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06/15/2011
04/13/2011
11/02/2010
TechCrunch | Apple To Move Into Mobile Payments?
When an analyst asked Steve Jobs during Apple’s last earnings call what he plans to do with Apple’s $50 billion in cash, he replied that he wants to keep Apple’s “powder dry” in case “one or more strategic opportunities . . . come along.” Speculation started immediately about who Apple could buy with all that cash: Facebook, Sony, Adobe?
But Apple never makes huge acquisitions. It tends to make smaller talent and technology acquisitions instead.
Apple’s rumored interest in mobile payments startup BOKU would fall into that pattern. The fact that it is in M&A discussions with BOKU doesn’t mean a deal is going to happen, but it does mean that Apple is very interested in mobile payments.
Whether it builds or buys, or does a little bit of both, mobile payments could be a huge opportunity for Apple within the next few years.
Imagine if your iPhone became your wallet? The dream of turning mobile phones into wallets has been pursued for a long time by many companies, but Apple is in a unique position to make mobile payments more mainstream. Apple already handles payments very well through iTunes, which boasts 160 million active credit card accounts. PayPal only has 90 million.
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http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/01/apple-mobile-payments/
10/18/2010
Fast Company | Revenues Shift from Advertising to Virtual Goods
While the debate over Web ads versus app ads may be going strong, some new data from Flurry analytics may make it moot. The in-app purchasing game has taken off to the point where revenues from in-app buys are dwarfing advertising income--at least for apps on Apple's iOS platform.
Flurry, often a source of inside analytical data on smartphone apps, has a very challenging bit of data out at the moment: According to the graph above, there's a massive swing in terms of smartphone app revenues. At the end of 2009 the greater majority of cash rolling in to developers from their carefully crafted apps came from advertising.
But after a peak in ad revenues in December 2009, the pendulum swung to in-app purchasing, and revenues from ads slumped. By the end of this year, average monthly revenues per user will have doubled compared to 2009's peak--and more than 80% of that will come from in-app purchasing.
Flurry's data covers a sample of "leading" apps on the iPhone and iPad, covering "social networking and social gaming applications" with a combined reach of more than 2.2 million daily active users. Flurry contends this is representative of the entire iOS app marketplace. Given the success of a similar kind of in-application purchase scheme--Facebook's fledgling Credits system--it's pretty plausible. There's no option to buy in-app upgrades on the Android system yet, so Flurry's data only covers iOS apps.
Consumers seem happier to augment an app they've already purchased for a nominal fee--say upgrades to a game they already like playing--rather than pay top dollar for an app in the first place. In-app systems also allow developers to augment the way apps work.
Apple adjusted the App Store protocols to enable in-app buying in October 2009, and it took several months for developers to implement the system in their software, and for these changes to be noticed by the app-buying public. Still, it was way ahead of the competition. Nokia revealed its Ovi store will gain in-app purchase powers (via cell phone operator payments) back in mid-September. RIM took a similar step at the end of September. Google is lagging far behind, and Android doesn't support this system yet--which isn't surprising for a company whose meat and drink is advertising. Given that mobile Web ad revenues seem to be far surpassing app-based income, and Google's predicted mobile ad rates will quickly beat income from PC-based ads, in-app purchasing isn't necessarily a priority for Google.
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http://www.fastcompany.com/1695286/forget-advertising-in-app-purchasing-is-where-the-dollars-are-at
09/28/2010
TechCrunch | Offline/Online Convergence, Mobile Commerce, and Life After Check-ins
For years, offline merchants have been acquiring data about you in attempts to personalize your experience through loyalty and rewards cards, credit card data, and surveys. But the problem is these interactions occur after it’s too late: at the point of sale. You’ve already checked out and are leaving the store, or have ordered dinner. For a merchant to convince you to add an extra item to your shopping cart, or buy an appetizer with your meal, the interaction must happen sooner.
Online check-ins, as a trend and use-case, have created a remarkably compelling opportunity for offline merchants to interact with consumers who are in the store before the sale happens. When you announce you’re at a store or restaurant by checking into Foursquare or Facebook Places, for example, your experience can be shaped and molded in compelling ways.
This is precisely why check-ins are incredibly powerful—they give the offline merchants an opportunity to shape your behavior before you buy or consume. Unfortunately, check-ins alone provide little value to merchants in the absence of contextual data about you. And checking into a place definitely does not equate to liking it. Imagine how many restaurants you visit, then consciously decide to never return to. Without a feedback loop this context will be used erroneously for future offers and recommendations.
The real power in converged online/offline interactions will come from a hybrid of realtime contextual offers, deals, and advertisements which can change a consumer’s behavior long before any transaction occurs. Recommendations and offers that take into account nearly everything about you as an individual.
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08/25/2010
VentureBeat | $1.7bn Social Network Ad Spending in 2010
According to new research released Monday by eMarketer, U.S. advertisers will spend an estimated $1.7 billion in ads on social networks in 2010, accounting for 6.7 percent of all online ad spending.
The dramatic rise — with growth of 20 percent this year, accelerating to 24 percent next year — shows why Google, the biggest player in online advertising, isfinally taking the threat from social networks seriously, and Facebook is moving to protect its turf.
The gradual economic recovery and the growing relevancy of social media in marketers’ mindshares is credited for the increase in spending. eMarketer previously forecast the market at $1.3 billion back in December. The research firm says it has increased its predictions as a result of “strong performance from online ad spending in general, and Facebook in particular.”
Unsurprisingly, Facebook accounts for more than half of social-network ad spending. In an interview with Inside Facebook in June, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that estimates of around $1 billion to $1.1 billion for its 2010 revenue were “not so far off.”
Despite its buzz in the marketing world, Twitter’s contribution to the number will be low in 2010. The microblogging service could see a noticeable leap in 2011 with implementation of its Promoted Suite of advertising products and its “resonance” model of measuring the effectiveness of ads. Back in April, the siteannounced Promoted Tweets, which enables brands to buy special placement atop search results.
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