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Stuart O'Brien

WFA launches ‘Voice Coalition’ to help brands leverage Alexa-style devices
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The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has unveiled the Voice Coalition, a group designed to help brands understand more about the impact voice will have on the way consumers select brands.

Founded in partnership with Fast-Up Partners (FUP), the group has been created following research into the way consumers use voice-enabled assistants to guide their purchase decisions.

It will aim to improve knowledge and understanding for brand marketers across all voice platforms, helping them benefit from this exciting new communications channel.

The coalition already brings together a number of WFA members, including Mastercard, and is open to any clients interested in exploring the potential of voice commerce.

Raja Rajamannar, CMCO of Mastercard and WFA President, said: “Research just conducted by WFA with The Economist Group shows voice to be a relatively low priority today to many marketers. But when quizzed on upcoming priorities, 55% of WFA members say voice will be big – and on par with influencer marketing. Given voice commerce goes well beyond marketing, it’s going to be of major strategic importance to companies going forward.”

The launch coincides with new research conducted for the WFA by independent research group BVA into current consumer behaviours among owners of Alexa devices in the UK and US. Based on 1,500 respondents in the US and UK and augmented by focus groups in New York, the study represents the most accurate look at interactions between Alexa and brands to date.

It found that 35% of those surveyed used voice to check prices, 30% use it to add items to their shopping list and 18% use it to add items to a cart/basket. Fifteen percent have used it to make a purchase.

The study highlights the impact voice assistants have on the wider purchase journey with 81% of those who had added an item to the cart ending up buying it later. The impact is even more dramatic among those who have an Alexa with a screen.

Sixty-seven percent plan to use voice commerce at some point for adding items to cart and 60% are willing to use it to purchase directly. More than two thirds (68%, rising to 81% among 16-34s) are willing to let Alexa recommend brands and 77% are happy for Alexa to recommend an appropriate Amazon brand.

The categories most affected by voice are electronics/technology (40%), food and groceries (47%) and petfood/petcare (31%).

The study also highlighted that many have yet to use their Alexa for voice commerce with 36% saying they haven’t had a need to do so yet and 32% saying they just haven’t got round to it.

“Given its hugely untapped potential, this is an ideal time to be exploring the opportunities presented by voice. The coalition aims to help its members in trying to navigate this exciting new channel”, said Stephan Loerke, CEO of WFA.

“Voice offers a huge opportunity and this initiative will help brand owners develop a greater understanding of voice through bespoke research, support and knowledge sharing”, said Frederic Colas, CEO Fast-Up Partners.

Image by HeikoAL from Pixabay

Retailers failing at simple eCommerce best practice
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Online retailers could be making more in revenues if they applied simple measures, such as appropriate product imagery.

That’s according to research carried out on 1,213 UK adults by agency MarketingSignals, which found a staggering 61 percent of those polled were put off purchasing from a website by insufficient or poor product imagery, followed by 57 percent that found product descriptions inadequate.

The survey also found that more than half (52 percent) of these businesses are failing potential customers with their lack of customer service, while 47 percent have overly intrusive discount pop ups on the home page, which can potentially detract users from making a purchase.

43 percent of those polled were put off by websites that has an over complicated checkout process, while 41 percent would be deterred by an e-commerce business which has little or no social media presence.

A third (34 percent) of those questioned said that a lack of delivery options would deter them from from making an online purchase, whilst a website that wasn’t optimised for mobile devices would put off 27 percent of respondents.

16 percent said they’d be put off from making a purchase if they couldn’t see company information or an ‘about us’ page. Completing the top ten reasons which deter users from making a purchase was customers who prefer to use alternative payment methods, with over one in ten (11 percent) saying that they’d seek to make their purchase elsewhere if a website did not accept the PayPal or Apple Pay.

Gareth Hoyle, managing director at marketingsignals.com, said: “It’s clear from the research that many potential customers are being put off from making a purchase from websites they are not familiar with, which makes it so much more important for e-commerce businesses to make the checkout process as simple as possible in order for them to complete their transaction smoothly.

“In this social media age, it’s perhaps unsurprising that 41 percent of Brits would be put off from making a purchase from a website that is unfamiliar to them and doesn’t have a visible social media presence.

“Internet savvy consumers are always keen to spot a bargain, though can be put off by over complicated or seemingly untrustworthy websites when attempting to make a purchase, instead opting to buy from a site they already know and trust. So what this research demonstrates is that it’s clear that there are simple steps e-commerce businesses can take in order to improve conversion rates from first time visitors to their site.”

The top ten reasons that deter customers from making an e-commerce purchase:

  1. Insufficient or poor quality product imagery – 61 percent
  2. Inadequate product descriptions – 57 percent
  3. Lack of customer service – 52 percent
  4. Distracting/Intrusive pop ups – 47 percent
  5. Over complicated check-out process – 43 percent
  6. Little or no social media presence – 41 percent
  7. Lack of delivery options – 34 percent
  8. Desktop-only site design – 27 percent
  9. Insufficient or lack of company information – 16 percent
  10. Not accepting alternative payment methods including PayPal and Apple Pay – 11 percent

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Do you provide Web Analytics solutions? We want to hear from you!
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Each month on Digital Marketing Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on different parts of the print and marketing sectors – and in July we’ll be focussing on Web Analytics.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help marketing industry professionals find the best products and services available today.

