Technology
For every person that wants the latest high-tech, wireless gadget there's another who just wants their digital life to be simple and straightforward. It's all about knowing your audience.
RSS feed on Technology
Technology
- October 2011
The customer is always right
IT in the business world is looking to harness the intuitive user-friendliness driven by the digital consumer. How can businesses adapt their IT systems to align with today’s digital expectations?
- September 2011
Where to now for 3D?
Three-dimensional technology is far from the newest trend in the world, but why has the film industry worked so hard to bring it back? And will it be here to stay, inducing consumers to everything 3D, or will its barriers (like having to wear 3D glasses) deter consumers from enthusiastic adoption?
- August 2011
Heads in the Cloud
Cloud computing looms over the digital world, and looks set to become a big part of our lives, both in business and pleasure. So how does it work, and does it offer a silver lining?
- July 2011
Banking on the net
Continued security risks online can deter banking there. But unlike in the past, advanced technology is continuously pushing us forward. And who can resist, when the convenience it brings outweighs the cost?
- July 2011
Your phone…the new store
Consumers often look at brands to fulfill their needs. Now, as mobile shopping becomes hot, brands can engage their consumers via their phones to get more involved with the brand.
- June 2011
To click or not to click
What is so appealing about tablets versus newspapers? Looking at the daily conveniences that tablets can offer, one wonders what the print industry should take note of in order to prevent being pushed into early retirement.
- May 2011
Obsolete power
In today’s tech crazed world, planned obsolescence (deciding when a product will become obsolete to make way for the new) has become the norm for most of today’s gadgetry. However, instead of simply pushing out the old, this is bringing continuous improvements and new experiences for the ever-demanding consumer.
- April 2011
Torrents of abuse
Piracy continues to torment the entertainment industry, and while some defenses have been raised against the tide, there’s no real end in sight when it comes to illegal downloading and DVD copies.
- March 2011
The Droid you’re looking for
Although Apple’s operating system has made remarkable strides in dominating the smartphone market, Google’s Android is a strong contender. With higher flexibility to complement handset manufacturers and the support of non-iPhone users, its power is slowly shaking the market leader.
- January 2011
The social network?
Building and maintaining relationships on one (or many) social networks is about more than the size of your friends list. To keep a relationship going, brands have to hand control to the consumer.
- January 2011
Back to the future
Technology may push us into the future, but it also gives us a chance to look at the past. Thankfully, new gadgets are playing on this nostalgia to bring back much-loved tech from days gone by.
- November 2010
Rise of the Kidults
It's no secret that the gaming industry has been incorporating adults into their target market for a while now, but marketing strategies have had to change and adapt for the new growing market of "casual gamers" that Nintendo so effectively opened up with their introduction of the Wii console. With these largely adult consumers on the rise, enter the PlayStation Move and the Xbox Kinect.
- September 2010
Get mobile
The theory of evolution is a simple one: adapt to your environment, or die. Right back when the world was nothing more than a glorified ice-cube, man was able to adapt to his surroundings and survive. We now try to make it in a global business network, and to do this we need to be adaptable and innovative. And this is where a new iPhone webpage for Toyota executives comes in.
- September 2010
Social Media Blues
There appears to be a growing dissatisfaction, and a rather public one at that, among users of social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Ironically, people are using these very networks to voice their opinions, which range from issues about poor security to being bombarded with too many ads; and not to mention the stress of coping with a high maintenance digital lifestyle.
- August 2010
The style spies
Monitoring the markets and working in the office all day leaves little time for a professional working man to stay in style. Yes, nipping off to a newsstand and buying a fashion magazine to read is an option. However, male fashion fans are finding it's much easier to visit their favourite websites, and get instant help from a willing army of fashion bloggers, who act as style spies.
- August 2010
Into the wired
Heading into the great outdoors used to be about getting away from it all, facing nature head on and enduring – even relishing – all the hardships that came along with it. While the latter is still partly true (we still face nature head on, but we've found ways to make the hardships less… hard), today’s outdoor enthusiast can (and oftentimes does) stay just as connected with the world as they would in a downtown net café.
