BootB– the official online marketplace for creative services, is hosting a party in Milan next Wednesday, November 11th at the Hangar Bicocca in via Chiese, 2.

The Unlimited Creative Night– An event not to be missed!

Whether you’re a marketing guru, work in the advertising world or consider yourself a creative specialist– Register to this event ASAP!

Open bar starts @ 9:20pm. Music by DJ Isa Iaquinta, followed by the live acrobatic performance of the famous Elena Burani!

Register to this event at www.bootb.com or visit BootB’s event page on Facebook for more information.

The web streaming, which was broadcasted live at the ‘Bolla’ by Renzo Piano at Lingotto, dubbed ‘L’individualismo non è più sostenibile’ (Individualism is no longer sustainable) saw one of the most important and significant topics of today — sustainability and energy.

The discussion was presented at a roundtable assisted by power players from the political arena as well as the engineering, academic and construction industries, whose main objective was to determine possible scenarios for innovative sustainable housing and energy saving measures.

Thanks to the technical team 77Agency and their experience in the field of social media, in particular the Facebook platform, the integration of the Facebook Live Box in the property sites of Fresialluminio (fresialluminio.it) and Deca (decaservice.net) – both 77Agency clients – gave online users the opportunity to view the web conference moderated by conductor Beppe Rovera from RAI 3 Ambiente Italia.

“Today’s professionals are struggling to keep up with changing times, the issues of sustainability and renewable energy are fundamental and that is why we managed to bring to the same table the best of the best-something that happens quite rarely,” commented Massimiliano Fadin, Communication Manager at Fresialluminio.

During the two-hour conference a total of 952 people tuned in from all over Italy and the world and 200 viewers remained in constant contact throughout the live trasmission via the Facebook Live Box. In addition, the web streaming feature also allowed visitors to interact with other viewers and leave comments as well as address their questions on the issues being discussed to which the panelists were able to respond in real-time.

Important case studies were also presented featuring the various strategies that have used as appropriate solutions to the issues presented above.

View the complete web conference at www.fresialluminio.it (note: video is in Italian).

However, Facebook’s explosion has not only been visible in Italy, it has become the number one network for nearly 400 million people across the globe. Social media in general has changed the way we live, the way we socialize, the way we communicate– the way brands communicate with consumers.

Nowadays, the use of social media does not depend on whether you have a computer or whether you have access to slow or ultra-fast internet connection. In Italy, the number of users who access the internet via their mobile devices continues to grow: +22% compared to last year, for a total of over 6 million users– over 65 million users worldwide (facts from B!Digital).

This chart displays the top 20 countries by time spent online:

The concept of portability has also become a fundamental aspect when it comes to how content is being presented and delivered across the different channels. Because the Web isn’t in our computers and our laptops anymore, content providers must make content accessible and reusable from all types of media.

The mobile Web offers the promise of freedom in the sense that it makes the Web fun again and doesn’t force people to stay in one very same place all the time.

Being away from our desktops and laptops which now feel like work will make the mobile Web a welcome escape to many and the perfect opportunity for brands to market to them.

“While Google represents the main player in the search engine industry and many consider it the best vehicle for direct response marketing, social media, on the other hand, lends itself to continuous interaction, branding and engagement,” confirms Marco Corsaro, Managing Director 77Agency.

Below is an article that was featured in this year’s WebBook- Il Quaderno della Comunicazione– from the ADC Group Publishing Company, which was distributed at this year’s IAB Forum Milan 2009, Italy’s largest interactive marketing conference.

Click image to download the entire pdf.

I couldn’t help but to realize the selection of main sponsors who lined up for this year’s event. There was Banzai, Dada, Master Advertising, Triboo and Microsoft Advertising, which together with Dada, have been regulars for the past couple of years.  Apart from Microsoft Advertising, the remaining sponsors are all made in Italy, which clearly shows an increased interest in the interactive marketing landscape in the country.

The main topic in today’s opening speech by Layla Pavone, was the role of the internet in Italy and what it represents to Italian companies. Today, 88% of Italy’s 22.9 million internet users have broadband internet either at home or in the office. The use of the internet increases by the day, with a consequent increase in time devoted to it: 55% of users go online every day, while the average time spent online per month is 50 hours and 102 average minutes a day.

