Santa Automates Naughty List

December 23, 2011 – 10:35 am

With each passing year, it seems Santa gets busier and busier. He’s gone from receiving and answering letters to managing his own Twitter feed, Facebook page, and sending SMS alerts about his Christmas Eve campaign. Juggling all the advancements in technology, keeping his naughty and nice lists up to date and fielding numerous gift requests from little ones can be a little overwhelming.

Earlier this year, Knotice received a letter from Santa. He was interested in increasing the efficiency of his legendary Christmas Eve campaign. With the growing number of gift requests he gets each year, Santa was interested in a platform to pull together his data so he could best engage each person on an individual basis during his busy season. In addition, he wanted to better understand areas of interest for more relevant giving for his Christmas Eve send.

Even though Santa is gonna find out who’s naughty or nice, the task of updating each list segment in real-time can be challenging. Because of that, he also was looking for ways to automate the status of each individual on his famous list. The team at Knotice was ready to help.

Check out this screencast to see how Santa was able to use Knotice technology to streamline his Christmas Eve campaign.

Santa selects Knotice

Wishing you a wonderful holiday from all of us at Knotice!

By Patti Renner | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Best and Worst Gifts for Techies

December 21, 2011 – 9:40 am

In the midst of Hanukkah and almost to Christmas, our Knotice family weighed in on the “Best” and “Worst” (or most useless) gifts for techies. Their gift-giving advice (and humble opinions) follow.

From Bill:
Best: A gift subscription to Spotify. For a mere $9.99/month, you can have unlimited access to all of the great music from LPs, 8-tracks, cassettes and CDs that you have lost over the years. Build the soundtrack of your life.
Worst/Useless: The ultrasonic anti-bark device…it doesn’t work on yappy high-strung papillions.

From Elizabeth:
Best: The Nest Thermostat. If you’re like me, you’re into technology. It surrounds everything you do each and every day, so why not extend that love towards things in your home. The Nest Thermostat is the sexiest $249 thermostat out there, turning a mundane household object into the centerpiece of any room. Leave it to the former Apple employee who was in charge of developing the Apple iPod to come up with the creation – which is not only sleek in design, but technologically advanced. The thermostat’s amazing features include Wi-Fi (allowing you to make changes to your at-home temperature from just about anywhere) and learning capabilities. Yes, it learns – it contains sensors, which detect if anyone is in the house, adjusting the temperature based on limits you define. Over time, the device “learns” these behaviors, providing you the optimal living environment. So, if you can swallow the initial investment, it could pay for itself in heating/cooling costs.

The Nest Thermostat


From Sarah:
Best: (as requested by Nate): IBVA – interactive brainwave visual analyzer (Nate’s wanted this for 10+ years); Multichannel Wireless headphones; A lap desk with cupholders, so you can holder your gigantic laptop and everything else you could possibly need for one evening without ever having to get up.
Worst/Useless: Coffee mugs (they don’t need any more, no matter how cute the saying is); Bargain bin anime series/video games (There’s a reason they’re in there. No one wants them.), AND don’t ever, EVER confuse Star Wars and Star Trek. (They are not the same thing.)

From Mandy:
Best: Surround sound speakers for a different experience when watching movies and TV.

From Dave:
Worst: The Jawbone UP would fit into the currently “unusable technical gadget disaster” category. Amid much hype, this “wear it all the time” activity tracker promises to change your life for the healthy better by encouraging you to track, record, and share your trials and tribulations via an integrated iPhone app. In fact, based on personal and friendly anecdotal experiences, the most common thing this may do for you physically is activate depression, angst, and anger. Very poor user experience, not enough real data, not a great app experience equals a #FAIL for this company – one that built its stock on engineering and design mastery. I’ve heard they are buying them back and are revamping the UX in hopes of playing in the mobile fitness space.
Better: For a product that seems to do everything right- check here with Morotola Mobility.

From Dutch:
Best: The iCADE turns an iPad into a classic arcade game.

From Patti:
Best: Definitely the Geek Ball from Archie McPhee’s (one of my favorite stores). It’s a Magic 8-Ball for techies. Love it.

