Facebook offer page admins insight into their social audiences and engagement measures. Facebook Page insights provide an overview of the most important metrics, detailed information is available regarding Page likes, reach, visits, posts, videos and people. By analysing this data, marketing managers are able to understand their audience and based on the data provided, consumers can be specifically targeted with careful manipulation of content.

Facebook is where consumers go to find brands. They are looking for customer service via Facebook whilst also wanting brands to engage with them. “The two biggest values you can offer on Facebook are: entertainment and support” (KissMetrics, 2016). With that in mind, brands should be aiming to adapt their social media content through careful consideration of their online audience. This careful consideration is realistically only made viable through analytical datasets and detailed audience insights like those offered by Facebook, as well as information provided by other key social media sites.

Twitter also offer analytical data for account managers, while their information isn’t as detailed as Facebook, the information provided is still insightful and useful to marketing managers. Twitter offer information regarding tweets (amount of posts), tweet impressions (visibility), profile visits, mentions, followers and other related tweets. This analytical data allows account managers to nurture their existing audience, whilst also allowing them to increase engagement, visibility and new consumer acquisition.

Unlike most other major social media networks, Instagram doesn’t yet offer its own analytics programme. That being said brands should still try to gain analytical insight into their Insta-audience. There are a number of free online analytical tools (Simply Measured, LocoWise & Squarelovin) that offer useful information in order for marketers to truly understand their pictorial audience.

Metrics and analytical data is available directly through other popular social media sites such as Pinterest, and YouTube, whilst other platforms such as SnapChat are supported by third party analysts. There is so much data available to businesses and brands, and as long as they utilise the correct tools and techniques, return on investment is literally a few clicks away.

Social media has become much more than a marketing buzzword. It has provided a number of uniquely insightful platforms for marketers to manipulate. The more a brand focuses on the analytical details of their audience, the more they will be able to engage directly with their audiences. Social media has become a resource that is widely desirable, brands that manage their social platforms effectively can gain a digital competitive advantage.

Online consumer-brand relationships are extremely important. Marketers should be actively searching for opportunities to build upon these relationships, they must take advantage of the social platforms that are perfectly positioned to assist in building online communities, especially positive consumer generated content.

Through the utilisation of the correct analytical data, metrics and social media management tools, these consumer-brand relationships will evolve to produce higher levels of sales. By building upon these relationships brands will be able to increase consumer retention levels as well as being able to acquire new customers.

References;

Emarketer.com. (2016). How Marketers Are Measuring Customer Engagement – eMarketer. [online] Available at: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/How-Marketers-Measuring-Customer-Engagement/1013525#sthash.gQ5GKoiQ.dpuf [Accessed 10 May 2016].

Kissmetrics. (2016). How to Master Social Customer Acquisition. [online] Available at: https://blog.kissmetrics.com/master-social-customer-acquisition/ [Accessed 10 May 2016].

Peters, K., Chen, Y., Kaplan, A.M., Ognibeni, B. and Pauwels, K., 2013. Social media metrics—A framework and guidelines for managing social media. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 27(4), pp.281-298.

Virtual Reality (VR) and other forms of immersive multimedia are currently having widespread impact on the digital stratosphere. It is estimated that the number of active VR users will reach 171 million by 2018 (Statista, 2016). “Increasingly, the web is the world – everything and everyone in the casts an information shadow, an aura of data which, when captured and processed intelligently, offers extraordinary opportunity and mind-bending implications.” (O’Reilly & Battelle, 2009).

Now is the time for marketers to invest, test and produce new forms of immersive multimedia, current market leaders Oculus, Samsung Gear and Google Cardboard are paving the way for some truly unique advertising platforms. Post smart-phones, users are now bracing themselves for the next big global technological advancement.

Following the birth of the internet of things (IoT), web 2.0/3.0 users are willing to adapt their lifestyles according to how new technologies are developed and then implemented. “IoT is opening tremendous opportunities for a large number of novel applications that promise to improve the quality of our lives” (Xia et al, 2012). It is increasingly important for digital content to be groundbreaking, anyone who is seen to be pushing the limits of technology will arguably be regarded by web users as innovators.

The Guardian newspaper alongside the immersive digital agency The Mill recently produced a novel project ‘6×9 – a virtual reality experience of solitary confinement‘ arguably the first politically motivated, journalistic VR experience to be presented online. The Guardian’s first VR experience places users in an US solitary confinement prison cell, telling the story of the psychological damage that can develop due to the complete isolation of prisoners (The Guardian, 2016). It is projects like this, pushing the boundaries of immersive experiences, that enable other market leaders to further explore the outstanding opportunities presented by VR.

The military have recently adopted various VR technologies, all three services (army, navy and air force) are utilising VR to peform a number of training initiatives, such as flight simulation, battlefield simulation and virtual boot camp (VRS, 2016). As well as utilising VR during training, the British Army alongside digital agency Visualise, recently created the world’s first VR recruitment experience, they were challenged to exhibit the thrill and exhilaration of serving in the armed forces from a first person POV perspective, the aim was to increase Army applications (Visualise, 2015). The results certainly prove this innovative recruitment method was somewhat fruitful, Army Reserve application were up by 65% in February 2016 and 41% in March 2016, in comparison to the same months last year.

Companies who already utilise the internet to distribute their content are busy behind the scenes, creating fresh content to populate new VR platforms (Creative Review, 2016). As the global use of VR technologies increases, the cost will automatically be driven down, users and brands alike will be able to utilise these new technologies to further enhance their digital experiences. The future of VR looks extremely bright and now it has been identified as the next big thing, who knows what may become of it, but what comes next?

