Podcasting – the latest techno razor blade

If you thought these little apparatuses were predominantly popular for music downloads it seems that Apple has found a killer app for iPods that is turning the industry upside down. Stumbling on the latest invention of a "podcast" has created a revolution in downloading numbers and sales of the unit. (A podcast is simply a recorded file – usually a talk or lecture that a user can download for free).

In a recent NY Times article on July 28^th, David Pogue wrote:

"The big question is, why is Apple working so hard to claim the podcast phenomenon as its own …..Clearly, the motivation behind Apple's podcasting program is selling more iPods. You can certainly get podcasts onto other music players, but not with the effortless, automated flow of the iTunes-iPod system.

"In other words, these free podcasts are just another feather in the iPod's cap. As an editorial at daringfireball.net astutely observed, Apple is flipping the traditional business plan on its head. It's giving away the razor blades, but selling a staggering number of razors.

"… Overnight, iTunes 4.9 has already become the most popular podcast-management software on earth; Apple says that within 48 hours of its release, Pod people had subscribed to more than a million podcasts. Pockets of the populace may not enjoy the transformation of podcasting into a commercial, pop-culture phenomenon, but it's too late now. The people have spoken - or, rather, listened."

Full text of NY Times article – available online free until Aug 3^rd http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/28/technology/circuits/28pogue.html?

If you’re wondering where to put your advertising dollars online for the coming year you’ll be interested in the findings of the Kelsey Group. The company tracks the following media in their Local Commerce Monitor Study -- covering online and print Yellow Pages, newspapers, direct mail, magazines, outdoor, coupons, local television, Web sites, search engine key word buys, e-mail and online city guides.

Kelsey found only pay-per-click Internet Yellow Pages showed a statistically significant jump in planned spending of about 6% for the next year.

To read the full text article that appeared on Clickz and visit the Kelsey site:

http://www.kelseygroup.com/news/2005/clickz_050721.htm

Research Round Up
Stats & Insights You Can Use

How Blogs Influence Purchase Decisions

July 18, 2005

By BIGresearch

Do consumer blog-reading habits impact shopping and purchasing behavior? BIGresearch has the scoop.

The following is from our SIMM VI database of over 14,000 respondents displaying the differences in the influence of blogging directly on purchase decision to eat out, telecom services, medicines, car and truck, home improvement, grocery, apparel/clothing and electronics.

Dollar General and Dollar Store are two distinct discount retail chains where most items sell for $5.00 or less.

Overall, for Dollar Store customers, blogging has greater influence than Dollar General bloggers on their purchase. Blogging has greatest influence on Dollar General customers in purchase decisions regarding home improvement, electronics, telecom services and grocery, compared to Dollar General customers. Blogging has very little influence on purchase decision in almost every category, but it does compare favorably on eating out. The above data can start to chart the potential power of the new media influence on concrete purchase decisions by retail channels. Media planning and ROI elements by retail channel are important to retailers and manufacturers.

BIGresearch is an Ohio-based online marketing intelligence and internet-powered marketing research company.

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Still Spammin'

July 27, 2005

By eMarketer

eMarketer uncovers surprising news on spam's continued prevalence: it works.

Though spam is widely reviled, it is still piling up in in-boxes. A recent poll by the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland found that more than 10 percent of respondents said they received 40 or more spam emails a day. Alas, the reason for spam's continued prevalence is probably pretty simple: it works. Recent data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project suggest that more than 5 percent of internet users have purchased something offered in an unsolicited message.

Note: n=1,295 Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 2005
064211 ©2005 eMarketer, Inc.	www.eMarketer.com

eMarketer aggregates, filters, organizes and analyzes data from more than 1700 research firms, consultancies and government agencies around the globe.

 

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Paid Search?

July 20, 2005

By eMarketer

eMarketer uncovers surprising news on user awareness of the difference between paid and unpaid search listings.

A Harris Interactive poll, sponsored by icrossing, found that many internet users are not familiar with the difference between organic search results and paid search results. And experience online didn’t necessarily correlate with knowledge.  Even among surfers with five or more years of online experience, most were not familiar with the difference between sponsored and natural results.

Demographic Profile of US Adult Internet Users Who Are Familiar with the Difference between Sponsored* and Natural** Search Engine Results Listings, April 2005 (as a % of respondents)
	Yes	No
Gender
Male	53%	47%
Femail	34%	66%
Age
18-34	47%	53%
35-44	45%	55%
45-54	42%	58%
55+	38%	62%
Experience onine
<3 years	40%	60%
3-5 years	29%	71%
5+ years	47%	53%
Search engine used at least 33% of the time
Google	54%	46%
Yahoo!/Overture	42%	58%
MSN	36%	63%
AOL	32%	68%
Ask Jeeves	32%	68%
Other	23%	77%
Note: n=2,057 internet users ages 18+ who use search engines;  * paid ** non-sponsored Source: Harris Interactive commissioned by icrossing, June 2005

eMarketer aggregates, filters, organizes and analyzes data from more than 1700 research firms, consultancies and government agencies around the globe.

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In This Issue

Poscasting - the latest techno razor blade

Internet Yellow Pages and the Small Advertiser

Research Round Up:
Stats & Insights You Can Use

How Blogs Influence Purchase Decisions

Still Spammin'

Paid Search?