Sentiment Analysis is the hot new buzz phrase in the world of internet marketing metrics.  With the rise of social media importance in marketers’ lives, it naturally follows suit that we want to measure whether people are talking favorably or unfavorably about our brands.  And, when the number of social media conversations grows beyond the ability of simple manual tracking, we look for automated capabilities.

The problem, though, is that today the state of the art of social media sentiment analysis is not technologically advanced enough to provide reliably meaningful information.  Manual analysis is often still required if we want to ensure the accuracy of the result.  At a minimum, automated statistics need to be periodically spot-checked to determine how valid they are.

As an example, let’s look at a recent analysis of tweets for a major brand from one of the sentiment analysis engines out there. (I won’t mention which engine so as not to unfairly target one over the others.)  The below chart shows the first 23 tweets analyzed for “Pepsi”.  Those on the left (shaded green) were determined to have positive sentiment and those on the right (shaded red) were determined to be negative.  Next to each is an extra block with a manual determination of the same tweet.  Green blocks mean the tweet was manually determined to be positive and red negative. (Although some tweets could also be considered neutral, we kept it simpler – just positive or negative.)

The result?  Out of the first 23 tweets returned from the engine, 14 of them (60%) were deemed to be coded incorrectly!  In fact, the automated analysis translates to an overall slightly negative sentiment (.43), when in fact the manual analysis showed an overall strong positive sentiment (.78).

Also note that for our analysis, we used a brand name (“Pepsi”) that is relatively easily identifiable by automated systems.  But, had we chosen another common brand such as “Coke”, our original problems would have been compounded further.  In addition to the same incorrect sentiment classifications, we have two more problems.

• The system will incorrectly include in its analysis tweets that use the same word but not intended to refer to the brand. For example, many tweets about “coke” refer to the drug. (And of course we have to take into account all of the tweets by those in the coal and steel industries referring to “coke” as the result of processing bituminous coal. They’re always skewing our numbers!)
• The system also fails (except with a second pass) to include tweets that use other forms of the brand name – in this case, the more formal “Coca Cola”. (Pepsi is lucky in that both its shortened and full names both contain the word “Pepsi” so internet searches and analyses are easier.)

Does this mean that automated sentiment analysis should be avoided?  Not necessarily, but it does mean that they need to be regularly spot-checked by actual people until they are more consistently reliable.

Domus is a leading edge internet marketing agency that brings its full range of classic marketing expertise to its hi-tech digital capabilities. For more information on how Domus can help you accurately analyze your internet presence and develop effective strategies to further your brand, visit us at http://www.domusinc.com.

If you’re like me, envisioning a room with a new paint color, piece of furniture or window treatment sends shivers down my spine. While I work in a creative environment, I simply cannot visualize new décor for my home as evidenced by a flamingo-pink powder room I once painted – yes, I admit it.

Needless to say, the myriad of new apps and online and in-store visualization tools that are available are sparing me from poor design choices. For all home décor-challenged folks out there these tools will show you how furniture, floor coverings, different paint colors and more will look together by mixing and matching from a variety of pre-set colors and textures.  The easy-to-use tools help consumers channel their inner Martha Stewart and feel more confident in purchasing decisions, in addition to saving time and money by not having to re-do décor or hire a professional designer.

Some of the most popular iPhone home design apps are Colorsnap, Colorchange and Ben Color Capture.  With Colorsnap, you simply take a photo of a swatch you are using.  This can be anything from a close up of your sofa to a print on your lampshade.  Once you take the photo, the Colorsnap app will find a paint color that best matches your swatch.  Colorchange lets you see your interior with the finished product and Benjamin Moore’s Ben Color Capture app matches paint swatches with your interior.  With the snap of your camera, you’ll receive paint recommendations within seconds along with a dealer locator.  All this, and you didn’t even need to leave your couch.

Home furnishing retailers and manufacturers can take advantage of these latest technologies to develop interactive visualization tools that will help make the sale and deliver more satisfied customers.  With a world of people strapped to their phones, not utilizing these app opportunities would be a very poor decision. Like my hot pink bathroom.

Domus, Inc. is an integrated digital and traditional marketing communications agency that delivers unconventional thinking and out-of-the-box strategies that help our clients sustain growth and demand brand awareness.  For more information, please visit us at http://www.domusinc.com.

