Mighty Morphin SupahMega Online Trends
“SupahMega Trends Global in Online Media” boasted a powerhouse speaker lineup discussing how various internet trends are playing out on a global level, and how marketers are taking advantage of them (or not, as Ann Green from Millward Brown repeatedly pointed out). Moderated by K-Town Group’s Peter Storck, the panel included Ann Green, DoubleClick’s Rick Bruner, AOL’s Mark Lopez, and Nielsen//NetRatings’s Charlie Buchwalter.
Overall, some of the panelists could have had a more global focus, and there could have been more debate (Charlie and Rick had a fun back and forth when discussing broadband, but the controversy fizzled afterwards). Still, these folks are so darn smart that they’re worth a listen anytime.
Here’s a recap of the five trends and what the panelists had to say about them:
1. Broadband
* Charlie (Nielsen//NetRatings): The U.S. lags many other nations in broadband penetration, but our innovation remains a strong point. (Charlie)
* Rick (DoubleClick): We’re approaching ubiquity by virtue of any growth at all, but we’re a ways off from ubiquity, and our broadband speeds lag behind other countries.
* Mark (AOL): Hispanics account for much of broadband’s growth.
* Ann (Millward Brown): Marketers are slow to respond to broadband.
2. Convergence: Consumers are rapidly
* Charlie (Nielsen///NetRatings): There’s a DVR learning curve.
* Rick (DoubleClick): Online holds its own against TV & print for influence.
* Mark (AOL): Hispanics are digital adopters.
* Ann (Millward Brown): Consumers are there, but marketers aren’t following suit.
3. Engagement
* Rick (DoubleClick): The internet offers more engagement channels than other media.
* Charlie (Nielsen//NetRatings): Engagement measures don’t appear to correlate with broadband penetration. Online engagement is registering healthy year-over-year increases.
* Mark (AOL): Hispanics are highly engaged online.
* Ann (Millward Brown): A more engaging medium requires more engaging ads.
4. Branding
* Mark (AOL): Hispanics consider the internet the best source of information.
* Ann (Millward Brown): Marketers are using online for more than just direct marketing.
* Rick (DoubleClick): Online marketing drives awareness.
* Charlie (Nielsen///NetRatings): (Someone IMed me; I missed this one.)
5. Spending
* Charlie (Nielsen///NetRatings): Top online advertisers are increasing their online spend.
* Rick (DoubleClick): There’s a shift from the ad buyers’ to sellers’ market.
* Ann (Millward Brown): Marketers are shifting their spending appropriately to online.
