Two years ago, Twitter-owned Vine was growing like kudzu. It was widely embraced by both consumers and marketers who sought to push the envelope with creative six-second clips. But the explosion of new video formats on Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube, which all now boast sizable scale, has caused top brands to quietly slip away. Tyler Hissey, senior digital strategist at Hill Holliday, explained.
"Over time, it became difficult for many marketers to achieve scale [on Vine]. In the last six months or so, brands have started to de-emphasize Vine as a channel because of the targeting capabilities on all these other platforms."
Data is proving this out. Video analytics firm Tubular Labs reviewed Vine, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts of 40 major brands, including Coca-Cola, Target and Dunkin' Donuts. Between September and November, marketers posted 2,500 social videos, and Vine contributed just 113 of those clips—equivalent to 4 percent of branded content.
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Only 13 of the 40 brands posted to Vine during the third quarter of 2015, down from 21 in the first quarter of this year, Tubular found.
General Electric—renowned in marketing circles as an early adopter of new platforms—hasn't posted to Vine since last January, while social-savvy Mountain Dew's account doesn't appear to have been touched since April.
Tubular Labs co-founder Allison Stern said.
"I assume that brands are having this platform fatigue. Marketers today are savvy about experimenting on a platform, but if it's not working for them, they're going to drop it."
One of the main reasons brands are turning away from Vine is because unlike its competitors, Vine doesn't have an advertising model, although brands often buy Twitter ads to promote their clips, noted Topher Burns, group director of distribution at Deep Focus.
Burns said.
"In terms of a distribution channel, Vine fails in comparison to what we'd expect from the other three [platforms]."
All that said, Vine still shines when social stars are involved. Instead of brands posting their own content, Burns said that clients are looking to team up with top influencers who have amassed massive followings to create sponsored content.
For example, when Dunkin' Donuts recently sought to promote its mobile app, it tapped social media star Logan Paul to create funny sponsored Vine and Instagram posts around its stores. The coffee seller used Twitter to push Paul's goofy clip, which shows him throwing a box of donuts in the air and has accumulated more than 3 million loops—Vine's view metric—in the past month.
Melanie Cohn, social media marketing manager at Dunkin' Donuts said.
"We find that Vine videos fulfill our fans' need for pure entertainment that they can't really find anywhere else."
Tom Buontempo, president of Attention, agreed that influencers boost branded content on Vine, but noted that his shop is getting more Snapchat work as social media stars look to build audiences across multiple platforms.
He said.
"Like a media property, they're looking to expand their footprint as much as they can. We're doing more Snapchat campaigns through influencers than we are for any other platform right now."
Still other agency execs contend that Vine's problems stem from Twitter's sales pitch. Twitter is beefing up its advertising offerings for brands with new native video formats, livestreaming app Periscope and Niche—a platform that connects brands with creators—but Vine is often treated as an afterthought.
Mark Book, vp, director of Digitas Studios said.
"It seems to be a bit on the back burner as of late. It is incredibly challenging to weave a brand or product narrative into a piece of content in six seconds. We have seen success with stop-motion and live events that tell a larger, real-time story, but those opportunities are few and far between."
COMMENTARY: I think that this survey was too small to draw any conclusions concerning Vine's adoption by major brands, but there are other important reasons why brands aren't using Vine or Periscope as advertising platforms. Twitter does not view Vine as a competitor to Facebook which has been highly successful with its video ads. Vine has its eyes set on becoming less of a social network and more of an entertainment platform. Speaking with Re/Code, Vine’s product manager, Jason Toff said,
“When Vine started it was a social network. But what we’ve found…is that the way people are most successful using Vine is as an entertainment network. So if you look at the product releases we’ve focused on, you’ll notice that there’s a trend toward this entertainment aspect.”
According to AdAge, Twitter's plan to make money from Vine and Periscope looks a lot different from the strategy it's pursuing with its core product.
Neither video platform will feature traditional, force-fed advertising, at least in the near term, according to Joel Lunenfeld, Twitter's VP-global brand strategy. Instead, Twitter is working with brands to promote content from these platforms within its core product, and serving as a middleman between brands and stars with major social followings.
Mr. Lunenfeld said at the Collision tech conference in Las Vegas in May 2015.
"As of right now we don't have plans for promoted Vines or promoted Periscopes."
For now, that means Twitter will likely lean heavily on Niche, a company that connects brands with social media all-stars. Twitter acquired Niche in February for a reported $30 million. Niche, Mr. Lunenfeld said, has relationships with 10,000 social media "creators" and is especially well connected on Vine.
Twitter makes money from Vine, a personality-driven platform, by connecting brands with talent. Those stars, who command massive followings, then create branded content on the platform. Brittany Furlan, one such star, is followed by 9.1 million people, for instance. Nash Grier, another star, is followed by 11.6 million people.
Mr. Lunenfeld said.
"A brand or an ad agency comes to us and says, 'I'm launching a new product; it's targeted to this audience.' We'll say, 'Okay, here's 15 people [and] five of them, alone, have a combined audience bigger than BuzzFeed.'"
HP, in one case, used Niche to find talent to create ten Vines promoting the launch of a convertible laptop. The Vines were so engaging, Mr. Lunenfeld said, that the company turned them into a 30-second TV ad. He said.
"We knew there was something special there, and the backend metrics showed that purchase intent, brand awareness, all those things went up."
Twitter must be careful with its approach to advertising on Vine. The community on the platform is tight-knit and not likely to respond positively to ads forced into their streams. Instagram, another visual platform, faced a backlash when it introduced ads.
Mr. Lunenfield said.
"We're really focusing on building the product, the experience and the community first. Then we've got strong relationships with every advertiser to learn how to promote that through Twitter proper."
In conclusion, Twitter has no plans to convert Vine and Periscope into advertising platforms. Brands use the Twitter platform for engaging with its fans, and this is where promoted ads and videos will be placed.
Having said this, it is important to distinguish between Twitter's Vine app adoption by brands and individual Twitter users. By the third quarter 2013, Vine was the fastest growing mobile app in the world with 23.65 million users and grew at 403% during 2013. Instagram had 109.7 million users, but only grow 130% during 2013.
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Twitter does not publish Vine statistics, but I found that The Social Media Hat compiled the following Vine statistics taken from different sources.
200 Million - Number of Vine monthly active users (8/27/15)
31.7% - Monthly growth rate of Vine monthly active users (12/7/15)
14% - Vine's reach of total U.S. digital population (4/2/15)
100 Million - Number of people that watch Vine videos each month (8/20/14)
1.5 Billion - Number of Vine loops played daily (1/26/15)
1 Trillion - Number of Vine loops played annually (1/26/15)
28% - Percentage of Vine users 18-24 years of age (12/31/14)
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In a blog post dated October 29, 2015, I reported that Twitter had 320 million monthly active users during their Q3 2015 earnings conference call. User growth has stagnated and remains in low single digits on a quarter-to-quarter basis. Increasing user growth and engagement and making Twitter easier for everyone to use is the biggest challenge facing CEO Jack Dorsey. Video advertising has taken a foothold on Facebook, and this is widely accepted as the most effective means to reach consumers. You can expect that Twitter will follow suit, and that Vine and Periscope video ads will play a major role in their advertising strategy.
Courtesy of an article dated December 6, 2015 appearing in AdWeek, an article dated October 27, 2015 appearing in AdWeek, an article dated December 7, 2015 appearing in R/ECode, an article dated May 8, 2015 appearing in AdAge, and an article dated July 14, 2015 appearing in Business Insider
We arranged to meet for the first time at a park, and when I got there, he was even cuter than in his pictures. Then he went running after a ball.
It was my first online date with a dog.
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Atlas, a sweet, cheerful two-year-old black Lab with his own Instagram, is a member of a new dog-sharing app called Bark'n'Borrow, which matches dog owners up with people like me, who wish they could own a dog but can't. (In my case, my lease doesn't allow pets.) Dogs get some extra attention, dog owners can get a free dogwalker or sitter, and dog lovers can play or cuddle with a charming new friend.
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It might be a natural step in the sharing economy: If we share our apartments and cars and power tools, does it also make sense to share our pets?
Liam Berkeley, the founder of Bark'n'Borrow says.
"I was contemplating rescuing a dog—I grew up with dogs—but I was working 12 or 13 hour days. My girlfriend at the time was still in school and had a job on the side. So as much as we were thinking of getting one, we knew it wasn't the best idea."
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But Berkeley started to meet neighbors with dogs. He says.
"I started talking with them, and I'd play with their dogs. I ended up saying, 'Hey, I go running a couple afternoons a week, and I'd love to take your dog for a run if possible.' They said yes, after getting to know me a little bit."
As he took the borrowed dogs out for hikes, he kept meeting other people who, like him, missed owning a dog of their own. And so Berkeley decided to put together a simple dog-matching service.
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He says.
"I thought, this is unfair that there's no medium between not owning a dog and committing to one for the next 16 years of your life. And why do dog owners pay someone to look after their dog when there are people like myself who would love to do it and not expect to get paid?"
He made up a few flyers, started talking to people on hikes, and realized that there was enough interest to build a website, and later an app. A year later, he's working full-time on the startup, with seven employees and a round of funding.
The app is simple: Each dog has a photo, some basic data like age, breed, how well trained it is, and how well it gets along with other dogs and children. The profiles also include keywords (Atlas is "curious,""affectionate," and "loyal," among other expected qualities for a dog). Dog lovers can reach out, and then go meet with an owner; if everyone gets along, they can arrange for dog walking or sitting later.
Of course, it takes some trust on the part of the owner. Sam Alter, Atlas's owner says.
"The big hurdle for me is, how do I know you're not going to steal the dog or hurt the dog? Or what happens if the dog gets hurt while it's in your care?"
Bark'n'Borrow says it vets each potential borrower, and Berkeley thinks it can work as long as everyone takes the time to get to know each other. He says.
"When I reached out to owners at first, they weren't hesitant at all. Maybe because I showed my passion and interest in their dog, got to know them. I wanted to build a platform that allowed people to do the same thing."
For now, dog owners and borrowers pay nothing (the app also connects professional dog walkers who do charge a fee, but the main service is free, at least for now). Alter says.
"I can pay $20 for a half hour with a dog walker, or I can find someone who just wants to do this because they love dogs."
Eventually, Berkeley plans to charge a small fee for borrowers as well. He says.
"I would have paid for this."
The fee will help cover insurance and customer support, and a portion of the profits will go to animal rescue. The service also plans to eventually partner with shelters to connect people with foster dogs.
It's a popular service so far. Alter says.
"I signed up two days ago, and I've already had 10 or 15 people reach out."
I'm hoping to borrow Atlas when Alter is out of town for a weekend, and experience a little temporary dog ownership. Berkeley says.
