The 2011 Holidays: Feast or Famine for E-Commerce?

The holidays are coming… and the question right now is: where will the grinch be spending winter break?

If you read what eMarketer and comScore are saying, we’re projected to see growth in holiday e-commerce spending somewhere in the order of 12%. At the same time, there’s no denying the reality all around us: unemployment and underemployment, vulnerabilities in the financial markets, and no obvious end in sight. These suggest a reining in of consumer spending, which might dampen an otherwise rosy outlook for the holiday shopping season.

We’ve been pleasantly surprised before… but the memories of 2008 are still fresh, when e-commerce spending actually fell during the holidays. Digital marketers can manage this risk in two ways:

1) Making smarter cross-channel investments: beyond search marketing into display, mobile and social media

2) Finding unique ways to connect with consumers.

In this webinar, Paul Burani of Web Liquid Group examines the most essential holiday e-commerce trends, providing insight and actionable recommendations for what to do next.

Click here to register.

About Paul Burani

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The Customer Complaint Index helps marketers understand customer complaints, the search behavior that drives them, and the marketing opportunity surrounding them:

• Which brands are most commonly searched in Google for customer complaints?
• Which industries attract this type scrutiny from consumers?
• How well are advertisers capitalizing on opportunities to extend marketing reach around complaint-focused search behavior?

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Dubbed ‘Natural Search Targeting’, the initiative is a UK first, targeting users based on their submitted specific interests either on SuperBreak.com or Google/Yahoo. When (potential) customers search for one of four key criteria (theatre, weekends away, etc.), subsequent ads they see will contain that specific message. For example, if you were interested in ‘theatre weekend breaks’, keyed that in, and clicked on the natural search link to the SuperBreak site, any subsequent SuperBreak display ad seen by the user would be tailored to that specific criteria. In this example, theatre weekend breaks

This is the first time destination-specific ads have drawn on customer-submitted search terms to serve a display ad. It means that web banners are more relevant, not only increasing SuperBreak bookings but also improving the customer experience by only showing ads which are known to be relevant. Natural Search Targeting is a very powerful channel for messaging – allowing SuperBreak to engage on a user-generated demand for information.

The creative was designed in-house by SuperBreak; the campaign was planned and managed by Web Liquid working in partnership with MediaPlex.

James Hudson, Media Director at Web Liquid commented “This is a great step forward in bridging the gap between search and display. Using retargeting technology in this way allows us to become more advanced with both our buying strategies and media messaging”.

Khalid Amin, Online Marketing Manager at Superbreak added “In the last few months we have restructured much of our marketing effort at Superbreak and are now better able than ever to respond to new opportunities and initiatives within the online environment. Natural Search Targeting allows us just this in the natural search and display arenas.

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This will be the first time this specially developed ad format has run on the National Rail site. Southeastern took all regular ad formats on the page and when a user rolls over either the banner or top skyscraper, a large rich media ad unit will appear and push down the page content – to reveal, the high speed train. The execution  highlights the fact journey times from Ashford International to London will be shortened to just 37 minutes and from Ebbsfleet International the journey will take just 17 minutes.

Click here to see the Southeastern National Rail execution.  

The execution was negotiated, planned and managed by Web Liquid working in partnership with creative agency Gamaroff Digital. The execution is part of a larger campaign including standard display ad formats across various sites as well as offline media.

Katy Habisreutinger, e-Commerce Marketing Manager at Southeastern commented; “The execution supports our goal of delivering impact, innovation and awareness for our high speed preview service.”

The high speed service has proven so popular with passengers that Southeastern were required to double the length of the 0748 from Ashford International to St Pancras and the 1737 from St Pancras International to Ashford International form six to 12 cars.

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My job is simple. To inspire staff, clients and consumers.

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Once again Web Liquid will lead the media strategy, planning, buying, data analysis and optimisation whilst Acknowledgement will develop and execute the creative strategy in close collaboration.

