- Oh Google, how would us simple earthlings survive without you? Just when you thought the Tech Super Company couldn’t possibly get any more flash, it appears that the wonder women and men of Google have yet again activated their unique brainpower and skills, to give us Google Travel. The new desktop app puts flights, hotels and vacation packages alongside a range of trip-planning tools & recommendations, all in one place. The features are also accessible via Google Search and Google Maps, making Google Maps even more of a SuperApp for all your travel, events, dining adventures and more. Yep, looks like they’ve rescued us again and made life on “Google Earth” better for all, once more. We can’t wait to test it out.
See what Google’s Vice President, Richard Holden has to say about the new app here: www.blog.google/products/flights-hotels/planning-trip-google-can-help/
- Since climate change and the environment was a real hot topic this election, we can’t help but ask… how environmentally friendly was the election itself? Think of it, we have a whopping 15,696,874 enrolled voters in Australia… That’s 31,393,748 pieces of ballot paper being handed out on election day. Not to mention the endless plastic and paper marketing collateral that mailed and handed out over the campaigning period.
Sadly, the reality is that aside from ‘how-to vote’ cards, most flyers, postcards and other paper campaign collateral will go straight in the bin, (followed by a most disgruntled “sigh” from the Australian public). Research shows that people today (particularly the younger voter generation, A.K.A – those who are more likely to ‘swing vote’), are far more receptive to digital marketing such as social media marketing, influencer marketing, EDMs etc. So how ‘bout it Australian Political Parties, is it time to switch out the paper for digital marketing?
- This month one of the most critical Game of Thrones deaths occurred, the show itself. The world’s more popular show has finally come to an end after eight years, with the finale fetching a record smashing 16.5million viewers in one day. But what does this mean for Foxtel, now that they’ve lost their major viewer draw card? It appears that Foxtel has immediately gone on the offensive after the GOT season finale, urging people to consider “life after” the show… Whether it’s new streaming allowances, application updates, clever marketing activities or something else, only time will tell whether they can now maintain their place on the streaming-platform Iron Throne, or if they’ll now enter a more Ned Stark-like state.
- Do you ever get a taste of jealousy, angst or even upset as a result of receiving a lower ‘like’ count when compared to your prospective Insta-community pals? If you do, you’re apparently not alone. Instagram has officially started testing hiding like counts, while making follower counts much less prominent in the hopes that the platform can become a place for self-expression, instead of a ‘popularity contest’. Since the change will likely impact on how posts are ranked in the feed, we expect that newcomer brands or influencers may now have a hard time breaking into the Insta-market once the update comes into full swing. Don’t worry though, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this one for you over the coming months.
- Our favourite DIY online graphic design tool Canva, is now valued at 3.6million. “We’ve seen incredible uptake from millions of people all around the world, with organisations of all sizes, from small businesses to Fortune 500s, using Canva every day,” said Canva co-founder and CEO Melanie Perkins. And it seems like there’s only good things to come from the organisation. With rumours of content, community and commerce-focused improvements being put on the agenda for Canva soon.
- Facebook is just a short step away from rolling out it’s “Clear History” Feature, an addition that has come in response to the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal. Since the feature will now allow users to separate their internet browsing history from their profiles, this means that audience targeting for relevant advertisers will now be made a far more murky and difficult feat, than it has ever been before. Unsurprisingly, King of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg may take a significant hit as a result of the change, with Facebook making 99% of its revenue from advertising. He’s urged businesses using the platform to “keep this in mind when developing strategies for these kinds of campaigns in the second half of the year and beyond”.
- DID YOU KNOW: 50% of small businesses do not have a marketing plan. This statistic has come to light in a recent study on small business owners, who noted they were reciprocally 62% as stressed, or more stressed, about their business when compared to last year. The key feedback was that owners were either unsure of how to plan or grow their business, they spent less than 5% of annual revenue on marketing, and over 58% spent five hours or less on marketing each week. Although it may not seem like a priority, take it from us – even a little more time and money invested in marketing can go a VERY long way.
For example, of the study respondents, those who invested just 5-10% more of their annual revenue in marketing, said they experienced significant revenue growth the following year.
Sound familiar? If you’re looking for more marketing guidance or help, get in touch: threesides.com.au/contact-us/
And that’s a wrap! Watch this space each month for up to date marketing insights.