"Not being able to own a dog, after growing up with one, you miss something in life. There's just something about it."
COMMENTARY: According to Statista, in 2000 there were an estimated 68 million dogs were owned in the United States. By the end of 2012, the number of dogs living in U.S. households increased to 78.2 million. It is now estimated that there will be 77.8 million dogs in U.S. households by end of 2015.
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According to the American Pet Products Association, pet owners will spend an estimated $60.59 billion on their pets.
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The creators of Bark'N'Borrow obviously picked a huge industry for their app. Technology is impacting every industry and this app obviously fills a real need in the marketplace. Choosing the right pet, especially if you are not sure of the breed, or unfamiliar with the personality of that breed, is vitally important in making the right decision. Bark'N'Borrow provides the perfect solution to the product, allowing new pet owners an opportunity to 'try-out' the dog before they make a serious committment to buying that dog. I love this app and what it can do for existing and new pet owners.
Courtesy of an article dated November 30, 2015 appearing in Fast Company Exist
BlackBerry Ltd.’s new Android phone hit the market through AT&T on November 6, 2015, and could be the company’s last attempt at making its devices profitable before ending production.
The Canadian company has unveiled several new phones in the two years since Chief Executive Officer John Chen took over, but none has managed to stop hardware sales from falling. Chen has repeatedly said he will exit the device business if he can’t make it profitable.
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The BlackBerry “Priv” -- named for its emphasis on privacy -- runs a full version of Google’s Android operating system but features some of BlackBerry’s highly respected security and productivity features. It comes preloaded with an application that tracks how much other applications on your phone are accessing your personal data and location. It also has BlackBerry’s signature physical keyboard, which slides down from under the touch screen.
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Brian Colello, a Chicago-based analyst at Morningstar Investment Services, said in an interview.
“Perhaps there’s something else in the pipeline, but this device does seem like a last stand. We’ve seen new products come out for the last couple years, BlackBerry’s trying to get a hit with any form factor, any price point and now it’s with a different operating system.”
With its share of the global smartphone market at less than 1 percent, BlackBerry has been working to shift its focus to higher-margin software sales. As he tries to turn around the company’s fortunes, Chen has held onto the phone business, which still accounts for about 40 percent of revenue. Blackberry could stop producing phones within the next year if it doesn’t begin turning a profit, he said at a conference in October.
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Software Target
Chen is working to reach $500 million in software revenue by March 2016 by acquiring security-focused software companies and building up new products like secure teleconferencing. BlackBerry completed its $425 million acquisition of Good Technology Corp. on Monday, a deal the company said will contribute about $160 million in revenue in the first year.
Ron Louks, BlackBerry’s head of devices, said the company will make announcements about its product “road map” in the beginning of 2016, but declined to say whether it would announce a new phone. Chen has said the company is going ahead with software updates to its BlackBerry operating system.
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By running Android for its new device, the Priv sidesteps one of the biggest problems BlackBerry has had in persuading people to use its phones: a lack of applications. As the company’s operating system waned in popularity, developers stopped making applications that were compatible with it, prompting even more people to ditch its devices.
If the Priv sells better than BlackBerry’s two most recent major releases, the Passport and the Classic, it may keep the phone business going, Colin Gillis, an analyst at BGC Financial LP, said in an interview.
Declining Shipments
BlackBerry shipped 800,000 smartphones in the quarter that ended Aug. 29, its lowestsince at least 2007.
Gillis, who has a buy rating on the stock, said.
“It doesn’t take a lot of phones to really move the needle for this company.”
The company’s shares gained 2.9 percent to $7.50 at the close in New York and have declined 32 percent this year.
The Priv, with a retail price of $699, is targeted at a “very, very competitive market,” of high-end Android phones, Colello said, including those made by HTC Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. The new device is BlackBerry’s latest effort to find a phone that can stabilize sales as the company transitions toward Chen’s software revenue target. He said.
“They’ve done a good job of continuing to lower their break-even level for the hardware side to stay in business, but even though the bar’s going lower and lower, the sales still aren’t keeping up. I think BlackBerry’s still searching for a hit phone.”
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COMMENTARY:
Cellular Network Support, Prices, and Pre-Order Details For The BlackBerry Priv
AT&T is the currently the only U.S. cellular carrier offering BlackBerry's Priv smartphone. Customers can purchase the phone for $250.00 with a two-year contract or via AT&T Next with $0 down. You have your choice of the following contracts:
Next 24 (30 payments) for $24.67 per month.
Next 18 (24 payments) for $30.84 per month.
Next 12 (20 payments) for $37.00 per month.
Both T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon are in negotiations to offer the BlackBerry Priv through their cellular networks, but no definite dates have been released. T-Mobile CEO John Legere told CNET that BlackBerry is "on a comeback" and hinted that the Uncarrier will have the Priv soon.
The comment on BlackBerry's comeback is just one in a growing collection of comments by Legere on BlackBerry. In an interview with Fox Business News anchor Liz Claman, Legere said that John Chen is doing a "great job running BlackBerry," and T-Mobile is "trying to figure out how to get to groups of zealots -- T-Mobile fans and BlackBerry fans -- how to get those two together.
T-Mobile confirmed that that talks are happening, and suggested a 2016 release date is probable. T-Mobile's network already works on the BlackBerry Priv, if the phone is unlocked.
The phone sold through the BlackBerry Store is designed to work with GSM cellular networks, but a CDMA-compatible is coming to Verizon soon. Verizon tweeted confirmation on November 6, and directed those interested to sign-up on its website for more information. No release timeframe was offered.
BlackBerry will also make the Priv available internationally as follows:
Canada - Rogers (Pre-Orders) and ShopBlackBerry Canada ($900 CDN)
United Kingdom - Carphone Warehouse and ShopBlackBerry UK (560 Pounds including VAT)
Marshmellow and Security Updates
In a recent interview with Android Central, Ron Louks, BlackBerry's president of devices, commented on the upcoming update to Android Marshmellow 6.0 and monthly security updates. Louks didn't give a firm date for Marshmellow 6.0, but said the update should hit "sometime in the new year," at least confirming that BlackBerry Priv users will not have to wait long for it.
BlackBerry's added improvements to Android that will attract enterprise users who seek data encryption and built-in security features that track how apps are interacting with your data (Click Image To Enlarge)
BlackBerry has done really solid work adding a layer of security to the Priv — "Priv" stands for "privacy," after all. The user-facing aspect of it is a piece of software called DTEK security, which monitors your phone for nefarious acts and also gives you a handy security audit that lets you know what's going on inside each one. The Priv isn't running the most recent version of Android, but it has the same ability to let you examine each app's access to your privacy settings and turn them off if you don't like them.
On security updates, Louks said BlackBerry will try to adhere -- at least in Europe -- to pushing security updates within a month of Google releasing them. As more malware and vulnerabilities hit Android, manufacturers are being called upon to quickly update devices and make sure users are safe and secure. BlackBerry will import its own security systems as well, to ensure vulnerabilities are mitigated before Google patches them.
Priv Specifications
BlackBerry has gone all-out with the Priv Android phone, so the specs are about as high-end as any other flagship Android phone -- Unfortunately, the Priv also has a high price tag to match. The phone has an intriguing slider design, the likes of which we haven't seen in a number of years, so that users can choose between a virtual keyboard or a physical keyboard. When you slide the screen back, a full QWERTY keyboard in the old school BlackBerry style is revealed. The keys are touch sensitive for scrolling and cursor control, too, so you can use it as a trackpad if need be.
GSMArena created this wonderful breakdown of the BlackBerry Priv's technical specifications:
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BlackBerry's New Android Apps
When it comes to software, BlackBerry's added a few bells and whistles to make Android secure enough to suit its standards. The BlackBerry Hub is included, which brings all your messages into one feed, as are other standard BlackBerry apps like BBM. BlackBerry's special DTEK for Android software will also alert you when your privacy may be at risk, give you a security rating for your device, and it offers for specific security features, so that you know what's going on with your personal info and more. You can determine which apps and services are allowed to use your microphone, camera, contacts, and more.
BlackBerry released a range of apps onto Google Play store in late October. The apps will be pre-installed on the BlackBerry Priv, and are apparently only usable on that device. Users that tried to download the apps were informed that their devices are incompatible.
The apps include BlackBerry Launcher, Keyboard, Camera and Services. Password Keeper has been added to store all passwords in a single folder, encrypted and secured by BlackBerry -- the app can also import infor from previous BlackBerry owners moving to Android. DTEK for BlackBerry and MicrosoftextFat for BlackBerry have also been added to the Google Play store.
Having all the applications available on the Google Play store should make them instantly available without a firmware update. BlackBerry plans to offer an almost stock experience, with additional security and some new applications ported over from BlackBerry 10.
BlackBerry "Old-Style" Keyboard
A lot of mobile device experts don't give the BlackBerry Priv a chance of succeeding among smartphone users or making a dent in the smartphone market, because its debut comes four years too late. However, I believe that the Priv will be able to capture market share because there is a latent demand for smartphones with old-style features like a physical keyboard.
Although the BlackBerry Priv may look "old-school," a physical keyboard fills a need in the marketplace. The limitations of a virtual keyboard on tablets like the iPad, quickly gave rise to attachable physical keyboards, and now they are a must-have accessory for most serious tablet users. It is my opinion that the Priv's physical keyboard is going to be a hit with users, especially old-school users like yours truly.
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BlackBerry's keyboard is truly special, incorporating fresh ideas that most smartphone makers ignore:
The keyboard software is optimized for the keyboard — no mean feat, given how few Android phones have bothered with them anymore.
The keyboard is also touch-sensitive, so you can scroll with it and swipe down on it to bring up an optional symbols keyboard.
The keyboard does not make the Priv top-heavy or ackward to hold or use.
You are probably not going to be any faster or more accurate using the Priv's physical keyboard than you are on a touchscreen virtual keyboard, but it isn't about what's definitively "better." Because after you reach a certain level of quality and functionality, it's perfectly fine just to have personal preference. Live and let live.
I believe that enterprise and government users will like and value the BlackBerry Priv's security and data encryption features. These are must-have features for corporate users, government agencies and individuals who want that extra layer of security not found in most of today's smartphones.
Multi-Tasking On The Priv
One change that I love on the Priv is the layout for multitasking. Instead of showing a vertical stack of cards, BlackBerry designed multitasking to show a grid of apps in varying sizes. Think of it like the Windows 8 Start menu for apps you already have open. Hitting the multitasking button and then thumbing through the list of apps on the keyboard’s touchpad feels like magic. Compared to the stacked card interfaces of Android Lollipop and Marshmallow and iOS 9, Blackberry’s implementation is a breath of fresh air. You can see more than one app with its preview clearly. It’s one of the biggest things I’ll miss when the Priv goes away.
