DIGITAL MARKETING CANADA » Tools and Tech

Canada’s Most Useful Startups – Aug 2009

mbyrne2323 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:23:57 +0000

This week I checked out the August PEER 1 Canada Startup Index hosted at TechVibes. Currently the index lists 141 up and coming Canadian Digital Startups. Having gone through them all I’ve made a list of the start ups that offer the most useful professional services.

I’ve tried to focus mostly on companies that provide online Web 2.0 type tools with generally professional application. The Index does list some very interesting media and services companies but the focus of my list are the start ups that provide technologies we can integrate into our professional lives today.

ConceptShare – A tool for online creative asset review and approval by clients
CoverItLive – A platform for delivering real time coverage of events
FreshBooks – Online time tracking and invoicing tool for SMB and Freelancers
HootSuite – Professional Twitter management tool kit
KeywordEnvy – Online search engine ranking tracking tool for non SEO pros
Nirvana – Online shared task/project system with unique distribution model
Ow.ly – URL shortening service
Podbean – Online podcast production and management platform
Strutta – Online contest generation platform
Sysomos – Advanced social media analytics package
tr.im – URL shortening service
Tungle – Very integrated professional calender accelerator for people without Outlook
TwtBizCard – Digital biz card forwarding service via twitter
Tynt Multimedia – Code and tracking system that tracks content copied off of your sites
whos.amung.us – Demographics analytics platform for websites

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Hot Research: Can Paid Search Positively Influence Brand…YES

mbyrne2323 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:07:26 +0000

According to Mark Greenstreet and Jonny Protheroe, associate directors at Aevolve, the Marketing insights arm of Aegis Media in the UK, not only does an effectively run PPC campaign have a positive impact on brand perception, but it’s impact can potentially out weigh other forms of media.

Using a methodology that combined cookie tracking, qualitative and quantitative research, and two stages of statistical modeling, all combined into one piece of attitudinal research they were able to identify the models of influence in the positive perception of a popular national soft drink brand.

Out of the research they identified that 51% of the positive brand perception came from actual experience with the brand, 12% came from word of mouth and the remaining positive experience was driven by various media.

When the media influence was broken down into the individual tactics, other than TV, Online advertorials and paid search had the strongest effects even over email, social media and outdoor.

Perhaps more surprisingly, Google paid-for search was the third-most effective medium in shifting attitudes, proving it to be an effective branding tool, as well as its more traditional reputation and role as a transactional or navigational tool.

The research revealed the powerful effect that well-executed online activity, including paid search, can have on brand metrics. Of course, far fewer people were exposed to these elements than TV or outdoor, which played the largest overall roles, but for the significant minority that engaged with these elements, there were strong brand effects.

The understandable desire for aggregate level research capable of evaluating the total brand impact of all brand touch-points runs the risk of showing that low reach communications have no impact at all, despite the fact that the effect to those exposed may be similar to, or greater than, media with broader reach.

Isolating and Measuring the Effects of On and Offline Media (June 2009) PDF

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Social Media Monitoring Tool of the Week: Scout Labs

mbyrne2323 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:49:27 +0000

Talking about how much of a buzz there is around social media is all the buzz these days, but one of the issues that still dogs social media from an investment by media buyers perspective it counting the beans at the end of the day.

Scout Labs is a powerful web-based application that tracks social media and finds signals in the noise to help your team build better products and stronger customer relationships.

SCOUT LABS

I like this system because its:

Affordable for experimentation-$250 a month
Designed for agencies – Customizable and support multiple clients
Metrics focused – Robust actual quantitative as well as qualitative reporting
Aggregates multiple sources

From Digital Media Canada...share and enjoy