Digital

Global media and entertainment CEOs are optimistic about the digital future and expect digital revenue will be a rapidly increasing percentage of overall revenue for companies, according to Ernst & Young’s latest CEO study Opportunity and optimism: How CEOs are embracing digital growth. The report reveals that approximately half of all CEOs surveyed believe digital will increase their overall revenues and margins by at least 10% within the next three years.

As the 2012 election cycle approaches its peak of activity across all campaign levels and as the market for election advertising is estimated to top $10 billion, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released timely findings from the “Elections 2012 and Political Ad Spend Survey,” conducted in collaboration with Campaigns & Elections Magazine. The results show an increase in political ad spending across digital platforms, while also revealing political consultants’ appetite for more precise measurement and analytics tools.

el Jimador launched a Lucha Libre-themed Facebook campaign featuring Jimi “el Jimador” luchador as a vehicle to share the brand’s story and convey its unique personality and attributes. Jimi is a jimador by day (an agave harvester) and a luchador by night, (a Mexican masked wrestler).

Ernst & Young surveyed CEOs from global entertainment and media companies for a September 2012 study on digital growth and found that while social media has a solid position within these companies, many CEOs are more bullish on mobile and tablets for future growth.

The Federal Trade Commission has published a guide to help mobile application developers observe truth-in-advertising and basic privacy principles when marketing new mobile apps. The FTC’s new publication, “Marketing Your Mobile App: Get It Right from the Start,” notes that there are general guidelines that all app developers should consider.

Limelight Networks, Inc. released results from a recent survey that confirms that the development and implementation of regional websites is a strategic, high-priority initiative for both B2B and B2C companies. In a survey of 200 U.S.-based CMOs and VPs of Marketing, respondents stated that they are adding multiple regional websites and languages within the next year to build global brand awareness and drive revenue. However, respondents noted challenges to efficiently adding and managing regional websites, including lack of sufficient internal human, technical, and budgetary resources.

The digital media business is evolving so fast that the roles for people are changing very quickly. In some cases, people have migrated to adjacent industries. Others have so closely tracked the transformation of media into a technology business that they now essentially work for tech companies. And a few have left media and advertising altogether.

The effect of online video on the purchase cycle appears to be strengthening, particularly in the apparel sector. According to a study conducted by Google and Compete, four in 10 online shoppers visited a store or retailer website as a result of watching apparel videos online.

Did you know that 36% of AOL’s revenues come from online display ads served on their sites? This represents more than one–third of all AOL revenues and sheds light on the fact that ads are a viable revenue stream for website publishers that will not disappear anytime soon. It’s time to face the facts that online ads drive a majority of revenue for website publishers both large and small.

Companies around the world are looking outside their home countries for new markets to penetrate, and digital channels can make doing so easier. A website can reach potential customers around the world—as can a presence on Facebook, Twitter or other social networks. But without content customized for different regions and languages, a digital presence can seem lacking.

A new analysis from the recently updated Hispanic InsightCenter by BIGinsight identifies key digital media behavioral differences between Hispanics 18+ and Non-Hispanics 18+. Hispanics tend to be more digital-savvy than their Non-Hispanic counterparts. In addition to face-to-face communication, they are using social media and mobile technology to give and seek advice about products and services, which affects how media should be allocated when marketing to this consumer group.

The age of Big Data is upon us, but executives are lagging behind in maximizing the value of the reams of information now at their disposal. With data collection and storage growing easier, the greater challenge will lie in parsing the data for meaningful insights. A March–April survey of North American C-suite executives by Oracle found that six in 10 respondents considered their organizations unprepared to handle all the data being collected, and more than nine in 10 thought a failure to capitalize on the benefits offered by data translated to lost revenues.