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BlackBerry Priv Reviews
BlackBerry Priv reviews by expert reviewers are mostly good averaging about 3.5 stars out of 5. The Priv is regarded as a good phone, not a great phone, but a "great first effort for an Android phone." The $699.00 price tag may scare off a lot of potential buyers, but with a two-year plan through AT&T, the price is only $250.00. According to Ron Offringa, Droid-Life, ere are the good and bad of the Priv:
The Good
Display - The 5.4-inch (1440 x 2560 pixels) display on the Priv is visually great. Colors are accurate, text is crisp, and the curve along the edge of the display makes Android’s slide out menus feel more real. The display is able to get very dim, but I have definitely seen displays that get brighter, meaning you may have some issues in direct sunlight.
Hardware Design - The Priv feels like a tank. A plastic tank, but a tank nonetheless. That’s not a bad thing, but don’t expect the Priv to delicately slide into your pocket. The body looks downright handsome in its stealth black paint. Where other phones look delicate with their bendable aluminum bodies and glass backs, the Priv feels like a solid, well constructed pocket computer. The body of the Priv is curved to match the sloping glass on the front, but the middle edges are flat so that the phone is easy to grip. The power on/off button is on the left instead of the right, but that's no big deal. The bottom of the phone has a micro USB port at the center and the headphone jack on the right. The placement of the headphone jack makes it relatively easy to find with a cursory brush against the bottom of the device. The top of the phone features a micro SD card tray and the SIM tray. For whatever reason the SIM card should've been placed on the bottom of the tray (facing the back of the phone) instead of on the top. This isn’t a big deal, but it is an odd design that was confusing at first.
The Keyboard - The slider keyboard on the Priv is probably the single best thing about it. Can you type faster on a virtual keyboard? Probably not, but if you have never used a phone with a hardware keyboard then it might take you longer to adjust, but after using the Priv keyboard a few times, you will feel right at home. The keyboard is touch-sensitive and can be used as a trackpad for scrolling by brushing your fingers on the keyboard. Finally, as long as you’re using the stock launcher, you can also set shortcut keys for individual presses or long presses on the keyboard.
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The Software - The Priv runs an almost stock version of Android 5.1.1 (that’s right, no Marshmallow 6.0 Android on the most secure phone in the world), but CEO Chen says "they are working on it (getting Marshmallow upgrade) sometime in 2016." Here are a few changes to note. Notifications can be bundled by app, so if you have a ton of new notifications, but you really just want to see your emails you can tap on your email app icon and only see those in the notification shade. BlackBerry includes a Peek menu on the edge of the display to quickly see your calendar, favorite contacts, messages from BlackBerry Hub, and tasks. BlackBerry Hub is an app that summarizes your communications for you. All of your emails and texts and calls and even social media bits can be found in one place. I can see this being really helpful for someone who either needs or wants a summary of their day regularly or who wants a notification center to go to because they find the notification tray too limited or lacking context.
Device Search is a limited replacement for Google Now that allows you to search your device or, if you don’t find what you want, you can tap a button to search the web or Drive or any other app listed under Extended Search. When you’re on the home screen if you start typing on the keyboard it will ask if you’d like to use Device Search or Google Now. I haven't tried Device Search, but I use Google Now all the time, and like it very much.
Multitasking (See above) on the BlackBerry Priv is a breeze and one of the changes that users love is the layout for multitasking. Instead of showing a vertical stack of cards, BlackBerry designed multitasking to show a grid of apps in varying sizes. Think of it like the Windows 8 Start menu for apps you already have open. Hitting the multitasking button and then thumbing through the list of apps on the keyboard’s touchpad feels like magic.
Average
Security and Privacy - The first, and most important, is that the Priv lacks a fingerprint scanner like high-end phones like the iPhone, Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, HTC One A9, Galaxy S6, and Note 5.
The second is that DTEK (See Above) thinks it’s secure for me to have a password or PIN that locks my device after 10 minutes. BlackBerry should not be giving that default setting a passing score. I also love that DTEK has a section that says that my device is secure because it is a BlackBerry.
The third is that the Priv runs Android 5.1.1. While this shouldn’t be too upsetting for users considering Marshmallow is only just over a month old, from a security standpoint it is a bit of an issue. Maybe BlackBerry will be quick with updates, but there’s a good chance that unless BlackBerry picks up the pace the OS itself will become a security issue.
NOTE: In my opinion, Ron Offringa from Droid-Life either does not understand the Priv's security features, or didn't want to dwelve too deeply into the Priv's security capabilities. For these reasons, I differ with the security review of Ron Offringa from Droid-Life.
If you wonder just how secure the BlackBerry Priv really is, well, it's very secure. For starters, the Priv uses data encryption technology and its security software works like an internal "firewall" that operates in the background and monitors for malware and mobile app spyware that might want to tamper with your program files and data. If it senses this, it will notify you immediately to take appropriate action.
And there's much more than meets the eye centered specifically around security and stability.
What about fingerprint readers? Apple does them. Google does them. Samsung does them. Why doesn’t BlackBerry? Dave Kleidermacher, BlackBerry’s chief security officer, said.
“User authentication is a freakin’ nightmare in the mobile world today. There is not yet a widespread and ubiquitous user authentication mechanism that is both strong for security and users don’t hate it."
Kleidermacer explains why the Priv does not come with a fingerprint scanner.
“The reason we haven’t put a fingerprint scanner is that if you lose your fingerprint, you’ve lost that part of your identity forever. And that’s a problem, because it’s a static picture of your finger. It’s just bits. You drop those bits, and you’re done. We’ve never put a fingerprint scanner on our devices because we think of it as a relatively weak authentication system.”
Kleidermacher argued that, if implemented poorly, it’s easy to steal those bits off of a device, or even lift the fingerprint off the actual device and use that to log into it. In short, he believes that using your fingerprint as your identity is flawed from the get-go, because it doesn’t change. Other types of biometrics, where the “password” isn’t just a static image, but rather something that is moving or changing, while still being unique to you, are “much better.”
He elaborated further.
“I’m not saying biometrics are a bad idea. I’m saying that today, in terms of what’s available in the market ubiquitously, there is not yet one that I’ve seen that passes our muster from a security and stability perspective.”
Indeed, Kleidermacher refused to declare that BlackBerry would never include a fingerprint reader in a future device. He said that relying on a combination of a fingerprint and something else might be a reasonable tradeoff, adding that “eyepanning” technology shows tremendous promise.
He continues.
“We are constantly evaluating biometrics in general, and when we feel satisfied that the security strengths, cost, and usability are in a sweet spot, then we would consider putting them into devices. When that will happen, and exactly what type of biometric, remains to be seen still.”
Translation: Don’t be surprised if a BlackBerry Android phone next year has some sort of biometric solution.
So, what exactly has BlackBerry added to the Priv that isn’t available in Lollipop out of the box? Quite a bit.
There’s the aforementioned DTEKand picture passwords, as well as a Password Keeper app and media card protection. FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption is on by default, and you get the S/MIME encryption protocol for digitally signing and/or encrypting messages, and of course doubly encrypted messages via BBM (though you can install BBM yourself on any Android device, assuming you still have someone to message on it).
But there are three improvements that particularly stand out on the Priv:
Secure compound, a special BlackBerry area of firmware that runs below Android (making it immune to Android vulnerabilities) and handles operations such as validating the integrity of the Android OS itself
Verified Boot and Secure Bootchain, which uses the embedded keys to verify every layer of the device in order to make sure they haven’t been tampered with
Modifications to harden the Linux kernel with patches and configuration changes to improve security
The first two points we discussed earlier: These are the two that were impossible to pull off before Lollipop came along. For the third, Kleidermacher explained that BlackBerry has made “literally thousands of changes to both the Linux kernel below Android and to Android itself for security and privacy.” Of course, if Android 6.0 was the base, the company wouldn’t have had to include as many patches.
But there’s more than just software fixes here. Back in February 2009, BlackBerry acquired cryptography company Certicom. Ever since, BlackBerry has injected security keys into its chipsets to guarantee the “hardware root of trust.” This is a big sell to corporations, according to Kleidermacher.
He declared.
“How do I know that the hardware key, that the hardware root of trust, hasn’t been tampered with during the supply chain? You can’t test this with Fibs certification. So we don’t really care where the device is being manufactured, the chipset and the injection is controlled by BlackBerry and our Certicom technology. That can give users and businesses a very high level of confidence that the root of trust for all crypto (encryption, integrity validation, and application-level security policies) is rooted in something that is truly BlackBerry secure.”
This is where it becomes very clear that BlackBerry will be selling the Priv to die-hard BlackBerry fans, sure, but it will be mainly selling it to corporations. The Priv is meant to be Android plus BlackBerry, the best of the consumer and business worlds.
I know this has been an lengthy explanation for why I differ with Mr. Offringa's poor review of the Priv's security. Having said this, it is my opinion that the Priv's security is the real strength of this phone, and why security should be rated as one of its best features. Heads of IT and enterprise users are going to love the security features of the Priv, but I think that regular users concerned with mobile app spyware and malware will love the Priv as well. Security should be everybody's concern, so BlackBerry must communicate its security strengths when it markets the phone. Execution will be everything.
Performance - Performance on the Priv is great. Between the Snapdragon 808 and the 3 GB of RAM apps launched quickly, ran well, and stayed in memory for plenty of time. The device does run hot when under the stress of a game (which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering this year’s Snapdragons) and battery life definitely takes a hit. That being said, the Priv took everything thrown at it with aplomb. For whatever it's worth, I have the Snapdragon 800 on my non-BlackBerry smartphone, and it screams, plays video without any interruptions and the heating issue is hardly noticeable.
Audio- The front facing speaker on the Priv is great to see. It’s not a Boom Sound speaker or anything, but it’s plenty loud for speakerphone calls or listening to music in an otherwise quiet room. I put The Beach Boys on while washing dishes and I could hear Brian and the gang perfectly well. I do wish the volume got louder with headphones, though. With headphones the audio is certainly audible, but my iPhone and the Galaxies are able to get several clicks louder.
The Bad
Pricing and Availability - The BlackBerry Priv is available right now at AT&T for $24.67 per month on a payment plan or $249.99 on a 2-year contract. BlackBerry's CEO says the company is now negotiating with T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint to carry the Priv, but not likely to become available through those carriers until Q1 2016. You can also buy the Priv directly from BlackBerry for $699.99. The model from BlackBerry will work with AT&T or T-Mobile. This isn’t the best availability we’ve seen on a phone at launch. I’m also not a huge fan of the pricing, but remember most top tier phones have been within $50 of this price point until very recently.