So, if you specialise in Web Analytics solutions and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact James Howe on j.howe@forumevents.co.uk.

Here are the areas we’ll be covering, month by month:

Jul – Web Analytics

Aug – Conversion Rate Optimisation

Sept – Digital Signage

Oct – Brochure Printing

Nov – Creative & Design

Dec – Online Strategy

For more information on any of the above topics, contact James Howe on j.howe@forumevents.co.uk.

Network with the best at the Print & Digital Innovations Summit
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The Print & Digital Innovations Summit takes place on November 14th – make sure you register for the chance to network with peers from Royal Mail, Direct Line, Avon and more.

In addition to a full day of business networking, you will get the latest insights and advice on trends in the sector via a series of seminar sessions.

Lunch and refreshments are included with your free ticket.

Register today and join fellow professionals from:

ARYZTA Food Solutions
Avon Cosmetics
Bankable
Direct Line Group
Envision Pharma Group
Keystone Law
M&G Investments
NSAR
Premier Holidays
Programmemaster
Royal Mail
The Hamleys Group
The Landmark London

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity! Register your free place today.

Looking for new Digital Signage solutions? Start right here…
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Sourcing new suppliers, solutions and innovations is time-consuming and, frankly, dull. Hours of Googling, arranging meetings and travel… but there is another way.

The Digital Signage & Interactive Solutions Summit is our answer.

23 & 24 September – Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stansted

This two-day event will give you the opportunity to meet with innovative and budget-saving suppliers, face-to-face, based on your own individual requirements.

No time wasted. And no hard sell.

It’s free for you to attend, plus overnight accommodation, all meals and refreshments plus an invitation to our networking dinner are included.

But you should register now to avoid disappointment as we have a limited number of free VIP places.

The suppliers attending will cover the full range of HR solutions, and include:

Beaver Group
John Anthony Signs
LG
Linney
MRG Systems
SIS Digital
Sony Europe
Volume Networking

This is two days of ‘speed dating’ for business, and you’ll also have the opportunity to attend inspirational seminar sessions and network with like-minded professionals throughout the event.

Places are limited, so register today!

Brands urged to embrace the ‘purple pound’
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Businesses are being encouraged to register for Purple Tuesday to learn more about the purple pound – the spending power of disabled people and their families.

Over 13 million people in the UK, one fifth of the population, live with a disability and households with a disabled person spend a combined £249 billion a year.

But many businesses could do more to provide for disabled customers, according to the organisers of Purple Tuesday.

Purple Tuesday is an international call to action which will take which place on 12th November 2019. Created and coordinated by disability organisation Purple, it celebrates the power of the purple pound and asks businesses to make a commitment to improve their offer to disabled people. Businesses that register for Purple Tuesday will benefit from free resources from Purple on topics such as website accessibility and customer service training.

Last year over 750 organisations participated, including retail giants Asda, M&S and Sainsbury’s. This year, Purple Tuesday will engage with organisations across multiple sectors on an international level.

Geraldine El Masrour, Centre Manager of Motherwell Shopping Centre, worked with Purple to prepare the centre for Purple Tuesday and saw first-hand the impact of the day on her staff and customers: “Following Purple Tuesday, one of our Security Officers put his dementia training into action to support a shopper, who had previously been seen as disruptive, to make a purchase. The customer was so happy he cried.” Geraldine has since been nominated as Centre Manager of the Year for the SCEPTRE Awards, she says: “I’m sure that working with Purple and taking part in Purple Tuesday has helped me to be shortlisted and I’m looking forward to making continued improvements to our services for disabled people as we build up to Purple Tuesday 2019.”

Mike Adams OBE, Chief Executive of Purple Tuesday said: “Meeting the needs of disabled customers makes commercial sense for businesses of all sizes, from all sectors.

“Purple Tuesday is a milestone moment, but the issue is relevant 365 days a year. From retail to restaurants, tourism to insurance, we’re calling on businesses across all sectors to back Purple Tuesday and commit to changing the customer experience for disabled people for good.”

Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson said: “A day out for disabled customers should be an enjoyable experience to share with family and friends, but for so many it can be such a hassle that they end up staying at home instead.

“That is a terrible shame, not only for the UK’s 13 million disabled people but for Britain’s businesses who are missing out on the huge spending power of these valuable customers. It’s also not acceptable in this day and age.

“I want businesses across the country to get involved with this year’s Purple Tuesday and open their doors to disabled customers – not just on this day but all year round.”