Nothing sells furniture like a herd of cats, right? IKEA UK released one hundred furry friends throughout its Wembley store; video taped the cat chaos and placed the stunt on YouTube.  Over 2,063,867 people (AKA potential customers) have viewed the youtube video and turned the innocent marketing scheme into a feline phenomenon.

The stunt was executed to introduce the retailer’s new “Happy Inside” brand positioning in addition to launching the company’s 2011 cat-alogue.  Genius?  We think so. Continuing the momentum, people can interact on IKEA’s Cat Facebook page and users can win pieces of furniture by simply guessing which sofa the cats found most comfortable.  Would you buy the same couch that Connie Calico liked?

So have IKEA sales skyrocketed since the stunt went public?  Currently, nothing has been reported.  However, you can bet your cat nip that brand awareness and overall interest in IKEA has increased.  The IKEA facebook page also probably doubled in friend requests, all from potential customers who would like to take 5 minutes out of their day to try and win a piece of furniture. They are most likely already on facebook during the work day, so why not make IKEA a new “FB Friend.”

This type of marketing stunt is inexpensive and attracts an amazing amount of attention.  While consumers watch the kitty’s rummage around the store, viewers are exposed to the new furniture and BOOM – purchasing decisions could be made.  “I didn’t know IKEA had that book shelf.”  Sold.

The final advertisement can be seen below.

Domus, Inc. is an integrated digital and traditional marketing communications agency that delivers unconventional thinking and out-of-the-box strategies that help our clients sustain growth and demand brand awareness.  For more information, please visit us at http://www.domusinc.com.

Last year 56.9 million people accessed the web from their cell phones.  These people aren’t just surfing the web.  They’re looking for a product or a service or a company, in their area, and they wanted it five minutes ago.  That’s an audience full of movers, shakers and buyers.  And one you can’t afford to miss out on. $1.6 billion worth of purchases were made on mobile devices last year.  That’s A LOT of spending.

If we’ve learned anything from social media, it’s that we need to be where our customers are. According to Morgan Stanley, mobile internet grows faster than any other platforms including Netscape, and AOL in history.  Customers, and more importantly, NEW customers, are on their mobile phones.

It’s clearer than ever – mobile marketing is something you simply can’t miss.  So what do phone users see when they go to your website?  There is a fundamental design difference between a regular website and a mobile website.  It’s worth grabbing your phone and taking a look. We’ll wait.

A mobile site needs to have a different content structure for viewing in palm sized screens.  It can’t have too much information in one screen. Customers can zoom in on your microscopic content, but who wants to do that?

Mobile searchers are on a mission.  They want an address or phone number, a menu, movie times, store hours, or a quick drink not only by searching keywords, but also by geography.  And they want it NOW.  A mobile site should be set up to serve up every types of information.

Mobile social media is also pumping up traffic to your mobile web.  I’m sure you’re not surprised to learn that Facebook has surpassed Google to become the top source for web traffic, but you should take note that the Facebook application for smartphones is ranked #1 in popularity across most smartphone platforms.  Once users “like” your page’s content or products, it needs to be displayed correctly in both desktop and mobile forms.

It’s just a simple way to make your site instantly more accessible to a mobile user.

First, revisit the existing website, evaluate what’s currently there, and more importantly, what you want to see there.  Then you can begin to plan your mobile content and information architecture.

Next, consider new user experience (UX), such as multi-touch and gesture zooming in/out or selection options, which are popular in mobile UX. Inconsistency between touch and mouse interface can block some functions of your website.  For example, a rollover menu or image will not work on mobile device at all.  Keep these portions of your website in mind when evaluating your site.  User interaction should be re-considered and re-created in all applicable areas of your website.

Also, please be aware of Flash and its drawbacks for mobile web.  Cell phones and smart phones are not compatible with Flash.  Period.  If your website uses Flash mobile users are seeing a whole lot of nothing. (Technically, Android devices do currently support Flash but practically performance is very bad).

Lastly, re-implement new analytics that can track mobile activities.  Keep in mind that you need to track not only web traffic sources, but also “app traffic sources,” which can be more tricky.  Location-based query and phone-query should be considered and counted as well.