Battery Life - According to Droid-Life, battery life on the Priv was less than stellar. The same deficiency was reported by The Verge, CNET, Engadget and Android Authority. TechAdvisor gave the battery good marks for longevity, but they didn't use the phone for watching videos or playing games. Like most of the phones reviewed this year, fast charging is a nice workaround for low battery life. However, you need a fast charger which costs extra. The Priv is equipped with a very decent sized battery in it. On Ron Offringa's first full day with the phone the battery lasted until 3:30 PM when it was around 10%. Better results are expected of a phone whose manufacturer claims the battery can last up to 22 hours.
I never trust the claims of the manufacturer when it comes to battery life. They tend to exaggerate. How long the battery will last before requiring a charge depends on how you are using the phone. If you view a lot of online videos and play games, those activities are very processor and battery intensive, and this will drain a battery twice as fast. On the other hand, if you are just sending and receiving emails, texting, making or receiving calls, and visiting your social networks, and dont't view a lot of videos or play games, you could conceivably get 10-12 hours of usage.
A lot of these reviewers did not operate their Privs at different types of activity and intensity of usage. In my opinion, batteries should be tested for light use, medium use and heavy use (includes watching videos and playing games). I have a feeling that those 22 hours were based on very light usage.
Camera - The front facing camera on the Priv is good in bright light. In anything other than bright conditions you’re going to want someone else to take your selfies for you unless you love blue/green hazes over your photos. The fact that BlackBerry shipped a front facing camera this bad in 2015 just goes to show how little they care or know about what people want in a smartphone.
The rear facing camera on the Priv takes good shots. Pictures are sharp and clear, and colors are bright and true. The dynamic range was surprisingly good in shots where the light differed and it performs well enough in low light situations. That led to an experience a bit more akin to shooting with an actual camera and I felt like I was able to stabilize the shot better than I can if I have to push in a volume button or peck at the screen.
Pictures taken with the BlackBerry Priv's front-facing camera (Click Image To Enlarge)
The frustrating and ultimately disappointing part about the camera is that it is downright slow. It takes about a full second for the shutter to activate after you press the take picture button.
Here again, I beg to differ with Ron Offringa's bad review of the Priv's camera's. Most of the Priv's pictures will be taken with the 18-mega pixel rear-facing camera. As you can see from the above, the pictures are just fantastic. I think Ron's criticism of the front-facing camera is way over the top. I would've given the Priv a good grade for its phoos. Shame on Ron for being so centered on selfies. Kind of tells you what this narcistic reviewer does with his smartphone camera.
Final Verdict
The Priv features a lot of really good software ideas with interesting hardware, particularly with its security and stability, but the lackluster battery life and poor camera performance make it hard to recommend to anyone but the biggest keyboard nerd. If you don’t use your phone to take a lot of pictures and you don’t mind having to charge your phone then the Priv is worth looking at. This is heartbreaking to write because the Priv does so much so well and, most importantly, actually offers something you can’t get on any other Android phone.
It's apparent that Ron places far too much emphasis on battery life and the camera. Exactly what I thought he would do. Ron entirely misses the point of the Priv. This is not a phone targeted to Ron's Millennial generation. It is targeted at older Generation X, younger boomers, corporations, SMB owners, and former BlackBerry users who appreciate quality construction, a "built like a tank" smartphone, with unbreakable security, a physical keyboard, good rear-facing camera and accessibility to the Android ecosystem. If they want selfies, they will ask someone to take them using the rear-facing camera. If you want to make egg over the battery life, I can show you several instances, where even the iPhone and Galaxy phones can suck up a battery dry in no time at all. As a Boomer, I don't get all bent out of shape if my phone sucks up juice. I get a better battery, kill apps running in the background that I don't need, watch videos on my laptop, and drop the brightness of the display a bit. That's what I do with my ZTE ZMAX smartphone, and this works for me. It's been a long 15-hour day, and my ZTE ZMAX is telling me I have 80% power still available. Battery no problem. My grade 4.0 out of 5 stars. If you don't like me review, sue me.
Courtesy of an article dated November 2, 2015 appearing in Bloomberg, an article dated November 9, 2015 appearing in The Verge, an article dated November 6, 2015 appearing in VentureBeat, an article dated November 25, 2015 appearing in Droid-Life, an article dated November 17, 2015 appearing in Digital Trends, an article dated November 18, 2015 appearing in International Business News, an article dated November 17, 2015 appearing in ValueWalk
If your brand is thinking of marketing itself on Snapchat, marketers must understand who is using Snapchat and use the right marketing approaches with that audience.
First, Brands Should Know The Snapchat Audience
Here are a few of the most significant stats really helpful in understanding where Snapchat is as a platform.
Snapchat currently has over 200 million monthly active users (or MAUs). Compare that to Twitter with 316 million MAUs and Instagram with 300 million MAUs and we see Snapchat is clearly becoming a massive platform for social marketers to consider.
70% of Snapchat users are women. That makes Snapchat only 2nd to Pinterest (79% female) when it comes to female user gender trends on major social networks.
71% are under the age of 25.
18% of US social media users are on Snapchat.
According to a recent ComScore study, millennials make up 71% of active users. 30% of millennial internet users access regularly. This is impressive when you consider that it currently tops Facebook (38%), Twitter (41%) and Tumblr (53%) as this age group’s preferred social media platform.
According to Photo World, Snapchat users now share 8,796 photos per second, more than any other messaging services and photo sharing platforms including Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr.
According to the Financial Times, Snapchat is quickly gaining ground in the battle for dominance in video on social networks: it now claims a whopping six billion daily views, or triple the traffic it got in May.
What Is Snapchat and Who Uses It?
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Trying to attract Millennials? Snapchat should be your go to marketing tool. Share photos and videos on the go. That is what users are there for. Understanding Snapchat as the middle part of life
Second, Apply Six Simple Snapchat Marketing Approaches
If brands are to succeed in resonating with Snapchat's largely Generation Z audience, they must pay attention to these three simple marketing approaches.
1. Create unpolished content
According to an interview conducted by UK-based business insights agency Firebrandwith US frozen yogurt perveyor 16 Handles, who has been active on Snapchat since 2013, Snapchat users have always been an early adopters of new social networks. Lara Nicotra, Marketing Manager, 16 handles said.
"Your fans want you to be fun and authentic [on Snapchat]. It’s okay if the message isn’t polished – that’s the whole point!"
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This “unpolished” mindset on Snapchat is something important for brands to consider. Waiting for the right moment or sending all your creative through a design team are not ideal habits for Snapchat content.
People share stuff on Snapchat that might never make it to the cutting room floor or Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. They take random photos, draw silly pictures, and – in general – capture the details of their life that tell you more than a Facebook highlight reel.
Brands can do this too. And those unpolished moments have the potential to create big loyalty and engagement.
2. Provide exclusive, rarely seen content
Building on the idea of offering the “unpolished” style of content and thinking more about the subject of your content, includes providing Snapchat fans original, behind-the-scenes, brand-generated content that cannot be found anywhere else.
Fashion lifestyle blog Refinery29. was also interviewed by Firebrand and this is what Neha Gandhi, Vice-President, Editorial Strategy at Refinery29 had to say.
“Snapchat allows you to experience something that feels exclusive and inaccessible in a really accessible way… it disappears after 24 hours, so you sort of get a clean slate and can do anything you think is working and resonating with your audience.”
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There are two ways to think about this.
Behind-The Scenes - The nature of Snapchat as a channel is behind the scenes and exclusive content. The photos, videos, and art users share on Snapchat is not organic on other social channels. If brands want to fit in on Snapchat they would be well served to try and capture their own behind the scenes content.
Keep Content Fresh and Original - Snapchat users have a lot of content to engage. If you are sharing the same old content that they see on Facebook and Instagram already, there is less of a reason for them to keep coming back and choosing to view your brand’s content.
The nature of Snapchat’s user interface is not a stream, but a list of options to click on. They do have to CHOOSE to see your content.
And, beyond that, they have to choose to keep watching your content. Like a video. So it needs to be unique. As Neha say, try to help your fans “experience something that feels exclusive and inaccessible.”
3. Tell A Compelling and Cohesive Story
Too many brands post snaps that are disconnected from each other and hours apart. Most of your followers are going to be watching your story all at once so regardless of what time you post each snap, you need to tell one cohesive story when played beginning to end.
Continuing Story Snapchats - If you’re snapchatting from an event or throughout your day, watch your story as you add to it and put yourself in the position of a follower who has no context of who you are, where you are or what you’re doing.
Single Story Snapchats - If you’re posting all at once, make sure that you close out the story with an ending that includes a Call To Action that directs followers to one of your other social media profiles or let’s them know when they can expect more content from you on Snapchat. This invites them to engage with your brand elsewhere online and serves as an opportunity to tease upcoming content or events.
4. Use Video
We’re living in a video centric world in case you’ve been asleep for the past 3 years or don’t have access to YouTube, Vine or Facebook. Video lets you show instead of tell. It will show off your brand’s character more than any character limit or staged photo. It allows you to do things like include music or conduct a 10 second interview. It allows your followers to connect with you because you’re appealing to another one of their senses. Use video on your Snapchat story often and you will learn to use it well.
My roommate Lawrence is a health nut. Here he is making healthy smoothies
5. Partner With Influencers
Firebrand also reached out to Delmondo who specialize in connecting brands with influencers on platforms like Snapchat. Delmondo said.
“Headphone maker JBL is an example of a brand that has gotten creative with its use of Snapchat. The brand commissioned Snapchat marketing firm Delmondo to identify Snapchat tastemakers to share messages with their followers during the NBA All-Star Game weekend. An influencer campaign in the same vein costs as little as $50,000, and has the potential to generate hundreds of thousands of views.”
Influencers on Snapchat afford a brand two very important benefits:
Audience. If you want to gain followers and fans, paying to work with influencers or partnering with them on some level is a shortcut to building that audience.
Platform Education. Secondarily, working with an influencer or group of influencers can do wonders for learning what works on a platform, what doesn’t work, and the intricacies of how that social network lives and breathes.
Frankie Greek, social strategist and the host of WWW offers this bit of advice on how to identify the righ influencers:
"The fastest way to grow your brand’s Snapchat following is to partner with influencers. This means working with someone who has a large following on social media, preferably on Snapchat, and having them create and promote stories for your brand. Identify influencers in your field that your audience will like and be able to relate to. Do your due diligence to find the right influencer, not just the cheapest or the first one that shows interest in your brand. Does their personal brand align with your brand’s values? Do they believe in your mission?
Now forget that you work in marketing and talk to that person like a human and figure out a mutually beneficial arrangement that ends in them telling powerful stories for your brand and your brand being exposed to their fans."
