It's all well and good asking the experts for their take on the year ahead, but it's equally important to understand what 'the people' (for want of a considerably better term) think the next 12 months has in store.

We took to the streets to canvas opinion on what people expect and/or want to see happening in 2012, with a heavy skew towards things digital. The three most salient themes to emerge were as follows -

• Targeted content: much debate on whether a little privacy is, or is not, worth losing in return for content that has your name written all over it.

• Simplifying the social network experience: consensus that things have become just to complicated and that there's a need to get back to basics.

• Online versus offline: particularly in relation to retail, a heightened focus on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Check the vid below...

trendsSocial Media

They're not exactly new, but it feels like we’re seeing more and more QR codes now – in print and as part of out-of-home comms. They keep cropping up in conversation in meetings with clients, too, as more in media and marketing experiment with how to deploy them. It therefore felt like a good time to head out and to explore if the public is getting to grips with them...

There’s a general feeling that QR codes are 'the future'. Being able to scan an image that links you to more content, in theory, is what people want. However, there is a great deal of scepticism regarding their effectiveness - most are under the impression that it is as simple as a link to a website or see it as 'just another way of selling'. Not enough are informed of other options such as 'scan to buy' and seem genuinely interested when presented with it. Convenience is also an issue - most are put off by how exclusive it remains to those with smartphones and even smartphone users are put off by the lengths needed to go through to get to the content.

Brands need to push the idea that a QR code is worth more than a link, that it can lead to exclusive content, useful buyer information and easier options to purchase - this may sway the sceptics into trying it out.

QR codes are breaking through into the mainstream in a big way but the idea feels dated when compared to newer hyper-scan technologies such as NFC (Near field Communication) and AR (Augmented Reality). NFC does not require the user to fiddle around scanning a code in and AR is interactive from the go - ultimately, QR will probably be regarded as the pre-cursor to these new ideas, but anyone wishing to get involved should understand this first generation of hyper–scan technology in order to realise how best to serve consumers in the future.

If you’d like to learn more about hyper-scan technology, and how we can help you research it, get in touch: hello@crowdDNA.com

StrategyBehaviourSocial Media

As RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Limited) reports, radio listener figures are up in the first quarter of 2011. It’s clear that radio still remains competitive – but how long can this last?

Online streaming sites such as Spotify, Last.fm and Grooveshark have become increasingly popular destinations because of ‘on demand’ song and playlist selection. However, the modern radio listener still seeks the personal touch, they still want the personalities, the musical filter and the opportunity to discover music through serendipity.

We hit the streets to find out what the new breed of media consumers want (and expect) from modern day radio brands...

Looking to the future, radio needs to adapt into the online space - advanced audience interaction, having a say in what gets played, online profiles reflecting listening habits, and better integration with social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

This does not mean sacrificing what makes radio great, just fine-tuning some already popular services to reach out further to the online generation.

BehaviourMusicSocial Media

With Yahoo! announcing the imminent launch of its Livestand system in the US, and confirming the European launch for early 2012, it will be interesting to see the impact it has on the publishing industry. It already has the backing of two titles in the US (Forbes and Surf magazine) and similar support is being touted for Europe. But is there room for another player in the tablet publishing market and, if so, what kind of changes will it inspire?

For publishers, it may well come as welcome news, especially considering the recent ‘issues’ with Apple’s publishing apps. The prospect of publishers being forced to remove the in-app subscription mechanic has caused many to reconsider the best business model for tablet publication.

The current situation involves publishers writing two separate issues; one Android and one Apple. This is a time consuming gripe for many of the bigger titles and often proves a major obstacle for smaller titles, who end up having to choose between platforms. It has also led many smaller titles, and even some bigger titles, to hold back from launching a tablet app until they can be more certain of which channel to adopt.

So how could Yahoo!’s Livestand – already being pitched as a ‘game changer’ - readdress the balance? While details of the exact offering are still sketchy we can think of some pretty big changes that could come about as a result of its launch.   

One of the big points is that it will be coded in HTML5 – the new multimedia centric coding for the internet – promising the end user a richer, more integrated web browsing experience without the need for tertiary plug ins like Flash. This opens numerous benefits in terms of a more immersive experience with the title, including the potential to support articles/issues with video and audio. But this also proves a key question for publishers in how far should they go into the realm of the multimedia.   

Added to this is the potential for Livestand users to choose the media they receive, in terms of the publication, the article/author and potentially even the deliverable. This makes Livestand sound like many of the current aggregator apps’ bigger, faster, ‘roided up brother, which could well see a more modular aspect to publishing as a result, where titles will have to provide a strong, instantly recognisable voice/presence to hook their audiences to.

So, there are two key benefits for the consumer. However, what about business? Should publishers be rubbing their hands or holding their heads? It could seem that Yahoo! is arriving late for the party, if it were not for one key aspect - cross platform functionality. The need to create two separate issues is no longer a hurdle to overcome; in fact titles can now move seamlessly from laptop to mobile to tablet, which could potentially see smaller publishers, titles and as yet uncertain bigger titles developing a multimedia publishing product. The market place could become considerably more crowded and understanding who to target and how to target them will be a key challenge for existing titles looking to consolidate their position, as well as new titles looking to make an entrance.   

