DRTV Media Buying Blog

Google’s motto of “mobile first” has paid off in its mobile search efforts.

It has a market share of 97% for mobile searches and has solved a lot of problems for mobile searchers with their “Grand Prix” project in 2008. Now the Internet giant is turning its attention to solving other mobile-based problems – like translating phone calls and recognizing photos.

Their formula is similar to what made them search engine giants almost a decade ago. They take common problems that people have been trying to solve with technology, use massive amounts of data and then create a solution that they hope will be profitable in the future. So far the results have been promising. Google’s growth in the mobile sector is mirroring their quick growth in search.

Voice Search. One of the most popular additions is voice search, which allows consumers to search for websites with spoken words. Users can use spoken keywords just like they would with a typed search. Google has trained the system to recognize many different voice types so searchers from Boston to California to the Deep South can use the search functions, no matter what their linguistic differences. Another project, Goggles, helps users conduct searches with images. Just snap a picture of a wine label or landmark and Goggles will find related search engine results.

Translation. People can also take a photo of a foreign language sign or menu and have it translated with their phone. And the foreign language capabilities don’t end there. One of the Google mobile apps allows users to speak in English and hear the foreign language translation. The company is working on making two-way conversations translatable that may open up a new world for international communications.

Google notes that mobile search will never take over desktop search – but by developing mobile apps that solve problems, it can stay ahead of others in the mobile world. 

When Apple launched the iPad in 2010, magazine and newspaper publishers were thrilled to add apps that allowed users to read their magazines.

They hoped that the instantly popular tablet device would help boost their slumping sales and make connections with people who want their reading material in digital form.

Publishers, however, are less than excited about the high costs of doing business with Apple. The cost for purchasing just one digital issue of a magazine is often the same as buying a print magazine, and the vast majority of titles can’t be purchased with a monthly subscription.

This means that consumers will need to seek out and purchase each new issue as it arrives and they’ll be paying much more than they would for a standard print subscription. Understandably, for publishers this has produced disappointing returns for app development. Consumers just aren’t ready to pay $250 per year for an app.

Publishers like Hearst, Conde Nast and Time Inc. are eagerly looking forward to the launch of Android-based tablets and technologies from Google and Blackberry. The new tablets may be able to give publishers, and readers, just what they are looking for – subscriptions at a reasonable rate to encourage digital readers. 

Hulu.com’s three-year-old platform for watching online media has turned into one of the most successful attempts to bring TV to the web – even if its advertising platform has often struggled to keep up with demand as viewers surged from 580 million to 1.01 billion in the short span of time between September and December of 2009.

Looks like that advertising problem might have been the dealbreaker for Viacom. The company announced that it would pull its extremely popular comedy shows “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report” from Hulu.com, and carried through on its intentions on March 9th, after warning Hulu viewers that their shows would no longer be available on the website.

There’s no word on whether Hulu will take a hit in advertising revenue from this split; the two shows were some of the most-watched on the website, and users have already been expressing dismay at their removal.

Both Hulu and Viacom sources are claiming that the split was completely amicable, and that they are in talks for some future deals. That may be so; after all, Hulu is directing viewers to Viacom’s websites, where full episodes of both shows are still streaming live.

However, until the advertising problem can be worked out, it’s likely that Hulu will be a little less funny for the foreseeable future.

TV commercials for prescription drugs are fairly common, usually tailing out with a brief warning to “ask your doctor if X drug is right for you.”

The short spots often focus on sexual or extremely personal problems, like sexual impotency or restless bladder syndrome. They usually ask a few questions too, like “do you have problems with those intimate moments?” or “aren’t you tired of going to the bathroom several times a night?”

The answers to those questions are getting dangerous, or so say representatives in Congress. They’ve introduced a new bill, called the Say No to Drug Ads Act, which prevents pharmaceutical companies from deducting the cost of direct-to-consumer drug ads as a business expense.

The bill may hope to discourage these ads from appearing altogether. Congressmen are concerned that many people are self-diagnosing ailments using the suggestive language from these ads and insisting that their doctors prescribe the medication recommended by the commercial.

However, that is not the stated intention of the bill. Supporters say that the bill simply hopes to end tax breaks for companies who advertise drugs on television, and that there will be stricter regulations about how they appeal to their target markets so there is no deceptive information given, nor important information left out.

Best Buy’s getting a quick shot of schadenfreude this year as its major competitor, Circuit City, goes under.

But today’s victor can quickly become tomorrow’s vanquished, and they’re working hard to make sure that doesn’t happen as they come up against a new player in their field – Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart wasn’t as big of a threat to Best Buy until the recent recession started to push buyers to seek better deals on their electronics, even if they had to compromise on knowledgeable customer service and warranties – the things that have kept Best Buy customers loyal until now.

Wal-Mart’s bumping up its selection of televisions, video games and mobile phones, which is making Best Buy nervous that their newfound Circuit City customers may go straight to a new competitor.

With customers nationwide tightening their belts, Best Buy is working hard to make sure they can offer a shopping experience that’s worth the extra investment. Best Buy banks on customers needing the expertise that their customer service reps can offer as they try to figure out which of their hundred new cell phone options is best for them. We’ll see if that’s the sort of experience that money can’t buy.

If not, Best Buy may be defeated before the shine has even worn off its winner’s belt.

Research and Analysis of Media (RAM) has already proven how effective mobile advertising is with its study (Mobile  online advertising).

Clearly, mobile devices have become a media goldmine – and this is just the beginning.

Paran Johar, CMO of JumpTap, a leading mobile search and advertising solutions provider, says this: “With mobile advertising slated to reach $2.7 billion in 2008 and $19 billion by 2012, now is the opportune time for advertisers to integrate mobile in their media buying mix.”

Connecting with consumers through their mobile devices. Increasing digital technology is offering consumers more control over their media usage. Media buyers and planners are using mobile advertising to maintain a connection with consumers.

DRTV partners with mobile advertising. Even DRTV advertising campaigns will become part of these mobile campaigns.

Advertisers can share information and instructions with consumers via SMS (text messaging). One vendor in particular, TVi Media, is hard at work with 5th Finger, an Australian based mobile marketing and technology firm, creating a system that will allow DRTV advertising to link to multiple cell phone carriers so that consumers can place orders directly from their phones instead of calling a 1-800 number call center.