- August 2010
Desktop destroyers
It’s clearly the age of mobile technology in which laptops, notebooks and the recent advent of hybrid tablet devices like the iPad, of which 3 million were sold within the first 80 days of its US launch, appear to be ruling the IT roost. With tablets estimated to account for 23% of all US PC sales by 2015, and sales of mobile PCs estimated to account for over 68% of all PCs sold worldwide by 2014, the writing seems to be on the wall. Are the days of the desktop, the predecessor of these new fangled devices, literally numbered?
- August 2010
Magic Mushrooms
Mushrooms aren’t known to inspire the most exciting of dialogues (except perhaps among chefs), but to the numerous fans of solar energy, the growing legion of wave farmers, and the squadrons of Don Qui-eco-xotes tilting about their windmills, the humble fungus could make a significant mark in cleaning our environment and providing alternative energy sources.
- July 2010
Health comes home
Technology that used to belong only in sports laboratories or doctor’s surgeries is rapidly finding its way into the home. All sorts of affordable, interactive devices are now available to help you monitor your own health and fitness levels from within your own living room or while on your favourite training route.
- June 2010
Building the hits of tomorrow
New music artists are achieving their dreams of stardom, including great sales, fans, hitting the charts and critical success, all without the marketing support of a major record label. How are they doing it? We find out in part two of a music investigation, with a focus on the role brands are playing.
- May 2010
In too deep?
Three-dimensional images have been a part of photographic history since the very early days of image reproduction, but the technology is now at point where electronics manufacturers feel confident about taking it to the mass home market. With everything from the World Cup to Avatar being presented in 3D, are consumers ready to take the plunge?
- March 2010
Striking a balance
As people’s time online has increased, so too has their time watching television - an important lesson that despite people's love for all things interactive, they still need the downtime where they aren't asked to click, forward or comment.
- February 2010
Visualised, stat!
Sifting through streams of data available for the details to boost your brand can be like looking for a needle in a stack of needles – unless you have the visualisation tools to turn a stream of numbers into insightful image.
- January 2010
Krafty marketing got a lot right
What most pundits, real or self-proclaimed, overlooked is that the Kraft's Vegemite team actually came up with a solid new product, well received by consumers (ok, other than the name), selling well – and arguably a surplus of brand engagement.
- January 2010
Marketing in Society 2.0
Accepting the longevity of social media is just the first baby-step. Follow many of the discussions on social media occurring within the marketing space and it quickly becomes apparent that many still fail to grasp the major mind-shift that is now required.
- January 2010
Plugging the leaks
When internet buzz turns against your brand, it takes more than a press release to bounce back – you need channels, honest engagement across social media, blogs and more.
- January 2010
Turning a page (with a click)
Dog eared pages or scuffed up screens? The battle for readers’ eyeballs is heating up and to the victorious hardware manufacturer will go the publishing spoils - but no clear winner has yet to emerge.
- December 2009
Virtual opportunities present real dangers
By now it is clear that in order to survive, let alone thrive, in business it is imperative for brands to have a clear, strong and synchronised presence in online channels, such as social media and websites.
- December 2009
DigitALL in sight
Synovate's global media and advertising study showed that the internet is now edging out TV as the world's favourite medium. But don't take this to mean that other media like print and radio don't still have a place in people's hearts.
- November 2009
The ‘social’ in social media cannot be ignored
Social media is clearly dominating the marketing zeitgeist. But scratch beneath the surface and it’s not uncommon to find a degree of perplexed disenchantment and scepticism. Jonathan Dodd looks at the human factor that makes social media important.
- September 2009
Mobiles a ‘remote control’ for life
Mobile Intelligence expects that 70% of all people will own a mobile phone by the end of 2010. Marketers need to understand how people use their phones, how they feel about them - and what they want more of.
- September 2009
Five things brands could do better on Twitter
In:fact correspondent Linda Collard gives her take on first impressions and the power of mobile tweeting - and reveals how in just eight weeks she went from zero to dependent on the power of Twitter.
- July 2009
Is ‘green’ set to drive the car industry?
If money were no object would you buy the gobsmackingly powerful, gorgeous sports car or a green ecofriendly car? Surprisingly, Synovate found that six in ten people would choose a green car instead of their dream car.
- March 2009
Drawing insight from social networks
The communities on social websites such as MySpace and Facebook represent a tremendous opportunity for researchers to become involved in, participate in, observe and analyse thousands of conversations.