From Scott:
Best: iPad; iPhone; techie magazine subscription; components to build a new PC; New Laser mouse; external Hard Drive 500+ gigs.
Worst/Useless: Mouse pad; wired ball mouse; any thumb drive under 1 gig.

From Bryce:
Best: You can never beat a true techie to the punch, or try to score for them a technology they don’t already have (or haven’t already turned their nose up at). So buying technology for a techie is impossible. However, tech accessories are optimal. Advancements in design and features of tech accessories like iPad cases or mounts are insane right now. Scoring a super-swank or uber-usable accessory for your techie can show off your bona fides and score them some additional street cred, too.
Worst/Useless: Actual technology (as referenced above). Unless a techie has told you exactly what they want and expects you to buy that item for them, don’t try to acquire technology on their behalf. Any guesses you attempt to make on the very specific and important aspects of technology you and I take for granted but which are critically important minutiae to a techie will undoubtedly backfire.

By Patti Renner | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

What’s a Facebook Super Opt-In Worth?

December 19, 2011 – 2:11 pm
Brian DeaganA friend at work told me about yogaglo.com. For $18/month visitors can get unlimited access to instructional yoga videos. I went to their site and decided to register with my Facebook account. This is what they asked for:

If providing an email address is a traditional opt-in, this is the equivalent of a super opt-in. You can’t blame yogaglo for asking, but give me a break. They want to turn me and my Facebook account into their little marketing machine, but what do I get in return? Absolutely nothing.

The ability for marketers to be granted this level of permission and access to consumer information truly provides the ingredients to revolutionize (I don’t use that word loosely) how brand relationships work and gain valuable insights into which customers are influencing other customers (at scale). However, the possibilities will be severely hamstrung if marketers don’t start thinking about what they need to give, to get this level of access. What is the value exchange?

Think about an old-fashioned email opt-in. When you request an email address as a brand, it’s important to convey the value the customer will get by providing it (e.g.: special offers, useful tips, etc.).

Not only did yogaglo ask for my email address, but they want my cell phone number, access to posts on my news feed, the ability to post to Facebook as me, and access to my master friends list and my custom friend lists (family, coworkers, etc). What’s the appropriate value exchange that yogaglow should provide?

The simplest way to answer this is in clicks and the value associated to those clicks. Granting the requested access will result in clicks by my friends as I interact with yogaglo (e.g.: access the site, watch videos, rate videos, etc). Those actions will create posts that will show up on my friends’ feeds. Some friends will click, some will click and sign up with yogaglo themselves.

If we were talking paid search, yogaglo would pay approximately $1.00 per click for the keyword “yoga videos.” With the average Facebook user having 130 friends, it’s not unrealistic that over the course of a month, a single yogaglo customer could generate 5 clicks. Here’s how I arrived at that number:

130 Friends
x 15 yogaglow Posts Per Month
= 1950 Monthly Impressions
x .25% Click Through Rate (quarter of 1%)
= 5 Clicks (4.875 to be exact)

If someone has 500 friends, this translates into 18 clicks. Some could argue that the .25% CTR is too low. Others could argue that it’s too high. I argue that it’s reasonable, but definitely should be tested.

At 5 clicks per month and a value of $1 per click (which again, it’s easy to argue it should be higher considering the friend endorsement), that translates into $60 in value over the course of a year from the average Facebook user. Once it’s adjusted to reflect the average lifetime of a yogaglo customer (e.g., 8 months versus 14 months), yogaglo has a pretty good estimate on the base value of someone clicking the “Allow” button.

I say “base value” because our math doesn’t accommodate for two important things. First, even if other Facebook users aren’t clicking, there is still the benefit of awareness advertising. And second, yogaglo now has access to a treasure-trove of information they can use to strengthen their relationship with customers.

So the way I see it, if I use my Facebook account to sign up with yogaglo and grant the requested access, I should get three months free. As we’ve demonstrated, it’s pretty easy to rationalize this value exchange. Equally important, it proactively demonstrates the reciprocal nature of the Facebook-enhanced relationship and the potential good things to come, versus requesting a level of access that simply could be off-putting and not the best way to kick off a new customer relationship.

