Effectiveness of ads on smartphone vs TV

I came across this study, commissioned by Facebook, investigating how people respond to visual content delivered on a smartphone vs. a television. It was published in 2015, so you may know about it, already. But, if you don’t, read on as it is very interesting. The study exposed research participants to video ads on … Continue reading Effectiveness of ads on smartphone vs TV

The many facets of customer complaining behaviour

Handling customer complaints is a critical, yet challenging job. Some customers make their voice heard loudly, while others do so quietly. Some want to talk directly with someone, others prefer remote channels like feedback cards or e-mails. And in this age of social media, minor problems can quickly spiral out of control, so it is … Continue reading The many facets of customer complaining behaviour

Mobile phone usage – perceptions v reality

My good friend Tim Kourdi brought these graphs to my attention, recently. They show how much time we spend online on our mobile phones, and convey two key messages: We are now spending more than double the time online on our phones than we did 4 years ago; Younger segments spend around seven times more time … Continue reading Mobile phone usage – perceptions v reality

Mailing list vs Facebook group crib sheet

Our sailing club has created a Facebook group, because it is “quicker and easier than emailing, and no danger of people's email addresses being accidentally missed off”. And they are not alone. For instance, my previous institution created Facebook groups for students holding offers for their degree. This author I know, created a group for … Continue reading Mailing list vs Facebook group crib sheet

Jawbone bows out of fitness wearables market – reasons and lessons

One of the first players in the fitness wearables market, Jawbone, is leaving the market. After struggling with hardware and software problems, and a dwindling market share, the company has bowed out. I wrote an article for The Conversation unpicking the reasons for Jawbone’s failure, and highlighting some lessons to be learned. You can read … Continue reading Jawbone bows out of fitness wearables market – reasons and lessons

Popular choice vs friends’ recommendations – which is most influential?

There are two sources of social influence that can shape consumer purchases: Overall popularity of the product, as evidenced by indicators such as best-selling lists or online ratings, which aggregate the choices or opinions of previous buyers in the system. Popularity of the product within the buyer’s social circle. This can be evidenced by people … Continue reading Popular choice vs friends’ recommendations – which is most influential?

On social engineering in social media platforms (or, how we are not in control)

Historian Melvin Kranzberg once wrote that: “Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral”. That is, technology (digital techology, for instance) does more than allowing users to do something; the design of that techonological product actually encourages some behaviours, while discouraging (or, at least, downplaying) others. For instance, the addition of cameras to … Continue reading On social engineering in social media platforms (or, how we are not in control)

June 2017 round-up

It’s summer and I am very much enjoying the long ‘days’. Yay. And the GCSEs are over. Double yay. This month, I interviewed for, and was appointed to, the position of leader of the Marketing division at my Business School (i.e., head of department). Plus, at the end of the month, I learned that … Continue reading June 2017 round-up

Snapchat Snap Map: why?

This time last week, Snapchat launched a new feature, Snap Map, which allows users to share their location, as well as track other users’ location and behaviour in real time. This is how Snapchat announced this new feature: This addition is really confusing me because Snapchat’s unique selling proposition (USP), so far, has been … Continue reading Snapchat Snap Map: why?

Three things you need to know, if you are using Twitter to study consumer emotions

With 313m monthly active users around the world, of which 82% access Twitter via their mobile handsets, Twitter is likely to be a great source of insight into what customers are doing, paying attention to, or talking about. As Pratik Thakar, Coca-Cola’s head of creative content for Asia-Pacific, said, it is like a big focus … Continue reading Three things you need to know, if you are using Twitter to study consumer emotions