6. Leverage Your Audience
As you get traction on Snapchat, direct those followers to your other social media profiles. Announce a giveaway on Snapchat that followers can enter by commenting on an Instagram post. Create a poll that they can participate in by screenshotting their vote and tweeting it to your account with a branded hashtag. Tease YouTube videos by showing shorter clips with a caption that tells them where to go to find it and asks them to subscribe.
COMMENTARY: Launched in 2011, Snapchat has become so much more than a place for sending ten-second-selfies (although there’s still a lot of that going on!) It has become a very credible platform for brands to market themselves to a large audience – Snapchat boasts over 200 million monthly active users; 71% of which are under 25.
With social media being a great way to reach out to customers and potential customers, and inject personality into a brand, Snapchat is certainly a channel that companies should be looking at.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Burberry – who are pioneers in combining technology and digital aspects with fashion – have been using Snapchat to create a buzz around their brand. Take for instance, the preview of their SS16 collection 24 hours prior to their runway show at London Fashion Week. It was a great move, appealing to Snapchat’s largely Generation Z audience, who have come to expect the consumption of fresh content immediately. Plus, it generated a huge buzz for the actual show… which was certainly no bad thing!
Click Image To View Burberry's Prosum SS16 Collection runway show during New York Fashion Week
Not only that, but Burberry launched their own Live Story: available for 24 hours from the morning of their fashion show, it showcased Burberry show-related images and videos straight from Snapchat. Allowing fans to take part in their marketing campaign – pretty smart, don’t you think?
Snapchat became increasingly aware of the potential opportunities for brands through the social media site; and launched Snapchat Discover at the beginning of 2015. An exclusive channel available to a mere 15 companies (this has grown from 12 since its launch), it enables the selected few to release content to the 100 million active Snapchat users. Cosmo, CNN and Mashable all use Discover; with Cosmo enjoying 3 million readers on Snapchat a day!
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Those on Discover need to ensure they get it right though – Snapchat booted Yahoo offafter they failed to resonate with their younger audience – the broadcast-type videos just didn’t cut it. In a world where breaking news is readily available; the announcement itself needs to be innovative, otherwise users will look to other companies for their updates instead.
OK, so maybe you shouldn’t hold your breath on getting an invite to Snapchat Discover any time soon – but you can rest assured that the channel itself is still a valuable marketing tool for your business. You could consider running your own Live Story – a user-generated video collage of a special event. Cosmo hosted one for their 50th anniversary, featuring the Kardashians on the front cover of their magazine, as well as in the video; which was sponsored by Covergirl. With 6 billion video views in Snapchat since May 2015, brands can be sure that their content is being viewed.
Taco Bell has also been a hugely successful user of Snapchat. Back in 2013 in a bid to build their number of followers, they encouraged users to add them in exchange for a “secret announcement”, with snippets of the new menu revealed.
Essentially, Snapchat – the fastest growing social media platform – should certainly not be overlooked as part of your social media strategy. At 400 million snaps a day from the 100 million daily active members, if you can reach out to the younger market successfully, then you’ll achieve great exposure for your brand, which is most definitely a good thing!
Top 10 Brands on Snapchat
As of January 2015, these are the Top 10 brands on Snapchat.
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Snapchat Adds Slow-Mo, Fast-Forward, And Rewind Video Filters
Teenagers have short attention spans, but Snapchat’s latest feature could keep them tuned in. On October 28, 2015, Snapchat introduced a new set of filters called “Speed Modifiers” for videos you shoot on iOS or Android. They let you add slow motion, fast-forward, or rewind effects to your video. Just swipe sideways after shooting a video and you’ll eventually see them applied to your snap.
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What you see above is actually two videos stitched together. First, a clip in fast-forward, and then in rewind. Normally the Snapchat videos only go forward or backward, not both like Instagram Boomerang.
Snapchat is also adding 3D Touch capability for the iPhone 6S and 6S+ today. You can strong tap on your Snapchat homescreen icon to quickly reach options for sending a snap or adding a new friend. The features come in an update for iOS and Android that should be out soon if you don’t see it yet.
You can read the full report in the SlideShare embed above (or download it here), but numbers don’t mean much on their own, so we’ll use this post to dig into the significance of the data and their associated trends for marketers.
China Digital, Social and Mobile By The Numbers
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To get us started though, here are the key data headlines:
Internet Users: 668 million, a 6% year-on-year increase
Social Media Users: 659 million – more than the USA and Europe combined
Unique Mobile Users: 675 million, responsible for 1.3 billion mobile subscriptions
Mobile Internet Users: 594 million, accounting for 89% of all China’s internet users
Mobile Social Media Users: 574 million, up 15 million since this time last year
The year-on-year growth rates tell interesting stories too (note that the mobile figures in this slide represent the growth in mobile subscriptions, not unique users):
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We’ll examine each of these in detail in the sections below.
Internet in China
Roughly 100,000 people in China started using the internet every day over the past year – that’s more than one every second.
Much of this growth is being driven by improved mobile access, with close to 90% of the country’s netizens using mobile devices to access the internet. It’s worth noting that this is often in addition to PC-based usage too, but an increasing number of the country’s internet users are mobile-only, especially in rural areas.
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When it comes to the total volume of web traffic, PC-based access still dominates, with 56% of the web pages served to China’s netizens in the past month going to laptop or desktop computers. However, this figure is down 29% year-on-year, while the number of web page requests from mobile devices has jumped 136% to 42%.
These trends suggest that mobile usage will account for more than half of all China’s web activity by early 2016.
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Despite mobile’s promise of ubiquitous internet access, however, internet usage still isn’t evenly distributed in China, and a marked difference remains between urban and rural usage rates. Nearly two-thirds of China’s urban population now uses the internet every month, but barely 3 in 10 of China’s rural citizens are online:
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The good news is that connection speeds are up considerably on last year, with the average fixed-connection access speed up 17% year-on-year according to Akamai. It’s worth noting that the average mobile connection speed is considerably higher than that of fixed connections though, with the average connection in China now considered ‘broadband’ (i.e. 4Mbps or above).
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Social Media in China
The overall number of social media users in China grew more slowly than we expected over the past year, but this is more likely due to a change in behaviour, rather than a waning of interest in social media.
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It’s also worth noting that social media usage in China is already at a very high level, with the numbers suggesting that 99% of China’s internet community uses social media of some description.
The numbers for individual platforms tell the more interesting story though. QQ, Tencent’s ever-popular instant messaging service, still claims the country’s top position in terms of monthly active users (MAUs), and despite the vast majority of its users residing in China, it also claims the second-place spot in the worldwide rankings behind Facebook (click here to read more about the global picture).
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It’s worth noting that more people sign in to QQ via mobile devices each month than sign in to WeChat, but WeChat offers more varied services and functionality for both users and marketers.
User numbers suggest that QZone still dominates when it comes to traditional ‘social networking’, but WeChat (or Weixin, as it’s know in China) is quickly catching up, and is the platform that most users claim to use on a regular basis (note the difference between ‘use’ and ‘sign in’, the latter being the metric many of the platforms use to measure ‘active’ users).
For those who are still relatively unfamiliar with Chinese social media, Baidu Tieba may be a new discovery. Tieba, or “Post Bar” as the platform calls itself in its English literature, is a community that has grown up around specific areas of user interest related to the searches that people conduct on Baidu, China’s largest search engine.
Meanwhile, readers of our previous China reports (2013, 2014) will notice the absence of Tencent Weibo in this ranking. Tencent stopped publishing monthly active user figures for Tencent Weibo a number of months ago, and we have interpreted this to mean that the company has de-prioritised the platform in favour of its three larger ‘products’, QQ, Qzone and WeChat. Tencent Weibo appears to remain popular with many users though, with 38% of China’s internet users claiming to have used the platform in the past month (see below).
Research from GlobalWebIndex suggests that more than 6 in 10 internet users in China used WeChat in the past month. Sina Weibo comes in second, with 54% of survey respondents claiming to have used the service in the past 30 days.
It’s interesting to note that Facebook, Google+ and Twitter all appear in this list too; they may be officially ‘blocked’ by the Great Firewall, but GlobalWebIndex’s research suggest that a considerable number of China’s netizens are getting round these blocks to access non-Chinese social platforms.
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87% of China’s social media users now access via mobile devices at some point each month, with platforms like WeChat helping to drive overall numbers up 77 million over the past 12 months – a year-on-year increase of 15% that equates to more than 200,000 new users every day, or almost 2.5 new users every second.
At 1 hour and 43 minutes per day, social media accounts for just under half of all the time that people spend online in China. The country’s social media users spend 23% longer using social media than they do watching TV each day, although it’s worth noting that much of this time overlaps, with many TV viewers engaging in ‘second-screen’ social media use at the same time.
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It’s worth noting that use of tablets appears to be down slightly year-on-year though, with 22% fewer web page requests coming from tablet devices in the past month compared to this time one month ago.
Mobile in China
With 675 million unique subscribers in China, almost half the country’s population now owns a mobile phone, and we fully expect to see the country pass this milestone before the end of 2015.
The number of mobile subscriptions in China rose significantly in 2014 too, with three new subscribers every second contributing to annual growth of 94 million – an 8% year-on-year increase.
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The number of mobile subscriptions in China is now very close to the number of people living in the country, which suggest that the average user still maintains close to 2 active connections.
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However, we expect that this ratio will reduce over the coming months as more and more people upgrade from feature phones to smartphones; the main reason why individuals operate more than one mobile contract is to benefit from intra-network deals, but data-powered communications such as chat apps and VOIP are more efficient and effective ways of achieving the same benefits.
Smartphones are clearly the must-have devices in China today, accounting for 90% of new handset sales. They already account for just less than two-thirds of all handsets in active use, and we expect their overall share to increase steadily over the coming months as more people renew their devices.
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When it comes to internet-powered activities on mobile devices, Chinese netizens appear to be particularly interested in checking the weather.
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China’s mobile users also appear to have embraced m-commerce, with reports suggesting that 20% of the country’s population have made a recent online purchase via their mobile device.
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E-Commerce in China
E-commerce more generally appears to be thriving in China, with almost one in three internet users buying online each month.
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The country’s consumer e-commerce market was worth more than a quarter of a trillion US dollars in the six months to June 2015, with the year’s biggest shopping event – Singles Day – still to come. Sales on Alibaba’s various sites exceeded US$9 billion in just one day last November, and there’s every chance that number will pass $10 billion on 11th November this year.