The agencies will be responsible for developing and expanding the direct customer channel in all key European media markets via a performance based program. A heavy focus on the progression of advanced technologies will be initiated in order to maximise ROI.

Nicola Stone, Retail Marketing Manager for Avis Europe commented, “Key Avis markets have already strongly benefitted from early adoption of online advertising network activity; these best practices and learnings are now required to be implemented across the balance of our main European markets. Our vision challenges Web Liquid to evolve this already successful model to become even more relevant and effective within our direct customer segment. ”

David Shiell, Founding Partner of Web Liquid added “This was a very involved proposal focused on an increasingly complex area. Whilst Web Liquid has a long heritage of delivering successful performance based media programs for other clients such as Hilton Hotels and British Airways Openskies, we had to strip back our model and rethink our entire approach to ensure we were offering Avis Europe a ‘best of breed’ solution that would fit their specific budgetary, business and operational requirements. This win once again highlights Web Liquid’s ability to compete successfully with large scale agency networks. I think what our team developed is ground breaking and will lay the foundation for how future performance programs are processed and optimised.”

Tom Jordan, Managing Director of Acknowledgement said “Successful online advertising needs relevant placement and great creative. Traditionally clients have had to choose between appointing an agency offering both media and creative (accepting that most agencies will excel in one aspect but not the other), or appoint a separate media agency and creative agency that don’t talk to each other. The partnership between Acknowledgement and Web Liquid is the perfect model for people considering digital campaigns. Each is a market-validated specialist in their respective craft and we have demonstrated through our joint pitch insights and suggested approach that we come together as one team to offer joined up thinking. We look forward to working with Avis on campaigns that deliver value, cut through and results.”

Read more at Brand Republic

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Web Liquid will lead the media strategy, planning and buying with Acknowledgement developing the creative strategy and production.

The campaigns will be focussed on driving direct revenue whilst ensuring Avis maintains its position as a value for money, premium car rental option.

Nicola Stone, Retail Marketing Manager for Avis Europe commented, “The proposition offered by partnering with Web Liquid and Acknowledgement promises to deliver the best optimisation of Avis Pan-European direct marketing strengths for 2009 onwards.”

Tom Jordan, Managing Director of Acknowledgement said “We are delighted to be working with Avis Europe, and will work closely with them to ensure we build on the successes of previous pan-European Sale campaigns.”

David Shiell, Founding Partner of Web Liquid added “We have had a long and successful relationship with Avis in the UK and are very excited to be extending our relationship out to Avis Europe where our centralised management of Pan-European media strategy will allow us to create yet further efficiencies of scale alongside intelligent execution. The appointment also makes a statement to the industry that boutique independents such as Web Liquid and Acknowledgement can compete on a wider scale against the traditional agency networks.”

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Our latest effort for OpenSkies launched today – a great deal in BIZ between NYC, Paris and Amsterdam. Since the airline’s launch last year most of the advertising has been in support of the highly praised PREM+ cabin, so this is the first campaign to raise awareness and trial of the only fully flat bed/seat flying NYC-PAR and NYC-AMS. At a fare that’s much less than the other airlines on those routes, it’s probably the best deal flying.

The digital campaign aims to reach the elusive business and premium leisure traveler in New York, Paris and Amsterdam through a combination of contextual and behavioral targeting while the creative delivers a strong proposition – balancing the benefits of BIZ with the the promotional call to action.

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Alain Portmann, Founding Partner of Web Liquid was a speaker at the 2009 Digital Marketing Conference. The conference held at the Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa in Dubai was organized by AMEinfo and Middle East Business Intelligence.

Alain presented on the subject of accountability and measurement as a means of increasing return on investment. The forty five minute presentation entitled “Conversations with Financial Directors” provided a series of measurement recommendations collected from actual discussions with Financial Directors from various Fortune 500 companies. The presentation shared Web Liquid’s approach to increasing accountability from online investments through a focus on 1) Profit on Investment 2) effective business metrics, 3) attribution of conversions and 4) Consumer Generated Insight.