Other facts and figures revealed that Internet has become increasingly significant with relation to the search of information about companies and products. 85% of respondents declared that the internet represents a main source of information about products and services of interest, while 79% declared they first search for information online, then make their purchase at a POS.

Video, mobile and social networks are becoming paramount channels for promoting and executing highly-effective marketing campaigns for many brands across different industry sectors. Infact, both 2009 and 2010 continue to confirm the trend growth in advertising investments in Europe and in Italy. Online ad spend growth from 2009 -2010 is expected to grow by 7.6% across Europe.

To close, I’ll leave you with the below graph which allocates the different interactive channels and platforms existent today into three categories (from most influential to least influential): consumer driven, distribution driven and brand driven.

IAB Forum continues until tomorrow, for more information visit www.iabforum.it

According to a study by email marketing solutions company Campaigner, higher growth small businesses are spending more on marketing, and favoring online tools such as email marketing over traditional marketing vehicles.

Despite the economic climate and the challenges it has posed to businesses of all sectors and sizes, many small business owners are beginning to see turnaround and are aiming to keep growing through the use of web-based marketing tools.

Some key findings from the study revealed that 65% of small businesses that expect revenue growth reported that they are spending more or are planning to spend more on marketing by year end. On the other hand, 32% of those that expect flat revenues, and 36% of those expecting declining revenues are spending more or are planning to spend more on marketing this coming year.

Overall, small businesses are shifting their marketing efforts from offline, traditional channels to online strategies via social networks, blogs, search engine marketing etc.

Small business owners are realizing that a small online investment using diverse Web-based marketing tools can lead to business success and help them meet business challenges such as:

Attracting and retaining customers – 50%

Revenue – 15%

Improving cash flow – 9%

Maintaining profitability – 8%

In addition the study also showed that a great number of businesses anticipating growth are already using (82%) or planning to use email marketing. Only 18% declared they have no intention in using email marketing.

Data from Eye for Travel and Surrey University indicate that the online tourism sector showed a 54% increase between 2002 and 2008, while all traditional media channels remained stable. On the other hand, for the period 2008-2012, online tourism is expected to increase by 14% with a decrease in the offline of 1,2%.

Indeed this increase in online activities for the tourism and leisure sectors can be attributed to the economic crisis in that it has paradoxically shifted the overall advertising and marketing spend from the offline to the online. It is evident this particular sector is now betting on the internet as well as innovative web marketing initiatives to steer luxury travelers in their direction and increase their online ROI.

Reservations are no longer sufficient just through institutional  and property websites. Today, there are many available ad hoc online hotel/travel agencies and directories such as mrandmrssmith.com, luxurylink.com and theknot.com that offer all kinds of options and services to choose from.

“Power is shifting hands,” confirms 77Agency Managing Director, Marco Corsaro. Power is moving from the company to the customer– the customer is the brand. This is why having brand presence online is fundamental nowadays.

“One of our clients, Terme di Sirmione, a five-star hotel and spa located by the Lake Garda in the province of Brescia, has recently asked us to create a Facebook Page which today is followed by nearly 17,000 fans, who freely tell us about their thermal experience,” comments Corsaro.

“The beauty of social media networks — he continues — is that they allow for both advertising and interaction amongst brands and customers. It’s very important to be engaging in your communication strategies, and that is why social sites such as Facebook are being used by many companies today across all industry sectors, not just luxury travel.”

Below is an article issued on Pubblicità Italia which features 77Agency and our thoughts on the relationship between social media and the luxury travel and tourism industry…pretty much what has already been discussed throughout this post. (click to enlarge)

“Donna Moderna’s fan base increases week by week, this is just the beginning. We are pretty sure that by the end of this year our client will hit the 50K mark,” confirmed 77Agency Managing Director, Marco Corsaro.

This below is an article featured in this week’s edition of Donna Moderna that talks about the goals and objectives of the magazine’s Facebook Fan Page along with 77’s collaboration in attaining those goals. (click to enlarge)

Highly performing brands on Facebook (official and non-official) are gradually increasing while more and more users are looking to the social media giant to come a step closer to their favorite brands.

