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The 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing Blog

Best practices, training and innovations in Digital Strategy.

Choosing Complimentary Colors

January 25, 2012 – 5:59 pm
Aurélien Uster
 

Choosing complimentary colors is a gift innate in many. The ability to pick various colors and gradients that appeal to a large variety of people is what makes many people great interior designers, fashion designers, and web designers.

Creative collateral serves two purposes. First and foremost, it has to be able to garner the attention of the consumer. A logo for instance, has to rely on its basic shape and color to be noticeable from a distance and at a quick glance. Then it has appeal to the consumer for a long enough time to effectively guide their eyes through its message. In digital marketing, these messages often act as an instantaneous call to action – a precursor to a successful conversion.

The importance of solid creative cannot be underestimated. Color contrasts are chosen at times for particular reasons. There’s an old rumor of a fast food giant that uses alternating colors to promote desired consumer action. Red and yellow were rumored to have been chosen for their abilities to quickly grab the attention of a potential consumer.

The colors were also said to have tested positively for hungry customers (red) and to then successfully turn them off to the point of leaving their facilities upon finishing their meal. This was based on the time spent looking at the unfavorable tint of yellow in contrast to red. While the colors used to pull them in were bright and vibrant, and same colors used indoors carried a slightly duller tint. As the consumer leaves the facilities, they have freed up space for a new customer, improving the restaurant’s turnaround time, allowing them to seat more, serve more, and thus earn more.

Weather this was an implied strategy or not, it’s no secret that something as simple as two colors together can influence the way in which a person views, reads, and interacts with a website, a banner, and more. Colors that promote various actions and deliver conversions require various degrees of market testing. Having a wide range of variations to choose from is where any designer wants to start. For those that have a limited imagination outside their current train of thought, the Color Scheme Designer can help you mix things up.

Here is a quick tutorial to guide you through the website that may be very useful:

You can choose the background color with your mouse (step 1) and then compare the different combinations given when you pick 1, 2, 3 or 4 colors (step 2). As you choose the first color, you will be able to see immediately the complementary colors given by the website (step 3).

When you like a color combination, you can click “Light page preview” or “Dark page preview” (step 4) to see how those colors would look like on a web page, as it will display a fake web page using the colors you have picked.

If you like those colors, put your mouse over them (step 5) to get the color code and start using them!

Finally, the top menu allows you to choose from various options (such as RGB or Web colors), to randomize a palette to get a complete random range of colors. It also even allows you to export your palette in order to use later (you can export it as a HTML+CSS file, an XML file or even a Photoshop or GIMP palette)

Remember to use these popular color variations to perform AB and multivariate testing on your website. This can be done simply with Google Website Optimizer. While you can test for several things on any page you want, the webpage color scheme that allows for the lowest bounce rate, the highest conversions, and most time spent on your site is probably the winner!

 

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Friday Fun: Eight Epic Retro Games

January 20, 2012 – 11:07 am
Damjan Arsovski
 

 


Do you remember these retro video games that many of you used to play as a child? Few of the readers will not recall these games, but many will remember the endless hours they’ve spent trying to get to the next level on Final Fight or to act like the best team on Earth while playing  Cadillacs & Dinosaurs or Metal Slug.

 

Below are some of the top 8 retro arcade games that I could remember… let me know in the comments if you can think of any other awesome arcade game that I’m missing…

FYI: If you would like to go back in time and play these games, there’s an app for that! :) ) j/k, visit rom-world.com and download the MAME emulator. Then download a .zip file of the game you want to play and add it to the Roms directory in Mame32 folder and enjoy. Do not forget to configure your buttons and use 1 to insert coins.
Final Fight

Super Pang

Tumblepop

Snow Bros

Bubble Bobble

Cadillacs & Dinosaurs

Metal Slug

Street Fighter II

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Daily Deals will Die by 2016, says Forrester’s report

November 21, 2011 – 7:47 pm
Damjan Arsovski
 

By 2016, advertisers will be spending $77 billion on interactive marketing, as much as they do on TV nowadays, the interactive marketing components (SEM, display ads, mobile, e-mail marketing and social media) will grow to 35% of all advertising spend as they get highly involved in the marketing mix, and the daily deals will switch from winners to losers… these are some of the interesting predictions in the latest US Interactive Marketing Forecast, 2011 to 2016 published by the Forrester Research Group.

The forecast, free to download, explains that in the upcoming years, advertisers will spend more money on interactive marketing because of the excitement about emerging media, the effectiveness of the interactive marketing and the overall customer obsession with online media and mobile devices.

Forrester Interactive Marketing Report Research
The report contains many interesting predictions, some of them a bit controversial and very doubtful, but still worth taking them in consideration when working on your next strategies and business spending.

Beside concentrating on the mobile and social media expansions, one part of the report that I really was surprised to see was the prediction that the daily deals would die.

