Category Archives: Creative

Blog, Creative, Digital, Social Media

How ‘Discovery Shopping’ Is Fuelling A £3.3bn Industry

The latest evolution in the e-commerce space is the world of discovery shopping. For years influential fashion reporters and industry insiders have controlled the trends, mostly relying on personal taste and intuition to predict the next big thing. In 2014, it is becoming quite apparent that social media networks and content sharing platforms are influencing stock decisions, and fuelling significant growth in a flourishing e-commerce market.

The potential of discovery shopping has only just been realised by retailers, and will have far reaching implications for marketers when it comes to customer reach, marketing and brand control. This content-rich, socially consumed shopping experience is changing both how we shop and how we sell.

Discovery shopping is driven by a combination of striking visual imagery and entertaining social interactions. Shopping sites such as Pinterest, Fancy, Wanelo and eBay, not only help consumers find and share products in a busy digital space, but make the experience socially appealing. ‘Social shopping’ may only be in its infancy, but it is already encouraging growth in the e-commerce market, where it will continue to thrive.

IMRG figures report that £91 billion was spent online during 2013, an 18% year-on-year increase. Much of this success can be attributed to the growing influence of mobile retail, with sales via mobile devices increasing 138% on 2012. In fact, new research from eBay estimates that in the next two years the value of social media for retail will more than double, growing from £1.5bn to reach around £3.3bn.

This increasingly powerful online community of shoppers and traders who pin, post and share their tastes will transform the retailer/shopper relationship. Nearly half of social media users are already using social platforms while thinking about making a purchase, and a similar number of users are actively deciding what to buy based on what they have seen on content sharing platforms. There’s an affluent prize for those UK retailers who utilise social media to influence and help customers make decisions. Currently nobody delivers inspiration more lucratively than photo-sharing website Pinterest.

Pinterest has over 70 million users and drives more traffic to websites than Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Reddit combined. Pinterest provides an amazing outlet for consumers to share and collect product images, and brands have definitely taken note. Fashion retailer Nordstrom, utilises Pinterest as an organic way to build brand awareness and drive direct sales. Each month, customers engage with the Nordstrom boards and ‘pin’ thousands of images, generating millions of impressions, creating significant site traffic and demand. They also added the ‘pin it’ button to their website, making the process a fully joined up approach.

Sites such as Fancy, Wanelo and eBay operate in a similar way, all supporting the ethos behind ‘visual imagery driving inspiration’, and ultimately purchases. What makes these sites slightly different is that you can purchase directly from the same platform making the shopping experience more seamless.  Even though on Pinterest you are re-directed to the retailers own website it doesn’t seem to affect sales, as ‘pinners’ spend 50% more on average compared to other social channels. They’ll also spend 20% more than users referred from non-social channels, including search engines.

These advances in consumer behaviour can also allow shop owners to collect ideas, crowdsource opinions and gain inspiration. If more retailers actively monitored their social feeds it would actually help them to avoid unsold stock. For example, if some of their products aren’t being ‘pinned’ as much as other items, then they could look to reduce quantities of production, and vice versa. By empowering shoppers to communicate what trends they like, retailers will be free from much of the guesswork.

When it comes to e-commerce web development, the ultimate goal is to make browsing and buying as seamless and stimulating as possible. Brands must embrace this ‘social shopping’ innovation in order to appeal to today’s content sharing audience.

 Sources:

www.imrg.org

www.theguardian.com

www.thenextweb.com

www.mediabistro.com

Blog, Creative, Design, Digital

The ‘BYOD’ Revolution in School Tech

‘Bring your own device’ (BYOD) may be a fairly new buzzword, but the practice has been going on for a few years. BYOD refers to the policy of permitting employees to bring personally owned mobile devices into work. With more than 70% of the population carrying a smartphone, workplaces are already harnessing this trend to promote productivity and reduce costs.

As technology has become more intelligent and the Apps we use more useful, it has become increasingly common to mix both our personal and professional lives into these devices. Companies save money, employees use the machines they want, and with the mobility that cloud computing offers nobody has to keep switching computers and devices all day long.

The driving force behind BYOD is a new IT self-sufficiency among employees who already own and use personal laptops, smartphones and tablets. These devices are often newer and more advanced than the offerings of many IT departments, so unsurprisingly 38% of companies are expected to stop providing devices to workers by 2016. Schools are predicted to follow suit, as research shows that a quarter of British children now own a tablet before their eighth birthday.