Disabled people tend to be more brand loyal than the average consumer, yet less than 10 per cent of businesses worldwide currently include disabled customers in their marketing plans. By failing to meet the needs of disabled people, businesses could be missing out on a share of £2 billion a month.

As well as providing free resources for Purple Tuesday participants, Purple provides tailored accessibility consulting and support to businesses through paid Purple Memberships and Partnerships.

Purple Members receive benefits including website accessibility diagnosis with recommendations which are free of low cost to implement, as well as consultancy with Purple and support through the Government accredited Disability Confident programme.

A Purple Partnership is designed for organisations with experience of disability issues who want to benefit from longer-term consultancy to address employee, consumer and supply chain related issues. Both Members and Partners receive discounts on Purple’s additional training and auditing services.

To register for Purple Tuesday and join organisations across the globe in changing the customer experience for disabled people, visit https://purpletuesday.org.uk/.

Retailers urged to embrace digital personalisation
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Retails have been urged to extend personalisation at every digital touchpoint and to every individual using AI, in light of more dire warnings on the state of the High Street.

The British Retail Consortium and KPMG have noted the lowest sales figures since 1995 in May, which in a year plagued with closures and CVAs raises the alarm for further decline in the UK high street in the coming months.

According to Raj Badarinath, VP Ecosystems at RichRelevance, brands and retailers are desperately looking for a solution, but stubbornly ignoring the most critical factor: what customers want.

Badarinath asserts that instead of exploring their customers as individuals (not rough marketing-made segments) they keep holding on to outdated personalisation tactics that are clearly not good enough.

“It is disappointing to see retail sales falling year on year in the UK. It’s a tricky time for UK retailers – as they battle on multiple fronts: monopolies like Amazon, ankle biters such as DVNBs (Digitally Native Vertical Brands) and more,” said Badarinath.

“UK consumers today are short on time and inundated with the problem of choice – too much content, product, offers and more. Retailers should reduce decision fatigue by extending personalization at every digital touchpoint and to every individual using AI, which provides the technical ability to do so for the first time. Retailers realize that the UK consumer is fickle and easily wooed, so techniques like hyper-personalization ensure a seamless, memorable customer experience, to increase repeat sales and improve overall lifetime value.”

UK ad spend to hit £21.8 billion in 2019, but growth slows
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Advertising is on the up, with UK spend expected to increase to £21.8 billion, up from £20.5 billion in 2018.

That’s according to the latest forecasts by media investment group, GroupM, which predict 6.1 percent growth for 2019, down from 7.8 percent in 2018, with this year aided by decent underlying growth, admittedly with a slight decline.

Brexit still occupies management bandwidth, which in turn affects ad-budget setting with the potential to lead to reductions.

Digital advertising continues to grow at around 11 percent for 2019, accounting for more than 60 percent of total UK advertising, of which over half is search.

Digital media ‘pure plays’ represent the largest group of ad sellers, with Facebook and Google accounting for around three-quarters of the figure on a gross basis.

After hitting £4.5billion, television accounts for around 20 percent of media investment and remains a stable medium in terms of advertising, with spending left unchanged in 2018 over 2017, with levels set to remain for a 24 month period.

Radio also appears set to hold on to its revenue base this year, followed by closer to +2 percent growth next year, along with Out-of-Home (OOH), digital formats which are becoming increasingly important, accounting for half of spending in OOH during 2018, with further share gains still to come especially as more automation takes root, including the emergence of performance-based targeting and data-driven trading. For now, GroupM forecasts growth exceeding +3 percent in each of 2019 and 2020.

The losers in the advertising game continue to be print, with newspapers and magazines now accounting for less than 10 percent of media investment combined in 2019, down from more than 50 percent in a 15-year period.

Image by Falkenpost from Pixabay

Add your name to our VIP guest list today!
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Don’t miss the chance to join fellow print and marketing professionals this summer at the Print & Digital Innovations Summit – takes place on November 14th at the Hilton London Canary Wharf.

In addition to a full day of business networking, you will get the latest insights and advice on trends in the sector via a series of seminar sessions.

Lunch and refreshments are included with your free ticket.

Register today and join fellow professionals from:

ARYZTA Food Solutions
Avon Cosmetics
Bankable
Direct Line Group
Envision Pharma Group
Keystone Law
M&G Investments
NSAR
Premier Holidays
Programmemaster
Royal Mail
The Hamleys Group
The Landmark London

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity! Register your free place today.

Digital Customer Engagement Summit – Claim your free ticket!
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There’s a free VIP place reserved for you at this autumn’s Digital Customer Engagement Summit on October 15th.

This unique event takes place at the Hilton Canary Wharf, London.

Can you confirm you will be joining us?

The Summit will give you access to innovative and money-saving suppliers for a series of pre-arranged, face-to-face meetings based on your requirements.

You can also attend a series of seminars, and network with like-minded peers.

Lunch and refreshments are included with your free VIP ticket.

If this would be useful for your business, please confirm your attendance here.

Places are limited, so register today to avoid disappointment.