If anyone has seen great examples of a strong value-exchange for a “Facebook super opt-in,” please share. I’d love to see them.

By Brian Deagan | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (4)

Job Growth in Akron

December 16, 2011 – 1:05 pm
We’ve said it before: Akron is a great place to call home. And The Fiscal Times seems to agree. Earlier this month, the publication named Akron the second best place in the United States to find a job.

“Akron moved up seven notches to earn its second-place slot after a number of major companies that have historically called the city home recently recommitted to that part of Ohio, which is better known these days for being the birthplace of Lebron James than for its legacy as the tire capital of America.”

photo courtesy Goodyear/The Fiscal Times

Knotice is proud to call Akron home and proud to contribute to its second-place ranking by bringing over 30 new jobs to the area. And we’re still hiring. Check out our job openings here.
Knotice is also proud to contribute to the job growth in the Seattle area (number 9 on The Fiscal Times’ Ten Best Cities to find a job list.) We just announced the opening of our Seattle office. Check back for more on our Seattle expansion next week!

In the meantime, check out this news clip from Fox 8 profiling Knotice and other Akron companies contributing to the city’s job growth.

Find a Job in Akron

By Knotice | Posted in Knotice | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Breaking News on Mobile Innovations

December 14, 2011 – 1:46 pm
Dave LawsonYesterday saw the introduction of a couple of potential game changers in the mobile world. One represents a maturation of the mobile connection technologies; the other is a seismic shift in your brand’s ability to get the right ad to the right people at the right time and (now) in the right place.
Add into that the fact that both of these advancements were made by technology big dogs: Facebook and Microsoft, and we’ve got an “oh really?!” kind of day.
Let’s start with Microsoft. They have been playing in the 2D Barcode space for about 18 months with their proprietary entry MS Tag. Their code could only be generated on their and could only be read by their reader app.

This created fragmentation on one side and a calming uniformity on the other. As we described in our QR vs. MS Tag blog post, requiring a tag-specific reader reduces the number of people that could readily scan.

An important subtlety to their branding is that they often include “platform” to follow that “MS Tag” connector product descriptor. They have truly taken the first step of what I anticipate will include numerous other connectors by adding support for QR code scans and NFC activations. I can see a future that includes audio keys, motion and geographic triggers, image recognition, watermarking, augmented reality, and more. Providing an integrated connector and resultant behavioral activity capture dashboard with all the analytics to quantify the interactions and delivering sexy audience/consumer data for success assessment and will enable better marketing decisions. All this points to where mobile behaviors currently are and where they will inevitably continue to evolve into- your customers and prospects expecting to connect with you as conveniently as possible from any place, at any time, on any device when they need you.

In one fell swoop, Microsoft’s Tag team has solved the biggest complaint/counter argument that most QR enthusiasts have had: “But it doesn’t scan QR codes.” So now what?

It’s a compelling advancement and exciting for consumers to be able to have one app that reads or can use multiple connectors to drive to mobile experiences. Just pick the right one for the right purpose and *poof* you have an appropriate connector. There are still some questions that remain for marketers. These include:

  1. Will QR code generation and NFC activations will be accessed via the tag.microsoft.com domain with the same no-cost analytics that are currently available? (Knotice wasn’t able to access these features yesterday.)

  2. Will the Tag reader app be able to scan or use multiple activators, or will it be similar to the Nellymoser Universal Action Code Reader SDK that can really only be built into a proprietary branded app? (Knotice wasn’t able to scan QR codes with the MS Tag app yesterday.)

  3. Will this finally allow marketers to focus on providing the right helper text with their codes prior to scan and the best experiences post-scan? (If not, please call Knotice).

As exciting as this is, there remains the news that Facebook is now getting ready to begin serving and selling ad space within their mobile universe. People accessing Facebook via mobile devices like tablets and phones could instantly become display ad “fish in a barrel.” Mobile access to the global über-social network accounts for about one-third of the total activity there and presents some amazing “in the moment” activity opportunities for the essence of right message, right place, right time.