Conclusions
So what does all this mean for brands? Here are our three key tips, designed specifically for non-Chinese marketers looking to make sense of the world’s largest consumer market:
China’s Different: it’s obvious that the platforms that dominate in China are markedly different to those that marketers are familiar with elsewhere – even those in their Asian neighbours. However, it’s not just the platforms that are different; the ways that Chinese netizens use social channels is also markedly different, and marketers need to carefully adapt their approaches for China’s cultural and societal idiosyncrasies as much as for its technological differences. One size does not fit all when it comes to China, and marketers would do well to engage the expertise of a partner who understands the ‘how’ as well as the ‘what’.
1-to-1 Social: The numbers in this year’s report highlight the growing popularity of chat apps – a trend that we’ve seen elsewhere in the world too. The growing popularity of chat apps presents a new set of opportunities for marketers, as many of the conversations that take place on these platforms are more private in nature, taking place between individuals and small groups (versus the public environments that Western marketers will know from Facebook and Twitter). In order to take advantage of the ‘intimate’ nature of these one-to-one conversations, however, marketers will need to explore new approaches to social media and content marketing, ensuring that the tactics they employ make it easy for audiences to find and consume content on one platform (e.g. video-sharing services like Youku or Tudou), and then share that content proactively via chat apps. This will require greater emphasis on highly engaging content and organic sharing, rather than an approach that relies on paid media to push mediocre content to the masses.
Social Selling: China’s netizens are already very comfortable buying things online, whether that’s through their PCs or via their mobile devices. The next big opportunity for marketers is to understand how the dynamics of social referral work in China, and use that to move from social engagement to social conversion.
COMMENTARY: If you have been looking for information on the state of China's growing digital, mobile, social media and e-commerce for 2015, this is a great source thanks to the nice guys at We Are Social.
Courtesy of an article dated August 18, 2015 appearing in We Are Social
After months, some would say years, of expectation, advertising on Instagram is now available to everyone.
Instagram drives massive engagement and just recently reached the following milestone:
400 million monthly active users (MAUs), passing Twitter’s 316 million MAUs.
3.5 billion daily likes.
80 million+ photos shared daily.
According to SproutSocial, Instagram’s demographics are very appealing for advertisers.
Young, mostly millennials, who spend hours scrawling the feed.
53% of 18-29 year olds use Instagram.
U.S. has 77.6 million or 25% of total overall monthly active users.
75% of its users live outside of the States, mainly in Brazil, Japan and Indonesia.
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Advertising on Instagram is now open to everyone. Here’s what you need to know if you want to implement an Instagram advertising campaign:
The 3 Ad Formats
1. Image Ads
Promote an image ad that looks just like the regular feed photo, and includes a call to action of your choice (and indicates ‘Sponsored’).
Michael Kors and Levi's Instagram sponsored photo ads (Click Image To Enlarge)
2. Video Ads
After six months of testing, Instagram's first video ads were launched in October 30, 2014. Instagram's first video ads were 15-second autoplay spots from Disney, Activision, Lancome, Banana Republic and CW. The ads will start appearing today and roll out over the coming weeks. For instance, Disney is promoting its film, Big Hero 6, with a video showing animated characters posing as if they were taking selfies.
Click to run the 15-second video ads for Disney's Big Hero 6
Click to run the 15-second video ads for Banana Republic
Changes to Instagram’s advertising policies will increase the length of video ads to 30 seconds in November 2015 from the previous 15, doubling the time in which companies can promote their products. Those same videos will also be appearing in non-square format, too, as the company extends its recent aspect ratio relaxation to ads.
3. Carousel Ads
Following the success of carousel ads in Facebook,Instagram added the carousel format in March 2015 that are designed as a digital analog to the multi-page print magazine spread. Advertisers can include up to four photos that people can swipe through as well as a link to a dedicated landing page. The carousel ad format allows brands to gain more engagement with a good visual storytelling.
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On top of these three great options, there’s a 4th Premium option which is not open to everyone: Marquee. The Marquee “drives mass awareness and expanded reach in a short time-frame”, says the company. This feature is great for time-sensitive events, like launching a product.
Targets to Accomplish with Instagram Ads
Instagram offers four different call-to-action objectives you can achieve using their ads:
Clicks to Website: leads users to the desired website or landing page with varied call-to-actions like “Learn More”, “Shop Now” or “Sign Up”.
Mobile App Installs: directs users to install a mobile app through an image or a video ad.
Video Views: attracts users’ attention through a captivating video.
Mass Awareness: This one is a Premium option through the Marquee route. It drives mass awareness in a short time frame. Currently not available to everyone.
How Do I Get Started?
To create an Instagram ad you’ll need to use Facebook’s Power Editor.
Funny as it sounds, in order to set up an ad on Instagram you must have a Facebook account even though not necessarily an Instagram account (though it’s recommended).
Want to launch your own Instagram campaign? Here are 6 simple steps you should follow:
1. Connect your Instagram account to your Facebook page. Go to your page settings and then to the “Instagram Ads” tab.
2. After confirming the account via email, go to the Power Editor.
3. Choose one of the three objectives offered: Clicks to Website, Mobile App Installs or Video Views.
4. Continue creating the ad just like you would on Facebook, targeting your audience by language, location, and demographics.
5. Choose the CTA: Book now, Contact Us, Download, Learn More, Shop Now, Sign Up or Watch More.
6. Choose your budget and launch the ad with a great image and copy!
Design Tips for your Instagram Ad
Image Dimensions:
The recommended image ratio is 1:1 with 1080 x 1080 pixels.
Just like with Facebook ads, an image should not include more than 20% text. Test your image here to check if your text exceeds the limit.
Caption:
Instagram recommends keeping the text up to 125 characters. Maximum 300.
Use hashtags to tag your ad and increase its reach potential beyond the target audience you’ve set.
Video:
Video format needs to be MP4.
Audio: Instagram recommends Stereo AAC audio compression, 128bps and above.
Instagram’s Biggest Challenge
When Instagram announced its advertising opportunities you could almost hear a sound of relief from brands around the world. Marketers were eager for this piece of news.
Just three years ago Facebook acquired Instagram for $1B, with many questioning that price tag. Today things look completely different. eMarketer estimates that Instagram will bring $595 million in mobile ad revenues in 2015 and $1.48B in 2016.
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The main question is how quickly marketers will adopt this new advertising opportunity and allocate necessary budgets. Marketing opportunities are by all means huge here. With great ad copy and smart targeting, users may think alike.
COMMENTARY: Instagram has over the last two years ventured into video to enrich its storytelling experience rivalling other players like Twitter's Vine. Instagram’s interest in video came from the observation that videos tended to have more engagement than still photos, which was the platform key offering. Lululemon was among the first companies to adopt video on Instagram. However, Instagram noted that Lululemon videos recorded up to 7 times comments than photos and clearly video was the future. The content sharing platform now allows users to shoot edit and share short videos of 15 seconds, which now has been extended to 30 seconds.
Video is shot within the app and is based on 640×640 px dimension, and even has an option of shooting several clips and editing them together. Alternatively, one continuous video can also be shot. Since video is a great format to deliver brand’s narrative to audiences, below are some handy tips on how to leverage Instagram’s power.
Instagram offers marketers several features including 13 preset filters to edit photos and cinema features available on iOS to stabilize video clips. Videos can be shared on Facebook, Tumblr, or even embedded on brand’s website or blog.
To create Instagram videos, consider using a mini adjustable tripod holder with a sturdy Smartphone holder. This is especially helpful if you seek to shoot video with your Smartphone. The one disadvantage with this is that the head holding the Smartphone has limited mobility, which can limit scope of your video. Alternatively you can use a cell phone tripod adapter like those for iOS and Samsung, which are portable, slim, and adjustable to fit Smartphone’s. The only difficult with phone tripod adapters is that the phone may wobble, if the head is moved too fast as rubber tabs holding the phone in place can be improperly secured. Other alternatives include the 60 inch tripod stand and Glif cell phone mounts.
With diverse apps available today, images can also be converted into short movies or GIFS using applications like Burstio App available for iOS5/6 & 6Plus. Apple users can also use iMovie 11 to speed up or slow down video frames for emphasis. This lets you share more of your narrative in 15 seconds.
Create Quick Instagram Videos With Instagram's Boomerang App
On October 22, 2015, Instagram launched a new video app called Boomerang, which will produce GIF-style animation clips at the click of a button. Boomerang takes a one-second burst of five photos to create a mini video loop which can be shared to the main Instagram app and Facebook. Boomerang doesn't require users to be logged in, or to even have an Instagram account, according to TechCrunch. The controls are simplistic, one shutter button when you open the app, and another screen to share the looping video you've just created.
Instagram has been reluctant to add new creative features directly into its main app, and instead has been building stand-alone apps. Boomerang is the third stand-alone app from Instagram, following Hyperlapse and Layout.
Boomerang product manager John Barnett toldTechCrunch.
"It was something we built just for fun for us to play with as a team."
The app, which was initially built by a group of five people from Instagram's Android team, soon caught on within the company and became a full-fledged product, according to TechCrunch.
Boomerang is available for both iOS and Androidmobile devices.
The Anatomy of an Awesome Instagram Ad
Bannersnack prepared this wonderful infographic that describes what you need to know to create an awesome Instagram ad. Thanks guys.
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Courtesy of an article dated October 14, 2015 appearing in Klear, an article dated October 30, 2014 appearing in AdWeek, an article dated July 27, 2015 appearing in eMarketer, an article dated September 16, 2015 appearing in Video Advertising News, an article daed April 7, 2015 appearing in Advertising Age, an article dated September 9, 2015 appearing in Gizmodo, and an article dated October 15, 2015 appearing in The Telegraph
Facebook stock hit an all-time high after-hours after the company reported its Q3 earnings, beating analyst expectations on the top and bottom line.
Here are the most important numbers:
Revenue: $4.5 billion vs. analyst expectations of $4.37 billion, up 41% year-over-year.
Adjusted EPS: $0.57 vs. analyst expectations of $0.52.
MAUs: 1.55 billion monthly active users vs. 1.52 billion expected.
The after-hours stock was up nearly 5% initially, dipped down to +2%, and settled around 4% after the earnings call. At about 107.7, Facebook's stock is at a new all-time high and shares are up roughly 25% since mid-August.
Facebook (FB-NASDAQ) Shares climbed from 104.00 to 108.76 on Thursday, November 5, 2015, a gain of 4.82 following stellar Q3 2015 earnings call. (Click Image To Enlarge)
None of the numbers reported in the release were hugely surprising. Its expenses were up 68% year-over-year, but the company had previously said that it plans to invest heavily this year. Also as expected, Facebook saw an increase in the percentage of its revenue coming from mobile.
One of the most mind-blowing numbers came in the earnings call, though, when the company shared that Facebook now has 8 billion video views per day. That's double the 4 billion daily views the company reported in April. Those views come from the 500 million users who are watching videos every day.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said when asked about video on the call.