As more and more schools in the UK are beginning to implement a ‘Bring your own device’ strategy it’s only a matter of time before students are encouraged to not only bring their technology into class but to use them for learning.

Mobile learning technologies offer teachers and students a more flexible approach to education. The enhancement of lessons through the use of Apps, interactive content and video is the motivating force behind this revolution, and will make the future classroom experience more dynamic. There is also potential for teachers to be more responsive to an individual students needs while teaching. Teacher support tools could enable educators to track their student’s progress in real time, which will utilise their time and resources. Institutions should also consider classroom management apps, which allow teachers to schedule homework, create lesson plans, record feedback and email notes to their pupils.

According to the Student Mobile Device Survey, 69% of students would like to use mobile devices more often in class. By enabling pupils to securely and easily access school data on their own devices, productivity levels will naturally increase. A study found that 60% of staff thought that students were more motivated by lessons that incorporated an iPad, and a further 67% thought that a smart tablet improved the quality of the student’s work.

Ultimately mobile learning means more tools, more resources and more opportunities for children in the 21st century. If pupils already own devices that can add to their learning, then why shouldn’t they use them for more than just Facebook? BYOD is an inevitable, natural progression that has created a significant opportunity for companies to capitalise on this mobile growth.

Spending on mobile projects is expected to grow 100% by 2015, and the mobile App market will reach $55 billion by 2016. The ‘Bring your own device’ market is estimated to grow to $181 billion by 2017, and with traditional print literature such as books, textbooks and exams all going digital, the race is on to create solutions that deliver a rich learning experience for both students and educators.

Blog, Creative, Design, Digital

Build a home in less than 24 hours

Manufacturing processes such as 3D printing have been on the horizon for a few years, but they are certainly gaining more attention in the wake of recent developments regarding the world’s first concrete printer that is able to build a home in less than 24 hours.

Researchers at the University of Southern California claim to have developed a giant 3D printer that can print a 2,500-square foot concrete home in just a day. The printer was developed by Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis and can create the entire home using a layer-by-layer process called “Contour Crafting.”

The robotic extruding method takes its orders from CAD software, which stores and executes the architectural designs. As the layers are built, the machines automatically embed pipes and channels for electrical, plumbing and air conditioning, as well as electronic sensors that will monitor the building’s health and temperature over time. The designs can even be customised on the construction site as work is underway.

Not only will computer aided design increase productivity but it will also solve environmental issues such as co2 emissions, waste and energy efficiency. The technology is already enabling the rapid rise of on-demand manufacturing, which allows designers to sell a product with a much shorter lead-time, embracing the main principles of supply and demand. Today, construction is slow, expensive, labour intensive and inefficient.

Professor Khoshnevis estimates that Contour Crafting will save the construction industry 20-25% in financing, and 25-30% in materials. The biggest savings however will be in labour, where using 3D printers instead of humans could save up to 55%. As Contour Crafting wastes less materials and labour, this process will also reduce the total cost of owing a home. It will also make it easier to repair homes damaged by devastating weather events. Take the Typhoon Haiyan storm in the Philippines, or the recent floods in England for example, 1,700 homes have been flooded due to storms in December and January. In the near future, the damage that will currently take weeks, months or even years to repair, could be reconstructed in a matter of hours.

Enthusiasts believe that the 3D printer will soon become a common household tool. So what does this revolution mean for us?

Well if you’re not happy with the current layout of your bathroom, then print another one. Broken your kitchen cabinets? Print some more. Need extra space? Scan the wall it’s to be adjoined to, download a plan, adjust it to your requirements and print it out. The every day homeowner will assume the role of both the designer and builder, making architecture accessible at the click of a mouse.

Consumers will finally have the exact style they want, to their taste in a matter of minutes and at a fraction of the cost. 3D printing will revolutionise consumer purchasing completely. Could this be the end of retailers? And if so, what marketing will emerge from this innovation? There will be a healthy stake for those who can tap into the early adopters and take advantage of the possibilities this technology presents. More importantly marketers will need to be ahead of the pack when it comes to selling this technology and the new customer journey.

Blog, Creative, Design, Digital, Social Media

Can Wearable Technology Ever Be Stylish?

We briefly touched upon the hype that currently surrounds “wearable technology” in our ‘7 Digital Trends To Watch in 2014’ blog post at the end of December. This emerging trend of personal accessories with embedded sensors and displays stands to be worth up to $50 billion over the next three to five years.