Its simplicity, 800 million members, and the mobile traffic they generate combine to make Facebook an instant Top 4 player in the mobile ad network space. Exciting for them because they own all their inventory and should have better data to make the most of mobile-only or integrated buys.

Both of these developments are exciting as major players and technologies in the mobile space are making what was conjecture for so long a reality. Mobility as a marketing channel didn’t necessarily need more momentum as evidenced by the past 18 months of activity in the space. However, most brands are still in the formative stages of their programs. We have a consolidation of a sometimes confounding space with Microsoft’s announcement and the launch of a media option no marketer (mobile or otherwise) should ignore.

What do you think of these recent developments or others in the digital marketing space?

By Dave Lawson | Posted in Industry News, Mobile Marketing | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Easy Photoshop Tips for Marketers

December 12, 2011 – 12:45 pm
Mike D'AgrumaLet’s assume we’re building a holiday email, want to include a stock photo of Santa Claus in the design and choose the image pictured to the right. Since Santa will most likely be repurposed on a landing page and a separate, direct mail piece, we’ll download a large, high-quality version that can effectively be resized to fit each format. (A 2,599 by 1,891 pixel, 300 dpi, 3.18 MB version.)

We upload this into Concentri, resize it in the WYSIWYG editor or HTML while building the email and run a test.
That’s when we run into a serious problem: The image takes about two-and-a-half minutes to download and we have no idea why.
This is a pretty common issue many marketers face and one our self-service clients bring to our Creative Services department.

But why does this problem occur? More importantly, how does it get fixed?

The “Why”

Setting a specific height and width for an image in the Concentri’s WYSIWYG editor or in the email’s HTML or CSS only affects how the image is displayed – it has no bearing on the size or quality of the image file. If you upload a 2,599 by 1,891 pixel, 300 dpi, 3.18 MB image file and insert it into your email, it behaves exactly like a 2,599 by 1,891 pixel, 300 dpi, 3.18 MB image file.

On the Web, a 3.18 MB image is a big image. Way too big. It’s enormous. Gargantuan. Friggin’ massive. Not Web-friendly.

Because 3.18 MBs is not a quick download. And that’s what happens before an image is fully displayed – it’s downloaded. In this instance, we’re asking the email recipient to download a file roughly the size of an MP3.

Let’s fix that. If this image is going to be effectively used in an email or landing page, it needs to be Web-optimized before it’s uploaded into Concentri.

The “How”

On the Web, we don’t want high resolution. We want lower resolution, lower file sizes. An image with a resolution of 72 dpi is ideal – generally producing an image that displays nicely on a monitor or mobile device and is easily downloaded.

With that in mind, we’ll optimize Santa using Photoshop: (Any basic photo editing program allows a user to edit the image size, but Photoshop provides greater flexibility.)

  1. After opening the file, select Image > Image Size … from the menu at the top of the screen.

  2. The menu that opens displays the current specs, the most important being width, height and resolution. Make sure the Scale Styles checkbox is selected. Change the resolution of the image first, moving it down to 72. When Scale Styles is selected, Photoshop will automatically reduce the width and height to match the resolution selected, but these values can still be altered. Let’s assume Santa needs to be 250 pixels wide to fit our design.

  3. Now we’re ready for further optimization. Select File > Save for Web & Devices … . JPEGs are generally the file type of choice for images used in emails, so make sure that option is selected in the first drop-down menu.

    Next, change the value in the Quality drop-down menu from 100 to 80. Adjusting the quality of the image makes a big difference when optimizing for Web, particularly when working with a larger image. In most cases, lowering that value from 100 to 80 can reduce the file size by half.

    The display area on the left will show how an image will render online and provide a few details estimating image size and download time.

The optimized image is now 250 by 181 pixels, 72 dpi, 20 KB.

Ah, much better.

Optimizing images for use online is a simple and straightforward technique. A few minutes spent properly preparing images saves significant development time and reduces or completely eliminates image-rendering issues for both content creator and customer.