For Alain’s personal perspective on the conference and analysis on the Middle East online industry join the Web Liquid Facebook Group. Further resources and insight on measurement and accountability include:

•  Measuring the gold dust of social media
• Pay per Performance – 9 tips to drive incremental revenue
• The last click gets to much credit
• Campaign analytics and measurement learnings
• What is return on investment?
• Measuring commercial and organic search
• Ad agency compensation is about Worth Creation

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Web Liquid will be responsible for planning, executing and optimizing the campaign driving users to hiltonworldresorts.com.

Web Liquid has partnered with Believe London to deploy an innovative creative solution aimed at increase relevance and return on investment.

The dynamically fed online advertising units are the start of a three month campaign to encourage consumers to think about where in the world they would rather be. Firstly the customer is presented with a real clock time and then prompted Isn’t it time you rewarded yourself? The ads are fed dynamically to what the consumer is searching for covering over 30 different destinations. The campaign is running across Tribal Fusion, Tripadvisor, CN Traveller and Context Web.

Beth Wheeler, Marketing Director at Hilton Family of Worldwide Resorts commented on the campaign “This is our largest investment in online marketing to date; we are looking forward to the results of this campaign that leverage innovative messaging elements and targeted media”

About Alain Portmann

My job is simple. To inspire staff, clients and consumers.

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Our new friends around the corner at Neighborhoodies helped us put our mark on the signature Brooklyn hoodie which we’re giving to colleagues and cohorts this holiday. Perfect for the deep freeze we’ve just fallen into! Neighborhoodies is a Brooklyn original and a nationwide success with their custom designed fashions. We’re wearing them with pride!

And you may have received one of our holiday cards featuring the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, another DUMBO creation from our new friends at Moontree Letter Press. Each card is run through a Heidelberg Windmill press – old school.

We’re looking forward to the new year in our new home. Feel free to stop by for a cuppa tea!

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Avis is boosting its online marketing strategy with the launch of a UK affiliate programme. The scheme, created by Web Liquid, will enable appropriate affiliates to carry display, text and image advertising, driving consumers to the Avis website. The car-rental firm hopes this will increase its online sales and boost brand awareness.

Avis aims to attract those affiliates most able to target affluent, online-savvy UK consumers from the AB demographic, with a male bias and a requirement to travel. Creative is sales-oriented, and includes a direct ‘book now’ call-to-action.

The company recently bolstered its online presence with the launch of wetryharder.co.uk – a first for the car rental industry, according to Avis. Last month, the company hired Web Liquid to create a viral Formula One themed game in the build-up to the British Grand Prix.

About Alain Portmann

My job is simple. To inspire staff, clients and consumers.

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“Web Liquid’s proactive nature, knowledge of the premium travel space and business acumen will help us communicate our dream of delivering a memorable travel experience where every detail matters,” said Dale Moss, Managing Director, OpenSkies. “Web Liquid, like OpenSkies, believes small things add up to something big. They are a welcome asset to our team.”

The Web Liquid campaign will utilize innovative digital marketing techniques including social media and behaviour-centric digital media and creative. OpenSkies Web site www.flyopenskies.com is designed to share the excitement of building an airline from an insider’s perspective and seek community input in the process. It includes, for example, a time lapse video of the first OpenSkies’ plane being painted.

“We’re delighted to be a part of OpenSkies’ vision of creating a better transatlantic travel experience,” said Matt Cronin, Web Liquid co-founder, head of its New York office and OpenSkies account lead. “OpenSkies plans to roll out as a small airline with big ideas about changing the way people travel and we are focused on helping them communicate their vision.”

David Shiell, co-Founder and Managing Director of Web Liquid Group, says, “OpenSkies is the perfect client for Web Liquid as we share the ethos of challenging the status quo, working smart to deliver an exceptional experience via world-class digital marketing. Our relationship with OpenSkies reinforces Web Liquid’s model of blending consultancy with advertising execution; serving as a strategic partner to brands as opposed to an online shop that simply fulfils briefs and media schedules.”