The reason for this statement, Forrester is putting in these words:

“Standing out above the clutter becomes harder for marketers as ad exposures grow. So some marketers unable to differentiate will rely on spontaneous coupons through more and more urgent Groupon-like “daily deals” as one way to drive notice. Consumers will grow so conditioned to micro-impulse offers that they’ll lose practice at considered decisions — in all walks of life, not just when buying spa treatments. Facing a cultural descent into maladroit judgment, employers (and spouses) will blacklist impulse deals to keep people intentional.”

Controversal, but yet very interesting forecast. What do you think?

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Microsoft’s New Operating System Windows-8 Developer Preview in both x86 and x64

September 15, 2011 – 2:54 pm
Mohsin Sharief
 

Microsoft starts to promote its next Windows operating system at the Developer-focused, ‘BUILD’ conference in Los Angeles, CA. The Company is guiding and encouraging software developers to create new applications for the next generation operating system.

Steven Sinofsky, President of Windows says that a device with an old Atom processor and 1GB RAM would be enough to run Windows-8, even Windows-7 can run well on that configuration. Windows-8 has improved on system performance and speed on more powerful devices – tablet computers, Mobile Devices, desktop and laptop PC’s. The operating system which is due to released in 2012, works with ARM low power processors. The company will soon reveal details on the chips that will be integrated into desktop and laptop machines.

Microsoft Corp. is also planning to launch its own marketplace; “Windows Store” for Tablet PC’s as well mobile devices. It is being introduced with number of Metro-style apps. The company is ahead of its growing competition in the mobile device and Tablet sectors.

Microsoft President Steven Sinofsky showcased some of the new changes at BUILD. Internet Explorer’s new version-10 will be able to switch between the standard desktop view and Metro style UI. The design language applications of Windows-7 are now easily compatible to run through Windows-8 devices. Sky-Drive storage supports integrated cloud based applications like Mail, Calendar and apps with the user’s Windows Live ID, which will have the new Metro UI process.

Windows has been controlling its growth due to market competition. The global market for Desktop Systems and laptops are slower than in the past, whereas for tablets – they are expected to reach over 70 million at the end of this year and grow up to 300 million in 2015.

For more discussions and conversations about Windows-8, please head over to the forums: http://win8.ms/forums

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Websites Made of Pure Chocolate

September 7, 2011 – 2:13 pm
Damjan Arsovski
 

If you were told that in order to promote your product better you should make a website made only of real images of your products, you might throw out that idea as insane… but shortly after we show you these two awesome case studies, I’m sure you will reconsider your initial decision and will be more open to such creative suggestions.

Whittaker’s Chocolate, a New Zealand chocolatier and the Portuguese Sagres Preta, maker of chocolate stout beer, bravely decided to create their website only using chocolate, their main ingredient.

Everything from the interface design to the navigation and the social icons on their website is made of chocolate!

 

The idea is brilliant, and with this approach these two companies are showing that advertising should be fun and honest, not boring, false or evil.

To better promote this initiative, the companies also accompanied the campaign with videos of how the websites were done – from idea to execution. Check out one of the videos that went viral on the web:

Delicious, isn’t it!? :)
If you would like to reinvent your own website and find a creative way to promote your products like these two brave companies, feel free to get in touch with us.

As a final thought, I’ll just share this excellent quote from the great Jerry Della Femina, who said:

“I honestly believe that advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.”

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LinkedIn Stats & Demographics, July 2011

August 8, 2011 – 9:57 am
Damjan Arsovski
 

After the recent IPO, LinkedIn decided to post their financial results and stats for the second quarter of 2011. During Q2, LinkedIn managed to get record amount of users, unique visits and pageviews.

With more than 115,8 million users and counting, about 61% increase compared to same period last year, and revenue of $121 million in Q2/11, compared to $54,9 million in 2010,  this professional social network is really onto something….

Check out the following First Earnings Announcement PPT by Jeff Weiner and Steve Sordello for more details on how this social network is becoming a key player in the online business world:

Furthermore, take a look at the following PPT by Amodiovalerio Verde, in which he outlines some very interesting stats about LinkedIn, such as:

  • 58,5% of the 116 million users are male
  • The users from the following 10 countries represent 80% of all LinkedIn members: US, India, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Netherlands, France, Australia, Italy and Spain
  • About 68% of users come from Europe and North America
  • Almost 50% of the users have titles such as managers, principals, owners, CEOs or vice presidents
  • About 40% of the users work in companies with more than 10,000 employees

For more LinkedIn facts, check out:

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New Version of iPhone Expected in Quarter 3

July 6, 2011 – 12:16 pm
Mohsin Sharief
 

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has placed orders for key components to be used in next-generation’s iPhone to prepare for a third quarter launch.

The newer version of iPhone is expected to be thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4 and said to have an 8-mega pixel camer. The iPhone will operate with Qualcomm Inc.’s wireless baseband chips, a person familiar with the matter tells the Wall Street Journal.