- March 2009
Building the artist-fan relationship
A new generation wants to be more connected with artists, but not everyone in the music industry knows how to respond. The same technology that enables file sharing is also being used to establish a new way of doing business.
- March 2009
Collective minds
How do you give the people what they want? It’s a simple question that businesses and manufacturers struggle with daily, but there may be a simple answer: let the people do it for you.
- March 2009
The colour of money
Colour matters. It affects our everyday life, our everyday behaviour, and constitutes 80% of all of the visual information our brains receive each day. Colours play a huge part in the choices we make.
- March 2009
TV: Outside the box
First came the big terrestrial television broadcasters. Then there were the cable networks. Now, high-speed internet makes high-quality, online video available to anyone - erasing some of the old rules for making a TV network.
- August 2008
Social networking myths and facts
Synovate spoke with over 13,000 respondents in 17 markets around the world to find out who's connected and who's not, as well as attitudes and online behaviours. Some of what we found surprised us...
- July 2008
Is ‘green’ the new black?
The second annual Synovate and BBC World News climate change study showed that more and more people are concerned about climate change (72% across the globe and as high as 88% in Spain).
- May 2008
Global healthcare survey looks at patient power
From doctors' waiting rooms to 'Dr Google', homeopathy to homemade remedies, healthcare has many different guises around the world. With economic and cultural factors shaping healthcare attitudes and behaviour, this sector can be seen as a microcosm of society.
- April 2008
Living the fast, young life in Asia
Multi-tasking, media-rich lifestyles are the norm among 8-24 year olds in Asia, with these on-the-pulse consumers fitting 38 hours of activities into every 24 hour period.
- September 2007
The fantasy is reality
Forget about fantasy sports being a pursuit solely covered by a small group of fanatics, it boasts a range of sponsors including Barclays, Budweiser, Coca-Cola and Toyota.
- July 2007
Latin American elites are big spenders
Affluent consumers and business executives in Latin America are world citizens and have similar purchasing power to elites in developed markets and want the best products and services that global marketers can offer.
- May 2007
Music 2.0 is here
Music is mid-revolution. It's a quiet revolution but a sure one. While marketers and industry experts spend time debating the impact of new technologies, Asia's youth are simply using them... or are poised to do so.
- April 2007
Kodak gets its groove back
Film photography, the business that made Kodak a household name, has been rendered obsolete with the onset of digital cameras. It's old business model destroyed in a flash, Kodak has tried to move into a field already beset with competitors.
- April 2007
Big national brands
These five brands have made quite a name for themselves in their local markets. Now, they are setting their eyes on the world, looking to expand their operations to all parts of the globe.
- January 2007
Desperately seeking love online
A Synovate survey reveals a fairly even match between those who think online dating is a great way to meet people and those who think it is a waste of time but shows large disparities among levels of use and comfort between different nationalities.
- November 2006
Capitalism calling
The rapid spread of mobile phones in South Africa is enfranchising people who were once excluded by spurring entrepreneurialism in rural areas and encouraging foreign direct investment.
- August 2006
Digital manners in Asia
Sixty percent of Asian consumers are unable to live without their mobile phone and two thirds of Asians believe digital devices should come with user etiquette manuals, according to a Synovate survey.
- June 2006
Living with - or without - technology
Almost half of us think new technology looks cool even if we don't understand it, according to a recent Synovate survey.
- May 2006
Alternative engine technology
Despite record oil prices in most countries and concerns about global pollution levels, awareness and adoption of alternative fuel engine technologies are fairly low, according to a recent Synovate survey.
- November 2005
Innovation as survival
Given that a strong history of innovation is no guarantee that nations will be innovative tomorrow. Leaders must step forward to make our nations new engines for innovation, growth and global prosperity, at home and across the globe.
- November 2005
Evolution or extinction
Using innovative research to understand the market and get into the psyche of the consumer, companies can make their mark by acquiring technology and offering it in an attractive or inexpensive package, rather than focusing solely on technical innovation.
- April 2003
Virtual packaging lacks sense
Successful brands seek to appeal to all five senses. But what happens when a brand goes online and the buyer is limited to only sight and sounds? How does the lack of touch, in particular, affect consumer shopping behaviour?