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James Hudson has been appointed Associate Media Director at Web Liquid. He leaves a position as Account Director at Omnicom’s PHD, where he worked primarily on the ING Direct account. With over eight years experience in the media sector, James’ client portfolio spans high-profile brands such as Sky, Interflora and BT.

At Web Liquid, Hudson will oversee planning and distribution of advertising across digital and other converging communications platforms, including radio, TV, newspapers, magazines and outdoor. In addition, he will work directly with senior management in company growth planning and implementation.

“James joins the team at a critical growth point,” said founding partner David Shiell. “His extensive sector experience and capabilities will help meet our clients need for proven marketing solutions, while he brings with him new ideas to help further refine and develop the Web Liquid media offering.

“Web Liquid is at the forefront of online marketing; this is an opportunity to work with a market leader,” said Hudson.

About Alain Portmann

My job is simple. To inspire staff, clients and consumers.

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The award given by the National Customer Service Awards in conjunction with SOCAP (Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals) is the only award SOCAP gives outside of its professional body.

The accolade was the culmination of months of monitoring and benchmarking of Consumer Generated Insights (CGI) leading to the development and launch of the We Try Harder blog. The advanced program involved the integration of the Avis Marketing and Customer service departments and has resulted in significant increases in the approval rating for Avis (over 200% Net Approval Index) placing them well ahead of their competition.

Online conversations in forums, blogs and review websites are having an undeniable influence on consumer behaviour. Aware of the power of user generated content, Web Liquid and Avis instigated the CGI centric program to leverage these channels, taking a holistic approach to harness the power of online word-of-mouth. Ultimately this was achieved via the Avis blog and through continual monitoring of consumer sentiment, provided by the excellent services & technology of web monitoring company Market Sentinel.

David Shiell, Managing Director of Web Liquid commented, “We are incredibly proud of our involvement in this project as strategically it crosses the boundary of Digital Marketing into the channel of Customer Service and Brand Management.”

The award further demonstrates the continual growth of the online channel and its ability to take the communications lead within the marketing mix. Shiell added, “Such an award highlights the strength of this medium and the great lateral thinking coming out of Web Liquid and our partners, showing our ability to develop and lead successful through-the-line programs that permeate all levels of our clients business. This program (and the award) was very close to the heart of Avis and their ‘We try harder’ proposition. It was approved at Board level, adding additional exposure and pressure to the project and all involved. Obviously we didn’t disappoint! Our clients are ecstatic about the win!”

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The internet now commands 11.4% share of all national advertising up from 7.8% in 2005.In 2006, online display advertising (including banners, skyscrapers and online sponsorships) rose 35% year-on-year to £453.7 million. Paid-for search increased by 52% to £1.2 billion of total online ad spend or a 57% share. Last year the paid-for-search segment grew by 79% the previous year ” indicating signs of a slow down for the channel. On the other hand, online classified advertising was up 45% to £379 million. This is in contrast to traditional press classified advertising, which experienced a significant decrease of 7.8% year-on-year.The IAB conducted the study in conjunction with PricewaterhouseCoopers and the World Advertising Research Centre (WARC). While it is important for the IAB, journalists and members of the industry to focus on investment figures, there is a danger in losing perspective on what really matters ” the return (from brand equity to sales revenue) advertisers get from online advertising. Online is not a more effective medium because it captures a larger share of advertising investment than outdoor or national newspaper; it is effective because of its’ inherent ability to be an accountable communications and commercial platform for brands. new media, online advertising, uk online advertising,web liquid

About Alain Portmann

My job is simple. To inspire staff, clients and consumers.

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XL Leisure Group is to become the new name for Excel Airways Group and along with the name change there are to be new logos for the Group and two of its main Divisions: XL Airways, the charter airline, and XL.com, the website, which retails and dynamically packages XL flights and holidays. The Group’s French (Star Airlines) and German (Star Europe) charter airlines are also being rebranded as XL Airways, creating a truly global brand.

