Going (Creatively) Digital
Google Extends Reach Into App-Sphere By Streaming App Content
Getting found among the more than 1.6 million apps available to Android users is a little easier to do now that Google has begun to stream app contents via Google search. As the result of two years of work, Google now has more than 100 billion deep links into apps in its index while 40% of searches people do on Android surface app content. Until last month, Google had only been able to show information from apps that had matching web content, the company said on its blog. Now it’s able to show “app-first” content in Search as well. For example, if you need a hotel for a spur-of-the-moment trip to Chicago, search results will now include results from the HotelTonight app without having to actually download and install it.
Facebook Making The Agency Rounds To Stir Interest In Oculus Rift VR
Facebook is talking to agencies about the marketing prospects for its Oculus Rift virtual reality goggles, which it will begin selling to consumers in early 2016, according to Digiday. Specifically, the company is discussing 360-degree video as a way to experiment with immersive experiences, special content and product placements. “They’re finally getting around to getting to what Oculus means in the grand scheme,” said one creative agency executive who has discussed virtual reality with Facebook reps. “It’s come up in pitch situations where they say they want us to use it for big brand launches.” Facebook bought the virtual reality company last year for $2 billion and hasn’t said a lot about how advertisers might leverage the technology. Not surprisingly, gaming companies are expected to be among the first to want to have a presence in the Oculus VR world.
GameStop’s Loyalty Program Key To Offline Research Driving In-Store Sales
While many brick-and-mortar stores struggle with showrooming—consumers using physical locations to check online pricing—for GameStop it’s the other way around. Although about 60% of the retailer’s online traffic comes from mobile devices, mobile is “just the door to the store” because its customers make very few purchases online, reports Knowledge@Wharton. GameStop’s PowerUp loyalty program, with 40 million members worldwide (about 30 million of them in the U.S.) includes a free tier and a premium Pro tier that costs $15 a month. It drives 71% of the chain’s sales. GameStop focuses most closely on its six million paid members because “Pro members beyond any doubt are our most profitable,” a company spokesman noted.
Sheraton Extends Hospitality To Stranded Travelers Who Tweet For Prizes
Sheraton is capitalizing on one of travelers’ least favorite experiences—flight delays—by getting people to Tweet #delightdelaysweeps to its Twitter account if they are stranded between now and Dec. 31 at airports in the U.S., Mexico, the U.K., Dubai, France and Germany while trying to visit family and friends. And, of course, if travelers are stranded for a night or two, Sheraton hopes the social-media engagement will lead to room bookings, ADWEEK reports. For example, at New York’s JFK Airport, delayed consumers can scan their plane tickets at a kiosk and convert the number of minutes they are delayed into attempts to win a prize. The more minutes, the better chance of winning. Prizes include Sheraton resort vacations, GoPro cameras, drones, high-end headphones, portable charging devices, battery extenders for mobile devices and travel kits.
C-Suite Moves:
Josh Sitzer to Unanimous A.I. as Chief Marketing Officer, from Sprint, where he was Director of Social Media.
David Gee to Zuora as Chief Marketing Officer, from Infoblox, where he was Chief Marketing Officer and EVP of Marketing.
Bob Mack Peak to Marijuana Company of America as Chief Marketing Officer, from Red Llama Trading, where he was Chief Marketing Officer.
Christine Huang to Deep Focus as Chief Marketing Officer, from advertising agency BBH, where she was head of Head of New Business Development.
Syed Hoda to Scality as Chief Marketing Officer, from ParStream, where he was Chief Marketing Officer.
