FRIDAYS AT FOUR Volume Nine Issue Three

FRIDAYS AT FOUR
Volume Nine Issue Three
March 23, 2012
News from GF Strategies
www.gfstrategies.com

News comes from the CMO for Proctor and Gamble about how they staff their digital media department:

• “We go out, create an event, talk about it, push it out, through broadcast and digital. Then we have community managers who are amplifying the discussion, engaging on Facebook, You Tube and things like Twitter. That is the way our 2012 social media strategy will work”—Marc Pritchard.

Another quote from the same article: “WE are trying to measure return on investment from all of our digital efforts. WE are working on defining EGRP’s (Electronic Gross Rating Points) We want to get to a place where we can start to have a common platform measurement” –Wall Street Journal.

• This comes from a discussion about the changing expectations of customers in Hub Magazine: ‘Shoppers have become so use to immediacy in the online world that they now expect it offline as well. There are opportunities to create more immediacy at retail” –Tina Manikas Draftfcb agency
• Another article also from Hub Magazine describes the changes in what Facebook has become. “Back then, two or three years ago it was all about seeing your college friends, what your high school’s ex spouse looked like. Facebook is not what it used to be. Its become just another way to be bombarded by brands and messaging”—Catapult Marketing
• A new term emerged in thee past two weeks—semantic technology. Google reported it is updating its search formula will now do a better job of matching search inquiries with a database containing hundreds of millions of “entities”—people, places and things—which the company has quietly amassed in the past two years. Semantic search can help associate different words with one another. According to Google, search will look more like “how humans understand the world” –Wall Street Journal
• Food trucks are the hottest trend in the mobile food business. The University of Washington has five trucks in its food fleet. “The number one key has been their location in the two highest volume areas on campus”. Concepts on the trucks include Motosurf, Sigarios (Tex Mex), Hot Dawgs, Curb Side 8 and Red Square BBQ. –Food Management News
• This news comes in the form of four kinds of optimists when asked about our current economy…There are pan-optimists (about 20 percent of optimists), Personal Optimists (largest segment about 37 percent) Family Optimists (19 percent) and Pan-Pessimists (25 percent) –AdWeek Magazine
• Another new way for web sites to accept credit cards has emerged. Called Stripe, the new company lets web developers and size accept and build a network for storing information. Stripe handles the dirty work, checking for fraud, processing the payment and takes a fee of 2.9 percent and 30 cents. The merchant gets a deposit seven days later, which is a concern. –Business Week
• The all inclusive ticket idea is emerging at arenas and venues. Timmons Arena at Furman University reports using this ticket to allow the attendees to enjoy with the ticket unlimited concessions at the game. The key of course is volume. We needed more fans to come to games as well as reduce the average consumption. The results so far—positive.. The individual sales per game average has increased by 214%.-Facility Manager magazine
• USA Technologies reports that their EPort system for vending continues to grow. Started in 2000, the company recently introduced two-tier pricing, and a new cashless payment system that will feature prepaid, loyalty and gift card options. The vending machines will be equipped with readers that can interact with NFC enabled cell phones. This will allow USAT to offer cutting edge services including location based promotions emailed or sent via text to patrons on their mobile devices.—Vending Times
• Here are some of the trends reported as hot in the latest issue of Food Management News—Chefs in Schools, local sourcing, farm to cafeteria, onsite gardens, gluten free meals, sustainability and wellness programs. Listed as holding are composting/recycling, online ordering, cashless payments, local restaurant brands, organic and sustainable food. Cooling are low carb diets, high fructose corn syrup, large portions and fryers, and a big one just a few years ago trans fats.—Food Management News
• A recent study found that mobile users were far more active during the 2011 Holiday The reasons listed for this—consumers trust the opinions of fellow consumers, and the more digital the consumer, the more these online opinions matter. Sephora, a large cosmetics retailer, allows shoppers to browse product reviews, and see reviews by category, key word or even SKU –Ad Week
• This advice comes for those creating content for digital and the smartphone—“you have to be rich and mobile with your content”. “The major advantage is the immediacy of mobile interaction” –Ad Week
• Many pro sports teams are now using firms to manage the mobile device communications with their fans. Phizzle, one of these firms helps the Cleveland Cavaliers deliver fan-requested content, like game schedules and team statistics. “its all about selling eyeballs, and mobile brings it down to the individual level”—Stephen McDaniel, University of Maryland… —NY Times
• Our book recommendation for this issue is Imagine by Jonah Lehrer.

Our quote for this issue comes from a book by Harvey Mackay—“Failure is not falling down, but staying down.

• WE will have reports from the upcoming Consumer Technology and Engagement World convention in San Francisco in our next issue, and some news that will emerge from the digital signage and consumer engagement worlds and how to stand out with your move to the ever changing digital world.

Company News:GF Strategies is pleased to announce that we have been named to consult for a growing group of family entertainment centers in the Pacific Northwest. WE will be working to help current two venues as they expand to Boise Idaho with their digital signage installs, and other signage and mobile phone engagements. The firm renewed agreements with the Benton Franklin Fair and a new agreement with the Clark County Fair.