Mediaboss Marketing

Kristina: What implications does Apple's iOS 14 update have for digital marketers and brands?

Steffen Schebesta, CEO, Sendinblue: With Apple's new update, apps will be required to be more transparent with users, and users will have the opportunity to take more control over what data is tracked and how that data is used. This will impact how brands advertise, especially those who are highly dependent on personalized and targeted advertising. However, there is also opportunity here - opportunity for businesses to take a stand in being more transparent as well as opportunity to creatively find new ways to reach customers.

This update also allows businesses to better connect with their audiences through improved company values. Brands will be forced to move in a direction that is more transparent about data collection and will also have increased pressure to protect users' data. Further, brands will be impowered to make a commitment to transparency with consumers - ultimately creating a stronger line of trust between businesses and buyers.

Kristina: Why is this change being made at this time by Apple?

Steffen: As the world continues to become more virtual, there have been many calls for better data protection. Apple made this move to strengthen and protect user privacy as more businesses are scrutinized for not being transparent enough in our virtual world.

Social media, for example, continues to grow larger daily, and as it continues to be a dominating aspect of our lives, there has been a decrease in trust in social platforms and an increase in calls for regulation. While the decision of who will enforce virtual regulations and how these regulations will be enforced is still unknown, Apple has taken a proactive step to give users the option to better control their own privacy.

Apple has long advocated for protecting user privacy, as previously seen with similar data protection updates on Safari, so it's no surprise that Apple is continuing to take steps in this direction. This latest decision both pleases Apple users and offers incentive to non-apple users to switch and gain added privacy, and keeps the focus on parties that have lost user trust due to a lack of transparency, rather than on smartphones or smart products, which function as the medium between the apps and consumers.

Kristina: What impact could this have on businesses?

Steffen: Essentially, this update will change how businesses reach customers through personalized advertisements. If ads become less profitable, businesses will stop purchasing them and instead adjust strategies to invest in other channels.

Enterprises and organizations that have claimed that Apple is harming small businesses are not fighting for small businesses. In fact, it will probably be big corporations that suffer the most, since they rely on tracking much more extensively and throw significantly more resources into tracking than small businesses do. While iOS 14 will change how brands will market, these corporations going after Apple are really pushing back because this update has the potential to decrease their value as a business. If businesses are against users having control of their privacy, it's probably because the business model relies on tracking - and invading - user privacy.

Brands will shift away from methods that are no longer profitable, and will pivot to figure out where to invest to continue reaching customers. This includes exploring new ways to invest in first-party data, becoming more transparent about data collection, and investing in other channels that can still create personalized experiences with users.

Kristina: What steps or strategies should businesses adopt for data/data privacy moving forward?

Steffen: Digital marketing is a broad category that goes beyond traditional, targeted advertising. There are many great ways to connect and engage with consumers, and many methods will be more effective than personalized ads that consumers may never see. There are several other strategies that can be elevated instead, like email marketing, SEO, SEA, social media or content marketing.

To begin adopting a digital marketing strategy that keeps data privacy as a priority, businesses will first need to be more transparent with their audiences. Businesses will stand to benefit from the bonds they'll create with consumers when they become more transparent, and many consumers are more loyal to companies with transparency policies. Other steps organizations will need to take include creating strong trust and long-term relationships with consumers, sourcing first-party data, and keeping the data secured while keeping customers informed on what data is collected and how it is used.

From my experience, email marketing is a great way to build and develop relationships, and drive sales with consumers. There are a number of platforms and services that offer separate data tracking capabilities and are not reliant on Apple or social media apps, such as Sendinblue's Tracker which enables tracking that is automatically entered into marketing automation flows. I would encourage business owners to look into some of the vast offerings out there and leverage them as a way to continue making connections to appropriate customers.