A source at one of Apple’s suppliers says the company is looking to meet its goal of 25M units by the end of this year-2011. Apple said it sold 18.65 million iPhones in the fiscal second quarter, which ended March 26. Last month after returning from a trip to Taiwan, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty said Apple will commence production on the next version of the iPhone this August.

Shipments of the new iPhone could be delayed if Hon Hai can’t improve its yield rate as the new iPhone is “complicated and difficult to assemble, the WSJ says.

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Weekly Blueliner Newsminer

July 1, 2011 – 4:37 pm
Abdul Fattah Ismail
 

Welcome to a holiday version of the Weekly Blueliner Newsminer.  I wish everyone safe travels during this festive moment in time.  I have a few things to run through, so let’s get started.

1.  Twitter Elevates an Unfinished Book to No. 1

Indiana author John Green hasn’t finished his next manuscript. It won’t be published until early next year. Nevertheless, his social media community is feverishly waiting.  According to the headline from the Journal, Amazon and Barnes and Noble’s e-commerce portals have the writer of Paper Towns as a No. 1 entry due to endless viral connections.  Publishers have long known that social media can be influential in delivering written content. Like any industry, however, the segmentation is affected on a greater basis than other penetration. Green already has his young-adult base entrenched through online lead generation. Publishers, be careful who you tweet.

2.  MySpace Sold For a Note

NewsCorp sold the once seminal MySpace to an online advertising firm for $35 million.  The media giant was seeking offers above $100 million, but nobody took the bait.  MySpace’s descent into digital oblivion is hardly shocking anymore. It lost relevancy once Facebook rose to public conscience in 2008.  Several cases of digital pedophilia also soured the website for users. It’s hackneyed website design also did not help matters.  Specific Media along with entertainer Justin Timberlake look to refurbish the company’s value and open it to public bidding.  It may be too late to replenish the brand, but people are trying.

3.  Marketers Using More Psychographic Data

Jamie Beckland discusses the fragmentation of today’s generation. He argues that due to all the new digital measurement tools which graph human behavior in more sophisticated contexts, we have psychographic profiles instead of demographic. Demographic profiles were targeted by mass-marketed producers.  I highly recommend reading the article by clicking on the headline. Fascinating.

4.  Google In the News

Techland has more of the details on Google’s system wide website redesign.  Executives want the interface to represent a cleaner, minimal aesthetic.  These were segmented into “Preview” and “Preview” (Dense).

Google is still trying to gain market share from Facebook and released Google + this week. The search engine has thrown the kitchen sink at the social media sector, to only come up short.  I think history repeats itself. Wired has a sobering take on the whole ordeal.

5.  I’m The Tax Man

Today in California, a new state law levies a tax on affiliate advertising. The law was intended to break up a huge business revenue stream from e-commerce giants like Amazon.  CEO Jeff Bezos made clear that the U.S. Constitution protects interstate merchants from state legislation.  I’ve spoken here a few times about the impact of e-commerce on state coffers. They feel it by customers avoiding brick-and-mortar shops and saving fuel by navigating with a point and closing with a click. The debate will only grow larger once venerable institutions are stuck with declining property mortgages.

That’s the Blue news for now. Keep it clean.

 

 

 

 

 

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Ad Click Of The Day: Walker’s Crisps

June 27, 2011 – 4:21 pm
Abdul Fattah Ismail
 

The small town of Sandwich, England is described by their citizens as ‘lovely, but boring’. Nestled in the Port of Kent, the town has architecture dating nearly a thousand years in age. The marketers at Walkers, the English snack company under Pepsico, engaged the citizens with a witty cross-promotion of celebrities like Pamela Anderson, an English boy band called JLS, and Formula 1 driver Jenson Button. You can learn more about the vision right here from the marketing director. Creativity Online writes a critique about the Grand Prix Jury ruling this one a winner.

Video content was distributed throughout the cyberspace on social media channels. Traditional ad spots also ran on the radio and television. The brand positioning is rather obvious but still clever. This particular campaign won accolades at the Cannes Grand Prix for its creative effectiveness. I couldn’t have said it better.

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Google Speeds Up The Web

June 17, 2011 – 12:04 pm
Abdul Fattah Ismail
 

In this video above, a Google programmer discusses the enhancements in language to their search algorithm, which speeds up the search query to handle the rise of mobile data transfers. The UI now also includes the ability to search by image pulled from your files or pages. Ad Age also notes of another innovation named Google Instant for Pages. The search giant will pre-load the predicted page in user results based on prior queries, saving approximately 10 seconds. More so than classified advertising, this new technology will drive up the value of banner advertising, as the number of impressions will rise for a user. Unfortunately, the test can only happen on the Chrome server. Holders of that portal should pass along feedback. Here’s another video.

Such an increased speed of a visual search algorithm foreshadows some developments for the future of the query experience. A future where SEO could be rendered obsolete. It should also prove advantageous for producers of video content, as load times will decrease with processor improvement. I also think that access to a wider range of personalized video content will improve, and do not be surprised if Netflix applies these tools to its query dashboard.

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