In addition to this is the promise of a faster and easier programming process behind the scenes, ensuring that the focus can be on what to deliver, rather than how to deliver it (a fact that will not go unnoticed by advertisers). The emphasis will become less about crowbarring current content into a workable format – much less about making it work and more about delivering a truly integrated brand experience to the consumer.

So, despite the relatively patchy information out there, there are some key developments that we could see coming into play on the back of Livestand. From a business point of view it offers a more level playing field with big and small titles alike able to offer electronic versions. The reader experience will also change  – where readers will be able to effortlessly access visual and audio content regardless of the platform they happen to have access to at that time. Finally the increasing level of choice offered to readers and publishers will mean that brands and titles will have to work harder to stand out.

And there could yet be more strategic questions to be addressed by publishers, including:

• Should titles consider delivering a modular offer and what are the ramifications of doing so?
• How can brand values be delivered and reinforced via this new channel?
• How to best meet the opportunity of launching a cross platform electronic version of the title – what are the must haves when turning electric?
• How can those already delivering electronic issues defend their position and what are their key brand leverage points?  
• To what extent will Livestand turn magazine publishers even further into multimedia content providers?
• What are the implications of HTML5 – how far should publishers push the multimedia tools on offer?

iPadSocial MediaStrategy

As Jane Norman fell into administration last June, observers speculated which high street fashion brand would be next.  In recent years, we have been inundated with news stories reflecting the dire state of the high street.  New research from the British Retail Consortium reveals that a tenth of shops stand empty, where high streets across the UK are experiencing significant reductions in footfall. The decline has been attributed to falling consumer confidence, high inflation coupled with minimal pay increases and the general, all-round climate of uncertainty.   

Yet, during the very same period some online-only fashion retailers (OOFRs) have posted incredible results.  ASOS, for example, saw its international sales jump by 160% in the first quarter, while sales at Net-A-Porter in 2010 were up 60% on the previous year.  Could it be that consumers have just changed the way that they shop? 



In a recent report, we analysed seven OOFRs in particular: Net-A-Porter.com, ASOS, ShopStyle, Arcadia’s Style 369, FarFetch.com, eBay and Etsy.  We looked at each retailer’s strengths, recent innovations, (purchasing through Google enabled TVs come to mind), as well as potential challenges on the horizon.

We can confidently say that the future of fashion retail is by no means dead – it’s perhaps just not how you envisioned it.

Exciting times ahead for the OOFR landscape… Take a look at our work here.

Download PDF: Download

BehaviourSocial MediaStrategyFashionRetail

Last week social media was the primary tool for rioters, police, public and traditional media. It was credited with driving rioter and ‘civilian’ action, media coverage, government responses and ensuing brand involvement. But now that the dust is settling, how have social media and brands faired in the riot aftermath?

With 37% of all British youth on the private, untraceable, encrypted BlackBerry BBM network (Ofcom 2011), a handful of widely reported messages quickly attributed the brand as the rioters’ weapon of choice. With 60% of young people in the UK ‘highly addicted’ to their Smartphone (Ofcom 2011), BBM’s free instant messaging is one of the most popular tools to stay in touch and features hugely in Crowd DNA’s research with young people – not just among rioters. However the ‘corruption’ of BBM has caused a major shift in the public’s brand perception, with negative Twitter mentions rocketing from 16% to 24% over the riots (BrandWatch).

As Tottenham MP David Lammy pressured for the shut down of the entire BBM network at the height of the riots, hackers simultaneously threatened to release employee details from Research In Motion – the maker of BlackBerry devices – if they did so. The reach and influence of social media has been made painfully clear by BlackBerry’s adulteration by rioters. David Cameron has called for extended police powers when social media is used to incite violence, disorder and criminality and Theresa May will meet with Facebook, Twitter and Research In Motion in the coming weeks to discuss social media safety (The Guardian).

As BBM became synonymous with rioters, Twitter took on the mantle of ‘voice of the people’ by facilitating immediate public, police and media responses. Real time, first hand reporting from ‘civilians’ democratised riot knowledge, preceding traditional media coverage and facilitating mass public response to key issues.

Civilian-lead campaigns such as #Riotcleanup and #Riotwombles saw the online become offline as hundreds gathered to sweep the streets, and within hours civilian researchers were mapping the riots using online tools – laying the riot sites over the social deprivation index and against real-time twitter feeds to create up-to-the-minute mapping. Civilian policing became public as Twitter shared news of the Turkish communities defending the streets of Dalston, civilian journalists shared video content on Youtube and thousands who tweeted, posted, blogged and commented online.

The HM Government e-petition ‘Convicted London rioters should lose all benefits’ has seen the biggest public engagement in policymaking to date, with social-media-enabled link sharing leading to over 200,000 signatures – nearly 500% more than any other e-petition to date and twice the number needed to be considered in the House of Commons.