Tags: advertising, advertising data, consumer data, data tips, data trends, ecommerce, mobile commerce, mobile marketing, Sendinblue

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Expert: How the iOS 14 update will impact merchants, brands - Mobile Marketing - BizReport

Havas Creative wins integrated communication mandate for The Laughing CowHavas Creative Mumbai has won the integrated communication mandate for Bel Groups cheese brand The Laughing Cow. The mandate for the agency includes creative, social, and digital creative duties including reputation management for the brand.

The agency will also be responsible for new product launches, brand strategy and amplification customised for the Indian market. The brand has been in partnership with the group since 2019 and is managed by Havas Paris globally.

Alamjit Singh Sekhon, commercial director, Fromageries Bel India said Consumers find the Laughing Cow Creamy Cheese triangles to be unique as they are the only soft, spreadable portions of cheese in India. We believe that Havas Creative with their meaningful brand approach are the right partners for us to help amplify our presence. We are confident that this partnership will help accelerate our journey in India and grow the cheese category by creating impactful brand awareness.

Rana Barua, group chief executive officer, Havas Group India said Bel Groups iconic cheese brand The Laughing Cow Cheese, is one of the groups key global brands and relationships across many markets and I am delighted to win the integrated communication mandate in India. Our team is excited to work in a category that is growing fast and create a strong narrative and stories for the brand to strengthen its presence in India.

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Havas Creative wins integrated communication mandate for The Laughing Cow - ETBrandEquity.com

In a context in which society is going through a particularly difficult time in the face of the pandemic, solidarity becomes the key to resuming normality. Consumers are increasingly demanding in this regard, following the activities of companies and determining their consumption according to their contributions to society.For example in the case of the new generations. The Global Millennial Study 2019, developed by Deloitte, revealed that 91 percent of millennials would change the consumption of a brand for one that truly has a social cause with which they identify.

Social marketing is transcendental in strategies, but above all, that they are actions with a real impact, since the current consumer can leave or adopt a brand defining their choice for that aspect.For Saskia Nio de Rivera, Co-founder of Reinserta and Permanent Guest of the Organized Civil Society to the National Public Safety Council, communication with social impact is essential especially in 2021. Empathic messages would be the key to follow.

Our challenges undoubtedly respond to being able to generate clear and empathetic messages in the face of an adverse context derived by COVID-19, in addition to the daily events of violence, corruption and impunity in the country. Our mission as a civil society organization with a focus on social impact is to propose solutions that are nurtured by effort and creativity to communicate our causes and that our struggle becomes that of many more Mexican men and women , he commented.

Being inclusive and respectful with all segments is essential in communication. According to Statista, in 2017, 44 percent of employees globally believed that there was openness in the workplace to support diversity and inclusion. This figure will increase during 2021.

Above all with respect, it is essential to promote the inclusion of the different groups with which we live and not allow someone to cause harm to a third party. At Reinserta we consider that we are all valuable and each one of us can contribute something, so warmth in our treatment is fundamental and our entire team can bear witness to this, more than an organization, we see ourselves as a family , added Nio of Rivera.

In this sense, Christianne de la Torre, specialist in inclusion and gender agenda at Zimat Consultores (strategic advisers for Reinserta on PR and communication issues) highlights the importance of developing communication strategies with social impact that start from the understanding and comprehension of the context and social needs, to build from this, messages that connect with the audience and are relevant to them. The specialist adds that the key is to think about how an organization can contribute to social transformation through a communication strategy.

THE MOMENTUM IN DIGITALOne medium that puts brands that are not aware of these important aspects in check is social networks. The latest Sprout Social survey indicates that a brands social presence may be best-in-class when consumers notice engagement with their audience (61 percent) is a leading factor, along with transparency (45 percent) and a strong customer service (44 percent).

Nio de Rivera highlights that the role of social networks for organizations in 2021 will be fundamental.

Without a doubt, they will play a fundamental role in publicizing the work that we will carry out in a scenario where COVID-19 will continue to be a constant theme. They are a window to our activities, our ideals and our actions. Social networks will be our allies to socialize and generate a greater impact on the populations we work with , he deepened.A good planning and communication strategy in accordance with the values of the companies, would be the key to connect with consumers effectively.

