - October 2011

Awards - Campaign Digital Media Awards Malaysian Shortlists

Sony Cybershot - Sony ME + T.WE by If Isobar

Google +1 Button Hits Display Ads

Spikes Didn't Spring out for Malaysian Digital Creativity

73% of Malaysians indicate online ads made life easier!

Dutch Lady Milk - Friso Miracle of Love Womb

Phone Calls from Your Gmail - over 150 destinations

Malaysian Airlines - MAS Traveller

A Google Study - Bidding on Branded Terms

Where's the Wonderwheel?

iProperty - Augmented Reality Floor Plan

Google Bags the Cyber Lions Grand Prix?

Cannes Lions 2011 - Cyber Lions

Info Snapshot

Liew San Yen - Views On The Whole 1.8 million Facebook Thingy

Email Behaviour in Malaysia Drops

Job Post - Digital Marketing Interns

Ad Sitelinks Gets a Tweak

Which European Country has the most Web Users?

Job Post - Search Marketer (Specialized)

The Internet and Osama's Death

AdWords now with a Twist

Coffee Break with Birdie Ting, IF Interactive

Aegis Media - We Love Japan

Mystery Ad on Yahoo Malaysia and YouTube

Black Cats and April Fools

When to Send Emails?

Matt Cutts on the Google SEO Report Card

BMW Diesel Ad

Firefox 4 Trumps Internet Explorer 9

AdFest 2011 - Naga DDB

Customers want Delivery Tracking

MINI - At Large

Facebook Marketing Metrics

People Following Brands on Facebook

Human Firecrackers - Euro RSCG Malaysia

See RabbIF Draw - Happy CNY

Lowe - New Identity, New Logo

Podcast - Yahoo! Search Marketing via BFM

Axe Police

Immerse - Light Up

Mashable - Attention Grabbing

Maybank - 2 Cards Challenge

Proton - The Rallye to Monte-Carlo

Social network users now easy targets for criminals

5 Search Marketing Trends for 2011

Popular SEO Myths

Top 10 YouTube Videos of all Time

2010 Wrap Up for Digital Malaysia

Grey acquires a Golden Egg

Mobile Apps are booming

Awards - Adoi Magazine Bags Cover of the Year

YTL - Yes

Digi - What Berry Are You?

The Kancil Awards 2010 rocked

Your Web Analytics may have gone Bonkers

Kancil Around the Corner

What Digital Media Exposure Creates

Mashable - Attention Grabbing

Mobile Paid Search: How and Why

YouTube Play - The Shortlisted Entries

JobPost: SEO Specialist

Newspapers and the Digital Newspapers

Announcement - Microsoft and Yahoo

Upgrade Your TV. Time for Google TV Part 3

OCBC - Titanium Credit Card