The smartwatch and Google Glass phenomenon will transform the way we interact with our devices. These pieces of tech will allow you to read instant messages, take photos and scan the Internet without having to reach for your phone. But wearables won’t just compliment our smartphones. This year the relationship between wearable technology and existing devices will become more prominent.

In 2013 alone, we’ve seen a handful of devices that aim to track what we eat, our posture, heart rate and even stress. Not to mention the array of communication products on offer to adorn our wrists, such as the Samsung Galaxy Gear, the Sony Smart watch, the Pebble, Jawbone Up and the Nike FuelBand. This year wearables will take the ‘personal assistant’ experience one step further. A wristband that tracks your heartbeat will now upload your data to the cloud, where an app will analyse your real-time health results and provide personalised dietary and exercise plans.

The fashion community is also driving its own fusions of technology and design. Advances in fabric, and ‘smart clothing’ mean that being able to charge your mobile phone from just the conductive fabric in your jacket pocket is fast become a reality. Imagine a leather jacket with the power to heat or cool appropriately, making unpredictable weather a thing of the past.

However, this trend still faces one big obstacle. Is it wearable enough to be considered fashionable?

Ever since the Google Glass made their questionable debut at New York Fashion week last September there has been a whisper of doubt surrounding these gawky accessories.

For a long time society has been obsessed with owning smaller and less intrusive tech, so it doesn’t conflict with personal style or preference. But the very crux of wearables means that they are designed to be on display for all to see, which brings a whole new challenge in aesthetics. You’re asking a world of fashion conscious people to make a commitment to an accessory, which favours practicality over style (remember the Bluetooth headset fashion fail?)

So far, several much-hyped wearables such as the Google Glass and Samsung’s Galaxy Gear Smartwatch have failed to resonate with a large number of users. Much like fashion items, until these devices start to be pinned by influencers on Pinterest, lusted over and coveted in the same way as a Rolex, they will not become a product consumers will want to wear.

On the other side of the spectrum, a device that has achieved unrivalled success is the infamous Beats by Dr Dre Headphones. When these headphones first entered the market rivals did not think the company had a chance of getting anyone to part with more than £250 for bulky headphones. Little did they know that in less than four years Beats Electronics would be valued at more than $1bn. Dr. Dre has conquered the headphones market, but he isn’t even selling great sound. He’s selling celebrity. Technology companies could take the same approach and market wearable technology as something that is endorsed, and loved by famous faces. This would build a culture of aspiration, which has been noticeably absent from the wearables revolution.

In addition, technology companies must eventually converge with the fashion industry and form partnerships with top designers. It was only recently that Burberry’s CEO Angela Ahrendts made the move over to Apple as their head of retail, fuelling speculation that she will be involved in the design process of the rumoured iWatch. Will this spark the start of strategic collaborations between tech titans and fashion houses? Let’s hope so.

Unless companies settle on a device with both beauty and brains, there’s a danger that wearable tech will fail to become popular, remain unaffordable and nobody will have a reason to put them on, however functional they are.

Blog, Creative, Design, Digital, Social Media

The Best From 2013

Every Friday, we’re busy bringing our readers the latest and most insightful stories from the realms of digital, design, strategy and social. For those of you who might have missed a blog post here or there, we’ve decided to roundup the very best into one handy little post.

Google – Putting Email In Its Place

Back in July, Google revealed its new tabular addition to its email system. Since then, every email you receive will automatically file itself into one of the three tabs. All of your important emails from friends and family should go into ‘Primary’, everything from brands should go into ‘Promotions’, and then all your Facebook and Twitter notifications should end up in the third tab, ‘Social’.

If you’re still not sure how the whole system affects you, particularly if you’re in marketing and worried about where your email campaigns are ending up then read the full post here.

Our Favourite Apps

If you’re app-crazy like we are here at GWCM, then this post is right up your street. Expect a raving review on cult favourite ‘What’s App’, find out why Snapchat is so addictive and discover some unsung heroes that you will need to download right away.

#NorthamptonClown – The Social Media Circus

If you’re local to Northampton or have an interest in people dressing up as clowns and terrorising an entire town, then you wouldn’t have missed our blog about the infamous Northampton Clown. While town folk took it upon themselves to track his whereabouts, we were more interested in analysing his online social activity. Find out how the Clown has racked up enough Facebook ‘likes’ to rival established brands.

7 Digital Trends To Watch In 2014

Get ahead of yourself and start preparing for the New Year with our handy guide to all things digital in 2014. Find out why Snapchat, Google+ and Content Marketing are our top three trends to watch.