In the March 2010 issue of Fast Company Magazine, it was noted that US Cell phone penetration was at 34% in 2000 and increased to 89% in 2010.  While those figures are impressive, they don’t point out a very critical detail of today’s cell phone: it’s not a cell phone at all, it’s a smart phone.  Phones today are used for so much more than talking and texting – they’re handheld computers and with the right features they can connect to the internet, engage in social  media, upload videos, and if your business has a functional mobile site, lead customers directly to you.  If your site is not smart phone compatible, then throw in the towel, because more than half of cell phone internet users go online daily through their mobile device and its rate is increasing.  But if you can sustain business by losing half your customers – then please, let us know how.

Domus is an interactive agency with the ability to help you transform your business into a mobile machine with 24/7 access through smart phone technology.  Let us help you.CodeProject

Companies are responsible for increasing sales and driving brand awareness, however, sometimes consumers take it into their own hands.  One of the more recent campaigns is “bros icing bros” – where one “bro” is surprised by another “bro” with a Smirnoff Ice alcoholic beverage. The recipient of the surprise is then supposed to drop to one knee and chug the drink. And so became the act of “getting iced.”  Videos of friends surprising friends by placing Smirnoff Ice bottles in unexpected places flooded Youtube, Facebook, dedicated blogs and other social media sites skyrocketing the advertising stunt into a phenomenon.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Smirnoff Ice is not exactly popular among the fellas. It’s considered a “girly” drink, along the lines of a wine cooler; and if you ask any “bro” he won’t admit to liking it. Yet, thanks to this mindless (or brilliant) marketing stunt, men are flocking to liquor stores purchasing cases of the drink so they can laugh at their friends as they’re shamed into drinking such a girly beverage. However, Smirnoff will have the last laugh as sales of the beverage have increased and Smirnoff Ice is now a household/fraternity/locker room name.

This situation is a double edged sword for Smirnoff.  On one side, sales of the beverage have increased and brand awareness is most likely at its peak, but on the flip side, the game is mocking the beverage and poisoning any positive recognition the beverage had.  The viral campaign will eventually lose its appeal, so should Smirnoff capitalize on its 15 minutes of fame or deny any connection?  We’ll see what the brand does with future advertisements and promotions, but it would be foolish for them to not leverage this newfound popularity in order to sustain beverage sales.  Any reputable communications agency can put a positive spin on the product; might as well let Smirnoff ride this out in the meantime.

Family gatherings, office happy hours, and house parties may have just become a lot more interesting. Feel free to stop by YouGotIced to see the “icing” yourself.

Domus, Inc. is an integrated digital and traditional marketing communications agency. For more information, please visit us at http://www.domusinc.com.

3D movies have exploded in theaters, and now manufacturers have followed suit with 3D TVs for residences. How soon will marketers adopt 3D commercials?  In June, ESPN network broadcasted the World cup in 3D, which included 3D commercials from Procter & Gamble, Sony Corp. and Disney’s Pixar.

However, with U.S. sales of 3D TVs projected to be in the range of three to four million, this represents merely 10% of overall TV sales.  Not necessarily worth it when you consider the expense to create a 3D commercial – typically 10 – 50% more than a traditional ad.  Cinema networks, which also accept 3D commercials, have a limited number of 3D screens available, only about 8%, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners.

So, with budgets under the microscope, will marketers sacrifice dollars to jump on the next big thing?  It’s hard to tell.  Marketers must constantly be looking for new ways to make products stand out and build brands, but cost always remains the number one issue.  Will seeing a product in 3D actually sell more of them?  Time will tell.

For those advertisers who can use 3D technology to enhance their products, 3D commercials may be an ideal opportunity to get an edge over their competition.  Even just a few years ago, many advertisers were leery of producing ads in HD due to the increased cost and today, the majority of ads are shot in HD.

The true indicator will be how quickly consumers adopt 3D technology for their home.  A 3D commercial playing on a traditional television is essentially worthless. Therefore, advertising agencies will need to closely monitor this trend and advise their clients when, or if, it even makes sense to produce a commercial in 3D. Sure it’s cool, but if only 10% of the population sees it, is it really building any business? The answer is a big, FLAT “no.”

Domus is an innovative marketing communications firm that incorporates state-of-the-art technologies and classic marketing principles into effective marketing campaigns. For more information visit us at Domus, Inc. and Domus Digital.