References;

Creative Review. (2016). What VR means for modern brands – Creative Review. [online] Available at: http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2016/may/what-vr-means-for-modern-brands/ [Accessed 9 May 2016].

O’Reilly, T. and Battelle, J., 2009. Web squared: Web 2.0 five years on. ” O’Reilly Media, Inc.”.

Statista. (2016). Topic: Virtual Reality (VR). [online] www.statista.com. Available at: http://www.statista.com/topics/2532/virtual-reality-vr/ [Accessed 9 May 2016].

The Guardian. (2016). Welcome to your virtual cell: could you survive solitary confinement?. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/27/6×9-could-you-survive-solitary-confinement-vr [Accessed 9 May 2016].

Visualise. (2015). British Army VR Recruitment Experience – Visualise. [online] Available at: http://visualise.com/case-study/british-army-vr-recruitment-experience [Accessed 9 May 2016].

VRS. (2015). Virtual Reality in the Military – Virtual Reality. [online] Available at: http://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality-military/ [Accessed 9 May 2016].

Xia, F., Yang, L.T., Wang, L. and Vinel, A., 2012. Internet of things.International Journal of Communication Systems, 25(9), p.1101.

Festivals and events are often perceived to be places where one can escape from the ‘drabness’ of the real world, almost a way of entering a dream-like fantasy. Festival consumers commonly identify themselves as ‘cultural creatives’ who appreciate their personal authenticity (Gration et al, 2011).

Now one might ask how technology and innovation could be incorporated into such a naturally harmonious dreamscape. Well over the past five or so years, UK festivals have slowly but surely been introducing various types of digital advancements, notably Radio-frequency identification (RDIF) wristband technology. RDIF Technology can create truly meaningful experiences through interactive engagement with festival consumers (Blondefish.com, 2016).

Understanding festival-goers experience is essential to predicting future consumer behaviours (Manthiou, 2014). RDIF technology can be used in a manor of ways to enhance festival organisers understanding of their audiences. The key feature is the ability to capture big data, allowing analysts to gain insight into audience’s footfall and spending behaviours, this information has been referred to as ‘smart data’ (Festival Insights, 2015).

Although RDIF technology can be identified as being extremely useful in collecting consumer data, what benefits can be reaped by the consumers themselves? The use of RDIF technology has enabled faster, cashless payments and can often improve festival amenities such as the entrance queues, overall improving the festival experience. Despite the fact of these improvements, I’d say the introduction of technology isn’t equally beneficial to the consumers as it is to the festival organisers.

RDIF wristbands are universally recognised as event security devices and now they’re being utilised to support marketing projects, brand activations and social media engagement (TechWeekEurope, 2015). I’d argue that this is an invasion of privacy, technology detracts from and can somewhat destroy the escapism experience of festivals. Festival planners should capitalise on fun-themed festive atmospheres, offering consumers a chance to change the speed of life (Manthiou, 2014), they certainly shouldn’t be squeezing profits through electronically tagging their attendees.

I understand the notion of beneficial data, especially the real-time and post events analytics – whether it be precise visitor numbers or visitor-flow records. I’m just not sure that festival-goers would necessarily agree with their data being recorded and then used to benefit the big sponsors.

Is the use of this data an invasion on people’s privacy? Steve Daly, Head of RDIF at wristband specialist ID&C, has responded to data mining concerns by outlining the normality of consumer traceability whether it be by using a debit or credit card or use of a bank account or passport (TechWeekEurope, 2015), thus normalising the notion of data mining in todays society. He says that the technology is specifically designed to be non-invasive and that festival organisers are insisting on this also.

Although I believe some of the uses of RDIF are an invasion of attendees’ privacy, I do agree with the use of RDIF technology within the health and safety aspects of event management. The use of data can be learned from and reacted to immediately whilst the event is live. For instance, if a ‘tap-in’ device shows an unexpected surge to a particular stage or attraction, extra crowd management personnel can be deployed to that area to eliminate any serious overcrowding issues. I also think it’s key to have background information on festival attendees in the case of a medical emergency, if a first aid response team have access to information such as name, age and medical history, this information could be used to save lives.

I’m all for technological innovations, as long as they’re used to benefit the consumers. I’m interested in what further advancements are made with RDIF technology as and when they become a normalised extension of UK festivals.

References:

Blondefish.com. (2016). Blondefish | RFID and Technology for Events. [online] Available at: http://www.blondefish.com/ [Accessed 12 Apr. 2016].

Festival Insights. (2015). The Cashless Festival: Why 2015 will be the Tipping Point for the UK. [online] Available at: http://www.festivalinsights.com/2015/02/cashless-festival-2015-tipping-point-uk/ [Accessed 11 Apr. 2016].

Gration, D., Raciti, M. and Arcodia, C., 2011. The role of consumer self-concept in marketing festivals. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 28(6), pp.644-655.

Manthiou, A., Lee, S., Tang, L. and Chiang, L., 2014. The experience economy approach to festival marketing: Vivid memory and attendee loyalty.Journal of Services Marketing, 28(1), pp.22-35.

TechWeekEurope UK. (2015). Why Festivals Not Using RFID Technology Really Should | TechWeekEurope UK. [online] Available at: http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/networks/m2m/festivals-rfid-technology-182881#o1JKPqWPyxRfKVV1.99 [Accessed 11 Apr. 2016].