Spot On Archives — Carrington Malin

December 16, 2018
content-planning.jpg

Does your website content need an update for 2019? Here are five simple content questions that your organisation should ask itself now to support 2019 website performance.

One of the most exciting things about today’s marketing is the sheer pace of it. Technology continues to shorten campaign cycles and what we did just a couple of months ago can feel a bit like ancient history! Which is why websites do get out-of-date a lot faster these days.

Continue reading this story on the Spot On blog


January 15, 2018
what-is-your-brand-tone-of-voice-1200.jpg

After a decade of brands being tried and tested by social media, another new medium is set to challenge brand integrity: AI-powered voice technology. This new voice-controlled world will not only test brand differentiation, but also how enduring a brand’s relationship is with its consumers.

A new medium is set to challenge brand integrity. A disruptive force that could wreak havoc on carefully crafted communications guidelines and brand management methodologies: voice technology. The rise of voice assistants, voice-controlled devices and 24-hour a day, on-demand voice content is going to stretch even the most agile marketing organisations as they are forced to re-examine what their brand’s tone-of-voice really means to them.

This is a new world where your computer, mobile, home electronics, home automation, security and even your car are going to be voice-controlled. From a consumer point of view, this means that , in the near future, product discovery, pre-purchase research, second opinions, price comparison, buying transactions, user manuals and after-sales service will all be enabled by voice automation, voice content and AI-powered voice.

Continue reading this story on the Spot On blog.


November 28, 2017
fake-content-bots-1200.jpg

Donald Trump’s habit of repeatedly ‘crying wolf’ over media stories has played a big part in pushing ‘fake news’ into the public consciousness this year. However, fake news is a real problem. In fact, fake content of all kinds is a problem: and one that is going to reach enormous proportions over the next few years, misleading consumers, journalists, students, voters and other seekers of truth in the process. A content war is coming and fake content is already starting to carry the big guns.

Global research and advisory firm Garter predicts that by 2020, “most people in mature economies will consume more false information than true information”. This onslaught of fake content is being enabled by artificial intelligence (AI).

Continue reading this story on the Spot On blog.


November 28, 2017
2001-space-odessy-orginal.jpg

Much is being made of Amazon’s Alexa voice recognition technology and the voice platform’s ability to recognise speech and respond to voice requests. Early adopters of Alexa assistants seem to be delighted with the ease at which they can discover new content, control other devices. participate in interactive content and make onlin purchases. However, the best is probably still to come. As artificial intelligence (AI) develops further and leverages other technologies, digital assistants are likely to begin anticipating your needs rather than simply serving them efficiently.

Could artificial intelligence powered digital assistants, such as Alexa, take de facto control of your daily routine? And, if so, how much influence could they wield over your brand choices?

Continue reading this story on the Spot On blog.


October 30, 2017
mobile-pay-1080x700-1.jpg

Will the arrival of Apple Pay in the UAE create a new sense of urgency for aspiring omnichannel retailers? Now that the country has a wide choice of mobile payment options, mobile-first strategies should finally be able to pay their own way.

The launch of Apple Pay and Samsung Pay means that the two leading mobile phone brands in the UAE now offer a native NFC payment service (together, Apply and Samsung account for about 50% of the UAE mobile phone market). This is a big deal for those developing omnichannel marketing.

Continue reading this story on the Spot On blog.


October 23, 2017
marketing-agencies-dubai.jpg

Agencies are used to getting last minute briefs. The urgent email or phone call wanting help with a campaign to start ‘immediately’. The pitch brief with the imminent deadline insisting that the successful agency must be ready to begin within days of a tight deadline (by the way, all agencies have a room full of highly-qualified people kicking back, playing pool and watching TV, just waiting for these occasions!).

Sadly, the growing popularity of digital communications seems to only encourage last minute briefs. Many clients now have some knowledge of digital advertising and marketing tools and have perhaps already have experience of placing social media advertising themselves. Everyone knows that you can upload an advert and start a campaign on Facebook in minutes, so what’s the problem?

Continue reading this story on the Spot On blog.


October 12, 2017
mobile-advertising-uae.jpg

This week the mobile operators association GSMA confirmed the United Arab Emirate’s position as one of the most advanced mobile markets in the world, with 80 percent of the country’s population using their mobile devices to access the Internet. The country’s high rate of mobile adoption is already well known, with the UAE leading in smartphone penetration from 2013. According to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), mobile phone usage in the UAE increased to 228.3 phones per 100 people this year.

As mobile has become the preferred media channel for consumers, so it has become the main driver for digital advertising. According to emarketer, some 63% of global digital media spending this year will be mobile and this is expected to grow to 77% by the year 2021.

Continue reading this story on the Spot On blog.