The XL brand strategy now being revealed has been developed by specialist agency Brand Instinct, involving input from XL Airways teams from the UK, France and Germany and led by Martin Lock, MD XL.com and Alyna Trotman, Product Director XL Airways. Web Liquid, the Agency of Record for Digital Marketing appointed in late 2003 will continue working on the account responsible for online marketing in the UK, Ireland, France and Germany.  

In today’s travel world, with its accelerating pace of change, it is more important than ever that consumers are presented with coherent and consistent brands and brand messages. These help to develop awareness and customer loyalty in a marketplace flooded with brands. The new logo will be used on all of XL Airways 34 aircraft. In addition the onboard magazine and interior elements of the fleet have been completely redesigned to reflect the new brand values, colours and design and newly designed crew uniforms are being introduced. These changes are being phased in from 22 November and will be completed within the UK fleet by May 2007.

XL.com has been rebranded and all consumer marketing in the UK will feature the new brand, look and feel. It is also expanding and is being launched in Ireland, France, Germany and Australia by the end of November 2006.

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Excel gains online boost with XL.com. 1 February, 2005. Philip Buxton Revolution

Excel Airways has launched into the wider world of online travel after buying the URL XL.com. The airline, known for its low-cost flights, has expanded its online offer to include flights from other airlines, car rental, hotels and package deals. The push sees it target a new market and face up to Opodo, lastminute.com and Expedia. Its plans are supported by its acquisition of XL.com from a US firm for an undisclosed sum.

Excel thinks the fact that it owns ‘the majority’ of the inventory on the site will give it an advantage. Martin Lock, director of marketing and e-commerce, said: “XL.com represents the next stage in the evolution of travel sites – it’s a portal offering customers a range of airlines with accommodation and car hire, and it is owned by an airline, giving the portal owners ultimate control over destinations, pricing and promotion.”

Excel’s old site (www.excelairways.com) will direct users to XL.com where it claims to offer package holidays from 10 UK airports to some 40 locations.

The firm hired digital agency Web Liquid to handle its online marketing early last year.

About Alain Portmann

My job is simple. To inspire staff, clients and consumers.

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The efficiency table published by New Media Age as part of the 2006 Top 100 Interactive Agencies report ranks agencies according to the amount of turnover each individual member of staff is responsible for pulling in, derived by dividing the declared turnover by the number of staff. For a sample of the report visit New Media Age. 

As part of the New Media Age as part of the Top 100 Interactive Agencies report Web Liquid was also ranked as the 55th largest Online Marketing Agency in the UK market (based on declared turnover), being the only independent agency started after 2003 to be ranked within the top fifty Online Marketing agencies.  

web liquid

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16 March, 2006 New Media Age. Avis to improve ad targeting by shifting 50% of funds online with Web Liquid.

 Car-hire company Avis is shifting 50% of its GBP £600,000 marketing budget into Internet activity in a bid to target its advertising better and to channel traffic to its site.The move reflects demand from customer as more car renters opt to make their transactions online.

The company will abandon its discount-led advertising to focus on making consumers aware of its customer care policy, and is investing in rich-media expandable banners for the first time. “About 6% of the UK population rent cars each year,” said Avis head of marketing Xavier Vallee. “So we have to be very targeted and efficient in our campaigns.”

Since July the company has been working with Web Liquid Group, which was responsible for the banner ads and a campaign for Avis’s partnership with Tesco Clubcard.

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Hotel group Hilton is trying to tempt Americans to travel abroad more this summer with a major new online campaign promoting its hotels in the UK and the rest of the world.

The campaign has been developed by the New York office of UK agency Web Liquid and will run on US travel and news sites such as Frommers.com and NYTimes.com throughout the summer. It will encourage people to book through the hotel group’s own site, Hilton.com, with the promise of guaranteed lowest prices.

The agency has set up a series of microsites within the main Hilton site to promote different destinations, including London, Paris, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and Canada. The campaign is the first developed in North America for Hilton by Web Liquid since it opened its New York office last November. The agency has been working with Hilton International in London since early 2004.

