Agora Media Group Innovation Blog

Almost a year passed by since I wrote The 3 Fundaments of Online Strategy.
Since then much has rapidly evolved, ubiquity is becoming a new standard.
New media devices are being released which expands the amount of channels and touch points for consumers. This challenges companies on a fast pace, keeping up with (technical/cultural) developments in order to offer that what consumers demand.

Emphasis must be put on mobile devices and how they change and add value to the marketing strategy.
The Online Strategy extends from the computer to all sorts of mobile devices which are being increasingly used in daily lives.

Every screen consists an application of its own three fundaments, moulding it in an integral marketing strategy.
The key is not to copy, but apply those aspects which fit the device and purpose/usage by user. Sometimes it means that it won’t be implemented, sometimes it does.

A good example is Linkedin. There’s a huge difference in purpose and final execution when you look at the “desktop” website and the iPhone app.
Another example is Lonely Planet, rapidly expanding its media exposure to the iPhone and iPad, it aren’t copies of their books or their core website. Both are well adapted products to the needs of the users in relation to the -mobile- device.
The company goes further though, it introduced as well the Lonely Planet Compass guides, an Augmented Reality application, again for the mobile device but with another purpose. The Compass Guides are a good example of the power and relevance of Location Based Services, it will grow in importance when we take into account the key mobile trend and technical pre-conditions by Morgan Stanley.
Last but not least, don’t underestimate the rise of Social TV, an extra screen to reach your target groups.

When the expanded functional strategy is formulated, be sure to evaluate your strategic options against Johnson and Scholes’ model of success criteria (Suitability, Feasibility, Acceptibility).
To reference to the hype around Social Media, jumping the bandwagon just because others do, is not based on strategic decision-making and it could harm the brand and corporate strategy overall.
It’s important to understand that this is just the beginning of mobile and understanding the effect on growth strategies and opportunities is a first step.

What’s your opinion on the expanding amount of channels and -possible- touch points with your target groups?

Great graphic by Randy Krum who created his personal infographic.

Of course, not everybody has all these devices, but it’s clear that we’re become increasingly mechanized beings and have many extensions that are belonging to the daily repertoire.
With the rise of the smartphone and other convergent devices, many activities can be completed at anytime and anywhere. This only will increase in the future due to more advanced processors/hardware and societal diffusion of technology in general.

What are your thoughts on the digitalization of society?
Do you adhere the Transhumanist view, that science and technology improve human lives and want to intertwine it as much as possible?
Or do you adhere the Modern World critics view which see an advancement in technology as an involution of the human being?
Or somewhere in between?

Today, February 3rd, game developer Paladin Studios has launched EnerCities. It is an online game in which players are challenged to build a sustainable city. It will run online (www.enercities.eu) and on Facebook, and is available in six European languages. The game is part of an educational platform dealing with energy issues, backed by European Commission funding of €1 million. read more

The Online Strategy encompasses those elements of the business- and marketing strategy that must be employed to contribute efficiently and effectively to its goals.

As for all strategies, the Online Strategy should consider the brand, the target audience, products & services and the positioning of the brand. ( read also The Content – Context Diarchy to understand the relation between offer and context in the online landscape )
Be it on an overarching level or on execution level (see the three parts below), consistency is key to achieve brand recognition.
It’s tempting to divert from this focus because the Internet offers lots of possibilities which can be applied, but not neccesarily relevant and this non-relevancy might cause a distanciation of the target audience.

The online strategy for your business can be divided in three main fundaments:
* Website Strategy
* Internet Strategy
* Social Strategy
read more

What is your top 3 with regard to Marketing, Internet, eCommerce etc, which we need to look out for next year, or where you think emphasis will be put on?

My personal top 3 is:

* Mobile marketing/applications (Social & Augmented Reality)
* Social TV, with a focus on concepts to further develop convergence of the TV, Mobile and Computer screen (“whatever screen works”)
* Further diffusion and software development for social media purposes

Do discuss in Google Wave as well, below.

Google Wave will launch in less than a day, on the 30th of September more than 100.000 invites will be send out.
The new real-time platform will certainly impact all of us how we will communicate and collaborate, as set forth in our article Google Wave: The Nexus of Communication.

So who will be amongst the 100.000+ lucky ones who will get an invite for Google Wave?
As set forth on the Google blog it will be:
read more