"We're just so early in this right now. It's pretty amazing how quickly it's growing. But there's a lot more to do."
Here are the other important numbers:
1.01 billion daily active users on average for September, which is up 17% year-over-year, and 894 million people use Facebook on their phone every day.
Of Facebook's 1.5 billion monthly active users, 1.38 billion are accessing the site on mobile, and 727 million are mobile-only users. That's up 37% year-over-year, likely driven by Facebook's adoption in emerging markets like India and Africa, where people primarily access the internet on smartphones.
Costs and expenses of $3.04 billion, which is up 68% year-over-year, with R&Dmore than doubling year-over-year to $1.27 billion. That's also up significantly from $2.76 billion in costs and expenses last quarter.
The adjusted operating margin was 54%, down from 57% year-over-year.
About 78% of advertising revenue came from mobile, up from 66% at this time last year and 76% last quarter.
Free cash flow was $1.41 billion in the third quarter.
Most of Facebook's revenue comes from North America and Europe, with only about 25% ($1.1 billion) coming from Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world. But those areas account for 65% of its monthly active users. The average revenue per user in those regions is still tiny, compared to in the US — $1.39 and $0.94, respectively, vs. $10.49 and $3.47 in the US and Europe.
Facebook recently made a big press push around its efforts in emerging markets,and how it's optimizing its content and, importantly, its advertising to work well in areas of the world. But it seems those efforts haven't shifted the average revenue-per-user numbers yet.
Here's a look at where Facebook's revenue comes from:
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And you can see that Facebook also makes more per user in the US than it used to, likely attributable to the rollout of video and Instagram ads:
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And here's Facebook's state of the union as far as the size of its various products:
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Some highlights from the earnings call
Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg shared some stats on the call:
There are 8 billion daily video views on Facebook. That's up from 4 billion a few months ago.
Lots of those views are coming from the 500 million people who are watching video on FB daily.
Over 1.5 million small businesses posted a video — organic posts and ads — on Facebook in September.
1 billion people use Facebook on Android.
925 million people use Groups — and in some countries, more than half the population use them.
People share 80 million photos a day on Instagram.
1 in 5 of the minutes that people spend on their phones per day is with Facebook and Instagram.
More than 9.5 billion photos are now sent on the chat app Messenger.
Zuckerberg also said that Facebook-led Internet.org, which aims to spread connectivity to parts of the world that don't have it, has made significant progress in places like Africa.
Sandberg also gave some updates on its ad products, including that there are 2.5 million active advertisers on the service. The price per ad was up 61% in Q3, though total ad impressions fell 10%.
She also subtly burned YouTube:
"People come to Facebook and Instagram because we have the best-performing mobile-video ad products."
The company added 1,000 new employees this quarter for a total of 12,000 employees, up 44% year-over-year.
Facebook also said that it expects its total 2015 capital expenditures to be between $2.5 billion and $2.7 billion.
When asked about Facebook in China, Zuckerberg said it was a "complex situation."
He said.
"You can't have the mission of wanting to connect everyone in the world and leave out one of the biggest countries. We need to try to figure out a way forward on that issue."
He did say that people who think that Facebook isn't in China at all are wrong, though. Although the app isn't allowed in the country, China is "one of the biggest advertising markets" that Facebook has. Big Chinese companies use FB as one of their primary tools to spread info about what they're doing to people outside the country, he said.
COMMENTARY: The complete transcript of Facebook's Q3 2015 earnings call with analysts can be found HERE:
The Instagram Effect
There is one important part of Facebooks business that has not been revealed: Instagram. During the Q3 2015 earnings conference call, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did not reveal how much of its advertising originated through Instagram. The standalone photo-sharing app has more than 400 million users now and Instagram advertisers now have many of the same targeting capabilities that they get on Facebook.
For Instagram, this was a busy quarter. The community celebrated its five-year anniversary and reached a new milestone of 400 million monthly actives. More than 80 million photos are now shared on Instagram every day, and the pace of adoption among public figures, organizations and people around the world continues to grow really well. When President Obama visited Alaska in September, he used Instagram to document his trip, and this is a great example of how Instagram is changing the way that people see the world.
The result is what many believe will be a very sizable business for Facebook moving forward. Analyst firm MoffettNathanson believes Instagram will bring in $1.8 billion in annual revenue in the next two or three years. SunTrust analyst Robert Peck agrees. He wrote in his pre-earnings report that he believes Instagram’s annual revenue will be greater than $2 billion by 2017.
That’s a lot of revenue considering Facebook isn’t saying much about Instagrams contribution to advertising revenues. But investors are definitely interested, and any news on that front would definitely be good news. The social network has consistently appeased investors of late with significant quarter-over-quarter revenue and growth results.
Mobile continued to drive Facebooks growth. At the end of the third quarter, approximately 1.39 billion people accessed Facebook on mobile devices, up 23% from last year. It is becoming more apparent that Facebooks mobile appls will represent a major source of advertising revenues with numbers like thse: Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp now exceeding 400 million, 700 million and 900 million monthly actives respectively.
This argument is further strengthened with the fact that Facebook now has more than 2.5 million active advertisers and more than 45 million small and medium-sized businesses actively using Facebook pages. During the third quarter 2015, Facebook continued to focus on helping marketers achieve results using video and carousel ads as well as on Instagram.
Facebook COO Sheryl Sanderg said.
"On Instagram, we think that with Facebook and Instagram, we now have the two most important mobile platforms out there. And what we bring to this is a common ad infrastructure. So Instagram ads, now that we've rolled out as we have this past quarter and gotten to a really good product offering, combined the creative format of Instagram which is very visually compelling and has a lot of engagement from people with the back-end infrastructure and marketer base that Facebook has.
Yeah. To the Instagram question, what we see in the short run is that some of the spend on Instagram is incremental to Facebook and some isn't. Some clients are comfortable with Instagram and bringing a new budget to bear. Some clients are shifting some of their Facebook budget. For us in the medium to long run, we believe that we're not competing between Facebook and Instagram. We're competing with other forms of media. And if you want the most eyeballs and we think the highest ROI, over time we think that will benefit Facebook and Instagram.
The average American adult spends 25% of their media time on mobile, and Facebook and Instagram together continue to account for over one minute in five minutes on mobile in the U.S. Businesses are lagging behind consumers in making this shift to mobile, and we believe we're well positioned to help them catch up.
We're also capitalizing on the shift to mobile by expanding ads on Instagram. This quarter on Instagram, we introduced new ad formats and objectives, opened up our API and launched self-serve ad capabilities. Instagram ads are now available in all countries where we offer Facebook ads, and marketers can manage campaigns across both platforms with the same targeting. We're really pleased with the marketer demand for Instagram ads."
Courtesy of an article dated November 4, 2015 appearing in Business Insider and an article dated November 4, 2015 appearing in RE/CODE
For the September quarter (FY Q4 2015), it earned $1.96 per share, on $51.5 billion in revenue. Its earnings were well ahead of expectations, while revenue was roughly in line.
Apple sold 48.05 million iPhones, which is a 22% jump compared to the previous year, and is about what analysts expected.
Investors basically yawned at the results, with the stock going nowhere in after-hours trading.
Apple offered holiday guidance that is a little light of expectations, but is generally fine. If Apple hits the high-end of its guidance, $77.5 billion, it would deliver 4% growth, which is reassuring to investors who were worried Apple's growth would go negative.
Apple analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note shortly after the numbers were released.
"Our early take is that the guidance seems to imply flattish (74-76 million) iPhones for December. This would imply iPhone units down 1% to up 2% year-over-year. We view this as a relief given investors were bracing for the start of the 6S cycle to be down meaningfully (down 5-8% y/y)."
Here are all the numbers versus expectations:
Revenue: $51.5 billion, up 22% year-over-year (y/y), versus expectations of $51.04 billion
EPS: $1.96, up 38% y/y, versus expectations of $1.88
Net income: $11.1 billion
iPhone units: 48.05 million, up 22% y/y, versus expectations of 48.5 million
iPhone's average selling price: $670
iPad units: 9.88 million versus, down 20% y/y, expectations of 10.2 million
iPad's average selling price: $432.66
Mac units: 5.71 million, up 4% y/y, versus expectations of 5.6 million
Gross margin: 39.9% versus expectations of 39.3%
Cash on hand: $206 billion
December quarter revenue: $75.5-$77.5 versus expectations of $77.13 billion. If Apple hits the top end of its guidance, revenue will be up 4% y/y.
Here's a table with all the results:
Revenues by Geographic Segment and Product Summary
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Charts
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Earnings Call Log
You may also view the Apple Q3 2015 Live Earnings Call Log by clicking HERE
COMMENTARY: Cook said the company began taking orders on Monday for the new Apple TV. He called it a “huge day” based on demand for the new product.
Apple also issued a healthy forecast for the holiday quarter, which began this month. These are the highlights:
revenue between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion
gross margin between 39 percent and 40 percent
operating expenses between $6.3 billion and $6.4 billion
other income/(expense) of $400 million
tax rate of 26.2 percent
But analysts appeared to be concerned with Apple’s ability to continue growing strongly into 2016.
The company has not yet broken out numbers for Apple Watch sales but Cook said sales are ahead of Apple’s expectations.
I feel that investors and analysts were short-changed and left with a blank stare when it came to sales of the Apple Watch. For two consecutive quarters, Tim Cook has declined to provide data on actual Apple Watch sales. Cook stated that the lack of information about the Apple Watch is for "competitive reasons." Translation: He doesn't want to feel embarassed if Apple Watch sales are poor or below expectations.
Its my belief that Apple Watch sales are okay, but not spectacular, and he wants to wait until after Christmas to give the Apple Watch a boost in sales because consumers are likely to buy the watch as a gift. This period also gives existing Apple Watch owners and new buyers time to report any bugs or issues with the new Apple Watch OS 2.0.1 update which just became available for downloading on Monday. The new OS update improves batery life and security measures and offers bug fixes and new emoji's.
Apple's Q3 2015 (Fiscal 4th quarter) unaudited financial reports can found in its press release by clicking HERE.
Courtesy of an article dated October 27, 2015 appearing in Business Insider, an article dated October 27, 2015 appearing in Forbes. and an article dated October 27, 2015 appearing in Forbes Tech
Google is working on a new wearable technology effort known as Project Aura and is hiring consumer electronics experts from Amazon's secretive Lab126 to jump-start the new group.
Project Aura appears to have gotten started in June and is focused on reviving Google's troubled Glass computer eyeglasses, as well as accelerating Google's efforts to develop related wearable technology.
Project Aura will remain within Google rather than being a standalone company under the new Alphabet holding company or being folded into the Nest smart appliances business, a source familiar with the matter told Business Insider.