By Mike D'Agruma | Posted in Design Tips | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Gadgets – The Most Fun Gift to Give, Part 1

December 9, 2011 – 12:50 pm
Lori GrimHoliday shopping can be a grueling experience. Finding the right gift, in the right color and size can seem almost impossible. And, let’s face it…it’s just not a lot of fun. But shopping for gadgets? Now that’s fun. Chances are, most of the people on your shopping list already have the basics covered: Droid phones, iPads, laptops, iPods, etc. But there are some fun and useful gadgets for all of the people on your list this year:

Gadgets for the overgrown kid:
Remote controlled cars are fun for kids and adults alike. But a monster truck you control with your iDevice? It can’t possibly get any cooler than that. If you’ve got a toy-loving gadget freak on your shopping list, the dexim AppSpeed Monster Truck is the perfect gift for him or her. You simply attach an RF transmitter to your device – the AppSpeed Monster Truck works with the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch – then download a free app and you’re off. You can control the Monster Truck by tilting your device like a steering wheel or by using the touch interface. Best of all, the AppSpeed Monster Truck is sturdy so it can handle bumps against the wall or spills from your desk.

For the mom-to-be:
As a music lover and a mother, I’m a firm believer that it’s never too early to expose children to music…so why not start when they’re still in the womb? The Lullabelly Maternity Musical Device is an adjustable belt with a plug for a portable music player that allows a pregnant woman to share music with her baby. The Lullabelly also includes a splitter so mom can plug in headphones and listen to the same music as baby. It’s a great gift for prenatal bonding. On the other hand, if mom’s musical tastes run more toward hard core gansta rap or death metal, then perhaps you should just stick with something simple like a teddy bear.

Gadgets for your pet:
While you’re doing your gadget shopping don’t forget your pet. Yes, there are even gadgets for pets. Tagg – The Pet Tracker is a GPS-enabled collar that sounds an alarm if your furry friend wanders off. It also allows you to track and locate him online. Unfortunately, if your pet is super fast or can climb trees, Tagg can’t help you to catch him. You’ll need to purchase a master kit and a monthly tracking service but if your pet is a beloved member of the family, the cost is well worth it.

Stay tuned for part 2 of my gadget recommendations next week!

By Lori Grim | Posted in Tech Tips | Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

Review of Moosejaw’s 2D-Code Experience

December 7, 2011 – 1:58 pm
Dave LawsonMoosejaw is using a QR code to give access to an “X-ray” app that lets you “see through” the clothing of the models in their catalog. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/sOeEB6.
I’m definitely a fan of mobile strategy execution that provides an engagement like this for shoppers, and this one is awesome. I mean that sincerely – I wholeheartedly applaud this effort. Based on originality and experience alone, Moosejaw’s effort is 10X better than the next closest catalog execution I’ve seen. Plus, I appreciate and “get” the off-center brand ID of Moosejaw (it resonates well with my own sensibilities).

The clean operation, no-frills navigation, rich interface and details (like the changing of depth of field), and on-brand/theme presentation of creative all are superb.

When looking at the use of a 2D code, you might want to consider the following if you are executing on a similar concept.

  1. Connection – The 2D code for the X-ray Vision App really only enables the downloading of the app itself. That is the essence of a 2D code – a connector to an experience or information. Nothing earth shattering here.

  2. Detection – The QR code, however, didn’t just take me to an Android app. It offered me an additional step where I had to choose between OSs. No big deal there, but we’re talking total experience excellence here, so a step that perhaps could have been avoided with an auto-detection of my device type and a direct link to a download.

  3. Flash Fail – Once at the store, download was clean and the app worked flawlessly on my device. However, from the link above, it would have been a different experience all together on a Mac-based computer. No flash on Macs means the catalog doesn’t work.

  4. Other Points – A couple other dings on an otherwise polished experience: Other QR codes in the catalog aren’t scannable with the app I just downloaded, so I have to leave it, open another scanner app to scan the additional codes. This takes me to publicly available videos (outside the app and catalog) found on YouTube on the Moosejaw channel to highlight the product that I see. Points given for keeping these videos on theme for the catalog, being easily viewed (short run, no pre-roll), and well produced. Points deducted for the disconnectedness of the experience mentioned above.