As more brands attempt to join the discussion, it’d be a good idea to pay attention to brands like Donna Moderna, who so far has been quite successful at acknowledging its customer base while reacting to it appropriately. They have come to understand that in order to effectively utilize social media as a means for building or furthering their brand, they themselves have to be a part of the conversation. Fans usually have a lot to say, so it’s important that brands listen carefully and respond accurately.

77Agency manages Facebook campaigns for clients across a range of industries, from fashion and clothing, health and beauty to publishing and finance. It has developed and implemented Facebook strategies as well as provided its clients efficient social media marketing strategies to maximize and ensure brand exposure online.

Along similar lines, 77Agency is also running a series of seminars in London, Milan, Rome, Amsterdam and New York highlighting the opportunities presented by social media to brand and marketing managers.

The next event to be held in London will take place at the Soho House on November 12th.  To book your place please write to us at seminarslondon@77agency.com or visit www.77agency.com for details.

This increase in participation on behalf of  social media users is forcing advertisers and marketers to shift their marketing efforts as to be able to capture people’s attention and promote their products while engaging and interacting with potential customers.

According to a study from the communications firm Cone, the majority of new media users (78%) interact with brands via new media sites, an increase of 32% from 2008.

Other findings from the study revealed that 89% of social media users feel that brands should make an effort to interact with brands online and not just have a presence within the different networks. In addition, the report also showed that the majority of consumers (58%) are still searching for brands on traditional websites and through email (45%).

More significantly, approximately a quarter of consumers said they want to interact with brands in social networks.

The chart below clearly illustrates the frequency in which users decide to use social media and tools to interact with companies.

61% of social media users believe brands should make their top priority, problem solving and providing customer service.

However, 58% of respondents did admit they would be more willing to interact and engage with brands online if they offered freebies, coupons or discounts.

Some final impressions from respondents when asked how they felt about brands being present in social media are the following:

* Feel a stronger connection (72%, up from 56% in 2008)

* Feel better served (68%, up from 57% in 2008)

* Have a more positive image (74%)

* Are more willing to engage (70%)

* Have an improved opinion when one of their friends interacts (64%)

* Choose to “follow”/”friend”/”fan” because it helps showcase their personality online (52%)

This is the opening paragraph of an article issued today on IlSole24Ore’s online edition of B2B.it, discussing our continuing efforts to address industry marketers about a series of important topics revolving social media advertising and online marketing strategies in general.

Marketers are coming to realize the possible business opportunity that lies within the relationship between leisure and advertising investment. The latest of a sequence of events organized by 77Agency and Buongiorno Marketing Services in Italy, the last of which took place in Rome and was dubbed “360 ° Marketing: Using Creativity to integrated online, mobile & social activities” with YouTube, Facebook, Key-Com and BootB as guestspeakers, highlighted the importance of focusing on mobile without forgetting the desktop or the good old TV.

The seminar in Rome, which we have spoken about  in one of our more recent posts, placed emphasis on the most popular video service in the world, YouTube, which is visited by 45% of Italian internet users, with a global share of 20% and an average viewing time of 58 minutes per month.

To close, Marco Corsaro commented that “We spend 30% of our free time online, however companies are only investing 7% of their budget on online advertising.”

In other words, the sector is undervalued and marketers are only beginning to realize that a small investment online can lead to great results.

Telecommunications was the most prominent industry in the list of categories of UK advertisers on social networking sites. Telefonica O2, Deutsche Telekom, and British Telecommunications, delivered altogether close to 950 million display ad impressions in the month of August.

Ranking second in the list of top advertisers was the retail industry, where leading brands such as Tesco, John Lewis and DFS, generated 753 million ad impressions during the same month, followed by banking brands with 248 million, travel with 213 million and last but not least, entertainment with 181 million ad views.

In addition the research also revealed that 15-24-year-olds were served the most ads, accounting for 29% of social network display ad impressions while representing 23% of the total audience. The leading marketing agency also found that, despite the demographics aiming towards younger users, all ages were reached.

comScore’s Managing Director Europe, Mike Read comments on the results: “These data suggest that every demographic segment is reached via social networking sites and that no particular age segment accounts for an overwhelming percentage of ads delivered.”

He continued, “Given the overall reach and volume of ads delivered on social networking sites, brand advertisers who ignore this channel may be missing a significant opportunity and enabling their competitors to gain a dominant share of voice in the channel.”