The UK-based Hilton Group owns the rights to the Hilton brand name throughout the world, except in the US, where it’s owned and managed by Hilton Hotels Corporation. However, the two work closely together and have a global marketing alliance.

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Online leisure network Unoduo has appointed a digital agency to promote its services in the UK and US. The Australia-based company will work with Web Liquid in London to develop an online strategy to raise awareness of its ability to connect people with shared interests.

Web Liquid will handle media planning/buying, creative development and site optimisation, with a brief to introduce Unoduo to potential new members across the UK and US. The company’s first campaign will encourage people interested in travel to meet other Unoduo members at their planned destination.

Yvonne Allen, chair of unoduo.com, said, “There are a lot of simple dating sites here but we’re about connecting people with common interests.”

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2 August, 2004 Guardian Unlimited by Guy Clapperton. The great e-scape.

More people are visiting holiday websites than ever before, according to new research. So is it just because of the wet summer, or is the net now the only way to book travel, asks Guy Clapperton.

It’s so tempting to start a piece on the holiday industry’s performance online by asking whether readers are enjoying the summer weather, but somehow this year (so far) that would seem cruel. It’s been very wet and unseasonal and there’s no point in claiming otherwise; this might in part explain claims from the online research company Hitwise that June 2004 saw more people visiting holiday websites than any previous month, January this year having held the previous record.

According to Hitwise, the industry accounted for 4.16% of all visits online during June, and it enjoyed a 23% increase in visits compared with June 2003. The destinations and accommodations sub-sector increased the most, boosting its market share of visits by 33%. The most popular terms typed into a search engine over a 12-week period leading into June included “easyjet”, “ryanair” and generic terms such as “cheap flights” and “cheap holidays”.

It’s not just the outreach that’s making the sector grow, however, it’s the fact that customers are coming back more than they have done in previous years. There are a number of reasons for this. Ian Wheeler, managing director of e-travel, which sells the technology that underpins many online travel sites across 90 countries – some of the best known in the UK are Opodo, Travelink, Qantas and Air France – points to some of them: “Booking online is about economies of scale and trust – the more people try online the more people are comfortable.”

This means more people will book, so more profit is made and more money can be thrown at advertising the online site. And, of course, the online booker’s experience is improving by degrees. “If you go on to Opodo and search for a fare between London and Sydney you’ll now get 200 fare options, and some options are options you’d never dream of if you were working out your cheapest price – or you can pay a slightly higher price but get something convenient. Then you go on to hotels and you get a vast array of hotels, you get maps, you get pictures, you get a lot of data.”

The quality of the information has improved as well as its quantity; you can book in five minutes or in five hours depending on how much data you want to sift through. “If you look at the offline booking experience it’s really no longer comparable,” says Wheeler. External factors are also important, he adds.

Alain Portmann, founding director of the internet advertising agency WebLiquid, points to email: “It’s a very powerful communications channel. Companies who get it completely right – Expedia do it quite well – use a lot of resource and technology in deploying a good campaign. Email is the most intimate relationship you can have with a consumer online.”

Anyone who has researched flights over a period of time will be aware that this sort of confusion happens. That entails segmenting the customers properly, which involves doing some hard work – but this has advantages in its own way.

Vanessa Kent, corporate development director for ValueClick Europe, which sells some of the web technology that goes “under the bonnet” to extract marketing data from customer behaviour, says the data on offer from a customer’s clicks is much more sophisticated than ever before. “When you look at the marketing data in relation to an email you can do a lot with the technology to try and track a different user – there’s all kinds of information on what they’re doing, what they’re searching for, what their preferences are, and then combined with media you can deliver a really targeted, preferential email to that user with exactly what they want.”

It is perhaps not a surprise that, once the inhibitors such as patchy web availability are eliminated from the equation, travel will grow more quickly than anything else; it will be instructive to watch and see whether other industries can follow its impetus.

About Alain Portmann

My job is simple. To inspire staff, clients and consumers.

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