Not to be outdone, many brands have jumped into the fray, utilizing Twitter as another touch point to communicate with their fans. Brands that have successfully embraced and utilized Twitter to engage their audience include: Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir, 89,000+ followers), Zappos (@Zappos, 788,000+ followers), and Jet Blue (@jetblue, 693,000+ followers).
One of the interesting examples of Twitter's influence and effect on media consumption came on Jan. 15, when the very first reports and pictures of US Airways flight 1549 came to us from the Hudson River through Twitter. The accounts and pictures from this amazing story came pouring in via Twitter faster than mainstream news outlets could possibly report. Unfortunately, while a couple of airlines have embraced Twitter, US Airways has chosen to remain silent. Regardless, this is the point where many were either first exposed to Twitter (through mass media reports). We were fascinated and turned on to its power as a communication tool for individuals, media outlets, and brands alike.
Display advertising is lagging, or is it?
As we entered 2009 and the economy continued to take an even bigger nosedive, industry speculators began to weigh in regarding its effect on advertising and, more specifically, the effect on different types of online advertising. The general consensus was that while search wouldn't take a big hit, display advertising was going to be crushed by brands pulling out to focus on other formats with a more predictable and higher yield ROI.
This prediction had many publishers concerned. From a marketer standpoint, many in the direct response sector looked at this news as an opportunity to pick up a greater volume of remnant inventory at prices that would yield a significant ROI. This devaluation of display had the potential to wreak havoc for many publishers who rely on its revenue to support their businesses.
While display advertising, along with all other forms of online advertising, has historically enjoyed continual double-digit growth, things seem to have come to a screeching halt this year. The latest predictions over the course of 2009 show that display will take an overall retreat of 2 percent, while other forms of online advertising (search, social media, emerging media, etc.) are predicted to have single-digit revenue gains.
Ironically, the predictions have only partially held true. While some publishers have seen drops in their prime inventory sell-throughs, others have not. News recently released by Nielsen showed that some of the country's largest CPG brands, like Procter & Gamble, increased their Q1 display advertising spend by 27 percent over Q1 2008. Large eyeball sites and networks like YouTube and AOL reaped the increased display spend from the CPG category.
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