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These are the challenges of communication with social impact in 2021, according to Saskia Nio de Rivera - Explica

LinkedIn continues to see record-high levels of engagement, and beat revenue expectations in the most recent quarter, according to the latest update from parent company Microsoft.

As per Microsoft's FY21 Q2 update, posted last week, LinkedIn sessions grew 30% in the last three months of 2020, while the platform's total revenue increased 23% in the period.

As outlined by Microsoft:

"We once again saw record levels of engagement across the platform, as LinkedIns nearly 740 million members use the network to connect, learn, and find new opportunities. Sessions increased 30%. Conversations were up 48%. And hours spent on LinkedIn Learning were up 2x, compared to a year ago."

What, exactly, 'conversations' incorporates within this context is not entirely clear, but the data shows that LinkedIn engagement continues to rise, which has been the story over the past several reports from the tech giant.

One of the downsides of Microsoft's takeover of LinkedIn has been that we no longer get specific performance updates related to the platform, like total member charts and insights into usage. LinkedIn has never been totally forthcoming about active users, as such, preferring instead to report total 'members', which is not a comparable metric, but we did once get a little more data on actual platform usage trends over time, while we now only get a brief mention within the broader context of Microsoft's overall product suite.

But regardless, the data does indicate that LinkedIn is seeing higher levels of activity, while its advertising business continues to grow -which could make it a more relevant consideration for more digital marketers, depending on your industry focus and fit.

In fact, according to Microsoft, LinkedIn's ads business saw a major boost in the last quarter:

"LinkedIns advertising business had a record quarter, accounting for more than a third of LinkedIns total revenue. LinkedIn Marketing Solutions was up over 50%, as advertisers increasingly turn to the platform as the trusted way to reach professionals ready to do business."

Microsoft also notes that the shift to remote selling has also benefited LinkedIn's business, with Sales Navigator helping to provide more context - "while new tools help sales organizations use LinkedIn data to identify and size opportunities".

LinkedIn has been adding new ways to tap into its unmatched professional data banks, including 'Sales Insights' which it launched in December. Sales Insights provides data on key business opportunities based on your chosen market niche and parameters.

As Microsoft notes, with the shift to remote work, then the eventual re-ignition of the economy in the wake of COVID-19, LinkedIn is in a strong position to capitalize on various key market shifts, which is no doubt part of the reason why it's seeing such promising results.

Microsoft says that it expects the continued strong engagement on the platform "drive revenue growth in the low-20% range" moving forward.

You can read Microsoft's full Q2 2021 update here.

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LinkedIn's Advertising Business is on the Rise, While User Engagement Remains Solid - Social Media Today

PHOTO:Neil Soni

Have you ever been at a dinner party when a newcomer enters a heated conversation and completely changes the mood around the topic? Well if privacy was the hot topic, Apple, through its launch of App Tracking Transparency notification, would be that intriguing newcomer.

App tracking transparency (ATT) is a new privacy protection framework for Apple device owners which the company first teased last summer. With ATT, when an Apple device owner downloads or opens an app, a notification pops up asking if the user wants to be tracked across third party apps and websites.Apple announced last weekthat the ATT feature is included in its latest operating systems: iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and TVOS 14.

ATT is meant to make the process of privacy protection more intuitive to consumers. APIs have always had a specification detailing what data is accessed between two applications. But consumers didn't have easy access to those technical details. Providing a notification like ATT is similar to a nutrition label for grocery shoppers. But instead of knowing the health benefits of a certain food, Apple device owners learn who has their data, allowing a comparison on what apps are best protecting their privacy.

Analytics practitioners are realizing their role in the privacy debates mirrors that of developers. Because analytic SDKs are considered third party sources, practitioners must comply, raising some operational needs downstream. For example, a data framework required with ATT will restrict, aggregate and delay event reporting. This will impact analytic dashboards reliant on that data.