Nest CEO Tony Fadell will continue to have high-level oversight of the project, though it's unclear what will happen after Nest becomes a separate Alphabet company, the source said. Ivy Ross, a fashion industry veteran that Google hired to lead the Glass team in 2014, is heading up the Aura group.
Google has hired at least three employees from Lab126, Amazon's hardware division, to work in the new group and Aura has a dedicated recruiter tasked with bringing in more talent.
Several LinkedIn profiles and job listings viewed by Business Insider describe Project Aura as "Google Glass and Beyond."
The new Aura group provides a much-needed re-branding to the tattered Glass image as well as opening the door to a broader scope of wearable technology initiatives to help Google compete against rivals such as Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.
By remaining within Google, the Aura group will be able to collaborate more closely with other advanced technology efforts such as Soli, which allows consumers to control gadgets through gestures such as rubbing fingers together, and Cardboard, which turns ordinary smartphones into virtual-reality devices using a cardboard headset.
While virtual-reality technology is an growing area of focus within the technology industry, particularly as Facebook preps the release of its Oculus VR headset, the source said it's still too soon to know whether the Aura group will be focused specifically on VR.
Although Business Insider first spotted Google job postings that indicated that the company planned to release other products in the Google Glass division besides just smart eyewear back in May, the existence of the Project Aura group and its new hires has not been reported until now.
Google stopped selling the initial $1,500 version of Glass to consumers earlier this year following waning interest and criticism that the device was too expensive and clunky, without enough practical-use cases. The head-mounted device, which allowed users to record video, also raised privacy concerns and caused a consumer backlash.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin officially unveiled Google Glass at the Google I/O 2012 Developer's Conference held at Moscone Center in San Francisco. It was one of the most exciting, buzz-filled new product unveilings that I have ever witnessed. If you didn't catch the Google Glass unveiling here's the Google Developer's video.
Incidentally, both Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak shotdown the idea for wearable VR glasses. Jeff Soto – an ex-Apple employee and founder of TENDIGI – a mobile development firm, writing on his personal blog – I am not Robot narrates an interesting story, which explains the reason Jobs shotdown wearable glasses like Google Glass.
"As soon as I saw the video for Google’s Project Glass I instantly recalled a funny story from my time at Apple. I was once at a Town Hall meeting in Cupertino where Steve Jobs commented on this type of wearable computing. An Apple employee in the audience asked Steve a question to the extent of: 'How can we reach out to our leadership if we have a really good idea'. Steve immediately put him on the spot and made him pitch the idea in front of everyone there. An opportunity to pitch Steve Jobs. What? The employee proceeded to pitch an idea about glasses you can wear that display various types of information. A heads up display a’la terminator cyborg vision if you will. He continued to explain how he wished he had a way to see projected information while he perhaps went for a run outside. Keep in mind this is happening in a room filled with a lot of people. Steve immediately shot his idea down and told the guy that he would probably trip and fall if that were the case. Steve also suggested he should get a girlfriend so he has someone to keep him company while running. I can not watch this Project Glass video without recalling this moment. So if you’re wondering what Steve would think about Project Glass, that’s pretty much it."
Google Glass Sales Suspended
The original Google Glass cost $1,500, and was only available to conference attendees. An estimated 2,000 people placed pre-orders.
Almost a year later, despite outstanding pre-orders, Google expanded the project. A competition was set up where the public were invited to explain what they'd do with Glass. They had to use the hashtag #ifihadglass.
In May 2014, Google started selling its new Glass Explorer for $1,500 through Google Play store to anyone who wanted it after months of exclusive, invite-only availability.
Google hasn’t disclosed sales of Google Glass, but Statista estimated that more than 831,000 units were sold in 2014. (NOTE: I find this number difficult to believe)
In January 16, 2015, Google suddenly suspended sales of Google Glass Explorer, its most hyped new product offering to come along in a long time. Sales were suspended not because Google Glass failed commercially, but because of the controversey Googe's "smart glasses" raised. The following infographic lists several issues that many people raised about Google Glass.
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Ori Inbar, the chief executive of the non-profit AugmentedReality.org, said it couldn’t be “farther from the truth” to call Google Glass dead, or a failure. He says Google has sold more hardware in the smart glass category than anyone else so far, which has helped to raise public awareness and create inroads for competition. Inbar said.
“Google elevated public awareness to smart glasses to an unprecedented level.”
Google's suspension of Google Glass gives competitors like archrival Epson, which was at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in early January 2015 full force showcasing its eyewear enterprise apps, the opportunity to grow their own installed base in its wake.
The popularization of smart glasses in the workplace has created inroads for other tech heavyweights to launch their own augmented reality glasses, attachments and goggles as well. Sony and Microsoft both stepped into the breach in January 2015, Sony with its SmartEyeglass Attach prototype that would clip into an existing pair of glasses, and Microsoft with HoloLens, a headware that implants holographs into the physical places, spaces and things of a wearer’s actual reality.
Lab126 Experts
Dima Svetlov, whose LinkedIn profile says he worked on Amazon's TV streaming stick, joined Aura as a software development manager in May. Amir Frenke joined in June as a director of software development. Tina Chen left Lab126 in August after working on its TV streaming box and smart-home assistant, Echo, and now works as Aura's manager of technical program management.
Svetlov, Frenke, and Chen, whose LinkedIn profiles don't reveal any details about Project Aura besides the description that it works on Glass "and beyond," are joining Apple veteran Max Ratner, who worked on the iPhone.
The project even has its own designated recruiter, Jessica Bailow, who has been focused on Aura since June, according to her LinkedIn profile. And Google recently posted several job openings for the Aura team, including a program manager for category development, an industrial designer and a UX designer.
Business Insider also recently reported that Adrian Wong, the former Google Glass lead electrical engineer, who had defected to Facebook-owned virtual-reality startup Oculus, quietly rejoined Googlein June. His LinkedIn profile describes his new job only as "building blocks" for Alphabet/Google.
But the added description that "G is for Gadgets, Glasses, and Goggles" suggests that he may be working on Project Aura as well.
Google declined to comment.
Courtesy of an article dated September 16, 2015 appearing in Business Insider, an article dated April 12, 2012 appearing in iPhoneHacks.com, an article dated January 30, 2015 appearing in MarketWatch, and an article dated September 5, 2014 appearing in The Verge
The forecast provides a glimpse into the demand for the Apple Watch, a high profile product in the burgeoning category of wearable devices. Unlike the iPhone or iPad, Apple doesn't break out how many watches it has sold. This has led to a guessing game of sorts by analysts and investors. The Apple Watch, which competes against other wearable tech products and luxury goods, commands a premium price over rival smartwatches.
Despite some of the more bearish estimates, the Apple Watch seems to be doing relatively well, according to research firm IDC. In its latest quarterly report on wearables, IDC gave Apple's smartwatch the No. 2 position, just behind market leader Fitbit. Over the second quarter, Apple shipped 3.6 million watches, said IDC, grabbing 20 percent of the wearables market. Fitbit shipped 4.4 million wearable devices.
Apple CEO Tim Cook refused to reveal sales numbers on the Apple Watch, calling it "competitive information," at a Wall Street Journal technology conference Monday. He said.
"We shipped a lot the first quarter...then last quarter we shipped even more. I can predict this quarter we will ship even more."
The Apple Watch is available in three varieties: the entry-level Sport version starting at $349, the Apple Watch starting at $549 and the Apple Watch Edition starting at $10,000.
Apple declined to comment on the analyst projections.
COMMENTARY: In a blog post dated July 13, 2015, I boldly proclaimed that the Apple Watch was a "big flop" and I am not backing away from that opinion. Honestly, would you pay $10,000 for a watch if it wasn't a Rolex? Just because the Apple Watch is an Apple product, does not guarantee success.
Apple originally developed the Apple Watch as a high-tech fashion item, but the design of the Apple watch should've been left up to jewelry and watch designers who really understand fashion. As a result, the Apple Watch has failed to make a fashion statement, in fact, many fashion designers greeted the watch with a big yawn and called it just another fancy consumer electronics "gadget."
A salesman at the famed department store Printemps treats the watch as a technology gadget, saying his store won't carry the watch, which will range in price from $350 (£232) to more than $10,000 (£6,600) for the high-end Apple Watch Edition in 18-karat gold.
The salesman at Printemps, which carries such brands as Rolex, Montblanc and Longines said.
"You have to understand; we are luxury brands, and [the Apple Watch is] more technology,"
Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns became the timepiece's highest-profile advocate from the fashion world when she joined CEO Tim Cook onstage in San Francisco on Monday, but not everyone is impressed (Click Image To Enlarge)
The Apple Watch requires that you have an iPhone that runs the apps that gives the watch its functiontionality, so in essence, it is basically an extension of the iPhone or just another electronics gadget. People who crave luxury and fashion don't want another electronic gadget on their wrist.
In another blog post dated September 27, 2015, I pointed out that Apple's next watch will be round, not square. Round watches is what consumers are buying, which is why Fitbit is kicking ass in the smartwatch category. Will Jones, a Tablets and Computing Buyer with John Lewis, stated that one reason square watches are falling short with consumers, is that.
“People don’t want to look like they’re wearing a computer on their wrist.”
Even Guy Kawasaki, the former "chief evangelist" for Apple, while attending the CeBIT technology conference in Sydney in March 2015, was wearing a Breitling watch, not an Apple Watch. When asked why he didn't wear an Apple Watch, he said.
"This is a real man's watch, not an Apple."
Guy Kawasaki refused to wear an Apple Watch, but proudly shows off his Breitling watch at a recent CeBit Technology Conference in Australia (Click Image To Enlarge)
Guy added that he "might love the Apple Watch someday," that day is not today.
Guy also expressed some reservations about the design of Apple products under the company's new CEO, Tim Cook.
"Some of their decisions, I just scratch my head."
Take the new MacBook, he pointed out, it only has one USB port.
"What alternate universe are these people living in that they only need one port?"
When the "chief evangelist" for Apple is critical of Apple's new product designs under Tim Cook, you know that Apple's reputation as a technology innovator maybe ending. In short, Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs.
I don't believe that Apple CEO Tim Cook is being honest with analysts. If sales are so good, why doesn't he just provide sales numbers to support his claims. It's my theory that Apple is just buying time until generation 2 of the Apple Watch is unveiled. It will be round and rely on leading edge apps to give the watch functionality and appeal.
Courtesy of an article dated October 21, 2015 appearing in C|NET, an article dated August 27, 2015 appearing in C|NET, an article dated August 27, 2015 appearing in AppAdvice, an article dated March 9, 2015 appearing in the Daily Mail and an article dated May 4, 2015 appearing in Mashable
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