  5. Conversion – There are opportunities missed to turn this shopping experience into a buying experience without requiring a change of course. They do a great job of frequent URL mentions and ample customer care call-in numbers throughout the catalog. As a connected consumer, I know I could figure out how to buy things from Moosejaw, probably 10 different ways. The inclusion of a “buy now” or “add to cart” functionality in the app or an easy “click to call” in app is a simple suggestion, but one that is most “on experience,” especially as mobile wallets and comfort with mobile-only transactions are on the rise. This could easily be a gateway for loyal Moosejaw consumers to register a “mobile fast-track” for future purchase. For instance, this could even be activated via QR scan from a basic direct mail post card, making it easy for people to buy via mobile device.

By Dave Lawson | Posted in Mobile Marketing | Tags: , , , , | Leave a Comment

Reflecting on Cyber Monday 2011

December 5, 2011 – 1:18 pm
Casey BartoThe emails have been sent and shopping carts have been loaded up. This year’s Cyber Monday (and subsequent cyber week) proved highly successful with record-breaking $6 billion in sales, according to comScore.
Nearly 80 percent of e-retailers planned to send customers some kind of Cyber Monday deal, and shoppers must have been hungry to save because retailers racked up $1.25 billion in sales, making this year’s Cyber Monday the biggest online shopping day in history.

This year’s sales figures just squeaked by ComScore’s $1.2 billion sales prediction for the busiest online shopping day.

Plenty of good deals were to be had on the first day back to work from the Thanksgiving holiday with some retailers offering discounts like 50 percent off and free shipping or free gift with purchase. Consumers jumped at the chance to knock some items off their holiday lists, spending 22 percent more over Cyber Monday last year.

But Cyber Monday wasn’t the only day where sales topped $1 billion. Consumers also opened their wallets on Tuesday and Wednesday sending sales for those two days past the $1 billion mark as well. While “Cyber Week” was a bigger hit than in years past, the real test for retailers is whether or not shoppers return to finish their holiday shopping after the days of great deals online have expired.

“As the deals from this week expire, it will be important to see the degree to which consumers return to the same retailers to continue their holiday shopping, thereby helping improve retailers’ profit margins, or if we experience a pullback in consumer spending – which has occurred in previous years – before promotional offers and spending intensity pick back up in earnest around mid-December,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni.

According to comScore, free shipping was a very import element when considering a cyber week purchase, with more than one-third of consumers saying that they wouldn’t make a purchase without it. Offering free shipping has several benefits for retailers – especially when it comes to boosting online spending activity. It’s a careful balance between “free” while remaining profitable, but based on consumer feedback, it could offer a competitive advantage during what’s shaping up to be a happier holiday season.

Did you make an online purchase during cyber week? If so, did free shipping play a role?

By Casey Barto Newman | Posted in Industry News | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Knotice at the 2011 Weatherhead 100

December 2, 2011 – 12:41 pm
The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) revealed the Weatherhead 100 ranking at a special awards dinner in Cleveland last night. The Weatherhead 100 recognizes the fastest growing companies in Northeast Ohio. This marks our third consecutive appearance on the list. The fastest growing software company in Northeast Ohio, we ranked #8 again this year with a 547.43% increase in sales over 2010.

That growth fueled other good things at Knotice. We brought 23 new jobs to Northeast Ohio, added strategic expertise to our growing staff and introduced our groundbreaking Mobile Email Opens Report series. Check out the latest report here.

In addition to the Weatherhead 100 ranking, Knotice was recently honored with a Cascade Capital Growth Award. To be recognized as a Cascade Capital winner, a company’s revenue must have increased 100 percent and its fulltime employee count must have increased by 50 percent.

“Contributing to its double-digit growth over the last three years is the fact that Knotice invests heavily in building a strong, customer service-driven team of employees to sell and administer its products and services. Knotice prides itself on its employees’ commitment to going above and beyond for customers. “ — SmartBusiness Magazine

Here are some snapshots from the Weatherhead 100 dinner:

By Knotice | Posted in Knotice | Tags: , , , , | Leave a Comment
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