Tag archives: numbers

The QR dilemma

I’ve been fascinated by QR codes since the very beginning, a couple of years ago. And I’ve always asked myself the same questions: how many people have the QR reader software installed on his/her mobile phone? How many people really understand there is something they can do and access to through that barcode? Is it really worth and cost effective to launch an action with QR codes (outside of Japan, of course…)?

The disappointing thing is that I’m still looking for relevant answers to the questions above. I keep reading about QR actions but it’s impossible to get any number on the spread of QR enabled phones nor on the results of QR campaigns. To give you an idea of the lack of information in the industry and among consumers, I think it’s interesting to read an article Ralph Lauren has published on its online magazine. A fashion brand that explains its consumers a technology… let me say that this is a bit curious, unless you have realized nobody has interacted with your QR code…

Read more…

Europe, show me the numbers

It’s quite some time I don’t write about research and numbers (maybe because before I didn’t care much !!??!!) but now in my new position, I have to keep my eyes open on this aspect of the business as well Thanks to the guys @ Marketingfacts (and to the brilliant powe of slideshare!), we can access a few interesting data on online advertising in Europe presented last week in Brussels by the IAB. As you can see, UK leads the way, followed by Germany and France. Actually the info I find more interesting, is that the average expenditure per active user is 39.1€.

Quick links: online advertising stats

- Automotive, health, travel and household goods will lead the online advertising market (according to Jupiter Research) - Broadband boosts advertising surge, the Financial Times reports - Beauty brands get the best results online (a new research by Dynamic Logic claims)

Online gamers stats

Relevant stats today on eMarketer for any marketer interested in advergames. The question is “why people play online”? The main answer, according to a research by AOL and Digital Marketing Services, is “because online games are fun”. However there’s also a lot of people who play because are stressed or bored. The research also tries to tell us which are the activities online gamers are spending less time on as a result of online game playing. Eventually eMarketer quotes a survey by Harris Interactive investigating the percentage of Internet users playing online. Apparently is still rather low, but growing. Harris finds that while 49% of Net users say they never download or play games online, 18% are involved with online games �very often� or �often� � and that�s up from 13% in 2002.

SMS mania in the UK

In a press release the Mobile Data Association (MDA) says that 55 million sms have been sent daily across the UK last August. In August 2002, the number was lower, with “only” 45 text messages sent. A total of 1.69 Billion texts were sent person-to-person throughout August 2003. Futhermore, I pass you the link to an article today on The Advertiser in which it’s said that a well-known London clinic, The Priory, is treating patients addicted to sending text messages. “Psychologists claim many people have now embraced texting as a way of avoiding telling their partners things they dare not say to them face-to-face“. As the REM used to sing… It’s the end of the world and you know it!

Sometimes, they come back

Online advertising, with the help of traditional brick-and-mortar companies, is staging a comeback — emerging from the prolonged dry spell that followed the dot-com bust. Traditional advertisers are beginning to allocate more of their marketing budgets to the Web, helping the online ad industry take its first steps toward what analysts see as a sustainable recovery. The news is reported today by Reshma Kapadia on Reuters Web site.