App developers or startups building a business model around an app will need to track what percentage of customer traffic is accessing the app through an Apple OS. This can guide an operation team on prioritizing platform support. With Apple controlling 40% of the smartphone market, developers would be wise to compare their customer base to that share to understand the degree their business model is exposed to the potential changes ATT will usher in.

The ATT framework also serves as a strong reminder of how app developers and analytics practitioners must map data protection and privacy compliance. Applying quality assurance processes to data flows from user permission will highlight risks, describe collection methods, and clarify data usage.

Related Article: How Clean Data Supports Consumer Privacy Efforts

Apple's framework represents a significant marketing moment: a computer manufacturer is influencing how regulatory actions should exist within the advertising industry. In the history of advertising, most regulatory mandates came from either government agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission, or industry agreement through self-established standards.

Now compare Apple's announcement to a TV manufacturer telling ABC, NBC or Disney Plus what ads they can serve on your TV and the magnitude of this change is clear. Apple has the role of TV set maker, exerting a caveat emptor responsibility for consumers who may not have been making effective choices for themselves.

Apple taking on this role is not entirely new. The strategy reflects a continuation of the privacy philosophy that Apple founder Steve Jobs often expressed. During the 2010 Wall Street Journal D8 conference, Jobs explained how Apple considers data privacy with a more conservative view than its Silicon Valley neighbors. He shared a warning notice as an example an example that predates today's ATT by over a decade!

Related Article: That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles

The framework is not without its critics, Facebook being the highest profile example. Facebook asserts that ATT positions it as a third party, preventing its users to view ads based on their past online activity. Facebook's advertising ecosystem, the crown jewel of its financial strength, would be threatened.

Facebook also warns that ATT could hurt small businesses who rely on Facebook advertising to promote their offerings. Facebook notes that 90 million small businessesuse it to sell products and services.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called Apple a "serious" future competitor during a recent quarterly earnings report. His statement follows a series of full-page ads in which Facebook claimed it was standing up for small businesses.

While not exactly altruistic, Zuckerberg's point has some merit. Businesses have increasingly turned to ads rather than sharing posts to reaching audiences on social media platforms. Attention to the spread of misinformation on social media platforms has also amplified the need for ads, not posts, to gain the attention of potential customers. Many small app startups rely on in-app advertising as part of their business model. Just imagine the developer of a new communication app or the next Among Us sensation being unable to effectively reach an audience. These concerns remind everyone of how technology trends particularly among the behemoths of the industry alter market opportunities and business models.

Some industry insiders predict a legal battle may come from this debate. But it is more likely to remain a war of words. Apple is on a current successful run of strengthening revenue. The iPhone, along with wearables and services, has set a new sales record. With $200 billion dollars in cash reserve, Apple has the financial backing for any legal fight with ad tech industry giants like Google and Facebook. Moreover a strong cash reserve provides the wherewithal for expensive product development, even if creating devices and supporting market entries cause high initial costs. Apple's successful forays into music, movies and smartphones is proof of its resilience.

In contrast, Facebook warned of revenue uncertainty into 2021, despite strong ecommerce performance. Facebook certainly has a substantial cash reserve and the capability to develop products. But the current evolution of adtech away from cookies, combined with fierce public scrutiny for the tech industry means Facebook may opt to remain focused on product innovation rather than legal pursuits. As another signal of its intentions, Facebook has issued guidance webinars for implementing the Apple protocols to small businesses using its platforms.

In the 2010 Wall Street Journal D8 interview, Steve Jobs said Apple always held a different view of privacy. Customers will experience that difference this spring when the company will roll out App Tracking Transparency in its updated operating system.

Pierre DeBois is the founder of Zimana, a small business digital analytics consultancy. He reviews data from web analytics and social media dashboard solutions, then provides recommendations and web development action that improves marketing strategy and business profitability.

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Apple's New ATT Privacy Protection Framework Rolling Out With iOS 14 - CMSWire