Police were quick to use civilian ‘detectives’ to identify rioters; with the Met’s Flickr site ‘Giving Photos From Operation Withern’, ‘Catch-A-Looter’ and ‘Zavilla: Identify UK Rioters’ all using social media to enable public identification. Social media is not a new resource for policing - the Greater Manchester Police were nominated for three ‘Golden Twits’ back in 2010, for tweeting every 999 call they received in real time in 24 hours, posting 3200 tweets across 3 twitter accounts. Social media helped to align police and public interests, give police a human voice and promote transparency – a significant issue in a society still reeling from expenses and phone hacking scandals and shocked by the lack of police presence in some affected areas.

Traditional media also relied on social media for up-to-the-minute information, with the BBC website merging traditional and social media coverage by offering live TV news alongside a live feed from tweeting journalists, official statements, press updates and public commentary; and broadsheets and magazines turned to Twitter to appeal to civilians to post from ‘in the action’. However traditional media sources have not been usurped by the civilian voice – they were very active on social media themselves, with journalists offering trustworthy tweets that cut through the wealth of rumour from unfounded sources.

Aside from BlackBerry, sportswear brands and retailers such as Adidas, Nike and Footlocker were also pervasive across all riot imagery – emblazoned on the trakkies or hoodies of the rioters themselves as they searched for the coveted loot of Nike Air Max and Sony TVs. The rioters’ focus on luxury sportswear and expensive technology drove right wing distain, claiming that rioters were ‘greedy not needy’ and that brands endorsed ‘boorish behaviour’ (Daily Mail) through celebrity endorsements such as Snoop Dogg for Adidas. Despite Levi’s pulling their ‘Legacy’ advert that features rioting, they have still received significant criticism for endorsing violence and being in bad taste despite never being aired in the UK.

Some brands took the opportunity to gain positive press and public acclaim by offering support to high profile riot victims. Ashraf Haziq (the exchange student mugged on camera during the riots) was given a replacement PSP from Sony along with games from Namco Bandai. Brands also engaged in civilian campaigns to public acclaim, with London ad agency BBH raising over £35,000 in less than 5 days for 89-year-old Tottenham barber Aaron Biber, EasyJet flying home over 60 MPs and Sainsbury’s handing out water to #Riotcleanup helpers. However Old El Paso must be the most unlikely brand to jump on the riot bandwagon, with their Facebook update –

“In these trying times I think we could all benefit from a bit of comfort food, and there are few things more tasty and reassuring than baked enchiladas, full of spicy chicken and topped with lots of bubbling cheese”

So what have we learnt from the riots? First and above all – social media makes the public powerful. It helped facilitate the riots and stop them, it democratised news reporting and comment and it gave the public the opportunity to work in partnership with and beyond the bounds of government, policing and traditional media. Social media united and mobilised public voice, gave it a political mandate but yet the most trusted sources were still traditional media operating in the social media space. Clearly there is still a clear challenge in how you cut through the din in the social media space; it’s a noisy environment, but, as those seeking credible information during the riots learnt, not all of the noise is reliable or trustworthy

For now, social and traditional media are complementary mediums that enrich and integrate the social experience and information sharing.

And as for brands faring badly from riot affiliations or cashing in on riot hype… as Ice T said, ‘don’t hate the player, hate the game’.

Social Mediaword of mouthYouthCommunityBehaviour

Google+ launched on June 28 to mainly upbeat reviews, making a positive start in establishing a credible social media presence for the company. It reached the 10 million-user mark in just 16 days while it took Facebook 852 days and Twitter 780 days to reach the same number of users.

Google+ has blended many of the most popular and established features of Facebook and Twitter along with a few new features of its own. One of these new features is Hang Outs, a development that offers a fresh and exciting tool for researchers.

Hang Outs lets up to 10 people come together in a video conference. This might not seem like anything new, but a few features make it standout from a research point of view. The interface is simple to navigate, allowing everyone in the Hang Out to be seen in small windows below a larger window that changes to show the user speaking. There is also a chat feature and the ability to invite new people in, mid-Hang Out.

It also allows YouTube videos to be viewed within the Hang Out, chosen by one user and seen by all. It is this, along with the interface and way that users are linked through Circles that make Google+ Hang Outs an exciting research tool.

Hang Outs is well equipped to host online groups, allowing participants to contribute to discussions and complete tasks using both video and chat. The YouTube feature allows the testing of visual content in a simple and effective way. This would work for the testing of a film, ad or a game, just as it would for a pre-made film introducing a new product, service, website or brand. Visual, voice and chat reactions can then be recorded and responded to, just like in a real-World group.

We have tested Hang Outs internally and we don’t think it’s going to be very long before we are running our first online group for a client through Google+. We don’t think it’s going to replace the traditional focus group, but we do think it offers a new way of conducting small groups online. 

Social MediaBehaviourStrategyEffectiveness

Nice to see our "Social City" project for Metro getting some coverage in Research mag, courtesy of an interview with Metro research director, Katherine King. She talks about how the study looks to establish if there's a symbiotic relationship between how people use the city and social media; and the innovative methods we used to research 16 and 17-year-olds

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